The AKD Problem
I was 10 years old when I watched people being burned alive in Black July. I saw houses burned, cars burned, people burned. Tends to leave a mark.
The Infamous Suchetha Colombo Tour
I love Colombo. I love the nightlife. I love the daylife. I love the food, the beaches, the expensive places, and the dive-ass bars. I love it all, and I love showing it off to my friends. Let's go!
Gaming on Linux
Everyone agrees, gaming on Linux isn't easy. You are basically trying to use a translator to play something that hasn't been written for Linux, and hoping it all works perfectly. Not always an easy task. And here we go again.
Couples In Hotels - A History
Sit down, you little buggers, and I will tell you a story . A story that needs to be told, and remembered.
Ralla - a Sinhala Transliterated Input System for IBUS
For a long time I have been trying to type in Sinhala. On Windows 95 I used the transliterated typing system crated by Chrismal Panditharatne, and when I moved to Linux, I had to find a new system. Mainly because I was not used to touch-typing, I was also not used to typing on the Wijesekara Keyboard Layout. So, with all of that, I had to find another way.
Guns, Rights, and Why We Don't Need You
A few days ago a Facebook friend shared a post by a gun-rights page about why gun owners are not coming to save the protesters in Portland and other places being targeted by the police and federal agencies. Namely, because the gun-owners have been insulted by the political left as racist, bigoted, misogynist, and many other things.
Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion - A review
No one in the USA seems to have heard of Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion, but out here in Asia-land, where we grew up on the tales of Asterix, Obelix, and the rest of the mad, mad inhabitants of that little Gaulish village that withstood the might of Caesar and all his legions, the movie was greeted with loud cheers.
I will punch you in the face
I will not punch you in the face for being a Nazi. Though I find Nazism abhorrent, it's your right to believe in it.
I will not punch you in the face for being a racist. Again, you have the absolute, inalienable right to that stupid, outdated, abhorrent belief.
Being stupid is not a crime, although there are many days I wish it were.
I will not punch you in the face for hanging out with your Nazi, racist, supremacist friends in your little fortresses of hate and stupidity.
The Pros and the Cons
So the pros are out. Running their cons. And we're supposed to choose which one to bend over and spread our cheeks for.
The New Year Election Predictions
OK, so it's not just predictions. It's my thoughts on this entire jing-bang fiasco grim fandango Vicious Cabaret.
I don't wan't Mahinda to win
The Beast has had a long run. He has had it for long enough. He has had it for too long. The corruption, the hatred, the bullshit has gone on for far too long. I like some of the things he has done, but I don't like, neither do I agree with the way he has done so many of those things.
Sri Lanka Board of Foreign Employment leaves 100,000 names and passport and ID numbers up for grabs
It all started with Trevor and Tekla Fernando.
People who listened to the English Service of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation in the 80s and early 90s may remember them. In an era where getting a request in on the radio meant writing a real, actual, snail mail letter, Trevor and Tekla (who many may remember because of the alliteration in their names) managed to get a request in - an their names read on - every single request show on the SLBC English service. Every. Single. Day.
Why we should stop hating on the "marry your rapist law" .. at least a little bit
Yes, Sri Lanka's Minister of Child Development and Womens' Affairs is a man. Yes, he's said that he's qualified to be the Minister because he has six sisters, a wife, and two daughters. Yeah, he's a bit of an idiot.
I Hate The N-Word
No, not "nigger". I hate "the n-word". I also hate "the f-word", "the c-word", "the j-word" and every f-wording some-letter-in-the-f-wording-alphabet-word out there.
The thing is ... I have no problem with the word "nigger." Or dick, or fuck, or cunt, or any other word.
Vampires, and zombies, and werewolves ... oh my!!
My friend Damith came down to dotelkay from dotus a few weeks ago, and just before he left we engaged in our time homoured tradition of sitting up on the roof and talking until the wee hours of the morning. There is usually alcohol involved, but this time his father had hidden the key to the liquor cupboard, damn the luck. And as it is with such conversations, the topics were wide and varied, and one of them was the social significance of vampires, zombies, and werewolves.
So hear me out. There may be a test later.
Death! Note!
Well what a fine that week that was. Three funerals in one week. Parents of people I care about. You realise that you have gone to too many funerals when the guys at the crematorium ask you "weren't you here last week?"
But some of the things that happened in the past week got me thinking. A friend of mine was given a 3% chance that his mother would live if they did neuro-surgery on her. Not a 3% chance she would be back to normal, but a 3% chance that she would fall into the category that we call "not dead." So he agreed. And got a bill for LKR1.2 million.
The Dambulla Logs
It's 5am. I am in Dambulla with Navin, and it looks like we are about to get beaten up.
It's my fault of course. It always is.
A bunch of robe-monkeys supported by about 2000 idiotic cunts of misery decide that it would be a wonderful thing to attack an Islamic Mosque during prayers. If you gave two tugs of a dead dog's cock about what is happening in Sri Lanka, you would know about this.
And with the accuracy of all the news we get, Navin and I decide that it was time for a road trip.
ARISE SINHALESE!!
Sometimes, you can't argue with racism. All you can do is laugh at it.
There is a post going around facebook that the Sinhala race is dying, because its birthrate is substantially less than that of the Muslims and Tamils.
The numbers are wrong. The facts are wrong. It is just a piece of sensationalist lies that certain groups want to accept.
There is no arguing with it. Just laughing at it.
Hence...
Great Geeks Retreating!
"This was a great idea you had, Such."
"I had? I thought you had it!"
When Navn Weeraratne and I had this conversation, we knew we were on to something good.
Something big.
Something so awesome and geeky and awesomely geeky it could only be called "The Great Geek Retreat".
Of course it came out of a drunken conversation - as such things so often do - but it is shaping up to be something special.
The Law of Legitimacy
Prabhakaran, they say, was captured in Mullaitivu during the last days of the war along with his family, tortured, and killed.
Of course, there is no proof about this. Any evidence is circumstantial. What proof exists - if it exists - is probably locked away in some vault.
The Penn Street Moochers
I always wanted to be a writer. Not just a writer, but a Writer. A Chronicler of my Age. I read the greats. Hemingway. Thoreau. Kerouac. Runyon. And I dreamed of joining those hallowed ranks. Me and Jon Patterson. We were inseparable those days. And his dream was just like mine.
Those who forget the lessons of history....
I was there watching the election when Sarath Fonseka ran for president and lost. And then the Army surrounded the Galadari Hotel where he was waiting.
What is love?
A long time ago my FEW called me a robot. She said that I had no emotions. That I didn't feel.
I, of course, took that as a compliment.
I have always valued rationality over emotions. Mr. Spock was my hero. Even to this day I would rather solve problems through rational discourse rather than screaming and shouting.
But that doesn't seem to work too well with women.
Women want me to make an emotional commitment to them. And I find this is something I just cannot do.
Paying for Petrol
The hot news is that the LKGOV is compensating people for engine damages caused by the substandard petrol that was imported by the Ceypetco.
Now at face value this sounds like an excellent idea. After all, it is only fair that the people who fucked up your car engine pay for the damage they caused.
Buddha for power
Or is it vice-versa? I forget.
So Sri Lankan - and perhaps the world - has its first Mayor Monk. Not only did he run for power, but when he was elected he held a temper tantrum fast because The Beast said he couldn't be mayor because he was - you know - a monk. One of those people who have stepped away from lay life for a life of seeking enlightenment.
A Blast From The Past: Time to give up on Sri Lanka
Going through my hard drive, I found this article I wrote back in 2006, before I even thought of writing a blog.
Here it is for your delectation.
My father was a civil engineer in Nigeria. When the coup d'etat happened in 1983 his employer made him an offer – stay on with the company, and he'd get citizenship in any country he wanted. He chose to come to Sri Lanka and work here. For almost 23 years after his arrival he never worked in the engineering field.
An Everlasting Emergency
So The Beast walks into Parliament and announces that he is repealing the Emergency Law. Well, not so much "repealing" as much as "not renewing it."
But anyway.. YAY! Loud Cheers!! And the clinking of glasses.
But it was all oddly subdued. Very oddly.
Because - just like everything else this government has done - it was just an eyewash.
The New Hotness
Everyone's talking about the new hotness. Google+ walked in the door, threw its hat in the ring, and proceeded to do to Facebook - the reigning champion - what FB did to the previous champions MySpace and Hi5.
All of a sudden the game changed. Everyone is raving about G+, and everyone wants in on the ground floor.
Wanted: A Place To Hang My Hat
A long, very long, time ago we moved into The Linux Center. And now the time has come for us to move out.
This could be the end of TLC as we planned it, and as we know it. Originally we planned this house as a location where the Linux geeks of Sri Lanka could learn, meet, and pretty much have a place to call a geekbase.
That didn't quite work out the way we planned. But it was a good run nonetheless.
I guess it is time for me to move on.
This Too Shall Pass
It is now over a month since the 18th Amendment was passed. And I can finally get my head around writing about it without simply saying FUCK a lot.
Isn't that nice?
I'm me.. deal with it
Recently I had a talk with a friend of mine. Not just a talk. A Talk. Note the capitals.
FUCK!
FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCKi! FUCK Ranil for being a pansy-assed motherfucker who couldn't create a real and viable opposition! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!
Scammers In The House
A friend of mine nearly fell for a scam a few days ago. It was a quite well done scam, and would have passed through too, if it wasn't for the fact that the young lady was quite vigilant.
The power of Human Rights cases
My parents were in conversation with a Buddhist priest who is in the middle of a Human Rights case with the Police over a raid on the temple he is head honcho of. You may know (of) him, but I am not mentioning any names.
Why I Want Mahinda to Win
Now there's a shocker.
Here I am, calling Mahinda Rajapaksa The Beast, attacking him and criticising him at every step, and all of a sudden I do a complete Heel Face Turn?? What the fuck is up with that? Why, oh why would I want him to win?
The answer is simple.
Revenge.
Mahinda's Legacy
Usually it is when people die, or move on, or do something significant that you talk about their legacy. But The Beast is no ordinary man. He has forever changed the face of Sri Lankan politics. He has made more changes to Sri Lanka's political structure and political system than anyone ever has.
Too bad for us those changes are for the worse.
Why the Army should vote for Sarath Fonseka
Before you ask, I am still spoiling my vote.
But there is something that needs to be said. Something worth thinking about.
There is lots of talk about the Army not voting for SF. There is talk that the people in the forces have become disillusioned with him.
This may or may not be true.
But if the Army wants to maintain its status - and let's face it, who doesn't - they should vote for SF.
Where My Vote Goes
Poeple ask me how I'm going to vote.
With the election fever in full effect, that is the biggest question on people's minds.
Who we vote for is what is going to set the course of this country for the next 6 years. And people are looking for reasons to vote for either of the two evils.
Obviously this doesn't include the hardcore supporters. All candidates and parties will have people who will vote for them no matter what they do. Those guys are unchangeable. But there is - especially so this time - a large group of people who have no idea who to vote for.
Sarath Fonseka, the truth, and shooting the messenger
Election days are here again, and the skeletons are coming dancing out of the closet.
In case you missed the news, Sarath Fonseka (aka the racist) is now running for presidency as part of the UNP. And im proper Sri Lankan mud-slinging style, he decided to drop a bombshell on the people. Evidently he thought it would bring the people to his side.
And the manipulation begins..
The power went out last night. You may have heard about it. You may have even experienced it. I did. I stayed awake until 0730 sweating and swatting at the mozzies. Damned mozzies. I barely got any sleep.
Of course, my first reaction was "somebody must pay."
Booster Blitz Powder test
Yes, I know. I haven't posted lately. A lot of half-written articles are in my blog cache, but none are ready for being seen. So here I go.
Yesterday - in the process of getting ready for a long-weekend trip to Batticaloa and Pasikuddah - I went shpoping. Bought many things. Food, and eats a few meds and lions and tigers and bears. Oh my! I also picked up a few cans of Booster Blitz.
Blogs on the beach
Here I am, faithful reader. Still writing, still trying to figure out this strange-ass world of ours. Here I am, at 0700h (7a.m. to you clueless plebes) with a large glass of vodka/sprite (raspberry vodka if you must know) bubbling away in my gut, tapping away at the laptop, on a balcony looking over the beach. There is something .. extremely nice about all this. The Hikka Beach Fest is happening well to the North of me, I am down in Mirissa enjoying secluded beaches, crashing waves, vodka, and some rather nifty herb. Life, is good.
One step forward, two steps back
The things that worry me about the war, and the eventual end, started back in New Year's day (April 14th in Sri Lanka).
That was the day they showed the celebrations in Kilinochchi. The leader of the forces there was symbolically invited into the city by an Arachchi wearing what seemed to be an extremely Sinhalese costume, talking classically "old village" Sinhala.
Where the LTTE went wrong
It's Monday. It's Morning. It's Monday Morning Quarterback time.
The news is all over that the LTTE has been defeated. Prabhakaran is probably dead. (Though the LKGOV's statements are best taken with a grain or ten of salt - remember the 60,000 civillians who suddenlt became 200,000?) But the LTTE are pretty much done.
It was almost funny to see them make a statement that We have decided to silence our guns.
Almost.
Now I guess its time to look back and see where the went wrong. After all, hindsight is 20/20.
I want YOU.. to spy for the Government
Isn't it fucking fun? The LKGOV wants us to report all foreigners who are criticising the LKGOV and the Glorious Forces (sounds like a band from the 70s). The Ministry of Immigration & Emmigration even has a phone number for people to use as a hotline. And the media (radio stations especially) are shouting it out at the top of their lungs.
Life, Love, and Hookers
The time is 0645.
I just spent the last ten hours with some friends of mine who had flown down from the US.
First we went to Cheers for alcohol, and then we spent a large amount of time looking for a place to drink, because Cheers closes down at 0200.
We ended up in a hook joint. Want something more specific? It was a whorehouse. A place of ladies of negotiable virtue. It was also a club, with a large dancefloor and techno music. But primarily it was a hook joint. You'd go there for a drink and a dance and a bed in the back. That's where we were.
My PSP Saga
My life seems full of sagas.
No, not the Norse kind. Not like Gilgamesh. Or Odysseus. In fact not like anyone cool at all. It's just things that happen. And happen. And happen. And then end up becoming this weird uber-crazy insane thing that kind of snowballs into the stuff of legend. Or possibly cautionary tale.
Mahinda: Bandaranaike For A New Generation
Do you remember a certain chap called Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike? Nice old fella, so intent on servicing, I'm sorry I mean serving his country that he converted to Buddhism so he could win votes. He then broke away from the UNP and went on to become Prime Minister with his newly formed Sri Lanka Freedom Party.
Oh, and before I forget, he did it on the platform of the Sinhala Only in 24 Hours promise. A minor thing of course, but worth mentioning I think.
Corpse Hunting
I went looking for a corpse today.
My friend Daniel had not been seen in two weeks, and we were all starting to be a bit worried about the guy. After all, the fucker drives around in a little 49cc mosquito bike. So when the Emmster called a search for him because we hadn't seen the fucker in close onto 2 weeks, and his facebook account didn't show any activity, we started worrying about where he was.
This morning, Emmster and Razzle asked if I could come to the Colombo General hospital to see if he was there, how could I refuse?
Oh the twitteration
I'm sure all of you have heard of twitter. If not, I guess Wikipedia will tell you more. Basically, for those of you who don't want to follow the links, it is a way of sending a status message to people who are following you. Remember status messages? They started off on Instant Messaging clients, and worked their way out from there.
Free Hugs
I've been going for a yoga/acting/lifestyle class for the last few days. It's organised by Abhina Academy. It's the same crew I used to go for yoga with, and I do enjoy hanging with them.
I'll write more about it soon, this was just my third day, and I want to write about something else.
I want to write about Free Hugs. Well, kind of.
Where have all the winkles gone?
And the net is filled with a million voices - ok a thousand.. maybe a hundred.. two? - voices asking what the fuck is a winkle?
For those of you who don't live in Sri Lanka, and or never had a bike, and or never got their bike fixed, a winkle is a bicycle repair place. Usually they are small places, run by an oldish guy and a young apprentice (if any)
The laptop saga
Once upon a time, a long time ago, in December 2005, when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, Yours Truly got his first laptop. An IBM ThinkPad R51e. She was a beauty and it was love. She went with me to Singapore. I achieved nerdvana under a tree with her on my lap.
Acceptance, or Doing Nothing
I was out with the parental units the other day. There's a new Italian restaurant in town, and the food is good. So I decided to take them out.
On the way we got stopped at the Wellawatte checkpoint. Since I was the one not driving, I gave my driver's licence.
Yes, my driver's licence. It is what I show at checkpoints.
Of course the copette who was there - rather cute too I might add - asked me for my ID. I said ,That is a valid ID.
I am.. You are.. He is..
You've all heard the triple standard. I am one thing.. You are a slightly less acceptable way of looking at the same thing.. He is acting in a way that is completely unacceptable. We are all doing the same thing.
Want an illustration? Here's one. I have reconsidered my options. You have changed your mind. He has gone back on his word.
We can get sexual too. I am experimentative. You are kinky. He's a fucking pervert.
ABBA goes metal..
Yes, you heard me right.
ABBA. Goes. Metal.
What. The. Figgedy. Fuck!!!
I grew up to ABBA. I'm sure a lot of you guys did too. And no matter what you listen to, whether you love them or hate them, you've probably heard them.
Not a Sri Lankan
Something very interesting happened to me. I was told by a friend of mine that she doesn't consider me a real Sri Lankan.
What do I say to that? I have been called that, and many other things before. Including the famous kalu sudda or dark white man or, for any of you who understand American cultural references, an Oreo. Like the cookie/biscuit I am supposedly black on the outside and white on the inside. Yes, it's an insult. Yes I have been called that many times in my life. Even by people who I thought loved me. Actually that time hurt.
A rave for CommBank
This blog is called Rants, Raves, and Miscellaneous Musings. I've been ranting for a while (though not often enough) and I have been miscellaneously musing. But I find that I have not been raving. Or in short I haven't been handing out kudos.
Maybe its because there are so few kudos to hand out. And no you stupid freak, I do not mean the bar/pub/babejoint in Colombo.
There is nothing wrong with your television set.
Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling the transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can roll the image; make it flutter. We can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. We repeat: there is nothing wrong with your television set. You are about to participate in a great adventure.
Ave duci novi. Similis duci seneci
Or maybe it's cooler to say Ave bossa nova. Similis bossa seneca. Still don't get it? How about Hail to the new boss! Same as the old boss.
Remember, Remember, The Fifth Of November
The gunpowder treason and plot / I see no reason / the gunpowder treason / should ever be forgot
It's the first verse of a traditional poem sung in the UK on Guy Fawkes Night - A celebration held on the 5th of November to commemmorate the failure of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 to kill kill King James I and destroy the House of Lords.
Bomb da Base
The day before yesterday (the 28th of October) the LTTE carried out one of their (in)famous air raids. Starting from somewhere in the uncleared area they flew their little two-seater Zlin Z-143 light aircraft and dropped bombs on Mannar - and, according to the LKGOV, Colombo.
The attack in Mannar was at the Thalladi base, which injured a soldier. The attack on Colombo damaged a fan at the Kelani-tissa thermal power station.
Oh greed..
Greed, they say, is good. And what a greedy bunch of get-rich-quick schemers we have in dotelkay.
Sakvithi made off with (supposedly) five billion rupees, Seagull Software (remember them) made off with about the same, GoldQuest (ah GoldQuest) made off with a lot more. Even if you don't believe the number, after all, this is dotelkay, where exaggeration is an art form, a hell of a lot of money was scammed by them.
But they're not the greedy bastards are they?
Bombs or bullshit
A bomb went off today at Pettah. According to the news reports, it was near the railway station. But something about this doesn't ring true to me.
I was in the Nugegoda bomb in November 2007. The Center, where I live and work, was less than 50 meters away. On that day, 16 people died. and over twenty were injured.
Today, the reports say that 43 were injured, But none were killed, and there were no serious injuries.
This begs the question. How did a bomb injure that many and not kill or seriously wound anyone?
Spies Among Us (continued..)
I wrote the article The spies among us inspired by something that happened to me.
One of the guys here had parked his car on the kerb and one of the stoolpigeons had called the cops about it. The cops came and talked to me and things went downhill from there.
The stoolpigeon came out and started watching my house, trying to get the number. Since I find that suspicious, I took out the camera and took photos of him.
It's my story, and I'll say what I want to
It's now a month since I got hit. The physical scars are disappearing. The scabs are falling off. My knees are still painful. and my left one is still impossible to bend or straighten fully. My shoulders are a nit of a mess. My right one cannot be straightened and I can't seem to lift anything heavy with either of them. My right being the worst side. My mental and psychological issues are more worrying. Especially since they don't seem to be getting better.
But I gotta write.
Does the TRC have the right to ask us to carry PhoneIDs?
In the few weeks that I have been incapacitated, there have been many things that have happened in the country.
If I was a superstitious man, I would say that my accident was a symbol and symptom of the unlucky period Sri Lanka has entered into.
Our eroding rights, burgeoning government usurpation of powers that were not given to it. Basically, the Sri Lankan populace getting fucked.
Who will watch the watchmen?
Or as the original goes - Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
The cops demand ID wherever we go. So does the army. I can't walk in the street in Colombo without getting copped and checked.
Now the TRC wants us to carry ID that can then be inspected by the cops to make sure our cellphones are ours. All in the name of security.
Doing what I have to do
If you are tired of reading how my life is and the problems and issues I'm facing, stop now. Go watch Playboy or something.
It has been almost a month since the accident, and it has been eventful. I've been CAT scanned, x-rayed, and blood tested. All of which showed no physical problems. In fact, as my doctor said, I've got bad news. You've had an accident and a knock on the head. But it still hasn't cured your madness. Everyone wants to be a comedian.
Are cops and tamashas more important than students?
I'm back, and I am ranting. I may not be as good as I used to be, but, by Eris, I am pissed off.
I spent five days teaching teachers at Hali-Ela.
It wasn't easy, but there is a part of me that insists I do such things. I have to test myself and push myself. Otherwise, I may as well just lie in bed all the time, and that is as interesting as watching the paint dry.
My sanity and other animals
This system is turning from a blog to a LiveJournal, and for that I apologise.
To be honest I am trying to keep track of what is happening to me, in the best and only way that I can. There are others, but this at least gives me feedback. And feedback, I need.
Is it just me, or is my writing style improving? I can't tell at the moment. I think it is, but I am too subjective a person to tell. I ask because this, my writing and communicating style, is my biggest judge of my ability to communicate.
I still haven't found, what I'm looking for
I'm not even sure what it is I am looking for. But I think I know what it isn't.
Or at least, I tell my self I do. Which is as good isn't it?
My typing is slow these days. Since I got in the accident, my head hasn't been the same.
I aten't dead yet
No! I'm not
Not even close to it.
A big Thank you to all my friends who got me to hospital. Their fast action was appreciated.
On the other hand I would like to tell people a small message - DO NOT GO TO KALUBOWILA!!!!
Yes they've had multiple bomb casualties there. Yes, they've experienced a lot. But none of that seems to have helped them any. When I went, they were as lethargic as before. The transferred me from the accident ward to war (I think) 29 where they put me to sleep on a chair, because there were no beds left.
I faw' down n' go boom
Yeah. I did. Really
Last Saaturday, La, Chabdrika and I watched Prince Caspian, and then went off to MC to watch The Incredible Hulk. Maybe I shouldn't have had multiple beers on an empty stomach, but I felt sober enough.
The next thing I remember was waking up in Kalubowila hospital with my body in bandages. That was Saturday afternoon, when I'd got hit on my way to one of the fish joints beside Savoy theater for dinner.
Sometimes, you don't get the girl
I've known her for years. I can still remember the dress she wore when we first met. I remember the where, the when, the why, the how. I remember how she looked, how she moved, and how my heart felt like it had been kicked in the balls.
It was love at first sight, both for me and for her. We held each other close, we pushed each other away. It was a roller coaster of fear, and excitement, and joy, and gut-wrenching stomach-churning anxiety. What it was, was fucking awesome.
Blogging in Ampara
So here I am in Ampara, teaching Linux to some more of the Sri Lankan teachers. Eris help them all.
Kunchana came down for Bud's wedding, and then went back to Ampara with me and the Mad Monk.
There's gold in them thar hills
No, really. There is.
Let me tell you a story.
I was going down to .. somewhere, I can't remember where, when we all stopped at the Ambepussa Rest House. I'm sure you know the one. It's the Rest House. At Ambepussa. On the way to Kandy, Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, and many other such Places of Interest.
Happy evangelist missionary day
Many, many years ago there was a country. That country was not more, or less, peaceful than any other country like it. It had its good days, and bad. The rain came, the sun shone.
How about paying for what you get?
When you're an independent observer like me, you get told things. Things that upset people. Things that they can't tell anyone else. It does people good to know that someone else knows of their problems, and maybe will help do something about it.
I wish I could. I so wish I could.
When I was out on my teach the teachers project, I heard something very disturbing. Not exactly surprising, knowing the governments we've had, but disturbing nonetheless.
Our teachers aren't getting paid!
Conservatives, Liberals, and Libertarians
Look around you. Everyone today claims to subscribe to some form of political/social idea. Sometimes they can be defined by what they subscribe to. At other times by what they don't subscribe to.
Don't understand what I mean? Let me explain.
Blogging and bashing
When you're a linux geek, everything is command line. The more you use it, the faster you become. Moving your hand from the keyboard to the mouse is a chore. Using the GUI is only good for two things. Browsing the internet and porn. For some people, that is still one thing.
Linuxing it in Thalduwa
When Linux calls, I answer. Or something like that anyway. After all, I now have a Reputation with a capital R as the go-to guy for Linux events. It may have something to do with the fact that I do these events for free. or at least in exchange for Coke (Coca bloody Cola, not the powdery white kind, though I'd prefer Mountain fucking Dew) and a place to crash and a good dinner after (beer optional, but gladly accepted). I'm cheap and I'm easy. Ask any of the girls who'll admit to knowing me.
Did the Jeppo get something right?
Now I am not a JVP fan. In fact, it would be fair to say that I am far from being a fan. That I am a Jeppo-hater. That I am so far beyond being a hater, that if hating them was a star, it would take many tens, nay hundreds of millions of years for the light from the-star-known-as-I-hate-the-fucking-Jeppo to get to me. And when it finally does, many millennia after the star goes nova, the light will be so faint that I would need an array of Hubble-type space telescopes to see the light.
The End of The World
The world ended when I was fifteen. It didn't end with a bang. It didn't end with a whimper. It ended with a. A sigh.
The kind of sigh that says contentment. That says I have done what I came to do. And now I'm leaving.
The sigh my father used to make when he finished yard-work and looked back at the house, knowing there was beer cooling in the icebox, and maybe football on TV.
It had been coming for a while I guess, the End of The World. It was waiting for us. Just as we, in our own way, were waiting for it.
Let's talk about Bridges
Lets talk about the bridge over the Kelaniya railway crossing. The one that The Beast walked over. The one that Mad Merv renamed after one of the biggest crooks in Sri Lankan politics. Let's talk about Two-Point-One billion Rupees. After all, all the media were talking about it. Parroting on about how it was built in record time, with minimal interference to traffic. Everyone's having an orgasm about it. So let's talk.
The right to secede
A friend of mine asked me something a while back, Does anyone and everyone have the right to secede from the country? Can I, if I wanted to, secede and declare myself a separate nation?
I didn't have an answer for him at that time. But I had to sit and have a good old-fashioned think about it. Could I come up with an argument for secession that would sound believable to me, the cynic? It took time to think of and cogitate over.
Adey Prabha aiya
Is this the way to run a terrorist organisation? I mean really. You're supposed to be scaring people. You know, dropping bombs from planes, taking out schools, threatening us all with violent and gruesome death. After all the Government needs something to jusify the rising cost of living, the inefficient infrastructure, the attacks on anyone and everyone who dares to criticise The Beast, and all the other bullshit we're going through.
Memories of Arthur
Arthur C Clarke died today. No, I'm not going to link to the Wikipedia page or any of the many thousand pages about him on the net. If you don't know who he was, it's your loss. This loss is mine.
Rupavahini, you fucking cowards
You know, I was so proud of the guys at Rupavahini Corporation. True, they bend over like a cheap butt-boy when the new government comes in. So much so that they have two divisions in the News section, the Pinnawela crowd (named after the famous elephant orphanage), and the Nilkamal crowd (named after the chair makers, and because the name has the word nil in it). True that they will tell you the news in completely fair and balanced fashion, fair to the government and balanced towards the government. But at least they took on Mervyn Silva.
Breaking your pride
An interesting thing happened to me a few minutes ago. A guy came to the Center. He said his son was paralyzed, and in physiotherapy. His son was also getting treatment from a buddhist monk. I've heard this kind of sob story before, and I usually just ignore it. It is a preface to a request for money. Many beggars have the story down so pat that they say it with a certain rhythm that comes from saying it so many times. So I said I didn't have any change. I do that a lot. and so do you. But then he told me something that made it all different.
Is the Upali Group dead?
Yesterday, (the 25th Feb), I bought a slab of Kandos Chocolate. The big slab, 180 grams, LKR200. Yes, I like chocolate. No you can't have any.
So I start munching away at it. I like my chocolate melty, when you get this gooey paste that you can spread between your tongue and upper palate. Get the temperature right and its like a velvety, chocolatey layer. Feels so.. decadent. Mmmm mmm mmm mmm.
I ain't no Casanova
I watched Casanova last night. Heath Ledger, Eris rest his soul, was in fine form there. portaying the greatest lover in the world as one who was simply looking for love in all the wrong places.
Boom shake shake shake the room
Look at the pretty bombs. People dying every where. The LTTE drops some, the LKGov drops some, then the LTTE drops some more, and the LKGov drops a few and blame it on the LTTE, and then Jeppo drops some to show that they're still there. Meanwhile, We the People are dropping turds in our pants.
60 years and what do you get?
It's 60 years since independence today. 60. Six-Oh. In Thailand, 60 is a big thing. It means that you have, astrologically at least, been through everything that life can throw at you. Everywhere else in the world, it's mandatory retirement time.
There's gonna be some changes
Change is good. Almost as good as risk, and possibly better than greed. And boy have there been some changes in my life of late.
Delusions of ability
I think I am a writer. I try to blog as often as I can. I try to write short stories. I've written a play. I read voraciously. I have a dictionary for an id, a thesaurus for a brain and a sewer for a mouth. I've been writing crappy stories since I was 12.
So I try to write. Everyday I try to spend sometime working on my current projects, a novel, a rapidly growing-out-of-control short story, my blog, and my resume.
The only win is a draw
Everyone's sure that the civil war will be won soon. After all, we've abrogated the ceasefire, been bombed multiple times, bombed them multiple times, and generally done what the man on the street wants done. Well at least the man on the street who doesn't want to physically fight, but is very willing to allow others to go and die for his sorry ass.
But, is this the optimal solution? After all, we're fighting for peace, right?
Suicide is painless
And, according to the song, it brings on many changes.
I have been suicidal. I have attempted it once. I have come close to attempting it more than once. I have seen two people close to me attempt it. I have helped another friend off the ledge as it were. I have heard what people say, I know all the consequences and after-effects. And yet (or maybe because of it), suicide intrigues me.
Hangin' with RMS
I got to hang with Richard M. Stallman for the past few days.
RMS came down to dotelkay at the invitation of the late Prof. V. K. Samaranayake, who, unfortunately, didn't live to see the fruition of his dreams to have the creator of the GNU Operating System come here.
Getting Inked
I got inked on the 29th of December, 2007.
On this day, 35 years ago, I came screaming and shouting into the world. I'm still kicking and screaming.
If you know me, then you know that this past year has been very eventful for me. If you know me better, you know it was even more eventful than the others think.
Hey!! Chickenhawk!!!
Yeah you.. The idiot who's wrapping himself in a flag and acting all patriotic. You, you stupid little shit, sitting in your comfortable house somewhere far away from the fighting. You coward who can't even believe that people are dying.
All of you idiots, sinhalese and tamils alike. All of you fuckers who don't have the guts to stand by your so-called beliefs. You idiots who call people who actually want a negotiated settlement "peaceniks" (yes lanka so-called libertarian, this is especially for you)
A tragedy of errors
I went to the Nugegoda Keells Super this evening aroung 2030, and found a bunch of cops outside it. Apparently someone had seen a bag outside the Keells and had called them. Immediate action followed. The cops came from Kohuwala and Mirihana, and the Bomb Squad were on their way. Such enthusiasm, such efficiency, such hilarity amongst everyone watching.
Of course every one still remembers the bomb in Nugegoda. It was only a week ago. I still remember it, I was there. Evidently the cops do too.
Thoughts after the bomb..
A bomb went off in Nugegoda yesterday, less than 50 meters from The Linux Center.
Civilisation is defined...
.. by how we treat our dead
Death, being a constant companion and final leveller for all of us, is one of the two known constants in the universe (the other being taxes). And it is how we treat people in death that defines who and what we are
Drinking and driving...
On Wednesday night (the 30th May) YT got copped for driving while intoxicated. I'd only had the three beers, and that was almost 2 hours previously, followed by many coffees etc etc. I was arrested, made to blow into the funny bag, spent the night in jail, and finally just got out of courts this morning.
I'm not here to argue about whether I was in the wrong or not. I'm here to give you folks some advice, so that you can learn what I too learned. But first ..
I fought the law..
.. and the law won
After my last brush with the law (see Drinking and Driving) people have often asked me why I didn't fight it. One went so far as to say that if I wasn't guilty, then I should have fought it, and since I didn't fight it, I must have been guilty. This led me to ask more people what they thought of the episode and get their reactions to it.
Openness online
"You can't open your heart in a blog. It's what it's there for, but it's the one place you can't"
-- Mettavihari
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas they say. And that may or may not be true. A lot of things that happened in Vegas have stayed behind in Vegas (Britney Spears' thirty-something hour marriage for one). But some things haven't. But I digress. The more appropriate statement is what happens on the Internet, stays on the Internet
Movie review: 300
When I was in Singapore, I managed to catch the Asian premiere of 300, the movie based on the comic inspired by the movie based on the Greek historical telling of the Spartans at Thermopylae. I know that it has been a while since the movie came out. I know that there have been a lot of reviews about it on the net. I also know that i was quiet for a long while before my recent spate. So shaddap and listen.
The terrorists have won...
Terrorism. Now THAT is a well known word. And yet, an interesting one.
Geeking it up in Passara
Once apon a time Yours Truly made a promise that if any school wanted me to come talk to them about Linux, all they have to do is ask me, and I will come. This offer has led to many strange and fun events. Buttala - where I ate clams straight from the lake, Mahavilachchiya where I meditated on Linux under a tamarind (siyambala) tree, and many other places.
They have always been interesting and fun. And sometimes I feel that what I got back from them is far greater than what I gave them.
If this is Tuesday, this must be Singapore
My life is, for want of a better word, interesting. As in "may you live in interesting times" interesting.
My Microsoftie called me up from Singapore and said, "hey, why not come down." And I refused. Then she used logic on me (I hate it when that happens) and I decided "ok."
Love is...
Does anyone remember those old cartoons that said "love is..." and then some kind of behaviour modification? For those of you who don't remember, or didn't know, or are too lazy to google - here's a link
This doesn't actually tell you what love is. There are definitions and definitions, but none of them actually seem to hit the mark. But we have, all of us, at one time or another, felt that bittersweet sting that means that Cupid has decided to take a personal interest in our lives.
What's my motherfucking name?
Snoop Doggy Dogg made a whole album based on ONE SINGLE SONG
People are waiting to hear Samuel L Jackson say "we got motherfucking snakes on the motherfucking plane"
In Russian "yob tvoyu maht" means "fuck your mother." Go on, say it to a Russian and see
And I'm writing a minor dissertation on incestuous carnal relations with your maternal figure as the prelude to telling you about me.
Comic books and graphic novels and manga oh my...
I love comic books. I have a collection of over 300 in a trunk in my bedroom, and had an even larger collection when I was in dotus. Some of my favourite memories are of me and Short Stuff biking around Colombo looking for comic books. Unik Creations, Vijitha Yapa, Lake House Book Shop, they all fell to our hunt for the latest ones that we could find.
Why we fight
In any conflict - be it between nations, peoples, organisations, whatever - there is always a level of propaganda and demagoguery involved. I'm sure you have heard at least SOME of these ones..
Blogs on a bus
My last post "Blood, sex, and suffering" was written on the way to Kekirawa by bus.
Blood, sex and suffering
As many people know, RaRaMiMu is syndicated on the kottu.org blogroll, as a consequence of this I have had many visitors come to the site. They come to see what I write, and sometimes comment on it. I admit to only posting a few times on the blog since I was added on to kottu.org, but what I have learned from the experience is quite, for want of a better word, interesting.
Isn't it ironic?
Don't you think?
Many moons ago when the Sri Lankan Air Force attacked a supposed LTTE training camp/tamil orphanage (depending on who you ask) there was a great hue and cry. Never mind that the dead were kids (orphans and students or LTTE child soldiers depending on who you speak to) and that it was a pretty fucking sad thing to see. Our man with a Plan, Rambukwella said that they would kill al terrorrists no matter how old they are, or where they are situated
Fine. That's his thing.
What's wrong with this picture?
Local IP: 192.168.107.78 Netmask : 255.255.255.0 Gateway IP: 192.168.10.1
Exactly what is wrong with this picture?
It was the network setup of a client of mine. And if any of you can understand how a network works, you will see that this configuration will not work. And this is quite true. BUT IT DOES WORK!!! Windows seems to take no notice at all of this strange thing called "standards" and connects to the gateway using the local ip completely ignoring the subnet mask.
dotesgee - day 6
I guess the strangest thing about dotesgee is the fact that the people semm to have willingly and happily given up their liberties for some temporary freedom. This seems so weird to me. In any society there HAS to be some kind of pressure valve so that people can let off steam. I still haven't found it here. Does it mean that it doesn't exist? I have problems believing that. The suicide rates, the substance addiction rates should tell us more. I guess that is yet another thing I will have to look into,
dotesgee - day 3
Day three in dotesgee, and day two of the seminars. I have had some serious conversations and many non-serious ones. Distributed a few of my cards and many people seemed most impressed by the fact that I had "Professional Geek" as my job title.
dotesgee - day 2
The first day of the AOSS Master Trainer Program. Twenty three people from 14 countries, and YT is the only srinkie in the house. The sessions are being held at Singapore Metropolitan University (SMU), one of the newest universities in dotesgee. I found it amazing that a city-state of 4 million people (and 660 square km) has three universities and are not averse to building more. Compare that to the attitude here dotelkay.
dotesgee - day 1
My second day in dotesgee and things are just great. And I do mean that in a good way.
Landed at Changi airport about 30 minutes behind schedule. Of course UL (aka Usually Late (aka SriLankan Airlines and not Satellite)) told everyone that it was caused by "another airline".. WTF??
Blogs on a plane..
Well here I am, flying off to dotesgee (aka .sg, aka Singapore) on SriLankan and I just had to do blogs on a plane. After all, this is a golden muthafuckin opportunity. So lets see what's going through my head today shall we? Let the freakshow begin!
Paranoia paranoia
everybody's coming to get me..
Actually, there is no such thing as paranoid anymore as far as the government is concerned. They really are out to get you. And yet, no one in dotelkay seems to notice or care.
Am I the only one around who feels that the government in dotelkay is becoming more and more invasive? That we are being lied to? That things are NOT what they appear to be? Sweet Eris say it ain't so..
When propaganda attacks..
Do you know your propaganda?
Can you tell when someone is trying to manipulate you?
Do you trust everything that the government - bless their black little hearts - tells you?
Or maybe you've heard these before :
"Iraq has Weapons of Mass Destruction"
"Saddam Hussein helped fund and trained Al Quaeda"
"the government is winning"
"The LTTE are the sole representatives of the tamil people"
The charge of the moron brigade..
If you look at the posts below me, you'll notice that someone's been insulting me (again)