Tag: festschrift 2012

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Festschrift 2012

and then there was Kenneth.

We’d like to apologise if our list of MMV bloggers for the festschrift was not exhaustive. I’d originally stuck with 7 bloggers – like the years that had passed. Then some, like David and Alex ended up being added to the list, not as an afterthought mind you but purely out of their interest to join the festival of reminiscence. Then Toni told me… what about Kenneth? Have you spoken to Kenneth? To be honest I’d forgotten about Kenneth – we had lost touch ages ago. I sent out some feelers but thought it was probably too late for Kenneth to send in his two cents’ worth. Apparently it wasn’t…*

Seba’ snin ilu kelli blogg. Kont ftaħtu f’nofs is-sixth form u ndukrajtu għal sentejn u ftit. Imma llum insejt x’kien fih għax kont ħassartu.

Qabel ma miet zoptu, ħin biex neqred b’kliem tant mirqum ftit kien għad fadalli. Imbagħad naħseb li kont bżajt li seba’ snin wara għad nerġa’ nsibu ma’ wiċċi, għeruqu mħawla fis-sod tal-garigori tal-Google. Li nkun nixtieq l-art tiblagħni, imbagħad, jien u naqra dak li kien kiteb il-jien tal-bieraħtlula. Li forsi nintebaħ li wara kollox ftit li xejn kbirt, ta’ 25, mill-jien ta’ sbatax/tmintax. U dik tbeżżagħni mmens.

L-ekosistema kienet bdiet tinbidel ukoll. Sirna iżjed ikkakkmati mal-iskrijn minn dak iż-żmien ‘l hawn u sa bdejna nġorruh fil-but, iżda tgħażżinna. Qabad il-Facebook f’Malta. L-għodda l-ġodda għamluha faċli li taqsam ħsieb (tant li l-ħin kollu jsaqsuk x’qed taħseb) imma qatlulna l-ħeġġa. Dak iż-żmien kont tinzerta post fuq blogg fejn id-diskussjoni kienet taħraq fis-sezzjoni kummenti. Fausto, Mifsud, Stagno, l-Imżebbel; il-bella kumpannija. Ġieli argument kien ikarkar għal ġranet qalb l-‘elit krepuskolari’, qabel tfantsu u reġgħu daħlu f’qoxrot il-pitazz fejn jiktbu l-kotba. Imma ridt tinzertaha d-diskussjoni biex tkun taf biha. U ridt tiftakar terġa’ tidħol tiċċekkjaha, bla ebda ‘1 new notification’ bl-aħmar li ttellfek milli tqatta’ ħinek tqalleb fuq ħajjet ħaddieħor u tindokra r-ritratti tiegħek itteggjat f’xi ikla fniek mal-ħbieb.

U l-folja kompliet tinqaleb għall-bloggosfera Maltija. Il-moviment sar mainstream, kważi kważi. Minn mezz imperreċ fil-beraħ iżda xorta mistur biżżejjed fl-oskurità tiegħu, għajr għall-ftit li jafu bih, sar mezz taparsi ħieles iddominat mill-ftit li jafu bihom il-ħafna. Il-bluwmers minxura fuq il-bejt f’daqqa waħda mxew għal fuq il-ħabel ta’ quddiem li jidher mit-triq. U b’hekk DCG ġabet magħha l-merħla li ħesrem għarfet il-velenu li jiktbu dawk l-imġiddmin bloggejja. Il-velenu li qabbadhom il-leblieba għal iktar, għax il-Malti għatxan għal hekk. Imma tal-MMV kienu diġà ħbew idhom u bewġu ‘l ġewwa.

Illum ‘blogg’ sar sempliċi kumment fuq artiklu tat-TOM. Il-‘bloggej’ tal-lum jifraħ li ngħata leħen għax m’għadux jistenna l-ġranet sa ma tidhirlu l-ittra ‘l-editur; il-moderaturi saru jtellgħulu l-kumment fi żmien siegħa, sagħtejn l-iktar! Intant, l-eks-bloggs tal-elit krepuskolari, m’għandix dubju, jitqallbu f’qabarhom.

—

Diamonds in the rough:

L-Istordut Kroniku – Fost l-istrixxikli u diversi tpenġijiet, kien kiteb serje bl-isem ‘Iċ-Ċirku Bertu Funtana’. Fiha kien irrakkonta l-praspar ta’ klikka żgħażagħ li kienu jinġabru l-Belt fit-80ijiet. Smajna b’ċertu tali mlaqqam il-Bauhaus; bir-Riku; bl-Istordut innifsu. Ħadd ma basar li dawn il-karattri kellhom jieħdu l-ħajja meta nxterdu l-vidjos tal-Maltasajf ’86 fuq il-Youtube tliet snin ilu.

Books & Beans – Mejlak kien jibbloggja darba f’mitt qamar, iżda wara kull waħda kien iħallina ssummati. Kellu (u għad għandu, insomma) ħabta kif ipoġġi l-kliem. Darba minnhom il-kitbiet sparixxew mill-blogg iżda, b’xorti tajba għalina, sabu ruħhom f’Qed Nistennik Nieżla Max-Xita.

Ereżija – Is-silta infami “Li Tkisser Sewwi” kien ilha tgħix fuq l-eteru ferm qabel ġiet ippubblikata f’Ir-Realtà. Jew ħadd ma kien familjari mad-diversi bloggs sperimentali ta’ Vella Gera, jew ħadd ma kien jitkaża wisq dak iż-żmien.

Tal-Maqluba – Antoine Cassar kien maverick letterarju dik il-ħabta. Il-mużajki tiegħu – poeżiji li jħaddmu diversi ilsna, xi kultant anki fl-istess vers – kienu xi ħaġa tal-meravilja ngħid għalija. Tant kienu tajbin li saru jispiraw il-ktib tar-rapport tat-temp dal-aħħar.

Il-Kurat Gybexi – Darba kiteb dwar idea li kellu għal riforma tat-trasport pubbliku f’Malta. Niftakarni naqra fuqha fuq il-blogg tiegħu, imma ma nafx qattx ippubblikaha fid-dettall. Jew forsi kien diġà tarrafha ‘l Delia.

Lamppost Campaign – Fl-2005 saru l-elezzjonijiet għall-ewwel MEPs Maltin. Ftit qabel kienu saru popolari serje t’intervisti ta’ Norman Lowell li ttellgħu fuq il-Maltafly (kien għad għandha l-ġwienaħ dak iż-żmien). Ħafna mill-bloggejja raw oltrè l-valur komiku tagħhom. Kien diġà beda l-assedju ż-żgħir, kif laqqmuh iktar tard il-Brikkuni, u żdiedu l-miġjiet bid-dgħajjes mill-Afrika. U magħhom id-diversi arson attacks. Il-Lamppost Campaign, mibdija proprju minn J’Accuse, naħseb kienet l-ewwel kruċjata diġitali tal-għamla tagħha f’Malta (għalkemm żgur ma nxterditx daqs ir-‘rivoluzzjoni’ virtwali li rajna fi żmien ir-referendum għad-dħul tad-divorzju fl-2011).

Biex nagħlaq, lil Jacques nawguralu l-ad multos annos. U lill-eks-ġirien tal-Bloggosfera MMV, insellmilhom mill-ġdid talli kienu mewġa ta’ tama f’baħar ta’ baħħ. PTP.

 

* J’accuse note: One last thing. The image that has been accompanying the festschrift is taken from Gozo artist Christopher Saliba’s collection. You can find a gallery of his works here.

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Festschrift 2012

pierre j. mejlak – books & beans

I thought he wouldn’t make it. Then I got an SMS at four in the afternoon “Nibza li ha niddizappuntak habib. Qieghed imsiefer u l-isfiga kollha qed tinqala’. Forsi guest post mar-ritorn ghalkemm ma tkunx l-istess.” Then four hours later “Sibt internet!!! Gej tieghi! x”. By nine in the evening I had received Pierre’s piece. The Festschrift was completed – in “photofinish 1996 style” as Pierre himself described it. Pierre was a wonderful discovery – two Gozitans meeting in Luxembourg – and if there’s one thing I envy him it’s his smooth talking charm peppered with trés gozitan humour. Books & Beans was the name of a bar/café in Luxembourg before it became the name of the blog of one of blogosfera’s most pleasant wordsmiths. I’ll stop here – ladies and gentlemen I give you the fashionably late Pierre J. Mejlak. It’s not his fault he was in Paris….

Ma’ Jacques fis-Sul Palco

It-Tube llejla xbajt għall-mewt. Qisu r-rużarju. Dejjem l-istess daqqa, b’New York, New York dejjem l-aħħar radda tas-salib. Iżjed ħadt gost il-bieraħ għand Mark. Kien hemm Ludvic, ħabib tiegħu, li f’għaxar minuti sajjar platt għaġin b’dak li sab mhux-maqtugħ fil-kċina ta’ Mark. Għoġbuni t-tnejn – kemm l-għaġin kif ukoll Ludvic. Kien hemm ukoll Matthew, li qed iżur lil ħuh u qisu mħajjar jiċċaqlaq hawn ukoll.

Barra l-ksieħ. U fejn noqgħod jien, f’wied li jiġi eżatt taħt ground tal-futbol, il-kesħa tinħass iżjed. Mhux suppost indum ħafna hawn. Hekk kif jitlesta l-appartament f’rue Adolphe Fischer niċċaqlaq. Hemm inkun waħdi u nkun iżjed komdu.

Illum erġajt rajt lil Maria. Vera post żgħir dan u jekk tiltaqa’ ma’ xi ħadd u ssellimlu bla ma biss tindenja tistaqsih x’jismu, sa ġimgħa wara hemm ċans tajjeb li tkun erġajt rajtu. Darbtejn jew tlieta. Ma’ Maria laqqagħni Vincenzo fl-ewwel ġimgħa tiegħi hawn, fejn inzerta kien hawn fiera – speċi ta’ lunapark kbira – bl-isem Schueberfouer. X’ħin toqgħod tqis, naħseb infaqna għoxrin euro nilagħbu tellieqa taż-żwiemel. Tixħet ballun u skont f’liema toqba ddaħħlu, iż-żiemel jiġri. Jien kelli ż-żiemel numru sitta. Għajjien immens u ma damx wisq ma beda jinqatagħli lura waħdu. U x’ħin rajtu dejjem wara nett, kollu grif u melankolija ġenerali, sirt kważi kważi nħobbu iżjed.

Ma’ Maria rġajt ħbatt is-Sul Palco, il-bar ta’ wara l-Posta. Taħdem bartender hemm. Ma nnotajthiex mill-ewwel. Fuq it-TIME kien hemm artiklu dwar Barack Obama, li mix-xejn sar Senatur Chicago. Toni Sant kien ibbloggja dwaru u meta ġiet quddiemi tistaqsini x’irrid kont mitluf fih. Come vanno le cose? staqsietni. Ma stennejthiex hemm u billi togħġobni imbarazzajt ftit ruħi.  Għidtilha tajjeb. Ma sibt xejn aktar x’ngħidilha. Flok macchiato ħarġitli macchinato u ħarġitli imkissra qisha ż-żiemel li lgħabt fuqu. Vera stħajt imma hi tbissmet għax ħasbitni qed niċċajta. Kont se nistaqsiha jekk ratx Fahrenheit 911 iżda hekk kif kont se nibda d-domanda Maria telqet fuq mejda oħra bi tbissima li biha qisha riedet tgħidli kkalma, daqt nerġa’ lura.

Fuq it-televixin bdew juru tellieqa tal-Formula 1 u kif bdejt nara min hemm quddiem jidħlu żewġ Maltin. L-ewwel smajthom. Imbagħad rajthom. Kien għadni qatt ma ltqajt ma’ Jacques, għalkemm wiċċu ma kienx ġdid u ismu lanqas. Kien endorsja lil Cassola u bħal għoġobni li ħareġ għonqu. Miegħu kien hemm wieħed jismu Owen. Jacques qalli li kien għadu kemm mar dawra bil-karozza. Mar Remich, qal, u wara baqa’ sejjer Remerschen. Ra ħafna baqar. Sejjer jara Juve Ajax l-Erbgħa f’bar Taljan qrib il-gare u stedinni mmur miegħu. Nitħajjar immur. Semmejna lil Toni Sant u lil Mark, li t-tnejn qed jibbloggjaw. Jien imħajjar iżda x’naqbad ngħid? Jacques ma jikkommettix ruħu. Iżda ma nimmaġinahx se jdum wisq iħares mill-ġnub. Ma jidhirx it-tip ta’ fuq il-bankina.

Kien qed jgħidli li anke hu Għawdxi u kont se nistaqsih minn fejn, meta reġgħet ġiet Maria tara hux kollox sew. Id-domanda dwar Fahrenheit 911 kont, ormai, fassaltha b’mod sabih u kont se nixħitilha qisna ħbieb tal-qalb li dejjem jixħtu l-affarijiet lil xulxin, iżda Jacques, pront pront, ħa f’idejh id-diskursata, li għandi ma reġgħet spiċċat qatt.

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Festschrift 2012

fausto majistral – malta 9 thermidor

It took us a while to put our finger on what this majistral bloke was about. In 2005 we were convinced he was the mother (or father) of all PN apologists. It was not that though. It was an assiduous attention to detail. Thermidor was a formidable political observer with whom to cross swords. Then suddenly, for no apparent reason the blog that had become a reference point on all things political just stopped. Fausto soldiered on as chief proof reader, fact-correcter and contradictor on J’accuse with the occasional (very welcome) guest post in the Zolabytes. Here’s another one then, telling you how the blogosphere died:

While blogging in the US really took off in the aftermath of 9/11 as “citizen journalists” put online whatever content they felt mainstream media was leaving out, in quite a few other countries the watershed year was 2005. Particularly in the Middle East (Egypt and Syria immediately come to mind), PCs and modems became as powerful weapons as guns and grenades.

Malta’s big year of the blog was also 2005. At no other time since did the Maltese blogosphere flourish as much in quality and quantity. But it was not just that. There was a good vibe from trying out a new medium whose potential was as yet undiminished with competition from the likes of Facebook and Twitter. The motivations to blog were very strong: in my case (as possibly with many others), the feeling that on the Maltese mainstream media contributors either (a) had nothing very interesting to say, (b) could only express themselves very poorly or (c) all of the above. Usually it was (c) so out we set to set the world aright. And then when an Independent intern, Aurelie Herbemont, wrote an article on the Maltese blogging scene, it really felt that the blogging revolution was on the way and, with some more effort, it might even be televised.

J’accuse was born into this happy world. Having been born under the right star sign, in a thriving community were members were genuinely interested in reading and responding to what other members were saying, the blog’s editor frequent positings quicky placed the blog in pole position. While, of course, readers came from far beyond the confines of the small blogging community, most reactions and responses were from other bloggers. That was somewhat dispiriting at the time (at least to me). Had I the gift of foresight with the ability to see the Times commentator in the future, I would have been happy that somehow what we wrote attracted like-minded people rather than contributions which, like most graffiti attest nothing except the writer’s (unwelcome) presence.

Sadly, the blogosphere decline set in quite quickly. An annus horribilis was 2008, an election year which attracted many “occasional bloggers” as well as “occasional readers” who were looking for the latest online rumour through google. Some gave up. In the case of J’accuse, its editor responded to an odyssean song becoming a contributor, first on the Sunday Times then the Independent on Sunday. The blog content suffered, becoming almost an appendage, at most a “peek preview”, to the weekly column. The writing which had looked so natural and authentic with the varying lengths, intensities and time of blogging was now subject to the fixed lengths, fixed styles and fixed publication date only the dead tree media could impose. Thankfully, the editor is now again free and some of the old J’accuse shine is back.

Not all, of course. Not the spirit of ’05 expressed in that old wordpress template. But at least J’accuse is still around to remind us of better times.

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Festschrift 2012

alex vella gera – il-kriżi u kif tegħlibha

The name may now be associated with controversy, much to his chagrin, but when alex vella gera hit the blogosphere it was “erezija” (heresy). Weird, eccentric and for a very long time I thought it was too far-fetched to be real. You discover Alex when you learn to discover his reflections and observations. I’d say childlike without meaning any disrespect. Honest in their down-to-earthness and contemporaneously angry and relaxed. I still value “Mill-art” as one of the greatest blogging brainwaves from blogosfera mmv…

Ereżija u l-kriżi

Billi għandi fissazzjoni fuq dati u l-kronoloġija ta’ avvenimenti f’ħajti, u l-mod kif jinħolqu mill-ġdid bħala tifkiriet, għandi memorja kważi fotografika ta’ ċerti żminijiet li għext meta jew kont fl-apiċi ta’ perjodu feliċi jew għall-kuntrarju, kont fl-eqqel ta’ kriżi personali. F’Marzu 2005 naħseb kont qed ngħix taħlita tat-tnejn. Minn lat wieħed kont tabilħaqq għaddej minn kriżi ta’ identità u iżolament, iżda fl-istess ħin kien żmien sabiħ ħafna wkoll, l-iżjed għax kien il-mument meta skoprejt il-blogosfera, li b’xi mod tatni opportunità biex niffaċċja l-kriżi tiegħi u neqlibha rasha ’l isfel. Għalhekk, wara xi jiem naqra l-bloggati tal-ewwel bloggejja Maltin, tħajjart nibda blogg jien ukoll, għalkemm ma tantx kelli fuq xiex nitkellem u nikteb, u lanqas biss kelli idea xi jkun blogg veru u proprju.

Ma domtx ma bdejt niskopri li bi blogg f’daqqa waħda kelli f’idi għodda eċċellenti biex inġagħal lili nnifsi nħossni importanti, maħbub, magħruf, apprezzat. Kienet illużjoni li mietet mewta twila u patetika, iżda kienet sabiħa, speċjalment fil-bidu. Ngħid għalija, jiena rari rnexxieli nittraxxendi l-ġibda kbira li għandu blogg għal min hu “navel gazer” bħali, u allura ma tantx inqis lili nnifsi minn ta’ quddiem fl-ewwel epoka tal-blogosfera Maltija, ħlief għal xi bloggati rari, bħal meta ktibt dwar il-funeral ta’ Julian Manduca. Iżda kien hemm bloggejja oħra li taw kontribut siewi. Jiġuni f’moħħi l-bloggati ta’ Mark Vella, u l-ħlewwa li biha Antoine Cassar wera l-entużjażmu tiegħu għall-Malti u l-możajki li kien beda jikteb, u l-eżerċizzji intellettwali ta’ Kevin Saliba, u nista’ nsemmi oħrajn bħal Sandro Zerafa, Oliver Degabriele, Jacques Zammit, Immanuel Mifsud, Patrick Galea, Kurt Buttigieg, Ġużè Stagno, anke Mario Vella (tal-Brikkuni) u l-lista tkompli.

Nimmaġina li nies oħra se jiktbu dwar l-importanza tal-blogosfera fil-ħajja soċjokulturali ta’ ċertu grupp ta’ nies Maltin, jiena fosthom. Għalija kienet l-ewwel darba li sibt ruħi parti minn komunità ta’ kittieba Maltin, pjuomeno tal-istess xeħta ideoloġika u b’interessi xi kultant simili, xi kultant le, u bejn wieħed u ieħor tal-istess ġenerazzjoni. Għal xi żmien kien jinħass it-twelid ta’ moviment. Iżda komunitajiet virtwali huma wisq astratti u fraġili biex jissejħu moviment.

Niftakarni niltaqa’ ma’ Jacques Zammit u Mark Vella, ġejjin friski friski mil-Lussemburgu għal vaganza fuq il-“blata”, u għaraft kemm huma differenti n-nies wiċċ imb wiċċ ħdejn kif jippreżentaw lilhom infushom bil-kitba fuq l-iskrin tal-kompjuter. L-istess meta ltqajt ma’ Antoine Cassar u Kevin Saliba għall-ewwel darba, u dawn it-tnejn kellhom isiru ħbieb tiegħi meta t-tlieta li aħna tlajna naħdmu l-Lussemburgu bħala tradutturi.

Din id-dikotomija qatt ma sibt irkaptu tagħha. Domt sakemm aċċettajt li blogg huwa spazju pubbliku, u li jkollok blogg ifisser li għandek preżenza fl-isfera pubblika, anke jekk ikollok qarrej wieħed biss. Il-mod kif il-privat (blogg kważi bħala djarju) u l-pubbliku (blogg bħala pjattaforma għal opinjonista) saru ħaġa waħda kien ħallieni affaxxinat iżda fl-istess ħin skonċertat. Naħseb din kienet waħda mir-raġunijiet għalfejn il-blogg tiegħi kien jismu Il-kriżi u kif tegħlibha, għax bl-immedjatezza tal-blogg stajt inkejjel mil-feedback tan-nies jekk kont naf nikteb jew le. Tattika xokk biex inqum mir-raqda li kont fiha.

Kif tistgħu taraw l-esperjenza tiegħi tal-blogosfera fl-2005 kienet waħda personali. Qatt ma kelli l-ambizzjoni li nkun kummentatur politiku jew soċjali, jew xi opinjonista, bħalma hu J’accuse. Allura l-blogg tiegħi għalija sar sketch pad, u bil-mod il-mod bdejt nonqos fil-bloggati sakemm, wara ftit xhur waqaft. Nista’ nsemmi li fl-istess waqt kelli blogg ieħor, anonimu, jismu Mill-Art (http://mill-art.blogspot.com/) fejn aktarx kont iktar għal qalbi, u fejn stajt nesprimi iżjed dak li nħoss. Mhux ta’ b’xejn in-nies iktar dan il-blogg jiftakru milli l-kriżi. Għaliex kien iżjed ġenwin, talinqas fl-opinjoni tiegħi.

Fl-aħħar, nixtieq infakkarakom f’żewġ bloggejja minn dik l-ewwel epoka li m’għadhomx magħna. Talinqas wieħed minnhom żgur li mhuwiex, għax miet (http://tal-frak.blogspot.com/), u l-ieħor jiġuni suspetti kbar li għamel suwiċidju (http://missubkonxjublatwissija.blogspot.com/). Blogg ta’ persuna li mietet hija xi ħaġa tat-tkexkix, bejn mawsulew u katavru li ma jiġix midfun. Nagħlaq b’ dan il-ħsieb.

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Festschrift 2012

toni sant – toni sant’s blog

Toni was probably bored of blogging by the time the first critical mass of bloggers had formed (or as Gybexi put it “feeeetħu blooog”). Toni turned slowly from detached blogger to a regular on the scene thanks to his “Muzika Mod Iehor” podcast that turned out to be much more of a regular occasion than his random spurts of blog posts. Whether he likes it or not Toni remains a reference point in the blogosfera …. the Simpsons have Apu in his Kwik-E-Shop and we have Toni, with his Muzika-Mod-Iehor….

Jacques’s Earned a Day Off
———————-

In thinking about this seemingly meaningless milestone for J’accuse I keep coming back to two central ideas:

1. Just like s/he who laughs last, it’s irrelevant that I started my own blog before J’accuse. To many it seems like my blog is no longer active simply because I no longer use it to get things off my chest or comment about things that few really care about.

2. This milestone is not as meaningless as it seems at face value. Or is it?

Perhaps it’s like the old fable of the tortoise and the hare. Perhaps it isn’t. I mean, the J’accuser is certainly no tortoise and yet here we are all these years later and he’s still on the frontline of the Maltese blogosphere. Plied with enough red wine, I’d even be tempted to say that J’accuse is the Maltese blogospere, particularly in light of the fact that the rise of social media babble through FB and the like has rendered the elaborate art of blogging more irrelevant than it ever really was to most readers.

In spite of all this, to my mind there’s no doubt that blogging is a privilege that has come to all free minded individuals who no longer need an intremediary to get their voices heard. Whether anyone cares to listen is a whole other matter, of course. I am dis/heartened (delete as applicable, depending on the situation) by the fact that some good points raised by people who have traditional platforms to present their ideas from fall by the wayside as if they were never uttered in public anyway, regardless of the communication platform they use.

One such such fabulous pronouncement was made recently by Lou Bondi and others – i.e. political parties in Malta should not take up any of the radio and tv spectrum for their propaganda machines. It is one point where Bondi, KMB, and Franco Debono agree fully. Were I as prolific a blogger as the J’accuser (or at least as much as I was back when blogging was new to the Maltese blogsphere) I would have probably made much of this ideological u-turn by one of Malta’s political babble masters and some the most maginalized mainstream politicans in recent memory. As things stand, however, I think any intervention from me (or any other blogger) would have been as effective as celebrating whatever milestone we’re marking for J’accuse right now.

Having said all this, I’m now off to rewatch the 500th epidsode of The Simpsons, which declares itself as “the most meaningless milestone of all!” as soon as you see the series logo on your screen.

Categories
Festschrift 2012

immanuel mifsud – il-blobb tas-sibt filghaxija

I only met Immanuel for the first time at the Frankfurt International Book Fair last year. Until then Immanuel was a series of labels – virtual and reported. Besides being an acclaimed author, Immanuel was also this reference point on the blogosphere – something like a Maltese version of the east European authors who I had always pictured as dark. gloomy and depressing. It is the obligation of the wordsmith to tell the story as he sees it. Oftentimes the crudeness of the product is painful to the reader – even objectionable. Immanuel makes you sit up in shock and then, as the goosebumps begin to settle, you tend to remark: “Oh. Right”. Immanu-el… now let’s skip the idolatry and get down to his post:

IL-QRARA TA’ NARĊISSU

Storja (vera):

Is-seklu għoxrin. Is-snin erbgħin. Wieħed raġel semilitterat għandu għarusa semilitterata wkoll. Forsi minħabba t-tensjoni tat-Tieni Gwerra Dinjija (għaddejja fl-aqwa tagħha), il-biża’, il-preżenza prominenti tal-Mewt, jibgħat kartolina lill-għarusa. Fiha mhemm xejn miktub. Mad-dawra hemm daqs nofs ċentimetru bizzilla, fin-nofs hemm qalb imdawra bil-ward aħmar u f’nofs il-qalb hemm figura ta’ tfajla liebsa libsa u ġuvni liebes il-ġlekk u l-ingravata. Xi erbgħin sena wara din il-kartolina titfaċċa minn imkien. It-tifla tal-koppja (miżżewġa, familja, tfal tat-tfal u t-tfal tagħhom) issib din il-kartolina u taqla’ ċamata għaliex għall-omm dak huwa dokument privat li ma kellha ebda dritt tarah, turih, tmissu. Il-kartolina ngħatatilha b’sinjal ta’ mħabba u bħala dokument intimu.

Tliet Stejjer (veri):
12 ta’ Jannar 2012.

Fuq Facebook L.Milne kitbet lil C.DeBono: “Where are you based at the moment, gorgeous shag muffin?”
C.DeBono wieġbet nofs siegħa wara: “London, you sexicious mound of quivering love pudding…let’s meet up and talk nonsense xx”
Biex imbagħad L.Milne wieġbet lura: “Ohhhhh indeed – I will be down at some point this month! Let’s get naughty!!!!! Xxxxxxxxx”

12 ta’ Frar 2012
Dejjem fuq Facebook, Krista A., qamet kmieni u kitbet: is is glad that Her baby Really ENJOYED hi$ Valentine’s Gifts :’) ♥♥
I LoveeYouuuu Daniel (: xXx
Ħdejn il-messaġġ kien hemm indikat li dan intbagħat minn “Near Luqa”.

Nataxa mitilha l-maħbub f’daqqa. Wara xhur għadha tiktiblu fuq il-wall tal-Facebook tiegħu u ttella’ ritratti tagħha fil-banju nofsha mgħottija bil-bżieżaq tas-sapun. Fit-tmien anniversarju minn mindu bdew joħorġu flimkien, kitbitlu: “. D.you are so far away. And so close. As always. I am crying. Come back to me.”

Ma’ dawn ix-xbihat, uħud mill-1271 ħabib li għandi fuq il-FB tiegħi tellgħu ritratti tagħhom qegħdin 1) jiżżewġu; 2) jitbewsu; 3) jimteddu fuq is-sodda tal-lukanda li qagħdu fiha meta marru Londra għax-xiri u dik tal-farmhouse li qagħdu fiha meta marru l-karnival tan-Nadur; 3) jixxemxu bil-bikini li kienu għadhom kemm xtraw minn Tas-Sliema; 4) jimitaw lil Charlie’s Angels; 4) jitrekknu mal-ħajt b’daharhom u b’ħarsithom lejn il-kamera, 5) iħarsu lejn il-mera tat-twaletta tal-kamra tas-sodda tagħhom waqt li huma stess jippuntaw id-digital camera lejn il-mera u jikklikkjaw dik il-buttuna; 6) juru pala waħda ta’ saqajhom (ħafna jew b’żarbun b’takkuna pencil/stiletto) flimkien ma’ ċirku ta’ paliet tas-saqajn ta’ nies oħrajn; 7) iserrħu l-pala ta’ idejhom fuq mejda bi dvalja tal-bizzilla t’Għawdex made in China biex juru l-aħħar sett dwiefer foloz impittra; 8) f’pożi suġġestivi jekk mhux kompromettenti oħra.

Foucault kien diġà tkellem fuq is-soċjetà konfessjonali fis-snin sebgħin. Tassew nixtieq inqajmu mill-mewt u forsi anki niftaħlu kont fuq il-FB ħa nara xi tkun ir-reazzjoni tiegħu għall-konfessjonaliżmu stil Seklu 21. Appuntu, l-isfukar bejn il-privat u l-pubbliku, l-internet bħala għajn kbira li tinċitana nkunu privati dejjem aktar fil-pubbliku dejjem aktar, huma wħud mill-fehmiet li Foucault kien lemaħhom f’tekniki ta’ poter oħrajn. Ma’ dan il-konfessjonaliżmu, jew inkella minħabba fih, tispikka l-personalità narċissistika tal-bniedem tat-triq taż-żminijiet tal-lum: mhux biss il-konfessjonijet għal kollox inutli fuq il-FB u t-Twitter, imma wkoll – ġaladarba ngħixu fl-era tal-immaġni u fl-aċċessibilità diġitali – ir-ritratt li neħtiġuh biex jiddokumenta, jew jikkonferma l-qrara.

Xi darba, il-qrar kien isir fil-konfessjonarju, fis-sodda matrimonjali, f’xi karozza bil-ħġieġ imtappan tittarraf mal-Irdum Dingli. Illum il-konfessjonarju żżarma, is-sodda ħarġet fil-ġnien, ul-ħġieġ tal-karozzi m’għadux jittappan.

Nixtieq nifraħ lil Jacques li ssaporta u għadu jissaporti l-istorbju kollu fix-Xibka u nifraħlu li għadu mhux qed ibati mit-tniġġiż tal-ħoss madwar l-Akkuża.