Tom DeLay in trouble - News

"I'm an Israeli at heart.
Go on killing Palestinians."

Mr. DeLay, The Republican majority leader has been charged with a criminal conspiracy by the grand jury in Texas. I hope this racist scum goes behind bars for a long period. He is one of those people you would like to issue the captial punishment to, but you can't becuase of their position in the government. Take a look at his view on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Here is the full report on the details of the charges against him:

"Bush ally faces criminal charge"

Ol' Billy the Bully - Talking Point

"Loud means right!"

Abbas Halai posted this masterpiece on his blog titled "Hulleye Comes by", which I absolutely had to share with everyone. All those who seek impartial News sources are probably already familiar with conservative talk show host, Bill O' Reilly and his ranting on FOX News' "The O' reilly factor". O' Reilly had recently invited former talk show host, Phil Donahue on the set to question his stance on supporting Cindy Sheehan, mother of U.S. Army Specialist, Casey Austin Sheehan who was killed in action during a reuses mission for which he volunteered.

Sheehan has held many protests against the war in Iraq and represents the sentiments of many mothers who have lost their children to this over-stretched occupation of Iraq. Although I do not support her stance on pulling the troops out of Iraq so hastily, I do feel sorry for the loss of her son.

Bill O' Reilly has this repugnant attitude of screaming and shouting to get his point through, especially when his opponent in the argument is right. This is exactly what he did when Donahue appeared on his show, pointing his finger at the guest, screaming and throwing a fit; in simple words, being himself. Here is a transcript of the conversation and here is the video. Enjoy! Thanks to Abbas Halai once again.

The USDA Food Pyramid

The USDA food pyramid was updated a while back. Make sure you take a look at it and most importantly, follow it! Eat healthy, keep healthy!

USDA Food Pyramid

Mukhtar Mai: A Symbol of Bravery - Perspective

Almost two years ago, a woman was forcibly gang raped by the orders of "tribal elders" in a village in Pakistan. What was the woman's crime you may ask? She belonged to a rival tribe, and her brother was involved in a relationship with a girl from the other tribe. When the elders from the girl's tribe discovered this, serious repercussions were warranted according to this feudal tradition. In order to appease the tension that was to erupt, this woman, the subject of his horrendous rape ran to the elders to ask for forgiveness. The elders decided, according to the judicial law developed by these tribes in that region (locally known as jirga) that five men were to openly ravage this poor woman.

Today, this dauntless woman has stirred the nation by standing up for her right by filing a case with a court in Pakistan. This woman needs the support of all the people around the world because it is so sad that such heinous acts of barbarism continue to haunt the societies of today. For more information on Mukhtar Mai's personal story, please follow the link below:

www.Mukhtarmai.com

When humans attack - Talking Point

The "Uromastyx maliensis" or "Dhab" in Arabic

Image Source: http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org

People these days will eat anything one can possibly imagine. When I first heard that people eat frogs and turtles, I was speechless; more appropriately, shocked - out of disgust. I slowly realized that these animals are quite commonly served as portions of a meal, and are even considered delicacies in many parts of the world. I then heard about people eating rabbit meat, camel meat, snakes, sharks, caviar, sushi (raw fish) and many other animals which I could never imagine people would even consider even bringing close to their mouths, let alone eating them. Time and again I was overwhelmed by the kinds of things people would eat. If I now hear someone eating an animal that I would never imagine being part of a decent meal, I usually don't feel disgusted or shocked, simply because somewhere, someone else is chewing on something even more disgusting.

I was born and raised in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (U.A.E), which happens to be a desert landscape as is most, but not all of the Middle East. The capital city of U.A.E is Abu Dhabi, and all these years I had absolutely no clue as to the origins of the city's name. Recently, a friend of mine who is a U.A.E national informed me that the city was named after a desert dwelling reptile known as "Dhab" in Arabic. The vast deserts of the Middle East are home to these cold-blooded creatures, sometimes known as "Spiny-tailed Lizards". The scientific name for this creature is "Uromastyx Maliensis", and is found in large numbers in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula. The Bedouins in the deserts of the Middle East are fond of what this creature has to offer, particularly, it's meat and it's hard skin. The Bedouins claim it tastes like fish, only without the repugnant odor, and hence it is also known as "the fish of the desert". Repulsive as it may seem, it is popular amongst a very small population that lives in the deserts, but most people would rather see these creepy lizards in a cage.

David Blaine: Street Magic - Entertainment

David Blaine - Is it really magic?

Image Source: Art.com

Ladies and gentlemen, take a seat, sit back, enjoy a cup of coffee and watch the all time trickster/magician, David Blaine in action! Blaine has performed some very supernatural tricks in the past, such as being suspended in a glass box over the River Thames in London for nearly a month, surviving on only water which was fed to him through a pipe. He has also been buried underground in a glass case that was covered with another glass case containing 3 tonnes of water.

This man is simply amazing. I simply cannot fathom how his tricks work, but perhaps one of you can. Enjoy!

Click here to watch the video!

A Critical Mind - Perspective

"The Holocaust Industry" by
Dr. Norman G. Finkelstein

I was surfing through one of the many websites that I normally do for collecting various pieces of information and different views on current and past global affairs, when I came across this interesting website, owned by a writer from Buffalo, NY I believe. He has authored a very controversial title called: "The Holocaust Industry", which by the name itself, can be judged of its content.

After reading a few comments on Dr. Norman's website, I am inclined to believe that he is utterly opposed to the idea of using the Holocaust as an excuse to garner sympathy and most importantly, financial benefits. He does make quite a few interesting, yet highly contentious arguments which is most likely the reason for his fame or notoriety; however you may put it. To visit his website, follow the link below, or click on the image above:

http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/

Other related websites:

http://www.robert-fisk.com/ - A website dedicated to Dr. Robert Fisk's works.

http://www.chomsky.info/ - The official website of Noam Chomsky, a critical thinker.

Nelly Furtado (Josh Remix) - Powerless

I don't know how many of you guys have heard this song before, but if you haven't already, you have GOT to listen to it. It's an excellent composition and even better fusion of R&B and Punjabi Bhangra. You can download the music video here. Simply right click on the "Powerless by Nelly Furtado - The Josh Desi Remix - The Video (Remix Edit)" link and choose: "Save Target As" and save it on your computer. If you'd like to download the audio file, click here, scroll down and click on "Free". On the next page, you'll have to wait a few seconds and then a link will appear that you can right click on and save it to your desktop. As for help if you have trouble with downloading the video or audio files. I'd be glad to help. Enjoy!

When nothing seems to be going right....

I don't usually get stressed out unless I'm facing a dead end situation, and at the moment, everything seems to be tumbling down one after another. I have been constantly asking forgiveness from God and asking Him to make things better, yet, things don't seem to be going positively. I'm up to the point that I feel like giving up all hope, abandoning everything and just going back to my family. Unfortunately, I just can not force myself to believe that there is no other way out. Alas! This inherent attribute of never losing hope and working at my best under pressure and close to deadlines just won't fade away.

I've pushed as far as my resources have allowed me to and yet, I do not see a fruitful end to this perennial problem. I just feel utterly incompetent and feel like I've failed everyone around me, worst of all, my family. I feel there is no one I can depend on any longer. In times of distress, everyone seems to turn their faces away, pretending like they are unaware of the reality that surrounds them. I ask all of you to pray for me so that God can continue blessing me with the strength and determination that just won't die no matter how hard I endeavor to unkindle the darn instinct. I apologize for showering you all with my boring tirade, but I had to vent my anger at the world, my luck and the general wretched air of disappointment and futility that hovers above me.

5 things...

5 years ago: Felt like I was on top of the world, carefree and higly egotistical.

1 Year ago: Started paying attention to my studies and becoming a little more responsible.

5 songs I know all the words to: Jazba-e-Junoon by Junoon, Come as you are by Nirvana, Don't cry by Guns 'n' Roses, Aadat by Atif, and This is how we do it by Montell Jordan.

5 Snacks I enjoy: Pastries, Cake Rusks, Cheescakes, Twix and White Castle Burgers.

5 (x2) Things I'd do w/ $100 million dollars: Purchase a Rolls Royce Red Label for my cousin, send a couple of million to my family, purchase a house in Palos Verdes, a BMW 760, start a tech support firm, invest in market shares, purchase a couple of apartment buildings, donate some money to some charities, build a library inside my house, and buy expensive gifts for all my friends, possibly cars for a few of my close friends.

5 places I would run away to: The Caibbean, France, New Zealand, New York and Hawaii.

5 things I would never wear: Flashy Colors, Skin-tight Clothing, Any kind of Gold jewelry, Any type of Piercing and Sleeve-less Jerseys.

5 favorite tv shows: That 70s show, Married with Children, The Simpsons, Cops and Nightline

5 greatest joys: Playing, watching and reading about cricket, reading and writing, talking to my family, hanging out with friends and talking to the girl of my dreams.

5 favorite toys: Cell phone, my desktop (It's my powertoy!), my speaking dictionary, stress-relieving ball and a cricket ball.

People I'm tagging: Shaima, Danika and RazKashmiri

US Open 2005 Tennis Championship - Sports

I was at work today when my friend reminded me that the US Open Men's final was to be held today. I watched part of the Women's finals the day before and I must say, Clijsters comprehensively overpowered Pierce. Although I was supporting Mary Pierce, I have to admit that she is no longer the player she used to be a few years ago. It is commendable though, that at 30 she is still playing tennis and most importantly, good enough to achieve the runner-up slot in the US Open final. Clijsters still has a long way to go, and this victory should only be one step towards her rise to fame. Clijsters won her first US Open title, beating Mary Pierce by 6-3 and 6-1.

Clijsters lifts the US
Open Trophy

Moving on to the Men's championship, it did not come to me as a surprise that Agassi lost the final, considering he's 35 years of age. What came as a surprise to me was how Federer's performance fluttered during the game. He won with first set without much troube, but in the second set, Agassi unleashed hell and comfortably snatched it away from Federer. It seemed like Federer could no longer match Agassi's firepower at one point, when he lost 3 consecutive sets between the second and the third set. As Agassi's brutal serves and returns continued to whisk past a dumbfounded Federer, the cheers from the crowd became unimaginably raucous. The roaring sound from the fans for each Ace from Aggasi left no doubts about who they were supporting. When Aggasi was in full gear, things suddenly started to change. Federer swiftly and ferociously resurrected from the early blows he received, becoming more ruthless after ever point he won. In no time, he gained maximum momentum and pounced Aggasi without mercy. Federed retained his title, winning the match comfortably, except for a brief period when for a while, Aggasi seemed unstoppable. The match ended with beating Aggasi by 6-3 2-6 7-6 and 6-1.

Federer celebrates by
kissing his trophy

Katrina: The devastaion - Talking Point

Hello folks. As most of you may already know, New Orleans and it's neighboring cities were battered by a category 4 (Wind speed 140 mph) hurricane last month, that annhialated most of the city and displaced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes. The hurricane also resulted in a major loss of life due to improper evactuation procedures, extremely low level of preparedness and worst of all, a pathetic response to this massive catastrophe. The following is an article that very skilfully outlines why hurricane Katrina wrecked such havoc in the world's most advanced nation and why necessary precautions had not been taken to prevent a disaster of such magnitude in terms of human life. It also discusses the deplorable state of affairs within the state as well as the federal government that could not manage to save the lives of so many, mainly due to political complications. It is a very long article, but it has been very carefully and intricately composed.

New Orleans: The Lost City

My Favourite Paintings - Art & Aesthetics

Hello everyone! As a freshman, I had to pick an art course, and I decided upon "Visual Arts", which was possibly the best decision I've made in my entire academic career (which of course means that choosing Electrial Engineering as my major was not the best decision, but oh well :P). The following are some of my favourite paintings of all times. I will post some more when I have the time. For now, observe the following masterpieces.

Madonna Enthroned by Giotto



David by Michelangelo



Creation of Adam by Michelangelo



Merced River, Yosemite Valley
by Albert Bierstadt



Ecstacy of St. Theresa
by Gianlorenzo Bernini



Augustus of Prima Porta



The Persistence of Memory
by Salvador Dali



Nighthawks by Edward Hopper

Chatbox Down!

Sorry folks, the tagboard or shoutbox is temporarily down! I hope it comes back up soon, but until then, feel free to comment on this post :P

Shahi Place launches sister site!

RaY-ZoR's Cricket Commentaries
Hello everyone! Last night I was really bored and I decided to create a new blog dedicated simply to cricket, my favourite sport! You can now find all the information, news updates and my very own articles based on the evolving world of cricket! Please visit:

RaY-ZoR's Cricket Commentaries

Motorla launches iPod hybrid phone - Technology

The new Apple-Motorola
RokR cellular/iTunes device

Image Source: BBC
Motorola has announced the release of a new iPod hybrid phone, which will combine the mp3 playback technology of the Apple iPod along with it's own technology for developing cellular phones. Other companies have designed mp3 capable cell phones in the past, but they have not been very popular amongst consumers. Apple hopes to change that with it's new iPod hybrid phone, called Rokr since it's iPod is already very popular amongst people of all age groups. More Information...

My little neice

I was looking through my photo collection and I came across this picture, which happens to be my all time favourite one, and so I thought I'd share it with everyone. This little entity that is placed on the bed is the most valuable thing in the world for me. She is VERY energetic and michevious as one would imagine, looking at that grin on her adorable face. :)

Highmark 2005 - News

The largest war games initiated in Pakistan on Monday, September the 6th at the Chaklala Air Base in Rawalpindi. The Pakistani Air Force has been rejuvenated and revamped over the last decade and it is now time to test it's effectiveness and readiness in the unlikely, yet possible event of a foreign invasion. The Pakistani Air Force will be provided with logistical and strategic support from the other two branches of the Pakistani Armed forces, namely, the Army and the Navy.

The newly acquired F-16s, the Mirages, F-7 fighter aircrafts, and the upgraded avionics systems will all be put to the test in this military exercise that will span over the next four weeks. The military exercise is called "Highmark" and was last held a decade ago in 1995. Since then, Pakistan has faced many obstructions and it has been difficult to conduct such a large scale military operation. More information...

A moment of Silence - Talking Point

A woman sits and waits with her child
in her lap as hundreds of flood victims
wait for help at the Convention Center in
New Orleans on Thursday

Image Source: KGW
I'd like to dedicate this post to all the victims of the horrendous hurricane Katrina that has caused enormous damage to life and property. So far, there is no clear estimate on the number of lives that have been lost due to this calamity. Warnings of this disaster were sent out in advance, but surprisingly the effort that was put in to the evacuation of the people in the affected regions was very ill-managed to say the least. At the moment, rescuers are not too bothered by the dead bodies as their first task is to reach those that are still alive and stuck amidst the flooding.

The sad part is that when the authorities knew the extent of the damage that such a catastrophe would cause, more action should have been taken. The National Guard's duties include helping protect the hard working people of this nation. Instead, they waited for the hurricane to strike and then go in and help those affected by it. In any case, mistakes do occur and one can never completely prepare onself from nature's might. What can be done now is to help those affected by this enormous disaster that has obliterated approximately 80 pecent of New Orleans and affected the whole of the Gulf coast. At the moment, we should all try to help out the victims of this hurricane in every way possible. The easiest way to help out is by donating to charities that help victims of such catastrophies. We can all blame whoever is responsible for not taking enough measures to prevent such a large scale disaster to human life once these victims have been helped relocate to safer areas and once they have proper sanitation, clean water, food, genral supplies and housing. If you would like to help out, please click on one of the following links:

American Red Cross Foundation

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Islamic Circle of North America

The Salvation Army

Corporation for National and Community Service

Islamic Relief

God Bless all those who help out these innocent people when they need it the most.

Cool Things About Being a Man - Humor

I got this off some forum. Some caveman must have compiled this list, while being half drunk, half asleep, but it's good for a laugh. Enjoy!

Useless Disclaimer: The following passage contains explicit humor and may be offensive to some people. It may also not be suitable for all ages, races and even followers of certain religious ideologies and/or cults.

1- Your ass is never a factor in a job interview.
2- Your orgasms are real. Always.
3- Your last name stays put.
4- The garage is all yours.
5- Wedding plans take care of themselves.
6- You never feel compelled to stop a friend from getting laid.
7- Car mechanics tell you the truth.
8- You don't give a rat's ass if someone notices your new haircut.
9- Hot wax never comes near your pubic area.
10- Same work, more pay.
11- Wrinkles add character.
12- You don't have to leave the room to make emergency crotch adjustments.
13- Wedding dress $2,000.00; Tux rental $100.00
14- If you retain water, it's in a canteen
15- People never glance at your chest when you're talking to them.
16- New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
17- One mood, all the damn time.
18- Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds.
19- A five-day vacation requires only 1 suitcase.
20- You can open all your own jars.
21- You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
22- Your underwear is $10.00 for a three-pack.
23- If you are 34 and single, nobody notices.
24- You can quietly enjoy a car ride from the passenger's seat.
25- Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
26- You can quietly watch a game with your buddy for hours without ever thinking "he must be mad at me".
27- No maxi-pads.'
28- If another guy shows up at the party in the same outfit, you just might become lifelong friends.
29- You are not expected to know the names of more than five colors.
30- You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
31- You are unable to see wrinkles in clothes.
32- The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
33- Your belly usually hides your big hips
34- One wallet and one pair of shoes, one color, all seasons.
35- You can "do" your nails with a pocketknife.
36- Christmas shopping can be accomplished for 25 relatives, on December 24th, in minutes.
37- The world is your urinal