Online filtering, the sneaky enemy…

The internet is wonderful. There is no question about that.

However, thanks to a random comment on my blog contact page, I have come across this link:

http://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles.html

I would recommend a view, and a read of the comments underneath as well if possible. It comes with subtitles and everything, so hopefully it should not be a problem.

I was also asked my comments on the matter.

I grew up in Pakistan, and it is almost common knowledge that most you are told there is what you are ‘supposed to know’ rather than ‘entitled’ to know. History has been written by the rulers of the country, religion has been mixed with culture, and culture has been made this big thing, and aah well, I better not start.

So, yeah. In a weird way, I am used to being presented filtered information. Luckily perhaps, I have also learnt to notice the signs, and possibly filter the information out, and look at false information as a cynic.

Does that mean all this is correct? Of course not. It isn’t. Does it restrict our quest to gain knowledge? Yes it does. Is it fair? Of course not!

What to do about it though? I most probably don’t have the answer to that, but it is sometimes easier than we think it is.

Keep your eyes open. Make sure you have more than one source. Be open to different ideas. Be a sceptic. Question everything. I know it is a lot more effort, but hey, the internet is controlled by the same people all other media are controlled by. It may seem more open and honest, but hey, internet is what created all those old pervert men pretending to be innocent girls on chat rooms. Internet gave lying a new platform. And sadly, it is around us. And then there are the internet trolls, the people who are intent on blindly making everyone sharing the same opinion as them, or be condemned to internet hell.

A disappointing verdict, I am afraid, but hey, this is how things are. Be careful of what you absorb. And be safe!

Pakistani food in UK: Eating out

I have lived in Oxford for a little over two years now, and lived in the UK for about 6 years now. In this series of articles I will try to explain to my readers in Pakistan what life is like in the UK, and of course in the lovely city of Oxford.

I will begin with something that is close to my heart. Being from Lahore, food is one of the biggest joys known to me. In the first article, I will talk about Eating out. The second article will be about cooking food.

And this is where I have very disappointing news. While you can get very good food in UK, it does not compare to the food you get in Pakistan.

There are also certain things that are very different in terms of food here than they are in the UK.

Fast foods such as McDonalds, KFC, etc.

Fast food places like McDonalds and KFC are a lot cheaper in the UK than they are in Pakistan. For that reason, they are also considered quite cheap. Normally they are considered a place to grab a quick bite, but not really meet someone and have a chat. The good thing is that they have quite a few Halal options, especially the places which have bigger Muslim populations.

A typical meal costs you about £5.00 but cheaper snacks can be had for £2.00.

Kebabs

A kebab in Pakistan is what we consider ‘good’ food. You would happily invite someone over for dinner and treat them to Kebabs. A bit of roasted chicken, maybe. You know the drill. Serve with some salad, lovely fresh naans, and an assortment of chutneys, and you are on to a winner.

Not so in the UK. A kebab is considered something British people only eat after a night out, where they are too drunk to notice any flavour. It is cheap, the kebab shops are open till late, and the kebab shop guys would quickly throw some meat on to pita bread with some sauces and hand it to you. More often than not, this is not a good meal. They also lack decent sitting space, which means you may not want to sit there and have your food.

Not all is lost though. Most of these shops are Halal and are quite cheap. Also, if you happen to find a good one, you can actually get a pretty decent meal out of them. There are a few chains that can be found in the UK that offer a decent grub. Not great, but decent. Dixy Chicken, who also tried a hand in Lahore, is one. There are others such as Chicken Cottage and Kebabish.

What you get in these Kebab shops are Doner and chicken kebabs off of a rolling skewer, much like the Shawarma people have in Pakistan. You also get other things, such as shish kebabs, and different types of burgers.

While it is rare, some of them do make fresh naans.

A typical meal costs about £5.00 but you can have a burger for about £2.00.

Nandos

I put Nandos after the above two because I remember Nandos being very expensive in Pakistan. In the UK, it is good because it has more Halal outlets than any other food chain in the UK. It basically serves its purpose as a slightly glorified Kebab shop. The food is fairly good, and while I did not go to Nandos much in Pakistan, I imagine it is the same quality if not better here. It is more expensive than the above two though.

A typical meal would cost you anything between £5.00 to £7.00.

Indian

There is an assortment of restaurants here called Indian restaurants, and British absolutely love going to them. This is quite ironical as most of those are owned by Bangladeshi people. They would happily invite you out with them to go to one, and ask you questions and treat you like an expert there. They also love their curries, but beware, the curries you will get served are different from what you get in Pakistan. Most curries are the English versions of the curries, and because of the Bengali ownership, you get a lot of Bengali dishes as well.

The most popular dish in the UK is called Chicken Tikka Masala. Now before you squint your eyes at that name, it is purely a British dish. However, since they cook a lot of it, it is not a bad thing to try. Most other dishes are very mild. Other are totally different to what you expect. For example, while a Karrahi is still something of a mild Karrahi, a Korma in the UK is a very white/yellow looking thing which is very mild. More like a butter chicken or Chicken Makhani.

Once again most of these are Halal as well, and you do pay a bit more, per head it costs you about £10 but it can make a good night out.

PS you are always served Poppadums at the start of a meal with an assortment of chutneys and pickles. While this is not practised in Pakistan, this does make a good appetizer.

They also serve a few kinds of naans, which can be quite good.

Pub food

While this may sound harsh to the Brit, the closest thing you get to dhabba food in UK is pub food. And yes, a pub is not just for drinking beer and getting drunk. In fact I find a good pub is the best place to have lunch. While there is no such thing as a Halal Pub, you can have a few Fish options, as well as loads of Vegetarian options. Read the menu carefully as some things may have elements of alcohol in them. You can always ask the person serving you about these things as well. It also gives you a chance to chat to the locals.

Pubs are also a good place to get a bit of English food.

Meal can cost you between 5 and 10.

Italian

Italian food is very tasty. That is simply a fact. It does not seem so in Pakistan, but mainly because we do not have many good restaurants there. The one thing you have to be careful of is the use of pig based products. The safest option is to stick with vegetarian options. Mushroom risottos, pastas, and various pizzas make great food.

There are not many Halal options, but you may come across a rare few.

Meal will cost you on average about 7 to 8 pounds.

Chinese

Chinese food is very different in the UK. However, one does get used to it. There are a few Halal options out there. Most of these cook food in the Pakistani style we are used to eating. Mostly Chinese food can cost you about 5-6 pounds per meal.

Other cuisines

England has a lot of nations living in it. Hence, a lot of different types of restaurants exist that offer you everything from Libyan, Arabic, and Russian to Jamaican, Polish and French foods. Feel free to try these out, but make sure you know what you have ordered. It is more complicated than you think it is.

Ordering Protocols

It is quite common to order Appetizers before a meal, a main course, and a pudding (sweet dish). You can ask the waiter to bring the appetizer and main together, as that is what we are more used to in Pakistan.

Also if you are eating in a Chinese/Thai restaurant, it is customary to eat food with chopsticks. However, feel free to ask for a spoon/fork.

Giving a tip is up to you, and a sum of 10% of the bill works well. Ideally, pay tip in cash, because if you add it on a card, there is a chance your waiter may not get it.

Naan

Naans deserve a special section of their own because that is one thing I miss the most about the food you can buy here. You can get packed naans from most supermarkets, the ones you have to bring home and heat.

Some cities have tandoors. Very rare though.

Otherwise, the best place to buy a naan is from a kebab shop or an Indian.

Sadly, expect to pay about a pound for a simple naan.

Places to eat

Depending where you are, you can either be very near or very far from Pakistani cuisine.

London is of course a good place to be, as there are loads of Pakistanis living there, hence loads of Pakistani food.

Bradford, lovingly known as Bradistan, for the amount of Pakistani people living there, is also a good place for Pakistani food.

Manchester has Wilmslow Road in the area of Rusholme, which is full of Pakistani restaurants.

Birmingham is another good place.

Here are the few restaurants that I would recommend as my favourites:

- Shere e Khan, Star City, Birmingham
- Bundu Khan, London
- Nawabs, Manchester

Review: Staples Liquid Pencil

So about two years ago, Sharpie announced the Liquid Pencil (http://blog.sharpie.com/2010/08/introducing-the-new-sharpie-liquid-pencil/). Every since that announcement, I have been waiting for it to be released in the UK. Two years go by, and still nothing.

However, the other day, browsing through Staples (in the UK), I came across the Staples Liquid Pencil. Compared to the Sharpie ones (0.5mm), these are 0.8mm, and hence a bit thicker. However, I had to buy and try them, being a geek and what not.

They come in packs of three and while I do not remember the exact price, I remember it to be cheap enough for me not to worry about pricing. Of course they were more costly than a regular pencil, but definitely cheaper than most mechanical pencils.

I also compared it to a Staedtler 0.5mm Mechanical pencil, which I just happen to have.

The look and the feel is fairly reasonable. The grip is okay. Nothing special. Much like a regular ballpoint pen.

And that is where the main problem lies. I find it a bit too much like a ball point pencil.

Yes, IT CAN BE ERASED using a rubber/eraser, but even then I found it lacking.

Here are a few tests I did. First some lines, going from darker to lighter.

As you can see, the dark effect is dark, but the lighter is not really lighter. I have erased the middle bit of the lines, and as you can see, the erased bit is still slightly visible on the liquid pencil.

Next I tried a bit of text, and some squiggles. The liquid text is below, and if you care to click on the image, you will find that once again, it is too much like that of a ballpoint pen.

Overall, I think it is a very interesting technology, but work is required. I can understand that graphite is a lot harder to manage in the liquid form than other inks. However, the fact that the result is 0.8mm thick needs some work. Also, perhaps increasing the comfort on the pen(cil?) may help.

I would, however, suggest, everyone who still loves to use pencils, to give them a go, as they are a lot easier with no leads or sharpening required.

I rate them at 6/10, as they do what they promise, but not much more.

Steve Jobs: The mystery!

 

I present to you one of the most famous images of Steve Jobs. It always makes me wonder.

It is not the eyes and that very subtle smirk on his face. It is that hand. That hand in front of his face, which seems to be supporting his chin. I have stared at it, and wondered, and questioned it. It baffles me. I have no answer to it, but I present to you a few theories:

- He just had a zit on his chin and wanted to hide it.
- He was developing a bald patch on his chin, and wanted to hide it.
- His hand is making the motion ASIAN (desi) people make to indicate the word ‘money’.
- His hand forms a triangle, which signifies the pyramids and the all seeing eye on top of the pyramid, and hence only fuels all the conspiracy theories about his products having a single ‘i’ in front of them.
- His beard is not real, and it is a wig, and was falling off and he is trying to hold it in place.
- If you look closely, it is evident that this is not his own hand. It is somebody else’s hand. This is the only way he could allow his secret love-child to become a part of history.
- Following on the other hand theory, Steve Jobs was asleep and the hand was required to keep him up.
- He had just hurt his thumb using a hammer and had been sucking it. He only took it out for the picture.
- He was giving a thumbs up and the picture was taken a few precious moments before, but turned out so good they decided to keep it.
- He had ripped his shirt or dropped something on his shirt and was trying to hide the stain.
- He had a coffee and the seat was steaming up his glasses, so he held his hand over it to stop it from doing so.
- He was really mad at the photographer and was just forming a punch.

I leave you with these thoughts. Feel free to add some of your own.

PS. And yes, I know the Steve Jobs posts have been and gone, but here is my piece on it, which should hopefully be taken in the right spirit.

The power in Weakness

Before you reject this as an oxymoron, consider the setup. Not just in Pakistan, but all over the world. Not just in the UK, not just in the US, and not just in China. Consider all the laws. Consider the society, and the laws it sticks to.
And if nothing else, consider John Grisham’s The Firm.
There is a cultural and social pressure on all of us to have a house. A family. A car. Kids. The more powerful you are, and the more ‘stable’ you get, the more weaknesses you are expected to adopt.
Focussing on the culture in Pakistan, almost everything around us is supposed to push us into adopting weaknesses.
The first rule of being a Pakistani kid is to be better than every other Pakistani Kid your parents know about.
The second, and more important rule, is to get married, have kids, and give your parents some grandkids to play with.
The third, and the most important rule, is to look after your parents.
There are other things that are added to the mix like building (yes building, not buying) a house, because that is how people role in Pakistan, having a car, and other such things.
But constantly, all the time, we are reminded how we have not fulfilled these responsibilities.
The powers that be constantly remind us to grow our weaknesses. They constantly force us to adopt them. They are the only way to happiness, ours and others.
Then there is the case of the banking systems around the world.
There is mortgage, credit cards, loans, and many other things. The false belief that you can buy things from the money that you don’t have. Once again, we are fooled and rushed into gaining weaknesses in the name of happiness and prosperity.
There are our jobs, and our careers, and there are contracts and there are signatures and there are deeds, and there are millions of things that tie us in to a hidden lock. Even passports come under this category.
Why is it that we have led ourselves to believe that our prosperity and happiness lies in weaknesses? And how are we simply allowing different forces to become powerful just by signing up to them?
Is there power in our weakness? Is THEIR power in OUR weakness?
Also published on www.borderlinegreen.com. 

Plugged in, not charging!

So I have this new laptop at (my new) work.

I unplugged and re-plugged the charger, as you do, and discovered that the computer stated it was plugged, but was not charging.

Curious, I looked at my options/preferences, and found nothing.

Googled, and found a lot of people complaining about it. There was also a solution to it, http://jeffreypalermo.com/blog/plugged-in-not-charging-windows-7-solution/, which I was feeling a bit too lazy to try.

Talked to our IT guy, and he talked me through a few options but nothing seemed to sort it.

A bit of experimentation, and I figured that it charged when the battery was below 90%, but did not do that when it was above 90%.

And there it was. To me, it was a design feature.

And it makes perfect sense. By disabling the charging when the battery is 90% or above, it is avoiding unnecessary charge cycles. And that actually expands the battery life.

Apparently this is how Windows 7 rolls.

Has anybody else noticed this ? What is your take on it????

Dream Diary

Have been having some interesting dreams lately.

Last night it was about Gulshan-e-Iqbal park in Lahore, Pakistan. That they had built it on some height. Which meant you could see all the main attractions of Lahore from that park. There was Minar-e-Pakistan in the distance, and there was Badshahi Mosque, and there were other usual attractions that Lahore knows. Obviously this dream beats all laws of Optics and Physics.

The night before the Sienfeld cast featured. Jerry was waking up early, about 4 am , every day, because some girl he liked went grocery shopping at that hour. The dream must have been in summer because it was remarkably bright for 4am then. Then I ended up talking to Kramer, and telling him that I was the ghost of Christmas future and his future lay in writing books, so he should. He agreed in typical Kramer shudders and said that from then on, that is all he shall do.

The one the night before was a bit more spooky. A bit big brother inspired I suppose. Walking down a spooky lane, feeling of anxiety. Graffiti on walls was a picture of email inboxes. Many of them. Then I looked at mine on my phone and it somehow appeared on the walls around me. Saw two people at the end of the road, who looked ‘normal’. In fact, I was glad that there were some normal looking people on the road. I felt relief, but as I walked towards them, they turned to me and hissed, asking, ‘Why do you still do it! WHY!’. Apparently they were referring to me still using emails. As I woke up, so impressed was I that I wrote different words on a piece of paper just so I would remember to write this dream down. Now that the piece of paper has been thrown away by a clean-up act, I reckoned I might as well write this down.

Has anybody else had interesting dreams lately? Anybody want to translate the above for me?  

Do me a favour…

PS… Do me a favour my kind friends. Just click on the ads to the right, or above this feed if you read this on a feed.

Conducting an experiment and your help would be appreciated : )

Doctor Who meets Phantom Menace

This is an absolute must – watch for any Doctor Who or Star Wars fan.

Review: Wool and the Gang

This is one for those who like knitting, and those who like to be stay warm in the cold winter months. It being cold and with the holidays season running on a high, I came across Wool and the gang (http://www.woolandthegang.com), where you can buy needles, yarn, wool, knitting kits, and of course, they also sell sweaters that come with their own cosy woolly and warm comfort.

Call me what you may, but I have always looked at knitting as something I would like to try out someday. And while that ‘someday’ has not come yet, I would like to make it happen. Someday, of course! And if anybody shares this with me, they have loads of videos and help which teach you how to knit, explaining in detail how all the different knots work, going from snoods to sweaters to hoodies!

They try to promote the craft of hand-knitting in our oh-so-busy lives, trying to get people to fall in love with this art again. Being helpful they promise you the best experience possible. They deliver top quality wool, with patterns that go from plain simple to highly sophisticated.

So yeah, if you are looking to make use of your holiday time this festive season, and need to find a wool shop that caters to your knitting needs, you know where to click!