Bloggy fusion
Friday, 27 January 2012
Labels: Fine Art of Blogging
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Friday, January 27, 2012,
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Sitaroon Ki Bastiyan
Abbas Khan is a celebrated writer of our time. His other published work includes three novels and seven short story books (Zakham Gawah Hain, Tu Aur Tu and Mein Aur Umrao Jan Ada (novels), Dharti Binam Akash, Tensikh-e-Insan, Qalam, Kursi Aur Wardi, Us Adalat Men, Jism Ka Johar (short story books) and Reza Reza Keenat and Pal Pal (afsancha -- shortest story books) and a philosophical compilation Din Mein Charagh.Living now in serene and rustic environment of Bhakar, Abbas Khan has completed another shortest story book Sitaroon Ki Bastiyan. I have the pleasure to translate the book into English while the Urdu version goes to the press. Stay tuned, I will soon start posting the short stories at Logic is Variable.
Labels: Sitaroon Ki Bastiyan
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Friday, January 27, 2012,
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How bad your workspace can be?
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Contest Factory for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
I have spent most of my life in office. Honest! Not only that, I have had a chance to set up a few from scratch while raising new outfits during my color service. That is why I know a thing or two about offices and office environment and how it helps to unleash creativity and productivity. But Contest Factory Pimp My Cube Contest idea is new and unique for me. They are ‘searching for the worst, most pathetic and messy cubicle or 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.'
Have a look at your own office. Do you qualify to enter? It is simple. Just upload a video showing your work place and describe a bit as to why you think it is ‘horrible’ and yes you can be a little creative as to why Contest Factory should ‘Pimp’ your cube. Then ask your family and friends (what are online communities for?) to vote for your video. See the site for more details. And if you get most votes, best (really worst) video and most compelling story you may be in for a total grand prize value of approximately $1200. You can spend that money to update your office space with one of three prize packages including new high end computer system, new desk, chair and decorations and new entertainment package with high end stereo or espresso machine.
I suggest everyone should enter to win. Hurry because the contest is ending on Jan 31, 2012. It is fun and prize money is not bad either.
I have spent most of my life in office. Honest! Not only that, I have had a chance to set up a few from scratch while raising new outfits during my color service. That is why I know a thing or two about offices and office environment and how it helps to unleash creativity and productivity. But Contest Factory Pimp My Cube Contest idea is new and unique for me. They are ‘searching for the worst, most pathetic and messy cubicle or 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.'
Have a look at your own office. Do you qualify to enter? It is simple. Just upload a video showing your work place and describe a bit as to why you think it is ‘horrible’ and yes you can be a little creative as to why Contest Factory should ‘Pimp’ your cube. Then ask your family and friends (what are online communities for?) to vote for your video. See the site for more details. And if you get most votes, best (really worst) video and most compelling story you may be in for a total grand prize value of approximately $1200. You can spend that money to update your office space with one of three prize packages including new high end computer system, new desk, chair and decorations and new entertainment package with high end stereo or espresso machine.
I suggest everyone should enter to win. Hurry because the contest is ending on Jan 31, 2012. It is fun and prize money is not bad either.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Friday, January 27, 2012,
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Light Within
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
Labels: Books
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Wednesday, January 25, 2012,
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Proud parents at Lahore School convocation 2012
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Read more »
Labels: Lahore School Convovation 2012, Lahore School of Economics
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Tuesday, January 24, 2012,
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The Apricot Road to Yarkand
The Apricot Road to Yarkand
is a spellbinding tale of journey from Shigar Valley to Yarkand in the North, over the glaciated Muztagh Pass by Salman Rashid. The author is master of conveying what seems to be going on in his heads in gripping prose that is never clichéd.
is a spellbinding tale of journey from Shigar Valley to Yarkand in the North, over the glaciated Muztagh Pass by Salman Rashid. The author is master of conveying what seems to be going on in his heads in gripping prose that is never clichéd.
First, a word about the author. Salman Salman is Pakistan's foremost travel writer. His passion for writing is matched by his passion for photography. His research, range of visual subjects and narratives make a remarkable and powerful combination. In addition to eight travel books, his work appears in leading English language journals. In The Apricot Road to Yarkand, Salman Rashid has also told how he switched his career in the army to become a full time researcher and a writer. (I keep thinking how Salman Rashid would have been in 'appreciation of tactical situations' on battle grounds if he was still in army?)
Salman Rashid is a historian in the truest sense. He writes from a knowledge standpoint as opposed to a position biased toward the dominant paradigm and its conquests. A moving writer, Salman reminds the heart of its search for power in a world which has forgotten its purpose for existence. As usual, Salman Rashid, 54 when he undertook the journey, delivers a ton of current information all based on historical research. No one else seems to have half the energy of this man. What is more, Salman Rashid is currently translating the book into Urdu language.
In The Apricot Road to Yarkand, Salman Rashid recounts his journey from Shigar Valley to Yarkand and he does so in frank and honest terms. Result of sixteen years of dreaming about everything that sits on the historic route from Baltistan to Yarkand, The Apricot Road to Yarkand is an epic to the essence of exploring mighty
mountains, but it is also about of the cultural, geological, and biological make up of mountains, people of that area, human behavior in difficult situations, and history; and about joy of watching purple-gray clouds spreading out like an atmospheric ocean in all directions as far as the eye can see.
mountains, but it is also about of the cultural, geological, and biological make up of mountains, people of that area, human behavior in difficult situations, and history; and about joy of watching purple-gray clouds spreading out like an atmospheric ocean in all directions as far as the eye can see.
Alan Hovaness once wrote, "Mountains are symbols of mankind's search for God," and Allen Ginsberg told us, "Things are symbols for themselves." In The Apricot Road to Yarkand, Salman Rashid allows the mountains to be symbols of the seeking soul and at the same time symbols of themselves - they are encountered as we internalize them in our quest, and they are encountered as they really are: cold, hard, lonely, mighty and sometime hazardous.
The Apricot Road to Yarkand inspires its readers to explore the less explored areas and experience for themselves what only a few had the fortune to discover. Well-written and wonderfully presented, the book is a must read for anyone remotely interested in mountains, adventures or for those who want to find out why a chunk of land was handed over to our best friends. I highly recommend it.
Labels: Books, History, Salman Rashid, The Apricot Road to Yarkand, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Tuesday, January 24, 2012,
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Home
Sunday, 22 January 2012
Sajini Chandrasekera
Life is a miracle in this universe
And the engine of life is linkage
Water, air and nature are united
To make a perfect living sculpture
Earth is a miracle, while life remains a mystery
United by customs and rituals hindered down
And great adventure of life on earth
That every living being plays it's role
Humans shape the land with patience and devotion
Energy of sun captured by rays of clouds
Pocket of sunshine chase away the scars of drought
This has become the new magmare of time
The energy puts up a fantastic show
The days seems to be no more than reflection
Nights have turned the city into starry lights
The pieces of stars buried in it's own creation
We haven't understood what nature provides
So enjoy the circle of life that's given to us
Giving birth to sparkle cities and many more
Not understanding that earth cant take it any more
We are destroying a cycle of life that's given to us
We have forgotten that resources are scares
Factory ships emptying the oceans day by day
And once mighty rivers no longer flaws today
Hunger spreading more and more
Effecting all human beings
Population is most catastrophic
Increasing the thirst for energy
Little by little we have upset the earth's balance
Nature is already being disrupted
Our eco systems don't have borders
Every thing has become unstable
Change is ticking in this magnificent landscape
We have created a phenomena where we cannot control
All we have seen is a reflection of human behaviour
We have shape the earth to our image
So look around and see that we have very little time to change
The cost of our action is high above others
Every one pays their price without actively involved
And generations to come will have nothing left to loved
Let us be stronger than the soldiery selfishness
Lets built harmony between humans and nature
Lets be responsible for our every action
Lets care for the riches of our earth......
Labels: Poetry, Sajini Chandrasekera
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Sunday, January 22, 2012,
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Join Prescription Savings Club at Walgreens
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Living is getting costly with each passing day. Everyone needs to cut corners and save where ever it is possible. I was looking for some ways to save on medication (older you get, more medication you need) when I came upon Walgreens – an information and resource rich site - that offers membership for its Prescription Savings Club. Best thing is that they are offering special discount on annual membership.
Prescription Savings Club at Walgreens membership is very comprehensive covers everyone in your immediate family, including a spouse, dependents (22 and younger) and even pets just for $10. Individuals can join Prescription Savings Club for as low as $5. Membership is very affordable and as you can see there are many benefits. I suggest everyone should join and take advantages of what Walgreens is offering.
What are the advantages offers to members? Members can save on more than 8,000 brand-name and all generic medications, discounts on flu shots, pet prescriptions, nebulizers and diabetic supplies and what is more, you get bonuses when you purchase Walgreens brand products and photofinishing services. I suggest you explore the site and see what all is of the offer and how, better still join get the membership to Prescription Savings Club.
I am following Walgreens on Facebook as well as following Walgreens on Twitter. You also follow and stay updated on what is coming new?
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Sunday, January 22, 2012,
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Download my new eBook
Thursday, 19 January 2012
Download Dolls, Toys and More (pdf) here
Related: Thatta Kedona volunteers, Thatta Kedona Dolls, Thatta Kedona Toys, Thatta Kedona Images, Dr. Norbert Pintsch, Dr. Senta Siller, Sale Points
Labels: eBook, In Print, Publications
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Thursday, January 19, 2012,
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How to stay safe online when everyone is going to have a laptop
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Last evening (Jan 12, 2012), on the invitation of Google Country Representative Badar Khushnood, I was with the army of geeks from Lahore including Chief Minister Punjab Shahbas Sharif, Jehan Ara (@P@sha), Umar Saif Usman Latif, Memokh, Saad and many more, in the spanking new Software Technology Park (346-B, Ferozpur Road, Lahore) to learn a thing or two about one of the most critical subjects these days: how to stay safe online.
Government of Punjab (PITB), Google Pakistan and P@sha are doing series of sessions about how to make sure that your online data stay safe while moving around in cyber space. Badar Khushnoon is a man in the real know of the matter and talked about hardware and software security, web security and much more. I thought ‘I know it all’ but to my surprise, there is so much more than normal computer users like me think is enough. Thanks Badar for this very interactive and useful session.
Best thing is that governments are now realizing, though a bit late, the importance of IT and the power of blogging and social media. Shahbaz Sharif, the Chief Minister Punjab (who is personally at Facebook now) was there and he also let us in on his IT vision including how he responds to people on facebook in the wee hours of the morning. Shahbaz Sharif also announced that the Government of Punjab is establishing a world-class IT University in Punjab in partnership with top universities in the world, including Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), USA and Middle-east Technical University (METU), Turkey. The university will be initially housed in the newly built Lahore Technology Park and will later move to a purpose-built campus in knowledge city in the heart of Lahore. This will usher in a new era of IT education, research and development and entrepreneurship in Pakistan.
Shahbaz Sharif also told the audience about his vision of laptop his government is offering to students. That reminded me of two initiatives (one laptop per child and $100 Laptop). What happened to those projects? Some geeks questions about the criteria for giving laptops but I personally strongly recommend laptop schemes. Go ahead Mr. CM, this will help in the long as well as short run.
At the end, Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif also presented shields to Pakistan Blog Award 2011 winners.
Labels: Fine Art of Blogging
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Wednesday, January 18, 2012,
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Celebrating success at Lahore School Convocation
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
Read more »
Labels: Convocation, Lahore School Convovation 2012, Lahore School of Economics
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Tuesday, January 17, 2012,
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Men at Their Best in Karachi
Monday, 16 January 2012
Labels: 55 PMA, Men At Their Best
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Monday, January 16, 2012,
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Dolls of the World
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Labels: Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Wednesday, January 11, 2012,
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New domains
Penetrating new IT domains appeared in Profit, Pakistan Today, Jan 11, 2012 issue.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is about to expand general Top Level Domaown names (gTLDs). The applications have already been invited from January 11, 2012 through April 11, 2012. During the first round, ICANN will accept only 500 applications, while the subsequent rounds will be limited to 400 applications. The gTLDs expansion program has the potential to add countless new names to the existing twenty one available top-level domains (.com, .net, .edu, .biz, .org) and over 100 suffices (.pk - Pakistan, .ly - Libya) by permitting brands, businesses, geographical regions and even individuals to apply for a virtually unlimited list of new gTLDs in different scripts including Arabic. It is expected that the first gTLDs will come online by 2013.
This news has initiated a debate amongst the various stakeholders since May 2008, when ICANN first came up with the idea of expanding gTLDs “to unleash the global human imagination. The decision to expand respects the rights of groups to create new Top Level Domains in any language or script. We hope this allows the domain name system to better serve all of mankind,” says Rod Beckstrom, the CEO ICANN.
Businesses and governments are analyzing the impact of proposed expansion of gTLDs on the internet with caution and concern. The focus for many brand owners has been to argue against the expansion of the name space, or at least to postpone it till the internet really needs such a change and till a more efficient brand right protection system is in place. But ICANN is going ahead with the program. A global awareness campaign to educate the world about the expected changes in the in the cyber space is in the air and will be launched anytime.
The decisions will vary from industry to industry and business to business but one thing is for sure; new gTLDs are not for everyone. The option is costly; $185,000 initial application fee plus $25,000 a year to run the registry. If someone else wants the same domain, bidding will determine the winner. And another fee will crop up when a registry is setting up secondary domains on a top-level domain. One wonders what might be the rationale for the proposed fee structure by ICANN - a nonprofit entity. The price tag alone leaves small and medium sized businesses out of the big name games.
Owning a “.sports” TLD for anyone in the industry manufacturing sports goods sounds like a good idea provided the business can afford outbidding other sports goods manufacturers and the fee. The opening up of new gTLDs is certain to set off a wave of new activities on the internet domain space that could fundamentally change existing practices related to domain name use and search engine optimization, and more broadly impact internet based advertising, promotion and ecommerce. Unless it happens, no one can say how? Big businesses have already started research to judge the impact to their businesses of this impending change, and are reviewing the recently revised and published ICANN draft guidebook closely for insights. Some companies (like Canon) have already announced that they will apply for custom suffixes (.canon).
Biggest advantage to ask for a new gTLD is to have a key generic term in any industry. The new internet domain space may open the potential for new ideas to improve an online presence in the marketplace. It can also open new opportunities for communities, cities and regions who would like to have more powerful presence on the internet.
But who really needs a new gTLD? Analysts say that proposed gTLDs expansion will solve problems that do not exist. The current dot-com structure works fine as it is. The expansion of the gTLDs will only challenge existing online branding and brand protection and marketing strategies at all levels adding more noise. The businesses will feel forced to spend huge sums in fees to ICANN and legal firms in order to reserve names to protect their trademarks from cyber squatters who could use them for spam and criminal activities.
The only winner in this program seems ICANN that will reap millions in fees for domain names that are not needed in the first place and the United States that intends to retain control on the Web's critical naming system.
Labels: Business, Technology
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Wednesday, January 11, 2012,
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Lonely or alone?
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
Sajini Chandrasekera
There is a great difference between being lonely and being alone. Many people are alone and lead happy lives. Everyone experiences loneliness. Some humans are more socially accepted. Some who try to be social remain socially rejected, and some have difficulty even trying. Loneliness should not be equated with a fear of being alone. Everyone has times when they are alone for situational reasons, or because they have chosen to be alone. Being alone can be experienced as positive, pleasurable, and emotionally refreshing if it is under the individuals control. Solitude is the state of being alone and secluded from other people, and often implies having made a conscious choice to be alone. Loneliness is therefore unwilling solitude. Loneliness is an emotional state in which a person experiences a powerful feeling of emptiness and isolation. Loneliness is more than just the feeling of wanting company or wanting to do something with another person. Loneliness is a feeling of being cut off, disconnected, or rejection from other people, so that it feels difficult or even impossible to have any form of meaningful human contact. Lonely people often feel empty or hollow inside.
Being alone and lonely, and even just the fear of being alone, make many people insecure, anxious and depressed. If you fear being alone you may become over needy of other people and feel as if you must be around people at all times. While we all, to varying degrees, need people in our life, if you feel you must have people around all the time then this need is controlling you. What is meant by "being alone" means different things to different people. It is critical to evaluate what makes up your fear and to what degree this fear controls you and your behavior. For example, it is important to note if there are any social elements to the fear, is the fear related to personal violence concerns, and is the focus on one particular person or type of person rather than on the need to have another human being in close proximity.
Many elderly people have developed traits or habits that help them be comfortable with themselves alone. They have found ways to keep busy mentally. Many rely on good memories of a deceased spouse for comfort while relishing the peace and quiet of a household void of too much activity. They have reached the point where their status quot is calmness. The young, however, are subject to a wide range of moods. They may be up one morning and down that evening or up and down several times in a given day. They are often bored and restless to the point of being unhappy for no clear reason. When they are not sought after and included in all activities of their peers, their self-esteem takes a hit.When they are lonely, they blame themselves and resort to activities that exclude social contact or productivity, such as watching too much television.Being alone can have its advantages. The creative person craves time alone. Any professional who takes a sabbatical and spends some time alone returns refreshed mentally and spiritually.
What causes of loneliness and a fear of being alone? People can experience loneliness for many reasons, and many life events are related to loneliness. Loneliness is a very common response to divorce or the breakup/loss of any important long-term relationship. In these cases it may stem both from the loss of a specific person, as well as from the withdrawal from social circles caused by the event or the associated sadness.Loneliness can be a response to a specific situation or event, such as the death or extended absence of a loved one. Loneliness may also occur after the birth of a child, after marriage or after any minor or major life event. Loneliness can occur in marriages or similar close relationships where there is anger/resentment or a lack of "loving" communication. The fear of being alone can be caused by by many different things. Maybe you were, or felt, abandoned at some time in life and came to associate being alone with being unloved or neglected.
A fear of being alone can be directly related to lack of self-confidence and to the belief that activities cannot be enjoyed or even attempted if you are alone. Or maybe you just never learned to be comfortable while alone. Like anything in life, what has been learned can be altered. You can learn to be better at being alone without being lonely so that you have the choice of whether to be with others or not. And when you overcome the fear of being alone, you instantly become more independent and confident as a result. In fact, there are many advantages to overcoming fear of loneliness. When you are alone you have time to think calmly and there is a special kind of peace you can experience only when alone. Time spent alone sometimes can also make time spent with others even more enjoyable. Remember that being alone doesn't have to mean being lonely.
Previous: Celebrating Culture
Labels: Sajini Chandrasekera
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Tuesday, January 10, 2012,
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Hit the emotional cord
Posts that come from heart and speak personal truth and experience are the best. "Hit an emotional cord, 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. Social media 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?
Labels: Fine Art of Blogging
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Tuesday, January 10, 2012,
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Omelet Recipe'
Monday, 9 January 2012
Owais Mughal
We proudly own a copy of Hafeez Inayatullah's famous book 'khaana pakaana' (cooking meals). At first we thought the book was written by a male author named Mr Hafeez who was breaking grounds in the field of culinary arts, but after reading the preface it dawned on us that author is infact a lady. She wrote the word 'raqma'(female writer) before her name and thats how we came to know that author is actually Ms Hafeez.
The book itself is great. It is an encyclopedia of recipes. There are 19 recipes of cooking chicken, 17 for rice dishes, 33 for 'qeema' (minced meat), 31 for regular meat, 26 for fish and the list goes on and on.
After the first edition of the book was published, a dejected single male complained to Ms Hafeez that her book doesn't tell him how to cook eggs. Ms Hafeez immediately paid heed to this important need of single population of the country and 2nd edition of the book now contains 11 priceless recipes on how to cook eggs. Below is an excerpt from the preface where Ms Hafeez explains the reasons of including egg recipes.
(1) Simple Omelet Number One:
We proudly own a copy of Hafeez Inayatullah's famous book 'khaana pakaana' (cooking meals). At first we thought the book was written by a male author named Mr Hafeez who was breaking grounds in the field of culinary arts, but after reading the preface it dawned on us that author is infact a lady. She wrote the word 'raqma'(female writer) before her name and thats how we came to know that author is actually Ms Hafeez.
The book itself is great. It is an encyclopedia of recipes. There are 19 recipes of cooking chicken, 17 for rice dishes, 33 for 'qeema' (minced meat), 31 for regular meat, 26 for fish and the list goes on and on.
After the first edition of the book was published, a dejected single male complained to Ms Hafeez that her book doesn't tell him how to cook eggs. Ms Hafeez immediately paid heed to this important need of single population of the country and 2nd edition of the book now contains 11 priceless recipes on how to cook eggs. Below is an excerpt from the preface where Ms Hafeez explains the reasons of including egg recipes.
(1) Simple Omelet Number One: To conserve space and to keep our readership's suspense intact I'll share with you only 2 out of 11 egg recipes. First one is titled: 'Simple Omelet Number One'. Points to be noted are underlined in Urdu text below. Ingredients include 2 big spoons full of oil besides the two eggs needed for the omelet. To beat the egg into omelet, author is instructing us to use a fork instead of a spoon. She has also used a word 'kaR-kaR-aayeN' which I've never heard in Urdu before. It means the oil needs to be heated until it starts sounding like 'kaR kaR aayeN aayeN' or just 'kaR kaR kaR kaR'. This is such a phoenitc invention of a word that I must say this book not only caters to ones stomach needs but also to linguistic thirst.
In the last line author gives us a choice to make this omelet in the shape of a fish by flip-flopping it continuously. Now this must be something special. I've never eaten an omelet shaped like a fish before. Enjoy :)(2) Omelet Number Three:
The recipe' below is titled as 'Omelet Number Three'. Ingredients include a little bit of Soda, besides the 4 eggs needed for this type of omelet i.e. the Omelet number three.
Under recipe' instructions, the author asks us to 'Open the eggs'. Don't break them ok. Just carefully open them. Drain the egg white into a plate but make sure to keep the yolk inside the opened eggs. Now beat the egg-white so much that it turns into an unsettling foam. Make sure the foam is permanent and does not settle down. It should retain its foam texture even after the beating is stopped. Now add Soda (the one that is suitable to eat. none other please) to it and blah blah blah. The word 'kaR-kaR-aayeN' is used in this recipe' also.
The last couple of lines instruct us to try to make this omelet round as a ball and use low heat. As the heat will start going into the egg it will start getting rounder and rounder. If you want you can make 2 separate round omeletes by repeating the same recipe' 2 times. The last line reads that the resulting omelet will look very beautiful. Enjoy :)Please feel free to share with us anyother great egg recipes that you may know. The End
Labels: Food
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Monday, January 09, 2012,
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Google PageRank 2012
Sunday, 8 January 2012
No one is sure but the most likely dates for Google PageRank Updates for year 2012 are:
First Google PageRank 2012 Update: 30 Jan, 2012 – 2 Feb, 2012
Second Google PageRank 2012 Update: 30 Jun – 2 July, 2012
Third Google PageRank 2012 Update: 30 Sep – 2 Oct, 2012
Fourth Google PageRank 2012 Update: 31 Dec – 3 Jan 2012
There may be some smaller PR updates in between.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Sunday, January 08, 2012,
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Hajj and Eid Greetings to All
Adil Najam
Congratulations for the over 2 million Muslims - including the nearly 200,000 Pakistanis - who performed Hajj yesterday.
To me, the Hajj is an amazing and powerful symbol of equality and unity in a world distraught with frictions and factions.
It is not just a symbol of 'Muslim brotherhood' but of human oneness. It is not simply a connection - in its rituals and its meanings - amongst the Abrahamic faiths; it is also a spiritually moving and visually powerful symbol of the unity of all humankind. There are those who wish to reduce the meaning of the message to merely one religion, or even one sect. I, at least, have always found it a more universal message and moved by the symbolism of unity and harmony of all.
On this day, even as one reads comments on blogs such as this, reads the newspaper, or simply tunes into television news, one finds conversations that highlight differences: between rich and poor, East and West, 'gooras' and 'kaalas', between shias and sunnis, between ethnicities, between sects, between races, between political parties, between 'liberals' and 'mullahs', between 'us' and 'them'.
It seems that everywhere and always we are not just divided but we take pride in our divisions. Our language, our vocabulary, our thought processes are geared to highlight our differences with others. We take a perverse pride in these differences, whether we consider ourselves to be 'superior' to others or we believe ourselves to be victims of differentiation.
Today, as I see pictures of Hajj I am moved - as I always am - by the sea of humanity and the oneness of that humanity. Today, on what is Eid day for me here in Boston, I pray that the message we take is one of humility; that the feeling we have are of universal humanity and fraternity, and the vows we make are of peace and goodwill for all and everywhere.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Sunday, January 08, 2012,
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Wheels of Empire
Thursday, 5 January 2012
Salman Rashid is clearly Pakistan’s most notable and erudite travel writer. His work is informed not only by deep insight but an even deeper love of his subject. A signature Salman piece welds impressive knowledge of geography, history, ethnography and ingenious and tradition with a writing style that quivers with life.
Salman Rashid is also an accomplished lensman with a sensitive eye for landscape photography that further enriches his travelogues.
Labels: Book of Days, Books, Salman Rashid, Wheels of Empire
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Thursday, January 05, 2012,
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‘Blogocracy’: Tri-city UnConference Lahore Camp
Pakistan blogosphere is growing fast. Thanks to the Second the Annual Pakistan Blog Awards and the series of tri-city UnConferences aimed to bring leadership to Pakistan’s New Media voices that the awareness is also growing. Pakistani bloggers now have a very loud voice in this din. Latest, presentation of awards and UnConference session (last of the series ths year) held in Lahore on Jan 4, 2012 in FAST is a testimony to how blogs have become mainstream. In the UnConference, the group of able panelists, who seemed to be in know if the new opportunities being presented by social media - highlighted the role of blogs in all fields of human activities while most of the audience live streamed every thing discussed there. Here are my suggestions for effective and intelligent blogocracy (read democracy) in a very local context:
Labels: Fine Art of Blogging
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Thursday, January 05, 2012,
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About
Sunday, 1 January 2012
About
S A J Shirazi
Okay, now that we've gotten that referring-to-myself-in-the-third-person part out of the way, here's the more human, less quantifiable description. I am trying to make sense of blogging and other, still new, forms of social media [Facebook, Twitter and more]. I'm always looking for friends. You can always contact me at sajshirazi@gmail.com. I also blog at Doodh Patti and Logic is Variable.
Updates: No, I am not trying to change the world. I am only changing myself!
Follow Light Within on Facebook, follow me on Twitter for much more.
Labels: About, S A J Shirazi
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Sunday, January 01, 2012,
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