Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/388498
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 28 SEPTEMBER 2014 10 PERHAPS the American political car- toonist Tom Tomorrow said it best when he tweeted, "This has basically been the Summer of Watching Helplessly." Amplified by our newfound sources of 24/7 news, this summer's cluster of global disasters will have left many feeling both upset and overwhelmed. The roll-call of carnage and political turmoil is familiar to all by now: Ukraine. Gaza. Ebola. The rise of the Islamic State… Processing and making sense of some of these crises is difficult enough at the best of times. Intrinsically they tend to be deep-rooted and messy conflicts; picking out 'good guys' and 'bad guys' is near impossible, and understanding the historical context of every individual crisis is also challenging. Faced with this onslaught of hard-to-ignore tragedy and bloodshed, it's perhaps understandable that many succumb to apathy. But indif- ference doesn't necessarily mean peace of mind, and what about those of us who still care, but are too dazzled by the sud- den variety of horror on display, and the myriad media it can be transmitted on? Beware the medium, mind the message Chair of Arts Education at the Univer- sity of Dundee, Scotland, John Baldacchi- no, believes that instead of first worrying about the content of the news, we should direct our critical gaze towards how it comes to us in the first place. "I do wonder whether we are missing a more important point here, in that we seem to assume that somehow, process- ing the news comes 'naturally', whereas we know, the "news" is made up of a se- ries of constructs that are mediated (and mediatized), while at the same time we are given the impression – or rather the illusion – of immediacy." Describing most of the news we receive as being "already processed" by the time we get it – i.e., shaped by various external interests and agendas – Baldacchino says that not being given the space and time to put all the information we receive into context is a key problem. "News is presented in a way that we are supposed to consume it as information, when in effect we are not even given the time to digest the previous lot that we just had in the morning, or a few hours before." Dominican Friar Fr Mark Montebello also urges caution when considering news sources. "Some major news agencies pick and choose whatever they like, mostly ac- cording to hidden political agendas," he says, adding that people should bear in mind that "what is presented to them might not necessarily be the only stories worth telling, not the most important or significant, and not portrayed objec- tively". Rev. Charo Camilleri, lecturer in Moral Theology at the University of Malta, also believes that the media cannot be taken at face value. "So it is important to keep following as much as possible news coming from mainstream press and news agents, and perhaps follow more than one perspec- tive to form an opinion." Given that the internet – including so- cial media – now exists directly alongside more traditional methods of disseminat- ing news, it's hardly surprising that it has also succeeded in altering the media landscape at large. Perhaps the use of so- cial media like Twitter during the Arab Spring remains the most iconic – and dramatic – example of the way the inter- net can influence real life events: a telling example of how it's successfully up-end- ing traditional media, at least in terms of immediacy and viral dissemination. But author Immanuel Mifsud is scepti- cal about whether the internet can serve as a more direct and unfiltered source of news. Far from taking care of biases that already exist in traditional media, the internet has in fact, "paved the way to a more systematic, and easier to produce, programme of deceit". "Technology, not just the internet, has made deception a much easier and ef- fortless undertaking. Pictures are pho- toshopped, videos are edited. And the in- ternet has become an oracle, a speakers' corner where anyone can say anything they like, and where many simply believe what is written or shown because 'it was on the internet'," Mifsud says. While acknowledging that an entirely neutral media would be a utopian dream, Mifsud claims that "deceit is deplor- able". "Just to give a couple of examples: does anyone not pertaining to the ruling elite(s) know what happened exactly to the MH17 aircraft? Anyone knows what is really happening in Ukraine, who's shooting at whom? Of course, one can choose to take sides and stick to what their side says. But for those who think, believing something or someone has be- The summer making sense COURT NOTICE The Registrar, Civil Courts and Tribunals notifies that the First Hall of the Civil Court ordered the sale by Judicial Auction of the following property to be held in the corridors of the Courts of Justice, Republic Street, Valletta. Date, Judicial Sale No. and Time Property 7 th October, 2014 15/10 – 10.30am PP Maisonette numbered twenty-eight (28), in Melchiorre Gafa Street, !ejtun, free and unencumbered, with all its rights and enjoyments, valued at one hundred and thirty thousand euro ("130,000). 7 th October, 2014 28/13 – 11.30am EM Garage numbered seventeen (17), Triq l-Inkwina, Santa Venera underlying property named 'Orchid Court' Triq il-Brunzar, Santa Venera, free and unencumbered valued at forty two thousand euro ("42,000). 9 th October, 2014 58/10 – 10.30am EM Seven out of twenty-four (7/24) undivided share of the tenement number fifty-five (55), in Triq i#-!onqor, Marsaskala, granted to third parties by title of lease, otherwise free and unencumbered, which share is valued at twelve thousand euro ("12,000). Seven out of twenty-four (7/24) undivided share of the adjacent tenements number one hundred and forty-four (144), one hundred and forty-five (145) and one hundred and forty-six (146), in Triq San $u#epp, %al Tarxien, which property is free and unencumbered and which share is valued at eighty-five thousand euro ("85,000). 9 th October, 2014 13/13 – 11.00am PP Apartment, internally marked number 3, Victoria Apartment, number 88, Capuchin's Street, San $wann, on the second floor presently valued on the market, free and unencumbered, valued seventy-five thousand Euros ("75,000). Penthouse, with overlaying airspace, considered by the architect as a duplex unit, Victoria Apartment, number 88, Triq il-Kapu&&ini, San $wann, free and unencumbered, valued eighty thousand Euros ("80,000). The property also includes one fourth undivided share of the common parts of the said block. 9 th October, 2014 101/13 – 12.00pm PP The following undivided portions of land in Gozo,limits of G'ajnsielem forming part of a land known as 'Ta' San $wann', Portion of land marked number three (3) measuring circa one hundred sixty eight metres squared (168m 2 ), bordering from the north with a projected and from the South with property of Three Jays Limited, an undivided share of 1/37 of a land projected for a street marked in blue of circa seven hundred and thirty three metres squared (733m 2 ), an undivided share of 1/37 of a land projected for a street marked in pink of circa three hundred and seventy eight metres squared (378m 2 ) and an undivided share of 1/37 of a lane marked in green, free and unencumbered, valued at one hundred and ten thousand Euros( "110,000 ). Portion of land marked number twenty seven (27) measuring circa one hundred sixty eight metres squared (168m 2 ), bordering from the East with a projected private street ,from the North with plot number twenty six (26) property of Three Jays. Ltd and from The South with plot number twenty eight (28) property of Small Properties Limited, an undivided share of 1/37 of a land projected for a street marked in blue of circa seven hundred and thirty three metres squared (733m 2 ), an undivided share of 1/37 of a land projected for a street marked in pink of circa three hundred and seventy eight metres squared (378m 2 ) and an undivided share of 1/37 of a lane marked in green, free and unencumbered, valued at one hundred and thirty five thousand Euros ( "135,000 ). Portion of land marked number twenty eight (28) measuring circa one hundred sixty eight metres squared (168m 2 ), bordered from West and East with a projected private street,from the North with plot number twenty seven (27) property of Small Properties Limited an undivided share of 1/37 from every part of land projected for a street and an undivided share of 1/37 of a lane, free and ununcumbered and an undivided share of 1/37 of a land projected for a street marked in blue of circa seven hundred and thirty three metres squared (733m 2 ), an undivided share of 1/37 of a land projected for a street marked in pink of circa three hundred and seventy eight metres squared (378m 2 ) and an undivided share of 1/37 of a lane marked in green, free and unencumbered valued at one hundred and forty eight thousand Euros ("148,000). 14 th October, 2014 41/13 – 10.30am PP Elevated Ground floor Maisonette without airspace, named 'Rose House' and underlaying garage in Triq Mimosa, in Gwardamangia, Hamrun, The property is free and unencumbered valued at one hundred and ten thousand Euros ("110,000). 16 th October, 2014 31/13 – 12.00pm JGL Garage not officially numbered, marked number two (2) in Triq San Fran(isk, Fgura, which garage is the second on the right when looking at the facade, underlaying the property of family Chetcuti and their successors bordering from the West with the abovementioned street, from the south with another property of Ellul Alfred or their successors, from the North bordering all the block with property of Arthur Micallef or his successors,subject to inherent, with all its rights and enjoyments, valued at thirty thousand Euros ("30,000) Garage not officially numbered, marked number four (4) in Triq San Fran(isk, Fgura, underlaying the property of Rose Marie Attard and her successors bordering from the East with the abovementioned street, from the North with the property of Arthur Micallef jew su&&essuri tieg'u u minn nofsinhar ma garaxx ta' Rose Marie Attard or his successors, forming part of a block consisting of two appartments and two garages named 'The Cliff' in Triq San Fran(isk, Fgura which block was originally a house with no number named 'Josie', bordering from the East with the abovementioned street, from the North with property of Arthur Micallef or his successors and from the South with property of Dr. $uzeppi Attard Montalto or his successors, with all its rights and enjoyments, valued, eighteen thousand Euros ("18,000) Garage with Yard in shell form state unnamed and without number in Triq $u#eppi Schembri formerly a new road without name which leads to Upper Church Avenue, Tarxien, underlaying property of others which borders u together from North East with th abovementioned street, from South West with property of spouses Bondin and their successors and from the South with property Alfonso Caruana and his successors, subject to servitudes to the overlaying property to open windows on the yard mentioned and to install the necessarry pipes and drains for drainage, free and ununcumbered, valued for Twenty Five Thousand Euros ("25,000) Garage with Yard in shell form state unnamed and without number in Triq $u#eppi Schembri formerly a new road without name which leads to Upper Church Avenue, Tarxien, underlaying property of others which borders u together from North East with th abovementioned street, from South West with property of spouses Bondin and their successors and from the South with property Alfonso Caruana and his successors, subject to servitudes to the overlaying property to open windows on the yard mentioned and to install the necessarry pipes and drains for drainage, free and ununcumbered, valued for thirty thousand Euros ("32,000) 30 th October, 2014 3/14 – 10.30am EGL The tenement 'Jampson', number twenty two (22), in Triq Antonio Micallef, Zejtun valued at two hundred and twenty two thousand and hundred euro ("222,100) and the tenement number two (2), in Triq San Fran(isk, !ejtun valued at fifty two thousand euro ("52,000). 30 th October, 2014 8/14 – 12.00pm JGL The tenement named "The Wilderness", before known as "Havana Club", in Triq ta' Pinu, also known as Triq l- G'arb, today named Triq Papa $wanni Pawlu t- tieni, limits of G'arb, Gozo, on two floors, subject to an annual and perpetual ground rent and sub ground of ninety Euros and Eighty Five cents ("90.85). This tenement underlays property named "il- Mina Restaurant" Restaurant without number named "il- Mina Restaurant" in Triq ta' Pinu, also known as Triq l- G'arb, today named Triq Papa $wanni Pawlu t- tieni, limits of G'arb, Gozo, subject to an annual and perpetual ground rent of thirty four Euros and ninety five cents ("34.95). This tenement overlays the property named "The Wilderness". The properties are free and unencumbered valued at one million, four hundred and fifty euro (" 1,450,000) Further details can be obtained from the website: http://www.justiceservices.gov.mt/courtservices/JudicialSales/search.aspx The bidders taking part in the auction must present their identity card. Rudolph Marmara' For the Registrar of Civil Courts and Tribunals News The news has been particularly depressing this summer. Is there a way of processing it all without sliding into apathy, TEODOR RELJIC asks? "Technology has made deception much easier. Pictures are photoshopped, videos are edited. And the internet has become an oracle, a speakers' corner where many simply believe whatever is written" – Immanuel Mifsud