Category: Death

Death

Arthur C. Clarke Died Today

ReallyVirtual1 Comment

Yesterday, I started reading 'Time's Eye' – the first book of the 'A Time Odyssey' series written by Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter. I went to sleep after reading 22 Chapters, woke up, checked my emails and RSS feeds, and found out that Arthur C. Clarke passed away some time today at his home in Sri Lanka.

Arthur C. Clarke was one of the greatest scifi writers ever, his writing was an inspiration to millions. Besides his Odyssey, I read a lot of his short stories in the 80s. His three laws of prediction are almost as famous as Asimov's three laws of robotics, and the 3rd law is probably quoted the most:

  1. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
  2. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.
  3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

I think I am jinxed, and should stop reading series that are not finished yet. But for now, I must move on to chapter 23 of Time's Eye.

School Closed Due To Bomb Threats

Sohaib Athar

My son will not go to school today, or tomorrow. When we discussed this in front of him today, he immediately said, "Coz there is a bomb".

The school administration have received specific bomb threats and have decided to keep the school closed for the next two days. Of course, the topic must have been discussed in front of him at school, which is how he knows 'there is a bomb'.

I don't see how closing the school for two days will help, they might as well close the school for two months, or better yet, two years. There have been threats before the elections, and I am sure there will be lots of threats in the future as well. 

I don't blame the school for being paranoid, as it is one of the better schools of Lahore, and so, a lot of my son's classfellows are sons and grandsons of active politicians and police officers. All I (or the other parents) can do is to blame our government, which, in turn, blames the usual suspects , who blame the USA and so on… I'm sure that if my son could, he would blame me for making him live in a country where kids become 'collateral damage', and have to sacrifice their lives and education for some one else's war.

Congratulations my terrorist 'brothers', you have succeeded.

I Condemn the Lahore Bomb Blast

Sohaib Athar1 Comment

While searching for updates regarding the bomb blast in Lahore today, I couldn't help noticing the top two links on Google News were from the Associated Press of Pakistan, a 4 hour difference between the two releases. The titles are linked to the APP pages – I'm just copy pasting the two 'releases' one after the other.

Minister Petroleum condemns Lahore blast ISLAMABAD, Mar 4 (APP): Caretaker Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Ehsanullah Khan Tuesday strongly condemned bomb blast in Lahore, which caused loss of precious lives. In his message he said it was the heinous act of terrorism reflects inhuman nature of the perpetrators. He said anti Islam and anti state elements wanted to derail the ongoing democratic process in the country but they will not succeed in their nefarious designs. The Minister prayed for the deceased, that may Allah Almighty rest the departed souls in eternal peace and grant the bereaved families the courage to bear the loss. He expressed his condolence and sympathy with the families of killed and the injured.

and… 

NA Speaker condemns Lahore blast ISLAMABAD, Mar 4 (APP): Speaker National Assembly, Ch. Amir Hussain on Tuesday strongly condemned bomb blast in Lahore, which caused loss of precious lives. In a statement, the Speaker said it was a barbaric act of terrorism, which reflected inhuman and callous nature of the perpetrators. He said a few misguided people were trying to disrupt peace in the country and derail the peaceful democratic process but they will not succeed in their nefarious design. He said the criminals were playing with the lives of innocent people. Praying for the deceased, the Speaker said that may Allah Almighty rest the souls of the victims in eternal peace and grant the bereaved families the courage to bear the loss. He also sympathized with the injured and their families and prayed for their speedy recovery.

I was really moved by their straight-from-the-heart honest sentiments, it did not know our government cared that deeply about the deceased. I'm also surprised at how similar their thought process is, its almost as if they were speaking from the same slimy tongue. I am sure that with such caring rulers who are thinking about the nation all the time and are dedicated to the democratic process, Pakistan will soon be back on the way towards progress.

So, to follow in their footsteps, I strongly condemn the bomb blast in Lahore, which caused loss of precious lives…

APP, can I have a press release page please?

Bomb Blast In Lahore

Sohaib Athar

My wife normally picks up my son from school at 1:30AM. She had forgotten her cell at home today, and at 1:40PM I receiving a call on her cell from my son's friend's mother who had  heard a couple of blasts on her way home, and wanted to confirm my wife was okay. She told me the school administration was panicked and the roads were blocked all over. I could do nothing but wait – thankfully, she got home before they blocked the Mall completely.

The blasts, they say, were in the Naval Academy (near Zafar Ali Rd. and the canal). It seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same… the last time I glanced at the TV, the death toll was 5 people. I don't know whether the motive was political or religious, or both (as our religion is inseparable from the state), but what I do know is that we love to cheer on the people killing their brethren in the name of religion – as long as it is happening in another country. Hmm, maybe I should move out of Pakistan and cheer the people fighting (killing) in the name of religion from a safe distance.

The Wheel of Time

Sohaib Athar1 Comment

"The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend.  Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again.  In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose… The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of time. But it was a beginning."

Ouch! Robert Jordan, the author of the 12 volume 'The Wheel of Time' saga, died last week, which is sadly ironic, as the Wheel of Time didn't let him finish the last book in the series. I read 11 of the 12 books last year, around 10,000 pages, and was waiting for the last book – now the millions of scifi and fantasy fans will have to settle with someone else telling the story that he began. Makes me want to pray for the health of the other dozen authors with unfinished stories that I'm reading … at least until they write the last book in the series … after that, they can go to hell.