Veils of Fog
Saturday, 30 May 2009
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/30/2009 01:33:00 PM,
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Cost of Being a Patriot
Everything has a cost. Being a patriot in Pakistan means adopting to the life style without electric and other basic civic amenities, standing on the road in hot weather for hours and allowing VVIP pass when they want to, living under constant threat of blasts anywhere and not saying anything. If you say a thing, you are not patriot. No?
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/30/2009 01:28:00 PM,
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Save Trees
Friday, 29 May 2009
One billion personal computers have been sold across the world, according to hi-tech consultancy Gartner Dataquest report. The number of computers is set to explode in the next few years, reaching the two billion mark by 2008. Unprecedented technology growth in deed! But this is not about the technology growth. Point here is how computer can help save the trees.
Use of papers has been around since the Egyptians invented the paper making process some 4,000 years ago. The paper making technology was exported to China in the 2nd century BC and later to the Arabs world in the 8th century. Now paper and paper products are made and used all over the world. Though the process has been refined over years but the basic raw material is pulp that is obtained from wood by cutting trees. The pulp and paper industry is the world’s fifth largest industrial consumer of wood. Over 92 percent of today’s paper comes from trees, and paper production is responsible for about a fifth of the total wood cutting globally. A tissue paper we use so discriminately might contain fibbers from so many different trees that might have jointly travelled thousands of kilometres and factories from forest to the dinning table.
Estimate show that paper consumption has trebled during the last thirty years, and given the present trends, it is likely to double by 2010 that is a big cause of concerns because it is linked with seismic environmental problems, from deforestation through industrial pollution to waste.
Developed nations with high standards of living are large consumers of paper products (multi purpose writing papers, tissues, packaging to name just a few) as compared to developing nations with low affordability. Trend watchers say that global paper consumption will double by 2010.
There is a ray of hope. Advent of computers and related technologies can make a big difference in paper consumption all over the world. Computers mediated technologies have made it possible to publish and distribute written words without using papers in this cyber age. The Internet and Word Wide Web can do same things for printing and distribution words what printing does for books and newspapers.
Online publication is already one of the biggest uses of computers these days. It is easier, cost effective, faster and much more efficient. Which is why even traditional print companies like publisher of Encyclopedia Britannica and many more have already started Web publishing?
Web publishing at industrial and individual levels is expected to significantly affect the paper consumption habits over time. Consider how much quantity of paper (read trees) only use of email can save. Online books, catalogues on commercial Websites, personal diaries coming in the form of Web logs may also slow down the use of paper. Result: Less paper consumption, less tree cutting and cleaner environment.
It is not possible to stop the use of paper in the world, nor it is suggested. But it can be brought under sustainable limits. Many international environmental organizations have already called for reduced paper consumption and are doing good job to create awareness. But this cannot be left to the voluntary organizations alone. This need mass realization and conscious effort by every individual, organizations and governments. Every bit can make a difference.
Use of papers has been around since the Egyptians invented the paper making process some 4,000 years ago. The paper making technology was exported to China in the 2nd century BC and later to the Arabs world in the 8th century. Now paper and paper products are made and used all over the world. Though the process has been refined over years but the basic raw material is pulp that is obtained from wood by cutting trees. The pulp and paper industry is the world’s fifth largest industrial consumer of wood. Over 92 percent of today’s paper comes from trees, and paper production is responsible for about a fifth of the total wood cutting globally. A tissue paper we use so discriminately might contain fibbers from so many different trees that might have jointly travelled thousands of kilometres and factories from forest to the dinning table.
Estimate show that paper consumption has trebled during the last thirty years, and given the present trends, it is likely to double by 2010 that is a big cause of concerns because it is linked with seismic environmental problems, from deforestation through industrial pollution to waste.
Developed nations with high standards of living are large consumers of paper products (multi purpose writing papers, tissues, packaging to name just a few) as compared to developing nations with low affordability. Trend watchers say that global paper consumption will double by 2010.
There is a ray of hope. Advent of computers and related technologies can make a big difference in paper consumption all over the world. Computers mediated technologies have made it possible to publish and distribute written words without using papers in this cyber age. The Internet and Word Wide Web can do same things for printing and distribution words what printing does for books and newspapers.
Online publication is already one of the biggest uses of computers these days. It is easier, cost effective, faster and much more efficient. Which is why even traditional print companies like publisher of Encyclopedia Britannica and many more have already started Web publishing?
Web publishing at industrial and individual levels is expected to significantly affect the paper consumption habits over time. Consider how much quantity of paper (read trees) only use of email can save. Online books, catalogues on commercial Websites, personal diaries coming in the form of Web logs may also slow down the use of paper. Result: Less paper consumption, less tree cutting and cleaner environment.
It is not possible to stop the use of paper in the world, nor it is suggested. But it can be brought under sustainable limits. Many international environmental organizations have already called for reduced paper consumption and are doing good job to create awareness. But this cannot be left to the voluntary organizations alone. This need mass realization and conscious effort by every individual, organizations and governments. Every bit can make a difference.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/29/2009 01:02:00 PM,
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Piano Sheets
Thursday, 28 May 2009
Those who love piano music must start at 1001sheets.com - officially the largest sheet music site on the web. It had some 110,000 visitors last month.
The site has an easy to use navigation bar at the top of the page and the users can download free piano sheet music (.pdf's) straight to their computer. To view a piece of piano sheet music users can simply use the musicians’ toolbar on the top of 1001sheets.com. All pieces of sheet music are organized via 'Artist'. So, click on the letter of your artist for free piano sheet music.
Free piano sheet music is brought to you completely free of charge by 1001sheets.com. The site earns revenue through the advertising on the website, this is how 1001sheets.com can afford to stay open and keep supplying users with free piano sheet music. What is more, users too can learn about earning money with their own free piano sheet music website or any other website, simply by reading a useful tutorial.
Explore 1001sheets.com and see what they are offering and how. Better still, there is a popular forum to talk and swap free piano sheet music. I suggest piano lovers to sign up and have an enriching experience.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/28/2009 11:22:00 PM,
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LMB Guilders' Meet-up
In these hard times, LMB Guilders' are meeting at Jammin' Java, M.M.Alam Road, Gulberg, Lahore to discuss new ideas, recent wave of killings, Swat relief effort, other events, issues besides introduction to some old (and some new) LMB pals and and a surprise guest from Isloo-land plus what captian has in store (Hassan Mubark always have something up his sleeves).
Labels: Bloggers Meet
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/28/2009 11:35:00 AM,
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Become a Certified Professional
Given the fast rate of changes in the Information Technology, learning is a perpetual process for IT professionals. Training not only let IT people stay current and excel in their profession but also help in chalking out new career paths. It improves skills and sets relevant international standards that increase individual professional standing throughout the world, wherever a particular product or application is being used. In these slow economic times when jobs are harder to come by anywhere in the world, relevant training certainly adds to professional credibility and recognition that leads to advantages in the competitive high tech job market or to improve on the performance of those who already happen to be working. One of the ways to achieve this is through certification.
Have a look at the Countrywide Training’s certification boot camps program that gives an opportunity to learn from certified instructors who are experts in the industry. If you need to have a certification, Countrywide Training boot camp classes are the best to get certification in a short time of just a week. There are several certification titles that Countrywide Training offers. Have a look and see what you need and what can take you to the next level and finish as a certified professional.
Have a look at the Countrywide Training’s certification boot camps program that gives an opportunity to learn from certified instructors who are experts in the industry. If you need to have a certification, Countrywide Training boot camp classes are the best to get certification in a short time of just a week. There are several certification titles that Countrywide Training offers. Have a look and see what you need and what can take you to the next level and finish as a certified professional.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/28/2009 11:25:00 AM,
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Countrywide Training Computer Classes
With the advent of computers and the Internet, onsite computer training is spreading through the wide users base across the world. Many people, professionals as well as novices, have already integrated computers in online learning in their lives and are taking advantages.
Online computer training is making seismic impact in distance education. Now the learning is no longer restricted to time and place. Users these days have access to a great amount of relevant information and resources outside the confines of classrooms and auditoriums.
Countrywide Training Computer Classes is case in point here. Have a look at Countrywide Training. They are playing an important role in promoting online computer training. They offer IT training, certification training, computer training and other types of computer training that enables computer professionals everywhere to quickly and easily schedule IT training and technical training classes over the internet in order to learn at own pace.
Explore Countrywide Training Computer Classes and see what they are offering and how. The neatly laid out site is users friendly and contains wealth of Information. If you are interested in learning at your own pace and want to improve your level, I suggest you Countrywide Training Computer Classes and take advantage of the best that is available.
Online computer training is making seismic impact in distance education. Now the learning is no longer restricted to time and place. Users these days have access to a great amount of relevant information and resources outside the confines of classrooms and auditoriums.
Countrywide Training Computer Classes is case in point here. Have a look at Countrywide Training. They are playing an important role in promoting online computer training. They offer IT training, certification training, computer training and other types of computer training that enables computer professionals everywhere to quickly and easily schedule IT training and technical training classes over the internet in order to learn at own pace.
Explore Countrywide Training Computer Classes and see what they are offering and how. The neatly laid out site is users friendly and contains wealth of Information. If you are interested in learning at your own pace and want to improve your level, I suggest you Countrywide Training Computer Classes and take advantage of the best that is available.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/28/2009 10:47:00 AM,
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Best Furniture Display Online
Everyone likes quality, modern and ergonomic furniture at home (and elsewhere). The quality of furniture used in home where I spend most of my time and where I come back to relax and recharge is very important to me, personally.
In the cyber when savvy businesses are successfully harnessing the power of the web through their presence online and functional websites. It is possible to find what you need at online furniture store. Searching on web I was lead to a site where I could see wide range of furniture including bathroom vanities and bedroom furniture. You can browse through and see a lot of variety on display to chose from and make an informed buying decision about what suits your taste and need. The collection has all type of furniture including outdoor couches, dining rooms, bath rooms, living rooms furniture and outdoor couches.
Imagery is good and one have a feeler of how those furniture items will look being used at home or elsewhere. That is what makes easier for anyone to make a decision to buy online. Browse through their collection from the comfort of your own home and make your choice. This is the easiest way to shop these days.
In the cyber when savvy businesses are successfully harnessing the power of the web through their presence online and functional websites. It is possible to find what you need at online furniture store. Searching on web I was lead to a site where I could see wide range of furniture including bathroom vanities and bedroom furniture. You can browse through and see a lot of variety on display to chose from and make an informed buying decision about what suits your taste and need. The collection has all type of furniture including outdoor couches, dining rooms, bath rooms, living rooms furniture and outdoor couches.
Imagery is good and one have a feeler of how those furniture items will look being used at home or elsewhere. That is what makes easier for anyone to make a decision to buy online. Browse through their collection from the comfort of your own home and make your choice. This is the easiest way to shop these days.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/28/2009 12:33:00 AM,
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Another Attack on Lahore
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
A blast occurred in 15 building adjacent to CCPO office in Civil Lines in Lahore on Wednesday.
According to Geo TV, several people have been killed and injured in the blast. Gunshots also heard in the area after the blast. The windowpanes of nearby buildings have also shattered in the blast and many 15 vehicles have been destroyed. The entire building of 15 has reportedly collapsed in the blast. Security forces have cordoned off the area and shifted injured and bodies to hospitals. Emergency has been announced in local hospitals.
According to Geo TV, several people have been killed and injured in the blast. Gunshots also heard in the area after the blast. The windowpanes of nearby buildings have also shattered in the blast and many 15 vehicles have been destroyed. The entire building of 15 has reportedly collapsed in the blast. Security forces have cordoned off the area and shifted injured and bodies to hospitals. Emergency has been announced in local hospitals.
More is coming...
Labels: Lahore
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/27/2009 11:59:00 AM,
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Look at Those Plus Size Dresses
Dressing up appropriately (as per the latest trends, season and demand of the occasion) is a fine art. Personally, I like to follow the popular fashion trends. Given my interest I keep looking for what comes up and where. I found Simply Be as one of the best places that brings about fashionable and trendy Plus Size Dresses from jeans to party dresses to chic special occasion dresses in plus sizes, coats, skirts and much more.
Simply Be is UK's leading direct home shopping company, operating over 20 successful catalogue brands. Their catalogues offer a huge selection of clothing and other products for all ages and sizes. All their clothes are designed to provide the best fit at the best value, and we are specialists in the area of larger size women wear. Simply have a look at Simply Be and see what all they are offering and how.
Simply Be is UK's leading direct home shopping company, operating over 20 successful catalogue brands. Their catalogues offer a huge selection of clothing and other products for all ages and sizes. All their clothes are designed to provide the best fit at the best value, and we are specialists in the area of larger size women wear. Simply have a look at Simply Be and see what all they are offering and how.
Simply Be is neatly laid out site that is users friendly. Search function on the site is efficient and you can easily find what you may be looking for. Imagery is good and will give you the feeler how those plus sizes will look on you. I suggest you try them.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/27/2009 11:03:00 AM,
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Housing
Prof Dr Norbert Pintsch
This article again refers to “housing”, the architectural, economical and philosophical aspects of which have already been discussed. In this article we will discuss the scientific and technological aspect (Architecture, Urban & Regional Planning) which however are not totally independent of other areas of the culture. As clear-cut diagrams and illustrations mean more than words for the engineer and scientist, the accompanying text may be considered a literary explanation of the important inter-relationship. A very simple text for the illustrations would probably not appropriately describe the total picture.
In the following we will discuss the very basic questions of "housing" and describe the range of possibilities between the Rural Entity and the Fully-Autonomous entities, in the middle of which is the most widely practiced concept of Urban entity. Seen from a total perspective, the Urban entity is the subject as well as the object, because the actors in this system are not able to act freely as they are bound by the compulsions and dictations of economy. The actors are forced to act in the way as they do because the system does not allow any other alternative. And: the actors in the system don’t even realize that they are not acting of their own but actually are being acted upon !
The complexity of the urban infra-structure has reached its technological climax, the innovativeness of which is marginal. Should the human organism be laid out in the manner which corresponds to modern industrial way of production, i.e. with highly differentiated functions, it would require a space of more than 10 cricket fields. This example amply describes the limitations of the so-called development. It is in-effective, wasteful, ruins the environment and leads to over-exploitation of resources.
Dubai as a metaphor of out-dated construction techniques is suitable with its fantastic design-results at all levels and without any logic. The model therefore is: A major destruction of environment and misuse of resources is taking place through short-term investments and the mis-use of foreign labourers, who are even happy and not aware that they are actually contributing to destruction of their own traditional cultures. The transformation actually reflects a successful implementation of a totally-outdated economic system, which becomes possible only when the state actors do not realize their mistake and it is characteristic of the ruling elite.
The terminology used in the illustrations enable us to imagine what is coming and to develop a point of view over it. The "new" is actually not really new, rather it has developed parallel to the existing system without being noticed.
In the existing system, generally named as Urban Entity (UE), there are hardly any logical repairs possible in the system as these under the garb of "Problem Solutions" actually represent a "Problem Deferment"!. Solutions have to be judged according to their making sense because, not everything that can be accomplished also makes sense! Infact, only the least will make sense. The sense is actually made when a self-restriction is imposed. “Luxury” in this sense would be the voluntary sacrifice of the available and restriction of the consumption!
Terms like “Sustainability”, “Resource Protection”, “Environmental Protection” are empty words, as long as they are not filled with logical content, they do not remain without influencing the existing system and the relevant behavior and way of life. “Renewable Energy”, is another empty term, which suggests something, which is scientifically nonsense, because energy actually cannot be renewed (see: Law of Conservation of Energy). At the most, it can be transferred (energy change). In this way we can also explain another phenomena related to the educational sector: The number of educated persons does rise with the increase in population and holders of academic degrees but not necessarily the number of intelligent persons!
Continuous creation of newer models in Marketing of products is a waste of energy and resources. This also refers to sectors, which appear far from the industrial background, namely the health sector, the educational sector etc. In totality these measures are actually a mountain of income generating measures. The residents of an Urban Entity are forced to submit to these measures. In the past when the total number of participants was very limited,, the system still functioned on the limited scale but its deficiencies become immediately evident when applied on a global scale.
Urban Life today means expensive living,high density of residents per square kilometer, increasing infra-structure costs with increasing productivity of the ndividual, who works on more efficient machines sinking tax income through uniform and global production (the individuals are exchangeable, when the same thing is produced globally), higher water consumption, higher energy consumption,
increasing environmental pollution, increasing social problems, unhealthy way of living and more.
The more affluent here can equalize some of the problems through their purchasing power, but they are actually part of an old system and actually live on the cost of the general public.
The technology therefore needs to avail literary and philosophical help in order to clarify things otherwise it will continue to confuse problem-deferment with problem-solution. It is necessary to prefer voluntary self-restraint over the income generation!
The article can go into more depth in professional literature, where it reaches mostly the specialists. In case of a holistic approach, there are apparently unimportant remarks regarding other areas, which may normally appear not to belong to the subject area, but are helpful in understanding the total picture by the reader. The article about "Autonomous Entity” points out information about a closed system or hides behind new ideas (for example the Zero and Plus energy houses). The transportation system points to the Flettner Rotor in the context of mobility and water and the Savonius Rotor in the context of Energy Transfer.
This article again refers to “housing”, the architectural, economical and philosophical aspects of which have already been discussed. In this article we will discuss the scientific and technological aspect (Architecture, Urban & Regional Planning) which however are not totally independent of other areas of the culture. As clear-cut diagrams and illustrations mean more than words for the engineer and scientist, the accompanying text may be considered a literary explanation of the important inter-relationship. A very simple text for the illustrations would probably not appropriately describe the total picture.
In the following we will discuss the very basic questions of "housing" and describe the range of possibilities between the Rural Entity and the Fully-Autonomous entities, in the middle of which is the most widely practiced concept of Urban entity. Seen from a total perspective, the Urban entity is the subject as well as the object, because the actors in this system are not able to act freely as they are bound by the compulsions and dictations of economy. The actors are forced to act in the way as they do because the system does not allow any other alternative. And: the actors in the system don’t even realize that they are not acting of their own but actually are being acted upon !
The complexity of the urban infra-structure has reached its technological climax, the innovativeness of which is marginal. Should the human organism be laid out in the manner which corresponds to modern industrial way of production, i.e. with highly differentiated functions, it would require a space of more than 10 cricket fields. This example amply describes the limitations of the so-called development. It is in-effective, wasteful, ruins the environment and leads to over-exploitation of resources.
Dubai as a metaphor of out-dated construction techniques is suitable with its fantastic design-results at all levels and without any logic. The model therefore is: A major destruction of environment and misuse of resources is taking place through short-term investments and the mis-use of foreign labourers, who are even happy and not aware that they are actually contributing to destruction of their own traditional cultures. The transformation actually reflects a successful implementation of a totally-outdated economic system, which becomes possible only when the state actors do not realize their mistake and it is characteristic of the ruling elite.
The terminology used in the illustrations enable us to imagine what is coming and to develop a point of view over it. The "new" is actually not really new, rather it has developed parallel to the existing system without being noticed.
In the existing system, generally named as Urban Entity (UE), there are hardly any logical repairs possible in the system as these under the garb of "Problem Solutions" actually represent a "Problem Deferment"!. Solutions have to be judged according to their making sense because, not everything that can be accomplished also makes sense! Infact, only the least will make sense. The sense is actually made when a self-restriction is imposed. “Luxury” in this sense would be the voluntary sacrifice of the available and restriction of the consumption!
Terms like “Sustainability”, “Resource Protection”, “Environmental Protection” are empty words, as long as they are not filled with logical content, they do not remain without influencing the existing system and the relevant behavior and way of life. “Renewable Energy”, is another empty term, which suggests something, which is scientifically nonsense, because energy actually cannot be renewed (see: Law of Conservation of Energy). At the most, it can be transferred (energy change). In this way we can also explain another phenomena related to the educational sector: The number of educated persons does rise with the increase in population and holders of academic degrees but not necessarily the number of intelligent persons!
Continuous creation of newer models in Marketing of products is a waste of energy and resources. This also refers to sectors, which appear far from the industrial background, namely the health sector, the educational sector etc. In totality these measures are actually a mountain of income generating measures. The residents of an Urban Entity are forced to submit to these measures. In the past when the total number of participants was very limited,, the system still functioned on the limited scale but its deficiencies become immediately evident when applied on a global scale.
Urban Life today means expensive living,high density of residents per square kilometer, increasing infra-structure costs with increasing productivity of the ndividual, who works on more efficient machines sinking tax income through uniform and global production (the individuals are exchangeable, when the same thing is produced globally), higher water consumption, higher energy consumption,
increasing environmental pollution, increasing social problems, unhealthy way of living and more.
The more affluent here can equalize some of the problems through their purchasing power, but they are actually part of an old system and actually live on the cost of the general public.
The technology therefore needs to avail literary and philosophical help in order to clarify things otherwise it will continue to confuse problem-deferment with problem-solution. It is necessary to prefer voluntary self-restraint over the income generation!
The article can go into more depth in professional literature, where it reaches mostly the specialists. In case of a holistic approach, there are apparently unimportant remarks regarding other areas, which may normally appear not to belong to the subject area, but are helpful in understanding the total picture by the reader. The article about "Autonomous Entity” points out information about a closed system or hides behind new ideas (for example the Zero and Plus energy houses). The transportation system points to the Flettner Rotor in the context of mobility and water and the Savonius Rotor in the context of Energy Transfer.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/27/2009 10:30:00 AM,
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Child Aviation Restraint System
In the age family travel is getting more popular. People travel with families for vacations and even while going for a business trips, many prefer to take their families along. Parents who travel with babies need to take some extra safety precautions. Have a look at BabySafeTravel.Com and see what they are offering before you plan your journey with your young one.BabySafeTravel.Com offers all what any parent traveling with a baby would require during journey and or at destination. One of the most useful items I found there is CARES child aviation restraint system - the only harness type Child aviation restraint system ever certified by the Federal Aviation Administration and now available at BabySafeTravel.
CARES is an neatly designed belt and buckle device for kids that is easy to use and creates a safe airplane seat for your child without the hassle of carrying a heavy car seat. It is simple to install, adjustable to virtually any size airplane seat, and keeps your child as safe as a car seat would. CARES is made of the same industrial-strength webbing as your own seatbelt.
BabySafeTravel.Com is neatly laid out, uncluttered and users’ friendly site that helps parents to travel safe and easy. Have a look and see you need for your next trip.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/27/2009 10:19:00 AM,
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No!
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
"Saying no to loud people gives you the resources to say yes to important opportunities," Seth Godin. But you need to have courage and expertise to say no with respect and grace.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/26/2009 07:00:00 PM,
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Why Use Mud
Sunday, 24 May 2009
The future lies in mud architecture. Though this sweeping statement may sound prehistoric, but it is very relevant to modern times. Building living spaces with mud is a tradition dating as back as the start of civilization. Some excellent examples from the Great Mosque - the world’s largest mud building and UNESCO’s World Heritage site – to the oldest surviving mud specimens found in the Harappa, Pakistan, show the continuous use of mud buildings.
Having grown up in mud house myself (before I moved to urban center), mud buildings have a special place rooted deep in to my cultural consciousness and this personal bond encourages a more intimate relationship between me and the mud as the material transformed from formlessness to form. Hence my interest in mud architecture and how I see its future in Pakistan.
Article by your truly appeared in the daily Nation today.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/24/2009 09:26:00 PM,
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My Status at Twitter and Facebook Reads...
Continuous blogging, when you are maintaining multiple blogs, is tough. But, hi people, real life is tougher. No?
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/24/2009 03:58:00 PM,
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Strings Attached are Too Tight
Saturday, 23 May 2009
Since 9/11 government of Pakistan has received roughly ten billion dollars from the USA in military and civilian aid. Half of this amount was as rent reimbursement for the use of Pakistani military facilities by the USA for her Afghanistan war efforts while the rest was as direct economic aid to Pakistan.
Bush administration had no strings attached to the funds and Government of Pakistan was free to spend the money as it deemed fit. As a result of this economic aid combined with lifting of other economic sanctions by the US, Pakistan government under President Musharraf was able to retire some of its debts, revive its economy and at the same time built up its foreign reserves. But that was mostly during the years when both the White House and the American Congress were under the Republican control.
In year 2006 midterm elections the political fortunes of President Bush and the Republican party declined. The Democratic Party which historically has been less sympathetic to Pakistan sought to change the terms and nature of American aid to Pakistan. Vice President Joe Biden, then Chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in cooperation with Republican Senator Richard Lugar introduced a bipartisan bill called ‘Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2008.’ After the 2008 elections, when Biden left the Senate, the mantle was picked up by the incoming new Chairman, Senator John Kerry, another stalwart of the Democratic party. The bill, numbered S. 3263 offers Pakistan one and half billion dollars annually for the next five years in economic aid. Only this time with strong strings attached.
The bill, in bureaucratic jargon referred as ‘non-security assistance to Pakistan’, contains two very important clauses. One that:
“Funds would be used for projects that promote democratic governance and private sector growth, and for education, construction of physical infrastructures, and other programs intended to benefit the people of Pakistan”.
In other words, the funds could only be used for the ‘projects’ that government of the United States of America considers will directly benefit civil life of the common man and in the process hopefully will lure him or her away from the current feelings of anti-Americanism and religious extremism. It is another component of American ‘war on terror’ designed to win the hearts and minds of Pakistani masses. As an extra measure the American administration will be required to prepare annual reports that such ‘projects’ are being implemented as intended. The total amount of 7.5 billion dollars even though appropriated in equal annual installments over the five year period between 2009 and 2013 will be outlaid on a graduated scale stretched over ten years ending in year 2018.
The second important clause, which may not set very well with Pakistan military, has even tighter strings on Pakistan government. It reads that American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton must:
“certify that the Pakistani Security Forces are not materially interfering in their country’s judicial or political processes and, they are making concerted efforts to prevent terrorists from operating in Pakistan or using it as a sanctuary”.
This puts a burden on Pakistan military that it not only stays out of the politics but it must also perform to the satisfaction of the USA even though it itself has no direct gains from the aid package. How far Pakistan military brass will go along with this condition has yet to be seen.
The clause also states that “If the Secretary of State does not certify that the Security Forces of Pakistan have met certain security standards by year 2012, then the bill would prohibit the necessary licenses and programs for American private entities to export major defense equipment to Pakistan”.
According to the American Defense Security Cooperation Agency and defense industry experts, the value of American major defense equipment exported to Pakistan varies from few hundred millions to billions of dollars per year. Any such military equipment embargo would not only seriously hamper Pakistan’s defense readiness it could also cost millions in profit to the American defense contractors. For example if the embargo was placed in year 2008 the loss of profit to American private defense sector for that year would have been 136 million dollars. Under American laws in case of such embargo on Pakistan the USA government would be legally bound to reimburse that loss to the American firms. But what about the set back that Pakistan and its armed forces could suffer because of yet another American embargo against Pakistan. Who will reimburse that loss?
In the cold war era United States and Pakistan used to have a strategic alliance in the form of SEATO and CENTO. After the 1965 Pakistan-India war the realities of these now defunct treaties were exposed but the ‘strategic’ relations between the two countries continued, be at much lower level. For America there was still that ‘big bad bear’ in the north that must be confronted and Pakistan was a strategically located ally in that effort. The 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan allowed USA and Pakistan to enter yet into another ‘client-service’ relationship. Even though both parties knew upfront the temporary nature of the relationship, Pakistanis acted with surprise when US switched sides after the demise of the Soviet Union and set up a new strategic alliance with India.
In the post-Soviet era America had very little usefulness of its old ally, Pakistan. But the 9/11 events changed the South-Central Asian equation one more time. The old American State Department and Pentagon Pakistan manuals were dusted off one more time. In 2001 Pakistanis entered with the USA into another ‘client-service’ relationship one more time. Only that the latest package of ‘Enhanced Relationship’ comes with much more tighter enhanced strings, the consequences of which must be fully understood.
Before accepting these funds Pakistan must revisit the history of its bilateral relationship with the USA. But the sad irony is that Pakistani ruling elites will take the money regardless, one more time.
Bush administration had no strings attached to the funds and Government of Pakistan was free to spend the money as it deemed fit. As a result of this economic aid combined with lifting of other economic sanctions by the US, Pakistan government under President Musharraf was able to retire some of its debts, revive its economy and at the same time built up its foreign reserves. But that was mostly during the years when both the White House and the American Congress were under the Republican control.
In year 2006 midterm elections the political fortunes of President Bush and the Republican party declined. The Democratic Party which historically has been less sympathetic to Pakistan sought to change the terms and nature of American aid to Pakistan. Vice President Joe Biden, then Chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in cooperation with Republican Senator Richard Lugar introduced a bipartisan bill called ‘Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2008.’ After the 2008 elections, when Biden left the Senate, the mantle was picked up by the incoming new Chairman, Senator John Kerry, another stalwart of the Democratic party. The bill, numbered S. 3263 offers Pakistan one and half billion dollars annually for the next five years in economic aid. Only this time with strong strings attached.
The bill, in bureaucratic jargon referred as ‘non-security assistance to Pakistan’, contains two very important clauses. One that:
“Funds would be used for projects that promote democratic governance and private sector growth, and for education, construction of physical infrastructures, and other programs intended to benefit the people of Pakistan”.
In other words, the funds could only be used for the ‘projects’ that government of the United States of America considers will directly benefit civil life of the common man and in the process hopefully will lure him or her away from the current feelings of anti-Americanism and religious extremism. It is another component of American ‘war on terror’ designed to win the hearts and minds of Pakistani masses. As an extra measure the American administration will be required to prepare annual reports that such ‘projects’ are being implemented as intended. The total amount of 7.5 billion dollars even though appropriated in equal annual installments over the five year period between 2009 and 2013 will be outlaid on a graduated scale stretched over ten years ending in year 2018.
The second important clause, which may not set very well with Pakistan military, has even tighter strings on Pakistan government. It reads that American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton must:
“certify that the Pakistani Security Forces are not materially interfering in their country’s judicial or political processes and, they are making concerted efforts to prevent terrorists from operating in Pakistan or using it as a sanctuary”.
This puts a burden on Pakistan military that it not only stays out of the politics but it must also perform to the satisfaction of the USA even though it itself has no direct gains from the aid package. How far Pakistan military brass will go along with this condition has yet to be seen.
The clause also states that “If the Secretary of State does not certify that the Security Forces of Pakistan have met certain security standards by year 2012, then the bill would prohibit the necessary licenses and programs for American private entities to export major defense equipment to Pakistan”.
According to the American Defense Security Cooperation Agency and defense industry experts, the value of American major defense equipment exported to Pakistan varies from few hundred millions to billions of dollars per year. Any such military equipment embargo would not only seriously hamper Pakistan’s defense readiness it could also cost millions in profit to the American defense contractors. For example if the embargo was placed in year 2008 the loss of profit to American private defense sector for that year would have been 136 million dollars. Under American laws in case of such embargo on Pakistan the USA government would be legally bound to reimburse that loss to the American firms. But what about the set back that Pakistan and its armed forces could suffer because of yet another American embargo against Pakistan. Who will reimburse that loss?
In the cold war era United States and Pakistan used to have a strategic alliance in the form of SEATO and CENTO. After the 1965 Pakistan-India war the realities of these now defunct treaties were exposed but the ‘strategic’ relations between the two countries continued, be at much lower level. For America there was still that ‘big bad bear’ in the north that must be confronted and Pakistan was a strategically located ally in that effort. The 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan allowed USA and Pakistan to enter yet into another ‘client-service’ relationship. Even though both parties knew upfront the temporary nature of the relationship, Pakistanis acted with surprise when US switched sides after the demise of the Soviet Union and set up a new strategic alliance with India.
In the post-Soviet era America had very little usefulness of its old ally, Pakistan. But the 9/11 events changed the South-Central Asian equation one more time. The old American State Department and Pentagon Pakistan manuals were dusted off one more time. In 2001 Pakistanis entered with the USA into another ‘client-service’ relationship one more time. Only that the latest package of ‘Enhanced Relationship’ comes with much more tighter enhanced strings, the consequences of which must be fully understood.
Before accepting these funds Pakistan must revisit the history of its bilateral relationship with the USA. But the sad irony is that Pakistani ruling elites will take the money regardless, one more time.
Labels: Internal Affairs, Pervaiz Munir Alvi
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/23/2009 03:39:00 PM,
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I'm busy meditating on a mountain...
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/22/2009 04:31:00 PM,
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Informed Insurance Decision
Thursday, 21 May 2009
Insurance is important to the fabrics of societies and to the economies; particularly so in these times when economies are very slow. And one does not have to be an economist to know this. Insurance is something users buy hoping that they never have to use. They purchase insurance to guard against unexpected health problems and unaffordable losses. Where the purchasers really win is in the peace of mind the insurance policy buys the users. If the worst should happen, insurance works to provide valuable financial recovery. This knowledge has increased the demand for insurance services in the last couple of decades.
Inform – personal insurance advice online – insurance service that is helping people by bringing insurance solutions to them. Have a look at the Inform and see what they are offering and how. Exploring the Basics section, I leaned about different types of risks and picked up some ideas for my self.
What is more, one can learn about different aspects of Health Insurance online. Users can also get customized health insurance quotes as well as advice. Explore the neatly laid out and users friendly site and learn about one of the best health insurance sources, better still, get make an informed insurance decision.
Inform – personal insurance advice online – insurance service that is helping people by bringing insurance solutions to them. Have a look at the Inform and see what they are offering and how. Exploring the Basics section, I leaned about different types of risks and picked up some ideas for my self.
What is more, one can learn about different aspects of Health Insurance online. Users can also get customized health insurance quotes as well as advice. Explore the neatly laid out and users friendly site and learn about one of the best health insurance sources, better still, get make an informed insurance decision.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/21/2009 11:55:00 PM,
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The Meter-Gauge of Sindh
Today’s post is dedicated to the Meter Gauge Railway located in Sindh province of Pakistan, which in its hey-day, had a network of 517 kilometers of track. Today 325 km of meter gauge track, a few locomotives and some workable coaches still remain; but it is just a matter of time before this National Heritage is completely lost to oblivion.
The photo above is courtesy of Agha Waseem Ahmed and shows a class YD 2-8-2 locomotive No 518, a veteran of meter-gauge railway, now at display as a monument at Sukkur’s Pakistan Railway Museum.
I chose above photo as our title not only for its photographic quality but also for its symbolism. It shows the darkness creeping onto this once flourishing Steam Railway of Pakistan. At present, regular trains do not run on this netwrok, unless of-course some one is willing to pay for a special train charter and fuel. The rut had set in many years ago. Slow moving and aging steam trains were no match to the advent of diesel and road network. Our public and Governmet apathy did rest of the damage as maintenance was not carried out when it was due. The conversion of main Mirpur Khas - Khokhrapar route to Broad Gauge (which is progress- by the way) has however, proved to be the last nail in the coffin of steam operation here.What is Meter Gauge? The word ‘gauge’ of a track in Railway terminology means the distance between two parallel rails. The network of Pakistan Railway has three gauges viz., Broad Gauge (5′ 6″ wide), Narrow Gauge (2′ 6″ wide) and Meter Gauge (3′ 3 3/8″ or 1000mm wide).
The photo above is courtesy of Neil Edwards. On the morning of January 6, 2005 it shows an SP 138 4-6-0 loco pulling MG-2 Down near Naoabad station. The train is enroute to Nawabshah Jn from Mirpur Khas Jn.
Why was this Railway Built? Karachi Port has been functional since 1800s. It provided the closest land stop to India for all the sea freight coming from Britain, rest of Europe and the Middle East. There was however no direct rail-link between Karachi and Bombay area. Goods taken off at Karachi port had to be first transported 1200 km north to Lahore and then east ward to rest of the Indian states. In case of Gujrat, Maharashtra and Rajhastan, the goods had to go north, east and then back south. This placed Karachi port at a great dis-advantage to the port of Bombay. Unlike Karachi, from Bombay freight could be transported all over India with almost direct routes.
In 1890s, this situation evoked representations from the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and the local authorities, who pressed for the extension of current railway line east of Hyderabad (Sindh).
While the Karachi Chamber of Commerce was pressing for the connection with Rajputana-Malwa system, Sir Bradford Leslie, once the Agent of the East Indian Railway, and some others came forward with the proposal of a broad gauge line from Kotri (lower Sindh) to Delhi (India) through Sindh, Gujrat and Rajhastan.
This was not accepted, but the British Government agreed to construct a line from Hyderabad to Shadipalli beyond Mirpur Khas, (Photos here and here) a distance of 89 km (55 miles), on the broad gauge, and this was opened on August 18, 1892.
In 1900 the the British Government constructed the meter gauge line eastwards from Shadipalli to Jodhpur (India).
The Government of Jodhpur state offered to provide a through meter gauge line westwards into Sindh province provided that the broad gauge was converted to meter gauge as far as Hyderabad to allow the whole line to be worked as one. This was accepted and Hyderabad to Shadipalli line was converted from Broad Gauge to Meter Gauge. The meter gauge line was opened on October 20, 1900.
From that date the management of the whole line was entrusted to the Jodhpur-Bikaner Railway.
On December 31, 1904 the capital cost of Sindh section, known as the Hyderabad-Jodhpur Railway, stood at Rs. 3,907,738 or Rs 31,800 per km. Hardly had the line been converted to Meter Gauge when a demand was made that it should be reconverted to Broad Gauge.
In 1909 the Mirpur Khas - Jhudo (80 km) section was constructed. In 1935 it was extended to Pithoro Jn (104 km). Khadro was linked to Mirpur Khas (80 km) in 1912 and with Nawabshah Jn (49 km) in 1939.
After independence (1947), the Hyderabad-Khokhrapar, Mirpur Khas-Nawabshah and Pithoro-Jamrao sections with a total length of 517 km (319 miles) came to Pakistan and were worked as a part of the North Western Railway. These sections are now part of Pakistan Railway and are the only meter gauge sections on it.
A branch line from Hyderabad to Badin, a distance of 100 km (61.75 miles), was opened on August 15, 1904. An extension of this line across or around the Rann of Kutch, to meet the Bombay-Baroda and Central India Railway and to afford through communications without break of gauge from Sindh to Bombay was considered, but never materialized.
There used to be a lot of freight traffic on the Meter Guage till the early sixties. Most of it was cotton, fresh vegetables and large quantities of red chillies - grown around Kunri on the Loop.
In mid 1960s 65 km track between Hyderabad Jn and Mirpur Khas Jn was converted to Broad Gauge again.
Until the Pakistan-India war of 1965, people could travel between the two countries through this railway. Pakistan Railway’s time table provided fares to different India cities via both Lahore-Wagah-Atari route and via Mirpur Khas-Khokhrapar-Munabao route.
After the 1965 war, this border crossing via meter gauge railway was closed and 6 km track between Munabao (India) and Khokhrapar (Pakistan) was uprooted.
The meter-gauge railway continured to operate through its slow pace and steady degradation for 40 years. In 2004, amidst strong public demand, Pakistan and India agreed to open their rail link again via Khokhrapar-Munabao border.
On Indian side the Jodhpur-Munabao section had already been converted to Broad Gauge where as Pakistan was still operating the meter-gauge. To provide a single gauge through journey from Karachi to India it was decided to convert Pakistani portion of track also to broad gauge.
Work started on re-gauging Mirpur Khas to Khokhrapar section to Broad Gauge on April 19, 2005. New track was laid between the Pakistani city of Khokhrapar and Indian city of Munabao. Pakistan also built a brand-new station called the ‘Zero-Point’ right at the border to provide immigration services.
In December 2005, work on re-gauging of Mirpur Khas to Khokhrapar to broad gauge was completed and on Feb 17, 2006, first train from Pakistan crossed into India after a gap of 41+ years.
While this is all good news for this route and travel between the two countries, the old meter gauge netwrok continued to suffer. It is completely undrstandable that old steam operation is no match to modern development and diesel operation, the way the netwrok has been abandoned in Pakistan is a cause of great concern.
Funding from governement is an obvious issue. Running and maintaining old steam operation in Thar desert of Sindh is not the highest priority for those in Islamabad. For rail enthusiasts and quite a few foreign tourist who used to visit this remaining bastion of Steam in Pakistan, it is of great concern.
The Line-up in 2005: The last steam tour which was conducted on this route, and that I heard of was in 2005. Don’t know what is the current status of this Railway.
2009 Situation? Pakistan Railway which used to show time table of trains running on this route has stopped printing timings of regular trains on this section. The actual train service on ground hadstopped much earlier than that. We can safely assume this steam section is now all but dead. I would like to see a claim to the contrary from any of our learned readers. Does anyone know otherwise?
Following are the images from Pakistan Railway’s Time Table of Summer 2000. It shows the stations as well as distances that are/were part of this network of Meter Gauge Railway
Mirpur Khas - Khokhrapar: 126 km
Mirpur Khas - Jamrao - Pithoro: 184 km Loop
Mirpur Khas - Khadro - Nawabshah: 129 km
The Regal Saloon of Maharani of Jodhpur
At the time of Pakistan’s independence in 1947, somehow the regal saloon of the Maharani of Jodhpur, which was made for Meter Gauge Railway landed in Mirpur Khas. There are different stories to how the saloon came to Pakistan.
The most common is that a driver based at Mirpur Khas brought it over during the chaos. The saloon is now at display at Pakistan Railway Heritage Museum in Golra Sharif (near Islamabad). I visited the museum in June 2005 and took these two photos. The photo to the left is an engraving that I found on Maharani’s saloon. As you can see, it was built at Ajmere Works, India almost 130 years ago.
Length of Meter Gauge Railways in Sindh: Mirpur Khas Jn - Khokhropar: 126 km (converted to Broad Gauge since December 2005) - 13 km remain as both Meter Gauge and Broad gauge using three rails.
Mirpur Khas Jn - Nawabshah Jn: 129 km
Jamrao Jn - Pithoro Jn (via Loop): 184 km
Total Length of Meter Gauge: 439 km
Chronology of Sindh’s Meter Gauge Railway:
August 18, 1892: 89 km (54.97 mi) long Hyderabad-Mirpur Khas-Jamrao-Shadipalli section was opened. This section was initially built as Broad Gauge.
1900: British Government constructed the meter gauge line eastwards from Shadipalli to Jodhpur (now in India).
October 20, 1900: The Government of Jodhpur State offered to provide a through meter gauge line westwards into Sindh provided that the Hyderabad-Mirpur Khas - Shadipalli section was converted to meter gauge to allow the whole line to be worked as one. This was accepted and it was converted and opened as meter gauge on this date.
December 31, 1904:On this date the capital cost of Sindh section, known as the Hyderabad-Jodhpur Railway, stood at Rs. 3,907,738
April 18, 1909: 80.93 km (49.96 mi) long Jamrao - Jhudo section was opened. This section is meter gauge.
January 1, 1912: 80 km (49.43 mi) long Mirpur Khas to Khadro section was opened as MG.
1928: Present Building of Mirpur Khas station is built.
June 1, 1935: 103.85 km (64.11 mi) long meter gauge section between Jhudo and Pithoro was opened.
November 20, 1939: 49.57 km (30.6 mi) long Khadro - Nawabshah meter gauge section was opened.
1960 to 1965: Hyderabad - Mirpur Khas section was re-gauged and opened as BG from the earlier MG.
September 1965: Following a war between India and Pakistan, the rail link between the two countries via Khokhrapar-Munabao is closed. The track on Pakistani side between Khokhrapar and the zero-mile border is later uprooted too.
1991: Some of the Sindh Meter Gauge coaches were refurbished and sold to Senegal. Photos here
April 19, 2005: Ground breaking ceremony takes place to convert the meter gauge track between Mirpur Khas Jn and Khokhrapar to Broad gauge.
December, 2005: Pakistan completes conversion of Mirpur Khas Jn (Pakistan) to Munabao (India) from Meter Gauge to Broad Gauge. Khokhrapar to Munabao portion of the track is laid brand new after it was uprooted in 1965
Feb 17, 2006: The Zero-Point-Munabao railway border between Pakistan and India officially open and the first train from Pakistan crosses into India.
March 14, 2006: The engine and a bogie of a meter gauge goods train derails
between Jam Saheb and Shafiabad railway stations on Mirpur Khas Jn - Nawabshah Jn route.
June 7, 2006: A new train called Marvi Express is inaugurated. Marvi Express has Mirpur Khas to Khokhrapar route and stops at all the stations in between.
Why This Post?
The purpose of my post here is to create awareness about this dying heritage and present its history. While I know, the wheel of time cannot be moved backwards (to steam age) but may be we can preserve this railway as part of a large national park of history, heritage and tourism.
Labels: Railways
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/21/2009 07:52:00 PM,
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Economy Without Credit Cards
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
We have already written some posts about credit card and what they can do to consumers. Experts say that the cards and their ability to raise interest is part responsible for present economic situation. Now US Senate overwhelmingly passes a bill that would sharply curtail credit card issuers’ ability to raise interest rates and charge fees, taking a critical step in reforming an industry that has gone largely unregulated for decades.
Read at The Washington Post
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/20/2009 08:49:00 AM,
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Elliptical Machines Guide
Tuesday, 19 May 2009
Have a look at the Elliptical Machines Guide - a website that has reviews and information on various different kinds of elliptical machines. This site gives the pros and cons of different brands. The information is very useful for those who need to buy elliptical machine. The information will help make informed buying decision.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/19/2009 08:45:00 PM,
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Reaching Out
Posts that come from heart and speak personal truth and experience are the best. "Hit an emotional chord, not just intellectual ones," as a friend says. Next best are those when experts share their knowledge on specific subjects.That said, one of the best ways that I have found out to expand my bloggy fraternity is to set a goal to comment on say 5-10 blogs a day that are outside my usual reads. I also continue to see the work others are doing about topics of my interests. Technocrati is a good source to see what other bloggers are writing about on a specific topic I am exploring.
We all like to be linked to and so the more I have trackbacks to other people’s work they are expected to come by and read mine and eventually may link too! I try in addition to putting a link or two into my posts. It seems to have worked really well for me.
How do you reach out and how are you expanding your blog community? Another thing, Though gender is not the issue while reaching out but I some time see bloggers commenting men to me, men to women, women to women, women to men. Is there any substance to this hypothesis?
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/19/2009 07:51:00 PM,
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Store Arrangements
Setting up a store is a fine art and a part of marketing. How you display the products in a store effect the way customers make their buying decision. Nicely laid out store help users to find what they are looking for and improves the sale in any outlet. Badly laid out, clustered and untidy display does not inspire customers to buy. Savvy businesses go a long way to get appropriate store fixtures and the arrange them methodically and esthetically.
Sore owners and those who are planning to open one must start at M. Fried Store Fixtures - a full service store fixtures company and see what they are offering and how. M. Fried Store Fixtures have thousands of quality products (over 9,000 items) in stock and ready to ship. In this field since 1991, the M. Fried Store Fixtures brand has claim to fame for quality products, superb customer service and competitive pricing.
M. Fried Store Fixtures is a information rich and neatly laid out site and. Interested users may visit their blog to read about merchandising tips and other interesting stuff. You can also check their new store fixture catalog and sign up to their newsletter to get special offers and great deals.
Sore owners and those who are planning to open one must start at M. Fried Store Fixtures - a full service store fixtures company and see what they are offering and how. M. Fried Store Fixtures have thousands of quality products (over 9,000 items) in stock and ready to ship. In this field since 1991, the M. Fried Store Fixtures brand has claim to fame for quality products, superb customer service and competitive pricing.
M. Fried Store Fixtures is a information rich and neatly laid out site and. Interested users may visit their blog to read about merchandising tips and other interesting stuff. You can also check their new store fixture catalog and sign up to their newsletter to get special offers and great deals.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/19/2009 11:11:00 AM,
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Virtual Travel Communities
Virtual world is seamlessly getting into real world. Social side of technologies is making the World Wide Web much more localized by bringing like-minded people together and in the process creating closely knit online communities.
Combination of features like worldwide accessibility and instantaneous communication has made it possible for backpackers, globetrotters and other curious from all over the world to join together at different online platforms to exchange information, experiences and plans in their favorite pursuit; travel.
Subscribers range from the professional travel writers to hardcore travelers and adventurers and commoners who are simply interested in reading online. Travel communities are accessible by millions of interested people all over the world.
Out of some major and hundreds of less noticeable travel forums on the Web, I have had the fortune to belong to a few and have been visiting some others for my travel information needs.
Exceptions apart, all virtual travel communities have some common features: Communities mostly provide a warm, trusting and supportive atmosphere. When members give information, they do it with great care and responsibility. They rely on each other more than they do on outdated travel guidebooks or on second hand and static information from conventional travel literature.
Visit any online community and one finds anything related to travel, along with flames and off topics, which are informative, sometimes funny or even annoying. The mutual exchange of information is not restricted only to destinations, affordable places to stay and dine in, security issues, maps, weather conditions there and where to have best bargains and how to find public restrooms or which Websites better describe any particular place. Or which dress a female anthropologist going to study Kalash clan up in northern district Chitral should wear during her extended stay there. It goes much beyond to helping in finding work, selling and promoting each others in local markets.
“Travel forums have become hunting grounds for meeting fellow travelers and making new friends. You really do not require any other reason to join a community or two,” says Atoorva Sinha who intends building up travelers’ community at Mindzwine.
Carla King is founder member of one virtual travel community called Wild Writing Women for female travelers. She emailed, “When we published Wild Writing Women -- Stories of World Travel (an anthology of women’s travel stories) -- we got a lot of publicity. People wanted to know how we traveled solo and weren’t afraid, and just how we went about it. We started giving workshops. We also started giving writing workshops and hosted a free monthly literary salon. People just gravitated, and we accepted them. We made a business of it and formed the online community. So it’s a profitable business for us to expand the community, and also, happily, it’s close to our hearts.”
Members are slow in response sometime. Chris Heidrich, the Director of a BootsnAll says, “One has to be patient in waiting for a response from members and insiders. It should be understood that it is a voluntary favor and some people do not come on board or check email as often.” Court who is always found on board in the same community adds, “Some time they may be away traveling to yet another location.”
The recipients of information have to keep in mind that what ever comes is based upon individuals’ personal experiences or empirical observations. One member may have had different experience than others. When I posted a query about Virtual Travel Communities (for this article) at BootsnAll community; the first reply referred me to Nick mediator at another community at Bali Blog who in turn advised me to email direct to all on his mailing list. The replies I am still receiving are varied showing so many perspectives. “There is nothing like variety,” says Nick.
The virtual world is composed of information rather than physical identities. Information spreads and diffuses. Those who belong to these impalpable spaces are also diffuse, free to take it or leave it.
Combination of features like worldwide accessibility and instantaneous communication has made it possible for backpackers, globetrotters and other curious from all over the world to join together at different online platforms to exchange information, experiences and plans in their favorite pursuit; travel.
Subscribers range from the professional travel writers to hardcore travelers and adventurers and commoners who are simply interested in reading online. Travel communities are accessible by millions of interested people all over the world.
Out of some major and hundreds of less noticeable travel forums on the Web, I have had the fortune to belong to a few and have been visiting some others for my travel information needs.
Exceptions apart, all virtual travel communities have some common features: Communities mostly provide a warm, trusting and supportive atmosphere. When members give information, they do it with great care and responsibility. They rely on each other more than they do on outdated travel guidebooks or on second hand and static information from conventional travel literature.
Visit any online community and one finds anything related to travel, along with flames and off topics, which are informative, sometimes funny or even annoying. The mutual exchange of information is not restricted only to destinations, affordable places to stay and dine in, security issues, maps, weather conditions there and where to have best bargains and how to find public restrooms or which Websites better describe any particular place. Or which dress a female anthropologist going to study Kalash clan up in northern district Chitral should wear during her extended stay there. It goes much beyond to helping in finding work, selling and promoting each others in local markets.
“Travel forums have become hunting grounds for meeting fellow travelers and making new friends. You really do not require any other reason to join a community or two,” says Atoorva Sinha who intends building up travelers’ community at Mindzwine.
Carla King is founder member of one virtual travel community called Wild Writing Women for female travelers. She emailed, “When we published Wild Writing Women -- Stories of World Travel (an anthology of women’s travel stories) -- we got a lot of publicity. People wanted to know how we traveled solo and weren’t afraid, and just how we went about it. We started giving workshops. We also started giving writing workshops and hosted a free monthly literary salon. People just gravitated, and we accepted them. We made a business of it and formed the online community. So it’s a profitable business for us to expand the community, and also, happily, it’s close to our hearts.”
Members are slow in response sometime. Chris Heidrich, the Director of a BootsnAll says, “One has to be patient in waiting for a response from members and insiders. It should be understood that it is a voluntary favor and some people do not come on board or check email as often.” Court who is always found on board in the same community adds, “Some time they may be away traveling to yet another location.”
The recipients of information have to keep in mind that what ever comes is based upon individuals’ personal experiences or empirical observations. One member may have had different experience than others. When I posted a query about Virtual Travel Communities (for this article) at BootsnAll community; the first reply referred me to Nick mediator at another community at Bali Blog who in turn advised me to email direct to all on his mailing list. The replies I am still receiving are varied showing so many perspectives. “There is nothing like variety,” says Nick.
The virtual world is composed of information rather than physical identities. Information spreads and diffuses. Those who belong to these impalpable spaces are also diffuse, free to take it or leave it.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/19/2009 11:10:00 AM,
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San Jose Roofing
Monday, 18 May 2009
Damaged roofs can cause serious damage to buildings and people and material in those buildings. That is why it is very important to take good care while any repair and maintenance of the roofs. One of the most important factors is to find a qualified roofers who have enough experience and requisite know how to do the job right and leave you living under a secure roof when they finish. I suggest you carry out your personal research before you make an informed decision to engage a roofer.
Thanks to San Jose Roofing that they offer roofing and maintenance services with a claim to fame for best customers service. Have a look at All American Roofing, Inc before you make an informed decision. All American Roofing are the best when it comes to home improvements. They are group of trained craftsmen, fully insured with liability and worker's compensation and have high rating. Explore the San Jose Roofing site and see what they are offering and how they can help you in your roofing plan. Read through their bidding process for and see how they have made it easy. Approach them (408-556-9277 San Jose, California) or request a phone (online from there site) and leave the rest to them.
Thanks to San Jose Roofing that they offer roofing and maintenance services with a claim to fame for best customers service. Have a look at All American Roofing, Inc before you make an informed decision. All American Roofing are the best when it comes to home improvements. They are group of trained craftsmen, fully insured with liability and worker's compensation and have high rating. Explore the San Jose Roofing site and see what they are offering and how they can help you in your roofing plan. Read through their bidding process for and see how they have made it easy. Approach them (408-556-9277 San Jose, California) or request a phone (online from there site) and leave the rest to them.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/18/2009 12:52:00 PM,
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Electric Supply System Run by Taliban
While getting used to new lifestyle without electricity, I have always liked to think that that the ongoing electric load shedding during sultry weather of Lahore is going to be disastrous for the sitting government. Load shedding may cause fall of the government in power. My rational is simple; when an ordinary people are pushed to wall with no respite in sight, the only way left with them is coming out on streets and make the rulers hear them or else to pack up. But Syed Mansoor Hussain - medical practitioner and teacher in US – has said this for me in his very erudite piece, “The Taliban are not coming, they have been here for a while and are running our electrical supply system. We should start getting used to life without electricity; this is just the beginning.”
Nave of me, I never knew that Taliban are running our electric supply system. Thanks to Syed Mansoor Hussain for pointing this out in an insightful perspective. I agree with what your say Syed Mansoor Hussain! Please don’t get used to it. If you do, Pakistan will join the list (The Ottoman Empire, the Safavids in Iran and, of course, the Mughals in India) sooner.
Read Syed Mansoor Hussain’s Comment Here
Nave of me, I never knew that Taliban are running our electric supply system. Thanks to Syed Mansoor Hussain for pointing this out in an insightful perspective. I agree with what your say Syed Mansoor Hussain! Please don’t get used to it. If you do, Pakistan will join the list (The Ottoman Empire, the Safavids in Iran and, of course, the Mughals in India) sooner.
Read Syed Mansoor Hussain’s Comment Here
Labels: Load Shedding
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/18/2009 09:05:00 AM,
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Be Smarter in Las Vegas
Las Vegas is one of the most popular traveling destinations. Traveling to Las Vegas is on the wish list of any travelers and millions of people go to Las Vegas every year. Those who go to Las Vegas must start at Smartervegas.com - one of the largest discount websites online for Las Vegas. Smartervegas.com directs users to special deals found at the official sites of different hotel. The offers mostly are direct from hotels and are fully refundable. What is more, at Smartervegas.com, you can also find discounts to the best selling Las Vegas shows. I suggest you plan stay in Las Vegas after seeing the offers at Smartervegas.com – one of the best discount source for Las Vegas – and save the smarter way.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/18/2009 08:24:00 AM,
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Pakistan Diversity
Pakistan is one of the best travel destinations in the world – desert expanses in Thar and Cholistan, Lush green plains in Punjab, mighty mountains in Northern Pakistan and Chitral, so many unexplored and just to yourself places, what else. Start of some of the world history can still be traced down to Pakistan – Indus Civilization. Moreover, Pakistan being one of the cheapest countries in the world is best for budget travelers. Which is why it is said that Pakistan has a lot to offer to every one; not only to travelers, hard core adventurers, mountaineers, and rural tourists, vacationers but also to anthropologists, archeologists, and researchers? Also for those who want to sit back and enjoy the ride from the comfort of home.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/18/2009 08:22:00 AM,
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Ahead of Time
Sunday, 17 May 2009
One disadvantage of going ahead of time is that you are left alone. Alone!
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/17/2009 09:07:00 PM,
, links to this post
Krakoram Express
Spanking new Krakoram Express (42 Down) running between Lahore and Karachi is already old and no more a rarity in Pakistan. When i traveled, all the original fittings like coat hooks, locks, handles and seat covers were in place. No more.
Six passengers have a compartment to themselves. No streams of persistent vendors. No one can have the pleasure of hanging from an open train door as they are locked stop to stop. Like Lahore-Islamabad motorway the train is for many a symbol of modernity and progress.
Six passengers have a compartment to themselves. No streams of persistent vendors. No one can have the pleasure of hanging from an open train door as they are locked stop to stop. Like Lahore-Islamabad motorway the train is for many a symbol of modernity and progress.
Most of my journeys begin from the hinterland and on foot with very little provisions on back. But this one began on the train. This time suitcases were packed instead of backpack days in advance and phone calls were put through to friends and relatives en route to alert them to our arrival. My starting point, the Lahore Railway Station, fourteenth gateway of Lahore, is sturdy and imposing. It is an interesting place to hang around in any time of day or night. At the Station there are bookstores stocked with spiritual tracts, Internet guides, archetypal books of love poetry and Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. Other shops sell everything from souvenir (crude) clay ware to artificial jewellery, not to mention a fast food chain outlet and countless tea shops. The platform is always clogged with goods going and coming to and from up and down the country. There is a grumble of departing passengers’ trains and the maddeningly frequent station announcements and attacks of red shirt porters (called cullies) and cab drivers on every passenger. Every porter has per trip rate written on the shirt but none charges that. Every one asks for more. In all this, behind one barricade of luggage on the floor of the station slept a family with their belonging tucked under their heads. This is because the utility of waiting rooms has been excessively marginalized over the years. In the holy month of Ramadan, the station becomes a huge eating joins. Every tea stall is shrouded in curtains. And, if you have seen one railway station, you have seen all.
The complete train (except engine) has been made by Changchun Car Company in China as part of Pakistan Railways consignment worth rupees 7.77 billions to import 175 passenger coaches. The 14 completely built coaches have already been commissioned and rest are to be assembles in the Pakistan Railway Carriage Factory Islamabad. Two Chinese engineers (one electrical and one mechanical) travel with the train to observe its performance that plies on the track laid by the British over a century ago. I tried to but could not converse with them. They only knew Chinese. But I am sure they must be surprised on how Pakistan Railways is using some of the old infrastructure. At places one can see the equipment of old vintage (1906) in use. The main strategic and commercial artery of the country, the railway line passing through the length of the country, needs to be doubled on priority.
My train left Lahore right on time. Some one interrupted the recitation from Holly Qura’an that was going on and started making announcements and issuing instructions in Urdu as well as English on public address system installed in the train. No pun intended but the announcement was a first shocker. Not only the subject of instructions and the contents of announcement need to be changed but it should be made by some one who is qualified to do that. Or at least a pre-recorded audio tape can do the job. It seemed that some one is talking to himself and not to the passengers. Later, the system started broadcasting songs of Noor Jehan and Jawad Ahmad.
Hurtling through a countryside that had remained unchanged for most part, the train blasted imperiously through the smaller stations without stopping. It has only four stops in the way: Khanewal (20 minutes), Rohri (20 minutes), and Hyderabad (5 minutes). The old engine that has been repainted to go with the train colour and some of the administrative staff go straight from Lahore to Karachi and comes back next day. No changing in the way.
The train clattered on culverts, bridges, and mud-hut villages chiselled from the landscape. Over two hours of the day light that I had before dusk, I saw through the window the buffalos lounging in village ponds, tiny houses decorated with drying cowpats, the immense sky bruised black with the smoke rising from factories, Pattoki nurseries, deserted station Tabrooq and other very familiar cinematic scenery in the expanses of Punjab. In the irrigated tracts, I rode through endless stretch of waving crops of different shades of colour. Too frequently one sees long queues of road transport standing on either side of railway crossings waiting passionately for train to pass. The train track in most places is lined with extinguishing species of trees like Okkan and Salvadora (called Van). After the harvest all will change.
Dark outside, I moved up and down the train. The passengers, kaleidoscopic mix, seemed oblivious. Some were sleeping, some eating food they had brought from home. Only a few people ordered food from the accompanied Dinning Car though the staff presented mutilated menu cards to every one and purser came to ask if every one has had a complimentary evening tea. Some passengers pored over documents or books and some glanced hopefully at their mobile phones to see if there was a signal, which of course there was not. Mobile phone only covers a part of the journey mainly around main cities. So the high-tech train glided onward through a no-tech but beautiful and living landscape, silent except for a muffled symphony of snores and burps emanating from its curtained-off berths, and the soft beeps of passengers playing “Snake” on their otherwise useless phone sets. A group was busy playing “teen-patti.” I was invited to join in and at the end we exchanged contact cards. And some others were travelling with feet tapping to a catching beat of the songs.
Moving while sleeping, I have had some restless moments, spent some time gazing at stars. It was not always easy to find the least uncomfortable arrangement of my bones on upper berth of the train that was too high to climb and too near the roof of the compartment. The pillow and bed sheets provided by the train staff were not enough for me. Moreover, the train gave rough jolts whenever the brakes were applied. But wait a second. Could sleeping while moving — if I may exploit the metaphor — be the problem? My problem? Is not the whole point of the exercise to wake up? Wake up at Rohri where Shahid was waiting to tell me what is new there. Wake up to Hussain Abdul Rahman who had come at Hyderabad Railway Station to deliver hot breakfast and tell me what he had explored in Thar.
Lahore to Karachi is always an amazing trip: mind expanding, horizons broadening, wallet emptying — and you are home again. Nothing much has changed and somehow your friends are not as excited about your cool travel tales as they should be. Homecoming blues are a price I always pay. What can be done about them?
One of my cures when I am stuck at home is to keep up with letters and emails to people I met while travelling. As time goes on, you never know what those sorts of contacts will lead to — future travel. It is all too easy to let travel friendships slide, but then that just gives you one more thing to be depressed about. Developing these relationships allows you to think of your trip as the start of something rather than an ending.
The complete train (except engine) has been made by Changchun Car Company in China as part of Pakistan Railways consignment worth rupees 7.77 billions to import 175 passenger coaches. The 14 completely built coaches have already been commissioned and rest are to be assembles in the Pakistan Railway Carriage Factory Islamabad. Two Chinese engineers (one electrical and one mechanical) travel with the train to observe its performance that plies on the track laid by the British over a century ago. I tried to but could not converse with them. They only knew Chinese. But I am sure they must be surprised on how Pakistan Railways is using some of the old infrastructure. At places one can see the equipment of old vintage (1906) in use. The main strategic and commercial artery of the country, the railway line passing through the length of the country, needs to be doubled on priority.
My train left Lahore right on time. Some one interrupted the recitation from Holly Qura’an that was going on and started making announcements and issuing instructions in Urdu as well as English on public address system installed in the train. No pun intended but the announcement was a first shocker. Not only the subject of instructions and the contents of announcement need to be changed but it should be made by some one who is qualified to do that. Or at least a pre-recorded audio tape can do the job. It seemed that some one is talking to himself and not to the passengers. Later, the system started broadcasting songs of Noor Jehan and Jawad Ahmad.
Hurtling through a countryside that had remained unchanged for most part, the train blasted imperiously through the smaller stations without stopping. It has only four stops in the way: Khanewal (20 minutes), Rohri (20 minutes), and Hyderabad (5 minutes). The old engine that has been repainted to go with the train colour and some of the administrative staff go straight from Lahore to Karachi and comes back next day. No changing in the way.
The train clattered on culverts, bridges, and mud-hut villages chiselled from the landscape. Over two hours of the day light that I had before dusk, I saw through the window the buffalos lounging in village ponds, tiny houses decorated with drying cowpats, the immense sky bruised black with the smoke rising from factories, Pattoki nurseries, deserted station Tabrooq and other very familiar cinematic scenery in the expanses of Punjab. In the irrigated tracts, I rode through endless stretch of waving crops of different shades of colour. Too frequently one sees long queues of road transport standing on either side of railway crossings waiting passionately for train to pass. The train track in most places is lined with extinguishing species of trees like Okkan and Salvadora (called Van). After the harvest all will change.
Dark outside, I moved up and down the train. The passengers, kaleidoscopic mix, seemed oblivious. Some were sleeping, some eating food they had brought from home. Only a few people ordered food from the accompanied Dinning Car though the staff presented mutilated menu cards to every one and purser came to ask if every one has had a complimentary evening tea. Some passengers pored over documents or books and some glanced hopefully at their mobile phones to see if there was a signal, which of course there was not. Mobile phone only covers a part of the journey mainly around main cities. So the high-tech train glided onward through a no-tech but beautiful and living landscape, silent except for a muffled symphony of snores and burps emanating from its curtained-off berths, and the soft beeps of passengers playing “Snake” on their otherwise useless phone sets. A group was busy playing “teen-patti.” I was invited to join in and at the end we exchanged contact cards. And some others were travelling with feet tapping to a catching beat of the songs.
Moving while sleeping, I have had some restless moments, spent some time gazing at stars. It was not always easy to find the least uncomfortable arrangement of my bones on upper berth of the train that was too high to climb and too near the roof of the compartment. The pillow and bed sheets provided by the train staff were not enough for me. Moreover, the train gave rough jolts whenever the brakes were applied. But wait a second. Could sleeping while moving — if I may exploit the metaphor — be the problem? My problem? Is not the whole point of the exercise to wake up? Wake up at Rohri where Shahid was waiting to tell me what is new there. Wake up to Hussain Abdul Rahman who had come at Hyderabad Railway Station to deliver hot breakfast and tell me what he had explored in Thar.
Lahore to Karachi is always an amazing trip: mind expanding, horizons broadening, wallet emptying — and you are home again. Nothing much has changed and somehow your friends are not as excited about your cool travel tales as they should be. Homecoming blues are a price I always pay. What can be done about them?
One of my cures when I am stuck at home is to keep up with letters and emails to people I met while travelling. As time goes on, you never know what those sorts of contacts will lead to — future travel. It is all too easy to let travel friendships slide, but then that just gives you one more thing to be depressed about. Developing these relationships allows you to think of your trip as the start of something rather than an ending.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/17/2009 12:57:00 PM,
, links to this post
Land of Opportunities
Saturday, 16 May 2009
United State is a land of great opportunities. Billions of dollars are available and are granted to United States citizens every year. The funds are provided by the government and thousands of private sector organizations to help individuals as well as small businesses. Problem is that most people don’t know that such grants exist and where to start looking for them.
Have a look at USA Grant Applications – aptly named site – that can help you locate and apply for the grants. Explore the information rich site and learn what all opportunities exist. I suggest you join and find out how you qualify for the Free Grant Program and how you can take advantage.
Have a look at USA Grant Applications – aptly named site – that can help you locate and apply for the grants. Explore the information rich site and learn what all opportunities exist. I suggest you join and find out how you qualify for the Free Grant Program and how you can take advantage.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/16/2009 11:45:00 AM,
, links to this post
Running True to Size
Sultry summer has set in and this is the time when you need to be comfortable as much as you can and this is only possible pure cotton attire; more so when dressing up for casual occasions. Personally I like cotton material and make it a point to dress up in pure cotton as much as I can. Given my interest I keep looking for what comes up and where.
Recently, while web walking, I was lead to an adorable Steven Alan shorts that has been launched lately. The short is most suitable for summer times particularly for summers we have in this part of the world. It is very stylish and trendy and very refreshing to look at. One can imagine who it will feel while putting on one.
Have a look at StyleHive and see what all they are offering and how. While on the site you can also have a look at Steven Alan’s other collection that are famous among men and women.
StyleHive – a site that connects stylish people - is where people interested in style, fashion, dresses get together. It is an online community website for stylish people who share their ideas and experiences in the new fashion trends. I suggest you be there.
Recently, while web walking, I was lead to an adorable Steven Alan shorts that has been launched lately. The short is most suitable for summer times particularly for summers we have in this part of the world. It is very stylish and trendy and very refreshing to look at. One can imagine who it will feel while putting on one.
Have a look at StyleHive and see what all they are offering and how. While on the site you can also have a look at Steven Alan’s other collection that are famous among men and women.
StyleHive – a site that connects stylish people - is where people interested in style, fashion, dresses get together. It is an online community website for stylish people who share their ideas and experiences in the new fashion trends. I suggest you be there.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/16/2009 10:18:00 AM,
, links to this post
Bloggers Beware
Thursday, 14 May 2009
Blogging has come a long way since the start of this wonderful phenomenon some time ago. Best thing is that there is a great deal of help is available for those who want to improve. But imagine what will happen if your wordpress blog built over time with lot of love (and labour) gets hacked.
That is frightening to say the least. Have a look at Blog Look Down – a site that presents a security tutorial for non-techie people teaching them how to secure their Wordpress Blog from getting hacked. Read what fellow bloggers have been saying about the tutorial and also see some of the secrets users can learn inside that informative tutorial.
The tutorial gives the exact steps you can takes to secure your Blog. "Blog-lockdown has very easy to follow instructions on hardening your site, and I'm recommending it to all my members who use Wordpress for their membership sites,’ says one satisfied user.
You will discover the ways hackers get your sensitive data and how to stop them so you close this over looked security hole for good to how you can give anyone your Wordpress Admin user name and password and they will still not be able to login to your blog and a lot more in between. This tutorial will give you peace of mind.
That is frightening to say the least. Have a look at Blog Look Down – a site that presents a security tutorial for non-techie people teaching them how to secure their Wordpress Blog from getting hacked. Read what fellow bloggers have been saying about the tutorial and also see some of the secrets users can learn inside that informative tutorial.
The tutorial gives the exact steps you can takes to secure your Blog. "Blog-lockdown has very easy to follow instructions on hardening your site, and I'm recommending it to all my members who use Wordpress for their membership sites,’ says one satisfied user.
You will discover the ways hackers get your sensitive data and how to stop them so you close this over looked security hole for good to how you can give anyone your Wordpress Admin user name and password and they will still not be able to login to your blog and a lot more in between. This tutorial will give you peace of mind.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/14/2009 11:11:00 PM,
, links to this post
Have a Chicken Coop in Your Backyard
I come from a village where every one raises chicken for themselves. In addition to a great saving, raising chicken has a lot of advantages. Those who are interested to raise chicken and want a chicken coop intheir backyard must have a look at Green Roof Chicken Coop – a place that offer home for chickens. Explore the site and see what they are offering and how their chicken homes are safe and secure and offer productive environment for chickens. Green Roof Chicken Coop offers users the ability to download chicken coop building plans instantly, order an un-assembled chicken coop kit, or purchase an assembled chicken coop. Try them.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/14/2009 08:06:00 PM,
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Higher Education
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
Only a couple of decades ago, foreign education was still the preserve of small elite of potential superstars. Not anymore. The number of students going abroad for higher education has increased many folds.
What is driving this solid growth and "massification" of students going abroad? Three things: Perception of informed parents and students that the quality of education abroad is a lot better and up-to-date than in Pakistan universities and higher educational institutions. Second, the "foreign-qualified" candidates see better response in not only local but global job market as compared to those with similar qualifications from local universities. And effective marketing of education services with the help of facilitations by their governments.
Two children of one of my friend are studying in different universities in United States of America . On the issue of study abroad he says, "My son graduated in computer science from reputed university here. He wanted to pursue the subject further but no local university was offering further education in the discipline of his interest so he had to go to America. On the other hand, my daughter has been offered full scholarship by another American university that was difficult to decline." My friend's younger daughter thinks that her brother and sister have gone after post graduation whereas she should go abroad after completing her "A" level. A succes story. No?
Aiming at long term benefits, western universities are now helping Pakistan to reverse the so called 'brain drain.' "Some of the scholarships offered to students have a condition that students will come back after completing her education and stay in Pakistan for at least two years."
In 1947, there was only one University of Punjab. Today, we have almost 35 universities in the public sector and more than 100 in the private sector, and this number is growing with newer disciplines being added every year. After the new concept of private education has taken over, many private universities have shown their results whereas some of them have even left their mark on world map. No doubt these universities are playing their role in promoting quality education, but at the same there is a difference between graduates from privet sector universities and public sector universities. The difference is more visible when it comes to getting a job. There is an even bigger difference when comes is seen between local and those who have graduated from abroad.
On the other hand there are not very many openings in local job market. Ask any decision maker in any national or international organizations, private sector companies, multinational companies, NGO's, and educational institutions about their hiring needs, given chance they will prefer graduates from foreign universities as compared to those passed out from local universities. "There is a better match between the modern organizational needs and the foreign education, particularly when the hiring concern has to operate globally," says Professor Dr. Tehseen Sulehrya.
What is more, the glamorous and magnetic power of the world's top universities in the developed world have speeded this growth even further. They are extensively marketing their education services. A growing number of rich countries are redefining both their education and their immigration policies in order to attract more students. Competition for the tuition fees that foreign students have to pay, which is particularly fierce from countries that will not allow their universities to charge realistic fees to home-grown students.
Another factor is the European Union's policy of sponsoring student mobility within the Union so as to create a European identity among the young people. Several countries - most notably Australia and New Zealand - are trying to turn education into an export industry. Foreign students are triply valuable. They pay fees to universities, spend money on things like food and lodging, and may even end up staying on permanently. What better way to shift an economy from its traditional reliance on primary production?
For the past 50 years America has effortlessly dominated the market for international students, who have brought both direct and indirect benefits to the country. Not only are the foreign students contributing some $13 billion a year to America's GDP, they are also supplying brainpower for US research machine and energy for its entrepreneurial economy. After some past incidents, America's leadership came under a challenge. The Institute of International Education reported that the number of foreign students on American campuses is on decline for the first time.
American leadership was alive to the situation and academics acted fast. Now the United States of America has streamlined its visa process for education purpose. Applicants earlier had to wait for 75 days for technical clearance, but the period has now been reduced to 13 days, and students can walk into the embassy without an appointment and apply for an interview at the visa desk. Similarly other western countries and their universities are also making changes to facilitate the students from third world.
Irony is that at government level, there are no proper channels to guide Pakistani students in this regard or institutionalize the process. Legal and illegal immigration consultants selling 'study abroad' can be spotted easily at educational exhibitions and in major cities though. Stakeholders have been demanding the government establish such resource centre in collaboration with foreign embassies and streamline the process till the time the needs of the students desirous of higher education can be met at home.
Sadly, that has not started happening yet.
What is driving this solid growth and "massification" of students going abroad? Three things: Perception of informed parents and students that the quality of education abroad is a lot better and up-to-date than in Pakistan universities and higher educational institutions. Second, the "foreign-qualified" candidates see better response in not only local but global job market as compared to those with similar qualifications from local universities. And effective marketing of education services with the help of facilitations by their governments.
Two children of one of my friend are studying in different universities in United States of America . On the issue of study abroad he says, "My son graduated in computer science from reputed university here. He wanted to pursue the subject further but no local university was offering further education in the discipline of his interest so he had to go to America. On the other hand, my daughter has been offered full scholarship by another American university that was difficult to decline." My friend's younger daughter thinks that her brother and sister have gone after post graduation whereas she should go abroad after completing her "A" level. A succes story. No?
Aiming at long term benefits, western universities are now helping Pakistan to reverse the so called 'brain drain.' "Some of the scholarships offered to students have a condition that students will come back after completing her education and stay in Pakistan for at least two years."
In 1947, there was only one University of Punjab. Today, we have almost 35 universities in the public sector and more than 100 in the private sector, and this number is growing with newer disciplines being added every year. After the new concept of private education has taken over, many private universities have shown their results whereas some of them have even left their mark on world map. No doubt these universities are playing their role in promoting quality education, but at the same there is a difference between graduates from privet sector universities and public sector universities. The difference is more visible when it comes to getting a job. There is an even bigger difference when comes is seen between local and those who have graduated from abroad.
On the other hand there are not very many openings in local job market. Ask any decision maker in any national or international organizations, private sector companies, multinational companies, NGO's, and educational institutions about their hiring needs, given chance they will prefer graduates from foreign universities as compared to those passed out from local universities. "There is a better match between the modern organizational needs and the foreign education, particularly when the hiring concern has to operate globally," says Professor Dr. Tehseen Sulehrya.
What is more, the glamorous and magnetic power of the world's top universities in the developed world have speeded this growth even further. They are extensively marketing their education services. A growing number of rich countries are redefining both their education and their immigration policies in order to attract more students. Competition for the tuition fees that foreign students have to pay, which is particularly fierce from countries that will not allow their universities to charge realistic fees to home-grown students.
Another factor is the European Union's policy of sponsoring student mobility within the Union so as to create a European identity among the young people. Several countries - most notably Australia and New Zealand - are trying to turn education into an export industry. Foreign students are triply valuable. They pay fees to universities, spend money on things like food and lodging, and may even end up staying on permanently. What better way to shift an economy from its traditional reliance on primary production?
For the past 50 years America has effortlessly dominated the market for international students, who have brought both direct and indirect benefits to the country. Not only are the foreign students contributing some $13 billion a year to America's GDP, they are also supplying brainpower for US research machine and energy for its entrepreneurial economy. After some past incidents, America's leadership came under a challenge. The Institute of International Education reported that the number of foreign students on American campuses is on decline for the first time.
American leadership was alive to the situation and academics acted fast. Now the United States of America has streamlined its visa process for education purpose. Applicants earlier had to wait for 75 days for technical clearance, but the period has now been reduced to 13 days, and students can walk into the embassy without an appointment and apply for an interview at the visa desk. Similarly other western countries and their universities are also making changes to facilitate the students from third world.
Irony is that at government level, there are no proper channels to guide Pakistani students in this regard or institutionalize the process. Legal and illegal immigration consultants selling 'study abroad' can be spotted easily at educational exhibitions and in major cities though. Stakeholders have been demanding the government establish such resource centre in collaboration with foreign embassies and streamline the process till the time the needs of the students desirous of higher education can be met at home.
Sadly, that has not started happening yet.
Labels: Education
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/13/2009 10:59:00 AM,
, links to this post
Get Connected
Given the advantages of the age of communication and collaborative technologies, users’ base of Telecommunications Services is exponentially growing. Similarly, the demand for phone, high speed Internet and television services has also grown. Thanks to Verison Deals that that they provides offer to bundle all services together and save. In order to make an informed decision, users can explore the neatly laid out site and find out what Vision is offering and how.
Have a look at home phone packages (Unlimited Local, Freedom Value, Freedom Essentials And Freedom) and High Speed Internet packages. Given the advantages, I would prefer Verison Bundles that include Phone, Internet and TV Bundled together
starting for as low as $99.97.
Verizon's double and triple play bundles allow users to package either two or three Verizon services together and receive a discount. Start with Verizon home phone service and choose Verizon wireless, Verizon high speed internet, or television service with the Double Play Bundle, or build on Verizon's home phone and high speed internet services by adding television or Verizon Wireless phone service and save with the Triple Play Bundle. Verison Offers give great choices and even greater savings.
Site is neatly laid out and users friendly. Approach them (Toll Free 1-866-921-0769) if you have a question, better still call and get connected.
Have a look at home phone packages (Unlimited Local, Freedom Value, Freedom Essentials And Freedom) and High Speed Internet packages. Given the advantages, I would prefer Verison Bundles that include Phone, Internet and TV Bundled together
starting for as low as $99.97.
Verizon's double and triple play bundles allow users to package either two or three Verizon services together and receive a discount. Start with Verizon home phone service and choose Verizon wireless, Verizon high speed internet, or television service with the Double Play Bundle, or build on Verizon's home phone and high speed internet services by adding television or Verizon Wireless phone service and save with the Triple Play Bundle. Verison Offers give great choices and even greater savings.
Site is neatly laid out and users friendly. Approach them (Toll Free 1-866-921-0769) if you have a question, better still call and get connected.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/13/2009 09:38:00 AM,
, links to this post
Rocks Speak
I love this rock formation. The formation speak to me every time I look at it. Does it speak to you?
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/13/2009 09:00:00 AM,
, links to this post
PC Diagnostic Tools
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Computers are good when they are working. Imagine what happens when you have a deadline and all of a sudden your computer stops working and you have no clue what to do. It is very frustrating to say the least. Ideally, every computer users must be able to trouble shoot and get going when some thing unexpected happens to computer. But empirical observations show that most people can’t handle the situation and they go through nightmarish process of repair.
Thanks to ProTech Diagnostics that they offer help diagnosing hardware issues or when your hard drives dies (along with all your valuable data) without any warning. ProTech Diagnostics
Offers best and the easiest solutions for upgrades, data recovery and computer diagnostics.
PC diagnostic tools enable anyone to diagnose and fix hardware issues and recover data in the most hassle-free manner possible. And let me hassen to add that you don’t have to be IT professional to fix your computer. PC diagnostic software will successfully enable to do that easily
Explore the site and learn about PC-Scope Professional Diagnostic Software. In addition to individuals and those enthusiasts who want to handle their own computers, this software is good for those who are in computer repair business. This software can help do the job quickly and do it better.
Thanks to ProTech Diagnostics that they offer help diagnosing hardware issues or when your hard drives dies (along with all your valuable data) without any warning. ProTech Diagnostics
Offers best and the easiest solutions for upgrades, data recovery and computer diagnostics.
PC diagnostic tools enable anyone to diagnose and fix hardware issues and recover data in the most hassle-free manner possible. And let me hassen to add that you don’t have to be IT professional to fix your computer. PC diagnostic software will successfully enable to do that easily
Explore the site and learn about PC-Scope Professional Diagnostic Software. In addition to individuals and those enthusiasts who want to handle their own computers, this software is good for those who are in computer repair business. This software can help do the job quickly and do it better.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/12/2009 08:49:00 PM,
, links to this post
Societal Shift in Social Communication
I miss letters and greeting cards. A letter delivered by a postman, with its lines of handwriting, loops and angles that give a reflection of personality and, perhaps, secrets tucked inside the letters. Waiting for the postman to find a letter is old fashioned but many cherish still. Then opening letters, reading, and reading them again. There is a romance in writing and receiving letters that seems almost entirely lost to people particularly those who inhabit the cyberspace in this information era.
The switch to email and instant messaging has created an entirely new kind of language - of shorthand, emoticons (term coined by joining two words emotions and icons), graphics, and poor or nonexistent grammar, and missing punctuation, computer slang. It has also given birth to another kind of greetings: cyber greetings. This is about that.
Emails, instant messaging and text messaging (through cell phones) are quick and easy. Even person like me writes more of shorthand letters now than I ever did on paper. Granted, that they have increased contact with family, friends and colleagues than ever before. They provide eases and convenience. What would any day be like without a message window popping up mid-afternoon with a little emoticon sent by a dear and near one? Indeed, online communication is doing wonders for human relationship. A little goes a long way.
With rather longer prelude, the idea of cyber greetings is undeniably relevant to today, and it is intriguing. Information communication technologies provide an anonymity that allows people to reveal more than they ever would face to face. It also allows temptation to overcome good sense, and the results sometime can be overwhelming. Imagine two persons who came across each other after any one of them seeing online profile of the other and finding it "interesting" makes an endeavor and reaches out to the other online. Both are easily drawn to each other in online exchange of messages, too predictably, and without enough explanation as to why. The whole exchange takes in "real time". And before too long, the causal exchange turns into witty flirtation and may be into full-blown romance between those who have yet not met face to face. Clever combinations of e-mails, live chat lines, explicit emoticons and computer shortcuts, give way to the situation where 'the headstrong-girl-meets-self-sufficient-boy' and the urge to meet may becomes very strong.
The switch to email and instant messaging has created an entirely new kind of language - of shorthand, emoticons (term coined by joining two words emotions and icons), graphics, and poor or nonexistent grammar, and missing punctuation, computer slang. It has also given birth to another kind of greetings: cyber greetings. This is about that.
Emails, instant messaging and text messaging (through cell phones) are quick and easy. Even person like me writes more of shorthand letters now than I ever did on paper. Granted, that they have increased contact with family, friends and colleagues than ever before. They provide eases and convenience. What would any day be like without a message window popping up mid-afternoon with a little emoticon sent by a dear and near one? Indeed, online communication is doing wonders for human relationship. A little goes a long way.
With rather longer prelude, the idea of cyber greetings is undeniably relevant to today, and it is intriguing. Information communication technologies provide an anonymity that allows people to reveal more than they ever would face to face. It also allows temptation to overcome good sense, and the results sometime can be overwhelming. Imagine two persons who came across each other after any one of them seeing online profile of the other and finding it "interesting" makes an endeavor and reaches out to the other online. Both are easily drawn to each other in online exchange of messages, too predictably, and without enough explanation as to why. The whole exchange takes in "real time". And before too long, the causal exchange turns into witty flirtation and may be into full-blown romance between those who have yet not met face to face. Clever combinations of e-mails, live chat lines, explicit emoticons and computer shortcuts, give way to the situation where 'the headstrong-girl-meets-self-sufficient-boy' and the urge to meet may becomes very strong.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/12/2009 08:45:00 PM,
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Barack Obama's Moving Command Post
US President Barack Obama – first black and 44th President of the United States of America - arrived to take the oath of his office in a new brand car, a Cadillac Presidential Limousine. As per one of the many traditions associated with presidential inauguration in United States, the president's car is shown for the first time on the day of inauguration – Jan 20. The safest (may be costliest) car has already been officially names as Cadillac One and nicknamed as the Beast and a rolling bunker. I call it a command post on the move.Cadillac Presidential Limousine is an ultimate combination of high end engineering, communication technologies and safety. Results of extreme testing and development, this beast of a very customized diesel powered car can withstand a direct hit, chemical attack and much more. It has an inbuilt coded communication system. It also carries CTS and Escalade design cues. The boot contains an independent oxygen supply and advanced fire-fighting systems.
What is more, Defense systems of Cadillac One includes pump action shotguns, night-vision cameras and tear-gas cannons and some medical aid gadgets.
Cadillac Presidential Limousine weighs more than 5,000 pounds, goes from zero to sixty in a leisurely 15 seconds, and has a top speed of just sixty mph.
Labels: Autos
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/12/2009 12:35:00 PM,
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Plan you July Holidays Now
Apart from business, people travel for so many different reasons: to explore, to feel, to learn, to get away from humdrum of the fast lane life, and to lose themselves or find themselves. Lately, concept of family travel for holidays is also getting very popular. Families go to different places and enjoy in new and different settings. For this Holidays in July have become more conventional.
In this information era, Internet has brought seismic changes in the ways people make travel plans. Planning holiday trips online is on the rise in more connected countries of the world. People want to buy and it is generating a plenty of competitive spark between service providers: airlines, hotels, and travel agents. Sometime it becomes difficult to choose the best. That is where ULookUBook come in.
In this information era, Internet has brought seismic changes in the ways people make travel plans. Planning holiday trips online is on the rise in more connected countries of the world. People want to buy and it is generating a plenty of competitive spark between service providers: airlines, hotels, and travel agents. Sometime it becomes difficult to choose the best. That is where ULookUBook come in.
An independent, member of Advantage and fully ABTA bonded travel agent, ULookUBook is playing a great role helping people to plan by helping them to find and book the best way. They also help find some great deals as well.
Have a look at UlookUBook and see what they are offering and how they can help you find Hotels, Flights, Car Hire at destinations and much more including Travel Insurance, Travel Guides, Tour Operators or whatever you might be looking for and plan your July Holidays with them.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/12/2009 12:12:00 PM,
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Warning Signs
Safety measure like sign posting is one of ways to keeps the busy urban life going in an efficient way. More city governments and businesses are adding safety facilities to make cites livable. Not only Traffic Control Devices and cones and Vehicular Warning Lights has become a necessity but Personal Safety Products are also essential for organized life in populous habitats. Appropriately placed warning signs helps people to go about their business safely.
Thanks to warningpower.com (very aptly named site) that they offer traffic control devices and personal safety equipment all at one place. Have a look at thousands of safety products including Traffic Control Devices, Personal Safety Products, Sign Posts, Brackets, Reflectors, and Delineators, Traffic Signs, Flags, Fencing, Banners and Other Products and Vehicular Warning Lights on display at the site.
Warningpower.com offer complete range of safety products to cater for the needs of public and private sectors as well as safety conscious individuals. What is more, warningpower.com offers bulk discounts and fast shipping. The site is neatly laid out and uncluttered. Search function too is very efficient and it is very easy to find what you may be looking for. Explore the site and see what they are offering and how, Better still order Traffic Control and Safety Products easily.
Thanks to warningpower.com (very aptly named site) that they offer traffic control devices and personal safety equipment all at one place. Have a look at thousands of safety products including Traffic Control Devices, Personal Safety Products, Sign Posts, Brackets, Reflectors, and Delineators, Traffic Signs, Flags, Fencing, Banners and Other Products and Vehicular Warning Lights on display at the site.
Warningpower.com offer complete range of safety products to cater for the needs of public and private sectors as well as safety conscious individuals. What is more, warningpower.com offers bulk discounts and fast shipping. The site is neatly laid out and uncluttered. Search function too is very efficient and it is very easy to find what you may be looking for. Explore the site and see what they are offering and how, Better still order Traffic Control and Safety Products easily.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/12/2009 11:29:00 AM,
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Headland Website Design
Powerful web presence has become vital for every business and even individuals. Headland - a digital marketing agency – has been creating website design based businesses for their clients on bespoke and third party content managed platforms for more than a decade. Headland design web sites and create engaging interactive content that is well targeted, well designed and delivers best results.
From their offices in Leeds and Nottingham, Headland award-winning creative teams’ design work has added value to many brands. Their outstanding development team has extensive experience of creating robust, easy to use web designs in the face of current web site optimization standards.
Headland development platform for Content Management is Ektron CMS400.net. This CMS is excellent value for money for SMEs to full enterprise level. Similarly their bespoke technical developments vary as widely as clients’ wishes. Headland are driven by clients’ specific needs and their technical team work across an extensive range of bespoke developments from payment gateways to calculators designed to drive traffic and repeat visits. Headland designs are good in the detail that take any visitors through.
Explore their neatly laid out and users’ friendly site and see what they are offering to make a wise decision.
From their offices in Leeds and Nottingham, Headland award-winning creative teams’ design work has added value to many brands. Their outstanding development team has extensive experience of creating robust, easy to use web designs in the face of current web site optimization standards.
Headland development platform for Content Management is Ektron CMS400.net. This CMS is excellent value for money for SMEs to full enterprise level. Similarly their bespoke technical developments vary as widely as clients’ wishes. Headland are driven by clients’ specific needs and their technical team work across an extensive range of bespoke developments from payment gateways to calculators designed to drive traffic and repeat visits. Headland designs are good in the detail that take any visitors through.
Explore their neatly laid out and users’ friendly site and see what they are offering to make a wise decision.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/12/2009 10:55:00 AM,
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Theron Burraway
Monday, 11 May 2009
The corporate hospitality industry is one of the growing areas of human activities. Corporate hospitality is a specialized job that needs knowledge of almost all other fields like facility maintenance, direct operations, marketing, human resources, and management. Corporate hospitality is better managed by those who are experienced in the field.
Meet Mr. Theron Burraway the CEO of marcus evans who has wealth of knowledge and experience in the field. Theron Burraway joined Keith Prowse Hospitality Ltd in 1989 and started his marcus evans career in 1990. He rose to the rank of CEO marcus evans in 2002.
Mr. Theron Burraway is also heads THG Worldwide – one of the biggest corporate hospitality businesses in the world. The THG Worldwide is the division of marcus evans that specializes in teaming corporate hospitality with premier international sporting events. The THG Worldwide is the largest business of its type in the world, having organized hospitality functions at such distinguished events as the US Grand Prix, World Cup Soccer, Masters, US Open and the Final Four. All aspects of the service are controlled by marcus evans and as such, can promise a level of service second to none.
With Theron Burraway on the team, now wonders these companies are doing best job in a very specialized job.
Meet Mr. Theron Burraway the CEO of marcus evans who has wealth of knowledge and experience in the field. Theron Burraway joined Keith Prowse Hospitality Ltd in 1989 and started his marcus evans career in 1990. He rose to the rank of CEO marcus evans in 2002.
Mr. Theron Burraway is also heads THG Worldwide – one of the biggest corporate hospitality businesses in the world. The THG Worldwide is the division of marcus evans that specializes in teaming corporate hospitality with premier international sporting events. The THG Worldwide is the largest business of its type in the world, having organized hospitality functions at such distinguished events as the US Grand Prix, World Cup Soccer, Masters, US Open and the Final Four. All aspects of the service are controlled by marcus evans and as such, can promise a level of service second to none.
With Theron Burraway on the team, now wonders these companies are doing best job in a very specialized job.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/11/2009 10:57:00 AM,
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Find Your Soul Mate
Saturday, 9 May 2009
In this age of Internet and interactive web technologies, where you go when you want to find out a soul mate with whom you want to spend rest of your life. Unlike old times when you used to meet face to fact, now you can start online. One of the best places to start is interacial dating. Try them when you are ready.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/09/2009 08:54:00 PM,
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Draped Reclining Mother and Baby
The New York Botanical Garden’s “Moore in America” exhibition, with 18 of Henry Moore’s big, beloved bronzes is the largest outdoor collection of the sculptor’s work in a single venue ever presented in New York or anywhere else in the country. And it serves as the garden’s announcement of its intention to be seen as not simply as a nice, blossomy place but also as a museum in itself. Librado Romero/The New York Times
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/09/2009 08:04:00 PM,
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Greensboro Plumbing
Plumbing is one of the technical functions in any building. Plumbing seems difficult and the presence of leaking water is very scary to say the least. Rightly so because water in the wrong place and time can be disastrous and what starts out as a tiny drip if left unattended can end up costing thousands over time. Unlike many other fixings in buildings, common people generally can’t trace and fix plumbing problem. Plumbing and its maintenance is a specialized job that should be best handled by experienced workmen.
So what you do when you need a plumber in a hurry? I suggest you have a look at Greensboro Plumbing & Heating Service Company.
Greensboro Plumbing is a group of experienced workmen who specialize in Drain Service/Scope, Water Heater Installation, Service & Repair, Water Main/ Sewer Main Repair, HVAC Installation, Service & Repair and Rinnai Hot Water Authorized Service Agency .
Choosing a right plumber is very important. That is why I suggest you approach {336-542-5821} or ask then to call you back in case of any plumbing emergency or when you need fresh installation anywhere in any type living spaces because Greensboro Plumbing’s claim to fame is their referrals. Try them when you need.
So what you do when you need a plumber in a hurry? I suggest you have a look at Greensboro Plumbing & Heating Service Company.
Greensboro Plumbing is a group of experienced workmen who specialize in Drain Service/Scope, Water Heater Installation, Service & Repair, Water Main/ Sewer Main Repair, HVAC Installation, Service & Repair and Rinnai Hot Water Authorized Service Agency .
Choosing a right plumber is very important. That is why I suggest you approach {336-542-5821} or ask then to call you back in case of any plumbing emergency or when you need fresh installation anywhere in any type living spaces because Greensboro Plumbing’s claim to fame is their referrals. Try them when you need.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/09/2009 11:16:00 AM,
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Shop at GlassesShop
Friday, 8 May 2009
Let me start this post with my own confession; since I was prescribed eyeglasses, I have lost so many of them. Also I can tell by own experience that people use different frames for different occasions. And I have a hard time choosing every time I need to buy new one. It is in this milieu that I say GlassesShop – online prescription eyeglasses experts - is one of the best place to shop when it comes to buying eyeglasses. GlassesShop offers stylish prescription glasses online. They have a huge collection of eyeglasses, sunglasses, custom designed eyeglasses and more to choose from. Have a look at those High-indexed Prescription Eyeglasses——CARE your eyes.The best thing is GlassesShop’s low prices; unbeatable anywhere. They start from as low as $ 8 and offer reliable, quality, and professional service. GlassesShop can offer up to 80% off normal retail store prices anywhere. GlassesShop is an international distribution centre can ship orders and service all over the world. They are already delivering quality eyewear to over 45 countries worldwide.
The site is users friendly and neatly laid out. It is easy to find what you are looking for. Products are clearly listed gender, material, design and style wise. I suggest you buy eyeglasses at GlassesShop.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/08/2009 09:52:00 AM,
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More on Load Shedding
Thursday, 7 May 2009
We in Pakistan are having load shedding; worst ever. You have to live here to understand that.
Industry and corporate sector is facing the brunt and production is declining. But this is about the plight of a common people.
Light is out most of the time. I come back after days work around 4 PM. From then on, light is out from 5 to 6 PM, 11 to 12 PM, 5 to 5 AM, and 7 to 8 AM. You can just imagine. Imagine a person plans to go to shop in Liberty and when he reaches there finds the lights shut. On inquiry he is told that Load shedding timing has changed. Person either waits or buys from shops with generators on much more cost or waits. In case one opts to wait, the person has to loiter around in humid crowd of people; no place to sit and wait in comfort. Ok, on returns one finds that light is out in residential district.
Let us take a look at the public sector offices. Most of them don’t have generators or other UPS arrangements. You approach a concerned person for some job and he bit back, can’t you see there is no light. How can I find what you need (or want)? Come when light comes. That is that.
It is this scenario that people are living. Best advice is, “let us get used to this new life style.” What else.
Industry and corporate sector is facing the brunt and production is declining. But this is about the plight of a common people.
Light is out most of the time. I come back after days work around 4 PM. From then on, light is out from 5 to 6 PM, 11 to 12 PM, 5 to 5 AM, and 7 to 8 AM. You can just imagine. Imagine a person plans to go to shop in Liberty and when he reaches there finds the lights shut. On inquiry he is told that Load shedding timing has changed. Person either waits or buys from shops with generators on much more cost or waits. In case one opts to wait, the person has to loiter around in humid crowd of people; no place to sit and wait in comfort. Ok, on returns one finds that light is out in residential district.
Let us take a look at the public sector offices. Most of them don’t have generators or other UPS arrangements. You approach a concerned person for some job and he bit back, can’t you see there is no light. How can I find what you need (or want)? Come when light comes. That is that.
It is this scenario that people are living. Best advice is, “let us get used to this new life style.” What else.
Labels: Load Shedding
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/07/2009 02:13:00 PM,
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Come and Chat
Everyone want to find likeminded people and chat with them? Visit BBW where you will find people from across the world together in chat room. What is more, create a free account today and start seeing and talking to all of the users on this website today. Registration to BBW Chat City is totally free. Just fill out the form online and have instant access to BBW Chat Rooms and start meeting and chatting with tons of people from all over the world in.
Explore BBW Chat City where you will find Punk users from all of the planet come together in chat rooms and have fun for free. The best thing is that you can get on your webcam and let hundreds of people talk and see you while you view their video cam. Register for a totally free membership now and begin viewing and communicating with all of the people on this website now. You will find a lot of different chat lines and users in free chats with webcams there.
I suggest you join BBW Chat Rooms and see what all they are offering and how. Better still find likeminded community of people. You will find a lot out there.
Explore BBW Chat City where you will find Punk users from all of the planet come together in chat rooms and have fun for free. The best thing is that you can get on your webcam and let hundreds of people talk and see you while you view their video cam. Register for a totally free membership now and begin viewing and communicating with all of the people on this website now. You will find a lot of different chat lines and users in free chats with webcams there.
I suggest you join BBW Chat Rooms and see what all they are offering and how. Better still find likeminded community of people. You will find a lot out there.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/07/2009 12:23:00 PM,
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Get Settled
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
The Internet has changes the ways we live, work and even meet people. What was possible only face to face is now happening online and in a much better way. One such place for those who are single and looking is black bbw singles. Join and see who all are there. Meet and get settled for life.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/06/2009 02:40:00 PM,
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Follow Me on Twitter
Twitter unleashes the diarist in its 14 million users, who visited its site 99 million times last month to read posts tapped out with cellphones and computers. Individually, many of those 140-character “tweets” seem inane. But taken collectively, the stream of messages can turn Twitter into a surprisingly useful tool for solving problems and providing insights into the digital mood. By tapping into the world’s collective brain, researchers of all kinds have found that if they make the effort to dig through the mundane comments, the live conversations offer an early glimpse into public sentiment — and even help them shape it. Read here! Most interesting is the story of Corey and Ellen Menscher who had developed a device that would alert Twitter each time the baby kicked when she was pregnant with Tyler.
Follow me if, in any case you need to know, What I am doing.
Follow me if, in any case you need to know, What I am doing.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/06/2009 01:46:00 PM,
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Travel With Your Baby
Having a baby is one of the most fulfilling and enriching human experiences that changes the life of parents in more than one ways. Parents need to adjust to the needs and wants of their babies and adopt baby friendly lifestyle. One of the best places that can facilitate this change is BabySafeTravel.Com.Everyone needs to travel (for pleasure and or business) once in a while. BabySafeTravel.Com offers all what any parent traveling with a baby would require. BabySafeTravel.Com offers everything from other parents’ travelling experiences to baby friendly hotels at destination stations and the latest baby travel products to make any trip as easy and safe as possible. Best I found was Bay Travel Tips section. It covers a lot for parents travelling with infants, crawlers, walkers and multiples. Users can also find about availability of flights, hotel accommodations and cars at destination stations.
BabySafeTravel.Com (very aptly named) is neatly laid out, uncluttered and users’ friendly site that helps parents to travel safe and easy. Parents can also share their own experiences. The imagery at the site is very attractive and gives you feeler of how those very functional slings, pouches, buckles carriers and wraps will look like when being used. BabySafeTravel.Com is a resource and information rich site. Try them when planning travelling with your young ones.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/06/2009 01:25:00 PM,
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Learning With Sophie
The adventure of this year’s summer school started for three women from TGD, Shama Bibi, Sarvat Bibi, and Meraj Bibi and their teachers Monika (arts and handicrafts) and Sophie Kuppler (English). Unfortunately, in the last moment three of the originally six participants had to stay at home due to family problems. After 25 hours of sitting in the car they arrived at the guesthouse in Altit, Hunza where they stayed for 18 nights. The days were filled with learning English, enhancing handicraft skills, especially in pottery and doll making, cooking, and playing games.
For learning English the women were separated into two groups. One of them already knew some English and a school book was used to enhance her reading, speaking and writing skills. The other two women did never visit a school and thus never learned to read or write. In their lessons most weight was put on being able to communicate with the volunteers coming to teach handicrafts.
Thus, under a lot of laughter the learned things were repeated and deepened while working.Of course, the 2.5 weeks did not only serve to study, but also to get to know the country and how differently people live in the country’s north and south. The happier the participants were to find very friendly and welcoming village people, some of whom quickly became friends with the women from TGD. Knowledge about handicrafts was exchanged and cooking skills tested.
Also different living styles and styles of houses were discussed with the two local friends, Sultana and Bushra.The most exciting day for sure was the day of the excursion to the Passu glacier. Never before had the women touched or seen ice in their lives, now they could even walk on it!After an exciting and instructive 2.5 weeks everybody was happy to return to their families, sad to leave the newly made friends and full of wonderful memories. The participants of the summer school would like to thank Lions Club Heilbronn, Mrs Gabi Fröhlich, Explore Pakistan, Mr Shafqat Ali, and Mr Amir Jan, who all together made this stay possible and enjoyable.
For learning English the women were separated into two groups. One of them already knew some English and a school book was used to enhance her reading, speaking and writing skills. The other two women did never visit a school and thus never learned to read or write. In their lessons most weight was put on being able to communicate with the volunteers coming to teach handicrafts.
Thus, under a lot of laughter the learned things were repeated and deepened while working.Of course, the 2.5 weeks did not only serve to study, but also to get to know the country and how differently people live in the country’s north and south. The happier the participants were to find very friendly and welcoming village people, some of whom quickly became friends with the women from TGD. Knowledge about handicrafts was exchanged and cooking skills tested.
Also different living styles and styles of houses were discussed with the two local friends, Sultana and Bushra.The most exciting day for sure was the day of the excursion to the Passu glacier. Never before had the women touched or seen ice in their lives, now they could even walk on it!After an exciting and instructive 2.5 weeks everybody was happy to return to their families, sad to leave the newly made friends and full of wonderful memories. The participants of the summer school would like to thank Lions Club Heilbronn, Mrs Gabi Fröhlich, Explore Pakistan, Mr Shafqat Ali, and Mr Amir Jan, who all together made this stay possible and enjoyable.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/06/2009 09:29:00 AM,
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Hot Virtual Keyboard
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
Keyboards have become so common in our lives that we don’t even notice some innovations that come along with them. One of the best that I have come across is Virtual Keyboard. Savvy users must already be familiar with Hot Virtual Keyboard that enables you to use gestures to quickly insert spaces or change the case of the letters and type like a professional. I always wish to type like a pro.
Hot Virtual Keyboard software performs routine text editing, controlling the behavior of opened windows and various aspects of system. It helps users type faster and more accurately by suggesting words based on just one or two taps. Users of TabletPC, Ultra-mobile PC, PanelPC, CarPC and similar touch-screen devices will find this feature very important. Hot Virtual Keyboard comes in all languages and keyboard layouts installed in Windows and can be used anywhere in the world.
What is more, you have access to as much as 40 different virtual on-screen keyboards supplied with Hot Virtual Keyboard. If you still cant find what suits you, go ahead and customize, as much as you need. You can assign keys to perform 58 different actions (like Connect/Disconnect from a Network, Volume Up/Down, Mute, Eject/Close CD, Monitor On/Off, Start Screen Saver, and many more).
Explore the site and see learn more about the software. Better still try it completely free.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/05/2009 09:13:00 PM,
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