Inside Wateen

Atif Aslam planning to open an NGO

When Pakistan is facing the worst natural disaster in its history, many music icons of the country are actively participating to assuage the sufferers. Strings, Sabri Brothers and Arif Lohar are doing telethons to raise funds for the flood victims. Ali Zafar is going through the details of doing shows to collect aids. Salman Ahmad is reprising his early hit as a flood song to motivate people. While some music celebrities are donating funds and urging their fans to give generously for the rehabilitation of flood survivors, a few singers are out in the field to provide relief marked by their personal presence.

ANYONE who's ever watched Dragon's Den knows the world is full of people with ridiculous ideas for making money.

"Yes, Duncan. I've invented a picnic rug which, at the touch of a button, can be turned into a horse."

Next . . .

"Thank you, Duncan. I need a million pounds to market a special tape which can tell whether the peanuts on a pub bar have too much urine on them."

Next . . .

Tens of thousands of people are fleeing their homes in Sindh Province as the floodwaters engulf yet more villages and towns. The water is already finding weak points in the embankment which protects Shahdadkot, a city of about half a million inhabitants in this southern region.

The floodwater has been closing in on Shahdadkot for days. On Sunday, it engulfed dozens of villages. About a hundred people were marooned, stranded on rooftops in the fast-rising tide.

Small fishing boats, brought to this part of Sindh to help with the crisis,

Think about your last meal. Were you actually there, at the table, tasting your food, feeling its texture as you chewed and swallowed? Or were you in your mind, mentally lining up the next thing on your to-do list, composing an email, worrying about an argument with your spouse, or counting calories and grams of fat? Anytime you’re doing anything but focusing on your food during meals, you’re in your mind. And even though the entire act of chewing, swallowing, digesting and assimilating food occurs in the physical being, we’re rarely around when it happens.

Much has been written about a war between cyclists and drivers, as if the two groups were such polar opposites that they could never cross in a Venn diagram. But according to new research, people who cycle the most are likely to own at least two cars.

Regular cyclists – those who cycle at least once a week – are also disproportionately likely to read broadsheet newspapers, be well educated, have a household income of at least £50,000 per year and shop at Waitrose, claims the latest Mintel report, Bicycles in the UK 2010. In addition, they are twice as likely to be men as women.

The lazy days of summer are drawing to a close, and as things start amping back up at work and school, it’s easy to get a little bit overwhelmed and very stressed out. No matter what your source of anxiety, these yoga moves will help you relax, refocus, and release some of that pent up tension.

Controlled BreathingThis is a great way to start your practice. Sit in a seated, cross-legged position. Lengthen your spine as you inhale, and as you exhale place your hands on your knees, palms facing up. Take a moment to think about the intention of your practice and relax into the seated position.

A shopping basket filled to the brim with sandwiches clatters along the uneven pavements of the alleyways and back streets of London’s Covent Garden. Mark’s trained eyes scan the doorways and cavities of the surrounding office blocks and theatres. He stops and points through the darkness to a figure curled up in a thin blue sleeping bag. Out of the basket he takes a couple of sandwiches. Careful not to wake the sleeping man, he gently places them by his feet. Returning to his basket, he continues into the night. This is the front line – grassroots social work.

It is yesterday once more in Kashmir. From the time I have flown into the valley on Monday, Srinagar has resembled a ghost town, bringing back memories of a visit two years ago. The only signs of life are tetchy security forces manning checkpoints or idly fiddling with their mobile phones, the odd chemist or a cigarette shop that is open, an occasional car with a flashing red beacon or an ambulance hurtling down its empty roads, a “ration truck” bringing in supplies to its besieged residents.

We were teaching a forgiveness workshop when John, one of the participants, told us that his brother had continually abused and even molested him as a child. He said quite emphatically that he would never forgive him. After John had spoken, there were a few minutes of shocked silence, another participant gently said, “If you can’t forgive, then you can’t dance, you can’t sing, and you can’t smile.”

Those few words exactly describe the emotional blocking that takes place when there is no forgiveness. Our ability to dance—to move emotionally, to give, to love, to feel alive and free—gets stuck.

Recently I was in conversation with a beekeeper (a semi-rare occurrence) and we, naturally, touched on the subject of organic honey. When I asked him if there really existed a honey that was truly organic, he hesitated and then admitted that organic, even certified organic, when it comes to honey is somewhat of an approximation–as 100 percent organic honey would have to come from 100 percent organic bees. The problem with this claim is that honeybees have a foraging range of several miles (often outside of the organic zone), exposing them to pesticides, fertilizers and pollutants on their way back to the hive.

Iran’s grim history of death by stoning

Iran appears to have backed down over the stoning of a woman for adultery amid an international outcry, putting the whole issue of stoning as a punishment under the spotlight once again.
Iran has said Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, 43, will be spared being stoned to death for adultery while leaving it unclear what fate does await her. The mother of two was arrested in 2005 and subsequently convicted of having an “illicit relationship” for which she was given 99 lashes witnessed by her son, then in his late teens.

The desert is swallowing up the plains of southern Punjab with alarming speed. The brittle stubs of the crops of just two years ago, poking through the sand in Yazman, are the only clues that this was until so recently rich, fertile land. Farmers who used to make a decent living here have quickly been reduced to extreme poverty.

We find Yar Muhammed tending to his clearly undernourished cattle. He tells us that half of his livestock have died since the water stopped coming. He used to grow wheat, but his fields have turned to dust.

There is a grand plan to clean up the Indian capital for the Commonwealth Games – but it includes a very long list of who is to be banished from Delhi. It started with stray dogs, slum dwellers and pavement squatters, but has now included cows, donkeys, bulls, goats, rats, snakes and even elephants and camels that are hired for general festivities and fairs.

And the cost to the government – $65m.

Delhi, a sprawling city of 16 million, is to host the Games from 3-14 October.

There is something intriguing about an anticlimactic start to the Premier League season. Perhaps the subdued atmosphere comes as a relief after the hyperbole of yesteryear. Restraint was all the rage in the summer and it looked at times as if Manchester City were attempting single-handedly to maintain spending levels that used to be reached by all 20 clubs together. There is now a penitential tone, even if the sackcloth and ashes were not delivered to Eastlands, and most owners will be relieved when the Uefa scheme to make clubs balance the books becomes fully effective later in this decade.

Roy Hodgson would gain employment as a psychologist … The new Liverpool manager has made a greater impression on the morale of his club than on the shape or make-up of his team. Last season an early dismissal of a key player would have been the signal for moody introspection and finger-pointing, but today they responded superbly to adversity. Not even the timing and manner of Arsenal’s scrappy equaliser should disguise that fact. Liverpool played better with 10 and occasionally nine men on the pitch than they had done before Cole’s red card.

Ingredients
3 boiled potatoes (grated)
2 hard boiled eggs (grated)
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup chicken boiled and cut into small pieces Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Oil for frying
Bread crumbs 1 cup
Eggs to dip (beated)

Actually you can! The truth is that you know more than you realize! Soon you are going to have a baby. Maybe you already have a child. You are happy and excited, yet maybe due to lack of experience, you wonder and worry if you will be able to do a good job. Trust me you are up to the mission ahead. All new parents, becoming one myself not so long ago, go through the same exercise. You start by paying more attention to what your family and friends are saying. You find yourself begin to read all articles related to child bearing and child raising with more than usual attention. Read,

John Donne, the English poet, once said: "No man is an island." Yes, in a way, we are all related to other people in our lives--whether we are at home, work, or play. Our Religion beside other moral values also teaches us to establish the better relationship with the people around us. Relationships are at the core of human existence. If you understand other people in your life, you will develop better and more positive relationships with them. Understanding people means knowing how to react to them in certain situations, leading to good human relationships. Having good human relationships is the art of living well.

Getting a D may not have helped you in school, but getting D in your diet will help you live longer. And chances are you need more: A whopping 60-80 percent of Americans doesn’t get enough vitamin D. Actually, make that vitamin D3, which is produced in skin when sunlight hits it and converts inactive vitamin D to D3. But unless you're a life-guard, construction worker or marathoner, you probably spend most of the day inside, limiting how much D3 your body makes. It's worse if you're dark-skinned: African-American adults over 70 run the biggest risk of becoming D deficient. Dark skin needs to soak up about six times as much sunlight as pale skin to produce the same amount of vitamin D3.

A group of dentists at King Saud University in the Saudi Arabia have studied the medicinal properties of the miswak, or teeth cleaning sticks, commonly used in Arab and Asian countries, and have concluded that the beneficial effects of the miswak for oral hygiene and dental health are equal to, if not greater than, those of a toothbrush and toothpaste. The research identified a total of 19 natural substances found within the miswak that benefit dental health. It contains a number of natural antiseptics that kill harmful microorganisms in the mouth; tannic acids that protect the gums from disease;

Ramadan is the month that is not only the blessing on you but also provides you an opportunity of get fit physically. This year Ramadan came in the middle of August and get further into the summer as the years go by. So besides the normal physical sacrifice of the fast, this year most people are concerned about fasting in the heat of summer and still having energy for their daily task which may also include exercising. When you are already exercising you do not want to stop all together because an entire month of inactivity can give you significant setbacks in strength and cardiovascular endurance.

In a general census, the level of education in our country would perhaps appear more than what it really is. Ethically speaking, what we have over here is not fit to be labeled as 'education'. It appears to be just an acquisition of a piece of paper that entitles you to be termed as a graduate, master or a doctor. Such hyperbolic statement would be termed as cynical by many; still I believe it never bodes well to live in a fool's paradise. Unless we know the situation at hand, we can't possibly venture to find a solution.

The accessories not only flaunt the look of the house but some of them serve the functional purpose as well. Well, the home should be accessorized with great sense and taste to avoid the risk of being over done...so don't EXCESS-orise! Dramatic, cozy and romantic! These effects cannot be created by cinematographers and lighting designers only.

You, too, can enhance the look of your room by using different kind of lamps.

The trend towards using lamps in different heights, shapes and materials commands attention and care.

It seems Arjun Rampal can't get enough of the ladies in upcoming flick We Are Family! Rampal, who will be seen sharing screen space with two of Bollywood's finest actresses Kajol and Kareena Kapoor in the film, couldn't stop gushing about his two leading ladies especially. Calling himself a huge Kajol fan, Rampal said, "When Kajol got married I was very upset. I thought I would never get the opportunity to work with her. But I am very thankful to Karan (Johar) and Siddharth (Malhotra) that they gave me this wonderful opportunity."

Shah Rukh Khan, the charming superstar who faces the cameras and gives the most difficult shots with éclat, is getting jittery ahead of a shoot that has him sharing the screen space with his wife Gauri Khan. The shoot is an ad for a furniture brand. “Preparing for a 'big' shoot tomorrow. No its not Ra.One with 10 cameras. It is with Gauri for D Decor brand of furnishings... very nervous... just got to know that D Decor is the third largest furnishing brand in the world. Great entrepreneurship,” Shah Rukh wrote on his Twitter page.

The bane of modern technology shone through once again during the weekend with the web being abuzz about an MMS clip showing Bollywood actress Soha Ali Khan getting her body waxed at a beauty salon. The clip, as was being reported by websites, shows Soha getting undressed before hidden cameras and then wrapping a towel around her to sit down for a body waxing session. Not just the visuals, some of which purportedly have close-ups of Soha’s body, even the conversation between Soha and the salon attendant has a kinky flavour,

Priyanka Chopra's plate is full with offers for roles in movies till the end of 2011. Adding to the lot is an offer from Krishna Shah, a US based filmmaker. The director has Priyanka Chopra in mind for the leading character in a biopic on Indira Gandhi, the late prime minister of India, after Madhuri Dixit stepped back from the project due to some personal reasons. Named Mother: The Indira Gandhi Story, the project is supposedly a big-budget one. The movie on the life of India Gandhi, a mighty political personality, would be made into two parts and is touted to have epical attributes.

Elin Nordegren has spoken for the first time since her split from Tiger Woods, and says she had no idea about her the golfer's multiple affairs. Speaking to People magazine, Swedish model Elin, 30, said she felt 'blindsided' and 'embarrassed' when she found out about Woods' infidelities - especially when the whole world soon found out about her private life. She said: 'I never suspected, not a one. For the last three-and-a-half years, when all this was going on, I was home a lot more with pregnancies, then the children and my school.' Elin added that she and Woods tried to work through their marital problems,

Nicole Kidman and husband Keith Urban have splashed out $10million on a luxurious Manhattan penthouse apartment, into which they can drive their car. Kidman and Urban's new pad in Chelsea comes with an 'en suite Sky Garage', a car elevator that will let them take their limo all the way up to the 6th floor, according to the New York Post. The building, which has stunning Hudson River views, is the first in New York City to get the feature.

The three-bedroom apartment measures 3,248sq-ft and comes with two terraces,

Director Kundan Shah is planning to cast Bollywood perfectionist Aamir Khan in his next project titled Tycoon. However, due to some reason, Shah wants to keep the budget of the movie within Rs 50 million, which won’t be possible if he has to pay Aamir his present market value. So, the director has probably expressed his desire to Aamir to consider some cut in the fee. The director is planning to develop Tycoon in the line of his 1983 comic movie Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, which is still regarded to be a benchmark for black comedy in Hindi cinema.

Katrina went back home from the sets of Tees Maar Khan after she suffered a stomach ache while shooting for a belly dance performance on a song for the movie. Farah Khan is choreographing the song of the movie that stars Akshay Kumar as well. The actress felt abdominal pains right after she rehearsed some belly dancing moves. All of a sudden, she felt a cramping sensation in her stomach while rehearsing dance moves for Sheela Ki Jawaani, a hot number in the movie.

Apparently, the stomach pain was so intense that Katrina could not speak for a few seconds.

Leaping out of helicopters into freezing water these are the incredible doggie-paddling life guards: Like canine David Hassel-woofs these fearless dogs scramble to the rescue of swimmers off the coast of Italy's popular beaches. They leap from helicopters or speeding boats, bringing aid to swimmers who get into trouble off Italy's popular beaches. Hundreds of specially trained dogs from Italy's corps of canine lifeguards are deployed each summer to help swimmers in need of rescue. In the same way that a helpful St.Bernard might rescue an Alpine hiker in distress these 'sea dogs' are saving the lives of dozens of swimmers off Italy's crowded beaches.

Fat-fingered sumo wrestlers, unable to tap the keys on a standard mobile phone, are being given iPads to help improve communication. The Japan Sumo Association (JSA) said it would distribute 60 iPads among all of the sport's 51 training stables. The announcement comes as the JSA outlined measures to deal with a series of recent scandals. The ancient sport has recently been rocked by allegations of an illegal gambling ring. Wrestlers have been accused of betting on baseball games, which is illegal in Japan and is often associated with organised criminal gangs.

Yash Raj Films’ Lafangey Parindey is the story of One Shot Nandu (Neil) and Pinky Palkar (Padukone). They live in the backstreets of Mumbai and are friends. While Pinky dreams of winning a reality dance show on television someday, Nandu whiles away his time with friends Chaddi, Diesel and Gulkand. When he is not playing carrom with his friends, he is in the boxing ring. His mentor
is Usmanbhai (Piyush Mishra), a common criminal.

One day, Nandu and sharpshooter Anna (Kay Kay Menon) are escaping in a car when Nandu accidentally knocks down Pinky,

My generation grew up at a time when colonial hang up was at its peak. Our older generation had been slaves and had a huge inferiority complex of the British. The school I went to was similar to all elite schools in Pakistan. Despite gaining independent, they were, and still are, producing replicas of public schoolboys rather than Pakistanis. I read Shakespeare, which was fine, but no Allama Iqbal — the national poet of Pakistan. The class on Islamic studies was not taken seriously, and when I left school I was considered among the elite of the country because I could speak English and wore Western clothes.

Google is taking on internet telephone companies like Skype by allowing users to call from its free web-based email service. For the moment only users in the US will be able to make calls from inside their Gmail account. Phoning anywhere in the US and Canada will be free until the end of the year, while calls to the UK, France, China and Germany will cost 2 cents a minute. Until now Google offered computer-to-computer voice and video chat services. "This is a real big deal because now hundreds of millions of Gmail users can make phone calls right from their Gmail page," Craig Walker,

Eduard Marian Ilie better known as Edward Maya, is a Romanian musician, producer, performer, and composer. He is coming to Pakistan for fund raising for the flood victims. He recently announces that this September 18, he’ll be arriving for the first time in Pakistan for all his fans to join the fundraising event in support for the victims of the devastating floods. Edward Maya says, “This is my Life Tour Pakistan, it’s gonna be a special performance considering the context, and I must say a challenge of solidarity for all of us, so I hope that I’m going to find all my fans there so

The Lahore Fort, locally known as Shahi Qila, that used to be the best street address in Lahore, has reduced to a mere dilapidated monument where travelers go and can only imagine some of the grace it might have had in the past. The Lahore Fort is located in the northwestern corner of Lahore's Walled City. The majestic edifice is the result of many centuries' work. According to the Pakistani historian Wali Ullah Khan, the earliest reference to the fort comes in the history of Lahur (Lahore) compiled by Al-Biruni, which refers to a fort constructed in the early 11th century.

Ingredients
8 oz. corkscrew pasta (cooked, rinsed, drained cooled)
2 cans (4-1/2 oz.) shrimp (drained)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup French salad dressing
1/4 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoon sliced stuffed green olives
1 tsp. finely chopped onion
Lettuce Leaves

Ali Zafar also known as the Prince of Pop has started to take part in movies. Recently he acted in an indian movie Tere Bin Laden. While Yash Rah Films banner has plans to sign Ali Zafar for three of its forthcoming films, the actor is not even sure about the first project with Katrina Kaif and Imran Khan as co-stars. “The announcement, if it came from the production house, is premature. I have not signed the film. I have not signed any film after Tere Bin Laden. I have not even met producer Aditya Chopra or director Ali Abbas Zafar.

Filmmaker Karan Johar and composers Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have always belted out chartbusters, so the expectations from "We Are Family", Johar's latest production venture, was high. But, though the album offers few melodious tracks, there is nothing extraordinary. The album boasts of six tracks. The soundtrack begins with a romantic duet "Ankhon mein neendein" by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Shreya Ghoshal. The love song is likeable, but offers nothing great as it has a heard-before feeling. However, the brilliant vocals by two talented singers makes it enjoyable number.

Freida Pinto is not one to shy away from a grand gesture. "As my friends and family are quick to remind me, I have always been a big drama queen," Pinto, 26, recalls over breakfast in a Midtown hotel suite. "As a child, I would stand in front of the mirror and pretend I was this or that person from television. All I needed to do was realize it and recognize what I wanted to do." For Pinto, the epiphany came at 11, when India's Sushmita Sen won the 1994 Miss Universe competition. "The country was really proud of her, and I was like, One day, I want to do the same," Pinto says in her clipped, slightly accented English,

Loss, an obviousness in life, is extremely difficult to depict on screen. Yet to see a veteran director like Amol Palekar fail at it is a tad disappointing. But it is not just Palekar's fault. The main problem lies with a flat, one-dimensional script and lack of imagination that mars what could otherwise have been a good film. Rishi (Rajat Kapoor) a retired civil servant, even 18 years after losing his wife Savitri (Antara Mali) and son in a bomb explosion overseas, is not over it completely. He has recently married Manu (Rituparna Sengupta), who is a caring and understanding wife.

On a trip to a monastery in Sikkim, he sees Savitri,

Ingredients

Spring onions 2 tbsp
Cabbage chopped finely 2 tbsp
Yogurt 6 tbsp
Cheese half cup finely grated One Egg
Boiled chicken pieces cut into small fine pieces
Salt, black pepper to taste
Ajino moto a pinch
Samosa strips each cut into three equal squares(are available easily in market).
This recipe needs a pastry baking tray with six or so cups in it.

These are some interesting shoes/socks that you might have seen before. They look a lot like aqua-socks, except they have room for the toes in their design. Apparently, “running without shoes can strengthen your feet, ankles, and lower legs and improve balance”. Now we know why Frodo and Sam never wore any shoes. Apparently, they have been on celebrities like Matthew McConaughey, Channing Tatum, and Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George wears them for beach football.

Project Madad is a large-scale initiative by the Pakistan Navy to provide immediate aid to more than twenty million flood victims, a number equal to the entire population of Sri Lanka. Pakistan Navy’s helicopters, hovercrafts, and rescue boots are working round the clock. Fakhir, the popular Pakistan Singer and musician, has joined hands with the Pakistan Navy and together, they promise to provide an efficient and effective
operation to bring relief to the affected victims.

Pakistan Northern Areas are full of natural beauty and heavenly sceneries. There are many destinations to approach for summer holidays. People from all over the world used to visit these areas for the Summer Vacations. Today we talk about one of the most beautiful lake of Pakistan located in Neelam Valley, The Chita Khata Lake. Chita Khata Lake is located at an altitude of 3,800 meters. Chitta Katha Lake is only accessible in the months of July and August. Common route followed by the tourists is through kel.

Ramadan is the month of blessing for all. The fashion trends of Pakistan change slightly in Ramdan. Whenever we talk about Fashion most of the people always thinks of women fashion, but today we are going to discuss the Fashion dress for men in Ramadan – The Shalwar Kameez. Men Shalwar Kameez is also referred as Kurta pajama. Shalwar Kameez is also referred as women shalwar kameez but here we are only going to talk about Men shalwar kameez. Men Shalwar Kameez consist of two to three parts. Shalwar, Kameez and Chaddar.

Do you love racing games on your Xbox 360? Then you would do well to pick up the Wireless Racing Wheel for Xbox 360 from Mad Catz. After all, forking out $129.99 for such a peripheral bodes well if you want to take your racing game experience to the next level, and with the Wireless Racing Wheel for Xbox 360, you can race straight to victory (how idealistic) as it boasts a complete set of racing pedals, an interchangeable gear shift, full rubber grips, lap rest supports and desk clamp, where it ought to fit into just about any home comfortably and nicely.

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