Second Annual Pakistan Blog Awards - 2011
Friday, 30 December 2011
My blog Lahore School of Economics wins Pakistan Blog Award 2011 (grinning ear to ear). The Awards were announced during grand and colorful Gala Night held on December 23, 2011 in Karachi. Large number of geeks, bloggers, social media enthusiasts and politician who know the strength of social space (like Imran Khan) were there. Sadly, I only attended only online and was following the event via twitter. Thanks Zeshan Zaki and all those who kept me updated moment by moment. Wish I was there! Sitting tight, I stared sharing after my blog was announced as winner. 
Blogging definitely seems to be the future in the local context. I started blogging back in 2002, when the word blog was not much known. Ever since I am using blogging as a platform to prune ideas, meet others and share thoughts. Internet is a lonely place without Blogging; a fine art, a science, also an economics. Blogs are different to different people. For me, blogs are resources for my writings. More often, I blog informally, sharing impressions, generating ideas and seeing how they invoke reactions, keeping track of others’ work in fields of my interest, or simply ranting or pointing out things that come to my attention.
Join the blog party; it is on 24 hours and it is wonderful.
Labels: Fine Art of Blogging
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/30/2011 11:35:00 AM,
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How US can improve its image in Pakistan?
Thursday, 29 December 2011
Nadir Mir
Regardless of US, Pakistan remaining allies or not, they were never destined to be enemies. Yet anti Americanism grows in Pakistan and frustration with Pakistan increases in America. Even though ‘disenchanted allies’ for long, the last decade, post 9/11 has resulted in a growing animosity. This is a result of American geopolitical naiveté, Pakistani wishfulness and Indians deceit creating an explosive brew. Yet there is a clear distinction between US and Pakistani global perceptions. US being a global albeit sole super power has to worry about a long list of geopolitical rivals, allies, surrogates and fence sitters.
Washington has to relate to Putin’s Russia, China’s rise, the Middle East Arab Spring, Turkish growth and independence, keeping Israel on a tight leash, Iran’s defiance, North Korean wild card antics, European economic gloom and doom (of EU), India unreliable both as friend or foe etc. Besides the mess American Neo Con policy resulted in at home and abroad (bankrupt at home and over stretched abroad).
Pakistan’s case is much simpler. Its geopolitical world is limited. Indian threat, Afghanistan issues and American relations are key subjects for now. Afghanistan the geopolitical square on the global chessboard for testing both! American stock in Pakistan has plunged to the lowest depth. America needs Pakistan, while it is in Afghanistan. But Washington will need Islamabad even more later. Pakistan’s geography is globally pivotal. (This scribe’s book ‘Gwadar on the Global Chessboard’ makes it quite evident). Pakistan’s demography will be the most numerous in the Muslim world (3 billion Muslims by 2030). Pakistan may be the world’s 3rd or 4th most populous state decades from now. According to Mr. Bruce Riedel (former CIA and advisor to President Obama) Pakistan will possess the world’s 4th or 5th biggest nuclear arsenal in the next decade. The key question Americans should address – how to improve its image in Pakistan?
Labels: Geopolitics
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/29/2011 01:10:00 PM,
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Blogocracy: Giving a Voice to Pakistan's New Media Leaders
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
The Second Pakistan Blog Awards was a big success. This year's theme was the "Colors of Pakistan: A Celebration of New Media Spaces". Details of the Gala Night on December 23, 2011 held at the Kohinoor Convention Center, Regent Plaza, Karachi are still coming in as the attendees are posting them on their blogs.
Pakistan Blog Awards is now celebrating the New Media Spaces by conducting Tri-city Unconference camps in conjunction with the PBA 2011. After the Gala Night and UnConference at IBA Karachi, the organizers (PC World, IDG Youtube, Google and Nokia with Djuice, Intel and Dell) are holding the UnConference Camps in Islamabad and on January 3, 2012 in FAST Lahore. The camps theme is Blogocracy: Giving a Voice to Pakistan's New Media Leaders." Lahore UnConference will include a panel discussion followed by Blog workshops created by the bloggers for the bloggers. Lahore Bloggers (and Social Media geeks) are looking forward to have a chance for more discussion and debate at this platform aptly called Blogocracy in its true spirit, hence our tag line, "From the Bloggers, By the Bloggers, For the Bloggers."
I am attending. Are you attending? You need to register to attend.
Labels: Fine Art of Blogging
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/28/2011 11:37:00 AM,
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Ear to ground
One evening a few months ago, Ghulam Ali Bloch, a retired bureaucrat turned progressive farmer, who has his roots in remote village Jalla Balla in the suburbs of Sargodha, was finishing up a contract negotiation for buying a piece of land for opening an Ostrich Farm when he realised that a crucial piece of information required to close the deal is missing. He needed to know who had the right to haqq-e shufah (pre-emption). He could only obtain the facts from the central registry of the revenue department.
In order to verify the legal status of a property, including business homes and personal estates, one has to go to the patwari, garedawar, tehsildar and it entails a lengthy and laborious procedure. Historically, getting the required information takes a very long time. But thanks to an old man Mir Thana Khan, a minstrel in the village Jalla Balla, the information was available in his private but very authentic record.
As per his own account the ancestors of Mir Thana came to the village when a Jaskani Bloch tribe migrated from Balochistan in the fifteenth century and inhabited Jalla Balla in the central Punjab. The forefathers of Mir Thana were given the responsibility of keeping an account of lineage in the tribe. How did they keep the record in thosedays? One wonders. During my visit to the village, I along with my friend Ghulam Ali Bloch had an opportunity to meet the frail man whonow walks with the help of a stick and is famous as Baba Thana.
Thana had learnt reading, writing and counting during his four years of schooling. At the ripe age, Thana took over his ancestral job once his father was unable to do the legwork. Knowing my interest he started to reminisce the past, "My father used to remember things like the entire sajra-e-nasab (family tree) by heart. But I started writing them in a register. Than collects information about births, marriages and deaths in the sleepy village of about 400 households and enters them in his record family wise. "Collecting this information is easy because I am invariably present on any event of the village," he explained.
"All my life I have lived in this village," he continued narrating, "I take care of every one and do what ever I can and people of the village look after my family and me. Life in villages in not complicated; no hurry, no fast lane. I help my neighbours and my neighbours help me is the philosophy there. There are no marriage halls or other renting places. Community centres known as Deras are utilised for different functions and congregations. At the time of marriage (or death) the guest of one family are looked after by every one in the village. Hospitality is like one of the religious duty and a cultural landmark, as villagers strongly believe that a guest comes with the blessing of Allah Almighty.
Talking about his chosen pursuit Baba Thana said, "I live on trust. Village folks share their personal secrets with me and even consult me like a family member while deciding the marriages of their children. I have always kept my ears to the ground. I register every bit of information but divulge only what is necessary and when asked. For me each member of the community in Jalla Balla and their relations living elsewhere are equally honourable and they all care for me. I know all those who have relations in our village."
"I still accompany the barats (marriage processions) and before that carry the messages to and fro. But I think have to give up this duty because I am getting old. I am also losing my eyesight and cannot see at night. I have no issue who can carry on what I have been doing for all my like. But I also see things are changing very fast. May be newer generation will need services like mine," thinks Mir Thana.
Interdependence and new demographic trends are gradually changing the outlook of life in villages. Commenting on the current demographic bias Thana Khan said sentimentally, "Anybody who goes to the city does not come back. Gradually they sever their roots with the village." Urbanisation is mainly responsible for the shift, which is changing faces of villages as well as cities. People desert villages in search of largely non-existent jobs in the metropolitan areas, crowding the already congested cities and making urban life more chaotic. This tendency needs to be checked for sustainable living in the future.
Thana Khan has an ascribed status that is very familiar in the simple village society. Talking to such a person is very enlightening and revealing. In general for villagers city life still holds a mystery. While travelling back to the city through endless expanses of waving crops of different shades of colour out of which Jalla Balla surfaces like an islet in an ocean of green, my own memories of once being a village boy came flashing back. How much has changed. But I know I have to return to my own village where I spent my childhood and the next time the stay will be longer. I will live without assessable roads or other civic amenities of this modern age like telephone or the Internet. But I will be close to my roots.
Related: Profile of Mountain Movers - Pakistan Porters
Labels: Profile
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/28/2011 09:12:00 AM,
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Peace
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
Sajini Chandrasekera
Firing arms and roaring planes
Heard in distance on a starry night
No where to run , no where to hide
Only the dark scary jungles at a side
Days and nights were never at peace
Distance cries and pain filled the ears
Marching soldiers all around the corners
Firing and shooting the enemy was their aims
Families were ripped away by war
Thousands helpless and no where to go
But the sounds of war had not stopped
Making every living being fear for life
Through out thirty years of devastating war
Loosing thousands of lives on the far
A little island was pleading for peace
For a peace yet so near but yet far
Finally GOD listened to our prayers
Sending angels from above
Together with their strength and courage
PEACE was the prize we had for all our tears
Three years have passed by in peace
No more shootings, explosions or killings
Remembering the heroes who gave their lives for us
And bowing our heads to all soldiers who fought for us....
Labels: Sajini Chandrasekera
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/27/2011 08:53:00 PM,
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Temples of Katas Raj
In October-November, many Hindu pilgrims (yatrees) come from outside of Pakistan to visit Katas Raj
The mention of Katas Raj, located in the Salt Range 18 miles south of Chakwal, is found in Maha Bharat written in 300 BC. The etymology of this place as narrated in the old edition of Tarikh-i-Jhelum (History of Jhelum) is that according to Brahaman belief, Shiv Devta wept so profusely on the death of his beloved wife Satti that two holy ponds – one at Pushkar of Ajmair and other at Katak Shell – came into being with his tears. In Sanskrit, the word – Katak Shell – means chain of tears which later on was pronounced as ‘Katas’.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and President Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) L.K Advani also visited Katas Raj to inaugurate the conservation work at Satghrah temple some time ago. The photo to the right is from that occasion.According to Gen Cunningham, Katas was considered the second largest holy place in Punjab for Hindu pilgrims after Jawala Mukhi. It is said famous Pando brothers spent 12 years in Katas and built the temples of Satghara. It is said Al-Beruni also spent some time at Katas to learn Sanskrit in a linguistic university which, at that time, was established here. Temples at Katas have been transferred from the federal government to the Punjab Archaeology Department recently.
Katas Raj is also the place where Alberuni attempted to measure the circumference of the Earth, studied Sanskrit and wrote his renowned Kitab-ul-Hind (Book of Hind) which depicted the religion, scientific knowledge, and social customs of Hindus. Paras Nath Jogi drew his last breath on Katas. Jagat Guru Nanak Ji also visited the place on the 1st of Visakh. Katas came to be known as Nanaknawas and was a site of contemplation for many large groups of mystics, ascetics and jogis. According to Hindu beliefs, taking bath in the holy pond at the site washes away all sins and makes man innocent. [Images Hussain Qazi]
Labels: Heritage, Katas, Salt Range
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/27/2011 09:31:00 AM,
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Pak Blogosphere - Top Blogs - 2011
Monday, 26 December 2011
From the technical to the political, the eye-opening to the jaw-dropping, Light Within has been making its annual picks of the Pakistnai blogs we can't live without since 2006. Once again it is time of the year when we have a closer look at the ever expanding Pakistan Blogosphere. Previous years’ best of Pakistan blogsphere:
Pak Blogosphere - Top Ten Blogs - 2009
Pak Blogosphere - Top Ten Blogs - 2008
Pak Blogosphere - Top Ten Blogs - 2007
Pak Blogosphere - Top Ten Blogs - 2006
There was no institution ranking pakistani blog then. In 2010 CIO Pakistan/IDG started the Annual Pakistan Blog Awards highlighting and showcasing entities from the new media space who have helped put Pakistan on the global blogosphere and continue to do so. This year again under the world renowned PC World Brand, with Presenter/Lead Partners YouTube/Google, Nokia, and Djuice along side Dell and Intel, they brought ehe Second Annual Pakistan Blog Awards with the theme “Colors of Pakistan: Celebrating the New Media Spaces”. It is hoped that this tradition coninues. Given the buzz it has created and the interest shown by the bloggers, IT stars and social media people, I an sure it will.
This year, Light With gladly replicate the winners of Pakistan Blog Awards 2011. And they are sure the top Pakistani Blog by any standard.
Labels: Fine Art of Blogging, Top Bloggers, Top Blogs, Top Ten Blogs
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/26/2011 10:00:00 AM,
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Karachi Chapter 55 PMA get together
Saturday, 24 December 2011
Tariq Mehmood was on a three day visit to Karachi (Dec 21-23, 2011). That made an occasion for a get together of the Karachi Chapter in Creek Club DHA Karachi. Wasif Mehmood, Zaffar Iqbal Durrani, Zahid Khan, Imran Khawaja, Omer Farooq were present with their better halves. It was a very cool evening, one of the coldest of the evenings of Karachi, with the Mercury falling to 5 degrees Celsius. But the warm feelings made the atmosphere very cozy [thanks to Zaffar Iqbal Durrani].
Read more »Labels: 55 PMA, Get Together, Men At Their Best
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/24/2011 08:34:00 AM,
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Flood 2010; nothing will make me forget you
Friday, 23 December 2011
Sajini Chandrasekera
Flooding the villages and cities to it's peak
Homes washed away and families torn apart
Death toll raising while thousands were homeless
All the life time belongings were washed away
Leaving rich and poor helpless and in pain
Have faith in your hearts as GOD knows your pain
Have courage to be strong and to raise again
You are not alone in this my dear friends
We all feel your pain and your sufferings
Let us all help you to stand again
And may the traces of pain vanished again
Related at Light Within and at Logic is Variable
Labels: Floods 2010, Sajini Chandrasekera
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/23/2011 12:41:00 PM,
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Dolls have always been there
Thursday, 22 December 2011
Click image for more
Labels: Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/22/2011 10:33:00 PM,
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How messy can be your workstation?
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Contest Factory for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Office is place where people work, create and unleash creative abilities. Incisive observations revel that there are neat and tidy offices as well as ‘office that may have bad furniture, old technology, messy, unorganized, noisy, dirty, dark and or any other attributes that make it a bad space to work in.’ How bad any office space can be? BTW, I have worked for a long time in different offices and am aware how office environments effect the attitude and mood.
Pimp My Cube Contest is aimed to find out and rate the worst, most pathetic and messy cubicle or office. Surprised? Don’t be. I suggest you enter the contest and stand a chance to win grand prize valued at $1200. It is really simple: upload a video showing your work station and explain why it is awful and why it is so important that Contest Factory come in and ‘Pimp’ their cube. Not only that, ask your online friends to vote for your video (you get sweepstakes entry points for registering, voting, commenting and inviting others to register for the contest.)
Best chances to win are for those who are creative and can show funny and witty video and tell the supporting story. By the way, Contest Factory Contest is amazing.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/22/2011 02:00:00 AM,
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End of blog marketing
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Paid posting has been one of the most used income streams by bloggers all over the blogosphere, particularly for small bloggers and one man publishers. There are so many platforms (including IZEA, Sponsored Reviews, Blogvertise, Review Me, Link Worth and many more) that connect advertisers with bloggers. Bloggers review, recommend and endorse products and services and create buzz sending traffic back to advertisers’ sites and giving back links. In return they make some money as a fee for their services. This has been working fine for everyone.
I have been in ‘paid posting’ as a bloggers as well as an advertiser since 2004 using almost all available platforms. Looking back on my accounts sheet, I can say that 2005-2009 was a peak period and yielded highest earning. That is when I skimmed the milk (just bragging). There were fewer bloggers with high page rank and more advertisers seeking reviews and link backs. If my account sheet is any measure, the paid posting started to decline in 2010. Many platforms (including Review Me – once the best service) packed up. The other lowered their rates (IZEA that once offered opportunities for an average of $10 per post is now offering opportunities for 50 cents) and some others (Sponsored Reviews) have stopped accepting new blogs.
I was wondering what could be the reasons for the slow death of paid posting (word of mouth marketing). Is it growth of social media channels (Google Plus Business Pages and Facebook Like Pages or Twitter)?
Is this the end of the paid posting era? What do you think?
Labels: Fine Art of Blogging, Making Money Online
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/21/2011 11:07:00 AM,
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I am a teenagers; look what I do on facebook
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Sajini Chandrasekera
Facebook is a social networkig website intended to connect friends, family, and business associates. It is the largest of the networking sites, with the runner up being MySpace . It began as a college networking website and has expanded to include anyone and everyone. Facebook users create a profile page that shows their friends and networks information about themselves. The choice to include a profile in a network means that everyone withing that network can view the profile. The profile typically includes the following: Information, Status, Friends, Friends in Other Networks, Photos, Notes, Groups, and The Wall. Users are able to search for friends and acquaintances by e-mail address, school, university, or just by typing in a name or location for search. When people become friends, they are able to see all of each others' profiles including contact information. E-mail notifications let users know when new friends have chosen to add them to their list or when someone has sent a message to them within the system.Users of Facebook can share news stories, video, and other files with friends. Most news and video websites have buttons that can be clicked to automatically share the story or video on a feed. The person sharing can make comments about the shared item that their friends will see.There are many potential problems with social networking sites and the teenagers that use them. Social networking online involves using Web sites to share information with others and connect with them by creating a profile that may include a personal Web page and a blog. Social networking sites allow users to add friends, send messages and comment on others' profile pages.MySpace is the most dominant social network among teens, used by most teenagers who use social networks. MySpace allows users almost unlimited flexibility to create and customize their profile pages, and to share their own content or that of others, including music, videos and writing. Many MySpace users register with aliases.The next most popular social networking site among teenagers is Facebook, which is used by quite a large number of teens who use social networks. Facebook, once a closed system limited to school and college communities, has recently become more open. Facebook puts a greater emphasis on actually knowing the people that you connect with. Other social networks used by teenagers include Xanga, Yahoo and Bebo.Facebook can enrich social lives for those separated from family and friends at long distances, bringing them together despite the physical separation. It also can bring people together with varying backgrounds who might never have met and then encourage them to extend experience in to real world.Facebook gives us a global view and access to interact with many persons found in many different countries. Facebook supports interaction in a lot of different ways. You can create and edit your own profile by uploading pictures, writing personal information, updating your status, etc. In addition to this you can use the privacy settings, which means that you can choose who can see what on your profile. You can even decide by whom your profile can be found (by everyone, just friends, just friends of friends, etc.). You can search, find, add, ignore, delete, and block friends whenever you want.
Most teens create at least a basic profile, with their name, age, status, photo and interests, but many go much further. Many teens make regular visits to update their profiles and to visit others' profiles.Communicating with others is a key aspect of using social networks. Teens may post public messages or may use bulletins or private messages to communicate with those on their friends list. Most teens use sites such as MySpace and Facebook to stay in touch with their current friends. However, reports show that most of teenagers also use the sites to make new friends. Teenagers use the sites to make social plans with their friends, and sometimes to flirt. Flirting becomes a serious issue as the teenagers are emotionally taken by the opposite sex. Some times these flirting goes a long way that in the end it create a major catastrophe and some times it brings life time embarrassment or major mental traumas.
Apart from the social benefits, social networking sites can be used to document school research, promote artistic talents and experiment with other forms of content creation. They provide a way to interact with others who share the same interests and to get constructive feedback on ongoing projects.Along with these benefits come some risks. Most social networking sites are open to all, especially MySpace, which means that your teen could be exposed to harassment, bullying or sexual advances. Cyber-bullying and harassment are most often perpetrated by other teens and tend to happen most to older girls and to teens of either gender who have a strong online presence. It may take shape in several forms but the damage it causess will be the same.
Older teens may want a public profile to promote a band or other creative work. In this case, have your child create a second, public profile for the project while still restricting the personal profile to family and close friends. It's best to set up these profiles with a free e-mail from Yahoo or Google using an alias that can't be traced back to find personal information.Encourage your kids to tell you if they're victims of cyber bullying or harassment. Many teens will try to deal with this on their own, which can have disastrous consequences. If your child knows who's behind the harassment, involve the other child's parents or school officials. If it's anonymous, remind your child that it's not personal; some people just think it's fun to say mean things about others. So as parents always we should be responsible for what our children do on line and always keep a close look on their actions on cyber.
Related: Connect and Network - Pakistan’s First International Social Media Summit
Labels: Sajini Chandrasekera, Social Media
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/20/2011 12:08:00 PM,
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What you can do for £5
Friday, 16 December 2011
Readers here and those who are looking to make quick money online (Who is not? LOL), are lready familier with Fiverr - all you can do to make $5?. For the benefit of those who don’t know what Fiverr is, it’s a website that lets you do something, anything for $5. Or take a look and find out what will people do for $5?. Now you have eFiver.co.UK - place to share what you will do for h £5.
eFiver is a platform that matches buyers and sellers (read bloggers and advertisers. Sellers (bloggers) can create a new gig for a service you can offer. Share your gig using our social bookmarking tools. You will be notified when someone orders your gig. After you deliver your work we will credit your account with £4. The “gigs,” all fixed at £5, one goes to the site and you get £4. Withdraw your earnings to your Paypal account.
And advertisers can find a gig you like and place an order. Pay for your gig using Paypal or a credit card. Track the seller's progress, communicate and exchange files. Receive your finished work. You can request fixes from the seller if it is not what you wanted. Provide feedback on the seller and gig. This platform is particularly good for new bloggers, micro bloggers and those who are new on monetizing. Try it.
Labels: Making Money Online
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/16/2011 01:43:00 PM,
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Love, and move on
Love is a beautiful feeling that has touched each and every one of us at some time in our life. The meaning of love varies to each individual, but trust, honesty, respect and understanding is common in any form of love. We as humans experience love at different stages in life. Most of us have experience the teenage love, where we built a cocoon to ponder ourselves with our lover. But as we mature with age we experience love at different level and in a way love also mature with us. With life experience we begin to deepen our understanding with each other, we learn the lesson to be patient and able to tolerate the storms that by pass the relationship. But above all even the strongest relationships fail and the most difficult struggle starts from there. When you think of your past love, you may view it as a failure. But when you find a new love, you view the past as a teacher. In the game of love, it really doesn't matter who won or who lost. What is important is you know when to hold on and when to let go. You know when you really love someone when you want him or her to be happy, even if his or her happiness means that you are not a part of it. Love is a sacrifice and everything happens for the best. If the person you love doesn't love you back, don't be afraid to love someone else again, for you'll never know unless you give it a try. You'll never love a person unless you take the risk for love. Love strives in hurting. If you don't get hurt, you don't learn how to love. Love doesn't hurt all the time, though the hurting is still there to test you and help you grow. Don't try to find love, let love find you. That is why it is called falling in love because you don't force yourself to fall, you just fall. You cannot finish a book without closing its chapters. If you want to go on, then you have to leave the past as you turn the pages. Love is not destroyed by a single failure or won by a single caress. It is a lifetime venture in which we are always learning, discovering and growing. The greatest irony of love is letting go when you need to hold on and holding on when you need to let go. We lose someone we love only when we are destined to find someone else who can love us even more than we can love ourselves. On falling out of love, take some time to heal and then get back on the line. Don't ever make the same mistake of riding the same one that threw you the first time. Love is a risk, but risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is risking nothing. To reach for another is to risk involvement, to expose your feelings is to expose true self; to love is to risk not to be loved in return.
How to define love: fall but do not stumble, be constant but not too persistent, share and never be unfair. Understand and try not to demand, hurt but keep the pain. Love is like a knife. It can stab the heart or it can carve wonderful images into the soul that always last for a lifetime. Love is supposed to be the most wonderful feeling. It should inspire you and give you joy and strength. Sometimes the things that give you joy can also hurt you in the end. Loving people means giving them freedom that they choose to be and where they choose to be. Loving someone means giving them the freedom to find their way, whether it leaves towards you or away from you. Love is a painful risk to take but the risk must be taken no matter how scary or painful, for only then you'll experience the fullness of humanity and that is love. Only love can hurt your heart, fill you with desire or tear you apart. Only love can make you cry and only love knows why. If you are not ready to cry, if you are not ready to take that risk, or feel the pain, then you are not ready to fall in love. There was a time in our lives when we became afraid to fall in love because every time we do, we get hurt. And that's why it is called falling in love. When you decide to love, allow it to grow. When you promise to love, refuse to let it die.
Closure is simply an acceptance that the relationship you once had is now over. You are no longer partners. You are once again two separate individuals who are now free to look for a more compatible partner. Closure requires letting go. Some people take their closure once their ex becomes involved with a new love, some take their closure after a month or two of no contact and no attempted reconciliation occurs, some take their closure when they meet someone new and feel a true interest in moving forward with the new person and some may never let go of the feelings they have .Everyone is different.
It is almost never easy to let go of the past. Often, gathering the courage to move on in your life can be one of the hardest challenges you have ever faced. It is completely natural and the essence of human nature. Getting over someone can sometimes appear to be impossible. It feels really bad when you fall in love with someone you can’t have but it feels even worse when you become sure that this relationship you are in can never work. A look at something mutual will bring in an avalanche of past memories and will take away your peace within a moment. The past may be very destructive. It kills the individual, it kills the present along with the future. It can haunt an individual forever. And if your break up occurred simply because of unfaithfulness of your companion, it'll hurt you a lot more. The memories of time shared will haunt you forever. You will find no simple ways out of this. Some of us will never come out of the grief. For some it may take years or a life time to let go of their past love and move forward.
Be sad as much as you can and feel the hurt the lost love has given you. Feel everything fully, suffer from all the discomfort and attempt to empty out all that's within your heart. This is really painful. But if you need to live again, this is the way out.. Many of us hide our hurt, avoid thinking about the excellent moments shared together and in all possible ways try to be so busy that the feelings do not come out at all. But the feelings are very much there inside consuming away our vitals. These feelings will never enable you to move forward in a constructive way. You will be thinking of your bygone love which will make you mentally unhealthy.
Eliminate everything from the mind along with the heart by reliving. You may no longer feel the hurt and the discomfort with the same intensity, but it will be very challenging to fall in love with another individual once more with the identical intensity and this is reality.
Your loved one that left you has taken away something very crucial from you, your faith in goodness of human beings. But after emptying out totally, you'll at least grow to be a regular individual, who can carry on with life again.
"Moving on doesn’t mean you have to forget what someone once meant to you. Sometimes, it means holding onto the lesson while letting go of the person."
Labels: Relationship, Sajini Chandrasekera
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/16/2011 01:33:00 PM,
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Khate-e-Ra’ana - new calligraphy script
Click the image to read about Khate-e-Ra’ana - calligraphy script invented by Ibn-e-Kaleem
Labels: Art, Calligraphy
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/16/2011 11:26:00 AM,
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Start a blog now
Thursday, 15 December 2011
Blogging is a popular pastime and at the same time a serious profession). Each blogger brings something unique to the web. That could be something as personal as an record of an uneventful life and as rare as specialized knowledge of an esoteric subject and a whole lot in between. It could also be a lifetime of experience that affects the way others sees the world, and how they think about what they see. This is truer for people who take up blogging late in life. They might not have spent decades online to draw on, but old-new bloggers do have maturity, confidence, and perhaps most important of all, the time and patience to learn. “Also they can be expected to bring out good bogs because of their experience and practical observation of the world around.”
I usually surf blogs for and or by senior citizens. I am always impressed by the the wisdom of people over the age of 70. Like many bloggers, senior citizens blog about everything. “Forget shuffleboard, needlepoint, and bingo. Web logs, usually considered the domain of alienated adolescents and home for screeds from middle-aged pundits, are gaining a foothold as a new leisure-time option for senior citizens,” reads a report.
Blurb of another senior bolgger reads, I started on computers in mid-2004, with an old used Dell. Luckily, I survived, and here I am, still at it. Many wonder why - including me sometimes. What else is there when you're 78+ and your git up 'n go all got up 'n went?
In Pakistani context, senior citizens have a tremendous influence over young generation. They can absolutely make a difference in Pakistan’s bottom line. I know many senior citizens have fun using the Internet and they often go to some of the more popular sites. The percentage of people who use the Internet in Pakistan is much higher and increasing with every passing day. May be this is due to interest in age-related topics such as travel, financial concerns, and health care related to them. While it will be interesting study to examine which types of interests (from Email to social networking, photo sharing and looking at current news and weather) senior citizens have and what they are pursuing online, I suggest senior citizens must consider blogging not only as a hobby or a pastime but also as an economic option and start exploring the income power of blogging.
What you think?
Labels: Fine Art of Blogging, Making Money Online
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/15/2011 04:15:00 PM,
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Silent tears of pain
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
Sajini Chandrasekera
Which echoed my mind and ears and hurt me so
Silently I cried in a corner of my worldFelt so helpless but had no way out
Your words hurt the depth of my heart
I told you once and many more times
Not to be so heartless to me
But you never listened, never caredEvery time you said this to me
I dyed thousand times inside
You never saw my tears or my pain
And through the years you enjoyed the run
You accused and cursed me
Never thought that it hurt me so
Every time you haunted me with that word
I have thought am i that a thousand times.
I stood by you every time of life
I devoted my life to you as wife
Gave birth to two sons
All ways did all I can
I must have made mistakes as I am not perfect
But punishing every time for small mistakes was a sin
You kept saying and saying every time
That I am miserable and misery to all
Labels: Poetry, Sajini Chandrasekera
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/14/2011 03:23:00 PM,
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The blogging gurus
Monday, 12 December 2011
Related: Best of Pakistan Blogsphere - Top Ten Blogs – 2010, Fine Art of Blogging
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Labels: Fine Art of Blogging
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/12/2011 09:12:00 PM,
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Snapback hats
Sunday, 11 December 2011
Every youngster (even some elders) wants snapback hats. They some of the most used sports hats that symbolize people engaged in sports and other healthy activities. Given my interest, I was looking for snapback hats when I came upon Premiumsnapbackhats.com and was pleasantly amazed to see the huge collection and wide range. I suggest those who are looking for snapback hats must start at Premiumsnapbackhats.com – leading name that is one-stop shop providing Premium, Authentic Sport Snapback hats. They specialize in all major sports vintage hats and currently have an inventory of over 120 Hats (and adding more hats monthly).
I suggest those who are interested in snapback hats must sign up for their mailing list and stay updated with what is coming next and also about special deals. Explore neatly laid out, uncluttered and resource rich Premiumsnapbackhats.com and see what all is on display. Better still read their blog and learn more about what is on the offer.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/11/2011 05:18:00 PM,
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Road to Rawlakot
Saturday, 10 December 2011
Images by Hussain Qazi
Labels: Images
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/10/2011 10:19:00 AM,
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Every human has rights, celebrate it!
Labels: Human Rights
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/10/2011 09:48:00 AM,
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Results of the Second Annual Pakistan Blog Award 2011
Friday, 9 December 2011
Winners of Pakistan Blog Award 2011 will be announced in Karachi during Gala Award Night on December 23, 2011. CIO Pakistan, IDG, Google Pakistan (and other partners including PC World Brand, YouTube, Nokia, and Djuice alongside Dell and Intel) has started Annual Pakistan Blog Awards that is doing goof to Pakistan blogosphere. Given the importance of local context in cyber space, Blog Award plays an important role to help Pakistan figure out on global level. The Award started in 2011 but it has already become a tradition. This year, for the second Annual Pakistan Blog Awards with the theme “Colors of Pakistan: Celebrating the New Media Spaces” started on November 5, 2011. A lot of online activity (promotion of nominated blogs and voting) was seen through December 5, 2011. Now around 350 published entries are being judged by a panel of experts. Results of Pakistan Blog Award 2011 will be announced in Karachi during Gala Award Night on December 23, 2011. Hoping to be there!
Related: Blog Nominations Page
Labels: Fine Art of Blogging
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/09/2011 01:56:00 PM,
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Meet Thatta Kedona Dolls
Meet Thatta Kedona dolls or see Souvenirs and Toys collection here.
Labels: Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/09/2011 10:41:00 AM,
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Make guaranteed money on every sale
SocialSpark is very transparent and flexible for advertisers can ask bloggers for writing sponsored posts, blog sponsorship and or sparks and make their products and services more visible in the huge World Wide Web. SocialSpark providers exposure to the advertisers in more than one ways. In addition to bloggers taking certain opportunity, all interested bloggers (bloggers are consumers too) open the opportunity and read the requirement, may be comment, before taking it. This is an exposure to the product and service in itself.
Given my interest in paid blogging, I have already joined and have taken some opportunity that I found useful for my readers. Besides some money that I make, the opportunities have given surge to my blog traffic. Now SocialSpark has added 'deals' where bloggers can earn some more money when someone buy from their blogs. And it is very simple: sign up for free, choose the ad size that best suits your blog, add the Javascript code into your blog'stemplate. Once the ad is live, you will see reporting within 24 hours!
I have been in PPC programs and or product reviews but I am offering this deal because those who know the path to their loved ones’ hearts goes through stomach are sure going to print this wonderfull cook book. No?
I have been in PPC programs and or product reviews but I am offering this deal because those who know the path to their loved ones’ hearts goes through stomach are sure going to print this wonderfull cook book. No?
Labels: Making Money Online
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/09/2011 09:26:00 AM,
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A silent cry
Wednesday, 7 December 2011
Sajini Chandrasekera
Everything was perfect and good
With a son and a daughter
Our world was complete
Slowly time passed by
And things began to change
When and where i didn't know
But, danger was knocking my door
It took me a while to realize
That my world has fallen apart
I was alone with my children
While my husband was in another's arms
Things became difficult.
Life became different
I was left with pain and anger
While my children was asking for their father
How to face life I didn’t know
Felt helpless and lifeless too.
But, I had to stand strong for my children
Which I did with mighty and grace
Every one stood with me at this hard time
And I say a heartfull thank you to them all
Very slowly I picked up my life together
As a mother, as daughter I had won the world together
Labels: Poetry, Sajini Chandrasekera
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/07/2011 04:47:00 PM,
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History of Karbala
Sunday, 4 December 2011
Relared: A Probe Into the History of Ashura
Labels: Youm-e-Ashura
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/04/2011 03:51:00 PM,
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Adsense Pakistan
Things are changing now. Online population is getting wiser (read skillful) and market too is maturing. Similarly Google keeps making changes making it difficult for anyone to have a free ride (creating a blog and putting a few articles from here and there and making efforts to earn an extra buck whatever way it is possible).
In local context, it is wrongly presumed that Google AdSense is a passive program therefore you don’t have to do really much to make money. That is one of the reasons that I see people spending time and efforts to make money without learning about the program or even reading their terms o service. They are happy making whatever they can till the time Google catches up with them.
I have been using Google AdSense since it was first launched and made available in Pakistan. AdSense is not m main stream of earning (I use other programs too) but it keeps me going and I like having Google Ads on my blog that when there were no blogs around. Here is what I have use of Google AdSense has taught me over time.
You need to have minimum 1000 unique visitors to your site to make for a check every month. If you are having around 300 daily visitors on your good blog, you might take something like 8-10 month (time may vary) to make that $100 required for payout. BTW, Web users are going ad blind with every passing day. They really don’t see the ads some time.
Here is Pakistan we have lack of local content online in all formats (text, audio, video). Also there are not enough local businesses that are using Google AdWords. Result: the ad appearing along the local articles may be really out of context and the readers, who see the ads, may not be interested in exploring them.
Similarly, plagiarism, replicating content and other unethical practices land AdSense users in troubled waters and they get their accounts banned. Yes, Google commit mistakes (AdSense account of one reputed daily newspaper too has been banned during this recent exercise by Google that is targeting Pakistan based accounts) as well and there are some flaws in their scrutiny but they are (Google) machines are mostly right. And there is no way out.
Given my experience, I recommend that build an informed blog, let it grow naturally, and don’t hurry. Use Google AdSense and also explore other schemes of making money online. In case your AdSense account is banned for some reason, don’t panic. There is no shortcut to good practices.
Labels: Making Money Online
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/04/2011 02:23:00 PM,
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ISAF Aggression Against Pakistan
Saturday, 3 December 2011
General Mirza Aslam Beg
On the night 25/26 November, the American and NATO aircrafts and gunships attacked the two Pakistani border posts in Salala area of Mehmand Agency and killed twenty eight Pakistani soldiers, including two officers – a blatant violation of Pakistan’s territorial sovereignty and the terms of cooperation, with the International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF). In fact, this incident is part of a conspiracy, against Pakistan, growing from frustration of the ISAF, who having lost the war, have begun to leave from Afghanistan without guarantee for a safe exit. Salala incident explains their desperation and the sinister design.
The Pakistani troops operating in Salala area, on the night 25/26 Nov, had trapped the Tehrik-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan (TPP) militants, about fifty strong, belonging to Waliur Rahman/Fazalullah group, engaged in anti-Pakistan activities. The militants gave the SOS to ISAF and NATO and American air crafts and gunships rushed, to rescue the trapped militants. The two Pakistani posts, which came under intense fire. The Pakistani officer commanding the posts, immediately contacted the ISAF and warned them that, it were the Pakistani posts, under attack, and fire must stop, but the message was ignored and the attack continued for over two hours, till the militants were rescued to the safety of Afghan territory. This brutal act of the ISAF was not the only incident, because earlier on our border posts had been attacked by the militants, supported by ISAF, killing many of our troops. This was the third time that ISAF violated Pakistan’s territory. Last year in September 2010 a similar incident had occurred on our border, killing a number of our soldiers. The second time, they intruded deep inside Pakistan, to kill Osama near Abbottabad and got away with it.
A few months back, in a meeting of senior officers in GHQ, I had warned that ISAF would ‘again test our nerves’ and we better be prepared to retaliate against such intrusions, and recommended that they should have a look at the “Selective Punishment Concept” of 10 Corps, implemented by Major General Safdar, SJ, GOC 12 Division in 1990, who silenced the Indian guns along the Line of Control, through bold and “prompt retaliatory actions.” But in this case, at Salala, such a ‘prompt retaliatory action’ could not be taken, therefore, we now have to consider choosing the next best option to ensure that such incidents do not occur again.
A retaliatory action, ‘to draw blood for blood’, is the best option, but the enemy is on high alert now. ‘Retorsion’ would be the next best policy i.e., “to return upon the assailants with sharp punitive moves.” In this regard some of the actions have already been initiated by the government such as: rejection of the expression of regrets; the ISAF supplies through Pakistan have been stopped; no more drone attacks; Shamsi Air Base to be vacated; Pakistan not to participate in the Bonn Conference on 5 December; cancellation of all visits, tours, sports events etc involving USA and EU; diplomatic engagement with friendly countries to solicit support; no more business as usual and the need to re-evaluate ties with USA. Since the occupation forces are operating under the UN mandate, therefore, Pakistan has taken-up the matter with the UN to investigate and punish the perpetrators of this crime.
Despite ten years long struggle by the occupation forces, they find themselves, trapped in a ‘nut-cracker situation’ of having lost the war, and unable to retain control over Afghanistan, with no guarantee for a safe exit. And yet ISAF want to have their way, forcing Pakistan to eliminate the support bases of the Taliban on Pakistan territory and force Mullah Umar to negotiate peace, “on the loosers (ISAF) terms.” This illogical demand is not achievable either, therefore, the ISAF may decide to leave Afghanistan in a state of panic. In 1990 the Americans induced a civil war, which led to the rise of the Taliban, who were attacked in 2001 and the country was occupied on the flimsy charge of sheltering Osama and his gang of Al-Qaeda. Afghanistan, once again will be in a state of turmoil, with no peace in the region.
The Salala incident has provided the opportunity to correct the course of Pak-US relations and indemnify the past losses. Pakistan’s priority therefore could be:
- Re-evaluate ties with USA and establish relations based on equality and mutual respect.
- USA must not be allowed to establish Indian hegemony over Pakistan and Afghanistan, because that would amount to changing the geo-historical reality, confirmed by Quaid-e-Azam, to guard Pakistan’s security interests.
- Pakistan must bring to an end the running battle with its own tribals and establish peace on the borders and eliminate the ingress made in these areas, by foreign agencies.
- The ISAF is likely to leave Afghanistan in a state of disorder. It is therefore our bounded responsibility to help our brotherly neighbor, to eliminate the traces of deceit, intrigues and divisions created during the last thirty years of foreign occupation.
- In 2001, we joined ISAF, in their war against Afghanistan and committed the greatest sin. We must correct this mistake, by establishing our relations with the people of Afghanistan and engage with them whole-heartedly to rebuild the country and its traditional way of life.
Pakistan is passing through very difficult times, which demand the best, from the nation. The nation will not be wanting in resilience and response, to face these challenges. Pakistani nation’s geo-historical heritage is drawn from the Indus Civilization, and also imbibes the élan and ethos of the great civilizations with whom it shares the borders. Let nobody take Pakistan lightly and let there be no doubt in any body’s mind that out of such depths of sorrow and sacrifice, Pakistan will rise into a vibrant and progressive country, to claim its rightful place in the comity of nations. [Thanks to Col Munir Ahmed]
Labels: Men At Their Best
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/03/2011 08:40:00 PM,
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Distant love
Sajini Chandrasekera
Long distances relationships are more common these days as the internet bring people from all over the world together, despite their age, religion, and race. Being involved in a long distance relationship is difficult and confusing to most people. To my knowledge all relationships need efforts, but long distance relationships take an extra mile. Most people cannot work out these kinds of relationship as communicating, compromising and understanding are the stronger pillars of a long distance relationship. Truth is that relationships don't depend on distance but on the love that both parties have.Long distance relationships involve two partners who share interest in each others’ lives, care for each other, stand with each other during hard times, and most importantly love each other without demands. Also these relationships require a very deep understanding and willingness to go beyond the boundaries. Constant communication is very essential is a long distance relationship. If the communication fail between the two partners it can easily fail the affair. Understanding your spouse is to spend time together. You may have your own schedule, but you should find some time to work on your relationship. Share your likes and dislikes and spend quality time together. The amount of time you are together is not important, but the way you spend the time is important.
As the technology is at its best; Skype makes any long distance relationship work better than ever before. If the partners could spend some time each day with each other over Skype or phone it will make the relationship stronger, knowing that your partner across the seas is thinking of you and missing you. It's a beautiful feeling and everyone loves it. Love needs communication to grow. Unless both of you put in the effort to communicate each other’s feelings and talk about goals and aspirations, you’d start to see that both of you are moving away in different directions. And at times, both of you may end up becoming incompatible partners even if both of you were deeply in love with each other.
People involved in these kinds of relationship must be committed to communicate, as this will be a very powerful tool to keep the bond strong and feeling alive. Always be ready to support the emotional needs of your spouse. Your partner will realize you as the best mate if you offer support during the hard times. Everyone has problems and the basic expectation for a spouse is emotional support. Men need somebody to advice them and stay calm when they are emotional. Women want their partner to cuddle them when they are depressed. Never hurt your spouse when he is emotionally down. Trust plays a vital role in these kinds of relationships. Both must be faithful to each other, as maintaining a relationship from afar is a very tedious to say the least. Without trust and honesty like any other relationship, this is also in danger. Partners in long distance relationships don't have the privilege of seeing each other, but basically have to trust what each other say while communicating.
Discuss issues whenever they arise. Privacy is important for any individual but don't hide truths from your spouse. Unresolved issues will always pop up later and create troubles. Rather than yelling at each other, sit together and tackle the issue. Forgive and forget the differences of opinions. You want to know the cause of the issue and not the person behind the cause.
There are times you feel lonely or longed for a touch, as these feelings has to be controlled but the bond endures. Most people take love and relationships for granted. But in reality, relationships do need commitment and a bit of work. Most of the time, chemistry in love and understanding makes things in love seem easier and happier. No matter where you are, over oceans or miles apart the only the most powerful bond to keep two lovers close in a long distance relationship is, well, LOVE.
Read more »Labels: Relationship, Sajini Chandrasekera
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/03/2011 11:17:00 AM,
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Next War – Iran
Friday, 2 December 2011
Nadir Mir
The Geopolitics of the times may indicate that the next war is Iran. Although Pakistan being an established nuclear power would logically be higher on the scales of denuking agenda for so called globalists. Still Geopolitical logic dictates otherwise.
In Iran’s case, the American agenda is to prevent it from going nuclear. (Something which Pakistan achieved over quarter of a century ago – Enriched Uranium) The recent IAEA accusative report, Israel’s brinkmanship (you do it or we do it), American election fervour (attacking Iran is an election issue for 2012, at least for Mitt Romney Republican Presidential candidate), conservative Arab animosity for Revolutionary Iran (in future nuclear armed), Iran’s energy linkage to Russia – China, Iran’s defiance of USA plus western world, and finally the fear or perception of Tehran crossing the nuclear Rubicon combine for ‘Strike on Iran’.
The most likely version is an air and missile strikes or campaign (depending how the war progresses). Still a limited invasion cannot be ruled out (US has freed most of its forces from Iraq for the purpose).
PM Benjamin Netanyahu, National security advisor Uzi Arad and Defence Minister Ehud Barak plus numerous Israeli leaders of late are cajoling for a strike on Iran. American friends have joined the Iran demonization campaign. For nearly a decade, this crying wolf – Iran going nuclear – or need to strike has been going on. This time it looks for real. The problem is both Israel and Iran are supremely confident and itching to fight.
In one scenario, Israeli air force (100 F15E, F16IS, F16cs), plus land based missiles (jhericos) and two Dolphin submarines (firing cruise missiles) off Iran’s coast initiate the first blow. This may be a one – two blow i.e., missile strikes preceding or following the air strikes. Destroying as much as possible of Iranian nuclear projects (Natanz, Esfahan, Busher etc) with bombs and missiles. Tehran’s retaliation with missiles plus Hezbollah, Hamas rockets are absorbed by Israel. Threatening to up the ante (Nuke Iran) Tel Aviv (evoking paranoia of a Second Holocaust) drags USA into the war, to use its larger military muscle. The Iranians fight back (Iran will respond with full force has already been said by Ayatollah Ali Khameni). Though the high intensity war may fizzle out in weeks or months, a low intensity war may continue for years. The Arab – Islamic world would be inflamed, the western world divided. War drags on – at least the asymmetrical part is protracted.
‘The Point of No Return’ an article by the Atlantic makes clear the high probability of war with Iran. The Israelis are evasive on even if they would inform Washington about such a strike. An Israeli strike appears imminent now or in spring 2012 (winter is not considered ideal for such operations).
In fact the initial strategic moves have been initiated on the Middle East Geopolitical Chessboard. NATO is planning to intervene to achieve regime change in Syria. This is aimed at depriving Iran of its chief ally Syria and somewhat suffocating the Geopolitical space available to Hezbollah and Hamas. After Syria and Iran’s (claimed by US / NATO) isolation, the stage will be set for war on Iran initiated by Israel, US or jointly. Tehran’s revolutionary fervour which engulfed the British Embassy and reports of Libyan (NATO trained) fighters being shipped to fight against the Damascus Regime and a lot more are indicators of the gathering Great Storm.
Despite an election year if USA strikes Iran, it would obviously be a heavier punch than Israel. More so, it may not be limited to Iran’s nuclear establishment, but also aim at the Revolutionary Guards, military industrial – economic complex, ports, and communication infrastructure. In essence ‘Cave Age or Scorched Earth’. According to David Rothkopf (author of Super Class), it would be folly to assume President Obama cannot strike Iran due to an election year. By the same token, many Americans and Europeans are against an attack on Iran.
The British are unsure, the French hesitant, Germans Anti aggression, the Russians (Putin led) against an attack, the Chinese peace loving, even India and Pakistan may have similar views – (no attack on Iran). The world yearns for peace, but the Israeli leaders are preparing (even if the Israeli nation is divided on the issue). Good Americans want jobs at home not conflict abroad – but the war lobby wants war.
Attack on Iran plans have been on hold since President Bush era. Now in 2012, US Presidential campaign ‘most Republican Candidates’ except Ron Paul are for ‘bombing Iran’.
Interestingly America’s ex defenders Mr. Robert Gates, Admiral Mike Mullen, General Zinni etc have serious reservations on the ‘Persian Misadventure’. Even the present Defence Secretary Panetta (despite europhia of Bin Laden killing)’warned of unintended consequences!
Even more ironically the Israeli nation is divided by half on the subject. (After all the expected Iranian riposte of missiles, rockets and asymmetrical attacks is going to first of all target Israel). As a smart Israeli went to the extent of saying that if America was so worried about a ‘Second Holocaust’ it might fight Iran itself (without Israeli involvement). The Israeli Defence Forces even while confident are apprehensive and rightly so!
Still wise people in Europe, America and elsewhere are asking pertinent questions. A single Israeli Air strike will not be sufficient to totally destroy the Iranian nuclear projects, (delay it by 2 to 3 years), what next? If the US does not bomb Iran, what is the war termination strategy? Will it become a regional war by design or default? Will it escalate to nuclear realm?
What will be the impact on the Arab spring and Middle East? (Probably go hyper Anti Israel – Anti American!)
The reality is, there are no good answers. What if radioactivity due to Israel – US bombing reaches Nuclear Armed Pakistan and India? (Of course the Pakistani elite have no time for such issues. They are uninitiated into Pakistani Geopolitical issues, what to ponder about Iran?)
Unfortunately the fact is that an attack on Iran will adversely affect Pakistan in many ways. Pakistan will be surrounded by hostile India, unstable Afghanistan and warring Iran. Radioactivity leaks due to bombing may reach Pakistan! (Even handling Dengue Mosquitoes has been an uphill task). Inflame Shias, bring Iranian refugees, disrupt gas, oil import and bring Pakistan closer to the denuking agenda!
Reportedly the Russian PM Putin when recently briefed on emerging Geopolitics and probability of war told his generals, ‘Prepare for Armageddon’!
Putin – a great visionary leader is absolutely right. US – NATO attack on Iran would unleash ‘the hounds of hell’ not only for the victim state but the region around, the world at large and the attackers themselves!
The only viable solution in Global interest is ‘Geopolitics of Peace’. A comprehensive peace settlement from Mediterranean Sea to the Gulf to include Israel – Palestine, Israel – Iran issues. Plus pull out of all foreign troops from Afghanistan and Iraq. The need for denuking wars would stand obviated. The specter of hell on earth (for everybody) exorcised!
Brig (retd) Nadir Mir is author of the book “Gwadar on the Global Chessboard." He writes on Geopolitics at Light Within.
Labels: Geopolitics
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/02/2011 03:33:00 PM,
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Options to make money online in Pakistan
One can’t move much without coming across successful examples of making money online, and claims like how it is easy and how everyone can make money online. After having experienced with some of the more obvious ways to skim the milk from still new models of income in local context, the best I can say is this; "Making money online is not easy, nor it is for everyone."Yes, many people are successfully making money by blogging. If they can why not “me”, anyone may ask. So let us see who are making reasonable money by blogging. I find "they" are geeks, nerds, techies with good knowledge of computers (html and coding) or are heavily staffed organizations. They have over saturated the niches for computers, gadgets, photography, graphic designs and the like. You need to compete with them? If not, then find out what you like and are good at. The most surprising thing is that some people wants to make money by blogging but they have not decided what to blog about. I would suggest if you have nothing unique (ok fairly unique) to tell and add value then don’t start. And those who do, may make their first $100 with Google adsense in some nine months or more.
Second, those who have flair for writing and rewiring can make good money with high Google PR blogs by writing reviews of products and services on their blog. Here some blogger would find it difficult to write about subject like mesothelioma lawyers, consolidating loans, refinancing mortgage, tax attorney, ameriquest mortgage or mortgage refinance or about an all inclusive holiday package to a place they have not even heard about.
So what are the options? You can start a blog, be at the top in your field. Rest will follow; honest. There is no other way.
Related: Home I make money by blogging in Pakistan?
Labels: Fine Art of Blogging, Making Money Online
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/02/2011 07:59:00 AM,
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Envy, love, desire, prejudice, self-indulgence or what?
Thursday, 1 December 2011
We, human beings, live in four cells as per empirical observations of one scholar: First are natural restrains. Humans are bounded by natural environment, seasons, atmospheric conditions, other living beings, calamities and every thing else present in the eco system. Second confine to humans is history -- the chronology of the past. It is so very difficult to get rid of the past. Third is society. Humans simply cannot live oblivious of the societal traditions and customs. It is not possible to live alone nor is it workable to violate folks, mores and norms of society while living as its part.And last is own self: Envy, love, anger, joy, desire, sex, prejudice, self-indulgence and fears that compel humans to restrict behind the walls.
How can one throw away all these yokes and truly set free. Science can take control of nature. Understanding of philosophy can free the humans from burdens of what went before. Knowledge of social sciences can steer them safely through the society. But getting away from self is the most daunting of the tasks. For that one needs altruism. And that can only be attained through passion for others. Can you suggest any other way?
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Labels: Life, Light Within
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/01/2011 09:46:00 AM,
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