Cars of the Future

Check out the wonderful realm of the future of cars, where the possibilities are endless and anything is possible. From air-powered to battery operated cars, cars have come a long way since their invention in the late 1700's. Inventors then dreamed of a "horseless carriage", a vehicle that could travel under its own power. The cars in 1700 were but mere steam-propelled road vehicles, and were extremely unreliable - they made noise, destroyed roads and even exploded in your face (Ford). Since then cars have made much progress and now we travel in air-conditioned sedans fitted with gadgets and gizmos like car radios, cigarette lighters and such. Cars today are not just a mode of transport, but also a luxury item, one to be ridden in comfort, and style.

Also check out these videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssOqBp7YA1k&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiwtpZAN5Zs&feature=related

Express Tribune Launched

The Express Tribune by the Express Media Group was launched in Karachi, Pakistan on Monday, April 12th 2010. The Express Tribune is the first internationally affiliated newspaper in Pakistan. It is a new English language daily newspaper which covers a variety of topics ranging from politics to the economy, foreign policy to investment and sports to culture. The paper's motto is to deliver news that is both informative and insightful. The Express Tribune is part of the Express Media Group’s other flagship media brands which include, the Daily Express Express News, and Express 24/7, Pakistan’s only 24-hour English language news channel. Reader's from my journalism class critically analysed the paper and appreciated the printed version of the newspaper. In sight, it is quite graceful and elegant. However, the content and cost (Rs. 25 each)showed that it was directed to the upper elite class.

Vandalism or Art?

"An Israeli girl looks at a graffiti artist spray-painting a bomb shelter in the southern Israeli town of Sderot, neighbouring the Gaza Strip. A group of foreign urban artists are in Israel decorating bomb shelters in Sderot, a town frequently targeted by home-made rockets from the neighbouring Gaza Strip."

"Details of graffiti spray-painted on a wall in Kabul. On walls around Afghanistan's scrappy capital, where million-dollar mansions line rutted, unmade roads, anonymous grafitti artists are daubing their disapproving take on the devastating cost of war."

"Pedestrians walk past street art in Hosier Lane that contained a street art stencil by British graffiti artist Bansky in central Melbourne."

"Ultra orthodox Jews look at Spanish graffiti artists working on a large spray painted portrait of the Lubavitcher Rabbi, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, (1902-1994), known for his follower as the “Messiah”, on the outside of a bomb shelter of Chabad Center in the southern Israeli town of Sderot, neighbouring the Gaza Strip."

"A pedestrian stands near street art in Hosier Lane that contained a street art stencil by British graffiti artist Bansky in central Melbourne. An Australian council is rueing a decision to send street cleaners into the Melbourne lane after they painted over a priceless stencil of a rat by the celebrated graffiti artist Banksy."






Photos by AFP and Reuters.

Menacing Mascots

Did you ever look at your team's mascot and wonder who was inside? Or punch a giant Mickey Mouse or Barney in the stomach and run away? Mascot's are meant to be abused and ridiculed. For example, imagine a lion mascot that represents a school's hockey team. They consider the lion a valuable team supporter. The lion is supposed to encourage the team and revive hope when they're down. In a way, it represents their achievements; the respect the lion is given shows the amount of respect the team has gained by triumphing over others. The mascot is the team's pride. In order to damage the team's pride and insult them, enemies resort to beating up the mascot. Mascot's are bullied and pushed around when people are frustrated and need something/someone to deflect their anger at. Therefore, mascots should never be given a discriminating image, because this would turn the semi-harmless abuse and ridicule of a mascot into a hate crime.

However, there are some ignorant teams who do not realize the true consequences of their disrespectful actions. For example, the "Washington Bloodthirsty Savages"

Having an ethnic identity as your team mascot is practically like making fun of them, i.e. racist and discriminating. Should it be acceptable? Should there be a law? Is it justified? Supporters of Native American mascots often say the team names are a sign of respect, but they cannot see beyond their own attachment to these emblems to realize that the names and images demean an entire ethnic group and its culture.

Even a young high school student writes out against offensive, demeaning Native American school mascots:

http://blog.syracuse.com/voices/2009/01/indian_mascot_is_blatant_disre.html

Unless you want this to be the next scenario, say NO to RACISM and degrading mascots!

Men Are Better Than Women

"Feminism is a bunch of bullshit.... Women are racists... Marriage is 100% the fault of women.... Every woman is a cheating whore...Women don’t wear watches; they wear bracelets. Women wearing bracelets is like dropping a bus of retarded kids off in front of a taffy pulling machine. They can just stare for hours and never get bored."

Dick Masterson's book "Men Are Better Than Women" has completely outraged women accross the world. Check out what Dr. Phill has to say about it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0xoKiH8JJM&feature=player_embedded

Moulin Rouge

Moulin Rouge, the musical directed by Shah Sharabeel, has finally come to Karachi. The play opened on April 22nd and will go on till May 9th at the Arts Council. A total of 35 actors, a crew of 15 back stage artists, and Centre Stage Productions put up a phenomenal show with the help of Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture and Warid Telecom. The musical tragedy is set in the bohemian underworld of paris. The plot is about a young poet named Christian who wants to write about truth, beauty, freedom and love, but falls in love with the French courtesan Satine.

To Karachi With Love by D.U.C.K

The photography exhibition at the second floor started from the 1st week of March and continued till 17th March. This exhibition, titled “To Karachi With Love” was organized by D.U.C.K (Designers United for a Cause Karachi) and ReBuild-ReBound. These non-profit Organizations, initiated by Indus Valley Alumni, brought together designers, photographers, sculptors and visual artists to exhibit their work, create awareness and raise funds for humanitarian causes. To Karachi With Love was one of a series of events aimed to raise awareness about the loss of lives and destruction that followed the suicide blast on Ashura at Bolton Market in Karachi. All funds collected will go to the rebuilding of the market and surrounding area. All of the proceeds will go towards renowned architect, Shahid Abdullah’s efforts to reconstruct the affected area and to the shopkeepers who suffered a loss of Rs. 30-40 billion in total. Their lives have been put on hold and may never be the same again, but the purpose of this exhibition was to help bring about change; to reassure Karachi that the youth still has hope and will fight terrorists with love.

Press Release

PROVINCIAL DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN LAUNCHED


Karachi, August 12: Senior Member Board of Revenue, Mr. Ghulam Ali Pasha launched the ceremony of Provincial Disaster Risk Management Plan for Sindh at a local hotel. He hopes that the implementation of this plan will help protect the lives of people as well as vital infrastructure against impending disasters. It will also put in place preparatational instructions to manage an emergency response in an effective and timely manner. He further stated that it has been a Sindh Revenue Department endeavor to develop the Provincial Disaster Management Authority into a responsive and smart organization with strong linkages and partnerships in order to make the lives of our people and our province safe. Also to speak on the occasion were D.G. Provincial Management Authority Mr. Muhammad Sualeh Ahmed Farooqui and Mr. Tariq Rafique National Project Manager Disaster Risk Management. The launching was well attended amongst officials of Board of Revenue DCO’s of Thatta and Umerkot, and by secretaries of various department.

NWFP = Pakhtunkhwa

NOTE: When the following images are the result of renaming a province, the change is not appreciated.

CNN rates Tiger Woods no. 9 on Hot Topics

Number NINE on Hot Topics? This is UNACCEPTABLE! Shouldn't he be in at least the top five? Who cares about the dying people in Somalia, or the call for revolution in Thailand, or the Kyrgyz president being accused of murder? Just as long as they're updated about Tiger Woods' career. Although, he is pretty impressive, the fact that golf is included in "Hot Topics" when the above mentioned issues exist, is just saddening. Why? Because it is the audience who determines what is newsworthy.

Somalia has been without an effective central government since President Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991. Years of fighting between rival warlords and an inability to deal with famine and disease have led to the deaths of up to one million people. Yesterday, five Ugandan soldiers serving in the peace-keeping mission in Somalia were injured during a battle with militants who attempted to enter their camp in Mogadishu. About 34 soldiers have been killed since the force first deployed in March 2007. Of these, 17 were Ugandans.

There is political turmoil roaring in Thailand. On April 10, more than 20 people were killed in clashes, and several bombs exploded in a business district. Also, just this week, five grenade explosions killed two and injured dozens of people. Thailand is facing a serious political crisis, with civilians and members of the military clashing in the streets. The king of Thailand, King Bhumibol, the world's longest reigning monarch, wields little political power, but is revered and enjoys immense popularity. He calls on the judges to restore stability to his country.

On April 7th, the Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev government ordered troops to shoot at opposition demonstrators gathered outside his presidential office in the country's capital, Bishkek. More than 80 people were killed and hundreds were wounded. Bakiev resigned and fled his country. Kyrgyzstan's interim government has charged him with mass murder and stripped away his immunity from criminal prosecution. Bakiev "can also be charged with abuse of power"  said Azimbek Beknazarov, the deputy head of Kyrgyzstan's interim government. However, the ex-president is still in absentia.

On the other hand, Tiger Woods would like to thank his fans for their support during the Masters earlier this month after his absence from golf since his sex scandal broke in November. He writes on his blog, "I honestly didn't know what to expect from the fans, but they were absolutely incredible, it was unreal. They definitely helped me mentally be more comfortable out there … To get that type of warmth is something I did not expect and will never forget." Well, glad we could be there for you tiger. Now, how about some encouragement and support for the Ugandan troops, Thai civilians, and Kyrgys people?

Restaurant Rejects "Gay" Dog

An Australian restaurant was fined for turning away a blind man because they thought his guide dog was a gay dog. The Equal Opportunity Tribunal ruled that the Thai Spice restaurant in Adelaide must pay Ian Jolly almost $1,400 for barring him from eating because of confusion about the sexuality of his guide dog, Nudge. Thai Spice owners, Hong Hoa Thi To and Anh Hoang Le say trouble arose when one of the waiters misunderstood a request made by Jolly's partner, Chris Lawrence. They claimed an employee misunderstood her Australian accent and thought she said "gay dog" as opposed to "guide dog". In a statement, the staff says they genuinely thought Nudge was a regular pet who had been desexed to become a gay dog. Even though, the restaurant had a 'guide dogs welcome' poster on their entrance and were shown pamphlets about the guide dog by his owner, they resisted. They were fined and ordered to attend an Equal Opportunity Education course.

Seriously? How thick can you be?

M.I.A.'s "Born Free" Video BANNED

Watch the video..

http://www.popeater.com/2010/04/27/m-i-a-born-free-video/

Mind Blocked

The idea of logic and thinking scientifically started way back in time during the Rennaissance when philosophers started focusing on human beings and humanism. Further along in history, during the Enlightenment, people started experimenting and coming up with ways to make their lives better. Then, the industrial revolution came about and people were blown away by the power of man and his conquest over nature. However, Pakistani society these days is completely mind blocked. If you get into an accident and break a leg, you thank God that the other leg was not harmed. Why not prevent the accident in the first place? I understand that sometimes there is just nothing one can do, but there are many preventative measures that Pakistan has failed to take regardless of their availability. For example, Chile's 8.8 magnitude earthquake and Quetta's 3.7 magnitude earthquake should seriously be setting off a flare for Pakistan to get its safety measures up. But how many earthquake-resistant buildings do you see in Pakistan, or even in Karachi? Not many. So, have we not reached a period of enlightenment or has illiteracy reached a new level? Or are we just poor with too many corrupt leaders with the wrong priorities?

On the other hand, there are some signs of hope shown in the following excerpt from February 5, 2010’s Science Magazine:

"Some engineers want to rethink the basic materials used in developing countries. Darcey Donovan advocates replacing concrete walls with load-bearing straw bales. Her nonprofit group, PakistanStraw Bale and Appropriate Building, erects 7.3-m-by-7.3- m houses in northwest Pakistan, which was ravaged by an earthquake in 2005. The bales are stacked and bound together top to bottom with a fishnet, which keeps them from slipping apart during shaking, then plastered over. Her team has built 11 houses so far, with six more coming. The design recently survived, with minimal damage, a violent test on a shake table, a large platform that simulates earthquakes. Because the tough, fibrous plantsused for straw are ubiquitous, Donovan believes the bale design could easily be exported, and her team is discussing traveling to Haiti."

Waqar from MBA: GIVE ME MY PHONE BACK!

Last month, my cell phone was stolen from SZABIST. An MBA student by the name of Waqar found it lying in the cafeteria and picked it up. He called the most recently dialled numbers and said he found this phone and would like to return it. He was told to leave the phone with the guard, instead Waqar chose to simply keep the phone. When I called my number, he picked up and said he would return it tomorrow as he has another class. He continued leading me on this way and kept up my hopes of seeing my phone again for another few days then shut it off and refused to pick up any calls. There is absolutely no logical reasoning behind this persons actions. Of course it was my fault in not getting adequate information from him and forgetting my phone in the cafeteria in the first place, but it makes no sense to tell me that he's going to give it back when he had no intention of doing so.

On a larger scale, Karachi is like paradise for cell phone snatchers. According to Citizens Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) at least 0.4 million mobile phone sets were snatched from Karachiites over the last two years out of which 24,000 mobile phones were recovered due to joint efforts of CPLC and police. CPLC Chief Ahmed Chinoy told PPI that during past two years, over 0.4 million citizens contacted the CPLC and requested to block SIMs of their snatched mobile phones. However, the given figure is nowhere near the actual number of cell phone's stolen since it only reflects the complaints of the educated class. Even if that figure is considered, it adds up to almost 550 cell phone snatchings every day, which gives us a glimpse of the freedom enjoyed by street criminals in Karachi and the inability of police to contain the crime.

Freedom of Speech

Privacy: A God Given Grace

How much privacy does one really have? Take the example of media; they constantly harass celebrities and important figures about their personal lives for plain entertainment. Some argue that celebrities give up their right to privacy in order to become famous, so they shouldn't complain about invasion of personal space. However, twisting facts and adding juice to stories are common acts of disgrace for the journalism industry.

Another concerning breach of privacy are security cameras. Although, it may be difficult to see them as harmful spying devices when they're installed for one's own protection, the question lingers: who is watching us? For example, recently, cables were installed in the Navy Housing Scheme, Karachi for security cameras. Are security cameras in housing compounds really necessary? Are they really going to be watching the houses and/or windows at all times in case of burglaries?

Social theorist and philosopher Jeremy Bentham's design of the panopticon tower --a type of prison building--in 1785 reflects the paranoia that comes with security cameras. He designed it so that all prisoners could be observed without their knowledge. This created fear and anxiety of being watched at all times. It also resulted in internalised surveilance: changes in behavior due to the paranoia of one's every move being observed. Bentham described it as "a new mode of obtaining power of mind over mind."

Volcanoes erupted, fireballs spotted in the sky.. what else is left?

 

A fireball, aka, a meteorite was spotted accross the midwest sky in Wisconsin, U.S. Check out the 20 second video to see the sky lighting up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-TYo1LgHr4&NR=1

Click on the link below for more description of the meteorite.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126025840&ps=cprs

Iceland's volcano eruption left thousands of travellers stranded: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/day-5-volcanic-ash-cancels-european-flights/113610-2.html

So, whats next, another earthquake? God have mercy on us.

Polish Catastrophe

On April 10th 2010, the president of Poland, Lech Kaczynski, died in a plane crash along with Poland's army chief, central bank governor, MP's, leading historians and 80 other passengers. The Polish delegation was flying to Smolensk, Russia from Warsaw, Poland to mark the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre of thousands of Poles by Soviet forces during WWII. The plane hit trees as it approached Smolensk airport in thick fog after ignoring the warning from air traffic control to divert to another airport. This tragedy marks a significant milestone which might change the lives of many Polish people. I wonder, what will become of this leader-less nation? A government spokesman said that according to the constitution there would be an early presidential election, and the speaker of the lower house of parliament, Bronislaw Komorowski, would be acting president. Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, keeps his spirit up: "The Polish state must function and will function."

Thousands of people gathered outside the presidential palace in Warsaw to lay flowers and light candles.

Just a few days ago I was doing a paper on Poland's economy; they were on their way with social reforms and a developing economy. I hope they're able to continue flourishing after this calamity.

Above; Left: President Lech Kaczynski, Right: Chairman of the Law and Justice Party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski

Interesting Fact: In 2007, Lech Kaczynski's identical twin, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, was Prime Minister while he was president. This must have been a confusing period in Polish politics. Imagine the competitiveness between them, and the family pressure they must have been under. Also, in a way, it was kind of like a monarchy.

1411: Spread the Word

There are only 1411 tigers left in India. Make it known to everybody around you. The tiger population has been decreasing over the past few years, but in 2008 the WWF conducted a detailed census and came up with the shockingly disturbing number.

Tigers are threatened by a combination of poaching, habitat loss from development, the loss of corridors between areas and retaliatory killing of tigers for preying on cattle or attacking humans. The existence of international markets for illegal tiger parts in spite of the fact that the countries where majority of illegal trade in wildlife takes place are signatories to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is indeed a matter of grave concern.


Tigers are not only beautiful animals, but also India's national animal and a symbol of their pride. Their extinction would be an unimaginable loss to their culture and society as well as to the rest of the world. Another concern is the impact the extinction would have on the ecosystem. For example, when the Dodo's became extinct in Mauritius, the Acacia tree stopped regenerating completely. The tigers are a vital part of the ecosystem and play a major role as the top predators in the forest who keep the food chain in check.

Ways You Can Help:

• Spread the word
• Be a responsible tourist-dont pollute: "Dont leave anything behind except footsteps, and dont take anything except memories"
• Write -politely- to the policy makers like the Prime Minister, the Minister for Environment and Forests or even your local MP.
• Inform the nearest police station or TRAFFIC if you know any information on poaching or trade of illegal wildlife.
• Reduce the pressure on natural resources by cutting down on paper and timber consumption
• Support the cause and/or donate to the cause! http://www.wwfindia.org/help/donate_for_tigers/
• Volunteer! Help out on the scene:  http://www.wwfindia.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/tiger_wildlife/how_save_tiger/volunteer_form/

Wheatgrass: a Magical Health Potion

Experiencing inexplicable headaches?  Indigestion? Can't sleep? These are probably the results of malnutrition or the lack of wheatgrass in your diet. One would be surprised by how many little aches and pains are due to an insufficient or unhealthy diet. Wheatgrass is a healthy alternative to vitamins and is a powerful detoxifier. It cleanses and protects your blood, liver and organs and even works as a stimulant for the thyroid gland which regulates metabolism.

Try drinking one glass every morning before breakfast. If you can find a bottle of wheatgrass powder in your local store, do get it. Mix it with warm water and gulp it down. The taste is a little difficult to bare- it's as if you're drinking mehndi with water- but the benefits are definitely worth it.

Wheatgrass seriously sounds like a magical potion that cures everything, check it out:
http://www.hippocratesinst.org/Wheatgrass/Benefits-of-Wheatgrass.aspx

Religious Propaganda

A Michigan company called Trijicon Inc was providing the U.S. military with high powered rifles with biblical inscriptions etched onto them. These guns are used in Afghanistan and Iraq and could create an unnecessary issue about religious propaganda. The company has a $660 million multi-year contract to provide upto 800,000 gun sights to the Marine Corps and other contracts with the U.S. military as well. The U.S. military claimed to be unaware of these biblical references. The use of these inscriptions goes against their rules that specifically prohibit the proselytizing of any religion in Iraq or Afghnistan. These rules were established to avoid any accusation of a religious crusade against the Muslims in the war against terrorism.

Tom Munson, director of sales and marketing for Trijicon, said the inscriptions "have always been there" and said there was nothing wrong or illegal with adding them. The company has said the practice began under its founder, Glyn Bindon, a devout Christian from South Africa who was killed in a 2003 plane crash. His son, Stephen, president of Trijicon, then continued the practice.

Weinstein, an attorney and former Air Force officer, said many members of his group who currently serve in the military have complained about the markings on the sights. "This is probably the best example of violation of the separation of church and state in this country," said Weinstein. "It's literally pushing fundamentalist Christianity at the point of a gun against the people that we're fighting. We're emboldening an enemy."




One of the citations on the gun sights, 2COR4:6, is an apparent reference to Second Corinthians 4:6 of the New Testament, which reads: "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." Other references include citations from the books of Revelation: John 8:12, referred to on the gun sights as JN8:12, reads, "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

These are clear biblical codes that raise many questions about their users and providers. They not only violate the U.S. constitution, but also cross the line of respect. However, what baffles me is that the U.S. military was unaware of these codes for the past 30 years. In my opinion, Jesus rifles are just as bad as screaming Allahuakbar before blowing yourself up.
For more, watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs0-fU-E-V0

France Bans Face Veils

French President Nicolas Sarkozy recently ordered a bill to be submitted to parliament that bans Islamic face veils in all public places. This move came some time after the Belgian parliament took up a similar bill, whose voting took place on April 22. However, this issue is much more controversial in France , as they have a Muslim population of 5 million; the largest in Western Europe.

Hey, what happened to secularism? Religious tolerance ring a bell? They agreed to remove their face-covering veils for security purposes and identification, but why force them to expose their face and bodies when they dont feel comfortable doing so? Can you really fine someone for being modest?

Follow the links below for more insight into the situation:

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/01/26/france.burqa.ban/index.html

http://cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2010/01/26/bittermann.france.burqua.ban.cnn

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2010/04/france-ban-on-face-veils-will-apply-to-tourists-as-well.html

David Barsamian

David Barsamian is an Armenian-American radio broadcaster, writer and lecturer. He is the founder, director and host of Alternative Radio, an hour long weekly talk show based in Boulder, Colorado, which broadcasts over 200 radio stations in the United States, Canada, Australia and several other countries. Barsamian lectures on U.S. foreign policy, corporate control, media, and propaganda. Barsamian has interviewed numerous notable figures including Noam Chomsky, Tariq Ali, Lester Brown, Robert Fisk, Arundhati Roy, Joseph Stiglitz, Edward Said and George Galloway. Barsamian’s articles and interviews regularly appear in The Progressive, The Nation, and Z Magazine.

He is also the author of several books, including: Propaganda and the Public Mind: Conversations with Noam Chomsky; Eqbal Ahmad: Confronting Empire; and The Decline and Fall of Public Broadcasting; The Checkbook and the Cruise Missile: Conversations with Arundhati Roy; and louder than Bombs: Interviews from The Progressive Magazine.

Barsamian has recieved many prestigious awards for his work on alternative journalism. He was honored with the Media Education Award, the ACLU's Upton Sinclair Award for independent journalism, the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Award and the Cultural Freedom Fellowship from the Lannan Foundation. The Institute for Alternative Journalism also named him one of its Top Ten Media Heroes.

In 2007, Barsamian made a trip to Pakistan. He talked about the importance of independent media:

"Corporate media are largely weapons of mass distraction. Language is manipulated to manufacture consent and to limit the bounds of permissible thought (…) that's one reason I started Alternative Radio out of my house many years ago. You can't simply whine and complain. You need to come up with positive alternatives that give people hope."

Barsamian is a character worth reading about. He tells the truth as he sees it and asks brave questions that really make you wonder about political figures around the world.

I came across an interesting interview of Barsamian that shares his thoughts on media.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHsJm5yW43w