Early Results Confirm that Shift to Donald Trump is Credible

Trump has got 277 electoral colleagues and may go above 300 which has not happened for a long time in American history.

 

Let us hope President elected Donald Trump Unites Americans with Dignity but not subservient to the neocons created by Democrats..

This piece is for my own consumption.

Last time, I tacitly supported President Biden not knowing ABC of American Politics.

Now I am bit wiser and I understand how the system works (being a complete foreigner).

It appears early results indicate that the bookmakers prediction of 56% shift to Donald Trump as against 44% to Kamala Harris holds true.

Already Trump camp has got 4 million (out of 7.5) and has over 5,000,000 popular vote lead which is statistically significant.

It is actually 5 to 8% shift of voting behavior.

There is already 75 electoral colleague lead to Trump Camp.

Taking last 40 electoral colleagues out of 100 that is not counted yet would be OK with 5% shift.

 

It does not look a like clean sweep or a landslide victory but still a win at the end of the day.

I think by the time Wyoming is declared, it would be nearing 250 of the 270 

(total of 258) needed. 

Florida Flip was unexpected.

My belief is Donald Trump Camp, instead of wasting time on "Battle Grounds" they concentrated on Winnable States.

It was a clever strategy.

One can lose a "Battle Ground State" having spend more money and efforts but if one lose a winnable state it is a tragedy.

I think Democrats and their Media were obsessed with Battle Grounds, thinking it was close tussle.

They are proven wrong.

It is more predictive than a close call but one has to wait for more results to see the ultimate result.

I hope it is a shame if Democrats would call for recounts and delaying tactics to delay the full result.

Better call it a day without hanging on.

Good Bye Biden, we from the Global South were fed up of you for a long time of War Mongering Neocons.

 

EU guys and especially EU head must be wetting the pants.

CNN and NBC has to bite the dust for their failed campaign.

Thank You for electronic system with nice visual display.

By the way, it took 4 days for the election result to be declared in 2020.

Unless one gets 270 in early stages, this time it might drag on for a week or more due to recounting (it is waste of time) SAGA.

Current president holds the mantle until in January, it is confirmed by Electoral Commission and oath is taking in front of the chairman of the Supreme Court.

There is continuity and no break in government until the proper succession.

Third World War which Israel and Zelensky wanted won't materialize, for sure.

I do not know how Russians react to this change.

My gut feeling is, they do not trust any American or any diplomatic guy from the West.

Insight

Insight
The meaning of insight in medical terms is  powerful.
In psychiatric terminology one who has lost insight to his or her predicament is actually has a major psychiatric disorder.
 

It is the marker of insanity.
 

Most of the other disorders with insight into the plight of an individual in a given stressful situation are minor psychiatric disorders.
In depressive illnesses, one who has lost insight to the given predicament is said to have Endogenous Depression.

One who has insight into the predicament is called Reactive Depression.
 

Insight into a scientific problem is what propels the science forward.
 

What it means is given a certain scientific problem, one has to delve into its core and bring out a meaningful explanation for the occurrence of a particular phenomenon.
Often there are no measurements or data.
A hypothesis is developed to explain the phenomenon and thereafter it is tested for its validity.
 

Insight by its nature predates the hypothesis.
 
Insight can be of used outside the scientific arena and may herald clever resolution of complicated conflicts, especially political. 

We could say Nelson Mandela’s approach to apartheid showed his mature political insight.

International Labour Organization

 This is just a reminder to NPP how ILO works in global sphere.

Some guys are talking about disbanding Worker Unions.

Remember the American contribution, in early stages of Labour Movement.

Read the piece "England, the Labour Stalwarts and the Decline of Labour Principles" in this blog site.

International Labour Organization

As the ILO celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2019, it is timely to reflect on the many life-changing events which are linked to the ten decades of ILO History.
The Organization has played a role at key historical junctures – the Great Depression, decolonization, the creation of Solidarność in Poland, the victory over apartheid in South Africa – and today in the building of an ethical and productive framework for a fair globalization.
 

It was created in 1919, as part of the Treaty of Versailles  that ended World War I, to reflect the belief that universal and lasting peace can be accomplished only if it is based on social justice.

 
The Constitution of the ILO was drafted in early 1919 by the Labour Commission, chaired by Samuel Gompers, Head of the American Federation of Labour (AFL) in the United States. 

It was composed of representatives from nine countries: Belgium, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Italy, Japan, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The process resulted in a tripartite organization, the only one of its kind, bringing together representatives of governments, employers and workers in its executive bodies.
The driving forces for the ILO's creation arose from security, humanitarian, political and economic considerations. The founders of the ILO recognized the importance of social justice in securing peace, against a background of the exploitation of workers in the industrializing nations of that time.

There was also increasing understanding of the world's economic interdependence and the need for cooperation to obtain similarity of working conditions in countries competing for markets.

 
Reflecting these ideas, the Preamble of the ILO Constitution states:
Whereas universal and lasting peace can be established only if it is based upon social justice.
And whereas conditions of labour exist involving such injustice, hardship and privation to large numbers of people as to produce unrest so great that the peace and harmony of the world are imperiled; and an improvement of those conditions is urgently required.
Whereas also the failure of any nation to adopt humane conditions of labour is an obstacle in the way of other nations which desire to improve the conditions in their own countries.
The areas of improvement listed in the Preamble remain relevant today, including the regulation of working time and labour supply, the prevention of unemployment and the provision of an adequate living wage, social protection of workers, children, young persons and women. 

The Preamble also recognizes a number of key principles, for example equal remuneration for work of equal value and freedom of association, and highlights, among others, the importance of vocational and technical education.

 
Early years
The ILO moved to Geneva in the summer of 1920, with France's Albert Thomas as its first Director. 

Nine International Labour Conventions and 10 Recommendations were adopted in less than two years. 

These standards covered key issues, including
 

hours of work,
 

unemployment,
 

maternity protection,
 

night work for women,
 

minimum age and
 

night work for young persons


ILOSTAT 2023 global estimate

Global labour figures at a glance
1. Labour force participation rate                60.8%
2. Unemployment rate                                       5.1%
3. Working poverty                                            6.4%

Labour statistics play an essential role in the efforts of member States to achieve decent work for all and for the ILO's support of these efforts.
These statistics are needed for the development and evaluation of policies towards this goal and for assessing progress towards decent work. They are also an important tool for information and analysis, helping to increase understanding of common problems, explain actions and mobilize interest.

 

Reproduction

 

 

Queensland of Australia had local elections and the winning party had four themes.

 

Youth crime

Health

Housing

Cost of Living

 

I followed Australian politics for long time and I am a down to earth  Labour supporter but Labour lost but it has 45% of the voter base. 

But the Federal Government is Labour.

Australia has many problems and they do not address them.

1. Obesity

 

2. Alcoholism (major cause of traffic accidents and youth crimes)

 

Ceylon has an alcohol crisis, a guy asking money for quarter bottle from Ranajan Ramnayake is genuine.

 

Bottom line is Ranjan Ramanayke did not know the price of a quarter bottle and dispensed Rs.500/= to the guy. 

It used to be Rs.550/= and one has to give an empty bottle to get Rs.50/= rebate. 

That is long time ago well before elections.

It must be much more, now.

This is what happens one become a film star cum politician, they forget grassroots.

 

I used to buy a quarter bottle for one of my alcoholic friends and last time I bought a Free Quarter Bottle, I told him, if the price goes up, I will not be his friend any more.

I wanted to wean him off and I miserably failed. 

I was planning a send off and invited a few friends for drink at Silverdale Hotel, in Kandy. 

One guy came late, probably wife had told him not to join us. I sensed it (I was not short of cash) and we had a good cup of Mesna Tea. 

In fact, it was Mesna Tea Pot.

 

There is no Mesna Tea in Australia and I really miss Mesna Tea.

I promote Ceylon Tea for many many years. 

I have stopped carrying Ceylon Spices away (except cinnamon) and only carry Ceylon Tea as a gift. 

 

I have forgotten how much Tea in Kg one is allowed at the Airport.

 

I am off alcohol thanks to late Mangala Samaraweera, the day he raised TAXES, I had my last Wine (usually two pegs but 4 on that day and bar attendant also had one) Peg. 

 

Never Pol Arrack (I hate its smell) but  VSOA was my favourite.

 

Gin and Tonic was my favourite over a game of billiards or snooker.

 

Luckily, I had published my book on "Joys of Alcohol" on Amazon   (it is selling well) but I did not include these real life stories.

 

3. Immigration, especially Chinese taking over of, not  only restaurants but small businesses.

 

4. If one looks at the Universities the percentage of Chinese students (Universities do not have money, so they encourage paid students from aboard) is increasing at an alarming rate.

 

These Chinese guys have more rights than Australian Aborigines.

 

That is my bone of contention.

What is the States of Aborigines?

5. In heavy machinery, Australia still depends on United Kingdom and American Amazon for technological stuff.

 

Less I talk about technology in Ceylon better it is.

6. How to solve the Debt crisis.

Nobody has a solution.

America has a big Debt Crisis going into trillions.

 

Australia is also heading for Financial crisis.

Human Dimension, Open Inquiry and Quality of Information

Human Dimension, Open Inquiry and Quality of Information

This piece is based on Open Inquiry envisaged by Kalama Sutta of Lord Buddha. 

Lord Buddha when asked by Kalama "Who is telling the Truth", of course Kalama having listened to many opinions in circulation, gave him several qualifications, before accepting something as plausible. 

Buddhist monks of yesteryear had expanded the qualifications to 10 but I say unlike monks Buddha never counted his fingers when dispensing a valid question. 

He was brief and precise. 

Buddha was very good at counter questioning, too. 

I have a longer piece here in this blog, on Kalama Sutta and you are free visit. 

Before validating Quality of Information, healthy dose of skepticism and a liberal sprinkle of satire are fundamental in this cyberspace.

In a scientific sense, Data become garbage and statistical analysis becomes random manipulation, as required by the corporate needs.

Coronavirus and Big Pharma are current examples.

My book, "Coronavirus Who  cheated us Locally and Globally" was published with that sense of skepticism and satire.

It took sometime for the global community to be aware and wide awake with current events.

If the sale of the book was an indicator of "Open Inquiry" my humble attempt was a success.

The Human Dimension was tragic reminder of the insensitivity of the CDC hierarchy of the American Scientific System wrapped in corruption.

Death due to vaccine far exceeded the number of death due to virus itself.
That is a human tragedy.

It will take sometime for the scientific community to gather any form of credibility in the minds of average citizens.

The role of media was bizarre.

No point crying over proverbial spilled milk.

It is now sour anyway.

The premise here is that American Administration does not want it citizens to be Free Inquiring. 

Free Inquiry is not in the American genes. 

Americans should always swallow what the government is saying as the gullible truth. 

1. Ukraine is winning. 

2. We are a democracy. 

3. Russia is no military power. 

4. Zelensky is clean and he never smoked stuff. 

5. We do not employ "Truth Embargo". 

6. Alien visitation was simple imagination. 

7. Bob Lazar was a fictional guy and was clueless in physics. 

This list is endless and I will leave at lucky number 7.

England, the Labour Stalwarts and the Decline of Labour Principles

 Reproduction

England, the Labour Stalwarts and the Decline of Labour Principles

Before I forget I have to jot down three names.

Not in order of preference or priorities.

Mind you I was a Labour sympathizer, then.

Not any longer.
No politics of conviction.
No religious affiliation not even academic conviction having not-registered as a practitioner in Ceylon over 20 years.

1. Arthur Scargill was a coal miner who became the Labour Union Leader.

He was personally persecuted by Mrs.Thather whom I disliked very much.

He disappeared from the scene with the money and came back to fight legal battles both within and outside the Labour Party.

He lives in recluse now rarely appearing in public.

2. Ken Livingstone was a labour union leader who became the Mayor of London.

He started as a Council Member of Greater London and became the Mayor of London when that institution was formed.

3. Tony Benn was a labour activist and an excellent orator who imparted some religious favour to his convictions.

4. In this category Neil Kinnock was almost a total failure and lost 4 times to conservatives and remained as an amiable opposition leader to the liking of the conservatives.

5. Tony Blair who remained as a PM for 10 years tried to modernize the party and his "look like conservative party" has ruined it to the core.

6. Jerome Corbyn who inherited this legacy could not reform it to the current needs of the middle class and shifted towards the left and immigrants instead of the British Base.
Less I talk of current Mayor of London, Khan is better for British Labour enthusiasts. 

He is hanging on doing nothing of substance but he would be ousted by a real Labour guy (like what Ken Livingstone did decades ago).

7. Keir Starmer is the ideal choice for the labour party to come out of the wood and lead a possible victory within a short time. 

 

I have to revise my opinion below and he is a War Monger (against Labour Policies) and supporting War in Ukraine. 

He is an American stooge now.

He is smart.
He is intelligent.
He is not eloquent (unlike the oratory of the past without tangible actions).

He has the first hand experience in prosecution and should expose (no need to prosecute and an average intelligent British citizen would do that for him when the time is right)  the current wheeler dealer goons around the Conservative Party.

In fact, Conservative party members are already doing that for him.

Why waste energy but activate the young grass root level enthusiasts.

He has to extract the intent, purpose and  how the corruption insinuate even at health institutions dealing with Coronavirus.

Be patient but onslaught should be targeted and the conservative are corrupt to the core by nature unlike real labour activists.

I do not like the word socialists.

People are not equal but different at all levels but bringing them together with a common bond (every life young or old deserves dignity) is what an astute politician should do.

He should shun the paedophiliacs and sexually disoriented guys hiding behind the political garbs.

One caveat here in this country people appoint the most corrupt to the highest office and the parliament and they scratch their backs within 24 of declaration of the poll count.

There are lot of Asians including Ceylonese who have come to UK with their trade marks of "absolute corruption is the only way forward".

That will be the path (absolute corruption) for UK, if Conservatives remain any longer.

Do not take this as a wishful political thinking but a common sense approach to any human endeavour including mitigating the pandemic and it's effect on an average guy.

They have no money in their hands and living on "hand to mouth existence'.

I saw this in 1970s in Ceylon and history repeats itself with only a little difference, democracy is shutdown totally and a dictatorship has come to stay with the blessing of corrupt Sangha, for 5 years at least.

He is not answerable even to the Almighty.

People are STUPID after all, all the time!

How to use a dead soldier's cellphone

How to use a dead soldier's cellphone 

This is not in any way to help Russian War machine.

They may already have a solution up their sleeves. 

 

I have not yet, figured out how to use a dead man's email. 
This is on the same line.

After all CIA manufactured cellphone to snooze the entire world.

Dead man is dead but his cellphone needs only recharging (if the cellphone is destroyed, get Google to activate, another on his name. Google cannot verify one is dead or not) and if a SMS is sent stating     "I am not dead yet but fighting from heaven " .

Americans have to upgrade the dead list using OPEN AI, in a new" neither dead nor living category ".

Americans can be fooled just by a simple SMS.

If the Russians are crafty they can place the dead cellphones in an ideal locations to luver Ukrainians but really Polish soldiers to rein in to the designated locations and the Russians can smash them with a simple strategic artillery and thereby saving big pieces for the winter onslaught.

Ukrainians will have only winter clothing but no ammunition made in Americas, come deep into winter.

Reflection on Death Squads

Reflection on Death Squads

It started with saving our elephants from political goons that include Buddhist monks.

I am totally against parading elephants on Kandy streets.

It is inhumane.

Elephants belong to the jungle, not the temples.

When vehicles were hard to come by the elephants were the beast of burden.

Now that we have huge vehicles belonging to politicians and tuition masters, Buddhist relics could be transported and paraded by the official vehicles of the parliamentarians.

Poor wild beast can be spared.

What is called the "New Culture" is the invention of Buddhist radicals!

By the way, "Old Culture' has disappeared leaving only the remnant of its artifacts, for the archaeologists.

Easily 250 vehicles could be paraded every year in Kandy displaying Buddhist relics. 

Now that Sirasa is almost banned what is left of  Indian Maharaja Organization can sponsor this event.
 

They can even sponsor some Indian Bollywood guys to chaperon the Diya Wadana Nilme, on either side, instead of elephants.

That would be an instant crowd puller.

By the way, all high priests of big temples have their own luxury vehicles (quite against, Lord Buddha's teaching) to boast about.

Monks ideally should parade streets on foot, for a single meal, but not on vehicles!

Giving a vehicle to a monk is a political bribe.

Instead of allowing sons of political heavy weights practicing road races in Kandy, poor citizens would be rejoiced to see, the politicians who did not have a push bike before entering the parliament drive their own cars, as a public display of their gratitude to the STUPID Voters who rocketed them to parliament and to sky high places.

No Sri-Lankan elephant should be gifted to any world zoo for public display.

Our hashish (ganja) growers have invaded their habitat.

Wild elephants going rampage on border villages was inevitable.

We should stop these "Elephant Death Squads".

I do not mind having "two legged" elephant death squads, come next round of elections.

This preamble is to illustrate I was against any form killing from my childhood.

Having spent few cockroaches and frogs and toads for A Level practicals, I vouched not to kill any including snakes of many kinds.

By the way, the name Anaconda is derived from a snake named Ana Konda (means broken backbone) a large species gone extinct  whose attacks were vicious according to British explorers of early 1800s before eventual capture of Kandy or Senkadagala.

Kandy comes from Kanda or hill city.

Having encountered a few cobras in very close encounters, I fear cobras a lot.

In fact, I have grown a few "Spirit Plants" to deter them who come for water during the dry season.

I am not sure how effective the "Spirit Plant" is?

In a different note,  I was 4th on the List of Deaths of the DJVP created by RAW of India and financed by none other than CIA.

I was in the death list for no valid reason.

I was working to save life when DJVP declared all hospitals should be closed.

I did not close our hospital run by IIMI.

I moved out of sight, secretly the day before the probable attack on me.

Family was sent home, weeks before.

By the way, I treated many DJVP guys without charge, fleeing from army cordon and search operations with barbed wire injuries on their backs.

One day, I walked 7 kilometers from Kandy city to our home, in the darkness of the night.

Having returned home from Colombo, I used to walk home nearly 2 kilometers, since all the local buses were not plying then and there were no three wheeler vehicles.

Even though, I was cautious, I never feared anybody.

I never trusted police.

One day, I walked home from the Faculty of Medicine and noticed an unusual gathering near the petrol station.

I doubled down and walked quickly home.

Minutes after I returned home, I got a telephone message that an army guy protecting the petrol station was shot down by the JVP (Galkatas guy).

I was able to make a small team of civilian informers to get vital information on both sides to avoid any confrontation.

Of course. I  had direct confrontation of over 80 armed DJVP guys surrounding my residence from the front entrance.

I did not know the whole village was hiding behind my residence on the same night thinking DJVP guys would not come to my house.

They told me when I inquired them the next morning.

What a coincidence?

Immediately foreign staff was sent Hotel Galadhari and our operations were halted abruptly.

I stayed behind until all the computers were transferred  to Colombo safety.

One day, wife and I went to Colombo for some VISA formalities. 

At the bus stand I had the premonition that something is going to happen.

I chased a Kandy bound bus taking off and for our luck the driver slowed down for us to alright.

The driver too, wanted to get out of Colombo as soon as he could.

Minutes later LTTE bomb blasted, at Borella Junction.

We heard the bomb blast in the background, and we were minutes away from the bus stand.

I did not have any fear but traveling by any mode of vehicle was a risk, since orders were to "open shoot" any suspicious moving object.

The "Counter Death Squad" of Senior Premadasa amounted to 138 bodies (in one day) in the locality where I was posted.

I saw 15 of them scattered on a major junction for public display.

Some bodies were dumped to the Mahaweli River.

The rotten bodies were visible.

Later they dumped a few crocodiles from downstream of Mahiyanganaya  to devour them.

I do not believe they came up the river for dead bodies.

One cannot raw dinghies on this stretch of the river Mahaweli.

These crocodile are man eaters.

By the way, Mahiyanganaya is the first place Buddha visited according to folklore.

These are not hearsay but real events.

During Sirima's time over 6000 undergraduates were rounded up.

I am not sure how many were killed.

If one studies, the absentee list of undergraduates in all the universities, one can have a rough estimate of the total killed.

Lionel Bopage who is now in Australia may have some revealing statistics.

Unknown to me JVP hid their explosives on the ceiling of our room 11.
They also, tipped off the army to my room.
Sure enough they came and tapped the door of our room.
They found the explosives.

Luckily for me lieutenant who lead the team was one of my colleague mates.

He wanted some names.

In private, I  told him (I knew the JVP boys), I do not want to take that risk.

He understood and none from Arunachellum was rounded up.

I never met him again and I heard he retired as a brigadier.

Not only Tamil boys but Sinhala boys were taken in by the army, only on suspicion.

I lost respect for armed forces early in my life.

History repeats they say.

Black Cats, Yellow Cats and Green Cats with different NEW brand names would emerge in Ceylon, yet again.

But in Ukraine it would be All AI and no humans.

The soldiers are going to be fodder for the laser focused AI guns and artillery.

What an IRONY?

EPF and ETF Contributions

The EPF (15) and ETF (4) are very important monetary instruments created by late T.B. Illangaratne. 

 

His insight to problems of working class was monumental. 

 

He created the Ceylon Insurance Corporation,too.

When I was attached to the University, my contribution was about 10% (total with University contribution was 25%). 

My time in the university was very short but I had reasonably good amount at the time of retirement. 

 

Unlike in the private sector, a guy who leaves the university could withdraw this money before the age of 55 years.

This peace is about the ordinary guys and girls who work in the private sector. 

Private Sector guys (Navaloka Hospital for example) do not fill the B form and discharge workers after one year in service

He or she cannot obtain it until the age of 55 years.

This money until then is invested and managed by an efficient team in the past.

The employer contribution is 13.5% currently. 

I do not know about the workers contribution.

Under MJ/GR a certain portion of this money was invested on their shoddy private projects. 

In other words, these guys stole the money belonged to the poor workers.

I believe some of these institutions have already gone bankrupt.

The present government under RW is trying to destroy these assets by investing on shoddy projects without protection from the Central Bank.

When they go bankrupt, I believe the employers get a cut and those workers, under 55 get nothing.

The money or contribution of the worker is gobbled by some political guy or girl as a loan facility which is never paid pack.

Big investors are protected by default but the ignorant worker is invariably swindled.

This is where trade unions are important. 

Trade Unions should place a collateral investment against its member and should take over the money belonging to the worker under 55 (institution going bankrupt) on his or her behalf as long as he or she has contributed the annual membership fee.

They should intervene on behalf of the worker and the money should be saved in wirker's name. 

Like what we had in the university the member should have the right to withdraw money in case of collapse or bankrupt.

These political guys are crooks,

My daughter's money  in a saving bank account was stolen by Chandrika for her election campaign, (election second time round).

Unfortunately Central Bank is on the side of the crooks.

BEWARE!

Beautiful Mind

Beautiful Mind
Can the mind be beautiful?
Yes, of course.

How do you do that?
 

When the mind is detached from both the convergence and divergence strategy of a dogma, the turnaround is the beautiful mind.

It flows into the unconquered and the blissful state.
 

One has to work on it.
 

It does not come automatically.

Water is our Right

Water is our Right
Chandrika tried to sell water for debt.
 

I was very vocal (read my book water politics) then.
I was with IMMI they changed to IWMI and I strongly opposed and resigned.

The first white paper was drafted in 1989 or so.

This same paper surfaces back and again.

Need to maintain the pressure.
 

Ranil is cunning and might slip this through, if he wins, which is most likely.

I do not know whether he has already done it.

Selling even Mother Lanka for money is his Goal.

Hung Parliament Should be taken as a Blessing

Please note, I have removed all the blog pieces here, related to Ceylon Politics.

My prediction is a "Hung Parliament".

Probable distribution of seats would be;

NPP            100 seats

SJB.              80 seats

Tamils          25 seats in the North

Muslims         8 seats in the East

SLPP              8 seats

Peratugami    2 seats

Rest                2 seats (includes Ramanayake associates) 

It is a Healthy Development.

 

In 1960s it was normal.

 

JRJ changed this with a bizarre Post of Presidency.

It should be abolish sooner than late.

I am not subscribing to Strong Opposition or Strong Government.

I prefer neither.

ARAGALAYA or Peaceful Change was a landmark in our political history. 

Ordinary masses were fed up of the two party system.

Yes, NPP/JVP hijacked the ARAGALAYA theme but could muster only 42%.

That is not a tragedy but a healthy manifestation. 

This 50% plus 1 vote scenario (First past the post) is not good for Parliamentary Democracy and the proportional representation is the better choice.

Even fringe parties should have a place.

In fact, I support the fringe parties but not the money driven Ali Raja party.

I support the parties without money but with good political (not mature yet but maturing, fast) ideas.

 

We must allow the new ideas to come to surface.

In that sense "Hung Parliament" is a blessing in disguise.

Being bound to a dogma is an antithesis. 

It becomes a paranoia in no time and hinder new ideas.

This period of experimentation is necessary for Ceylon (for Asian countries excluding China) to explore and to evolve into a better system of administration.

I do not think China would allow such an evolution. 

The Muslim dominant regions in China (Dalai Lama included) were subdued whereas in Russia Chechen are an accepted political engine while remaining within Russia.

My earlier prediction was 45%, 35%, 15% and the rest of 5%. This has become more broad based now.

This distribution does not reflect the statistical Bell Shaped Curve but shows the real political trends (not political divisions). 

Trying to unify them is not going to work.

After the election making a coalition is a different kettle of fish.

In general, it represents the fringe parties (and also the unpopular parties).

Unfortunately, this phenomenon is not seen in the Tamil and Muslim dominant areas.

It is a pity.

The remnants of LTTE influence is still visible. 

Tamil people have different cast systems.

They should be represented by political wisdom for them to become visible and active. 

After all, JVP started as caste based (dominant) party.

More representation is better for Ceylon and it is an evolving phenomenon.

That is the Message Aragala or Peaceful Change brought to our polity.

Accept it as normal and do not let it die a natural death or subdued by power politics.

 

That is my wish.

 

Good Luck to Fringe Parties.

 

Each one of them should get at least one seat.

That is my wish.

After all they worked hard to come to this point in politics and they deserve a place.

 

A type of "Colour Revolution". 

There Won't be Another Donald Trump, Again

Yes, there won't be another Donald Trump in the foreseeable future, in American History.

I think Donald Trump would become the next US President by an easy margin of electoral colleagues.

I have two reasons for this statement..

1. Three attempts at his life has tipped the balance in his favour.

His ability to survive was the key factor.

2. Kamala Harris is the worse Democratic candidate in living history.

To this one can add that Biden Family would never forgive Kamala Harris for (Obama was the secret agent), not allowing him to go for a second term.

 

Indirectly, Biden's inactivity and letting the Deep State and Military Industrial Complex to run the affairs in America (including Global sphere) would backfire on Democrats.

Since the Democratic Machinery could not manipulate the early voting in postal ballot, their cohorts seem to vandalize the ballots boxes (this happens one sees the impending defeat) by burning the ballots (deliberate and not an isolated incident).

 

It is a case in point.

It is strange how democracy works in America (just like in an African state).

The answer to why another Donald Trump would not come is easy.

1. It costs a huge some to contest (coming from outside the two major parties).

Robert Kennedy junior is a classic example.

Even, Elon Musk cannot do it with his surplus money.

 

He could only help himself to the winning horse!

2. No sane capitalist with lot of money would spend that much of money on a losing campaign. 

One has to win to secure financial security.

3. No Insurance Company would underwrite a losing candidate.

 

Winner takes it all is the simple logic.

4. The media campaign of CNN and NBC would not help.

They are going to lose most of their supporters / subscribers, once Trump is elected.

 

One has to bite the dust.

Why did I give up Alcohol?

 Why did you give up alcohol?

If somebody asks me this question, I have two ready made answers and a few more thought provoking ones.

 

It effects my memory and my sleep.

 

I had a fantastic memory as a kid (which many of my friendly fellow beings did not have) and I did not have to take notes.

 

Equally, I only took short notes in strips of paper not A 4 size but that fitted in my front shirt pocket.

 

That is also things or the idea I heard for the first time (did not believe in them first hand).

 

Eg; Evolution

 

I loved my sleep and my mother would not wake me up.

She was an early riser.

 

The reasons outside those two are many.

Recent tax imposition which was a draconian law for the liberals.

 

I only prefer to drink alcohol not taxes.

 

The effect of alcohol on liver, especially on feel good factors (hormones) of chocolates is an important discovery for me.

 

Fact that, alcohol hijacks the important biochemical pathways in the liver and depletes micro-elements is another reason.

 

Alcohol turns non carcinogens to carcinogen and the vise versa.

It is a double edge sword.

 

My current intention is to highlight the good things about alcohol.

The book will be published after the election when voter goes back to his routine mode of drowning aspirations with ample alcohol.

Happiness (Ecstasy) on one side and cancer on the other.

Cirrhosis and depletion of glycogen are few others.

Sugar metabolism and early morning hypoglycemia can be mortal in your sleep for the elderly over 60.

One does not have to be a diabetic.

It effects driving skills and a common cause of accidents.

It is a universal cell poison, including brain cells.

Two points I missed and not mentioned in the description of alcohol side effects in web pages and sites are;

Compulsive gambling and legal problems related to money matters.
 

Like politicians (new breed and the old) they can become compulsive liars (to buy the next drink or to buy basic needs including food for survival).

This is where domestic problems arise, including violence.

The debts increase and responsibility decreases.

There are many more to fill a book of decent size.

 

Benefits of Meditation and Lapses in My Memory
 

I have reproduced a piece here I have written 4 years ago,
the reason being that I forgot all my bank cards PIN numbers for a brief period.
 

I used the A account's Pin Number to the B accounts's Pin number and after three attempts bank inactivated all my cards.
Mind you, I luckily had an account in a different Bank and survived until my new card arrived.
 

All this due to enjoying my retirement and paucity of use of the daily routines.
So I immediately, joined my account with a family member.
 

The other thing that one forgets is the passwords for email accounts.
I have addressed that scenario in length elsewhere.
Just like forgetting PIN numbers and passwords if one abruptly stops practicing 

 

Meditation, whatever the benefits accrued will dissipate in no time.
 

That is why I recommend (and practice MM) Moment and Frequent Meditation (mental) exercises.
 

Having said that I have not found a solution for lapses in my memory.
I still do not carry a Memory Note with me.
Now my NEW method is counting the the lapses of my memory on daily routines.
 

How many lapses a day?
 

That seems to keep my memory fine tuned.
I sometime forget to fill the bowl with water for my dog.
 

He is totally blind and when this happens he seems to go in circles round the house to bring attention to its needs.
He reminds me of the daily routine which I forget and the recurrent lapses in my memory.
 

My dog has a fantastic memory (in our age he is nearing 100 years) and still behaves like a 7 year old kid and won't do anything to annoy me.

 

That is the difference of a pet and a human soul.

 

Humans when old becomes very grumpy for no reason.
 

There is lot to learn from a dog. Sadly he is no more and in heaven and asked Maha Brahma to act as my guardian angle.

That appointment is pending.

This is part of the introduction to my Book on Meditation.

Benefits of Meditation

 

There are many claims of benefit of meditation often poorly substantiated.

Some of these benefits can be obtained without resort to meditation but simple change in life style.

Suppose a meditator changes his food habits drastically say to a vegetarian diet and practice meditation as a routine and finds that his blood cholesterol is lowered significantly, and then if he or she attributes it to the practice of meditation, there is a big flow in that argument.

One is not sure whether the change in diet did effect the blood cholesterol level or the practice of meditation or both did have independent or summation effect on the level of blood cholesterol. Unless one take a random sample and assess the partial correlation, then only one can attribute combination or independent effects on a particular quantity tested.

Qualitative changes cannot be tested since one cannot quantify the results. In actual fact the effect of meditation is often qualitative and very individualistic and one cannot feel the same effect a different mediator would have felt at the time of his or her meditative stance or instance/s.

This is very true as far as the Jhana States are concerned.

With that reservation in mind one can describe the many unmeasurable benefits attributed to meditation in Buddhist literature.

Metta Meditation

In Buddhist literature it is claimed that one who practises Metta Meditation falls to sleep easily and get up in the morning peacefully.

It is wished in the last three lines of the Sutta.

By reciting Karaniya Metta Sutta one should feel physically and psychologically better, one is made free of illness and one attains the highest goal or victory.

That is of course the Nibbana.

They may be just wishful thinking or one may actually feels better physically and psychologically.

It is also claimed that the natural immunity to cancer and infections are increased by practicing Metta Meditation.

This is something Venerable Ajhan Brahma Wanso preaches in most of his teaching.

Present Moment Meditation

This is something that is worth discussing here.

It has direct relationship to day to day activities.

I believe it has significant contribution to the efficiency of one’s trained skill, simply due to the intense concentration one may apply in his or her work skill at hand (without any distraction).

It is simply the focused attention to the task at hand.

If one is focused on any work, the efficiency goes up by leaps and bounds.

This is very well shown in management training.

When focused attention is combined with attitude to work and other measurable increase in environmental components the work output and the efficiency levels improve.

This is something shop or floor manager can use in day to day basis.

It is called a Quality Drill.

It does not matter how one qualifies the content or the output but the efficiency of the skill concerned improve by both repeated practice and focused attention to the moment of the activity.

Samatha Meditation

There is no specific measurable benefits of Samatha Bhavana or meditation except the attainment of the four goals or paths of entry to Nibbana,

Buddhist spiritual goal is stream entry through development of Jhanas four in this life and 8 in celestial life.

Smatha probably is better for those who are less intelligent (One who is not able to master the finer scientific points in Dhamma).

Vipassana Meditation

This the highest goal of Buddhist meditative practice.

It is claimed that all states of Jhana can be attained by Vipassana Bhavana or Meditation. I may be wrong in this assertion but that is what is spread among the lay persons without full knowledge or the understanding of mediation.

But when I looked at the terminology, it is said that Vipassana Bhavana would not contribute to absorption states.

This (Vipassana) is called the gaining in insight by direct contemplation and vision.

Only in Samatha Bhavana one attains the Jhana absorption levels up to four.

Only when an aspirant has gained the higher Jhana level that one could develop the five kinds of supernatural powers (Abhiñña) the divine eye, divine ear, recall of past births, thought-reading and various psychic powers i.e. walk on water.

The attainment of the supernatural powers is not the real goal of Buddhism.

The attainment of these powers may actually be a distraction or hindrance to a true aspirant or a pathfinder of Buddhist path of glory.

The ability to absorb into Jhana states should not be the goal of Buddhist meditation.

The Jhana states have no hindrance and the Jhana/s could be the way forward of stream entry.

The practice of meditation may bring many benefits and they are difficult to quantify or qualify except perhaps the benefit of present moment of meditation or focus which should be practiced without a label of a particular religion.

It is when one has labels and targets or goals of attainment, the practice of meditation becomes a commercial enterprise of undesirable consequences, ignoring the correct but simple way of development of the mental culture.

I am one who believes that mediation has value in all wakeful hours of the day.

The only exception is when one is asleep and when one dreams.

I am one who talks about dreams and write about dreams and their physiological value is unparalleled only by the practice of meditation in the wakeful state.

The meditation practice is the awareness of the wondering mind and its taming.

That is the Buddhist way.

The goal is not achieving of miracle powers, even though they may or may not come as a byproduct.

Sleeping (and dreaming) is the practice of letting the mind go into an unobtrusive and unhindered state in which the mind is unaware of the physiological inputs that operate in random manner with aberrations of awareness (of the totality) but with interludes of dreaming cycles.

On the other hand meditation is to “let go the attachments” one has with all the mental faculties both sensual and mind centered.

Goals of Buddhist Meditation

The goal is the spiritual attainment (Jhana states can be a byproduct) and stream entry by progressive cultivation of meditation basically by four common methods (there are many more).

1. Metta Meditation.

2. Samatha Meditation with Kasina or various Kamatahans.

3. Vipassana Meditation.

4. Moment Meditation (my simple creative method of short durations of multiple attempts).

This is adequately dealt by Venerable Ajhan Brahma Wanso, in the book "Happiness Through Meditation". It is also published as “Meditation, Bliss and Beyond”.

It is the best book currently available on Meditation in general and my intention here is to make it more of global nature and take the religious tag at the moment of its use.

Memory and Meditation

I want to share a drill I practice on day to day basis.

This is especially because, I am beginning to lose my memory and there are short lapses infrequent though, but enough to raise alarm bells on my part lately.

Once I forgot all my password for bank cards briefly.

This was during our long industrial action when I had a laid back approach to life in general and sleep in particular.

I was not having an adequate sleep (totally engrossed in Linux downloads and testing the isos) at night.

This coincided with forgetting of passwords for half a dozen emails and Linux forum passwords.

This shook my inner senses and I now have a ready made retrieval method based on memory drill.

The combination of Metta Meditation and Moment Meditation have worked wonders for me since then.

I now even have a simple protocol to remember 16 number Visa Card.

The memory loss was partly due to gray matter losing its material and the neural networks not recharging to peak levels, probably due to old age (this handicap is seriously encroaching my body parts, if not the brain).

Metta meditation makes one sleeps well not in one go but in two short spells (Night is the shortest spell when I do most of my work to avoid mosquito menace. The mosquitoes make me aware of my lack of Metta Meditation).

Our dog is the target animal for Metta.

Mosquitoes is the antidote to Metta.

Then in the morning I have a brief 5 minutes of Moment Meditation practice at the end of it, I have a mental list of 10 things or map out the tasks to do for the day.

If the list go up to 20, I do it in two spells like my sleep.

A morning list and an evening list.

That has worked well for the last two years and I still do not carry a piece of paper with all the tasks.

If I have to carry a piece of paper to remind me the day to day work, I think I should say Good Bye and take first steps for the next round of birth.

That is on top of my wish list.

Since, I have not yet achieved stream entry, in spite of my mediation efforts, that will eventually happen (the demise not the stream entry) and is the only viable option left for me.

There is a simple addition to that wish list.

No electronic aids or tinkle to alert me of the wish list or missing tasks.

I do not use a cell phone by default.

I do not want a gadget to master my brain.

I rather "Master My Brain" instead, without a phone alert or a piece of paper.

I wonder, how long I can practice it?

PS;

Having said that I bought three new cellphones for half the price of Samsung top end models.

My prediction is all thew electrical items including cellphones go up in price after the election and import restriction whichever power that may come to power.

Currently cellphones have gone down in price significantly.

My advice is to buy one or two now.

I used buy the cheapest in Singapore and throw it to the dustbin at the Singapore airport, if I do not meet a Singaporean Ceylonese (this habit was the follow up feature of me throwing the bleeper into the dustbin on Friday evening, in UK)

What I really like is the GreenTel with Android Oreo.

Nokia is my second best (mind you they were the first to come out with this addictive item in 1980s with Telecoms regulatory changes in UK).

They were the size of a good size brick then!

Android versions list A to Z:

1. Android 1.5: Android Cup Cake
2. Android 1.6: Android Dough nut
3. Android 2.0: Android Eclair
4. Android 2.2: Android Froyo
5. Android 2.3: Android Gingerbread
6. Android 3.0: Android Honeycomb
7. Android 4.0: Android Ice Cream Sandwich
8. Android 4.1 to 4.3.1: Android Jelly Bean
9. Android 4.4 to 4.4.4: Android KitKat
10. Android 5.0 to 5.1.1: Android Lollipop
11. Android 6.0 to 6.0.1: Android Marshmallow
12. Android 7.0 to 7.1: Android Nougat
13. Android 8.0 to Android 8.1: Android Oreo
14. Android 9.0: Android Pie
15. Android 10.0

There is a guy in the opposition who has (convicted) five IDs and 25 Sim Cards and spreading political lies in various names.

Beware!

Crisis in Money Supply in Ceylon

Crisis in Money Supply in Ceylon

There is a crisis in money supply in Ceylon.

I am not an economist but a normal consumerist. 

I see the problem as simple a user and I want to know whether to buy dollars or sell dollars, at a particular point of time, is prudent or not.

In my case pound rate matters.

Dollar is 292 Rupees and it used to be 330 and I am losing 40 Rupees per dollar, if I use dollar notes.

Pound is 378 Rupees it used to be 420 losing 40 Rupees per pound.

Pound is 1.3 dollars equivalent.

In that sense, I lose less with pounds.

 It is obvious dollar is depreciating, all due to Ukraine War and the debt in trillions.

Coming back to our problem;

There are many reasons for printing money including deformed notes.

Central Bank does not store notes and legally it cannot hoard.

If the bank does hoard, it affects the currency load in circulation.

The usual practice is for the Fiance Minister to sign (one) a note (master copy) as soon as he takes the Auth.

For some unknown reason he has not done it yet. 

I can remember how Ravi Karunaratne was very happy to sign a note when he became the FM. 

He is a charted account (I believe) not an economist.

It is the season and the Christmas and New Year coming, it is a simple practice to buy alcohol, sweets and if anything left buy gifts (Come JVP/NPP, greeting cards printers would have a rough time, this year).

Ranil already has increased the postage and SMS (that is the first thing he did) rate and telephone calls are exorbitant and the emails, nobody answers.

I stopped sending SMS jokes!

There going to be currently crisis, since people do not have cash in their hands to role in. 

 

The kitty is already empty.

Unless Central Bank prints money before the end of the year, come April New Year 2025, there going to be a real cash crisis impending.

Whoever who is advising the President has no understanding in how the Central Bank operates.

 

Even though, it is an independent institution it has to follow the protocol.

Next tranche of IMF won't come in time for the April New Year, 2025, whoever who comes to power.

My estimate is a "Hung Parliament" in any case. 

 

That itself makes some delay in appointing the proper personnel.

In management, proactive action works wonders not of procrastination.

How to Prevent Dementia?

How to Prevent Dementia?

 

I do not think dementia is an invariable accompaniment of Old Age but part of the Total End Organ Failure  that is determined by Cell Cycle Events and the inability to Heal or Repair, lost cells.

  

Healing and Repair are inherent processes which we are born with (it cannot be upgraded).

 

One is free to share this with kith and kin.

This piece is in development stage.

If one modifies the contents one is responsible (copyright) for his or her own vagaries.

I am a scientific man and nothing is granted (do not take any concept as acceptable until proven otherwise) as real or fully understood.

Apply cause and effect principle as the driving force with Kalama Sutta as the safeguard for any diversion in focus of attention.

Let me take the putative causes first.

1. Lack of proper sleep (in reality disturbance of diurnal melatonin secretion).

Early to rise and early to bed is bottom line.

2. Alcohol consumption on regular basis as a energizing tonic. 

 

Alcohol is a universal cell poison including neurons.

3. Over use of cellphone that effect on and off switch of brain frequencies. 

It is much complicated than this (plasticity of brain is a misnomer).

Living under giant Telecom Towers even affect grassing cattle.

Computers and Television Screens are included in this frequency modulation effect.

4. Too much attention to Meditation and physical inactivity (means lack of physical exercise). 

Walking meditation is probably better than sitting meditation.

I have documented cases.

5. Fifth is most abundant and damaging.

Strict conformity to a bizarre religious dogmatism that can cause Third World War.

Currently it is in active mode.

6. Some medicinal derivatives, especially cholesterol lowering drugs. 

Drug companies are hiding these facts and I have documented this elsewhere in detail.

7. Ayahuasca consumption with Spiritual upliftment (in fact a grand delusion). Delusional states are as worse as dementia.

8. Consumption of beef. 

This is related to Amyloid Proteins which are not broken down to amino acids and deposited in brain in nano quantities to begin with.

Their ongoing assimilation to bigger molecules is automatic and do not need catalitic activity of enzymes.

Read the next item.

8. Certain viruses cause brain damage. Savages in Papua New Guinea known for cannibalism who eat brains of the victims harbour (long names which I have forgotten) these viruses.

This virus was generally named as Mad Cow Disease Virus.

Mrs. Thatcher in 1980s as the PM in UK suppressed this Scientific Information deliberately.

I was in UK during this period and left UK never to return.

Ready made Remedies 

1. Avoid above putative causes and have 8 or 9 hour sleep rhythm.

Power snooze (nap) of one (1) hour on the desk is mandatory at least for university students and school children.

In practice 4 hours of Deep Sleep is enough and Lord Buddha was a good exponent of this strategy and he used his waking hours to the benefit of mankind.

By the way, he walked length and breath of India. 

Sleep less and work more for your fellow beings. 

Do not work like Ceylonese Civil Servants. 

8 hours with big lunch and prolong absence from the desk on working hours.

Better skip lunch.

 

Memory which I have NOT discussed here is established in these 4 hours of Deep Sleep. 

Breaking Sleep and overnight cramming is BAD. 

I never had this habit and slept well the day before the examination (bit difficult at first but one has to cultivate it gradually)

2. Use plenty of pol sambol (kernel) or coconut oil for food.

Coconut fat has medium change fatty acids and are readily metabolized. 

Do not contribute to obesity.

 

Besides, the ketone bodies provide ready made energy even for dementia patients.

It is a fact.

Coconut water (has an excess of potassium) is isoosmottic and provides electrolytes in a suitable package.

3. Missing one meal out of three (single good meal strategy) with a good breakfast. Hunter gatherer survived on one meal.

A good banana and a good cup of Ceylon Tea (not coffee) for breakfast are adequate.

Too much Tea effects your SLEEP.

4. Regular Exercise at least twice a week.

5. Lots of Fruits and Vegetables with antioxidants including Cashew Nuts.

Cashew is a mild aphrodisiac which one of our previous Residents demanded in Sri-Lankan Airline.

 

I prohibit this delicacy to Presidents and Prime Ministers.

Bottom line is, the temporary loss of memory is an early sign of Dementia and that is the time for one to act and not later.

This transient memory loss comes after 30 years and certainly after 45 years and is probably related to prolonging (lag) of late cell cycles in a strict 50 Cell Cycles Events in Biology. 

Astroglia has some role in this.

 

To learn about the cell cycle read my book on three demented dogs, coming after the Ceylon Elections.

This is the summary of the 5th chapter on Three Dogs with Dementia funded by none other than Maha Brahma, himself.

Humour (not political satire) is the best Medicine and this is what we lack during our extended Election Campaign.

By the way, I sleep well in my retirement.

There is some relationship (brain activity) of calcium metabolism which I do not understand in memory channels or networks. 

I think vitamin D has some relationship which we do not lack in Ceylon (probably early morning hours, later in the day there are more UV light damage).

In the West taking Vitamin D supplemt is mandatory.

There is special Vitaming supplemt for those who are over 50.

Vitamin B1 and B6 are vital for brain function and Haemoglobin level is also important.

In my case, I have too much of it from early days of my life probably related to sports activity. 

I do not think I have an understanding real tumour.