No Entry For Football

Thanks to Organizers who did a excellent job by staging it in the Middle east.

I did not watch football at all except the match of Portugal and Morocco where a young football star Ramos displayed his skill well ahead of Renaldo.

Lionel Messy is my favorite and my gut feeling was Argentina will win not by penalty kicks but by a single goal.

It is painful to  watch football match for over 90 minutes and not see a goal.

I wanted the French to lose just like UK for secretly helping that mad guy in Ukraine who is a drug addict and an embezzler par excellence. 

British, French and more importantly Germans are "currently" slimy guys.

One cannot believe what the say and what they do like blasting the pipeline and blaming Russia.

Poland also has fallen into the ditch American have dug for them.

Angela Merkel's "spit" or 'vomit"epitomizes the Western duplicity, in politics and sports.

This War will drag on till 2024 Elections in USA and the West will have this winter better than the next.

It is a slow but steady meat grinder for the West.

Banning Russia in sports is not real cricket.

All these scenarios made me to quit all sports for good. 

But nobody should take the credit out the Argentinians who deserver te victory.

My only wish was if only  Deo Maradona lived for few more months to see the match.

He probably would have watched the match from heaven! 

Hope you enjoy the dream of a dog below.

He is not in heaven but has attained Nibbhana by "NO Entry" plea!

No Entry For Football

Posted on January 9, 2011

World Cup Football (fever) is over and the Maha Brahma (really his assistant) tells me that few of the earthly beings ended up in his salvo with request to change the honor’s list which he declined until such time the inquiry into the head butting is over. 

He was annoyed that he gave a big brain to the humans expecting them to use it wisely but not in combat as in head butt. He has set up a commission to investigate how to reduce the brain to a size (manageable in sport) needed for the current century that man including politicians can use  prudently.

Maha is also worried about the free entry of politicians including French Presidents to sport events which they do not have a clue in administering let alone enjoying.

Until such time I have to pen down a current story circulating in the heaven.

It is about a stray (Paraya) Dog of Ceylon.

This Paraya Dog of course is a resident of Kandy.

He had been frequenting a large temple, a doctor’s clinic and a lawyer’s residence in his active life. In actual fact he was visiting the rubbish heaps of those concerned.

Unfortunately he is terminally ill from a disease he contracted from the doctor’s rubbish dump.

I am not sure whether it was a dog’s dream or in fact a divine story but it goes on like this.

In his deja-vu state he happened to address the Brahma and the Brahma politely asked him what he wants to be in his next life. 

The Sandy (the adopted name for this canine specimen because of his muddy color) of course asked can I be a High Priest in my next round.

The Brahma asked why you want to attain high goals?

Sandy promptly said no Sir, judging by the type of food he eats, his liking is no different from mine he said. Then Brahma said that is not what was intended by the Buddha if you want to be a high priest the minimum code is Dasa Sil and higher and listed all the prerequisites.

Then Sandy declined saying that I was so faithful in my life I cannot do that.

What about a doctor he asked. That is OK but there is a problem. The doctors have a Code of Conduct and they also tell you don’t eat this and that (cholesterol), don’t drink alcohol, don’t smoke and don’t have sex without a condom.

“But my experience is different” by the doctor I was frequenting and Maha promptly said that is typical of Ceylonese doctors and they do not practice what they preach just like others.

Then Sandy asked why not a lawyer?

It is OK but there is a hitch. He went on elaborating that lawyers have to frame and pass laws to combat all the vices the doctors and high priests claim and he is inundated with such claims and there are pressure groups claiming that some are violating human as well as animal (if a man want to be an animal like Zidene  Zidane be that so) rights.

Life is not easy on this sunny island he said.

Then Sandy asked can I be your assistant?

Well that is no problem but there is a bit of a problem. As soon as you come here I have to take leave and you are in charge and you have to wait till the Maha comes from his leave of absence.

I thought you are the Maha.

No I am his assistant and I was a Pedigree Dog not worldly wise like you and I promptly accepted his offer as an assistant. Moment I came here he went on vacation but you must know that the vacations here are counted in eons and not in days.

So you are stuck with your faith of the master!

In that case can you cancel my life entry and no entry at all for next round like the next world cup?

It is possible but there is a long waiting queue and you have to wait for at least the next Poya.

Is that OK?

Then Sandy asked why such a delay?

I am in a hurry.

You know I have to check each entry carefully and especially the CVs of all Ceylonese applications. There are lot of errors and false declarations, it is some what of a dull job. 

To tell you the truth even my entry had a long list of Pedigree dogs and Maha Brahma had to scrutinize each generation and told me “you not that pure as it claims”.

I told him it is not my fault it is the fault of the master.

He promptly accepted my innocence.

How long is your CV?

Only 4 entries in all Sandy told the Maha’s assistant.

How come?

Paraya, Paraya, Paraya and Faithful are the only entries.

I am sure of my mother but not sure of the father.

Why the hurry?

In a short while the Kandy Perehara is due we would be rounded up and sent to hell by the Kandy Municipality.

Brahma’s assistant asked no more questions and the Sandy’s request was granted promptly and he successfully attained Nibbana.

Who says an intelligent, faithful and trustworthy dog cannot attain Nirvana.

This is not the first in record, the Brahma’s assistant tells me.

PS. Zidane name was incorporated to celebrate the French Independence and no offense to him or France was intended.

14th July 2006

How to Lie in Dreams

 

How to Lie in Dreams

It is fortunately a public holiday, I woke up very, very late. In fact, it was after three attempts by my dog telling me, it is pretty late in the day, as far as he was concerned.

Why don’t you wake up?

That was his message.

He has got used to a good routine with me all because of our prolong industrial action, he knows all my routines by heart.

He never put his front feet on the bed but he did it toady to see whether I was really late but not dead on my sleep.

I had a nice long dream too.

For a change, I want you to interpret it, in my own ways.

The Dream

The dream goes backs to about 50 years.

It was in the Peradeniya Campus.

It was in the evening and I was doing my own jog around the campus. I was on the side of our physiology don’s house, who was a burgher gentleman.

I climbed a little soil mound and peeped over the window to see whether the madam was in to tease her. 

 To my horror she got into a panic mode and loudly said,

“Leela, the thief has come, catch him”

Leela is the wife of another don in the Faculty of Arts.

She got hold of a broomstick (that the recognized weapon and no T-56 then) and moved sideways and I followed her instinct for a few steps and quickly took a about turn and ran behind her house and the neighbors house, knowing well if I enter her front compound I could be caught, perhaps with a broomstick in her hand, too.

I took a detour and came round by another route to see Mrs. Leela was coming down across another alleyway with a big pole in her hand.

I took to my feet swiftly like a horse and was down a steep hill that lead to a small paddy (yes we had a little paddy filed inside the campus, then) field.

When I approached there well away from my attackers, I decided to have a pause to catch my breath and little peace in my mind.

I was in a pensive mood when an middle age woman approach me clad in muddy cloth with some kind of grass in her hand.

I thought she was cutting grass for the cow she had (yes we had cows in the campus, then).

She asked me whether I was a undergraduate.

I said, Yes.

Then she asked me whether I know the Vice Chancellor personally.

I did not know what to say.

Those days the V.C. is such a big stature, we undergraduates have no contact with him, unless we have done something very nasty and grave that we get a resound warning without any inquiry or criminal court.

I did not want to accept my predicament but said to her I knew him very well.

She said, “Aiyyoh Mahathaya Ahenum Baridaha Ahanna Thawa Kananayakata Wapuranna Denna Kiyala”.

Could you please ask him whether she can have another season of paddy cultivation instead of the special grass she was asked to grow.

I asked her what is this all about.

She told me that she was asked to lay the special type of grass on her paddy field instead of cultivating rice.

I asked, Why?

“Ane Maha Ragina Enawane”

Queen is visiting the country.

I told her I would try and had a few seconds pause to gather my composure and make good the fundamental error of “Peeping Tom” behaviour.

I walked the long route back to the house of our don.

On my way, I found the long pole Leela had dropped and I wanted to return it back in case she needs it. 

As I was walking up with the pole in hand, I saw V.C. coming down the lane.

There was no way of avoiding him.

I raised the pole as I was carrying a flag on top of it. I walked toward him bravely and the second running to escape was not in my mind.

He came down slowly with a majestic imposing posture.

He was wearing a British hat.

He paused having come down to where I was. I had become stationary by that time with the pole erect on my hand.

As he approached me I lowered it as if I was a pole vault jumper.

Are you practicing how to carry a flag on a pole.

I said, No.

I was practicing pole vault, I said.

I ordered a new one from England.

It is very heavy and of British standard, I told him.

This is of the correct weight for me.

Then he said, I see about your need anyway.

Thank you, Sir.

Where are taking it.

I said “to whom it belongs”.

He said Good Old Boy.

By now I knew I was in a good working relationship with the V.C. 

I took the courage to ask the question that poor lady could not ask from him.

Sir, May I,...... may I.... make a request for somebody.

Who is that somebody?

He was very attentive and inquisitive.

I said I met that woman and she wanted another season for rice cultivation.

That cannot be done he said abruptly.

Then, I looked at him very politely and said rice takes only three and half months to maturity and the grass only half that time and the Queen is coming one year from now and there is enough time to do all that.

Is that so?

You seem to know quite a lot, “are you an agriculture student”.

No Sir, I am Medical Student and put a little substance to my pole carrying adventure.

Then he said go and tell her she can have even two seasons but by the time Queen is here there should be a posh growth of green grass over there.

Then he went onto say. if I see you carrying poles instead of looking after patients, I will make you a pole bearer of the university and not in the parliament.

That is the type of environment we had when we were in the University.

It is quite different now.

I walked up to the house and met the lady and handed over the pole.

She was puzzled.

She had seen me in a bit of a long conversation with V.C. and she did not know what to say.

Then I went to the house of our burgher don and talked to the lady as nothing improper had happened.

She invited me for cup of tea with cookies, which was my original intention which was interrupted by her panic and commotion that followed.

I cannot remember how many lies I told her over the cup of tea.

That was a survival need as a young undergraduate, otherwise we would have been expelled within the first term of our academic year, if everybody knew what we did off academic hours.

The lady was a typical Victorian type.

I told her, if I was her, I would not invite the V.C. for a cup of tea, if my teacher was not at home.

She did not ask why?

Then, I said, V.C. was trying to enter the neighbour house’s from back door and he detoured having seen me with the pole.

Is that so?

Yes, I said loudly.

Mind you that was the biggest lie on that day.

By that time, I have begun to hate Leela for carrying a big pole to hit me instead of a broomstick.

Everybody, knew V.C. was a ladies man and there were enough in the Art Faculty to prey at that time but not in the Medical Faculty.

We exchanged pleasantries and I was a regular visitor and she was like a real aunt to me.

She is no more but probably in heaven.

Now this one is for you.

How many lies in total.

Unlike politicians who lie for a living in broad day light, I am entitled to lies in my dreams.

If you can help me to count them.

I have lost count of them.

Dream is a good recipe for people like me and we have this satisfaction of lying in our deep sleep mode.

That is why dream are for us and not for politicians.

I am told that the politicians see their lies in their own sleep get terrified and wake up ever so often not knowing how to coin the next lie.

My dream  applies to all politicians from Biden to Putin to Mahinda to Ranil to future politicians....................

Rebecca Black Linux and PC Linux

Rebecca Black Linux and PC Linux

I love the new edition of Rubecca Black Linux.

It can be booted from a 2GB USB stick and it is only 1.6GB.

It is a very pleasing experience.

Whereas, my heart throb of yesteryear PC Linux, KDE is a trimmed down version in MX Linux base is total disaster.

MX Linux base is good for old computers but my quiet NUC is not the place to install it.

I appreciate the effort of having a Live Session.

One can test it before installing.

Latest Debian KDE Plasma is the Best.

Except Ubuntu Linux other distributions have to catch up a lot.

The Pandemic Stall actually gave a good time framework for thinking new but most distribution except Rebecca Black used that opportunity jump start Linux Base.

Do not try MX Linux KDE version. 

However, my workhorse is Emmabantus and I have Endless OS in my Old laptop. 

PS.

I downloaded Russian Rosa Linux and ALT Linux and they won't boot with NUC.

Both are meant for old computers, I beleive but I did not try on my old PC.

However, Star Linux from Russia overshadows both ALT and Rosa and  I have installed it in my external S.S.D. and working well with lot of useful utilities.

Charles I - Brief History of British Monarchy

 Charles I - Brief History of British Monarchy

Charles's last years were marked by the English Civil War, in which he fought the forces of the English and Scottish parliaments, which challenged his attempts to overrule and negate parliamentary authority, whilst simultaneously using his position as head of the English Church to pursue religious policies which generated the antipathy of reformed groups such as the Puritans. Charles was defeated in the First Civil War (1642–45), after which Parliament expected him to accept its demands for a constitutional monarchy. He instead remained defiant by attempting to forge an alliance with Scotland and escaping to the Isle of Wight.

This provoked the Second Civil War (1648–49) and a second defeat for Charles, who was subsequently captured, tried, convicted, and executed for high treason. The monarchy was then abolished and a republic called the Commonwealth of England, also referred to as the Cromwellian Interregnum, was declared.

Charles's son, Charles II, who dated his accession from the death of his father, did not take up the reins of government until the restoration of the monarchy in 1660.

With the monarchy overthrown and the Commonwealth of England declared, power was assumed by a Council of State, which included Lord Fairfax, then Lord General of the Parliamentary Army, and Oliver Cromwell. The final conflicts between Parliamentary forces and Royalists were decided in the Third English Civil War and Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, whereby all significant military opposition to the Parliament and New Model Army was extinguished. The Long Parliament (known by then as the Rump Parliament) which had been called by Charles I in 1640 continued to exist (with varying influence) until Cromwell forcibly disbanded it completely in 1653, thereby establishing The Protectorate.

Cromwell then became Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland, a monarch in all but name: he was even 'invested' on the royal coronation chair.

Upon his death in 1658, Cromwell was briefly succeeded by his son, Richard Cromwell. Richard Cromwell was an ineffective ruler, and the Long Parliament was reinstated in 1659. The Long Parliament dissolved itself in 1660, and the first elections in twenty years led to the election of a Convention Parliament which restored Charles I's eldest son to the monarchy as Charles II.

Following the Restoration, Oliver Cromwell was exhumed and posthumously beheaded.

Sparky Linux Media Edition

Sparky Linux Media Edition is a great way to start Linux.

It has everything under it's fold.

It is Debian based and has many editions in Live Mode to test before installing.

I have installed the Game Over Edition in my hard disk.

It has its own development packages,too.

It has Cli Mode and minimal edition, too.

Thanks Sparky Linux, keep up the good work.

I do not like distributions like Zorin (I think based in UK) which give the user only the base to entice him or her and then ask to pay for rest of the FREE packages.

One should not have best on both worlds.

Redhat and Suse started this trend and I have stopped using them ever, since.

I have nothing against commercial Linux, if they declare it upfront and getting the community do the dirty work is unacceptable.

Any good company should put a certain amount of profit for its own development.

This is what the Buddha has said in Sigalovada Sutta.

I do not like them being crafty.

That is why I do not become part of them and show their deficiencies so they can improve.


In this scenario Sparky Linux can keep it's image high.

I will download Calculate Linux and Rosa editions that come from Russia.

I have to keep my data intact and current government in Ceylon has increased tariff on every megabyte of DATA.

By the way, I have installed Russian, Star Linux in my hard disk and it's desktop is new to me.

I  am using Emmabantus as my work horse and downloaded EndlessOS but haven't tested it.

Long before the Christmas, I have almost finished testing Linux.

I am busy finishing my books some are over 350 standard pages.

Book on Linux Fundamentals is shelved for a short period of time.

As I said earlier, the economic recovery from the pandemic will take over 20 years or more and it is not going to be short.

It took 56 years last time round.

In this scenario dropping Apple Mac and Windows will save lot of trouble and money.

That is where Linux can take credit.

This is posted from my cellphone.

Why I hate MobiTel and Hutch

Let me dispense with Hutch.
Three years ago I gave one of my spare cellphone to a guy who used to do odd jobs for me.
He is a an educated guy but without a job.
He does odd jobs for his survival.
He had no idea of how cellphones  operate.
I left one prepaid Hitch SIM and asked him to destroy it once data is over.
A  crafty Muslim guy, pretending to help him removed my SIM and introduced one of (probably stolen from another phone) his SIMs.
This guy did not tell me this incident for about a year.
Immediately I went to Hutch with him and asked them to disconnect my SIM but they never disconnected it.
I told them he must be posing as a bogus doctor.
In spite of me visiting them three times Hutch is protecting this Muslim guy.
That is why I HATE Hutch.

Coming to MobiTel, I gave   Rs.1000/= to the guy who is working in front of MobiTel and credit to my account.
I asked for a bill and he did not oblige.
That is MobiTel is helping this guy to steal.

He pocketed this money and I could not (checked the balance using MobiTel Code and it was ZERO) use a single MB of data.

I thought my mobile unit was defective and put another Rs 1000/= using a till in Kandy city center.

Sure we enough the Huawei unit was functioning.

But the problem is it data transfer speed is only 24 kBs per seconds.

It barely opens a Google Web page and I cannot access a Link.

The speed is not fast enough.
What MobiTel is doing is by suppressing speed to bear minimum extending it's duration artificially.

I did not report this to MobiTel longer he stays there more runes to MobiTel.

We have a MobiTel wired connection and we never use it except TV connection.

I have moved to Dialogue and have 5 SIMs all working fine and bought a wireless mobile unit and it is working fine.
Problem is I cannot slip in the MobiTel SIM.
I have a Dialog dongle for my laptop.
Dialog is bit expensive but it provides a good service.
Go Dialog is my prescription to slow internet.

Gknoppix, GnuineOS, VaniladPup, OpenMandrivaGold and Linux Tracker

 Gnoppix, Gnuine OS, VaniladPup, OpenMandrivaGold and Linux Tracker

This is a little note on all the threads in Linux Tracker for latest Linux Distribution and Puppy Linux.

My primary advice is if one wants to test a Linux distribution one should download it by Linux Tracker.

With Torrent Download from Linux Tracker one gets a complete Image of a distribution.

One missing file may upset running of a distribution.

Besides one becomes a seeder for torrent which helps quick download.

Point to point download is a pain and I never use them and lot of them contribute to missing files.

Puppy Linux has become active Knoppix completely inactive.

Gnoppix is a Genome derivative of Knoppix.

GnuineOS is a Gnome derivative of Puppy.

S15Pup64 is a Slackware derivative of Puppy.

Slackware was the beginning of Linux until Debian came into existence.

All this after I have tested and installed Ubuntu, Sparky Linux Game Over, Emmabantus (my favorite due to enormous number of packages and easy and effortless configuration of Wireless Mobiles and Dongles and Sparky Linux from Russia (very good distribution).

OpenMandrivaGold (Mandriva was my first entry to Linux) is a Calculate and Rosa based Russian distribution gone inactive and is revived by this community.

I have installed OpenMandivaGnome on an exteranl disk and it is a fabulous distribution.

The desktop is really beautiful and has a new look.

It had minor glitches with the GRUB Install (I have 8 distributions installed in three hard disks and even I myself get confused when locating individual distributions) but using Debian as my last installed fixed the problem without editing the GRUB file manually.

It is a pain to watch YouTube demonstration on how to test Linux on a black terminal (Virtual Machine scenario).

It is nothing like testing a Live USB/DVD.

Sparky Linux Game Over is pretty good for playing Linux (one can download both Steam and Play Linux) Games.

My Linux Update earlier should be ignored.

Puppy Linux is less than 500 MB and when downloading look for 32 bit and 64 bit versions.

32 bits for old computers and 64 bit is for new computer.

I have to delay publishing my book Linux Fundamentals, for the time being.

Happy Christmas and enjoy some Linux games instead of Buggy and bloated Window games. 

Apple OS is falling behind drastically.

 

Buddhist Cosmology

 Buddhist Cosmology

I am good in my mathematics and I could not count the 31 (4 of the Arupavatara without physical bodies need not have a world to manifest themselves, in other words Mind only beings) Gods, having referred to the Buddhist Dictionary of Reverend Nyanathiloka.

I have counted only 22 (6 in this world, 12 in fine material worlds and 4 in immaterial worlds) Gods in total.

I have 9 Gods not accounted for.

So if I add six (6 ) of the Hindu Gods in all six directions, I still get 3 more gods unaccounted for.

I think Buddhist monks are bad in mathematics.

That is not the point, I want to drive here.

Being born as a human is supreme.

Buddhas are born only in human worlds.
 

Hitler's are also born in this world.

We have both good and bad.

Buddha has often repeatedly said being born in a heavenly world is a waste of time and waste of good Kamma.

He also has stated those heavenly beings fall to lower realms when they die at the end and when the good Kamma expires.

So worshiping gods and trying to become a god is waste of human energy.

It is high time we act as humans and save lives of human beings involved in futile War.

I am not going to take a side in this War.

War always has a beginning but it's end is often blurred.

Very rarely we get a chance to be born as humans and if we waste that human life in War, one is most likely to be dead and be born again in hell as a demon.

Humans can become demons as well as gods in this world.

Coming back to Buddhist Cosmology;

If I count OUT, 4 of the immaterial worlds, I get 18 gods  (18 worlds), in total.
 

Not worth being in one of them.

Be human!

Linux Winding Up-2022

I have got my Intel NUC running Debian 15- plus, Emmanantus, Sparky Linux Game Over and lately Russian Star Linux.

Star Linux is a revealation.
It is pretty good.

My advice is if your system is running well do not tinker it.
Let it run.

I am getting fed up with LibreOffice page formatting.

I have gone back to AbiWord and almost in the final stages of 6 books.
The book on Linux Fundamental is the only one which needs careful scrutiny.
I am comfortable with AbiWord but wanted to try a book on LibreOffice but it longer time and effort.
I have used OpenOffice long time ago for my thesis.

So the bottom line is the software one uses are working well and one is comfortable with them keep using them regardless.

Do not change and go through another learning curve and embarrassment.

I am in full retirement and has no hassle but still I do not change much.
I have gone to Emmabantus fully.
Two reasons.
It is the only distribution apart from Ubuntu that configures the Wireless Mobile unit.
Others cannot.
Linux are good in configuring Ethernet protocols but pretty bad with wireless dongles.

It is the only one that supports AbiWord.
Rest of the utilities are inconsequential to me except the brand new wireless keyboard.
I love it and hate the cellphone typefaces which interfere with my thinking and correct use of words.

Even today when I started this blog piece Gboard stopped me typing for it to update its software front.
I am going to take a break (not totally) and no more about Linux.

Trying PoP OS-First Time- Do not USE it!

I managed to find a Torrent file and downloaded POP OS.

It looks flashy a bit BUT nowhere near Linux Desktop Feel.

It is Good and Bad.

It tries to emulate Endless OS but nowhere near Endless OS's endless stream of packages.

It is an END by itself and one has to BUY most of the Free Software.

It tries to emulate Apple front but fails miserably.

It tries to emulate Elementary OS and fails.

It has no focus on what it will offer a Linux would be buyer.
There are better commercial Linux distributions.

I won't install it on my hard Disk.

My advice for a newbie is never try Pop OS.

The reasons are plenty.

I installed it to a 32 GB USB stick (for testing), it uses only  3.3 GB for installation and rest of the media can never be used even to copy a text file.

It leaves behind a nasty script on the USB so that it can be booted only to PoP OS.
Furthermore, GParted cannot format it fully.

I have my own methods and using Debian erased everything to use it as a spare USB.

I add to my misery by installing it on 8GB SD card.

It took one hour and it could not install. Then I could not erase it but using Debian tricks I erased it and installed FatPup 64 edition.
FatPup took only 6 minutes to install.
It booted well and uses little over 500MB.

I am glad I did all this.

I can categorically day do not to use it even if you are veteran Linux User.


It has no packages worthwhile except LibreOffice (I think it uses LibreOffice to entice gullible unsuspecting users).

Worse scenario is, its window frames. 

There is a large Installation window that obscure almost the entire face of my monitor. One cannot do anything else.

Its only sole and intended purpose is to get the user to install it.

Live session is there and nowhere compared to Ubuntu.

Please do not try it you will get frustrated at the end of the first session.

I very rarely write bad thing about Linux distributions but this is an exception.

I added to misery by installing it on a 8GB SD card.
It took one hour to install.

I could not erase it on first go but using Debian's disk utility I managed to recover my SD card.

Finally I installed FatPup 64 bit edition on the SD card. FatPup took only 6 minutes to install.

PoP OS is a pain and do not add to your misery by offering your hard disk.

Instead I have decided to install Russian Astra Linux.
It (Astra Linux) now has EFI boot-loader and gives a new feel Russian desktop.however my experience with Astra Linux was rejuvenating.

It integrates with your tablet and cellphone and is very cool feature.

Above all it is single user mode saves your data from eavesdroppers.

Thank You Astra Linux from Russia

Thank You Astra Linux from Russia with Love.

Advantages
1.Single User-no sharing.
2. All your mobile devices (cellphone and tablet) can be linked.
3. Cannot browse partitions not mounted at boot time.


Astra Linux has everything in place.

It integrates with your tablet and the cellphone.

What a nice idea!

It has libreoffice, database application, blender, inskape, gparted VLC, audio and all the productive applications.

One need not have to download missing packages.

I guess Americans cannot produce a Unit except  for spying purposes (Remember USB stick LPS - Light Portable and Safe Linux of CIA, they tried for spying on unsuspecting Linux users) .

It is very sleek Linux OS.
Only 1573 files
3.3 GB image.
Torrent available but only few seeds
Installation is in English and Russian.
Not multi-language.
Latest kernel 5.5.15.
Partitioning tool reliable.
Brisk installation and follow sequentially.
Only thing I did not like was I had to set time to Russia.
At the end it lets you locgal time setting.
Automatic Internet configuration but I always disable Internet when installing Linux.
Unlike other Linux distributions it had virtualization tools and Linux data base.
Linux is very poor in database management.

It can configure EFI file but boot loader creation is very slow.
Installation is on a SATA Disk.

Football Star is Born-Carlos Ramos

New Football Star is Born-Carlos Ramos

I hope I got the name right.

23 year old, in his debut scores a hatrick.

Incredible, while another star Cristiano Renaldo watching him in the sidelines. 

I am going to support Portugal to the hilt BUT I want both England and France (one of them certainly will be out soon) out of the tournament for supporting the Ukraine War (supporting killing in a war is not a good sport) overtly and covertly.

I hope the final will be Netherlands and Portugal.

I am happy Switzerland who propped up the L.T.T.E is out, humiliatingly defeated - 6 to 1 at the whistle.

Peter Principle

 Peter Principle

Peter principle is an instrument that is used in banking management to weed out incompetent individuals out of the main stream and isolate them in their own islands of safety without embarrassment to the individual or to the institute.

The underlying principle is that individuals go up the ladder of promotions to the level of their competence and once they reach the optimum level of performance there is no way of promoting them higher without substantial risk to the institute. Unfortunately they are not at the age of retirement and the management has to device ways and means of getting them out of the main stream.

In that scenario what the management does is to create a glamorous looking post and sidetracks the individual horizontally in the management structure. This side tracking exercise keep the management and the individual happy mutually and the customers do not see this as a fact, unless they are privy to the internal dynamics of the institute.

I believe this principle is applicable to our politicians. For an example when a politician is running out of his or her own steam they need some recuperation somewhere and in the parliament the post of speaker satisfy the Peter Principle scientifically.

Even though he is called the speaker he cannot speak on his own as long as he occupies this chair.

What a characteristic of democracy?

I thought democracy is to voice one’s opinion.

It is quite an aberration?

My concern is what we do with the aging population of politicians who do not want to retire from the limelight and the TV glamour?

In good old days we had the Senate for them to come and socialize with the rest of those who have reached the level of incompetence.

My belief is that our politicians reach their level of competence or incompetence in the kindergarten itself and some of them become very childish in their likes and dislikes.

Why this is so I do not know for certain but my concern is what shall we do with them?

We cant keep then in cold storage like Stalin and Lenin.

Shall we make them actors and actresses in the local Tele Dramas?

After all acting is a glamorous job and most of them were very good in acting in their real life they need not have any training.

That is only one option.

But I have another option.

Why can’t we make them peace monitors?

They had been talking about peace so much in their political life they must be having a real love for peace. I believe they would really enjoy the challenge of peace keeping and traveling all over the world at no expense to them.

The third option is to send them to space.

They can scan the entire world from outer space with an advantage none of us will have with a camera that enlarges an ant to size an elephant.

Looking for trouble spots.

Small is Beautiful

 Small is Beautiful

Come to think about it, all of us are April Fools. 

To begin with we celebrate our local new year on the fool's month albeit, 13 days later which is an irony which number nobody seems to be having any liking. 

We married on the 13^th of a month and when this was raised by few in our family circles, i told them, if we celebrate the new year on the 13^th why not on another 13^th on another month?

On both counts whether after the April New Year or after the marriage one is little bit poorer, money wise but rich in experience of mundane affairs.

There is no special risk in doing something on the day13^th of a month at all, but it will always remain as a belief.

I do not know how this belief originated.

There are a few things, the real politicians can do but have no inclination.

"Small is Beautiful" and think in those lines, is one of those premises.

To begin with one can increase the purchase value of a printed note by increasing its value denomination without increasing its size in proportion to the monetary value. 

A gimmick JRJ did with success was to print Rs.1000/= notes so big that it cannot be put in an ordinary purse. 

It is very big compared to a dollar note.

I had to buy a bigger and an expensive purse .

At that time parity of a pound note was about 30 Rupees and the Rs.1000/= note was in fact over 30 pounds. Those days, 30 pounds was big enough, that one could stay in a cheap "Bread and Breakfast Motel" in London for up to seven days.

In actual fact, the Rupee has depreciated drastically, within 30 years we had to print Rs.5000/= notes and its parity today is little over 10 pounds and it has depreciated by 150%. What one can buy with Rs.5000/= note is very limited today. 

I used to pay Rs.300/= for a trip to Kandy on a three wheeler drive and today I had to pay the guy Rs.3000/= an increase of 100%. In terms of pounds a loss of 50% for him, since he is paying for his petrol on dollar rate which is nearing Rs. 400/=.

The bus fair has increased dramatically and going by the three wheeler is actually productive, since I get all the work done in one day. I do not have to go anywhere for another 15 days and I have a saving of 14 days of bus fair.

One need not write an economic thesis on this very subject.

My first proposal for the Bank Governor, is to reduce the size of the notes, so that my old small purse could accommodate enough notes of them to do my shopping. 

Since the new administration cannot fulfill the promises they made prior to election, making the notes smaller would make them feel, in line with the an average voter who is lean due to daily starvation. 

If not money it would save lot of trees, in the rain forest.

I am not going to accept the central banks explanation that they need special type of paper and rain forest is not vandalized for the purpose of printing money.

The way to save lot of money is to abolish the Post of Presidency in one go, even if we have to confirm it by a referendum. 

Anybody who fills this post become megalomaniac whether one is male or female and they never appreciate the concept of small is beautiful.

The central bank economists want understand, the simple arithmetic principle, that if we are to print two notes of a smaller size, the paper wastage is reduced by 100%. 

This proposal of mine, if the central Bank Governor can espouses, as one of his own original ideas, he might even be invited to become the next Governor of the World Bank.

What an upward mobility for a yappy?

I have many such ideas to portray, the beauty of “small is beautiful” which I would not dispense here for economy of English words.

One's prowess has to be dispensed with small doses, lest the upward mobility would be hindered in due course, if all the ideas are dispensed, all at once.

The Peter Principle comes into operation, here.

This is actually a philosophical issue and the philosophers of yesteryear were very economical in their words lest they were beheaded. They also made sure most of the rulers did not understand the contents of the philosophy but only the face value of their utterances.

Rulers are rulers and a very few of them had been philosophers. Thinking of, small is beautiful is not a weakness but a strength. 

What it means is not bowing down to pressure but to reason.

What is happening today is we are bowing down to economic pressures disregarding, the strength of our convictions.

Small nation can become strong only if it thinks in that way.

For Buddhists the selflessness should be the greatest assert which should drive the selfish dreams of individuals out of the mainstream politics and drive the collective needs of the nation.

This is already happening.

Sadly we are lacking in insight and we may very well slowly but surely slip into a cycle of violence promoting selfish drives.

Selflessness does not mean bowing down to all the demands but striking the correct balance to reach the best compromise.

We must not let the international community dictate terms. 

What has happened is that the international community has become part of the problem. For example in our ethnic crisis Norway became partisan, it has become part of the problem rather than honest broker.

Sooner we realize this it is better for any viable solution to the economic crisis.

I think very soon we may have to think in terms of  Rubles.

Currently the party of one Ruble is 5 Rupees. It is fast appreciating with dollar and it is 62 plus Rubles a dollar.

It is actually the West which is collapsing due to Ukraine War (Pumping money to Ukraine War has caused British economy to collapse and they cannot balance the current budget).

 The Wild Dream of the West that Russia would buckle down to economic sanctions has backfired and President Biden will be the first to fall come next election and with that the stupid Democrats who instigated and supported the  War Machine!

It is the West that is feeling the  pinch come Winter Months.

I am glad I am in the tropics and we are not feeling the usual December cooler breeze which is strangely unusual!

The Peter Principle is explained elsewhere.