Sarkozy's Statement - Pseudo-secular

Recent statement from French President Nicholas Sarkozy condemning wearing of burqa in French society and regarding it as symbol of subservience is quite paradoxical. The reason being is that burqa or hijab is a religious obligation in Islam and holds great relevance for them.

Let us for a second forget that burqa is a religious obligation. France, being a democratic, pluralistic and far more liberal country compared to other European counterparts and boasting of freedom of religion and freedom of speech, every citizen should be allowed to wear whatever they like, and there should be no exception for burqa.

Since France is not ruled by Taliban nor Afghan warlords and people live in a modern society with equal rights for both genders, where comes the question of imposing burqa on women and problem of dignity comes from............ although there might be some who are forced to do, but I think majority of them wear on their own without any obligation. By making such contradictory statements by a president of certain country, it seems it has lost the credentials of being secular and is in the realm of pseudo-secularism.

Sarkozy speaking of banning burqa ....................Carla Bruni's nude photographs going on auction at Christies next month.......................... what an irony.

© 2009 Zafarulla Khan

Michael Jackson Passes Away - End Of An Era

Micheal Jackson aka King of Pop who once ruled the music world with his scintillating performances passed away at the age of 50 here in Los Angeles. The exact cause of his death is unknown, although it is believed that it might be due to cardiac arrest at his rented house in Holmby Hills from where he was taken to ULCA and ultimately passed away.

MJ was an undisputed Pop king throughout his career. His famous albums include Thriller (world's best selling record of all time, Off the Wall, Bad, Dangerous, HIStory etc. However, at the same he was entangled in a host of controversies including altering his face through plastic surgery, reported pedophilia, and financial crisis. Reportedly, at the time of his death he was in about $400 million debt. However, he was preparing himself to make a serious comeback.

Although its end of an era, MJ has perched his legendary image through his music in millions of music lovers' hearts all over the world and he will remain eternal for them..........

R.I.P.

© 2009 Zafarulla Khan

Blog Advertising - Helping Your Business Grow

Now a days, creating a product or concept is not a big deal, but reaching the mass certainly is. Today, blog marketing is an effective tool used by most of the companies either directly or indirectly to communicate their existing customers and probable customers effectively regarding their products, services, and of course the feed backs. The major advantage in this particular concept is that your product is not confined just to one particular country or continent, but you can reach the customers globally. There are many advertising companies who are actively involved in this concept like, Blogsvertise, Payingpost, PayPerPost, and so on. These companies mediate and reciprocate between the bloggers and companies. To advertise on blogs, first of all the companies will find out quality advertising companies, and in turn the advertising company look out for quality bloggers who can write good blogs and at the same time put the link of that company so that it will reach out a maximum number of people.

In sum, it is not how big your company is or how your team mangers are, it is how you market the product effectively and reach the mass.

© 2009 Zafarulla Khan

Obesity and Related Risks

Obesity is now a global phenomenon which has spread its tentacles all over the globe, especially the developed countries and the developing countries irrespective of the caste, creed, or gender. Much has been emphasized about obesity-related risks, but unfortunately many of us turn a blind eye up until something serious happens. However, in contrary to men, women are more conscious about shedding their pounds and counting calories; it is not because of the risks involved in it but because to maintain a slim figure........ The implications of overweight are severe which involve mainly diabetes mellitus type 2, hypertension, and heart disease to mention a few which will ultimately culminate into life-threatening diseases. At the same time, it will have active and passive emotional effects which will be a great hindrance to academic progress and future endeavours.

Rightly said, "prevention is better than cure." It is my gut feeling that considering the above repercussions of obesity, it is absolutely necessary that we indulge ourselves in activities such daily exercise, walking, hiking, aerobic exercises, and yoga etc. which will help us maintain adequate BMI and avoid host of life-threatening diseases and increase longevity of our lives.

© 2009 Zafarulla Khan

The Flying Car - Travelling Redefined

Let it be Rolls Royce, Mercedes Benz, BMW, or Ferrari, nothing will avoid you from jamming into traffic on the road. Things will not be the same a couple few years from now, at least for them who have $ to burn.

A Boston-based company Terragugia Transition is planning to unveil the dual-purpose car-cum-plane vehicle called The Flying Car in 2011. This is a 2-seater vehicle which can let you fly if you wish, and if you want to travel on the road it will fold its wings in 30 seconds after touching the road. The Flying Car can travel up to 725 km in the air at a speed of more than 115 km per hour, fuelled by gasoline. Moreover, it can accommodate in your conventional car garage.

Its initial cost is expected to be around $200,000 (1 crore Rupees). Think its too costly?, not at all for guys who can afford Rolls Royces and Ferraris. Moreover, the company claims to have an order for 60 cars and more in the pipeline. So, guys get one and ready to rule the sky.

© 2009 Zafarulla Khan

Battle of Emotions

Pakistan and Sri Lanka will almost share the same feeling before the final at Lords. Cricket in Pakistan has taken a back seat amidst bullets and bombs gripping the entire nation, whereas Sri Lanka is still in the aftermath of 3-decade long internal strife which has taken thousands of lives. A win here for their respective countries will give a soothing effect to their distraught countrymen.

Certainly, it is very difficult to say who has upper hand in this tie because both have abundant talent and have been playing exceptional cricket at the moment. Bowling is the main strength of both the teams because the top 5 bowlers in the tournament are from both teams. Sri Lanka with M3 Factor (Mendis-Murali-Malinga) along with their batsman Dilshan probably in his best form ever make a formidable side. The only weak link is that their middle order batsmen are not delivering and moreover the "Matara Butcher" and "Grandfather" of T20 Jayasuriya is not playing up to his potential. Pakistan on the other other hand too have their batting woes with their middle order not striking. However, with pacer Umar Gul the leading wicket taker along with new sensation Saeed Ajmal, and with the unpredictable Shahid Afridi rising to the occasion with both bat and ball, Pakistan will be a tough nut to crack.

However, at the end I feel that Sri Lank might be favorites and break the jinx because of their consistent performance as oppose to an ever unpredictable Pakistani outfit.

© 2009 Zafarulla Khan

Shiney Shining For Wrong Reasons

Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja was detained by Mumbai Police after a complaint filed against him by his housemaid for alleged rape. As per Mumbai Police, Shiney Ahuja has accepted that he had consensual sex with his housemaid with her and not rape. It is not clear whether he has accepted the same, and if, under what circumstances, but the medical reports of the maid indicate that there was a sexual encounter, but unsure if forcibly or consensual. However, his wife Anupam seems to have contacted Shiney Ahuja and he has asserted his innocence and they feel that there is a conspiracy going on to frame Shiney but don't know who and why. The truth will come out once Shiney will go undergo DNA test; however, the DNA test will only tell whether Shiney was involved in or not, but not whether it is a rape or consensual act.

Apropos, whether it is a rape or consensual sex, or for just a second if we believe it has all been framed against him, Shiney will have a black mark in his Bollywood carrer which will take long long time to fade.

© 2009 Zafarulla Khan

England sends Team India Packing

Resurgent England outplayed defending T20 champions India by handing over them a 3-run defeat. A billion hearts thrashed! Thanks to Dhoni and his men for their lackadaisical and sluggish approach in the past couple of games. Even minnows, Bangladesh would have defeated them if Yuvraj Singh had not bailed them out. The main reason here for Team India's downfall is of course absence of dashing Virender Sehwag and controversies revolving between him and Dhoni due to which the entire team had to suffer (there is no smoke without fire) and of course the buttery hands on the field.

In a T20 game, the opening partnership plays a vital role wherein you need to score around 50 odd runs in the first 6 overs following which they can capitalize on it and post a competitive score. Certainly, this Indian outfit lacked a good opening pair or rather good opening partner. One cannot understand why Indian openers were subdued in their approach and playing as if they are playing a test match, whereas other teams are thrashing all round the park with no-mercy approach. Except for Yuvraj Singh, the entire batsmen faltered and could not come up to the expectations with some inept batting display.

Hopefully, they will regroup themselves for the Champions' Trophy and become a strong contender for the same.

© 2009 Zafarulla Khan

Cristiano Ronaldo's worthiness

Manchester United have accepted a whopping world record bid of 80 million pounds (damn with recession) from Real Madrid for 24-year-old Portuguese fleet-footed winger Cristiano Ronaldo. Earlier this week, the Spanish giant roped in Brazilian playmaker Kaka from Milan for 60 million euros to bolster their club.

The question here is are the players really worth of what being tagged by their respective clubs or is it necessary to involve so much money for just a game and that too for one particular individual considering the precarious situation of world economy. Apropos, there is no doubt that Ronaldo is an exceptional player with exquisite talent and has established his supremacy as a footballer by scoring 118 goals in 292 appearances for Manchester United, but I feel paying such a huge amount to him or any other player and expecting him to bail his side out single-handedly is unwarranted for.

In essence, let players be players and not marketable commodity and not indulge in unethical practices of selling their talent for monetary gains.

There is a poll put out on whether Ronaldo is worth 80 million pounds or not, pleaes vote and let me know.

© 2009 Zafarulla Khan

Now Swine Flu is Pandemic

Alarming cases of swine flu across United States, Europe, Australia, South America, and to some extent in Asia has forced the World Health Organization to declared it as pandemic - first global flu epidemic in many years, precisely 41. Also, WHO has raised the warning level from 5 to 6 (moderate severity). By doing so, the drug makers will show urgency in producing more swine flu vaccines to combat this deadly infection, and also respective countries will allocate sufficient funds to combat the swine flu.

Many health experts feel that this decision could have taken much earlier, but unfortunately due to some political pressure around the globe this decision was delayed. Many countries had urged WHO not declare it as pandemic fearing the overall social and economic conditions will further deteriorate.

The last pandemic, the Honk Kong flu in 1968, had killed nearly 1 million people. Normally, flu viruses disappear in summer, but the swine flu is proving to be much more resilient. Hopefully, the swine flu will disappear once for all to prevent further damage.

© 2009 Zafarulla Khan

Overcome Depression

If you are feeling sad, crying frequently, having diminished interest or pleasure with what you are doing, then these might be early signs of depression. Do not take depression lightly or allow it to sneak into your life, coz it may ruin your life at the same time having passive effects people around you. There are 5 tips which will help you to overcome depression.

1. Socialize: Try to meet more people and talk to friends as much as you can and share your feelings to avoid loneliness because an idle mind is devil's workshop.
2. Activities: Keep indulge yourself doing household chores or other things such as walking or exercise to divert your mind and keep you agile.
3. Yoga: Try to start yoga and pranayama to calm your mind which will help in controlling your emotions well.
4. Entertainment: Watch movies, listen to songs, news, and play games to keep you entertained.
5. Prayer. Last but not least, have belief in almighty and pray to him. This will help overcome your hopelessness and worthlessness.

By doing so, hopefully you will overcome depression or at least control it effectively.

© 2009 Zafarulla Khan

India Overwhelm Bangladesh

Apropos, Bangladesh thought Netherlands' upset win over the hosts England will be infectious, and considering their warm up matches' performance they have very great chance to upset Indian team.

Defending champions India started their campaign on a winning note against Bangladesh with a comprehensive 25-run victory. Initially, batting Indian openers Gautham Gambhir and Rohit Sharma made a good solid start displaying exquisite stroke play and added 59 runs among them before Rohit Sharma got out. Surprisingly, skipper Dhoni came instead of Raina; however, Dhoni and Gambhir could not capitalize on the spinners in middle part of the innings and instead took 1s and 2s. Thankfully, sluggish Dhoni departed (blessing in disguise) trying an ambitious shot. Then, came in Yuvi, the Punjab southpaw who blasted a quick 41 of just 18 balls and change the course of the game and propelled the total to 180.

Bangladesh started their innings with great intensity and they were going great guns, however, bowling change from Dhoni by introducing Yusuf Pathan did the trick and Bangladesh lost their first wicket. Unperturbed by loss of wicket Bangladesh carried further with great spirit. However, due to lack of experience and a superb spell by left-arm spinner Ojha claiming 4 wickets for 21 runs Bangladesh lost their way and eventually could manage only 155 for 8, thereby lost by 25 runs.

Hopefully, India carries the same intensity and unity for future games to come.

© 2009 Zafarulla Khan

Gayle and Fletcher Maul Australia

West Indian Captian Christopher Henry Gayles' no-holds barred approach and unadulterated innings of 88 of just 50 deliveries comprising of 6 boundaries and 6 sixes, one of them troubling pedestrians on the Harleyford Road along with Andre Fletcher's cracking innings of 33-baller 52 helped West Indies romp home an easy seven-wicket victory with 25 balls to spare. Gayles launched a violent attack on hapless Bret Lee bowling in excess of 145 kms where he was taken 27 runs of an over.

Earlier, Jerome Taylor started the proceedings where he sent Shane Watson and skipper Ponting to pavilion without troubling the scorers. However, David Warner anchored Australian innings with 63 of 53 balls along with some useful contributions from Brad Haddin and Hussey brothers and posted respectable score of 169.

This defeat has left Australians in a do-or-die situation where they will take on spirited Sri Lanka on Monday in Trent Bridge. Hopefully, they will come out with vengeance and stick to their repute of a professional team.

© 2009 Zafarulla Khan

Team India Trounce Pakistan

A sell-out crowd for a warm up game and that too in a neutral venue! Yeh, this is the intensity when arch rivals India and Pakistan face each other, although at the end it was an one-sided affair where India comprehensively defeated Pakistan by 9 wickets and 17 balls to spare, orchestrated by makeshift opener Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir.

Opting to bat first after winning the toss Pakistan lost their opener Shahbaz Hassan with just 2 runs on the board; however, it had seldom effect to their scoring rate. Ahmed Shehazad and Kamran Akmal hammered the Indian bowling attack dispatching the ball to all parts of the ground and amassed 45 runs in just 4.3 overs. However, sharp piece of fielding by Raina to get rid of dangerous-looking Kamran Akmal, Dhoni taking a diving catch to dismiss Ahmed Shehzad, and of course golden duck for Shahid Afrid helped putting brakes on Pakistan scoring rate. However, skipper Younis Khan and Misbah played sensibly and posted a total of 158.

Certainly, 158 was not enough for Team India considering their batting might and the form they are in. Although Gambhir kickstarted the innings with 3 boundaries in the first 3 overs, it was Rohit Sharma, the makeshift opener who pulverised the Pakistan's bowling attack with a 53-baller 80 knock and took the match away from their opponents which included 9 boundaries and 2 maximums before getting out to Mohammed Aamer, the lone wicket for the indisciplined bowling attack of Pakistan. When most of them are betting on South Africa, Australia, and even Pakistan to seal the trophy even though India had won the inaugural edition in 2007, the performance in this particular match will force them think otherwise.

© 2009 Zafarulla Khan

Air France Catostrophe

Ill-fated Air France flight AF 447 disappeared early Monday 4 hours into its 11-hour journey from Rio de Janerio to Paris carrying 228 people on board after the flight encountered technical difficulties over the Atlantic, probably the biggest aviation tragedy ever. The search continued throughout the night but proved to be futile and it seems there is very grim hope that any of the passengers would survive as said by the grim-faced French president Nicolas Sarkozy. A day-time search by Brazilian aircraft within a zone of 1100 kilometers of its northeastern coast did not yield anything. The exact cause of the disaster in unclear, however, Air France chief executive said that the aircraft had sent a series of messages shortly after crossing the area of major turbulence. However, the search is still on and we will keep our fingers crossed and pray for them.

© 2009 Zafarulla Khan