22/5/2008 - singer Morena representing Malta was eliminated in the PRESELECTION SEMIFINAL with her song 'Vodka'....


A professor Derek Gatherer has made a scientific study of Eurovision Voting patterns.."Comparison of Eurovision Song Contest Simulation with Actual Results Reveals Shifting Patterns of Collusive Voting Alliances".. revealing some very unfair block voting as many people complain every time with Eurovision.

http://jasss.soc.surrey.ac.uk/9/2/1.html

Meanwhile here's a nice Doctor Who fan music video with the Vodka song by morena.


26/1/2008 - singer Morena will be representing Malta with her song 'Vodka', she has just won the Malta Song for Europe festival..

she will represent Malta in the Eurovision 2008 semifinals..

sorry for the lack of updates, but I'm quite busy lately..
Claudia Faniello ended up both 2nd and 3rd with her songs Caravaggio and Sunrise respectively.

Votes obtained were: 16979 - Vodka, 12714 - Caravaggio and 4518 - Sunrise.

Natalie Gauci, a Maltese singer from Australia, was the special guest for the festival. She had won Australian Idol.

Click on read more for the youtube clips of the songs.

This is the official Pentecost 2008 programme:

10th and 11th May, 2008

Young people as the main protagonists

Pentecost is a feast of the universal Church which commemorates the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, 50 days after the Resurrection of Christ. Moreover, it is based on the ancient Jewish festival called the "feast of weeks" or Pentecost (Exodus 34,22; Deuteronomy 16,10). Whitsunday originates from the white garments which were worn by those who were baptised during the vigil; Pentecost ("Pfingsten" in German) is the Greek for "the fiftieth" (day after Easter), hence the Maltese translation of ‘Għid il-Ħamsin.

The celebration of the feast of Pentecost is therefore a personal experience of the living presence of the Risen Christ in our midst, nourishing our faith and hope.

The celebration is also aimed to reach out to people who for whatever reason have become distant from the Church for some time, but who have rediscovered Christ in their lives.

This year Pope Benedict XVI is inviting all the youths to reflect on the Holy Spirit. This also coincides with the XXIII World Youth Day taking place in Sydney, Australia in July 2008. Thus the theme chosen for this year’s Pentecost celebration - ‘‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses’ (Acts 1, 8).

The Archdiocese’s Pastoral Secretariat is coordinating with Kummissjoni Djoċesana Żgħażagħ (KDZ), in order to have the youths as the main protagonists for this year’s Pentecost Vigil Celebration. Preparations are currently under way to see the participation of many young people, youth groups etc.

The activities being planned include a night vigil in Marsa, a walk with the World Youth Day (WMD) Cross and icon, and a Eucharistic Celebration with the Archbishop. All activities will take place with the participation of youth, and the different activities will be targeted to a diverse audience and different groups. The main celebrations will take place at Triq Victor Vassallo in Attard.

Although the protagonists of this year’s celebration are going to be young people, as usual the event is intended to reach all the Maltese population and there will be the participation of all parishes.

Informazzjoni fuq iċ-ċelebrazzjoni ta’ Pentekoste 2008

10-11 ta’ Mejju 2008

Is-Sibt 10 ta’ Mejju 2008

14.00 – 19.30: Attivita` għall-adolexxenti bejn l-10 u l-15-il sena

19.30 – 20.00: Mixja mill-adolexxenti u żgħażagħ flimkien ma’ Mons. Arċisqof sal-post fejn ser issir il-quddiesa

19.15 – 19.45: Talb ta’ filgħaxija għal dawk miġbura fi Triq Victor Vassallo

20.00 – 21.30: Ċelebrazzjoni Ewkaristika immexxija minn Mons. Arċisqof fi Triq Victor Vassallo

22.00 – 22.30: Trasport minn Ħ’Attard sal-pjazza quddiem il-Knisja ta’ Ħal Qormi San Bastjan

22.30 – 23.00: Mixja minn Ħal Qormi San Bastjan sal-Marsa Sports and Country Club

23.00 – 00.00: Ċerimonja tal-ftuħ tan-night vigil il-Marsa Sports and Country Club flimkien ma’ Mons. Arċisqof

Il-Ħadd 11 ta’ Mejju 2008

00.00 – 07.00: Night Vigil fil-Marsa Sports and Country Club (għal żgħażagħ minn 16-il sena ‘l fuq)

07.00 – 08.00: Talb ta’ filgħodu ma’ Mons. Arċisqof

08.00 – 09.00: Breakfast

1. Attivita` għall-adolexxenti ta’ bejn l-10 u l-15-il sena

L-ewwel attivita` li se ssir u li tibda fis-14.00 fl-iskola sekondarja ta’ Ħ’Attard hi waħda għall-adolexxenti ta’ bejn l-10 u l-15-il sena. Din l-attivita` li qed tiġi organizzata mill-moviment tal-Fokolare għandha fil-qalba tagħha ir-RUN4UNITY. Tfal u żgħażagħ ta’ razez, kulturi u reliġjonijiet differenti ser jagħmlu mixja flimkien fl-istess ġurnata f’diversi postijiet fid-dinja kollha, bil-ħsieb li simbolikament jiksu lid-dinja tagħna bil-qawsalla ta’ l-imħabba li tagħmilna lkoll aħwa. Din ser issir fit-timezones kollha tad-dinja fejn it-Teens4Unity tal-Moviment tal-Fokolari ser jorganizzaw it-tieni edizzjoni ta’ din l-attivita` sportiva dinjija. Għalhekk, din ser tkun wirja dinjija fejn dawn it-tfal u adolexxenti ser juru kif qed jaħdmu fl-azzjoni tagħhom “Nagħtu kulur lill-Belt tagħna” - azzjoni fejn permezz ta’ ħafna proġetti li qed iwettqu f’pajjiżi differenti, b’imħabbithom qed jagħtu kulur lil dawk il-postijiet fl-ibliet fejn jgħixu li huma nieqsa mill-ġmiel ta’ l-imħabba.

Il-qofol ta’ l-attivitajiet kollha ser ikun kollegament bis-satellita ma’ Piazza Navona f’Ruma, fejn 2000 tfal u adolexxenti, b’rappreżentanza mill-ħames kontinenti, ser




imexxu t-trasmissjoni li ser issir permezz ta’ l-Internet u tas-Satellita. Ser ikun hemm kollegament dirett ma’ diversi postijiet fid-dinja fejn tkun qed isir l-attivita’ tar-RUN4UNITY. Hawn Malta ser tkun organizzata mixja fit-toroq ta’ Ħ’Attard nhar is-Sibt 10 ta’ Mejju 2008 mill-16.00 sal-17.00. L-aħħar parti tal-programm Run4Unity – mixja bid-dwal – li permezz tagħha nixtiequ nuru li rridu nkunu dawl ta’ għaqda fost il-ġnus – twassalna biex ningħaqdu għall-quddiesa flimkien mal-Arċisqof Pawlu Cremona. Il-progamm li għalih ser jiġu mistiedna l-adolexxenti jibda fis-14.00 jinkludi: esperjenzi, koreografija, sport, mixja għal Dinja Magħquda, kollegament ma’ Piazza Navona, Ruma u mixja bid-dawl sal-post fejn ser issir il-Quddiesa tal-Velja ta’ Pentekoste.

2. Wasla tas-salib u l-ikona tal-WYD (World Youth Day) u mixja ta’ l-adolexxenti u ż-żgħażagħ flimkien ma’ Mons. Arċisqof

Wara l-attivita` organizzata mill-moviment tal-Fokolari, l-adolexxenti u ż-żgħażagħ ser jinġabru quddiem id-dar ta’ Mons. Arċisqof fejn hemmhekk hu ser jingħaqad magħhom biex jibda din il-mixja li twassal għal Triq Victor Vassallo fejn ser issir il-Quddiesa. Ma’ l-Arċisqof, l-adolexxenti u ż-żgħażagħ ser jingħaqdu wkoll numru kbir ta’ saċerdoti li ser ikunu qed jikkonċelebraw fil-quddiesa ma’ Mons. Arċisqof. Din il-mixja ferrieħa ser tkun akkkumpanjata mill-kant u l-mużika ta’ kor u l-band. Malli l-Arċisqof jasal ħdejn l-artal tibda il-Quddiesa.

3. Ċelebrazzjoni Ewkaristika

Il-quddiesa, immexxija minn Mons. Arċisqof Pawl Cremona OP ser tkun ikkaratterizzata minn sehem qawwi taż-żgħażagħ. Għal din l-okkażoni, numru ta’ adolexxenti u żgħażagħ minn movimenti, gruppi u għaqdiet differenti ingħaqdu flimkien biex ikunu parti minn kor wieħed li ser ikun immexxi minn Andrew Cauchi, Fr. Karm Debattista mssp u Mario Cucciardi filwaqt li l-band ser tkun immexxija minn Bernard Catania, mużiċist fil-band Quicksand liema band kitbu l-kanzunetta uffiċjali għal Jum iż-Żgħażagħ 2008, li ser tintuża wkoll għaċ-ċelebrazzjoni ta’ Pentekoste 08. Matul il-Quddiesa, żgħażagħ minn diversi gruppi u għaqdiet ser ukoll jagħtu s-sehem tagħhom fil-qari, fl-offerti u fit-talbiet. Ser ikun hemm ukoll il-parteċipazzjoni tal-komunita` Maranatha` permezz ta’ żfin liturġiku.

4. Żgħażagħ li għaddew minn esperjenza ta’ konverżjoni

Mument importanti fil-Quddiesa ser ikun meta numru ta’ persuni, fosthom numru ta’ żgħażagħ ser jitilgħu fuq il-presbiterju u quddiem Mons. Arċisqof u l-komunita` sħiħa ser iġeddu l-wegħdiet tagħhom tal-Magħmudija. Dawn ser ikunu persuni li matul dawn l-aħħar xhur għaddew minn esperjenza ta’ konverżjoni u reġgħu impenjaw ruħhom fil-ħajja nisranija. Sa mill-bidu ta’ l-episkopat tiegħu, kienet xewqa kbira ta’ Mons. Arċisqof li jkun hemm okkażjoni li fiha, f’isem il-Knisja, hu jerġa’ jilqa’ lil dawn il-persuni fi ħdan il-komunita` nisranija.








5. Night Vigil fil-Marsa Sports and Country Club

Wara li tispiċċa l-quddiesa, dawk iż-żgħażagħ minn 16-il sena ‘l fuq ser jinġabru fil-Marsa Sports and Country Club fejn hemmhekk ser iqattgħu lejl flimkien f’atmosfera ta’ villaġġ żagħżugħ li fih ser ikun hemm diversi attivitajiet spiritwali. Minn Ħ’Attard iż-żgħażagħ ser ikollhom trasport sal-Pjazza ta’ quddiem il-Knisja Parrokkjali ta’ Ħal Qormi San Bastjan. Minn hemmhekk imbagħad ser jibdew mixja auxflambeaux li twassalhom sal-Marsa Sports and Country Club. Malli ż-żgħażagħ jaslu fuq il-post, ser jerġa’ jingħaqad magħhom Mons. Arċisqof u ssir ċerimonja tal-ftuh ta’ dan il-lejl. Imbagħad jibdew diversi attivitajiet spiritwali f’numru ta’ tined. Ser ikun hemm tinda tas-Sagrament, tinda tal-imħabba, tinda tal-Kelma, tinda tas-smiegħ, tinda tad-djalogu, tinda ta’ tifħir u qima u tinda ta’ Marija.

Apparti l-attivitajiet fit-tined ser ikun hemm ukoll spazju fejn iż-żgħażagħ jistgħu jitkellmu flimkien b’mod informali u kif ukoll jieklu ikel li ser ikun provdut mill-istudenti ta’ l-ITS. Peress li diversi żgħażagħ ser iqattgħu lejl sħiħ hemmhekk, ser ikun hemm ukoll spazju fejn dawn jistgħu jorqdu fl-isleeping bags.

6. Talb ta’ filgħodu u breakfast

Il-Ħadd filgħodu mbagħad Mons. Arċisqof ser jerġa’ jingħaqad maż-żgħażagħ u ser jitlob it-talba ta’ filgħodu magħhom. Wara ser jitqassam breakfast ippreparat ukoll mill-istudenti ta’ l-ITS.

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Have a Happy Easter!

Christ is Risen!

Latest update:
It's over finally. Joe Saliba has announced that the PN has won the election by approximately 1580 more votes in the first count (49.3% - unofficial result). MLP Deputy Leader Michael Falzon has finally conceded at 3.30am.
This was the first time that a political party in Malta obtained a majority for three consecutive times. Joe Saliba, PN secretary general, thanked all the Maltese afterwards, and was hugged by Michael Falzon.
Percentages obtained were 49.3% for PN and 48.8% for MLP. AD obtained 1.5% and AN obtained 0.5%.


Click on read more for previously posted information and youtube clips..