Fasting in the month of Ramzan especially when it arrives in the extremely hot months of summer becomes extremely strenuous. More than the pangs of hunger, the craving of water and thirst is felt. The scorching heat of the sun and the drying winds make it even more difficult. Besides, the duration of summer fasts is almost 14 to 15 hours. Here are some tips which if you follow will make your Roza less difficult and the feeling of thirst will not prevail so much:
1) Eat juicy fruits like grapes, water melon, apples etc. at the time of Sehr. This increases the amount of natural water in your bodies and keeps you hydrated for almost the entire day.
2) Don’t eat liquid absorbing foods. Foods like eggs, liver, prawns etc. have a tendency of leaving you dehydrated and thus it becomes hard to end the fast easily.
3) Yogurt is one of the most advisable foods. It gives a cooling effect to an individual’s stomach hence making it easier to fast.
4) Try avoiding a lot of intake of tea or coffee. Studies have shown a decrement in water levels of our bodies after the consumption of these.
5) Try avoiding brushing your teeth a lot. 2 to 3 times a day is good but excessive brushing dries out the saliva in your mouth giving it a drying effect which not only leads to the feeling of excessive thirst but also leads to a bad breath after sometime.
6) Increase the intake of water and other liquids after iftar and also during the sehr time. Consume water little by little. If you drink water all of a sudden, it exits your body as fast as it enters. Taking water sip by sip is the most effective.
Follow these and make fasting easier for yourselves! Good luck :)
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
Monday, 18 July 2011
Hard to believe
At times you come across such stories in life that touch your soul. They sometimes make you feel better and sometimes leave you so astonished that you just pinch yourself to check twice whether you are dreaming or not. I came across one of such non-fictitious tales too. It highlights human sufferings as well as miracles that might happen to an individual. It is gloomy yet motivating.
I happened to be conversing with a very dear friend of mine from school who is currently pursuing her degree in Medicine who was at a visit to the Civil hospital. That’s when she came across a woman having 4 kids, one of which she was carrying in her arms. The baby looked like one of those malnourished kids who had been food deprived for months. His body looked like a structure of bones joined together wrapped in the skin. Not a sign of flesh could be detected on his body. The kid was being fed milk by his mother through a feeder bottle. The milk looked so diluted to the doctor that she invited the woman for a conversation and questioned her. The appearance of the woman was a clear indication of her impoverish status but she still managed to explain how she fed her kids. “I buy milk worth Rs. 10 and add a liter of water to it to feed my kids,” she said. The doctor tried explaining how she was putting the life of that kid on stake. “Doctor Sahiba! Mere iss betey ko kuch nahi hoga. Yeh tou mera maujzati bachha hai,” she replied. (Translates: Dear Doctor! Nothing will happen to this son of mine. He is a miraculous kid)
And that’s when she started narrating her story of how that kid had been born and lived miraculously. That woman had been pregnant in her 9th month when once she was all alone at her place, walking around the house and started getting labor pains. All of a sudden she sat down on the mosaic floor and within minutes the baby came out without much of an effort. She could not believe as to what had happened. For the next few seconds she stayed immobile and senseless. Then she suddenly realized that she had to cut off the umbilical cord. She went all the way to the bathroom carrying the baby in her hand, got her husband’s razor and cut it off. She bled until she fainted. Her eyes opened again when she saw herself lying on the bed next to her baby. She picked him up and couldn’t believe how he had survived. It sure was a miracle. God had given the baby a life and the woman a 2nd life.
I happened to be conversing with a very dear friend of mine from school who is currently pursuing her degree in Medicine who was at a visit to the Civil hospital. That’s when she came across a woman having 4 kids, one of which she was carrying in her arms. The baby looked like one of those malnourished kids who had been food deprived for months. His body looked like a structure of bones joined together wrapped in the skin. Not a sign of flesh could be detected on his body. The kid was being fed milk by his mother through a feeder bottle. The milk looked so diluted to the doctor that she invited the woman for a conversation and questioned her. The appearance of the woman was a clear indication of her impoverish status but she still managed to explain how she fed her kids. “I buy milk worth Rs. 10 and add a liter of water to it to feed my kids,” she said. The doctor tried explaining how she was putting the life of that kid on stake. “Doctor Sahiba! Mere iss betey ko kuch nahi hoga. Yeh tou mera maujzati bachha hai,” she replied. (Translates: Dear Doctor! Nothing will happen to this son of mine. He is a miraculous kid)
And that’s when she started narrating her story of how that kid had been born and lived miraculously. That woman had been pregnant in her 9th month when once she was all alone at her place, walking around the house and started getting labor pains. All of a sudden she sat down on the mosaic floor and within minutes the baby came out without much of an effort. She could not believe as to what had happened. For the next few seconds she stayed immobile and senseless. Then she suddenly realized that she had to cut off the umbilical cord. She went all the way to the bathroom carrying the baby in her hand, got her husband’s razor and cut it off. She bled until she fainted. Her eyes opened again when she saw herself lying on the bed next to her baby. She picked him up and couldn’t believe how he had survived. It sure was a miracle. God had given the baby a life and the woman a 2nd life.
Saturday, 16 July 2011
Cultural Shocks
As I landed at the Medford Oregon airport, I started looking for a short curly haired woman who was to come to pick me up all the way from Ashland to drive me home. This was no one other than my host mother who had volunteered to host me for an entire academic year. There she was standing with a tag having my name printed on it. After going through customs and all the necesarry formalities, we got into the car to head back home. I went towards the left side of the car to take the seat next to the driving seat and was surprised to find out that the left side of the car had the steering wheel. “Annie, the right side!” She uttered. Oops. I had ignoringly taken the wrong side and felt like a moron for a slight matter of a second. Cultural shock, yeah? Anyhow, I went to the other side of the car, got in and shut the door behind me. I had not known that driving without seat belts was against the laws in the United States and I felt stupid again not knowing the fundamental regulations that shaped the American society. Another cultural shock. Man I was already terrified and was wondering what more was waiting for me to experience.
Anyway, the experience started shooting up when the car started moving on the road. As we began to chat about random things I told her how my life was back in my country. Flashback into some amazing memories is what I had experienced at that particular moment. I was recalling how my mom used to wake me up every morning to get to school on time and how I never picked up after myself and my maid had to do that. Also how I was used to taking naps in the afternoon. Not that I was not expecting any major changes in their lifestyle but I still had to go through a series of cultural shocks one after the other. I felt like a building getting those jerks that it gets when an earthquake has hit. It didn’t take me a lot of time to adjust to the American society as the people around me turned out to be extremely friendly and accepting, contrary to what I had thought. Yes, I had come all the way to the United States of America as an ambassador of my dearest country Pakistan. I was an exchange student who had to live for a whole academic session with an American host family that treated me like a member of their own family.
My first day at school was terribly surprising too. My elder host sister had already taken me to a visit around the campus that was divided into separate units of disciplines of education i.e. the Humanities block, the Science block etc. I had a school route map to assist me yet I had a very hard time getting to my first class. To make things worse, I discovered that day only that getting late to a class got you the status of tardy for that day and two tardies led to one absence….Oops. “I better become responsible enough now, else I’ll end up getting a TARDY every day,” I thought.
The next class was in a different block and I had only 10 minutes to get to the class. So I started running like crazy and got there on time, grabbed a chair and sat down. I could constantly hear students chatting about random stuff: parties, basket ball etc. Also overheard some guys checking girls and GUYS out. I had known about homosexual relationships being common in the US. Thank God :P Anyhow as I was listening to the gossips, I heard someone saying “Hey Gabe!” behind me. I turned around to see who Gabe was and was shocked to see a man moving towards the front part of the room. He was the teacher Mr. Gabriel. Oh shit. Yes many kids in the US call teachers by their first names. This was too much of a cultural shock for me. Everything from the school campus, the kids, the lockers, and the P.E. rooms to the the school cafeteria were so different. Not to forget the streets, the traffic rules, the layout of buildings and homes. But I got used to all that and within no time a year had almost gone by and I was preparing to come back home.
Now more than 6 years have passed and I still cannot forget those cultural shocks that I got when I went there. But most importantly I remember how I had changed perceptions, both of myself and the Americans and how my American family, friends, teachers and colleagues helped me to settle well amidst those cultural shocks.
Anyway, the experience started shooting up when the car started moving on the road. As we began to chat about random things I told her how my life was back in my country. Flashback into some amazing memories is what I had experienced at that particular moment. I was recalling how my mom used to wake me up every morning to get to school on time and how I never picked up after myself and my maid had to do that. Also how I was used to taking naps in the afternoon. Not that I was not expecting any major changes in their lifestyle but I still had to go through a series of cultural shocks one after the other. I felt like a building getting those jerks that it gets when an earthquake has hit. It didn’t take me a lot of time to adjust to the American society as the people around me turned out to be extremely friendly and accepting, contrary to what I had thought. Yes, I had come all the way to the United States of America as an ambassador of my dearest country Pakistan. I was an exchange student who had to live for a whole academic session with an American host family that treated me like a member of their own family.
My first day at school was terribly surprising too. My elder host sister had already taken me to a visit around the campus that was divided into separate units of disciplines of education i.e. the Humanities block, the Science block etc. I had a school route map to assist me yet I had a very hard time getting to my first class. To make things worse, I discovered that day only that getting late to a class got you the status of tardy for that day and two tardies led to one absence….Oops. “I better become responsible enough now, else I’ll end up getting a TARDY every day,” I thought.
The next class was in a different block and I had only 10 minutes to get to the class. So I started running like crazy and got there on time, grabbed a chair and sat down. I could constantly hear students chatting about random stuff: parties, basket ball etc. Also overheard some guys checking girls and GUYS out. I had known about homosexual relationships being common in the US. Thank God :P Anyhow as I was listening to the gossips, I heard someone saying “Hey Gabe!” behind me. I turned around to see who Gabe was and was shocked to see a man moving towards the front part of the room. He was the teacher Mr. Gabriel. Oh shit. Yes many kids in the US call teachers by their first names. This was too much of a cultural shock for me. Everything from the school campus, the kids, the lockers, and the P.E. rooms to the the school cafeteria were so different. Not to forget the streets, the traffic rules, the layout of buildings and homes. But I got used to all that and within no time a year had almost gone by and I was preparing to come back home.
Now more than 6 years have passed and I still cannot forget those cultural shocks that I got when I went there. But most importantly I remember how I had changed perceptions, both of myself and the Americans and how my American family, friends, teachers and colleagues helped me to settle well amidst those cultural shocks.
Friday, 15 July 2011
Deception in Advertisements
Every day we watch several commercials on our television that inform us about a new product, give a recall of the already existing ones or entertain us because of their attractive concepts. But ever wondered why these concepts look interesting to us? Why so much money is spent on copywriters, marketers and advertising agencies? That is because they tap into the world of creativity and produce such concepts that not only show unrealistic traits of their products but also play with our emotions to a great extent.
Advertisements are usually built through either oversimplification or exaggeration techniques; that is they do not display the actual characteristic components of their products. And we all know that for a fact. But we still tend to fall for what the commercial is depicting. Take a look at a few examples that are deceptive to such an extent that they deviate from their true functions.
It is a universally accepted fact that tea is not really good for health. Research has proved and testified it. A very famous brand “Brooke Bond Supreme Tea” shows that tea is good for health through its latest advertisement and that our forefathers were superstitious when they used to say that it was not the case. The commercial had renowned celebrities as its endorsers who have a fan-following, thus letting the masses believe in what they wanted to show.
Now let us look at Veet, Anne French, EU cream, and Care hair removing cream commercials that always state that their product inhibits hair growth and prevents it from coming back. A great number of users have testified that this is not the case. In fact hair removing creams foster hair growth and it comes back even darker and harder.
Anti bacterial soap commercials have shown renowned actors as doctors who guarantee that the product counters skin problems and kills germs up to 99%. They have also started some CSR activities to promote their products so that people start considering the manufacturers as people of ethics and values when they even forget that the person guaranteeing the functionality of their products is not a professional himself.
Many print ads use such strategies of psychological pricing that our masses don’t even figure out. Let us see the print ads of Pizza Hut. They show a particular deal in the paper along with a mention of the price in big fonts and bolds. But the same figure has an asterisk attached with it which shows the hidden terms and conditions that apply at the time of purchase.
One of the popular mobile networks has also used deceptive techniques to market themselves. Zong has made this commercial where a consumer gets a load of PKR 100 and the shopkeeper tells him/her that he/she got an additional balance of PKR 100. The entire commercial talks about how one can get that credit and the same commercial ends with the message that the additional balance will be provided in the form of minutes.
Most TVCs show that the products they are offering to the market are needed by the customers. False needs are created and consumers are made to exceed the limits of their pockets to buy those goods. TVCs and ads make a person feel inferior by making them realize that they lack something somewhere. For instance fairness creams make a person believe that they lack complete beauty and confidence if their skin tone is darker.
There are a thousand more examples to quote if not millions that show such ridiculous associations of products with unrealistic traits. Most of us zip, zap or mute these advertisements but they do carry certain latent messages that impact us in some manner. Concrete steps should be taken to produce quality advertisements so that issues like women objectification, product influx, cut throat competition, male dominance etc. can be eliminated from our society because advertisements are one of the underlying reasons behind these.
Advertisements are usually built through either oversimplification or exaggeration techniques; that is they do not display the actual characteristic components of their products. And we all know that for a fact. But we still tend to fall for what the commercial is depicting. Take a look at a few examples that are deceptive to such an extent that they deviate from their true functions.
It is a universally accepted fact that tea is not really good for health. Research has proved and testified it. A very famous brand “Brooke Bond Supreme Tea” shows that tea is good for health through its latest advertisement and that our forefathers were superstitious when they used to say that it was not the case. The commercial had renowned celebrities as its endorsers who have a fan-following, thus letting the masses believe in what they wanted to show.
Now let us look at Veet, Anne French, EU cream, and Care hair removing cream commercials that always state that their product inhibits hair growth and prevents it from coming back. A great number of users have testified that this is not the case. In fact hair removing creams foster hair growth and it comes back even darker and harder.
Anti bacterial soap commercials have shown renowned actors as doctors who guarantee that the product counters skin problems and kills germs up to 99%. They have also started some CSR activities to promote their products so that people start considering the manufacturers as people of ethics and values when they even forget that the person guaranteeing the functionality of their products is not a professional himself.
Many print ads use such strategies of psychological pricing that our masses don’t even figure out. Let us see the print ads of Pizza Hut. They show a particular deal in the paper along with a mention of the price in big fonts and bolds. But the same figure has an asterisk attached with it which shows the hidden terms and conditions that apply at the time of purchase.
One of the popular mobile networks has also used deceptive techniques to market themselves. Zong has made this commercial where a consumer gets a load of PKR 100 and the shopkeeper tells him/her that he/she got an additional balance of PKR 100. The entire commercial talks about how one can get that credit and the same commercial ends with the message that the additional balance will be provided in the form of minutes.
Most TVCs show that the products they are offering to the market are needed by the customers. False needs are created and consumers are made to exceed the limits of their pockets to buy those goods. TVCs and ads make a person feel inferior by making them realize that they lack something somewhere. For instance fairness creams make a person believe that they lack complete beauty and confidence if their skin tone is darker.
There are a thousand more examples to quote if not millions that show such ridiculous associations of products with unrealistic traits. Most of us zip, zap or mute these advertisements but they do carry certain latent messages that impact us in some manner. Concrete steps should be taken to produce quality advertisements so that issues like women objectification, product influx, cut throat competition, male dominance etc. can be eliminated from our society because advertisements are one of the underlying reasons behind these.
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Insensitivity – the predator
I see people dying right before my eyes, people suffering from pangs of hunger, people shivering with sickness, people being sold, abused, and mistreated. And I keep watching them suffer. Nothing happens to me. No fears, no regrets, no pain. And then I pause for a moment and ask myself, “What is their fault? Why them?” For a mere second, I do feel bad for the victims. But the very next second I am overcome with thoughts that take me back into the cruelties of this world. I am an insensitive human being. Wait! Am I even a human being? Selfish? Yes that’s what I am. I heard how people in the Orangi town, Jauhar, Qasba colony, Lyari etc. were being slaughtered. How those bastards were entering into the houses of people and killing them. How the residents of that area were locked up in their homes and were food deprived for 5 consecutive days. How they were surviving in a war-like condition. I hear a mother weeping over her son’s dead body. I hear a girl crying for her father who has been targeted somewhere and killed. But what do I do? Curse the people responsible and then thank Allah that my family members are safe. But should I not take this as an alarming bell? The day is near when my family members will fall victims to these tyrant and barbaric so-called peace makers. Will I sit back and watch then? The day is not far when my insensitivity will become the predator and murderer of my own family members.Yes, I will be the one responsible.
Monday, 27 June 2011
Are we going extinct as a nation?
Drone attacks, constant bomb blasts, target killings, political unrest and to add to the havoc now deadly disasters that are wiping out our masses…. Our so-called democratic government is doing what? Just adding up figures to the budget allocated for the President and Prime Minister house? Spending millions on giving a lavish lifestyle to their families?
A few days ago, I happened to be at Park Towers promoting a writing workshop when I saw a handful of cops roaming around all over the place. A few moments later I found out that our President’s daughter Bakhtawar was shopping at the mall and all that security was arranged for her. I have always been curious as to why so much budget is allocated for the Defense sector every year and that was the moment when I discovered the answer to that. But that security is not provided to a person who in spite of all the hardships is paying enormous amount of taxes. For whom the prices of fuel, gas, electricity, and all the necessary commodities have hiked up. That is the underlying reason of why the death toll through suicides has gone up.
Also the job market is giving such a tough time to our graduates, masters, and doctorates due to which they are compelled to leave the country and prefer going abroad to the land of opportunities. Continually increasing debts and foreign loans have aggravated the situation too. So I again put these questions forward: Are we going extinct as a nation? Will there be a time when no one would even know about the country that was created after innumerable sacrifices? Will the upcoming generations know of this land as the one that had a very stable army and naval force, the nuclear power that had beautiful sites and an attractive tourist industry? Will the country that made history become history? These are some questions that we need to ponder over.
A few days ago, I happened to be at Park Towers promoting a writing workshop when I saw a handful of cops roaming around all over the place. A few moments later I found out that our President’s daughter Bakhtawar was shopping at the mall and all that security was arranged for her. I have always been curious as to why so much budget is allocated for the Defense sector every year and that was the moment when I discovered the answer to that. But that security is not provided to a person who in spite of all the hardships is paying enormous amount of taxes. For whom the prices of fuel, gas, electricity, and all the necessary commodities have hiked up. That is the underlying reason of why the death toll through suicides has gone up.
Also the job market is giving such a tough time to our graduates, masters, and doctorates due to which they are compelled to leave the country and prefer going abroad to the land of opportunities. Continually increasing debts and foreign loans have aggravated the situation too. So I again put these questions forward: Are we going extinct as a nation? Will there be a time when no one would even know about the country that was created after innumerable sacrifices? Will the upcoming generations know of this land as the one that had a very stable army and naval force, the nuclear power that had beautiful sites and an attractive tourist industry? Will the country that made history become history? These are some questions that we need to ponder over.
Sunday, 26 June 2011
Survival of the fittest
The world is talking about it now. Ask the leading HR consultants what the main eligibility criterion for a person to get employment at a renowned organization is. And you will discover that employers these days are looking for people who have good human skills and emotional intelligence. Technical skills are important but what sets one apart from the rest is one’s ability to adapt to a new environment, to communicate and coordinate with fellows nicely and to be able to handle emotions well.
Psychologists these days are talking about the non-cognitive aspects of intelligence and are more interested in social intelligence. Emotional Intelligence, or EI, describes an individual’s ability or capacity to perceive, assess, and manage the emotions of one's self, and of others. Our EQ, or Emotional Quotient, is how one measures Emotional Intelligence.
Now the question arises why psychologists, managers and consultants are taking so much interest in EI. EI of an individual is a strong indicator of the projection of success in the position he takes. Relationships make or break a person’s career. Considering how globalization has taken over the industry and impacted it to such an extent and how the Multinationals have grown, Emotional Intelligence becomes even more of a concern to these people. Every day in businesses, one comes across so many new people and has to deal with them. There are times when the person you encounter the most with comes from an entirely different background. And diversity is essential to innovation. Thus without Emotional Intelligence, survival in contemporary times is not just difficult but practically impossible. Let’s just say that the fittest person nowadays is the one who comes in a complete package; one having great technical skills, a positive attitude and most importantly human skills, of which Emotional Intelligence is a very crucial part.
References:
http://www.ihhp.com/what_is_eq.htm
Psychologists these days are talking about the non-cognitive aspects of intelligence and are more interested in social intelligence. Emotional Intelligence, or EI, describes an individual’s ability or capacity to perceive, assess, and manage the emotions of one's self, and of others. Our EQ, or Emotional Quotient, is how one measures Emotional Intelligence.
Now the question arises why psychologists, managers and consultants are taking so much interest in EI. EI of an individual is a strong indicator of the projection of success in the position he takes. Relationships make or break a person’s career. Considering how globalization has taken over the industry and impacted it to such an extent and how the Multinationals have grown, Emotional Intelligence becomes even more of a concern to these people. Every day in businesses, one comes across so many new people and has to deal with them. There are times when the person you encounter the most with comes from an entirely different background. And diversity is essential to innovation. Thus without Emotional Intelligence, survival in contemporary times is not just difficult but practically impossible. Let’s just say that the fittest person nowadays is the one who comes in a complete package; one having great technical skills, a positive attitude and most importantly human skills, of which Emotional Intelligence is a very crucial part.
References:
http://www.ihhp.com/what_is_eq.htm
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
Beggary - an emerging fashion! Who is responsible?
So now it’s becoming even more common. I have to admit that it takes real guts now to say NO to any beggar. It has been observed lately that the number of beggars on the streets of Karachi has increased manifold and this evil is creating unpleasant circumstances throughout the city. The once called “city of lights” should now be termed as the “city of beggars.”
“Allah k naam per dedey beta! Mere bachhon ne 2 din se roti nai khayi. Mujhe rashan dila dey. Mera pota bemaar hai (carrying a baby in her arms). Allah teri jori salamat rakhey beta!”
Every now and then when we take to the road, either as a pedestrian or in our automobiles, we witness this. So this happened with one of my friends a few days back when she was going to buy some stuff from a superstore. She was sitting next to her brother in her car in the parking lot and a random beggar came and uttered the above mentioned words. “Shit! We are siblings…What the hell is wrong with people these days? Just because I am traveling with a guy who is older than me doesn’t make me his girl friend, fiancé or wife”, she thought…Awkward, right? And thus before the woman could say anything further, my friend took out a Rs. 20 note and handed it over to her.
Ever wondered why these people use such sentences? They have been trained professionally on how to emotionally blackmail us, the people who so easily fall a victim to emotional appeal. Many of us condemn these activities but what do we do? Fall a prey to the evils of the society? Ever imagined where this money that we give to them hoping that it would help them in some way goes? We all must have experienced that kids do not sleep for longer than a couple of hours. Ever thought of why the babies they carry in their arms keep sleeping all the time? Reliable sources reveal that these babies are drugged by the gangs that these people work for to compel people to give away charity to them. Ever wondered why people take to this path to gain some monetary funds to support their families? Think again.
You stop at a traffic signal and a child comes to sell a booklet of Qura’ani Surahs, tissue papers, flowers or toys etc. Have you ever bought anything from these people who despite of all the obstacles are trying to earn a livelihood through fair means? Have you ever appreciated their efforts? The same people when adopt easier and dishonest ways which are either begging or snatching and stealing, we condemn their acts. We ourselves don’t strive to find out the facts buried behinds these huge mounds of lies. And then we accuse either the government or the economic factors like hyper inflation for this enormously spreading disease. Let us pause here for a moment, ponder over the above mentioned facts and then answer this: “Who is responsible?”
“Allah k naam per dedey beta! Mere bachhon ne 2 din se roti nai khayi. Mujhe rashan dila dey. Mera pota bemaar hai (carrying a baby in her arms). Allah teri jori salamat rakhey beta!”
Every now and then when we take to the road, either as a pedestrian or in our automobiles, we witness this. So this happened with one of my friends a few days back when she was going to buy some stuff from a superstore. She was sitting next to her brother in her car in the parking lot and a random beggar came and uttered the above mentioned words. “Shit! We are siblings…What the hell is wrong with people these days? Just because I am traveling with a guy who is older than me doesn’t make me his girl friend, fiancé or wife”, she thought…Awkward, right? And thus before the woman could say anything further, my friend took out a Rs. 20 note and handed it over to her.
Ever wondered why these people use such sentences? They have been trained professionally on how to emotionally blackmail us, the people who so easily fall a victim to emotional appeal. Many of us condemn these activities but what do we do? Fall a prey to the evils of the society? Ever imagined where this money that we give to them hoping that it would help them in some way goes? We all must have experienced that kids do not sleep for longer than a couple of hours. Ever thought of why the babies they carry in their arms keep sleeping all the time? Reliable sources reveal that these babies are drugged by the gangs that these people work for to compel people to give away charity to them. Ever wondered why people take to this path to gain some monetary funds to support their families? Think again.
You stop at a traffic signal and a child comes to sell a booklet of Qura’ani Surahs, tissue papers, flowers or toys etc. Have you ever bought anything from these people who despite of all the obstacles are trying to earn a livelihood through fair means? Have you ever appreciated their efforts? The same people when adopt easier and dishonest ways which are either begging or snatching and stealing, we condemn their acts. We ourselves don’t strive to find out the facts buried behinds these huge mounds of lies. And then we accuse either the government or the economic factors like hyper inflation for this enormously spreading disease. Let us pause here for a moment, ponder over the above mentioned facts and then answer this: “Who is responsible?”
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind
According to a recent research conducted by environmentalists, the rate at which the once abundant resources are being consumed is analogous to or even faster than the half lives of radioactive elements.
The rate at which the world population is growing is tremendous and as forecasted the upcoming generations will suffer massively due to certain practices if continued. Leading industries and corporations and also common people like us need to start economizing on the resources that are going in such paucity now. Taking the utilitarian approach, a few practices that I believe have benefits beyond imagination can do wonders if incorporated in our daily lives. These have been highlighted as per my understanding into categories below:
Industrial Practices:
1)
Waste management department can prove to be extremely useful and ethical. A team of experts should be formed to come up with ways that can turn the by-products into useful end products. Also recycling can ensure utility of resources properly.
2)
Disposal of harmful gases can be very hazardous and pose a threat to the health of laborers and workers and later to the macro environment on a whole. A system that consumes such gases and decompose them would be advisable.
Practices for the Common People:
1)Considering that water is going scarce in most of the continents at present and people don’t have purified water to even drink, ways to conserve water should be adopted. There are many ways in which this goal can be achieved like keeping the tap turned off while shampooing and washing face, using as little water as required etc.
2)Use of air conditioners should be minimized considering that it gives off CFCs in the environment which is leading to the depletion of ozone layer. Else the entire human race will suffer the consequences.
The rate at which the world population is growing is tremendous and as forecasted the upcoming generations will suffer massively due to certain practices if continued. Leading industries and corporations and also common people like us need to start economizing on the resources that are going in such paucity now. Taking the utilitarian approach, a few practices that I believe have benefits beyond imagination can do wonders if incorporated in our daily lives. These have been highlighted as per my understanding into categories below:
Industrial Practices:
1)
Waste management department can prove to be extremely useful and ethical. A team of experts should be formed to come up with ways that can turn the by-products into useful end products. Also recycling can ensure utility of resources properly.2)
Disposal of harmful gases can be very hazardous and pose a threat to the health of laborers and workers and later to the macro environment on a whole. A system that consumes such gases and decompose them would be advisable.Practices for the Common People:
1)Considering that water is going scarce in most of the continents at present and people don’t have purified water to even drink, ways to conserve water should be adopted. There are many ways in which this goal can be achieved like keeping the tap turned off while shampooing and washing face, using as little water as required etc.
2)Use of air conditioners should be minimized considering that it gives off CFCs in the environment which is leading to the depletion of ozone layer. Else the entire human race will suffer the consequences.
Accusations? Why only Media?
Do we backbite more about people in parties or discuss how someone has transformed into a better person? Are we more curious about finding whether someone has gone bankrupt or whether someone witnessed an increase in sales last month? We see two news stories when we glance at the paper in the morning. One of the headlines reads “two Christians killed in target killing” and the other reads “0.6% growth in GDP”. Which one becomes our choice to be read first?
Psychology clearly explains that we the human beings are more interested in what troublesome incidents are occurring in people’s lives rather than what positive incidents are shaping them. It also shows that we shun diversity and see differences more than the similarities that exist between us.
Every business opens up to make profits and like seeing constant increments in figures on their balance sheets. Same is the case with media. Considering how businesses are becoming more customer centered now to make profits, how can we expect media channels and newspapers to show positive news when a clear insight into human behavior reveals that such an approach will not work in any circumstances whatsoever?
Forget ethics. If we take up a business like perspective on this issue, it would not be wrong to say that media channels are operating on the demand of their customers which are us, the common people. Businesses run on the mere principle of creating profits, not just in the short run but also in the long run for their sustainability. Why are media channels always subjected to mockery by everyone? Just because their practices are so transparent and in front of our eyes? What about the other organizations that are huge and indulge into practices that pose greater threats to the survival of human beings? For instance, take an industry that spills its waste materials into the environment and hence polluting it on a whole. Why don’t we judge their actions equally the way we do with media channels? Just because they are functioning at the back of the stage doesn’t mean they should not be pointed fingers at.
We should remember that the same media is covering the entire transmissions of coke studio, the spirit of cricket and the emotional attachment to it, our great heroes and legends etc. Why? Because that’s what we want to see. We should not forget that no channel can manipulate or sensationalize us unless we allow them to do so.
In a nut shell, if we want media to cover the positive aspects of our culture, should we not change our outlooks on issues pertaining to our culture and individuality?
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