Category Archives: taking the piss

Toffsy Turvy in the UK: A Labour Party Government?

Edward Upali in Canada

After 14 years of chaotic rule, the governing Conservative Party of the UK, lost the General Election to the Labour Party on July 4, this year.  However the Labour Party, battered by successive election losses and the threat of losing ground to the Liberal Democrats, had transformed itself to be almost an image of the Conservative party, never mind their working class supporters. Since the July 4, election, Labour were out to reassure the British voting public that they have nothing to fear from a Labour take over, and that life would go on as usual, except for the old age pensioners.

 

 

 

 

The Labour Party was led by Sir Keith Stramer LLB, KCB, KC. the leader of the Opposition since 2020, became the Prime Minister of the UK on July 4.  Rishi Sunak, B.A. M.B.A , the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Conservatives became the leader of the Opposition.

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The Branding of Islamic Migrants to Ceylon Over the Centuries

WHEN Shamara Wettimuny’s article  in the History Workshop Journal entitled The Colonial History of Islamophobic Slurs in Sri Lanka”  …. was placed in FACEBOOK it received the following set of comments: some prejudiced against and some in favour. The ethnic difference in the authors is quite marked and thereby marks the depth of ethnicity in the island context …. TODAY.  

Moving at a tangent, I stress that the research work that generated the book by Roberts, Colin-Thome & Raheem which is entitled People Inbtween (1989 Sarvodaya) becomes profoundly relevant to this set of engagements. Note that my deployment of the THUPPAHI concept for my web-site’s brand name emerged from this body of research. So, do visit this entry as well: https://thuppahis.com/why-thuppahi/

The original article can be access in THUPPAHI at ………………… https://thuppahis.com/2020/09/07/experiencing-denigration-in-sri-lanka-the-muslims-yesterday-and-today/

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Left-wing Groupthink is strangling UK’s Universities

Matt Goodwin, in The Sunday Times, 1 September 2024 where the title reads Left-wing groupthink is strangling universities, so count me out”

Having watched free speech being marginalised by a narrow monoculture over two decades, Matt Goodwin is stepping down from teaching students

This summer, after more than 20 years of teaching and researching in Britain’s universities, I decided to quit my full professorship. While I remain an honorary professor I will no longer teach students or carry out my usual academic duties. This is the first September in two decades that I will not be welcoming first-year students on to campus.

Why?

Universities are weighed down by financial problems, an ideological monoculture and a shift in focus to “student satisfaction”

   ILLUSTRATION BY RUSSEL HERNEMAN

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Face-to-Face in Admonishment: Drama at the Adelaide Oval, 23rd January 1998

Michael Roberts

Ashan de Alwis’s article in The Ceylon Journal Volume 1/1 published in mid-2024 is as readable and excellent an essay as anyone can wish for.[i] It focuses on the 50-over one-day cricket match between Australia and Sri Lanka played at Adelaide Oval on the 23rd January 1999 and specifically on the no-balling of Muralitharan for throwing by umpire Ross Emerson and captain Arjuna Ranatunga’s unprecedented actions in challenging the umpire.[1] This account is supported by a graphic picture – as iconic as world-famous unusual. It does not fail to note that the Sri Lankan batsmen, batting second, did not let Murali or the fans down: led by a Mahela Jayawardene century, they reached the massive England total of 303 in the last over with the last man Murali at the crease.

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A History of the Middle Finger Phallic Insult

Daniel Nasaw, BBC News Magazine, Washington, on  the 6th February 2012 with this title When did the middle finger become offensive? …. an item which quickly generated 138 comments [thus ‘gestures’ of sorts]

“Up Yours”– gestures MIA

Whether or not M.I.A. was aware, the gesture originally referred to a phallus ….. [is in question]

An American television network has apologised after pop star M.I.A. extended her middle finger during Sunday night’s Super Bowl halftime show. What does the gesture mean, and when did it become offensive?

A public intellectual, expressing his contempt for a gas-bag politician, reaches for a familiar gesture. He extends his middle finger and declares: “This is the great demagogue.”

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That Middle Finger Gesture: “Up Yours”….

The Wikipedia Reading

The middle fingerlong fingersecond finger,[1][2] third finger,[3] toll finger or tall man is the third digit of the human hand, located between the index finger and the ring finger. It is typically the longest digit. In anatomy, it is also called the third fingerdigitus medius,  digitus tertius or digitus III.

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Bokku and Hara-Kiri sink Sri Lanka in Third ODI Match at Pallekele

Michael Roberts from the Outside without seeing Live Coverage

Studying the CricInfo ball-by-ball reportage and the eventual surveys by  BBB and Rex Clementine, it seems to me that the principal reasons why Sri Lanka lost were because of (A) Suryakumar Yadav’s sagacious  captaincy; (B) an Asitha Fernando bokku; (C) the search for sixers by our set batsmen when going for two or fours was a more sensible method; and (D) Charith Asalanka’s first-ball duck –the  second in a row. And since I am a devoted Gallilean that last factor is esepeciially galling (pun intended).

But let the scores and two reviews by Rex Clementine and  Hemant Brar respectively tell you the story …. while I also direct you to Facebook where, no doubt, Brian Thomas will be posting a caustic set of comments in his familiar style.

Suryakumar Yadav: whose capataincy & personal contributions were central pillars in Indiá’s dramatic win

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USA kow-tows to Natanyahu: ‘Ehemai Hamu’ on the World Stage

John Whitbeck in COUNTERPUNCH where the title reads “American Obeisance” … & the highlighting emphasis is the work of The Editor, Thuppahi

 I have just witnessed the most pathetic and humiliating hour which I, as an American, have experienced in my lifetime.

Netanyahu sketches vague outline for post-war Gaza _ Reuters

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Jocular Readings of US Presidential Race from Within

A Sri Lankan American Jester: “The US Presidential Election: Trump vs Harris”

The Prosecutor vs the Felon?

What if Harris choice for VP is Pete Buttigieg?

What theater!

… cliff me !

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Senaka Weeraratna presses His Claims as Inventor of the DRS in Cricket

Michael Roberts

Senaka Weeraratna of Royal College and Sri Lanka has been persistent in his campaign for recognition being accorded to his role in conceiving the revolutonary DECISION REVIEW SYSTEM in cricket matches. On one occasion he even visited me at my sister’s house in Hampden Lane,Wellawatte, Colombo, in order to persuade me about the validity of his cause. I never had any objection to his position; but I have no clout within the ICC and limited capacities in investigating such an issue. All I can say is that SENAKA reminds me of one Anagarika Dharmapala — one of Senaka’s relatives — in the zealousness and persistence devoted to a cause. 

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