The Genius of a Giant I liked what Ravi Shastri had to say to Inzi in the post Delhi chit chat with the player, ``Aap baRi smooth cheez ho!`` Inzi smiled and ambled away.

In many ways, Inzi epitomizes the simplicity and dignity that you find in most great people and players (there are occasional exceptions). In many ways, Tendulkar has the same good nature and sincerity to his team and country. He deserves to get that recognition - hopefully he will win a series or two for India soon.

Thank you Adeel for bringing this to the fore. Inzi is a smooth operator. So often in life such people remain relegated to the background because they never try to sell themselves with big words and fluff.

First Letter To Uncle Sam

Brilliant, timeless, incredible.


There are so many passages to savor and enjoy - here are two of my favorites.

1 - How I wish he had been born in your country. He would have been carried to his grave with great fanfare and over his resting place a skyscraper would have been built. Or were his own wish to be granted, his dead body would have been placed in a pool of glass and people would have gone to view it as they go to a zoo.

2 - What it adds up to is that your dogs are better off than us. Die here today, you are forgotten tomorrow. If someone in the family dies, it is a disaster for those left behind who often can be heard wailing, “why did the wretch die? I should’ve gone instead.” The truth is, uncle, that we neither know how to live nor how to die.

Computers for Pakistan Here is my suggestion of that day, after Ras had left ...

Problems that confront Pakistan perpetually and have the potential to shatter nationhood -

1/ Education/literacy

2/ National instability

3/ Lack of Vision

Clearly a radical solution is warranted.

Solutions

1/ Mass education can be achieved in 3 steps:

(a) Utilize the existing infrastructure of mosques and madrassahs as modern education centers. Install computers - 4 or more in each structure - operational 16 hours a day with prayer and piety for the remaining 8 hours

(b) Open free ISP`s that deliver local but interactive content throughout the country. This will be the base curriculum and will have to be the same throughout. It will have to include basic science, history and geography etc. Use the same channel for all administrative and government tasks, this will defray the cost, i.e. keep the information to infrastructure low.

(c) `Order` all army personnel [1M or so who are not Anghoota Chaap] to return to their tehsils, districts, villages, etc and impart basic education based on the content that the interactive content Internet will deliver. This will simply be the first set of teachers as momentum is built. Simultaneously these personnel can be used to guard and protect these `education centers` from feudal forces.

2/ Stability will come when leaders and role models have acountability.

In a society where information flows freely, which will happen if education and information is freely available on these Free ISP`s, there is less opportunity to cheat, plunder and spread messages of ethnic hate. Everyone will have access to the content that is delivered - we, however, must ensure that the content does not fall prey to vested interests. Which, I think can be done.

3/ Vision comes from awareness.

What is missing is a shared vision. No one really wants to destroy what is actually their `homeland.` By having massive coverage [the mosque/madrasah infrastructure will guarantee that] a shared vision is entirely possible. Even psychologically the people will respect the sanctity of the place where they will be `transformed.`

Obstacles:

1/ Free ISP`s, PC`s, connectivity

2/ Religious elite

3/ Feudal elite

4/ Military elite

I wonder if I made any friends that day?

The Tailor Dear Godot,

You have done a wonderful job here. Over the years you have given us many great translations - this is one of your best. Thanks.

Train to Pakistan 2004: La, Hore? test

Refugee for Life? test

Top of the World I was a spectator in the stadium the day Miandad made his test debut - 1976 in Lahore. He scored a century, actually 163 (was it?), hitting three fours in succession to reach the milestone. That day is literally etched in my mind and I can still get a thrill remembering how that played out. Asif was on the other end, Collinge was bowling, Miandad was on 90 (I think) and instead of getting more cautious he opened the face of his bat and hit an imperious four, Asif walked up to calm him down, next ball and Miandad hit another imperious four, Asif glared at him from the other end, literally ordering him to stop doing this. Miandad nodded his head to pacify Asif and hit Collinge for a third successive four to reach a test century on debut, Asif ran to embrace the new master. I was a fan forever.

Thank you Miandad.

When I see you again heart wrenching. Thanks.

LUMS -- Lahore University of mis-Management Sciences I am an NEDian - BE(EE) and then obtained a couple of other degrees in the US. NED is no Caltech or MIT but it is no pushover. Given the environment and the resources, NED (even UET) has produced remarkable professionals. For Rs 100/- per semester I would rank NED one of the finest schools on this planet. There are over 20 engineers from my class (out of 122) in the US - they include a tenured Professor and Chowk writer (guess who?), senior managers in Motorola, Juniper, Cisco, Cypress, HP/Compaq, Synopsys, ... and many more. These individuals are as good as anyone out there. The same can be said for UET - a number of fantastic engineers have come out of UET.

Anyway.

LUMS is a good place BUT IBA accomplished similar results with way less expense. I would be inclined to argue that Pakistan or any poor country stands to benefit way more by replicating NED, UET or IBA. Since it costs less, more students benefit. LUMS is not a mainstream education resource - it is a boutique model and it should be treated as such.

Growing up Muslim test

The Truth About Karachi Good. This Time garbage deserved to be dissected. You did that. Thanks Bina.

More later.

Columbia A good site to follow the spaceflight program is http://www.spaceflightnow.com/

Once Upon A Time: When The World Spoke Arabic SameerJB writes in #3 by sameerJB on January 26, 2003 6:51pm PT

[[[In world history, golden age of Islam is comparable to the golden age of Bihar with similar net outcome. The probability of bringing back the golden age of Bihar and Islam by Laloo Prasad Yadav and Osama Bin Laden et al are about the same, respectively. ]]]

Downright brilliant and so very true. The Bihar comparison is very clever.

A Nobel for Development Studies A great source for information on Nobel Laureates is: http://nobelprizes.com/

From this site I am copying some information on Ferid Murad

FERID MURAD

1998 Nobel Laureate in Medicine

for his discovery concerning nitric oxide as a signalling molecule in the cardiovascular system.

Background
Born: September 4, 1936
Place of birth: Whiting, Indiana, U.S.A.
Residence: Houston, TX, U.S.A.
Affiliation: Department of Integrative Biology, Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, P.O. Box 20708, Houston, TX 77225, USA

A Nobel for Development Studies http://www.india50.com/abni/aksI01.html
http://www.sintercom.org/polinfo/polessays/sen.html
http://www.vedamsbooks.com/no12421.htm
http://www.economics.harvard.edu/faculty/sen/papers.html

A Voice in the Wilderness Reference: Reply #: 15 by Saad Shafqat

My home is in North Nazimabad - could we be related? One of [soon after I joined] my NED University memories is of ``somebody`` being surprised that I was getting on a ``point`` [bus] that was going to North Nazimabad. Since my family had just moved to Karachi from Hyderabad I had no clue about this subtle stereotyping and asked, ``Why the surprise?`` The response was, ``You dont look and talk like a Nazimabadi!!`` Since that day I have struggled to be recognized as a Nazimabadi, because that is who and what I am. Over the years I have been accused by many for carrying a ``grudge`` and for being obnoxious and rude to anyone who leverages ``angreziat [western demeanour].`` Perhaps, someday I will forget all that nonsense and forget the Naali of filth that runs through the fabric of our society.