City under siege

MQM and their servile scum of followers held the city under siege all day long today as violence erupted at several places. The city had not witnessed such an outburst of violence in years and the blame squarely lies on the government and its inability to control the law and order situation which seemingly went out of hand once the first shot was fired. It is no secret that MQM used government resources in preparing for the rally, including the buses of several universities, but what unfolded before our eyes on LIVE television was simply appalling! AAJ TV caught MQM thugs taking position at Gurumander chowrangi live. Their shocking footage showed a black government vehicle, among others, laden with explosives roaming Gurumandir area. For this, AAJ building came under heavy fire by you know and was then forced to stop its broadcast. The firing continued for hours and has just ceased (7pm) according to reports.

Elsewhere, places in and around Shahrah-e-Faisal continued to experience violence throughout the day as rival workers turned the road into a battlefield. MQM has long been known to be a terrorist organization, no matter how much they try to hide their vile face, they always end up showing it on days like this. Teeth Maestro was there and then when the first shot was fired by MQM thugs on a peaceful rally in support of CJP. Read his account of the fiasco that followed here: http://karachi.metblogs.com/archives/2007/05/karachi_witness.phtml

And then that despicable excuse for a human being - Altaf Hussain - started his speech like he was reciting a Majlis. Needless to say that he placed the blame on CJP and the opposition for the entire situation in Karachi. I can't tell you how his statements and those of his servile ministers made my blood boil !! I hope he meets his fate soon, the scumbag. Weapons used by his supporters today should only be in the hands of law-enforcement agencies, and the fact that they had an endless supply of ammunition, as reported by Talat Hussain, goes to show what kind of a party they truly are.

Arguably the lowest point of the day came when GEO reported that an ambulance driver taking a couple of wounded people was intercepted and shot dead by members of the opposing group! Another ambulance that came for his dead body was then burnt and its driver narrowly escaped himself! Shocking!! I can't tell you how pissed off I am today for not being able to do anything as my city burns while mushy and his puppets celebrate in Islamabad.

I can go on and on venting my anger on these two-bit morons who happen to be our leaders, who are willing to let all hell break loose in Karachi just to stay in power and manipulate us further. It is clear there was no law and order in the city today, and rival political workers fired at each other without being intercepted by the Police or Rangers. The situation is bound to remain tense for a couple of days further. God Help Us.

Quote

A quote I heard the other day...

"I don't think you can judge people by what they think or say, you can only judge them by what they do."

So true! How often do we see people "talking" as if they're the noblest and the most honest human being alive, yet their actions (or accusations leveled against them by others) say otherwise. Perfect example in this case seem to be our politicians, lying and plotting their way into power and doing everything in their grasp to stay there.

As far as personal experience goes, I've seen people "talking" their way into other's good books; stringing together sweet-sounding sentences and kissing up to others just to make them look more eloquent and subservient. In a place like Pakistan, there's almost nothing you can't get done by dishing out some dough; a place where 'sifaarish' and 'rishwat' rule supreme. I remember on my way back from a trip 3 years ago, I witnessed ASF officials fleecing this poor African guy at the airport; apparently, he had an issue with his Passport and they were willing to let him go if he paid them a handsome sum. Although initially loath to the idea he caved in eventually, after which they took his wallet and expertly took out all the money holding it under a desk so that no one else could see. It was a sad sight - a sight typical of Pakistani servicemen.

Why do we all like to cheat so much?! Whatever happened to our character! Sometimes I think there is no hope for us - and then I fear the worst. I hope I'm wrong. How long can you sustain a nation supposedly a follower of the noblest of beings yet their common men defy all that he stood for ? Something's got to give.

What do you MEAN I'm not going to die?

A British man who went on a wild spending spree after doctors said he only had a short time to live wants compensation because the diagnosis was wrong and he is now healthy -- but broke.



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Air conditioned bus shelters!

World's first air-conditioned bus shelters ! No points for guessing where - it's Dubai!

My comments ? FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! IF YA GOT SO MUCH POWER IN RESERVE WHY NOT SEND SOME OVER TO US POOR SUFFERERS OF KARACHI! :(

Normalcy Returns

My life has been on a virtual standstill for the last 2 months as I've preparing for the tumultuous experience that is the GRE! Anyway, I got two projects today and I couldn't be happier! I haven't done any programming or graphics work in over 2 months and it felt so strange. So you can imagine my delight at being offered work again. I guess as long as someone doesn't hire me full-time, I'll keep plugging away on Rent a Coder! ;)

Not to mention I finally have the luxury of watching Champions League games LIVE late into the night! Also, Star Trek - Deep Space Nine, LOST and last and best of 'em all ... HEROES! What an awesome series that is!

Wohoo!

Yess!! I did it!! I have been dreaming of scoring decent in the GRE for months!! and now to have finally done it, it feels so freaking wonderful!

Even though I did not have a very good test but it was good enough to get me 1350, which is by no means a bad score. I didn't so well in Math unfortunately :(, falling 30 points short of my target of 750, but then I more than made up for it in Verbal! So there! I feel so free and relieved to finally have gotten over with this dreadful test.

Anyway, final score was Verbal: 630, Quantitative: 720. The Writing part went well and I should score 4.5-5 (out of 6) hopefully.

D-Day Looms

Countdown has started to the day I take the dreaded test that will have a big say in the direction my life takes in the coming months. A good score will increase my chances of attending a good graduate school; So, here's to me getting a reasonably good score and hoping future events turn out the way I want them to!

Another visit to GoAish

I went home thoroughly satisfied from my last visit to GoAish - when I did Paintballing - and this time it was my turn to try out the other much vaunted offerings of adventure they had. I still didn't get to try out everything - did the High Rope Course, Swing and Wall Climbing this time. It seems it'll take *another* visit to the park to try out the remaining adventures - Short Course and the Quad Bikes that is!

The High Rope Course costs Rs. 200 and it's definitely worth it! The trainers are professional and they are there to help you every step of the way but once you're up there 50 feet in the air stranded on some people wondering how to overcome the next obstacle, you are ofcourse on your own :)! Nevertheless, the training is pretty helpful and once you get the hang of it, it's pretty simple and the only thing you have to keep in check are your nerves !

The Swing, which costs Rs. 50, is the absolute BEST part ! It is simply awesome I tell you! ... You get to sit on the edge of a tower-like structure well above the ground; Then, they clamp you to this elastic swing connected to two poles up front (see pic below) and the scary thing is it PULLS you towards it ! You literally have to conjure up the courage to let go ! It's like to falling down a good 20-30 feet and especially when someone's pulling you down, you know you wouldn't wanna let go ! Anyways, once you do let go ... you fall down until the swing pulls you up and sends you into a pendulum-like motion that is quite fantastic ! Your heartbeat goes up in a flash but the whole experience is absolutely wonderful and you would want to try it all over again! I was no different and tried it again before we left the park. Not to mention I went back an extremely satisfied customer AGAIN !

Here's me doing the swing ...


Hats off to them for bringing such a thing to Karachi! Like I said earlier about paintballing, you MUST ALSO try the swing ! It is awesome ! Mark my words! :)

GoAish

Me and my University buddies went to the new GoAish Adventure Park the other day to check out the new `Paintball Arena` that had been set up there. A friend had played this game in Lahore and was all praises for it, especially for the CS-addicts (and there are quite a lot of them nowadays!). Anyway, around 15 of us gathered at the 'Arena' inside GoAish relishing the prospect of kicking each other's butt!

The 'Arena' is nothing more than cleared out "Jhaarian" with chopped-down trees and rocks placed there as objects for taking cover. Nevertheless, the fact that they've bothered to work on bringing something like this to Karachi is admirable. A single game costs Rs. 200 which gets you 12 bullets, and for every extra bullet you pay Rs. 8. Kher, we bought ourselves a game, listened to some instructions and finally donned the warlike gear they gave us which was reminiscent of CS uniforms. Although the guns were a bit shabby, the headgear made the CS-transformation complete! We looked like real soldiers believe me, too bad we didn't have a cam to capture it. The bullets, meanwhile, are small and full of paint but they hurt like hell once you get hit trust me ! :P

There were a number of flags spread across the Arena and the objective to collect as many as a team can until they run out of bullets. I was in the black team and once the game started, started running here and there calling on my `Call of Duty` exploits to take cover, order covering fire and grab the closest flag. Needless to say, the entire operation was not without pain and I got hit more than anybody else i.e., a whopping 16 times ! :P The bullets, I tell you, hit you like a pebble thrown at 30mph! Especially if you happen to venture off into the enemy territory and get spotted, evoking a fearsome response from the opposition. Yeah, imagine being the sole target of 5 people raining bullets on you from all directions !! Ouch! It hurts and I've got marks all over my body to prove it!

I've been nursing those bruises ever since ... but still dying to go back with my cousins next week :P! The whole experience was really fun and although the game didn't last as long as we'd hoped for, everyone still enjoyed and had a great time ! There are other interesting activities there too, like Wall-Climbing, Quad Bikes, Rope Courses etc. They are worth checking out but very tiring physically. All in all, a wonderful place to go and spend your pastime. If you're a CS addict or enjoy playing first-person shooters, you must go paintballing ! The more the merrier, take as many friends as you possibly can. It is the perfect place to practice your headshot-skills in real time! Good Shootin' ;)!

TOEFL iBT Preparation Tips

I have been thinking of doing this post for quite a while now since a lot of people have asked me for helpful tips and links to resources on the web for preparation of the TOEFL iBT (a revamped version of the TOEFL CBT). For starters, iBT stands for Internet-Based Testing as opposed to CBT which stood for Computer-Based Testing. From what I've learnt by giving the old Paper-based TOEFL and CBT, the new iBT is considerably 'harder' and a lot more challenging, especially with the addition of a brand new Speaking section.

You can complete information on TOEFL from the ETS website located at: http://www.ets.org/toefl. TOEFL tests are held 2-3 times a week at two test centers in Karachi (one in Gulistan-e-Jouhar and the other in P.E.C.H.S). As for the format, the new iBT consists of four sections each of 30 marks namely Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing. Anything above 85 constitutes a good score on the iBT, although I've seen a requirement as high as 100 in the case of some top-notch universities in the US and elsewhere in the world.

Anyway, moving on to some helpful resources on the web which I found extremely useful during my prep.

Free Practice iBT Test
http://www.free-english.com/TOEFL-iBT-practice-test.aspx

Excellent Blog with Speaking Examples
http://www.teachers-international.com/wordpress/?cat=10

Sample Questions
http://www.fulbright.cz/download/toefl-ibt-sample-questions-2006.pdf

iBT Tips
http://www.transint.boun.edu.tr/toefl/belgeler/tips.pdf

Score Comparison Tables
http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/TOEFL/pdf/TOEFL_iBT_Score_Comparison_Tables.pdf

Make sure you also download all the TOEFL material from the ETS website, including the Official Bulletin, Test Center Locations etc. Registering for the iBT also gives you access to TOEFL-Access, a portal for students with a lot of helpful material on it. Plus, you can always Google for more TOEFL resources on the web.

The only downside with the new iBT is it's length in my opinion. The test lasts around 4 hours with only a 10-minute break between the Listening and Speaking sections. Nevertheless, the test (although revamped and much more challenging than before) is still not overly difficult as it is sometimes made out to be. With good practice, you can score great too ! All the best !

Farewell Bob

The news of Bob Woolmer's sudden demise was pretty shocking for me like everyone else. At a time when tempers were flaring high across the country over Pakistan's woeful ousting of the WC and the team was being cursed from left, right and center (The news channels playing their part too sadly), news suddenly broke of his demise and everyone went silent. More in shock than anything else; and then the tributes started pouring in. Ironic, but true. I felt real sad for the guy who had only one match to go as Pakistan's Coach (and I don't think he had plans to extend his contract). He was exposed to a lot of stress already coaching a mercurial Pakistani Cricket Team that undergoes more ups and downs then your regular Disneyland roller coaster! That said, I guess this loss was too hard to take for him and he finally gave in. Although it's hard to imagine someone as light-hearted and firm (from what his colleagues say) would give in to stress like this. Nevertheless, he might not have been successful at turning a team of prima donas into anything resembling professional cricketers but you can't fault him for not trying hard enough. As DAWN rightly points out in today's Sports section, he was the man who brought computerized coaching to Pakistani Cricket - a trend that could only be positive.

I agree wholeheartedly with Adil Najam' suggestion that National Stadium, Karachi should be renamed to Woolmer Stadium in honor of his services to Pakistan Cricket. Elsewhere on the blogosphere, Adnan Siddiqui has written a moving post on Woolmer entitled `Dear Bob! Please Forgive Us!`. There are plenty more tributes over at Cricket Bloggers of Pakistan.

Farwell Bob! R.I.P.

Black Day

What unfolded before our very eyes today was nothing less than appalling! So much for projecting a 'soft' image of Pakistan Mushy! At this juncture, when the country is dealing with it's worst judicial crisis, the police stormed the office of GEO TV in an ignominious turn of events that defied belief!

In fact, for the last couple of days starting from that jackass Wasi Zafar's comments on Voice of America to Kamran Khan's show being pulled from air, the country has become a laughing stock on the international stage amid the deepening judicial crisis which seems set to go on for considerable length of time. No wonder people in the West have this image of us in their minds of scores of people protesting on the streets for one reason or another and not only protesting but violently dissenting, bringing life in cities to a standstill and either being roughed-up themselves or causing extensive loss of property either way reaffirming their belief that Muslims are no more than violent and despondent hoodlums disseminating nothing but malevolence amongst themselves and towards other nations of the world.

It remains to be seen what direction these cataclysmic events take next and I, for one, solemnly pray that this is over asap. Amen ! God save Pakistan.

Grade 3 Geography Test

Try to place all of the US states correctly on a map within a certain amount of time. A lot harder than I thought, and pretty fun too.



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The Impossible Quiz

One of the most annoying yet fun things I've seen on the web in a while. A host of the most meaningless questions you can ever accumulate in one place! Take this quiz and try to finish it if you can! Best of luck! ;)

Here's the URL: http://www.deviantart.com/view/49231637/

P.S. It takes quite a while to load but worry not, it's well worth the wait!

Amreeki Pithu Ka Junoon!

I couldn't help but chuckle at this title written on a banner held by some people protesting the recent dismissal of the Chief Justice by our President. That is exactly what Mushy seems to have become sadly of late, giving into everything the US has been asking him to do in return for military and financial aid. He argues, however, that any sane person leading Pakistan would do the same things he has done simply because they are in the 'national interest' of Pakistan.

This term often gets me since it follows from ideologies of introversion and possessing a egocentric attitude towards fellow countries who have stood by us when we needed them. The Democrats are clearly against courting any favors to Pakistan and if they find themselves in power come 2008, Pakistan may well see some harsh words being spoken to them by the incumbents of `White House`. I bet given the opportunity, they would love to cut all such support to Pakistan leaving us 'out in the cold', marking an end to the honeymoon period between us. What policy would be adopt then ?

On VISTA!

Cool or what ?! More to come...

What Am I?

You are The Hierophant

Divine Wisdom. Manifestation. Explanation. Teaching.

All things relating to education, patience, help from superiors.The Hierophant is often considered to be a Guardian Angel.

The Hierophant's purpose is to bring the spiritual down to Earth. Where the High Priestess between her two pillars deals with realms beyond this Earth, the Hierophant (or High Priest) deals with worldly problems. He is well suited to do this because he strives to create harmony and peace in the midst of a crisis. The Hierophant's only problem is that he can be stubborn and hidebound. At his best, he is wise and soothing, at his worst, he is an unbending traditionalist.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Just upgraded to the new blogger ! Kinda cool!

Graduated !

Duplicate post on razzita.blogspot.com and razzman.blogspot.com

We had our convocation today the NED University and I, along with my batch mates, were officially graduated ! The chief guest, Dr. Eshrat ul Ibad, was a no show leaving us wondering whether he'd gone headlong to welcome Meera jee into their prestigious (read pilfering) political party!

In terms of what to do next ... I'm keeping my options open for now, let's see what the future has in store for me.

How much is your blog worth ?

Here's a neat little utility that will calculate the monetary value of your blog based on it's populary using the Technorati API. Needless to say, my blog's value comes out a whopping $0.00! :P But some other blogs I read are worth quite a lot apparently - like Teeth Maestro's blog is valued around $64,000!

So, how much is YOUR blog worth ? Go here and find out!
http://www.business-opportunities.biz/projects/how-much-is-your-blog-worth/

If I were in South Park ...

I'd look something like this I believe ...


You can make your own South Park character here :
http://spstudio.julia.hosting-friends.de/sp-studio.swf

Amazing bit of work by those guys.