There are plenty of tools for editing photos and a lot more which we can do the same online. I think among the desktop tools “Adobe Photoshop” is a good on image editing. I have found a site that I felt it is similar to Photoshop but online (seems it i…
கிழக்கு மாகாண முஸ்லிம் மக்களை ஏமாற்றும் நடவடிக்கையில் எம்.எல்.ஏ.எம்.ஹிஸ்புல்லா மீண்டும் இறங்…
‘Waishakya Seela Samadanaya’ organized by the Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery, to commemorate the beginning of our New Year (B.E.2552), was held on the Wesak Full Moon Poya Day at the ‘Veherahena Purwarama Raja Maha Viharaya’, Matara. Ven Theros of the…
I’ve been rereading parts of Caroline Knapp’s Drinking: A Love Story, one of my all-time favorite personal memoirs. There are so many memoirs around these days, and half of them are fabricated a la James Frey and now even Augusten…
29දින කිහිපයක් නොදුටු නිසාවෙන් එදින දේශන හමාර වූ පසු ජීවක සොයා ගිය ආරණ්යා හට දකින්න ලැබුනේ සිසුන…
Why Parippu? Why ask for it?The fact is that all Sri Lankans, irrespective of their ethnicity, love their parippu. We are a nation of parippu eaters, literally and figuratively. Thats how we’ve been for the last two millennia and thats how we’ll be for…
Where have all the sea turtles gone? They all are in 8 ‘ x 6 ‘ tanks !!!!!!
First Jayasuriya was dropped from the team not because he was the only one who didn’t perform but because he happened to be old. No one performed well in Australia except Sanga and Jaysooriya was dropped from the team becuases Indians beat Australia by a very young team. Now he’s back in the team not [...]
Underwater Life, originally uploaded by AbraCadabRa 13.
Stuck here above ground we don’t really know the wonderful beauty that awaits us under the wast expanse of water surrounding us.
This picture was taken at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and gi…
Most of us Sri Lankans hate the LTTE. But Vesak marks the birth, enlightenment and death of the greatest master of compassion ever, the Buddha. So it is logical that we should at least TRY to spread some lovingkindness (metta) to our dear terrorists…
“Bomb threat”
“Avoid crowded places”
“Security measures taken”
“Not safe”
Wow they really [...]
APRIL 30, 2008SLMC Leader Rauff Hakeem is confident of an SLMC-UNP victory in the Eastern Province – on the condition the elections are free and fair. However, he opined that the government, assisting armed groups within its fold to terrorise Tamil v…
Can a political similarity happen in Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the East PC elections. Can the Muslim representatives in the UFPA alliance who helped pull the carriage of victory of the government in the newly elected Eastern PC lay down the…
Natures Jail Bars, originally uploaded by AbraCadabRa 13.
Every once in a while you just look out into the future and it seems so bright. BUT, there are those dark bars that try to stop you from reaching those lush green pastures.
The key is to break …
Few weeks ago, I got an email heading “Doomsday” and never bothered even to open it. Now I’m convinced that its not just a fake idea, especially after last night Sci-Fi channel documentary “Mystery of the Crystal Skull”. Normally I just throw…
28පසු දින බස් රථයට ගොඩවුනු වෙලාවේ ඉඳන් සමීරගෙන් තොර තෝන්චියක් නැතුව ප්රශ්න කිරීම් වැලකි ”ඇයි අර …
Vesak Lights (Copyright (cc) 2008 B Kahuna)
PANADURA, Sri Lanka — On this trice-blessed night Kahuna took out his camera with the intention of taking some photographs of the Vesak lanterns. However, He soon discovered that setting the lens to manual and defocussing led to better results, particularly with the strands of colored electric lights, some of which can be seen above. Something unusual for a change.
Captured on 19th May 2008 with a Canon EOS 30D (EF 50mm 1:1.8 II) on aperture priority (f/1.8) and manual defocus. 
Bus Conductor Kills Passenger ! Typical Sri Lankan newsl ike “Doctor rapes and kills patient” .A disabled pasenger requsted the conductor to ring the bell for him to get off.The conductor reused.The p…
Let’s go Further.With wild words on our knuckles,Wrecked uncensored chucklesAnd seatbelts unbuckled;With ‘mind manifested’And Ken’s Acid Tested -Before he almost got arrested -But how he impressed us -Us?(The bus left in 1964And here we are in 2008;Jus…
Every 24 hours you or I live we might sleep, work, play, eat, rest, cry, laugh, smile, talk, and go through a million thoughts, random events and contemplate the meaning of life.In the time it takes for us to brush our teeth the world may end or begin …
Sunday ,18 May 2008( Posted : 11:05:14GMT) Agrees to accept portfolio in new Eastern Provincial Council In a saga of unexpected twists and turns, UPFA Eastern Provincial Councillor M.L.A.M. Hizbullah who earlier threatened rebellion yesterday…
ஈரான் வரை சென்ற முஸ்லிம் முதலமைச்சருக்கான கோரிக்கை [ஞாயிற்றுக்கிழமை, 18 மே 2008, 05:39 பி.ப ஈழம்] [ப.சண்…
SamAll images here are copyright by the photographer who created them. Under no circumstances shall these digital files be used, copied, displayed or pulled from this site without the expressed written consent of the photographer.
The construction work of ‘Swarnamali Sthupa’ which would be identical to the Swarnamali Maha Sthupa, Anuradhapura has been commenced at the premises of Mahamevnawa Maha Viharaya, Aparekka. It is being built at a small hill top surrounded by lush green …
The entire forest of Kanneliya is spread out over 10139.3 hectares. The forest complex occupies the interfluves between two rivers - the Gin Ganga and the Nilvala Ganga, which consists of a series of ridges and valleys and an elevation ranging from 60-…
The Buddha was born as a human being and became the enlightened one with his own effort and long struggle. It was simply the compassion towards all being that led the Buddha to preach his finding (dhamma). Thus he became the teacher of not only human being but for all other super human beings including gods of higher realms. His doctrine consist of anithya (impermanence), Dukkha (non satisfactoriness, suffering) and Anathma (no self, soul or control) nature of every being fully disclosed the reality of life. His teaching has guided millions individuals to liberate from suffering and also make this world a better habitable place. Even today there are millions of followers of the great teacher and many other schools and religions have adapted some part of his great teaching. Without his great disclosure of Dhamma, we all would have been fighting each other in crave and ignorance. The Vesak day is a great opportunity to contemplate the life of the great teacher and his good qualities.
Birth
On the Vesak full moon day of May, in the year 623 B.C. there was born in the Lumbini[1] Park at Kapilavatthu[2], on the Indian borders of present Nepal, a noble prince who was destined to be the greatest religious teacher of the world.
His father was King Suddhodana of the aristocratic Sākya[3] clan and his mother was Queen Mahā Māyā. As the beloved mother died seven days after his birth, Mahā Pajāpati Gotami, her younger sister, who was also married to the King, adopted the child, entrusting her own son, Nanda, to the care of the nurses.
On the fifth day after the prince’s birth he was named Siddhattha which means “wish fulfilled”. His family name was Gotama.
Education
As a Royal child, Prince Siddhattha must have received an education that became a prince although no details are given about it. As a scion of the warrior race he received special training in the art of warfare.
Married Life 
At the early age of sixteen, he married his beautiful cousin Princess Yasodharā who was of equal age. For nearly thirteen years, after his happy marriage, he led a luxurious life, blissfully ignorant of the vicissitudes of life outside the palace gates.
With the march of time, truth gradually dawned upon him. His contemplative nature and boundless compassion did not permit him to spend his time in the mere enjoyment of the fleeting pleasures of the Royal palace. He knew no personal grief but he felt a deep pity for suffering humanity. Amidst comfort and prosperity, he realized the universality of sorrow.
Renunciation
Prince Siddhattha reflected thus:”Why do I, being subject to birth, decay, disease, death, sorrow and impurities, thus search after things of like nature. How, if I, who am subject to things of such nature, realize their disadvantages and seek after the unattained, unsurpassed, perfect security which is Nibbāna!” “Cramped and confined is household life, a den of dust, but the life of the homeless one is as the open air of heaven! Hard is it for him who bides at home to live out as it should be lived the Holy Life in all its perfection, in all its purity.[4]“
One glorious day as he went out of the palace to the pleasure park to see the world outside, he came in direct contact with the stark realities of life. Within the narrow confines of the palace he saw only the rosy side of life, but the dark side, the common lot of mankind, was purposely veiled from him. What was mentally conceived, he, for the first time, vividly saw in reality.
Realizing the worthlessness of sensual pleasures, so highly prized by the worldling, and appreciating the value of renunciation in which the wise seek delight, he decided to leave the materialistic world in search of Truth and Eternal Peace.
When this final decision was taken after much deliberation, the news of the birth of a son was conveyed to him while he was about to leave the park. Contrary to expectations, he was not overjoyed, but regarded his first and only offspring as an impediment.
The palace was no longer a congenial place to the contemplative Prince Siddhattha. Neither his charming young wife nor his lovable infant son could deter him from altering the decision he had taken to renounce the world. He was destined to play an infinitely more important and beneficial role than a dutiful husband and father or even as a king of kings. The allurements of the palace were no more cherished objects of delight to him. Time was ripe to depart.
Great was his compassion for the two dear ones at this parting moment. Greater was his compassion for suffering humanity. He was not worried about the future worldly happiness and comfort of the mother and child as they had everything in abundance and were well protected. It was not that he loved them the less, but he loved humanity more.
Leaving all behind, he stole away with a light heart from the palace at midnight, and rode into the dark, attended only by his loyal charioteer. Alone and penniless he set out in search of Truth and Peace. Thus did he renounce the world. It was not the renunciation of an old man who has had his fill of worldly life.
It was not the renunciation of a poor man who had nothing to leave behind. It was the renunciation of a prince in the full bloom of youth and in the plenitude of wealth and prosperity — a renunciation unparalleled in history. It was in his twenty-ninth year that Prince Siddhattha made this historic journey.
He journeyed far and, crossing the river Anomā, rested on its banks. Here he shaved his hair and beard and handing over his garments and ornaments to Channa (charioteer) with instructions to return to the palace, assumed the simple yellow garb of an ascetic and led a life of voluntary poverty.
The ascetic Siddhattha, who once lived in the lap of luxury, now became a penniless wanderer, living on what little the charitably-minded gave of their own accord.
He had no permanent abode. A shady tree or a lonely cave sheltered him by day or night. Bare-footed and bare-headed, he walked in the scorching sun and in the piercing cold. With no possessions to call his own, but a bowl to collect his food and robes just sufficient to cover the body, he concentrated all his energies on the quest of Truth.
Search for truth
Having left behind his home and family, the Bodhisatta or “seeker of enlightenment” (as he is now called) headed south for Magadha (present-day Bihar), in whose environs small groups of seekers were quietly pursuing their quest for spiritual illumination, usually under the guidance of a guru. At the time northern India could boast of a number of accomplished masters famous for their philosophical systems and achievements in meditation. Prince Siddhattha sought out two of the most eminent, Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta. From them he learned systems of meditation which, from the descriptions in the texts, seem to have been forerunners of Raja Yoga. The Bodhisatta mastered their teachings and systems of meditation, but though he reached exalted levels of concentration (samadhi), he found these teachings insufficient, for they did not lead to the goal he was seeking: perfect enlightenment and the realization of Nibbana, release from the sufferings of sentient existence.
Change of method (the path of asceticism)
Having left his teachers, the Bodhisatta adopted a different path, one that was popular in ancient India and still has followers today: the path of asceticism, of self-mortification, pursued in the conviction that liberation is to be won by afflicting the body with pain beyond its normal levels of endurance. For six years the Bodhisatta followed this method with unyielding determination. He fasted for days on end until his body looked like a skeleton cloaked in skin; he exposed himself to the heat of the midday sun and the cold of the night; he subjected his flesh to such torments that he came almost to the door of death. Yet he found that despite his persistence and sincerity these austerities were futile. Later he would say that he took the path of self-mortification further than all other ascetics, yet it led, not to higher wisdom and enlightenment, but only to physical weakness and the deterioration of his mental faculties.
The Middle Path
The ascetic Gotama was now fully convinced from personal experience of the utter futility of self-mortification which, though considered indispensable for Deliverance by the ascetic philosophers of the day, actually weakened one’s intellect, and resulted in lassitude of spirit. He abandoned for ever this painful extreme as did he the other extreme of self-indulgence which tends to retard moral progress. He conceived the idea of adopting the Golden Mean which later became one of the salient features of his teaching, one which balanced proper care of the body with sustained contemplation and deep investigation. He would later call this path “the middle way” because it avoids the extremes of sensual indulgence and self-mortification. He had experienced both extremes, the former as a prince and the latter as an ascetic, and he knew they were ultimately dead ends.
To follow the middle way, however, he realized he would first have to regain his strength. Thus he gave up his practice of austerities and resumed taking nutritious food. At the time five other ascetics had been living in attendance on the Bodhisatta, hoping that when he attained enlightenment he would serve as their guide. But when they saw him partake of substantial meals, they became disgusted with him and left him, thinking the princely ascetic had given up his exertion and reverted to a life of luxury.
The Buddhahood
Now he was alone, and complete solitude allowed him to pursue his quest undisturbed. One day (now we call Vesak full moon poya day), when his physical strength had returned, he approached a lovely spot in Uruvela by the bank of the Nerañjara River. Here he prepared a seat of straw beneath an asvattha tree (later called the Bodhi Tree) and sat down cross-legged, making a firm resolution that he would never rise up from that seat until he had won his goal. As night descended he entered into deeper and deeper stages of meditation 
until his mind was perfectly calm and composed. Then, the records tell us, in the first watch of the night he directed his concentrated mind to the recollection of his previous lives. Gradually there unfolded before his inner vision his experiences in many past births, even during many cosmic aeons; in the middle watch of the night he developed the “great insight eye” by which he could see beings passing away and taking rebirth in accordance with their karma, their deeds; and in the last watch of the night he penetrated the deepest truths of existence, the most basic laws of reality, and thereby removed from his mind the subtlest veils of ignorance. When dawn broke, the figure sitting beneath the tree was no longer a Bodhisatta, a seeker of enlightenment, but a Buddha, a Perfectly Enlightened One, one who had attained the Deathless in this very life itself.
For several weeks the newly awakened Buddha remained in the vicinity of the Bodhi Tree contemplating from different angles the Dhamma, the truth he had discovered. Then he came to a new crossroad in his spiritual career: Was he to teach, to try to share his realization with others, or should he instead remain quietly in the forest, enjoying the bliss of liberation alone?
Teaching the Dhamma
At first his mind inclined to keeping quiet; for he thought the truth he had realized was just too deep for others to understand, too difficult to express in words, and he was concerned he would just weary himself trying to convey his realization to others.
The Buddha then gazed out upon the world with his profound vision. He saw that people are like lotuses in a pond at different stages of growth, and he understood that just as some lotuses close to the surface of the water need only the sun’s rays to rise above the surface and fully blossom, so there are some people who need only to hear the noble teaching to win enlightenment and gain perfect liberation of mind. When he saw this his heart was stirred by deep compassion, and he decided to go back into the world and to teach the Dhamma to those who were ready to listen.
The first ones he approached were his former companions, the five 
ascetics who had deserted him a few months earlier and were now dwelling in a deer park at Sarnath near Benares. He explained to them the truths he had discovered, and on hearing his discourse they gained insight into the Dhamma, becoming his first disciples. In the months ahead his following grew by leaps and bounds as both householders and ascetics heard the liberating message, gave up their former creeds, and declared themselves disciples of the Enlightened One.
Each year, even into his old age, he would wander among the villages, towns, and cities of the Ganges plain, teaching all who would lend an ear; he would rest only for the three months of the rainy season, and then resume his wanderings, which took him from present Delhi even as far east as Bengal. He established a Sangha, an order of monks and nuns, for which he laid down an intricate body of rules and regulations; this order still remains alive today, perhaps (along with the Jain order) the world’s oldest continuous institution. He also attracted many lay followers who became devoted supporters of the Master and his Sangha.
The parnibbana (passing away) 
After an active ministry of forty-five years, at the ripe age of eighty, the Buddha headed for the northern town of Kusinara. There, surrounded by many disciples, he passed away into the “Nibbana element with no remainder of conditioned existence,” severing forever his bondage to the round of rebirths.
He was born as a human being and learnt and experienced the reality of every being. He had a long struggle to find a way out of suffering of beings and finally find the cause of it and the solution with his own wisdom. It was simply the compassion towards the human being that led the Buddha to preach his unique finding (dhamma). Even after 2550 years, people who follow his teaching pay their gratitude to the great master.
References:
- The Buddha and His Teachings by Venerable Narada Mahathera
- Buddhism in a Nutshell by Narada Mahathera
- The Buddha and His Dhamma by Bhikkhu Bodhi
- Life of the Buddha in pictures
[1] A pillar, erected at this sacred spot by King Asoka, still stands to this day to commemorate the event.
[2] The site of Kapilavatthu has been identified with Bhuila (Bhulya) in the Basti district, three miles from the Bengal and N. W. Railway station of Babuan.
[3] Gotama is the family name, and Sākya is the name of the race to which the Buddha belonged.
[4] Majjhima Nikāya, Part 1, Mahā Saccaka Sutta, No. 36
REPUBLIC OF BOSTON, Former Massachusetts — Difficult as it is to believe, more than three years have passed since the first publication of Unquotable Quotes back in March of 2005. The 37th edition is expected to hit the streets sometime during the long weekend, barring an unforeseen act of Kahuna.
Unquotable Quotes—perhaps better known as UQ—is the original commentary made by the large clowns infesting the Circus. Over the years, these clowns have uttered many choice statements that have been converted by Kahuna into laws, principles, hypotheses, corollaries, lemmas and even a prayer or two.
In hindsight, it would seem that arch motorist Professor Gordon started the wheel rolling when he propounded his Law of Legislated Potholes in UQ10. Soon after, Gordon followed up with his Principle of Volumetric Ornithology after a pelican decided to relieve itself on his then flagship automobile, GITT Mk II. This incident also gave rise to an entirely new field of study.
However, we digress. Here for the first time is a comprehensive reference to the Law of the Circus, in order of publication date:
From UQ10:
Bad roads are caused by politicians.
— Gordon’s Law of Legislated Potholes.
From UQ11:
You only realize how huge a pelican is when they shit on you.
— Gordon’s Principle of Volumetric Ornithology.
The pelican must be in orbit after loosing so much mass.
— The Monster’s Propulsive Corollary to Gordon’s Principle of Volumetric Ornithology.
The pelican briefs or lack thereof.
— Darth Teddy’s Lemma to Gordon’s Principle of Volumetric Ornithology.
May a whole bunch of white pelicans line up and group shit upon you when you try to take your next photograph!
— Kahuna’s Prayer for Obstructing Optics with Collective Linear Ornithological Bombardment.
Let he who is not distorted like a barrel cast the first shadow.
— Kahuna’s Principle of Rectilinear Umbrage.
From UQ12:
Teamwork is defined where the PM does nothing.
— The Monster’s Principle of Highly Defective Teamwork.
In that case the PM is wasting oxygen and should be put to death.
— Kahuna’s Corollary to The Monster’s Principle of Highly Defective Teamwork.
From UQ14:
Always waste other peoples’ bandwidth.
— Kahuna’s Doctrine of Hogging Other People’s Bandwidth, better known as The Pipe is Always Bigger on the Other Subnet.
From UQ15:
Real life does not proceed according to your bloody Gantt chart.
— Gordon’s Critical Path Observation.
From UQ16:
Why of course, you have to name a vehicle. Otherwise you tend to just think of them as objects. You have to understand that they have feelings.
— Huggles’s Vehicular Naming Monologue.
Can you explain why the blasted DB2 client needs so much space?
— Gordon’s DB2 Lament.
Because the installer has determined that you have way too much free space on your local disk.
— Kahuna’s Corollary to Gordon’s DB2 Lament.
From UQ19:
If you spell something wrong it just says, “not found,” then you have to search on Google and find the right spelling and then come back to Wiki.
— Vandoofus’s Principle of the Pursuit of Knowledge through Orthographic Enlightenment.
You think Wiki users should know how to spell everything they want to look up?
— Vandoofus’s Dilemma of Orthographic Ignorance.
There is no right way to spll [sic].
— Vandoofus’s Law of Defective Orthography.
From UQ20:
He should only be given blunt soft items, like boobies.
— Darth Teddy’s Generalised Huggles Theorem.
From UQ21:
These are two very enjoyable things: eating and screwing, not necessarily in that order.
— Darth Teddy’s Principle of Disorderly Pleasure.
From UQ24:
The best parts of learning are the stains.
— Darth Teddy’s Messy Knowledge Hypothesis.
Mothers get along with me.
— Darth Teddy’s Mrs. Robinson Principle.
Isn’t it strange that flights operate 24 hours and ticketing offices don’t?
— Gordon’s Confounded Air Travel Oddity.
I thought I was fairly docile this time.
— Darth Teddy’s Docile Teddy Hypothesis.
You don’t have a docile bone in your body.
— Kahuna’s Anatomical Retort to Darth Teddy’s Docile Teddy Hypothesis.
UQ would be a total failure if it weren’t for my selfless contributions.
— Darth Teddy’s Teddycentric Theory of Unquotable Quotation.
From UQ28:
Smooch is not equal to hump.
— Darth Teddy’s Inequality.
I believe our fate is in the hands of the Big Bang.
— Vandoofus’s Big Bang Hypothesis.
From UQ29:
It is anti-social behavior to turn away kids that may turn up at ones doorstep by E Scrooge.
— Gordon’s Halloween Principle.
If your identity was known, it would be law enforcement turning up at your doorstep.
— Kahuna’s Corollary to Gordon’s Halloween Principle.
From UQ30:
Next time, it will be the Hounds of Hell on your person.
— Gordon’s Hounds of Hell Approach for Dispute Resolution.
You’ll never manage to get everyone’s signature on the release order.
— Kahuna’s Bureaucratic Obstruction to Gordon’s Hounds of Hell Approach for Dispute Resolution.
Nonsense, I know El Diablo in person.
— Gordon’s Diabolical Method for Red Tape Elimination.
This would explain the sulfurous stench, yes.
— Kahuna’s Malodorous Brimstone Corollary to Gordon’s Diabolical Method for Red Tape Elimination.
Beware of tattooed philosophers bearing theorems.
— Kahuna’s First Law of Dubious Philosophy.
From UQ31:
Darth Teddy is beyond undergarments; its dilemma is what hole to stick it in.
— Gordon’s Holy Teddy Hypothesis.
The tie is meant to contrast, not be camouflaged.
— Gordon’s Conspicuous Necktie Principle.
You are flawed.
— Darth Teddy’s Defective Kahuna Hypothesis.
From UQ32:
Clowns build faster processors and Microsoft builds slower software; thus is equilibrium attained.
— Kahuna’s Balance of Molasses.
I loathe stuff with an X in them unless there’s three.
— Gordon’s Triple-X Principle.
From UQ33:
The correct charmer will make any snake dance.
— Darth Teddy’s First Law of Snake Charming.
Your snake needs a charmer to calm it down.
— Kahuna’s Corollary Darth Teddy’s First Law of Snake Charming.
I believe my rear end is quite yummy.
— Darth Teddy’s Tasty Tush Hypothesis.
From UQ34:
I’m going to slap you at the earliest available instance.
— Kahuna’s Percussive Solution to the Boisterous Teddy Problem.
Your life would be boring without me.
— Darth Teddy’s Tedious Kahuna Hypothesis.
Would this mean that I can call upon the great Kahuna whenever Darth Teddy rears his not so cuddly face?
— Fluke’s Prickly Teddy Proposition.
From UQ35:
By my own admission I am irresistible.
— Darth Teddy’s Corollary to Ohm’s Law.
My pointy end has been the pleasure of many a fair maiden.
— Darth Teddy’s Pointy Teddy Hypothesis.
From UQ36:
Your vociferous nature is directly proportional to the square of your distance from me.
— Kahuna’s Vocal Teddy Principle.
I will also be casting astrologers, soothsayers and assorted mystics out to sea.
— Kahuna’s Mystical Maritime Strategy.
You will cast them without a compass.
— Darth Teddy’s Directionless Corollary to Kahuna’s Mystical Maritime Strategy.
And then there was the recruiter who said my resume was impressive because it was in PDF.
— Gordon’s Portable Resume Hypothesis.
I will send a resume carved in marble to take care of them.
— Kahuna’s Metamorphic Limestone Obstruction to Gordon’s Portable Resume Hypothesis.
Once you get on, it’s hard to get off.
— Darth Teddy’s Mounting Teddy Hypothesis.
I will push you off the Aswan High Dam if you continue this line of discussion.
— Kahuna’s Rapid Decent Method of Conflict Resolution.
I will name you as the architect of the Three Gorges Dam and airdrop you in the midst of a resettled village.
— Gordon’s Damned Unpopular Architect Defense to Kahuna’s Rapid Decent Method of Conflict Resolution.
You will find yourself tied to the Ahmedinejad’s reactor when the airstrikes start.
— Kahuna’s Strong Nuclear Force Option for Misguided Ariel Bombardment.
Who on Earth would want to hire you?
— Gordon’s Terrestrial Recruitment Conundrum.
Anyone who wants a spanner in the works.
— Kahuna’s Monkeywrench Solution to Gordon’s Terrestrial Recruitment Conundrum.
When wind hurls stones,picks up straw houses,When earth rumbles,splits, buries buildings,When bomb sends busflying in Colombo Fort,When a good man,precise thinker, readerof ola leaves anddigital text, gives way–his body openedbefore surgeons–and we t…
Oh hai.
I is wraiting this lettah to yuos alls cuz I is board rofl!
Okay enough of lolcatspeak…. Thing is, I’ve become a bit of fan of the lolcat fad since of late, after my introduction to:
http://icanhascheezburger.com/
Check it out! Yuos will laik it I swears!
I was kinda sick on Friday and Saturday… couldn’t function properly… something [...]
27ජීවකත් තිලකුත් මුහුණට මුහුණ බලාගති. පාඩම් කරමින් සිටි පිරිමි දරුවන් කිහිපදෙනාද ඔවුන් දෙස බැල…
On Thursday, in pursuit food critique, I had a small dinner party - just two people, Jehan and Radhika— who thought they might enjoy my cooking, and comment on the new dishes I’ve been working on.
The main course was pan roasted pork medallions, with a pineapple/wasabi glaze. Now, this is part of my pork roast extravaganza, that has been going on all month and I think just in time for Vesak, it may well have come to an end! 
Pan roasting the pork, works better in a way that oven roasting the whole cut, even though of course, nicely done dry roast has its own flavor, which is not what pan roasted gets you to. But its so much easier to manage in a way. I marinated the sliced (3/4 inch) pork in salted ( 2 teaspoons to 0.75 l –that’s 3 cups) unsweetened pineapple juice over night. Then, I used a cup of the marinade, with a cup of fresh juice, and another of diced pineapples, for the base of the reduction, boiling that down, until the pineapple was soft, then pureeing it, and reducing until thick. That’s 30 odd mins of boring, hot work — but this time, I didn’t burn it! Adding wasabi to taste is easy, right at the end, once the pork has been pan roasted in medium heat for about 7 mins., total. Since I use cast iron pans, I just popped it in the oven ( at 5) for about 10 mins also, to giving it that dry roast tinge. May be that worked; but the pork was soft, succulent even, and glaze was done right. My guests suggested that I add a little unmixed wasabi on the side, which I agreed I should have. I should remember next time! The medallions were served over mashed potatoes with pepper, and iceberg lettuce, undressed, scalded spring onion shoots and pineapple slivers. Jehan suggested that the spring onions be slit, some thing Ritu also suggested, some months ago when I made a soup — but in the main, both my guests thought the glazed worked well the pork, and was well blended. I had the dish earlier in the day, when I did a trail run, and yes, I was pleased!
I’ve been on a strawberry trend for a few weeks now, so no surprises there, I guess. The base of this, is a strawberry vodka jelly, made with sweetened pureed strawberries, reduced to a cup, blended with a 1/3 cup of vodka, and jelled. On top is sweetened whipped cream, Red Man, again, and Strawberries one of which I embedded in the cream, and the others served on a small side dish. This is a dish you have to work on, dipping your strawberries in cream, waiting for zingy—tangy melt in your mouth vodka jelly below. Have you ever looked up at the full moon sky?
And dreamt of its cool surface.. and..
Had it ever hit you like a blow from the darkness of that same night
The impossibility of ever touching that silvery light?
Have you ever sat down on the yellow beach and
Gazed and marveled at the ever stretching blue sea?
Had it [...]
(Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT; 5/10/2008; 1/160 at f/4; ISO 100; white balance: Manual; focal length: 34 mm)Location: Studio two75, Moorpark, California
Jaw dropped. Wonder what the wife goes through…. 
Stripped by a Mechanical Shovel! - video powered by Metacafefrom gizmodo
The Green Fields of Dambatenna (Copyright (cc) 2008 B Kahuna)
Tea Leaves after Rain (Copyright (cc) 2008 B Kahuna)
The Marker (Copyright (cc) 2008 B Kahuna)
DAMBATENNA, Sri Lanka — In March this year, Kahuna and Darth Teddy took some time off to tour Haputale and Ella. These photographs were taken on the drive up from Haputale to Dambatenna. This road eventually leads to that panoramic viewpoint, Lipton’s Seat.
The Dambatenna Group, whose immaculately pruned tea estates adorn the road, must be commended for the care they’ve taken to clearly identify each road with nary a fork left unmarked. These chaps know what they’re doing. It would take considerable effort to get lost up here. This made a welcome difference from some highways under the purview of the the so-called Road Development Authority (RDA), which were completely devoid of any markings that might have given travelers an inkling of their location.
Captured on 17th March 2008 using a Canon EOS 30D. The second photograph was taken with an EF-S 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 II and the other two with the highly non-bogus EF 50mm 1:1.8 II.
දුරු රට ඉන්න අපිට ලංකාවේ රූපවාහිනී වැඩසටහන් බලන්න පුළුවන් වෙබ් අඩවියක් තමයි . www.srilankantube.com හැබැයි ඒකෙත් ගොඩක් ඇතුලත් වෙන්නේ දීර්ඝ (MEGA) ටෙලි නාට්ය තමයි. මොනවා වුනත් මොහොතකට හරි අපිව ලංකාවට ගෙන යනවා.
Opposition leader Ranil Wickramasinghe, President Mahinda Rajapakse, Actress Malini Fonseka & Model Anarkali is sitting in a train.
The train suddenly goes through a tunnel, and it gets completely dark. Suddenly, there is a kissing sound, followed by the sound of a slap! The train comes out of the tunnel.
The women and Ranil are [...]
ok i can explain my absence. cant do it in many words though.long story short, laptop keyboard malfunction. trying to get replacement done. should be done within a week.hence ive missed juicy stories on ur blogs, sharing juicy stories on my blog and al…
It is surrounded by beautiful mountains. A vast stretch of green tea estates and paddy fields are two of the attractions. Ugudu dola and Hulanda-ela stream flow away with glistening water through the green fields .This village seems calm and quiet and there are about three thousand and two hundred of population . It is [...]
Opatha is a rural village which is situated in Galle district in the southern province boadering to Matara .
It can be accessed from Galle with 65 Km , From Matara through Akuressa there are 50 Km .
From Colombo through Kaluthara , Mathugama , and Pelavaththa there are 130 Km .
[...]
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