#gossip sri lanka

[antoine-roquentin]

Part 1 in this series about... something. I’ll figure it out when I write more.

Howard Imbrey was a CIA agent. Having started in the CIA’s WW2 predecessor, the OSS, he was placed undercover in diplomatic roles at American consulates and embassies in Sri Lanka, India, and Ethiopia during the late 40s and 50s. This was a traditional role for intelligence agents: with diplomatic immunity, they would be safe from prosecution, while embassy parties and other events allowed them to pick up gossip from inside the country.

However, it did limit agents and paint a large target on their back. Imbrey operated in a friendly environment in India, where he could rely on British-trained police chiefs as informants in the battle against the Communist Party of India in Maharashtra and Kerala. In other parts of the world, governments would monitor the movements and activities of those who came out of the American embassy, knowing them to be spies.

In 1958, Imbrey was instead embedded in a fake corporation headquartered near the UN in NYC, with a real businessman as his partner. They worked closely with UN diplomats to find actual businesses to promote, to keep the whole thing legit. At the same time, it allowed Imbrey the chance to question the diplomats and businessmen for gossip and to meet with other informants the CIA had already cultivated across the continent. Some of these informants included Cyrille Adoula and Albert Kalonji, head of political parties and breakaway factions devoted to undermining Patrice Lumumba’s elected government in the Congo.

The article attached was important to developing his cover. Initially, it ran in Fortune, owned at the time by Henry Luce’s Time Inc., while the screenshots are from John H. Johnson’s Negro Digest. Luce was historically close to the CIA and the American government in general. He hired CIA agents onto his staff and allowed them to write propaganda as they saw fit. He directed his journalists to publish opinion pieces attacking those who exposed CIA secrets, like Ramparts magazine. At one point in the Congo Crisis, US Ambassador to Belgium William Burden, a friend of Luce’s, phoned him to get him to bury a story on Lumumba. No information has come out either way on just whether the journalist who wrote this article knew Imbrey was CIA or was simply ordered to by higher ups, but it seems likely that the editorial staff of Negro Digest simply saw it as fitting with their focus on black lives and reprinted it unwittingly to the CIA’s benefit. Later on, Imbrey would find another cover as a journalist with a CIA-controlled news outlet in Paris, Brussels, and Rome, which allowed the CIA to fly informants to him.

None of this was known to anyone until 2001, save for a brief acknowledgement of thanks to Imbrey’s wife in a book by Larry Devlin, CIA Station Chief in the Congo. That year, Imbrey suddenly gave two interviews in April and June, and then died a year later. One was to a high school student at a private Episcopal school in Maryland. It’s roughly written, and clearly transcribed by someone who’s writing the names of Congolese officials by ear rather than knowledge, but deserves to be read, not because Imbrey lets his guard down consciously, but rather because of the implicit biases he still has and the distinction between the secrets he wishes to keep and those he feels fine in revealing. Particularly humorous is when the kid tries to ask him about whether the CIA operated independently from the president, and Imbrey denies it, saying “That’s an Arab type of operation.”

The other was to Charles Stuart Kennedy, a career diplomat who retired in the 80s and subsequently made a post-retirement life of interviewing other diplomats for the public record. Since many CIA employees were embedded as diplomats, he ended up running into a bunch. His interview is much more detailed and professional, albeit with the same transcription errors on names, and makes for excellent reading for anybody who enjoys salacious historical gossip. Imbrey talks about reading Popeye the Sailor bootleg Rule 34 as a kid, kidnapping fishermen in the Indian Ocean with submarines to train them to use radios to spy on the Japanese Navy (sounds like UFO abductions), supplying porn to the higher ups in the Indian Navy, etc. But two particular moments stand out, one being what may be the single worst denial of American involvement in the assassination of Patrice Lumumba:

Q: Did you get involved at all with the Lumumba business?

IMBREY: No, the only thing I can tell you is they sent out this shellfish compound to chief of station Larry Devlin and he sent it back with an angry note saying, “Don't you know the Belgians are going to kill him, what do you want us to do?” We kept totally out of that one. Then Lumumba really put himself in terrible trouble when he gave a rise of one rank to everybody in the army and then found he couldn't pay the new prices. Then the army rebelled; they put him in an airplane, took him south and they pulled him out of the airplane on the driveway, brought him up to the chief of the Lunda tribe and in Munongo's office and I guess they shot him there or it may not have been there. In Munongo's office they began asking him a couple of questions. Well, this was according to his answers. Munongo took a bayonet and put it right into Lumumba's chest and Captain Gatt, a Belgian, was right there and he fired a bullet in the back of Lumumba's head to put him out of his misery and that was how it happened, but no Americans were involved.

and whatever this is, which happens to coincide with the CIA’s MHCHAOS operation on American soil:

Q: When you came home what were you doing?

IMBREY: That's where we turn off the tape recorder.

Q: All right, well then, we'll just skip over that. When did you take off again where we can talk?

IMBREY: Let's see. I was sent back to Rome in '72. Turn it off for a while and I'll tell you about it.

[dbunicorn]

My dad absolutely HATED gossip. I do to. idle minds make for an unproductive nation. Plus it's just really an ugly ugly thing to watch a young woman say with all the potential in the world waste her time like this. It's the purest debasement of intellect. Meh.

The desperation of your shitty life is no one's problems but YOUR. Fill it or kill yourself.

STOP wasting the time of others

Loser. Meh. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

The intellectual depth of a retarded 13 year old.

It would be lovely to expose all these idiots ugliest moments. I have nothing to hide. YOU do

The moment when you stare at the ceiling at the extreme shittiness of your sad life. I see you. ❤️💋

Wonder what that empty pit is in you. It's a stench.

Look at your husband with disgust. I've felt anger. Never that. It's a special kind of bitter.

Level playing fields. You're a liability and I suspect YOU know it.

I've often asked myself what it's like to go home with someone I find revolting. A lifetime of crying for help maybe? I bet I could get a PhD in women studies or sociology without running sri Lanka into the ground.

Amazon, Google, nimbus. Trespassing, 💋

[yes-justice-seeking]

China's Intelligence System

While the CCP's United Front Organizations and warriors are found in almost every corner of the world, according to Prof. Anne-Marie Brady, "people probably haven't heard about MSS, the Ministry of State Security in China".

"https://interactives.stuff.co.nz/circuit/china-the-long-game/full/"

In this blog, I will share and translate information found on the Internet about the MSS.

The first one is an article published on Jan. 14, 2019 and the title reads as "Let's gossip about the intelligence agencies of the CCP, government and military".

"https://program-think.medium.com/%E5%85%AB%E5%8D%A6%E4%B8%80%E4%B8%8B%E5%A4%A9%E6%9C%9D%E5%85%9A%E6%94%BF%E5%86%9B%E7%9A%84%E6%83%85%E6%8A%A5%E6%9C%BA%E6%9E%84-7deb1a595316"

Here is the translation of the index of the article

★Introduction ★Overview ★International Liaison Department of the CCP Central Committee (CILC) ★United Front Work Department of the CCP Central Committee (UFWD) ★Ministry of State Security (MSS) ★Domestic Security Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security (DPS) ★Intelligence Department of the General Staff (Second Department of the General Staff) ★Technical Reconnaissance Department of the General Staff (Third Department of the General Staff) ★General Political Department Liaison Department ★General Political Department Security Department ★End

Summary of the Overview:

The power structure of the Communist China can be divided into three: Party(CCP), Government, and Military, so does the intelligence system.

The CCP's intelligence agencies system has two parts: 对外联络部/ the International Liaison Department and 统战部/the United Front Work Department.

The government's intelligence system includes 国家安全部/ the Ministry of State Security and 公安部下属的国家安全局/the National Security Bureau under the Ministry of Public Security.

The military's intelligence system are mainly 总参谋部/the agencies under the General Staff and its subordinate institutions.

The International Liaison Department of the CCP Central Committee(ILD) 中共中央对外联络部（中联部)

It's a subordinate agency of the CCP's Central Committee and its administrative level is "ministerial level"

This Department is directly subject to the control of the Central Committee of the CCP, parallel with the most famous Central Propaganda Department/中宣部 and the Central Organization Department/中组部. Together, they've been called the CCP's intelligence agency.

Huang Hebian, running an anti-Miles Kwok(well known as the CCP's No 1 diaspora enemy) YouTube channel in Canada, once said:" people are calling me "propagandist" (for the CCP), but the propagandists are not under the MSS's control, not spies." Now we know that the CCP's Central Propaganda Department is called the CCP's intelligence agency.

"https://www.youtube.com/@huanghebian"

The article clarified a common misunderstanding between “中联部”/the "International Liaison Department" and “中联办”/the "Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region". They are two independent departments with not much connection. The latter is under the State Council's management and acts as the mouthpiece of Beijing to remotely control Hong Kong.

The point of the paragraph below is that behind its official cliché, “中联部”/the International Liaison Department's substantive function is to engage in intelligence activities in the name of external liaison.

Subordinate Institutions of the International Liaison Department/中联部下设机构

Bureaus under the International Liaison Department are divided based on geographical regions.

Bureau 1: Targeted countries include: South Asian countries (India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, etc.), some Southeast Asian countries (Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, etc.).

Bureau 2 (Asia Bureau 2) Targeted countries include: Northeast Asia (Japan, South Korea, Mongolia), Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia).

Bureau 3 (West Asia and North Africa Bureau) Targeted countries include: West Asia and North African countries.

Bureau 4 (Africa Bureau) Targeted countries include: Sub-Saharan African countries.

Bureau 5 (Latin America Bureau) Targeted countries include: Latin American countries (all American countries except the United States and Canada).

Bureau 6 (Eastern Europe and Central Asia Bureau) Targeted countries include: Eastern European countries, CIS countries.

Bureau 7 (American Bureau) Targeted countries include: North America (United States, Canada), Northern Europe (Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark), British Isles, Oceania countries.

Bureau 8 (Western European Bureau) Targeted countries include: Western European countries.

The article "gossiped" Zhang Liucheng's death. He was the director of Bureau 2 of the International Liaison Department. He was allegedly bribed by South Korea and became an undercover agent for South Korea. He was exposed in 2010 and secretly executed thereafter.

Although the author called it "gossip", this information is consistent with Yonhap News Agency's report on June 24, 2010. As I exposed in my other blogs, telling the truth in a joking/gossiping way seems to be a common and frequently used method by the CCP's agents.

"https://cn.yna.co.kr/view/ACK20100624003300881"

中共中央统一战线工作部(统战部)/United Front Work Department of the CCP Central Committee (United Front Work Department)

Like the International Liaison Department/中联部, it's also a subordinate agency of the CCP Central Committee and it's administrative level is in the ministerial level.

The Department has a history of engaging in secret activities and collecting intelligence. During China's Civil War from 1946 to 1949, many KMT military generals were fooled by the CCP's United Front work and turned against the KMT government. (KMT government went to Taiwan after the CCP took the control in the mainland of China.)

Unlike the International Liaison Department/中联部, the United Front Work Department is focusing on non-governmental organizations and targeting diaspora Chinese people, coercing or intimidating them to provide intelligence to the CCP.

Main subordinate institutions of the the United Front Work Department

General Office/办公厅

Responsible for the contact and comprehensive coordination work within and outside the department, and ensure the normal operation of the department's business and administrative work.

Policy Theory Research Office (with the Propaganda Office of the United Front Department)/政策理论研究室（内设统战部宣传办公室）

Carry out research on the theory of the United Front; coordinate and organize research activities; collect and process information on the United Front; be responsible for the propaganda work of the United Front Department; etc.

Bureau 1(Democratic Party Work Bureau)/一局（民主党派工作局）

Targets the eight major democratic parties.

Bureau 2(Ethnic and Religious Work Bureau)/（民族、宗教工作局）

Targets ethnic minorities and religious figures.

Bureau 3(Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and Overseas Work Bureau)/（港、澳、台、海外工作局）

Targets Chinese communities and representatives in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas.

Bureau 4(Cadre Bureau)/（干部局）

Responsible for the political arrangements of non-party representatives (selection, training, inspection, recommendation, etc.).

Bureau 5(Economic Bureau)/（经济局）

Targets the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce.

Bureau 6(Non-Party Intellectual Work Bureau)/（党外知识分子工作局）

Targets non-party intellectuals.

The following related associations are under the United Front Work Department's control:

All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce Huangpu Alumni Association European and American Alumni Association Association for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification China Tibetology Research Center Song Qingling Foundation

Based on New Zealand's Stuff's report (https://interactives.stuff.co.nz/circuit/china-the-long-game/full/), I think Huaxing arts troupe/华星艺术团 shall be added to the list.

Ministry of National Security (MSS)/国家安全部（国安部）

This department is a subordinate agency of the State Council and it's in the "ministerial" administrative level.

History of the MSS

It was established in 1983 as the Central Investigation Department of the CCP.

Function:

The MSS is the only intelligence agency publicly recognized by China's government. It is also the most important intelligence agency in China's government system. Beside the general intelligence work, as per the author's personal experience/knowledge, the MSS officially maintains a hacker team for invading foreign cyber facilities, similar to the Third Department of the General Staff/总参三部.

The MSS's Subordinate Institutions

Bureau 1(Secret Bureau)/（机要局）

Responsible for cryptographic communications and related management.

Bureau 2 (International Intelligence Bureau)/（国际情报局） Responsible for international strategic intelligence collection.

Bureau 3 (Political and Economic Intelligence Bureau)/（政经情报局） Responsible for the collection of foreign political, economic, and scientific intelligence.

Bureau 4 (Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau Bureau)/（台港澳局） Responsible for intelligence collection in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.

Bureau 5 (Intelligence Analysis and Reporting Bureau)/（情报分析通报局） Responsible for intelligence analysis and reporting, and guidance on intelligence collection.

Bureau 6 (Business Guidance Bureau)/（业务指导局） Each province/municipality has a provincial department under the Ministry of State Security, and this bureau is responsible for business guidance for each provincial department.

Bureau 7 (Counterespionage Intelligence Bureau)/（反间谍情报局） Responsible for the collection of counterespionage intelligence.

Bureau 8 (Counterespionage Reconnaissance Bureau)/（反间谍侦察局） Responsible for tracking, monitoring, investigating, arresting, etc. foreign spies.

Bureau 9 (Domestic Security and Reconnaissance Bureau)/（对内保防侦察局） Responsible for counterespionage of foreign-related units, and monitoring domestic reactionary organizations and foreign institutions.

Bureau 10 (Foreign Security and Reconnaissance Bureau)/（对外保防侦察局） Responsible for monitoring personnel of overseas institutions and overseas students, and investigating the activities of reactionary organizations abroad.

Bureau 11 (Intelligence and Information Center Bureau)/（情报资料中心局） Responsible for the collection and management of written intelligence materials.

Bureau 12 (Social Survey Bureau)/（社会调查局） Responsible for public opinion surveys and general social surveys.

Bureau 13 (Technical Reconnaissance and Technology Bureau)/（技侦科技局） Responsible for the management and development of reconnaissance technology equipment.

Bureau 14 (Technical Reconnaissance Bureau)/（技术侦察局） Responsible for letter inspection and telecommunications surveillance.

Bureau 15 (Comprehensive Intelligence Analysis Bureau)/（综合情报分析局） Responsible for the analysis and judgment of comprehensive intelligence.

Bureau 16 (Image Intelligence Bureau)/（影像情报局） Responsible for image intelligence of various countries, including satellite intelligence interpretation.

Bureau 17 (Enterprise Bureau)/（企业局） Responsible for enterprises, companies and other institutions under the Ministry.

Counter-Terrorism Bureau/反恐局 This bureau was newly established and is responsible for counter-terrorism operations.

As for Bureau 10 of the MSS, I would like to point out that Bureau 10 and its full name are mentioned by one person in the circle that I've been observing for years.

"https://x.com/eric9898999/status/1800780356930740381"

"https://x.com/eric9898999/status/1800789461300916509"

The circle is full of people with either military or police background in China. The above-mentioned posts talked about "大法师", identified by many as the same person behind @TreeNewBee2019 who threatened me to "slowly chop off with a kitchen knife”.

"https://twitter.com/expose_ccp2023V/status/1750770704901943483"

Ministry of Public Security Domestic Security Bureau (National Security Bureau)/公安部国内安全保卫局（国保局)

This Department is under the management of the Ministry of Public Security, with an administrative level of "Chief-Ministerial level".

Functions

Technically speaking, this Department is only responsible for domestic affairs, repressing domestic political dissidents, such as democracy activists, human rights activists, and organizations labelled as illegal by the government, such as Falun Gong. Its function is similar or overlaps that of the MSS.

Main subordinate institutions of the National Security Bureau

National Security Office Intelligence Information and External Liaison Section Social Investigation and Grassroots Basic Work Guidance Section Ethnic and Religious Field Reconnaissance Section Anti-Subversion and Sabotage Reconnaissance Section University Culture and Economic Field Domestic Security and Protection Guidance Section Domestic Security and Protection Case Reconnaissance Section (Mobile Reconnaissance Brigade) Anti-Cult Reconnaissance Section

Intelligence Department of the General Staff (Second Department of the General Staff)/总参谋部情报部（总参二部）

This department is a second-level department under the General Staff, with a military level of "Army".

Function

This Department is mainly responsible for collecting and analyzing military and political intelligence. In terms of function, it is similar to the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) of the United States.

Main subordinate institutions

Bureau 1 (Military Intelligence Bureau)/（军事情报局）

This is the most important department of the Second Department of the General Staff, mainly responsible for intelligence collection all over the world, with a focus on Taiwan. There are five offices in China (Beijing, Shenyang, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Nanjing). The external name is: Office XX of the People's Government of XX City.

Bureau 2 (Tactical Intelligence Bureau)/（战术情报局） Mainly responsible for providing tactical intelligence to the seven major military regions and coordinating. The seven major military regions (Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Jinan, Lanzhou, Nanjing, Shenyang) each have their own intelligence department under the jurisdiction of the military region, which is at the level of a full division. These departments are directly under the management of the Second Bureau of the Second Department of the General Staff.

Bureau 3 (Military Attaché Bureau)/（驻外武官局） This bureau is responsible for training military attachés stationed abroad. Nominally, military attachés stationed abroad are a type of diplomat, representing the armed forces of their own country; in fact, military attachés stationed abroad in various countries are engaged in intelligence work. So, military attachés in China are no exception. Military attachés stationed abroad in China are generally colonels (at the level of a full division), and if they are stationed in important countries, they are major generals (at the level of a full army).

Bureau 4 (Eastern Europe Bureau)/（东欧局） Mainly engaged in intelligence analysis, targeting CIS countries and Eastern European countries.

Bureau 5 (Europe and America Bureau)/（欧美局） Mainly engaged in intelligence analysis, targeting Western European and North American countries.

Bureau 6 (Asia Bureau)/（亚洲局） Mainly engaged in intelligence analysis, targeting neighboring Asian countries.

Bureau 7 (Science and Technology Bureau)/（科学技术局） Mainly responsible for the high-techization of intelligence work. Some work overlaps with the Third Department of the General Staff. It also manages 6 research institutions: The 58th Research Institute (developing intelligence equipment) Seagull Electronic Equipment Factory (producing technical assistance equipment) Beijing Electronics Factory The 57th Research Institute Northern Jiaotong University Computer Center The Bureau's own computer center

Associations to the Intelligence Department of the General Staff (Second Department of the General Staff)

China International Strategic Society (CIISS)/中国国际战略学会（CIISS）

Formerly known as the "Beijing International Strategic Society", it is known as the think tank of the General Staff. The scholars in the society are actually senior military officers. For example: Xiong Guangkai/熊光楷 (former Deputy Chief of the General Staff) served as the president of the society.

PLA International Relations Institute/解放军国际关系学院 The institute is affiliated to the Second Department of the General Staff and is responsible for training military attachés, deputy military attachés, military attachés' attachés, and intelligence personnel stationed abroad. In addition, it also supplies officers to the intelligence departments of major military regions.

Technical Reconnaissance Department of the General Staff (the Third Department of the General Staff)/总参谋部技术侦察部（总参三部）

This department is a second-level department under the General Staff, with a military level of "Army".

Function

In general, this Department is responsible for collecting and analyzing electronic intelligence. The electronic intelligence it collects includes various radio signals, telephones, faxes, and the monitoring of the Internet activities. This Department is similar to the NSA (National Security Agency) of the United States.

The Department is also monitoring communications in the seven major military regions. They conduct random check in name of combat readiness and safety, but in reality, it is to prevent military coups.

As for the Department's subordinate agencies, the author's knowledge is limited and he/she gave only brief introduction about Bureau 2(targets the United States), 4(targets Japan), 8(targets CIS countries) and 12(responsible for identifying and tracking foreign satellites, mostly US military satellites).

Speaking of the China's military intelligence activities, there is a Chinese TwitterX account called "West Point Studio", later changed to "West Point Edit Team". It pays lots of attention to the US's Military and Elon Musk's SpaceX.

"https://x.com/hmn56656/status/1725736304183570786"

Tumblr limited the number of photos that a blog can have to 30 and I can't attach any more photo to this blog. Sorry!

Here is the link to the original article in Mandarin:

[mi4019mariaperera]

Podcast Script - Update

17/03/2024

Alright so there's an update on the podcast script assessment. I completely forgot to update this on Friday itself because I was working on the Premiere Pro edit. (You can check it out in my previous post)

When we got this activity, Ayodya, Shiza, Thameena, Movindul, Indusara and I had a discussion on what we going to talk about for the podcast. We all collectively decided to create a podcast script for 'Kalu Kumaraya'.

If you don't know who Kalu Kumaraya is, today's your lucky day. You can read all about him on our podcast script.

For your information, Kalu Kumaraya is a popular Urban Legend in Sri Lanka who's second to Mohini. (Mohini's a crazy ghost lady who carries her baby around the middle of the night and chases after dudes and curses them.)

Interesting right?

Moving on, we decided to create our own versions of the podcast. After reading through each and every person's podcast, Movindul compiled it all together to create the final script last Thursday.

While doing research, I came across several articles that spoke about Kalu Kumaraya being an Incubus. So, I decided to write my script based on that research! If you are interested, you can have a look at those articles down below!

https://gossip-shaafm-lk.translate.goog/1294/2016/07/kalu-kumaraya-shaa-gossip.html?_x_tr_sl=si&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

Take a look at my version of the podcast script!

This is the final script!

That's basically it for this post. Thank you for reading!

[drew-mga2022mi6021]

Research | An Everyman's Morning

Bambalapitiya, 7.43 a.m

In order to better understand the obstacles and boons that I can place in my main character's path, I must first garner a better understanding of the world around me during the morning. This research segment will be divided into two facets; my own observations and data gathered from those around me.

This segment will focus on one such study of the former, of which I intend to do a few more of. I have taken some photos around campus between 7.00 and 8.00 a.m. This is just after the sun has risen, but still early enough that people are out and about on the roads, making their daily commute. These photos aren't good, they are meant to function as on-the-go notes which I will elaborate on here.

Looking at the types of people I saw in my commute, I divided them into people who have business being on the road, and those who have absolutely no business on the road. Loiterers. The first group comprises of people heading to work or school in the morning. Some wait for the bus, some low income earners begin setting up shop, sweeping the road, etc, three wheelers begin their daily hires, policemen begin (wrongly) directing traffic, and a few commute to work via their personal vehicle. Even for those who don't have a job, such as housewives/househusbands, they would begin on their journey to buy groceries for the day.

Then there are those with too much time on their hands. They wake up in the morning to socialise with their friends, maybe over a cup of tea or a smoke. I noticed that since it's earlier in the morning, there is less of an urgency to get to work, but just enough that there is traffic mostly due to school. Additionally, most people who wake up early with time on their hands tend to be old; neighbourhood aunty gossip circles and older uncles walking aimlessly. The young minority with time on their hands tend to put that energy into training, such as running, cycling, rowing, or any other form of cardio.

A phenomena I observed in Galle (the South of Sri Lanka) is the rising abundance of small concerts or performances during the sunrise, to celebrate the new day or simply to greet the morning with the arts. These people fall squarely into the category of people with too much time on their hands.

Here are some observations I made of people themselves. Some taxi drivers fall asleep in their vehicles after long nights, people like jaywalking which might inadvertently cause traffic, the roads of Colombo themselves are built on a terrible infrastructure, and during rush hour, some people just don't feel like rushing which causes problems for other people on the road.

These are the first set of surface level observations that I have noted down on Colombo in the mornings. With this, I have an idea for some obstacles I could place in my character's path;

Beginning -> MC hails a trishaw -> gets stuck in traffic -> MC has to get off -> MC rents a bike on the side of the road -> has to weave through a morning market -> knocks some stalls over -> ditches the bike and decides to run to the look out point -> reaches the sunrise

I intend on conducting more research to inform these choices, which may change over the course of this phase.

[whattheabcxyz]

2023-09-16

Singapore

80-year-old security guard punched in face by vagrant after telling him he could not sleep on bench - why an 80-year-old is being employed as a security guard is beyond me... how would he offer anyone/anything any protection or be able to chase down any offenders?!

304 people under probe for cheating scam victims of more than $8.9m

Food

^ 32-year-old woman dies of botulism after eating sardines at restaurant - the restaurant owner had tried preserving the sardines himself

...& just a few days earlier, a Texas man died from flesh-eating bacteria after consuming raw oysters at another restaurant - he had a pre-existing liver condition & was on immunosuppressive drugs tho', which probably greatly affected his body's ability to fight of the infection

Politics

Survey shows younger people have less faith in democracy

Society

Sri Lanka still in turmoil 1 year after uprising - economy in shambles

BLM activist & Dove "fat acceptance ambassador" Zyahna Bryant who backed defunding the police calls cops on DailyMail.com over polite interview request - this after she ruined the life of another young woman by making false claims about her ...Where's the justice?! But oh, I forgot she's black so she's always in the right!!!

Travel

Some Scoot passengers left without their luggage after it's transferred to another plane to reduce weight & combat headwinds

Gossip

Just when we thought Hugh Jackman & his wife were an anomaly in Hollywood, they prove they're not - divorcing after 27 years of marriage

[jayhorsestar]

different ppl see various things (sometimes i write of), differently. various ages, sexes, all correct. A1. Hollywood stars (and Akon, and his niece gotten his accent, btw) send Happy Birthday wishes to me, represented by Jasmine-Tookes, JoJa 'junior, she taller than me three centimeters, wearing silverish (steel) plethora of Rockstar alike jewellery, from Christ cross as earrings (large, five centimeters each), to finger rings, other necklace, so forth. time stamp today Saturday 16th at 4.30pm+2h, POS cashier 9 nine, met eyes couple of times: at first, inside the shopping area, before reaching the cashier's POS, all RO speaking, nonetheless, and she was w/ a girl-friend, bit chubby, RO also. JoJa Jr looked familiar, but I was picturing Sri-Lanka and her skin was not that dark. Cuba is not as dark as Sri-Lanka. tobacco shade indeed, not the Indian skin at Sri-Lanka south. RO plus youth, not Jasmine! could not had guessed immediately. earrings helped a lot, thinking event letter to Greek Embassy at Bucharest and they sent over a daughter of one of them, w/ mixed jewelry, gold and silver. couple weeks later on, by 2022 January perhaps. THEN, by time both ladies paid and received those 'Pringles, 'Nachos, 'Snacks, 'MAOAM, smth like that, not sweet, salted and sour, mostly (mebbe). this time by follow-up way to exit, moment was stolen, both ladies were trailed and at least four different decoys, to attract attn., rendering me meeting them, almost impossible, ad_literam. couple trail blazers RO and HU, and MDL, and RO again. MDL was pivoting three trollers, to catch my eyes, playing undecided. HU was having icecream on shop floor, catching my eyes for keeping w/ in-house guidelines, adults eat food only outside. one chief cashier just receiving word from har mother who gotten back into old father relationship (perhaps there were disagreements for longer time, and parents gotten back together, dunno, dropped on shop floor to make me aware of good parenting!!! perhaps in view of YSL Paris, and other moms of June and July, that gossip! that parenting!). another RO was having his kiddo playing around the suspended RV cars, and climbing is forbidden, insurance is EURO from Greece, not RON from RO. sort of you get to see and look at the cigarette, but it's not carrying the RO TAX stamp yet (ie.'acciza), so you cannot play or touch, just photo (QR code present) - no joke, ssly. SO WE COULD ONLY SPEAK THREE RO WORDS, she came to me, not knowing which way to exit, and i wished HER, a 'o seara frumoasa! (ie.'calm evening). OF COURSE, several layers of interpretation. from happy bday wishes, to parenting, to wearing silver and not gold, or any at all, coming alone w/ a girl-friend of RO carrying the shopped snacks, seven years and she gotten so tall in the meantime, beating me at least three centimeters, 178 cm tall, mebbe. clothing was smth black, rock denim, leather boots, smth. could had not paid eyes over her, everyone seemed to had had tracked her down, they were all surrounding us, from less than five meters radius, both JMB and RO and HU and MDL, ad_literam. both police intel street sources, and PH vip driven probing eyes and ears. lots of NOISE surrounding the 4.30pm+2h, shabbat-shalom event. and AKON is not Jewish, Jasmine neither. SO I DO NOT HAVE HER PHONE, NOR HER EMAIL, OR INSTA. nothing from me either, we only RO phrases exchange, w. accents. she looked like a 'Blanca Padilla carrying message of peace. young and attractive to a Brazilian old jaguar, nonetheless. m

[winentireworld]

Deepika Padukone glamorous photoshoot for Vogue Magazine

Deepika Padukone has recently done a photoshoot for Vogue magazine. You will not lose sight of Deepika's glamorous style in this photoshoot. Deepika's style in the photoshoot is tremendous. Deepika's different style is seen in every picture. On the cover page, Deepika is seen carrying a beige-colored Ovakot on the shoulder.

[rudrjobdesk]

...तो राजा जान बचाकर भाग जाता है, श्रीलंका की बदहाली पर इस एक्ट्रेस ने कसा तंज

…तो राजा जान बचाकर भाग जाता है, श्रीलंका की बदहाली पर इस एक्ट्रेस ने कसा तंज

Richa Chadha On Sri Lanka Crisis: पड़ोसी देश श्रीलंका (Sri Lanka) की हालात दिन प्रतिदिन खराब होती जा रही है. आर्थिक तंगी की मार झेल रहे श्रीलंका की चर्चा फिलहाल पूरी दुनिया में हो रही है. इस बीच बॉलीवुड की मशहूर एक्ट्रेस ऋचा चड्ढा (Richa Chadha) ने भी श्रीलंका की बदहाली (Sri Lanka Crisis) पर अपनी प्रतिक्रिया व्यक्त की है. मालूम हो कि श्रीलंका के प्रधानमंत्री रानिल विक्रमसिंघे के अपने पद से…

[don-lichterman]

Prime Minister and SLFP to hold discussion

Prime Minister and SLFP to hold discussion

A special discussion between Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is scheduled to be held this morning (16). The discussion will be held at 9.00 am today at the Prime Minister’s Office at Flower Road in Colombo. At the invitation of the Prime Minister, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) had decided to support the formation of an all-party government. Former…

[indiarightnow]

No transportation of fuel, cement, flour from today : Station Masters

No transportation of fuel, cement, flour from today : Station Masters

The Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters’ Union (SLRSMU) has decided to withdraw from transporting fuel, cement, and flour from today with immediate effect.   The decision was taken after discussion with the Railways’ General Manager (GMR) this evening. SLRSMU Chairman Sumedha Somaratne told the media that they had withdrawn from these services in addition to the ongoing trade union action of not…

[nigeriangossip]

Sri Lanka Swears In Former Defence Chief As New President https://nigeriagossipz.blogspot.com/2019/11/sri-lanka-swears-in-former-defence.html

[peonycats]

do you have any headcanons (or canons? idk) about your ocs? specifically Pak or Sri Lanka?

hmmm well here’s my concept drawings (ft. bangla) when i was trynna sus out the design! I swear one day I will do like. a formal nice and shiny bio for her lmao

Sri Lanka

She’s a very tough lady! She’s been around for a while and gone through a lot; I designed her with the image of a ‘tough love’ mom in mind!

Family oriented and loves to dote on younglings, especially by making treats and snacks!

Her spice tolerance is remarkable even among the South Asians

Has known India for far too long and is 24/7 done with him

has had and continues to have a somewhat testy relationship with Vedda, the nation-tan of Sri Lanka’s indigeneous peoples.

likes to gossip 👁👄👁

I share Sri Lanka with my friend, and she owns Pak, so I’ll take a pass on that one for now!

[konmarkimageswords]

(Uradiance)

What the Ancestors Want

The ancestors want you to know, you are not required to carry their pain.

Your mother did not spin the web that nets you, you wove it from your own desire.

Yesterday’s rain won’t nourish this flower; the new sun drank last night’s tears.

Your grandmothers are singing for you to birth your own unbearable happiness.

Your grandfathers’ bones are praying for you to hunt the sweetness in your own marrow.

You think you must stand like a warrior in the withering crossfire of your father’s blood.

But what wounds you is the wavering blade of your mind, slashing the past and future.

If you insist on making reparations, plant a wild pine; let it be a tree of Presence.

You cannot pay them for the privilege of breathing, for awakening this solitude of beauty.

They need no libation, they thirst for no offering. They are not hungry ghosts,

But earthworms who luxuriate in loam, shards of sunlight lodged in magnolia blossoms.

Do not carry them; they do not carry you. They bear their own grief and laughter.

The past is vanishing smoke, the flame is now. Be christened with this breath; name yourself.

You sleep alone in the chamber of your ribs. No one else enters and leaves your lungs.

A mother kissed you, a father held you; you owe them nothing for this.

They did it for themselves; now let them be about the business of their next childhood.

Father your heart, Mother your body. Hold and kiss new sparkling babies.

Give them your grandmother’s name if you must, but not as a weight, not as a brand on the hip;

But as a prayer, a promise of astonishment for what has not yet been conceived.

Initiation

 The true Word

is not a mantra

or an affirmation

that rattles in your skull,

but a pure pulsation

of silence,

a kiss of star-song

seducing your heart

deeper and deeper

into the flower

of emptiness.

The true Word is given

through the whisper

of one who has become

the breath of stillness

herself.

This breath contains

the swirl of every galaxy

and the fire

of every sun.

Bow to the giver

of the soundless song.

  Master and Fool

The fool never gets tired of three things: drinking strong wine from his own heart, reaching the goal on the first step of an infinite journey, and running his fingers through the wise fur of a brown four-legged earthling. Now get good and lost until you find yourself beating at the door of this fool’s hut. Knock and he'll cry, 'Who's there?' 'It's me!' you'll reply. And he'll answer, 'There's no room in here for me!' So you'll spend a thousand more lifetimes praying, fasting, giving alms until one day, weary of all your goodness, you'll wander to that hut and knock again. 'Who's there?' he'll cry. 'Nobody,' you'll answer. Then he'll open the door and hug you with fierce joy, uncorking your heart so that you too can taste the dark vintage of wisdom that's been aging in your chest since the day before there was light.

Say Less

True listeners live in the heart. They love the gossip of raindrops, the breaking news of Spring peepers.

Say less than you mean. Grace is the gift of subtraction. The trembling crystal of a chickadee proclaims the whole Godspell.

Tell as little as a willow by a pond where the heron glides away on the first breath of twilight.

And if you must speak, leave a rippled stillness between yours words, the kind of mirror where  that long-beaked huntress might pause

on one leg all the golden afternoon. Be more like the moon between clouds, until your silences say everything.

My Ancestry DNA results

My Ancestry DNA results came in. Just as I suspected, my great great grandfather was a monarch butterfly.

Much of who I am is still wriggling under a stone. I am part larva, but part hummingbird too.

There is dinosaur tar in my bone marrow.

My golden hair sprang out of a meadow in Palestine.

Genghis Khan is my fourth cousin, but I didn't get his dimples.

My loins are loaded with banyan seeds from Sri Lanka, but I descended from Ravanna, not Ram.

My uncle is a mastodon.

There are traces of white people in my saliva.

3.7 billion years ago I swirled in golden dust, dreaming of a planet overgrown with lingams and yonis.

More recently, say 60,000 B.C. I walked on hairy paws across a land bridge joining Sweden to Botswana.

I am the bastard of the sun and moon.

I can no longer hide my heritage of raindrops and cougar scat.

I am made of your grandmother's tears.

You conquered rival tribesmen of your own color, chained them together, marched them naked to the coast, and sold them to colonials from Savannah.

I was that brother you sold, I was the slave trader, I was the chain.

Admit it, you have wings, vast and golden, like mine, like mine.

You have sweat, black and salty, like mine, like mine.

You have secrets silently singing in your blood, like mine, like mine.

Don't pretend that earth is not one family. Don't pretend we never hung from the same branch. Don't pretend we don't ripen on each other's breath. Don't pretend we didn't come here to forgive.

(Alfred LaMotte)

Alfred LaMotte is an interfaith chaplain and college instructor in World Religions who loves to walk barefoot in wet grass at midnight, un-naming the stars. He also enjoys gathering folks in circles to explore poetry and meditation.

https://yourradiance.blogspot.com/

https://soundcloud.com/fred-lamotte-1

https://www.amazon.com/Alfred-K-LaMotte/e/B00XILNI1Q/

[don-lichterman]

Prime Minister’s message for Vesak Poya

Prime Minister’s message for Vesak Poya

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his message for the Vesak Full Moon Poya Day, pointed out that the Dhamma teachings of Gautama Buddha should be followed in practice to alleviate the uncertainty in Sri Lanka. PM Wickremesinghe also stated that the commitment made to restore the lives of the country’s people is a commitment to Gautama Buddha. Restraint and stability need to be restored in…

[indiarightnow]

Police complaint alleges Facebook is insulting President & country

Police complaint alleges Facebook is insulting President & country

  The complaint has been made by Mr. Oshala Herath – a former deputy director of the Presidential Media Unit and an UNP candidate for the Colombo district in the last General Election. He has pointed out that the reputation of the country and President has been tarnished by inclusion of Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero and the Bodu Bala Sena to the list of dangerous individuals and…