New Year – Thanks and Sorry
This is the Sri Lankan New Year. I’ll be in Arugam Bay with my family till late Saturday. Since it is the end of the year I’d like to say a few thank yous, apologies, and regrets.
Thank Yous
I’d like to thank Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne for being the greatest person I’ve ever met.
I’d like to thank Krishna, Saman and Jeevan for all the work they did during the tsunami days. Sometimes it hurts when no one says thank you, so I’m saying it. You guys went without sleep for days and I remember. That goes for Bianca, Yamuna, Ravi, Nishantha, and all the IT kids. Everyone really. Everyone who worked tirelessly and namelessly, you are appreciated.
I’d like to thank Pragathi and Ashwin for their work on IT Times (which I’d originally titled iTimes). I flamed out on the management and walked, but those guys handled it and pushed the magazine through. It is on the stands now and I wish them the best of luck.
Apologies
I’d like to apologize to Sanjiva and Sahana for being a dick. I was pretty vicious in my criticism of Sahana, not here, but in comments and the Leisure Times (Sahana being a online tsunami data collection system). I wasn’t offering anything constructive and I’m sorry.
I’d like to apologize to LIRNEasia for crashing their servers. Twice. Tha says mistakes are part of innovation, but I have got to hold it down.
I’d like to apologize to everyone who I promised more than I could deliver. I would also like to apologize for being late like a crackhead with payments and articles and stuff.
Uh, I would also like to apologize to someone’s mom for sneaking out of your daughter’s bedroom at 6 in the morning and thinking you couldn’t see me. Someone tells me that I ran when you caught me, but I don’t remember that. That was a long time ago but I still feel like a dumbass.
While we’re on archival items, I’m sorry for fully scratching the shit out of your parents car, Sha.
I’m going to go ahead and issue a blanket apology to my parents and sisters.
Regrets
I’m a little hurt that one of the websites I worked hardest to build has kicked me off as admin. It was a labor of love for me and it hurts not seeing the control panel anymore. I hope you take good care of it.
I am so sorry that I spent the first day of the Tsunami at home, thinking it would pass.
That’s about all. Bonne Année and Subha Aluth Avuruddak Weva everyone.
The Mahavamsa (a history of Sri Lanka) is full of conflicts between generals and kings. Usually, the more bloodthirsty and unscrupulous would win. Our current (elected) ruler Mahinda Rajapaksa has had his own general conflicts, namely with one Sarath Fonseka. In the old days Fonseka would have staged a coup, as in literally try to cut of Mahinda’s head, and Mahinda would – if that failed – tie him to four elephants and split his parts asunder. Can’t do that shit anymore. Instead Fonseka ran for office and lost and Mahinda tossed him in jail.
Today on the 
Janith has updated 
This is highly dubious. Miss Travel is a travel/social networking site that connects ‘Generous’ and ‘Attractive’ travelers. To, like, travel together, I guess. It all seems a bit like arranged prostitution and trafficking. This is part of a broader online trend to connect rich men to younger, attractive women. Sites like 
Apology accepted; no hard feelings. I hope you will find the time and energy to help shape Sahana in the future; we (LSF) nearly have the funding lined up to continue it as a proper open source project to try to develop it into a truly useful global resource.
Sanjiva.
Esema Weva!