Fraud

• Spam mail seems to be changing and becoming more elaborate from week to week. Last week, recipients of e-mails were being told their automated clearing house transactions were temporarily disabled. Since ACH is an electronic network for financial transactions in the United States that processes large volumes of credit and debit accounts daily, it is clearly meant to panic people into clicking the links that are provided.

Flop

• The origin of spam mail is sometimes local, too. Several people have been targeted with offers of “almost free” three-course meals, along with the obligatory link. Had the offer been genuine more details would have been offered – not least who was making the offer – in order to entice punters to participate in the offer.

Flick

• An electricity cable in Braille Street, Santa Venera, on the side of Romeo Romano Gardens, has become detached from the two pylons supporting it and is hanging low. Surely, this is posing a danger to motorists, householders in the area and pedestrians.

Filling

• The pothole in Annunciation Street, Ħamrun, just around the corner from Saint Joseph High Street, has now been filled following an item about it in this column. One hopes that other local councils will likewise take quick action when such shortcomings are flagged.

False

• Why is it that clocks at pre-Arriva bus termini and at some bus stops have ceased working? Have they not been handed over to the new company? It is not only commuters who appreciate knowing the correct time when out in the street.

Flaws

• It is good to see that WasteServ Malta Ltd has set up ReUse, a site that is billed as a free service to encourage the public to give away their unwanted items… (towards a) philosophy of preventing… waste while also fostering… sharing in the community. This is akin to Freecycle. However, nothing has been said about whether people may walk into a bulky refuse site and pick up any item they fancy, for free.

Facility

• Cold-calling potential respondents for telephone surveys seems to increase in proportion to the proximity of the next election. This time around, even people with ex-directory numbers have been targeted. The numbers, they were told, are randomly generated by a computer and the caller “does not even know” in which town or village the residence at the other end of the line is. If this is the case, the mind boggles at the criteria used to set up the methodology for the survey.

Franking

• Without any doubt, technology has caused a drop in the total number of items sent by local and foreign post. We are informed that, come April, postage rates are set to increase. This, if anything, will cause a further decrease when people who can get by with using electronic mail decide to devote less of their budget to postage stamps (and stationery).

Flourish

• Despite all its shortcomings, the hamlet of Fleur-de-Lys is destined for big things. This is amply illustrated by the three-dimensional sign indicating the aforementioned name, set in the playing field at the end of Notabile Road. Inevitably, most people have been commenting that it is a take-off on the Hollywood prototype.

Flubs

• There was a time when countless trees were destroyed so supporters would go out with ladders and pots of glue at night and stick posters of their preferred political candidates to public and private façades. The introduction of billboards was supposed to signal the end of this farcical happening. What has happened, however, is that the idiocy has grown literally and figuratively larger.

Frequency

• Every so often we are regaled with reports about how health and safety officers would have taken action against the owners of particular construction sites. And, yet, a walk along the street will readily indicate that rules are being broken all the time. Is it possible that these officials only do their rounds where the public does not venture?

Fruits

• It would seem that most greengrocers assume that the part of the street in front of their shop is theirs to set up shop. Big tucks, laden with fruits and vegetables, are being set up as an annexe to the shop and, sometimes, business is so brisk that a person has to be there at all times to serve customers. Is this fair on other shop owners in the area who do not do this? Is it legal?

Fliers

• In certain countries, there is a movement to re-introduce pigeon squabs as food. It is pertinent to point out, however, that the fowl utilised for this is domesticated especially for this purpose. It is not merely a question of trapping feral pigeons and doing the country a favour, as some have been suggesting.

Furore

• What is it that makes certain people think they can chair discussion programmes? These often turn to impromptu free-for-all debates with participants of differing viewpoints talking over one another and the chairperson muttering ineffectual syllables in an effort to make them behave. If they do not respect the Chair, how much do they respect the public?

Filming

• What is really going on with the Film Commission? Film service providers are evidently not happy at all with the way the Film Commission – or, more specifically, the Film Commissioner – is operating. The Finance Minister has attributed this to a “personality clash”. Whatever, remedial action needs to be taken and fast. Who will bell the cat?

Fundamental

• Arriva is already having problems running an efficient service but the chaotic traffic situation in a number of localities, especially at certain hours of the day, does not help at all. Driving through St Joseph High Road, Ħamrun, would give the powers-that-be a very clear example of what we are talking about. Yet, the situation persists...