This is the headline of an article by Kalinga Seneviratne in today's Daily News.
His thesis is that the problems of Zimbabwe are largely due to the opposition, NGO's and Western powers and the whole thing is in anycase being blown all out of proportion by the Western Media.
The article does not draw any parallels but it is obvious to the reader that this is the same set of foes that are ranged against the government of Sri Lanka.
As the writer points out 'Human-rights violations worse than those committed by Zanu-PF’s thugs have been reported from Darfur, Tibet and Guantanamo Bay' and also that 'Zimbabwe had been a very peaceful country before the coming of Morgan Tsvangirai as a political party leader.'
In a speech at the FAO Rome summit last month, President Mugabe has highlighted steps that are being taken to improve food production, something the Western Media seems to have ignored.
President Mugabe, along with President Rajapakse and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran were the only Heads of State to grace this important summit, the rest of the world being represented by minor officials.
We must truly be cursed by the gods to have ended up with the same set of foes that the besieged government of Zimbabwe faces. Or perhaps its no accident at all; a plot perhaps? By treacherous forces possibly.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
A drugs policy for Sri Lanka : the State needs to distribute
A post by Deane on Legalising Marijuana in Sri Lanka prompted me to put up something that I have been thinking about for a while.
On the subject of marijuana I agree with him in full, its not addictive and is less harmful than tobacco; although the smoke will probably do some damage to lungs and throat. It also has a lot of medicinal properties that are worth researching.
On more dangerous drugs; heroin and other opiates; cocaine and its derivatives and all the rest the first thing to do is to collect some statistics on their use. From the little I know it is heroin that accounts for the largest volume. Following the 80:20 rule; identify the few drugs that make up 80% of the usage. The state should then distribute these drugs either free or at nominal charge to the addicts.
At a stroke it will greatly eliminate the petty and dangerous crimes that plague the citizenry and most importantly puts the drugs mafia out of business. How can they possibly sell drugs at a profit when the state is distributing the stuff virtually free?
The State can tie up with some NGO's working in drugs rehabilitation and distribute the products through them. The addicts will need to register and where possible should be persuaded to undergo some rehabilitation treatment, which again could be funded by a combination of public and private funds.
The public faces two large problems with illegal drugs: the crime which is necessary to finance the habits of the addict and the social problems that the addict causes to his family and friends. The policy of state distribution will eliminate the first and through a careful programme of rehabilitation could help alleviate some of the latter.
The biggest and most important benefit that this policy will bring is that it will put the real criminals; the drug gangs out of business. These drug gangs are responsible for a lot of serious crime and they are I believe an important source of funding for political parties. A good many politicians are under the control of the criminal underworld, who finance and run election campaigns on behalf of politicians.
I'm sure the readers of this blog are aware of certain prominent politicos whose links to the underworld are well known; there are many others who are also funded from the same sources but maintain a far more discreet public profile.
It is these people who will be hurt by such a policy, not the public, the addicts or anyone else. Should anyone announce such a policy it would draw howls of protest from many quarters. And we would then know exactly who is funded by the drug cartels.
There is a related problem of corruption that I have blogged about here.
On the subject of marijuana I agree with him in full, its not addictive and is less harmful than tobacco; although the smoke will probably do some damage to lungs and throat. It also has a lot of medicinal properties that are worth researching.
On more dangerous drugs; heroin and other opiates; cocaine and its derivatives and all the rest the first thing to do is to collect some statistics on their use. From the little I know it is heroin that accounts for the largest volume. Following the 80:20 rule; identify the few drugs that make up 80% of the usage. The state should then distribute these drugs either free or at nominal charge to the addicts.
At a stroke it will greatly eliminate the petty and dangerous crimes that plague the citizenry and most importantly puts the drugs mafia out of business. How can they possibly sell drugs at a profit when the state is distributing the stuff virtually free?
The State can tie up with some NGO's working in drugs rehabilitation and distribute the products through them. The addicts will need to register and where possible should be persuaded to undergo some rehabilitation treatment, which again could be funded by a combination of public and private funds.
The public faces two large problems with illegal drugs: the crime which is necessary to finance the habits of the addict and the social problems that the addict causes to his family and friends. The policy of state distribution will eliminate the first and through a careful programme of rehabilitation could help alleviate some of the latter.
The biggest and most important benefit that this policy will bring is that it will put the real criminals; the drug gangs out of business. These drug gangs are responsible for a lot of serious crime and they are I believe an important source of funding for political parties. A good many politicians are under the control of the criminal underworld, who finance and run election campaigns on behalf of politicians.
I'm sure the readers of this blog are aware of certain prominent politicos whose links to the underworld are well known; there are many others who are also funded from the same sources but maintain a far more discreet public profile.
It is these people who will be hurt by such a policy, not the public, the addicts or anyone else. Should anyone announce such a policy it would draw howls of protest from many quarters. And we would then know exactly who is funded by the drug cartels.
There is a related problem of corruption that I have blogged about here.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Classic children's songs
Here's the perfect tonic for anyone feeling depressed at work today.
Discovered some classic songs on Youtube just now. They are intended for children but can be enjoyed by all; catchy tunes and witty verses. They don't make them like that anymore.
Right Said Fred by Bernard Cribbins
and
My boomerang wont come back by Charlie Drake
Discovered some classic songs on Youtube just now. They are intended for children but can be enjoyed by all; catchy tunes and witty verses. They don't make them like that anymore.
Right Said Fred by Bernard Cribbins
and
My boomerang wont come back by Charlie Drake
A reply to an Editorial in the Island newspaper
This is just another post where I'm saving something I wrote some time ago- this time a response to an editorial in the Island entitled 'Prabhakaran's luck'.
The main thesis of the editorial was, as I recall, that Prabhakaran has got away several times just when the army was about to capture him. The editorial wondered whether he would be allowed to escape again, because the Government was being pressured to re-enter peace talks and hence halting the offensive.
My response was written on the 9th of August 2007, the editorial appeared some days before that, I've not been able to trace it on the web.
The main thesis of the editorial was, as I recall, that Prabhakaran has got away several times just when the army was about to capture him. The editorial wondered whether he would be allowed to escape again, because the Government was being pressured to re-enter peace talks and hence halting the offensive.
My response was written on the 9th of August 2007, the editorial appeared some days before that, I've not been able to trace it on the web.
Sir,
Your editorial on the above poses the question: will Prabakharan be lucky once more? The short answer is yes, he will indeed be lucky, but to understand why we must look back to the events of 2001. Your editorial surmises, correctly, that the government is facing a financial crises. It was Napoleon no less who remarked that "an army marches on its stomach". An army needs to eat well to perform, but Napoleon 's real contention was the importance of the supply line. Logistics - getting food, clothes, and spare parts to the front - is often what makes or breaks a conflict. This in turn, is dependent on the ability of the government in question to finance a war.
To turn to the events of 2000-2001, the country's economy collapsed, this being driven by excessive government spending financed by printed and borrowed money. Public debt exceeded the output of the economy. This in turn lead to a balance of payments crises, the devaluation of the rupee (which went from 70 to the US dollar to a 100 before settling at around 90). Business confidence evaporated following the attack on the airport and the economy contracted by some 4%.
The UNP regime of 2001-3 restored fiscal discipline by cutting spending, bringing the budget deficit under control, enabling interest rates to fall as low as 10%. The CFA boosted business confidence resulting in increased investment. The tax amnesty announced in the 2002 budget brought in a lot of black money into the economy which sparked the construction boom, the tail end of which is still being experienced today. The majority of the mid and high rise building dotting the capital came up following this. The prevailing low interest rates helped boost these two further and also lead to increased consumption spending via credit cards and consumption based loans offered by banks. Other measures to simplify bureaucracy and the opening of the North East markets also helped.
After the coup d'état staged by CBK in November 2003, the momentum of the measures taken by the UNP faltered momentarily but then continued. The tsunami of December 2004 proved a blessing in disguise, with a huge inflow of funds providing a massive stimulus to the economy. The growth of 2005 and 2006 was helped by all of these factors.
Mahinda Rajapakse's administration, drawing confidence from the sound performance of the economy in the past few years has thrown economic sense to the winds and expanded public spending. Pensions and salaries of government servants consume 57% of all tax revenues thanks to the expansion of the public sector. This has been financed by money printing (leading to high inflation) and borrowings. Thanks to high borrowings interest payments eat up 30% of total government revenue. It is worth noting that as per the last budget pensions and salaries (240bn) and interest (169bn) both exceed defence expenditure (140bn)- which in 2006 was doubled from the previous years 70bn . Public debt is once more hovering close to 100% of GDP, the rupee is under pressure, the government is imposing all manner of taxes and raising fuel prices to try to collect enough funds and failing to do so is resorting to money printing (some 20bn in the last couple of months) and is now in the process of trying to raise US$500m to finance further spending. Capital expenditure is being cut, which means citizens can expect further deterioration in infrastructure from broken roads, flooded sewers to erratic electricity.
In short, the government is close to broke and will shortly find itself unable to fund the war any further without risking a total economic meltdown. Foreign aid does not form a significant component of government revenue (some 24bn) the burden is mainly borne by the taxpayers of the country. If this situation continues on this trend the economy will collapse once more and Prabakharan will find himself confronting an enemy unable to defend its borders, and he will have Eelam by default.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Polarisation
Met some friends for dinner at the Golden Mile on Friday. Food was quite good, prices fairly reasonable and the atmosphere good, enlivened by a private party taking place at the restaurant.
One of the people remarked that he had met an old school mate at a reunion yesterday. My friend and his friend, lets call him X, had been talking a while. It turned out X was under the impression that all Tamils supported the LTTE and was genuinely surprised when my friend informed him that on the contrary a large number opposed them. Now X is a man in his late thirties, a qualified architect and studied at a popular Colombo catholic school. The fact that a mature, urbanised educated man could hold such a view illustrates the degree to which the country is polarised.
It is human nature to move around with people who are 'like us' in most ways; people from similar backgrounds and upbringing, our friends and family are all drawn from the same sort of strata so most people who do not look beyond their close circle are likely to see and experience only their circle and their views are shaped accordingly. Under normal circumstances this would not be a problem, people having a parochial view of a situation would not cause a problem, but in a country where issues of race have become a problem then such a narrow view points to a lot of problems ahead.
Without dialogue between the communities, suspicion and fear can only grow; this of course being fanned by extremist political parties.
One of the people remarked that he had met an old school mate at a reunion yesterday. My friend and his friend, lets call him X, had been talking a while. It turned out X was under the impression that all Tamils supported the LTTE and was genuinely surprised when my friend informed him that on the contrary a large number opposed them. Now X is a man in his late thirties, a qualified architect and studied at a popular Colombo catholic school. The fact that a mature, urbanised educated man could hold such a view illustrates the degree to which the country is polarised.
It is human nature to move around with people who are 'like us' in most ways; people from similar backgrounds and upbringing, our friends and family are all drawn from the same sort of strata so most people who do not look beyond their close circle are likely to see and experience only their circle and their views are shaped accordingly. Under normal circumstances this would not be a problem, people having a parochial view of a situation would not cause a problem, but in a country where issues of race have become a problem then such a narrow view points to a lot of problems ahead.
Without dialogue between the communities, suspicion and fear can only grow; this of course being fanned by extremist political parties.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Ranil Wickremesinghe: The man we love to hate
Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the opposition occupies a curious position in the political arena. He is regularly blamed by the Government for all manner of ills, from the Ceasefire Agreement to the possible loss of GSP+ concessions from the EU. He is criticised by the government and its supporters for his background, for having a squeaky voice, for wearing a suit even for being effeminate. He is painted as a traitor bent on discrediting the country at the very least and possibly even plotting its very destruction.
All this leaves Mr Wickremesighe quite unmoved. He rarely responds to any particular charge and never seem perturbed, let alone worried by what is said about him. In Sri Lanka this seems to be taken as a sign of guilt - most supporters of the government seem to agree with all of this something the local blogosphere bears testimony to.
His party and his supporters on the other hand are left wringing their hands in despair. He does not seem capable of mounting any challenge to the government. The few rallies and protests organised have not really taken off - that despite the mounting problems of the government. Even if he can't organise public protest he could release press statements that can highlight the many flaws in the Governments policies but presumably feeling that anything he says will be used against him he remains silent. He can't even hold his party together with parts of it now supporting the government and what is left of it in danger of splitting apart.
He is almost like the Batman villain, the Joker; who is characterised as the villain we love to hate; something that conceals his importance to the regime in power.
The ruling coalition would would be in deep difficulties if not for the help of Ranil Wickremesinghe. The perennial leader of the opposition is the best thing that any government in power could hope for.
The UNP is a large party, some would say the largest party in the country. In the hands of a Mangala Samaraweera, a Chandrika Bandaranaike, an S B Dissanyake even perhaps Sajith Premadasa or Karu Jayasuriya it would be a formidable political machine instead of being divided, disinterested and ineffective.
None of this is to detract from Mr Wickremesinghe's qualities as a potential Head of State; he would I believe be quite effective in that role; it is the party politics and the pulse of the common man that he fails to grasp.
The Government should be offering poojas to him, in secret every night, even as they pillory him by day.
All this leaves Mr Wickremesighe quite unmoved. He rarely responds to any particular charge and never seem perturbed, let alone worried by what is said about him. In Sri Lanka this seems to be taken as a sign of guilt - most supporters of the government seem to agree with all of this something the local blogosphere bears testimony to.
His party and his supporters on the other hand are left wringing their hands in despair. He does not seem capable of mounting any challenge to the government. The few rallies and protests organised have not really taken off - that despite the mounting problems of the government. Even if he can't organise public protest he could release press statements that can highlight the many flaws in the Governments policies but presumably feeling that anything he says will be used against him he remains silent. He can't even hold his party together with parts of it now supporting the government and what is left of it in danger of splitting apart.
He is almost like the Batman villain, the Joker; who is characterised as the villain we love to hate; something that conceals his importance to the regime in power.
The ruling coalition would would be in deep difficulties if not for the help of Ranil Wickremesinghe. The perennial leader of the opposition is the best thing that any government in power could hope for.
The UNP is a large party, some would say the largest party in the country. In the hands of a Mangala Samaraweera, a Chandrika Bandaranaike, an S B Dissanyake even perhaps Sajith Premadasa or Karu Jayasuriya it would be a formidable political machine instead of being divided, disinterested and ineffective.
None of this is to detract from Mr Wickremesinghe's qualities as a potential Head of State; he would I believe be quite effective in that role; it is the party politics and the pulse of the common man that he fails to grasp.
The Government should be offering poojas to him, in secret every night, even as they pillory him by day.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Whatever happened to Ladybird books?
Went out to get a cup of yoghurt after lunch and dropped into the bookshop next door. Was browsing aimlessly when I cam upon a rack of Ladybird books. One title (The Little Red Hen) caught my eye and I picked it up. This is a story that I remember from my childhood, glancing through I find that the story is still the same - except for one critical thing: the pictures have changed! I checked another, The Elves and the Shoemaker, and it was just the same. They seem to have revamped the books entirely.
The highlight of the Ladybird books used to be their beautiful illustrations. I think they were either oil paintings or watercolours but done to a very high standard. The pictures were so attractive that one could spend a lot of time just looking at them. They really brought the story to life and it is something I consider very important in encouraging children to pick up a book.
The illustrations in the new editions are fairly all right but nothing compared to the books of old. For examples of the old have a look here I'm not really sure why they changed the books, maybe to make them look more modern I suppose but I think that was a mistake, something that a thriving market in old editions seems to prove.
Anyway for anyone interested in further information on the history of Ladybird books and old titles have a look here and here.
The official site is here.
A good article on another favourite- Tootles the Taxi is here.
The highlight of the Ladybird books used to be their beautiful illustrations. I think they were either oil paintings or watercolours but done to a very high standard. The pictures were so attractive that one could spend a lot of time just looking at them. They really brought the story to life and it is something I consider very important in encouraging children to pick up a book.
The illustrations in the new editions are fairly all right but nothing compared to the books of old. For examples of the old have a look here I'm not really sure why they changed the books, maybe to make them look more modern I suppose but I think that was a mistake, something that a thriving market in old editions seems to prove.
Anyway for anyone interested in further information on the history of Ladybird books and old titles have a look here and here.
The official site is here.
A good article on another favourite- Tootles the Taxi is here.
Hugo Chavez has done it: Venezuela faces stagflation
Hugo Chavez hailed as a hero of the poor and much admired by some in Sri Lanka seems to have succeeded in wrecking his country. Its not quite out yet, but despite windfall oil revenues Venezuela faces near 30% inflation and declining gdp growth, for details just have a look at this.
It just shows what incompetence and mismanagement can do. It also tells you that oil is no panacea for economic ills, something that Sri Lanka seems to be pinning its hopes on. Robert Mugabe showed how much destruction one man can cause and it looks like Chavez is following hard in his footsteps.
For a highly readable and personal vignette of Venezuelan life, just read this.
Depressing stuff, if eye opening, but at least I suppose its better to examine others problems than ones own. Safer too.
It just shows what incompetence and mismanagement can do. It also tells you that oil is no panacea for economic ills, something that Sri Lanka seems to be pinning its hopes on. Robert Mugabe showed how much destruction one man can cause and it looks like Chavez is following hard in his footsteps.
For a highly readable and personal vignette of Venezuelan life, just read this.
Depressing stuff, if eye opening, but at least I suppose its better to examine others problems than ones own. Safer too.
Friday, June 20, 2008
MAS to shed 600 middle managers?
This is the corporate gossip that is doing the rounds. Rumour has it that 200 will go from MDS (the design department in Ratmalana) and the rest from various other units.
Any further info would be welcome.
Any further info would be welcome.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Country’s sacred relics belong to the clergy — JHU Leader
This was the title of an article which appeared in yesterdays Morning Leader - see the original here.
I will quote the full text of the report because I think its important enough:
To my mind, this is a rather curious claim. The archaeological sites and artifacts are vested with the state and administered by the Archeology department. The Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Thero now seems to want to throw over the law of the land on the basis that it was introduced by foreigners. If this logic is followed to its conclusion we need to throw the entire legal system and much else, democracy included, out.
The claim that "the clergy who had cared for the country’s artifacts for more than 2,000 years" is dubious as well. The ruined cities of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya and elsewhere had been abandoned and taken by the jungle. They lay forgotten and undisturbed for centuries until British explorers stumbled upon them in the 19th century. No one even knew of the artifacts, much less cared for them until the British period.
Of course there is a profitable trade in artefacts, although how small or large I do not know, and the Archaeology department has been fighting this with its limited means. This move seems designed to weaken the department even further.
I will quote the full text of the report because I think its important enough:
"JHU Leader Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Thero has said the Buddhist clergy and the authorities were at loggerheads due to the Archaeology Act.
"Buddhist monks and the Archaeological Department are at odds due to the Archaeology Act that was introduced by foreigners after their invasion," he had told a media workshop on the protection of artifacts held in Sigiriya.
Speaking further he had said, "This country has sacred relics, not artifacts. Officials of the Archaeological Department are unaware of the situation. These belong to the Buddhist clergy."
Ven. Medhananda Thero said that the Act "was sending monks to jail while officials were going to hell."
He urged authorities not to start any more trouble with the clergy who had cared for the country’s artifacts for more than 2,000 years.
The matter has been brought to the attention of the President as well as the subject minister, the monk had added."
To my mind, this is a rather curious claim. The archaeological sites and artifacts are vested with the state and administered by the Archeology department. The Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Thero now seems to want to throw over the law of the land on the basis that it was introduced by foreigners. If this logic is followed to its conclusion we need to throw the entire legal system and much else, democracy included, out.
The claim that "the clergy who had cared for the country’s artifacts for more than 2,000 years" is dubious as well. The ruined cities of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya and elsewhere had been abandoned and taken by the jungle. They lay forgotten and undisturbed for centuries until British explorers stumbled upon them in the 19th century. No one even knew of the artifacts, much less cared for them until the British period.
Of course there is a profitable trade in artefacts, although how small or large I do not know, and the Archaeology department has been fighting this with its limited means. This move seems designed to weaken the department even further.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Excerpts from the Ceylon Rationalist Ambassador
Dug up an old copy (one of three that we have) and I thought I would share some of the material with others who may be interested. These are taken from the column by Abraham Kovoor, President of the Society, entitled 'Think It Over', free comments with malice to none.
SLAUGHTER ON POYA DAYS
"Several Buddhist Associations have asked the Colombo Municipal Council to ban the slaughter of poultry in municipal markets and licensed poultry stalls in the City on Poya days. These associations have said that though the council banned the slaughter of cattle, goats and pigs in the city on Poya days, the purpose of ahimsa was negated by the slaughter of thousands of fowls" (Times of Ceylon 26.10.1966)
We fail to understand how the intensity of the sin of ahimsa varies according to the visibility on earth of the sun-lit area of an insignificant satellite like (sic) moon in this vast universe. Does slaughter of animals become a sin only on a Poya day?
While fanatics in India want to save the lives of cows only, their counterparts here seem bent on saving all lives except that of man!
We strongly urge the associations to press for banning the destruction of all kinds of lives on all days so ours may the one and only country in the world ahimsa is practised in its perfection. Nobody should be allowed kill and eat living animals and plants. Ban the use of insecticides, antibiotics and sterilizers. Stop chlorinating pipe-borne water, sterilizing surgical instruments, pasteurising milk. Feed the carnivores at the Dehiwala Zoo with straw. Let Ceylonese eat only carcases of naturally dead animals and plants.
BIRTH CONTROL AND THE SANGHA
"The proposal of the Minister of Health to introduce birth control in Ceylon, if implemented would wipe out the Sangha because only large families offered a child or two for ordination". So said Ven. Pundit Heele Sumanajothi Thero at a meeting of a Nawalapitiya Trinikaya. (Times of Ceylon)
If the Sangha is to be built up with unwanted children of the country it is better that we had a lesser number or none of them!
GENTLE MEEK AND MILD
"We invite the earnest attention of our fellow men to all that is said and done, to reiterate and expound the meaning and message of Christmas.
It is our wish that Christmas goodwill and peace may abide permanently in our hearts and our homes and reflect in our social and national life" (Rev. Dr W.G. Wickramasinghe in the Daily Mirror)
During Christmas time year after year we hear a good deal from Christian priests about the Prince of peace, meek and mild, bringing goodwill and peace among men.
But let us hear from Christ himself about his mission.
"Think not that I came to send peace on earth. I came not to send peace, but a sword." (Jesus Christ in St Matthew X-34)
"He that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one" (Jesus Christ in St Luke XXII-36)
"I came to set a man at variance against his father, a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law". (Jesus Christ in St Matthew X-35)
"If any man cometh unto me, and hateth not his father and mother and wife and children and brotheren and sisters he cannot be my disciple" (Jesus Christ in St Luke XIV - 26)
STATE AND RELIGION
"Unless a new department is formed to administer the affairs of religion, the election pledge of the Government to give Buddhism the rightful place it enjoyed during the times of the ancient Sinhala kings would be a mere farce", said Ven. Meetiyagoda Gunaratna Thera, addressing the Prize distribution ceremony of Sri Sugatha Dharmodaya School in Ravatawatte, Moratuwa (Ceylon Daily News 16-6-1966).
The reasons given in certain quarters of for the Government spending tax-payers money for promoting Buddhism alone is that during the time of the Sinhala kings Buddhism received royal patronage, and during the time of the foreign rule that religion lost its privileged position because the new rulers patronised their own brand of religions. Now that the country has attained independence, it is the duty of the present Government to give back to Buddhism the patronage it once enjoyed under the ancient kings.
It is the people of the country who attained independence in 1947 (sic), and not the Buddhists alone. After getting democratic freedom in the twentieth century are we to go back to the monarchy of the medieval period? In a monarchy everything in the country including the lives of the people belong to the king The king could do no wrong. He could patronise anything he liked, and his subjects had no right to question him. Today we are not subjects of a despotic monarch. we are the citizens of a free country possessing the right even to question our governors.
Kings of old patronised not only their religion but also astrologers, soothsayers, concubines and even prostitutes. Perhaps it is because our ancient kings patronised royal astrologers that we have this 20th century created a chair for astrology at one of our universities. Like the royal astrologers of old, the present professor of astrology at Vidyalankara University may be appointed Government Astrologer to advise the Government on his predictions from time to time!
Buddhists are not the only people living in Ceylon and paying tax to the Government. The present demand for religious universities by Hindus and Muslims stems from democratic ideas. If Buddhism is to get state aid, they too have a right to claim their share.
Surely this country needs more academic and technical institutions. Jaffna deserves a university there. But should it be a Tamil or Hindu university? Mr Sivasubramaniam wants Hindu priests to be trained at public cost. For Hindus their priests are born as a separate caste, whereas other religions have their priests ordained. According to the Hindu religion it is sinful for a non-Brahmin to officiate as a priest. If Brahmins, monks and moulawis are to be given separate universities, surely there will be similar demands for Christian priests of diverse denominations.
SLAUGHTER ON POYA DAYS
"Several Buddhist Associations have asked the Colombo Municipal Council to ban the slaughter of poultry in municipal markets and licensed poultry stalls in the City on Poya days. These associations have said that though the council banned the slaughter of cattle, goats and pigs in the city on Poya days, the purpose of ahimsa was negated by the slaughter of thousands of fowls" (Times of Ceylon 26.10.1966)
We fail to understand how the intensity of the sin of ahimsa varies according to the visibility on earth of the sun-lit area of an insignificant satellite like (sic) moon in this vast universe. Does slaughter of animals become a sin only on a Poya day?
While fanatics in India want to save the lives of cows only, their counterparts here seem bent on saving all lives except that of man!
We strongly urge the associations to press for banning the destruction of all kinds of lives on all days so ours may the one and only country in the world ahimsa is practised in its perfection. Nobody should be allowed kill and eat living animals and plants. Ban the use of insecticides, antibiotics and sterilizers. Stop chlorinating pipe-borne water, sterilizing surgical instruments, pasteurising milk. Feed the carnivores at the Dehiwala Zoo with straw. Let Ceylonese eat only carcases of naturally dead animals and plants.
BIRTH CONTROL AND THE SANGHA
"The proposal of the Minister of Health to introduce birth control in Ceylon, if implemented would wipe out the Sangha because only large families offered a child or two for ordination". So said Ven. Pundit Heele Sumanajothi Thero at a meeting of a Nawalapitiya Trinikaya. (Times of Ceylon)
If the Sangha is to be built up with unwanted children of the country it is better that we had a lesser number or none of them!
GENTLE MEEK AND MILD
"We invite the earnest attention of our fellow men to all that is said and done, to reiterate and expound the meaning and message of Christmas.
It is our wish that Christmas goodwill and peace may abide permanently in our hearts and our homes and reflect in our social and national life" (Rev. Dr W.G. Wickramasinghe in the Daily Mirror)
During Christmas time year after year we hear a good deal from Christian priests about the Prince of peace, meek and mild, bringing goodwill and peace among men.
But let us hear from Christ himself about his mission.
"Think not that I came to send peace on earth. I came not to send peace, but a sword." (Jesus Christ in St Matthew X-34)
"He that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one" (Jesus Christ in St Luke XXII-36)
"I came to set a man at variance against his father, a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law". (Jesus Christ in St Matthew X-35)
"If any man cometh unto me, and hateth not his father and mother and wife and children and brotheren and sisters he cannot be my disciple" (Jesus Christ in St Luke XIV - 26)
STATE AND RELIGION
"Unless a new department is formed to administer the affairs of religion, the election pledge of the Government to give Buddhism the rightful place it enjoyed during the times of the ancient Sinhala kings would be a mere farce", said Ven. Meetiyagoda Gunaratna Thera, addressing the Prize distribution ceremony of Sri Sugatha Dharmodaya School in Ravatawatte, Moratuwa (Ceylon Daily News 16-6-1966).
The reasons given in certain quarters of for the Government spending tax-payers money for promoting Buddhism alone is that during the time of the Sinhala kings Buddhism received royal patronage, and during the time of the foreign rule that religion lost its privileged position because the new rulers patronised their own brand of religions. Now that the country has attained independence, it is the duty of the present Government to give back to Buddhism the patronage it once enjoyed under the ancient kings.
It is the people of the country who attained independence in 1947 (sic), and not the Buddhists alone. After getting democratic freedom in the twentieth century are we to go back to the monarchy of the medieval period? In a monarchy everything in the country including the lives of the people belong to the king The king could do no wrong. He could patronise anything he liked, and his subjects had no right to question him. Today we are not subjects of a despotic monarch. we are the citizens of a free country possessing the right even to question our governors.
Kings of old patronised not only their religion but also astrologers, soothsayers, concubines and even prostitutes. Perhaps it is because our ancient kings patronised royal astrologers that we have this 20th century created a chair for astrology at one of our universities. Like the royal astrologers of old, the present professor of astrology at Vidyalankara University may be appointed Government Astrologer to advise the Government on his predictions from time to time!
Buddhists are not the only people living in Ceylon and paying tax to the Government. The present demand for religious universities by Hindus and Muslims stems from democratic ideas. If Buddhism is to get state aid, they too have a right to claim their share.
Surely this country needs more academic and technical institutions. Jaffna deserves a university there. But should it be a Tamil or Hindu university? Mr Sivasubramaniam wants Hindu priests to be trained at public cost. For Hindus their priests are born as a separate caste, whereas other religions have their priests ordained. According to the Hindu religion it is sinful for a non-Brahmin to officiate as a priest. If Brahmins, monks and moulawis are to be given separate universities, surely there will be similar demands for Christian priests of diverse denominations.
Atheism
The (sadly now defunct) Ceylon Rationalist Society used to criticise the influence of religion in public life and expose what they called 'spiritual frauds' and other superstitions. They stood for the cause of reason in what they took to be an increasingly irrational society. They delighted in exposing hypocrisy and the volumes published by the Society are always interesting to read.
Things have got much worse since then and the need for the society is felt ever more keenly.
Anyway, it is all but impossible in society today to explain that one is an atheist. People are shocked, surprised and they look at one in a strange way. This is then followed by numerous questions on why, why, why don't you believe. When asked the question I either dodge or lie. Saves unnecessary questions. I imagine it would be like introducing someone as a lover or some other variant of the term.
My journey on the road to the damned was a long one. As a small boy I was told stories of Jesus and my love for the character was exceeded only by my love for my mother. I remember being deeply impressed by the selflessness, courage and goodness of the man. These were recurring themes in my young life: two other early hero's were Nelson and radio operator of the Titanic, Jack Phillips who went down with the ship, sending messages for help even as it sank.
In later years we were told that not everything in the bible was true. There were these illustrated books that we had at catechism classes that had black patches of varying sizes over the hearts of young sinners: small patches for small sins; larger ones for bigger sins. It had us rather worried so perhaps someone put us out of our misery but we were never quite sure for quite a while.
In later years, reading more on science and in my mid-teens writers like Asimov convinced me that there was no real god but I still went to church, mostly I think to please Granny. She was very devout and would go to church everyday, sometimes twice a day (my other grandmother was just as bad) and she would be very pained if we missed mass. my father never went and as children we found it boring and kept saying that we would stop going to church as soon as we grew up which made her very angry. If we missed mass we would be reminded at various times of the day that mass was on at 11am at the Jesuit Chapel, 12 at the Hospital Chapel and so forth until evening. She would then remind us on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday whenever she saw us but generally give up after that and contend herself with giving the culprit a black look or two if she caught sight of him.
Which is mostly why I remained a regular church-goer from my early-mid teens. It was easier than having to take the hassle, and in later years I realised it was probably one of the few things that kept her happy. Granny really was god and I stopped going after her death in 1993.
It was after I discovered the joys of singing (in 1998) that I began to go to church again, although a firm atheist by now my church going became very regular I rarely missed mass at all - because I loved to sing.
Naturally I make no mention of my beliefs to my companions and the few of them who are aware have generally come to assume that I have recanted, either way I don't bring up the subject.
My views on religion have however changed. God may not exist but his church certainly does which got me pondering as to how something so patently absurd could still exist in the light of all evidence against it.
I came to realise that religion can be experienced on many levels: spiritual, social/cultural and psychological. Look at the major events in life: birth, marriage, death: and religion appears for all except the most committed unbelievers. Religion has its uses: it can serve as a code of ethics and for social conduct (this is in my opinion its weakest link, for along with the positive lessons there are negatives as well but we can always concentrate on the positives and ignore the negatives); it adds a lot of colour, the ceremonies, symbols and the like and most importantly it can provide solace in grief.
Festivals like Christmas are purely cultural traditions that can be enjoyed by all. It is not even Christian, dating back to the Roman Saturnalia which in turn was based on ancient festivals of the winter solstice. It is instructive to remember that Brazil's famous Rio Carnival is actually religious in origin - its connected with the Lenten observances although I don't know precisely how. Now religion like that is something we can all enjoy.
The psychological aspects of religion are its most important . In times of stress or great grief, the rituals provide a ready made channel for overflowing emotions and the simple rubric of the prayers can offer a lot of comfort.
Religion therefore has a place in society (and its uses) although god (in his many manifestations) does not exist.
There must however be the distinction between religion as a purely personal belief , which has its place and religion in public life, in which it has no place.
No two people will approach religion in exactly the same way and while each must be allowed to do as he wishes (provided he does not cause a nuisance to others ) it is entirely unfair to impose the views of some on the entire population.
A state cannot believe and rulers should not assume that their personal beliefs can be taken to be those of the state as a whole.
Things have got much worse since then and the need for the society is felt ever more keenly.
Anyway, it is all but impossible in society today to explain that one is an atheist. People are shocked, surprised and they look at one in a strange way. This is then followed by numerous questions on why, why, why don't you believe. When asked the question I either dodge or lie. Saves unnecessary questions. I imagine it would be like introducing someone as a lover or some other variant of the term.
My journey on the road to the damned was a long one. As a small boy I was told stories of Jesus and my love for the character was exceeded only by my love for my mother. I remember being deeply impressed by the selflessness, courage and goodness of the man. These were recurring themes in my young life: two other early hero's were Nelson and radio operator of the Titanic, Jack Phillips who went down with the ship, sending messages for help even as it sank.
In later years we were told that not everything in the bible was true. There were these illustrated books that we had at catechism classes that had black patches of varying sizes over the hearts of young sinners: small patches for small sins; larger ones for bigger sins. It had us rather worried so perhaps someone put us out of our misery but we were never quite sure for quite a while.
In later years, reading more on science and in my mid-teens writers like Asimov convinced me that there was no real god but I still went to church, mostly I think to please Granny. She was very devout and would go to church everyday, sometimes twice a day (my other grandmother was just as bad) and she would be very pained if we missed mass. my father never went and as children we found it boring and kept saying that we would stop going to church as soon as we grew up which made her very angry. If we missed mass we would be reminded at various times of the day that mass was on at 11am at the Jesuit Chapel, 12 at the Hospital Chapel and so forth until evening. She would then remind us on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday whenever she saw us but generally give up after that and contend herself with giving the culprit a black look or two if she caught sight of him.
Which is mostly why I remained a regular church-goer from my early-mid teens. It was easier than having to take the hassle, and in later years I realised it was probably one of the few things that kept her happy. Granny really was god and I stopped going after her death in 1993.
It was after I discovered the joys of singing (in 1998) that I began to go to church again, although a firm atheist by now my church going became very regular I rarely missed mass at all - because I loved to sing.
Naturally I make no mention of my beliefs to my companions and the few of them who are aware have generally come to assume that I have recanted, either way I don't bring up the subject.
My views on religion have however changed. God may not exist but his church certainly does which got me pondering as to how something so patently absurd could still exist in the light of all evidence against it.
I came to realise that religion can be experienced on many levels: spiritual, social/cultural and psychological. Look at the major events in life: birth, marriage, death: and religion appears for all except the most committed unbelievers. Religion has its uses: it can serve as a code of ethics and for social conduct (this is in my opinion its weakest link, for along with the positive lessons there are negatives as well but we can always concentrate on the positives and ignore the negatives); it adds a lot of colour, the ceremonies, symbols and the like and most importantly it can provide solace in grief.
Festivals like Christmas are purely cultural traditions that can be enjoyed by all. It is not even Christian, dating back to the Roman Saturnalia which in turn was based on ancient festivals of the winter solstice. It is instructive to remember that Brazil's famous Rio Carnival is actually religious in origin - its connected with the Lenten observances although I don't know precisely how. Now religion like that is something we can all enjoy.
The psychological aspects of religion are its most important . In times of stress or great grief, the rituals provide a ready made channel for overflowing emotions and the simple rubric of the prayers can offer a lot of comfort.
Religion therefore has a place in society (and its uses) although god (in his many manifestations) does not exist.
There must however be the distinction between religion as a purely personal belief , which has its place and religion in public life, in which it has no place.
No two people will approach religion in exactly the same way and while each must be allowed to do as he wishes (provided he does not cause a nuisance to others ) it is entirely unfair to impose the views of some on the entire population.
A state cannot believe and rulers should not assume that their personal beliefs can be taken to be those of the state as a whole.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Lèse majesté
An insult against the King. The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English (2008) defines this as: the insulting of a monarch or other ruler; treason. A fuller description of the term is found in Wikipedia.
Very few countries now have specific lèse majesté laws but treason is still a crime. The question that arises in Sri Lanka today is whether criticism amounts to treason. Those who have been following the debate may be able to discern for themselves where the official position lies, even if the officials themselves are quite unaware the concept itself.
This in turn raises further interesting questions, not least Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Very few countries now have specific lèse majesté laws but treason is still a crime. The question that arises in Sri Lanka today is whether criticism amounts to treason. Those who have been following the debate may be able to discern for themselves where the official position lies, even if the officials themselves are quite unaware the concept itself.
This in turn raises further interesting questions, not least Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Monday, June 09, 2008
Super Seven
Got tagged a while back and have been wondering what to do about it. I was away to begin with so I only saw the tag several days after it had been stuck or pasted or whatever the correct term for the thing is.
Now it is fairly easy to come up with a list of trivial items but I'm somehow reluctant to do that - goes against the grain you see. Whatever it is, it needs to be true to myself, find it quite hard to be otherwise. Its a real pain sometimes: picking a birthday card or a present for someone can be an agonising process - it needs to be right, it must say just the right thing and it needs to be true. This is why I keep a stock of cards around. Whenever I find a good one, I'll buy it and keep it for use sometime. The trouble is I sometimes forget that I have cards in stock or else I've put them away so well that I can't find them aaarrrggh..... Sometimes I do find them, when the need arises, the trouble is when i do look at them again I sometimes find that time has altered my perception of things and the card is not really suitable anymore so I'm back to square one again....
I also think that deep down I'm an arch conservative: in dress, in habits, in manners, in taste, although I do like to think of myself as being liberal in my views I'm not entirely sure if that's right. A conservative taste in fashion means that its damned difficult to find trousers and shirts in Colombo, so my favourite shopping has been in Malaysia where there is a much wider selection. Forget Singapore, even with a sale things are prohibitively expensive.
Curiosity is the other trait that I seem to have. I keep telling myself that curiosity is what killed the cat and that curiosity is but one step away from nosiness and that I hope keeps my instincts in check. I keep wanting to know WHY? Why does this happen? How does it work? What went wrong? Sometimes answers come a long time after the question was asked, sometimes after the question was forgotten. Benn wondering how pillows came into being. Why is it so difficult to sleep without one and how did early man learn to use the primitive equivalent of a pillow? Are there cultures where pillows are unknown?
Sometimes these questions take a curious turn. There was a time a few months back when I would wake up in the middle of the night thinking that I had an excellent question or idea on some problem in economics and then I fall asleep. When I wake up I could never quite remember what the question was and for a time I was wondering if I actually woke up, or whether I dreamed that I had woken up and come up with a question. Reminds of the philosopher who dreamed he was a butterfly. After a while he could not figure out if he was a butterfly who dreamed he was a philosopher or if he was a philosopher who dreamed he was a butterfly. All very mysterious.
I talk too much. I love the sound of my own voice. Get me going on a pet topic and I'll talk till the cows come home. Hell, If I can write this much garbage (with poor typing skills) can you imagine how bad I can be just talking?
A rebel at heart, unfortunately with no permanent cause. Need someone to help organise or get something done that is unusual or difficult? If its interesting enough, I'm your man. A sort of a modern day Indiana Jones or Rambo, I modestly tell myself....
Ok I've run out of steam, and my knee seems to be hurting so I'm stopping now.
Oh, by the way, if anyone needs and introduction to the real Super Seven some characters from my childhood days, have a look at them here.
Now it is fairly easy to come up with a list of trivial items but I'm somehow reluctant to do that - goes against the grain you see. Whatever it is, it needs to be true to myself, find it quite hard to be otherwise. Its a real pain sometimes: picking a birthday card or a present for someone can be an agonising process - it needs to be right, it must say just the right thing and it needs to be true. This is why I keep a stock of cards around. Whenever I find a good one, I'll buy it and keep it for use sometime. The trouble is I sometimes forget that I have cards in stock or else I've put them away so well that I can't find them aaarrrggh..... Sometimes I do find them, when the need arises, the trouble is when i do look at them again I sometimes find that time has altered my perception of things and the card is not really suitable anymore so I'm back to square one again....
I also think that deep down I'm an arch conservative: in dress, in habits, in manners, in taste, although I do like to think of myself as being liberal in my views I'm not entirely sure if that's right. A conservative taste in fashion means that its damned difficult to find trousers and shirts in Colombo, so my favourite shopping has been in Malaysia where there is a much wider selection. Forget Singapore, even with a sale things are prohibitively expensive.
Curiosity is the other trait that I seem to have. I keep telling myself that curiosity is what killed the cat and that curiosity is but one step away from nosiness and that I hope keeps my instincts in check. I keep wanting to know WHY? Why does this happen? How does it work? What went wrong? Sometimes answers come a long time after the question was asked, sometimes after the question was forgotten. Benn wondering how pillows came into being. Why is it so difficult to sleep without one and how did early man learn to use the primitive equivalent of a pillow? Are there cultures where pillows are unknown?
Sometimes these questions take a curious turn. There was a time a few months back when I would wake up in the middle of the night thinking that I had an excellent question or idea on some problem in economics and then I fall asleep. When I wake up I could never quite remember what the question was and for a time I was wondering if I actually woke up, or whether I dreamed that I had woken up and come up with a question. Reminds of the philosopher who dreamed he was a butterfly. After a while he could not figure out if he was a butterfly who dreamed he was a philosopher or if he was a philosopher who dreamed he was a butterfly. All very mysterious.
I talk too much. I love the sound of my own voice. Get me going on a pet topic and I'll talk till the cows come home. Hell, If I can write this much garbage (with poor typing skills) can you imagine how bad I can be just talking?
A rebel at heart, unfortunately with no permanent cause. Need someone to help organise or get something done that is unusual or difficult? If its interesting enough, I'm your man. A sort of a modern day Indiana Jones or Rambo, I modestly tell myself....
Ok I've run out of steam, and my knee seems to be hurting so I'm stopping now.
Oh, by the way, if anyone needs and introduction to the real Super Seven some characters from my childhood days, have a look at them here.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Saving the tourist industry
Damn foreigners! They are highly unreliable and instead of descending in droves on dear mother Lanka and parting with their cash, they have been going elsewhere and leaving the beach boys, courtesans, footpads and assorted wheeler dealers who prey sorry, derive gainful employment from these people in the lurch.
The solution is to make do with a few foreigners and fill up the hotels with locals, but how? Locals with throng the hotels on long weekends, which are plentiful, but not plentiful enough. A four day week perhaps? Saves fuel and gives permanent long weekends. It might work but what of the other days of the week? Even in Sri Lanka one cannot hope to enjoy a permanent holiday all year round.
The solution is really simple: declare certain key tourist beaches to be nude beaches and carry appropriate publicity, with or without stolen photographs from Cancun to boost appeal. The male population of Sri Lanka will fill the hotels to capacity...
The solution is to make do with a few foreigners and fill up the hotels with locals, but how? Locals with throng the hotels on long weekends, which are plentiful, but not plentiful enough. A four day week perhaps? Saves fuel and gives permanent long weekends. It might work but what of the other days of the week? Even in Sri Lanka one cannot hope to enjoy a permanent holiday all year round.
The solution is really simple: declare certain key tourist beaches to be nude beaches and carry appropriate publicity, with or without stolen photographs from Cancun to boost appeal. The male population of Sri Lanka will fill the hotels to capacity...
Invasion of old geezers
The populace must brace itself; an invasion is imminent, not by the Tigers but by a Dad's Army of retired old geezers. That at least is what a new policy by the Department of Immigration seems set to achieve.
According to the Sunday Observer, "The Government has given approval to the Department of Immigration and Emigration to go ahead with a special resident visa scheme that would woo senior foreign nationals on retirement to spend the rest of their life in the country.
The Department expects its new scheme - a dream home for foreigners would attract more senior foreign nationals to the country with their savings which would contribute to boost the national economy especially in tourism, real estate and other related sectors which have currently faced a setback due to the drop in the number of tourists."
It seems like only yesterday that the country was trying to restrict foreigners from buying land, a 100% tax on land purchases has been in operation since around 2004 to discourage this. There was also an outcry against paedophiles, homosexuals and other undesirables entering the country not to mention charges of neo-colonialism and cultural imperialism being leveled at many people.
Never mind, the Department of immigration has retained an important control: the resident visa is valid for only two years and will be renewable depending on the conduct of the visa holder. “We will review the scheme to check whether it is suitable and whether the foreigners will benefit from it”, said Abeykoon, Controller General of Immigration.
Good thinking. We can collect their cash and then boot them out in two years, clever no?
According to the Sunday Observer, "The Government has given approval to the Department of Immigration and Emigration to go ahead with a special resident visa scheme that would woo senior foreign nationals on retirement to spend the rest of their life in the country.
The Department expects its new scheme - a dream home for foreigners would attract more senior foreign nationals to the country with their savings which would contribute to boost the national economy especially in tourism, real estate and other related sectors which have currently faced a setback due to the drop in the number of tourists."
It seems like only yesterday that the country was trying to restrict foreigners from buying land, a 100% tax on land purchases has been in operation since around 2004 to discourage this. There was also an outcry against paedophiles, homosexuals and other undesirables entering the country not to mention charges of neo-colonialism and cultural imperialism being leveled at many people.
Never mind, the Department of immigration has retained an important control: the resident visa is valid for only two years and will be renewable depending on the conduct of the visa holder. “We will review the scheme to check whether it is suitable and whether the foreigners will benefit from it”, said Abeykoon, Controller General of Immigration.
Good thinking. We can collect their cash and then boot them out in two years, clever no?
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Thug
Saw an interesting book in the shop the other day; Thug: The True Story of India's Murderous Cult by Mike Dash.
I have encountered them occasionally in popular culture including the film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, but always thought they were fictional, until now.
The Thuggees were considered, depending on the researcher; either as a cult or a network of secret fraternities, rather like the Rotary Clubs of today I suppose.
They are fairly old, existing in India and operated between the 17th and the 19th centuries, although some claim that they existed from as far back as the 13th century.
The Thugs worked by befriending travellers and then ritually murdering them; strangling them with a yellow scarf to the accompaniment of music and included the consecration of a pickaxe and the sacrifice of jaggery. The pickaxe was used to dig the graves of the victims.
The Thuggees were said to be worshippers of the goddess Kali and were stamped out by the British.
I have encountered them occasionally in popular culture including the film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, but always thought they were fictional, until now.
The Thuggees were considered, depending on the researcher; either as a cult or a network of secret fraternities, rather like the Rotary Clubs of today I suppose.
They are fairly old, existing in India and operated between the 17th and the 19th centuries, although some claim that they existed from as far back as the 13th century.
The Thugs worked by befriending travellers and then ritually murdering them; strangling them with a yellow scarf to the accompaniment of music and included the consecration of a pickaxe and the sacrifice of jaggery. The pickaxe was used to dig the graves of the victims.
The Thuggees were said to be worshippers of the goddess Kali and were stamped out by the British.
Easy solution to saving power missed?
Was away for a while, am catching up with the news and not surprisingly a number of people have written articles on how to reduce energy consumption, but everyone seems to have overlooked the simplest, most painless one: set the clock back.
This was first done in the desperate days of 1996/7, one of the few sensible things done by CBK, I might add. This was reversed a couple of years back, mainly with the intention of appeasing the gods.
The Gods have failed: flood, war, disease (chikungunya, dengue and viral flu's plus other exotics are rampant) and we await drought and pestilence. There is nothing further to be gained by trying to appease them any further, they can hardly do worse, so let us collectively boot out the gods, think for once and use available sunlight to the maximum.
To the detractors of this policy, the CEB admitted that it generated some Rs.400m a year in savings - at the time the policy was discontinued, it should be double that now.
ps. The tagging craze seems to be on, will try to repond as soon as time permits.
This was first done in the desperate days of 1996/7, one of the few sensible things done by CBK, I might add. This was reversed a couple of years back, mainly with the intention of appeasing the gods.
The Gods have failed: flood, war, disease (chikungunya, dengue and viral flu's plus other exotics are rampant) and we await drought and pestilence. There is nothing further to be gained by trying to appease them any further, they can hardly do worse, so let us collectively boot out the gods, think for once and use available sunlight to the maximum.
To the detractors of this policy, the CEB admitted that it generated some Rs.400m a year in savings - at the time the policy was discontinued, it should be double that now.
ps. The tagging craze seems to be on, will try to repond as soon as time permits.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
A message to the Tigers
You need a change of tactics. These attacks on civilians like the bomb in the train on Monday are quite insane, inhuman and will not further your cause. If you want to claim to be the sole representatives of the Tamils, a claim that is far from accepted, at least try to act the part and behave with responsibility. A terrorist is loved by no one and the tactics of terror only provide cover for the harsh repression of civilians.
Denying responsibility for the various atrocities or maintaining a silence will not work, you have little credibility and your words will be doubted, even if by some possibility you were not actually responsible for the crimes committed.
If you must fight, fight the soldier on the battlefield, not the civilian in the town or village, but remember the maxim that all wars are political. A war for the sake of war or a war of attrition serves no one.
Better still, return to talks. That is what the people wanted and would have voted for had they been given the opportunity in 2005.
Denying responsibility for the various atrocities or maintaining a silence will not work, you have little credibility and your words will be doubted, even if by some possibility you were not actually responsible for the crimes committed.
If you must fight, fight the soldier on the battlefield, not the civilian in the town or village, but remember the maxim that all wars are political. A war for the sake of war or a war of attrition serves no one.
Better still, return to talks. That is what the people wanted and would have voted for had they been given the opportunity in 2005.
Some lines from Ibn Qutayba
A senior British officer serving in Afghanistan is reported to have quoted these lines from the ninth-century Muslim scholar Ibn Qutayba:
There can be no government without an army
No army without money
No money without prosperity
And no prosperity without justice and good administration.
This was in response to questions on how to tackle the insurgency. The enlightened may draw some lessons from this.
There can be no government without an army
No army without money
No money without prosperity
And no prosperity without justice and good administration.
This was in response to questions on how to tackle the insurgency. The enlightened may draw some lessons from this.
Central Bank staff get 60% wage hike?
According the latest rumours doing the rounds this morning the Central Bank has granted its staff a 60% increase in salaries - due to high inflation!
We may surmise that the official inflation rate is understated and that perhaps even worse is to follow.
We may surmise that the official inflation rate is understated and that perhaps even worse is to follow.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Ramaya
I was reading the Sunday Newspapers, a depressing exercise in this fast failing state of ours, and decided to read a few blogs to see if there was anything more interesting, or at least less depressing, to read.
Fortunately there was, Cerno a man who I think of as a bit of cartographer (he has lots of interesting stuff on travels routes, maps, google earth images and travel linked photography) had written something on ABBA.
That got me going and ended up writing a long comment on his blog.
Now people of a certain age may remember a song called Ramaya. This is a really super song and it is one of the earliest pieces of music that I can remember hearing. It was an enormous hit in Sri Lanka and for some reason we assumed it was some kind of local song, although we were never sure of the language. In later years, long after the song's popularity had ended, the few who remembered the song thought it was a Malay or Indian song. Only recently did I discover that its origins are African: Mozambique to be precise and it was performed by Afric Simone.
Listening to the song on Youtube brings back a few memories. As an adult it is also possible to appreciate that the song is something of a classic and the benefit of Youtube allows us to enjoy the superb showmanship of Simone. Indeed one can watch the clip purely for the showmanship. He is superbly fit and I've never seen anyone or anything move quite the way he does. See it here
.
There is a another long concert (about 20 minutes) here.
Fortunately there was, Cerno a man who I think of as a bit of cartographer (he has lots of interesting stuff on travels routes, maps, google earth images and travel linked photography) had written something on ABBA.
That got me going and ended up writing a long comment on his blog.
Now people of a certain age may remember a song called Ramaya. This is a really super song and it is one of the earliest pieces of music that I can remember hearing. It was an enormous hit in Sri Lanka and for some reason we assumed it was some kind of local song, although we were never sure of the language. In later years, long after the song's popularity had ended, the few who remembered the song thought it was a Malay or Indian song. Only recently did I discover that its origins are African: Mozambique to be precise and it was performed by Afric Simone.
Listening to the song on Youtube brings back a few memories. As an adult it is also possible to appreciate that the song is something of a classic and the benefit of Youtube allows us to enjoy the superb showmanship of Simone. Indeed one can watch the clip purely for the showmanship. He is superbly fit and I've never seen anyone or anything move quite the way he does. See it here
.
There is a another long concert (about 20 minutes) here.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Brief trip to the North East
Spent the long weekend in Anuradhapura and Tricomalee. I am usually involved in planning most trips but this particular one was organised by a friend and I just tagged along.
To begin with I was a reluctant participant. When he sent an email around suggesting a trip to Trinco I did not reply. I am a fairly cautious man and I don't take unnecessary risks. Most people say that Trinco is safe, there is only a small risk but but I suggested that we go down south instead.
Anyway after checking with various friends I decided that it was safe enough to go and I'm glad I did.
The journey itself was a bit of a mess. We keep only only one road map in the house and my brother had taken that for a trip he was going on and since none of the friends I was traveling with owned a map we were map-less for the journey. One chap owned a GPS but due to the security situation decided to leave that at home, along with the bigger camera lenses.
The start was late so one car containing myself and a couple of friends who were on time went ahead, with vague directions to meet at Jaela and turn off. We we making fair time and reached Jaela early, could not locate a turnoff so decided to go through Puttalam. The run to Puttalam was uneventful but after the turnoff to Anuradhapura at the town the road deterioratde steadily. Reached Anuradhapura at 8am, a drive of three hours.
While waiting for the second car to join us, visited the Tissa Weva Resthouse, a nice colonial building set back from the road with a lot of greenery surrounding it. The rooms have been done up a la Bawa and were clean and nice. Rates by the way were Rs.4950 for twin sharing B & B.
When the second car caught up, went to where we were supposed to stay, the Nuwara Weva Resthouse which was not in great shape. The plaque at the entrance proclaimed that it had been opened in 1957 by SWRD. The building was quite hideous, built in a style that I imagine was supposed to be futuristic and ultra modern in 1957. The rooms were comfortable and clean the, food fairly good and the price (some Rs.3800 for half board twin sharing) was reasonable but the atmosphere was lousy.
The colonial masters knew a thing or two about siting a resthouse and the majority, especially upcountry occupy very scenic spots. This factor combined with the charm of the building and the simple but cheerful traditional cooking make these places some of my favourite getaways. Unfortunately not a lot of it was true of the Nuwara Weva Resthouse with its dark and dreary public areas.
Then came the second mistake. We had decided to go to Habarana for lunch and not having looked at the map, assumed it was fairly close by. Only when driving did we discover just how far it was, and to make matters worse, we used a road that was shorter (but only by half a kilometre we later found out) but greatly worse than the main road for about a third of the distance. Got back to Anuradhapura using the normal road by about 4pm had some tea and visited the Jetawana Dagoba which was very impressive.
I saw Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa in 1992 but this was with a large group and we went around the sites in the morning and early afternoon. The baking heat and the dust of the place not to mention the crowd soon robs one of much of the initial enthusiasm. This time around visiting in the late afternoon, it was beautiful. Peaceful, quiet, bathed in soft sunlight the first glimpse of the majestic Jetwana Dagoba is very impressive.
The usual problem with Sri Lankan sites prevailed - a lack of information except for one small engraved plate with part of the writing obscured at the entrance. Made a note to read a bit about the ruined cities of Ceylon, does any one have a book that might be recommended ?
The next day we left at 6.15am to Trincomalee, after a couple of navigational mishaps reached Nilaweli Beach Hotel by about 11.20 in the morning. The beach is as every bit as good as the people say it is. Wide, clean (but not pristine:there was a small amount of litter) with a very white sands. The sea was not very deep, allowing wading quite far from the shore. Food was good but the range was a little limited given that the hotel, although full, was catering to a fairly small number of visitors, almost all from Colombo.
The real adventure started when we left. We were given a form by the hotel that needed to be filled and given at a checkpoint. Details included NIC nos, car engine and chassis nos and contents of baggage.
One vehicle was stopped at a checkpoint and the vehicle and ID cards examined. A few hundred yards away, around a bend was another checkpoint. When we, who had been stopped at the first checkpoint arrived we found our friends stopped at the secopnd one, but since we wer'nt stopped we drove on. After about 20-25 minutes, with no sign of our friends we turned back, since it was impossible to contact them - the mobile netword was dead in the area. It turns out the checkpoint we shot past was the one where we had to give our form in. When we came and asked to give the form in we were sent back to the very first checkpoint to get a chit from the officer there.
The driver then had to stand in two queues, I think one was to register the passengers, the other to register the car. Original car registration books or certified copies were required. After about 40 minutes we were given a document in triplicate called a Permit to Leave Trincomalee.
An hour or so later we were stopped at another checkpoint and directed to a building on the right that looked and felt exactly like the passport control section of an airport. Our bags were taken out and searched while the car was sent for examination to another area. The driver has to take it up a ramp and they check it there. Fifteen minutes later we were on our way back to Colombo.
The drive to Colombo was a nightmare beyond Habarana, it was like playing dodgem cars with hand tractors, bicycles, motorcycles, three wheelers and a great mass of humanity, a good part of it drunk, out celebrating Vesak.
To begin with I was a reluctant participant. When he sent an email around suggesting a trip to Trinco I did not reply. I am a fairly cautious man and I don't take unnecessary risks. Most people say that Trinco is safe, there is only a small risk but but I suggested that we go down south instead.
Anyway after checking with various friends I decided that it was safe enough to go and I'm glad I did.
The journey itself was a bit of a mess. We keep only only one road map in the house and my brother had taken that for a trip he was going on and since none of the friends I was traveling with owned a map we were map-less for the journey. One chap owned a GPS but due to the security situation decided to leave that at home, along with the bigger camera lenses.
The start was late so one car containing myself and a couple of friends who were on time went ahead, with vague directions to meet at Jaela and turn off. We we making fair time and reached Jaela early, could not locate a turnoff so decided to go through Puttalam. The run to Puttalam was uneventful but after the turnoff to Anuradhapura at the town the road deterioratde steadily. Reached Anuradhapura at 8am, a drive of three hours.
While waiting for the second car to join us, visited the Tissa Weva Resthouse, a nice colonial building set back from the road with a lot of greenery surrounding it. The rooms have been done up a la Bawa and were clean and nice. Rates by the way were Rs.4950 for twin sharing B & B.
When the second car caught up, went to where we were supposed to stay, the Nuwara Weva Resthouse which was not in great shape. The plaque at the entrance proclaimed that it had been opened in 1957 by SWRD. The building was quite hideous, built in a style that I imagine was supposed to be futuristic and ultra modern in 1957. The rooms were comfortable and clean the, food fairly good and the price (some Rs.3800 for half board twin sharing) was reasonable but the atmosphere was lousy.
The colonial masters knew a thing or two about siting a resthouse and the majority, especially upcountry occupy very scenic spots. This factor combined with the charm of the building and the simple but cheerful traditional cooking make these places some of my favourite getaways. Unfortunately not a lot of it was true of the Nuwara Weva Resthouse with its dark and dreary public areas.
Then came the second mistake. We had decided to go to Habarana for lunch and not having looked at the map, assumed it was fairly close by. Only when driving did we discover just how far it was, and to make matters worse, we used a road that was shorter (but only by half a kilometre we later found out) but greatly worse than the main road for about a third of the distance. Got back to Anuradhapura using the normal road by about 4pm had some tea and visited the Jetawana Dagoba which was very impressive.
I saw Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa in 1992 but this was with a large group and we went around the sites in the morning and early afternoon. The baking heat and the dust of the place not to mention the crowd soon robs one of much of the initial enthusiasm. This time around visiting in the late afternoon, it was beautiful. Peaceful, quiet, bathed in soft sunlight the first glimpse of the majestic Jetwana Dagoba is very impressive.
The usual problem with Sri Lankan sites prevailed - a lack of information except for one small engraved plate with part of the writing obscured at the entrance. Made a note to read a bit about the ruined cities of Ceylon, does any one have a book that might be recommended ?
The next day we left at 6.15am to Trincomalee, after a couple of navigational mishaps reached Nilaweli Beach Hotel by about 11.20 in the morning. The beach is as every bit as good as the people say it is. Wide, clean (but not pristine:there was a small amount of litter) with a very white sands. The sea was not very deep, allowing wading quite far from the shore. Food was good but the range was a little limited given that the hotel, although full, was catering to a fairly small number of visitors, almost all from Colombo.
The real adventure started when we left. We were given a form by the hotel that needed to be filled and given at a checkpoint. Details included NIC nos, car engine and chassis nos and contents of baggage.
One vehicle was stopped at a checkpoint and the vehicle and ID cards examined. A few hundred yards away, around a bend was another checkpoint. When we, who had been stopped at the first checkpoint arrived we found our friends stopped at the secopnd one, but since we wer'nt stopped we drove on. After about 20-25 minutes, with no sign of our friends we turned back, since it was impossible to contact them - the mobile netword was dead in the area. It turns out the checkpoint we shot past was the one where we had to give our form in. When we came and asked to give the form in we were sent back to the very first checkpoint to get a chit from the officer there.
The driver then had to stand in two queues, I think one was to register the passengers, the other to register the car. Original car registration books or certified copies were required. After about 40 minutes we were given a document in triplicate called a Permit to Leave Trincomalee.
An hour or so later we were stopped at another checkpoint and directed to a building on the right that looked and felt exactly like the passport control section of an airport. Our bags were taken out and searched while the car was sent for examination to another area. The driver has to take it up a ramp and they check it there. Fifteen minutes later we were on our way back to Colombo.
The drive to Colombo was a nightmare beyond Habarana, it was like playing dodgem cars with hand tractors, bicycles, motorcycles, three wheelers and a great mass of humanity, a good part of it drunk, out celebrating Vesak.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Explosion in Fort
There was a loud explosion a little after noon today in Fort. People passing by have seen smoke and flames erupting close to the temple opposite the Hilton.
Some others say it looks like its coming from the railway track below.
Probably a bomb.
Some others say it looks like its coming from the railway track below.
Probably a bomb.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
10 things that make me happy
Ok got tagged by Lady Divine so I'll try to follow her lead and see if I can come up with ten things that make me happy.
1. Music
The right kind of music can really grip my imagination. I seem to be spending increasing amounts of time searching youtube for music. My latest infatuation was with Paul Simon's African inspired music, which I blogged about earlier. I must have viewed those clips a dozen times and the sheer enjoyment and enthusiasm that the African musicians display at the Graceland concert is really infectious. I tried drumming once in London at an open air workshop and I could not stop. The rhythm of African music really gets into one, so. Like to sing as well although I'm not very good at it. Meaning to go for some voice training but never seem to get around to it.
2. Stimulating reading matter
Something that teases the mind, deals with a knotty problem or asks an interesting question. Gives me something to play with. Currently reading John Man's book on Genghis Khan. Very well written and a joy to read.
3. Documentaries, especially on history.
This is more laziness than anything else. Used to love watching documentaries when I was growing up. Any old documentary, on science, on nature on anything really. Now my interests have narrowed a bit, nature is not as interesting and science so-so, but history is now a big thing. History on the cheap, really. No need to wrestle with weighty tomes, just sit back and watch. The pictures make it so much easier and I guess its easier to listen than to read, passive rather than active. Spent a lot of money buying a few DVD's that no longer seem to work.
4. History
I have always been fascinated by the past. I don't know why. My grandfather used to teach it and perhaps its in the blood. I certainly did'nt pick it up from him - he died when I was ten, but the past always fascinates. To those who do not understand its relevance I like to point out that it helps to put the present in perceptive. The problems we wrestle with today are not new, they are the same old things that mankind has always battled, albeit sometimes in a new guise.
5. Gyms
This is a bit of a love-hate relationship. I seem to spend most of my free time in the gym although I never seem to get any results. Its a really cheap form of entertainment I guess and it does keep my cholesterol under control but when things go right it can feel really good. When you get into the right training zone, when your focus is right, when you are working just the right muscle to maximum and nothing else it really feels good. When you are out of the zone then it can be a misery aching joints and strained muscles but I seem to be getting back in- after the effects of that stupid flu.
6. Pretty Girls
What could be more alluring, what can lift the spirit more effectively than a beautiful women? Never get anywhere with 'em of course but a joy to behold when sighted.
7. Elegant wristwatches
They hold a spell over me, but not as much as they used to.
8. Travel
Like to travel, to see, to learn, to experience other cultures and other people. Closely linked to my interest in history. When friends invite me to visit the US I tell them no. The new world has little to offer by way of history and its too far anyway. I went to Australia and it held only a limited interest. Naturally we are always on the lookout for any pretty girls who may be lurking (there are usually plenty), purely from an academic point of view of course.
9. Good food and (10) good conversation. Nothing like spending an evening with a few interesting people over good food, perhaps a little wine and have an intelligent conversation. It is a sad thing to say but it is almost impossible to have a decent conversation in Colombo these days - too many interesting people have left the country. When I mentioned this to a friend recently he told me if I wanted to talk about anything other than cricket or women I had better go elsewhere. I have to rely on Skype now to catch with people but its not quite the same.
Hey Divine, you really got me talking did'nt you?
I have the pleasure of tagging;
Hissyfits
Paan Waati (she can repond when she returns)
Shoat Statements
1. Music
The right kind of music can really grip my imagination. I seem to be spending increasing amounts of time searching youtube for music. My latest infatuation was with Paul Simon's African inspired music, which I blogged about earlier. I must have viewed those clips a dozen times and the sheer enjoyment and enthusiasm that the African musicians display at the Graceland concert is really infectious. I tried drumming once in London at an open air workshop and I could not stop. The rhythm of African music really gets into one, so. Like to sing as well although I'm not very good at it. Meaning to go for some voice training but never seem to get around to it.
2. Stimulating reading matter
Something that teases the mind, deals with a knotty problem or asks an interesting question. Gives me something to play with. Currently reading John Man's book on Genghis Khan. Very well written and a joy to read.
3. Documentaries, especially on history.
This is more laziness than anything else. Used to love watching documentaries when I was growing up. Any old documentary, on science, on nature on anything really. Now my interests have narrowed a bit, nature is not as interesting and science so-so, but history is now a big thing. History on the cheap, really. No need to wrestle with weighty tomes, just sit back and watch. The pictures make it so much easier and I guess its easier to listen than to read, passive rather than active. Spent a lot of money buying a few DVD's that no longer seem to work.
4. History
I have always been fascinated by the past. I don't know why. My grandfather used to teach it and perhaps its in the blood. I certainly did'nt pick it up from him - he died when I was ten, but the past always fascinates. To those who do not understand its relevance I like to point out that it helps to put the present in perceptive. The problems we wrestle with today are not new, they are the same old things that mankind has always battled, albeit sometimes in a new guise.
5. Gyms
This is a bit of a love-hate relationship. I seem to spend most of my free time in the gym although I never seem to get any results. Its a really cheap form of entertainment I guess and it does keep my cholesterol under control but when things go right it can feel really good. When you get into the right training zone, when your focus is right, when you are working just the right muscle to maximum and nothing else it really feels good. When you are out of the zone then it can be a misery aching joints and strained muscles but I seem to be getting back in- after the effects of that stupid flu.
6. Pretty Girls
What could be more alluring, what can lift the spirit more effectively than a beautiful women? Never get anywhere with 'em of course but a joy to behold when sighted.
7. Elegant wristwatches
They hold a spell over me, but not as much as they used to.
8. Travel
Like to travel, to see, to learn, to experience other cultures and other people. Closely linked to my interest in history. When friends invite me to visit the US I tell them no. The new world has little to offer by way of history and its too far anyway. I went to Australia and it held only a limited interest. Naturally we are always on the lookout for any pretty girls who may be lurking (there are usually plenty), purely from an academic point of view of course.
9. Good food and (10) good conversation. Nothing like spending an evening with a few interesting people over good food, perhaps a little wine and have an intelligent conversation. It is a sad thing to say but it is almost impossible to have a decent conversation in Colombo these days - too many interesting people have left the country. When I mentioned this to a friend recently he told me if I wanted to talk about anything other than cricket or women I had better go elsewhere. I have to rely on Skype now to catch with people but its not quite the same.
Hey Divine, you really got me talking did'nt you?
I have the pleasure of tagging;
Hissyfits
Paan Waati (she can repond when she returns)
Shoat Statements
Sunday, May 11, 2008
O give me a home....
Lanka Libertarian or Sittingnut, dubbed Mahinda Rajapakse 'Mahinda Buffalo' during the Presidential election campaign of 2005, something that I found very amusing.
After reading his posts over the last couple of years and particularly his most recent ones, I was not quite certain what to make of them. Finally light dawned when I was reminded of an old nursery rhyme, the first verse of which goes like this:
Home on the Range
Oh, give me a home
Where the buffalo roam,
Where the deer and the antelope play;
Where seldom is heard
A discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day
Chorus:
Home, home on the range
Where the deer and the antelope play
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day.
Perhaps we should adopt it as the new National Anthem?
After reading his posts over the last couple of years and particularly his most recent ones, I was not quite certain what to make of them. Finally light dawned when I was reminded of an old nursery rhyme, the first verse of which goes like this:
Home on the Range
Oh, give me a home
Where the buffalo roam,
Where the deer and the antelope play;
Where seldom is heard
A discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day
Chorus:
Home, home on the range
Where the deer and the antelope play
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day.
Perhaps we should adopt it as the new National Anthem?
Provincial Council Elections and related issues
The election for the Eastern Provincial Council has been concluded.
I have long taken a dim view of these Provincial Councils: all they do is add another layer of unnecessary bureaucracy to an already inefficient administrative system. If anyone knows what value the provincial councils add to the public let me know. As far as I can see they are little more than vehicles for the lining of the pockets of corrupt politicians. In my opinion we should abolish the damned provincial councils, simplify the administrative work and distribute the remaining administrative powers between the centre and the municipalities of the towns and villages concerned, with resultant savings in administrative costs and the cost of running elections. If anyone has figures for the cost of the election, please let me know.
On the subject of the election itself, The Sunday Observer reported that "No major incidents were reported by the three Returning Officers of the three districts except for unconfirmed allegations levelled by two anti-government election monitoring organisations. But the main opposition UNP has made several unsubstantiated allegations of vote rigging."
From the tone of the writing it appears that only people questioning things are the opposition who don't matter and anti-government monitoring bodies who matter still less. One monitoring body has endorsed the election and is officially seen to be independent.
The report goes on to state that "The LTTE had resorted to various terror acts to intimidate and keep voters away from polling booths".
So the LTTE appears to be active again in the East. We are left to wonder if they re-infiltrated the cleared areas or whether they were actually cleared out as thoroughly as previously claimed.
I have long taken a dim view of these Provincial Councils: all they do is add another layer of unnecessary bureaucracy to an already inefficient administrative system. If anyone knows what value the provincial councils add to the public let me know. As far as I can see they are little more than vehicles for the lining of the pockets of corrupt politicians. In my opinion we should abolish the damned provincial councils, simplify the administrative work and distribute the remaining administrative powers between the centre and the municipalities of the towns and villages concerned, with resultant savings in administrative costs and the cost of running elections. If anyone has figures for the cost of the election, please let me know.
On the subject of the election itself, The Sunday Observer reported that "No major incidents were reported by the three Returning Officers of the three districts except for unconfirmed allegations levelled by two anti-government election monitoring organisations. But the main opposition UNP has made several unsubstantiated allegations of vote rigging."
From the tone of the writing it appears that only people questioning things are the opposition who don't matter and anti-government monitoring bodies who matter still less. One monitoring body has endorsed the election and is officially seen to be independent.
The report goes on to state that "The LTTE had resorted to various terror acts to intimidate and keep voters away from polling booths".
So the LTTE appears to be active again in the East. We are left to wonder if they re-infiltrated the cleared areas or whether they were actually cleared out as thoroughly as previously claimed.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Beautiful old films on Ceylon
A friend of mine sent me a a really charming old film on Ceylon. It is a travel documentary and was made in 1931. A quick search revealed a couple more. You can view them at the links below.
Charming Ceylon 1931
Tropical Ceylon 1932
1960s cine home movie featuring Ceylon and Singapore
Also a montage of old postcards on Ceylon is available here
Youtube never ceases to amaze.
Another old film that I have been looking for is Basil Wright's Song of Ceylon, made in 1934 for the Ceylon Tea Marketing Board. Interestingly the narrator is Lionel Wendt. At one time it was considered to one of the top ten greatest films ever.
Details (but unfortunately no clips) of the film are available here and here.
If anyone else knowns where to find old films on Ceylon please let me know.
Charming Ceylon 1931
Tropical Ceylon 1932
1960s cine home movie featuring Ceylon and Singapore
Also a montage of old postcards on Ceylon is available here
Youtube never ceases to amaze.
Another old film that I have been looking for is Basil Wright's Song of Ceylon, made in 1934 for the Ceylon Tea Marketing Board. Interestingly the narrator is Lionel Wendt. At one time it was considered to one of the top ten greatest films ever.
Details (but unfortunately no clips) of the film are available here and here.
If anyone else knowns where to find old films on Ceylon please let me know.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Foreign observers at the Eastern Province elections
I was glancing through the newspapers last week and noticed an article which mentioned that foreign observers would be invited to monitor the upcoming elections in the Eastern province.
On the face of it, this seems to affirm some commitment by the Government to holding free elections. In the light of the disaster that was the invitation to the IIGEP, it seemed a bold step.
A closer look at the countries from which the monitors were to be drawn reveals a fairly motly collection. Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Taiwan, Indonesia and a handful of others. The actual newspaper is not in my possession and I can't seem to find the story on the web, so I don't have the full list of countries.
Bangladesh is still under military rule, Pakistan is still in transition from military rule to civilian rule, Afghanistan is still in a very shaky stage of its first experiment with democracy, Taiwan a full democracy but with almost no official recognition as a state (and thus with minimal political influence).
In other words, a set of monitors who are likely to be, how shall we put it, understanding of the governments position? Rather like the African Union monitors who have endorsed many an election Zimbabwe.
Perhaps the Government has not been so bone-headed after all, perhaps they have drawn some rather useful lessons from the experience of the IIGEP.
In the meantime, the Defence Secretary has criticised the media yet again and has apparently demanded that restrictions be tightened on reporting. Most reporters have taken heed of the Governments outbursts in the past and have already toned things down, something that the The Sunday Times columnist was already complaining about here.
Of course, many people, burdened with the high cost of living have little time to worry about a minor provincial election. Should they be? I guess not, just so long as some of these seemingly unconnected events are not a dress-rehearsal for other, bigger things to come.
On the face of it, this seems to affirm some commitment by the Government to holding free elections. In the light of the disaster that was the invitation to the IIGEP, it seemed a bold step.
A closer look at the countries from which the monitors were to be drawn reveals a fairly motly collection. Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Taiwan, Indonesia and a handful of others. The actual newspaper is not in my possession and I can't seem to find the story on the web, so I don't have the full list of countries.
Bangladesh is still under military rule, Pakistan is still in transition from military rule to civilian rule, Afghanistan is still in a very shaky stage of its first experiment with democracy, Taiwan a full democracy but with almost no official recognition as a state (and thus with minimal political influence).
In other words, a set of monitors who are likely to be, how shall we put it, understanding of the governments position? Rather like the African Union monitors who have endorsed many an election Zimbabwe.
Perhaps the Government has not been so bone-headed after all, perhaps they have drawn some rather useful lessons from the experience of the IIGEP.
In the meantime, the Defence Secretary has criticised the media yet again and has apparently demanded that restrictions be tightened on reporting. Most reporters have taken heed of the Governments outbursts in the past and have already toned things down, something that the The Sunday Times columnist was already complaining about here.
Of course, many people, burdened with the high cost of living have little time to worry about a minor provincial election. Should they be? I guess not, just so long as some of these seemingly unconnected events are not a dress-rehearsal for other, bigger things to come.
Does anyone play golf at Waters Edge?
I was going past Waters Edge yesterday and happened to notice that the green seemed to be filled with water. I was looking at the course from the main Kotte/Parliament road. The areas that were not filled with water seemed to be overgrown, with parts of it looking more like scrub jungle than a golfing green.
Just curious to know if people actually play any golf there. The club house, restaurant and gym seem to have a fair bit of business but is all activity indoors?
Just curious to know if people actually play any golf there. The club house, restaurant and gym seem to have a fair bit of business but is all activity indoors?
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Death of a suspect
Buried deep in the inner pages of the Nation newspaper's Sunday edition is a disquieting story: the suspect in the Jeyaraj Fernandopulle assassination has died in police custody.
According to the newspaper the CID has ruled out foul play in the death of the suspect Nadarajah Raji.
Rather like Solomon Grundy, she took ill three days after she was arrested and died at the National Hospital. According to the CID they believe she had hidden a cyanide capsule in a 'private part of her body'. She had been searched thoroughly on arrest and received no visitors during her detention.
The postmortem claimed that she died of cyanide poising. How the cyanide was administered is not known nor were there any details as to further observations on the condition of the suspect.
Now this is rather strange. The whole purpose behind the Tigers introducing the cyanide capsule was to prevent its agents from falling into custody and revealing secrets. The Tigers were supposed to swallow the capsule immediately on capture, not wait three days after to decide to wake up and swallow the capsule. Even assuming that the absent minded Tiger forgot to take his capsule on time, how does she manage to take it when under observation?
All very mysterious but foul play has now been firmly ruled out and the matter looks to be swept under the carpet. One more brutal little incident in a brutish little corner of the world.
Did I say brutish? Sorry I meant culmination of the most pristine civilisation, 2500 years of it, no less.
According to the newspaper the CID has ruled out foul play in the death of the suspect Nadarajah Raji.
Rather like Solomon Grundy, she took ill three days after she was arrested and died at the National Hospital. According to the CID they believe she had hidden a cyanide capsule in a 'private part of her body'. She had been searched thoroughly on arrest and received no visitors during her detention.
The postmortem claimed that she died of cyanide poising. How the cyanide was administered is not known nor were there any details as to further observations on the condition of the suspect.
Now this is rather strange. The whole purpose behind the Tigers introducing the cyanide capsule was to prevent its agents from falling into custody and revealing secrets. The Tigers were supposed to swallow the capsule immediately on capture, not wait three days after to decide to wake up and swallow the capsule. Even assuming that the absent minded Tiger forgot to take his capsule on time, how does she manage to take it when under observation?
All very mysterious but foul play has now been firmly ruled out and the matter looks to be swept under the carpet. One more brutal little incident in a brutish little corner of the world.
Did I say brutish? Sorry I meant culmination of the most pristine civilisation, 2500 years of it, no less.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Paul Simon: Under African Skies
This is a stunning song that I have just discovered. Its quite old, dating from the Graceland concert of 1986 but what a song. The poetry is up to Paul Simon's usual high standards (I reckon he would make a decent living as a poet alone) but it is the blending of music with words (the essence of the songwriters craft) that transforms this into really great art.
The sympathetic use of the Southern African rhythms, melodies and instruments gives not just a flavour of the exotic but almost a whole new hybrid form of folk music. You can listen to the song performed by Paul Simon and Miriam Makeba (another truly great singer) here
The text is reproduced below:
Under African Skies by Paul Simon
Joseph's face was black as night
The pale yellow moon shone in his eyes
His path was marked
By the stars in the Southern Hemisphere
And he walked his days
Under African skies
This is the story of how we begin to remember
This is the powerful pulsing of love in the vein
After the dream of falling and calling your name out
These are the roots of rhythm
And the roots of rhythm remain
In early memory
Sounds of music
Were ringing 'round my Grandmother's door
I said take this child,
From The Township of Mukulo
Give her the wings to fly through harmony
And she won't bother you no more
This is the story of how we begin to remember
This is the powerful pulsing of love in the vein
After the dream of falling and calling your name out
These are the roots of rhythm
And the roots of rhythm remain
Joseph's face was black as night
And the pale yellow moon shone in his eyes
His path was marked
By the stars in the Southern Hemisphere
And he walked the length of his days
Under African skies
A couple of other great songs from that concert (featuring the Ladysmith Black Mambazo are Call Me Al and Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes.
You can watch Paul Simon talking to Joseph, the leader of the Ladysmith Black Mambazo on the making of some of the music here.
The sympathetic use of the Southern African rhythms, melodies and instruments gives not just a flavour of the exotic but almost a whole new hybrid form of folk music. You can listen to the song performed by Paul Simon and Miriam Makeba (another truly great singer) here
The text is reproduced below:
Under African Skies by Paul Simon
Joseph's face was black as night
The pale yellow moon shone in his eyes
His path was marked
By the stars in the Southern Hemisphere
And he walked his days
Under African skies
This is the story of how we begin to remember
This is the powerful pulsing of love in the vein
After the dream of falling and calling your name out
These are the roots of rhythm
And the roots of rhythm remain
In early memory
Sounds of music
Were ringing 'round my Grandmother's door
I said take this child,
From The Township of Mukulo
Give her the wings to fly through harmony
And she won't bother you no more
This is the story of how we begin to remember
This is the powerful pulsing of love in the vein
After the dream of falling and calling your name out
These are the roots of rhythm
And the roots of rhythm remain
Joseph's face was black as night
And the pale yellow moon shone in his eyes
His path was marked
By the stars in the Southern Hemisphere
And he walked the length of his days
Under African skies
A couple of other great songs from that concert (featuring the Ladysmith Black Mambazo are Call Me Al and Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes.
You can watch Paul Simon talking to Joseph, the leader of the Ladysmith Black Mambazo on the making of some of the music here.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
SriLankan, Air Lanka and Air Ceylon
Does anyone know the latest joke doing the rounds?
When Air Lanka was a state airline its code letters UL were said to stand for "usually late". Now that SriLankan is now back under state management, they have gone one better. Now the code is said to stand for "unable to locate aircraft".
Funnily enough, this is exactly how dear old Air Ceylon collapsed. We used to have a few coasters and some cutlery emblazoned with the Air Ceylon Logo (which I always thought was really nice, much better than the Air Lanka or SriLankan logos -have a look at it here and here.
Coming back to the story of the collapse of Air Ceylon, it happened when one of its aircraft was seized in Europe for non payment of fuel bills in 1977. Another aircraft was blown up at Ratmalana in 1978 and that was the end for Air Ceylon. Ones wonders whether a similar fate will befall SriLankan?
More details on Air Ceylon's history are available here and here.
When Air Lanka was a state airline its code letters UL were said to stand for "usually late". Now that SriLankan is now back under state management, they have gone one better. Now the code is said to stand for "unable to locate aircraft".
Funnily enough, this is exactly how dear old Air Ceylon collapsed. We used to have a few coasters and some cutlery emblazoned with the Air Ceylon Logo (which I always thought was really nice, much better than the Air Lanka or SriLankan logos -have a look at it here and here.
Coming back to the story of the collapse of Air Ceylon, it happened when one of its aircraft was seized in Europe for non payment of fuel bills in 1977. Another aircraft was blown up at Ratmalana in 1978 and that was the end for Air Ceylon. Ones wonders whether a similar fate will befall SriLankan?
More details on Air Ceylon's history are available here and here.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
BodybyKris: Closed for maintenance - Update
BodybyKris (BBK) a popular gym down Gregory's Road has been closed for maintenance and according to the owners will be opened again on the 10th of April.
The story on the grape vine however is that the gym has been closed due to non-payment of rent on the premises, most probably by a court order. For the sake of the fitness fanatics of Colombo let us hope that the gym is re-opened quickly because it is one of the few properly equipped gyms in the country.
For as long as anyone can remember there have always been gyms in the country but for the most part they were used only by a few hardcore bodybuilders. Sportsmen played their sport and practiced but apart perhaps from running on a field did not do much in the way of general fitness, and what little they did was not in a gym. Gym's were found in places like the YMCA or the Youth Centre in Maharagama and were equipped with weights - dumbbells, barbells a few benches and not a lot else.
The revolution in gyms came about with the advent of PowerWorld in 1994 or 1995. Fitness suddenly became fashionable. Gyms were equipped with air conditioning, piped music and machines - no longer was it necessary to work only with weights. Something that was previously the haunt of lower class men became a past time of the rich. The middle class and upper class started going to the gym, as did a number of women.
The craze spawned many imitators and gyms began to multiply. Given the wider availability one would expect that quality would improve but this was not to be. While the appearance, the decor and the amounts invested in equipment has increased, no one gym is fully equipped. The problem seems to be that the people investing their money in a gym do not seem to understand the needs of the users.
The expensive gyms in the large city hotels and places like Waters Edge and Fitness First are all built around cardio machines with varying levels of other equipment thrown in. It is extremely frustrating to go from gym to gym and finding each one wanting in one respect or another. The only two gyms that were, in my opinion properly equipped were PowerWorld in Colpetty (closed since December 2007) and BodybyKris.
The minimum equipment needed for a decent gym in my opinion are:
1. Incline, decline and flat benches.
2. Shoulder press rack
3. Cable crossover machine.
4. Low row, T Bar row, incline T bar row.
5. Power rack and Smith machine.
6. Preacher curl.
7. Pull down machine
8. Pec dec.
9. Leg extension, curl and press machines.
10. Calf raise.
Other desirable machnies:
1. Preacher curl machine
2. Chest press and incline press machines.
In addition, plenty of bars, wheels and dumbbells plus some cardio equipment.
The closest to a fully equipped gym in Colombo was BodybyKris and one hopes that someone will ensure that the gym equipment does not go to waste, although in the light of other pressing issues, this is likely to be last thing on people's minds these days.
UPDATE: According to the latest information available, the management says the gym will be open on the 16th of April, not the 10th.
UPDATE 2: The gym was due to open yesterday (16th) but is apparently still not open. According to the rumours going around members have been told that the gym will open in due course and that they will be notified when this happens. Memberships will be extended to cover the period of closure.
The story on the grape vine however is that the gym has been closed due to non-payment of rent on the premises, most probably by a court order. For the sake of the fitness fanatics of Colombo let us hope that the gym is re-opened quickly because it is one of the few properly equipped gyms in the country.
For as long as anyone can remember there have always been gyms in the country but for the most part they were used only by a few hardcore bodybuilders. Sportsmen played their sport and practiced but apart perhaps from running on a field did not do much in the way of general fitness, and what little they did was not in a gym. Gym's were found in places like the YMCA or the Youth Centre in Maharagama and were equipped with weights - dumbbells, barbells a few benches and not a lot else.
The revolution in gyms came about with the advent of PowerWorld in 1994 or 1995. Fitness suddenly became fashionable. Gyms were equipped with air conditioning, piped music and machines - no longer was it necessary to work only with weights. Something that was previously the haunt of lower class men became a past time of the rich. The middle class and upper class started going to the gym, as did a number of women.
The craze spawned many imitators and gyms began to multiply. Given the wider availability one would expect that quality would improve but this was not to be. While the appearance, the decor and the amounts invested in equipment has increased, no one gym is fully equipped. The problem seems to be that the people investing their money in a gym do not seem to understand the needs of the users.
The expensive gyms in the large city hotels and places like Waters Edge and Fitness First are all built around cardio machines with varying levels of other equipment thrown in. It is extremely frustrating to go from gym to gym and finding each one wanting in one respect or another. The only two gyms that were, in my opinion properly equipped were PowerWorld in Colpetty (closed since December 2007) and BodybyKris.
The minimum equipment needed for a decent gym in my opinion are:
1. Incline, decline and flat benches.
2. Shoulder press rack
3. Cable crossover machine.
4. Low row, T Bar row, incline T bar row.
5. Power rack and Smith machine.
6. Preacher curl.
7. Pull down machine
8. Pec dec.
9. Leg extension, curl and press machines.
10. Calf raise.
Other desirable machnies:
1. Preacher curl machine
2. Chest press and incline press machines.
In addition, plenty of bars, wheels and dumbbells plus some cardio equipment.
The closest to a fully equipped gym in Colombo was BodybyKris and one hopes that someone will ensure that the gym equipment does not go to waste, although in the light of other pressing issues, this is likely to be last thing on people's minds these days.
UPDATE: According to the latest information available, the management says the gym will be open on the 16th of April, not the 10th.
UPDATE 2: The gym was due to open yesterday (16th) but is apparently still not open. According to the rumours going around members have been told that the gym will open in due course and that they will be notified when this happens. Memberships will be extended to cover the period of closure.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Walls
Was driving past the new British High Commission office complex(at least that's what I think it is - its located just next door to the High Commissioners house), and was amazed to notice the degree to which it was secured.
Two walls as least and judging by what was going on, fencing security lighting and possibly even camera to come on top. Reminded me of a prison.
It brought back memories, not all that far off, when I used to cycle past Trenchard House. The walls were just four feet high, in some places where the earth had banked up against the wall it was only a couple of feet high. The gates were always closed, but in an even earlier era they were probably left open.
I remember the French embassy once having walls of only four or five feet high and the gates being open all day. When playing close by occasionally a ball would fly in to the embassy premises and someone would have to run in and fetch it. I don't even think there was a even a security guard there, but maybe that's just my memory: there should have been somebody manning the gate; at any rate we were never stopped or questioned us in our quest for missing balls.
Over the years I've watched as the gates closed and the walls climbed. Always slowly, first a foot, then another. I watched railings, cameras, barriers, security guards and even a police presence appear, into what was once an occasional extension of our playground.
Two walls as least and judging by what was going on, fencing security lighting and possibly even camera to come on top. Reminded me of a prison.
It brought back memories, not all that far off, when I used to cycle past Trenchard House. The walls were just four feet high, in some places where the earth had banked up against the wall it was only a couple of feet high. The gates were always closed, but in an even earlier era they were probably left open.
I remember the French embassy once having walls of only four or five feet high and the gates being open all day. When playing close by occasionally a ball would fly in to the embassy premises and someone would have to run in and fetch it. I don't even think there was a even a security guard there, but maybe that's just my memory: there should have been somebody manning the gate; at any rate we were never stopped or questioned us in our quest for missing balls.
Over the years I've watched as the gates closed and the walls climbed. Always slowly, first a foot, then another. I watched railings, cameras, barriers, security guards and even a police presence appear, into what was once an occasional extension of our playground.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
GoldQuest returns
A wew years ago, a pyramid scam by the name of GoldQuest was taking Sri Lanka by storm. To my horror I watched Bankers, Engineers, Accountants, Architects and various top level executives in business, people who one would expect to be skeptical and prudent, rushing in with enthusiasm.
The new business model, they claimed, the new way of marketing. Even people calling themselves professional marketers joined the fray. Presumably these 'merketing people' were people who lacked any kind of experience with actual distribution and who presumably equated marketing with advertising.
When sections of the press blew the whistle, GoldQuest responded with full page newspaper advertisements, television commercials, sports sponsorships and a host of other tactics to try and disarm its critics.
The scheme eventually collapsed and was banned by the Central Bank.
I know Sri Lanka has suffered a brain drain (who else but a bunch of mutts would have put this government into power?) but I was at a loss to explain how the upper echelons of the corporate sector could have been fooled by a trick that was almost a century old. I know people in this country are insular and unread but this was ridiculous.
Nevertheless I thought we had finally seen the back of them, but no, they are back: different name, but same old scam. They now call themselves Lotus Marketing see the stories here and here.
They have collapsed in many other places and have also been reborn as Qatana or Questnet. Do a google search and read the details.
Ach du! Seems like you cant keep a good crook down eh?
The new business model, they claimed, the new way of marketing. Even people calling themselves professional marketers joined the fray. Presumably these 'merketing people' were people who lacked any kind of experience with actual distribution and who presumably equated marketing with advertising.
When sections of the press blew the whistle, GoldQuest responded with full page newspaper advertisements, television commercials, sports sponsorships and a host of other tactics to try and disarm its critics.
The scheme eventually collapsed and was banned by the Central Bank.
I know Sri Lanka has suffered a brain drain (who else but a bunch of mutts would have put this government into power?) but I was at a loss to explain how the upper echelons of the corporate sector could have been fooled by a trick that was almost a century old. I know people in this country are insular and unread but this was ridiculous.
Nevertheless I thought we had finally seen the back of them, but no, they are back: different name, but same old scam. They now call themselves Lotus Marketing see the stories here and here.
They have collapsed in many other places and have also been reborn as Qatana or Questnet. Do a google search and read the details.
Ach du! Seems like you cant keep a good crook down eh?
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Famous last words?
The President has been exhorting the people to stop thing of themselves as poor. He said Sri Lanka has maintained a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of more than 6.0 percent for three years running.
"In 2001 economic growth was negative and people said the economy collapsed. When economic growth is around 7 percent for three years, foreign reserves at the highest level, unemployment at the lowest, is the economy falling? Is this a joke or is it a treachery?"
Presumably the man is claiming credit for the improved economic performance since 2001. The tsunami, a global boom and the UNP probably had more to do with this than anything else but let us wait a while and see how the policies of 2005-7 translate to growth.
"In 2001 economic growth was negative and people said the economy collapsed. When economic growth is around 7 percent for three years, foreign reserves at the highest level, unemployment at the lowest, is the economy falling? Is this a joke or is it a treachery?"
Presumably the man is claiming credit for the improved economic performance since 2001. The tsunami, a global boom and the UNP probably had more to do with this than anything else but let us wait a while and see how the policies of 2005-7 translate to growth.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
The Tigers break a promise?
I don't have a very high opinion of the local press, something I've blogged about here and of late I have been reading even less of it than I used to.
I have taken a couple of days off the gym routine so with a bit of time on my hands glanced through some of the papers and this caught my eye: "Tigers break promise, attack sports event".
The news story does not elaborate on the headline but the editorial of the same day mentions an LTTE pledge that it would not target sports events.
I don't seem to recall where they might have made such a pledge? In the ceasefire agreement? But that is a dead letter now. Perhaps in some earlier undertaking?
They have made and broken plenty of promises but that is not the question. Can someone elaborate? Did they actually make such a pledge and if so where and when? Or was the headline merely written in a way to increase readership?
I have taken a couple of days off the gym routine so with a bit of time on my hands glanced through some of the papers and this caught my eye: "Tigers break promise, attack sports event".
The news story does not elaborate on the headline but the editorial of the same day mentions an LTTE pledge that it would not target sports events.
I don't seem to recall where they might have made such a pledge? In the ceasefire agreement? But that is a dead letter now. Perhaps in some earlier undertaking?
They have made and broken plenty of promises but that is not the question. Can someone elaborate? Did they actually make such a pledge and if so where and when? Or was the headline merely written in a way to increase readership?
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Piano recital on the 5th of April
A good evenings entertainment awaited anyone who braved the rain to listen to Japanese pianist Masahiko Shinohara at the Russian Cultural Centre.
To begin with, an interesting programme: Mozart Sonata No.12, K332; Beethoven Sonata op. 111, two Rachmaninov Preludes (6&7 from op.23) and Chopin's rarely heard mature sonata, No.3 op.58.
The playing was more than competent throughout with the pianist showing much sympathy with the music being performed although he seemed a little less comfortable with the Chopin. Tempi tended to be brisk, slightly fast perhaps, but this worked well with all pieces save the Chopin.
The tragedy of the whole affair was the poor attendance, the (fairly small) hall being only about a quarter filled. The organisers who had no budget for publicity were partly to blame although the weather did not help. Given the cost of bringing the poor man down, they could have made a better effort to publicise details, which, if properly done, could have been achieved at no cost. The pianist seemed rather disappointed and opted to shed his jacket and tie to play the second half in his shirtsleeves.
He seemed well pleased by the applause at the end for he returned for no less than four encores, which I confess I could not identify. Two were, I am told Debussy images. I had to leave during his fourth encore and am not sure if he played any more after that.
To begin with, an interesting programme: Mozart Sonata No.12, K332; Beethoven Sonata op. 111, two Rachmaninov Preludes (6&7 from op.23) and Chopin's rarely heard mature sonata, No.3 op.58.
The playing was more than competent throughout with the pianist showing much sympathy with the music being performed although he seemed a little less comfortable with the Chopin. Tempi tended to be brisk, slightly fast perhaps, but this worked well with all pieces save the Chopin.
The tragedy of the whole affair was the poor attendance, the (fairly small) hall being only about a quarter filled. The organisers who had no budget for publicity were partly to blame although the weather did not help. Given the cost of bringing the poor man down, they could have made a better effort to publicise details, which, if properly done, could have been achieved at no cost. The pianist seemed rather disappointed and opted to shed his jacket and tie to play the second half in his shirtsleeves.
He seemed well pleased by the applause at the end for he returned for no less than four encores, which I confess I could not identify. Two were, I am told Debussy images. I had to leave during his fourth encore and am not sure if he played any more after that.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Some interesting blogs
While browsing the web, came across some interesting blogs by some old-timers. They offer some fascinating insights into the past, just thought I'd share them with everyone else. Hope you find them as interesting as I did.
http://albatz888.blogspot.com/
http://colombo.rediffblogs.com/2005_27_03_colombo_archive.html
http://kermeey.blogspot.com/
http://albatz888.blogspot.com/
http://colombo.rediffblogs.com/2005_27_03_colombo_archive.html
http://kermeey.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Bias and hypocrisy of the international community
This was long suspected and alleged. Minds raced as Pundits read into various issues and detected the subtle traces of a vicious and organised campaign against the democratically elected government.
The Government, never good at PR seemed helpless against the machinations of the evil coterie ranged against it. The actors included NGO's, INGO's the UN, the World Bank, the media even the Church.
Now it is proven. The hidden hand is revealed.
Four innocents have been killed and several others hurt, the full sorry story is here
and the perpetrator is an agent of the Church, fed on false information by the Bishops who in turn are in the pay of the INGO's. The text is damning: "He covers his hands with the lightning, and commands it to strike the mark. Its crashing tells about him; he is jealous with anger against iniquity."(Job 36:32 to 37:13 NRS)
The GoSL needs to wake up and act, Dayan Jayatillaka and Rjiva Wijesinghe need to take a stand.
The Government, never good at PR seemed helpless against the machinations of the evil coterie ranged against it. The actors included NGO's, INGO's the UN, the World Bank, the media even the Church.
Now it is proven. The hidden hand is revealed.
Four innocents have been killed and several others hurt, the full sorry story is here
and the perpetrator is an agent of the Church, fed on false information by the Bishops who in turn are in the pay of the INGO's. The text is damning: "He covers his hands with the lightning, and commands it to strike the mark. Its crashing tells about him; he is jealous with anger against iniquity."(Job 36:32 to 37:13 NRS)
The GoSL needs to wake up and act, Dayan Jayatillaka and Rjiva Wijesinghe need to take a stand.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
James Herriot
Was browsing around in the second hand bookshops on D.R. Wijewardene Mw, just at the corner of Darley road this afternoon. Now these bookshops were famous for their collection of porn and in the dark days of the 1980's and 1990's (and for aeons before that) the only reliable source of supply for the starved male population of the country.
I was there trying to make a quick buck by selling a couple of Playboy magazines (the April 2008 issue plus a Playboy Nudes Special Edition) but apparently things are not going well for the bookshops. Numerous police raids and the advent of the internet have killed their porn magazine business and nobody deals in that anymore. They now retail small quantities porn of DVD's and VCD's but thats about it.
I had gotten the Playboy magazines down after news spread that a girl with some Sri Lankan ancestry named Cristina Caldera appeared in the latest issue of Playboy. Many frantic email and SMS's later I had these two in hand, neither of which had the blasted woman. It was probably in the previous edition but the newsstands don't apparently stock back issues and my friend who brought these down was not able to track the specific issue down.
Disappointed I asked if they had a copy of the Singapore Story but no luck there either. Asked if they had any Kenneth Anderson books (the finest writer on the Indian jungles), but the guy had disposed of four quite recently and had nothing.
Finally asked for James Herriot and picked up two Omnibus editions for Rs.800, about half the price of the new book.
I've been trying to buy his books for some time, they are occasionally available at Vijitha Yapa's but the series is never complete. I read them as a boy and loved them but unfortunately I was introduced to them through the omnibus editions; All Things Wise and Wonderful, All Creatures Great and Small and The Lord God Made Them all. While these have the bulk of his books, some stories are missing.
I read the coffee table book, James Herriot's Yorkshire at the British Council Library, although the book was mangled with several pages torn out.
I did see some of the television series and I came across this wonderful tribute to the man on Youtube, by the actor who played him in the television series : check the links here and here.
To those not familiar with the man - these are books you simply MUST read. They can be enjoyed by both young and old and are an excellent way of reinforcing the reading habit in children (Enid Blyton, in my opinion, being the best way of sparking the interest reading in the first place)
The Wiki entry on the man is here.
I was there trying to make a quick buck by selling a couple of Playboy magazines (the April 2008 issue plus a Playboy Nudes Special Edition) but apparently things are not going well for the bookshops. Numerous police raids and the advent of the internet have killed their porn magazine business and nobody deals in that anymore. They now retail small quantities porn of DVD's and VCD's but thats about it.
I had gotten the Playboy magazines down after news spread that a girl with some Sri Lankan ancestry named Cristina Caldera appeared in the latest issue of Playboy. Many frantic email and SMS's later I had these two in hand, neither of which had the blasted woman. It was probably in the previous edition but the newsstands don't apparently stock back issues and my friend who brought these down was not able to track the specific issue down.
Disappointed I asked if they had a copy of the Singapore Story but no luck there either. Asked if they had any Kenneth Anderson books (the finest writer on the Indian jungles), but the guy had disposed of four quite recently and had nothing.
Finally asked for James Herriot and picked up two Omnibus editions for Rs.800, about half the price of the new book.
I've been trying to buy his books for some time, they are occasionally available at Vijitha Yapa's but the series is never complete. I read them as a boy and loved them but unfortunately I was introduced to them through the omnibus editions; All Things Wise and Wonderful, All Creatures Great and Small and The Lord God Made Them all. While these have the bulk of his books, some stories are missing.
I read the coffee table book, James Herriot's Yorkshire at the British Council Library, although the book was mangled with several pages torn out.
I did see some of the television series and I came across this wonderful tribute to the man on Youtube, by the actor who played him in the television series : check the links here and here.
To those not familiar with the man - these are books you simply MUST read. They can be enjoyed by both young and old and are an excellent way of reinforcing the reading habit in children (Enid Blyton, in my opinion, being the best way of sparking the interest reading in the first place)
The Wiki entry on the man is here.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Signs of changing times in Sri Lanka
The other day I walked into a little shop to buy a tub of yoghurt. While I was eating the yoghurt I noticed tea being served to some other customers, nothing very unusual in that given that most small shops are really tea shops with a few other items of food and drink thrown in, but the customers were being served with tea bags! Tea bags?? Good grief.
I looked around and I saw a few other customers, also being served with tea bags. Bemused, I asked the cashier if they had stopped making tea in the traditional way, out of cheapest available tea leaves (or more often tea dust or sweepings) and his answer was that it was easier to cater to customer preferences with tea bags - there would be no complaints that the tea was too weak or too strong, the customer could make it as he desired.
Until fairly recently, tea bags were an unheard of thing in Sri Lanka. I remember being mystified as a child as to how tea could come in a bag. When we eventually did learn as to what a tea bag was, it was still something exotic, bought by foreign buyers, not something consumed in the domestic market. When big hotels and cafe's like the Barista chain started using tea bags it still seemed pretty isolated which is why I was so surprised to see them being used by the common man. I have vivid memories of tea being brewed in wayside kiosks, the vendor pouring the milk tea from one large glass to another, to cool it down. The tea was poured out from a considerable height and would froth like a beer is the glass below.
Reminds of the time when ice-cream tubs were made of cardboard and the spoons were of wood (I think), like the matches made of wood, lunch packets wrapped in plantain leaves (not lamprais, these were just ordinary lunch packets - the plantain leaf being the cheapest thing to wrap them in), Morris Minor taxis, dustmen who used to walk down the lane to collect the dustbins from houses (no dumping garbage onto communal dustbins or leaving them on the road, the dustmen called at each and every house), rickshaws as a mode of transport (I only ever saw children riding in them, though) and haircuts that cost two rupees each, not to mention a time when one and two cent coins had value and were eagerly collected by children. Now beggars throw back anything less than two rupees.
Sigh. I think I'm getting old.
I looked around and I saw a few other customers, also being served with tea bags. Bemused, I asked the cashier if they had stopped making tea in the traditional way, out of cheapest available tea leaves (or more often tea dust or sweepings) and his answer was that it was easier to cater to customer preferences with tea bags - there would be no complaints that the tea was too weak or too strong, the customer could make it as he desired.
Until fairly recently, tea bags were an unheard of thing in Sri Lanka. I remember being mystified as a child as to how tea could come in a bag. When we eventually did learn as to what a tea bag was, it was still something exotic, bought by foreign buyers, not something consumed in the domestic market. When big hotels and cafe's like the Barista chain started using tea bags it still seemed pretty isolated which is why I was so surprised to see them being used by the common man. I have vivid memories of tea being brewed in wayside kiosks, the vendor pouring the milk tea from one large glass to another, to cool it down. The tea was poured out from a considerable height and would froth like a beer is the glass below.
Reminds of the time when ice-cream tubs were made of cardboard and the spoons were of wood (I think), like the matches made of wood, lunch packets wrapped in plantain leaves (not lamprais, these were just ordinary lunch packets - the plantain leaf being the cheapest thing to wrap them in), Morris Minor taxis, dustmen who used to walk down the lane to collect the dustbins from houses (no dumping garbage onto communal dustbins or leaving them on the road, the dustmen called at each and every house), rickshaws as a mode of transport (I only ever saw children riding in them, though) and haircuts that cost two rupees each, not to mention a time when one and two cent coins had value and were eagerly collected by children. Now beggars throw back anything less than two rupees.
Sigh. I think I'm getting old.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
I come not to praise Mahinda Mama, I bow down in RESPECT
Thinkfree posted something with the above title here.
His thesis was roughly that things are not really all that bad and Mahinda maama seems to be doing a good job.
My contention is that while things may appear to be normal on the surface there are many fundamental flaws that will in time wreck the country, not today or tomorrow but gradually over the next decade or (if we are lucky) two.
Coming back to Thinkfree, it is true that the armed forces have been given a mandate to go after the LTTE regardless of consequences.
However it is also true that:
1. Certain people continue to make vast sums of money through corrupt arms and other deals;
2. The excuse of "National Security" and the "war" is being used to cover up a great deal.
Thanks to the media blackout, we get only little bits of information on the East, but from what I hear, all MR has done is hand the province over to Karuna's gang. The lives of the people - at least the minorities have not improved and by some accounts have worsened. A sham election has been held to crown a Pyhrric victory and guess who will sweep the polls at the the next presidential or parliamentary polls in the east?
The LTTE was disintegrating thanks to the peace process. Karuna split because of the peace process - remove the common enemy and other differences will start to appear, more splits would have taken place and it was losing support amongst the Tamils.
Instead of letting them fall to pieces, he has decided to re-engage - which is what the LTTE also wanted-which is why they made sure that no one in the North and East could vote at the presidential election.
MR says he is winning the war, he is certainly expending a great deal of resources on it, but with no independent reports, we have only his word for it.
In the meantime, thanks to the fact that he and his crew have no grasp on finance, he has merrily expanded the public sector, (200,000-300,000 recruited in the last two years)embarked on pork laden projects and subsidies with printed and borrowed money. Currently we have inflation of 25% and interest rates of 20%+. So far, no major fall out, but if the war stalls and stretches out for over a year or two more, then, we will be broke and with nothing to show for it and nothing left to fight the Tigers with either.
Only time will tell, for sure but he has abandoned the more certain path for the LTTE destruction in favour of the less certain path, one that has not worked over the last 30 years and he has bet the farm on it. If we win, we can survive, not necessarily thrive because we have mountain of debt and huge fiscal and structural imbalances to put right; if we fail we lose all and will end up a mess, maybe a Pakistan, maybe a Kenya, a Somalia or worse.
His thesis was roughly that things are not really all that bad and Mahinda maama seems to be doing a good job.
My contention is that while things may appear to be normal on the surface there are many fundamental flaws that will in time wreck the country, not today or tomorrow but gradually over the next decade or (if we are lucky) two.
Coming back to Thinkfree, it is true that the armed forces have been given a mandate to go after the LTTE regardless of consequences.
However it is also true that:
1. Certain people continue to make vast sums of money through corrupt arms and other deals;
2. The excuse of "National Security" and the "war" is being used to cover up a great deal.
Thanks to the media blackout, we get only little bits of information on the East, but from what I hear, all MR has done is hand the province over to Karuna's gang. The lives of the people - at least the minorities have not improved and by some accounts have worsened. A sham election has been held to crown a Pyhrric victory and guess who will sweep the polls at the the next presidential or parliamentary polls in the east?
The LTTE was disintegrating thanks to the peace process. Karuna split because of the peace process - remove the common enemy and other differences will start to appear, more splits would have taken place and it was losing support amongst the Tamils.
Instead of letting them fall to pieces, he has decided to re-engage - which is what the LTTE also wanted-which is why they made sure that no one in the North and East could vote at the presidential election.
MR says he is winning the war, he is certainly expending a great deal of resources on it, but with no independent reports, we have only his word for it.
In the meantime, thanks to the fact that he and his crew have no grasp on finance, he has merrily expanded the public sector, (200,000-300,000 recruited in the last two years)embarked on pork laden projects and subsidies with printed and borrowed money. Currently we have inflation of 25% and interest rates of 20%+. So far, no major fall out, but if the war stalls and stretches out for over a year or two more, then, we will be broke and with nothing to show for it and nothing left to fight the Tigers with either.
Only time will tell, for sure but he has abandoned the more certain path for the LTTE destruction in favour of the less certain path, one that has not worked over the last 30 years and he has bet the farm on it. If we win, we can survive, not necessarily thrive because we have mountain of debt and huge fiscal and structural imbalances to put right; if we fail we lose all and will end up a mess, maybe a Pakistan, maybe a Kenya, a Somalia or worse.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
To the citizens of the United States of America:
This is funny.
To the citizens of the United States of America:
In light of your failure in recent years to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except Kansas, which she does not fancy).
Your new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed. To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
You should look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary.
1. Then look up aluminium, and nuclear, and check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing them.
2. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour', 'favour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise,
you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix '-ize' will be replaced by the suffix '-ise'. Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up 'vocabulary' ).
3. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as "like" and "you know" is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as US English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of -ize.
4. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.
5. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The
fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not adult enough to be independent. Guns should only be handled by adults. If you're not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist then you're not grown up enough to handle a gun.
6. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. A permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
7. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
8. The Former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline)-roughly $6/US gallon. Get used to it.
9. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.
10. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. South African beer is also acceptable as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting Nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.
11. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialogue in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.
12. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies). In the meantime don't try rugby - the South Africans and Kiwis will thrash you, like they regularly thrash us.
13. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.
14. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.
15. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).
16. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 pm with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season.
God save the Queen!
by John Cleese, British Comedian
To the citizens of the United States of America:
In light of your failure in recent years to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except Kansas, which she does not fancy).
Your new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed. To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
You should look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary.
1. Then look up aluminium, and nuclear, and check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing them.
2. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour', 'favour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise,
you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix '-ize' will be replaced by the suffix '-ise'. Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up 'vocabulary' ).
3. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as "like" and "you know" is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as US English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of -ize.
4. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.
5. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The
fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not adult enough to be independent. Guns should only be handled by adults. If you're not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist then you're not grown up enough to handle a gun.
6. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. A permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
7. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
8. The Former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline)-roughly $6/US gallon. Get used to it.
9. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.
10. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. South African beer is also acceptable as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting Nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.
11. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialogue in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.
12. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies). In the meantime don't try rugby - the South Africans and Kiwis will thrash you, like they regularly thrash us.
13. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.
14. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.
15. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).
16. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 pm with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season.
God save the Queen!
by John Cleese, British Comedian
Dullness
This is something I have been meaning to put up for some time, it makes sense to do it now because it is related to the previous post. The poem below was written by a former civil servant, probably in the 1960's or 1970's when the brain drain started. He left the country in the mid 1970's.
DULLNESS
Dullness pervades our land,
The dunces are getting out of hand;
Alexander Pope saw it coming
The age of Chaos descending.
It is easier to love your enemy
Than consord with stupidity;
Wordsworth extolled the ordinary
And sank into inanity.
Don't traffic with the normal,
Chase the exceptional,
If you would soar into poetry,
Shun mediocrity.
Find your bedfellows
Away from the shallows;
Cultivate the eccentric virus
to nourish your genius.
This advice is not Christian;
But remember the ruffian
Who baited the dull Pharisee
In and out of Galilee.
-Guy Amirthanayagam-
DULLNESS
Dullness pervades our land,
The dunces are getting out of hand;
Alexander Pope saw it coming
The age of Chaos descending.
It is easier to love your enemy
Than consord with stupidity;
Wordsworth extolled the ordinary
And sank into inanity.
Don't traffic with the normal,
Chase the exceptional,
If you would soar into poetry,
Shun mediocrity.
Find your bedfellows
Away from the shallows;
Cultivate the eccentric virus
to nourish your genius.
This advice is not Christian;
But remember the ruffian
Who baited the dull Pharisee
In and out of Galilee.
-Guy Amirthanayagam-
Sunday, March 09, 2008
From the mouths of horses....
It seems that Sri Lanka's politicians are in urgent need of a short course in logic. One is aware that thanks to the brain drain, Sri Lanka is now the home of only the old, the infirm, the damned (who know better but are condemned by fate to spend their lives here) and the stupid. From the bottom of this pool are dredged the leaders of the country: a misanthropic bunch of vagabonds, footpads, fakirs, freeloaders and ne'er do wells.
Two statements in the Nation newspaper caught my attention today. The JHU spokesman is quoted as saying: "the HRW should initially issue reports about the human rights situation in their own country before making statements about other nations such as Sri Lanka." He goes on to add that:
“We completely dismiss the report issued by the HRW. They should issue reports about the USA first, instead of making statements about Sri Lanka. They should talk about Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq and their own country if they are really concerned about the violation of human rights,”
(For the full report please click here)
To begin with, what is the man saying? There are humans rights violations elsewhere, therefore Sri Lanka has no case to answer.
How the situation in other countries has a bearing on Sri Lanka, I fail to understand. Should'nt human rights be measured against certain standards, standards that the country is a signatory to? Trying to justify violations in Sri Lanka by saying there are violations elsewhere is lame at best.
The fact that the spokesman for the JHU has not even bothered to familairise himself with the HRW is abundantly clear-the website details reports on all of the countries mentioned by the JHU spokesman. Click on the links for reports on Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, the UK and the USA.
I doubt if the spokesman even bothered to read what the HRW had to say, never mind the Gautama's views on the subject.
In an interview in the same newspaper, Minister Basil Rajapakse follows the same logic as the JHU spokesman. When questioned on the HRW report he says: I don’t think the government should respond to all these things that appear on the internet. Most of these organisations have not even visited this country. They don’t talk about violations in their own countries. If you go to a website and see how many people are lost in New York City on a day, I think it is more than the population of Sri Lanka. Recently, a child was abducted and hidden under a highway for one week. This is the situation there. Everyday, if you visit a supermarket, you would see notices pasted on doors, saying, so and so is missing. These are the people who talk about Sri Lanka. Missing persons is an issue all over the world. You cannot just say there are abductions."
The Minister sees no differences between missing persons and political abductions.
I have often toyed with the idea of testing the intelligence of the members of parliament by subjecting them to an IQ test. As a control, one could also subject the inmates of the monkey house in the Dehiwala zoo to the identical test. Any bets on the winners?
Two statements in the Nation newspaper caught my attention today. The JHU spokesman is quoted as saying: "the HRW should initially issue reports about the human rights situation in their own country before making statements about other nations such as Sri Lanka." He goes on to add that:
“We completely dismiss the report issued by the HRW. They should issue reports about the USA first, instead of making statements about Sri Lanka. They should talk about Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq and their own country if they are really concerned about the violation of human rights,”
(For the full report please click here)
To begin with, what is the man saying? There are humans rights violations elsewhere, therefore Sri Lanka has no case to answer.
How the situation in other countries has a bearing on Sri Lanka, I fail to understand. Should'nt human rights be measured against certain standards, standards that the country is a signatory to? Trying to justify violations in Sri Lanka by saying there are violations elsewhere is lame at best.
The fact that the spokesman for the JHU has not even bothered to familairise himself with the HRW is abundantly clear-the website details reports on all of the countries mentioned by the JHU spokesman. Click on the links for reports on Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, the UK and the USA.
I doubt if the spokesman even bothered to read what the HRW had to say, never mind the Gautama's views on the subject.
In an interview in the same newspaper, Minister Basil Rajapakse follows the same logic as the JHU spokesman. When questioned on the HRW report he says: I don’t think the government should respond to all these things that appear on the internet. Most of these organisations have not even visited this country. They don’t talk about violations in their own countries. If you go to a website and see how many people are lost in New York City on a day, I think it is more than the population of Sri Lanka. Recently, a child was abducted and hidden under a highway for one week. This is the situation there. Everyday, if you visit a supermarket, you would see notices pasted on doors, saying, so and so is missing. These are the people who talk about Sri Lanka. Missing persons is an issue all over the world. You cannot just say there are abductions."
The Minister sees no differences between missing persons and political abductions.
I have often toyed with the idea of testing the intelligence of the members of parliament by subjecting them to an IQ test. As a control, one could also subject the inmates of the monkey house in the Dehiwala zoo to the identical test. Any bets on the winners?
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Some miscellaneous thoughts on music
I had a sudden urge to listen to Only the Good Die Young, a song by the band Queen and this being the age of the Internet, turned to my usual source of music: Youtube. When listening to the song I was wondering why I could not see Freddy anywhere and when the camera focused on the pianist was more than a little surprised to see Brain May sitting at the keyboard.
A bit of quick research (on the web) and I find out that this is the only song by Queen that was conceived after Freddy's death and it is mostly a eulogy on Freddy. For the performance on Youtube look at this, for more details on the song check the Wikipedia entry.
Just thought this might be of interest to any fans of Queen.
The problem with music of today seems to be a lack of a distinct voice, in the sense that there does not seem to be a highly personal stamp on anyone's music, save perhaps Shakira's. A song by Abba is almost instantly recognisable as being by them and no one else. This is evident to most people, not just hardcore Abba fans. The same is true of the most other great bands: The Beatles, The BeeGees, Paul Simon, even cracko Jacko Michael Jackson.
Mariah Carey has a truly great voice (and is very very hot to look at) but her music lacks the distinct stamp of individuality. I don't know how many people have heard of Eartha Kitt, but just listen to this or this and one can see the difference with this. Madonna is actually good compared to creatures such as the Spice Girls or Britney Spears (who looks good and has a fairly decent voice but not much else).
I don't know if its simply a sign of old age but I really cannot distinguish between one musician and another these days. I know that a lot of music is written to formula by a small set of professional writers who try to cater to the current trend in the market and perhaps this is to blame for the decline.
The modern concept of popular music is in fact a creation of the media - first broadcast radio and a short while later the advent of recorded music. Before that there was a limited array of folk (meaning traditional as in the sense of folksong) and popular music, transmitted by means of printed sheet music and live performance at dances, local festivals and the like. It was the medium of broadcast and the availability of records that enabled musicians to cater to a vast audience and rake in millions in fees and which resulted in a huge influx of talent. As long as the record and broadcast industry confined themselves to developing existing talent, they succeeded in developing the cause of popular music, once they moved into the realm of creating music to fit the perceived needs of the audience (rather than simply attempting to bring new voices and talents to the audience) they seem to have unwittingly sowed the seeds of the eventual destruction of popular music.
A bit of quick research (on the web) and I find out that this is the only song by Queen that was conceived after Freddy's death and it is mostly a eulogy on Freddy. For the performance on Youtube look at this, for more details on the song check the Wikipedia entry.
Just thought this might be of interest to any fans of Queen.
The problem with music of today seems to be a lack of a distinct voice, in the sense that there does not seem to be a highly personal stamp on anyone's music, save perhaps Shakira's. A song by Abba is almost instantly recognisable as being by them and no one else. This is evident to most people, not just hardcore Abba fans. The same is true of the most other great bands: The Beatles, The BeeGees, Paul Simon, even cracko Jacko Michael Jackson.
Mariah Carey has a truly great voice (and is very very hot to look at) but her music lacks the distinct stamp of individuality. I don't know how many people have heard of Eartha Kitt, but just listen to this or this and one can see the difference with this. Madonna is actually good compared to creatures such as the Spice Girls or Britney Spears (who looks good and has a fairly decent voice but not much else).
I don't know if its simply a sign of old age but I really cannot distinguish between one musician and another these days. I know that a lot of music is written to formula by a small set of professional writers who try to cater to the current trend in the market and perhaps this is to blame for the decline.
The modern concept of popular music is in fact a creation of the media - first broadcast radio and a short while later the advent of recorded music. Before that there was a limited array of folk (meaning traditional as in the sense of folksong) and popular music, transmitted by means of printed sheet music and live performance at dances, local festivals and the like. It was the medium of broadcast and the availability of records that enabled musicians to cater to a vast audience and rake in millions in fees and which resulted in a huge influx of talent. As long as the record and broadcast industry confined themselves to developing existing talent, they succeeded in developing the cause of popular music, once they moved into the realm of creating music to fit the perceived needs of the audience (rather than simply attempting to bring new voices and talents to the audience) they seem to have unwittingly sowed the seeds of the eventual destruction of popular music.
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