Stage Theatre of Lahore Banned

I came across this news story in the Daily Times and I thought I should share this here because we need some solid discussions on issues such as these. Ah Finally!!!! the government is taking some much belated action.

The district government has launched an operation against out-of-script and bawdy dialogue, and ‘vulgar dances’ at various theatres in Lahore on the Punjab government’s directive, said district government officials on Thursday.

Officials said the Punjab government banned actress Nargis for delivering such dialogue and performing a vulgar dance in a play at Mehfil Theatre, on the District Coordination Officer Mian Muhammad Ijaz’s orders.

According to district government officials, actresses did not abstain from such dances in the play titled ‘Jinney Sada Dil Lutia’ even after a warning by the DCO. Nargis, the highest paid stage actress, had introduced vulgar dances, but action could not be taken against her because of her influence, they said, adding that Nargis was back on stage after a couple of days after being banned the last time.

“The performance is detrimental to the norms of society, triggering unrest and creating a law and order situation. The performance corrupted people watching the performance. The Punjab government is convinced that prohibition of such performances is desirable, and there are sufficient grounds to proceed under the Dramatic Performance Act 1876, therefore the government prohibits Nargis’s performance with immediate effect for the spell of this drama,” read the notice served to the actress. Officials said that violation of orders by anybody would result in action in the form of imprisonment or fine or both under Section 4 and 6 of the Dramatic Performance Act 1876. They however said that Nargis could appeal to the Punjab government for the removal of the ban.

France and Belgium Move Toward Veil Bans

French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced yesterday that he plans to introduce a ban prohibiting women from wearing a full veil in public. According to Radio France Internationale, Sarkozy plans to move forward to legislate a ban on the wearing of the burqa in public despite warnings from France's State Council that such a law may be unconstitutional. Belgian lawmakers will also begin debate today on similar legislation.

According to ABC News, if the French ban is enacted, violations could lead to a 15 to 25 Euro fine ($22-$36) and jail time up to one week. The ban would apply to all women in public places, such as markets and public buildings, including tourists, reported Radio France Internationale.

After a cabinet meeting chaired by President Sarkozy, French government spokesperson Luc Chatel told Radio France Internationale that the face veil "hurts the dignity of women and is not acceptable in French society. We're legislating for the future. Wearing a full veil is a sign of a community closing in on itself and of a rejection of our values."

Judith Sunderland of Human Rights Watch said in a statement that "at a time when Muslims in Europe feel more vulnerable than ever, the last thing needed is a ban like this...treating pious Muslim women like criminals won't help integrate them."

President Nicolas Sarkozy announced his opposition to the burqa, the head-to-toe garment worn by some Islamic women, in a speech to a joint session of the French Parliament in June 2009. In this speech, he said "The burqa is not welcome in French territory...In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity," reported the Wall Street Journal. This speech, the first presidential address to the legislature in over a century, urged the Parliament to examine the practice of Muslim women in France wearing the burqa. In 2004 the French Parliament passed a law banning students from wearing veils and other religious symbols in public schools.

It is estimated that only about 1,900 women in France wear full veils.

In Belgium, full-coverage veils are currently prohibited in 20 out of 589 Belgian municipalities, similar to local restrictions in Italy and the Netherlands, according to Human Rights Watch.

The Surrendered- by Chang Lee

Chang-rae Lee's three previous novels have moved him into the forefront of contemporary literature. Heavily and justifiably praised by all the traditional mavens of literary opinions, he has won the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award for first fiction and the Anisfield-Wolf Literary Award among others. The Surrendered has received starred advance reviews.

The reader meets the central characters in the first chapter, a marvelous evocation of war-torn Korea. It is 1950 and the Japanese army is roaring mercilessly through Korea. Eleven-year-old June Han is a refugee fleeing atop a train with her younger brother and sister during a frigid Korean winter. Only June survives and at her nearly last breath she is rescued by Hector Brennan, a young US soldier dejected by the brutality he has witnessed. He leads her to an orphanage run by an American missionary and his beautiful wife, Sylvie Tanner, a woman who harbors a secret.

The actions of these central characters at the orphanage haunt their lives through three decades to a time when June and Hector search for a young man who is missing. The story of this quest is told in flashbacks and multiple narrators. Too often, the transition from the present to the past and back is less than clear, creating difficulty in following the narrative flow, which wanders among 1950 Korea, New York and Italy in the '80s, and China in the '30s.

The inspiration for The Surrendered came from an incident in the life of Lee's father. A refugee during the Korean War, his younger brother was killed while they were riding on top of a train. Most of the description in the book is fictionalized since his father provided only the bare details, yet the sense of loss his father must have felt is explored in a central theme of the novel. One has to surrender to forces beyond one's control as Fate will determine the arc of a person's life. Hector (who happens to be from Ilion, New York), Fate, and a journey (odyssey) refer to key themes in their allusions to classical Greek literature. A major theme revolves around the impact of war, including guilt, bitterness, and confusion. Finally, as if Fate had stepped in, a sense of silent fortitude endures.

This sprawling and unfocused novel, Lee's fourth and most ambitious, has the mood of a literary masterpiece, but it falls just short. There is beautifully written prose, poetic in its imagery and emotion, but the language does not always contribute to the movement of plot or development of character. There are memorable characters, but only a limited number are completely rounded and for whom one feels a sense of investment in their fictional lives. Despite these quibbles, it remains a satisfying read, certain to be greeted with enthusiasm by Chang-rae Lee's legion of fans. And, perhaps one could argue that the seeming disorganization is a grand metaphor for the unease that war so often inflicts on both its participants and its victims.

World's shortest Horse!

So here's this really interesting news that I stumbled upon…a mere 17 inch horse! See for yourself in the picture! The world's smallest horse. A miniature dwarf!

The authorities have christened her Thumbeline (really cute….you know why!) and she has been reported as the world's official most shortest horse. The real Thumelina was born on an American farm to a couple who specialize in breeding miniature horses.

Now she is so small and so cute you could hold her in your hands and breed her like little puppies (Pet lovers and puppy crazy…I see you heart go BOOM! he…he..).

Horses usually weight about 250lb and rise to a height of 34 inches when they are fully grown. But for Thumbelina, it's a different story. Ever since she was born, she the day she was born it was clear that tiny Thumbelina would never grow to that size. She weighed in at only 8lb - the size of a new-born baby - when she was born. Eventually she grew to just 60 lb.

People are enthralled by her and she is a show stopper in her hometown, America. She has been affected by a horse disease called Dwarfism. Her owners, the Goessling family in Goose Creek farm in St. Louis, are in awe of her. They say she likes to hang out with the cocker spaniels rather than the other horses on their 150-acre farm. ( Now that gets me thinking…)

Quoting the family's words, "Because her legs are proportionally smaller than her body and her head, she has to wear orthopaedic fittings to straighten them out a lot of the time."

"But we love her and wouldn't want her any other way," said Michael Goessling, whose parents Kay and Paul bred the miniature horses.

As seen in the picture, the cute little miniature measures or reaches only uptil the lower thigh of horses! You just need to feed her a cup of grain and a handful of hay, served twice a day. Unfortunately, she is expected to live to the age of 17 years only because of her size - normal horses live for about 35 years.

Paglinang Child Survival Program

The Paglinang Child Survival Program (CSP) serves little ones through the age of 3 years and their primary caregivers, as well as expectant mothers. Enrolled families receive regular food supplements, including rice, vegetables and fruit, as well as a welcome basket filled with shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toys and a Bible. Caregivers attend child-care training workshops where they learn about home and personal hygiene, food preparation, disease prevention and first aid.

The program provides prenatal care for expectant mothers, and workers teach these mothers about childbirth and newborn care. Caregivers learn how to engage their children in games and activities that will provide spiritual, mental, social and physical development.

Program workers make regular home visits for one-on-one training, helping mothers apply the skills they've learned. During these home visits, workers also monitor the health and progress of mothers and children and ensure that each child receives timely immunizations and necessary medical care.

Most adults in Caloocan City find sporadic work as day laborers, acting as construction workers and maids for little more than U.S.$3 a day. These low salaries prevent many families from sending their sons and daughters to school, and 60 percent of children here will never set foot in a classroom.

Children in this region suffer from tuberculosis, diarrhea, pneumonia and malnutrition. Thirty percent have no access to medical care. Mothers rarely receive follow-up care after giving birth, and thousands die each year from birth-related complications and infections.

Your prayers and contributions for the Paglinang Child Survival Program provide mothers with the knowledge and the resources to raise happy, healthy children. You can make a difference in the lives of mothers and their infant children by becoming a partner for this program today.

When is Mothers Day 2010?

When is Mothers Day 2010? – For all who want to confirm when is Mother Day 2010, this is to inform you that this important celebration is set to happen on May 9, 2010. This is the time to celebrate with your mom,why not look for  a perfect gift to your mother now and plan ahead of time of how you will celebrate this precious day of your mother.

As a tradition, many people are looking for Mother’s day gifts, like flowers, candy, gift baskets and jewerly. Mother’s Day is considered as an important event to celebrate with million of people around the world.

So what are you waiting for? Plan ahead of time, and think for a very special gift to your Mother as few days left for the celebration of Mothers Day 2010.

Teacher guilty of having sex with a 13-year-old

A teacher from Manchester, New Hampshire, United States was proven guilty of having sex with a 13-year-old girl. Matthew Knott, from Isaac Way in Miles Platting, was pleaded guilty at Manchester Crown Court because of having sexual activity with a minor.

Knott met the young girl twice in May. The poor little girl was not even a student at his school.
The teacher, who worked at Elton High School in Bury, was suspended and will be sentenced this September. This was his first job and now he was suspended.

Knott’s parents are also informed about what happened.

WWE 2010 Extreme!

The most exciting and jaw-dropping WWE episode this month is now over and the results are now published online. WWE Extreme Rules 2010 is a professional pay-per-view event that is produced by the World Wrestling Entertainment.

WWE extreme this year 2010 was live on PPV yesterday, April 25, 2010 at 8:00pm ET. WWE Extreme Rules 2010 was held in the city of Baltimore, Maryland in the 1st Mariner Arena.

So much for the nonsensical chit chats, here are the WWE Extreme Rules 2010 Results of all matches

• World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger vs. Randy Orton – Jack Swagger defeated Randy Orton.
• WWE champion John Cena defeated Batista
• Edge defeated Chris Jericho
• Sheamus defeated Triple H
• CM Punk defeated Rey Mysterio
• Women’s Champion Michelle McCool lost to Beth Phoenix
• JTG defeated Shad Gaspard

Another new NOKIA phone

All giant mobile manufacturers can’t seem to stop making smartphones. Obviously, they will never stop because it’s their damn job. If iPhone released the iPhone 4, and Blackberry released the Blackberry Bold 9650, Nokia will never make this big boys humiliate them.

The latest Nokia smartphone is now out in the wild and it’s Nokia N8. It’s just another touchscreen phone that will obviously not click, because Nokia right now is not really doing well against its counterparts. If ever, they will decide to use an Android OS in their handsets, there’s a bit of chance that they will reign again as the king of the mobile industry.
Anyway, so much for bashing Nokia. Let’s talk about Nokia N8. Oh, never mind, I don’t want to talk about it either and I’m not really surprised of this new Nokia phone.

If you’re a really BIG Nokia fan and you want to read a detailed review and see more pictures of N8, then this link is for you. (And oh, don’t forget to translate the website because it’s Russian)

If you’re one of us who realized that Nokia is just wasting our time, then just don’t click the link I gave.

New Discoveries by the Hubble Telescope

Hubble Telescope Images and Photos are really astounding to see. This year is the 20th anniversary of the Hubble Telescope. People are getting so excited after Google made the whole world aware about the Hubble Telescope.The telescope was named after the astronomer Edwin Hubble. It is not the first telescope in space but is one of the most vitally used and successful telescope sent in 1990.

Hubble Telescope images, pictures and photos grabbed the headlines of major news websites and blogs online.

The Hubble Space Telescope made a history and is now 20 years in orbit.Hundreds of Hubble Telescope images are available in Google, Yahoo and Bing image search index.

There are so many interesting images that was captured by the Hubble telescope. One of these is the Giant Eye. The Giant Eye is considered a jewel by astronomers. It was launched into space by the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA in the ‘Discovery’ on April 24, 1990.

The highlights of the telescope are the images of the comet’s approach ‘Shoremaker-Levy 9′ Jupiter in 1994 and the discovery that the universe is expanding in 1998.

There have been almost 5000 scientific articles with data collected by the Hubble telescope, a figure that confirms its great scientific importance.

ESA said “The Hubble is responsible for much of the astronomical discoveries of history: the deepest views of the universe, as well as a more precise knowledge of the same age, the characterization of their black holes and the exo-planets orbiting other stars.“

Uninvited Guests Crash White House Party

Do you know Tareq and Michaele Salahi? Well, neither does the White House. But they were able to penetrate layers of security by the Secret Service and attend US President Barack Obama’s White House state dinner in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The couple originally comes from northern Virginia and was not on the official guest list but managed to get inside and was detected only after they could not find any seats in the South Lawn tent where the dinner was held.

U.S. Secret Service spokesman Edwin Donovan says, “An initial finding has identified one of our checkpoints that did not follow proper procedures.”

The couple were described as aspiring reality-TV stars and polo-playing socialites. Now, a dozen pictures posted on Facebook appear to show the couple posing with dinner guests including Vice President Joe Biden, Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty, CBS News anchor Katie Couric, and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

Earthquake Hits Taiwan

Yesterday, a 6.5 magnitude earthquake hit the southeast coast of Taiwan. This was based on the reports made by the U.S. Geological Survey. Initially, the earthquake was reported to have a magnitude of 6.9, but was then brought down to 6.5. The Taiwan earthquake caused buildings to sway for about 20 seconds but fortunately, there were no reported deaths nor damages. 

The earthquake struck Taiwan at exactly 10:59 in the morning (local GMT time). The specific location of the shaker is 195 miles or 295 kilometers from Tai-tung City, which is located at the southern portion of Taiwan. The earthquake’s depth is 6.2 miles or 10 kilometers. 

Taiwan is frequently hit by earthquakes (aside from typhoons that serve as regular visitors) although the shakers that pass by the small country often cause just minor or no damage at all. The most disastrous earthquake that struck Taiwan came during the year 1999. This was a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that hit central Taiwan and killed a total number of 2,300 people. Taiwan, along with the Philippines, sit on top of the Pacific Ring of Fire and because of this, seismic and volcanic activities are often experienced by the two neighboring countries.

STAPLES, WORKSHEETS…AND THE DREADED 15 MINUTES

“I want the presentation by the 14^th class along with the reports, the topics for the final will be decided then only”…alas! It is the time we wait for the most…or dread. Whichever it may be we know that sooner or later we have to face it…reports, finals and the presentations. I thought a lot before writing this down, assuming that a lot of people would be on the verge of a panic attack like I always am when exams come up and piles of paper start smacking my head in dreams that turn into nightmares filled with ink pots, stacks of notes, feverish revisions and the ever famous what- would- mom- say- if- I- didn’t- get- a- job (this one’s for our graduating students).

Well the scenario in SZABIST before the semester ends is not quite different from anywhere else. First we have our classic nerds who can’t wait for the exams to start so that they can test their amazing skills and see how the magic of their pen builds a relation with their Einsteinic mind, leaving us lower human life forms to crawl behind praying for the marks that might be left for us.

Next we have the still- not –finished- with –my- work types who want to study for the exams for unfortunately cannot as they are in too much debt, completing not only their work but of others around them too. You see these people running from the photo copier to the computer lab and back again, fighting with the canteen guy for not having stable coffee to keep them calm and repeatedly cursing the printers.

Lastly we have the never- have- and- never- wills. The coolest group of people who don’t let trivial matters like final exams that would either make or break their gpa affect them in anyway whatsoever. We see these types lounging away the time texting their friends, talking about the latest trends or smoking away casually just two minutes before the exam, claiming to have not studied a bit. But whether they openly show it off or hide it behind dark shades, it is a well known fact that every student here at SZABIST is tensed whether they like it or not.

Oh but it’s not just the students who are tensed. It’s our administration that has to be on their toes too. I mean its not easy screaming repeatedly in the auditorium “do your paper, do your paper” while invidulation, or changing the seats of overly excited students who not only want to do their paper but fully assist others in theirs as well. Arranging tables and chairs even in the farthest corner of the room trying to cram everyone in while getting suggestions from students that drive you up the wall.

Our dear professors have a hard time on their own. The popularity of every teacher at SZABIST which throughout the year is reduced to snide remarks, creased eyebrows and grinded teeth from the students, rises sharply when the finals loom in. Every where we see students following their teachers around, asking the never ending last minute questions with their little friends tagging along till the prof’s have to take refuge in the bathrooms. Long lines outside offices and the occasional “please don’t fail me sir!” during exams. Our teachers enjoy being on the throne and if you have one’s like I do then you would be banging your head against the wall trying to remember that last point while you hear them snickering behind you, giving you lordly looks that confuse you till you just want o rip you sheet off.

But whether it is students, teachers or the administration everyone here knows that in the end we would be going back home with good memories…oh who am I kidding? We would still be biting off our remaining nails till the results come. BEST OF LUCK everyone.

Death of two top Al-Qaeda figures

The U.S. and Iraq claimed a major victory against al-Qaida on Monday, saying their forces killed the terror group's two top figures in this country in an air and ground assault on their safe house near Saddam Hussein's hometown.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announced the killings of Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and Abu Ayyub al-Masri at a news conference and showed photographs of their bloody corpses.

U.S. military officials later confirmed the deaths, which Vice President Joe Biden called a "potentially devastating blow" to al-Qaida in Iraq.

Al-Qaida in Iraq has remained a dangerous force as the U.S. prepares to withdraw most of its troops. The terror group has launched repeated attacks on civilian targets in Baghdad in an attempt to sow chaos and exploit political deadlock in the wake of the inconclusive March 7 parliamentary elections.

Monday's announcement comes at a critical time for al-Maliki, who has staked his reputation on being the man who can restore stability to Iraq after years of bloodshed. The prime minister is locked in a tight contest with secular challenger Ayad Allawi to see who will form the next government.

Sascha Arora Akhtar- The notable 20th century poet

Sascha Arora Akhtar was born in Pakistan but then left for England to do her studies. She has done her B.A in liberal arts from Bennington College where she has done filmmaking, photography and English literature. She then did her masters in creative writing. Akhtar has been regarded as one of the most promising new writers and poets of the 20th century by the Guardian. Her work appears in the Shearsman anthology on UK women’s poetries, “Infinite Difference.”  She also works as a literary reviewer and arts journalist and is the first Pakistani woman writing in English to be published in the Western “avant garde” tradition.

She presented a collection of her works along with her readings on Saturday 24^th April 2010 at The Second floor T2F. A gathering sat down and listened to her as she recited some of her famous poems. The event ended at a performance by some of the local folk song group and to numerous applause.

Okinawa Pact

Following the Battle of Okinawa, the U.S. occupied Okinawa, and Okinawa become a U.S. territory until control of Okinawa was reverted to Japan in 1972. Many U.S. bases remained in Okinawa (“Okinawa Japan,” n.d.).

Today, Okinawa, accounting for less than one percent of Japan’s land, hosts two-thirds of the 40,000. American bases in Japan. U.S. bases in occupy 18 % of the available land on Okinawa’s main island. (“Okinawa prefecture,” 2010).

Sumida (2009) reports “A large segment of the [Okinawan] population believes the U.S. took their land at the end of World War II at the point of ‘bayonets and bulldozers,’ costing many families their homes and farms” and “[w]hen the prefecture was returned to Japan in 1972, many Okinawans felt betrayed because many U.S. military bases remained, and the Japan Self-Defense Forces took other bases given up by the Americans. Some Okinawan critics continue to argue that they bear an unfair burden by hosting 75 percent of the land solely used for U.S. bases in all of Japan.”

Brook (2005) also explains “Okinawa’s trauma over what happened after 545,000 U.S. troops attacked this small archipelago is still deep. People on Japan’s southernmost islands want more recognition from Japanese society for their sufferings.”

In 2006, the U.S. and Japan agreed to move Futenma base to another part of Okinawa. The decision was made in reaction to Okinawan outrage at the rape of a 12 year-old Okinawan girl by three U.S. soldiers. Stressing the importance of reducing “the burden of Okinawa residents”, Japan’s new Prime Minister Hatoyama, has been trying to move the Futenma base outside of the prefecture. But, the Hatoyama administration is caught between the pressure to maintain the U.S.-Japan agreement of 2006, and also Okinawans’ wishes to reduce the U.S. military presence in Okinawa.

Twitter vs. Facebook...Who wins the battle?

When it comes to reaching out to your social graph for help or answers to questions, Facebook leans towards a very “traditional marketing” approach in the way that it lets you communicate. You can either directly contact someone with your message or post something in your status or profile.

As echoed many times throughout the course of 2007, business professionals are adopting the use of Facebook at a rapid pace. That still doesn’t change the mostly passive way it operates as a communications tool. For the business professional, Facebook is a fun, great less formal alternative to LinkedIn. It allows you to build an online calling card of sorts and it provides the ability to keep your contacts up to date on the latest happenings in your life through photos and video. True conversation can be found through discussion threads within Facebook groups. Finding groups that both match your interests - and that are consistently active - can be a hit or miss situation.

On the other hand, Twitter does one thing and it does it well. It’s all about the conversation and there is always someone there to who will see your message. From the outside looking in, it’s often hard for people to understand the value that Twitter brings to the table. Plus twitter give you access to academic journals and researches.Its value is directly related to the quality of the people that you choose to follow. My Twitter network has grown substantially faster than my friends on Facebook. In fact, a good portion of my friends on Facebook are folks who I originally connected with on Twitter. It’s all about increasing your tweets.

In the end, I don’t think either Facebook or Twitter can be deemed better than the other. They both server different purposes and provide different mechanisms for communicating with your peers or target audiences. Facebook is feature-rich and offers passive and indirect communication tools. Twitter focuses specifically on the conversation and enables more immediate and direct communication with your all of your “Followers.” What do you think? If you have a Twitter or Facebook success story, we’d love to hear about it!

Press Release

Provincial Disaster Risk Management plan was launched Mr. Ghulam Ali Pasha a senior member of board revenue at a local hotel on August 12. 


This plan has been organized to benefit in times of disaster or natural calamity. he hoped that it would help the government with solving some major problems like lack of labor,emergency response etc.


The plan would also provide help to the civilians who were needed to be put into hospitals or had to be restored financially. Mr. Pasha in his speech thanked the UND[P for aiding him in this project and hoped taht it would come as a success for the people of Pakistan.

Light's Off- WAPDA

The WAPDA (Water and Power Development Authority) announced today that due to the shortage of electricity all ships were to be closed down by 8:00p.m. 

This method is adopted by the government to help save electricity for the benefit of the people. Pakistan is becoming low on it's dams and reservoir water is drying up or being excessively used by the agriculture sector. therefore, the government wants to protect it's resources and try to minimize load shedding by the co-operation of the people. But the general public is not agreeing with the decision of the government. especially the shop keepers who own large departmental stores and boutiques say that since it is the wedding season people generally shop during the night and that is when they make most of their income. they have refused to lower down their shutters. 

The town police was asked to raid the streets of Karachi, Peshawar, Islamabad and Lahore to ask the shopkeepers personally to close down the shop. The shopkeepers do shut down their shops, but they are re-opened as soon as the police leaves.The people who shop need to understand that the notice passed is for their benefit only and it is not necessary that they purchase their items at night only. Shopping can be done during the day time when the need to electricity is less. 

If the people co-operate with the government and the government fulfills its promise then the problem of shortage of electricity can be controlled.

Turkey's mode of education

The Imam-Hatip network is a far cry from the western stereotype of the madrassa as an institution that teaches the Quran by rote and little else. Originally founded to educate Muslim religious functionaries in the 1920s, the Imam-Hatip syllabus devotes only around 40 per cent of study to religious subjects like Arabic, Islamic jurisprudence and rhetoric. The rest is given over to secular topics.

In the Beyoglu Anadolu religious school in Istanbul, gilded Qurans line the shelves and on a table lies a Turkish translation of “Eclipse”, a vampire-based fantasy romance by US novelist Stephanie Meyer.

No-one inside the school would have you believe this combination of Islamic and western influences demonstrates potential to serve as a 'moderate' educational antidote to radical Islam.

Earth Day- 22nd April 2010

Earth Day was the brain child of U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin who first announced the idea of a nationwide environmental teach-in a speech in 1969. The senator had hoped for a grassroots outcry over environmental issues to prove to the government in Washington D.C. that the public did care about them but even he had not expected the around 20 million participants nationwide that turned up on the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970.

Today, the tremendous success of that first Earth Day is seen as the beginning of the modern environmental movement. Since then, Earth Day has grown steadily, already reaching ten times the participation in 1990 when 200 million people in 141 countries participated, picking recycling as their main issue.

In 2000, the event had grown further: Hundreds of thousands of people from 184 nations participated in Earth Day, focusing on global warming and clean energy. The Internet played a big role in connecting and organizing so many people. Earth Day 2007 has so far been the biggest event with over a billion people mobilizing worldwide for the big day.

watch the video for more details on the importance of Earth Day
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/getinvolved/give-earth-a-hand

Subliminal Messages

Subliminal messages are hidden codes inside of pictures that are not visible to the conscious mind but psychologists say that they are seen by the subconscious of a person. The concept of subliminal messages has existed since the time of Jesus Christ. Some historians say  that the descendants of Christ known as the "Knights of the Templar" who were supposed to protect the on going generation of the Christ and spread his message which was banned by the church after his death, used such subliminal messages in paintings and sculptors to express what he had said. Leonardo Davinci has been one of the world's oldest and most famous artist to use subliminal messages in his paintings. His "Last Supper", Mona Lisa", "The Vitruvian Man" and many more have been some of the most popular examples of paintings with subliminal messages. 

In the 1600's when the first from of advertisements had started people used this form of communication to advertise their products. Subliminal messages can be both positive and negative, but in most cases they are negative.Nobody has yet been able to explain why such big companies like the Warner Brothers, Coca cola or Pepsi would use such methods to corrupt the minds of the youth, even more so as to why they would do it. Yet they still prevail even today in advertisements all across the globe
.

Coca Cola advertised in Australia with this poster, somewhere during the eighties. Until someone discovered what could be seen in the ice cube on the right ... That's not a bottle she's going to put in her mouth ! The artist, which probably thought it was a good joke (it was), was fired and sued. All posters were recalled and a new campaign was launched

This ad appeared in the British Yellow Pages The title is of course already double in itself. But if you turn the picture upside down and cover part of it, you can see a young girl fingering herself. I think this is the most convincing example of a subliminal ad, possibly also a joke. What else would the picture of a drinking woman be doing on an ad for flooring ?

In a promotional campaign by Pepsi in 1990, the company sold cans with a neon-design. If you stack two of those cans and turn them just right, the word SEX becomes readable. Intentional or not, it proves that sublimal ads can work after all. This fact or fantasy turned a lot of attention to Pepsi.And it obviously still does.

In the Disney movie The Rescuers, one of the animators built in a joke. During a flight scene, something odd is visible in a window in the background. This would be barely visible in the movie, but it's very clear in this frame : a naked woman in the window !

World's Worst Taxi Rides.

In the past we've extolled the virtues of "The World's 10 Best Taxi Rides"—interesting and sometimes beautiful routes that can add fun and excitement to what might normally be just another trip across town. But what about the flip side?

 Everyone has a taxi horror story to share, a tale of woe that may involve scamming, intimidation, extortion, physical threats, drunken driving, faulty shock absorbers, unending traffic jams, malfunctioning meters—or simply hellacious body odor. Add infrequent but terrifying armed robberies and kidnappings, and simply sticking out your arm on the sidewalk can seem like a dangerous roll of the dice.

 What should you worry about most? The Mexican kidnappers? The Russian thugs? The Sao Paulo gridlock? Collisions with elephants in Thailand? In reality, your biggest problem will be simple scams or miscommunications that escalate into shouting matches hindered by language barriers.

 Taxi drivers around the world have perfected the art of loud righteous indignation that's meant to intimidate, especially when they attract a crowd of curious onlookers who back them up and enjoy the show. It's up to you to decide when to cut your losses, pay up and get out of the situation.Here are some tips to help you get a safer ride.

·         Know what a legitimate taxi looks like

·         Have enough local knowledge to avoid scamming

·         Keep your travel guide with you

·         Know the currency and the tipping policy

·         Depend on your hotel concierge for advice

 A taxi ride is a business transaction, and it's important to hold up your end of the deal, even if you've had an unpleasant trip. And at the end of a long night, make sure you or one of your companions is sober enough to remain civil and keep your wits about you when it's time to pay.

The Express Tribune

What on the onset seemed quite trivial actually turned out to be quite hard. The Express Tribune , a newspaper by the Express group in collaboration with the International Herald Tribune launched just few days ago with a stunning paper and a web portal to match.

The newspaper is fresh and alive as it focuses on the younger generation more. The layout and the design of the paper are quite colorful as compared to the other newspaper of Pakistan that go with the standard black and white format. The style of writing and the photography is noteworthy as is the outline of the paper. A major drawback however is that the paper is divided in to four different sections which makes it much to long for an average daily reader.

However despite its pros and cons the Express Tribune shows a promising future in the world of print and electronic media. With internet penetration growing the way it is, I have no doubt that The Express Tribune portal will provide common ground for a lot of avid readers and have interesting side effects.

IMARC 2010

IBA Media and Publications Society is hosting an event "IMARC 2010"- The first of its kind event in the country.

I-MARC 2010 is a three day competition-centric workshop that envisions infusing the spirit of patriotism within the youth of Pakistan through the tools of media. The competition will encompass a wide range of activities from thrilling adventures that will demand ingenuity, zeal, spontaneity, unconventional thinking and above all the spirit of patriotism, to intellectual debates and panel discussions. Participants should anticipate surprises, astounding revelations and sessions of physical activities. 

I-Marc will provide teams with a platform that will open up new avenues for the media-youth alliances, reignite the dormant patriotism, and furnish prospects to project the side of Pakistan that we all adore.Pakistan’s media has the potential to portray the real image of our country in the international arena, a faded image that needs revival; I-MARC takes the first steps towards this goal.

Follow and stay tuned on the Website and Facebook Group for any news and updates.

All universities, colleges and schools are invited as are private teams.

Date: 14-16th May 2010
Venue: Liaquat National Auditorium, Karachi

registerations starts from 14th april

imarc2010@live.com

http://www.imarc.iba.edu.pk/

Return After Reading

The Readers Club, Pakistan’s first and only online book rental service, was launched in June 2009 by two friends, Jawad Yousuf and Usman Siddiqui. On their return from the US after completing their education eight years ago, they realised that the reading culture that once thrived in the country was no more.

They spent their time brainstorming how one could revive it, but their own businesses demanded a lot of their time and it was not until much later that they were able to come up with a plan of action and implement it. Initially they had thought of establishing a book-sharing platform but since that wasn’t logistically possible, they decided to create a book rental service. They realised people were not reluctant to read, but access to books was a problem. The most common complaint was that books were too expensive to purchase, especially the newest ones. So they decided to structure their product in a way that would address both the issues of affordability and interest.

There are three membership packages The Readers Club offers, which determine the amount that is to be paid as a monthly membership fee and how many books can be borrowed at a time. The Bronze level costs Rs 500 and allows the member to borrow one book at a time; Silver is for Rs 750 and two books can be borrowed whereas with a Gold membership Rs 1,000 have to be paid and three books can be rented. Once the account has been created, members can select and add to the rental queue books of their choice from a wide collection, old and new, from 27 categories, which also includes the latest best-sellers and prize-winners. An availability column shows up next to each book, so that the member knows whether the book is available, has been reserved by someone or whether there are multiple requests for it. In case a book is not available, the second option on the rental queue is then delivered.

The response they have received so far has been overwhelming for them.“We didn’t even know if we would get 10 members; if people would give us their money,” says Usman. “Now the costs are covered through the membership fee,” Jawad informs me. “We don’t have to worry about how many books we can buy in a month,” Usman adds. As word spreads, those who do not have access to computers or the elderly who do not know how to use them, have also expressed an interest in the service. “Why should they be excluded?” asks Usman. For them, lists of the books are sent with the riders and an account is created for them by Usman and Jawad themselves.

The Readers Club recently won the acclaim of the country’s ICT industry: they were runners up in the service innovation category and tied for second place in the best pitch category at the P@SHA Tech Crunch Gong Awards held on October 14. Jawad and Usman are happy to report that The Readers Club is now the self-sustaining business they had envisaged it to be. Expansion to remote areas in Karachi and other cities is under consideration, but for now they want to go slow and steady.

THE BIRTH OF PAKISTAN

The Citizens Archive of Pakistan presents 'The Birth of Pakistan' at the Mohatta Palace Museum. This exhibition is one of many community-outreach projects that lie at the heart of The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP). For the first time in Pakistan, an interactive exhibit designed specifically for children will take young visitors on a journey from the Lahore Resolution of 1940 through the sacrifices made to achieve a Muslim homeland in 1947 to the early days of the new nation of Pakistan, as it struggled to stand on its feet. The exhibit features a unique ‘train journey’ from India to Pakistan, recreations of make-shift government offices and refugee tents, a chance for children to explore the contents of a ‘sundook’ or trunk brought to Pakistan by a migrant, photographs and film clips of major moments in Pakistan’s early history.  Children visiting the exhibition will receive their copy of the first passport of Pakistan, learn about how millions heard about the Partition of the Indian sub-continent, first saw the Pakistani flag or heard the National Anthem. The exhibition also delves into facets of Quaid-e-Azam’s personality through the recollections of his friends, co-workers, admirers and supporters. We honour the contributions of Muslim League leaders and pioneers such as Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan, the first civil servants of Pakistan and the members of the Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy, police and army, Pakistan Women’s National Guard, All Pakistan Women’s Association and Radio Pakistan.

The Pakistan's tarana written by Jagannath Azad requested by Jinnah

http://beenasarwar.wordpress.com/2010/04/09/jagan-nath-azads-pakistan-tarana/

Complete version of the tarana by the Lahore-based poet Jagan Nath Azad, who was asked by Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah to write Pakistan’s first anthem (see ‘Bring back Jagganath Azad’s Pakistan anthem‘). Thanks to his son Chander K. Azad in Jammu for sending the complete naz’m.

PESHAWAR BOMBED AGAIN!...

PESHAWAR: A series of three powerful blasts followed by heavy gunfight in a brazen suicide mission, apparently planned to target the US Consulate in Peshawar, left eight people dead and triggered panic all over the provincial capital on Monday afternoon.

Around 18 people, most of them security officials, were also wounded in the blasts and firing between the attackers and security officials of the US Consulate and the nearby Army offices and residences.

The first powerful blast rocked Peshawar after many months of calm when a suicide bomber hit an armoured personnel carrier (APC) parked on the entrance to the Hospital Road, which hosts the US Consulate General as well as several offices of the Pakistan Army, around 1:20 pm.

Citizens thought that after such a calm time they would be achieving peace finally but it seems that their hopes were shattered yet again.


Internationally Pakistan is recognized amongst the world's democratic countries, but it what happens inside doesn't come near to being democratic in anyway. This was a blast in not just one city, but one of the many in many cities all over Pakistan. People ask who would be so inhumane as to destroy their own country...we still wait for the answer to come to us


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO7KUZxPBjE  log-on to view the pak-news report on the devastating blast.