April Fools' Day on the web

Barring the April Fool prank pulled on us by our own KMB guys (which was good btw), here are some other of the "believable" pranks witnessed around the web on April 1, 2008:

YouDigg - A new collaboration between YouTube and Digg where users can now digg videos to the frontpage.

BBC's Flying Penguins - Film maker and writer Terry Jones discovers a colony of penguins, which are unlike any other penguins in the world - they can fly!

ThePirateBay - They're moving to Egypt - in the middle of nowhere!

Google's Project Virgle - First human colony on Mars! Want to be part of it?

Gmail Custom Time - Apparently, you can now send emails with custom timestamps - in the past.

Google Docs' Paper Plane - They've added a "New Paper Airplane" option to the File menu for Google Docs' word processor, which produces a template for folding an official Google paper plane. This was genuinely funny!

Google Future Search aka Gday - Search into the future with Google's latest innovation.

InfoWorld - Microsoft and Yahoo agree on buyout price. Gotta admit, we half-expected this prank.

PostgreSQL Ends - They announeced they're going down for good (remind you of anything?)

I hope you were able to see the funny side, I know I did :). For a full listing of all pranks pulled on this date, check our this page. Some events were mistaken for a prank, due to the date, most notably the standardization of Office OpenXML format. I guess they forgot what the date was, like me when I found out KMB was no more and jotted down a post before checking the calendar :P

KMB Gone

Another shining example of the restive and quarrelsome populace of Karachi and our great country who can't manage to sit together and indulge in a goddamn civilized discourse. Karachi MetBlogs, which used to be an epicenter of all things Karachi, and one of the few places on the web I used to visit regularly, is closing down. The MetBlogs' admins in LA posted this entry a while ago announcing its closure.

Our belligerence knows no bounds apparently.

R.I.P KMB.

Update 1 [1 PM]: I don't know why it never occurred to me before, but the fact that this occurred on APRIL 1 cannot be discounted!

Update 2 [11 PM]: Damn! It is an April Fool Prank!

Ostentatious Devotion

Sometimes the inanity of our people really does strike me - none more so than in this instance which I'm about to describe. At a time when the city is going through its worst power crisis ever, devout followers of the Prophet (PBUH) have put up green lights on all major roads, thoroughfares and intersections of the city! And this is just what I have observed myself, I'm sure they've found plenty more ways to waste what little energy we have on such displays of religiousness that do no one no good. If they must show off, why not put green flags instead of lights? Why are they bent on wasting power on green lights that are turned ON for hours into the night, and possibly till the morning?!

And what is even more inane is that all this is being allowed with no checks at all. What is wrong with us? Why do we have to be so showy about everything?! And every year, there's news of some clash occurring between members of different rallies being taken out on 12 Rabbi ul Awwal! It's sad really! We've practically destroyed ourselves in our attempts to be better followers of the Prophet (PBUH) than others while our enemies sitting far away can't help but smirk as we self-destruct.

Who is responsible for all this carnage?

Another day, another suicide attack! As frail as the law and order situation is in Pakistan, it would be naive to think our enemies would not want to take advantage of this opportunity and seek to further destabilize us. Today's attack (combined with others recently) is aimed at weakening Pakistan's strong institutions and furthering the gulf between the people and the state, not to mention make Pakistan one of the most dangerous places in the world to be. No wonder the Aussies don't wanna come here.

It stands to be reasoned that the likes of India, Israel and the US would have their vested interests in the destabilization of Pakistan. They already have an alliance, and all claim Pakistan harbours terrorists and that they'd wouldn't miss the chance to take out some given the opportunity. If the fiascos of May 12 and Dec 27 are anything to go by, things could get real ugly in a matter of minutes if someone prominent is gunned down. The suicide attacks have left the nation reeling - not a week goes by when we hear of such attack in some part of the country. Will they even stop with the new government in place? I don't think so, especially if some foreign hand is involved.

Here's an aptly drawn cartoon by Carlos Latuff that I came across while visitng The Olive Ream:
There are more from the same artist here. Also, please be sure to check out his fantastic collection, most notably his images denouncing Israel's latest assault on Gaza.

Should I get a Masters or a job?

You're bound to have come across this elusive question upon Graduating from college that whether you should continue your studies by joining a Masters program immediately or should you instead find some work. The answer to this question is subjective, in my opinion. MS Jobs Blog recently posted an entry on the same topic here, and I've decided to pen my thoughts on it too.

Like I said in the comments section of that post, the ultimate decision rests with the individual depending on their long-term goals. Like their post suggests, there are no RIGHT or WRONG decisions here; both courses of action can yield good results, again, depending on what path a fresh graduate wants to follow in their career. Readers of this blog would remember a post I did some time entitled 'Choosing a career path' in which I expressed my bewilderment at the apparent lack of consideration given to a person's interest when choosing a field of study for their career, and instead going after a field that will simply "pay well" in the short-term. I fully understand why *some* people might adopt this approach, due to their family's economic conditions et al, but certainly not ALL of them, as we do end up witnessing sadly.

Back to the point in question, I don't think there's any doubt that a person should try and attain a specialization in their field as it becomes necessary at some point in their careers for their own growth. As for the WHEN part, I've seen a lot of people enroll in Evening Masters' programs that they choose to manage alongside their day jobs. Hectic I know, but a lot of people are going for this option nowadays, which isn't bad IMO, and it's certainly better than enrolling in a full-time Masters program straight-away if you ask me. Lets just say I think it is better to have worked professionally for some time before you decide to pursue your Masters. Working has its own benefits; you develop your skill set, learn new technologies, learn the way things work in the REAL WORLD in your field, make good contacts and what not. All these things can prove to be invaluable and can possibly give a new direction in terms of what you want to specialize in. All in all, I think it is definitely better to acquire some set of professional skills and experience before pursuing a specialization, as it undoubtedly adds a new dimension to the person that is YOU and possibly gives you a fresh perspective about your field that you may want to follow-up on later when you do enroll in your Masters.

On the other hand, some people choose to enroll in a Masters right after their graduation. Again, not a bad choice since they have just graduated and are used to the ways of the academic world. They certainly wouldn't have to spend any time getting used to a studying schedule, attending classes no end , meeting assignment-deadlines and all that else that is part of academics. If someone feels strongly about their field and the specialization they want to acquire, this may end up being a better choice. This is especially true for those individuals that plan on staying in the academic world as teachers, or possibly want to pursue research at some institution. But, you would find that many schools do not admit students in their Masters program without prior work experience. Besides, who would you choose to admit in your school if on one hand you had a fledgling young fellow with a 4.0CGPA straight out of school and on the other, a relatively mature person having considerable experience in their field and with good recommendations from his co-workers and teachers? Obviously, the latter!

Lastly, this is just my take on this. I am just another person who's asked himself this question before, and am penning down what I believe is the answer - at least for me it is. I would love to hear what others think of this; for and against both.

Brace Yourselves, Summers are here!

For the avid downloader that I am, there's nothing more I detest than power-outs and fluctuating voltages during Summers. Oh yes, the abominable power cuts are back now that Summer has arrived and our ever-reliable KESC's systems have started caving in to extra power demands. I am posting this today, because for the first time in months my PC restarted due to voltage fluctuation (a horrible reminder of things to come) and believe me, last Summer was easily the worst on record from a power-outage standpoint.

They may have a nice-looking website. If only their quality of service was half as good as that. They're certainly holding true to their motto, Power for ProgressRegress.

Sigh! And I was just beginning to enjoy leaving my PC ON all night for downloads. With fluctuating voltages, you just can't risk it.

Israel Minister Warns Palestinians of "Holocaust"

"Israeli Deputy Defence Minister Matan Vilnai said on Friday the Palestinians would bring on themselves what he termed a bigger holocaust by stepping up rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza."

Click here to read the full article

Ahmadinejad is misquoted and yet it makes the news all over and everyone starts branding him a "madman", most notably a certain Mr. Bolinger. And here we have our Israeli minister openly threatening a "Shoah", and have we heard any one condemning this? Where are the countries that were so concerned about maintaining "peace and stability" in the region?! The Zionists are killing innocent women and children AGAIN, but where are the so-called ensurers of freedom? Effing Hyprocrites!

Also read the sad entry over at Ronin:
http://ammar.fuzedbulb.com/2008/03/02/6-months-old-arab-muslim-terrorist/

PTCL Broadband Rates Slashed!

Having been a proud owner of a PTCL Broadband 256kbps connection, I am absolutely thrilled that PTCL has now realized the potential of this technology and it's real value as they have slashed their prices for broadband connections! Gone are the days of volume-based surfing (always thought that was sucky). Now, all packages are Unlimited! Wohoo!

Also, 256kbps connections are no longer being offered and all existing customers who were on 256kbps would automatically be upgraded to 512kbps some time today. We'd have to pay the same i.e., 1199/month. Other packages have underwent upgrades too: 1Mbps now costs 1999, and there's a new addition at 2Mbps that'd cost 4999/month.

Check out their site for more info:
http://ptcl.com.pk/contentp.php?NID=47

Happy Surfing! :)

What exactly is Zardari upto?

All those years of loitering, blackmail, fraud and jail-sentences, and all of a sudden Zardari is playing Mr. Nice Guy?! Smells a bit fishy to me.

Q league ka safaya hogaya!

I woke up on Feb 19th to GEO's flashing headline "Q league ka safaya hogaya!" running amidst some patriotic background music. And why not? They have every reason to be pleased, perhaps more so than anybody else given they bore the brunt of government's excesses on the media. I'm just glad we won't get to see the likes of Wasi Zafar on our television sets anymore! :)

So, the people have apparently spoken and Mush and his cronies have been outrightly rejected. Great! But where does this lead us? Back to the looters of before sadly. They looted us separately when they were in power and now they're back to loot us together! Democracy, gotta love it eh?

Like I earlier said, I did not vote in this election. But apparently, it made no difference AT ALL as we've learned of massive rigging having taken place in several constituencies of Karachi in favor of MQM. I can't speak for others, but I am bewildered as to how an MQM guy can win from PS-126 - an area dominated by PPP supporters. I have heard of at least 10 different credible accounts of rigging across Karachi. Nevertheless, the election have by and large been free and fair and I guess we should be thankful for that.

In other news, YouTube has been blocked in Pakistan on PTA's directions for containing some "blashpemous content". When these spoonheads will realize that this is the 21st century is beyond me! Besides, placing such bans on web sites only serves to spark further interest in them. Such actions speak volumes of the narrow mindedness on the part of PTA chiefs. Although not confirmed yet, the reason for the ban is either the vote rigging videos that have sprung up over the last couple of days OR the anti-Islam movie clips made by Geert Wilders - a dutch politician who seems to be on a personal mission to defame Muslims and the Quran. More on him here. Meanwhile, the vote rigging clip shown on GEO can be viewed on VidPk.com here.

If they must ban such things, why couldn't they hire a half a decent network guy to install some advanced filters so that ONLY the objectionable content is inaccessible rather than the entire website?! This is similar to the stupid blogspot blanked ban they put in place last year. Looks like they haven't learned anything. Ah well, here's hoping this just a temporary measure.

Vote anyone?

Going through some "sensitive" areas of the city on the eve of Election Day, I said a silent prayer asking God for peace and stability on and after Feb 18. Without a doubt, peace is now a precious commodity for an ordinary Karachiite. We crave for peace like people crave for something important in their lives - as in their wedding, divorce (whichever way you look at it). Even my masjid's pesh-imam prays for peace before anything else, and rightly so! We need it so bad to run our goddamn businesses in the city. It'd be nice for a change when you don't have to worry about the HAALAAT spiraling out of control or some random rioting occurring in the city. It'd be nice just to focus on our day jobs for a change, if you know what I'm saying.

Anyway, enough of ranting for now. I am writing this post on the eve of Election Day to ask YOU if you're going to vote tomorrow. I know I won't - why you may ask. I'll tell you why .. the people who're contesting the elections in my locality include:
Syed Faisal Raza Abidi (PPP)
Moulana Abdul Hakeen (MMA)
Haider Abbas Rizvi (MQM)
Haleem Adil Sheikh (PML-Q)

along with some independents and one PML-N guy whose name I can't recall right now. Personally, I'd have voted for PTI if they were contesting the elections, but to vote for any one of these guys is something I'm just not going to do. I'd rather die then have voting for any of these suckers on my conscience, no thanks!

It was shocking to read some of Musharraf's comments in his interview with Jemima today. He openy admits than he's let loose some "people of main parties" in order to work with them and keep his stay in power certain. He's basically made a deal with the most corrupt leaders around in order to hang on to his seat and now he bemoans there's not much he can do. How convevient for you Mushy! Letting the country go down the drain while you continue to enjoy the luxuries of the palatial President House, to me you're no different than the people who looted this country before you. I thought you were different, but you're just another military dictator - one too many I must add for Pakistan. I hope you meet your just end soon.

With news coming in of massive rigging plans already in motion by the party in power, I can only wonder what the reaction of the opposition parties will be. Like I said earlier, one can only hope for lasting peace in this city (and the country of course). For everyone's sake, let's hope there is some degree of authenticity to this election, and perhaps more importantly, people accept the results - something that looks like a pipedream right now to be honest!

I am a Muslim. Kill me and call it "Collateral Damage"

Say hello to MacBook Air - World's thinnest laptop!

Part 1

Part 2

How good a job can be?

Having been the subject of a job switch myself, I know how people can develop an "emotional" connection with their companies that may end up stopping them from leaving them and availing potentially better opportunities.

The article I'm referring to is here:
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/tech-manager/?p=403

Read away!

Bravo!

I never thought I'd say this but I must applaud and gave a big pat on the back of all the security personnel that ensured a violence-free 9th and 10th Muharram-ul-Haram. The arrangements these guys made were great (no, seriously!) - random checks, questioning suspicious people (arresting some too), making fixed entry and exit points and ensuring complete surveillance from land and air. I can only hope they show the same resolve for securing ALL congregations held in the country. If only they keep this up, they can avert most (if not all) suicide bombings and other terror-related activities.

Tragedy of Kerbala

Click to view full image

Software Project Management

An accurate description of the way most projects end up being handled.

Click on the picture to view it in its original size



Credits: LinuxKungFu.org

Bill Gates' Last Day At Microsoft

Check out this funny video about Bill Gates' last day at Microsoft from his 2008 final keynote speech at the Consumer Electronics Show. This really is hilarious! :) Kudos to Bill!


Video: Bill Gates Last Day CES Clip

Martyr Without a Cause

A shockingly true account of Benazir's life and what she really stood for. Her death, although sad and unfortunate, is hardly the death of democracy. Read more here:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1699877,00.html

Blogged with Flock

Test Post from Flock!

I have been trying out flock all day today and I must say it'q quite fantastic seeing that it seamlessly integrates your Facebook, Del.icio.us, Twitter, Blogger, Flickr accounts directly into the web browser! You can check friend's statuses from the sidebar, write blog posts using its own editor, upload photos using its own tool and what not. They call it a "social web browser" and its exactly that. You must check it out! It's a much much better alternative than, say, Windows Live Writer, and best of all ... it has the powerful Gecko engine running underneath. I had been testing Flock before too when they were in BETA but I must say their full first release (1.0) is impressive to say the least.

Download it here!

Blogged with Flock