HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: eknchan@acs.ucalgary.ca (Esther Kien-Nhi Chan)
Subject: Re: Introducing the ....
Summary: just rambling
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 92 17:46:57 GMT
Organization: The University of Calgary, Alberta
Followup-To: /dev/null 

In article <Mf=IWmS00WBNI6U1dy@andrew.cmu.edu> Ranjith Ravindiran Suresh <rs6x+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
>
>
>Kobbekaduwa(sp?) Regiment. To be put in action in Vavuniya. The catch:
>its made of Tamils! Talk about desperate measures. Unable to recruit
>enough Sinhalase for the army(and having an equally difficult time in
>keeping in those who did join), 

This is absolutely true. When I was in SL I came to know a quite few
incidence where soldiers submit insurance claims for self inflicted
lainjuries (chopping off fingers etc.) Only, one of the state run
insurance organizations insured them and benefits are something
like Rs10,000 (<$300 not a typo). If they keep doing this  ins.
organization is going to be insolvent very soon!
Some of the youngsters  join the army not because they are patriotic,
just they want to make a living. They not are high school grad from
Royal (insert any big high school around Colombo).

Same goes for the thamilians. Thamilians who could afford to
get smuggled  (in 89 going rates were Rs900,000 per person)
into a developed countries have escaped. Only the helpless
thamilians are fighting the so called war. I don't know
whether any of you remember, a little while back BBC correspondent
interviewed a TIGER lady, she said she  join the TIGERS because
her parents were not abale to afford to buy a husband for her.
(This is how I remember this was about 2yrs back).
If you listen to some of the thamil refugees, you would know
how patriotic or heroic they are.


>I have a question: Where's Kent Dollar farm? It's supposed to be a
>Sinhalase settlement. Someone knows?
I enjoyed reading your articles, I could enjoy more if you
could give us graphic details about these incidents. I have not
had a chance to a read  a ``good'' story like CINDYS TORMENT
lately.

Keep writing!!

***

Sarath (using Chans account)
From: chee1a1@Elroy.UH.EDU (Subash S Jayawardena)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka
Subject: Re: Education and Jobs in SL
Date: 17 Dec 1992 14:47:30 GMT
Organization: University of Houston
Reply-To: chee1a1@Elroy.UH.EDU
NNTP-Posting-Host: elroy.uh.edu

In article <1992Dec17.092453.2246@news.clarkson.edu>, pdy@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (Yapa,,,) writes:
>
>4.  Arul says
>" the A.L. exam included a  Practical Exam as well which was
>conducted at the UNiversities in Colombo and Peradeniya. The government
>abolished this in 1971 so that students with poor lab facilities will 
>have a fighting chance. Somehow I feel that this decision reduced the quality
>of science education in education. "
>
>I agree with Arul completely here.  Some Engineers passing out today are very
>poor with hands on skills ( I personally know them)
>I also want to add that removing practical exams completely inflated the 
>grades ( marks ) students get at AL. remeber in the days of practical exams
>

I don't see a correlation between not having practical exams for A/L and
being a poor engineer. One spends only two years in his A/L classes and
then at least 4 years in the University (either at Peradeniya or at Moratuwa),
before becoming an engineer. This is not the only way, but I don't want to 
make a list of all the possible ways to be an engineere. It should belong to
sci.engr. ;) So, if the quality of engineers are not upto the standards,
much of it should be blamed on the unirversity.

When again, what is exactely "poor with hands on skills"? It depends on the
type of job one is doing. Why should everyone be experts in using every
concievable instrument? Can (or should) such a training be given to anyone?
Finally, even if we re-introduce practical tests to the A/L exam, will there
be an assuarance that all the engineeres will have goos "hands on skills".

Introduction to the practical tests, as they were, to the presently
extreamely competitive A/L exams, will open up another 'freeway' to more
corruption, as the anonimity of the examinees is not there.

Inflated grades? Well, if one answeres the required number of questions 
correctely, shouldnt he be given 100% ? There is no reason why one can not
answer a question correcetely. If any question does not have a answer
which merits full marks, that should be kept out of the question paper.

It will be interesting to compare the grades for subjects without practical
exams, (pure and applied maths, for example) to see whether there is any trend,
before and after the practical tests. Don't you remember, humans evolve slowly?
May be the students in new A/L classes are much superior than we were. ;)



>Poojitha Yapa
>
> yapa@c1.noda.sut.ac.jp
>

Subash
________________________________________________________________________________

Subash S Jayawardena

Subash@uh.edu
(713)-743-4338
________________________________________________________________________________
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka
From: se_dang@rcvie.co.at (Sang Dang)
Subject: Sri Lanka trip
Organization: Alcatel - Elin Research Center
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 15:59:07 GMT

 
Hi!

First of all please excuse me for my awful English. I hope it would not disturb
you much.

I'm a vietnamese guy having been for long time to Europe. Now I live and work in 
Vienna, Austria.

I'm going to make a trip to Sri Lanka at the beginning of February. I'm not only 
interested in sightseing, beach and sunbathing etc., but especially in the daily  
life there. I would be very happy if I have the possibility to get to know some 
of you in SK, so that I can discover the country not only under the viewpoint of 
a tourist, and probably can visit some regions far from tourist roads. 

I'm also interested in ethnic conflicts, social problems, religions..., as well 
in what young people think and how they live in SL.

So could you e-mail me some information and tips about cheap possibilities to 
sleep, tranport means, or something to be care of (regions in civil war,...), 
and if you have a little more time, please give me some facts and figures about
SL's history, cultural underground (maybe relationship with Indian), economy and policy.

It would be nice if we can start to have e-mail contact right now.

Thank you in advance.

Sang
From: m1pkd00@fed.frb.gov (Prasad K. Dharmasena)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka
Subject: Hambantota Lawyers
Date: 15 Dec 92 19:38:33 GMT


A group of Hambantota lawyers have decided not to defend repeat offender
involved with drugs.  (SLNet news)  they have taken "the decision to try
to save the town of 4,000 people, where there are many drug addicts."

This seems like the "right" decision by some "good lawyers."  (let's 
not start a thread of lawyer jokes and say things like "good lawyer" is
a contradiction in terms. :-))  However, this is a bad decision.

Repeat offenders may be innocent people.  It can happen folks, specially 
in Sri Lanka where people are being arrested for here-say and other 
influences such as "wrong" political affiliation.  Or, the offender 
might be innocent this time though he was guilty the first time. etc. etc.  
What are these people going to do?

Big time drug dealers are filthy rich (in all senses of the term).  They
can afford to hire a hot shot lawyer from the big city Colombo.  It is the
poor innocent man, who is arrested on mere suspicion, that suffers.

Besides, it is not up to the lawyers to pass a judgement based on
the *nature* of the *charged* crime of the accused.  The prosecutors have
to prove the accused as guilty and, moreover, there is a judge to pass 
the judgement.

What are the lawyers going to do next; adopt a guideline called "To 
defend or not to defend," based on their moral/ethical codes which 
*they* think is right for the society?  Next thing you know the lawyers
won't help you file for a divorce because they think it is against
their social norms.  Go Figure.

Lawyers are the wrong people to pass a judgement.  Because, they
are lawers, and not judges.  Lawyers should help to protect the 
innocent as much as they should help to punish the guilty.


prasad
++ If God has the right to judge me, then I have the right
   to judge Him, and I find him LACKING! ++

ps. your mileage may vary.  viewer discretion advised. void where prohibited.
--
Prasad Dharmasena     Internet: <pkd@fed.FRB.GOV>     UUCP: <uunet!fed!pkd>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka
From: saw@cs.purdue.edu (Sanjiva Weerawarana)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka
Subject: Re: More glory in cricket ..
Followup-To: poster
Date: 13 Dec 1992 22:41:39 -0500
Organization: Department of Computer Science, Purdue University
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: lanka.cs.purdue.edu

In article <Bz7tCA.DAq@acsu.buffalo.edu> sivap-m@sybil.cs.Buffalo.EDU (Muhunthan Sivapragasam) writes:
>
>	SriLanka won the oneday series against NewZealand 2-0 with
>a 41 run victory in the third and final oneday. SriLanka scored
>262/5 in their 49 overs, and then restricted NewZealand to 221.
>Roshan Mahanama was the star agin with 110+ runs to his name.
>...

I heard a rumor that the New Zealand team had to be given an expense paid 
vacation in southern Sri Lanka as part of the incentives to make them not go
back after the bombing outside their hotel (Taj Samudra). Is this true? 
Has anyone heard this before? 

Seems a bit ridiculous to me..

Sanjiva.
p.s.: Congratulations to our cricket team!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Sanjiva Weerawarana                                          saw@cs.purdue.edu
 Department of Computer Sciences,                                (317) 494-9992
 Purdue University,
 West Lafayette, IN 47907.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka
From: 2067bh@gmuvax2.gmu.edu
Subject: Animals trying to escape from CMU
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 92 19:13:13 -0500
X-Received: by usenet.pa.dec.com; id AA03059; Fri, 18 Dec 92 16:13:06 -0800
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X-To: soc.culture.sri-lanka.usenet, soc.culture.tamil.usenet


		Eelam News Service
		Jaffna


The special animal imported from Sri Lankan Jungles to CMU for 
special NEURAL COMPUTING Experiments showing its' exciting animal
behavior with the damaged and misconnected neurons

This animal's neurons were misconnected during the birth process
To Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's womb. (See evidence below)

Experts indicated that the experiments are very successful and the animal
is ready to go to the hospital.

This is the third animal imported to US from Sri Lanka of this nature.
First animal was treated by the authorities at University of Colorado.
The second animal was treated by the authorities at University of California,
Sacremanto.

Example n:
	Nasty personal-attack mails from Thambi (ltte style) - 
	soc.culture.tamil #2946

In article <1992Oct19.130239.9114@engage.pko.dec.com>, thiyagarajan@mims.enet.dec.com (RT) writes:
|> 
|> These nasty mails were sent by Thambi to me. If you do not have a valid point
|> to argue do not indulge in cheap and vomitting shots
|> 
|> Regards and Thanks
|> RT
|> 
|> DECWRL::"rs6x+@andrew.cmu.edu" "Ranjith Ravindiran Suresh" 18-OCT-1992 21:49:36.660
|> 
|> CC:	 
|> Subj:	Re: On HATE "POEMS" on Brahmins
|> 
|> And don't forget. Start marking the time.....for and end to your 'elite'
|> elk back in TM that is anti-Tamil roots, anti-Tigers and pro-Jeya and
|> pro-Dehli and pro-nepotism, end isn't too far. It will be a 'clean
|> house' after that.
|> 
|> Remember: what goes around comes around!
|> 
|> 
|> -thambi
|> 
|> 
|> 
|> DECWRL::"rs6x+@andrew.cmu.edu" "Ranjith Ravindiran Suresh" 18-OCT-1992 21:39:04.80
|> CC:	 
|> Subj:	Re: On HATE "POEMS" on Brahmins
|> 
|> It is because of nuts like you the entire Brahmin community gets 'bashed.'
|> Where did you crawl from? From that whore Jeya's womb?
|> 
|> I regret for trying to reason with nuts like you!
|> 
|> 
|> thambi
From: muttiah@thistle.ecn.purdue.edu (Ranjan S Muttiah)
Subject: Re: Education and Jobs in SL
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 01:14:46 GMT

In article <Bz5n14.4Lx@acsu.buffalo.edu> desilva@acsu.buffalo.edu (Channa Desilva) writes:
>[...]
>The solution to this should be to improve the standards of these so called
>"schools in the rural arears".....it may be easier said than done...but I
>don't even see any attempt being made to improve these schools.
>
>Any comments?????

Yes.

But I will say more (since this newsgroup has more readers than writers:).

You are absolutely right of course.  Standard should be brought up in all 
the disadvantaged regions of the country.  Some of the looney politicians
think that by getting a few doctors here, and then some engineers over
there that that would settle the problem of "backwardness."  What
moronic thought.  Just the opposite happens. It just makes those places
more backward.  And guess what happend to those doctors and engineers
from the backward regions ?  Did they go back to their own home towns ?
Rarely if ever.  Most of them are driving BMWs and one even has access
to a computer account right here in 'ol US of A!
From: m1pkd00@fed.frb.gov (Prasad K. Dharmasena)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka
Subject: Resent Vs. Resemble
Date: 17 Dec 92 17:32:48 GMT


I said:
> >> >I resemble that remark.
> >>    ^^^^^^^^

> >BTW, I can't believe you took the time to "correct" me.  The normal
> >way of saying it is "I resent that remark."  And the odd way of saying
> >it is "I resemble that remark."   Jeeez!


<uunet!coos.dartmouth.edu!nishani> (Chandana H. Fonseka) said:

> huh?

Obviously, this is the first time you heard it.  Think about it for
a couple of weeks, ha?

prasad
++ Those of you who think they know everything are very annoying to
   those of us who do. ++
--
Prasad Dharmasena      Internet: <pkd@fed.FRB.GOV>     UUCP: <uunet!fed!pkd>
From: nishani@coos.dartmouth.edu (Chandana H. Fonseka)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka
Subject: Re: Backward Screws
Date: 15 Dec 92 17:54:55 GMT
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH

In article <10280@arccs1.fed.FRB.GOV> m1pkd00@fed.frb.gov (Prasad K. Dharmasena) writes:
>
>I don't like you people* calling non-Colombo,
>non-Jaffna and non-Kandy  areas "backward areas."
>
>I resemble that remark.
   ^^^^^^^^

you must be a funny-looking guy :-).

Chan
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka
From: ram@pdx018.intel.com (K.K ramakrishnan)
Subject: Test
Organization: PNW X86 Focus Group, INTeL Corp., Hillsboro, Oregon
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 01:18:50 GMT

This is a test

-- 
 EUCD - Development Engineering
 Intel, Corp.
 Folsom, Oregon
Organization: Senior, Civil Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 21:53:38 -0500 
From: Ranjith Ravindiran Suresh <rs6x+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Introducing the ....



Kobbekaduwa(sp?) Regiment. To be put in action in Vavuniya. The catch:
its made of Tamils! Talk about desperate measures. Unable to recruit
enough Sinhalase for the army(and having an equally difficult time in
keeping in those who did join), it's 'recruiting' Tamils willingly or
unwillingly to fight against Tamils.

Some other news: In the east, the army is stockpiling ammo & food for a
major offensive. In the words of an army officer, it's to get rid of
Tigers in the east before the 'split' is made. Other interesting news:
didn't write e'm down.

And in Colombo, the Sinhalase parties have proved again that they are
not interested in a peaceful settlement. Were they ever? So, the
political charade continues. The war is now limited to dropping shells
and bombs & starvation of Tamils in the north, making 'disappearances'
in the East and arresting hundreds in Colombo. How come no body is
coming up with 'secret plans' to end the war? 
Well, I guess they are short of that too. Oh, don't worry. Give few more
years. 


I have a question: Where's Kent Dollar farm? It's supposed to be a
Sinhalase settlement. Someone knows?
From: na@abb-sc.abb-sc.com (Aru Arunasalam)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka
Subject: Re: Introducing the ....
Date: 15 Dec 92 18:15:53 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: ABB Systems Control Company, Inc.


In article <Mf=IWmS00WBNI6U1dy@andrew.cmu.edu>, rs6x+@andrew.cmu.edu (Ranjith Ravindiran Suresh) writes...
> 
> 
>Kobbekaduwa(sp?) Regiment. To be put in action in Vavuniya. The catch:
>its made of Tamils! Talk about desperate measures. Unable to recruit
>enough Sinhalase for the army(and having an equally difficult time in
>keeping in those who did join), it's 'recruiting' Tamils willingly or
>unwillingly to fight against Tamils.
>

I don't think the SL government needs to look very far to find Tamils who
are willing to fight the LTTE. After all aren't all those other groups
such as EPRLF also made up of Tamils?  If Tamils should join the Army
and fight the LTTE, it would not be much different from Sinhala soldiers
fighting the JVP. Fighting against the LTTE is not a fight against all 
Tamils by any measure.

The all Tamil "Kobbekaduwa Regiment" on the other hand, if there is any 
truth to this, does seem to be a rather cynical statement. 

Aru/            
na@abb-sc.com
From: sivap-m@sybil.cs.Buffalo.EDU (Muhunthan Sivapragasam)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka
Subject: More glory in cricket ..
Date: 13 Dec 92 20:38:33 GMT
Organization: State University of New York at Buffalo/Comp Sci
Originator: sivap-m@sybil.cs.Buffalo.EDU


	SriLanka won the oneday series against NewZealand 2-0 with
a 41 run victory in the third and final oneday. SriLanka scored
262/5 in their 49 overs, and then restricted NewZealand to 221.
Roshan Mahanama was the star agin with 110+ runs to his name.

	For NewZealand the defeat in the 2nd oneday was more
humiliating, when they lost the match by 8 wickets with 12
more overs to go. Roshan Mahanama was the star that time too
with an unbeaten 84.

	Although this NewZealand team was not to it's full strength
with 5 players going back after the bomb blast in Colombo, this
certainly is a moral booster to SriLankan cricket team. Although
they have been playing well in the last few series they never
managed to win a test match, and oneday series.

	Roshan Mahanama was the big success with 2 centuries in the
tests, and a century, and an 80+ in the onedays. Sanath Jeyasuriya,
M. Muralidharan, and Warnaweera are the other "new successes" in
the series.
-- 
						S. Muhunthan,

	"The shortest distance between two people is a smile"
################################################################################
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka
From: ginger@hydrus.trl.OZ.AU (Jeremy Ginger)
Subject: more on lawyers
Organization: Telecom Research Labs, Melbourne, Australia
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 07:32:11 GMT



Four surgeons were taking a coffee break and were discussing their work.

The first one said, "I think accountants are the easiest to operate on.  You
open them up and everything inside is numbered."

The second one said, "I think librarians are easiest to operate on.  You open
them up and everything inside is in alphabetical order."

The third one said, "I like to operate on electricians.  You open them up and
everything inside is color-coded."

The fourth one said, I like to operate on lawyers.  Because they are heartless,
spineless, gutless, and their head and their ass are interchangable."



==================
Season's Greetings
==================
***********************************************************************
Jeremy Ginger                              Internet: j.ginger@trl.oz.au
Telecomm Research Laboratories                      Tel: +61 3 253 6638
P.O.BOX 249, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia.     Fax: +61 3 253 6144
From: m1pkd00@fed.frb.gov (Prasad K. Dharmasena)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka
Subject: Re: Hambantota Lawyers
Date: 16 Dec 92 15:16:37 GMT


Chandana H. Fonseka <nishani@coos.dartmouth.edu> says:

> ... m1pkd00@fed.frb.gov (Prasad K. Dharmasena) writes:

> >I don't like you people* calling non-Colombo,
> >non-Jaffna and non-Kandy  areas "backward areas."

> >I resemble that remark.
>    ^^^^^^^^

> you must be a funny-looking guy :-).

What, now you want me to post my self.gif on s.c.s-l?  :-)  (Or send 
an SASE and I'll send you a photo and specs. :-))

BTW, I can't believe you took the time to "correct" me.  The normal
way of saying it is "I resent that remark."  And the odd way of saying
it is "I resemble that remark."   Jeeez!


prasad
++ I may be ugly, but you're drunk and... er... damn! ++
--
Prasad Dharmasena      Internet: <pkd@fed.FRB.GOV>     UUCP: <uunet!fed!pkd>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka
From: saw@cs.purdue.edu (Sanjiva Weerawarana)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka
Subject: Re: Education and Jobs in SL
Followup-To: poster
Date: 13 Dec 1992 22:35:35 -0500
Organization: Department of Computer Science, Purdue University
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: lanka.cs.purdue.edu

In article <1992Dec13.011446.7456@noose.ecn.purdue.edu> muttiah@thistle.ecn.purdue.edu (Ranjan S Muttiah) writes:
>
>You are absolutely right of course.  Standard should be brought up in all 
>the disadvantaged regions of the country.  Some of the looney politicians
>think that by getting a few doctors here, and then some engineers over
>there that that would settle the problem of "backwardness."  What
>moronic thought.  Just the opposite happens. It just makes those places
>more backward.  And guess what happend to those doctors and engineers
>from the backward regions ?  Did they go back to their own home towns ?
>Rarely if ever.  Most of them are driving BMWs and one even has access
>to a computer account right here in 'ol US of A!

I agree with the current thread that bringing down university admission
standards is not the solution to poor education facilities. However, I don't
agree with Ranjan's statement about "those doctors and engineers from the
backword regions": It doesn't matter whether they go back to their region-
doesn't their going to the US of A or any other country willing to pay them 
well mean something too?

When a person from one of these "backward" areas goes out and earns enough
money to drive around in a BMW, don't you think that at least a small portion 
of that money finds its way back home? Isn't that the point of giving those 
people a chance - to let them get a piece of the pie, too? 

I don't know whether Jayantha Herath's statistics are true, but, he keeps
mentioning that until 1977, there wasn't a single engineer or doctor from
17 of our 22 districts. If this is the case, then something had to be done 
about it - this is an extremely unfair distribution of resources.

Anyway, I doubt very much that "Most of them are driving BMWs". There are lots
of damn good Sri Lankan doctors and engineers here in the US and all over the 
world, but I doubt very much that most of them are from backward areas.

Sanjiva.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Sanjiva Weerawarana                                          saw@cs.purdue.edu
 Department of Computer Sciences,                                (317) 494-9992
 Purdue University,
 West Lafayette, IN 47907.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka