Aftermath of terrorism in Pakistan

Pakistan is the greatest victim of terrorism as a result of so called war on terror; its economy has so far suffered huge loss of over $40 billion during the last nine years of this war in addition to irreparable social losses. Investment is at the lowest level. Growing poverty is affecting the whole nation resulting to fuel further to strengthen already caused terrorism. Today out of 170 millions populations, about 60% is living below the poverty line; Poverty, lack of justice and socio-economic alienation are being exploited by the terrorist outfits and their masterminds to lure young impressionable minds and recruit them as suicide bombers. People do not have to eat two times a day that encourages them to adopt illicit alternatives to meet their basic needs. The widening gap between the rich and poor is also providing an opportunity to the terrorists to cash this feeling of being ignored in the poverty struck regions.
Not all but some, especially perturbed youth definitely fall prey of the net spread by the terrorist outfits. Our leadership, instead of taking effective steps to expunge the terrorism by ensuring access to justice for all, promoting widespread education, raising employment opportunities, eradicating poverty, and development of channel of communication, is constantly engaged in its own activities. Corruption is touching its new heights reaching at 34th world ranking, political appointments are continuing to be showered on near and dear ones and those paying bribe. Employment rate in private sector is declining due to deepening energy crisis and resultant closure of industrial units.
Pakistan’s economy has been severely affected by its commitment to fighting extremism. The socio-political cost of terrorism and militancy inflicted on our country is immeasurable. Pakistan is the country that has made sacrifices and is still doing so. The threat of terrorism has caused a tremendous loss to the economy. The imprudent policies being pursued by the government has reduced the country to such demeaning position that country is being likened to a dog. It is better to die than descending to such lowest level of subservience and submission. This amount of degradation is intolerable and it is a matter of concern for the nation.
The most important impact of terrorist activity is reduction in the flow of private finance into the country. It has happened at the time when Pakistan is running very high trade and balance of payments deficits. The rise in suicide attacks and counter-terror operations by the Pak Army has led to flight of capital that peaked in 2009-2010. Now Pakistani investors are even not inclined to invest in Pakistan what to say about foreign investors. Pakistani officials have no answer to foreign investors who ask them why they should invest in Pakistan when Pakistanis themselves were investing in other countries. No one comes to invest in a country like Pakistan confronted with a debt trap and a growing fiscal deficit in addition to terrorism and law and order situation. Pakistan’s debt has gone above 60% of GDP during the previous two years and fiscal deficit is growing. FDI is the engine of to-day economic growth. Countries need more FDI and FPI in order to generate job opportunities, and desired economic targets. For Pakistan, it is a question of sustenance because FDI is vital for the reduction of widening of trade and account deficits. Hence it is imperative for the Government to convince the international investors for more and more FDI and FPI. While fighting against terrorism, Government needs to take concrete steps which would ensure foreign investors that their investment is safe in Pakistan and it is a key to wiping out terrorism within the country and worldwide.

A Closer Look at Tattoos

Whether you have a bunch of them, have always wanted them, or you think that they look great on other people, you'll find that there are plenty of reasons to love tattoos! People have discovered evidence that tattooing goes back literally thousands of years, and if you admire these permanent markings then you certainly won't be surprised. You'll find that there are many different styles of tattooing out there, so take a look at a few popular ones. Old School These are the tattoos that used to be found on sailors. They usually are brightly colored and convey a nautical theme such as anchors, ships or birds. Women, cars and birds are also depicted in this old-fashioned, brightly colored style, and you'll find that there are a great many people who have old school tattoos done to remember a relative or a lover who sailed. New School New school tattoos are as bright as old school tattoos, but you'll find that they have a significantly more modern slant. New school tattoos often feature extremely bright, neon colors, and depict things in lurid detail. You might find that the style used is often very cartoony, and the subject matter that it depicts can be quite dark. These tattoos are growing a great deal in popularity and can be seen quite often. Graywork When you are looking for a tattoo that can give you a great deal of realistic detail, whether it is the face of a person, or even something as delicate as a feather, you'll find that you should take a look at graywork, which is a style of tattooing that is done entirely in delicate grays. This makes it easier for your tattooist to put in a large deal of shading and detail, and the results can be simply stunning when it comes to the amount of detail that is retained from the original. Tribal Bold, black, abstract designs are indicative of the tribal style of tattoos, and you'll find that these tattoos are heavily inspired by the tattooing of such groups as the Maori of New Zealand. You'll find that these tattoos can suit a wide range of skin tones and are quite striking. Irezumi Irezumi is the word for tattooing in Japan, and once you have seen the bold colorful designs of Japanese tattoos, you'll be able to recognize it anywhere! The art style used is very similar to the art that appears on Japanese woodblock prints, and the designs are meant to flow with your body. These designs can be very large, taking up whole limbs, and in some cases, the entire body. Celtic For many people, one of the most attractive art styles in the world to them is the twisting geometric lines of ancient Celtic artwork, so it is no surprise that so many people choose to incorporate it onto their bodies. Celtic knotwork is a lovely addition to any tattoo collection, and many people choose to create bands of Celtic knotwork around their biceps, making for a striking and quite beautiful effect. No matter what kind of tattoo you prefer, you are certain to find a design that conveys the message you want by taking a little time to investigate the different styles. If there is a tattoo parlor in your town, stop in and check out the designs and talk with the tattooist. I'm sure you will find lots to delight your eyes.
 

Plato

Plato is the classical Greek philosopher who laid the foundations for modern Western Culture. He was a great man that studied mathematics and wrote philosophical dialogs, he was even the founder of the academy of Athens which was, by the way, the very first institution of higher learning. He was quite a personality and his merits are significant.
You can see Plato’s brilliance for yourself just by reading some of his Socratic dialogs; even though it is not known how much they were used during Plato’s time, these days his written works ore used to teach philosophy, logic and a variety of other subjects about which Plato wrote.
Although his exact birth date is not known, many people think that Plato was born in Athens somewhere around 424 BC, his father Ariston supposedly traced his descent down from the King of Athens; Plato’s mother’s name was Perictione, they had three other children other then Plato, two sons and a daughter.
There are stories about how Plato’s mother came to be pregnant by a virginal conception. Ariston had attempted to force his intention on Perictione and failed, it was then when the Greek god Apollo appeared to him and Ariston decided to leave the women alone…interesting.
There is another legend that states that bees came to Plato when he was an infant and rested there, supposedly giving him the sweet style that he had in philosophy.
Plato’s father, Ariston, died when Plato was just a child; even though the exact date of his death is not known, it was then that Plato’s mother married her mother’s brother (her uncle)…this man had served in the Persian court and was a friend to the leader of the democratic faction in Athens, the result of this marriage was a son by the name of Antiphon.
You can find Plato’s family in his dialogs as he was very proud of his family and often named characters after them. This not only helps to reconstruct Plato’s family tree but to also get a look at what he really felt about them.
As a boy, Plato was a very modest but intelligent child, he was hard working and on top of that, he loved to study. Sounds like we need more like him these days. He was taught in grammar, music and gymnastics by the best teachers of the time, he had the highest that education could offer.
During his lifetime, Plato traveled to Italy, Egypt and Cyrene, it was when he was around the age of forty that he returned to Athens and started one of the earliest organized schools in Western Civilization; this school went on for many years and taught many people (including Aristotle), but in 529 AD it was closed down by Justinian I who saw it as a threat to Christianity.
Plato is best known for his dialogs, but the one event that brings all of his many dialogs together is the trial of Socrates. Socrates is accused of not believing in the gods and of corrupting the youth so he defends himself saying that slander will be the cause of his demise and that it was the oracle at Delphi that sent him on a quest. It was Socrates on this quest attempting to solve the riddle that put him at odds with his fellow man, Socrates went on to say that the legal charges were false.
Plato used his dialogue to teach people and to let the world know what his views were and I think that everybody can say that he did succeed in that respect. He lived in a difficult time that had a lot of things about it that were false and a lot of things that were believed that were simply pagan. In one way or another, we are all products of the time that we live in, society molds us and tries to turn us into something that is not always good or right. Why do you think that there are so many criminals on the streets?
The one little seed that it all stems from, the name of that seed is sin, sin is the seed that sits at the very bottom of the pit of society and gives birth to all that is so terrible and confusing, it did during Plato’s day it does during ours…

What is Paganism?

You have probably read about paganism in the Da Vinci Code or the Lost Symbol, or Angels and Demons. The way Dan Brown has written about it, I am sure all of us Dan Brown fans would love to know more about the paganism symbols and what they mean. So let's see whats it all about.
PaganismThe term 'pagan' and 'paganism' have been derived from the Latin word paganus which means "country dweller". There is no one particular definition of paganism. Some define paganism as involvement of anyone in any religious practices which are not related to Christianity. Jews and Muslims on the other hand call all those religious practices not related to their religion, as paganism. While, some others define paganism as any religious practice outside Christian, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhist practices. Some may also define paganism as one without any religion.
However, one common definition that some people accept is that, paganism is the authentic religion of the ancient Greece and Rome and its surrounding areas. The pagans are polytheistic which means that they have faith in more than one God and Goddesses. As Christianity became more and more powerful in the Medieval times, pagans came to be referred to those who did not belong to this faith, did not practice this religion. Before talking about the paganism symbols, let us first know about the history of paganism.

History of Paganism
There was a time when people used to worship nature on a much larger scale than they do now. It was believed that everything, i.e., forests, sea, trees and all other aspects of nature, were Gods and Goddesses. Thus, religion that time was polytheistic or a religion with many Gods and Goddesses. With the passage of time, as the civilizations began to develop, even the number of Gods started growing. The old Gods remained, but they were modified according to the changing times. These Gods played an important role in man's life in the society. They influenced everything, from laws to the general household works in the society.

If You are Not Jealous You are Not in Love

Reasons and causes of jealousy in a relationship. Its effects and how one can get over it.

I had read the above mentioned quote as a youngster and it is true to some extent. Being jealous and having feelings of envy are normal to human nature. A little bit of jealousy combined with possessiveness is healthy, but if the same goes beyond control so much so that one of the partner feels suffocated in the relationship or one of the partner is constantly checking on the other, it can lead to a lot of social embarrassment.
How do you detect that you are jealous or over possessive? If you find yourself constantly wondering what the person is doing and not because you miss the other person but because you are jealous and feel that the partner may be with another man or woman, this kind of thought process will lead to suspicion, jealousy and can prove to be detrimental to a healthy relationship especially if you call up your partner several times in a day just to check where the other person is?
This kind of jealousy in the relationship will lead to fights and arguments till a point comes in the relationship when one of the partners walks out. This may even lead to a break-up or a divorce.
If you are exhibiting any of the above mentioned signs its time for you to examine your behavior and determine the cause of your behavior. Ask yourself a few relevant questions like why do you have these feelings of jealousy? Why do you want to constantly check on your partner? Try to find out the root cause of your behavior, is it because you genuinely believe that your partner is overly flirtatious or you have strong feelings of inadequacy.
Often jealousy stems from strong feelings of inadequacy or a low self-esteem. We may either berate ourselves constantly or always criticize a member of the opposite sex.
Please remember jealousy does not enhance your attraction in any way, in fact you appear to be a person who always harbors ill will towards others.
The next though that crops up in everybody’s mind is how to curb jealous thoughts in oneself or one’s partner? Don’t worry there are many solutions to curb jealousy and build a healthy relationship.
The first step in dealing with any kind of jealousy is to recognize that you or your partner is facing a problem of extreme jealousy. Firstly realize the fact that if your partner is a flirt or has actually been unfaithful, checking constantly on him or her is not really going to change them however if they have not done anything then it surely will annoy them and may make them feel suffocated.
So the thumb rule is unless you have caught them doing something do not suspect. Believe them if they offer an explanation for their behavior. Also get rid of any feelings of inadequacy, because if the partner is with you then it definitely is out of choice and not any kind of compulsion.
If you are the one of those who has an overly jealous or possessive partner then I suggest that you find out what is the cause of this jealousy and possessiveness. Is it originating from your behavior or the cause is something else. Find out if you have either neglected your partner or unfairly compared them with someone else. If it is either of these then make changes to your behavior and if you feel that your partner has some psychological problems then suggest that they see a counselor and instead of stating that your partner see a counselor which may offend them suggest that both should see a counselor to understand what the problem is.Handling the issue of jealousy in a relationship with sensitivity and understanding can cause the feelings of jealousy to die a slow death and mutual trust and understanding in the relationship will grow leading to a happy and fulfilling relationship.

Five Major World Religions

Religion is a system of faith and beliefs that shape the life of common man. Religion is defined as a way of life. To know about the five major world religions.All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom." - (Albert Einstein)

It is extremely difficult to define religion, as it is a composite of the narratives, symbols, beliefs and practices that shape the lives and lifestyles of individuals belonging to that religion. Generally, every religion is based on the concept of an ultimate truth, a supreme power, which is believed to guide the course of one's life. Religion is expressed through rituals, traditions and cultural values and also through convictions that serve as the guiding principles of one's life. A religion influences the patterns of thinking and behavior of its practitioners.

Religion has played an important role in world history. It has always served as a source of inspiration for the creation of the different cultures found around the world. Religions have been in existence since the prehistoric times. Let us look at the five major religions of the world.
Christianity:
Christianity is the largest religion in the world. It began in the eastern Mediterranean region and managed to spread its influence across the globe within a few decades from its creation. The teachings of Jesus Christ are central to this religion. The followers of Christianity, Christians, as they are called, believe that Jesus is the revealer of God as also His incarnation. Most of them also believe in the return of Jesus to judge the living and the dead. Bible, the sacred book of Christianity, is composed of two parts, the Old Testament that describes life before the birth of Jesus and the New Testament describing the life and teachings of Jesus. There are around 2 billion followers of Christianity around the world.

Buddhism:
Buddhism is a system of beliefs based on the teachings of Buddha. It is categorized as Theravada, which boasts of a large following in Southeast Asia and Mahayana that predominates East Asia. Gautama Buddha was born in southern Nepal. He spent his lifetime in the north-eastern region of the Indian subcontinent, preaching people about the philosophies of life. His teachings preached the way out of sufferings of Samsara. Buddha is believed to have died in 400 BCE. An estimated 300-400 million people in Asia as well as in many other parts of the world, practice Buddhism.
Islam:
Islam, meaning 'surrender to God', is an Abrahamic religion that originated from the teachings of Islamic prophet Muhammad. Prophet Muhammad was an Arab, born in Mecca, who believed that he had been sent to Earth by Allah as his apostle. The sacred book of Islam is called Quran, which is believed to have been revealed to Muhammad through Angel Gabriel. The followers of Islam are known as Muslims. They are expected to follow the Five Pillars of Islam, which represent the five duties in the life of a Muslim. There are about 1 to 1.3 billion Muslims, mostly in the Middle East, Africa and parts of Asia, making Islam, the second largest religion.
Hinduism:
The Hindu religion is referred to as 'Sanatana Dharma', meaning 'the eternal law'. It is often described as the oldest living tradition. Hindu beliefs vary widely across different regions of the world. The teachings of Hinduism are found compiled in scriptures such as the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Puranas and the epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata. Philosophy, theology and mythology form the important constituents of the scriptures of Hinduism. A discussion on Hinduism is incomplete without the mention of Bhagavad Gita, a part of the Mahabharata that comprises the teachings of Lord Krishna. It summarizes the principles stated in the Vedas. Hinduism prevails in the Indian subcontinent and some parts of South Asia. It is practiced by about 828 million Hindus, making it the third largest religion.
Judaism:
Judaism is a set of beliefs that have originated from the Hebrew Bible. Judaism establishes a relationship between Israelites, the Children of Israel and God. The western concepts of ethics and civic law are largely similar to the principles of Judaism. Judaism has also influenced Christianity and Islam. Those adhering to Judaism are called Jews. They believe in the existence of God, who created the universe and continues to rule it. Judaism says that death is not the end of the world and that a new world is yet to come into existence. Torah, the five books of the Hebrew Bible form the most important constituent of the scriptures of Judaism. Today, there are about 13 million Jews across the globe with a large number of them, inhabiting Israel. Many people consider Judaism to be the oldest religion in the world.
This was an overview of the five major religions of the world. However, there is one religion that binds the human race together and that is humanity.

Lesbianism in Japan

In ancient times, the neglected ladies of the o-oku, the shogun’s harem, were well known for taking consolation in lesbian relationships. Unlike the celebration of male homosexuality among the warriors and their pages, however, Japanese culture has preferred to ignore - neither condemning nor celebrating - lesbian relations. Shunga with a lesbian theme are relatively rare. There are resubian sho (lesbian shows) which are a staple in the modern striptease parlor frequented by heterosexual males, but more as a foreign import than indigenous expression. For a brief time in the early 1980s, Tokyo had a single lesbian bar, but given the contentedness of gay men in the closet and the pervasiveness of female submissiveness, there are even fewer lesbians anxious to come out in public. While most gay bars exclude all women, some are known to cater to lesbians on certain days, and then only for a couple of hours. In modern Japan, lesbianism is shrouded in comparative obscurity.
In Japan, as in most other cultures around the world, lesbians have been doubly stigmatized as homosexuals and as women. Lesbians have been typically viewed by Japanese society as a common element in the pornography targeted to men or as "gender-bending" and anti-social. A variety of colloquial terms are used for Japanese lesbians, all of them more or less derogatory. (Kaji)] Lesbians are sometimes known as onabe (stew-pot) in contrast with the male okama, or august pot, or more commonly by the "Japlish" resz. Rezubian (lesbian) is the most commonly used term. The otachi, or butch, the actress playing male roles, and the nenne or neko (cat), Çnue, or femme, mark the two ends of the lesbian spectrum.
One uniquely Japanese custom of gender bending is found in the joshi-puro (women professional wrestlers). Elsewhere in the world, women wrestlers are shapely Amazons in bikinis intently watched by males. In Japan, women wrestlers mimic their male sumo counterparts, with some interesting twists. Joshi-puro stars, such as Chigusa, with a boyish hairstyle and tacky, gaudy leotards, serenades her audience of teenage and preteen girls with popular songs before climbing into the ring to attack, gouge, pummel, and drag her mountainous opponent around the rings. Commenting on the adulation Japanese girls show for their heroes in the All-Japan Women’s Pro Wrestling Association, the director of AJWPWA has suggested that young girls see women pro wrestlers as very strong, ideal men, a substitute for boyfriends. They feel safe getting close to them because they are female. They provide vicarious thrills for the young girls, and models of aggressive champions of self-assertiveness