Article By Iqra Amjad
General packet radio switching (GPRS) is a Mobile Data Service available to users of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and IS-136 mobile phones. General Packet Radio Service data transfer is typically charged per megabyte of transferred data, while data communication via traditional circuit switching is billed per minute of connection time, independent of whether the user has actually transferred data or has been in an idle state.
GPRS can be used for services such as Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) access, Short Message Service (SMS), Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), and for Internet communication services such as email and World Wide Web access. GPRS is packet-switched, which means that multiple users share the same transmission channel, only transmitting when they have data to send. Thus the total available bandwidth can be immediately dedicated to those users who are actually sending at any given moment, providing higher use where users only send or receive data intermittently.
Web browsing, receiving e-mails as they arrive and instant messaging are examples of uses that require intermittent data transfers, which benefit from sharing the available bandwidth. Like GPRS, 3G is also a wireless communication service. 3G is an ITU specification for the third generation (analog cellular was the first generation, digital PCS the second) of mobile communications technology. 3G promises increased bandwidth, up to 384 Kbps when a device is stationary or moving at pedestrian speed, 128 Kbps in a car, and 2 Mbps in fixed applications. 3G will work over wireless air interfaces such as GSM, TDMA, and CDMA.
It gives you ‘always-on’ continuous connection to the Internet via your Tablet PC or Notebook and Mobile. 3Gstands for third generation wireless, that’s nearly seven times as fast as a standard dial-up connection. You can enjoy your mobile online activities, at work or play, at faster speeds than ever before.3G allows for higher call volumes and supports multimedia data applications such as video and photograph.
Video calling facility is with 3G you can now actually see the person on the other side! As long as both people have a 3G phone you no longer have to imagine what they look like and you can see them face-to-face via your cell phone’s screen.
Obtaining information and news with 3G technology it is possible to access any site on the Internet by using your phone as a modem with your laptop. You can use your favorite search engines to find information on the weather, the daily news, stocks and shares, or practically any other information you require to ensure that you are continually on top of things. If you have left your office and forgotten to send an important e-mail, you are now able to quickly and efficiently perform this function directly by using your cell phone.
The speed and quality of 3G really contributes to enhancing the quality of film over mobile devices. One is now able to view film trailers, reviews, and interviews, download ring tones, wall papers and enter competitions all by means of your cell phone.
With the incredible sound and video quality of your 3G phone you can view highlights from your favorite matches and you’ll always have access to the latest scores. You can download songs, music videos and interviews, compose your own ring tone through your cell phone as requirement.
3G is an exciting new technology that is being incorporated into mobile devices across the globe. Users are now able to make person-to-person calls, download data and do a variety of other tasks they never imagined possible all via their 3G cell phones.
[The writer is a scholar in Communication Sciences at Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi]
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Kadhafi calls for jihad against Switzerland over minaret ban
It is against unbelieving and apostate Switzerland that jihad ought to be proclaimed by all means, Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi said
BENGAZI: Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi turned up the heat in his country's dispute with Switzerland on Thursday, calling for jihad against it over a ban adopted last year on the construction of minarets, reports AFP. “It is against unbelieving and apostate Switzerland that jihad (holy war) ought to be proclaimed by all means,” Kadhafi said in a speech in the Mediterranean coastal city of Bengazi to mark the birthday of the Muslim Prophet Mohammed.“Jihad against Switzerland, against Zionism, against foreign aggression is not terrorism,” Kadhafi said.
“Any Muslim around the world who has dealings with Switzerland is an infidel (and is) against Islam, against Mohammed, against God, against the Koran,” the leader told a crowd of thousands in a speech broadcast live on television.
In a November 29 referendum, Swiss voters approved by a margin of 57.5 percent a ban on the construction in their country of minarets, the towers that are a signature part of mosques.
Relations between Libya and Switzerland have been strained since July 2008 when Kadhafi's son Hannibal and his wife were arrested and briefly held in Geneva after two domestic workers complained he had mistreated them.
The row escalated when Libya swiftly detained and confiscated the passports of two Swiss businessmen, Rashid Hamdani and Max Goeldi. It deepened again last year when a tentative deal between the two countries fell apart.
Both men were convicted of overstaying their visas and of engaging in illegal business activities. Hamdani's conviction was overturned in January, and he has now returned home, while Goeldi surrendered to authorities this week and is now serving a reduced sentence of four months.
Adoption of the minaret ban was opposed by the Swiss government, the bulk of Switzerland's political parties and the economic establishment and was an unexpected outcome.
The move drew widespread criticism, with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay calling the ban “deeply discriminatory, deeply divisive and a thoroughly unfortunate step for Switzerland to take.”
The Swiss government sought to assure the country's 400,000 Muslims, who are mainly of Balkan and Turkish origin, that the outcome was “not a rejection of the Muslim community, religion or culture.”
Switzerland has around 200 mosques, with just four minarets among them.
US expands arms sales to both Pakistan and India
The Obama administration is expanding weapons sales to India and Pakistan to forge “closer ties with each country”.
WASHINGTON: The Obama administration is sharply expanding American weapons sales to both India and Pakistan in a bid to forge “closer ties with each country”, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. The newspaper noted that although the US had stayed out of the Indo-Pak rift, it was pursuing deals with both to strengthen its relationship and create business for American defence firms.
The US has made billions of dollars in weapons deals with India, which is in the midst of a five-year, $50 billion push to modernise its military. At the same time, American military aid to Pakistan would nearly double next year, the leading financial daily noted.
This would allow Islamabad to acquire more US-made helicopters, night-vision goggles and other military equipment.
The paper said that Pakistan had sought a nuclear deal with the US on the lines of the Indo-US atomic pact.
During a late January trip to Islamabad, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said the US would for the first time give Pakistan a dozen surveillance drones, a longstanding Pakistani request.
The newspaper noted that India and Pakistan have each been irked when the US made big-ticket weapons sales or transfers to the other. India lobbied against recent US legislation giving Pakistan billions of dollars in new non-military aid; the measure passed.
A top Pakistani diplomat warned last week that a two-year-old civilian nuclear deal between the US and India could threaten Pakistan’s national security by making it easier for India to covertly build more nuclear weapons.
Washington’s relationships with the two nations were very different, the Journal said, noting: “India, which is wealthier and larger than its neighbour, pays for weapons purchases with its own funds.
“Pakistan, by contrast, uses American grants to fund most of its arms purchases.”
A new US counter-insurgency assistance fund for Pakistan is slated to increase from $700 million in fiscal year 2010 to $1.2 billion in fiscal year 2011.
“For 2010 and 2011, India could well be the most important market in the world for defence contractors looking to make foreign military sales,” Tom Captain, the vice-chairman of Deloitte LLP’s aerospace and defence practice told WSJ.
The Obama administration is trying to persuade New Delhi to buy American jet fighters.
London Fashion Week: Model Behaviour
THERE are rather a lot of misconceptions about models: they're dumb… they don't eat… they survive on fags and champagne… they won't get out of bed for less than £10,000. Of course, the reality of life working as a model is rather different, and for the hundreds of models currently walking the runways at London Fashion Week, it's probably a little irritating that many people think their lives are all parties and bumper pay-cheques.
• Eunice Olumide – sporting a mohawk styled by her mother – tries on a variety of styles which help display her wit and personality during London Fashion Week. Picture: Graham Jepson
Edinburgh model Eunice Olumide laughs when I put this to her. The 22-year-old, who is signed to Glasgow's The Look agency, has agreed to let me shadow her at London Fashion Week to give me an idea of what life for a model is like under all that make-up and styling. Her response suggests that the reality is a little less glamorous than it's perceived to be by the non-beautiful people.
We meet backstage at her first gig of the week, The Button Club's Lingerie Collective, where six lingerie designers (including Edinburgh's own Bebaroque) are showcasing their wares with six separate shows, every hour, on the hour. It's going to be a long night for Olumide – who is modelling in five shows – but she's in good spirits as she shows me her signature pose.
She bends her right leg around the back of her left, resting the front of her foot against her calf. Right hand on hip, she uses her left hand to tug at the neck of her T-shirt. It's eye-opening in that it looks natural and spontaneous, but has been carefully thought out and executed.
Backstage is, in a word, chaos, which is pretty much standard issue for a fashion show. It's not unusual for models to go missing (or not turn up at all) and for drastic changes to be made at the very last minute, be it altering the make-up to suit the lighting, or scoring the soles of shoes so the models don't take a tumble on the catwalk.
Today, we're in a grand room piled high with hatboxes and chiffon, where dozens of models are being primped, preened, dressed and prodded. A desperate-looking man grabs my arms and frantically asks me: "Is anyone in here doing hair?" I accidentally stand on an upturned stiletto. It hurts. Under a fog of hairspray, we find a quiet corner and take refuge from the madness.
Lively, talkative and intelligent, Olumide – who started modelling at 16 – is one of a handful of black models working in Scotland today. She is 5ft 9in (1.75m) and a healthy size eight. Today, she sports a mohawk crafted by her mother which so impressed the hairdressers at the show that they kept it. As such, she's ahead of the game and has a little more time to kill. On top of that, she arrived early and tells me that bookers are always impressed with just how punctual Scottish models tend to be.
There will be five rounds of styling and restyling tonight, and she won't get home until the wee hours, feet aching from the torturous-looking heels she's having to wear. The heels, it turns out, are often a bit of an issue. Too small and they pinch your feet, too big and "the walk" becomes a lot more challenging. And they rarely fit particularly well.
So how difficult is it to nail that famous model walk (look to Naomi Campbell for the ultimate in catwalking), which looks effortlessly sexy, but can take years to perfect? "It all depends on the shoes," she laughs. "If you've got good shoes, you're rocking. The most important thing is to make a mistake look like you meant it. The walk just comes with experience. Some people are naturally good, but hardly anyone. And poses are not easy. It's like a Pilates workout, because you're holding these mad poses for so long. Modelling is like acting or music. On the outside it all looks easy, but it takes a lot to make it to the top."
On top of the uncomfortable shoes, there's the late nights and early mornings, the harsh beauty products that are piled on your skin and hair several times a day, and the lack of privacy. Models often share model apartments while they are in town, which are notoriously messy, often because they are being used by teenagers who are used to having their parents take care of them. Then there are the photographers, who will snap away backstage whether a model is grabbing lunch or getting changed.
Knowing the pressures that face models, many of whom are not yet out of their teens, supermodel Erin O'Connor set up the Model Sanctuary at London Fashion Week, a private space in an undisclosed location where models can relax, get advice and grab some healthy food. Olumide attests that, while she has never dieted or watched her weight, the hectic nature of a model's lifestyle can mean it's difficult to find the time to sit down for a meal, and her first meal today was her lunch on the plane down to London.
"I've never had anyone tell me I'm too big, and I've never dieted or done much exercise," she says. "Certain people are built in a certain way. Usually when you go to an agent, they take you on how you look. They could change you, they could tell you to lose weight, but usually they won't; they'll just wait for someone with the right look. Because it's easier. Because some people are just built that way, they are a size zero. They don't look underweight, because that's the way the are. The problem is when models try to change themselves, because how do you keep that up?"
Suddenly, a dresser grabs her and tells her it's time to get into her first look of the evening. It's a purple body-con dress with an enormous purple headpiece. A make-up artist makes a few final touches to her eyeshadow and she is whisked off. I catch sight occasionally of the top of her headpiece over the throngs of people, and spot her later, in tiny denim shorts and a bikini top, but while she has a 3am finish, my comfy bed is beckoning and I call it a night.
We next speak on Monday, when she's taking part in a one-woman show for Glaswegian designer JJ Noki. This is the job she's most excited about. She's modelling a number of his eccentric creations outside his studio in Brick Lane, walking up and down the grubby street for assembled photographers and fashion fans. Only it's sleeting outside, so the whole operation is moved into Noki's busy studio space.
Olumide adapts quickly. Her wit and personality come through as she poses for photographers. She doesn't let the clothes wear her (quite a feat in these eye-catching creations), and she holds her own in a room where all eyes are on her for a sustained period of time. This job certainly isn't for wallflowers. Noki has booked Olumide for his next campaign, something she's particularly excited about. Life isn't easy for a black model in Scotland, she tells me, and she gets many more opportunities for campaigns and editorial work down in London.
"It's something in Scotland that I've really struggled with," she says wearily. "They don't really use (black models]. In six years of modelling I've only been used in one magazine in Scotland. My book's full of editorial, but it's all stuff I've done down here or in Japan."
Growing up in Scotland and attending an otherwise all-white primary school, she found it difficult that depictions of beauty in the Scottish media are invariably of Caucasian women, and as a result (and despite her job revolving around her beauty) ahe found it difficult to view herself as attractive.
"Growing up in Edinburgh, I used to think I was ugly, because I was black," she says. "I was the first black person in my primary school, my high school, all by myself all the time. I thought I was ugly because of the colour of my skin and because my hair was curly, and I had no one to identify with, except Naomi Campbell and Lauryn Hill.
"And it was because I was looking at these magazines and there's no-one who looks like me. I could look at every single magazine that's published in Scotland and I can guarantee there won't be one black model in there. That's not right."
She shrugs her shoulders, then duty calls – her break is over. She gets back on to the crippling heels, turns on a megawatt smile and faces the flashbulbs. Now that's model behaviour.
OTHER SCOTS QUEENS OF THE CATWALK
Honor Fraser THE sister of Lord Lovat, chief of Clan Fraser, Honor Fraser, 35, was brought up at Beaufort Castle in Scotland. After leaving school she undertook an internship at British Vogue, where she was encouraged to try her hand at modelling. She was the cover girl on the 2001 Roxy Music compilation album The Best of Roxy Music and her first magazine cover was French Elle in 1996. By 1997 she had become Alexander McQueen's favourite model.
Kirsty Hume The 33-year-old Scot has been likened to a Botticelli angel, thanks to her classical features and long blonde hair. In her 1990s heyday, Kirsty Hume modelled for Chanel, Victoria's Secret and Gucci, among others. Asked once what the most exciting part of her job is, she answered honestly: "Um, the money."
Nicola McLean Nicola McLean, 25, was discovered at 15 and has spent much of her career working in Scotland. However, she has undertaken work for international designers, including Amanda Wakeley, Ralph Lauren and Armani. She won the Miss Scotland title in 2006 and remains one of the best-known young Scottish models working today.
Stella Tennant It can help in modelling, like in any other industry, to come from good pedigree, and Stella Tennant, 39, a mother of four, left, comes from the best. The granddaughter of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and a fourth cousin, once removed, of Diana, Princess of Wales, Tennant was born in Scotland and attended St Leonards school in St Andrews. She has posed for photographers including Steven Meisel and Bruce Weber and is a muse of Karl Lagerfeld. Her advertising campaigns include Calvin Klein, Hermès and Burberry.
India Retains Top Spot In Gold Consumption
DUBAI - India has retained its position as world’s largest gold consumer after a weak first quarter owing to around 49 per cent recovery in demand in peak wedding and festival season, the World Gold Council (WGC) has said.China was the only gold jewelery market to grow 6 per cent in 2009, according to the figures compiled by the organization formed and funded by world’s leading gold mining companies.
“In 2009, dollar demand for gold remained above the $ 100 billion mark for the second year in succession against the backdrop of continued turbulence in financial and commodity markets,” it said.
China was the only non-western country to record growth of 22 per cent in investment demand in 2009. In contrast, ETF demand in 2009, at 594.7 tonnes, was 85 per cent higher than in 2008, equivalent to an inflow of $17.7 billion, due primarily to an exceptional first quarter.
According to the WGC Gold Demand Trends published on Feb 17, the resilience in demand was achieved as average gold prices went 12 per cent higher than in 2008, at $972.35/oz. Total identifiable gold demand fell 11 per cent to 3385.8 tonnes during 2009 when compared to the levels in 2008, masking a progressive recovery in jewelery and industrial demand.
The final quarter of 2009 showed a decline in total identifiable demand of 24 per cent in terms of tonne, against the extraordinary fourth quarter demand in 2008, it said. During this period, the gold price averaged $1099.63, up 38 per cent on the final quarter of 2008.
Total identifiable demand during last three months was equivalent to 5 per cent rise in dollar value terms. Diversity in the gold market both on the supply and the demand side, as well as geographically, has provided significant price support for gold over the course of the year.
Aram Shishmanian, CEO of World Gold Council, said: “2009 was a year which provided a clear illustration of diversity inherent in the global gold market. Total demand for the year remained robust thanks to a rebound in jewelery and industrial demand. While total jewelery demand was 8 per cent lower in the final quarter of 2009 compared to the same period last year, it showed clear signs of a rebound in the last quarter of 2009 when compared to earlier quarters”.
Fanfare for the comic men at the India-Pakistan border
The daily flag-lowering ceremony at Wagah is part macho strut, part Monty Python. Some see it as a metaphor for the nations' complex relationship.
Pakistani Rangers, left, and Indian Border Security Forces marching during a flag-hoisting ceremony at the Wagah crossing.
Heading back the other way after two weeks covering political infighting and Taliban attacks, the first thing you hear from an industrious Indian hawker is "You want to buy beer?"
Welcome to Wagah, the busiest of the two land crossings linking these ever-suspicious neighbors -- in other words, not very busy.
Sometimes, as is evident in Wagah, those strains take on comic overtones.
It's late afternoon. And for the last 63 years, that's meant one thing here: "retreat ceremony" time.
The daily theatrics, part rooster strut, part goose-stepping, part Monty Python Ministry of Silly Walks, start at 4:30 in India, 4:00 in Pakistan. (The two can't agree on the border crossing's name, officially known as Attari in India, so why should the time of day be any different?)
As the ceremony's kickoff approaches, thousands of Indian tourists, babies in tow, popcorn and balloons in hand, dash a quarter of a mile from the parking lot to tiered bleachers a few feet from the historic divide, as if flocking to a rock concert.
Watching the 30-minute gate-closing ceremony from the Indian side has its advantages, particularly if you live in India. As a helpful shopkeeper told me on the Pakistani side: "You could watch it from here. But then you'd have to spend another night in Pakistan."
The crowds in India also tend to be bigger and livelier, befitting the nation's sevenfold population advantage over its neighbor. On a recent weekday, there were about 3,000 people on the Indian side, compared with 400 or so for Pakistan.
"Theirs is smaller because they charge," an Indian spectator said, adding proudly, "Our side is free."
En route to the seats -- men and women sit separately in Pakistan, together in India -- spectators are frisked, ushered through a broken metal detector, their bags pored over, refrisked.
Signs along a rusty barbed wire fence on the Indian side belie the carnival atmosphere. "Duty Unto Death," says one. "Danger, Do not Touch, High Voltage" says another. (Given the regularity of power outages in both countries -- something they do share -- its deterrent value is questionable.)
As the stands fill, the crowd finds its voice, releasing cries of "Long live India!" and other cheers. Fists pump the air. Girls scream. Cameras flash. These are answered almost immediately by the other side. "Pakistan is my life!" and "Allah, Allah!" ring back, not as loud, but no less spirited.
Trumpets sound and several extremely tall soldiers simultaneously appear on their respective sides of the divide, essentially a 250-yard-long courtyard flanked by seating between twin arches. Each of the prancing units sports crisp uniforms: black and green for Pakistan, orange, red and khaki for India. They march about, epitomes of machismo. Both countries choose their finest, as tall, intimidating and, in Pakistan's mustachioed case, hirsute as possible.
Their height is amplified by the large, fan-shaped coxcomb bits atop their helmets, evoking peacocks battling for a mate.
Shifting into high gear, the dueling guard goliaths goose-step, stomp, spin, strut and salute crisply. With a flash of white spats, several then march triple-speed straight at the border, arms swinging like crazed metronomes, before halting just short of the line.
"It's wonderful, so inspiring," said Ronur Prakash, 48, a banker from the Indian city of Bangalore. "Things always get spirited when it's India versus Pakistan. It's like a little war."
In 2001, during a tense period, a Pakistani ranger aimed his gun at the Indian spectators, prompting an agreement that the guns would remain empty.
After nearly 30 minutes, it's time for the finale. The guards meet in the small no-man's land and lower, until tomorrow, their flags.
The alchemy of politics
Democracy is loud, noisy and often inefficient, but it is also fun. The last day of the by-election in Rawalpindi had all the attributes of an exciting one-day cricket match. Interesting characters, well-matched teams and a degree of doubt as to who will win.
In the end, despite all the hype, Sheikh Rashid was thrashed well and proper. A margin of thirty thousand votes is beyond rigging but it did not stop the Sheikh from making such a charge.
No surprise here because that is the way we are. The other side is never better; there must have been some deep conspiracy afoot. In cricket, we allege match-fixing. In elections, vote-rigging. And for failures in life; the lack of a fair deal.
Sheikh Rashid is a colourful character much loved by TV channels. Part of his charm is that he started from humble beginnings. He has had grand political success and is now reportedly a very rich man. Says a lot for his political and 'business' skills.
But, another lesson of this by-election is that TV exposure does not translate into votes. Besides his glib talk and constant presence on the media, the Sheikh also had the backing of the PPP. Yet he was soundly beaten. An even more pathetic case is of Imran Khan. Despite his celebrity status and earnest demeanour on TV channels, he only got four thousand votes!
What a waste is Imran in politics. He is a great social worker and had he stuck to it and not entered politics, his status could have been greater than Edhi. But, he wanted more and that is an unfolding tragedy. A dwarf in politics, yet a potential giant in social work. Can someone tell him this?
It is also obvious from this election that political loyalties are deep-rooted and enduring. There are always a small percentage of floaters in between but most people stick to their preferred parties. That is the strength nationally of the PPP and the PML-N and of parties like the MQM, the ANP, the JUI-F and others in pockets. Their leaders may change, or do well or poorly in government, but the voter by and large remains committed.
This was obvious in Rawalpindi. The PML-N won by a margin of thirty thousand in the 2008 election. The PPP then got thirty-five thousand and the Sheikh ten. If you add up the PPP vote to the Sheikh's in this contest, it more or less presents a picture similar to the general election.
This also means that despite predictions of doom and gloom for the PPP or the PML-N, they will retain their status as the most popular parties in the country. To this political equation, Zardari's background and allegations against him or his future are irrelevant. Same is true of Nawaz Sharif.
While not cast in stone, it seems that vote banks of the parties remain largely intact. The erosion or addition averages to around five per cent in an election. This of course makes a huge difference when the principle of 'first past the post' is followed as opposed to proportional representation. It is thus entirely possible for a party to lose most of its seats by a reduction of just five per cent of its vote bank.
It happened to the PPP in 1990 and 1997. I will not make too much of the '90 election because many dubious things took place then but '97 was a great illustration. By a statistically significant number, the PPP voter did not come out to vote because of his anger at the leadership. The PML-N won by a landslide. The same PPP voter stood by the party in 2002 and 2008 and made it the single largest party in both elections.
This alchemy of politics means that space for new parties and new leaders is limited. Again, our favourite hobby horse Imran Khan is a good example. A national cricketing hero, a person who has built a truly magnificent hospital in the shape of Shaukat Khanum, a man of integrity with good abilities of articulation, a true celebrity not only in Pakistan but globally, and yet has only fringe support in politics.
The element of voter loyalty must be very comforting for leaders of established parties. They may lose an election or two but they know that their time will come. The core of their vote bank will remain intact unless something really terrible happens.
This political reality also presents a dilemma for the new generation of aspiring politicians. They may not particularly like Zardari, Nawaz Sharif or the MQM in Karachi and the ANP in NWFP. Yet they have no choice if they want to move forward in politics. They have to hitch a ride on a major party's bandwagon.
This can become a terribly frustrating experience because most parties are not only dynastic but run like medieval 'darbars'. A charismatic figure at the top controls everything because voter loyalty is articulated through this person. Policies, manifestos and agendas of the party are largely irrelevant.
In this scenario, party democracy is impossible because the leader cares very little about what the members think. Today, people like Rehman Malik, Babar Awan and Latif Khosa are hated more by PPP members than their opponents. Yet, does it make any difference? Same was the case with people like Saifur Rehman when Nawaz Sharif was in power.
It is this environment that makes life very difficult for people who want to move forward in politics. They either learn soon to suck up to leaders or remain perpetually marginalised. And if to this difficulty is added the huge amount of money required to do politics, it is not a surprise that very few young people of talent are attracted to this field.
This kind of 'darbari' environment also makes policy discussions very difficult. Let me state again that not all leaders or parties are the same, but in general it is very difficult to disagree with the views of the leader or criticise him or her. Even with the utmost of loyalty, great skill is required to put the correct perspective across without causing offence.
This ensures that only a certain kind of person rises to the top in politics. A person more skilled in the art of flattery than having any management or policy-making abilities. And that is a shame because if democracy has to move forward, as it must, it needs to put its best foot forward.
The political process also needs to attract the best and the brightest in the nation if democracy has to take root and stabilise. At the moment the urban middle class intellectually subscribes to it but has only contempt for the politicians that come riding on its charger.
It is this malaise that translates into impatience with system and allows an extra-constitutional intervention to find acceptability. Unless this changes democracy will remain fragile.
In the end, despite all the hype, Sheikh Rashid was thrashed well and proper. A margin of thirty thousand votes is beyond rigging but it did not stop the Sheikh from making such a charge.
No surprise here because that is the way we are. The other side is never better; there must have been some deep conspiracy afoot. In cricket, we allege match-fixing. In elections, vote-rigging. And for failures in life; the lack of a fair deal.
Sheikh Rashid is a colourful character much loved by TV channels. Part of his charm is that he started from humble beginnings. He has had grand political success and is now reportedly a very rich man. Says a lot for his political and 'business' skills.
But, another lesson of this by-election is that TV exposure does not translate into votes. Besides his glib talk and constant presence on the media, the Sheikh also had the backing of the PPP. Yet he was soundly beaten. An even more pathetic case is of Imran Khan. Despite his celebrity status and earnest demeanour on TV channels, he only got four thousand votes!
What a waste is Imran in politics. He is a great social worker and had he stuck to it and not entered politics, his status could have been greater than Edhi. But, he wanted more and that is an unfolding tragedy. A dwarf in politics, yet a potential giant in social work. Can someone tell him this?
It is also obvious from this election that political loyalties are deep-rooted and enduring. There are always a small percentage of floaters in between but most people stick to their preferred parties. That is the strength nationally of the PPP and the PML-N and of parties like the MQM, the ANP, the JUI-F and others in pockets. Their leaders may change, or do well or poorly in government, but the voter by and large remains committed.
This was obvious in Rawalpindi. The PML-N won by a margin of thirty thousand in the 2008 election. The PPP then got thirty-five thousand and the Sheikh ten. If you add up the PPP vote to the Sheikh's in this contest, it more or less presents a picture similar to the general election.
This also means that despite predictions of doom and gloom for the PPP or the PML-N, they will retain their status as the most popular parties in the country. To this political equation, Zardari's background and allegations against him or his future are irrelevant. Same is true of Nawaz Sharif.
While not cast in stone, it seems that vote banks of the parties remain largely intact. The erosion or addition averages to around five per cent in an election. This of course makes a huge difference when the principle of 'first past the post' is followed as opposed to proportional representation. It is thus entirely possible for a party to lose most of its seats by a reduction of just five per cent of its vote bank.
It happened to the PPP in 1990 and 1997. I will not make too much of the '90 election because many dubious things took place then but '97 was a great illustration. By a statistically significant number, the PPP voter did not come out to vote because of his anger at the leadership. The PML-N won by a landslide. The same PPP voter stood by the party in 2002 and 2008 and made it the single largest party in both elections.
This alchemy of politics means that space for new parties and new leaders is limited. Again, our favourite hobby horse Imran Khan is a good example. A national cricketing hero, a person who has built a truly magnificent hospital in the shape of Shaukat Khanum, a man of integrity with good abilities of articulation, a true celebrity not only in Pakistan but globally, and yet has only fringe support in politics.
The element of voter loyalty must be very comforting for leaders of established parties. They may lose an election or two but they know that their time will come. The core of their vote bank will remain intact unless something really terrible happens.
This political reality also presents a dilemma for the new generation of aspiring politicians. They may not particularly like Zardari, Nawaz Sharif or the MQM in Karachi and the ANP in NWFP. Yet they have no choice if they want to move forward in politics. They have to hitch a ride on a major party's bandwagon.
This can become a terribly frustrating experience because most parties are not only dynastic but run like medieval 'darbars'. A charismatic figure at the top controls everything because voter loyalty is articulated through this person. Policies, manifestos and agendas of the party are largely irrelevant.
In this scenario, party democracy is impossible because the leader cares very little about what the members think. Today, people like Rehman Malik, Babar Awan and Latif Khosa are hated more by PPP members than their opponents. Yet, does it make any difference? Same was the case with people like Saifur Rehman when Nawaz Sharif was in power.
It is this environment that makes life very difficult for people who want to move forward in politics. They either learn soon to suck up to leaders or remain perpetually marginalised. And if to this difficulty is added the huge amount of money required to do politics, it is not a surprise that very few young people of talent are attracted to this field.
This kind of 'darbari' environment also makes policy discussions very difficult. Let me state again that not all leaders or parties are the same, but in general it is very difficult to disagree with the views of the leader or criticise him or her. Even with the utmost of loyalty, great skill is required to put the correct perspective across without causing offence.
This ensures that only a certain kind of person rises to the top in politics. A person more skilled in the art of flattery than having any management or policy-making abilities. And that is a shame because if democracy has to move forward, as it must, it needs to put its best foot forward.
The political process also needs to attract the best and the brightest in the nation if democracy has to take root and stabilise. At the moment the urban middle class intellectually subscribes to it but has only contempt for the politicians that come riding on its charger.
It is this malaise that translates into impatience with system and allows an extra-constitutional intervention to find acceptability. Unless this changes democracy will remain fragile.
Meet Lauren Ashley, another anti-gay beauty queen
Miss Beverly Hills says homosexuality "will bring death upon you" while Fox soft-pedals it 
Those California beauty queens really don't seem to have a whole lot of love for the gays, do they? Last year, it was Carrie Prejean, who notoriously spoke out in favor of "opposite marriage."
Now there's another young swimsuit-competing Christian taking a crack at the issue. Meet Lauren Ashley, currently repping for Beverly Hills in the Miss California USA pageant. Earlier this week the 23-year-old told Fox, "The Bible says that marriage is between a man and a woman. In Leviticus it says, 'If man lies with mankind as he would lie with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death and their blood shall be upon them.'"
Turns out, some took offense with the beauty queen trotting out Leviticus' death sentence on gays. The city of Beverly Hills, for instance. Under current pageant rules, contestants get to choose which city they wish to represent. Apparently Pasadena, where Ashley resides, didn't cut it for her. So on Wednesday, Beverly Hills Mayor Nancy Krasne told the Los Angeles Times, "We are dismayed by any potential association [Ashley has] with the city of Beverly Hills, which has a long history of tolerance and respect." And the city itself issued a statement that it "does not sponsor a beauty pageant and has no association with Miss California USA. As such, there should be no individual claiming the title of Miss Beverly Hills." To which we can only add: hahahahha.
But of course Ashley's not entirely without her fans. Unshockingly, the National Organization for Marriage has stepped up to give her props. Its president, Maggie Gallagher, told Fox yesterday, "I'm not surprised that Miss Beverly Hills, Lauren Ashley, opposes gay marriage -- after all, 45 percent of young Californians voted for Prop. 8, as did 7 million Californians generally."
And Fox News seized the opportunity to champion the young woman, conveniently editing its original, more critical interview to now say she's been "publicly condemned" with a "shunning" for "speaking out in support of traditional nuptials." Gone from the edited piece are her assesrtions that Carrie Prejean "is definitely a beautiful person and I love that she stood up for what she believes in. I think that's gorgeous."
Instead the story now says, "The media storm that ensued interpreted her words with headlines such as 'Miss Beverly Hills Wants Gays Put to Death' and 'God Wants Gays Dead, Says Beauty Queen.'" Interestingly, excised from the story are her remarks that "The Bible is pretty black and white ... I feel like God himself created mankind and he loves everyone, and he has the best for everyone. If he says that having sex with someone of your same gender is going to bring death upon you, that’s a pretty stern warning, and he knows more than we do about life."
Yeah, I don't know where anybody would get the idea she was condoning death to homosexuals.
On "Countdown" last night, writer Dan Savage spelled it out for anybody still unclear on the concept. "The Bible justifies genocide; the Bible justifies slavery; the Bible calls on parents to murder disobedient children ... and if that's not going to be enforced, maybe you could drop the anti-gay murderous crap from the Bible too."
Ashley herself has had no further comments on her statements. But speaking to the L.A. Times today, the pageant's California stage director Keith Lewis, who is gay, said, "I don't agree with her, but I will fight to the death for her right to have her opinion." Well, that's good, because from the sound of it, she wouldn't have it any other way.
Lauren Ashley
Those California beauty queens really don't seem to have a whole lot of love for the gays, do they? Last year, it was Carrie Prejean, who notoriously spoke out in favor of "opposite marriage."
Now there's another young swimsuit-competing Christian taking a crack at the issue. Meet Lauren Ashley, currently repping for Beverly Hills in the Miss California USA pageant. Earlier this week the 23-year-old told Fox, "The Bible says that marriage is between a man and a woman. In Leviticus it says, 'If man lies with mankind as he would lie with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death and their blood shall be upon them.'"
Turns out, some took offense with the beauty queen trotting out Leviticus' death sentence on gays. The city of Beverly Hills, for instance. Under current pageant rules, contestants get to choose which city they wish to represent. Apparently Pasadena, where Ashley resides, didn't cut it for her. So on Wednesday, Beverly Hills Mayor Nancy Krasne told the Los Angeles Times, "We are dismayed by any potential association [Ashley has] with the city of Beverly Hills, which has a long history of tolerance and respect." And the city itself issued a statement that it "does not sponsor a beauty pageant and has no association with Miss California USA. As such, there should be no individual claiming the title of Miss Beverly Hills." To which we can only add: hahahahha.
But of course Ashley's not entirely without her fans. Unshockingly, the National Organization for Marriage has stepped up to give her props. Its president, Maggie Gallagher, told Fox yesterday, "I'm not surprised that Miss Beverly Hills, Lauren Ashley, opposes gay marriage -- after all, 45 percent of young Californians voted for Prop. 8, as did 7 million Californians generally."
And Fox News seized the opportunity to champion the young woman, conveniently editing its original, more critical interview to now say she's been "publicly condemned" with a "shunning" for "speaking out in support of traditional nuptials." Gone from the edited piece are her assesrtions that Carrie Prejean "is definitely a beautiful person and I love that she stood up for what she believes in. I think that's gorgeous."
Instead the story now says, "The media storm that ensued interpreted her words with headlines such as 'Miss Beverly Hills Wants Gays Put to Death' and 'God Wants Gays Dead, Says Beauty Queen.'" Interestingly, excised from the story are her remarks that "The Bible is pretty black and white ... I feel like God himself created mankind and he loves everyone, and he has the best for everyone. If he says that having sex with someone of your same gender is going to bring death upon you, that’s a pretty stern warning, and he knows more than we do about life."
Yeah, I don't know where anybody would get the idea she was condoning death to homosexuals.
On "Countdown" last night, writer Dan Savage spelled it out for anybody still unclear on the concept. "The Bible justifies genocide; the Bible justifies slavery; the Bible calls on parents to murder disobedient children ... and if that's not going to be enforced, maybe you could drop the anti-gay murderous crap from the Bible too."
Ashley herself has had no further comments on her statements. But speaking to the L.A. Times today, the pageant's California stage director Keith Lewis, who is gay, said, "I don't agree with her, but I will fight to the death for her right to have her opinion." Well, that's good, because from the sound of it, she wouldn't have it any other way.
Lady Gaga talks sex
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga took an HIV test after panicking about her behaviour on tour.
The 'Bad Romance' singer recently had a sexual health screening in New York because she "forgot" to look after her body properly when she was performing live shows for The Monster Ball Tour concerts.
She said: "I had an HIV test two days ago — and it's not because I'm taking off my clothes every night with a different man. When I'm on the road, I forget about taking care of my body. I don't go to the doctor as regularly as if I were in one place all the time. So I woke up and thought, 'Oh, I'm home in New York. I'm going to see my gyno and I'm getting an HIV test.' "
The 23-year-old star — who is believed to be dating her stylist and friend Matthew Williams —has made it her personal mission to make it "fashionable" for women to carry condoms and practise safe sex.
She told MarieClaire.com: "You put that condom in your purse and save your own f**king life. And don't call me in a week and cry. Because you know that infamous call from your girlfriend — 'Oh, my God, I got caught up, and I was afraid he wouldn't like me.' I mean, what year is it? It's scary, but I want it to be fashionable to be smart."
Lady Gaga recently blasted contradictory attitudes to sexuality which let men be more vocal about their conquests than women.
She said: "When a guy says, 'Oh I f**ked all these chicks this week', there's a high-five and giggling. But when a woman does it and it’s publicised or she's open about her sexuality or she's free or liberated, it's 'Oh, she must have a d**k'. There's a threat."
The 'Bad Romance' singer recently had a sexual health screening in New York because she "forgot" to look after her body properly when she was performing live shows for The Monster Ball Tour concerts.
She said: "I had an HIV test two days ago — and it's not because I'm taking off my clothes every night with a different man. When I'm on the road, I forget about taking care of my body. I don't go to the doctor as regularly as if I were in one place all the time. So I woke up and thought, 'Oh, I'm home in New York. I'm going to see my gyno and I'm getting an HIV test.' "
The 23-year-old star — who is believed to be dating her stylist and friend Matthew Williams —has made it her personal mission to make it "fashionable" for women to carry condoms and practise safe sex.
She told MarieClaire.com: "You put that condom in your purse and save your own f**king life. And don't call me in a week and cry. Because you know that infamous call from your girlfriend — 'Oh, my God, I got caught up, and I was afraid he wouldn't like me.' I mean, what year is it? It's scary, but I want it to be fashionable to be smart."
Lady Gaga recently blasted contradictory attitudes to sexuality which let men be more vocal about their conquests than women.
She said: "When a guy says, 'Oh I f**ked all these chicks this week', there's a high-five and giggling. But when a woman does it and it’s publicised or she's open about her sexuality or she's free or liberated, it's 'Oh, she must have a d**k'. There's a threat."
Luxurious Nokia N97 Mini Gold Edition
Enticed by ‘high on the hog’ mobile phones? Or simply in love with gold?
According to Ubergizmo Nokia Poland reveals that Nokia has recently slid the covers off an all-new Nokia N97 Mini gold Edition that comes covered with 18 carat gold.
The truly spellbinding device features 3.2-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 360 x 640, 8GB of internal memory, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and a microSD memory card slot. Enthrallingly, the gold edition comes with an external bling layer.
The beautiful N97 Mini gold unit further embraces a 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus and Carl Zeiss optics, 3G HSDPA, Wi-Fi connectivity, and an integrated FM transmitter.
The eye-catchy Nokia N97 Mini Gold Edition is anticipated to be available in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Middle East from Q2 2010 onwards. For now, there’s no exact word on its pricing.
LG Pop Reaches One Million Sales
This impressive figure was achieved only 100 days after the LG Pop launched back in October last year.
The LG Pop is a touch-screen mobile with a 3 inch display which comes in a compact format that makes it highly portable and a perfect fit for a pocket or handbag. It also features a 3 mega-pixel camera, MP3 player and built-in social networking applications.
The LG Pop is also a green mobile and features an optional solar battery cover which generates 180 minutes of standby time for 10 minutes of sunshine.
It also features changeable back covers that come in vibrant colours, which should appear to the younger market. However, LG has now announced the mobile will be available in two new colours which are aqua blue and lime.
Our review of the LG Pop concluded that “This is a great handset for those who want style at a good price”.
Sony is banking on 3-D television
Blockbuster movies may get consumers to put on the glasses at home
Charlie Neuman / Union-Tribune
Tae-Soo Park of South Korea tried on a pair of Sony’s 3-D glasses to watch 3-D video at last month’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
And perhaps no company has a bigger corporate mandate to make its 3-D bet pay off than Sony Electronics, whose North American headquarters is in San Diego.
The Japanese company forecasts 3-D products will bring in $10 billion in worldwide business for Sony by 2013 — helping resurrect a once-dominant television business that has suffered from stiff competition from Samsung, LG and Vizio.
But for this year, Sony is keeping its expectations for 3-D television sales conservative in North America.
“I’ve seen numbers as high as 5 million units in this country and numbers as low as 1 million,” said Stan Glasgow, head of Sony Electronics North America. “I tend to lean toward the lower end in 3-D. I think it is going to take a little time.”
Analysts agree that 3-D may get off to a slow start, mostly because of a lack of available 3-D shows.
“We don’t really see 3-D as being big this year, although if you add up the sales goals of companies that are going to be selling 3-D TVs worldwide, it’s dramatically bigger,” said Paul Gagnon, director of television research for DisplaySearch, which follows the television industry.
Television makers hope to sell more than 6 million 3-D TVs worldwide, Gagnon said. DisplaySearch, an NPD company, forecasts 1.2 million in 3-D unit sales.
Sony hosted an event at its new Rancho Bernardo headquarters recently for analysts and media to discuss the coming 3-D blitz. The message was that while sales may not be robust this first year, the push for 3-D in the living room is not just marketing hype.
The company views 2010 as a year of education when consumers will begin to see just what 3-D can deliver. Sony and its rivals say 3-D is the next home-theater technology evolution, similar to high-definition digital televisions.
Blockbuster 3-D feature films, such as “Avatar,” and high expectations for upcoming 3-D releases such as “Alice in Wonderland,” are helping to create consumer buzz around the technology, Sony says.
“Consumers are showing strong interest in 3-D, and they’re doing it with their wallet in the theater,” said Mike Fasulo, Sony Electronics’ chief marketing officer,
Sony is showing 3-D televisions now in certain Sony Style retail stores. The company has partnerships with IMAX, The Discovery Channel and ESPN to support 3-D programming. And it has established a 3-D consumer research lab in Las Vegas and a technology center in Los Angeles.
LG, Samsung, Panasonic and others will be vying for this market, too. Sony’s pitch centers on its broad experience in the technology, which it calls “lens to living room.”
The company’s professional arm is the leading maker of cameras used to create 3-D movies and television shows, Its movie division has deep experience in making 3-D live-action and animated films in a way that’s not overwhelming, which can lead to nausea or headaches for viewers.
“3-D is not hard to create,” Glasgow said. “It’s really hard to create good 3-D. We are a company of quality.”
The top rival for Sony in 3-D, at least initially, could be Panasonic, said Richard Doherty, director of Envisioneering, an industry research firm.
Panasonic claims plasma televisions produce a better 3-D experience than liquid crystal displays, or LCD, sets.
“LCDs are getting better every day, but they’re not as good as plasma,” said Doherty. “Sony doesn’t have a plasma TV in their line, and they’re not about to.”
But Sony has other advantages. “The PlayStation 3 is the only gaming device that’s upgradeable to 3-D and there are tens of millions of them,” Doherty said, adding that companies will try to get consumers to buy various equipment from the same company to be sure it works together.
3-D technology standards exist for Blu-ray, so 3-D discs work on the players no matter who made the TV. But that is not true with everything 3-D, including the glasses.
Analysts are concerned that the lack of standards across technologies could slow down the adoption of 3-D. For example, 3-D glasses themselves can cost more than $100 each.
But they may not work well with all 3-D televisions. “There should be some cross-brand compatibility, so Joe with his Panasonic 3-D TV can bring his glasses over to Sam’s Sony and get them to work,” said Gagnon of DisplaySearch.
“Otherwise, you’re going to have people buying two pairs of 3-D glasses and just watching TV at home by themselves, and that is not going to be good for the industry.”
China's global profile increases with key IMF post
China has won its highest-ever staff position in the IMF in a reflection of its growing economic might and the clamor by emerging nations for a bigger say in global finance.
China has won its highest-ever staff position in the IMF, Deputy governor of the People's Bank of China, Zhu Min (pictured), in a reflection of its growing economic might and the clamor by emerging nations for a bigger say in global finance. It is the highest-level staff position attained by a Chinese citizen and follows appeals by China and other emerging nations for a bigger say in the running of the IMF and World Bank, the twin Bretton Woods institutions.
Zhu, who joined the Chinese central bank in 2009 after more than a decade as a senior executive of the Bank of China, is expected to assume his position on May 3, the Washington-based IMF said in a statement.
China hailed the move, saying it would pave the way for better cooperation between the IMF and emerging economies, which have battled for years for a greater voice at the multilateral table to better reflect their growing weight in the global economy.
"With the changing of the international economic structure and international relations, especially the emergence of the G20 after the financial crisis, it is necessary for international economic reform to involve multiple countries," said China's commerce ministry spokesman Yao Jian.
"I think his appointment is in line with such a trend and task."
Strauss-Kahn said that Zhu, who holds an economics doctorate from Johns Hopkins University and was once a World Bank economist, brought "a wealth of experience in government and the financial sector" to the fund.
Zhu would strengthen the Fund's understanding of Asia and emerging markets, he said.
Most Asian countries are still wary of turning to the IMF for assistance after its heavy-handed actions during the 1997-1998 regional financial crisis.
The IMF had stepped in with major lending programs for Thailand, South Korea and Indonesia, which were among the worst hit by the financial crisis but the stringent conditions that came attached worsened the situation, critics had said at that time.
Malaysia chose instead to peg its ringgit to the US dollar to protect it from currency speculators, a form of capital control that was criticized at the time by the IMF.
But the IMF agreed in a report Tuesday that some emerging market countries will have to design policies to manage large capital inflows, reversing the fund's past opposition to such government intervention.
"The right policy responses will differ depending on individual country circumstances, and may include... when necessary, carefully designed temporary capital controls," the report said.
Zhu's appointment and the perception shift over capital controls were all part of a broader change within the IMF over the last 18 months or so, said Derek Scissors, an expert on Asia economic policy at the Heritage Foundation.
"IMF has changed its tune over China dramatically," he said, cautioning that the fund might have to grapple with increasing criticism from the United States and Europe that China deliberately undervalues its currency for trade gains.
Zhu's appointment followed a decision by leaders of the Group of 20 industrialized and emerging nations to give a bigger voice to developing countries at the fund, long considered a rich nations' club.
The G20 also endorsed a shift of "at least five percent" in quota share, or voting power, to emerging market and developing countries, part of the reform of the governance and structure of the lumbering Bretton Woods institution, founded in the aftermath of World War II to promote financial stability.
Last year, Justin Yifu Lin of China became the first World Bank chief economist from a developing country.
Key emerging nations have called for the IMF quota share of the most developed countries to be reduced to 50 percent from 57 percent.
The United States has proposed that over-represented developed countries -- an indirect way of designating European countries -- transfer 5.0 percent of their voting rights to the under-represented.
China, with its current 3.72 percent of the vote, has less influence than France, at 4.94 percent, although its economy is one and a half times the size, according to IMF data.
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