Category Archives: pulling the leg

December 27, 2020 · 1:47 pm

World Shaking Moments and “Bivva Neda Vadakaha Sudiya”

Senaka Weeraratne

In 1955, the Solar Eclipse caused quite a commotion among people in Sri Lanka resulting in speculation on a range of outcomes. Some offered a Syrup (Paniya) called ‘Vada Kaha Sudiya’ claiming a potency to turn a darker coloured skin into a fairer skin colour. Hundreds of women jumped at this offer and placing faith in the claim (like snake oil) rushed to take the drink, drank the syrup and fell ill. Some died.

Extraordinary times produce unusual personalities and unusual concoctions. Like the Dhammika Paniya now offering a cure for COVID – 19.

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August 3, 2020 · 11:45 am

Lanseelam in 1985: Cut and Thrust ….

“EELAM INSPIRES LANSEELAM BY BURGHERS”….. Appendix ONE in People Inbetween by Roberts, Colin-Thome & Raheem, Ratmalana 1989, Sarvodaya Book Publications, fac. p. 8.

1, Deebuey Street, Lan Sea Park, A. 5071.

1 January 1985.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I write on behalf of the Lanseelam Association of Australia Inc., a body which was recently formed for the purpose of defending the rights of Burghers in Sri Lanka.

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July 26, 2020 · 5:00 pm

The Pacha-Gaha of Yesteryear in the Heart of Galle

Ruhuna Putra, in Island. 22 July 2020, with this title “Galle’s famous Fibber’s Tree”

It was a giant tree of the Banyan family (Ficus altissima), fairly tall, most of its branches canopied and dotted with many a rookery, while some branches bent downwards to the ground and propagated. It also had several subsidiaries. It was centrally located within the town of Galle in a small section of the large cattle pen of the mighty King Ravana covering vast acres, opposite the present police station and close to the war memorial roundabout.

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July 12, 2020 · 7:16 pm

Ubiquitous Beings in Sri Lanka

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June 6, 2020 · 12:34 pm

The Neck Smothering WE Males Desire

…. and the Lambada on the Sands that paves the way

 

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March 22, 2020 · 1:23 pm

The Trump-and-Modi Fandango: Imperial Arms in the Indo-Pacificic

This article, entitled “Two State Hypocrites—The Indo-Pacific Humbugs” – written by one “Pettibandige” in Asian Tribune annoyed me greatly when I glanced at it first: in part because it is a slashing hack job steeped in bile and excess; and in part because of its glossing over of the Japanese imperial expansionist programme in the first half of the 20th century via its assertion “Possibly Pearl Harbour was a result.”

However, the stream of stridency adopted in the essay seems to be a literary device that is (A) in step with its play on the Sinhala ge name “Patabändige” – modified here to “Petti” as in box; and (B) in line with its continuous mockery of the two leading actors, namely Trump and Modi. I have therefore inserted my own imprint by marking those points I question in black and those jibes that have some foundation in red …..  Michael Roberts

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Sri Lanka TODAY = länket näthuwa …. Kota Uda!!

ONE ISSUE: to what extent has EXTREMISM been nourished by the particular electoral structures we have had from 1947 to 1977 and then from 1978 to 2015/19?

Comment from Ivan Amarasinghe in UK, 12 November 2019

Perhaps the piece that is cutoff had too many thorns, roughness, irritability and even poisonous to the welfare of the Lank-et wearer!😜🤣
The guy seems to say “better a loin cloth / amudey than a fully covered thorny Lank-et. 😡🤡

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November 11, 2019 · 8:43 am
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Behind the Scenes: Pitipassen Paalanaya

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October 1, 2019 · 8:48 am
September 15, 2019 · 9:31 am

The Loch Ness Monster Emerges Again … To be Undermined

Matthew Weaver, in The Guardian, 6 & 9 September 2019 with this title “Loch Ness monster could be a giant eel, say scientists”

The Loch Ness monster could be a giant eel, according to a fishy new theory that will keep Highland tourists guessing. In one of the biggest DNA studies of its kind, a team of scientists from New Zealand’s Otago University found the presence of about 3,000 species in the deep murky waters of the Scottish loch. Most of the creatures were very small, and while they did detect DNA from pigs, deer, sticklebacks and humans, there were no monsters. But Prof Neil Gemmell, who led the study, said he couldn’t rule out a theory that eels in the loch have grown to an extreme size.

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August 16, 2019 · 5:21 pm

“Bonfire of the Vanities” in Screeching Crescendo in Sri Lanka Today

Elmo Jayawardena, in Island, 15 August 2019, … http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=209019

The phrase BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES took life more than 500 years ago, 1497 to be precise, in the Italian city of Florence. The unusual practice was started by the followers of Franciscan priest Girolamo Savonarola. He denounced corruption, despotic rule and the exploitation of the poor. These were un-abated traits of Florentine rule, which were evenly spread among the rich and the powerful. Friar Savonarola waged war on vanity and preached to his followers to discard anything that was vain for a simple life of a man or woman who sought lasting contentment and happiness. To this end, he encouraged people to bring all their items of vanity and burn them. The bonfires of the vanities became a rallying call of the followers of Padre Savanarola so much so the Pope excommunicated the rebel priest and imprisoned him. He was later hanged along with two of his assistants and their bodies were burned. So ended the Bonfires of the Vanities, and Florence went back to abusing power.

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