Happy New Year

I hope tomorrow brings never-ending joys, and an end to all things bad. Ameen!

This Month's Terrorist Activities.

A total of 17 bombs attacks, 3 assassinations, and 1 event of crossfiring.

Dead: 218
Injured: 490

December has been almost as deadly and bloody as October 2009. A brilliant closing of the year; instability and blood from the north tip of the country, to the south. The worst of the news being that 4 blasts took place within hours of each other on the 7th, 2 of them being within minutes of each other in a busy market in Lahore - the worst attack on civilians, especially in Punjab. Bravo dear killers of humanity! Bravo! *sigh*

1. 4th, Rawalpindi, Punjab. A mosque known to often host Pakistani military people was under attack by 4 gunmen, leading to a crossfire. It ended with 3 attackers detonating themselves. 38 dead; 80 injured.

2. 7th, Peshawar, N.W.F.P. Suicide attack outside a court in the city center. 10 dead; 44 injured.

3. 7th, Bajaur, FATA. Two anti-Taliban leaders assassinated by a remote controlled bomb near a mosque. 2 dead; 2 injured.

4. 7th, Lahore, Punjab. 2 blasts ripped through Moon Market, a busy civilian area, within minutes of each other. Before this attack, it was considered that attacks are on army and police areas and personnel, this attack came as a horrific mark in Lahore's history. 48 dead; 100 injured.

5. 8th Multan, Punjab. Raid on an ISI office by suicide bombers. 12 dead; 25 injured.

6. 15th, Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab. Bomb blast hits a market-place in this central city of Pakistan.

7. 18th, Lower Dir District, N.W.F.P. A mosque, frequently used by police officers, attacked by a suicide bomber.

8. 27th, Muzaffarabad, Kashmir. Checkpoint outside a Shia Muslim gathering hit by a suicide bomber.

9. 28th, Karachi, Sindh. a crowded Shia Muslim procession attacked by a suicide bomber. 43 dead; 60 injured.

Happy Birthday Jinnah!

What a well-dressed man! What a naked, hungry nation ...

Merry Christmas!!!

No matter how contradicting to my religion this may be ... Christmas is beautiful, and I love the feeling of it!























































Special mention to the photographer of these beautiful images!
kelp1966
Luzia Pimpinella

Winter Shminter

What's wrong?! I hate winter!



















But I love it too :D












So preetttyyyyy ..

Honor Killings on the Rise in England

"In the financial year 2007/08, a total of 161 incidents, including 93 criminal offenses, were reported to police. The rest were “non-crimes” such as intimidation or attempts at forced marriage.

But the following year the number had jumped to 256, of which 132 were criminal offenses. And 211 incidents have already been reported in the first six months of this financial year, of which 129 were offenses.

This number is more than double the same period last year. There have been a series of horrific attacks which police suspect were motivated by “honour” within the family or community."

This is an extract from the London Evening Standard.

England is become crazier and crazier. The Kurdish from Turkey, the Mirpuris from Pakistan, and every other extremist immigrant sect is driving the Brits more and more xenophobic. It's not so uncommon to hear of white kids vandalizing property. Spray painting Paki on the front door of a Pakistani family's house; throwing a stone through their windows; unwelcoming neighbours; and the general nuisance-causing lot.

What I don't get though, is why do people migrate to other lands, to the laws and society of which they cannot adhere with, nor stand; which would force them to commit such horrendous crimes? Is the jingle of British Pounds really so mesmerizing that they forget what it would be like 20 or 30 years down the road? What their family would be like? What impact the society might have on their kids? True, there are many families who have been able to hold sick control over their kids, and have turned them into sheep. Yes there are also those who bring up nice kids with a strong sense of morality and ethics of their home country. But the chances of that ONE time, where the kid realizes that he/she has a brain, and a unique perception, other than that of his parents, what then? Sure, congratulation to the sheep-herders, but are you willing to bear a child that may not end up as sheep? If that were to happen, would you have the ability to control yourself?

Another very strong issue, I feel, is where the immigrants themselves are responsible for giving out a bad name. Incidents where families have spoken ill of a woman, and wrongly accused her of an extra-marital relationship for a selfish purpose. Or when women have thrown cases on their husbands for kidnapping her kids and leaving them back in Pakistan or wherever, and on top of that, accusing the husband of forcing the minor kids into marriage? Sure there are true events of this nature as well, but why increase the statistics like this and create an unfortunate identity for not only yourself, but also for the entire identity you belong to? And God forbid if you're a Muslim, then the identity of the entire Muslim race!

Honor crimes are a fact. There should be no home on this planet for the perpetrators of such crimes!

Iman Maleki

For some odd reason, I hadn't ever searched over Muslim or Eastern painters, but I was delighted to have tripped upon this amazing Iranian artist - Iman Maleki. I'm not much into Realism (except for photorealism!), but I can't deny the mastery in some of the painters' works. And Maleki does a great job.
Being an Eastern myself, I really feel drawn to his work. No matter how great a Western artist is, that work is still foreign to me. Something I can empathize with, relate with, is breath of fresh air.
Not only am I truly mesmerized by Maleki's technique, but his subject matter and representation has touched my heart! Instead of a violent representation that several other artists choose to talk about women or Islam with, this soft portrayal speaks volumes. The mundane has been made significant.

This Month's Terrorist Activities

A total of 12 bomb attacks.

Dead: 126
Injured: 365+

The month reeked havoc in the city of Peshawar this whole month. Out of the 12 attacks, 10 of them in Peshawar. The N.W.F.P. hardly celebrates the religious events with the rest of the country; doesn't agree with the National Law; have been more brotherly towards the brother on the West; and such chaos wouldn't last long before the province separates into an independent country, or merges with Afghanistan, or become no-man's-land. And once that province is gone, Sindh will scream, then Baluchistan .. God have mercy on this country!

1. 2nd, Rawalpindi, Punjab. Double suicide bombings detonate outside a bank; bombers were on bicycles. 35 dead; 60 injured.

2. 10th, Charsadda, N.W.F.P. Car bomb hits a busy market. 24 dead; 100 injured.

3. 13th, Peshawar, N.W.F.P. Bombs hits the Inter-services Intelligence headquarters. 17 dead; 56 injured.

4. 19th, Peshawar, NW.F.P. Bombing outside a local court. 19 dead; 51 injured.

More and more civilians are becoming victims to these hideous acts each passing day!

Ban on Mosque Minarets in Switzerland

We don't really have a name of age we're living in, do we? Or is it still the Iron-Age? I suggest it be called the Ban-Everything-Age.













The left is a poster published in Switzerland protesting against the minarets and the female-Muslim-clothing. It was this historic poster that has led to the official ban yesterday. The left is a French version of the poster, where not being permitted to ground the same poster as the Swiss one led them to creating this; it says censorship is another reason to ban minarets.

Our dear Ayaan Hirsi has strongly supported this ban on minarets as well. I only have one things to say here.The ban on minarets in Switzerland is absolute crap since it is just an architectural symbol of the place of worship. Unless, this architectural symbol was being used for it's original purpose, i.e., an imam climbing it to call for prayer, or attaching a loudspeaker to it for calling to prayer. Since neither of that is happening, the ban is just another example of an Islamophobe Europe. Do be cautioned, Islamophobe is not really my favorite term, since it doesn't really reflect as to what exactly Europe is phobic about.

I came across this. I don't know how true this is, since I haven't seen a major newspaper cover this story. It could also be political to not publish it, since it's about a Christian issue, in a Muslim country.

Anyhow, the link is about an arrest of 9 pastors in 2 Christian majority villages outside Lahore, Pakistan. Reason being, they used a loudspeaker for their sermons. It is true though that churches in Muslim countries are not allowed to make sounds that become too public. All bells and sermons have to stay within it's four walls. And then, if Muslims ask permission to be able to call for Azaan in a non-Muslim country. Then that is just really funny!

I am not being anti-Islamic, I am just being fair.

Eid ul Azha Mubarak

I am so not in the mood .. but anyways ... *keep smiling*

Giant Lily

Giant Lily, or Victoria Amazonica (after my dear Queen) is a genus of water lilies, in the plant family Nymphaeaceae (how do you pronounce so many vowels together?), with very large leaves that float atop the water's surface. The leaf can go up to 3 meters (9.8 feet) in diameter, on a stalk 7-8 meters (22.9 - 26.3 feet) in length. You could even stand on one of those!























































While talking of lilies, we mustn't forget Claude Monet, and his famous lilies! Even he found something magical about them that he had to make them immortal. I really find something so erotic about lilies, it makes me think of private ponds and harem girls :P .. though Monet's work certainly doesn't project such a perception :D

Happy Halloween!

Credit to photographer: boopsie.daisy

This Month's Terrorist Activities

A total of 7 bomb attacks, 2 militant attack, and one event of assassination.

Dead:277+
Injured: 430+

This month has caused a serious amount of damage to Pakistan and it's people, and can easily be labeled as the bloodiest month. We've heard of news before of violence and uproar against girls' education, and the consequential attacks. This month's violence has leaped forward by specifically making women the target, and showering them with mass murder when a bomb hit a women's bazaar in N.W.F.P., and in the women's section of Islamabad's Islamic University.

Absolute violence. No remorse. If women were such a big problem and nuisance, then why did God make Eve for Adam? Surely He isn't sadistic.

1. 9th, Peshawar, N.W.F.P. A bomb detonation amidst the crowded Khyber bazaar; bomb attached to a minibus. 41+ dead; 100+ injured.

2. 12th, Shangla District, N.W.F.P. A suicide attack on a security convoy in the region bordering Swat. 41 dead; dozens dead.

3. 15th, Lahore(Punjab) and Kohat(N.W.F.P.). 20 militants attack the police facilities in the two cities. 37 dead; 20+ injured.

4. 20th, Islamabad, Punjab. Twin suicide attack on the International Islamic University. The first attack was when the bomber forced himself into the women's block, despite resistance from a local worker. 6 dead; 29 injured.

5. 28th, Peshawar, N.W.F.P. A car bomb is detonated in a women's shopping district. 117 dead; 200+ injured.


Power to Women!

Getting the Figures Straight

Police estimate at least 12 are dying each year in the UK but others will be hidden – forced suicides and murders made to look like suicide are widely believed to take place undetected. Women aged 16-24 from Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi backgrounds are three times more likely to kill themselves than the national average for that age and it is impossible to tell what pressures some must have been under. And for every woman who dies, it seems certain that there are many, many more living with honour-based abuse and hidden away in shuttered communities.

guardian.co.uk

It's sickening to the stomach, and even more so to realize that there are many more unreported incidents!

I read a clarification somewhere about the difference between an honor crime and a passion crime. One of the conditions of a crime to qualify as an honor crime includes the killing of the victim as a result of a family agreement. I can't understand how can a family get together to kill a person who is their own blood?

Parents protect their daughters till the last extent from the incident where she might lose her virginity because of either rape or consensual sex. And then (unfortunately) hand them over to husbands who rape their daughters day and night, and make them a target of their abuse. If the daughter stands up for her rights, or runs away, how can the father, or brother EVER think of it as a an act that has brought them shame? How can they ever think of killing someone whom they've so lovingly raised?

Take Me To The-North With You ...

This Month's Terrorist Activities

A total of 3 bomb attacks.

Dead: 35
Injured: 63+

Anger of 9/11. Celebration of Eid ul Fitr. Be it a happy day, or sad. A blast, and killing people is the perfect way to rub it in our face! *rolling eyes*

1. Kohat, N.W.F.P. Suicide bomber drives into a hotel in a van loaded with explosives. 30 dead; 50+ injured.

Eid ul Fitar

It's about the shopping













About the getting-money-from-elders















And watching Pakistani Eid shows on satellite TV















No family. No shopping. And no satellite TV to watch the silly Eid shows on. I miss.
Happy Eid-ul-Fitr all!

Photographing Polaris

Polaris is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor. It is very close to the north celestial pole, making it the current northern pole star. These are some amazing photographs I came across, and it's genius. Since the North Star is the central mark point of the Earth's northern tip, it stays constant to eye-view, while the Earth rotates; but all the stars around it move.

These photographs are taken with at least one hour to 9 hours' worth of exposure, thereby capturing start trails. The shorter the exposure, the smaller the trails, the longer the exposure, the longer the trails.

Picture by Joshua Bury


















Picture by ohad*, Yosemite Valley













Picture by velvet_pow, over Mt. Fuji


















Picture by ngc4594, in S. Korea

Fuck Bush

Seriously!






























Those who aren't, have a serious issue.

Death Anniversay, M. A. Jinnah

Gandhi died by the hands of an assassin; Jinnah died by his devotion to Pakistan.
- Lord Pethick Lawrence




















to this

This Month's Terrorist Activities

A total of 2 bomb blasts.

Dead: 10
Injured: 12

Both attacks happened in N.W.F.P. on the 17th and the 18th, Shabqadar and North Waziristan respectively; exactly between Independence Day and the beginning of Ramadan. Whether this is in respect of the important days that the numbers are low? I doubt. The numbers are still there as opposed to the previous month.

Godless freaks!

Western Feminists to the Rescue?

I just read an article by a Western Feminist who feels the urge to help out the veiled femininity in peril.

So can the Western Feminists help the Muslim women get out of their four-walls and raise their status?

Yes, they can. And those who ask them to mind their own business, I humbly ask them to please Shut Up! I do want to add here though, those Western Feminists who think their interference/help should be to the extent where they can effect a country's law, that's just arrogant and nosy.

So how can she be of help? It's easy. Instead of trying to become the hero or the leader of the gang, or simply trying to make sure that their name stands out, they should rather focus on becoming a strong support system for those local organizations or individual efforts, who are already trying to make a difference. If there is injustice, it's not possible to find no voices. Just knowing there is outside help available makes a whole lot of difference, and induces strength in a group. The WF should try to support these women in whatever cause they are struggling towards - help them find resources, help them organize, help them channel their voice ... that's what they need. They don't need to be told what to do, but instead, how to do it; they can learn from someone else's experience.

There is no harm in accepting help, as long as it is for a good cause. Neither should the Muslim women feel offended by such an offer, nor should the Western Feminists look at this as a way to help them feel important. It's a sensitive issue that they are dealing with - one that should be fought with sincerity and unselfishness.

Ramadan Mubarak

God help us.




















Found some cool images related to the subject :D



















It's very warming to see such things in media; to see that they are at least trying to make us a part of them. Wish we'd break from our ghettos and nonsense.




















I mostly don't really like Roman to Arab script conversions of logos. But I think Coca-Cola did it really well. The essence and feel is well-maintained. I like.















So nostalgic. Rooh Afza. I never really liked when younger, because mum would only give it mixed in milk. Otherwise it's not so bad on a hot summer day ... mixed with some lemon, it can be quite refreshing :)

Pakistan Independence Day

It's that time of the year again where we have to celebrate us being Pakistani; the day it became possible; the day we emerged on the world map.

Egos and spirits high, pride spilling everywhere, but I really wonder: when will that day come when we are truly proud of being Pakistani. As the Quaid said, the war hasn't ended, it has only begun, and we have to work very hard. And hard work, doesn't seem to be on us Pakis vocabulary. Shame.














VS

The Rainforest

Ok, this may not be a style of a garden (since that is a consciously constructed landscape), but it is awesome enough to have generated several adaptations around the globe, for e.g., at the Kew Gardens in the UK, and at the Mondo Verde in the Netherlands. These sites have developed highly advanced temperature sensitive environments to make sure the fauna and flora species feel at home :D ... I am sure it takes a hell lot of effort to control and maintain these cultured environments. *Standing ovation to the designers, landscape artists, technicians, mechanics and whoever all are involved in the care and development of these places!*

Why the Rainforest? It continues to astonish film-makers even. It's in it's age, it's mystery, it's never-ending possibility to surprise you. There are so many species of plants, flowers, birds, insects in there, it's screaming God! It's pure nature - dangerous, yet captivating.

Rainforest section, Mondo Verde, The Netherlands


















Rainforest section, Mondo Verde, The Netherlands


















Temperate House, Kew Gardens, Surrey


















Olympic National Park, Washington














Rainforest Pyramid, Moody Gardens, Texas














Rainforet Walk, Mary Cairncross Reserve, QLD, Australia













So these were my top 3 favorite styles of gardens :D ... what next?

This Month's Terrorist Activities

July has amazingly gone by without any sorrow of the sort. So it deserves big brownie points.



















Hehe. Couldn't find a nice brownie with a peace sign. But hey, anything with chocolate is great no?

Japanese Gardens

Yup. This is my second love (although I am not really going in any ascending or descending order, that'd be too difficult). This just had to be, and would be on anyone's list. These gardens are so immaculate and well designed, it's outrageous! The finesse, the detailing, and creation of an ambiance that is so Zen. I can't find the perfect words to describe this style.

This style of gardens were mostly found in Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and old castles. Most of these are dry or rock gardens, Karensansui. Garden-making is considered a high-art amongst the Japanese, akin to calligraphy and ink painting.

The giant goldfish, bonseki and bonsai are a strong symbol of Japanese gardens.

The four types of Japanese gardens are:

1. Karensansui - dry landscape gardens, rock gardens. There is no water used. The rock and moss are used to represent ponds, islands, boats, seas, rivers and mountains in a abstract way.

2. Tsukiyama - This style strives to make small gardens look more spacious. It utilizes shrubs to block view of surrounding buildings to open view to the surrounding landscape of mountains in the distance (Japanese lifestyle). Ponds, streams, hills, stones, trees, flowers, bridges and paths are frequently used in this style.

3. Chaniwa - this is usually a tea house where the ceremonies take place. Usually there are stepping stones leading to the tea house, stone lanterns and stone baskins (tsukubai) where guests purify themselves before the ceremony.

4. Kanshoh - these are viewed from a residence.

5. Pond - for viewing from the boat.

6. Strolling - for viewing a sequence of effects from a path which circumnavigates the garden.

Karensansui












Japanese Garden, Portland, Oregon














Japanese Garden, Portland, Oregon












Japanese Garden, Hillwood, Washington D.C














A Chaniwa with the ceremony tea room