Could Pepsi get a better model than her?

Could it?

38 dead, 700+ injured

Seriously, I am fu*king tired of all this politicks. Seriously. And I am seriously tired of everything being blamed on Al-Qaeda, and again, seriously tired of Al-Qaeda if it's really behind all these things.

Whosoever is behind this all, they'll never care about anyone. No, you're not doing Muslims any good if you're Al-Qaeda and you're behind it, nor this is Allah's war. No, killing innocent people is NOT jihad. Allah doesnt likes it either.

If you're another capitalist mob trying to further your aim, then I must salute you. Killing your own people for benefits that wont last long? Salaam aap ki azmat ko!

Or if you're just a splinter/liberation group, like Irish/Palestinian people, then I just might understand your apathy. And then I must invite you to come in my very own city and plant a bomb at my very own home. Please!

Let us live in peace, let us live in one piece!

Bhao ....... Bhao .....

Miaon .... Miaon ......

Hooking up

These days I am hooked to Meekal Hassan Band (MHB). Their songs "create a deep connection with my spiritual self". Getting sufi deep inside? I so loove these alternative tracks. And in the same breath goes Nusrat Fateh Ali, as well as Abida Parveen and Pathanay Khan and Ustad Amanat Ali. And I just came across the "explanation" for MHB's "Rabba" video: "The concept is about a person who is not normal by regular society's standards. The director chose to exemplify the character's unique nature/gifts by giving him a globe covered with newspapers as part of his head. This contraption literally sets him apart and the video is about how individuals who are unique are treated by 'normal' society. The newspapers are indicative of how any person is flooded with the media telling us what is good or bad and what is acceptable or unacceptable. The character goes through four or five different actions wherein he attempts to adapt to normal everyday experiences,yet at each attempt he is left bewildered and hopelessly out of place. His ultimate resolution is to take the newspapers, make paper planes of them and throw them away,because to him the messages they are sending are irrelevant, since any individual has to find the truth of their existance for themselves and not rely on other sources to tell them well them what they are or not and what they should be or not." This could be VERY irrelevant to you, but you see, everybody has a right to information. And I was thinking, why make a video when a layman couldnt grasp it on the first view?

A new method

This guy boards the bus, looks like a Sindhi but accent says he is not. Starts begging, you know, the usual rant of how six kids are waiting at home, they are hungry and all he wants is to buy some mattresses for them etc. Seems this does not work. Tries a new gimmick, pulls out a paper from his pcoket. Proclaims that he had just turned Muslim, and we, being Muslims, should help him since he has just converted to Islam. Recites loudly "La Ilaha Ill Allah, Mohammadur Rasool Allah". Waves the paper in the faces of the passengers, a letter from some madressah announcing him as a Muslim, proper with dates (Islamic too). A few people hand him some coins. There was this elderly person sitting next to me, looked degenerate. He fumbled in his pocket, and came out with a two-rupee coin. The newly-turned-Muslim/beggar saw this, and sort of lunged towards the money. Now this elderly person beckoned him, and in a shrill voice bellowed: "Mussalman hogaye?" The NTM/B replied: "Haan!" EP: "Kalma sunaao!" (in the same shrill voice) NTM/B: (repeats the kalima again) EP: "Rasool Allah nahin, Rasool Ullah! Rasool Ullah!" I am confused for a while, but it dawns on me that this EP is right. Its not "Rasool Allah", it is "Rasool Ullah" meaning "the Prophet of God". And now when I think about it, I just realise that how many of us (including me) use the phrase "Rasool Allah", without understanding the literal meaning. Remember how elders (and maulvis) used to scold us on proper pronounciation of Arabic? That a little mistake of zer, zabar, pesh can change the whole meaning of the word!! I am marvelled at the works of God. How you can be taught so important things in such trivial events! God bless us all. And what I think about those that beg on the name of Allah (they all do, dont they?): Why dont they just realise that Allah has promised that He would not let any soul sleep hungry? On a side note, I stumbled about this post about "Blogging: an Islamic Perspective", and I must say, its very enlightening. A little excerpt: In essence, blogging about one’s personal life is similar to writing a journal entry and then posting it outside one’s house or at a street corner for all to read. There isn’t anything really wrong with doing that (if one wishes to be so public about one’s private life), as long as one doesn’t divulge any information that doesn’t lead members of the opposite gender to envision and imagine the author, and doesn’t let their hearts and minds become impressed and eventually lean towards the author. Now, that may seem simple, but the fact is that nobody can really ascertain as to what may cause the above in the minds of the opposite gender. It may seem tempting to write-off this whole notion by saying that what goes through the minds of the readers is not the responsibility of the author. While that may hold true for truly objective pieces of work and in matters of true need, the onlookers would not be completely to blame for not “lowering their gaze” if a muscular, handsome man wearing boxers and a t-shirt were to unnecessarily walk through a group of women. The bulk of the blame would fall squarely on the shoulders of the one committing the unnecessary action, though the onlookers would be responsible for continuing to look even after they knew they weren’t supposed to. Yes, its pretty accurate. Sadly there isnt a permalink provided so anyone interested would just have to find it on Pseudo-Genius's blog. But I recommend reading it, although its a bit long. Rabba Merey Haal Da Mehram Tu....

Urdu: Our National Language

The other day I was travelling in the bus and there was this Afghan teenager sitting beside me. He was the usual poke-my-nose-in-everything kid. As we approached Schon circle where the underpass construction is in full swing, he asked me in the meekiest voice possible: "Bhai jaan yeh kya ban raha hai?" I immediately started to say "Underpass...", but realised that he might not know what exactly is an underpass, so I had to explain him what exactly was going to be built there. It dawned on me that although Urdu is our national language, we often willingly neglect it, and that I didnt see any board depicting what exactly was going on there in Urdu. There are two huge boards displaying the plan of the "ramps" and the "underpass", but one is at a loss of words when it comes to explaining these things in Urdu to a thirteen-year-old Afghan kid. I remembered reading the words "Balai Guzargah" on some flyover construction, and my immediate instinct was that these people should put up a board proclaiming: "Yeh rasta balai guzargah ki tameer ki wajah say band hai, please mutabadil rasta ikhtiar karain. Zehmat kay liye ma'azrat khuwa" But there is a board that proclaims it in English: "Sorry for Inconvenience" Where do we live? Have we forgotten that our language is Urdu, not English? That more than sixty percent of the population couldnt read English? Treat Urdu as the step-language, and we perhaps can never achieve greatness. Our uniqueness is gone. And I remembered that perhaps Balai Guzargah wont work, the underpass should be called "Nashebi Guzargah"!

Gender Inequalities

I admit men are not suited for the jobs women are supposed to do. Unfortunately, I am in that category of men too. Take last night, I was trying to carve something which someone does so fine, but heck, I couldnt do it right. I suppose women are also inequipped for the tasks of men?

Chilling hot!

The past week has been very telling indeed. Its excruciatingly hot, and then, somebody's car AC won't work. :S The ride to office leaves me very much drenched in sweat, so I have to run to the bathroom first thing at the office. And that leaves my colleagues wondering. Heck, whatever! I noticed the Angelina Jolie signboard at submarine chowrangi, and I must admit although I am not a huge (or for that matter a teensy weensy) fan of her, that signboard left me absolutely stunned. The passer-bys might have noted someone staring wide-eyed (mouth agape?) at the signboard. I dont even know what the signboard is of, am so immersed in admiring her. :S But still... People are mentioning to me that my blog looks less like a blog and more of a cellphone advertising website. Lol, it was just a phase, and it has passed by. Now I wouldn't be putting up pictures of cellphones, atleast for the time being. No, and that's a "No". And this is what I saw at a local mosque: "When Our Signs are rehearsed to such a one, he turns away in arrogance, as if he heard them not, as if there were deafness in both his ears: announce to him a grievous Penalty." Luqman: 7 Felt it went straight through my heart. Allah forgive me for my sins.

Taking on the world...

Truly Global?

Discussions on tharki-pun and homosexuality

uXuf: han bhai my clad-in-red toiling-hard serving-little-kids dost uXuf: kya horaha hai A$iM: sonnay ki koshish keroun ga uXuf: oh gud uXuf: hamara to abhi time nahi nhoa sonay ka A$iM: is ur orkut working? uXuf: umm yep uXuf: it was a lil while ago uXuf: u see, i dont use orkut much uXuf: i think ab woh tharkion wala bangaya hai A$iM: yeah rite, uve realised tht going to desi baba is a lot better than wasting time on orkut uXuf: lolz uXuf: actually the thing is uXuf: i dont go to desibab uXuf: cuz their speed of updating is lot slower than my devouring their stuff A$iM: freakin..... bad bad server A$iM: it doesnt even signs in uXuf: lol uXuf: haan yeh horaha tha the last time i was tryin to sign in uXuf: abhi nahin hoga A$iM: Mobilink thrown away? uXuf: takreeban uXuf: cuz i culdnt find the sim uXuf: waisay bhi i ve heard that their service is deteriorated since i quit being their user A$iM: im off uXuf: ohk A$iM: want to sleep badly uXuf: i can understand : P A$iM: bbye darlz uXuf: cya then A$iM: muah uXuf: lahol wala quwwat uXuf: bee-z k sath mat raha karo uXuf: u re getting crooked A$iM: whts bad in it uXuf: theres nothing bad uXuf: but everything s BAD A$iM: im just showing my brotherly love for u uXuf: oh sheesh uXuf: muah then A$iM: lol A$iM: bye uXuf: bye uXuf: (k) uXuf: P

The saga ends

In the end: I got the Nokia 3220. And since it feels a little old to me, I got to let it through a major overhaul. Here is what it looks like:

CB gave me the cell, because he got him a new cell. The ultra-slim, uber-cool, Motorola Razr V3. Isnt it stunning?

It has got perhaps everything under the sun that a cell could have. With 4X VGA Camera, aluminium finish and stunning resolution, it makes a bold personality statement.

I handed the 1100 to Abba. Waisay bhi that was meant for him. I was going to buy a new one anyways, but think 3220 will work :)

The saga continues...

But we wont listen...

I finally bought a cellphone. Actually I bought it day before yesterday, but the crooked person within me usually finds a way out at times like these. And decides to play equally wicked games (9Gurl?).

So finally, I bought Nokia 1100 as a temporary arrangement. But since I am such a freak for simplicity, maybe I ll keep it, provided I wont get bribed into taking the 3220 (read earlier post).

This is what 1100 looks like:

And since I couldnt find my Mobilink sim (they would have closed down my line anyway), I took a Warid sim that I found in my house. The service is nice, although it gets "Network Busy" a few times.

But the most amazing part is the customer help center. For example, if you want to change the language, you call them, and are presented with choices. So select the choice. But the lady only says: "Please select your new language" (in Urdu, ofcourse). And then nothing. Nothing at all. Based on previous experiences you might be tempted to press 1, but then, "This is already your selected language". Encouraged, you would press 2. Voila! "Your selection is wrong!"

???!!

And then there is the endless loop if you want to hear about the new Warid offerings. You are always sent back to the same destination. Needless to say, its crappy, the lady's voice is kafi odd, and the sentences are always disjointed. Heck, they even use the word "mubligh"!!!

Where is the toilet??

I certainly dont wanna get stuck in here.

There is no place to do it Paki style either!

A mobile saga

Finally I am really needing a cell phone. Really as in not just for fun, and not because I have to have a cell. Because I need it for communication. And duhh...

CB has offered that he'll give me his mobile phone, I just have to wait for a month or so. Although I am a little bored by that cell (because I've played with it for quite sometime now), but still, its camera is simply awesome. And I have frenzy of taking snaps nowadays. His is the 3220, a very nice cell.

And its shape, design, its so cool. But a month?

That brings me to reminisce once more about my love. Yeah, my true love in cell phones. The one and only, 8210.

Shocked? Its the epitome of elegance. Its small, handy, elegant, no-fuss etc. And it looks so cool in black! It was also my first cell. And was so devastated when it died on me. Sad, poor me!

I ll buy it again if I get a fresh piece. Sadly, all 8210s available in Pakistan are either used or refurbished. Heard they don't make em anymore.

My second cell, 8910, this was the uber-coolest cell around. Used by Tom Cruise in MI2 (I heard that from someone, dont remember khud say), all my friends went ga-ga over this cell. But then, some one wished too much upon it, and the sliding mechanism got faulty, and slowly, it went into oblivion.

Guess this cell isnt meant for a frequent user like me.

So, I ve got this very rich taste in cell phones. And now, eight months when 8910 gave up on me, I am looking for another cell.

Aray haan, another cell that I feel very elegant is the 7650. Isnt it? Sadly, No more fresh pieces of this cell either :(

Now I m thinking of going for 2600. Its cheap, and I think I ve fallen in love with its simplicity. But, CB advised me against wasting money on cell phones, and said that I should buy a real-cheap cell, like 1100.

But I like 2300 more, this cell was my love-at-first-sight. Pluses: it has got FM Radio builtin. But it is priced at around 4,000+. Not that its a big issue, but I've heard that there is an inherent problem with this cell.

Or the 1100, this cell is real cheap. Its simplicity is its strength. And the Warid Telecom people have comeup with this deal of 1100 + Warid sim at something around 3,000. Cool!

Now just that I have to make a decision. Should it be 2600, 2300, or 1100. Please help! Edit: I also had 8850, but I hated that cell, that's why I didnt bother to put up its pic.

What was my fault?

Its time to move up, do something, and not just sit around condemning the acts of barbarism that we have witnessed. I got this in my inbox, and I must say, it conveys very effectively the thoughts of the innocent people caught in the brawl.

What Was My Fault?

I worked as a janitor to support my family, for a company, which originated in the States. The pay was better than what I could earn in similar capacity anywhere else. I was provided a square meal everyday and the people I worked with, Pakistanis, were very caring and supportive. Nobody discriminated or treated me differently due to my job and the fact that I am a Christian. I had joined the company two days ago.

Now as I hide, trembling in a walk-in refrigerator, from mindless people who have set the building on fire, I think of my family. The little sister who took great delight in a treat at the restaurant, especially the goody bag for children. My brother, who was rather proud of the fact that I had a job and was finally getting my life in order. My parents who anxiously waited for me after late night shifts and the questions they bombarded me with about my new job.

These thoughts are no longer consequential, as I lay charred among the debris of the restaurant. A soul deprived of its vessel. I had no allegiances or religious affiliations. A last question lingers with my departing breath to the arsonists - what was my fault?

I had joined KFC as team member about two weeks a go. I was finally getting the hang of the new job. Training and orientation were over and I had started to enjoy the work and the environment. I took great pride in interacting with the customers. Their smiles were immensely rewarding. I was looking forward to quickly progressing through the ranks.

It was Monday night; I had just finished my magrhib prayers, when the world went wild. Glass started shattering around me and people who seem well organized, and carrying containers of petroleum set my world on fire. In panic I ran to the only hiding space available, the walk-in refrigerator. I saw my colleagues there already suffering from smoke. I thought of turning back but was trapped. There was no way the mob was going to let us get out. Soon the choking smoke became a secondary consideration as the heat increased and flames started to lap at the opening of the doorframe. The flames caught on and as I painfully wasted away, all I could think of - what was my fault?

I am part of the maintenance team, my specialization is in refrigeration, Iwas visiting the Gulshan restaurant on routine trouble shooting of the walk-in refrigerator. Little I knew that it would become crypt. I had a lovely wife and children,my only regret with the job was that due to emergencies and timings I did not spend much time with them. Something, which I will never forgive myself for. As it is I can no longer spend any time with them. While my body blazed, I kept thinking of this and the fact that - what was my fault.

We are the security guards; we work for an agency, which is employed by KFC for their restaurants throughout Pakistan. They are good clients, we use to get good food and there are no major problems. Our job was to watch out for crime and protect the patrons. There were three of us. All our training had not prepared us for what transpired the other night. We were outnumbered completely and had to restrain ourselves from using our weapons. Unfortunately, the mob had no such considerations. They were out to maim and destroy. Our only option was to hide that we did, but could not from the flames, which completely gutted the building. As our body burns to ashes - the only thought is - what was our fault.

Whose fault was it then? The mindless mob, whose education and training dictates that any wrong, whoever the perpetrator can only be set right by the taking of life, incinerating property and injuring the innocent. I think even animals are better; they only kill for a purpose and not as a sport or protest. Six innocent lives lost through no fault of their own. The company may be able to compensate financially, but will the organizations which organize senseless acts of suicide bombings and destruction of life and property bring the bereaved families their sons and brothers back? Can they replace all the experiences, thoughts and process, desires, hopes, love that shaped these individuals and was part of their divine creation and a right? I do not think so!

Torn

Very subtle. Reflects my apathy very discreetly.

The recent bomb blast and the general upheaval has left us all shocked, to say the least. The NIPA KFC was burnt, literally to ashes. Its charred remains would remind us of the religious narrow-mindedness thats so very deeply imbedded in the local psyche. Six people were burnt alive at KFC. Six. That's three more than the number of people that went up in the blast. And who were they? A cashier, two waiters, an electrician, two guards. Who will pay for their lives? They werent victims of religious terrorism, they became victims of religious fanaticism.

Yes, fanatics. The upheaval-creation network in Karachi is really strong. The blast happened at around quarter to eight, and in fifteen minutes news of disruption came from as far as Numaish and Nazimabad. I smell something here. Don't you?

I wonder what will happen to the families of the victims. The Imambargah victims were almost all out-of-towners. But what will happen to the six burnt alive? Most of them would be the sole bread winners for their families. Who will bring them back? Most importantly, who would their families blame?

Resulting scene: the city is paralysed since two days. Cars are being torched sporadically, almost on the whims and for the amusement of the disruption-makers. Malir is off-limits for everyone. People are living in a sense of fear.

Network Programming and Computer Graphics exams are postponed. I was thinking too 9Gurl shouldnt have dropped Graphics. But then, who would have known...

I have deleted the stuff, and please gimme a few days to get over it. Atleast till the exams get over. The depression is great, and bp is high again.

Back to Meera

The eagerly waited romantic thriller, Nazar, has officially been released. I ll get my hands on the movie as soon as I get faarigh from my exams :P Meanwhile, we have loads of Meera to keep our hands full. Check it, she is pretty amusing. Meera, on the release: "bohot aachi movie hai, aap zaroor enjoy karenge" [Its a very nice movie, no doubt you'll enjoy it] Every Pakistani heroine's movie is like that! duhh!! Talking to the reporters at a press conference marking Aaj TV buying the rights for airing Nazar: “Aab court aap ki ball mein hai!” (Now the court is in your ball) Lol! No, that accounts for a LOL! On the scene: "There was some thought being given to delete the kissing scene, but I hope that has not happened yet. I myself have to see whether the shot is there or not. If it has been deleted, I will certainly feel disappointed. I stand by what I have said time and again - what I did was right and I have no reason to worry. I still maintain that the kiss is part of beginning the process of friendship between the two countries." Like her kiss would bring India and Pakistan together in a lip-lock too. Pretty symbolic, she is. I guess who is feeding her the lines... I dont know whether the scene has been struck off or not, as I have yet to watch the movie. Please keep me updated. During an interview with IANS: "I have really liked bold themes like 'Jism' and 'Murder' and if I were to choose between 'Mughal-e-Azam' and these two movies, I would prefer 'Jism' and 'Murder', as they reflect contemporary reality" I can't comment. And on her name: "My name is Meera. In Pakistan 'Meera' means 'Mine'. It is not the same as the Indian 'Meera'. I don't have any surname." Where is Pakistan? Since when does Meera means Mine? Hello? Is Pakistan the only place where people speak Urdu? Or is Meera [the actress] is synonymous with Mine? Or is this Mine as in coalmine, or minesweeper? *Rolls eyes* During a chat: "Firstly, I am a very famous actress in Pakistan. I became a superstar in Pakistan at the age of 16. When I used to walk on the roads, college kids used to run after me. I have seen fame since I was 15, so fame does not mean anything to me. I am a respected actress in Pakistan, and in future I will be a respected actress in India also." I wonder! Khair, thats all, enough of Meera and her Nazar. If she had clearer insight that would have been better than Nazar, and without all the controversy. But then, controversy is good for showbiz people. So there you go, Meera! Keep making nice films and item numbers, they are always good!

Loving you is like...

What do you do when after going along for such a long period you get to hear that you're no good? That all you've done, all the things you bore for them, all the times that you messed up with your very near and dear ones for someone, is just to be in vain. That someone has just no feelings about you anymore. No, nothing. Everything is gone. All the intimations, plans, memories, laughters, joys, sorrows, gone. All that is left is a void. I would feel humiliated, and suicidal. Or maybe I d just turn around and give them a lesson of their life for treating me like that. Or, or, or... Thats pretty much exactly what is happening to the "intimate" relationship of Pakistan with the mighty USA. Being a Pakistani I could very well feel the humiliation. Amerika! We loved you from the very deepest depths (sic) of our hearts! If you do this to us, then we'll be getting nowhere. We've sacrificed ourselves, pimped our brethren for you, quashed our own people, and you still think we are not good. That our F-16s wouldnt be of any significant advantage to us? And that you think we'll use them against terrorists in Wana and for search-and-rescue operations? How naive could we be. I am not going along with all this hype of Amerika actually selling those planes to Pakistan unless the first batch arrives. I hope that it does, but dont believe it until you see it. Amerika is offering India the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft, that is the most modern and versatile aircraft currently in production. Talk about business strategies. When will we open our eyes and stop spending hard-earned money on these baits. My Indian friends, you guys ponder on this too.

Isnt she cute?

No, she isnt a model, nor the photographer(s) any more professional. Just the subtlety, spontaniety make these pictures so truly awesome!

Guess she's got this gift from the day she was born. Check out the photoblog here.

About me!

"Young, male, in love, looking to rule the world. But in that bevy of cliches there's a compendium of sharply-opposite personalities housed in one over-sized cranium. I will love you, surprise you, most likely offend you, and I will invariably let you down. But I don't give up, and if you stick around, I'll take you along when I reach out to touch the stars..." Read this on the profile of Ahmed Bilal, but damn, I am sure this is what I am.

Faalsay!

Yaay! Faalsays are in!! I can eat them all day long without getting tired. I soooo love them... Waisay anybody knows the english name of faalsay? Tell me soon I want to put up a picture of them on my blog :(

F U C G (AM)

News Flash: According to the latest news Computer Graphics CS418 is very essentially fucked. It's very essentially, discreetly, sweetly, damningly fucked. Really. You couldn't possibly justify 10 out of 42, the semester work. Though, these marks are without the project, and without the first midterm, but still. Gives me the creeps. Project is worth 8, and the greater-than-life Atika said she'll do something about the first mid, possibly fixing it somewhere from the final. The Final. I'll have this gap of six days between the Algo and NP papers, but then CG is immediately after NP. Immediately as in the very next day. And NA the same immediately after CG. Now what should I study. Hummmph I ll need some consolation. Someone please wipe my tears. And don't ask me to withdraw Graphics. Shivers run through me when I think of the word withdraw. Poor me. Much ado has been for the cartoon in Washington Times. But then, somebody pointed out that the dog in question is infact a bloodhound. Now that is a very special breed of dogs. Atleast we have been portrayed as the best and the most expensive as dogs can be. That's really flattering, since Britain has been portrayed as a mongerel. So we are the best dogs. But still, a dog. Recent search engine referrals (I'm getting loads of hits these days thanks to search engines): meera nazar pictures desi sexy stories lahore sexy girls of karachi sexy pakistan baby pissing girl in pakistan fucking girls in pakistan (the porn king?) pakistan hot girl cheap helmets goo "the fuck" gle ya gle goo hoo google sucks decrypt azkaban 2005 email addresses of directors aziz@hotmail.com ayaz ahmed

Finals...

Hungry souls that landed on my blogs through search engines recently had the following search terms: "Sexy girls of Pakistan" (hot term!) "Hot hot Saagi" "orkut Pakistan" "Sexy girls in Faisalabad" "Sexy pictures of Meera in Nazar film" "term end results december 2004" "Sexy shalwar kameez" The finals schedule is out, and its really fucking pissing me off. I ve got three papers scheduled back-to-back! And there is this huuuuge gap between the Algo and Network Programming papers! Duhhh! I hate the administration. I've sent them a mail, thrashing them out. Let's see what happens. Meanwhile I gotta study, okay? Exams are starting from next monday! PS I took part in the discussion on Manav's blog because it felt interesting, and it is. Just that they should know of our viewpoint on the partition and we should know theirs. Its kinda good, and safe. And we're fucking tired of all the hostilities anyway. So lets be friends with 'em. Lemme know if its wrong...

Let's work it out...

So we had another date Another fight.. You break down, and cry And you swear that it's over It seems you pack your bags like every night, Girl i know inside, We could be so much more. But, everytime the smallest thing goes wrong Girl, you're out the door You don't wanna deal with this pain anymore why wont you understand that somethings wont come easy in life work with me girl it'll just take some time I'm not letting go, yeah girl that's for sure wont catch me walking out, so ok let's work it out I'm not letting go, yeah girl that's for sure wont catch me walking out, so ok let's work it out Yeah...yeah.. At every single point you'll turn around say I've let you down that i no longer know you how could you say to me that I've lost my way when you're walking away girl I'm feeling good now but, everytime the smallest thing goes wrong girl, you're out the door you don't wanna deal with this pain anymore why wont you understand that somethings wont come easy in life work with me girl it'll just take some time I'm not letting go, yeah girl that's for sure wont catch me walking out, so ok let's work it out Once again here we go through that old procedure, you scream that it's over between us but I don't believe ya, (nah) Your such a Diva, a drama queen, girl why you blowin' up like Osama's been what u want an argument? well i aint speakin' we come too far now, 'n i aint leaving and if we got a problem let's get on top (of it) we aint gotta (split), we can conquer (it) but we gotta quit over reacting imagine just last night we're romancing false passion now we be clashing I dunno wat's happened, you go on a tantrum as a man I'm making the first move, u know i never do nuttin to blatantly hurt u, we got a situation to work through but patience is a virtue, well baby it takes two, so.. I'm not letting go, Yeah girl that's for sure Won't catch me walking out, So ok let's work it out.

Pakistan's first fighter pilots

Interesting read, indeed. Check it out here. Guess women will no longer crave to marry a fighter pilot, they can become one too. Did I mention I was almost selected for the Academy? But guess they werent impressed by my wit. And dropped me off on the last day. Khair whatever happens is for the best. Those girls are better than me. *sigh*

Busy me!

Anyone thinking I've been too lazy to blog? Actually, I've been too busy to blog!! The Graphics Project was to be turned in, and I was ignorant with pretty much the stuff with which the project was to be made. You see, RenderMan doesnt look like much of a promising prospect at first, but still, its prutty strong, and the animations and special effects that are in movies, are on the large part have been developed using RenderMan compliant renderers... Jeez, phir behek gaya...! Anyways, I was online most of these days, much of my time spent on Google [yes, Google]. Ofcourse, searching for RenderMan. Its pretty mindboggling that there is so dearth of information about such amazing a thing. Khair! in all this while I didnt get time to blog! Finished The Da Vinci Code last weekend. Didnt find it up to the hype that has been created. The author thrusts his point of view on the reader. And most of the clues I was able to decipher myself, now that wasn't mind boggling like Sherlock Holmes or something. But maybe I am being too naive here? I am hungry for a new book now! Any suggestions for my next read?

RenderMan!

"RenderMan is actually a technical specification for interfacing between modeling and rendering programs. From 1998 until 2000 the published RenderMan Interface Specification was known as Version 3.1. In 2000 Pixar published a new specification, Version 3.2." Just great. RenderMan is supposed to be an framework upon which implementations are constructed. A few of the examples include PRMan, 3Delight, Aqsis etc. RenderMan is used for photorealistic image rendering, in easy words, modeling and displaying images that are pretty close to real life in terms of their physics. Moreover, it is mainly used in CG animation [dork, thats COMPUTER GRAPHICS] in films. Here is an interesting links about CG and RenderMan in films. The basic format for passing scene information to a renderer is through a RIB file. In the RIB file you can specify your model in terms of basic geometrical shapes like spheres, curves etc. But believe me, they are one heck of a problem. Each scene has to be separately defined in the RIB file, no concept of keyframes. This is one big burden. So the basic solution is that you model your scene in a 3rd party animation package like Blender, Maya etc [and that is also the sensible solution], and then use export scripts/plugins to generate RIB files from these packages. Well, the prelude was because the project for Computer Graphics 418 is due on May 7. And I am just coming to terms with the stupid RenderMan. A few nice links are here: Blender Aqsis 3Delight RenderMan Repository Just pray that I indeed finish this project on time. And also if you have any ideas for graphics animation, a scene that you particularly want to make, or see in a movie, just let me know. Maybe I could do that, besides, the Disney people are already on my doorstep :P

Cliff Diving!

Lol. Here is something I can totally relate to. Recommended reading for deciphering the rest of my post. Just that the "cliff" was more than forty feet high, and there were no life jackets. The Slide at Aladin's Water & Amusement Park at Karachi is a little higher that forty feet. Or looks so to me. It all happened to me the first time I decided to peruse the slide. That was back in 97 or 98, and the first time I had been to any such "water" park [wasn't Aladin the first in the city?]. A coupla friends coaxed me to try out the monster slide, and damn, it looked like fun with the people coming "swoosh" and hitting the water, and, instantly, standing up and looking all right. Eyes can see what they are trained to see, and looks are always deceiving. The climb up to the platform is pretty much around as high as five floors. There is also a "ladies" slide, which is on the third floor. You see, for the weak hearted. Seriously, there were caterpillars fluttering in my stomach. Yes... caterpillars! I did consider the ladies slide, but ho-boy, with a bunch of friends?! Machismo at its best is the mockery of common sense. Finally we were on the monster platform. Looking down from there, the whole scene seemed funny. Hundreds of people milling around, in various states of half-nakedness, people resembling little more than colourful dots. And worst, a bunch of people around the parameter of the pool of the monster slide, waiting for their loved ones to hit the water with the utmost superb dive/lunge/whatever, so they could applaud and feel proud. Worst still, there'd be someone waiting for me too. Looking at the flight of stairs, I realize that there is no going back. The trip back is too long, there are an infinite number of stairs, and uncountable people looking up at the platform. Peering intently. Like mocking me. Anyone descending would stick out like a sour thumb and would be an object of ridicule. Damn, the safety regulation authority should order to construct a fire exit or something. A back door, to provide safe exits to sissies. Sadly, no one from the authority had a working genious mind like me. There is a little line for the slides, and me and a friend decide to go next. Go, supress all your fears, whims, anxieties. Life has to be lived to the fullest. This is your moment, grab it, and never look back. I mutter something and jump. The first thing I notice is that the surface of the slide is very dry. I know I have to push in order to get down, since once stuck in between there is no going up. Slowly I build up speed. I grip the partitions just so that I won't topple over. First slide done, landing on second. Still a bit slow, I remember reading a sign that to go fast one has to lean backwards. So I start to lean. Completing the second and landing on the third makes me realize that perhaps I am a little too fast, and my stomach instantly churns over. Damn, how to apply the brakes, how to get slow? My mind is racing fast, too fast even to recover bits from my memory, and I have landed on the fourth. There are only five slides. Time is short, competition is hot. I hit upon the lost fragment and remember to sit up to decrease the force. I try to do that, but too late. My eyes shut automatically, and the water rises up to greet me. Water, is the universal solvent. It has a very soothing nature of its own. As soon as I hit the water, I am in another world. No, literally. My mind lost the connection with the present, and views from my childhood unfold before my eyes. Am I in bliss, is this death, or is it just a dream. Do you know a drowning man sees his entire life before his eyes? I didnt really believe it then, since you can drown in a matter of seconds. But I do believe it now. Almost my entire life whizzed past my eyes, my mind strangely numb and peaceful, finding solace in this void, slowly, merrily. After so many years, I can still see it very vividly. Like I am floating in space, or memories, a feeling I can't describe. Perhaps death is sweeter. But no! The cerebral system kicks into action, sending frenzied messages all across the body. My hands and feet shove and kick erraticly, and my eyes fall open with a pop. There is the greenish liquid all around me, and the sunlight filtering through the water, making it quite pretty indeed [a hindsight]. I sense someone standing besides me, trying to grab me, calling out my name. I make sudden movements to clutch whatever I could get my hands on, and finally I get out of water, pulling on my saviour's arms. Dork, I even manage a smile, like I had pulled of a feat. There is my mom standing, looking concerned. My saviour was my friend, apparently he had a safe dive, or he was experienced. I "cough like an idiot", and tell everyone that I am okay. "Come on! It was all just a gig. Lol, you were concerned? Grow up! I can pull that stunt again, wanna see?" Apparently nobody is interested anymore, and I walk off groggily to a bench. Shaking off cobwebs from my mind, I vow. That was my first ever slide. Wondering? I vowed to put common sense first in all the coming ventures. I never went to the slide again. For all you guys who want to pick on me [and there are quite a few], I never learnt to swim. Perhaps I never shall.

Google... again!!

A reader recently sent me the following insight into the workings of Google: "Generally speaking, there are two types of search engines on the Internet. The first is called the searchable subject index. This kind of search engine searches only the titles and descriptions of sites, and doesn't search individual pages. Yahoo! is a searchable subject index. Then there's the full-text search engine, which uses computerized "spiders" to index millions, sometimes billions, of pages. These pages can be searched by title or content, allowing for much narrower searches than searchable subject index. Google is a full-text search engine." Well, that pretty neatly describes the working of Google. And turns out that this text is lifted straight from O'Reilly's Google Hacks book. Here I credit them, so they wont file a copyright infringement act against me. Which brings me to the question of how anonymous my internet life has become. If they do sue me for copyright infringement, then where'd they find me? Who is me anyway? uXuf is my pseudonym, my friends [online walay] dont even know where I live, who I am, what's my last name, or even whether I am a girl. Goo! There you go. And I might be using a proxy after all. Maybe I am not studying at a university, and all my stories about university life were actually about long lost days. I could be the Governor of Texas for all they know, or the Archbishop of Chicago. Well, who cares! Back to Google, and I am getting increasing hits with the search phrase "google sucks". Well, dont just act like ignorant people. Search around for what makes Google shape their policies this way. And this "google sucks" thing I sense is taking off like a mafia. Recently I landed on someone else's blog [I dont remember whose was it] and he had his own "Google sucks" post, and exactly the same comments that I had on my page [JD and anonymous] were on that page. Sniff, sniff, I smell a conspiracy here. Noone could be that consistent to paste the same comments on different blogs. And then, they aren't paying for their sites to show up in search results. So dude, get off their back. And if you want your site to turn up higher, pay Google! Here is someone who actually is grateful to Google for saving her ass. Pretty intuitive on her part. And finally Google saved someone for reasons other than searching for crappy assignments!

Of bad GRUBs and nice t-shirts

I messed up my pc again. Was fiddling with the GRUB loader and it puked the Windows boot loader. Now I could only boot into Linux. Ahh, those were days when Windows used to bamboozle the GRUB. Looks like GRUB had its revenge finally.

PS If anybody knows how rootnoverify(hda0, 0) chainloader +1 could work for my Windows XP, please let me know. I have a project pending and I dont wanna format the harddisk! :(

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Just saw this shirt at Threadless. Looks cool, and besides I wanna wear it to university, especially to the Algorithms session. Guess what's written on it? Ah Munna, Eat Choo!

Am I being naughty? Should I show more respect to my teachers? :P

Meera - The Pride Of Pakistan

Much has been said and written in these pages about our girl Meera and her excursions in the Indian Film Industry. Inspired, one of our readers sent me a coupla pictures of what had apparently been her *scenes* in the movie "Zeher". I am just posting the more steamy ones.

On second thoughts, she is a tad sexy. And yeah, you've got no future in Pakistan, Meera. Cheesy movies and equally cheesy dance sequences aren't your forte. Stay in India, and give us some hot news. You'll atleast get the hot dance numbers, like "Saaqi Saaqi" :)

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The European Union commissioners have announced that agreement has been reached to adopt English as the preferred language for European communications, rather than German, which was the other possibility. As part of the negotiations, Her Majesty's Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a five-year phased plan for what will be known as EuroEnglish (Euro for short). In the first year, "s" will be used instead of the soft "c". Sertainly, sivil servants will resieve this news with joy. Also, the hard "c" will be replaced with "k." Not only will this klear up konfusion, but typewriters kan have one less letter. There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year, when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced by "f". This will make words like "fotograf" 20 per sent shorter. In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters, which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of silent "e"s in the languag is disgrasful, and they would go. By the fourth year, peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" by "z" and "W" by "V". During ze fifz year, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou", and similar changes vud of kors; be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters. After zis fifz yer, ve vil hav a reli sensibl riten styl. Zer vil b no mor trubls or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech ozer. Ze drem vil finali kum tru. English with the Russain accent, Ze Boris!

YaGooHoo!gle

You'd be thinking, and I thought too, that what the fuck is that Yagoohlelgo (whatever) thing anyway? Turns out to be a fusion of Yahoo! and Google abilities. There is always a debate raging on which search engine is better, and this website brings the biggest two of the engines' results together, stacked side by side. So, if you need the power of two search engines, want diverse results, or just wanna be nasty and compare results, YaGooHoo!gle is the place to be. So what Asgeir S. Nilsen, the brainparent of YaGooHoo!gle has to say: "This site started as an April Fool's post on Slashdot, and the saying was that the fool wasn't even any good. I got a fair amount of hits with people searching for "haha", "funny", "april fool", and "bonesaw". Bonesaw?But then traffic rose. I started receiving feedback. The router crashed (I later found out that the DDoS-logic had kicked in). I've got several offers for hosting the site, and donations have started coming in." Well, Asgeir, thanks for a novel idea. I hope the donations keep pouring in, not to mention that the subscription thing is too much of a hassle, and that you are man enough not to benefit from the works of others. But still its great for people like Extiinct. And JD Guy, you should switch over to Yahoo!

Google sucks is a fad!

People are really pissed off at the policies of Google, it aiming to be the next Microsoft, it being a giant company with no regards to the wishes and comfort of people. Well, that's what I gather from the feelings of the pissed-off'ers. Like John Daniels said: "I have had my head so far up googles A$$ for so many years I feel like a fool. It is now 2005 and it seems for at least a year google's search results are crap. It is like I have to search longer and longer to find what I am looking for. I own a small business in the US named Excalibur Gate Openers LLC. We manufacture gate openers to automatically open swing gates. The website name is www.excaliburgateopeners.com and the title of the web page is the same. You would think you could type in Excalibur gate openers as a search string and the search engine would bring up www.excaliburgateopeners.com first. All other search engines do except Google! This was my wake up call. GOOD BY FOREVER GOOGLE, YOU SUCK!" My my! Thats one indeed disgruntled customer, and they are a sign of bad business. Though I agree with him, but the page ranking system of Google is a little disoriented. Like here we got a nice little explanation: "Just got hold of the discussion going on regarding Google and its pageranking. Something about page-ranking... Well, Google's page-rank mechanism is partially based on CLICKS from GOOGLE SEARCH RESULTS itself. It adds very less to the whole score...or rather, its ignored. Yahoo and Google use the same mechanism. We all know, Google determines site's listing based on its PAGERANK. This is based on these factors: a. Content Keyword Strength (obviously, the site's content counts) b. Cross Linking Website c. Reversal Cross Linking First factor: Sites pointing to you (Cross-linking) It largely depends, on sites POINTING to your website. If the pointing site, is very popular and has a higher ranking, you will get a good score for this. If the site isnt that popular, you will not get a good score - but you will get some. Second factor: Sites pointed by you (reversal cross-linking)Second factor is the list of sites, that YOUR website links to. It has the same scoring mechanism as of the previous one. It's still not this easy and simple. The whole concept is wayyyyy too sophisticated. If you are interested in reading further, visit: http://www.whitelines.nl/html/google-page-rank.html That's about the page-rank. Note that, ranking is not MANUAL in any way. But, you can always have a paid listing, this will obviously pull your site up on the listings. " So that's it, people. Google isn't evil, they're just getting a little misdirected, that's all. Maybe they are thinking of making a few quick bucks, but you can always count on them for their innovative ideas. Just visit their website and look for the links, you'll find many interesting things there. Google people: stop imitating Microsoft.

Stupid Gulab Jamun

Eria: What do you guys like, mithai or ras-gullay? Me: Mithai, ofcourse. But I don't like ras-gullay, Mom and Dad do. Eria: Okay, which one? Me: Gulab Jamun is the best. We were in a mithai (sweet) shop when this conversation took place. And ofcourse, being a Gulab Jamun freak I didnt want to miss the chance of having them, and woh bhi a whole kilo! When I am in a mithai shop I am like a kid, I can take all of the mithais and still wont feel satisfied. So that was the case that day, too. Although I was drooling over Besan kay laddoo (sorr folks I dont know the English version of mithais), I kinda sacrificed them for the old faithful Gulab Jamun. And the result? Seemed like those shithead mithai house people put a whole kilo of sugar instead of Gulab Jamuns, sugar painted brown and made in round lumps. Aargh, I still feel the taste in my throat. Now I know how the diabetic people feel like. Curse them mithai walas!

Softec 2005

Finally I got the time and resources to extract the images from the cellphone. Although there was great public demand (:P) for the pics. Sorry dudes, but the most cherished and prized images are, sadly, deleted. Not that I had to do anything with it, just that they were taking up space :P

FAST Lahore, the main building. Main building, side view. The new building. We were *not* taking the picture of the building here though :P And the kids corner. This Dexter was way too cool, and I was impressed.

Rest of the images are with me. I'll post them up sometime soon, if they don't invade anybody's privacy.

Picnic Spring 2005

So Hawkes Bay it was! And what else could you think of when you have a coupla hundred people on your hands and only a Sunday? And the beach is always the popular choice for the picnic, and it was so today. Had fun, but the water was waaaay too cold, or maybe I'm ill :( I didnt get to ride the waves much, I was so damn shivering! But overall it was fun, wasnt it?

Cheap Helmets!

Lahore: Since the law of regulatory helmets for motor-cyclists, one motor-cyclist has done away with a pan in order to get off from the prying Police.

That's funny, really. But then, what if the guy meets an accident, would that pateeli [pan] would provide any protection to him?

Why don't we understand that laws are for the betterment of us!

A bitch would always be a bitch!

Bitchness is in the genes, you couldn't possibly root it out, or subdue it. I thought that she has mended her ways, what with her being all sugary. Guess a little discord goes a long way, especially for girls. That's why women are discouraged from being on an authoritative post, and I think that's pretty fine. Warna how would you possibly justify Bitch getting in the way and feeding BigBitch about all the wrong reasons, and then telling me, "You dont need to worry if you're capable!" Bitch, bitch, bitch! And if it so happens that it messes up with my plans, I promise that you'll have to pay, you faggot.

Priceless!

Recent Visitors

Its nice to see that my blog fares up well in the searches. I get to encounter various visitors through search terms as varied as "microsoft pakistan softec 2005" [although I dont know the relation and Microsoft wasn't really in force at Softec 2005] to "windows 98 domain server" [beats me again]. I got someone looking for "contact address of Frederick in Pakistan"! Whoa, who is Frederick anyway? And Frederick WHO? You seriously need to learn the effective use of a search engine, pal. Somebody was looking for "Fuck the fucking fucker" also. Pretty inituitive, huh? And the most popular of all is the term "google sucks", and most of the time this search comes from the "Google" search engine itself. Come on, I know Google sucks, but when I posted that I mean about Google, the company, and wasn't talking about the Google search engine. The Google search engine is simply amazing, anything could I say, would be just little to add to the magnanimity. And I am googling most of the time, for apparently useless things, but its amazing the amount of resources that comes up, and you sure find something in it. And Pope John Paul died, he was born in 1920, in Poland. I was just thinking about whether he took part in WW2. Fought against the Nazis, or was against the Jews. Just a thought, maybe I'll google him up too. You can read the Google sucks post here.

Quickie post!

All with four days of chuttiyan (off days), I didnt get time to blog! That's cool, my time is being spent alternatively on sleeping, playing CS and sleeping, playing CS. And that was the infinite loop. I got to know I have got two assignments due. Computer Graphics is on Monday and Network Programming on Tuesday. And I am going to sleep now. God help me with my assignments, I'll see them tomorrow. P.S. I am waiting for the cake.

Blogger sucking again

I dont know, but this is happening since a few days. "There were errors" whenever I try to post something. Where is the redundancy the Google people tout about? I am really much pissed off to write anything, really.

:)

April Fool banaya... baby ko ghussa ayaa!!

When utilities get to fight...

Feeling (not) well!

Looks like I am under some curse. Cant get my mind working, and there is this throbbing in my head that renders me useless for any effort. Doctor doctor, where are you? Gotta go to the APL plant tomorrow. Their development system is offline. And I dont know a heck about what the system is exactly about. Its Excellency FactoryLink 7.1 sahab refused to get installed on my system. Fine, what you want, dork. They'll get me a new system at the office, and I'll do all of the fixing there! Nice, isnt it :D WebWave 2005 was a success, to say the least. The event went in the smoothest possible manner, and finally everyone was content. CP even thanked me, and I was like magnanimous, "There is nothing to thank about, really!" Guess she's dropping hints, but I am booked, already. I think the Josh guys did a really nice job, coming up with an album like that. I especially like Kabhi and Josh Naal. These days they are on my Media Player, alongwith Raghav, and ofcourse, Aaroh and Atif [okay dont snicker, but Atif is a hit with Addat]. And could anyone translate this for me: [Josh, ofcourse] Aj nachke dikha de sanu haniya vele khushyaan de nit nahin aunyaan Gida pa sade naal hun goriye badi sohni lagi ganay diye boriye Oh hadyaan na tut jaan teriyaan gide'ch pade hanariya Oye Josh nu na aj tokhnan achdeyaan nu na hun rokhna Yep, I can make the most out of it, but still it gets me stumped in a few places, like "Gida pa sada naal hun goriye" and "gide'ch pade hanariya". I am just curious :)

Omer Kureishi died!

KARACHI, March 14: Legendary cricket writer and commentator Omer Kureishi died today. He was 77 and left behind a son Javed Kureishi to mourn his death. He was rushed to the hospital last Monday (March 7) after an attack of Asthma. Omer Kureishi wrote for various newspapers for nearly half a century and his columns were regularly published in daily Dawn. He become famous for his cricketing commentary pairing with Jamshed Marker which delighted listeners in fifties and sixties. Damn! Why did he have to die? And die so soon? A few more years of witty and humorous writings wouldn't have been too much a bother. And why, when I was away from the city? March 14, I was at Lahore. Preparing for my trip back home. I didnt even know it. I didnt have time to be in shock. Although the shock now is too great. Oh how I'd miss his witty columns, and all his views about the cricket setup. But I guess, everybody has his time, and his time just ran out. May he rest in peace.

23rd March - Pakistan Day

Well, its Pakistan Day after all. We all should be glad that this day happened. And I think about the significance of this day, and the meaning it carries in our lives. Come on, for the most of my life it has been just another holiday - moreso when I landed at university. This day is one of those holidays that the whole country observes. And damn my university, it doesnt believe in local holidays! This day is like a minor version of August 14. There are no jhandian, no flags fluttering on roof tops, no badges, stickers, paper caps, valiant men etc. Bus there is that parade at Constitution Avenue, Islamabad, in the morning that makes it sound something worthwhile; and ofcourse the Khabarnama with its reporting of the various medals held out by the President, and local constituents. Apart from that, there is nothing worthwhile. The whole day passes just lolling around. The Pakistan Day Parade was of intrigue when I was young. I used to get up early then, too. Young when you are impressed by the military might, the khaki uniforms, the soaring airplanes, the deadly missiles. All of these feelings subside when you get to know that your are the victim of discrimination. But, what the heck! I am still a Pakistani at heart. And I'll remain that forever. Somehow I got up early enough today to catch the last moments of the Parade being broadcast on PTV. My father being an enthusiast [its also a way of waking up snoring sloths], the TV was on with full volume. The President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, was there too, with Prez Musharraf and PM Shaukat Aziz. Maybe Karzai is too keen to make friends with Pakistan. He's here on every national holiday. And when the planes were soaring [and roaring] by, in the quest to look at them earnestly, the Jinnah Cap that is always to be found on Mr. Karzai's head, dropped to the ground. The scene was very amusing for Musharraf, Shaukat Aziz, the military brass, even the guard that was on duty. Karzai had a sheepish smile on his face, and for the rest of the ceremony, the cap was nowhere to be seen. My advice to Mr. Karzai, keep firm hold of your topi, there are a lot of people here who love to play with topis!

The Government is snooping

Dawn: Privacy of some seven million e-mail users in the country is prone to violation as the government admitted in the National Assembly that log-files of users' internet activity were kept for a period of one month for security reasons. In a measured response, the government informed the house that the cabinet's approval for any such process had not been sought by any organisation. However, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, as the regulatory body of the telecommunication sector, has issued instructions to all ISPs (Internet Service Providers) to maintain record (log files) of their customers for a period of one month to help trace cyber crime culprits if required in any investigation under the law. The government also informed the house that Internet users in the country maintained more than one e-mail accounts. "As per record held with PTA, at present there are about one million registered Internet subscribers in Pakistan. As estimated, seven million people use Internet and each user is maintaining about three e-mail addresses. From the tone of it, it looks like that only the ISPs are required to keep a tab on their customers. Now tell me, what fraction of the internet users in Pakistan actually use ISPs' email accounts? I'd say, less than 20%. Majority of the users log on through cable nets, cyber cafes etc. And many [like me] have lost faith in ISP email accounts. And then those who do use it, I'd say the majority would lie in the age group of 35-50 years. When you get around 35 years of age, I think you get mature. The majority of e-crimes that happen across the globe are done by people in the age group of 16-22 years. And come on, for people in that age group, using ISP email is so uncool! And if they are talking about terrorist organizations, they are kidding whom? Surely the terrorist organizations aren't that naive. Even a 14-year old knows about proxies and anonymity in the websphere. Organizations like AlQaeda [I'm not necessarily implying that they are terrorists] aren't too technologically advanced? I've heard that they use satellite phones, and emails to keep in contact. Now they wouldn't ignore so big a hole as to use ISP accounts or not be too concerned about anonymity. Come on guys, get a life! And the last thought, if they think about caching the web activities [actually a far-fetched idea], that would be a BIG privacy issue on behalf of the government. And after that [if that is implemented], the next step would be to log ALL the activities of a person online, a kind of the Big Brother scenario [Lol I just remembered George Orwell's 1984]. A thought that is too frightening. Not to mention that this would place a big burden on the meek shoulders of the crappy ISPs of Pakistan. They'll have another thing to keep track of. And the criminals would just find other ways to play happy.

Silly me!

I am sorry, Plump. I'll make over for your assignment. But you didn't leave it with me. If its lost somewhere then I can't help. I'll talk to FA on Thursday, and definitely do something about your assignment, just you find it in time.

Things I fucking hate!

1. I've changed.
2. I have been fucking dependent.
3. My new friends are crap.
4. I've got no other choice but to be friends with them.
5. I've lost touch with my inner self.
6. There's a constant throbbing in my head, thing you call a headache.
7. Mom says I've got a serious chest problem.
8. The fucking doctor is always out.
9. I hate being dependent, I wasn't dependent pehlay!
10. Fuck the fucking fucker, I dont remain in a good mood for long!

Meera: on the kiss

Well, it wasn't so big an issue that has been made out of it. What the heck, our girls need to get out there and prove themselves too. And its all in the trade. What she did was only a kiss, and that too on the screen, nobody gets to the directors when they use the casting couch? Here is what Meera has to say: Other than one scene in which my character receives a peck on the neck by her lover after they declare their love for each other, the film is spotlessly clean. Did they want me to act in a burqa even if the role didn't demand it? Yeah, do you want to make an art film? Just think of that, Meera, in a burqa throughout the film. Gee, I wouldnt wanna see that! I've done nothing in Nazar that hasn't already been done by all the popular actors of the Indian screen, whom everyone watches with great enthusiasm in Pakistan. I've worked with an international team and represented my country globally, and Pakistanis should be proud of it. Ofcourse, Meera jee, we are proud of you. You are indeed representing your country, and making Pakistan known throughout the world for its plump heroines that plot to ensnare foreign film directors. This is just the beginning. I plan to do some more movies in India and hopefully will star opposite Shah Rukh Khan soon. Then I'm looking at Hollywood. I'm taking courses to improve my English and hope to act with Tom Cruise some day. Ofcourse, you need some courses seriously, improve your English, then set your sights on Hollywood. I am sure they are waiting for you. Indeed Meera, you're great. I hope you do star in some Hollywood movies so we could get to see some rated movies of Pakistani babes :) Till then I cross my fingers. Source

Mystery resolved

They can't decide why men are obsessed with breasts. Well, this effectively sums it up.

Ofcourse, we do care, that's why we stare. Any doubts?

Remaking Manwa Re!

One of our excursions at Lahore was the route taken by Ali Noor in his hit song Manwa Re video. Well, not exactly the same route, but remarkably similar. We got to see the Shahi Muhallah. Ab don't ask me what's it. It wasn't at all like I had imagined it to be, or as these kind of places are portrayed on the screen. They were not sitting outside, no advertisement of their bodies. I've heard that a new guy would get a helluva lot of trouble finding the perfect piece, or any piece at that. The Police has connections inside, and the new person without a strong back would land in more trouble then he would bargain for. The alley was normal, people strolling around, cars going through, normal business without any hint of what goes inside those shabby houses. We caught glimpse of only three or so pros, and they were sitting inside the houses, waiting for customers so that they could make a quick buck. A strange thing happened too, as we entered the alley [we were there for the first time], there was this eunuch that came directly in the front of our car, and he started showering our car with petals! Imagine that! The first time we are there, phatti pari hai, and then we were a little excited, and this happens to us. Whatever we would do he would not leave his place. We coaxed, cajoled, threatened, threw expletives, but he wont budge. What a scene that would have made. Then he agreed for 10 rupees to leave his place, and we were thankful to God. Advice: Never stop at these kind of places as they are highly troublesome. Plus, dont go there if you are weak hearted, and never go there on foot!

Naive

They were naive, to say the least. They came for us just as we had finished smoking pot. We were huddled in a corner, just off the main corridor at the campus. It was Saturday, a low activity day all along. It was me, and a female friend [isnt it an era of female liberty?]. And they thought we were cuddling up, getting mushy. Indeed. We were taken to the Administrative Officer [or someone, I am not required to remember, am I?]. They gave us a lecture on how CS undergrads should and should not waste their precious time. They even proposed that they are willing to contact our respective homes should we feel inclined for a possible betrothal, but no, no wasting time like this: there are times when there is only God who is watching. And then the golden quote: "I hope we will not meet for this reason again." Sure we won't. You don't know the real thing, dudee. We aren't schmoozling. Contact us when you need fresh pot at the university, free of cost [Introductory offer, ofcourse]. P.S. I know its not good practice to smoke weed at the university, but hey, what the heck?!

I am tired of explanations

Too much Counter-Strike

This is what happens after too much Counter-Strike, the South Park way! The mufflers are there for a little OBL look. The shotgun seems fine, but the dagger is long enough to be a sword. I know CS doesnt feature any swords, but what the heck. Maybe considering the height of the character, this actually IS a dagger, but looks like a sword! And the cigarette, no OBL doesnt smoke, nor does anybody in CS. Just that the slightly open mouth was looking weird.

Make your own South Park characters here

Commotion at the Competition

Somehow the people at Softec weren't ready to accept my group and our project into the software competition. No reason was given. But since we already were there, they had to take us in. We approached the Society Advisor, Mr. Belal Hashmi. Considering the brotherhood that we are in, he had no choice. But the software competition people were a tad pissed off. Khair we got in and were alloted a place. This was all happening on Friday night, at around 11:30 pm. We put up our system, signed for the monitor and accessories, and began setting up our project so that we'll not be in for any problem the next day. But lo, Nanda had to download the project [It was his system though] from somewhere, as according to him, the latest copy was on his superway account. And by the quirk of fate, the superway site is blocked on the Lahore campus server [No I dont know the reason]. We searched around in his Hotmail and GMail accounts, but to no avail. The copy was only on superway account, and it was inaccessible. It seemed like wasted effort. We didn't know any internet cafes in Lahore, and waisay bhi it was around midnight. But then I thought, being a computer science graduate must have some benefits, right? I used to surf via some anonymous proxies, and I went to those. But, they went as far as the login page, and then one or the other ad would pop up, requiring to signup in order to proceed. Frustrating. Then I remembered a bouncing technique that used to happen with the CNN site. But they had discontinued it too. Nothing was in our favor, the lab technicians said that the problem would be solved only in the morning, when the network administrator comes in. But according to reports, I have too much self-confidence to walk away from bad situations, and I thought, there should be some way outta it. And then it hit! Why not try it via the DNS? I queried the DNS of the superway site, and tried to login through the DNS entry and presto! It was there! Without any anonymizer help or anything! These Network Administrators could simply be dumb or something. Blocking a site and leaving a loophole large enough for anyone to pass through! Anyways we did our work, downloaded our project, set it up, and went to sleep paying due respects to the Lahore crew. Wonder what Ayaz Ahmed would say if he hears about this!

My Handwriting Analysis

Blog-hopping feels like a nice pasttime. I get to explore new territories, meet new people, understand ideas. I read about this Handwriting Wizard on Samar's blog. According to her "it's pretty accurate. misses a few points lekin hits the mark more often than not." Indeed it does. My handwriting is indeed very blatant. It uncovers those parts of me that I didnt even know of. Here is the analysis: Something is incomplete in Yousuf's life. He feels frustration relating to his physical needs and desires. Somewhere in his life there is some disappointment, non-fulfillment, and interruption. This is very likely to relate to Yousuf's sexual needs. [Yeah! I am incomplete! Meri shaadi karado!!!] Yousuf has a temper. He uses this as a defense mechanism when he doesn't understand how to handle a situation. Temper is a hostile trait used to protect the ego. Temper can be a negative personality trait in the eyes of those around him. [Do somebody remember when the last time I was in temper?] Yousuf is sarcastic. This is a defense mechanism designed to protect his ego when he feels hurt. He pokes people harder than he gets poked. These sarcastic remarks can be very funny. They can also be harsh, bitter, and caustic at the same time. [Ofcourse, sarcasm is my other name :) ] Yousuf is a practical person whose goals are planned, practical, and down to earth. This is typical of people with normal healthy self-esteem. [Sun lo!] He needs to visualize the end of a project before he starts. he finds joy in anticipation and planning. Notice that I said he plans everything he is going to do, that doesn't necessarily mean things go as planned. Yousuf basically feels good about himself. He has a positive self-esteem which contributes to his success. He feels he has the ability to achieve anything he sets his mind to. However, he sets his goals using practicality-- not too "out of reach". He has enough self-confidence to leave a bad situation, yet, he will not take great risks, as they relate to his goals. A good esteem is one key to a happy life. Although there is room for improvement in the confidence catagery, his self-perception is better than average. In reference to Yousuf's mental abilities, he has a very investigating and creating mind. [Ofcourse I know I have one] He investigates projects rapidly because he is curious about many things. He gets involved in many projects that seem good at the beginning, but he soon must slow down and look at all the angles. He probably gets too many things going at once. When Yousuf slows down, then he becomes more creative than before. Since it takes time to be creative, he must slow down to do it. He then decides what projects he has time to finish. Thus he finishes at a slower pace than when he started the project. He has the best of two kinds of minds. One is the quick investigating mind. The other is the creative mind. His mind thinks quick and rapidly in the investigative mode. He can learn quicker, investigate more, and think faster. Yousuf can then switch into his low gear. When he is in the slower mode, he can be creative, remember longer and stack facts in a logical manner. He is more logical this way and can climb mental mountains with a much better grip. Yousuf will be candid and direct when expressing his opinion. He will tell them what he thinks if they ask for it, whether they like it or not. So, if they don't really want his opinion, don't ask for it! [Yeah! Isiliye 'people' get mad when I analyse their works :(] Yousuf will demand respect and will expect others to treat him with honor and dignity. Yousuf believes in his ideas and will expect other people to also respect them. He has a lot of pride. Yousuf uses judgment to make decisions. He is ruled by his head, not his heart. He is a cool, collected person who is usually unexpressive emotionally. Some may see him as unemotional. He does have emotions but has no need to express them. He is withdrawn into himself and enjoys being alone. The circumstances when Yousuf does express emotions include: extreme anger, extreme passion, and tremendous stress. If someone gets him mad enough to tell him off, he will not be sorry about it later. He puts a mark in his mind when someone angers him. He keeps track of these marks and when he hits that last mark he will let them know they have gone too far. He is ruled somewhat by self-interest. All his conclusions are made without outside emotional influence. He is very level-headed and will remain calm in an emergency situation. In a situation where other people might get hysterical, he has poise. Yousuf will work more efficiently if given space and time to be alone. He would rather not be surrounded by people constantly. In a relationship, he will show his love by the things he does rather than by the things he says. Saying "I love you" is not a needed routine because he feels his mate should already know. The only exception to this is if he has logically concluded that it is best for his mate to hear him express his love verbally. Yousuf is not subject to emotional appeals. If someone is selling a product to him, they will need to present only the facts. They should present them from a standpoint of his sound judgment. He will not be taken in by an emotional story about someone else. He will meet emergencies without getting hysterical and he will always ask "Is this best for me?" [Unemotional? Me? There was this big question mark over my personality, and I think its getting around to being an exclamation mark now. Got your answers?] People that write their letters in an average height and average size are moderate in their ability to interact socially. According to the data input, Yousuf doesn't write too large or too small, indicating a balanced ability to be social and interact with others. So that's it. My personality, laid bare in front of every one to trample on. But still there are few things that nobody would never know of. Except somebody. And to be that somebody, you'll have to analyse me.

Of pretty faces and odd accents

So I am back. Back from a tiring journey, from the harsh weather, from the mismanagement and the same menu for three days, from dance parties and ultimate khuwari, I am back from it all! The trip to Lahore wasn't as bad as it could've been. The Softec guys had done hardwork, but most of their hardwork was directed in the wrong direction. When you are working on something for eight months, things tend to get forgotten at the last moment, and you overlook the details. For example, on the day when the participants had to report in, there was no one to escort them. Some of the people complained that they had arrived at two in the afternoon and they were catered to at eleven in the evening. The accomodation was arranged in a PTCL Hostel just off Tufail Road, Cantt. Though there is nothing to say wrong about the accomodation people [Raza, you rock!], there werent enough buses to transport the participants to and from the campus. This hostel is around 30-45 minutes duration from the Lahore campus, and there were only two buses to cater all of the hundred or so local participants, as well as the international participants. So it worked like they used to pick up the international students first [they were accomodated in a separate hotel], the buses dropped them off to the campus, and then they came for us local participants. Just imagine it, more than a hundred people, and only two buses. The buses usually made two/three trips to transport them all. Then at the main entrance, there was no one to welcome the guests, or the participants. They were supposed to find their own way through the event. Atleast there should've been a team of GR people to take the guests on a tour. They made us eat the same thing through out the event. Something like biryani [without the masala] and qorma [without masala too]. This was the menu when I decided to eat at the campus. On the closing ceremony, I didn't even bother to go to the eating area. I had too much of it. Yes, I did encounter a couple of good faces. Lahori girls are naive, to the say least. Or maybe, Karachi guys are too scheming. You just need a cute face and a straight accent to take them into groove. Yep, I was asked for my correspondence [read email] a couple of times. And I was happy to provide it. I just hope they contact me soon [I'll have something to look forward nationwide then :P] And I have the pictures that I'll put up soon. Looks like this week's gonna be Softec week! Thanks for supporting me [You know I am talking about you].

Back!

Softec 2005

So I am off to Lahore, for a few days. There is this Softec 2005, which is being held at FAST Lahore. Well, I am representing my university there. Now now dont snicker. There are times when people like me get to represent something great, its just that, just like that. Maybe I couldnt blog for a few days. So friends, dont get disappointed. I ll be back, and maybe back with nice memories and more interesting posts! Those of you who miss me, leave a comment, or email me [if you know the address]. I'll get back to you when I get back. And that, is a promise. You can read about Softec 2005 here.

The Computer Architecture dilemma

It all started with the Computer Architecture TA giving us 5 out of 15 in the final project, on the pretext that we had chapofied [copy-pasted] the project from somewhere. The "Five" was particularly helpful in getting me a 62 point something on this course [duhh! I was expecting more!]. Talk about the idiosyncrasies of individuals. So just so Hassaan came up with the idea of having a re-demo so that we could make up with the course instructor himself. A noble idea indeed, but none that me and Adnan were particularly optimistic that it would work out. And then we set about the task of presenting ourselves for the demo. We went all the way to city campus. The Course Instructor decided that he wasn't gonna check our code all along. Fair enough, but then how do you think you could substantiate the cheating allegation? So he decided to have a viva kind of demo. And that was it. He left no stones unturned in trying to somehow catch us in a loom, and strike away with our marks, but to his utter disappointment, that wasn't to be the case. What do you expect when you're thoroughly prepared? When he didn't get anything to have us embarassed on and to accept that we indeed had cheated and were a bunch of chays who were trying to make a chay out of him, he let us go, and asked us to provide us with the project. The most efficient and overly-enthusiastic Hassaan copied the whole folder, along with the help files, to his system. Not that I am blaming Hassaan of anything, but this Instructor was indeed looking out for something to have us implicated. And then he mailed us: Subject: your project Sent: 3/5/2005 11:05 AM Importance: Normal I forgot to ask you 1 more question In how many days you make this project. also give me starting and ending date Not that it was of any alarm to us, and I just mailed him back, with a little bit of clarification [I had in mind that he has in mind that it was in the TA's mind that we were cheating]. Here is what I mailed: From: me To: The CA Instructor Sent: 3/5/2005 1:30 PM Subject: RE: your project We started this project around mid-November, and got it almost completed till the start of January. It took almost a month considering that we didnt work during the finals. We dont remember the exact dates. We managed to complete such a comprehensive project in a month because the OS project resembles the JVM architecture and it helped us a lot. Regards. Phew! Considering that we indeed had this phase completed, and that we would get a "few" more marks in the project, we were at ease then. But bad days come faster than good ones. I got a mail from him almost the same day, with a bit of irony: From: The CA Instructor To: me Subject: RE: your project Sent: 3/5/2005 5:18 PM well the magnitude of the project does not show that you make it in a month time some of the files are created on feb 04 to may 04. It is not due to the system clock problem because some have the date of dec 04 and jan 05. there are also some csharp files moreover just tell me who is mujtaba? I think Fatema gives too much marks. Well, that was particularly enough for me. Personal enmity aside, this was no reason to discriminate among the students. I had to reply a last time, whatever he may think. From: me To: The CA Instructor Subject: RE: your project Sent: 3/7/2005 9:57 AM With all due respect, sir, as I had mentioned this project greatly resembled the Operating Systems project we had developed during Spring 2004. The OS project also needs us to develop a Virtual Machine like the one we developed in this project. Most of the help about how to set about designing the project was taken from the OS project. Only we had to modify the instruction set architecture and the methods to read the class file. The rest is almost the same. The issue of dates that you mention might stem out of the fact that we have reused files and code from our Operating System project. And that, I feel, is not an offence. Doing a quick search for "Mujtaba", I found that this was contained in one of the help files. There were plenty of help files that were used to understand the bytecode and the JVM architecture. I hope since you have this word document, you'll also have other documents and pdfs etc that may provide an insight to the lengths we went into building this project. And I do feel we are still not awarded accordingly. Regards. Somebody asked me to atleast change the attitude of the mail, but ho boy, that wasnt to be. I ve had enough and at that point I didnt care anymore about anything. In the end, I am not sure that he has awarded us marks or not. My final grade in Computer Architecture is posted as B-. Wondering how I can a B- on that 62 point something? Dont blame me for venting my anger on him. He has done a general upgrading. And I still dont have my marks.

What what!

According to Jon, there are certain benefits in being a computer enthusiast. I whole heartedly agree with him. The following is a visitor that stumbled across my site, a few of his statistics:

Location: Punjab, Faisalabad, Pakistan Hostname: (202.179.137.158) Referring URL: www.google.com.pk/search?q=shalwar kameez sexy girls of pakistan&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&start=10&sa=N

Simply put, he was searching for "Shalwar Kameez sexy girls of Pakistan". Some sick pervert, how can you envision sexy girls of Pakistan, and where does the Shalwar Kameez part fit in? Just for fun I clicked on this URL, and I could only marvel at this poor person's bewilderment, as most of the links were from beauty houses and different news papers/tabloids. And just wondered what I had in my blog that could attract such people. So it came out that the blog about the guy who wanted to work in McDonalds [it had the word "sexy" in it] and that of the Valentine's day email ["Shalwar Kameez", "Girl"]. So that was it, I am feeling disappointed that a visitor went unfulfilled from my blog. I hope to see you again, dickhead. Next time you should contact me directly, I ll provide you with some "Girls"! PS Jon if you read this its just a coincidence that this person came across me today! PPS Any other perverted minds: No use of clicking on this google link cause it doesnt provide anything that this person was looking for, and most probably it wouldnt satisfy you too!

The IBM people...

It was supposed to be three people from IBM, and it was supposed to be held in the Conference Room. But alas! It didnt happen as it was supposed to. There was only this one guy from IBM, and he was all the time in Ayaz Ahmed's room. We had to discuss the project with him at the office. And then, there werent enough seats! Standing and trying to convince him enough was a tiring job. We almost had a backache. But I think that was worth it, he seemed convinced enough. Now just hope that his superiors buy the idea. It would be cool enough then, working for IBM, although its Equinox, but it doesnt matter at all! Now just have to mail this IBM guy a souped-up project charter, and have to discuss with him the modules and the timeplan. And then maybe we could get the job, alongwith resources provided by IBM! That sounds so cool! You can read about Equinox here.

Greed!

That's funny! And thanks to Samar, I have finally managed to do a little upgrading of my site. And yes, I can photo-blog too.

Eternally thankful to you, Samar!

The toilets!

Doing blog-hopping the other day, I came across this indeed very informative piece on the toilets/bathrooms of US. Getting ready for a study-life abroad, I find that pretty disgusting [ofcourse the toilets, not the blog]. I guess I am just in mad love with my own bathroom. I feel really at home there[?!] I know I am odd, but that's how I am. What I just meant to say was that I could do whatever I want there, and not feel embarassed/out of place/odd. It provides me with the perfect solitude, to read newspaper, solve the crossword, finish those novels, play with my cellphone, solve the assignment, ponder over the next exploit, in short, whatever it is, I can do it in the bathroom. And yeah dont think that I am queer. Yet I think I should put up the picture of my bathroom up! [Lol! Just a thought!] You can read Jon's blog here.