Best of Blogsphere - Top Ten Blogs – 2010

I am glad to learn that Logic is Variable has been named number eight in Best of Pakistan Blogsphere - Top Ten Blogs – 2010 list published at Light Within. Thanks for this recognition.

For me, blogs are resources for my writings. More often, I blog informally, sharing impressions, generating ideas and seeing how they invoke reactions, keeping track of others’ work in fields of my interest, or simply ranting or pointing out things that come to my attention. Also, I use blogging as a platform to prune ideas. This is where I meet others and share thoughts.

In addition to my other interests, at Logic is Variable, I keep a record of my articles that appear in print media.

Follow Logic is Variable at Facebook

Cosmetic dentistry

Cosmetic dentistry is one of the most popular and sought after medical professions these days. Many people are opting to go for aesthetic dental procedures to look good while some others need it. It is different from traditional dentistry in that its focus is diverted from simple diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of dental and oral diseases to having whiter, straighter, and more pleasing teeth to name just a few. The first concern you should address when looking to undergo a good cosmetic dentistry procedure is to look for a qualified and trustworthy cosmetic dentist. Here are three main suggestions that can help you find and select such dentists.

Find a dentist like Marietta dentist who has been practicing cosmetic dentistry for some time. It is just logical that any dentist becomes more qualified and trustworthy when he or she has done many procedures or has been in the practice for long. This way, you can be sure the dentist is through with doing practical and uncertain professional experiments. It will also help if you will check the background, especially the dentist's post-graduate dental education. Remember that cosmetic dentistry is hardly taught in dental schools. Most practitioners get their education from post-graduate programs. You can also check about his or her affiliations and other credentials linked to aesthetic dental practice.

You can know how good a cosmetic dentist is based on the success of his or her previous dental procedures. Marietta cosmetic dentist keeps copious photographs of their work to show the difference before and after patients undergo their cosmetic dentistry procedures. If such pictures are not available, you can rely on testimonials from other patients. Feedback is an important proof about the effectiveness and reliability of any cosmetic dentist. How can you entrust your teeth and mouth to dentists who have not done any successful dental procedure in his or her entire professional career?

A good cosmetic dentist knows that investing in new and reliable equipment is essential to the practice. Look around the clinic and see what technology is available. Specifically be mindful about the condition and the types of equipment found in the sterilization area. Aside from the amenities, also check out about the dentist's ceramics or porcelain use. Is the clinic under a supply deal with a reputable master ceramist? Have a look at Atlanta cosmetic dentist and you will know I mean.

The reliability of the dentist should also get along with the reliability of the ceramist, who makes the dentures and veneers. Cosmetic dentistry and manufacturing of ceramics used should work hand-in-hand in creating beautiful smiles. Lastly, determine your level of comfort when being under treatment or procedure with the dentist. Rely on your instincts for good initial impressions.

You know you are comfortable with a dentist when during your first consultation you instantly give out your trust and compliance. You must develop a high level of communication with your cosmetic dentist.

This, hopefully, will help you make informed cosmetic dentistry decision.

Fine Art of Blogging

Fine Art of Blogging started some years ago, when blogging was still new in Pakistan. Bloggers of note were invited to contribute their thoughts in general. In particular, they were asked to answer some serious questions; How blogging matters in life and work, inspirations and why bloggers blog in the first place. Soon this project became viral and answers started pouring in from far and wide.

Bloggers including Liz Strauss (of Successful-Blog), Sterling W. Camden (Chips Tips), authority blogger like Chris Garrett (chrisg.com) and many more successful bloggers have contributed their thoughts, insights and inspiring success stories. Big thanks to Muhammad Yaqoob for making it possible. 

This book will prove useful for every one remotely interested in blogging as a phenomenon,  practicing bloggers and in particular to new bloggers who want to join the party and start blogging.

The book is in production stage. Please stay tuned. More will come on this.

Shanbaz Sharif at University of Gujrat

CM Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif captured the imagination and enthusiasm of students of the University of Gujrat with his inspiring words of growth and development during his impromptu visit to UOG  on November 23, 2010. Students of the University of Gujrat could not be happier to find CM Mian Shahbaz Sharif among them and to informally chat with CM on everything from their academic achievements to the prime phase of life.

Happy Eid-e-Ghadeer

Birds come flying in this season

Pakistan gets a large number of guest birds from Europe, Central Asian States and India every year. The birds from North spend winters in different wetlands and deserts of Pakistan, which are distributed almost throughout the country, from the high Himalayas to coastal mangroves and mud flats in the Indus delta. And, after winters they go back to their native habitats.

This famous route from Siberia to various destinations in Pakistan over Karakorum, Hindu Kush, and Suleiman Ranges along Indus River down to the delta is known as International Migratory Bird Route Number 4. It is also called as the Green Route or more commonly Indus Flyway.

Endowed with a remarkable geology, Pakistan spans several of the world’s ecological regions and is spread over broad latitude. The rich Indus delta and the highlands in Pakistan are a great attraction for the guest birds. Which is why the Indus Flyway is one of the busiest in the world.

The birds start on this route in November. February is the peak time and by March they start flying back home. These periods may vary depending upon weather conditions in Siberia and or Pakistan. There are a total of seven identified flyways in the world: from Northern Europe to Scandinavian countries, Central Europe to Mediterranean Sea, Western Siberia to Red Sea, Green Route from Siberia to Pakistan, Ganga Flyway from Eastern Siberia to India, Manchuria to Korea and one from Chakotaka to California. Besides these there are many regionaland smaller routs all over the world.

The Indus Flyway is important due to the diverse species and large number of birds that take this itinerary: different species of water fowls, cranes, teals, pintail, mallard and gadwall, the list goes on. Some extinguishing species like white-headed duck, houbara bustard and Siberian crane also travel on this route.

As per an estimate based on regular counts at different Pakistani wetlands, between 700,000 and 1,200,000 birds arrive in Pakistan through Indus Flyway every year. Out of which over 70 per cent of the admirable visitors stay in Thanedar Wala Game Reserve (International Ramsar site number (IRS) 97 where Crane Refuge has also been constructed), Tenda Dam (IRS98), Kinjhar Lakes (IRS 99), Drigh (IRS 100). Haleji Lake (IRS 101) where in the past, over 100,000 migratory birds of more than 222 species had been reported, and which was once called the Bird Watchers’ Paradise by the then president of the World Wide Fund for Nature, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh), Ucchali Complex (IRS818), Taunsa (IRS 817), Chishma (IRS 816), Rasul, Qadar Abad Barrages, and Lal Sohanra. There are 45 sanctuaries and reserves spread over anarea of about 0.90 million hectares in Sindh alone. Some of the birds that come to our country from northern latitudes arrive at coastal creeks. The remaining birds land up in lakes, which are fondly and proudly maintained by landowners. Only a few places in the world have such plentiful variety of winged life as the wetlands of Pakistan.

The bird watching has become an increasingly popular pursuit in Pakistan, more and more people have started taking break and are seen on rendezvous with birds. I have seen bird houses at homes of some bird enthusiasts. But the most exciting are usually the least expected encounters in the wilderness. That makes the Indus Delta and Coastal Mangrove forests breathtaking experience for bird watchers. Each winter, the stage is set there for migration thrills coupled with local avian population. Other locations that have started to attract global and foreign bird watchers to Pakistan are narrow belts in Northern Areas when trees sprout, floral buds open, honey sucking nectars and other tiny insects swarm the air there and a range of avifauna concentrates in foothills on the onset of summers. The Margalla Hills in Islamabad are also bird rich area.

Out of the many guest birds two are especially important: houbara bustard and Siberian crane. Houbara breeds mainly in the Kizil Kum Desert region southeast of Aral Sea in Central Asia and migrates in the winter months, and large number settle down for the season in Cholistan and Thar deserts. It also over-winters in part of Iran, Afghanistan, India and Arabian Desert. There are two biologically separate populations of Houbara found in Pakistan. Chlamydotisundulata is described as the North African race and is smaller and darker in plumage than the Asian sub specie Chlamydotis undulatamacqueenii. Both races are migratory, but there is substantial evidence that a small breeding population of Chlamydotis undulataexists in Balochistan. Whether these are totally resident birds or young birds, which miss out on the first migration back north is unclear. As per the National Avian Research Centre China, “Houbara’s recorded average flying speed is 30 kilometres per hour with up to 1268 kilometres covered between stop overs and 700 kilometres flown in24 hours.”

The Siberian crane (Grus leucogeranus), also known as Asiatic Crane and sometimes called as Sibes, is one of the most rare birds of the world. It is snow white overall, with red skin covering front of head,face and around the eyes. Crane’s bill is thick and legs are pinkish red. Wing tips are black which are only visible when the bird is airborne. Both sexes are alike but immature birds have brownish yellow plumage. The Siberian crane’s distinctive morphology, vocalizations,feeding and courtship behaviour distinguish it from the other Grus species. Eggs are generally laid from late May to June, with peak production occurring in the first week of June.

In most cases two eggs are laid, with only one chick surviving to fledging. The incubation period is about 29 days, and chicks fledge at 70-75 days. Siberian cranes, start from Ob River basin in Siberia and prefer to spend winters at the Yakutiya River or the Poyang Lake in China, but some of them head for Pakistan, Iran and India. Wetlands and shallow areas in Sindh create excellent feeding habitat for Sibes. This is one bird that deserves compassion and special care the world over. Another of the winged creature Great egrets (Casmerodius albus) can also be sighted in many areas in Pakistan.

In different Pakistani habitats the guest birds live like “Pairs of Saras” — using the metaphor from romantic literature. As a host it is our responsibility to provide them comfortable and peaceful environment, which can be done by efficiently managing the wetlands particularly those listed as International Ramsar sites — natural resource reservoirs. All wetlands are active agents for recharging water tables and aquifers besides being home to birds. Human activities around the birds’ dwellings, wars, deforestation, water pollution, hunting, introduction of exotic fish species and developing the wetlands for fisheries’ production on commercial scale are some ofthe common disturbance that cause irritation to birds anywhere.

Bird migration superbly demonstrates the complexity and the wonder ofthe web of life. The evolution of individual migratory strategies of different bird species over the past tens of thousands of years represents a delicate balance of nature, making it very sensitive tothe impacts of human activity. One such human influence, global warming (caused mainly by the burning of coal and oil since the Industrial Revolution), is poised to cause catastrophic alteration tothis delicate balance.

Pakistan is an important and active contracting member to Ramsar Convention for the conservation of wetlands and Bonn Convention for protection of migratory animals and birds. Indus Flyway Committee was established in early 70s to collect more information and improve the protection of the birds while they are in Pakistan. Zoology, Wildlife, and Forest Departments as well a few non-governmental organizations are actively working in the field. Regular mid winter bird counts arecarried out and useful database of relevant information has been gathered. The data is likely to produce important results. The experts have already concluded that the migratory birds have ecological benefits as they prey on insects and weeds thus contributing towards the betterment of agriculture. Similarly, the faecal material of the birds consists of organic matter that contributes towards the fertility of the soil.

Count them when the birds are on their way back home. How many camein. And how many are going back.
Related: Come November - The guest’s season starts

In aid of humanity

Disasters, natural as well as those brought by human beings, have always been there since the start of civilization. Only disasters have become more frequent and more devastating over time. Effective employment of communication technologies at all levels can help better manage the crisis and reduce their impact.

Flood 2010 is a grim reminder of how tenuous human life and its comforts can be. Such disasters underscore the important role communication technologies can play in flow of information before, during and after any eventuality – even to the point of saving precious lives. When tragedies strike, information can become as important as food, potable water and or shelter. And the effectiveness of relief efforts relies heavily on the ability of the responders to effectively communicate, share information and manage the resources. Enabling communication at gross root level can literally save thousands of lives.

Thanks to development and fast spread of communications technologies that present an opportunity for government agencies and humanitarian organizations and to individuals to harness power of modern technologies to communicate more effectively with communities affected by disasters and to allow members of those communities to communicate with each other and with the outside world. A closer look at the use of communications technologies during disasters around the world in recent years shows how these can help in future.

Mobile phones and the Internet have played very important role in emergencies. Everyone can contribute to the relief fund through respective cell their phone carriers. This alone has brought out mobile phone industry as a big winner (thanks to exponential growth of mobile users’ base. Till August this year, the number of mobile phone subscriptions in Pakistan is nearing 100 million). Though the tele-density is not equal among different segments of population yet mobile phones have been used in flood emergency from early warnings to desperate calls to help and to feed the electronic and print media. Multifunctional mobile phones with cameras have made communication in different format (voice, text, and video) faster and easier.

Walk around online and you will come across people using the internet to spread real time information about the Pakistan flood disaster. Social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, Orkut and blogs have emerged as key tools for online users who want to help Pakistan and the effected people in dire need.

Many local journalists and volunteers who have been to flood hit areas and in relief camps have been seen using their mobile phone and connected laptops to update their twitter account adding filed tweets making the real time situation alive online. One of the many inspiring examples is of Natasha Jahangir Butt - a Pakistani student majoring in architecture in New York who has been creating waves with Flood of Hope at Twitter. Have a look at her account (http://twitter.com/natashajahangir) and one can see Natasha Jahangir persistently asking everyone to help. She also have been approaching celebrities (including Tom Cruise, Adam Levine, and Queen Rania of Jordan to name a few) to do shows or help in any other way they can in order to raise awareness about flood 2010 in Pakistan. Celebrities in turn have been asking their fans to do what they can and to donate generously to the relief efforts. This exponentially growing chain reaction has resulted in thousands of flood tweets flying across online world and a major segment of online population of the World Wide Web knowing about the flood situation in Pakistan.

While looking at different twitter accounts in my own flowers, I read tweets about everything from “Not much going on in Kherpur Nathan Shah, People waiting for help in camp near Sakhar are destitute, Victims are now preparing to go back to their destroyed villages in lower Punjab” to a tweet like “Birth of twins in a flood relief camp brings happiness to barren couple,” and “Seven couples getting married in relief camp.”

Similarly, Facebook – another popular social media website with huge users’ base and focus on sales and promotions have also done wonderful job in unfolding the real time flood situation to its users. Some active Facebook users have been arranging sales for the flood victims. One cupcake fundraiser asked people to buy cupcakes and the revenue would be distributed among flood effected people in Sindh. Sufia Siddique, a Facebook users from Lahore made Rs. 2,400/- and them involved her friends to form The People’s Disaster Management” (TPDM) group to support ongoing rehabilitation efforts and to raise money for flood relief.

These and many more examples show how different technologies like internet and mobile phones can be used for information flow in case of any emergency. These examples also highlight the potential benefits and challenges and offer general lessons about the effective use of information in emergencies, and about the management of risks. Accuracy of information and of the social context in which it is used is one of the best things.

In Pakistan, there is significant divide in communication infrastructure across different segments and communities. There is a lot of enthusiasm to make use of emerging communications technologies to share real time information as well as local knowledge and experiences among those who have integrated these technologies in their lives. On the other hand, those who are most vulnerable to emergencies don’t have access to these wonders, may be due to affordability, illiteracy, low band-width or poor computing infrastructure. The digital divide poses a serious constraint. On a national level, this calls for conscious improvement of infrastructure and making emerging communication technologies available and affordable to everyone at gross roots level.

What has looks to do with the job?

Researc by Bradley J. Ruffle, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev - Department of Economics and Ze'ev Shtudiner, Independent shows that an attractive photo may give men's resumes and edge. But for women, it's better to be faceless.

Job applicants in Europe and in Israel increasingly imbed a head shot of themselves in the top corner of their CVs. We sent 5312 CVs in pairs to 2656 advertised job openings. In each pair, one CV was without a picture while the second, otherwise almost identical CV contained a picture of either an attractive male/female or a plain-looking male/female. Employer callbacks to attractive men are significantly higher than to men with no picture and to plain-looking men, nearly doubling the latter group. Strikingly, attractive women do not enjoy the same beauty premium. In fact, women with no picture have a significantly higher rate of callbacks than attractive or plain-looking women. We explore a number of explanations and provide evidence that female jealousy of attractive women in the workplace is a primary reason for the punishment of attractive women.

Download and read the paper here.

LG Optimus 7

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of SOCIALMEDIA8. All opinions are 100% mine.


Advancement is a must if mankind is going to survive in the long term. Multifunctional smartphones loaded with powerful features are one example in the present age that is characterized with fast communication on the go. Smartphones are the hottest gadgets these days, making communications faster and easier.

As per reports, billions of cell phone have been sold worldwide. Mobile phone companies are always planning to launch new handsets, with newer innovations. Given the trend and usability improving every day, industry executive are expecting even faster growth. LG is one of the leading innovators in the field playing important role in research and development. They are doing wonderful job in meeting the growing demand of users. Launch of LG Optimus 7 is one of the latest example. Built on Microsoft's operating system LG Optimus 7 enables users to do more in fewer steps. LG Optimus 7 is a whole new and ergonomic smarphone experience. BTW, it is already on my wish list.

LG Optimus 7 is stylish and trendy. It is solid and looks good. I suggest you try LG Optimus 7 – a seamless combination of windows and LG innovations - and get to feedback or play with back and search buttons, start key and a whole lot more.

Job security in corporate sector

Industrialists (and owners) that define the corporate culture in Pakistan have many things in common. Exceptions apart, corporate leaders in private sector ruthlessly eliminate any one who is not totally behind them.

This trend breeds job insecurity in the blue as well as white collars incumbents at all levels. Result: lack of commitment, lack of involvement by the employees and not putting in their best that in turn results in non-standard work environment and poor productivity. In a private survey restricted to some specially chosen industry units in Lahore, Manga, Bahi Pheru, Raiwind, Chunnian, and Sheikhupura reveals involuntary job loss, for any reason, as a most common concern of the employees. Survey also shows an increase in unemployment duration and decrease in job tenure. Job security is defined as:

“a collective agreement clause which prevents or ameliorates the detrimental effects of job loss due to such factors as technological change, economic downturn, and or contracting.”

But this is not about job loss due to any stated reasons. What is being discussed here is losing a job on the whim of the owner employers. That is one of the major concerns of the employees in industrial sector in Pakistan.

Psychological research on the industrial management suggests that trust is vital to maintaining a sense of job security. But trust is what is lacking here. Employees do not trust their employers and vice versa.

“I am working fine, I like my job and the work environment, I have good opportunities for professional growth, Mian sahib (as the owner chief executives in spinning sector are usually called) likes my job, but I am not sure how long I will be working here,”

says a technical manager in a large spinning unit who has already served in four units since he graduated for Agricultural University in Faisalabad and does not want his name here; obviously.

Majority of those who were asked were already looking for new places to work just in case when they are shown the gate, or when ‘gates are closed on them’ as it is called. The technical manager narrated an incident when Mian Sahib fired another manager:

“How much time will it take you to reach the factory gate? Five minutes. That is all you have to leave the premises. Your pay cheque will follow. Out!”

That is exactly how a manager who had served the unit for five years were fired. “No exaggeration here,” narrated the technical manager.A circulation manager in one large publication house was fired one fine morning.

“Leave the office immediately,” came the orders after he had served 30 years in an organization.

“I picked up my cigarette pack and moved out quietly,” told the fired employee.

Not surprisingly, most senior managers surveyed are found deeply concerned about this uncertain situation and its effects are visible not only on production but also on morale, motivation and physical health. Most organizations do not have comprehensive job security agreements. Even where agreements are in place, many managers who were contacted for their opinion were not convinced that their employers would actually stick to them.

The survey confirmed a significant correlation between job insecurity and poor performance. People do not adjust to job insecurity. Productivity of the employees continues to deteriorate the longer employees remain in a state of insecurity. Moreover, the more insecure people felt at work, the more likely they were to experience tension at home. Conventional economic theory often assumes that security breed complacency.

By contrast, the survey found quite clearly that the relationship between job insecurity and self-reported motivation levels is a negative rather than a positive one.

The industrialists are alive to the situation. But surprisingly, instead of taking measures to revert the situation they use their authority to hire and fire as strength. One owner of a large unit says:

“I have to control a large work force of eleven hundred people in my concern. I do not want to go into lengthy and difficult legalities in court kachery. It is much easier for me to fire any one who is not up to my requirements.”

In the short term firing any unwanted employee, for any reasons, may avoid an unhealthy situation and put all the others on guard and may increase efficiency as well. But, in the long term, the trend currently driving Pakistan private industry has worrying implications not just for individual employees, but also for nation’s industrial growth and the health of its social and work environments.

Whilst there is much that individual employers can do to uphold their duty, there is also a pressing need for polices aimed at regulating the corporate sector. In fact, reservation in the corporate sector could have been legislated in Pakistan from 1947 itself.

And after all, a state claiming to be a welfare state, concerned for the poor, regulating at the time every aspect of the way companies carried on their business, including adoption of new technologies and hiring and firing, could well have pushed for hiring and firing policies that included jobs of all kinds and levels.

More than the policies, the corporate warriors should take advantages of modern management and human resource development principle and should try to win credible commitment of their employees. The researchers and analysts say that, over the long term, such commitments can only be established by fair and open regulatory policies, which would allow for creative work force.

Savvy shopping

With growing Internet users’ base, trend to see more, compare prices and find the best possible deals online before shopping is increasing fast. Millions if consumers across the world start their shopping at the Internet sitting in their homes.

The great strength of the World Wide Web search is that it can locate out vast amounts of products matching to what any user may be asking for. The great strength of Savoo.co.uk – very aptly named shopping site – is that you can compare product prices to make sure that you get the very best deal available. Explore Savoo.co.uk and see what they are offering and how. Better still, choose what you want to buy, compare the prices charged by retailers and find the best buy.

Always eager to look for ways to save online, I was pleased to find out that Savoo work hand in hand with top retailers and brands to offer the very best offers available. I also explored Savoo  UK promotional codes and it helped make me some informed decisions. Savoo is updated with the latest and greatest at every moment, and we never stop looking to make sure we’ve got the next best deal.

I explored the neatly laid out site for Savoo online vouchers and found amazing options. One of them is already on my wish list. I suggest you use Savoo and save time as well as money and have a joy of savvy shopping.

Khate-e-Ra’ana - calligraphy script invented by Ibn-e-Kaleem

This article appeared in weekly Friday Times

In the past few decades, perhaps no calligrapher has created more waves in the field of calligraphy than Ibn-e-Kaleem – the inventor of new script Khate-e-Ra’ana, which literally means beautiful. Ibn-e-Kaleem already stands above the streams of calligraphers who have come before him. 

Today he works in his father’s studio where he grew up. Experimenting with the styles of Nastaleeq, Kufi, Riqa, Diwani and Naqash, he is churning out master pieces and achieving greater recognition by the day.

While to the layman, all calligraphy may look alike, it is a fine and highly developed art with its own rules and manners. The trained eye can pick up detectable differences between the work of a professional and an armature. But the difference is more than merely the shapes of letters even though some are obviously round while others oval, some upright and some slanted, some bold and yet some light.

To come up with a whole new script is a giant task. It involves designing the form of each letter and laying it down in exact proportions and measurements in terms of qat – the square dot of the pen. That is exactly what Ibn-e-Kaleem has done. Khate-e-Ra’ana is distinct and like no other script in existence.

To understand the magnitude of this discovery, it is important to remember that after creation of ‘Nastaleeq’ by Mir Ali Sultan Tabreezi around 1400 in Persia, no script of Urdu, Persian or Arabic, has ever been invented, with the exception of Mirza Muhammad Hussain who developed the running the running hand version of Nastaleeq called Shakistan in 1616 and Mirza Sultan in Heart who came up with a similar style called Shaffiah in the middle of the seventeenth century. Ibn-e-Kaleem stands alone in the feat.

Throughout Islamic history, calligraphy has been most cherished of the fine arts. It forms the basis of our cultural heritage. It is such a deep source of aesthetic pleasure that it has been used on every occasion and on every artifact; coins and swords, guns and cannons, buildings and graveyards headstones, royal ordinances and even on bed spreads. Muslim rulers have been great admirers and patrons of the ancient art.

Pakistan has produced great calligraphers such as Taj Zareen Raqam, Hafiz Sadeedi, Syed Anwar Hussain Nafees Raqam, Sadeqain, and Ahsan Kamal. Now the work of Ibn-e-Kaleem – Khataat-e-Haft Qalam (master of the seven pens) – has earned him a place in the history of penmanship.

How did he find his métier? Ibn-e-Kaleem, whose real name is Hafiz Mohammad Iqbal Ahsan, was born with a pen in his hand in 1946 in Langha family of Multan. His father Muhammad Khan Kaleem Raqam was an accomplished calligrapher and a founder of a Calligraphy School in Multan while his great grandfather Mulana Qaimuddin Khan Langha was also a renowned master of the art, one of whose master pieces is the Holy Quran on display in the National Museum of Karachi. His son Hamid Iqbal too is a celebrated calligrapher.

Given the linage, iIt is not surprising to see why Ibn-e-Kaleem it is not surprising to see why Ibn-e-Kaleem felt the urge to create a new style of calligraphy, one that reflects his modern mind and sensibilities. And so he came up with a vigorous, jerky, angular, coiling, wriggling and harshly curveting script far removed from the mellifluous and sweetly flowing Nastaleeq we are so familiar with.

Ibn-e-Kalem has held exhibitions of his work in Multan, Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi and Delhi where his work has been loudly acclaimed. He has won the King Khalid Medal for calligraphy the International Commission for the Preservation of Islamic Heritage in Turkey has conferred upon him the title of Nadir ul Qalam. 

Today, Ibn-e-Kaleem is not only practicing artist but a devoted promoter of the art. He is also actively promoting the understanding of calligraphy among the masses. He has trained thousands of youth including foreign students. He has written three books on the history of the art and many takhtais (tablets) on the mechanics of calligraphy. His book Murraaqa-e-Ra’anae is a huge album in which he has printed variety of his writings showing endless possibilities of his new script. It is the most sumptuous book of the kind published in Pakistan. 

Besides reproducing Quranic verses, Ibn-e-Kaleem has also designed beautiful compositions in the form of in the form of circular, oval and oblong panels. His circular signs are specially striking and the 99 names of Allah Karim written in the form of large modulations with intricate borders are a great achievement. One of his famous canvases displays verses of Sura Al Rehman. But perhaps his most awesome work is in the mosque of Multan Cantonment Railways Station where he has filled the walls with the 99 names of Allah Almighty as well as verses from holy Quran.

Related: Art for Allah

Ibn-e-Kaleem
Hassan Parwana Road, Multan
Tel: 061 4510545
Cell:  0321 7322630

Enriching Portland experience

Portland is really a fascinating city. It offers so much to those who wish to visit Portland. And I am not talking of Mount Hood Territory only. A Rose Airport Shuttle – number one Portland Shuttle makes it easy to travel to any of the places in and around Portland.

Grab a car at Portland airport shuttle and explore Columbia County or Washington County or explore the city that has endless things to see, sample, savor and share.

Readers here may be familiar with the fact that the city of Portland is known as America's "Best Big City." Go see for yourself and it will explain why. Main claims to Portland’s fame are region’s natural beauty and its bustling local scene. Any visitor will soon understand why Portland is one of the busy places year-round.

Local services like Rose Airport Shuttle – number one Portland Shuttle – can make it even more inviting. Trip with airport shuttle Portland means the very best and personalized service. Portland airport shuttle specializes in ground transportation. Best thing is that airport shuttle Portland works with different airlines, hotels, car rentals and cruise lines worldwide to provide their clients with the best deals on the market. I recommend you be in Portland and use airport shuttle Portland to have an enriching experience.

Top Ten Pakistani Blogs - 2010

Like so many years, Light Within is asking you to recommend the best Pakistani blogs. In Pakistan - the happening state - writing a blog is a great responsibility. Please show your appreciation for the best blogs (and bloggers) you have been following during the year. Also indicate the new blogs (including your own) and new bloggers that have come up during the year and we might have missed them. Leave your recommendations in comment section here or send them to sajshirazi@gmail.com.

Best of Pakistan blogs - previous years:
Pak Blogsphere - Top Ten Blogs - 2009
Pak Blogsphere - Top Ten Blogs - 2008
Pak Blogsphere - Top Ten Blogs - 2007
Pak Blogsphere - Top Ten Blogs - 2006

The Internet is running out of room. Fast.

“We expect that sometime in the first half of next year, the central pool will run out,” he says. “We expect we’ll have three to six months of address space thereafter, which means that at some point later in the year, ARIN will run out.” It sounds far-fetched, but a crisis with the potential to close off the Internet is imminent. The Daily Beast's Thomas E. Weber on the doomsday scenario you haven't heard about. Click here to read more.

Related: Cyber security

Housing - extreme environmental and climate conditions

Dr. Norbert Pintech 

This article appeared in monthly Techno Biz Magazine Sep-Oct 2010 issue

Underwater laboratories and Space Stations

Challenge for Planners and Scientists

Affects on materialistic thinking and the architecture

Changes in the technical centralized Infrastructure

Influences on social life

not:Either-Or, rather:Both-And....

It is probably due to upcoming jubilees, that the interest of the media is most visible on certain days of the year. The 50th anniversary of the manned space flight will be celebrated soon. Russian as well as US-american companies offer, at appropriate price, hotel stays in the space. The fantasy appears to move again in the direction of the moon occupancy. Also the research project Mars 500 in Moscow suggests a somewhat longer tour, and then again everything would be as usual, like Pool, Sun, Feasts, etc.

Events in the research project On the Earth take place outside of the earth. But this is of course theory, but the fact is, that future movements away from earth will nonetheless influence life on earth.

Our previous articles about housing were based upon a Cultural-Model, which would have seemed strange to engineers and technicians, but at the same time it must have made clear, how important it is to think and work in entirety (holistically), in order to achieve positive results in the long run. as cultural differences therefore play an important role in this regard in the form of philosophical and religious differences. The differences are quite open in the macro-area, in the micro-area they are obvious through disturbances in relationships, e.g. toilet usage, eating habits, work culture, food preferences etc.

Underwater Laboratories and Space Stations

The construction of Off-Shore Platforms has been an important development on earth. The relevant teams are required here to work and live effectively and optimally.

Sanitary problems had to be solved in military operations in the air, from which the Civil Aviation ultimately profited.

In life under water, for example in submarines, the crew sometimes spent months under water and daily life routines (sleeping, eating, cleaning etc.) were organized in a manner, that everything went smoothly. One was supposed to be autonomous.

This is also valid for Aircraft Carriers, where the crews are provided recreation possibilities along with their military tasks. The autonomy was only a lesser problem, as one could and can rely on regular supplies.

According to brochures of hotels in space (better said in space nearer to earth), it should definitely be more comfortable as compared to research stations established under water or in space (Spacelab).

This is an analogue to the above mentioned military solutions, which have comparable solutions in civil domain: Cruise ship cabins, Camping mobiles, Rolling Hotels, Capsule hotels in Tokyo, etc. Recalling these examples, on can probably realize, that there exist a number of permanent solutions in stark contrast to the wasteful solutions of city villas.

The possibilities discussed by NASA in the time of the boom, illustrated by the scientist, engineer and artist EHRICKE, further established visions of a biosphere near to the earth. This as a basic vision led to experiments in simulations on the earth, which however did not run successfully. In 1991 Biosphere 2 (1991-1993) was established with 8 participants on an area of over 10000 square metres and 200000 cubic metres in Arizona, in order to win experiences of a closed economic system. The steel concrete used in construction was not successful at all because it absorbed oxygen unexpectedly. In a second attempt, the six participants managed successfully to live autonomously, i.e. without the supply of help from outside.

In the area of research, we collected experiences on the south pole, -though with regular supplies from outside, but still one lived autonomously most of the time (e.g Research Laboratory Neumeier2).

The Mars500-Project ignores the eco-system and puts the emphasis on the social aspect (Work with the same colleagues on limited space, dealing with delayed news, which can be up to 20 minutes late due to the distance of 400 million km). This means in the practice, that in case of danger, one has to live and survive without outside help. A special problem of communication and information here is the time delay in the receipt of signals.

Problems arise in the general cultural area and are visible in the daily routine of city life, where people cannot get along with each other automatically (e.g. vegetarians and meat eaters, pork eaters and beef eaters, religious-cultural rites, which even on earth are sometimes difficult to manage, e.g fasting period in june or December in the higher north or south.

Challenge for Planners and Scientists

We have pointed out the problem area of construction materials, which hinder an exchange between the inner and the outer spheres. On earth, mud is more energy efficient and therefore healthier and cheaper from macro-economic point of view, because it is usable without any additional energy source. Unluckily steel concrete construction and burned bricks construction has taken place and is still taking place on a massive scale. In other words construction ruins of the time to come. The energy consumption in introduction of new construction materials may look large in the beginning, but is justified in efforts aimed at achieving Zero-energy-Houses.

It is a century-long task for planners and scientists to arrive at a value, which -based upon the population per square kilometer- relates to a degree value of extent of burden possible in connection with climate, vegetation and general cultural factors. If this hypthetical value is crossed, the urban picture of today becomes obsolete and without future.

The real productivity of the individual work place in the tax system must also be taken into consideration here. Services, including education and health services although income generating measures for the relevant group, are but unproductive and serve only the spreading of the taxation network.

Affects on materialistic thinking and architecture

The survival rate of a system is best shown in extreme situations. The economic system successful in limited sphere and taken over from the west has helped to promote globalization, which automatically also means its end as well as its unrepairability. That this fact is still not recognized does not change anything. The Europeans obtained stretches of land in Africa during the colonization period. The local rulers must have been pleased at the development. Appropriate drawings of the obtained land were not made by the foreigners because they did not understand the local way of thinking. They purchased, what was not salable in the traditional sense. In spite of that, the same principle is still applied worldwide, which shows -also here- an outdated concept is in use, which has long lost its limit of usefulness.

As a transition, the good old industrial production of goods, well based upon a piece of land, will take place more and more in integrated factories. This functions through the exchange of unusable products of one producer to value addition on the same product through another producer.

The architecture, let us call it for simplicity sake Dubai-Design, has not shown any real innovation up till now., whereas innovation does not mean that a building boasts of a helicopter landing place or a seawater-swimming pool or a luxurious entrance hall as big as a football-field or a heap of childish gold and marble items, an express transport system or a mega-skyscraper. These are all mixtures of technically possible and a need for admiration. They are based upon so called successful economic system, which had already reached its climax at the end of the 20th century.

Changes in the technical central infra-structure

If we consider supply systems developed for buildings and cities in the light technology development, we are bound to realize, that these systems are based upon economic considerations. The main purpose appears to be to earn: from lighting , from water supply, from waste disposal etc.Earning here is possible only if the number of customers is large. For this reason large units are created.This leads to two recognizable tendencies. The one is the enormous dependency, coupled with susceptibility. The other is the trend towards autonomous enterprise. Relevant to our topic of Housing, we already mentioned solutions in the High-Tech, as well as in the Low-Tech area. Autonomous systems already exist in the HighTech area, which make the need for a central technical infra-structure pointless. In the Low-Tech area, we may point out the experiences of the Sulabh-Academy in Delhi, which has delivered an interesting example waste disposal methods.

Influences in the social life

Six billion people on earth need space. Space, which is only usable with considerable input of energy., should be used carefully and cleverly. The expansion of the cities into the soft picture of the surrounding areas is an erroneous development, which creates new problems or only defers existing problems. Long distances and travel times, from home to the work place, point to the unsolvable problems in urban areas. The urban region is an organism, which needs time to develop. The factor time has long been forgotten. The different national technical solutions are just short-term concepts. Although sea water desalination plants make possible irrigation and provide water to households, but truly said, they belong to the general public at large. Indication of the problem between national interest and international considerations. Time is still not ripe, it appears, to point out the absurdity of intensive colonization of arid regions !

not:Either-Or, rather:Both-And....

Utopia is dedicated to the far away and unreachable. Should it suddenly be there, the supposed utopia, a society can sbe overwhelmed. The foot taken away from the brake, thanks to the power of Information Technology, the information is quickly distributed over the whole surface and it is absorbed without asking any questions. The danger of the global world lies actually in quick and extensive acceptance of Information and its spreading. An Either-Or situation is directed against the evolution process. The model of multiplicity has proved itself to be most efficient in the nature. Manipulations in available systems due to misunderstood scientific knowledge and not looking at things in totality is bound to have extreme and incomprehensible long -term consequences.

Captions: 

1. International Space Lab
2. Astronaut-suit
3. View from Space-Hotel
4. BiosphaereII, Arizona
5. Research-Lab NeumeierIII, Antartica
6. Sample for Integrated Production, Hanover, Shanghai
7. Mobile Homes, England
8. Zero-Energy-Plus-House, Germany
9. WC-set from aircraft
10. Pantry from cruiser
11. Area 51, sample for subterranean settlement, Nevada
12. Off-Shore-Platform, Mexico-Gulf
13. Kapusem Hoteru, Japan
14. Cruiser, Karibic Sea
15. Sea-Lab, North Sea
16. Diver-suit
17. View from Underwater-Hotel, Florida

Comprehensive ecommerce solution

Business is an old phenomenon. Only ways to do business have changed with advent of Internet and collaborative web technologies. Now everyone can do most of the things needed to be done in business online. Create your own online store and start to sell online. And it is easy for anyone to reach out globally. What is more, this trend is growing fast.

One thing that is important for almost any online business is shopping cart software. I was looking for ecommerce hosting when I came upon ecommerce hosting BigCommerce.com – a global company that is helping businesses since 2003. BigCommerce.com is one of the places that offer shopping cart software. Explore the site and have a closer look at their shopping cart software. The feature packed award winning software offers what any online business, big or small, may need. BigCommerce.com’s sophisticated shopping cart software enables new and established businesses to sell their products or services online with efficiency. Entrepreneurs can have a free trial. If you are planning and wish to sell online, ecommerce platform by BigCommerce.com can be a big help.

Best thing is that BigCommerce.com also offers all in one ecommerce hosting solution that includes shopping cart, product pages, inventory management, web hosting, SSL and a lot more. I suggest you have a look. Better still have a feeler by trying BigCommerce comprehensibe ecommerce solution for free.

Rings fo any occassion

I have had my chance but I still love rings. Rings are such pieces of jewelry that have emotional and cultural meanings attached to them. Rings symbolize love and association. Imagine how a nicely deigned diamond Engagement Ring presented to an appropriate person can change the lives of persons giving and receiving rings. This is a wedding season in this part of the world and everyone seems to be looking for wedding bands and rings.

Thanks to 25karats.com – online extension of a standard retail store that offers wide range of diamond jewelry – that they have made choice of rings and bands easy. Look at Explore 25karat Anniversary Rings section and see the amazing display that can cater for any taste and need. They offer a great choice to users. What is more, 25karats.com can customize any of their jewelry the way you need. They can also replicate your old jewelry or help you with a custom design. Similarly, 25karats.com has a huge collection of lovely Wedding Bands including handmade wedding bands that will suite any beautiful wrist.

There are enough details to make an informed shopping decision. They offer different options for payment including paypal for safe secure shopping experience. Have a look, better still buy a ring or a band and give it to someone special. You don’t have to wait for engagement day or an anniversary; there are countless occasions and diverse purposes to present one.