Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Monday, November 13, 2006
List of Faux Pas from Wiki
Bangladesh
Closing one's eyes during a meal is said to invite demonic possession of the hosts.
India
India has had a complicated history with its neighbors (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka), and confusing an Indian with any of these (or vice versa) is seriously offensive. This rule extends especially to Westerners.
For a man to comment to another person about the appearance of the latter's adult female relative (wife, sister, daughter, etc) is considered inappropriate behavior. However, it is acceptable for a woman to do so
Turkey
Placing a phone call to somebody after 22:00.
Greece
"No" is sometimes conveyed by a slight raise of the eyebrows, often accompanied by a "tsk" sound.
France
Biting into the piece of bread directly (unless you have something on it -butter, pâté,...). One should break a small piece off, and put it into one's mouth.
(Link to Wiki)
Closing one's eyes during a meal is said to invite demonic possession of the hosts.
India
India has had a complicated history with its neighbors (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka), and confusing an Indian with any of these (or vice versa) is seriously offensive. This rule extends especially to Westerners.
For a man to comment to another person about the appearance of the latter's adult female relative (wife, sister, daughter, etc) is considered inappropriate behavior. However, it is acceptable for a woman to do so
Turkey
Placing a phone call to somebody after 22:00.
Greece
"No" is sometimes conveyed by a slight raise of the eyebrows, often accompanied by a "tsk" sound.
France
Biting into the piece of bread directly (unless you have something on it -butter, pâté,...). One should break a small piece off, and put it into one's mouth.
(Link to Wiki)
Friday, November 10, 2006
Raja FM Suspended
Raja FM has been shut down by the GOSL for airing sexually explicit content on its program "Three hours with Sumali".
I have not tuned in to this program but listened to a few clips (can be found at Wiki). Some of the stories are a little bizarre, to say the least. It doesn't sound outrageously explicit - just crude. However the *doctor*'s (Prasanna Jayatilleke) advice isn't inappropriate and it's high time sex education is made more available to the youth of SL Does the GOSL expect school teachers and parents to provide the necessary answers to the questions asked?
UPDATE 11/12: The Wiki article has been edited and the links are no longer available.
UPDATE 11/13: Links
I have not tuned in to this program but listened to a few clips (can be found at Wiki). Some of the stories are a little bizarre, to say the least. It doesn't sound outrageously explicit - just crude. However the *doctor*'s (Prasanna Jayatilleke) advice isn't inappropriate and it's high time sex education is made more available to the youth of SL Does the GOSL expect school teachers and parents to provide the necessary answers to the questions asked?
UPDATE 11/12: The Wiki article has been edited and the links are no longer available.
UPDATE 11/13: Links
How to be Interesting
Here are 10 ways to be "interesting" - good suggestions, all of them. It's strange that while I have always been described as "an interesting individual" during the occasional job evaluation (occasional=once or twice a year) here in SL, it never came up during the interview process. In fact, I once asked an interview what he expected of an employee and he rambled on a list of the usual "what-makes-a-good-team-player" crap but never once said he wanted a person who was "interested" in working for the company or an "interesting" person in general.
Internerd
If you ever need to know 248 ways to annoy people (#107 - As people talk, smell their shoulders.), this is the site for you. It also includes a wonderful list of sarcastic remarks (#68 - And which dwarf are you? ) and a very easy-to-follow cookie recipe ;)
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
YouTube - Invention of the Year
TIME Magazine has named YouTube Invention of the Year - and with good reason too. It has completely changed the concept of video-sharing and tell me, where else can we find five minute clips of old TV shows with such ease?!
Desperate Measures
"Security forces have stepped up their red alert in the city following information that the LTTE, having failed in their bid to enter Colombo in the recent past, could use an ambulance with the siren on or even come dressed as a newly married couple in a decorated limousine.
Following this information orders have gone out to all check points not to spare ambulances, couples on honeymoon and even hearses."
That ought to make life more interesting for everyone, dead or alive...............
(Via Lanka Newspapers)
Following this information orders have gone out to all check points not to spare ambulances, couples on honeymoon and even hearses."
That ought to make life more interesting for everyone, dead or alive...............
(Via Lanka Newspapers)
Faith Hill is a BAD Loser
First - I am not a country music fan. I was watching CNN yesterday and caught a glimpse of Faith Hill's reaction when the winner of the female Country Vocalist of the Year award was announced at the annual CMA awards. It was hilarious!!
Just watch it in slow motion - I bet she actually new the camera was on her the entire time, too.
Ms Hill has been quick to deny she lost her temper and claims it was a joke. Right.
Just watch it in slow motion - I bet she actually new the camera was on her the entire time, too.
Ms Hill has been quick to deny she lost her temper and claims it was a joke. Right.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Protecting Our Own
The plan to charge royalties for each song performed at musical shows and other commercial use of local artistes' creations has resulted in an actual fee structure.
Annually 100 rupees per song for broadcast on TV and 20 rupees for radio
Night clubs, karaoke bars, restaurants and musical shows are charged 5,000 rupees per song per year
Organizations such as banks, conference halls using local music for an event need to pay 15,000 rupees for a license
National Lotteries Board, Development Lotteries will pay an annual license fee of 100,000 rupees each
Copyright music is free for educational purposes, talent performances, welfare and non-profit events
"Under the Intellectual Property Act 2003 of Sri Lanka, organizers of musical shows and electronic media institutions, will now have to get prior written permission from artists, NIPO Office said Monday.
Director of Sri Lanka Performing Rights Society, Bobby Boteju says those who violate the law face a six months jail sentence or a fine of 500,000 rupees, with penalties doubled for repeated misuse."
(Via LBO)
Annually 100 rupees per song for broadcast on TV and 20 rupees for radio
Night clubs, karaoke bars, restaurants and musical shows are charged 5,000 rupees per song per year
Organizations such as banks, conference halls using local music for an event need to pay 15,000 rupees for a license
National Lotteries Board, Development Lotteries will pay an annual license fee of 100,000 rupees each
Copyright music is free for educational purposes, talent performances, welfare and non-profit events
"Under the Intellectual Property Act 2003 of Sri Lanka, organizers of musical shows and electronic media institutions, will now have to get prior written permission from artists, NIPO Office said Monday.
Director of Sri Lanka Performing Rights Society, Bobby Boteju says those who violate the law face a six months jail sentence or a fine of 500,000 rupees, with penalties doubled for repeated misuse."
(Via LBO)
"Rajatha Rashmi" - Gone for Good?!
So it appears "Rajatha Rashmi" - the state-funded Rupavahini's response to the insatiable appetite for talent shows prevalent these days - has been suspended since last weekend. The reason? Misappropriation of funds - around 30 million rupees, according to this report!
I have yet to read an official statement by Rupavahini on the subject - what's with the silence, I wonder. The program is aired on Sunday night and last Sunday (Poya) a message indicated the program will be shown again next weekend.
Prior to the start of Season 2 of its extremely popular Sirasa Super Star series, Sirasa was very quiet and three other channels (Rupavahini, ITN and Swarnavahini) immediately started their own talent contests - some of them mind-numbingly boring and the others barely watchable. "Rajatha Rashmi" was the better program by far.
I watched a few episodes of the singers' auditions in Rajatha Rashmi (it also includes acting and dancing) and was very impressed with some of the talent from outstation areas. I must mention this guy called Saman Lenin, was quite outstanding - I haven't seen him on TV much since he was selected for the finals. He has a really good voice and so do at least three others whose names I can't remember, unfortunately.
What's going to happen to these guys if the program is permanently canceled? Or is the e-news article just another pro-Sirasa creation?!
I have yet to read an official statement by Rupavahini on the subject - what's with the silence, I wonder. The program is aired on Sunday night and last Sunday (Poya) a message indicated the program will be shown again next weekend.
Prior to the start of Season 2 of its extremely popular Sirasa Super Star series, Sirasa was very quiet and three other channels (Rupavahini, ITN and Swarnavahini) immediately started their own talent contests - some of them mind-numbingly boring and the others barely watchable. "Rajatha Rashmi" was the better program by far.
I watched a few episodes of the singers' auditions in Rajatha Rashmi (it also includes acting and dancing) and was very impressed with some of the talent from outstation areas. I must mention this guy called Saman Lenin, was quite outstanding - I haven't seen him on TV much since he was selected for the finals. He has a really good voice and so do at least three others whose names I can't remember, unfortunately.
What's going to happen to these guys if the program is permanently canceled? Or is the e-news article just another pro-Sirasa creation?!
The Search for Black Gold
Nov 06 (LBO) - The Maharaja Group on Monday signed a deal with Norwegian based oil drilling firm Aker Kvaerner, for future involvment in oil and gas exploration in Sri Lanka. (Link to LBO article)
Hmmm..as diversified as The Maharaja Group is, the idea of them dealing with a Norwegian oil drilling firm is just plain freaky....
Hmmm..as diversified as The Maharaja Group is, the idea of them dealing with a Norwegian oil drilling firm is just plain freaky....
Download Episodes of LOST 3 and Prison Break 2
Garret the Great has created two separate pages for LOST 3 and Prison Break 2, where each new episode is added weekly.
By the way, if you have not watched the complete first season of Prison Break, please don't bother watching the second - it won't make any sense!
By the way, if you have not watched the complete first season of Prison Break, please don't bother watching the second - it won't make any sense!
Four-finned Dolphin Stuns Scientists
"Experts believe that the dolphin's ancestor was a dog-like creature which roamed the earth many millions of years ago. And now the extraordinary discovery of a bottlenosed dolphin with an extra set of flippers has provided living proof of the theory.Scientists have so far been unable to tell whether the four-finned dolphin, caught in fishermen's nets off Japan's Wakayama province a week ago, uses its extra set of fins when swimming."
(Image from Daily Mail)
Pronto - the Best Way to Get It On
Condoms which can be put on in just a few seconds are going on sale in South Africa this week. Appropriately named "pronto", the condoms are sold with a small plastic applicator packed inside each foil pouch
Seeing is believing, so watch the demo - oh yes, there really is a demo.
Unfortunately pronto condoms are not for available outside South Africa - yet.
Seeing is believing, so watch the demo - oh yes, there really is a demo.
Unfortunately pronto condoms are not for available outside South Africa - yet.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Indian Cities Head List of Best Off-shoring Sites
New Delhi headed the seven Indian cities that topped the list of 24 from around the world vying for the tag of favorite offshore sites, said neoIT in a report entitled: "Offshore Insights: Global City Competitiveness."
New Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai and Kolkata were the seven most favoured sites worldwide to locate offshore, said the report assembled from feedback from over 60 clients.
Read the rest at LBO
More at Reuters
New Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai and Kolkata were the seven most favoured sites worldwide to locate offshore, said the report assembled from feedback from over 60 clients.
Read the rest at LBO
More at Reuters
Chocolate Sushi
KookiSushi: fetishistically accurate replicas of sushi, executed in fine chocolate, including green-tea "wasabi" and chocolate soy sauce.(Via Boing Boing)
Borat: Box Office King
"Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" turned out to be the number 1 movie at the US box office this weekend.
Here's a clip of a TV interview about the movie:
Here's a clip of a TV interview about the movie:
Friday, November 03, 2006
Concert Featuring Music by Rohana Weerasinghe
'Susara Gee Rawe, Rohana Ransara Geethavaliya,' a musical evening organised to mark 35 years of music composing career of Rohana Weerasinghe, the true Sri Lankan music legend who has made a name, locally and internationally, will be staged on November 4 at 6.30 p.m. at the National Youth Council Auditorium, Maharagama.
The top most artistes Sunil Edirisinghe, Edward Jayakody, Deepika Priyadharshani and Charitha Priyadharshani Peiris will also perform at this musical evening. This would bring wide range of top songs composed by Rohana Weerasinghe.
(Via Daily News)
The top most artistes Sunil Edirisinghe, Edward Jayakody, Deepika Priyadharshani and Charitha Priyadharshani Peiris will also perform at this musical evening. This would bring wide range of top songs composed by Rohana Weerasinghe.
(Via Daily News)
How to Save a Wet Cell Phone
I wish I had read this before I was flung into a swimming pool with my brand new mobile phone tucked in my pocket......would have saved me 50k....
Chasing Seagulls
Investigations into the Seagull saga have revealed the firm held accounts in at least two commercial banks and approximately 113 million rupees have passed through the bank accounts discovered so far.
Victims of the scam have formed an association and have posted a picture of a man who called himself Raj Kumar on their website and are offering a reward for his capture (bounty hunter alert!).
Victims of the scam have formed an association and have posted a picture of a man who called himself Raj Kumar on their website and are offering a reward for his capture (bounty hunter alert!).
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Bye-bye Polythene
Finally, the government has decided to ban the use of polythene from January 1, 2007.
By far one of the better decisions made by the GOSL, I salute those who have undertaken the task of implementing and monitoring the ban.
By far one of the better decisions made by the GOSL, I salute those who have undertaken the task of implementing and monitoring the ban.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Reviews by Readers at Amazon.com
I found the following review of Orwell's classic "1984" quite amusing...:
"Caitlyn from Atlanta, GA, wrote: "1984 is the worst book I have ever read. I would advise anyone who is thinking about reading this book to reconcider! George Orwell is not a bad writer, however, this book he does not do evry well on, as some of his others. Prehaps he was getting old and lost his touch. Animal Farm was okay, but 1984 was horrible. It took him forever, it seemed like, to get into the accual book. If someone were to take out all of the useless part of 1984, it would be half as long. Why would he wirte so much about nothing? I havent ever meet someone who could wirte such a boring book about the goverment. I have meet many people who have loved this book, but i dispised it. I am not at all intrested in the goverment. This may be part of the reason that I didnt like it. I would advise you not to read this book." (via Boing Boing)
...until I read the last entry posted at Amazon World:
"Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
This book was as intellectually stimulating as watching a blind goat rape a treestump. I've never been as horrified in my life as I was by this terrible, terrible disgrace upon writing . I have to wonder where people come up with some of these images. "
Sadly Amazon World has not been updated in awhile.
"Caitlyn from Atlanta, GA, wrote: "1984 is the worst book I have ever read. I would advise anyone who is thinking about reading this book to reconcider! George Orwell is not a bad writer, however, this book he does not do evry well on, as some of his others. Prehaps he was getting old and lost his touch. Animal Farm was okay, but 1984 was horrible. It took him forever, it seemed like, to get into the accual book. If someone were to take out all of the useless part of 1984, it would be half as long. Why would he wirte so much about nothing? I havent ever meet someone who could wirte such a boring book about the goverment. I have meet many people who have loved this book, but i dispised it. I am not at all intrested in the goverment. This may be part of the reason that I didnt like it. I would advise you not to read this book." (via Boing Boing)
...until I read the last entry posted at Amazon World:
"Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
This book was as intellectually stimulating as watching a blind goat rape a treestump. I've never been as horrified in my life as I was by this terrible, terrible disgrace upon writing . I have to wonder where people come up with some of these images. "
Sadly Amazon World has not been updated in awhile.
LTTE Cadres To Provided With Overseas Jobs
"They will be found jobs here or abroad, depending on their choice, after they undergo rehabilitation,' government defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said."
Well, that's one way of getting rid of them........
Well, that's one way of getting rid of them........
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