Guess What ?! (Part IV)

let's wrap this up shall we?

Here's a recap of the clues revealed so far:

first post
second post
third post

Since no one guessed correctly it looks like I get to keep the prize, whatever that is. So what was that really big and entertaining place you ask? Well it's none other than Royal Caribbean's new cruise ship called Freedom of the Seas. Take a look:

No I don't work for them I just needed a gimmick for my blog. I'll have a new guessing game for you when I feel like it. Maybe next time I should have an actual prize.

The evil specter of discrimination

Here is a thought provoking video I found on the web. It takes a look at what Muslims must face in their day to day lives, while living in America. I am moved by how so many strangers came to the defense of the lady and I am shocked by the behavior of the clerk and his cronies. The way that they have defined who can and can't be an American is appalling. This indicates a highly polarized society something akin to the McCarthy era. I am pretty sure no one wants to repeat such a dark chapter from US history. Plus the way he "reserves the right" to deny service based on appearance sounds an awful lot like segregation.

As a matter of fact this is the kind of stuff that I have been talking about on this blog and other blogs. To this end I want to let readers know that I personally stand up for the American People. In Pakistan some people (ignorant, uneducated etc.) have the impression that they all must be blood crazed lunatics. I make sure to seperate the average American from the vile foreign policies of the current administration (read, regime).

Weekend Assingment #209

Half of this is not true. I am pretty sure you'll be able to figure out the parts that are and aren't true (this will get a bit violent you've been warned):

We have family friends in upstate New York. When we were younger they had recently bought a new house. They invited my family and my cousin's family to come spend the day with them. So one early Saturday morning we packed up our cars and headed out on a cross state road trip.

The details are a bit fuzzy but I remember heading in the general direction of Albany for several hours. After which we coasted into a small town. Now the thing about me and my cousins is that we're basically city kids. Growing up in Brooklyn and Queens we became pretty jaded and aloof.

"What the hell are we going to do in this dinky little town?"

"I know right, do they have like an arcade?"

"They probably haven't heard of video games"

"True that" We headed into what passed for downtown. Demarcated by a single traffic light.

"What do they do during rush hour?"

"They probably have to hitch their horses and wait it out." we snickered

Feeling pretty spiffy we headed deeper into town passed some mom and pop shops and then headed into the residential area. After a bit of searching we finally pulled up in front of a modest looking house. It looked pretty normal except that it was perched on the edge of a hill. Our cars strained as they hauled us up a steep gravel driveway, bordered by trees on both sides.

"Holy cow! they bought all these from Home Depot, that must cost a fortune." Unbeknownst to us this was only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. As we drew closer a lush green backyard came into view. But what really had us thunderstruck was wild woodland as far as the eye could see.

"They must have gotten a discount" we pried open our car door and cautiously stepped out of our vehicles staring in awe. Luckily our slacked jaws came to attention just as the proud homeowners came out to greet us. We all merged into a happy cacophony of greetings. The grown ups did there thing speaking in arcane terms like real estate tax, Mortgages, demographics and what not. We kids looked at each other disdainfully.

"Let's go see if they know what a gameboy is."

"Okay!" we laid on our urban charm quite generously. They eventually became quite fed up and
decided to fight back.

"Papa, can we go into the woods?" they asked looking slyly at us

He gave it some thought and then carefully responded "I dunno what with the wolf pack and all"
"Wolves?! That's some !#$%& up !@$^&*"

"Nah, man don't get all little-house-on-the-prairie with me 'aight"

"Oh don't be silly they only come out at night" the kids sweetly responded "Can we please"

Their dad scratched his beard and thought some more "Only if we take along our neighbor's rifle." Guns we understood and we didn't give any lip about that. But that didn't mean we weren't nervous about entering uncharted lands. Of course we couldn't admit this to these dweeby country kids. We kept up our hoodlum facade long enough to hear the neighbor pull up.

An oversized 4X4 roared up the driveway kicking up a cloud of dust in its wake. A sharp turn to the left brought the behemoth to a sudden stop. From our point of view we saw a tan cowboy hat lunged back in its seat as the mega machine stopped lurching. Out popped a thickly mustached face hidden behind dark sunglasses. "Howdy, brought ma' rifle for ya'" the man suddenly brandished a long stemmed weapon "run out of ammo, load up on these" he tossed a box of bullets helplessly grinning all the while. Their dad thanked him and told him it only be for a couple of hours "Take your time" he exhaled waving away the constrained offer "Just don't let me hear about ya' on the evenin news." he looked around suspiciously and then lowered his glasses "I am enough trouble as it is, know what I mean?" he flicked his glasses back on and gave their dad a big toothy smile. "Don't be a stranger ya' hear?" he tore away backwards through the driveway kicking up dust from the front this time. A wide turn brought him back to the steep incline which he hastily dipped into grinning all the while.

Their dad stood there rifle in one hand a box of ammo in the other, he quietly blew some dust out of his mouth and commented "very neighborly of him"

***

We all made a line and headed in to the woods. We first hiked along the border of the backyard and the forest. This wasn't so bad as it was relatively sunny in these parts. When we headed in deeper the canopy grew denser. The soothing darkness was a welcome relief from the harsh summer sun. We enjoyed ourselves taking in the scenery and enjoying nature at its finest.

That's when we came across a rabbit carcass. We stared with complete wonder at the once bouncy and lively creature. It had been picked clean of its meat and all that was left was a ragged patch of fur. "Daaaammn, Maaan! They don't got no kibble and bits up and over here?" nearby wolf tracks didn't give us anymore comfort

"Okay kids time to head back home. This is far enough." their father commanded "Your mothers have prepared a lovely lunch we can't keep them waiting."

"But we want to know what's over the hill, papa" his kids whined

"It isn't safe who knows what lies beyond that ridge." he reasoned

"We'll find out together, it'll be an adventure you never let us do anything fun!" they pleaded

"Listen we've only moved in a couple of months ago these woods are new to me. Once I better understand them I'll take you guys. Right now we need to head home less we lose our way." his logic was irrefutable but that didn't stop his kids

"It'll only be for a second we'll only take a peak from the top" they smartly added. At this point we began to feel uncomfortable having to watch a family feud. We didn't say anything partly because we didn't want to annoy our host and partly because not being lunch sounded very appealing.

"Just one peak?" he asked with a mischevious grin

"Just one"

He squinted his eyes deviously weighing the facts and then popped them open cocking his rifle and exclaiming "Let's ride!"

We couldn't believe it but not wanting to be outdone we followed along. The climb up was easy and our group of children and one half crazed adult quickly reached the top. What we saw on the other side terrified us to the core. A slumbering pack of gray wolves.

"AAAAAAH!" rang out hi pitched screams from the girls at this point none of them cared about impressing each other and gladly indulged their collective fears. We told them to be quite but to no avail. To our horror the wolves began to stir.

Their shut eyes instantly flung open and were trained on us. Seeing intruders on their home turf was unbearable, they rose up and took attack postures. Venemous snarls spewing from their throats hit our hearts like pierced lightning. loosing all sense of composure the girls ran in the other direction. Baring white fangs, the wolves gave chase.

Fearing for the lives of his daughters the anxious father fired off aimless shots. The sound of exploding gunpowder did nothing to stop the unrelenting charge, the woodland beast would settle for nothing less than the flesh of innocent girls. A sudden sensation of chivalry overcame me spurring me to action. Drawing a combat knife from my boots I lunged forward.

The alpha male had taken the lead and was bounding towards me. I eagerly covered the distance and braced for impact as the beast jumped into the air jaws headed for my neck. I bent forward and shoved my shoulder into the exposed belly. We collided on the forest floor. I quickly twisted my torso and took his snout in my hand. In the next instant the serrated blade of my knife was smoothly swiped against the pulsating neck. A torrent of hot blooad gushed out splashing my face. The cut was deep enough and the wolf quickly succumed to the second law of the jungle.

In a flash I bared my bloody blade at the rest of the pack. Seeing that their leader was killed they lost their will to fight and quickly turned tail. The exhiliration of the hunt would not relinquish my senses, indeed today was a good day to be alive.

why I do, what I do

Why in the world would anyone want to get mixed up in the crazy world of computer programming. Sure most of have to use a computer to write angry letters to the HR manager or wacked out blog posts or surf the net in search of the latest Yanni videos ;) But why get involved with building applications that can do all these things for us?

For me the answer is easy I like programming and building things that others find useful. It's a way for me to leave my mark. Recently my company delivered an automated accounting system to a group of bookeepers at a local school. Previously they would have to fill in over 500 payment vouchers by hand! Needless to say this was a harrowing ordeal they had to go through every semester. Our system got rid of all this tedious work now they can simply push a button and in a matter of minutes all the vouchers are printed and are ready for delivery to eager students, who can't wait to pay their fees!

Now the school managements wants to automate other departments like admissions and HR. This is good news for us as a company as there is plenty of business at hand and personally I feel a sense of satisfaction knowing that I have helped to make other people's live a bit easier.

why do you do, what you do?

A trip around my room

I’ve been planning this post for quite a while. It all started when I got the idea of sharing some of my favorite things with IDK readers (in a virtual sense). Most of these things are tangible and are on display in my bedroom. I started taking pictures of them with my digital camera and this is what I came up with (don’t mind the date I never got around to setting it)

I’ve had this toy ever since I was five years old. Back then my cognitive abilities were pretty shotty and the only reason I asked my dad to get this for me was because it looked pretty. I had fun playing with it making roaring sounds as it ate my sister’s Barbie dolls flip open the wings add some swooshing sounds and its flying across the jungle canopy in search of its next plastic prey. Of course making all those sound effects got tiring and they sounded kinda dopey.

I noticed other toys had compartments where you could stick batteries in and they would make the roaring and swooshing sounds for you. So I insisted on getting a pack of double A batteries. I was told that they wouldn’t make a difference there was some talk about the lack of circuit boards and digital chips. All of that sounded like gibberish to me and by God I wanted a pack of batteries. After much ranting and raving and the occasional hunger strike I was given my beloved batteries. I placed them into the toy and waited. Much to my dismay nothing happened, must be something wrong with the batteries I thought. Oh well I chucked the batteries and continued with the dopey sound effects.

Only recently have I learned that this action figure is from the Voltron cartoon series. It was popular in the 80’s, many claim that this show was the precursor for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Because each of them have a group of do-gooder robots that can combine into one mighty robot when the going gets tough. I haven’t researched the classic cartoon show so I don’t know the name of this robot, he has the number one on his shoulder blade. Miraculously the twenty-year-old figurine is still in good shape, I wonder how much it’ll fetch on ebay?

This is something from my adolescents; notice how the pretty and shiny is still an important factor in my decision making process. However this time around I did not shove any foreign objects into places that they did not belong nor did I make any dopey sound effects. Beamers are fun; will I ever be able to afford a real one? I don’t know.

This was something that I geek such as myself couldn’t resist. It just so happens that my senior year at high school coincided with the turn of the century and the beginning of the new millennium. Each year our high school gives seniors the option of buying custom made class rings. This year and this year only you could have your class ring all tricked out with spacey decals commemorating the year 2000. I simply had to get one and luckily my parents approved and put up the money to get one. Here’s a closer look:

Jostens is a pretty active in the class ring industry they do all the colleges as well. I am told they also make rings for the winning team at the super bowl. Does anyone else have a ring made by them?

Now we’re heading into more recent times. This was when I became a full-blown SF nut and actually started writing this stuff. While writing my first novel I drew inspiration from others to keep me going. The biggest influence would have to be Arthur C. Clarke you can see the well-worn collection of short stories to the left. The enraged entity from my story is loosely based on the gas creature from Clarke’s “Castaway”. There’s my copy of King’s “The Long Walk”. A couple of Michael Crichton books, the entire legends of Dune trilogy a Tom Clancy book which I found terribly boring and a couple of Star Trek books. And where would I be without my copy of the Quran it’s the big black book to the extreme right. Interestingly enough this is the English translation. I can read Arabic but I can’t derive any meaning from the rhythmic words of the Quran. I am dependent on the English language for understanding my religion. The descriptions of the Universe in this Holy book are breathtaking and best of all it isn’t fictional.

You’ll notice that my Spiderman thermos is serving as a handy dandy bookend I suppose I could fit in two or three paperbacks in that cranny. Does anyone want to make a donation?

This is my excellent DVD collection. I also take a lot of inspiration from watching sci-fi movies. I suppose that watching movies has had a greater influence. Because I always find myself trying to verbally describe a scene. This helps me write actual scenes for my stories. Also I first have to get a mental image of what I want to express before I can write about it.

You can probably tell that this is a picture of two photographs merged together. I couldn’t do a seamless job this is just a sorry attempt at Photoshop wizardry. Any who I have all six Star Wars episodes; naturally I had to have a marathon. It took all day to get through all six movies. The middle column of DVDs is made up of hard core SF movies including Contact, Solaris, Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy etc. The column to the right is all super hero movies that first started out as comics or video games. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have always been a favorite of mine. These are propped up by lowly VCDs you can fit 45 minutes of a movie on one CD that’s why they give you CD A and CD B in each pouch. Well at least most of the time.

All of this rests upon my box of Legos. This is a special Star Wars edition of the Mind Storms robot building set. You can create Sith robots from all six episodes. The biggest robot you can build is the AT-AT walker, which requires all 500 pieces.

Well that’s a wrap up all my favorite things! Hopefully taking the tour was fun and you learned a little more about me. Now it’s time for you to head on home (“I think I hear your mom calling you”) make sure to close the door on your way out. When’s are next play date? Well that depends on you…

The “How’s Your Thesis Going” Post

Now that the KIIT graduation ceremony is over, I need a new academically related post to keep this blog going. I looked around trying to find something that had a long gestation period so that I could keep a similar format as that post. So naturally my Thesis came to mind. It is a requirement for my Masters degree, which I am doing from FAST-NUCES. As you know a thesis requires you to do research and development so that you may come up with something original and make a contribution to your field of interest.

I had to ask myself what interests me enough to take on such a challenge? The answer lies in Human Computer Interaction (HCI). Currently the boundary that separates us from our computers is the User Interface (UI). The most popular example of a UI is Window’s start button. It allows us to access our programs quickly and easily (most of the time). Otherwise we would have run them using a command prompt, yummy!

So what could I do in this area? Help out HCI designers of course! They have to follow a set of heuristics when designing an Interface. They may not be aware that their design may be violating this set of guidelines. That’s where I come in; I’ll be creating a tool that analyzes end user behavior when using a UI. After the analysis is complete the tool will generate a report stating which guidelines were violated. As any marketing expert will tell you a good product is only as good as its name. So I am asking you the “I Don’t Know” reader to help me think of an exciting and relevant name for this tool. Because frankly speaking, I can’t think of one.

As always this post will be updated and reposted when new information is available about this project, so here’s the low down:

March 12: Having read the latest research about my topic and assembling a team of advisors I am now ready to work on the corporate presentation. *Insert evil genius manic laughter here* I’ll be pitching my idea to my company first. If you know of any other software developing organization that may be interested in this kind of research let me know.

March 08: Got some feedback on the presentation that I sent out. They say that I am off to a good start. But I am keeping my fingers crossed anyway. Oh and I am helping out my unofficial advisor with one of his projects. The classic example of; I scratch your back you scratch my back.

February 28: Finished up my presentation sent it out to my advisors. I wonder what they’ll think? I am going to modify this presentation to pitch my ideas to companies so that I can use actual interfaces for analysis, makes the project much more credible.

February 21: I got a taste of the typical Pakistani student’s mindset. When I tell them I am doing a thesis their eyes light up. “You’re doing a thesis? No way!” they then go on and tell me how I’ll crash and burn and how I should drop this silly idea of a thesis. “You’re better off doing a research survey” which is a glorified term paper. I plan on returning to the US after getting my degree. I know that a thesis will be critical for getting a job and gaining admission to a college. So I have to do a thesis.

Now don’t get me wrong, these guys are my friends and they mean well. The problem is that the basic education they received didn’t prepare them for imaginative thinking. Their education was more focused on memorizing facts and figures so that you could pass a test. Understanding the material wasn’t necessary. That’s why it’s so hard for them to come up with an original idea and then remain motivated to complete the project.

Another reason for de-motivating me is something that I like to call the “lemmings effect”. Students over here don’t like to stand out and blindly do what every one else is doing. For example when a teacher asks a question often times the whole class answers back. That way the individual is safe in the crowd. So when everyone else is doing a research survey your nuts for not doing the same thing.

However, this doesn’t go for all Pakistani students there’re plenty of them doing cutting edge research. When I meet them I can tell that they are strong-minded, know what they want, and then go get it.

February 14: The project is picking up steam I found a faculty member who is willing to help me out by being an official advisor. His areas of interest coincide with mine so we’ll make a good team.

February 06: I am working on a presentation that will help me pitch my idea to potential advisors. This presentation will be modified to garner industrial contacts; they’ll be needed to test out the tool on their products.

January 29: I finalized an agreement with a former professor who is an expert on AI. He works at another university so he can’t be an official advisor but wants to help out anyway. Yay! Now I have to get an official advisor.

January 10: I had an epiphany today, which was so potent that it helped crystallize exactly what I had to do and how to do it. I wrote it all down then started to break it up into pieces and plugged those pieces into a schedule, which I plan on following, by the will of God of course.

Holidays Abound

Two major world religions are celebrating their respective holidays this week. Muslims celebrated Milad-un-Nabi this past Friday. Which commemorates the birth of God's last messenger, Mohammad (PBUH). Muslims believe that Mohammad has simply added to the words delivered by the great messengers that preceded him. Which include Moses and Jesus (May Allah be pleased with them). Therefore the message of Moses is the message of Mohammad(PBUH) the message of Jesus is the message of Mohammad(PBUH). Accordingly Muslims take time out and reflect upon his teachings. After which we get a better sense of why he truly is a mercy for all mankind.

Incidentally this past Friday was also Good Friday which leads into Easter. I am woefully ignorant of the significance of these holidays. Does anyone care to enlighten me?

Weekend Assingment #208

The return of spring is really big in Punjab. That's the capital of the spring festival known as Jashan-e-Baharan. The main event of this festival is kite flying, don't know how that got started. Of course the rest of Pakistan also celebrates but not like the guys in Lahore. Take a look:

Lahore dresses up

Selling kites is a big boost for the local economy

And fun for the kids

Now its time to head up to the rooftops and go fly a kite!

People get really competitive and try to knock each others kite out of the sky. If you manage to do that your suppose to say "Bo-Kata!". Of course for me spring is a time to be glad that it isn't cold anymore.

=========================================================
Want to learn more about the weekend assingment?
Then check out Karen's Blog!=========================================================

China's Olympic dreams

China's "Peaceful Rise" has hit a snag. First Hollywood director Steven Spielberg withdrew his creative services for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Then the international community voice fully condemned China's immoral crackdown of Tibetan protesters. (Which include Buddhist Monks). Now this:


IOC: BEIJING AIR QUALITY COULD PUT ATHLETES AT RISK
BEIJING, China, March 18, 2008 (ENS) - Citing health concerns, world record marathoner Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia has announced that he will not participate in the marathon at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. A new assessment of Beijing air quality released Monday by the International Olympic Committee's Medical Commission acknowledges for the first time that athletes such as Gebrselassie might have something to worry about.

It seems very likely that the UN (backed by global support) just might slap this major world contender across the face by stripping Beijing of its privilege of being the host city for this years summer Olympics. We'll just have to wait and see how events unfold.

hectic day

I had a hectic day today my car was in the shop and they didn't deliver it on the promised time, no surprise there. It wouldn't have been such a problem except that I had to reach my university on time to take my midterm. I told them that and they were nice enough to give me a loaner free of cost because they screwed up the delivery.

It was a nail biting drive to the university I had just enough time to make it when I got stuck in traffic. I was five minutes late but was allowed to enter anyway. The test was relatively easy so at least that part of the ordeal wasn't so bad. I checked in with academics after the test to see what I got in the last semester. I am pleased to report my GPA is fine and well. That's a big deal for me because it shows that hard work does pay off.

A moment of silence, please

At IDK we're observing a moment of silence for the legendary science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke. Sadly he passed away at the age of 90. The New York Times has written an excellent article (read full story here). I was pleased to read that he suggested space exploration as the “moral equivalent” of war. Allowing energies, that would otherwise be spent engaging in hostile activities, a peaceful and benevolent outlet. This concept gave a young Gene Roddenberry the courage to face indifferent TV executives as he pitched his "Star Trek" show. Mr. Clarke was a visionary who foresaw many of the technological wonders we take for granted today. From GPS to the space shuttle, his uncanny jaunts into the future often proved to be true.

I first mentioned his work in this post, in which I give a link to one of his short stories. My primary contact with his work is a complete collection of his Short Stories. They have been collected into one book, spanning his entire career (check it out here). One of my favorites is "Holiday on the Moon", that's vacation on the moon for Americans ;) I was taken by the vivid description he gives of the moon base. I also like how he was able to give stunning endings to his stories in no less than a few words. Clearly he was a talented writer and has made a huge impact on Science and Science Fiction. It's my hope that his contributions will help to keep his memory alive.

UPDATE: IEEE's flagship magazine, Spectrum dishes up regular podcasts under the name Spectrum Radio. A journalist from this organization happened to be on his way to Colombo to interview Arthur when he suddenly took ill. This interview represents some of the final words of the late visionary.

A different point of view

I always imagined Stephen King to be this creepy, scary freak who should be locked away never to be heard of again. This was thanks to watching "The Shining" and a ABC miniseries "The Langoliers". Both of these had scared me senseless. A sensation that I don't enjoy the least bit.

That's why I stayed away from his books and stuck to happy happy joy joy stories like robots taking over the world, man made killer viruses, and botched lobotomies. But then I was given "The Long Walk" as a gift. Since it was a gift it would have been rude not except it so I did. Only recently did I finish reading it and let me tell you it changed my perception Mr. King.

He no longer seems that freaky. He has a genuine understanding of the human condition. It's just that he is able to find humor where others can only see horror. This is an important trait to have, it can help us keep our sanity in an insane world. The story itself was masterly written I kept my attention the whole way through. Because I wanted to learn what happens next to the main character. However I still don't understand what purpose the Long Walk serves society.

look what showed up in my inbox

Reference: The Best Illusion


'The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and
the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that
honours the servant and has forgotten the gift.'
A. Einstein

This has to be the best illusion ever created.



If you look at the above images from your seat in
front of the computer, Mr. Angry is on the left,
and Ms.Calm is on the right.

Get up from your seat, and move back 12
feet, and PRESTO!! they switch places!!

It is said this illusion was
created by Phillippe G.Schyns and Aude Oliva of the University of Glasgow .

Does this prove that we sometimes may not be seeing what's actually there?

Weekend Assingment #207

As far as the News is concerned I can only take small doses. It seems to me that the only news fit to print is bad news. And if you watch or read too much of it you get depressed. That's why I go to online newspapers and only scan the headlines. If a news article interests me I read further. This way I stay informed without any side effects. Current events that have peaked my interest include the recent escalation of violence in Gaza, the all to real reality show "Who want's to be Prime Minister" (political parties in Pakistan are squabbling over who takes the helm after ousting Musharraf), the Elliot Spitzer scandal, and the royal rumble between Obama and Clinton.

I want thank Karen for coming up with a nifty extra credit. Because it just so happens that I've been following a news story that has caught my interest. I first blogged about it here. This is a news story regarding the downed stealth bomber near the Island of Guam. I wanted to learn more about the exact mechanics of the failure. Because I had a nagging suspicion that the computer system gave out and I wanted to know if I was right. So far the US Air Force is really tight lipped about this for obvious reasons.

=========================================================
Want to learn more about the weekend assingment?
Then check out Karen's Blog!=========================================================

A month of Sci-Fi

Those that know me will tell you that I am a sci-fi nut. And I have to get a fix every once and a while. Whether that’s in the form of a new book or the latest movie I manage to stay in touch with this genre. My battle with getting SF books was mentioned in this post. I am happy to report that I have not stepped into a bookstore since.

Movies on the other hand have been troublesome. I have cable but with my busy schedule it’s really hard to catch good SF flick when they’re on (usually late at night when you have to go to sleep). I first mentioned Radio City in this post they do a good job of providing quality DVDs. But the thing is that they always play it safe. They stick to new releases and academy award winning/nominated movies. Sure they have grade A material but what is a nutcase like me suppose to do?

SF fans tend to stay away from mainstream entertainment the more obscure the better. Where can I get three year old movies that I have heard about but couldn’t watch? Radio City fell short of this requirement so I was forced to venture out of my comfort zone to get my movie fix. That could only mean that I would have to visit…wait for it…Saddar. I first mentioned how chaotic this place can be in the virtual tour of Karachi. But at times like these this place is a necessary evil, so I bit the bullet and took the plunge.

The best place to get CDs of any kind be it MP3s, Audio CDs, VCDs, DVDs, Play Station Games, Software etc. etc. is Rainbow Center. Don’t tell Microsoft but all CDs at this place are pirated. The first floor has stalls run by a crazed group of paan spitting egotistical brutes. Even though you know where you’re going and you know what you want these guys will yell at you to come visit their stall because they’ve got what you need. They can get so pushy that they try to physically grab you. At this point my days from living in Queens kick in

“Shut the hell up!” I tell them, they look at me with blank stares and ask

“Kia keyra hai?” (what are you saying? [in an informal sense]) of course I am long gone by then.

The top floor has decent stores with a wide collection. The shopkeepers upstairs know that they have the goods and people will come to them. I take my time strolling through the aisles until I finally find what I am looking for “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe”. I can’t describe how happy I was to finally find this movie. It felt like taking in a breath of fresh air. But that’s just the beginning I also found “AI” by Steven Spielberg, “The fifth element” with Bruce Willis and “Beowulf”. This place also had the first season of Voltron the entire Star Trek Voyager series, Knight Rider, The A-Team the list goes on and on!

I bought all four long sought movies at Rs. 50 or 75 cents a pop! Yes I know I am supporting piracy and I am stealing a movie and what not. If you have an alternative let me know because I can’t think of one. Anyhow I plan on watching all four movies over the course of a month. I’ll review each one once I am done with it.

REVIEW 1: So far I’ve watched “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe”. I read the book and for the most part the movie follows along. The opening scene with the singing dolphins was a bit of a turn off but the following narrative was very engaging and drew me in. I got the same whimsical feel from watching the movie as I did from reading the book. My mom watched some of it and she doesn’t even like SF! The movie ends at a cliffhanger making you wonder what happens next. I can’t wait until a sequel comes out, not that I am helping out by buying pirated movies :( *slaps self on wrist*

REVIEW 2: Just finished up “AI”. Overall I found it to be a thought-provoking movie. It tackled age-old questions such as the meaning of life, the definition of love and what it means to be human. A familiar SF staple that was called upon was using a sophisticated automaton that is trying to become more human. In this case the sentient being wanted to become a real boy. I found the references made to Pinocchio particularly intriguing. The only complaint that I have was that it was a bit long. They could have cut some corners in the beginning of the movie and gotten to the adventure quicker.

REVIEW 3: I finished watching the fifth element. I have to say I was kinda put off by the kooky look of the characters. I thought this was going to be some kind of kiddy movie. However it turns out the story is well thought out and is very engaging. Of course the plot threads becomes a bit complex. Like when every one goes after the stones I had a lot of "But I thought they were friends?!" moments. Since this movies been released for ages most of you already know this, but you know what they say old is gold.

Stay tuned for more reviews…

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Wil Wheaton says, "It's Pi day!"
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Mosques from around the world

Italy

Morocco

Pakistan

Perne

Turkey

Blackouts

Over on whatever John Scalzi has been complaining about power outages. So has the rest of the state of Ohio thanks to a nasty winter storm blowing through that state. It’s affecting his work and sleep schedule. Living in Karachi I know exactly how that feels, so he has all my sympathies. Power outages are the norm over here and I’ve adapted by installing a UPS. It can run my computer and DSL connection for at least 2 hours, plenty of time to ride out the outage.

Pakistan has an aging and overburdened power grid in dire need of a complete overhaul. Plus a growing population is creating more demand for energy and additional power plants need to be built. But thanks to incompetent and corrupt officials required resources are not gathered for these endeavors.

Then again winter storms and lethargic bureaucrats may not be the only reason for blackouts…

Everything is gonna be alright

I have some sad news to share. A family friend has passed away. They say he died of a heart attack. He was only 40 years old and had a 6 year old daughter. I don't know how that happens. This is a good reminder that It's never too early to take care of yourself. I pray that his surviving family has the courage to continue with out him. Ameen.

Also my manager's little brother literally has a broken heart. They have to operate to repair it. Pakistan doesn't have a Hospital with the right kind of facilities to take on such a risky operation so they have to go to India. I promised to pray for him and I have kept this promise.

It's time like these that you become grateful for everything you have. You realize the importance of savoring life. And how important it is, for your own health and mental wellbeing, to take time out from your day, kneal before God and pray.

The “How’s Your Thesis Going” Post

Now that the KIIT graduation ceremony is over, I need a new academically related post to keep this blog going. I looked around trying to find something that had a long gestation period so that I could keep a similar format as that post. So naturally my Thesis came to mind. It is a requirement for my Masters degree, which I am doing from FAST-NUCES. As you know a thesis requires you to do research and development so that you may come up with something original and make a contribution to your field of interest.

I had to ask myself what interests me enough to take on such a challenge? The answer lies in Human Computer Interaction (HCI). Currently the boundary that separates us from our computers is the User Interface (UI). The most popular example of a UI is Window’s start button. It allows us to access our programs quickly and easily (most of the time). Otherwise we would have run them using a command prompt, yummy!

So what could I do in this area? Help out HCI designers of course! They have to follow a set of heuristics when designing an Interface. They may not be aware that their design may be violating this set of guidelines. That’s where I come in; I’ll be creating a tool that analyzes end user behavior when using a UI. After the analysis is complete the tool will generate a report stating which guidelines were violated. As any marketing expert will tell you a good product is only as good as its name. So I am asking you the “I Don’t Know” reader to help me think of an exciting and relevant name for this tool. Because frankly speaking, I can’t think of one.

As always this post will be updated and reposted when new information is available about this project, so here’s the low down:

January 10: I had an epiphany today, which was so potent that it helped crystallize exactly what I had to do and how to do it. I wrote it all down then started to break it up into pieces and plugged those pieces into a schedule, which I plan on following, by the will of God of course.

January 29: I finalized an agreement with a former professor who is an expert on AI. He works at another university so he can’t be an official advisor. Now I have to get an official advisor.

February 06: I am working on a presentation that will help me pitch my idea to potential advisors. This presentation will be modified to garner industrial contacts; they’ll be needed to test out the tool on their products.

February 14: The project is picking up steam I found a faculty member who is willing to help me out by being an official advisor. His areas of interest coincide with mine so we’ll make a good team.

February 21: I got a taste of the typical Pakistani student’s mindset. When I tell them I am doing a thesis their eyes light up. “You’re doing a thesis? No way!” they then go on and tell me how I’ll crash and burn and how I should drop this silly idea of a thesis. “You’re better off doing a research survey” which is a glorified term paper. I plan on returning to the US after getting my degree. I know that a thesis will be critical for getting a job and gaining admission to a college. So I have to do a thesis.

Now don’t get me wrong, these guys are my friends and they mean well. The problem is that the basic education they received didn’t prepare them for imaginative thinking. Their education was more focused on memorizing facts and figures so that you could pass a test. Understanding the material wasn’t necessary. That’s why it’s so hard for them to come up with an original idea and then remain motivated to complete the project.

Another reason for de-motivating me is something that I like to call the “lemmings effect”. Students over here don’t like to stand out and blindly do what every one else is doing. For example when a teacher asks a question often times the whole class answers back. That way the individual is safe in the crowd. So when everyone else is doing a research survey your nuts for not doing the same thing.

However, this doesn’t go for all Pakistani students there’re plenty of them doing cutting edge research. When I meet them I can tell that they are strong-minded, know what they want, and then go get it.

February 28: Finished up my presentation sent it out to a couple of potential advisors, hope they take the bait. I am going to modify this presentation to pitch my ideas to companies so that I can use actual interfaces for analysis, makes the project that much more credible.

March 08:Got some feedback on the presentation that I sent out. They say that I am off to a good start. But I am keeping my fingers crossed anyway.

Customer Service in America V. Customer Service in Pakistan

I pulled up to a gas station the other day to get a refill for my CNG tank. I went through the usual routine of making sure the meter was set to zero before filling up. I waited while the attendant completely filled my tank anxiously anticipating the tell tale groaning sound of pent up pressure. A quick burst of white gas from the switch off valve let me knew the deed was done.

I reached into my pocket to get my wallet when, out of the blue a nice old man with a big grin comes up to me and extends his hand. My first reaction was of dread, so this is how it feels to be robbed? At least this guy is nice enough to ask for my wallet instead of snatching it. He kept his arm extended and added the words “Asslam-o-Alaikum” to his jovial greeting.

“Hmm” I thought so he’s not here to mug me “Then what?”

“How was the gas?” my initial reaction of dread turned into astonishment I had no idea what he was talking about

Seeing my bewildered expression he gleefully pointed to the pump “How was it? Did you like the pressure?”

A dim realization began forming in my mind “Yeah…not bad.” I awkwardly stammered

“What about the mileage?”

“Uh, its pretty good.” At this point I realized he was getting feedback from me “Are you the supervisor or something.”

“Yes my name is Amin. I am at your service let me know what I can do for you.” I had to catch my breadth I couldn’t believe the words he was saying. No one presents themselves like this to their customers in Pakistan. Partly because the customers go overboard and ask too much of the proprietor or he knows that he’s got crummy merchandise and would rather run home to mommy than face dissatisfied customers. Also there is a very harmful mindset prevalent amongst small businesses, which dictates that the store is doing a favor to the customer and they should be grateful they’re getting anything at all. That’s why it’s always refreshing to run into people like Amin.

Customer service is loaded with red tape in the US. Often times you’re given the run around by call center operators. But you can take hope in knowing that you put the wheels in motion. I once returned a Michael Crichton book that I bought at a department store. The clerk gave me a cold look and told me that this wasn’t a library. She returned my money anyway.

weekend assingment #206

I stopped getting birthday presents during my 20's. My family and I go out to dinner to celebrate. That's because I can usually treat myself to a nice gift when I am in the mood (yay paycheck!). However if it was my birthday I would want an iPod. I've been hankering for one of these ever since my drawers started overflowing with CDs. It would be great to transfer tracks to the little device. Plus I could take my music with me.

I don't tell anybody what I want as a present. I figure if they know me well enough they'll know what I want. Of course I am a bit picky and often times unsolicited gifts are off the mark (e.g. a washed up picture frame). I suppose in those cases it's good to remember that "It's the thought that counts".

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Want to learn more about the weekend assingment?
Then check out Karen's Blog!=========================================================

Guess What?! (Part III)

Here's a recap of the clues revealed so far:

first post

second post

The thing to remember is that all of this is under one roof. So they built something big for the express purpose of entertaining people. Here are some examples of its bigness:

McCain wins the Republican Nomination!

You've probably read plenty of analysis about this on other blogs. But at "I Don't Know" I am uping the ante by calling the election. In Novemeber you'll be reading this headline:

"McCain wins the presidency"

Although I have great respect for Obama and he has a good chance of getting his party's nomination I don't think he'll win a seat in the oval office. This is because big brother is going to step in and make sure the "right" president takes over after dubya. Meaning a repeat of the sham elections of 2000.

I am going to have a field day when my prediction comes true!

UPDATE: McCain can't tell a Shiite from a Sunni. So logically that makes him qualified to run the country.

For anyone who ever had to debug code

Get a load of this!

What was he thinking?

I wholeheartedly support the Chinese government on this one. How can one government be expected to be responsible for genocide half a world away? And where does he get off being so high and mighty, like the American government has a squeaky-clean human rights record. Using the same logic people could boycott watching his films until the US government does more to ensure peace in the Middle East.

Foreigners have always been complaining about American arrogance, perhaps there is something to it. Barack Obama seems to think so. One of his selling points is that he’ll meet with world leaders without any preconditions. He says that meeting with the president should not be a privilege. This kind of thinking will go along way to help rebuild America’s image in the world.

Discrimination in America V. Discrimination in Pakistan

There hasn’t been an AVP for quite a while. So I decided to start things up with a touchy social issue, discrimination. America gets a lot of attention regarding social prejudices. The historical conflict between whites and black is well publicized also whenever a new batch of immigrants arrives they have to go through a ritual hazing before being accepted (e.g. Irish, Asians, Muslims etc.).

Discrimination also takes place in Pakistan but it isn’t as pronounced. There is an unwritten rule that rich and poor; males and females; the educated and uneducated follow. Poor people don’t go to fancy places and stick to stores and restaurants that cater to there budgets. Should they show up to an establishment that is clearly out of their means they will be asked what business they have here. If they can’t come up with a legitimate excuse they will be asked to leave.

Similarly when an educated person makes a mistake he’s just having a bad day. When an uneducated person makes the same mistake he’s an idiot. Females tend to be viewed as innocent creatures and aren’t capable of wrong doings. Males on the other hand are always running a scam, that’s why they won’t take back goods you purchased at their stores no matter that you can prove they are defective. And if you are leaving early from work you are obviously a slacker and are up to no good a girl on the other hand has to reach home before it gets dark.

As with any social prejudice they are completely ridiculous and sensible people don’t abide by them. Judging someone just by his or her looks usually backfires with the person passing judgment ending up looking like a fool.

Meet the Iranian Women's Police Force

Bad ass hijabis make me feel creamy!