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Language politics

In 1958 the people of former East Pakistan now independent Bangladesh - protested against Urdu and wanted Bengali to be the 'national language' - perhaps nowhere in the world has ever heard of rioting and demonstrations over the issue of language and nothing else. That is a lot of water under the bridge now - Bangladesh exists, Bengali is the national language, though the truth is everyone prefers to speak Urdu - it is the language of South Asia. There may be a few places where Urdu is not understood or not spoken at a;;. So many people regardless of rank and status would rather speak in Urdu then in Bengali. They all know that language issue was for political reasons and nothing else. The language of the government prior to British rule was Persian - Urdu was the language of the common people. During the British Raj, English was the language of the government, Urdu remained the language of the common people - Urdu did not discriminate between religions, everyone spoke it. Af

An army of ministers

The new selected prime minister by the military has over 32 ministers in his cabinet. A minister for every single task whether it requires a great deal of expertise and or it is downright menial. Ministers get all the privileges which mean they have mansions, ten chauffeur driven cars, free petrol, free electricity, free water, and free gas. It does not matter that the rest of the people in the country are suffering due inflation and paying inflated electricity and telephone bills. The salaries of these ministers will be millions of rupees. 75% of these ministers are retired silly high ranking military officers, during their working years they were completely incompetent and as cabinet ministers they will be much worse, they would be positively rabid – because throughout their working lives they learnt only one thing how to bark orders. The rest of the ministers comprised of former bureaucrats and failed politicians who could never dream of being a cabinet minister. had there been a

Spillover effect

Karachi has been the target of a number of terrorists attacks - there are of several type - there are those amongst religious sects the Shias and the Sunnis, there are factions between both Shia and Sunni groups. They primarily attack eachother's mosques or assassinate eachother's leaders. Then of course there is the international 'War on Terror' - the result is some terrorists slip into the city and try to attack the consulates of the countries forming the coalition forces in Afghanistan or those who are in some way affiliated or sympathetic to the cause. The residences and offices are targetted - but these are scattered all over the city. Immediately after an attack has taken place, then all traffic on that road is stopped indefinitely - causing unnecessary traffic jams elsewhere. Things have come to such a state that many major roads cannot be used and alternative ones have to be used - this is time consuming and extremely irritating. Most Karachites are seeing

Internet surfing doomed

As can be expected from a fanatical regime, which is bent on denying everyone here the least amount of freedom - the Internet like all other media is very closely monitored, filtered and websites which people use to visit on a regular basis are now are blocked - a message called 'time out error 110', which is a way of saying 'don't ever visit this website again'. Instead of lowering charges and providing good services, the state owned telephone company PTCL is making it increasingly impossible to surf the Internet. In a population of 150 million people only 6 per cent people use the Internet - whereas in more properous countries up to 40 per cent of the entire population uses the Internet. Internet access is doomed, because the network of telephone lines does not exist, besides the majority of the people do not know how to use computers leave alone surf the Internet. The use of computers and the surfing of the Internet is a previlege not something which everyo

When Clinton was here

One would have expected - that when former USA president Bill Clinton was here, his 'address to the nation' would have been in a friendlier manner, But such was not the case. Instead the manner he presented himself, on our state-owned TV was no different from any other of the countless tin-pot dictators who have been running our country. Clinton was unsmiling - he looked very stern and he spoke very harshly, which was downright obnoxious. Of course Clinton was not here to win votes, had that been the case, the manner he made his speech would have been much more pleasant, He was thumping the desk whenever he made a point - no one actually remembers all that he had said; the details are fuzzy now. Few things cannot be forgotten he said Pakistan is a pariah nation and needed to be warned of dire consequences. As if the lowest forms of life on the planet is a Pakistani. Clinton instead of presenting a pleasant demeanour and a diplomatic one, he was extremely ferocious and just as

Fake Science: Why there is water on Earth and not on Mars

Millions of years ago a star exploded and it propelled its most distant planet off into space, the planet whom I will call Dharti was ejected from the star system and was wel on its way towards the Solar System. It was a solid planet and not a gas giant, the effect of the star's explosion had caused severe damage to Dharti . In any case as Dharti travelled through the vast emptiness of space, it was a giant amongst errant space objects it was as big as Jupiter and entirely solid. The momentum it had picked up from its own star's explosion did not subside. Finally when Dharti entered the solar system, it did not hit any of the planets although it was several hundred thousand away from them it had incredible gravity, which helped it draw something from each of them. From the gas giants Dharti drew an atmosphere which did not belong to it and from the ringed planets all kinds of junk. Before this planet had arrived Mars was covered in a deep ice, the giant planet had come fairly c

comic books no more

I grew up in a time when there was hardly any TV - leave alone cable TV and of course no Internet what is even worse there not even game consoles. The only way to spend ones time - was to read comic books. But there was some kind hysteria amongst the adults at that time - who were dead against comic books - if any kid was caught reading one - he would be punished or scolded. Exchanging comic books amongst friends and class fellows was done in secret. Everyone waited anxiously for the next edition of some favourite comic book character's comic book to appear. Adults were of the opinion that comic books are going to corrupt and ruin children, divert their attention from their studies and sports. Comic books were fun - it led to reading actual books, improve ones vocabulary. The fantastic stories helped improve ones imagination. Nearly all the adults of today - grew up reading comic books - turned them into profitable business like making extremely successful films about specific co

Depression at parties and other social gatherings

It is the most irritating thing to be invited to a party or to go to a social gathering - there is really nothing to do. Everyone is talking without saying anything - it is pretend talk. No one really listens or cares to listens - they are already so bored by mumbling crowd. Whoever invented parties should have been hanged. Situation 1: You meet someone you know after a very long time, indulge in small talk and then that person spots someone else and walks away halfway between a conversation. Situation 2: You start talking to some one, that person's cell phone rings - instead of paying attention is talking to whoever is at the other end. Situation 3: You are sitting around feeling like a complete idiot, because no one is paying any attention to you, because you have all but given up - trying to go ahead and actually go and talk to anyone because that person is bound to start ignoring in a very quickly. But you are stuck because its late and you are famished and there is not m

Science fantasy: Phoenix a real bird

The Phoenix is the stuff of legend - but imagine if there really was such a colourful bird which was several times bigger than an eagle and it was  only one of its kind - a lonely bird -only one and and seen once in a   lifetime. The story is that It dies in a blaze and is reborn. Such   bird could   actually have existed. This giant bird was alone because it reproduced through parthenogenesis. It several times more powerful than an eagle, it could swoop down and capture large animals scoop them up, smash them on the mountain ledges and then devour them. It would swallow in one large gulp and digest while gliding over the mountains. It flew so high that no arrow could see it. The Phoenix would make its nest on the highest mountains, only mountain climbers would have been able to see it. It was the only bird which needed fire to incubate the single large egg it laid after flying for a hundred years. The egg shell was so thick that the new fully grown Phoenix would not be able to ge

Crooked deals

Our universities produce world class technically qualified people - but the only place they find jobs are abroad. Their knowledge and expertise is not utilised here. Almost everything can be manufactured here, but jobs such people simply do not exist. Those who cannot go abroad end up doing things completely unrelated to their qualifications - it is ridiculous that someone who is qualified to do research for making a life saving medicine, is instead a sales representative of a pharmaceutical company. Investors do not set up automobile factories and hire the countless engineers which are available in the country. There are no local car manufacturers. The stress is on selling imported items - the importers apparently have more influence to scuttle all attempts for local car and motorcycle production. There lots of electronic engineers who can help in the local manufacturing of almost all electronic items like TV, radios and even mobile phones. The Lahore to Islamabad motorway was

Cloning the soul

Scientists have not found the soul, but the day do, I am sure they will try their best to clone it. A man dies i.e. he loses his soul, but if his soul is cloned, the man will no longer be dead because his body will be replaced with a copy of his soul. Of course this soul will be without sin, since it will be stored in a special storage area for the entire time and taken out only when the man has died. If the man is blown to bits his cloned body and his cloned soul will replace him. The cloned body will be constantly be uploaded about the persons experiences and all that he knows. His soul will be pure and he can start over. The previous soul will on the way to wherever heaven and hell are. For a long time containment of souls will be very difficult because they would always escape, but once that problem is solved there would be soul banks just like there are sperm banks. As things will develop, several souls will be able to occupy a single body or several bodies will have copies of the

The blessed and the cursed

The only way to get a really grand job is to be in the right place at the right time. Hardwork, talent, ability and intelligence means nothing. All that you learnt at you university or college is worthless. Consider a man working his butt off for years in a company, suddenly finds out the companies boss has been jailed for not paying taxes. The company winds up and the hardworking man ends on the street. He put in his life in the company – now his pension has gone and he is an old man with no chance getting another job. Lots of people try to be become movie stars end up they are too ugly, their voice is terrible and they just simply stupid – it is all matter of being bad luck. Others regardless of how they look get great part in some movie and end up acting in a film which makes lots of money. A good luck also accounts for the fact that some people can get away with mass murder and never be held accountable for their crimes and some one get just kill one person and be jailed for life

Pakistani English

It has now been over 50 years since the British left our part of the world, their language stayed behind. The Americans and the Australians in the course of time have developed their version of English, the Americans have also changed the spellings and even the pronounciations of many words. So there is no reason why English as it is spoken in the streets be not accepted as the English of our country. Schools teach English - but it is a standard which does not conform to the way the language is actually spoken and written. Latin died as a spoken language because it was too rigid with its rules, only those languages survive which change, adapt and are flexible. The standards of English set in Britain, USA are not the same as those in Pakistan. English can only survive if it adjusts to local conditions. There are so many words and phrases, which would make no sense 'proper English' for instance - "Don't eat my ears" and "Don't eat my brain" these are

Why?

Why cannot my monthly electricity bill not be Rs 6 instead of it being Rs 8000 my telephone bill Rs 2 instead of Rs 3000 and my gas bill 2 paisas instead of Rs 150? Why cannot the air fare to anywhere in the country be Rs 3 instead of beings several thousand as much? Why is there no network of 8 lane motorways connecting every town and city? Why cannot petrol cost 2 paisas per litre? Why cannot I buy a brand new car for Rs 10? Why does it have to cost as much 10 Kgs of gold? Why cannot I hold the hands of my girl friend and not be ogled at hundreds of people? Why are there no discos? Why are there no bars? Why are there no nightclubs/strip clubs? Why are there no casinos? Why are there no massage parlors? Why is trying to commit suicide considered a crime and not a symptom of deep despair? Why is being gay or lesbian treated as a crime? Why is our cinema industry as good as dead? Why is there mass unemployment and extreme poverty? Why do not nude beaches exist here? Why are feudal lord

Unspoken

Burgeoning inflexions to make unrealities seem perfections – semblance of inchoate voices breaking the passions of uncertainty in a void breaking the silence of truth. The beginnings meandering in a violent upsurge of passionate discrimination. Tormented souls clamouring for righteous ire to salve their passionate need for vengeance. Uncertainty fills the minds of men the greed of whom is limitless and the desires abound to ravage the world. Violent moments in everyone’s past remain memories till revenge emerges as a solution. Bright unassembled thoughts – illogical and uncertain to enter the violent field of perpetual life we live in. Somewhere there is a semblance of reality – but who is it knows if it is only a façade. Wordless truth, unspoken ideas flourish in the mind, there is no beginning but no ending. A story with no ending is one chosen if it is enjoyed. But a story with an ending is credible – for all living things are born, they live and they die. How long that life will

The death of trade unions

With the exception of the trade unions of journalists, almost all trade unions have been eliminated, even the trade unions of journalists are ineffective - because the junta's interests are towards supporting the owners of large companies. All labour laws are inconsequential, people get jobs, there is no such thing as an appointment letter which states salaries and benefits. Some people are working but their pay is not assured, they might as well be slaves. The journalists cannot get decent increase in their salaries,because the owners of the publications are not willing to pay them. The maximum a full time working journalist can expect to receive is US$430, but the average is US$150 or less. The owners of publications have started TV and radio stations which cost millions of dollars to set up, but are unwilling to pay journalists nearly US$1000 per month, which is a reasonable amount, considering that everything has become so expensive. The situation is going from bad to wor

Fear of statues

Prominent places in Karachi do not have statues, they have old military equipment of all the forces or rocks facings. Statues are not seen as work of art which should be placed in different places – statues are reviled, because it reminds them of Hinduism, because Hindu deities are depicted in statues. But not every statue is a Hindu deity – it is a work of art and should be appreciated as such. Paintings do not show people, instead of doing that, calligraphy is promoted and presented as art, which is patently absurd. The development of art is stunted because of religious bigotry and prejudice. Some religious fanatics will not pray, if they see a statue is in front of them, assuming that if a statue is in front of them and they pray, then they have made the statue their god – which is ridiculous. If they belief in the omnipresence of God, the statue in front of them is irrelevant and is not transformed into a deity. Religious fanaticism has no limits and apparently has no cure. Pain

TV cable operators dillema

Although cable TV exists in the country, the cable operators are faced with major dillema. On the one hand they have to please their subscribers and give them the channels they want to see on the other they face a stupid oppressive government which imposes penalties on them for showing unacceptable channels. Why does the military interfere in the privacy of the people? What is it trying to prove? Stupid leaders make stupid decisions. The Internet and cable TV should be freed of the junta's control. When this will happen it is impossible to know.

Science fiction - Nonsense devices

In Star Trek - the devices most commonly used are are transporters - fancy names for teleportation devices, then there are replicators - not to be confused with the evil Replicators of Stargate Sg1. These replicators can synthesise complex items such not only food, but only plates, cups and glasses - what if this two devices were combined. - transporters could be used to transport food into our bellies, transport out all body wastes - so you never have to go to the bathroom. Replicators could be used to make weapons of all kinds - doctors do not inject anything in the patient - the ships computer is so smart it can transport out a tumour or replicate the right drug and transport into a patients body - in fact the ships computer will be constantly monitoring the crew's health. Why should robots be four limbed creatures they can be like octopus but with many more arms so that they can each arm can do be doing different things at the same. All space travel shows have these ships bre

A double edged sword

The move to protect the environment is a double edged sword – there is a great deal of stress on health and hygiene but in the process wiping out many living things who benefit us.The aerial spraying of cities –for the purpose of hygiene would wipe out insects and flies indiscriminately, because these pesticides are not specific to particulars insects – it would also kill those insects which do not harm us in any way many of them benefit us. The result is that all the birds and bats might die of starvation in absence of insects or would have to go beyond city limits to have their meal. So the modern concept of hygiene and sanitation – may well doing more harm than good. During fumigation, every single insect is exterminated indiscriminately, even the beautiful butterfly gets caught in the crossfire. What is worse the creature most women hate and fear for no reason at all - the lizard also gets killed. Lizards eat insects on a massive scale. If they are left alone, apart from devouring