Winter is back. The land is covered with white monster all over. Winter has its own traits. Life gets frozen just like the canals in Amsterdam and people avoid going out unless they really have something to do. For me, this is the season when I can go deep inside me and feel myself. Summer is usually fun and there are so many things to do that the "real me" is ignored.
I like winter and I have a billion of reasons to like it. I like winter because its funny; funny because it makes all the girls looks alike - (apparently) Muslim. Some girls go far beyond even the Burqa wearing girls. One can barely see their eyes :). I love winters because I like polar bears. Since my childhood, I had a heart filled desire to see them walking around me. I don't live in polar region, yet winter makes human look like polar bears. With loads of sweaters inside that are squeezed up and buttoned by the outer covering (the coat or the jacket) makes everyone walk like Polar Bears. People look cute yet indistinguishable. You are looking for Mr. A but the problem is that everybody from Mr. A to Mr. Z all look similar. In autumn when the tees become deprived of their leaves, the winter can no longer handle this sight and come with all its frozen energies to cover trees with snow and trees start to look like made of glass. It looks like everything around is fake.
I like winter because everything around me looks like a palace made of glass and I can walk on the streets without taking care that a car or a bike can come in my way. It gets darker very soon and the psychological effect is that people rush for home quickly. The sun is on vacations usually in winters and if he manages to come somehow, stays only for a while and sleep behind the tons of clouds. When everybody is back home soon, different units of family get a chance to have a chit-chat over dining table and gives a beautiful glimpse of all the chairs occupied by each person in the family. We are progressing yet this progress comes at a price of lesser interaction between members of the family. Winter gives a natural chance to you to sit back and look at yourself and your family, acknowledge the love, cherish the moments spent together, come closer, get rid of a mechanic life. In the time when children are growing up by only seeing their father over webcam, it gives a chance to actually meet them and feel their warmth. While the snow is hugging the bare stems of trees, winter brings an opportunity to hug your loved ones and protect them. The money that you spend on your family vanishes quickly but the love that you give them is eternal. Let us unite, let us learn to love those who can never be replaced by your mates or colleagues. Get the warmth that cannot be attached into the email, receive the love that cannot delivered through Skype, establish feelings that your mobile cannot communicate, feel the sensation that cannot be emancipated through the webcam. Get along with each other before its too late. If you have not seen your family for a long time, lighten your pockets and spend some money to go back and see them. If you often see them, give them more time because in todays time, living together doesn't really mean "being together". While the inter-room communication in the same house is taking place through messages over MSN, get some time to unite in one room, under one roof and start having the "Actual Conversation". Give your voice a chance to directly go to the ears of your loved ones, rather than taking an indirect path of first going through the Satellite, getting processed over the "Server" and then coming back to earth to touch your beloved. Get out of the virtual world and live in the actual world for a little while. Get rid of your favorite laptop and your newly purchased BB or iP, and look around for real "Human". Its never too late- its never too late.
And finally for you mother: I am dying to see you and missing you intensely. I would hug you soon inshAllah just like the snow set on the trees, I would soon share your feelings that you have accumulated since last time we last saw each other, I would protect you from missing me, I would capture the smile that you would have on your face when you will see me on the airport and would wipe your tears that would be coming along accompanying your smile. Maaam, I am coming soon. (inshAllah)
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Women at work
Before I start to write any further, I want to make a clarification that this is not an advertisement of a Dutch brand, rather I am referring to the actual meaning of the subject. When women in Pakistan go out for work, they encounter three broad categories of their male colleagues. I would give a name to each one of them. The first one is "Open" category, which means that these guys are relatively young, open, willing to help (only women) but often their help is useless, give women some nice ( though personal) suggestions and lots of efforts to develop frankness. The second category is the "Jealous " ones; they lack the skills of articulated speech, or somehow fall short in their looks, style or because of slightly over-aging problem, they cannot offer a helping hand or give open suggestions. Because of this, they just talk behind (of course not something good). A third category is called neutral/ nice. Their presence or absence doesn't matter much for your work.
Oops, I missed the most important category of males. I would call it "Risky Olds". They are the first generation of your organization at the time when third generation is also mature enough. They don't know how to work, or rather the working methodologies they know are now obsolete. Their task is to look around for a potential life partner in the presence of at least two or three wives at house just to avail the relaxation from Islam to the fullest extent. The most peculiar attribute of this group is their age approaching retirement very soon (from job as well as life) but although there are some minorities in this which are not fulfilling this age requirement. I am not calling them "Risky" because of their fragile health problems and their vulnerability to death soon but because they might be really Risky for your job.
These forces from all corners of your office make the life of working women hell. Personal suggestions are as great in number as there are stars on the sky. Of course these come from the first group I have mentioned above. Advises such as there is no progress in job if you don't dress like a model, the turbans on your head are the major obstacle to your promotion, eating out ensures handsome bonuses, looks are important than her hard work etc. are the most common ones. The comments from the second group are as bitter as hemlock. They are not willing to accept the abilities of women and if her hard work and sincerity give her an elevation in the job title, they cannot digest it and they make such heinous comments that the opposite gender start to think that its better to quit the job rather than putting your respect aside just for few pennies. They cut stupid jokes when the first group is trying to help you (which you don't want at all). In their jealousy, they even dare to give remarks about your family such as "Respectable people don't send their daughters/ sisters out for work", or "She earns money not because of work but because of extra time spent with the boss". They are not ready to accept any success that you achieve due to your hard work". The fourth and the most dangerous group makes your day-to-day life very difficult. They give you heavy tasks such that you have to stay longer than the office hours so that later on, when there is no mode of transportation left, they can offer you a service to drop you at home (plus a dinner in a nice restaurant). If you cannot help them, they will make your survival difficult in your job.
This is the tale of every woman who goes out for work. Considering Pakistan as one of the most expensive countries of Asia, average middle class families are trodden down due to the hiking prices. The high sloped inflation arise the need that females should help their male counterparts in earning the bread and butter for the family. This is a very serious issue that when she goes out, she is not given the due respect. On the contrary, she has to face such circumstances that makes her life miserable. She cannot share her problems because she thinks that this may put her into big troubles and she also doesn't want to lose her job. Even if the family doesn't need women's support in earning, the economic development does not discriminate between the genders. It straightforwardly put the need that 52% of the population cannot just sit behind and watch the game of economic development silently. She has to come forward for economic development of her country. As her education level increases, this enhances the need that she should work because we lack educated workforce. She has to come forward to contribute in country's development and growth. The comments she hears from her colleagues kill her from inside. When they tell her that she cannot develop if she wears Islamic cloths, come without wearing any makeover, or not giving proper style to her hair, it is nothing but their personal desire to make her disabled in her job. No job requires you to look nice but what job wants from you is your dedication, sincerity and decency. When they give her stress by offering lunch/dinner/lift and look for every possible opportunity to pick or drop her (like a primary school van driver), this actually restricts her opportunity to work. I would request the indecent masses of our society to treat women nicely because our holy Prophet P.B.U.H. always asserted to treat her nicely and that "She is like a delicate pearl". Nobody treats a "delicate pearl" this way.
Oops, I missed the most important category of males. I would call it "Risky Olds". They are the first generation of your organization at the time when third generation is also mature enough. They don't know how to work, or rather the working methodologies they know are now obsolete. Their task is to look around for a potential life partner in the presence of at least two or three wives at house just to avail the relaxation from Islam to the fullest extent. The most peculiar attribute of this group is their age approaching retirement very soon (from job as well as life) but although there are some minorities in this which are not fulfilling this age requirement. I am not calling them "Risky" because of their fragile health problems and their vulnerability to death soon but because they might be really Risky for your job.
These forces from all corners of your office make the life of working women hell. Personal suggestions are as great in number as there are stars on the sky. Of course these come from the first group I have mentioned above. Advises such as there is no progress in job if you don't dress like a model, the turbans on your head are the major obstacle to your promotion, eating out ensures handsome bonuses, looks are important than her hard work etc. are the most common ones. The comments from the second group are as bitter as hemlock. They are not willing to accept the abilities of women and if her hard work and sincerity give her an elevation in the job title, they cannot digest it and they make such heinous comments that the opposite gender start to think that its better to quit the job rather than putting your respect aside just for few pennies. They cut stupid jokes when the first group is trying to help you (which you don't want at all). In their jealousy, they even dare to give remarks about your family such as "Respectable people don't send their daughters/ sisters out for work", or "She earns money not because of work but because of extra time spent with the boss". They are not ready to accept any success that you achieve due to your hard work". The fourth and the most dangerous group makes your day-to-day life very difficult. They give you heavy tasks such that you have to stay longer than the office hours so that later on, when there is no mode of transportation left, they can offer you a service to drop you at home (plus a dinner in a nice restaurant). If you cannot help them, they will make your survival difficult in your job.
This is the tale of every woman who goes out for work. Considering Pakistan as one of the most expensive countries of Asia, average middle class families are trodden down due to the hiking prices. The high sloped inflation arise the need that females should help their male counterparts in earning the bread and butter for the family. This is a very serious issue that when she goes out, she is not given the due respect. On the contrary, she has to face such circumstances that makes her life miserable. She cannot share her problems because she thinks that this may put her into big troubles and she also doesn't want to lose her job. Even if the family doesn't need women's support in earning, the economic development does not discriminate between the genders. It straightforwardly put the need that 52% of the population cannot just sit behind and watch the game of economic development silently. She has to come forward for economic development of her country. As her education level increases, this enhances the need that she should work because we lack educated workforce. She has to come forward to contribute in country's development and growth. The comments she hears from her colleagues kill her from inside. When they tell her that she cannot develop if she wears Islamic cloths, come without wearing any makeover, or not giving proper style to her hair, it is nothing but their personal desire to make her disabled in her job. No job requires you to look nice but what job wants from you is your dedication, sincerity and decency. When they give her stress by offering lunch/dinner/lift and look for every possible opportunity to pick or drop her (like a primary school van driver), this actually restricts her opportunity to work. I would request the indecent masses of our society to treat women nicely because our holy Prophet P.B.U.H. always asserted to treat her nicely and that "She is like a delicate pearl". Nobody treats a "delicate pearl" this way.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star(s)
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
This was the first poem that I learnt during my childhood. Me and my sister were chanting this line whole day when we learnt it, but only and only the first line because we didn't know the rest of the poem. I could never imagine these little stars would have a deep impact in my life ahead and my whole work would circulate around exploring these little yet important stars.
It didn't take that longer recognizing the importance of stars in my life. As soon as I began with the "most practical thing" of my life by getting enrolled into a school, I realized there was a whole game of stars going on there. Don't confuse it by assuming that we were taught by the celebrity stars in the class room. No, but the stars were something everybody was striving for. You wear a neat uniform-you get a star, your shoes are polished-star, your homework is intelligible-star, you are not talking in the classroom-star. So all good works were acknowledged and rewarded by these stars yet the definition of "good work" was itself very subjective. But I missed one critical point that it was not only star itself that matters, but the color is also important. This reality broke many "tiny" hearts even before they had blossomed. This was about my life before I struck a double figure into my age thingie. When I grew older, I heard about this phenomena once again from some big Lollywood hit where a woman misses her lover so much so that she developed "Insomnia" and she had to count the star all night to get some sleep. My eld. sis. was so much overwhelmed by this idea that she recommended the same technique whenever anyone of had a sleeping disorder.
Things went on and on, until I discovered there is a world for socially accepted (but not admitted) human species in the world. It took a 7 hours flight from home to Tilburg in heading towards this world of research. One friday, when I was heading to a masjid for Prayers, a colleague of mine asked me to say hi to God (he might be too shy or busy to visit God himself). As I nodded, he came up with another request. "Would you also ask God to give me some significance". This was something I understood spontaneously but I wanted more clarifications so I asked him precisely would he wanted. Ask God to give me more three stars on the variables I want. Clear enough? he said sarcastically. Thats where I went into my past without a time machine like in "Back to the future". Aaah, three stars. Eventually I noticed he ended up in something where he might have started the journey of education. This would be partially true about him but completely true about me. My search for three stars reached the apex when I started my own research work. My thesis all went into looking for these stars day and night. Now I came to realize the value of those three stars and in the wink of an eye, I went two decades back. Now I pray about those three stars because I do really care about the variables that takes weeks and months to be created yet without having a single star on them.
For those friends who don't know what these stars are all about, I would like to explain in Laymen's term. Usually the economists shows the importance of their defined variables by putting stars on their coefficient. Three stars if your variable is really important and playing a significant role in the stated problem, two stars if its important and one star if its little important. A "No significance" signal is delivered decently by putting nothing at all on the coefficient. This decency has been developed because there is no black star phenomena in here. Had there been the similar "KG Black Star" playing a role here, the economists would surely have shown their anger by putting this black monster over their variable particularly if they had worked really hard creating it yet the variable was of no significance.
Dear All, don't just forget to pray for significance in my case also. I pray that May Almighty gives this significance to all members of research community. Amen. :)
This was the first poem that I learnt during my childhood. Me and my sister were chanting this line whole day when we learnt it, but only and only the first line because we didn't know the rest of the poem. I could never imagine these little stars would have a deep impact in my life ahead and my whole work would circulate around exploring these little yet important stars.
It didn't take that longer recognizing the importance of stars in my life. As soon as I began with the "most practical thing" of my life by getting enrolled into a school, I realized there was a whole game of stars going on there. Don't confuse it by assuming that we were taught by the celebrity stars in the class room. No, but the stars were something everybody was striving for. You wear a neat uniform-you get a star, your shoes are polished-star, your homework is intelligible-star, you are not talking in the classroom-star. So all good works were acknowledged and rewarded by these stars yet the definition of "good work" was itself very subjective. But I missed one critical point that it was not only star itself that matters, but the color is also important. This reality broke many "tiny" hearts even before they had blossomed. This was about my life before I struck a double figure into my age thingie. When I grew older, I heard about this phenomena once again from some big Lollywood hit where a woman misses her lover so much so that she developed "Insomnia" and she had to count the star all night to get some sleep. My eld. sis. was so much overwhelmed by this idea that she recommended the same technique whenever anyone of had a sleeping disorder.
Things went on and on, until I discovered there is a world for socially accepted (but not admitted) human species in the world. It took a 7 hours flight from home to Tilburg in heading towards this world of research. One friday, when I was heading to a masjid for Prayers, a colleague of mine asked me to say hi to God (he might be too shy or busy to visit God himself). As I nodded, he came up with another request. "Would you also ask God to give me some significance". This was something I understood spontaneously but I wanted more clarifications so I asked him precisely would he wanted. Ask God to give me more three stars on the variables I want. Clear enough? he said sarcastically. Thats where I went into my past without a time machine like in "Back to the future". Aaah, three stars. Eventually I noticed he ended up in something where he might have started the journey of education. This would be partially true about him but completely true about me. My search for three stars reached the apex when I started my own research work. My thesis all went into looking for these stars day and night. Now I came to realize the value of those three stars and in the wink of an eye, I went two decades back. Now I pray about those three stars because I do really care about the variables that takes weeks and months to be created yet without having a single star on them.
For those friends who don't know what these stars are all about, I would like to explain in Laymen's term. Usually the economists shows the importance of their defined variables by putting stars on their coefficient. Three stars if your variable is really important and playing a significant role in the stated problem, two stars if its important and one star if its little important. A "No significance" signal is delivered decently by putting nothing at all on the coefficient. This decency has been developed because there is no black star phenomena in here. Had there been the similar "KG Black Star" playing a role here, the economists would surely have shown their anger by putting this black monster over their variable particularly if they had worked really hard creating it yet the variable was of no significance.
Dear All, don't just forget to pray for significance in my case also. I pray that May Almighty gives this significance to all members of research community. Amen. :)
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
A Researcher
Every profession has its pros and cons; and research profession is no exception. Perhaps the most important and dominant feature of researcher is the one with which they earn their bread and butter, but saying this in a straight forward manner would make it a very negative profession. Let me rephrase it to make it sounds softer. Any research work is developed by a prior work; through either inspiration taken from that work or pointing out some weaknesses in the existing work, refining, value adding and developing an end product which is (probably) better than the one which is the foundation of this work. Here comes the controversial point I wanted to state earlier. If they do not criticize, they can’t develop, and if they can’t develop, they are finished. Hence the most distinguishing feature of a researcher is to point out (often unnecessarily) mistakes in others be it related to their work, personality, character or whatsoever. A researcher by nature or by profession is bound to pick out every minute point, digging out gratuitously all those things on which they can develop a theory or a model.
There is one important point in the discussion above; if you are a researcher and you do not have this “peculiar trait” in you, you should rather not waste time in this area anymore. If you want to be a researcher, particularly a successful one, make sure that every other word comes out of your mouth brings criticism on the counter-party. For the counter party; I believe it’s a right moment to put a word of advice. Perhaps day-to-day interaction with a researcher is hazardous to your health, career and motivation level. They can “rightly” point out all those personality characteristics in you that can be obstacle in your way to success. The most disappointing point comes is their declaration that you cannot move with your present weaknesses. They would amplify your weaknesses so much that at some point in time, you will start thinking how destiny can be so cruel to put all the weakness in this non-researcher class, blessing your opponent with all the rights, courage and strength such that they can easily judge you on their own set scale.
It is never wise to start an argument with a researcher. The one who starts such argument deserves a death sentence because otherwise he will hang himself from the roof and finish himself with his own hands.
Another dominant feature of a Researcher is their short memory. When it comes together with her “Always Criticizing” nature, then some really cute but annoying incidences happen. One fine Monday you go to office and you will be complemented by her, saying you look nice in red tie. The other week she is at odds with you and she will harshly tell you how horrible you look in the same old tie.
Probably with time, you might go crazy spending more and more time with a researcher. And that brings a very pitiful and afflicted person into the scene; who else, Researcher’s life partner. It is unintelligible that their life was perfect without a husband/wife, but still they chose to ruin the life of a human. From morning till dusk, you will always see them pushing their heads against their sophisticated models (which they develop perfectly matching with their nature), still they chose to get married. They are among those for whom it is said that they only see their kids growing horizontally not vertically. It is because when they leave house, their kids are sleeping and the time they come back from work, they are again sleeping ( Of course, who chooses to work at 1:00am or 2:00 am in the morning and going back again early morning before the sun shows up). Since they rarely comes in contact with the sun, whenever they chooses to expose to sun, it hides behind the clouds and then the clouds are also not behind their friends and they protest in form of loud and scary thunderclap and rain. So the researchers always seem to complain against the harsh weather. This is my personal opinion.
With their own weaknesses, personality traits and everything, world is incomplete without this special class of living beings. They develop and destroy and then develop and then destroy and that’s how sometimes they come up with some solution to a problem. They can surely live without world but world cannot live without them. We need them because we have no choice. They make our world a better place to live in.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
An Eye Opening Article
This article is for "millions of those Pakistanis" who have their hearts ruled by political leaders like Altaf Hussain. I personally have no grievances against MQM be it Muttahida or Muhajir. Being a Karachiite myself, I personally believe that all ethnicities have complete right of representing themselves thereby fostering an environment of healthy competition by competing with each other on positive grounds. I appreciate the cause for which this party (MQM) was created and I would still favor that cause. Karachi generates 70% revenue of the country and people living there should have a fair representation in Provincial /National Assembly accordingly.
My concerns with Aftaf started not because of any ethnic cause. Most of us have a very short memory. I can easily say that nobody knows what I am going to tell today. It was the time of early 90's (just before Altaf flee to UK), I was though very young but my parents developed a habit in me to read a page of newspaper every day for them. This is the time when a child needs answers of every thing and if he/ she doesn't get a satisfactory reply then his/ her mind strive to get the information from all possible sources such that the issue gets a perminant place in his/ her brain. I remember once I read in the newspaper, "An image of Altaf Hussain appeared on a leaf of Croton (a plant) by itself". I couldn't understand. I enquired my parents about that news? As my mother listened to the news, a mixed feeling of astonishment and infuriation appeared over her face. "This isn't possible", she replied. "It is pure lie which could have many purposes. She tried to explain it in simple words to make it intelligible for me. It can be that he wants to gain overnight fame or it can be the case that at a later stage, he will claim himself to be a Prophet or a saintly person". "But does he not fear God then ", I asked. Perhaps not. God knows. She wrapped up the topic and dropped the discussion.
Some days later, another similar news appeared and this time also, it was the headline. "Image of Altaf Hussain appeared on a rock of a mosque". People were praising Mr. A like anything. I again referred to my parents. My mother explained that there is no Prophet or Saint whose image can be appeared. In fact, Islam prohibits depiction of humans, animals, or any form of figurative subjects. We all were shocked how a top newspaper was disseminating such baseless information which were purely coinciding with Islam.
I still cannot forget or forgive this. I wonder in which form Altaf is ruling over the hearts of people? This is a claim made by a friend of mine who is asking me to apologize over my last blog. I just made a mockery of his speech style. He is not a prophet (nazobillah) whose respect is incumbent on me. I have a question with those having their hearts a dwelling for Altaf? Do they consider him a god or a prophet or a saint?
I have a question from all educated people and educated not in terms of holding this many degrees and this many diplomas, but educated in their mind; Do you not reckon that this was a malicious plea made by so called leader of our highly educated ethnicity? Don't you think that he was planning to announce his false prophecy? Why do we forget the history? There are many many other allegations against Altaf, but media doesn't highlight his past which has a dust of "Kufr" over it. In fact, media played a very negative role at that time by spreading this flimsy and unscropulous information in the public. Every body should be afraid of standing in front of Allah at the day of Judgment, and particularly those who blindly trusted this piece of ---.
Now I want to tell a very interesting fact that took place soon after these two news. Operation 92 took place and Altaf had to flee from Pakistan. Because of making such false claim, Allah removed him from that land where altaf was seeing himself as god and it has been 19 years so far, he never got a chance to come back. Even though his party remained in government through out, but due to his false claims, he was plucked from the roots and I am sure he will never get a chance to return. Mighty is Allah and Has all the powers.
I would stand by my words in my last blog and at no price, I am going to apologize. This is the least I can do being a Muslim! Thank you all for making this article to an end (I know its hard to read or listen about Altaf).
My concerns with Aftaf started not because of any ethnic cause. Most of us have a very short memory. I can easily say that nobody knows what I am going to tell today. It was the time of early 90's (just before Altaf flee to UK), I was though very young but my parents developed a habit in me to read a page of newspaper every day for them. This is the time when a child needs answers of every thing and if he/ she doesn't get a satisfactory reply then his/ her mind strive to get the information from all possible sources such that the issue gets a perminant place in his/ her brain. I remember once I read in the newspaper, "An image of Altaf Hussain appeared on a leaf of Croton (a plant) by itself". I couldn't understand. I enquired my parents about that news? As my mother listened to the news, a mixed feeling of astonishment and infuriation appeared over her face. "This isn't possible", she replied. "It is pure lie which could have many purposes. She tried to explain it in simple words to make it intelligible for me. It can be that he wants to gain overnight fame or it can be the case that at a later stage, he will claim himself to be a Prophet or a saintly person". "But does he not fear God then ", I asked. Perhaps not. God knows. She wrapped up the topic and dropped the discussion.
Some days later, another similar news appeared and this time also, it was the headline. "Image of Altaf Hussain appeared on a rock of a mosque". People were praising Mr. A like anything. I again referred to my parents. My mother explained that there is no Prophet or Saint whose image can be appeared. In fact, Islam prohibits depiction of humans, animals, or any form of figurative subjects. We all were shocked how a top newspaper was disseminating such baseless information which were purely coinciding with Islam.
I still cannot forget or forgive this. I wonder in which form Altaf is ruling over the hearts of people? This is a claim made by a friend of mine who is asking me to apologize over my last blog. I just made a mockery of his speech style. He is not a prophet (nazobillah) whose respect is incumbent on me. I have a question with those having their hearts a dwelling for Altaf? Do they consider him a god or a prophet or a saint?
I have a question from all educated people and educated not in terms of holding this many degrees and this many diplomas, but educated in their mind; Do you not reckon that this was a malicious plea made by so called leader of our highly educated ethnicity? Don't you think that he was planning to announce his false prophecy? Why do we forget the history? There are many many other allegations against Altaf, but media doesn't highlight his past which has a dust of "Kufr" over it. In fact, media played a very negative role at that time by spreading this flimsy and unscropulous information in the public. Every body should be afraid of standing in front of Allah at the day of Judgment, and particularly those who blindly trusted this piece of ---.
Now I want to tell a very interesting fact that took place soon after these two news. Operation 92 took place and Altaf had to flee from Pakistan. Because of making such false claim, Allah removed him from that land where altaf was seeing himself as god and it has been 19 years so far, he never got a chance to come back. Even though his party remained in government through out, but due to his false claims, he was plucked from the roots and I am sure he will never get a chance to return. Mighty is Allah and Has all the powers.
I would stand by my words in my last blog and at no price, I am going to apologize. This is the least I can do being a Muslim! Thank you all for making this article to an end (I know its hard to read or listen about Altaf).
Friday, September 17, 2010
Lets have some fun
I am back after a very long time. During this time, two important events happened in my life. First of all, I graduated from Tilburg University on September 6, 2010 and second one which in fact happened six days before my graduation; and it is my new job in Technical University Eindhoven as a Doctoral Candidate from September 1, 2010. I am very thankful to Almighty who has blessed me with His endless bounties and I pray that may all of you also see your dreams coming true soon. Amen.
As per the title of my blog, I am going to tell you about some fun related thing. It is because our nation really needs some fun. Since July 28, 2010 when a private plane crash happened near Margalla Hills, so many dreadful events happened proceeded serially in a very designed manner, one after the other such that the whole nation is wretched with pain, praying to get rid of all the calamities following our nation. We all got so busy in fighting against the natural calamities and man made desasters that now we don't know what happened to the plane. The last news I got was that the black box was found. What happened after that, I dont know. If somebody knows about further investigation, please let me know.
Oops i diverted from the fun thingy, which fun I am talking about. Let me tell you how I keep myself happy and light. Sometimes, when I feel lonely in the breezy Autumn or cold snowy nights of winters, I switch my laptop on, type the URL http://www.youtube.com/ and then search for ALTAF HUSSAIN's clips. Yes the one who is leading MQM since 1984 and will remain the leader for an unforceable time period. Don't get bewildered after reading this. If you never experienced this fun, I would highly recommend you to watch it and decide yourself. Can any best comedian ever beat our Altaf. I claim "NO". I don't why Imran Khan says, "I feel pity on those people and wonder why they go and listen to his speeches"? At least he brings smile on your face and make your happy. Imran Khan, the people who go to listen to his speeches are in search of fun which is available for free. You want to take this single piece of fun from the lives of Karachiites. Please don't do that. So Mr. Imran Khan leave us alone as we will never give up this costless opportunity of laughter from our lives. I have a recommendation for you Mr. Khan to at least watch "Punjab ko Salam" and get some laughters also in your life.
Well, please just don't stop reading my blog now. My blog is not to recommend this. It wanted to make my blog a little sweet & sour by adding some political spices in it. I have a fun game to share with you. Yesterday I was in a session about Social Networks. The lecturer was explaining some kinds of social networks and he asked a question! Do you know how short is the path length of a Social Network now? If you don't believe, then let us look at an Actor naming Kevin Bacon and let us find his connection with any actor in the world. Suddenly he shifted the question to me, tell me the name of any Pakistani Actor. I was astonished for a while just because I could not bring any Pakistani Actor in my mind. Does any Pakistani Actor know Acting...???? hey don't get emotional, i am just joking. He asked me 3 time "Any Pakistani Actor??? No one .... and suddenly a name popped up in my mind, I replied, okay I know an Actor, "Shan". How do you spell it, he asked. I spelled it. S-H-A-N. He put the name into a field. I saw the Web Page, the title was "The Oracle of Bacon" with URL: http://www.oracleofbacon.org/ The Professor then asked the whole class if they knew this actor. Every body replied in negation. By that time, he had typed the name. As he pressed ENTER, it showed Shan's connection with Kevin Becon. This isn't correct, may be its some other Shan, I said in my heart. Professor asked me if this is the same actor, and said the connection loudly:
ShaanII= was in => Khuda ke Lia (2007) = with => Jocelyn Wesler = was in => Death of a President(2006)=with => Gerry Becker = was in => Sleepers (1996) ==>Kevin Becon.
To my surprise, he was the same Shan that I referred to. I nodded surprisingly. Pupils were smiling. Every body then got a courage to take the names of their local actors/ actresses and there was a connection. It was amazing that no single connection was longer than three nodes. I was then desperately waiting the class to end as I wanted to check out this fun game myself. Professor further explained, there is nothing important about Kevin Becon. He stands on number 507 in the list of people who have a highly built-up network (those who have worked with most actors/ actresses). It is the beauty of Social Networks that beautify Kevin Becon and others like him. As I reached home, I started to investigate this magical networked world myself. I put all the names of actors/ actresses I knew and they had a connection with Kevin Becon. Even unknown or local (punjabi, pushto movie) actors/ actresses had a link with Kevin. I enjoyed it a lot. After exploring this phenomena of networks, the old axiom stroke my mind that the world is really very small. Yes it is. I hope you will also enjoy exploring the small world as I did. Have a nice weekend. Bye for now.
As per the title of my blog, I am going to tell you about some fun related thing. It is because our nation really needs some fun. Since July 28, 2010 when a private plane crash happened near Margalla Hills, so many dreadful events happened proceeded serially in a very designed manner, one after the other such that the whole nation is wretched with pain, praying to get rid of all the calamities following our nation. We all got so busy in fighting against the natural calamities and man made desasters that now we don't know what happened to the plane. The last news I got was that the black box was found. What happened after that, I dont know. If somebody knows about further investigation, please let me know.
Oops i diverted from the fun thingy, which fun I am talking about. Let me tell you how I keep myself happy and light. Sometimes, when I feel lonely in the breezy Autumn or cold snowy nights of winters, I switch my laptop on, type the URL http://www.youtube.com/ and then search for ALTAF HUSSAIN's clips. Yes the one who is leading MQM since 1984 and will remain the leader for an unforceable time period. Don't get bewildered after reading this. If you never experienced this fun, I would highly recommend you to watch it and decide yourself. Can any best comedian ever beat our Altaf. I claim "NO". I don't why Imran Khan says, "I feel pity on those people and wonder why they go and listen to his speeches"? At least he brings smile on your face and make your happy. Imran Khan, the people who go to listen to his speeches are in search of fun which is available for free. You want to take this single piece of fun from the lives of Karachiites. Please don't do that. So Mr. Imran Khan leave us alone as we will never give up this costless opportunity of laughter from our lives. I have a recommendation for you Mr. Khan to at least watch "Punjab ko Salam" and get some laughters also in your life.
Well, please just don't stop reading my blog now. My blog is not to recommend this. It wanted to make my blog a little sweet & sour by adding some political spices in it. I have a fun game to share with you. Yesterday I was in a session about Social Networks. The lecturer was explaining some kinds of social networks and he asked a question! Do you know how short is the path length of a Social Network now? If you don't believe, then let us look at an Actor naming Kevin Bacon and let us find his connection with any actor in the world. Suddenly he shifted the question to me, tell me the name of any Pakistani Actor. I was astonished for a while just because I could not bring any Pakistani Actor in my mind. Does any Pakistani Actor know Acting...???? hey don't get emotional, i am just joking. He asked me 3 time "Any Pakistani Actor??? No one .... and suddenly a name popped up in my mind, I replied, okay I know an Actor, "Shan". How do you spell it, he asked. I spelled it. S-H-A-N. He put the name into a field. I saw the Web Page, the title was "The Oracle of Bacon" with URL: http://www.oracleofbacon.org/ The Professor then asked the whole class if they knew this actor. Every body replied in negation. By that time, he had typed the name. As he pressed ENTER, it showed Shan's connection with Kevin Becon. This isn't correct, may be its some other Shan, I said in my heart. Professor asked me if this is the same actor, and said the connection loudly:
ShaanII= was in => Khuda ke Lia (2007) = with => Jocelyn Wesler = was in => Death of a President(2006)=with => Gerry Becker = was in => Sleepers (1996) ==>Kevin Becon.
To my surprise, he was the same Shan that I referred to. I nodded surprisingly. Pupils were smiling. Every body then got a courage to take the names of their local actors/ actresses and there was a connection. It was amazing that no single connection was longer than three nodes. I was then desperately waiting the class to end as I wanted to check out this fun game myself. Professor further explained, there is nothing important about Kevin Becon. He stands on number 507 in the list of people who have a highly built-up network (those who have worked with most actors/ actresses). It is the beauty of Social Networks that beautify Kevin Becon and others like him. As I reached home, I started to investigate this magical networked world myself. I put all the names of actors/ actresses I knew and they had a connection with Kevin Becon. Even unknown or local (punjabi, pushto movie) actors/ actresses had a link with Kevin. I enjoyed it a lot. After exploring this phenomena of networks, the old axiom stroke my mind that the world is really very small. Yes it is. I hope you will also enjoy exploring the small world as I did. Have a nice weekend. Bye for now.
Friday, August 13, 2010
No Sympathies with the News Channels
Another recent ban on our news channels: GEO and ARY after the news about shoe hurling at Mr. Zardari. Every body has their sympathies with these channels but I have a different viewpoint. I wanted to present my opinion to the GEO team (GEO, thenews and Daily Jang) therefore I wrote an email to them. As we know that Pakistani Nation is the busiest of all, so I didnt expect any reply and they came up to my expectations. Anyways, my idea was to tell them what I think about the recent ban on GEO. I would like to share my email with my family and friends hence copying it here.
"Dear Geo team,
This is in context of recent ban on GEO, the News and Daily Jang. I would go three years back at the time of Death of BB i.e., December 27, 2007. At that time, I had no affiliation with any political party of Pakistan. It was GEO tv that presented BB after her martyr (or death or whatever you call it) that developed a feeling for her party in my heart. It was due to GEO that I planned to caste my first ever vote for her party. It was GEO that created this awareness in the youth of Pakistan to "take revenge" from her assassins by using the power of our votes to make her party win. Literally the way BB was shown on the screens by GEO, me & my family was crying and we all decided to vote for PPP. We were repeating Shaheed BB's words time and again: "Democracy is the best revenge". The way her family was shown, we all forgot Mr. Zardari's fame for corruption and we all were adrifted in the waves of emotions that were constructed by GEO.
.... And thats how I made the blunder of voting for PPP-P, and now I feel regret of casting my vote for this party and thereby bringing "Azab-e-Illahi" (Torment from God) with my own hands. There was no other opinion except that PPP will sweep away their opponents and this eventually happend. This is the same mistake that our nation has been doing for decades and unfortunately we never learnt and we will never learn.
I BLAME GEO FOR CREATING A "WRONG AWARENESS" IN THE YOUTH & ADULTS LIKE ME. We are all suffering from Zardari, --------- and GEO is responsible for that. "
So this was the email to GEO team. We must understand that every ban on GEO increases their popularity not only in Pakistan but on International level. We must also understand that during the recent ban, they put the coverage of flood affecties at a corner and their whole concern shifted to the ban on GEO which was a secondary issue. It seems that this is just a war between Media and Government and common man like us hold no importance there. The channel diverted from its primary and most important responsibility of putting the flood news at the forefront. They have a particular influence on our innocent people so they must realize what they are presenting to the nation. They should ensure that they are not treating us like a football moving from here to there and must be consistent and sincere to what they tell us or we will have no one to trust on. No judiciary, no government and no media would then be able to win the hearts of common men of Pakistan.
"Dear Geo team,
This is in context of recent ban on GEO, the News and Daily Jang. I would go three years back at the time of Death of BB i.e., December 27, 2007. At that time, I had no affiliation with any political party of Pakistan. It was GEO tv that presented BB after her martyr (or death or whatever you call it) that developed a feeling for her party in my heart. It was due to GEO that I planned to caste my first ever vote for her party. It was GEO that created this awareness in the youth of Pakistan to "take revenge" from her assassins by using the power of our votes to make her party win. Literally the way BB was shown on the screens by GEO, me & my family was crying and we all decided to vote for PPP. We were repeating Shaheed BB's words time and again: "Democracy is the best revenge". The way her family was shown, we all forgot Mr. Zardari's fame for corruption and we all were adrifted in the waves of emotions that were constructed by GEO.
.... And thats how I made the blunder of voting for PPP-P, and now I feel regret of casting my vote for this party and thereby bringing "Azab-e-Illahi" (Torment from God) with my own hands. There was no other opinion except that PPP will sweep away their opponents and this eventually happend. This is the same mistake that our nation has been doing for decades and unfortunately we never learnt and we will never learn.
I BLAME GEO FOR CREATING A "WRONG AWARENESS" IN THE YOUTH & ADULTS LIKE ME. We are all suffering from Zardari, --------- and GEO is responsible for that. "
So this was the email to GEO team. We must understand that every ban on GEO increases their popularity not only in Pakistan but on International level. We must also understand that during the recent ban, they put the coverage of flood affecties at a corner and their whole concern shifted to the ban on GEO which was a secondary issue. It seems that this is just a war between Media and Government and common man like us hold no importance there. The channel diverted from its primary and most important responsibility of putting the flood news at the forefront. They have a particular influence on our innocent people so they must realize what they are presenting to the nation. They should ensure that they are not treating us like a football moving from here to there and must be consistent and sincere to what they tell us or we will have no one to trust on. No judiciary, no government and no media would then be able to win the hearts of common men of Pakistan.
Friday, August 6, 2010
abc-Bhutto-xyz
While teaching us different forms of GARCH models (Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity Model)- a type of econometric model, the professor told us that nowadays, you can see different forms of GARCH models. Generally speaking there are many abc-GARCH-xyz models. Changing different names would not make a real difference. All newly developed models lead to the same thing, so don't be overwhelmed by looking at these different models. Same thing can be attributed to Pakistani politics. Since the birth of our country, we have seen many dynastical political leaders coming one after the other. For last four decades, the leadership remained in the hands of a few families. They come turnwise, and in order to change the scenario a little bit rather too much, a military General takes over the scene and lead the country in his own dogmatic style which is referred to as "Dictatorship". These military leaders take advantage of "the corrupt" democracy and they get a good chance to veil themselves as being the most honest person who can lead the country to the zenith of success. They rule for almost a decade in most of the cases and leadership style is so excellent and articulate that when they eventually leave the country, only years after the poor public realizes that they cut the roots of economy from the very deep. In their era, everything seems perfect.
Anyways, the topic of discussion was the circulation of leadership in two-three lucky families of Pakistan. I would call it a "Vicious Cycle". This term is used in economics to show a situation in which the apparent solution of one problem in a chain of circumstances creates a new problem and increases the difficulty of solving the original problem. Hence with the movement of leadership back and forth from some "Shareefs" some "Bhuttos" and then ruinously came in hands of Mr. Zardari. The public never looked at him as a respectable person of the society. Somehow, with the demise of his wife, he was able to take advantage of emotional Pakistani Public, who elected his party unprecedentedly and he who was the entitled as the MOST CORRUPT person of Pakistan, became the President (and after 18th amendment in the constitution), CEO of Pakistan. In recognition of his acts, the public noted him as "Mr. ten percent". Soon after he became the President, his popularity graph started to decline with a large slope but Mr. Zardari was not shaken by this. Although the guy is not very well qualified able to make a plea to prolong the leadership of his party over the country for seemingly an indefinite/ infinite period of time. This shows that sharp minds do not need any formal education. Now Zardari wants to regain his political popularity by once again taking advantage of innocence of Pakistani public by launching his son. Sooooo at last, another Bhutto, Bilawal Bhutto is going to rule us. This all didnt start just a few days ago. The planning was made long ago just at the next day of death of B-Bhutto (his wife). He had launched his son right at the same day by changing his name from "Bilawal Zardari" to "Bilawal Bhutto Zardari". Here comes another version of a Bhutto who is not really a Bhutto but a transformed version just in lust of money, in desire of wealth, in long of endless power and what not. Interestingly, this version BZ-Bhutto is a good combinition of two elder Bhuttos i.e., Z-Bhutto(Zulfiqar one) and B-Bhutto (Benazir). In would be interesting to see another Bhutto, F-Bhutto (Ms. Fatima Bhutto, cousin of BZ-Bhutto) using her lucid writing skills to bring a bad name to her Aunt, B-Bhutto in front of whole world.
I would acknowledge here that Pakistani Public is not ready to accept another abc-Bhutto-xyz or any Shareef but once again the emotions will win over rationale; we will loose- they will win, we will be deprived-they will remain blessed, we will be suffering from natural/ man made disasters and they will remain ostentacious and with time, this gap will become wider and wider. The nation will never stand up, they will never recognize their rights. This is what I can predict seeing the Emotional Mindset of our Nation. We will never get out of this Vicious Cycle.
Anyways, the topic of discussion was the circulation of leadership in two-three lucky families of Pakistan. I would call it a "Vicious Cycle". This term is used in economics to show a situation in which the apparent solution of one problem in a chain of circumstances creates a new problem and increases the difficulty of solving the original problem. Hence with the movement of leadership back and forth from some "Shareefs" some "Bhuttos" and then ruinously came in hands of Mr. Zardari. The public never looked at him as a respectable person of the society. Somehow, with the demise of his wife, he was able to take advantage of emotional Pakistani Public, who elected his party unprecedentedly and he who was the entitled as the MOST CORRUPT person of Pakistan, became the President (and after 18th amendment in the constitution), CEO of Pakistan. In recognition of his acts, the public noted him as "Mr. ten percent". Soon after he became the President, his popularity graph started to decline with a large slope but Mr. Zardari was not shaken by this. Although the guy is not very well qualified able to make a plea to prolong the leadership of his party over the country for seemingly an indefinite/ infinite period of time. This shows that sharp minds do not need any formal education. Now Zardari wants to regain his political popularity by once again taking advantage of innocence of Pakistani public by launching his son. Sooooo at last, another Bhutto, Bilawal Bhutto is going to rule us. This all didnt start just a few days ago. The planning was made long ago just at the next day of death of B-Bhutto (his wife). He had launched his son right at the same day by changing his name from "Bilawal Zardari" to "Bilawal Bhutto Zardari". Here comes another version of a Bhutto who is not really a Bhutto but a transformed version just in lust of money, in desire of wealth, in long of endless power and what not. Interestingly, this version BZ-Bhutto is a good combinition of two elder Bhuttos i.e., Z-Bhutto(Zulfiqar one) and B-Bhutto (Benazir). In would be interesting to see another Bhutto, F-Bhutto (Ms. Fatima Bhutto, cousin of BZ-Bhutto) using her lucid writing skills to bring a bad name to her Aunt, B-Bhutto in front of whole world.
I would acknowledge here that Pakistani Public is not ready to accept another abc-Bhutto-xyz or any Shareef but once again the emotions will win over rationale; we will loose- they will win, we will be deprived-they will remain blessed, we will be suffering from natural/ man made disasters and they will remain ostentacious and with time, this gap will become wider and wider. The nation will never stand up, they will never recognize their rights. This is what I can predict seeing the Emotional Mindset of our Nation. We will never get out of this Vicious Cycle.
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