Queen of UK Now On Facebook.

Over the past years Facebook has become a global phenomenon and many politicians, leaders and celebrities have joined the club to be in contact with their fans. Facebook, the leading social networking website, continuously casts its spell over public figures. Queen Elizabeth II, incumbent monarch of UK since 1952, is the latest addition to Facebook.

The British Monarchy page is live on Facebook from Monday November 8th, 2010. It is not a personal page, but users will be able to view information about royal engagements. However, they will not be able to add the Queen to their friends list or 'poke' on her page.

Born on April 21, 1926, Queen Elizabeth II is now 84 years old, and still carrying out her duties as British monarch. She was crowned on June 2nd, 1953 and her reign is one of the longest for a British monarch. Her silver and golden jubilees were celebrated in 1977 and 2002 respectively, and planning for her diamond jubilee in 2012 is underway.

Queen Elizabeth II is not unaccustomed to using the internet, in fact she is quite an active user of technology. Buckingham Palace established a Royal Channel on Youtube in 2007, and the Queen joined the Twitter club in 2009. Now she has decided to join Facebook.

The internet has indeed revolutionized our lives and has introduced new cultural behaviour. Today, the world is far better connected than at any point in history, although segregation of different races, classes and groups also exist in the virtual world. Can we hope that the day will come when important public figures will not only be happy to be seen on social networking sites, but will also agree to be "poked" and added to the friends lists of ordinary people?

How I Earned 4,000 Euros, By Writing, In Only Two Weeks.

If you are a writer you will know only too well how difficult it is to earn a decent amount in only two weeks. With the right approach, however, you can earn thousands of bucks in only a few weeks.
I would not have believed that in just 14 days, writing for a very limited time on the internet, it was possible to earn 4,000 euros, and I don't expect you to believe it either, but a cheque for 4,000 euros, bearing my name, is lying in front of me. I expect you would like to know how I did it. Well, it is no great secret, and I would be delighted if my experience can help you bring in some money too. So, here is how it happened.

There are times when we all have something pleasant waiting for us in the inbox. Around 13 days ago, when I signed in to collect my email, one of my many messages seemed quite interesting. Although I have not disabled my blogsite comment box, my friends prefer to send their feedback into my inbox. It was, however, not that sort of feedback. A Mr. James Parkman, from UK, had written that he liked my blogs, columns and articles on my various websites. The gentleman was quite impressed by my writing style and interested in hiring my services, writing content for his website.

Mr. Parkman appeared very kind in his email and since I am a professional writer, I did not have any reason to say no, other than my busy schedule. I immediately looked at my forthcoming committments and found that I could manage it, providing this assignment was not urgent. So, I thanked him for his kind words, but advised that if his requirements were urgent, I was not the best option at present. Luckily he could wait, so I agreed to undertake the work.

In following emails, Mr. Parkman came up with the necessary information about the content, and we discussed rates and deadlines. Once everything was finalized, I reminded him that I required part-payment in advance. He asked if I accepted cheques. Since some of my clients in Paris do pay by cheque, I agreed, and he promised to send it as soon as possible. I trusted him.

On October 27th 2010 I received the promised cheque by post, but was confused to find it was made out for the sum of 4,000 euros. Had he decided to pay for the whole assignment? At that moment I felt I must be a really great writer!

As expected, some hours later I received another email from this man, giving further instructions that were completely unrelated to writing web content. On the contrary, he asked me to deduct my fee, and to send a cheque for the rest of the amount to a lady in the United States, whose details he enclosed. As soon as I read this message I could not contain my laughter.

I am not sure if it is due to my journalistic background that I save valueless objects, but I do, so I quickly searched for the saved envelope which had carried the bank draft, and checked its postmark. It was from Africa, not U.K.

When I analyzed the situation, I smiled, and placed the bank draft on my desk, where it lies still, to remind me. At least this adventure has taught one thing ...... you can earn a bank draft worth 4,000 euros in just two weeks. Unfortunately though, you cannot cash it! Therefore, if you are in online business, be careful, for some cheques and bank drafts with your name on are destined to go directly into the bin !

Third Strategic Dialogue and Pak-US relationship

If artificial smiles of cordiality, genial and firm handshakes, numerous photo-ops, vows of everlasting friendship and hollow promises for the future are considered the only parameters for success of diplomatic negotiations between high-ranking officials of two countries, then the third round of strategic dialogue between Pakistan and the United States, at Washington DC, has largely been a great achievement. If this round of negotiations between two nations, both playing a decisive role in the fate of terrorism, are evaluated against the facts and practicalities, then finding a ray of hope for peace and stability in the destabilised part of South Asia is little less than a Herculean task.

The latest round of strategic dialogue between America and Pakistan does not offer any hint for constructive change in the violent situation of the region, thus resulting in challenges for Pakistan. We cannot say, in the continuing peace process in Afghanistan (which also includes underground negotiations with the Taliban), what the nature of Pakistan's role will be, and if their legitimate security concerns will be addressed. Before the mid-term elections in the United States, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Pakistani officials to make 'difficult decisions' and go after the Taliban. Before the US president's official visit to India, the Obama administration remained silent on the question of US role in resolving the Kashmir issue, despite the requests of the Pakistani foreign minister. Absence of any substance, except a $2 billion military package, during the news conference of Hillary Clinton and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, is enough to suggest that a collision of interests and differences in priorities still exists.

Military aid worth $2 billion is intended to enable the Pak Army to purchase indispensable military equipment from the United States, to effectively operate against the Taliban and associates of al-Qaeda, but the timeframe of this aid package makes us wonder if the US really wishes Pakistan to take decisive action against the well-funded and sufficiently-equipped militants. A five year aid package, from 2012 to 2016, by the Obama administration, which has made it very clear on many occasions that it will start to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by the end of July 2011, poses some new questions. If the United States is really serious about accomplishing its mission by the middle of next year, then allied forces, during the next eight months, will try to hit the Taliban hard, so that the US may reap as many advantages as possible. In the same period, on the other hand, to keep the Pak Army insufficiently equipped against sophisticated al-Qaeda suggests murky developments.

This conception is further empowered by the fact that the US has yet to pay Pakistan its share of $2 billion, a smaller part of operational expenses which the US pays annually as a partner in the war on terror. During the third round of strategic dialogue no reference was made to this by the US administration, despite the fact that the Pakistan Army has paid not only for its own part, but also for that of the US. In addition, the US has linked the humanitarian aid for flood victims with the civilian aid to be delivered under the Karry-Lugar bill. It means the US will not pay any additional amount for the rehabilitation of flood affectees.

The above-mentioned facts make it clear that at a time when war on terror has entered a final and decisive phase, Pakistan is being denied any substantial help to stand firmly. Also, the Pakistan Army, which is basically trained and organised to handle aggression along Eastern borders, is being forced to take decisive action against militants in North Waziristan. A military operation in North Waziristan has the potential to put financially weak Pakistan and an inadequately equipped Pak Army (to fight against Taliban ) directly at war with the Taliban in Afghanistan. This possibility probably best explains the hesitation of the Pak Army, which is always mindful of aggression from Eastern borders, to start operations in North Waziristan.

Kashmir is the main bone of contention between India and Pakistan, and has caused three wars between these neighbouring countries. Until the Kashmir issue is resolved peacefully, neither the Pakistani nation nor Pakistan's armed forces can be at peace from its Eastern borders. An appeal made by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi that the US plays its role to solve the longstanding issue of Kashmir, actually expresses Pakistan's seriousness towards peace in Afghanistan. The Pakistan Army can take serious action against the Taliban and al-Qaeda when it has well-founded reasons to believe that sacredness of Eastern borders will not be violated. Thus demands made by the Obama administration, which clearly prefers Indian approval, at the expense of Kashmiri people and Pakistan's security concerns, are far from being realistic.

We make mistakes in moments, but we bear their results for years and decades to come. While envisaging new geo-political balance, it will be better for the US administration, regional stability and global peace not to ignore historical facts and geographical factors. Humans have a tendency not to learn from history, so history repeats itself. Barak Obama will be visiting India in November. During his stay in New Delhi, perhaps it will become clearer if he wishes to see history repeated, or prefers to alter its course.

( This article is also published on daily The Statesman on October 27, 2010 )
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Why Pakistani Nation Can Not Progress?

Hssan Nisar, a fierce critic of the government and our political class alike, in his latest column - "Kainat Ka Aakhri Kinara" or the Boundary Line of the Universe, has censured the role of our insensitive politicians who are either engaged in efforts to prolong their rule over the nation or just waiting for their turn to be in the power. He analyses our individual and collective role in running the affairs of the nation and compares it with the role of Western nations for the developement of human kind.

Hassan Nisar, apparently, took the inspiration by a claim made by British scientists to discover the boundary line of our universe. According to their research, the last corner of this universe, whose volume had been unmeasured in our known human history, is at a distance of 131 billion light years from our solar system. In other words, a ray light will take 131 billion years to reach at the outer end of this universe.

He criticise our role in the research and development, and make the reader to look into the mirror, something we as a nation hate to do. After reading I remember the saying of Singapore's minister who said that Pakistanis can never progress in the life.

I feel sorry as I can not remember the exact about the time and place when the foresaid minister opined about the prospect of progress for Pakistani nation. But, it does not matter so much since the basic realities have not been changed yet and still there is no sign they will change in foreseable future. I remember, however, he was visiting Pakistan and someone asked him, "how Pakistan can progress?".

"Pakistan can not progress", replied Singaporean minister and justified his opinion saying that since your real life ( of Pakistani people ) starts after the death, you guys can not be serious about progressing in this world.

One of the many reasons for our backwardness is indeed our a misconception that this world is temporary and fictious. So, we must focus on our success in the life hereafter. This conception is further empowered by the mullahs, who seek the submission of and contributions from ordinary people in the name of religion for their success in this material life.

Majority of the people living in rural areas, Pakistani nation is a hostage to a handful of feudal lords, politcians, pirs, mullahs who exploit them at their will. Contributing their miseries to the fate, the poor man prefers to committ suicide quietly. So called democracy is an excuse for the elite class of our nation to continue ruling the country.

It is my firm belief that to change our outlook and progress in this world, we need to change ourselves first. We have to maintain a subtle balance between our religious and worldly committments. We are an imabalanced nation and it is our unfortunate that we have only a few balanced intellectuals like Hasan Nisar.