Yesterday, while walking down the usual zig zag of streets from bus stop to my flat, I was thinking randomly about inflation, cost of living, job security, stock markets, dollar price,  Zardari, Lawyers Movement, Bajour, Baluchistan etc. etc.  Then suddenly I came across this banner….

Banner in Urdu Reads: Last Chance, Last Price, Below Purchase Price, Shop has been sold, Business Gone Broke

This banner per see looks like just another business trick. But If you look closely and try to read between the lines. This banner becomes a satire, a commentary at current state of affairs in this country. It describes in very few words the political, economical and moral dilemma being faced by us.

I invite you to elaborate through your comments on each/any expression(s) on the banner you can relate to…

With the Presidential election just around the corner, September 6th, rumor has it that PML-N and PML-Q are in talks once again and might form an alliance or may field a joint candidate.

Now, does this make any sense? Is PML-N now willing to forgive and forget PML-Q’s role during Musharraf regime? So whatever happened to standing for justice and for your principles? Politics is a dirty game, but if PML-N forms and alliance with PML-Q then I’m afraid the ‘lotta’ tag associated with members of Muslim League will once again be proven correct.

Whatever the outcome of this Presidential election, I hope and pray that PPP led government complete its tenure. We have had way too many elected governments being over thrown without completing their terms, only to allow them to come back with ‘excuses’ like, “we were never allowed to complete our elected term.” We have to let our elected governments complete their terms (good or bad) so that people of Pakistan could judge them based on their performance over a 5 year period and then make up their mind accordingly if the party deserves another chance or not? In my opinion this is the only way to change the mind set of hard core supporters of some our major parties. These supporters should be given a chance to judge their favorite parties based on their actual performance and not rather on some ‘family’ name or ‘empty slogans.’

As an inevitable result of the ongoing military operation in the northern parts of our country, hundreds of men, women and children have died an unfair death while thousands had to leave their homes to escape being sandwiched in the militants vs military war.

Recent media reports and personal accounts of individual visitors tell us that many of the families who fled the scene of fighting are now living in refugee camps at Mardan and Nowshera.

This is the time to stand together, again, in helping the victims of the situation. A friend and our fellow LMB author, Mohammad Khan (aka Momekh) has taken initiative to start a relief effort from Lahore focused on collection of tents, medicines, food, ration, bottled water, utensils (plates) and other goods that may be of any use to our brethern in need. Ramadan is approaching and these people need help fast.

In his own words, “Preferred is medicine for diarrhea, hepatitis. Or utensils like plates etc. If not, cash can also be sent. A comprehensive list of required stuff inshALLAH will be ready soon.”

If you are interested in contributing relief goods, volunteering or helping by any means please contact:

Mohammad Khan

62-Bridge Colony, Lahore Cantonment

Mobile: 0300-4003055

Please spread the word to those you think will be interested in helping too.

We need to revive the October 2005 spirit back into action…!

“I don’t want people to do jobs; I want them to become entrepreneurs” said Badar Khushnood, Country Consultant, Google in his presentation at P@SHA Career Expo, Avari Hotel, Lahore. “Everyone must do any bussiness, whether; big or small and blogging is one of them” he added.

He was addressing a session, yesterday, on how to earn a good living by blogging. Being a Google Guy, his focus was on Google’s products like Blogger, Google Adsense and Google Analaytics but his tips were universal to all types of bloggers.

Badar Khushnood presenting "Earn a good living by blogging"

It was more like a group discussion where many people shared their experiences and asked Badar different questions regarding blogging and Google’s applications.

“For blogging, you need to know your passion. It can be your hobbies, your profession or anything you like” added Badar. He continued,” Making money by blogging is possible but there’s no shortcut. The content must be unique while, regularity and patience are must needed abilities.”

There were two case studies of earning blogs maintained by individuals. One, Sizzled Core by Haris Nadeem and second AMLaw by Tanseer.

“I used to visit forums and used to read tips. Then I thought of having my own website where I could post these tips” said Haris Nadeem, a Matric (SSC) graduate, who is earning about $600 to $700 a month without having any computer background. :-)

The session lasted for about one and half an hour. Different examples were cited and Badar cited Google Webcentral a useful source for bloggers and webmasters.

The whole session was great but I couldn’t cover the rest of the event due to shortage of time. I hope the people who visited the event must have gained a lot.

Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@sha) is bringing an IT career expo Lahore after arranging such events at Karachi and Rawalpindi successfully this year.

The scheduled event details are as follows:

Date: Sunday, August 24, 2008

Time: 9am to 6pm

Venue: Avari, Lahore

For further information and queries, please visit Jehan Ara’s web-place or the event’s page on Facebook.

Organizers are bringing a bunch lot of Information Technology companies based in and around Lahore including NetSol Technologies, InfoTech, VahZay and internationally renowned firms like Intel and IBM this time.

Following the career expo will be held the volume next of previous year’s super charged Startup Insiders 11; a session to inspire, encourage and support entrepreneurship among passionate individuals with sharp and innovative brains.

So, just be there!! ;)

So everyone is happy?? (Don’t worry you will get another chance to be happy in couple of years again by our presidents and politicians with same scenario and leg pullings). Mushy with teary eyes just said good bye to us as a president. He had his options that he could have used but he decided to resign.

In my personal opinion fair politics is an old story. Corruption is undermining this institution called government and we are going into deep trouble. We are getting used to sit back and relax before getting into new trouble, its a cycle.

He said in the end “Pakistan ka Khuda Hafiz” and same i say “hamara allah hee hafiz”

Anyways, best of the best things he did was that he made MEDIA so strong. Do you guys have your words about his best and worst deeds??????

Sites of Station

Originally uploaded by Umer Zafar

in bad bad state, hmmm?

Another 9 youngsters lost their lives one-wheeling the night of Independence in Lahore and Gujranwala.

We are in dire need of rollercoasters in this country as people are so desperate to go to any lengths for a pill of thrill. One-wheeling, night car racing, phut phut rickshaw racing, drugs, throat slitting wire twine – what next for our youth?? 

Are we turning into psychos as a society or what?

Mozang Chungi: One of the worst traffic jams I ever witnessed.

Recent torrential rains, especially the heavy rainfall on Tuesday, left the whole city paralyzed. Forecast experts considered it a record rainfall (168mm) in past 12 years. People from all walks of life were badly affected. The attendance remained short in offices and most of the businesses, especially in the lower areas, remained closed or were opened late in the evening. The water entered the houses and in the shops of the people. It was reported that even the Chief Minister’s house was drowned. It may also affect the Independence Day celebrations.

Boys pushing a broken down ambulance.

Many motorcycles and cars broke down in 3.5 to 4 feet rain water.

A section of Ferozpur Road is not able to be used due to rain water. The other lane is jam packed with vehicles.

Luckily, the rain stopped. If it had continued for a little more while, I had to help my family to wipe out the rain water from my own house. It’s still raining today. I wish it does not add to people’s problems.

It did nothing..

WASA Emergency centre: I believe they were helpless.

No other way to cross except going through it.

I wish every Pakistani a very happy independence day :).

This day brings me lots of delightful childhood memories, when we used to get together, shop around and decorate our house with flags and candles and believe me, hamaisha barish ho jati thee :(. This is happening again, monsoon downpours are right here and affecting most of the country, but still the spirit is there, kyon bhai?? So what activities you guys gonna’ have on this holiday? Just sleeping (zzZZZZZZ….) or decorating and some bhangra stuff at Mall Road?????