Recently, showtime’s dramedy (short for drama comedy) WEEDS, completed it’s 5th season. most people, view this show, for the most commonplace and superficial reasons, without comprehending the meaning that this show holds. beneath the folds of it’s dark humor, in the person of it’s lead character nancy botwin (played by the gorgeous Mary-Louise Parker), the show offers a much darker perspective on the world we live in today.

As we follow the layer cake drug world that Nancy passes through we see her life, spiraling down from a loving, caring mother of two, into a relentless drug dealer who will stop at nothing to get what she wants; essentially trading her ethics and morals for a power and pleasure. perhaps that is the truth of the world we live in today. indeed it seems we are ready to be as flexible as we need to be to climb straight to the top.

Much like nancy, the employees of corporate america, and really any field, are ready to trade in whatever ethical code they have for a bigger paycheck, a better car, or even a disgustingly overindulgent abode. compassion is now something almost as rare as Nancy’s MILF weed in the later seasons. is that really the people we want to be. striving to be better than the best is one thing, but losing everything that makes us human in the process is really quite another.

it is that very humainity that is slowly disappearing from our lives. and the further we move along in time, the earlier we seem to lose our traits. what was once the reality of relentless corporate america, is slowly becoming the motto of college kids and the youth in general everywhere. as we beomce increasingly competitive we are eveready to climb higher at the expense of others, and the more often we do it, the more flexible our ethics become.

Much like Nancy who after her first involvement in murder, was shocked slowly becomes more immuned to her new life, we are also locked into a downward spiral. the only way to stop this is to understand the consequences of our actions; what they can essentially do to the ones around us. is it really real happiness if it is at the expense of someones livelihood, their career or more importantly their lives? i think not. i would much rather lead a less glamourous life than live a star studded one built on the anguish and tears of others.

I strongly urge all of you to write. there’s a voice inside each of us that needs to be heard. where’s yours. keep this blog alive. it can do with all that you have to say. we want to hear it, and so does the world. tell us what you feel? what’s wrong with the world? what’s right about it? what’s there to live and love?

Sincerely,

The Admin

In recent years i have travelled a lot, in hopes of relaxing and calming my nerves in these tension filled times. to say that least i believe a little bit of hendonism, despite the economic anguish that we face today. yet all the hopes and dreams of relaxation and vacation seemed to be entirely stamped out of me, as i was quite literally raped at the customs counter on my way out of the airport. now that isn’t the vacation that i had really expected.

as i took my first few steps towards home i couldn’t have anticipated anything that would soon come to pass. as the immigration officer inquired about my travles and then reached for a big, rather imposing looking red stamp i ought to have realized that the next few moments to follow were about to be the worst of my life. soon walking towards the light of day just beyond the exit sign, i presented my custom’s declaration card to the TSA officer who with a nasty looking grin asked me to follow him with my luggage.

we soon reached a windowless room where we were joined by 3 other officers, another man and two women. moments later i was asked to unlock my cases, after which the officers moved onto tearing them to shreds. yet, that wasn’t even the worst. just as i was relieved that this ordeal was over, i was asked to step out of my clothes. as i complied, i really felt, well violated. the officers then moved to scan each individual article of clothing. as i stood there, in nothing but my plaid boxers, i was seriously pissed but i silently stood there staring at the walls.

as soon as i was dressed again, the officers thanked me for my cooperation and escorted me out the door. now, if they had asked every other passenger to do the same, i would have had absolutely no problems whatsoever with the TSA, but being singled out, i am poised to ask; WHY? perhaps the answer is that i’m brown skinned, and have a distinctly Muslim name. i’m not trying to paint a one sided picture, but the fact is clear. our system in whatever regard, is realistically full to the brim with latent racial bias. i’m fairly certain that if i were a white man with my wavy blonde hair i wouldnt be harassed in the same way.

sometimes i really want to ask why the United States calls itself a country for where you can really be equal. is this really a new definition of equal, where one is singled out on the basis of colour and religion? despite the claims that the goverment makes, about giving equal rights to people, my rights are far from equal. does being asked to strip in a room full of people with legal penalties for lack of cooperation really count as equal? i think not.

hence the United States must act to actually make their somewhat idealistic claims true. people protesting on the streets begging for equal rights have a solid point. the goverment needs to act. school curriculums must have social understanding integrated into them, or our already fragemented world will fall apart. can we really let the United in the United States of America become a lie?

the world we live in today, is perhaps more at it’s knees than ever before. as shackles bind us, many have often asked-Why? Why is it that despite all the liberties promised to us, do we live the in an age of psuedo darkness? the answer, while complicated is also simple at the same time: free thinking is the key to both the rise and the destruction of every great civilization, hence governments are really acting in a moment of severe desperation; an desperate act of self preservation.

That is the unfotunate reality. those in power never want to leave, and those that don’t have it, will do anything to get in throught the door. we really are that pushed to rise to the top. yet the costs of these actions are greater now than they ever were before. no voice of the people can ever be stamped out and crushed. we see this everywhere. from rebellious teens to the rebellious well, rebels. it’s every where. the more the truth is shunned, the stronger it will return.

the facts are undeniable. i’m not propagting anarchy in the slightest, but as an economist and a great supporter of Adam Smith, i believe in freedom in the economy and essentially in everything that we ought to have and not just the ones they have been taken away through congress. many of our natural rights have already been stripped away in the form of wire taps, and satellite survailance; a reality that most Americans are completely and entirely oblivious to. is that really the world that we want to live in, with all it’s proclamations of peace and freedom?

if you have any level of understanding about the consequnces this will have then the answer you ought to have reached is a clear “no”. do we really want to live lives where we spend each day of ours glancing over our shoulders when we talk on the street? is that really the america that our forefathers so galantly fought for? of course not. that is the american that the world so antagonistically looks at. is this really the land of the free and the home of the brave?

i hope that despite all violations of all the things that make us human, at it’s root America is and always will be the home of the free. a place where great people are born, and will one day do great things for the world. that is the America that it’s people deserve, for all their hard work and support. a place where one can truly be free. I’m no born American, but it’s a place that i call home. a place where anyone can be anyone that they want to be, without any strings attatched. I hope that president Obama can realize that in time too, for in him lies the hope of the people in a hopeless time.

In the households of today, particularly those in Pakistan and for a large part those in the East in general are following a pattern of inbred ideas where nothing new ever seems to be developed. It’s like the guy outside the party who could come in to make it so much better if given the chance no one wants him to get. I suppose that’s why Pakistan is still lacking all that it does today. If we look into anything new, ideas are born when people are able to think outside the box. Thinking inside a closed jar of brain matter won’t really do anyone any good. that is what needs to be changed.

Pakistani’s in their own right are very arrogant in general, and find it hard to accept that like any other human, they can at times be wrong. if we as a nation could accept that there are times when like anyone else we can be mistaken, a new tree of knowledge could be born that might give us the new perspective that we need. selectively weeding out free thinkers is all that keeps Pakistan from unlocking it’s true potential.

By no means though am i suggesting that we ought to forget every cultural value instilled in us. after all those are what make us who we are. what i am strongly urging though is that, with the changing world, a little communication between the liberals and the conservatives might just lead to the brighter tomorrow that we all are hoping for. maybe, if we actually listened to the newer generations, and took heed of the world view they have, Pakistan might just be in the limelight like it ought to be at all the time. Alas, at this point, this seems like a foolishly Utopian dream.

Everyone follows that path that their own intuition and ideals deem right. i suppose that is why vanity is such a cruel attribute in the human character. We always tend to believe that the only right way of doing things is the way we do them. Take the Jamah-e-Hafza incident from a few years ago. The arguments that it’s women championed weren’t exactly wrong, but their actions were far from ethical and miles from the religious values they seemed to so staunchly follow. We could learn from them, or being as vain as we are, we could fail and then learn from ourselves. It’s just that time is running out.

Despite our failures, the world we live in has been very forgiving, but to any careful mind a good question is, for how long? If we do not learn to handle our own mess, or better, learn to not create that mess, and soon, we are in for a rude awakening. We will lose ourselves to everyone, if we do not stop bickering and act on what unites us. If you really look hard enough, you’ll notice how much of that there really is. Let there be light!

Sexual attraction is unavoidable. When a young teenager sees a beautiful member of the opposite sex, 9 out of 10 times, he’d probably want to imagine what she looks like naked. Pakistan’s youth is essentially not that different. Despite an elaborate religious facade put on by most individuals, what happends behind closed doors, is slowly coming to light. As the western influence on Pakistan lays the cultural values to siege, more and more individuals are letting go of their prudish parts and adopting new, more “unzipped” ones. In light of this sexual awakening, steps have to be taken, or Pakistan might be on it’s way to being STD central.

The government of Pakistan’s main approach on the matter remains largely ignorant. It has often been claimed that as relationships out of wedlock are “non-existent” in Pakistan, Sex Ed. is entirely unneeded.
Yet, in light of what I have seen since my last visit to Pakistan back in July, it is now needed more than ever before. As public displays of affection slowly become more common, a new door is being opened to a more modern society. Parents might want to be a little more careful when they lend the family car to their kids for the night out, because the back seat will probably end up being used for things other than carrying passengers. Kids need to know what they’re getting themselves into. Life is not a game.

At this point, awareness about STDs and contraception, are limited primarily to handouts that non government organization hand out at local fairs. Nothing systematic really exists. The youth needs to be aware of the activities they are engaging in, while parents must effectively communicate with them, to touch base, on what base they’re on. Denying that there is any physical interaction between the sexes is a blind approach, and something that can have dire consequences. With most children looking to dictionaries and cheap porn sites, for sexual advice, a change is needed.

Schools need to impose mandatory courses, such as Health and Sex Ed. For students, so that students don’t take risks without realizing the end impact of their actions. The importance of safe sex must be emphasized and contraception must be made available to those that seek it. Whatever religious values are engrained in the minds of the countless younglings of Pakistan, it has to be established that sex is inevitable. There might be those who consider religion to be the supreme code of life, but there will always be those drawn to more material pleasure. Ignoring them is not the answer. Regulating them is.

Without any comprehension whatsoever of how to act responsibly, one cannot just assume that children have a sexual revelation. Some things are learnt with experience and unless they are given the expertise they need, more botched abortions, honor killings and deaths will transpire. HIV is already a global problem, and as more and more individuals thrust into their partners, it will eventually become Pakistan’s problem just as much. What was only limited to the red light districts of the country, will eventually go beyond their borders, unless steps are taken. Handing out pamphlets that are tossed out anyway, won’t stop it. Proactive action will. Pakistan is already losing the war on many fronts and this one seems next.

Is that truly what we want? Pakistan lacks infrastructure, wealth and large scale standardized education amongst other things. We cannot afford to have an illegitimate population explosion or an STD epidemic be added to that list. Without change, Pakistan is headed onto a dark road that lacks a future. Only awareness can light the path and give Pakistan what it needs; a license to truly go the distance.

It’s always good to hear feedback from all our readers. New perspectives are always good for something new and we look forward to hearing from you under the TALK TO US category or via E-mail at myhomeinreview@yahoo.com

Admin

When my parents were growing up life was much simpler than it is today. Not every nook and cranny of the city was littered with schools and tuition centers offering the promise of a better tomorrow, as is the case today; in my day. When I started my O level’s back in 2003, it was the best effort on my parent’s part to give me a brighter future. However, starting my sophomore year at the University of Pittsburgh, I don’t feel even remotely nostalgic as far as my school years go. The reason is simple: the private schools that now cluster the Pakistani education system are not fountains of knowledge but gold mines for their owners and teachers.  As they say, it’s nothing personal; it’s just business.

Profits seem to be all that matter. As long as teachers get their envelope full of money at the end of each month, with a new car parked in each driveway, life is good.  Yet profits aren’t all that has driven this rapid restructuring of the education system. In recent years, colleges have become more competitive than they ever were before. Acceptance rates have fallen, and everyone aiming high wants to outshine the rest. Elite private schools with their unaffordable fees offer the simple answer. Attending gives a student the competitive edge he or she requires to appear as the brightest star.

Hence economically speaking, the market has supplied what the people have demanded. It is this very demand that has led to a creation of a new elitist system of education offering those who can pay the ferryman a ride to a better tomorrow. But is it really better? A deeper insight into the problems this can cause Pakistan say otherwise. The country is already divided and fragmented on the basis of language, the multiple ethnicities it holds within its territories; does it really need another divide to shatter it even further?

As the world’s economy contracts even further in recent months, Pakistan’s population grows even more divided than ever before. Now between the rich and the poor. An elitist education system that the government now turns it’s eyes away from will only further this divide. Actions need to be taken, or this already broken nation will truly fall to its knees. The government must restructure the education system is a manner such that everyone can benefit from it, paving a future for themselves and for the country. By regulating the already established private schools, this may not just be a utopian dream.

Conventional price controls, can be a valuable asset in this endeavor. By controlling how much private education sector firms charge, and then further attempting to subsidize that the government can provide countless individuals the education that they were born to get. A limit on the fees charged by tutors, which is a growing industry for teachers, would also be crucial. Subsiding the price of quality books and other course material would also be indispensable. Education ought to be made a right, not a privilege.

The path is not an easy one, but it is a necessity. A necessity, if we all want to one day find the potential that the Pakistanis have seemingly hidden away behind a curtain of ignorance. A restructured education system with the right checks and balances could finally father the progress that we have seemingly delayed forever. It only takes a few good leaders to really change the world, but if our government can make a world class education available to the masses then, there is hope for this country. A new golden age for Pakistan may just be around the corner.

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The world as it stands today is on the brink of failure, and from its ashes a new world will rise; perhaps it already has. Everything around us is changing. Last November, the United States elected its first African American President, and for the first time in the history of the Subcontinent, a leader has risen from the much oppressed Dalit caste. However, despite the broad horizons all is but well. No one can understand this better than the Pakistanis. Despite the prosperity that seemingly sweeped the country in recent years, people are still scrambling to get a foothold in these uncertain times.

As the weather rapidly heats up in the summer, the climate seems to be the least worrying people at this point. Crippling inflation, power outages, and uncertain political and safety conditions seem to be hotter than the hottest summer day the country has seen yet. Seemingly for many the worst is still to come.  The new government under Mr. Zardari seems to be ill equipped to deal with the country’s troubles and soon there constriction of freedom to gain power will fail them. The very people that had catapulted the defunct political party (PPP) in hopes of democracy will soon be the power to remove it, for without popular support, not all the power in the country could help the government succeed.

In recent months, many rights that are often considered natural have been unceremoniously stripped away from the very people that had helped this party come to power.  Amongst these is the newly passed law against any text message that “promotes” any anti-government sentiment with a prison term waiting for anyone who chooses to violate.  Actions such as these are just precursors to more serious forms of censorship, which is in essence the plague against any progress. It can be said agreeably that all progress must be controlled in a manner best suited to benefit society. Cutting it off in its entirety has just the opposite effect.

Without the ability to think and speak freely a nation loses its voice and over time its ability to cope with change. In this changing world, if a nation fails to adapt itself to the rest of the world, it will eventually lose its place. Pakistan seems to be at a point in its existence when being wiped away seems very realistic. With members of the Taliban and other insurgent groups running rampant across its territories in the last few months triggering havoc everywhere, Pakistan was at a risk of disappearing forever.  Yet in the time of need the government acted.

Despite being a delayed and seemingly brutal operation, the Pakistan army successfully retook many parts of the Pakistan that in recent times seemed outside the government’s control. Even though the casualties of such an operation are and always will be vast, it seems to be a necessary evil, for if these insurgents are not weeded out in time, they will consume the country from within. Pakistan could have been well on its way to become the next Afghanistan: A country where freedom is no longer a right, but a privilege given by a ruthless deciding force. The population would kneel in this new world order and the country will lose all the beauty that once made it all that it was and could be.

However, the government’s recent actions have garnered some support. Yet if they do not act smartly, there victories will be short lived. Oppression of the nations natural rights will only breed more terrorists and any progress will be terminated; this time in a manner that not even sheer brute force could re-boot.  What Mr. Zardari needs to aim his gun on is his own domestic policy. It should be reformed to do what it’s meant to: Make Pakistan a better place for everyone who inhabits it. The government’s policies should be transparent enough to create a system where thought and creativity are fostered in a manner that really puts Pakistan on the map.

Last December, I turned 19, and I hope that by the time I blow out the candles on my 21^st birthday, like every year, a new Pakistan is something that I don’t have to wish for. If the world can unite against the economic crisis that is crippling us and move towards a brighter tomorrow, surely Pakistan can unite as one nation, one entity and one power; A power to truly be reckoned with.

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