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Shopping wisdom

It's uncanny how many of Mr Lakshshman Kadirgarmar's pronouncements seem to be coming true even as his first death anniversary passed us by. He said many things about Trincomalee which turned out to be too true - but last week, there may have been something he said with authority which suddenly seemed so utterly relevant in these rough and tumble days'.

He said "shopping is for sissies.." This was meant for the Aussie cricket team, and particularly for Shane Warne who said that his cricketers 'might not be able to go shopping. This was when the Austrian cricket team cried off from the World Cup cricket engagement in Sri Lanka, citing security reasons. The South Africans who left last week citing security reasons, seemed to be more worried that they would get the walloping of their lives -- not a pleasing prospect to them, having lost the test series 2-0. Guess what the team manager said in an interview? " Our boys may have been out shopping, you know, at Liberty Plaza, close to where the bomb went off." See see? Sissy!

Deva gears up

Nirj Deva as he is known to his constituents is now Colombo based, and also in the upmarket Stassen Company directorate, making his pitch for the UN Secretary General's post.

On being questioned from which country would his candidature be, he replied that though a European Union member, he could contest from the land of his birth. Last Sunday Deva confidently predicted he could carry the support of 105 countries.

Deyyio Sakki'. or Deva sakki?

Nice one Charlie let's have another one

We wonder how many cricket lovers know that a slice US$ 90 to $ 154 for seats to watch England take-on Pakistan -- and a slice of the takings from every drink, pie and program sold at the grounds, finds its way into Prince Charles coffers.

This is one of sports most profound anachronisms. The Surrey cricketing home is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall the property estate that generates profits of US$ 35 million that provides Charles' personal income.

This arrangement dates from 1337 from the times of King Edward the 111 provided a lifetime income for his son, known as the 'Black Prince' Edward - Prince of Wales.

It is heartening to note that in postcolonial times there are no such give-aways in the countries that once came under the yoke of imperialism.

Nationalists?

Mr. K. David, Mr. A. Samaranayake, and Mr. J. Wickremeratne met recently at a funeral. The meeting was entirely coincidental, but it so happened that all three had something to be nostalgic about. Once upon time they had all written for the Nation - the old one that is. They were balls of fire - all of them - which means that even a nation can have many incarnations.

Ranch story

Who was the leader who is supposed to have shot back during an interview when asked about the masses, "the masses, they are cattle - forget about the masses." The President who now says that he would never be like some of the previous holders of his office, might keep that story handy - and ready to quote.

Hide and seek

A massive advertisement inserted by the national antiwar front gave last week's anti war event acres of publicity. But, a closer scrutiny of' the advertisement made some of the details clear.

One was that the ad' claimed that the event was being kicked off at Hide Park. "Hide park'' was written in large bold. What was the hidden meaning behind this claim? That the peacemakers had more than a thing to hide? That they would rather be hiding? We do not know - but those words, how could they be anything but eminently suggestive??