Islamabad Metblogs » OFK

Intro to Google Business Solutions

OFK — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:08:33 +0000

About the Presentation/Talk:
==================
NUST SEECS Social Entrepreneurship club (NSEC) is arranging Intro to Google Business Solutions a talk by Badar Khushnood, Google Pakistan Country Consultant and a local Google evangelist.
Although Google is generally known as a web search engine, it has many business products in various categories including internet advertising, communication & publishing, development, geo, search, statistics, etc. The idea behind this talk is to introduce these products to SMEs, corporate & professionals so that they can make the most out of Google business solutions and increase their efficiency & productivity with these cutting edge tools.

Agenda:
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5:30 ~ 6:00pm : Registration
6:00 ~ 6:15pm : Prayer Break
6:15 ~ 7:35pm : Presentation / Talk by Badar Khushnood [ http://tinyurl.com/badar-khushnood ]
7:40 ~ 8:00pm : Q&A Session
8:00 ~ 8:30pm : Refreshments

Date/Time:
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Monday, Feb 09, 2009 (6~8pm)

Host/Venue:
========
Organized by: NUST SEECS [ http://www.nseecs.edu.pk/ ]
Venue: SEECS Seminar Hall [ http://tinyurl.com/nust-seecs-map ; Login with ur Gmail to see the street map ]

Registration (Mandatory):
================
We have limited seats so please register here:
http://tinyurl.com/google-biz-sol-nust OR
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=cHczM0FDb0plVGFWMkV2TWU2dE13QXc6MA..

Event Page:
=========
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=64845731412

NOTE:
1- Registration will close on Friday, Feb 06 at 3pm
2- Only pre-registered participants will be allowed to enter NUST-SEECS campus
–> (as per university security protocol)
3- Please DO NOT forget to bring your ID card with you

Supporting Bodies:
===========
1- CIO Pakistan [ http://ciopakistan.com/ ]
2- Cogilent Solutions [ http://cogilent.com/ ]
3- Brightspyre [ http://brightspyre.com/ ]

All U can eat! :P

OFK — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:56:06 +0000

Its the second time that I went to pizza hut this week. The first time I was financing my self and the second time it was a treat so couldn’t miss the opportunity! :P
Well anyway a lot of people turn out at pizzahut when they start their all U can eat deal in Ramadan. Don’t know why but a lot of people seem to think they can eat more than the usual( at least I managed to eat a large size pizza alone each time but I don’t think everyone can manage that). But since the time they have started this deal each time I have seen a decrease in the quality of the pizza meaning a bigger crust, lesser amounts of toppings and an ever lesser amounts of meat in the toppings. To counter this, although it was rear earlier but now I see a mountain of crust on each table each time I go there. Everyone eats the center with the toppings and leave the side portions of the pizza.Well I think pizza hut deserves this as the quality of their pizza significantly decreases!

On the other hand they don’t even serve the pizza at the aftar time! Probably at least 10 minutes must have passed when they brought out the first pizza at the F-10 branch and don’t know about now but it took about 30 minutes the last time I went there in the previous Ramadan. They keep on filling the glasses and you can take as much salad as you want so you fill up your tummies and thus eat lesser amounts of pizza! :P This is a conspiracy hatched high in the upper ranks of the pizza hut administration! :P And after all this even when you have made mountains of pizza hut crust they probably still earn quite a lot of profit! When ever I go there I try to neutralize that profit as much as possible, so go to pizza hut and eat all U can eat! :P

Image credits: Ifti

Startup Insiders

OFK — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:03:52 +0000

NUST Institute of Information Technology (NIIT) along with BrightSpyre & P@sha is going to host an exciting startup session on April 4, 2008 in the premises of NIIT. The purpose of this session is to provide a platform to motivated and brilliant people, who are thinking of launching a startup, get a handle on really what they’ve got and way to make it a success- an idea, a feature, a product, or a business and what not. This session will feature a panel of serial entrepreneurs with remarkable business experience. They will lead the audience through a series of evaluations critical to success. The theme for the session is “Startups”. You are encouraged to avail this fruitful opportunity to become a successful Leader of Tomorrow!!!! Following is the list of panelists for the session:

– Rana Saad ( PI Sigma)
-Jehan Ara, President, PASHA
– Murad Akhtar (Tintash) http://www.tintash.com/
– Mansoor Salim (Jin Technologies)
– Atif Mumtaz & Faisal Chohan (CEO BrightSpyre)
– Babar Khan (Ikonmai) (Outsourcing software house)
– Adnan Shaukat (CEO, Classic Entertainment, Internet Radio)
– Amir Jahangir (Consultant CSF and Social media entrepreneur)
– Osama Hashmi (Green and White)
– 2 NIIT Alumni

For more information and registration check this link:
http://www.niit.edu.pk/Seminars_workshops/pages/startup/index.php

Pakistan day Parade

OFK — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 17:18:55 +0000

While the nation was(barely celebrating) the Pakistan’s day this last Sunday, I for the first time in my life got a chance to see the Parade live ( although I lived in the air force community for over 20 years now).
For the past several years I had started to get disinterested in the show but theres always something about this showcasing of the ceremonial aspect of this military which is very inspiring and brings out the patriotic spirit in almost everyone, including me.
I had wished to see the parade live for several years and it was this year that my wish was granted.The president of Pakistan himself invited me to the Parade so I just had to go!!! :P (See pic below).

The whole ceremony was just awesome from the entrance of the president, the fly past of the Air Chief with afterburners on his F-16, to the skydiving and then the folding of the flag.
Although many of us may not like the military but you cant deny that they are the most disciplined unit in the country. And discipline is what we need the most in our chaotic lives. The aircraft acrobatic team of T-37 Shirdils displayed some awesome skill on their aircraft while working as a team and performing each move with accuracy and to perfection.
The parade not only shows the military might of the country but it also shows that we are becoming self-reliant and are making advanced military products. Which not only serve our purpose but can also help us in earning foreign exchange.
Missiles like Shaheen II, Tanks like Babar and the newly developed aircraft JF-17 clearly shows the forward thinking of the country and its quest for making its self stand on its own feet.

A visit to the National Art Gallery

OFK — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:19:54 +0000

A few weeks back the National Art Gallery opened its doors to the public near the Parliment house. It has managed to attract quite a number of people.After seeing the advertisement in the newspapers and hearing about it from several people I decided to pay visit to the gallery.
It was totally different from what I expected. A you approach the entrance of the vicinity you are greeted by a sentry of seven large black statues of burqa-clad figures, haunting and dementor like. On close inspection it was found that they are made from fibreglass although from a distance they seem to be made from charcoal.
The gallery which took over more than two decades to be materialized now houses 600 works of art featuring 126 artists. Grouped in 16 exhibitions with each hall dedicated to a certain subject.

Photogragh: Aamir Qureshi
There are several internees around the gallery who can explain to the visitors what the painting and the sculptures depict. Although most of the time I did not find them helpful. The room which was dedicated to love was perhaps the most controversial of the exhibitions( or may be the hall at the top floor) where some paintings displayed nudity. This was totally out of the blue for me and many other who would expect strong censorship.
I was totally taken by surprize when I saw a several paintings depicting homosexuallity. I wonder why the mullahs haven’t criticized yet? I was also appalled to see that the paint on the wall was already getting scraped off due to the water getting leaked from the ceiling in room of the miniatures.
Although the general effort in bringing all these pieces of art together at one place is very much appriciated and is a visual treat for the art lovers.
The Art Gallery opens at 11a.m. Theres no ticket from 11a.m to 2p.m and later when it reopens at 3pm there is some sort of ticket.
And do remember that when you go into a hall that has this sound which is quite irritating dont keep wondering what it is. The sound coming from the speakers is the sound of childeren reciting Quran mechanically in congregation. I found this later from a news paper.

Photograph: Anjum Naveed/AP

Harry Potter still going strong…

OFK — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 16:33:13 +0000

Those who have grown up reading the Harry Potter books truly know what the magic of these books is about. Harry Potter and the deathly hollows is the fastest selling book in the capital. The biggest bookstore in the capital has quoted.
Potterheads who had ordered the book several days before the release were seen lined up outside the door at around 7 p.m. The line was twice the size of the bookstore it self. It went all the way back and then u-turned towards the front again. These people had expected the book to release at midnight of the 21st, like the store had promised. But it coudn’t manage to fulfill the promise due to flight delays.

But sill it managed to be the first store in pakistan to release it. The book managed to sale thousand copies in the first hour of release. 5000 more in the next hours of release. It went out of stock within two days because of which it had to order additional books. In the line of Fire and MIlitary Inc were second and third in line.
But not everyone can afford the orignal book which costs around Rs. 1500. A lot of people who are fans of the Harry Potter books opted for the pirated version which only costs Rs. 295 , very cheap compared to the orignals. But those who had to read the pirated version had to wait for two further days.

Metrosexuality

OFK — Thu, 24 May 2007 07:08:24 +0000

Well exams season is in full swing these days. But before the exams a lot of students would have attended a fairwell party. I had one too and I must say it was fun (although it was quite disorganized). Everyone danced and all that stuff but what I am going to write about is metrosexuality clearly being visible in the party.
The Wikipedia (one of my most reliable source) defines metrosexuality in these terms.

Metrosexual is a word describing men who have a strong concern for their aesthetic appearance, and spend a substantial amount of time and money on their images and lifestyles.

This term may be new to a lot of people but in todays urban landscape you may already have become a metrosexual without you knowing about it.
In our party some of my friends had tailored special tuxedos and suits for the occasion and they had cost around 6 to 12 thousand rupees just for 4 hours!!!
To me these were all just waste of money. More over these and some other guys had spent more than 2 hours before the party in a saloon to make there appearences better. They had haircuts, facewashed and what not. And it had cost them 2 to 4 thousand rupees or may be more.
I guess metrosexual males are going to be more common in the capital in the future and the trend has set in.

Gandhara week

OFK — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 16:08:06 +0000

Federal Department of Archaeology and Museums is all set to celebrate the third “Gandhara week” from 26th March.
The event is being held in connection with the Destination Pakistan 2007, which I think was a flop from day one. The archaelogy department would make all-out efforts to facilitate the tourist coming to Texila. A sound and light show portrying the ancient Buddhist culture will also be held at Dharamrajika stupa and monastery during the celebrations.
The Stupa is the oldest monument in texila and comprises of a number of buildings, a monastery and a series of small chapels. Gold, Jewellery and other antiques have also been discovered at the site.

An aerial view of Dharamrajika Buddhist monastery and stupa where a soud and light will be held as a part of Gandhara week celebrations(Pic given in Dawn).

Paediatric cardiac centres in twin cities planned

OFK — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 17:49:20 +0000

The government is planning to set up two paediatric surgery centres in the twin cities. One would be set up at the Armed Forces institute of cardiology Rawalpindi and the other at PIMS( Pakistan institute of medical sciences). Health secretary Anwar Mehmood at the symposium at PIMS said that:

The paediatric cardiac surgery had not been given the importace it deserved and as such no major institution had been developed until now.

Mr Mehmood reiterated his ministry’s resolve to establish a health city in Chak Shahzad where some big institution like Federal University of Health Sciences and Sheikh Zayed Hospital are likely to come up.

Very soon Islamabad would become a major healthcare centre,

he added.

Books are uncool!

OFK — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 02:17:10 +0000

I am an avid book reader. But I have rarely talked about books and authors with my friends and other people.
Perhaps this is because of the lack of interest in book reading, in the people of the capital. Most of my friends think that reading books is sort of uncool and is mostly for nerds. Although I think otherwise. I have always found reading, a very enjoyable experience. There is always something good to learn.
In a recently conducted survey by Dawn it was found that the number of people buying books has reduced. Even the bestsellers don’t get any attention.One of the old book shopkeeper said that:

Though most of the titles can be found in mint conditions and at low price but who cares.

I have rarely seen young people at bookshops browsing through books. Although piracy is rampant here and the pirated books cost very less but people still don’t buy any of these except for the course books( which are otherwise very expensive).
This change in reading habits can mainly be attributed to the easy access of new and cheap technology. People would rather spend time on the internet or waste endless hours in a gaming cafe, then reading a book.