The Island has posted an douchey response to this film – Kerosene. Sometimes you have knee-jerk reactions so much that you end up kicking everything – the chair, the cat, the coil. Too many people (on whatever side) put their agenda before what’s in front of them, and that’s what the Island is doing here. They’re accusing Kannan of targeting the government, but he’s just telling stories. In this case, literally transmitting the voices of old taxi drivers and mechanics in Jaffna.

Richard Dawkins argues that religion is essentially ridiculous. As Alain de Botton says “I think it’s too easy to dismiss the whole of religion that way.” I think he proposes a new, respectful and ultimately more convincing atheism. “I think there is an alternative, being both very respectful and completely impious, of stealing from religion.” The video is worth a watch.

Richard Dawkins (scientist and popular writer) spoke at the Galle Literary Festival. His talk covered evolution, alien life, Buddhism and – of course – organized religion. I think that religion is part of human evolution, like any other trait, not something opposed to it. But anyways, here are a few videos and tweeted quotes from Dawkins presentation before we get into it. He’s damn interesting and the crowd was electric and packed.

This is a short film (about 20 minutes) about, like, high school. I went to American high school and I forgot how awkward it was. It was kinda like this, except the ending. So, if you have 20 minutes, this is an interesting story, well-told. It covers erections, large nipples, poetry, and love.

As a follow up to Shit Sri Lankan Mothers Say, here’s Jehan’s rendition of Sri Lankan fathers. Pretty funny and apt, though I must say, nothing like my father. Uncles perhaps. Him and his (Oz based I think) crew produce a lot more good stuff. I recommend putting a subscribe on YouTube.

This is pretty good. Inspired by Shit Girls Say, this is Shit Sri Lankan Mothers Say by jehanr. It’s pretty funny, and kinda accurate.

I was just writing about how much Sri Lanka is changing and yeah, it’s changing more. They’re now planning a giant TV tower in the shape of a lotus on the Beira Lake (via [a]rchitectonics). I’ve embedded the intro YouTube video above, which is somewhat oddly translated into English. I like the Lotus Performing Arts Center well enough, but this looks a bit… pink and phallic.

I swear I’m not a cat video kinda person but I thought this was cute. This is the first time Alex (the epileptic kitten) has seen himself. He stared for a while, tried to fight and later ran straight into himself. It was pretty funny.

I saw Tin Tin at the Liberty Cinema (tickets available by dialing 444 on a Dialog). It’s OK. Visually impressive without being oppressive (like Transformers), but still lacks something of a soul. It’s directed by Steven Spielberg, but I still think Super 8 was his best recent venture. Tin Tin was just kinda flat and dull in the end.

I’m not doing shit today. Here’s some cat yawns.