• Arthur C Clarke - astronomy, astrology and fiction writing

• The LTTE: Talking peace

   

Arthur C Clarke - astronomy, astrology and fiction writing

I am a student of the late Prof. Douglas Amerasekera - Professor of Mathematics of the University of Ceylon. He taught us astronomy in the university.

I am now a chartered electrical engineer and I have learnt and am still learning astrology. I have collected a physics and mathematics degree as an internal student.

I learnt my arithmetic at Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda and Ananda College, Colombo, where I was taught to add and subtract.

Mr. Clarke is a fiction writer and it appears that he hates addition and subtraction and is asking the government of Sri Lanka to stick to the current standard time, because it would be a problem for the international community to add and subtract.

Why is he not asking his native country the United Kingdom not to have separate summer and winter times and adjust the clocks twice a year?

He is here because this is a beautiful country without the four seasons.

We are almost on the equator.

May I please request Mr. Clarke to ask her Majesty the queen of England and the Prime Minister Tony Blair not to change times twice a year, because people like him cannot add and subtract.

An astrologer has to be able to add and subtract all the time -otherwise you cannot be an astrologer.

Mr. Clarke may not believe in astrology and only in science fiction, but there are a lot of educated people who have 'earned degrees' and not 'honorary degrees' who believe in astrology.

ENG. COLVIN DE ZOYSA, Colombo 8

The LTTE: Talking peace

I read Hemsan's article with interest. Although I do not agree with most of what she has said, I would agree that the ideal solution to the 'Tamil problem' lies in the establishment of a federal form of Government.

Writers like she should educate the public pointing out the advantages of such a system of Government.

The politicians for their own ends have conveyed the mistaken idea that Federalism means separation. It is up to the media and people like her to educate and convince the people that it is not so.

Noel Vethanayagam, via email