well, i dreamed i saw the knights
in armor coming,
saying something about a queen.
there were peasants singing and
drummers drumming
and the archer split the tree.
there was a fanfare blowing
to the sun
that was floating on the breeze.
look at Mother Nature on the run
in the nineteen seventies.
look at Mother Nature on the run
in the nineteen seventies.
i was lying in a burned out basement
with the full moon in my eyes.
i was hoping for replacement
when the sun burst thru the sky.
there was a band playing in my head
and i felt like getting high.
i was thinking about what a
friend had said
i was hoping it was a lie.
thinking about what a
friend had said
i was hoping it was a lie.
well, i dreamed i saw the silver
space ships flying
in the yellow haze of the sun,
there were children crying
and colors flying
all around the chosen ones.
all in a dream, all in a dream
the loading had begun.
flying Mother Nature's
silver seed to a new home in the sun.
flying Mother Nature's
silver seed to a new home...
..just.. nice :)
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Monday, September 26, 2005
Friday, September 02, 2005
Friday, August 19, 2005
[ Janis ]
Janis Joplin was absolutely a barnstormer and a complete groundbreaker. She wasn't just a great woman in rock -- at the time she was the woman in rock. Janis really created this whole world of possibility for women in music: Without Janis Joplin, there would be no Melissa Etheridge. Without Janis, there would be no Chrissie Hynde, no Gwen Stefani. There would be no one.
I was a freshman or sophomore in high school when Janis first connected with me. Pearl was the first record I bought. I remember that I was kind of scared. I think that if Joni Mitchell gave me the idea that a woman could write about her life in a public forum, Janis gave me the idea that a woman could live a wild life and put that out there in a public forum, too. At the time, I was this very proper Catholic girl, and Janis was a frightening presence. But being scared didn't stop me from buying Janis' records, and it didn't stop me from wearing a black armband to school the day she died.
It's hard to imagine now the extent to which Janis was so completely shocking at the time. There had been blues singers who were wild and unrestrained -- but even they tended to be a little more buttoned-down than Janis. She always seemed on the verge of being totally out of control. Last summer, I watched the Monterey Pop Festival film for the first time in ages, and I was absolutely stunned by Janis. She had this focus that was relentless. She was a spectacle, like some kind of nuclear being bearing down on the crowd. In the film, you see Mama Cass at the end of Janis' performance just shaking her head, standing up and applauding, like, "Oh, my God, what just happened?" She had an unshakable commitment to her own truth, no matter how destructive, how weird or how bad. Nothing else seemed to matter. She was such an individual in the way she dressed, the way she sang, the way she lived. She loved her whiskey and made no bones about it. This was a full-blown one-of-a-kind woman -- no stylist, no publicist, no image-maker. It was just Janis.
The beauty and the power of Janis Joplin as a singer is her complete lack of fear. She held nothing back. She went to the edge every time she opened her mouth. She sang from her toes and from her soul. She could also destroy you when she got vulnerable, like on "Me and Bobby McGee," where you saw the little girl underneath. But through it all, Janis never lightened up. She didn't live long enough to lighten up. She was a very fierce, very beautiful bright light that burned out way, way too quickly.
~Rosanne Cash
for the boy who irretrievablely, irreversiblely brought music into my life. thank you- i will always love you, if only for that.
Janis Joplin was absolutely a barnstormer and a complete groundbreaker. She wasn't just a great woman in rock -- at the time she was the woman in rock. Janis really created this whole world of possibility for women in music: Without Janis Joplin, there would be no Melissa Etheridge. Without Janis, there would be no Chrissie Hynde, no Gwen Stefani. There would be no one.
I was a freshman or sophomore in high school when Janis first connected with me. Pearl was the first record I bought. I remember that I was kind of scared. I think that if Joni Mitchell gave me the idea that a woman could write about her life in a public forum, Janis gave me the idea that a woman could live a wild life and put that out there in a public forum, too. At the time, I was this very proper Catholic girl, and Janis was a frightening presence. But being scared didn't stop me from buying Janis' records, and it didn't stop me from wearing a black armband to school the day she died.
It's hard to imagine now the extent to which Janis was so completely shocking at the time. There had been blues singers who were wild and unrestrained -- but even they tended to be a little more buttoned-down than Janis. She always seemed on the verge of being totally out of control. Last summer, I watched the Monterey Pop Festival film for the first time in ages, and I was absolutely stunned by Janis. She had this focus that was relentless. She was a spectacle, like some kind of nuclear being bearing down on the crowd. In the film, you see Mama Cass at the end of Janis' performance just shaking her head, standing up and applauding, like, "Oh, my God, what just happened?" She had an unshakable commitment to her own truth, no matter how destructive, how weird or how bad. Nothing else seemed to matter. She was such an individual in the way she dressed, the way she sang, the way she lived. She loved her whiskey and made no bones about it. This was a full-blown one-of-a-kind woman -- no stylist, no publicist, no image-maker. It was just Janis.
The beauty and the power of Janis Joplin as a singer is her complete lack of fear. She held nothing back. She went to the edge every time she opened her mouth. She sang from her toes and from her soul. She could also destroy you when she got vulnerable, like on "Me and Bobby McGee," where you saw the little girl underneath. But through it all, Janis never lightened up. She didn't live long enough to lighten up. She was a very fierce, very beautiful bright light that burned out way, way too quickly.
~Rosanne Cash
for the boy who irretrievablely, irreversiblely brought music into my life. thank you- i will always love you, if only for that.
Thursday, July 21, 2005
[ gems. ]
KARACHI, July 20: The benefits of market economy through healthy competition have started trickling down...
lol. they sound so relieved, the poor bastards. Yes!! Mankiw and Freidman are Gods! The Free Market liiiiiiveeeesss!!!! :D
for all interested, the rest of the article from http://dawn.com/2005/07/21/local14.htm:
Calling cards facing tough competition
KARACHI, July 20: The benefits of market economy through healthy competition have started trickling down to the common man in several sectors, and the telecommunication sector is one where the cost of various services is constantly declining and, as a result, users are getting services on cheaper rates. An official of a major company in the telecommunication sector, while talking to the APP, said though there was no even playing field for various players within the telecommunication sector, there was still a tough competition going on.It would become tougher, he said, as more players enter the market forcing basic changes to be brought about and make money through economy of scale instead of skimming the market.He said the calling card business was loosing fascination and charm with which these had been launched in the beginning since most of the telecom service providers were offering long distance and international calling services at competitive rates as package and value added deals on their own networks.Responding to a query, he said, the first wireless phone working on the WLL was offering 99 paisas per minute as charges on nationwide and Rs4.99 per minute for international calls.Call charges within the country on the same net was already lowest at 40 paisas per minute, he said, adding that it would force others to bring down their rates to the same level.When asked if the said company had any hidden costs, he said the long distance and international (LDI) and wireless local loop (WLL) licenses had made it possible to offer such rates and make money from a broader clientele.Substantiating his statement, he said various players in the telecom sector were now focusing on widening their network so they could catch the leftover or the dry market.One such company, he said had planned to have 200,000 public call offices (PCO) by the end of the year at competitive rates, adding it would be a final nail in the coffin for calling card companies. Eventually, the PTCL would also have to reduce its calling rates, he observed.He said there was tremendous demand for new business and residential telephone services in many developing countries.More operators were looking to wireless technologies to rapidly provide thousands of new subscribers with high-quality telephone service at a reasonable price.Furthermore, new service providers could quickly deploy non-traditional WLL solutions to rapidly meet the community’s telephone needs.He said advanced technology had seriously challenged the monopoly of the state-owned entity, which was now entering the private sector and would be made to work according to market forces and competition.The arrival of the WLL in the country was playing an important role in the country’s social and economic development.The WLL-based phones, he explained, eliminated the need to put in place expensive copper wires and, therefore, could be installed in any locality.In fact, some analysts were of the view that the WLL was the ideal alternate to fixed line telephones.—APP
dedicated to Tina ;)
KARACHI, July 20: The benefits of market economy through healthy competition have started trickling down...
lol. they sound so relieved, the poor bastards. Yes!! Mankiw and Freidman are Gods! The Free Market liiiiiiveeeesss!!!! :D
for all interested, the rest of the article from http://dawn.com/2005/07/21/local14.htm:
Calling cards facing tough competition
KARACHI, July 20: The benefits of market economy through healthy competition have started trickling down to the common man in several sectors, and the telecommunication sector is one where the cost of various services is constantly declining and, as a result, users are getting services on cheaper rates. An official of a major company in the telecommunication sector, while talking to the APP, said though there was no even playing field for various players within the telecommunication sector, there was still a tough competition going on.It would become tougher, he said, as more players enter the market forcing basic changes to be brought about and make money through economy of scale instead of skimming the market.He said the calling card business was loosing fascination and charm with which these had been launched in the beginning since most of the telecom service providers were offering long distance and international calling services at competitive rates as package and value added deals on their own networks.Responding to a query, he said, the first wireless phone working on the WLL was offering 99 paisas per minute as charges on nationwide and Rs4.99 per minute for international calls.Call charges within the country on the same net was already lowest at 40 paisas per minute, he said, adding that it would force others to bring down their rates to the same level.When asked if the said company had any hidden costs, he said the long distance and international (LDI) and wireless local loop (WLL) licenses had made it possible to offer such rates and make money from a broader clientele.Substantiating his statement, he said various players in the telecom sector were now focusing on widening their network so they could catch the leftover or the dry market.One such company, he said had planned to have 200,000 public call offices (PCO) by the end of the year at competitive rates, adding it would be a final nail in the coffin for calling card companies. Eventually, the PTCL would also have to reduce its calling rates, he observed.He said there was tremendous demand for new business and residential telephone services in many developing countries.More operators were looking to wireless technologies to rapidly provide thousands of new subscribers with high-quality telephone service at a reasonable price.Furthermore, new service providers could quickly deploy non-traditional WLL solutions to rapidly meet the community’s telephone needs.He said advanced technology had seriously challenged the monopoly of the state-owned entity, which was now entering the private sector and would be made to work according to market forces and competition.The arrival of the WLL in the country was playing an important role in the country’s social and economic development.The WLL-based phones, he explained, eliminated the need to put in place expensive copper wires and, therefore, could be installed in any locality.In fact, some analysts were of the view that the WLL was the ideal alternate to fixed line telephones.—APP
dedicated to Tina ;)
Saturday, July 02, 2005
one night. one am. one car. three tipsy women and a nida. there's something bout khi :)
why do you build me up [build me up] buttercup, baby just to let me down let me down and mess me around and then worst of all (worst of all) you never call, baby when you say you will {say you will} but I love you still i need you - i need you - more than anyone, darlin' you know that i have from the start so build me up (build me up) Buttercup, don't break my hearrrttt...
Thursday, June 30, 2005
There was Eru, the One, who in Arda is called Ilúvatar; and he made first the Ainur, the Holy Ones, that were the offspring of his thought, and they were with him before aught else was made.
~The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien
In the beginning there was a river. The river became a road and the road branched out to the whole world. And because the road was once a river it was always hungry.
~the famished road, Ben Okri
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
[ karhi. ]
1/4 tsp. rye
1/4 tsp. zeera
1/2 tsp. lassan
karhi patta (about 5-6 leaves)
1 green chilly (fat, uncut, stemmed: the non-"chilly" variety.)
1/2 tsp. haldi
1/4 tsp. red chilly powder
oil
salt
Batter
1/2 cup dahi*
3/4 cup besan
1 tsp. salt
*preferably just a little tangy, borderline sour. the kind which can cause a bit of a tingle in that area at the back of your mouth.. the space between the ear and the jaw bone... where it is always nice to kiss and be kissed.
put the ingredients for the batter into a mixing bowl and add two cups of water. process the mixture anyway you like- fork, spoons, whisks, electric beaters, food processor- as long as you've got the lumps out.
heat oil in pan. considering you're going to be pouring in a good three four cups of water, make sure the pan is large. and make sure its hot. and make sure the oil is just the right amount, at just the right temperature. three-four tablespoons at medium heat for five mins should do it.
at this point, you reach a crucial juncture in family history. my mother only likes onions in moderation. my father was weaned on them. so my dadi would always throw in half a small chopped onion at this point until it turns from coral-pink-white to transparent-honey. in my opinion onions add great texture to just about anything, but if you dont agree, proceed to the next step.
toss in the rye and zeera. the flame should be low at this point, so as not to burn the stuff. add lassan paste. stir for a bit, then throw in the fat chilly. at this point something or the other is almost always burning, so add a bit of water. add red chilly powder and haldi, and then pour the contents of the batter while stirring. add another cup of water.
and then we add the karhi patta.
if you live in some far flung corner of the world that does not have karhi patta growing just about everywhere, youre going to have to settle for a dried/fried variety. drying and frying, while both excellent ways of preserving flavour, cannot compare to fresh karhi patta plucked from your (or the neighbour's) garden. unfortunately, this is where instructions cannot guide you anymore. to know how much karhi patta it will take to make the perfect karhi, you have to rely on intuition. does it smell powerful, potent- does the scent rub off on your fingers? does it kiss the back of your throat? then three or four big leaves will suffice. do you have to lean in, close your eyes, open your mouth and inhale before you can taste that faraway flavour of heat, lemon and spice? then you should throw in at least 6 leaves. it all depends.
stir the karhi for a minute. then leave it on a slow fire to cook, covered. check after five-ten minutes, it should thicken. check for salt, and then leave to cook for another twenty minutes. serve with rice, khichri* or eat plain, with bits of bread.
*for best results, scoop khichri into a mound on your plate. very carefully create a hole in the centre of the mound, to make a well. pour karhi into the well. and then mash the whole thing up.
while it is uncertain whether this does anything for the taste, two 3-year-olds (now 20) will testify that it does enhance the experience.
1/4 tsp. rye
1/4 tsp. zeera
1/2 tsp. lassan
karhi patta (about 5-6 leaves)
1 green chilly (fat, uncut, stemmed: the non-"chilly" variety.)
1/2 tsp. haldi
1/4 tsp. red chilly powder
oil
salt
Batter
1/2 cup dahi*
3/4 cup besan
1 tsp. salt
*preferably just a little tangy, borderline sour. the kind which can cause a bit of a tingle in that area at the back of your mouth.. the space between the ear and the jaw bone... where it is always nice to kiss and be kissed.
put the ingredients for the batter into a mixing bowl and add two cups of water. process the mixture anyway you like- fork, spoons, whisks, electric beaters, food processor- as long as you've got the lumps out.
heat oil in pan. considering you're going to be pouring in a good three four cups of water, make sure the pan is large. and make sure its hot. and make sure the oil is just the right amount, at just the right temperature. three-four tablespoons at medium heat for five mins should do it.
at this point, you reach a crucial juncture in family history. my mother only likes onions in moderation. my father was weaned on them. so my dadi would always throw in half a small chopped onion at this point until it turns from coral-pink-white to transparent-honey. in my opinion onions add great texture to just about anything, but if you dont agree, proceed to the next step.
toss in the rye and zeera. the flame should be low at this point, so as not to burn the stuff. add lassan paste. stir for a bit, then throw in the fat chilly. at this point something or the other is almost always burning, so add a bit of water. add red chilly powder and haldi, and then pour the contents of the batter while stirring. add another cup of water.
and then we add the karhi patta.
if you live in some far flung corner of the world that does not have karhi patta growing just about everywhere, youre going to have to settle for a dried/fried variety. drying and frying, while both excellent ways of preserving flavour, cannot compare to fresh karhi patta plucked from your (or the neighbour's) garden. unfortunately, this is where instructions cannot guide you anymore. to know how much karhi patta it will take to make the perfect karhi, you have to rely on intuition. does it smell powerful, potent- does the scent rub off on your fingers? does it kiss the back of your throat? then three or four big leaves will suffice. do you have to lean in, close your eyes, open your mouth and inhale before you can taste that faraway flavour of heat, lemon and spice? then you should throw in at least 6 leaves. it all depends.
stir the karhi for a minute. then leave it on a slow fire to cook, covered. check after five-ten minutes, it should thicken. check for salt, and then leave to cook for another twenty minutes. serve with rice, khichri* or eat plain, with bits of bread.
*for best results, scoop khichri into a mound on your plate. very carefully create a hole in the centre of the mound, to make a well. pour karhi into the well. and then mash the whole thing up.
while it is uncertain whether this does anything for the taste, two 3-year-olds (now 20) will testify that it does enhance the experience.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Satellite
ending,
beginning- the
sum of parts and the whole
leave; enter, fight
escape. Blend, mix
dance and play and
hurt each other, so gently
that they laugh in
astonishment. No tears.
tears are for flavoring kisses
of farewell, so sweet but
so incomplete without
that sad, salty trickle of
fear… transit room boarding
passes loading space shuttles
flying off into the great unknown
and both of us remain
here but I’m still alone
without you, spinning
satellite. more moving
more pushing shoving
take no luggage,
leave no bags
of love, and
sorrow
all the memories of
walking down empty
morning beaches, finally
figuring it out… memories
of the times we never
had.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
[ if you haven't, go hear it already. ]
Saying I love you
Is not the words I want to hear from you
It’s not that I want you
Not to say, but if you only knew
How easy it would be to show me how you feel
More than words is all you have to do to make it real
Then you wouldn’t have to say that you love me
Cos I’d already know
What would you do if my heart was torn in two
More than words to show you feel
That your love for me is real
What would you say if I took those words away
Then you couldn’t make things new
Just by saying I love you
Now I’ve tried to talk to you and make you understand
All you have to do is close your eyes
And just reach out your hands and touch me
Hold me close don’t ever let me go
More than words is all I ever needed you to show
Then you wouldn’t have to say that you love me
Cos I’d already know
What would you do if my heart was torn in two
More than words to show you feel
That your love for me is real
What would you say if I took those words away
Then you couldn’t make things new
Just by saying I love you
~Extreme
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
in the clearing stands a boxer, and a fighter by his trade and he carries the reminders of every glove that laid him down or cut him ’til he cried out in his anger and his shame i am leaving, i am leaving, but the fighter still remains... yes he still remains.
li la li, li lalala li la li, li la li, li lalala li la li, lalalala li, li lalala li la li, li la li, li lalala li la li, lalalala li, li lalala li la li, li la li, li lalala li la li, lalalala li, li lalala li la li, li la li, li lalala li la li, lalalala li, li lalala li la li, li la li, li lalala li la li, lalalala li, li lalala li la li, li la li, li lalala li la li, lalalala li, li lalala li la li, li la li, li lalala li la li, lalalala li, li lalala li la li, li la li, li lalala li la li, lalalala li....
li la li, li lalala li la li, li la li, li lalala li la li, lalalala li, li lalala li la li, li la li, li lalala li la li, lalalala li, li lalala li la li, li la li, li lalala li la li, lalalala li, li lalala li la li, li la li, li lalala li la li, lalalala li, li lalala li la li, li la li, li lalala li la li, lalalala li, li lalala li la li, li la li, li lalala li la li, lalalala li, li lalala li la li, li la li, li lalala li la li, lalalala li, li lalala li la li, li la li, li lalala li la li, lalalala li....
Sunday, May 15, 2005
[ forgive me a cruel chuckle. ]
who'dda thunk i'd be endorsing F-16s.
i guess i know how they felt when women could finally smoke in public. its terrible, it shouldn't be done, but if it means thumbing the patriarchal system, i guess you'll get a grin out of me.
so, while hello kitty and the like have apoplectic fits, allow me to introduce you to the new face of the Pakistan Air Force ...
Saba Khan
'Equals'
The air force academy is still male-dominated, and it's not clear what the real feelings of the male cadets have been to the induction of women onto the fighter pilot programme.
Officially, most have welcomed the move.
But when one male cadet said the women should be shown compassion, female cadet Saman Ahmed was swift to say they were there to compete on equal terms.
"We don't expect compassion, we don't get compassion, and we don't want compassion," she said.
And this confidence is not without reason for Cadet Ahmed has already won praise in her engineering studies, beating both men and women.
Her excellence is not confined to the classroom, either.
During a rifle exercise, I watched as she shot all five bullets right in the bull's eye.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4533367.stm
so from the thousands of women who cradled their babies in one arm and their kalashnikovs in the other and faced the men in their war machines, we now have women flying the war machines. historically, wars have meant greater participation for women.. but so have revolutions. and its great (i guess) that women are now, "finally" part of this whole mad war, but they've been part of the revolution for so many more years...
in reterospect, the last thing we need is die-hard feminists going like "yay, we can be fighter pilots now, patriarchy's finally dying out, pakistan's finally become more moderate".. for god's sake, no its not. hatch as many "conspiracy" stories you want (musharraf wants the army to be looked upon as "liberal," theyre making a few concessions to the west, its just affirmative action, whatever)... ultimately, stuff like this just distracts us from the real battle.
roger dat, houston. over and out ;)
who'dda thunk i'd be endorsing F-16s.
i guess i know how they felt when women could finally smoke in public. its terrible, it shouldn't be done, but if it means thumbing the patriarchal system, i guess you'll get a grin out of me.
so, while hello kitty and the like have apoplectic fits, allow me to introduce you to the new face of the Pakistan Air Force ...
Saba Khan'Equals'
The air force academy is still male-dominated, and it's not clear what the real feelings of the male cadets have been to the induction of women onto the fighter pilot programme.
Officially, most have welcomed the move.
But when one male cadet said the women should be shown compassion, female cadet Saman Ahmed was swift to say they were there to compete on equal terms.
"We don't expect compassion, we don't get compassion, and we don't want compassion," she said.
And this confidence is not without reason for Cadet Ahmed has already won praise in her engineering studies, beating both men and women.
Her excellence is not confined to the classroom, either.
During a rifle exercise, I watched as she shot all five bullets right in the bull's eye.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4533367.stm
so from the thousands of women who cradled their babies in one arm and their kalashnikovs in the other and faced the men in their war machines, we now have women flying the war machines. historically, wars have meant greater participation for women.. but so have revolutions. and its great (i guess) that women are now, "finally" part of this whole mad war, but they've been part of the revolution for so many more years...
in reterospect, the last thing we need is die-hard feminists going like "yay, we can be fighter pilots now, patriarchy's finally dying out, pakistan's finally become more moderate".. for god's sake, no its not. hatch as many "conspiracy" stories you want (musharraf wants the army to be looked upon as "liberal," theyre making a few concessions to the west, its just affirmative action, whatever)... ultimately, stuff like this just distracts us from the real battle.
roger dat, houston. over and out ;)
Friday, April 29, 2005
[ a corporate story. ]
so one morning in good old lums, we open our eyes and see this
and this
and this
and this
now, naturally, those of us who
a) know that advertising, selling or endorsing tobacco within 5 miles of a university campus is explicitly prohibited by law
b) dont like a bunch of ugly men with puppoo sideburns and shiny white teeth staring at us
were obviously very, very annoyed. and many of us are smokers, however we know that at the end of the day tobacco is tobacco (a carcinogenic drug, not a pretty little plant), PTC is big tobacco (affiliated with the British-American Tobacco company), and the only reason THEY still have a business is because of their advertising, governement pay-offs, and our dedicated chain smokers. so lets be honest. if PTC wants recruits to sell, manage, manufacture and advertise their tobacco, we'll give em something better. many many very very happy happy SMOKERS!!!! :D
at the end of the day, it was just a move to slam the hypocrisy of our administration in their face. for those of us who know lums history and the babar ali foundation, we know that this joint was established as a manufacturing plant for yuppies. in the 80's big business needed dedicated young managers in their outlets in pakistan, and the Lahore University of Management Sciences was set up to provide just that. for those of us who study here, it is becoming increasingly obvious that the highest bidder owns the walls, pillers, arches, and any other sqaure foot of advertising space in this uni- no questions asked- while our societies scrimp and struggle to get a single banner or poster up to advertise a sports tourney, or a mela... and even those are confined to specific softboards. this isnt the first incidence of corporatization of this campus: PnG, unilever, Nestle are in our faces twenty-four/seven. and you might argue that- well, what do you expect- a business is a business. yes, but then people's power is people's power. moreover, while some people might not be aware of the creepy underbelly of happy-happy brands like Nestle and PnG that own everything from your butter to your toothpaste, the tobacco issue is blatant.
thanks.. adeel, emad, izhar... good work :D
i made the poster in the labs at about 12. qasim and i got it signed by azmatullah (it says "SUPPORT British-American Tobacco," after all) at 1, and by 1:30 there were thirty of these all over the place. at 3:00 ammara decides that confining ourselves to softboards is useless, and slaps one on one of those standing banners that you see there. very effective. you know where it said "you know who you are, but who do you want to be?".. she took a piece of paper and wrote in huge letters "CANCER PATIENT", and stuck it at the bottom :D
twenty minutes later, a huge suited booted guy comes around, does a double take at the poster and rips it off, shaking his head, muttering "this is such bad publicity.."
twenty minutes later, the posters mysteriously reappear... :P
by 5 pm, everyones confused. who put these up? who keeps putting these up? qasim and i go around and meet the PTC guys... salaam, shake hands, take pics etc :P
azmatullah came running up at that point, with a bunch of torn down posters in his hands. apparently, some MBA faculty member had FINALLY gotten it, and called azmatuallah up and asked him to take them down.... beychaara, he was obviously very confused and kept asking us.. iss mey kuch ghalat to nahin likha hai?
the next day, at 6:30 we meet the vice chancellor (they still dont know we did it, we went voluntarily). he informs us that sending such confusing messages was unethical on the part of the miscreants.. that some society should have endorsed it.. and that "if you have an anti-smoking campaign, ill be right behind you!" they LOVE the idea of these little channels of communication ... they wont support dissent, but they'll loudly tell us to "voice your opinion". dont have protests... have debates, have little little petitions with lots of nice signatures. they wont answer straight... there was no mention of responsibility of the admin to the students, no.. "the students can start a program where you make one smoker into a non smoker everyday!!" ohh goody gumdrops i feel so much better knowing that its so freaking easy getting hard smokers to quit gee whiz thank you for your ignorance, sir...
hassan j and qasim kept their cool and decided that the green light to "express any opinion" is all we really needed. and we will start an awareness campaign about smoking. however, i still maintain that there was no time, during this whole process, to make our point in any way other than what we did. we went in with the explicit purpose of embarrassing and slamming both the PTC (for sheer audacity, if nothing else,) and the LUMS admin (who probably thought no one would notice, that no one would care...). and we'll take your debates, and your petitions, and we'll make you honor them, no less.. all in good time.
but this was just sneaky. touche. :)
nausheen... thanks so much for the pics :)
so one morning in good old lums, we open our eyes and see this
and this
and this
and this
now, naturally, those of us who
a) know that advertising, selling or endorsing tobacco within 5 miles of a university campus is explicitly prohibited by law
b) dont like a bunch of ugly men with puppoo sideburns and shiny white teeth staring at us
were obviously very, very annoyed. and many of us are smokers, however we know that at the end of the day tobacco is tobacco (a carcinogenic drug, not a pretty little plant), PTC is big tobacco (affiliated with the British-American Tobacco company), and the only reason THEY still have a business is because of their advertising, governement pay-offs, and our dedicated chain smokers. so lets be honest. if PTC wants recruits to sell, manage, manufacture and advertise their tobacco, we'll give em something better. many many very very happy happy SMOKERS!!!! :D
at the end of the day, it was just a move to slam the hypocrisy of our administration in their face. for those of us who know lums history and the babar ali foundation, we know that this joint was established as a manufacturing plant for yuppies. in the 80's big business needed dedicated young managers in their outlets in pakistan, and the Lahore University of Management Sciences was set up to provide just that. for those of us who study here, it is becoming increasingly obvious that the highest bidder owns the walls, pillers, arches, and any other sqaure foot of advertising space in this uni- no questions asked- while our societies scrimp and struggle to get a single banner or poster up to advertise a sports tourney, or a mela... and even those are confined to specific softboards. this isnt the first incidence of corporatization of this campus: PnG, unilever, Nestle are in our faces twenty-four/seven. and you might argue that- well, what do you expect- a business is a business. yes, but then people's power is people's power. moreover, while some people might not be aware of the creepy underbelly of happy-happy brands like Nestle and PnG that own everything from your butter to your toothpaste, the tobacco issue is blatant.
thanks.. adeel, emad, izhar... good work :D
i made the poster in the labs at about 12. qasim and i got it signed by azmatullah (it says "SUPPORT British-American Tobacco," after all) at 1, and by 1:30 there were thirty of these all over the place. at 3:00 ammara decides that confining ourselves to softboards is useless, and slaps one on one of those standing banners that you see there. very effective. you know where it said "you know who you are, but who do you want to be?".. she took a piece of paper and wrote in huge letters "CANCER PATIENT", and stuck it at the bottom :D
twenty minutes later, a huge suited booted guy comes around, does a double take at the poster and rips it off, shaking his head, muttering "this is such bad publicity.."
twenty minutes later, the posters mysteriously reappear... :P
by 5 pm, everyones confused. who put these up? who keeps putting these up? qasim and i go around and meet the PTC guys... salaam, shake hands, take pics etc :P
azmatullah came running up at that point, with a bunch of torn down posters in his hands. apparently, some MBA faculty member had FINALLY gotten it, and called azmatuallah up and asked him to take them down.... beychaara, he was obviously very confused and kept asking us.. iss mey kuch ghalat to nahin likha hai?
the next day, at 6:30 we meet the vice chancellor (they still dont know we did it, we went voluntarily). he informs us that sending such confusing messages was unethical on the part of the miscreants.. that some society should have endorsed it.. and that "if you have an anti-smoking campaign, ill be right behind you!" they LOVE the idea of these little channels of communication ... they wont support dissent, but they'll loudly tell us to "voice your opinion". dont have protests... have debates, have little little petitions with lots of nice signatures. they wont answer straight... there was no mention of responsibility of the admin to the students, no.. "the students can start a program where you make one smoker into a non smoker everyday!!" ohh goody gumdrops i feel so much better knowing that its so freaking easy getting hard smokers to quit gee whiz thank you for your ignorance, sir...
hassan j and qasim kept their cool and decided that the green light to "express any opinion" is all we really needed. and we will start an awareness campaign about smoking. however, i still maintain that there was no time, during this whole process, to make our point in any way other than what we did. we went in with the explicit purpose of embarrassing and slamming both the PTC (for sheer audacity, if nothing else,) and the LUMS admin (who probably thought no one would notice, that no one would care...). and we'll take your debates, and your petitions, and we'll make you honor them, no less.. all in good time.
but this was just sneaky. touche. :)
nausheen... thanks so much for the pics :)
Thursday, April 21, 2005
[ mmm.. ]
there's something about the
there's something about the
look in your eyes
something i noticed when the light was
just right
it reminded me twice that i was alive
and it reminded me that
you're so worth the fight
im beginning to notice how much this feels like a waking limb, pins and needles
im beginning to notice how much this feels like a waking limb, pins and needles
adecadeago, i neverthoughtiwouldbe, atwentythree, onthevergeofspontaneouscombustionWoe-is-me.But iguess thatitcomeswiththeterritory; anominouslandscape ofnever ending calamityI need you to hear, I need you to see that I havehad all I can take andexploding seemslikea
so pardon me while i
could you show me, dear?
killthequeenandcrushthehive
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
[ this funk the feelin that you stay for ]
Fellas, I'm ready to get up and do my thing... I wanta get into it, man, you know.. Like a, like a sex machine, man, movin' and doin' it, you know... Can I count it off?
One, two, three, four!
Get up, (get on up) get up, (get on up) stay on the scene, (get on up), like a sex machine, (get on up) get up, (get on up) get up, (get on up) stay on the scene, (get on up), like a sex machine, (get on up) get up, (get on up) stay on the scene, (get on up), like a sex machine, (get on up)
Wait a minute!
Shake your arm, then use your form
Stay on the scene like a sex machine
You got to have the feeling sure as you're born
Get it together, right on, right on.
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Hah!
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
You said, you said you got the,
You said the feeling,
You said the feeling you got to get
You give me the fever 'n' a cold sweat.
The way i like, it is the way it is,
I got mine 'n' don't worry 'bout his
Get up, (get on up) stay on the scene, (get on up), like a sex machine, (get on up) get up, (get on up) get up, (get on up)
Bobby! Should I take 'em to the bridge?
(Go Ahead!)
Take 'em on to the bridge!
(Take em to the bridge!)
Should I take 'em to the bridge?
(Yeah!)
Take 'em to the bridge?
(Go Ahead!)
Hit me now!
Come on!
Stay on the scene, like a sex machine!
The way I like it is, is the way it is
I got mine, (dig it!), he got his
Stay on the scene, like a lovin' machine
Stay on the scene, like a lovin' machine
Stay on the scene
I wanna count it off one more time now
(Go ahead!)
You wanna hear it like it did on the top fellas?
(Yeah!)
Hear it like it did on the top?
(Yeah!)
Hit it now!
Get on up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Get on up, (get on up)
Stay on the scene, (get on up), like a lovin' machine, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Taste, (get on up)
Bein', (get on up)
Taste, (get on up)
Bein', (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Stay on the scene, (get on up), like a sex machine, (get on up)
You gotta have the feelin, (get on up)
Sure as you're born, (get on up)
Get it together, right on, right on
right on, right on, (right on, right on)
right on, right on, (right on, right on)
right on, right on, (right on, right on)
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
And then, shake your money maker,
Shake your money maker, shake your money maker, shake your money maker, shake your money maker, shake your money maker, shake your money maker
Get up, (get on up)... get up, (get on up)... get up, (get on up)... get up, (get on up)... get up, (get on up)
Huh!
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Can we hit it like we did one more time, from the top
Can we hit like that one more time
(One more time!)
One more time!
Let's hit it and quit! (Go ahead!)
Can we hit it and quit? (Yeah!)
Can we hit it and quit? (Yeah!)
Can we hit it and quit? (Yeah!)
Hit it!
~ James im-black-n-im-PROUD! Brown
Fellas, I'm ready to get up and do my thing... I wanta get into it, man, you know.. Like a, like a sex machine, man, movin' and doin' it, you know... Can I count it off?
One, two, three, four!
Get up, (get on up) get up, (get on up) stay on the scene, (get on up), like a sex machine, (get on up) get up, (get on up) get up, (get on up) stay on the scene, (get on up), like a sex machine, (get on up) get up, (get on up) stay on the scene, (get on up), like a sex machine, (get on up)
Wait a minute!
Shake your arm, then use your form
Stay on the scene like a sex machine
You got to have the feeling sure as you're born
Get it together, right on, right on.
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Hah!
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
You said, you said you got the,
You said the feeling,
You said the feeling you got to get
You give me the fever 'n' a cold sweat.
The way i like, it is the way it is,
I got mine 'n' don't worry 'bout his
Get up, (get on up) stay on the scene, (get on up), like a sex machine, (get on up) get up, (get on up) get up, (get on up)
Bobby! Should I take 'em to the bridge?
(Go Ahead!)
Take 'em on to the bridge!
(Take em to the bridge!)
Should I take 'em to the bridge?
(Yeah!)
Take 'em to the bridge?
(Go Ahead!)
Hit me now!
Come on!
Stay on the scene, like a sex machine!
The way I like it is, is the way it is
I got mine, (dig it!), he got his
Stay on the scene, like a lovin' machine
Stay on the scene, like a lovin' machine
Stay on the scene
I wanna count it off one more time now
(Go ahead!)
You wanna hear it like it did on the top fellas?
(Yeah!)
Hear it like it did on the top?
(Yeah!)
Hit it now!
Get on up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Get on up, (get on up)
Stay on the scene, (get on up), like a lovin' machine, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Taste, (get on up)
Bein', (get on up)
Taste, (get on up)
Bein', (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Stay on the scene, (get on up), like a sex machine, (get on up)
You gotta have the feelin, (get on up)
Sure as you're born, (get on up)
Get it together, right on, right on
right on, right on, (right on, right on)
right on, right on, (right on, right on)
right on, right on, (right on, right on)
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
And then, shake your money maker,
Shake your money maker, shake your money maker, shake your money maker, shake your money maker, shake your money maker, shake your money maker
Get up, (get on up)... get up, (get on up)... get up, (get on up)... get up, (get on up)... get up, (get on up)
Huh!
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Get up, (get on up)
Can we hit it like we did one more time, from the top
Can we hit like that one more time
(One more time!)
One more time!
Let's hit it and quit! (Go ahead!)
Can we hit it and quit? (Yeah!)
Can we hit it and quit? (Yeah!)
Can we hit it and quit? (Yeah!)
Hit it!
~ James im-black-n-im-PROUD! Brown
Sunday, February 20, 2005
“
One of the (sub)-themes running through Woolf's [A Room of One's Own] is the "convention... that publicity in women is detestable." As a result, "anonymity run's in [women's] blood. The desire to be veiled still possesses them."
”
~Kofi Owusu
remember once.. i had asked you.. if were alright for me to cover myself (as i often do, when going to the market, when stepping into public spaces) and we agreed, that yes, i can and i may...
but you must detest it. as much as they detest your presence in their public. and by THEM yes, i mean men, and women who agree to live by Man's religion and Man's economy and Man's rules... made by that Man-God, the Tyrant...
Monday, February 14, 2005
[ opp. sector u, dha, lhr. ]
And the women tug their hair
Like they’re trying to prove it won’t fall out
And all the men are gargoyles
Dipped long in irish stout
The whole place is pickled
The people are pickles for sure
And no-one knows if they’ve done more here
Than they ever would do in a jar
This could be rotterdam or anywhere
Liverpool or rome
’cause rotterdam is anywhere
Anywhere alone
Anywhere alone
And everyone is blonde
And everyone is beautiful
And when blondes and beautiful are multiple
They become so dull and dutiful
And when faced with dull and dutiful
They fire red warning flares
Battle-khaki personality
With red underwear
This could be rotterdam or anywhere
Liverpool or rome
’cause rotterdam is anywhere
Anywhere alone
Anywhere alone
The whole place is pickled
The people are pickles for sure
And no-one knows if they’ve done more here
Than they ever would do in a jar
This could be rotterdam or anywhere
Liverpool or rome
’cause rotterdam is anywhere
Anywhere alone
This could be rotterdam or anywhere
Liverpool or rome
’cause rotterdam is anywhere
Anywhere alone
~beautiful south
And the women tug their hair
Like they’re trying to prove it won’t fall out
And all the men are gargoyles
Dipped long in irish stout
The whole place is pickled
The people are pickles for sure
And no-one knows if they’ve done more here
Than they ever would do in a jar
This could be rotterdam or anywhere
Liverpool or rome
’cause rotterdam is anywhere
Anywhere alone
Anywhere alone
And everyone is blonde
And everyone is beautiful
And when blondes and beautiful are multiple
They become so dull and dutiful
And when faced with dull and dutiful
They fire red warning flares
Battle-khaki personality
With red underwear
This could be rotterdam or anywhere
Liverpool or rome
’cause rotterdam is anywhere
Anywhere alone
Anywhere alone
The whole place is pickled
The people are pickles for sure
And no-one knows if they’ve done more here
Than they ever would do in a jar
This could be rotterdam or anywhere
Liverpool or rome
’cause rotterdam is anywhere
Anywhere alone
This could be rotterdam or anywhere
Liverpool or rome
’cause rotterdam is anywhere
Anywhere alone
~beautiful south
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
the bullet hit the back of her at the exact instant the coffee cup touched her lips. in all honesty it was absolutely fascinating, the way it seared through her skull so that you could almost hear it straining against the metal, bone and flesh and carving another door at the end, smashing straight into the unsipped-first-sip of gently steaming coffee.
and i do believe she heard the explosion as it happened. and that if you reassembled her face, stuck it back with elfy you'd see that her lips were twisted into the first smile in a long, long time. and if you'd known her for many, many years before, you'd realise that the only way you could possibly know whats inside her mind was by putting a bullet through her head. i peered inside, half expecting to see the hard, heavy locks and bolts she used to keep everything to herself. half expecting to see a mind undergoing metamorphosis, struggling to become more resiliant, more insensitive, more... 'male'.
i dont think she ever realised that there was a paradox in her ardent misogynism. she wasnt the profound sort. she probably didnt even realise that she was battling aganst her femininty to get ahead, snapping out ideas, flaring at the slightest provocation. rage is a wonderful thing. only the truly violent can understand the rush of irrational anger, the exquisite, trembling fear of having gone too far- it feels like running off a cliff. it feels like the air would, if there were only air around you. then you fall, of course, but you'll be surprised at how thick skinned some professional violents can be. she found herself addicted to this game; her addiction grew with the number of people who began to fear her moods, respect her dedication... loathe her acerbic tongue. and because we still live in the real, un-politically-correct world and prejdices are woven into the fabric of our skin, these traits were seen as, if not completely male, then definately less female. ruthless. thats the word. thats what she was going for- ruthless. minimum family, spartan living conditions, no husband-kids-and-a-dog, and yet people in movies always handled it so much better. the charred fragments of her brain revealed nothing of the hunger and fatigue every day, every night. they told nothing of the fact that no matter how far you went in this world, you would always only be second-best. and that you could never possibly excel at a game in which they tailor to their own suiting, and make their own rules. and if there was a fuel to this fire, it would be the rage she felt evertime someone felt sorry for her. or helped her. or said "dont push yourself so hard"... they might as well have said "you cant handle it".
but, she reflected, none of this would be revealed by a bullet. or an axe. or anyother weapon designed by man to spilt her head into half. gentler, subtler, much more powerful forces of love, compassion, friendship were left undiscovered by her and those around her.
the coffee cup left her lips and was set carefully on the table. two strong arms folded firmly before her as she leaned closer, fixing the man in front of her with a peircing, cool glare.
".... i refuse to compromise on this..."
Monday, January 31, 2005
so much blood i'm starting to drown
runs from cold to colder
time to time the sky's come down
to help me lose my way
tears and lies for answers
you and open veins, god knows i'm gone
girl i just want you to
come on down
lord it's a storm and i'm heading to fall
these sins are mine and i've done wrong, oh babe
come on down
long gone day
mmmm, who ever said
we wash away with the rain
see you all from time to time
isn't it so strange
how far away we all are now
am i the only one who remembers that summer
oh, i remember
everyday each time the place was saved
the music that we made
the wind has carried all of that away
long gone day
mmmm, who ever said
we wash away with the rain
so many tears i'm starting to drown
the rain in heaven's all come down
silver spoons affix the crown
the luckless ones are broken
fears and lies for answers
you and open flames
god knows i'm gone
and i just want you to
come on down, hmmm
lord it's a storm and i'm heading to fall
these sins are mine and i've done wrong
i want you to, oh, i just want you to
come on down
i fear again, like then, i've lost my way
and shout to god to bring my sunny day
~mad season
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