Morning
Spice by Ginger
Poor coverage in major sporting events around the worldWhat
a rotten coverage some international sports events are getting these days. Ginger
remembers the glorious days when star T.V. used to televise all or most of the important
sporting events all over the world, boxing, cricket, tennis and so many forms of sport got
superb coverage through the year. Now all you get is either soccer and rugger from some
stations and motor racing to bore you to death. Now why hasn’t some stations thought
of at least telecasting some of the major sporting events of the world.
Last week, Tyson had a facile win at boxing which got little or no publicity here. But
the telecasts we really missed were the two grand slam tennis meets. We saw little or
nothing of the French Open and nothing of Wimbledon the greatest tennis event of the year,
nobody thought of telecasting the West Indies M.C.C. rubber where some really thrilling
matches were going on. All this the lover of sport was missing because none of the
stations here has been able to organise a proper sporting programme that would pay its
way. Let’s see some enterprise from one of them at least.
Cancer drugs
Now chemotherapy is what has come to the rescue of many a cancer patient. Many doctors
are of the opinion that chemotherapy after surgery does much to reduce the chance of
secondaries remaining in the system. Now they have discovered that it can cause such
unpleasant side effects that it has to be halted.
Scientists however have developed a test that can tell you in time whether you can
handle cancer drugs or not. All you have to do is to blow into a balloon after having your
breath analysed. They inject a minute dose of a drug that releases carbon particles that
is broken down by the liver. Less carbon would mean that the body will be slow to absorb
cancer drugs and a dose that is not so toxic may have to be given.
Tennis player turns TV commentator
Jim Courier known to be a fiery but determined tennis player has decided to retire from
big time tennis. At twenty nine, it could be a little too early for a tennis player who
was known for his fitness to retire. He was number one in 1992 and was known for his
terrific forearm and hard working approach to the game.
Courier won four grand slam titles during his peak and would have won nearly fifteen
million dollars in prize money. In all he was involved in big time tennis for something
like thirteen seasons, but he was losing his interest in tournament tennis and wants to
start a new life as a T.V. commentator.
Leco’s
disconnection notice embarrasses a housewife
I have been well advised by my husband on the rules concerning the payment of Leco
bills. Therefore, as a responsible housewife, I have paid every bill well before the
stipulated date. For the first time I paid a bill seven days after the expiry of 14 days,
not due to negligence but due to illness. Imagine my shock when I received a disconnection
notice from Leco dated after the date of my payment ! Is Leco’s action justified on
the basis of its respect for its customer or at least on the basis of commonsense and
decency ?
I say no. According to Leco Regulations 10 (a) and 11 in Gazette No 693 of 13 December
1991, a customer is in default at anytime after the 14th day from the date of issue of the
bill if he has not paid it before that day and he is liable to be disconnected as long as
he continues to remain in arrears from that day.
The Regulation does not say that the customer continues to be in default, even after he
pays the bill after the 14th day and that he can be still served with a disconnection
notice thereafter. Section 49(1) of the Electricity Act also does not say that notice can
be given after the customer pays during the period of default. I believe that the rules
leave what is unsaid in them to the civilized discretion of Leco on the basis of its
respect for its customer or at least on the basis of commonsense and decency.
Therefore, though a customer, as long as he is in default gives Leco continuing cause
for action to disconnect the supply, the moment he pays the bill he discharges his
obligation, however belatedly, and he deprives Leco of any further cause for such action.
Leco then not only loses its right to pursue such action but it has also an obligation by
its customer not to do so.
Therefore, Leco should (but does not) find out before dispatching the notice whether
all the payments received from the customer up to the date of issue of the notice have
been taken into account. Leco also should not (but does) dispatch the notice when payment
has been received before the date of the notice. If Leco insists on doing so then Leco
should (but does not) request the customer, in the notice itself, to disregard it,
regretting the inconvenience caused.
Finally Leco should not (but does) threaten the customer with "failure to obtain
clearance may result in disconnection" ! What it all amounts to is that Leco should
not (but does) bully the customer for no more reason than that it is not competent in
keeping its customer’s accounts up to date and it is unable to word its notice
politely. All this insensitivity is caused by bureaucracy, alternatively called
"buru’, crass, Ye" which drives the customer by its needs and is not driven
by its customers needs.
Therefore, I suggest the notice be amended as follows: We regret to inform you that,
after taking into account your payments received up to xx-xx-xx, you are in arrears as
shown in the invoice attached and your supply is listed for disconnection. You are kindly
requested to settle your arrears in full before xx-xx-xx. If your payment is not duly
received we would be reluctantly compelled to disconnect your supply. If you have already
paid the arrears in full, please disregard this notice and we regret the inconvenience
caused to you.
Housewife
Norochcholai coal
power - question of security
Since of late, several letters have appeared in the newspapers about the Bishop’s
protests against setting up a coal power plant at Norochcholai. They are all of the view
that coal power is absolutely essential to provide a reliable cheap power supply. But none
of them raises the great security threat at Norochcholai. This is such an important issue
that even the most excellent Trincomalee site for this project had to be set aside because
of the danger posed by terrorism. Mind you, this was after all the plans and other
documents were prepared.
To a question asked by a writer "Is Norochcholai safe?" Dr. Tilak
Siyambalapitiya’s reply is that even in the relatively trouble free countries like
the UK and USA, power plants are heavily protected and the plant designers would have
taken the necessary precautions against any security threats. (The Island April 5.)
Here you see how illogical our planners’ concepts of security are. When in
relatively trouble-free countries power plants are heavily protected, how much more must a
poor country like Sri Lanka infested with suicide bombers’ safeguard its power
stations. Here, we are faced with fanatical suicide bombers to an extent not found in any
other country. Planners should realise the consequences which will be caused by a
disruption of the power supply from such a big power plant. The best protection in our
case is not to provide for such hazardous situations. Sri Lanka can never afford to take a
risk setting up such a large power plant and then have it bomb blasted.
The Bishop’s objection is that this Jetty will obstruct the free movement of
fishing boats. To this, the CEB says that the boats will be allowed to pass through the
Jetty freely. Then what will prevent a fishing boat loaded with bombs banging into the
Jetty by a suicide bomber? Who can prevent this? Is it the plan to check all the fishing
boats passing through the jetty day and night all throughout the year for the next 20-30
years as long as terrorism lasts.
On this subject of Norochchlai Coal Power there was a discussion on TNL TV on April 28.
Here, the Bishop of Chilaw strongly raised this security issue. The Chairman CEB said that
this matter has been looked into carefully, and adequate security will be provided. Then
the Bishop asked the Chairman to say what the perimeters of the security zone would be to
protect the 4 KM long jetty.
The Chairman failed to reply to that question. The Bishop demanded a reply from him -
but no reply was forthcoming. The Deputy Minister of Defence before the fall of Elephant
Pass announced in Parliament with certainty that the Tigers would not be able to take
Elephant Pass for sure. Are the CEB authorities aware of the fall of the Elephant Pass and
how speedily it was achieved?
This 4 KM long jetty protruding into the Kalpitiya sea is the life line of the power
plant. You see today to capture Jaffna, the terrorists did not attack the heavily
fortified Elephant Pass. They attacked the main supply route A9 connecting Elephant Pass
with Jaffna and then occupied 4 KM of it. It posed a very serious threat to the whole
military operation in the North.
However, the government managed to recapture this at great loss in men and material,
but it had to remain non-operative. Then the water supply was cut off by capturing the
wells. This led to the fall of Elephant Pass. In the case of Norochcholai, it will not be
a case of recapturing, rather -it will be reconstruction of the jetty.
The CEB says if the jetty is blasted it will be repaired. How many years will
the-repair take? After repairs, it can again be easily blasted because the free movement
of boats is allowed through the jetty. Let the CEB realise that the jetty is not like its
transformers which are often blasted, but are replaced in a few days. The jetty is a
relatively huge, structure constructed in the sea. When the jetty is blasted the power
station will cease to function.
The Central Bank was bombed in January 1996. Still repairs are not complete and the
road in front of the bank remains closed for normal traffic.Repairs to the CEB’s
Orugodawatta bombed oil tanks took about 4 years. Remember it is from the countries of the
foreign advisers of our strategic projects that money and arms flow here to the LTTE to
continue this deadly terrorists war.
Recently a Tamil Nadu political leader Gopalaswamy had stated at a gathering organised
by the LTTE in Geneva, Switzerland, that the LTTE should continue in their attempt to
assassinate President Chandrika Kumaratunga. Tamil Nadu is only a few miles away from
Kalpitiya. Thus in locating this large power plant should not the authorities seriously
take into account such anti Sri Lankan sentiments and foreign conspiracies?
"See the prominent news item ’Now Tigers move into Switzerland’ in the
Sunday Times April 30, 2000 page 2. It says "LTTE had one of its main offices in
Switzerland and openly canvassed or extorted money from Sri Lanka. Asylum seekers here,
collecting upto 2 million francs a month. These funds were being used to buy weapons and
continue the conflict."
"As most of the European countries become parties to the UN Convention against
Financing of Terrorism, the LTTE movement has begun to shift its activities to
Switzerland."
"We are concerned that Switzerland is becoming a ‘Safe haven’ for their
terrorist activities through the large number of Tamil economic migrants."
The CEB claims that the consultants on this job say that Norochcholai is the best site
for the project. These consultants are also from Switzerland.
In the newspapers senior experienced engineers have expressed their opinion that in the
present confused state of affairs, the CEB should take up Mawella, excellent in all
respects instead of Norochcholai, such a hazard security wise.
P. R. Wijeratne
Nugegoda
Rambling
notes by Nihal Corea
Good news for beer drinkers
Some would whoop with joy while others may purse their lips rather thoughtfully at the
consequences of what could follow. There was a news item that said that drinking between
seventeen pints of beer a week could help to prevent one getting a heart attack.
Now normally beer drinkers are easy going soft hearted chaps who have to contend with
hard credit lines. Beer lifts their spirits off the depths of gloom and often off the
planes of reality. Often this is what worries their spouses. They do not mind their
husbands coming home grinning from ear to ear and having the impression that the world is
spinning around them.
What worries them is that the family finances could also be in a spin. Beer fosters
goodwill and good fellow-ship with rounds being called for friends and frend’s
friends all in frothy spirit of good cheer, but it also drains the family coffers with a
pitiless hardness that seems so out of character with that delightful brew.
Now this latest medical theory by a research man at the University College of London
could be misunderstood by many a pub goer in that country. The statement is not too
specific. It does not say whether the eight to sixteen pints should be drunk on one night
or distributed through the week.
Now imagine the plight of a man who knocks down about ten pints of beer and goes home
and tells his wife that he did it because it was good for his heart. It will not too
convincing for many women and they would very possibly in a rather caustic way say it
would be better if his heart stopped beating altogether than come home in such a state.
Many a good housewife would sudden in absolute horror at the thought of longevity being
linked to inebriation. The researchers may think they are being fairly liberal by allowing
up to two pints a day — just what makes a good evening while sipping it and watching
TV. The trouble is that our beer drinkers have got used to long evenings.
The longer the evening, the longer the draughts of beer they down. Now this is where
the doctors might sue the day when they said a pint or two a day could help your heart
attack away. While many mugs may be lifted to drink a toast to the doctors who recommended
this delightful way of keeping off a heart attack, the doctors may wonder whether they had
shot their months off.
The brewers all over the world however would love those doctors who made the discovery,
but claim that they knew that the key to longevity was in the beer, the brewed just as
reciprocally their wealth depended on the quantum quaffed. This was just the shove they
needed. |
