PayPal growth but not available in Pakistan yet
Friday, 30 September 2011
PayPal, the world's most popular online payments platform, came out this weekend with new, impressive numbers about the amount of payments it processes daily.
According to the company, it saw about $3,650 in Total Payment Volume (TPV) every second during the second quarter of 2011. That totals approximately $315.3 million a day, with upwards of 5 million transactions taking place in a 24-hour span.
To say that PayPal has been doing well as of late is an understatement; in fact, this year also saw its first billion-dollar revenue quarter and the company's net TPV has increased by 34 percent from the same time last year.
PayPal has also seen vast increases in its mobile transactions, with roughly $10 million being processed daily on mobile devices. Mobile TPV is estimated to exceed $3 billion this year; it was just $750 million last year.
In 2010, PayPal's TPV accounted for almost 18 percent of all global e-commerce. One can only assume it's going to be even higher this year.
Note: PayPal is not available to Pakistani users yet.
Note: PayPal is not available to Pakistani users yet.
Labels: PayPal
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Friday, September 30, 2011,
, links to this post
Shifting to Google Plus
Thanks to Badar Khushnood and Muhammad Behzad, that I am now using Google + and no I am not shifting from facebook. At least not yet! Within hours of its invite only release, the early Plus invitees are actually using Google Plus and creating waves. The blogosphere is already full with comments, how to(s0 and reviews on Google Plus. Wait for the invite, or when search Google’s new social project will be omnipresent on its products. It will be easy to find your friends, work colleagues, and family by using your Gmail account. Then it lists all your contacts on one page. Select the ones you want to add to your plus network by clicking on their profile image and dragging it to one of your circles. Your circles include, family, friends, following, acquaintances, and work related. If these circles aren’t enough you can create your own. It is all about how big are your social circles.
Unlike previously released Google Friend Connect, Google Reader, Google Cloud Connect, Google Buzz and Google Wave, Google + has been very well received and seems that it will soon become a hub of all social media. It is currently on field trial and by invites only. It's available for both android and mobile.
More will come on this but it seems that Google has a winner. Are you shifting your social media function here already? Look for me (I am here) when you are there. Well drage me into your circles.
Labels: Google +, Google Plus, Social Media
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Friday, September 30, 2011,
, links to this post
With Dr. Senta Siller
Monday, 26 September 2011
With Dr. Senta Siller and Ilyas on the bank of Lower Jhelum Canal near my village Mong.
Labels: Personal
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Monday, September 26, 2011,
, links to this post
Bridgette Jordan - world's shortest woman
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Bridgette Jordan, 22, and her younger brother Brad, who measures 38 inches (98 cm) tall, were also named the "shortest living siblings" by the record-keeper.
Brad Jordan, 20, enjoys karate, gymnastics, basketball and performing magic tricks.
The siblings, who attend Kaskasia College in central Illinois, were both born with Majewski osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism type II.
"I believe that everyone should be confident in themselves," Bridgette said in a statement.
Previously, the shortest living woman was Elif Kocaman of Kadirli, Turkey, who is 28.5 inches (72 cm) tall. The record for shortest woman who ever lived was Pauline Musters, of the Netherlands, who measured 24 inches (61 cm) when she died from pneumonia at age 19 in 1895.
Jordan's record may not stand for long as 2-foot-tall (70 cm) Jyoti Amge in India turns 18 in December when she would qualify as the world's shortest woman, a Guinness spokesman said.
Related: 7' 2" Woman Too Tall for Pakistan, World's Shortest Woman
Related: 7' 2" Woman Too Tall for Pakistan, World's Shortest Woman
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Thursday, September 22, 2011,
, links to this post
Beat dengue with yoga!
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
A dengue awareness session was organised at the Faiz Ghar, Model Town, to raise awareness about the curing of dengue through ‘Yoga and Nature Cure Methods’.
According to the session, yoga provides a simple yet effective solution against dengue that is based on three basic healing therapies that are faith, breathing and diet. Faith includes conviction, positive thinking and hope. It is important because positive attitudes help the patient in fighting against the disease. The holistic system of yoga attaches great importance to a healthy mind while a depressed, weak mind would only make the disease overpower the body.
Faith and confidence in the healing process is expected to boost the recovery process. Breathing has miraculous effects that benefit the physical state of being as well as mental health, by letting in oxygen in large amounts. In the case of dengue, breathing is particularly effective because the blood which is crippled by the disease is enriched tremendously. Breathing not only provides an oxygen boost but energy that is scattered in the environment all around us, said expert Ustad Shamshad Haider, a yogi by profession. The yogi imparts lessons and meditation training at Faiz Ghar, and is an accomplished master of his art who acquired it from renowned ustads of India, Burma, Nepal and Tibet.
In his session, he explained the three basic breathing exercises that are meant to provide relief to the patient: Deep breathing, fully inhaling and exhaling through the nose. Normally we take a breath that is only 25 percent of our lungs capacity. Holding the breath, taking a deep breath and holding it in the lungs for sometime. Alternate breathing, taking breath through the left nostril and exhaling through the right and inhaling through the right and exhaling by the left and so on.
The third most important thing that the yogi specified was a diet that was rich in calcium and iron would help a dengue patient to recover fast. A common symptom in this fever is loss of appetite. Solid food otherwise takes a long time to digest and would strain the body that has already diverted most of its energy for fighting against the disease. Fruit juices and milk would provide a good amount of energy.
In the yoga session some patients who have recovered from dengue shared their experiences and practical demonstration of breathing exercises were given. Hussain A Qazi, who was a recovering patient, told Pakistan Today that he, his wife and three children had all caught dengue but with they had benefited greatly by these exercises.
“I am thankful to finding out these exercises by Yogi Shamshad,” said Qazi. “These brilliant exercises helped us recover soon without any one becoming a serious case. These are easy, free techniques that any person of any age or background can do without any cost or side effects. In fact this therapy was practically applied in multiple cases and found effective,” he says.
Labels: Dengue, Yoga Pakistan
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Wednesday, September 21, 2011,
, links to this post
At Darband
Salman Rashid
Under the placid waters of the lake formed by the damming of the Sindhu River at Tarbela, there repose, among others, the water-logged remains of two ancient settlements. The one called Amb on the west bank and the other Darband on the east. It was from Darband that the chief of Amb ruled over a largish fiefdom that spread partly along the west bank of the Sindhu and largely on the east side. The plain area of modern Haripur district east of the river being known as Tanaval, the family favours the cognomen of Tanaoli for itself.
Their own history, fawning and full of flaws and misrepresentations (not unsurprisingly written by a Tanoli), makes them conflictingly either Pukhtuns from the vicinity of Ghazni or Turks of the Barlas sub-clan. In both cases it takes the line back to the prophet Joseph as an explanation for their good looks. Painting the family in the most glories of martial colours, this document brings the Tanaoli family to the trans-Sindhu territories about four hundred years ago. Having taken over the level tract of Haripur district, the family, it is recorded named it after Tanal, a mountain pass between Kabul and Ghazni. Interestingly, all of the several maps (both modern and from the 19 century) consulted for confirmation of the existence of this pass turned up blanks. It consequently appears that the name Tanaval pre-dated the arrival of this family and that they simply took the name from the area.
Under the placid waters of the lake formed by the damming of the Sindhu River at Tarbela, there repose, among others, the water-logged remains of two ancient settlements. The one called Amb on the west bank and the other Darband on the east. It was from Darband that the chief of Amb ruled over a largish fiefdom that spread partly along the west bank of the Sindhu and largely on the east side. The plain area of modern Haripur district east of the river being known as Tanaval, the family favours the cognomen of Tanaoli for itself.
Their own history, fawning and full of flaws and misrepresentations (not unsurprisingly written by a Tanoli), makes them conflictingly either Pukhtuns from the vicinity of Ghazni or Turks of the Barlas sub-clan. In both cases it takes the line back to the prophet Joseph as an explanation for their good looks. Painting the family in the most glories of martial colours, this document brings the Tanaoli family to the trans-Sindhu territories about four hundred years ago. Having taken over the level tract of Haripur district, the family, it is recorded named it after Tanal, a mountain pass between Kabul and Ghazni. Interestingly, all of the several maps (both modern and from the 19 century) consulted for confirmation of the existence of this pass turned up blanks. It consequently appears that the name Tanaval pre-dated the arrival of this family and that they simply took the name from the area.
The Gazetteer of the Hazara District-1883, looks upon the Tanolis as a peaceable and industrious agricultural lot. It also says that they make ‘fair soldiers.’ The extensive Glossary of Tribes, Castes and Clans of Ibbestson, Maclagan and Rose while agreeing with the Gazetteer regarding the Tanolis’ habits, makes them neither Pukhtun nor Turk, but Aryans of Indian stock and Olaf Caroe (The Pathans), similarly places them unequivocally outside the Pukhtun circle.
Be that as it may, there is no reason to doubt that the Tanolis have held the area of Tanaval for close on four centuries. Their seat of power was C on the east bank of the Sindhu, but with the growth of Sikh power under Maharaja Ranjit Singh and their far-ranging sallies, the seat was moved to Amb to use the river as a barrier. Although there are no 19 century or earlier travellers’ accounts of Darband and Amb, the Tanolis tell tales of two fairly impressive little towns.
In June 1841 when the Tanolis under Painda Khan were fighting against the Sikhs under Arbel Singh, a mighty flood swept down the Sindhu River. While it obliterated a Sikh encampment near the fort of Attock, it also washed away both Amb and Darband. This was on the second day of June and nearly two decades later Henry Haversham Godwin-Austen was to confirm that the Biafo Glacier in Baltistan having extended itself across the Braldu River (that emanates from the Baltoro Glacier), had dammed up the river creating a small lake. When the dam burst, a huge wall of water went roaring down the gorge of the Sindhu destroying everything that stood in its way.
Arch above a door leading from the veranda into one of the rooms of the zenana. Of the six rooms in this section no two doorways are similar
Evidently the revenue of the Nawab of Amb was sizeable for shortly after this cataclysm, both the destroyed towns were rebuilt. Little did he known that in a hundred and thirty years these towns would again be laid low by the filling up of the Tarbela reservoir. But back then, with the advent of British influence, the Nawab was quick to learn modern ways. One of these was to build a summer getaway. It is not hard to imagine that one midsummer a passing British bigwig entertained by Nawab Akram Khan commented on the stifling heat of Darband. Smack on the river bank and at a height of no more than five hundred metres above the sea, it would indeed have been a rather muggy sort of place.
The spot for the appropriate summer retreat was quickly pinpointed: outside the little village of Shergarh on one of the byways leading from Darband to the Kashmir highlands. Here at a height of about 1600 metres above the sea, in a rolling landscape amid fine stands of blue pine, was an old fort where the Tanolis kept a small garrison. The fort, so ordained Nawab Akram Khan, was to be reordered into a residential palace. The family maintains no records of expenditure, architects, masons, time of beginning and completion of this project or any other detail.
The floor below the Nawab’s dera forms a sort of hostel, or Raees Khana, for visiting dignitaries. The massive pillars and arches obviously take after some Raj building that the Nawab would have seen in Peshawar or Lahore. The broken marble plaque found in another portion of the palace was perhaps installed in this part. The family has now endowed the Raees Khana to the local government school
In one of the rooms, however, a broken marble plaque records another similar construction project. In nastaliq script it mentions in Urdu the name of the ‘Builder and Supervisor,’ as Rahim Baksh Overseer Gujrati. The bottom line records the commencement of the project in 1935, but for some strange reason the year of completion is completed obliterated as if on purpose. Nawabzada Jehangir Khan, the custodian of this romantic place, says the elders used to mention one Rahim Baksh Bhatti as a builder long associated with the family. He does not know however where the plaque was actually installed.
The year 1935 was the advent of the reign of the last chief of Amb, Major Sir Farid Khan. The broken plaque therefore refers to some work undertaken on his orders. Though the family is not certain, it appears that the portion known as the Raees Khana or hostel for the Nawab’s guests and above it the dera where he entertained them was constructed at this time. Sir Farid Khan ruled until 1969 when the country’s princely states were abolished. The revenue and judicial system of Amb was amalgamated with the State of Pakistan. The family was only permitted to retain their properties.
Fellow of Royal Geographical Society, Salman Rashid is author of several books including jhelum: City of the Vitasta and The Apricot Road to Yarkand, Riders on the Wind, Between two Burrs on the Map, Prisoner on a Bus and Sea Monsters and the Sun God. His work - explorations, traveling and writings - appears in almost all leading publications. Labels: Saleem Shahab, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Wednesday, September 21, 2011,
, links to this post
With Dr. Norbert Pintsch
Dr. Norbert Pintsch is back in Pakistan and will be here till Oct 25, 2011
Labels: Prof Dr Norbert Pintsch
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Wednesday, September 21, 2011,
, links to this post
When consumer is (not) always right
My article Significance of consumer psychology by in Profit, Pakistan Today, September 21, 2011 issue
Labels: In Print
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Wednesday, September 21, 2011,
, links to this post
All uncles at marrige of Wasif's son and daughter
Wasif created a moment of Course get together on Sep 18, 2011 as his son and daughter were married. All the Course mates from Karachi less Asim Jilani and Omer Farooq attended. Omer because he lost his father in law and Asim because he is lost in his new wife and shy to bring her to the course functions. Surprise guest were Salim Nawaz, Shahid Maqbool, Javed Baloch, Naeem Butt (whom I remember is the first time attending any such course function). Special to it is also Asif Alvi, who is appearing first time in any course function with his Mrs and Lovely daughter, who can be seen riding on the shoulders of his father. Both the newly wed can be seen with all the 55th Uncles and then in another group with all the Aunties of 55th.Then are the second generation i.e., Sons of Qizilbash with the Son of Salim Nawaz. General SP Shahid can also be seen in the family group photo. As per Karachi chapter tradition, a gold set was presented to the daughter of Wasif from course side (Karachi chapter) by Mrs General Zahir Ul Islam and a wrist watch from the course side (Karachi chapter) by General Zahir Ul Islam.
Best wishes to both son and daughter and to Wasif.
(More photos as mentioned in report above will be added as and when made public by ZID).
Labels: 55 PMA, Men At Their Best
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Wednesday, September 21, 2011,
, links to this post
Google plus - Drag me in your social circiles
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Labels: Google +, Google Plus
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Tuesday, September 20, 2011,
, links to this post
Happy Birthday to Ayaan
Saturday, 17 September 2011
Previous: Ayaan page
Labels: Ayaan
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Saturday, September 17, 2011,
, links to this post
Blogs and social networks
A new report analyzes social media trends and patterns, including the influence of social media on consumer behavior.
The report, by the Neilsen Company, a provider of consumer insight and social media analysis, shows that social networks and blogs dominate people’s online time by accounting for almost a quarter of total time on the Internet, Americans spend more time on Facebook than any other U.S. website and most adult social network users also shop online.
Additional statistics show:
- Americans spent more than 53 billion total minutes on Facebook in May 2011
- 70 percent of active online adult social networkers shop online, which is 12 percent more likely that the average adult Internet user
- Females and 18-34 year-olds are the most active social network users
- Almost 40 percent of social media users access social media content from their mobile phone
- More than twice as many people that are 55 or older visited social networking sites on their mobile phone than last year
- Social Network app usage is up 30 percent from a year ago
- Across ten major global markets, social networks and blogs reach over three-quarters of active Internet users
- Tumblr is growing in popularity, by almost tripling its audience in just a year
Can you mirror these statistics in local context?
Labels: Fine Art of Blogging, Social Media
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Saturday, September 17, 2011,
, links to this post
Pakistan Flood Relief
Friday, 16 September 2011
Those whoo want to help can start here:
Pakistan Flood Relief: SA Relief and another by Momekh
Twitter updates PkRelief [Expense Sheet] and PkFlood
Please join them. They are doing great work. And that is the work everyone need to be proud of.
Related at: Light Within and at Logic is Variable
Labels: Floods
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Friday, September 16, 2011,
, links to this post
Do we have Mosquito vigil system in Pakistan?
Thursday, 15 September 2011
In India Mosquito vigil system is to change {Thanks to Sidhusaaheb}
Previous: Dengue Fever on the Rise
Labels: Dengue
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Thursday, September 15, 2011,
, links to this post
What is this?
We live cyber world. But this was really intriguing. I get ideas when I think of this. What is she up to? Let your imagination wild and explain this situation in this image?
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Thursday, September 15, 2011,
, links to this post
Eid Milan Party at NDU - More Images
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Thanks to Jalal Hameed Bhatti (Images by Col Asif)
Double Click to Enlarge
Previous Post: At NDULabels: 55 PMA, Men At Their Best
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Wednesday, September 14, 2011,
, links to this post
Remembering flood 2010
Tuesday, 13 September 2011
A phrase written on sand by a small boy who lost his parents in flood,"Dear River, I will never forgive you, I will never forgive you, even if your waves touch my feet million times."
Related at: Light Within and at Logic is Variable
Labels: Floods 2010
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Tuesday, September 13, 2011,
, links to this post
Pakistan Defense Day celebrations in Canada
Monday, 12 September 2011
There are many officers from 55 PMA - Men at Their Best- in Canada. They get together on all important occasions and celebrate away from home. Thanks to Jamil (Bravo) Akhtar that he has sent these images of their get together on the eve of Pakistan Day 2011. Wish you all the very best in life as well as work folks.
BTW, Tahir Khan seems good and doing 'very well' here and Samual is missing. How is he?
Labels: 55 PMA, Men At Their Best
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Monday, September 12, 2011,
, links to this post
Eid Milan Party at NDU
Sunday, 11 September 2011
On September 10, 2011, an Eid Milan Party was arranged by Lt Gen Agha Umer Farooq, President NDU at the NDU Banquet Hall, Islamabad. A large number of course mates along with their lady wives attended. Herein under are some of the photos taken on the occasion by me from my cellular phone camera. I will await photos from Asif Ilyas and NDU to apprise the attendance to those those who did not attend the party due to their commitments.
Lt Col Liaquat had his first appearance (below, sitting with Sahu) in course get together. All course mates and their lady wives were cordially received by the host and his lady wife. The entire hall was full with laughter and hugs as and when a new entry was made. Then all were summoned for a well laid out dinner in the banquet hall of the NDU. The music played by a group of musicians added much spice to the multi-course dinner.
After the dinner, the honorable Course Secretary got everyone together in a corner and apprised them about accounts and various other matter of mutual interest. It was also announced that keeping the previous tradition of marriages between sons and daughters of course mates, another even was forthcoming in October later this year when the matrimonial knot between son of Aman Ullah and daughter of Ghori will be tied. Everyone was also presented with a souvenir, a shield of over three decades bondage specially gifted by Major Wasif at the end of the dinner. Everyone applauded and clapped heartily and thankfully for Major Wasif. Allah Dad made the last move of Three Cheers for the host and the course, and everyone joined in loudly to second the much desired move.
Labels: 55 PMA, Men At Their Best
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Sunday, September 11, 2011,
, links to this post
New Dimension in Pakistan politics; have holy Quran on your head
Saturday, 10 September 2011
Or in hand while you talk...
Read more »
Labels: Apolitical
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Saturday, September 10, 2011,
, links to this post
Love for trees
Thursday, 8 September 2011
The Lahore Arts Council, in collaboration with the Kinnaird College for Women, organised an exhibition of photographs of sacred Sikh shrines in both India and Pakistan, which are named after trees. These photos have been taken from the coffee-table book ‘Tryst With Trees-Punjab’s Sacred Heritage’, by Indian author DS Jaspal. The exhibition opened on Wednesday at 5pm. The display was inaugurated by Punjab University (PU) Vice-Chancellor (VC) Dr Mujahid Kamran. Jaspal’s book was a pictorial documentation of around 58 sacred and historical Sikh shrines in India and Pakistan. These shrines have been named after 19 species of trees including Gurudwara Tahli Sahib, Gurudwara Nim Sahib (Patiala), Gurudwara Ber Sahib (Sialkot), Gurudwara Amb Sahib (Mohali), Gurudwara Ritha Sahib, Gurudwara Lahura Sahib, and Ghavindi (Lahore).
Although love and respect for nature and environment were common to every religious faith, the naming of sacred shrines after trees was unique in Sikhism. Nature and environment were bonding factors of Sikh civilisation. Even Pakistani documentary filmmaker Dr Farooq Beg was making a documentary on Tryst.
Jaspal, who is a senior chief secretary-level officer of the Indan Punjab government, spent over three years travelling all over India and Pakistan to photograph these Sikh shrines. The book was released in New York in October 2010 by Indian State Minister for External Affairs Preneet Kaur, who also inaugurated an exhibition of photographs from the book. The event was largely attended by all lovers of nature and environment and widely reported in the media.
Details about the book as well as video clips and photographs about the exhibition in New York and earlier exhibitions in New Delhi and Chandigarh could be seen online. It was after a gap of more than three years that Alhamra, Pakistan’s premier Art Centre, was hosting an Indian exhibition, which also augurs well for the resumption of cultural ties between the two countries.
This exhibition was also timely and relevant since 2011 was being observed as the International Year of Forests by the UN. The hosting of this exhibition would be of great interest to nature lovers and environmentalists and help draw attention of a wider audience to the common heritage and composite culture of this region.
A pioneer in museology, Jaspal was presently working on two more very unique projects–one of them being the “Museum Of Trees” in Chandigarh, which is dedicated to the conservation of sacred trees. This project is supported by the Indian Culture Ministry and the Botanical Survey of India. A strong votary of Indo-Pak peace, Jaspal was also establishing the Museum of Peace, a memorial to the partition of India, located on the Amritsar-Attari/Wagah Road, less than two kilometres from the Indo-Pak border.
In fact, Jaspal being a media analyst has authored a book “Media Terrorism” which was a careful, detailed and scholarly analysis of media reporting on the Punjab violence. Based on archives, records, news agency dispatches and press clippings, “Media Terrorism” was a ground breaking contribution to the scientific study of media reporting by attempting to define parameters in order to evaluate the degree of bias and deviation from truth within the media, which attempted to report terrorism.
Jaspal was also the president of the Society for Information and Media Studies (SIMS) and also heads the Chandigarh Nature and Health Society (CNHS).
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Thursday, September 08, 2011,
, links to this post
Tryst With Trees – Punjab’s Sacred Heritage
The Lahore Arts Council in collaboration with Kinnaird College is organising an exhibition of photographs of sacred Sikh shrines titled “Tryst With Trees - Punjab’s Sacred Heritage on Sep 7, 2011.
The exhibition would be inaugurated by Punjab University VC Dr Mujahid Kamran at the Alhamra Art Gallery. “Tryst With Trees – Punjab’s Sacred Heritage” is a pictorial documentation of 58 sacred and historical Sikh shrines in India and Pakistan named after 19 species of trees, example Gurudwara Tahli Sahib; Gurudwara Nim Sahib, Patiala; Gurudwara Ber Sahib, Sialkot; Gurudwara Amb Sahib, Mohali; Gurudwara Ritha Sahib; Gurudwara Lahura Sahib, Ghavindi Lahore etc. Jaspal, the artist, spent over three years traveling all over India and Pakistan to photograph sacred Sikh shrines.
Although love and respect for nature and environment are common to every religious faith, the naming of sacred shrines after trees is unique to the Sikh religion.Foundation for Promotion of Academic Collaboration greatly appreciates this display of love for environment. It counts in more than one ways.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Thursday, September 08, 2011,
, links to this post
