Category Archives: Musings

1 Year As A U.S. CITIZEN — & I Am Still Getting Used To It.

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by Anura Guruge
on April 28, 2024

Click to ENLARGE. Sorry I blurred out all the ‘useful’ bits. {smile}

Click images to ENLARGE.
With Judge Landya B. McCafferty
(who was incredibly nice & awfully impressive).

After 38 years as an alien (100% legal to boot) it takes time to sink in — especially in my old age. The kids think it is funny. Nobody, but nobody, has asked me of my nationality, directly, in that year. [Yes, I have to answer it if I apply for a credit card — which I do, occasionally, when I want to exploit all the 0% APR offers I get.]

I have voted in two elections — one Primary & the other local. In the Primary, to the surprise of many (& the disgust of my kids) I voted for a Republican! Ironic, BUT there is some symmetry. I only became a Democrat in 2004 (thanks to the younger ‘Shrub’ (who, to be honest, I vaguely like). Prior to that, for at least two decades I had been an ARDENT Conservative/Republican. I adored Regan. I so wanted the ‘Shrub’ to win in 2000. Then he totally disappointed me. My politics have changed over the year! Yes, I am still 70% a Democrat. But, I will NOT vote for Biden. That is a given. He has disappointed me too — & I used to be such a HUGE fan. But, I also have some major conservative tendencies. I am fiscally conservative, I WANT BORDER CONTROLS, I have some conservative leaning views when it comes to current social issue — BUT, I am 100% Pro-Choice. But, I can live with this. From what I can see, come November, I will NOT be voting for a President — but, I will vote down ballot (and many of those are likely to be Democrats). SMILE. It is NOT easy being I. SMILE.

So, during this last year:

>> I turned 70. Shortly afterwards, having waited 61 years to be told so, I was told I was Pre-Diabetic. NOT HAPPY. Doing my darndest to try & control it — though without much success. I have lost close to 25lbs ( 11Kg). I now weigh LESS than 140lbs (63.5 Kg, 10s). That is the LEAST I have weighed in all my adult life. I am delighted. I weighed myself this morning — & was quite SHOCKED! I am still losing weight. I am OK with that. Just surprised because I am eating like the glutton I am. Must be old age.

>> My youngest daughter (my youngest (of 4)) got her driver’s license in September 2023. [I think I got her a car.]

>> My youngest (i.e., daughter) turned 18 in March 2024. All my kids are grown up. Wow. I had to wait till 70 for that.

>> I had to call 911 twice — but fortunately nothing to do with us per se. One was to have a deer, trapped on a frozen lake, rescued & the other was when a truck caught fire across the road from us.

>> On April 8, 2024, I got to see the TOTALITY of the Solar Eclipse. That was cool.

>> I published 3 books. 2 in 2023, & one last week. SMILE. Kind of par for the course, i.e., 2 or 3 books a year. I think that was the 42nd as the SOLE-AUTHOR. I think I have 3 or 4 more as a joint author. I don’t count those.

So, those were the highlights. Wasn’t a bad year. Did a fair amount of trips. Met all my ambling goals — without missing a single. That makes me happy. So, I ambled in EXCESS of 6 MILLION STEPS as a citizen. Over 2,800 miles!

So, here is to the next year. Maybe this time next year, I will be more attuned to being a citizen.

Sri Lanka Cedes Another Port, This Time An Airport, To Foreign Powers — India + Russia!

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by Anura Guruge
on April 26, 2024

Click to ENLARGE. News snippets from ‘Google News‘.

This can’t be good. China already has a 99-year lease on deep-sea HARBOR nearby. Then, {as I reported} folks talk about ‘Russian Enclaves‘ in Sri Lanka. Now this. So, now China, India & Russia — a rather curious trinity — legally have footholds in Sri Lanka, controlling ports to boot.

Some of this {maybe much of it} probably has to do with the rampant corruption in the upper echelons of the government. Sri Lanka has been plagued by corruption & mismanagement for at least the last 50 years — & they have only been independent (from the British) for 76-years. I don’t think it was always the case. I think the first batch of leaders we had, straight after Independence {i.e., the ones I were personally familiar with}, weren’t totally corrupt. From what I could see {& I had quite a good & privileged vantage} they genuinely cared. They wanted to make something of the much sought Independence.

I could be wrong, but I think the corruption crept in during the late 1960s.

I, obviously, have no skin in this game. I gave up my Sri Lankan citizenship in 1983. I haven’t been back since 1992. So, this is all kind of academic. Historic.

I think China should TAKEOVER Sri Lanka. They own much of the Sri Lankan debt. Sri Lankans aren’t doing a very good job taking care of their country.

Google’s Dividend (& Stock Buyback): I Am V. Leery.

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by Anura Guruge
on April 26, 2024

Click to ENLARGE. News snippets from ‘Google News‘.

Successful, high-flying HIGH TECH stocks never gave dividends.

This goes back to the ‘dot.com’ era of the late 1990s — which I was lucky enough to live through & benefit from.

Amazon still does NOT do a dividend & unlikely to do so anytime soon.

Announcing a dividend (along with a massive stock buyback) is a ‘cheap’ way to make one’s stock attractive.

That Google is doing this now makes me leery. IF all is GOOD when it comes to AI etc. they didn’t NEED to do this. Unnecessary. This feels like an attempt to prop up the stock because they are concerned that they might be losing ground.

Oh, I own Google. So, this is NOT sour grapes. But, it is because of this that I am concerned. So, we are GOOD for now, but what about next year? That is the question.

“What Exactly Does IBM Do?” — Damn SHAME That This Has To Be Asked By The Media.

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by Anura Guruge
on April 26, 2024

Click to ENLARGE. News snippets from ‘Google News‘.

As a proud ex-IBMer, who made 90% of his income during his working career thanks to my in-depth knowledge of IBM technology — & who used to claim that “IF cut deep, I bleed ‘blue‘” — I found this headline most distressing, BUT I fully understood why it was posed.

IBM, alas, is NOT what it used to be — the computing behemoth that had 70% of the datacenter market. Those were the days. I was lucky enough to be a part of IBM in those halcyon days though I started to see — & write about — its decline in the late 1990s.

The last CEO, viz., ‘gin-and-tonic’ Rometty (who was an unmitigated disaster) and the current clueless clown have run IBM to the ground. Have no idea what IBM is all about. Shame. Well, I could wax lyrical for days. It is very distressing.

I am so GLAD that I managed to enjoy working for IBM — both as an employee and then as a consultant.

IBM is still dear to my heart. I always wish IBM well.

Amazon’s Shipping Algorithm Still Has Pockets Of ‘Artificial Stupidity’ (i.e., Opposite Of ‘AI’).

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by Anura Guruge
on April 26, 2024

Follow Anura Guruge on WordPress.com

Click to ENLARGE. This is from the last 36 hours.

Amazon’s shipping REALLY hasn’t got that much better over the last 6 months — despite their claims that they are using more & more Artificial Intelligence (AI). They have got better at playing games.

The above was beyond stupid. I ordered 12 copies of the SAME BOOK (as author copies). They SPLIT the order in TWO. Yes, split it in TWO — but not even 6 + 6. Instead 11 + 1. They printed 11 in one location & ONE in another. Shipped them SEPARATELY.

How does that make SENSE?

Two shipping costs to THEM. Stupid.

This, alas, is NOT the only example. I have talked about others too. See below.

From late last year.

Click to ENLARGE. Post from 4-months ago. You can, EASILY, see the STUPIDITY.

From May 20, 2023. An even earlier post.

This is beyond CRAZY.

Follow Anura Guruge on WordPress.com

“Joe Biden’s” Prophetic Freudian Slip: “We Can’t Be Trusted”. [Damn Right, Joe. Damn Right.]

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by Anura Guruge
on April 24, 2024

Click to ENLARGE. Click to access original story at U.K. ‘Daily Mail’.

Damn RIGHT, Joe, damn bloody RIGHT. You cannot be TRUSTED. You need to be impeached.

I can’t wait to see him leave office next January. He will probably be in a wheelchair by then — with an IV by his side. Worst President ever. Done so much harm to the U.S.

I used to be a HUGE fan. He has managed to totally alienate me. Shame. All I wanted him to do was GRACIOUSLY & gracefully step aside & let a younger, more capable person run against Trump. Oh, NO! His bloody ego. he just doesn’t see how old, feeble and doddering he is.

Well these are the TRUEST WORDS he has spoken during his whole pathetic Presidency.

“We can’t be Trusted” — Joe Biden.

I AGREE With ‘Bill Barr’ That ‘Biden’ Is NOW A Bigger Threat To The U.S.A. Than ‘Trump’.

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by Anura Guruge
on April 23, 2024

Click to ENLARGE. Click to access original story at U.K. ‘Daily Mail’.

I have NEVER liked ‘Bill Barr‘. I don’t like him now either. But, on this matter, I (ALAS) have to agree with him — since I feel, 100%, the SAME WAY.

Biden is NOW a bigger threat to the welfare of the U.S. than Trump!

It is true. Biden is weak, indecisive and nobody respects him. The borders are BEYOND A MESS and inflation is unabetting. I am so fed up of seeing him shuffling about, looking lost & confused and talking like the VERY OLD MAN he is. We need a STRONG President.

I am NOT sure I can vote for Trump, BUT I will NOT (I repeat, ‘NOT’), vote for Biden.

Biden is letting us ALL down. The world thinks we are weak. As I have pointed out the U.K. & Poland have already ACCEPTED that Trump will be the next president. There can no longer be any doubt or debate that Trump will WIN the November election by a landslide. I doubt whether Biden will more than 5 states!

‘Trump’ Hush Money Jury Will Be HUNG, Given Where They Say They Get Their News.

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by Anura Guruge
on April 21, 2024

Click to ENLARGE. From “The New York Times”.

From my April 19, 2024 post about the Foreman reading the U.K. “Daily News”.

Click to ENLARGE. For U.K. ‘DailyMail’ story.

You only need ONE JUROR to dissent to get a HUNG JURY.

I already told you that the Foreman (i.e., the 1st juror who is seated) was a U.K. ‘Daily Mail’ read (just like I). The Daily Mail is conservative and VERY PRO-Trump.

Now we have the complete list (or table) thanks to “The New York Times“.

There is one juror, i.e., #2, who gets their news from Trump’s ‘Truth Social’. Sacré bloody bleu! Has to be partial to Trump. Another from ‘Fox News‘.

This jury will be HUNG.

To go forward with this trial is a travesty. A WASTE of NY Tax Payer money.

HUNG JURY. Mark My Words.

ELEPHANTS Vs. Man In Sri Lanka — CNN Documentary, Sunday, April 21, 2024.

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by Anura Guruge
on April 20, 204

Click to ENLARGE. Link to ‘CNN’.

I am am recording it, but I am not sure whether I will be able to watch it in its entirety. It might be TOO distressing. I know the situation is dire — & not getting better. This is an issue very close to my heart.

Way back, when I was in my late teens, I had this plan that when I was 30, I was going to liquidate everything I had in the West, go back home to Ceylon, and (using our family contacts & clout) get a ‘job’ looking after the elephants. That was in the 1970s. I knew then that the elephants needed help. Well, none of that happened. I, as with all things in my life, FAILED — & failed miserably.

Sri Lankans have an unusual confused & conflicted relationship with our elephants. We have FOUR (4) types of elephants in Sri Lanka (nee Ceylon). Temple, Working, Tourist & WILD. In theory we are supposed to (literally) worship the Temple elephants. Many think they do, BUT we are rather unkind to them. Working elephants don’t do too bad. Tourist elephants get some abuse. The real problem is the WILD elephants. They get short shrift. That is what this CNN documentary will be about.

Just wanted to make sure you knew of this. OK?

‘Trump’ Jury FOREMAN Reads The U.K. ‘Daily Mail’. We Will Get A HUNG JURY. Trump Will Prevail. Mark My Words!

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by Anura Guruge
on April 19, 2024

Click to ENLARGE. For U.K. ‘DailyMail’ story.

Cracked me up when I saw it in the U.K. ‘Daily Mail’ last night. They reported it with a straight face. Did not gloat or draw attention to it.

‘dailymail.com‘ IS the U.K. Daily Mail. That ‘.com’ resolves into the ‘co.uk‘ address. Check it out.

This is CRAZY. What were the chances? [And IF you were wondering (& I did have to look it up). In New York, the FIRST juror seated is AUTOMATICALLY the ‘foreman’. That is it. That is how this guy became the foreman. No other factors. Just the first seated as a juror.]

Anyone who is even vaguely familiar with this blog must know that I am an AVID U.K. Daily Mail reader. I read it, ONLINE, at least 8 times a day — first thing in the morning & last thing at night. I started reading the Daily Mail, in print, in the 1970s — when I started working, as a 20-year old. I didn’t have time to read one of the UK’s posh, pakka papers. So, I settled on the Daily Mail. It did a decent enough job covering cricket scores — which was very important.

Yes, I know all the issues with the Daily Mail. The typos are infuriating. But, by and large it doesn’t get too much totally wrong when it comes to the NEWS. It is ALWAYS WAY, WAY ahead of the U.S. media. That is a huge bonus. Yes, it is a tad right wing! SMILE. But, I can live with that.

An American man who gets his news from the U.K. Daily Mail will be RIGHT WING. More than likely a Trump fan. So, we will get a HUNG JURY. So, Trump will not get charged in THIS trial. They will, if they wish, have to have another trial — AFTER he is President. {Good luck with that.}