Ravings of a Frustrated Mind

BLOG MOVED TO JAMESCATANIA.COM

2009-10-11T00:27:00.003+02:00

THIS IS TO NOTIFY MY READERS AND FOLLOWERS

The traffic to this blog has increased immensley recently, so I had to move to a private hosted site at http://www.jamescatania.com it just gives me more control over what I need, so head in to www.jamescatania.com for all things political, social, Technology and movie related.

Follow me on twitter @jamescata for all the salient news.

Dolores Cristina back to social policy?

2009-10-07T15:25:00.006+02:00

Heard down the grapevine !

This is all hearsay, but who knows.

Dolores Cristina to go back to Social Policy

The actual minister for Education is the Hon. Dolores Cristina M.P. which might be a victim to PN strategy to move her back to social policy. Why and how

- John Dalli will be elected new Comissioner
- By-Election will see Louis Galea back to MP
- Louis Galea will cry from power envy from speaker to MP
- Louis Galea made minister of Education
- Dolores Cristina back to Social Policy - instead of Dalli

Here's what Times of Malta had to say about it

A job for Lm100,000/year anyone? going once... twice...

A prestigious EU Commissioner post in Brussels is up for grabs. There are not many people in Malta who would turn down a job which comes with a €220,000 annual salary, plus many other perks and a pension that will put one's mind at rest for life. (Equiv to Lm94,446.00)

Judge for yourself, Who will the new speaker of the House be?

Price Comparison

2009-10-07T13:55:00.010+02:00

Price Comparison

Hello to All,

As I am aware that all of you living on this Island have noticed how disadvantaged in all aspects we are becoming, I am attaching some pictures which I am sure you will find interesting.

I will let the pictures speak for themselves, We just like to rape each other. Greed is what makes the economy falter and we are a greedy nation.

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

So that's a small example of CARS, but we don't buy cars every week, What about Food?

Click to Enlarge

AS usual, all comments are appreciated

Performance Arts and Music in our education

2009-05-23T18:38:00.006+02:00

I was thinking today about the beloved MCAST and the comments of Dr. Joseph Muscat about needing more institutes like MCAST to offer 2nd chance education. Let's start from there although I am sure that by now someone told him of the OOPS moment, MCAST is not a 2nd chance school but a vocational institution, and i also commented to Dr. Joseph Muscat (without reply) that first we need to make full use of MCAST and get some real resources that students can use to make it really and truly a vocational institution.

Than I happened to think, What about the performing arts in Malta? Acting, Dance both Contemporary and Classical, Script Writing, Singing , Lirica, Jazz ?, Where is this in Malta?. Maybe it's because of the culture in Malta? The usual discussion is, "oh you have a girl?, where are you taking her for ballet?" heq ara hi, ruhi, my god, mhux at Tanya Bayona?. Why does Maltese talent get shipped offshore, why do we have literally tens of students perusing their studies at a conservatory somewhere else (away from thier families), are we punishing them because they chose to honour the arts? cause they don't have a choice locally?.

Ok, fair enough, there's the Johann Strauss School of Music, but honestly why is this still not part of MCAST. Why is it that if someone has a talent for Music cannot make it happen in Malta? Are we afraid of the actual rewwixta of private music teachers, as if that will happen, I studied piano for a solid 13 years, but I never wanted to become the next Yundl Li or Horowitz.

Why does a young voice need to spend 1000's of Euros to train his/her voice to actually learn the art of Lirica ? What about all the people who can't afford private lessons , what about all the talent we're letting slip through our fingers. Why isn't the government thinking about this?, or if he actually is, what is he intending to do about it.

Yes we need more doctors (actually we need to pay them more I think but anyways), we needs 10's of thousands of software engineers and hardware technicians but to what end? What is happening to the other practices in Malta?

Why isn't a college for the performing arts in the making with serious partnerships abroad with reputable schools for the different disciplines. And if this happens don't expect that with one board, (although BTEC actually caters for music and the performing arts, it would be ridiculous) London School of Music, Royal College of Music, RAD or ISTD for Classical Dancing. Directed by someone who actually really knows about music or an actual Fellow in Music Education.

I leave it to you. This just frustrates me !

Ravings of a Frustrated Mind: 'Science Shops' in Universities

2009-05-20T10:49:00.000+02:00

Ravings of a Frustrated Mind: 'Science Shops' in Universities

'Science Shops' in Universities

2009-05-20T10:05:00.007+02:00

I reached in the magazine bin, and there is was, the latest 'Psychologist' journal, my wife insists on getting them (being the only female chartered organizational psychologist in Malta), I like to read through them cause most of the times, they have articles which have to do with education.

I encountered an idea or shall we call it initiative called the 'Science Shop' to put it briefly , the science shop is a department in a University which acts as a point of contact between the community, and NGO's and scholars.

This is how it works:

Community groups in need of help put forward projects ideas that are then offered to all University students. Science Shops have the heads of departments as consultants.

Students who engage in Science Shop activities come from a variety of disciplines including, architecture, communications, social policy, geography, business and management, law, environmental health, psychology, computing and many more. One can complete a Science Shop project as a module paper, a team project or as a dissertation.

Advantages

So looky here, a project which actually helps the community or solve a problem and it's aiding in scholastic work as well. Now if that isn't a good idea, I don't know what is !.

The student can actually see his work put into action and not do a dissertation just for the merits of self.
The community benefits from the minds of our students (and in Malta get back some of the taxes we pay for stipends)
It enhances much needed R&D skills for students and the way of doing things at University
Student experience can enhance future employment prospects

How to start acting?

University can start accepting R&D project from local councils to limit the amount of projects inputted and to start the ball rolling.
A facility is given to the Science Shop in the University Building.
A call is put out to whoever wants to take part in the Science Shop
(there needs to be students across all subject areas)
A director of the Science Shop with all the trimmings
Allocate a meager 2 hours a week from the heads of departments for consultancy work
Create a credit system, or dissertation support system so that students who take part in community projects will do so at the benefit of their studies.

Types of Projects:

Let's say the Fgura local council needs to regenerate urban environment, but the budget is limited, research needs to be done on the best approach for urban regeneration that will mostly impact noise and pollution reduction.

The project can be submitted to the Science Shop at the UOM and Social, Architectural, Enviormental, Biological, Engineering students will have a killer dissertation on thier hands which actually helps the environment.

European PDF About Science Shops: http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/pdf/science_shop_en.pdf
Link to a Science Shop in Action: http://ulster.scienceshop.org/home/default.asp

Public Clinics to close during the night

2009-05-17T01:24:00.003+02:00

This is frustrating and stupid. So polyclinics or centri tas sahha, are going to close during the night , all except the one in Mosta. Because doctors see an average of 1 patient every 2 hours. Ok, so if I were a child with Asthma today, and I have my attacks during the night, as most of them used to happen I would be royaly fucked to say the least, cause I would have to go to mater dei for my nebuliser and wait for a couple of hours there. (ohh yes, I can swiftly go to a private hospital if I want - I always forget)

The Government not so long ago went on a nation wide campaign saying that the hospital emergency is being overused for too many reasons which are not really emergency in nature, and to a certain extent it was kinda true. Although what the government did not mention in his statistics are the hundreds of cases of broken bones which need plastering and have to go to hospital for a mere X-ray and some plaster but it's besides the point... so what does the ever so intelligent government do.... what does he do?, he goes against his cause and closes all the clinics at night (except one) - the only alternative to emergency after 8:00pm) . I hope Mr. John Dalli does not expect that emergency at Mater dei won't get inundated,... and the waiting (ohh madre de dios - which is done on purpose to discourage use of emergency)

Is this government going insane!? What about all the children ailments which always happen during the night? what about people who simply cannot afford to go to a private hospital and do not want to wait for 6 hours with a series ailment just because a boatload of illegal immigrants need to be checked out or because the receptionist says that you can wait?

P.S. please remember that you can pay to go to a private hospital for emergency cure (as the ad says on the radio).

Is it not frustrating or is it only me... please comment

Down PN Memory Lane..

2009-05-16T15:37:00.001+02:00

With the 2009 MEP and local elections drawing near, I was feeling unequivocably uninspired by both parties, so I was doing what every voter should ,read and did some research over past performances.

Whilst going through the propaganda of both parties I was shocked to find these pictures; either I was living in a vacuum whilst this happened or... (wait, My son and wife were released form hospital on election day 2008, so I wasn't really following the 2008 elections) anyways I found these pictures, in a you tube video which you can see over here. I am not listing the video name just to be sure I am not adding to the advertising. That is very responsible image management for the PN, NOT!

What I found in my few hours of research is what mostly can be described as a "HOW TO DESTROY ELECTORAL PROMISES FOR DUMMIES GUIDE"

Electricity and Water Bills (having a family, a mortgage and both me and my wife working full time we still lack the lifestyle we are working for)
The broken promise of a year tax free for any mother going straight to work after only 3 months of pregnancy leaf (it was capped at 2,000 Euros)
The promises made to the dock workers (it doesn't mean I agree or disagree)

I remember distinctly the strategy for the 2008 elections of Gonzi PN" by putting a champion figure in front of the party so that people can concentrate on one person, which made sense at the time. It was a maneuver best suited at the time of the opposition strategy and the majority of people's dislike for Dr. Alfred Sant (he wasn't one of my favorites to say the least) so throw in a one man reference point so that it will be a one man vs one man battle, and it succeeded, but what are the people of "GonziPN" feeling now? when not even his cabinet is agreeing with his decisions and denying them publicly on several occasions.

What is the effect of the decision of the future, what will happen to GonziPN when Gonzi is no more?. The shift in culture and follower mindset, and change management needed for PN to administer the change in the partisan people, what will be the residue of this? Gonzitjani like Mintoffjani?

Short term thinking for short term advantage?

please comment.

2009-05-14T20:49:00.002+02:00

Starbucks Shmarbucks !

2009-05-14T20:48:00.001+02:00

I never thought Starbucks would play such an important role in my life !! If I did I would have paid more attention to the actual store and processes, rather than fuming about the Large Vs. Grande battle between the barista and myself. It was a battle of wits, but I looked her straight in the eye and I said, "See , Small, Medium and Large" and she replied, "Ok....... GRANDE" as if to have the last laugh.

Schultz ol' boy, with your damn company you provided me and my colleagues with one of the longest case studies in University of Leicester history with all the trimmings of KPI's and CSR.

When you put your hand on the old wooden bench next time dream of a small chain of local cafe's and you being nasty with a bimbo in barbados, with your 5 Million dollars, and not create a monster which would suck the last bit of life out of you in the last few years of your life.

The word of the day dear girls and boys is GREED !

Work+Married+Toddler+Study+Exams = Swollen EYE

2009-05-14T20:46:00.001+02:00

I am at work, teaching, well supposed to be teaching, however my swollen eye (probably due to exam stress) is prohibiting me from reading hundreds of lines of code from my students' pc''s. So I am going through blackboard and all the nifty features it has which are not advertised anywhere and really are like hidden treaures.

I look like I have been punched very hard, and I know what some of my students are thinking. FINALLY !!. The reason for me going into blackboard during one of my lectures is to see the discussion board on the ever impending exam 2 of my distance learning MBA. However it's useless, the board is like a who's who of the shiek's relatives and everyone is playing online word bingo: Change Management, Diversification, Taylor, Snow, BINGO !!!, everyone, regurgitating all his daily readings like everyone needs to show everyone that he managed to get 5 minutes of study in.

People feel the need to write on the blackboard forums, for self verification of shortcomings in study, Look I know the name of Divesification, so HA !!, I did read, and I actually remember what I read a minute ago.

wait !?, am I doing the same?