Blog – Page 14 – Yohan Perera

A close-up, eye-level shot captures the word "HELP" typed or stamped in bold, blocky, distressed black letters on a plain, light grey or off-white background. Each letter appears to be individually stamped, with slightly uneven edges and some ink smudges, particularly around the "P". The spacing between the letters is consistent.

The Unseen Rewards of Helping Others

Someone said “One of the most beautiful things we can do is to help one another. Kindness doesn’t cost anything.” Well, I disagree, wholeheartedly! Help is not free because it has a price. Although it’s free for the person on the receiving end it’s not so for the person on the offering end. Consider calling…

A group of four individuals are seated or crouching against a solid blue background, each wearing a makeshift face covering. From left to right: a person with dark skin wears a brown paper bag over their head with cutouts for eyes and mouth; a person with light skin has the top half of a clear plastic water bottle fitted over their face; a person with dark skin has a clear, rectangular plastic container over their head; and a person with light skin wears a bright yellow, spherical mask over their nose and mouth. All four are wearing white t-shirts, and the two individuals on the left are also wearing dark pants.

6 Other Safeguards against COVID 19

It’s been two years and nine months since COVID-19 dawned upon us. At the time of this writing, the death toll in Sri Lanka rests at 9,185 while 440,302 new patients have been discovered and 374,156 patients have recovered. Globally these numbers rest at 218,560,832 deaths, 4,534,054 new patients and 195,396,563 recovered patients. Virologists have…

A close-up, high-angle shot captures an open Space Gray MacBook Air laptop placed on a light wooden desk, angled from the lower right towards the upper left. The screen is illuminated, displaying a dark background with numerous colorful application icons arranged in a grid. The keyboard is visible, showing the black keys. To the left of the laptop, a red mug with white text and a dark-colored pen are partially visible. The background consists of a plain white wall, with a hint of a power outlet or similar fixture in the upper right corner.

Farewell Windows. Hello macOS

On the 19th of this month, I bought my brand-new 13” MacBook Air powered by Apple’s flagship M1 chip. I have never owned an Apple device before so this happens to be my first time. Today I would like to share with you a few facts I like and don’t like about it in comparison…

A slightly faded, low-angle shot shows a young child with dark hair sitting on the shoulders of an adult, who is partially visible on the right. The child, wearing a light-colored long-sleeved shirt and pants, looks thoughtfully to the right. In the background, there are trees, a cloudy sky, and faint indications of a gathering with white flags or banners, suggesting an outdoor event like a road race.

Reflections: In Loving Memory of My Father

Even as I solemnly and gratefully celebrate my beloved father’s life on the occasion of his first death anniversary, I feel moved to share with you three important thoughts that have come to my heart and mind during my reflections on his remarkable life and his passing over these past eleven months. These reflections have…

A slightly elevated eye-level shot captures a middle-aged man pushing an elderly woman in a wheelchair on the right side of a paved road. The man, on the left, is wearing a striped short-sleeved shirt, light-colored pants, and a cap, looking slightly upwards and to the left. The woman, on the right, is seated in a light green wheelchair, wearing a dark green top, patterned pants, and a dark scarf wrapped around her head and neck. She looks upwards with a serene expression. The road is clear, with a low, well-maintained hedge and a sidewalk on the right side, separating it from houses and what appear to be power poles and trees. In the background, on the road, a person on a motorcycle is visible. The scene is brightly lit by natural light.

Honour Your Parents: Why and How?

On October 13, 2015, the police rescued a father aged 73 who had been imprisoned in a dog cage by his daughter. According to that report, the woman’s dogs slept on a bed inside the house [source: Daily News]. In Sri Lankan culture, treating our parents with love and care is a core principle and…

A close-up of a detailed anatomical model of a human heart resting on an open medical textbook. The pages of the book are visible, showing text and diagrams of ECG heart rhythms.

Five Signs of an Uneducated Heart

Socrates said, “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” It means education that doesn’t bring behavioural change is useless. Socrates believed an individual’s behaviour was driven by his heart. Therefore, according to Socratic philosophy, an uneducated heart is as bad as no education at all. Sri Lanka’s population had an…

A low-angle view from across a bed showing the silhouette of a woman's figure standing in front of a bright window. She is holding a sheer curtain in a dimly lit, blue-toned room.

Don’t Fall Prey to Online Sexploitation

The day I read “Porn and Nudes: Delving into Cyber Exploitation in Sri Lanka” by Ms Piyumi Fonseka, on Daily Mirror Online was the day I got the shock of a lifetime! I know revenge porn and home-brewed pornography have been around since the inception of the internet in Sri Lanka. However, I didn’t know…

Two women stand on a sidewalk against a large brick wall, looking up at the dozens of security cameras mounted in neat rows across the wall above them.

Four Mistakes that could Undermine Your Privacy

Since Facebook announced its most recent privacy policy update for WhatsApp in early 2021, a significant number of users concerned about their digital privacy began abandoning the platform in search of safer alternatives. Many turned to Signal and Telegram, believing that switching apps would be enough to protect their personal information from being misused or…

A close-up shot focuses on a person's hands as they engage in online shopping or banking. The person's left hand, with manicured nails, is positioned over the keyboard of an open silver laptop, seemingly typing. Their right hand holds a white "mBank" debit card with colorful letters (orange "m," red "B," green "a," yellow "n," and red "k") and a small signal icon for contactless payment. The laptop screen is blurred in the background but shows what appears to be a website interface. The setting suggests a clean, possibly home or office, environment with a light-colored surface.

Ground Rules for Online Banking and Shopping

Even though online banking and grocery shopping have existed in Sri Lanka for many years, the majority of Sri Lankans preferred doing these things offline. That was before COVID-19 gave them a limited array of options. According to a study conducted by “Survey Research Lanka” with 580 samples collected from the nine provinces, 47% of…

A cartoon illustration of a penguin in an arctic scene. A large penguin stands in the foreground on the ice, with several other penguins, icebergs, and the ocean visible in the background.

Microsoft loves Linux: Three Lessons to Live By

Microsoft’s complex relationship with Linux has evolved dramatically over the years, but a turning point came in 2014 when CEO Satya Nadella openly declared, “Microsoft loves Linux” during a media event—perhaps the first truly candid admission of its shifting stance. For those unfamiliar, Linux is a powerful, flexible, and highly efficient operating system that outperforms…