POINTS TO PONDER

Reflective Moments

The smallest room in the house, the khazi, little boys room - we've all been there. But it comes as some surprise to hear toilet humour raised in the august field of political debate - surely educated politicians skilled in verbal sparring and equipped with a witty repertoire are more refined than to resort to such crude scatology. Well perhaps not in Sri Lankan politics, where anything goes as recent events have more than amply proved. Fresh from the madhouse, the latest quip involved one witty Member of Parliament who remarked that the country's commissions of inquiry reminded him of a person going to the toilet. "First there's a sitting, then there's a report and thereafter the matter is dropped," he said.

Black Death

Next time you notice those grey hairs and are suddenly overcome with the need to steal back your youth - be warned, don't reach for just any old hair dye. One such product "Eagle's black Henna powder for hair" is deadly. The Los Angeles County Coroner recently named the hair dye as the culprit causing the death of popular Sri Lankan songstress Malini Bulathsinghala.

"In a long awaited autopsy report the Los Angeles County Coroner's office on April 8 said Sri Lanka's popular songstress and music educator Malini Bulathsinghala's demise in this city of the stars was an accidental death from acute bronchial asthma due to probable allergic reaction to Eagle's Black Henna hair dye, a product manufactured by and exported from India," reports said. The moral of the story - let nature take its course.

Father Dearest

Here's a sad story of familial negligence. It appears an eighty-year-old man - stung by what he considered his family's failure to look after him - is now seeking maintenance from his children and 75-year-old wife. "The petitioner, a resident of Polhena, Kelaniya has told Colombo additional magistrate Ishani Jayasena that his children, all married, were not looking after him.

He had said he has no place to go as he had given his house to the children. He claims a small sum for his day-to-day matters," reports said. So much for the age-old Asian custom for looking after your elders. But the story continues. "Lawyer for the children said they were providing him with all three meals. His wife said he was living with her in a room of one of his sons. His children submitted to court that they could not pay him money."

National Pride

Things are evidently getting pretty drastic in Sri Lanka's Parliament what with unruly politicians, fist-fights and a general lack of discipline. Now, one bright spark has proposed the playing of the national anthem before the commencement and conclusion of Parliament sittings in order to develop a sense of national spiritedness in the country. Dignity, it seems, needs to be instilled in the country's politicians, not by feeble attempts or gimmicks, but by harsh disciplinary measures such as fines, suspensions and public warnings. We wonder whether Parliament will ever take action against its more infantile members or continue to carry on proceedings in a state of complacency.

Policeman's Ball

Again, another classic example of where the Sri Lankan police force's priorities lie. According to reports, a police station in the Colombo city limits promptly stopped issuing curfew passes to the public by 10.30 p.m. last Friday despite a curfew being lifted at 6.00 am the following day. "When asked for the reason the cops said that the Administration OIC was not in, and they had finished the passes. But it was later revealed that the OIC was hosting a party on Friday night, and the cops were also invited, so they had to close shop," one report said. Why sit in a stuffy police station issuing curfew passes when you can be out painting the town red?

Name Your Price

Tut, tut, the country's gaffe-prone Cabinet Ministers should know by now that they need to exercise a more caution before shooting off their lip at public functions. Take the remarks of one senior cabinet Minister who recently attended a UN function The minister who arrived late for the function was heard whispering to an official, "I was not planning to attend the function, but I heard you were giving us a free meal." The hungry minister failed to realize that the microphone on his table was switched on. We wonder how many more free meals he'll be enjoying. He better get used to the catering in the Parliament canteen.

Congratulations!

It's heartening to see the government's Information Department at the current edge of the IT technology. The boffins at the ID have, finally, launched its own website. Amid much fanfare, self-congratulation and rejoicing, ID officials proclaimed their success as trailblazers in the information highway. I wish someone would have the heart to tell the ID that they're relative latecomers on the internet scene.