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| Sunday, 26 March 2006 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Politics unpacked A different kind of 50
But just this one story will not hurt. President Rajapakse was referred to by some Thomians as a ''Thomian by association'' having sent three sons to S. Thomas' which is as far away as it can get from his alma mater Thurstan College which hugs Royal's border fence. But Rajapakse at the Mustangs tent? It wasn't likely for a man whose cornerstone political ideology is his Sri Lankaness. But who was sent in deputation? His wife, who added a touch of the unusual when she walked into the Old Thomians' Swimming Club tent with the man whom her husband defeated in the race for President's House, Ranil Wickremesinghe. What was Ranil thinking when he cut that cake in the form of a big five-o?? Fifty more years of these kinds of photo ops? ***** Excuse me The Pollonaruwa weightlifter carried the day at the Commonwealth games while his officials were said to be shopping. Nobody showed up to congratulate the winner on the podium. Now, some powers-that-be are trotting out a line that is aimed at exonerating themselves - they have been heard to say in subdued tones, that the commonwealth has now passed. 'Certain writers refused to enroll themselves for the commonwealth book awards, no', somebody said. Talk about looking for amazing excuses when a record book gets badly botched. **** A management thing
What future then for the state sector?One wise guy was about to say, go the British way. Just privatize the state sector and give all the euphemisms available for privatized enterprises that look like they are state run. This is Tony Blair's mantra, which is often called threadbare loony left policy that is threatening to make the British conservative party look like rabid leftists..... **** How do you spell charisma? Who were the most charismatic politicians of recent times? Somebody said, if you go by the charisma quotient - you have to say most of them are dead. But there are votes for two gentlemen who had the political candlepower to instantly light up a room full of supporters: Vijaya Kumaratunge, and Gamini Dissnayake. **** What dog days?
The current incumbent possesses a much younger more rambunctious canine which barged into a recent meeting, almost ousted the President from his chair and left paw marks on the cushion covers. But this decidedly wasn't from an elite breed; the President said that there are unions with friendly dogs down Kolpetty side. Not trade unions either. But that's a dog's dog. A popular sort. **** Prawn and the Police
On the Sri Lankan side, the IGP was not buying any of that. He recognizes just one police top-gun, namely Chandra Fernando. Someone quipped, "but what the hell. Nadesan is a good host. He serves the best prawn curry to any visiting southerner." Why shouldn't he; his wife is said to be Sinhalese, and he is just as Colombo-centric as the other guy. |
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| Produced by Lake House |
It
would be scandalous by some standards at least to re-visit the Royal Thomian
cricket match after what seemed to be interminable newspaper commentaries
about the game and surrounding detail this year. 
A
pillar of the state establishment was speaking recently about the quality of
state sector management. They prognosis is bad - there aren't good mangers
for the simple reason that the state sector does not dole out the moolah .
(........bucks buckshee whatever you may call it.) 
The
Presidential dog-first dog-made more than yapping sounds during the previous
presidency, trailing behind the previous incumbent like a shadow. 
What's
the furore over Nadesan, said a scribe recently. The LTTE's so-called
'police chief' was part of the LTTE delegation at the Geneva negotiations.
