Rich and famous?

A friend recently emailed me a clipping from a renowned Pakistani newspaper ‘DAWN’, titled “Want to be rich and famous?”. It went on to describe the deaths of rich and famous people, and describe how miserable their lives were. There’s an Urdu saying about people who talk about this kind of stuff: “Angoor Khattay Hein”. The saying comes from a story about a fox, who tried to jump and catch herself some grapes from the vines. When she was unable to do so, she declared that “The grapes weren’t sweet anyway, but were sour, and she was better off not eating them.” (Or “Angoor Khattay Hein”).

I am writing this article as a rebuttal to that newspaper article. Yes, the rich and famous sometimes have unfortunate ends, but the poor exceed them not only in misery, but in sheer numbers. I could have compared the unfortunate rich with the fortunate, but that didn’t seem human. Instead, I chose to compare with the unfortunate poor.

All these stories are true, from inside pages of newspapers dating back to 1998. I bet no one remembers these stories.

Subject: Codename Madison
Location: Unknown
Assets: Unknown
Heirs: None
Story: A lady (considered Codename Madison for this article), lived somewhere, sometime. Had four children, husband divorced after birth of 4th child. Tried to feed all, accomplished none: children died in infancy. Caught tuberculosis working at a local village clinic as a cleaning lady. Body found in a 1000cm-diameter pipe by the roadside, 1999.

Subject: Codename Dune
Location: UAE
Assets: Unknown
Heirs: None
Story: Name not disclosed. Paid a heavy sum (produced on loan) for job relocation in the UAE as a handyman because he wanted to improve the hand-to-mouth living situation of his family in Pakistan – a wife and six kids. Unable to payback the loan within the agreed time - shelter in the village confiscated by the local ‘zamindar’. Wife acquired by the zamindar, the children slaughtered.
Currently works in the UAE, making a hand-to-mouth living.

Subject: Codename Altocumulus
Location: Unknown
Assets: Probably none
Heirs: Five
Story: News reporter for a local newspaper, barely able to make a living and feed his family. Killed in a ‘police encounter’. A small obituary printed on page 4 of the newspaper he worked for, and the case was closed. The family of his wife declined to take her in, on the basis of their belief that a married woman dies with her husband. Children currently at an Edhi Home, location of woman unknown.

Subject: Codenames Black, and Portrait
Location: Somewhere in Pakistan
Assets: None
Heirs: Unknown
Story: A couple raised their four children near perfection – fed them well, educated them better, wed them. After a few years, they wanted their part of the ‘empire’. The property was divided, and somehow the couple was left with nothing. The lady died of trauma; the man is currently at a mental correctional facility in Pakistan.

I could go on, but not much is know about the life and death of the poor…

Religion and Spirituality

I am a fundamentalist in that I believe firmly in the fundamentals of Islam, which is exactly what the word fundamentalism means (to adhere strictly to the fundamentals of a belief or a concept), contrary to anything else you might have heard.I believe in the unity of Allah, the finality of Prophethood, and in the Day of Judgement. It is my firm belief that the Muslim faith is the only path to salvation.
In recent years, I have encountered several muslims who question the fundamentals of the faith. No, I don't think they are faltered, but yes, I do believe they are close. Not every person has the ability, patience or devotion required to indulge in sane comparative religion study. Many have faltered on that road. Even more have stumbled off. In my opinion, they do not understand what risks they are running when they question the faith that they were lucky to be born with in the first place. Comparative religion study should be left to those who have nothing to lose.

Spirituality, in my opinion, has very little to do with religion, except that religion sets the boundaries for spiritual thought, like it does for most else. To me, spirituality is believing in fate - in what you were meant to be, and what you can change. Everybody is born unique, with a unique gift. It is upto them to realize their gift, and overthrow dead culture. It's all about change. I believe I was born more an artist, to be part of an aesthetic, as well as scientific revolution. As I progress in life, I am beginning to believe even more firmly in this. As a child, I always saw myself, not behing a computer screen, but behind a canvas - the canvas is now the world I live in, and it is mine to paint... these are the limits of my sanity!

Strong Hormones!

Whoa! You gotta be freakin' kidding me man! Just give this a read!

Cybersex has a whole new meaning, baby!

A PC in a Mac Mini

Just the other day, I read this where Mr. Rose took apart a Mac Mini to implant it with a PC’s innards (gasp!). Just to see how much such a compact PC would cost without keyboard, mouse and display (and even some essentials that DO come with the mini).

Nano-ITX motherboard - $185
A decent 40GB ATA laptop HDD - $100
A 40-pin to 44-pin Converter - $9.95
A tap kit to pry the case - $30 (approx. depending on where you buy)
A strip of Panadol Extra (for all the headaces) - $0.40
An extra heat sink - Lets just throw this in for free :)
Another strip of Panadol Extra
Windows XP - $324 (Microsoft price)

Price at this point: $648.85 (and I didn’t even add the price for the Panadol strips!!)

It should also be noted that at this point, this PC doesn’t have a CD-RW/DVD-ROM or even a CD-ROM drive for that matter, and Mr. Rose suggests using an ‘external bootable device, including bootable CD-ROM and USB thumb drives’.

Also note that this price does not include the Windows equivalents of iPhoto or GarageBand,

I guess its not worth it after all :)

Decline of a Nation

A nation only begins its decline after its people not only become content, but arrogant – when they start taking pride in the power vested in them by the nation. When they start appreciating their own powers above those of the law and government. Such has been out case since the very birth of our nation.

Our rules are unwieldy, and adherence nil. Thus the results. Islam has laid down not only rules for us, but a foundation, upon which certain laws can be forged according to needs while still within the limits of Shari’at. The basic rule of making and following rules is that the forged law should be lenient, but adherence to it must be strict. Our perspective has changed drastically by 180 degrees backwards – we have laws for every conceivable crime and loophole, but adherence has shrunk to paperwork.

This thought should be very disturbing to every person living in Pakistan. We all point fingers at the man throwing disposable cups onto the sandy shores at Sea View, but find it an easy task doing the same thing ourselves. Our only excuse is that the litter can (which could have been as near as ten feet) was ‘too far away’. Our mentalities revolve around ourselves, our needs, our rights, and others’ responsibilities. It’s time to change now, time to turn around 180 degrees forward and save what little is left of our national and religious spirit.

Mini Everything

Last year, Apple Computers came out with a ‘mini’ version of its popular iPod MP3 player. Old news, right? I know, just read on. This year, they came out with the ‘Mac Mini’. They also announced an even smaller version of the iPod, called the iPod shuffle. Still don’t see where I’m going?

Okay, look at Mercedes - they’ve always been known as the luxury carmakers, and no matter how many people these days own a Mercedes, there can never be too many Mercedes cars. Well, two years back, they too announced a ‘mini’ or compact version of its cars, which was to seat two people only. Another compact car – the ‘Mini Cooper’ has also been around for quite some time.

Just the other day, I was on my way home from the airport when I saw this billboard, boasting the “Visa Mini”, a credit card which is 43% smaller in size than the regulars (I wonder how that’s going to affect you carrying a credit card, but I guess you could use shedding a few grams of carry-on ;) ). Just count the things around you that have only been getting smaller (Okay, don’t look too deep into it – I know you’r not 18 anymore ;) ). Its all around you – miniaturization is the essence of the modern world. I wonder where we are going to stop.

All The Same

The dance we never danced,
The song I never wrote,
The raindrop that never fell,
The flower that never blossomed,
The dawn that never broke,
The waters that never sparkled,
The fountain that never quenched a thirst,
The child that was never born,
And the soul that never loved.

- Absar Shah
February 1, 2005,

Which F.R.I.E.N.D Are You?

Okay, its official.. I'm Chandler. Confused? Take this test and lets see who you come around to be!

"Absar, you've got a little bit of Chandler going on!

Could you be any more like Chandler? The most lovable wiseguy around, you've got more than a little Bing inside you, don't 'cha? Front and center in your Chandler-ness is that unstoppable wit, keeping everyone in stitches (or at least deflecting uncomfortable situations). And like the Chan-Chan man, you'd never leave your pals out in the cold. But your generosity is so inconspicuous that people often don't even notice it.

Romantically, a soft, sweet, heart and charming, insecurity rule. You might, however, be held back from love by that nagging little fear of, well, growing up. Ya think? But, like the adorable Mr. Bing himself, it's just because you care so much and don't want to let anyone down."