Loud Thinking

Archive for January, 2014

Every test in life makes us bitter or better
Every problem comes to make us or break us.
The choice is ours to become victims or victorious.

Don’t depend on anyone too much in this World, because your own shadow must leave you when you’re in darkness.

How to win Pakistan’s world war..?

Pakistan is not in an ordinary war rather, for us it is our world war, which is being fought for the life and death of Pakistan. This type of war has not been witnessed by any other nation, in the history of the world.

Moreover, it seems that this fight may not end very soon, in the near future. As such, our civil, military and all non military people, will have to stand united in front of the terrorists, who are hell bent to fight this war, not in our back yard, but right in the middle of our house.

In view of the seriousness of the situation and to keep the motivation of the general public alive, it is imperative to immediately announce the following initiatives:

1. Shaheed Chaudhry Aslam SSP and Shaheed Aitzaz Hussain (the 9th class student of Hangu, who grabbed the suicide bomber) may be awarded the highest national bravery award, for offering ultimate sacrifice, in beyond the call performance of their duties.

2. As a safety and precautionary step, government must announce that with immediate effect, no vehicle of any type, including cycles and motor cycles etc., be allowed to enter or be parked in any bazaar, throughout the country. This is a harsh and very inconvenient step, but it may save many lives.

3 (i). In any crime investigations, the first logical step is to find the beneficiary of that criminal act. Here, in Pakistan we have observed a pattern, which reveals that either, the terrorists have been targeting the GHQ, Naval and Air Force bases or indulging in specific targeted attacks on Sri Lankan cricketers, Chinese, foreigners and Pakistani minorities.

3 (ii). All these operations are carried out (at specifically chosen vital timings) not only to inflict maximum men and material losses, but also to undermine Pakistan’s military power; and create isolation in foreign policy, sports and tourism etc.

3 (iii). We should not be so naive to indefinitely close our eyes and ignore the role of huge number of Indian consulates, specially based near the Pakistan’s western borders with Afghanistan.

3 (iv). In fact, the terrorism in Karachi and the insurgencies of Swat and Balouchistan are a clear testimony of the Indian evil designs, being perpetrated through these consulates in Afghanistan.

3 (v). However, Pakistan must rest assured that this Indian game plan, specifically designed to keep Pakistan burning for an indefinite period, will never cease, till such time we repay the Indians in the same coins, by devising a strategy, to fight fire with fire.

3 (vi). As such, it is high time that Pakistan officially warn India to immediately pack up all its consulates in Afghanistan, failing which Pakistan should also immediately take steps to establish its own consulates, in the border areas of all those countries, which share a common border with India e.g., China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and SriLanka etc.

4 (i). The sudden increase of acts of terrorism, highlights the importance of preventive measures to curb the menace of terrorism, which is causing severe losses to men, material and reputation of the country.

4 (ii). In the cases of terrorist attacks on the GHQ, PIDC house & Pakistan Navy air base, it was reported that the gang of attackers was residing in a rented house for quite some time, in an area not very far away from their targets. It was also reported that the neighbours of these houses were although, suspicious of these tenants yet; they kept quiet and did not tip area police, about their apprehensions.

4 (iii). Under the circumstances, there is a dire need for motivating general public, which must remain extra -vigilant, in playing their role of defending the motherland, by involvement of entire population of the country, to look out for the stay and suspicious activities of the terrorist, in their near vicinity.

4 (iv). As such, In order to make the stay of terrorists at any place almost impossible, it is proposed to actively involve the entire population to look out & hunt them. This objective can be easily achieved, by the announcement of the Government, that a reward of Rs. 50 millions shall be paid to any person, who informs the Police, about the terrorist staying in a house, hostel, hotel, rest house or any such place.

4 (v). If the war against terror is to be won quickly, the entire population of the country have to be geared up and involved in the task of watch and vigilance.

“Live your life for you not for anyone else. Don’t let the fear of being judged, rejected or disliked stop you from being yourself.”

— Sonya Parker

“The darkest hour in any man’s life is when he sits down to plan how to get money without earning it.”

Horace Greeley (1811-1872);
editor and publisher

How to Say No to a Reference Request

Saying “no” is rarely easy, but if you’re asked for a reference letter you have no interest in writing, or can’t in good conscience provide, use these tips to decline:
If you don’t know the requester well enough, decline in the other person’s best interests: “I wish I could help, but I don’t think I know you well enough to provide as strong a reference as you deserve. I think you’ll be better served with someone else who knows your work style/product/ethic better.”
If you simply can’t provide a good reference, bow out. Tell the requester that the letter of reference you’d provide likely wouldn’t reach the level of praise he’s shooting for. This makes for a tough conversation but shows that you have his best interests at heart.

Adapted by HBR from “Three Ways to Say No to a Reference Request” by Jodi Glickman.

A Question to All the Chief Ministers In Pakistan : Is it Possible in Pakistan that Restaurants are forced to Comply With the Pollution Control Laws?

Green court shuts down 12 Hauz Khas eateries in Delhi

NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal on Wednesday ordered the closure of 12 restaurants in south Delhi’s popular eating out spot, Hauz Khas village, for not having applied for a ‘consent to operate’ from Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC). These establishments were among 32 restaurants closed down last year for flouting pollution norms and later granted conditional approval to reopen.

The fate of 12 other restaurants too hangs in balance as their applications for a CTO are pending with DPCC. NGT has asked the pollution control authority to decide on these applications within two weeks.

The green court, while allowing the restaurants to reopen last year, had said DPCC would take the final call after testing their effluent parameters once these eateries had set up effluent treatment plants (ETPs). Only 20 of the 32 restaurants applied for a CTO after NGT’s order last September. The remaining 12 are reportedly in various stages of installing ETPs but haven’t applied for a CTO.

“The 12 restaurants that have not applied for CTO shall not operate from today. They can apply for CTO within a period of one week. On receiving their applications, the DPCC is directed to immediately take a decision to give them CTO or not,” a bench headed by Justice P Jyothimani and MS Nambiar said.

Of the 20 restaurants that applied for a CTO, DPCC was satisfied with only eight and granted them a CTO certificate. The bench also directed DPCC to decide on merit, within two weeks, the applications of 12 other eateries that are pending with it and said that if these restaurants do not get the consent, they shall cease to operate.

Most restaurant staff were taken by surprise when they heard about the closure order. At Naivedyam, the manager wondered why the restaurant was being ordered shut when it had installed the ETP. “We didn’t know of any such condition (about applying for a CTO),” the manager said. However, Usman, a consultant who is helping the restaurant set up the ETP, said: “We had taken an initial ‘consent to establish’ from DPCC but not consent to operate. We plan to start the process in a couple of days.”

At Yeti, restaurant manager T B Karki said: “DPCC had asked us to install a grease trap as we have less than 32 seats. The trap has been set up. We were not told about any other formality.”

The bench, meanwhile, directed DPCC to file a status report regarding compliance with NGT’s September 25, 2013 order before the next date of hearing on February 6. Some of the eateries which have not applied for CTO, sought a week’s time to apply while pleading that they be allowed to operate in the interim.

The tribunal, however, refused to grant relief. “We will not give any more time. This is total disobedience. If others are following why should you be given preferential treatment? Till you file the application, you will be shut down,” the bench said.

For youngsters who throng the happening haunts of Hauz Khas village, its going to be a boring weekend. “The restaurants that have been asked to close serve good food. We enjoy hanging around there especially in one of the restaurants that serves Nepalese and Bhutanese cuisine,” said Akansha Shroff, 21, a college student.

DPCC had ordered the closure of 32 restaurants for four days on September 19 for discharging untreated waste water into sewers, drawing groundwater and operating without DPCC’s consent.

“For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

At the close of play on the 1st day of the second Test match being played at the Dubai stadium between Pak vs SL, the Srilankan team has a vice like grip over the match.
Now only a miracle can save Pakistan from a certain defeat in this game.

Optimism is having the most favorable outlook.