I saw a photo of this years ago but I didn’t believe it. I still don’t know if a trishaw can do such stunts for reals, but the motorbike is real. It’s Chris Pfeiffer, who was down a few years ago and is coming again to Jaffna (March 1st) and Colombo (March 3rd). The Jaffna thing especially is a good idea. In CMB he’ll be at Nelum Pokuna at 3 PM and the WTC at 5.

This is a photo of bird shit getting washed off a car. My friend’s car is always dirty and he finally decided to wash off some of the bird doo doo. While he was watching I took some photos. Then I looked over and saw that the driver side door was open and the interior (of it) had gotten a good soaking as well.

Sri Lanka Unites recently had a press conference, which I missed. SLU is a group that connects kids from all over the island and gives them a free space to make reconciliation work. A lot of people talk about this, but they’ve actually organized successful conference and a bus tour visiting schools around the island. Looks like the next thing is to publish writing by kids from all over the island.

I was on MTV’s Good Morning Sri Lanka with Prashan De Visser this morning. It was about rising petrol prices and the dropping Rupee. I must admit that I am also confused by this, for more details I’d recommend Jack Point. I think the general narrative, however, breaks down like this.

Chrestomathy means literally ‘useful to know’. Rather broad, yes, so in practice it means a collection of good literary passages, like a Readers Digest I guess. What I’m more interested in is program chrestomathy, this is a collection of programs written in different programming language. It lets you see how different computer languages solve the same problem. Here are some examples.

I’ve started writing some fiction. Perhaps started is too ambitious. I wrote some shit that isn’t true. I got this book Plotto that suggests classic dramatic arcs, something I’ve always had trouble with. I’ve been messing with some skeleton plots. Here’s what I’ve started around “a person influenced by the occult and mysterious”. I’m interpreting that as an intersection between meditation, drugs and the Internet.

The Maldives had an elected government that was overthrown by a coup. The deposed President, Mohammed Nasheed (Anni) is calling for fresh elections to, you know, elect a government, which the coupers are resisting because, you know, they weren’t elected. Many have called Anni foolish and said that there’s no hope. I don’t even know if he’s a great President, but he is calling for elections, so that the Maldives can be ruled by the people, not by the connected (which in the Maldives is some damn wealthy and often dodgy people). So I fully support.

I was talking to a trishaw driver today. He was a sales guy, then worked in the Middle East for 10 years, came back, 10 lakh surgery, wife died, now he’s driving a trishaw to make ends meet. He said he had to tell his daughter not to go to tuition class this week cause he didn’t have enough dough. That hurts.

I have never watched the NBA, but I must say that watching this Jeremy Lin character is blowing my mind. His winning streak after walking on at the Knicks is still going on. He’s just amazing to watch. The pass at 0:18 is just so impossibly elegant, and the last shot of the game showed unbelievably poise, presence and balls. The shot at the end is just pure drama. He actually pauses, the crowd rises, and the action begins.

Boycy was asking me if Christianity or Islam was bigger (it’s Christianity). Looking it up, I was shocked at what’s number 3. Irreligion. What?