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Morning Spice by Ginger
Few Christmas bargains this yearGinger did not see so many ads about Christmas bargains as November drew to a close as he did in the past years. I wonder whether they would all come towards the latter half of Christmas as the fever starts spreading or could it be that few shops and distributors are not stocking more than what they feel would move. It might merely be throwing good money after bad. It is not that they do not have the goodies that go with the yule tide season but are a little cautious about loading themselves with too much of them.
Whatever the optimists say the C.O.L. has certainly ripped the family budget apart. So the bonus and such things that help with the splurge that goes at this time would possibly go to plug the holes caused in the family exchequer and for expenses one can't avoid at the end of the year. There is no denying the fact that there is a general feeling of gloom which I am sure the shops have sensed or else there would have been a plethora of ads by now. So, could the chain reaction of falling real incomes set in just at this time?
Arthritis in old people
Practically every friend or relative you meet who has crossed that border where you say good bye to youth and then middle age would tell you that everything is fine except for the arthritis that bugs that individual. If it is just stiffness and pain in the joints, the disease could be controlled with one or nine drugs but those who have got rheumatoid arthritis are even more unfortunate. They get joint deformities, feel fatigue and get nodules of tissue under the skin.The present drugs that are available for the treatment of this condition often have side effects. Recently however number of drugs that are highly effective in the treatment of the disease have been discovered. A drug called Enbrel has already been cleared and drug called Arava is also supposed perform wonders.
Tourists sick of hotel life
Many European tourists are getting sick of the usual hotel life which offers very little difference from country to country. Countries like Japan are offering home stays where you would not only feel far more at home than at a hotel but also get to know how the nationals of that country live. In fact Japan has over three hundred miushuku which are inns run by a family.Korean home stays are known as minbak. There is a web based service that helps you find a family that will suit you and your needs for around Rs. 2000 in our currency. Your host will come to the airport and also be your travel guide. Most hosts speak English. It is time our own hosts streamlined their service and tried to get a bigger slice of this market.
Sri Lanka are champions not only in cricket but also in many other disciplines. We are tops in suicides, illegal brews, political hoodwinking, confidence tricks, disinformation, misinformation and road accidents. Further we are far ahead of other countries in relative vehicular traffic per road mile. In this article, I shall attempt to analyse as to why we are at the top of the table with regard to road accidents. No one would dispute the fact that we could claim a very high rate of traffic accidents, many fatal and many maiming.
Vehicles per road mile is over 500 which is far too heavy even for a highly developed country. This invariably leads to heavy and hazardous traffic jams. Road construction work adds to the misery of the road user.
It is not only the insufficiency and the defective road volume that causes the too many road accidents but also many other minor and major factors. Let us analyse.
Pedestrians: Walking on the right side of the road is not the adhered rule. We are taught as young ones the rule of walking on the right of the road. We are also taught to go in single file. Does it happen? Two or three abreast is the general rule. How many cross the road over the pedestrian crossing? With the crossing in sight a few meters away, most of the pedestrians cross the road elsewhere. Crossing the road in front of moving vehicles as if in a great indecent hurry is a too common sight. This causes the vehicles to apply brakes suddenly causing the following vehicle to crash into its rear. Even when crossing over the pedestrian crossing, one would very often see the lethargy of the pedestrians. The young people are the worst offenders.
Cycles: The cyclists behave as if they are on a picnic. They are anywhere and everywhere. They take turns and twists at their fancy. They are never on the edge of the road and more often than not on the very centre. The cyclists generally ride two or three a breast and at times they tend to have a chat on the road causing massive inconvenience to the other road users.
Motor Cyclists: A very dangerous breed indeed! They are confirmed Kilroys. They occupy always the centre of the road. Creep through impossible spaces making one's heart stop. Not only they cause jams, but also many an avoidable accident. They ply at break-neck speed. At times the whole family is on the cycle. For no reason they are often abusive. They take absolutely unnecessary risks. A real menace!
Three Wheelers: How these drivers creep through thick traffic is mind boggling. 4/5 passengers are taken in them. These drivers have absolutely no regard for other people's lives. In fact they appear to have no love for their lives as well. They are very well organised. Even in a minor accident where a three wheeler is involved, it would be an experience never to forget, to the other party. If the latter comes unscathed it is a wonder. They never give room for others but always have their own way on the highways or by-ways. They in fact invite accidents. They are kiljoys and kilroys.
Motor Cars: The contribution by motor cars to the high rate of traffic accidents is comparatively low. Most of the accidents do occur due to drunken driving, uninterrupted long distance driving which causes exhaustion and lethargic reflexes and the usage of cellular phones while driving.
Vans: Due to the low cost of diesel, almost everyone prefers to use vans for their travel. A van occupies almost thrice the road volume as a car. Very often it is seen that there is only one occupant in the vehicle. It is criminal for one person to take away such valuable road space. Today, it is no exaggeration to say that the vans (passenger & goods) constitute more than 70% of the vehicular traffic. They are fast and creep through, forcing others into accidents.
Intercity Coaches: A law unto themselves, they are real kilroys. Their dare-devil driving and utter callousness is a menace to other road users. They overtake at break-neck speed only to brake suddenly to pick up a passenger. This not only causes traffic jams but unnecessary accidents.
Passenger Coaches: They are no better. Compete with each other for passengers with absolute disregard for the following vehicles. They weave through other traffic and overtake. They are a menace though a necessary one.
Buses: Whether national transport or private. Their regard for the other road users has much to be desired. They are often not courteous and civil.
Goods Vehicles and Long Vehicles: Very often they occupy the fast lane causing much inconvenience. They also occupy very large volume of road space. To have them plying during peak hours cause immense traffic jams and accidents.
Others: Double bullock carts, single bullock carts, hand carts and tractors do not contribute much towards the traffic accidents though they contribute towards traffic jams. It is commendable that when they appear on the roads, they generally take the outer lane causing the minimum of inconvenience to other road users.
What then? How are we going to help in this situation. None would disagree with me when I say that once you set out on a journey, there is no certainty that you would return in one piece or unmolested. To be driving in Sri Lanka, would qualify anyone to obtain their driving licence anywhere in the world without a test. It is so heart rending and so challenging. In my opinion, there are solutions to this unwanted high rate of accidents. In one word it is the absolute necessity for rigid discipline.
1. Before a driving licence is issued to any road user he should be given a basic knowledge of road discipline. They should know when to overtake and how to brake as well as how to park. They should be educated to respect the rights of other road users.
2. Pedestrians should learn where to cross the road. They should never go 2 or 3 abreast. Single file on the right side of the road should be inculcated in everyone's mind. This should and could be taught at school.
3. Motor cyclists and cyclists should make it a point to use the outer lanes and not cut into other traffic. They should be taught never to creep through traffic.
4. Heavy vehicles should never be allowed on the roads during peak hours. At other times they should be strictly instructed to use the outer lane. That is Police work.
5. Vans plying with just one person should be subjected to a penalty. That would discourage them from abusing the low cost of diesel.
6. Medical personnel who conduct medical examinations on would be drivers should inculcate in the examinees the importance of road discipline. Their mental disposition should be deeply examined and those who are not upto expectations should be rejected. It is a pity that some doctors do not go deep into the mental disposition of examinees. Just physical fitness would not do.
The traffic police should take very strong action against all those who are errant.
Further, I would strongly suggest that:
* bays should be provided for passenger vehicles and all buses. It should be a punishable offence to take in or drop passengers anywhere else.
* no permits should be issued for cellular phones to be used in vehicles. Cellular phones used while driving should be confiscated.
* Double-decker buses should be encouraged on the roads by the private sector as well as the national transport board.
* further import of vehicles - new and re-conditioned should be drastically reduced.
* drivers smelling of alcohol (whether under the influence or not involved in any accident) when detected even at check points should be stripped of their licences at least for a few years.
Many of my suggestions may not be acceptable to the errant road users but would be of immense benefit in bringing down the high rate of road accidents.
Dr. A. D. V. Premaratne,
Chilaw
The next major meteor shower after last month's Leonids, is the Geminid Meteor shower scheduled to peak on 13th/l4th December. This is a dependable annual shower of 60 to 100 slow moving meteors per hour as compared to the Leonids which are relatively fast. Although it is expected to peak on the above dates, it becomes active from about the 9th to the 19th. Watch between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m.
The radiant or the apparent visual position of its origin is in the constellation Gemini which will be a little NE of the familiar Orion constellation which is clearly visible now. The radiant of a meteor shower is an optical illusion, and not an actual physical point of origin, since these meteoric particles hit the earth's atmosphere in the form of a parallel stream.
This is akin to the familiar railway lines which seem to meet at a point in the distance. These particles travel at a velocity of about 35 km. per second, (79,200 mph) about half that of last month's Leonids which were travelling at 71 km. per second or 158,000 miles per hour!
Astronomers have calculated that the first Geminid shower would have appeared in the year 1800 and that it will go on till year 2100 when the earth will no longer cross this stream of meteoric particles and the Geminids would be lost forever.
Incidentally one does not need to know all this sky stuff to enjoy a meteor shower. Just go to an open space with the maximum sky visibility preferably with minimum of light pollution, and recline on a chair if you possibly can and just look up and enjoy the show. Meteors or 'shooting stars' as they are popularly called, should appear in all directions all over the sky! If you trace back their directions, they will all end up at the radiant in Gemini near the bright star Castor, one of the two brightest stars of the constellation.
The Geminids cannot be expected to be as spectacular as the Leonids, which however did not reach expectations in this part of the world anyway. There was a world wide disappointment among the sky enthusiasts last time. Although 18th November was to be the peak night it had done so 16 hours earlier than expected, and thus, Asia did not get a ring side view of the show.
We were having daylight hours at that time. Canary Islands in the Atlantic apparently has had the best show with over l000 meteors per hour. This was announced by the International Meteor Organisation over the Internet on the following day. Nevertheless I counted 51 with at least a dozen good fireballs on the 17th between five and six in the morning in light polluted Colombo, while 18th showed up only about two dozen meteors. There was some degree of disappointment world-wide, since a storm was expected, but only a shower was seen. A good Leonid shower is again expected next year at the same time, and it should be a treat for every sky-watcher who missed it last time. So watch out again next year! For the present enjoy the Geminids.
Mr. K. Abeywickreme of Nugegoda, whose letter 'Meteor Shower' that appeared in these columns on 25th November is not the only one who missed the Leonids. It appears that he had not read my letter 'November Celestial Fireworks' in these columns on the 6th November, where I had indicated the time of the height of activity to be around 2 am local time on the 18th which happens to be the GMT time on the 17th that Mr. Abeywickreme mentioned. Unfortunately however that was not to be the case, according to the IMO reports, as I have mentioned earlier.
Dr. A. N. Dharmawansa
Colombo 07
Reading the Parliamentary Proc-edures on the Budget on 23/11/98, in the Island Paper - Under the Cultural and Religious Affairs Ministry, the Minister Lakshman Jayakody had made a statement that a 'Halal Act Draft' is ready and will be sent to all parliamentarians for their study. I think the whole country should be made aware of what this Act is.
I am surprised that the Minister of Cultural Affairs and Religion is bringing such an Act forward, as this Act will enable large quantities of flesh to be exported to foreign countries, specially Muslim countries.
I hope all right thinking people both in the government and opposition vote against passing such an Act. The Ministry of Buddha Sasana coming under the President herself should protest at once against the introduction of such an Act as this will mean the killing of millions or more animals.
It is said that animals have no vote so they have to suffer. But let me remind that though animals have no vote, Animal Lovers have a vote.
Dr. C. Godamunne
In a letter to your journal of September 17, a concerned citizen from Avissawella has raised many pertinent questions about the application of GST as operative now. I was hoping that the President or the Deputy Minister of Finance, Prof. G. L. Pieris would reply this letter or make a clarification about the issues raised. Sadly up to date no reply has been forthcoming. I was quite bewildered by the exemption of the gem and jewellery from the GST as was mentioned in this letter.
Why are our socialist MPs of various hues so silent on this issue? As an ordinary citizen aren't we entitled to some sort of reply from these servants of the public?
N. Amarasekera
'Peace? What is 'Peace', Amma?
Is it a cassette piece or a deck piece, Amma?
'No, son, 'cassette piece', is spelt, 'PIECE!'
This, 'peace', is spelt, 'PEACE', son!'
'Then, is it a game, like cricket, Amma?'
'No, son, cricket, is a gentleman's game,
Where they have rules and both sides have
To observe and obey these time-honoured rules and regulations!'
Then, what kind of game is this, 'Peace, Peace, Peace,
They are talking about all the time?
What kind of game is it, Amma?'
'Well, son, 'Peace', is something like
A game, they call locally as, 'Booruwa' or 'Asking, Hitting'!'
'Is it like Bridge or like harmless, simple '304', Amma?
'No, man, 'Booruwa', is a dirty, cheating game,
Played by only criminals and other bad people, son!'
Don't ever play, or even think about it!'
'So what has that got to do with 'Peace'!
You haven't told me what 'Peace' is in the first place, Amma!
What is it exactly, Amma?'
'You see, son that is the kind of game,
Everyone is playing today, to deceive the people!
'Peace', according to the dictionary,
Means, 'freedom from disturbance',
'Freedom from war', 'cessation of war',
'Ease of mind or conscience',
Tranquillity, quiet, stillness, silence, etc.'
'Oh, I see, thank you, Amma!'Thambirajah Mahadevan,
Vavuniya.
Rambling Notes by Nihal Corea
The Mayor - earlier a city father now a citymum
Now the Mayor of Quellendorf in Germany has got the citizens in that far flung town in that country in a state of shock and ire as well. Small wonder too. They banded to vote for his dismissal after he had announced that he was becoming a woman. Naturally, they would have thought he had played a dirty trick on them.
To rub salt into the wound he had re-named himself Michaela. The public would possibly have been infuriated at the thought of dealing with a coy and giggly Michaela when in fact they were under the impression that they had elected a man called Norbert Lindner. Now this male says he would in future be known as Michaela.
They might have been less nervous if Norbert called himself Norma or a similar name closer to Norbert after his sex change. But what fancy thought made him pick on Michaela.
That is what is causing the jitters around that township. Does this converted version of their mayor have any sinister thoughts once the change occurs. They might have the fear that their new mayor could be a raving nymphomaniac.
Now this could complicate matters considerably for the people of this German town if the old saying that 'kissing goes by favour' is given a literal twist. The new mayor could well run amok and complicate matters for the whole town. What would happen to the affairs of the town if the affairs of the mayor led to pregnancy.
What could happen to the town if the mayor who is just entering her naughty forties is in constant need of maternity leave. Many a programme will go off kilter as the mayor goes off shape but all this deduction and supposition comes a little too late. The operation would be over by now.
The people of Quellendorf are naturally in a huff. They say they elected a man as a mayor and not a woman.
There may be a touch of male chauvinism in it all. After all a woman could administrate just as well as a male and in this instance the mayor who was a city father and now city mum could see the problems of the town from more than one angle.
The burghers of the town say that she has lost authority as they voted in a man and what is more they seem to be furious that he has drawn journalist from all over the world with his conduct. There have been vast changes behind the mayoral robes of that city and it is precisely these changes that the press are after.
There are also certain domestic problems before the changed and curvaceous mayor. He was the father of two children. Now those children will find themselves with two mothers and no father to turn to. On the other hand they would find that their latest mother would be turning to males to sort out her biological problems at least.
Ombudsman
A student pleaI am a student and am 12 years old. I love computer and some day I wish to be a computer expert. For a long time I have been requesting my father for a computer with internet facilities. At last my father obliged me with my request. I get lot of valuable information on education, science, and modern computer technology through the internet. The telephone bills up until three months back was Rs. 3000/- to Rs. 4500 . .But currently the telephone bills have gone up to as much as Rs. 13,000 to 14,000 which my father says he cannot afford.
As such my father has decided to disconnect the internet facilities. If this happens I will not be able to enjoy the facilities on the internet. In this situation I am helpless. I request people in power and authority to help me keep my internet connection.
Hisham Zarook
Colombo 6
