DAWN - Magazine; February 17, 2008

February 17, 2008

Welcome to a generous selection of articles from DAWN's Weekly Magazine.
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Lights, Camera, election: Barra Bhai: now showing The politically charged latest Lollywood flick, as it were, has the potential to set a new record, that is, if all goes well on election day, As the old theatre connoisseurs in Lahore would say, the film actually began after the interval. This was when the Barra Bhai (the elder brother) walked into the story, at his own pace,....		Polls apart: An affair to forget One aspect that sets Election 2008 apart from past polls is that it is a child of the media unlike the live beasts that were its predecessors, Quite like an old fashioned love story, elections too are becoming harder to believe in. Strangely enough, the two do converge in their breathless uncertainty. And, for both,....

Canvassing: Campaign call Compared to the last few elections, the February 18 polls seem to be getting a lacklustre public response, The whole election process appears to be a big farce — an exercise in futility. Some have already boycotted it. Many are participating in protest. Everybody fears pre-poll rigging. And some suspect a low turnout of voters.....		Balochistan: Lukewarm, to say the least Despite the boycott, some leaders have decided not to leave the ground open for their traditional rivals, recalling the impact of post-1985 partyless elections in Balochistan, The election scene has assumed interesting turns in Balochistan over a period of time, generating keen interest among the poll observers.....

SNOB VALUE: (Un)civil society? The ability to hold a burning candle in one hand and shield the flame from the vagaries of the weather is another significant qualification for joining the ranks of the born again civil society, You may have noticed how the term ‘civil society’ has crept into our newspapers and television reports over the last several months.....		Globe trotting: Bless Brazil From the driving beat of samba to the soft sounds of bossa nova, Brazil has developed music of striking sophistication, quality and diversity, If you are looking for a ride of a different kind, where perhaps you can step in the joyous season that fills your heart with vibrant rhythms, where the world spins at a faster pace,....

Food forthought: Let’s Chaat! Chaat, in the experiences of this gastronomic wanderer, comes in two loosely related forms: fruit chaat and savoury chaat. Even within the subdivision of fruit chaat there exists the fresh cream and non-creamy variety. Here’s a breakdown of some of the best (and worst) chaat hot-spots (pun intended) to be found in Karachi.....		EXERCISE: Smart teens walk Even if young adults are involved in other sports, brisk walking should always be part of their aerobic and endurance programme, Walking is cool. That’s the message for teenagers who are health and fitness conscious. Unfortunately most teens set themselves up for an unhealthy adult life by smoking,...

OVER DOSE: Pills and potions With the wrong combination of pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter drugs, herbal preparations or alcohol, anyone can concoct a cauldron full of toil and trouble, The investigation into actor Heath Ledger’s death — still unresolved, though medication has been suspected — and a recent CDC report on fatal overdoses have brought national attention to the dangers of prescription drugs.....		Young guns: New kids on the block Though some of the youngsters performed well during the ODI series against Zimbabwe, there are still question marks hanging over their talent, The recently concluded ODI series between Pakistan and Zimbabwe enabled the national selection committee to induct young blood into the Pakistan team. The intention was to come up with a worthy backup squad that could be prepared to meet future challenges.....

Two sides to a cuppa Rallies do not constitute a movement. A movement has many other elements. There is a political side to a movement, a cultural side, an economic side, It is interesting to note that in the run-up to tomorrow''s election, a majority of people interviewed on TV in the street are actually sounding hopeful.......		Islamabad Dateline: Life interrupted? When a Harvard dropout tinkered with the thought of ‘windows’ on his gigantic computer, he knew he was on to something big, Something that could change the way we live. Today, Bill Gates is the wealthiest man in the world. Microsoft, the company that he founded, continues to remain fiercely competitive.....

Analysis: Invest in youth M S Dhoni and his boys, I found it fascinating to see the Indian cricket team knock the stuffing out of the Australian side in an ODI on Feb 10 at the MCG, The contest became all the more interesting because it was, for a change, Indian fast bowlers — Sreesanth, Ishant Sharma and Irfan Pathan --- who set the tone for the rest of the match....		Till media do us part The timing of the controversy regarding Shoaib Malik’s marriage to an Indian girl is damaging. Whoever is found guilty of being untrue should pay for it, The controversy surrounding Shoaib Malik’s marriage to an Indian girl, Ayesha Khan, reared its ugly head at a time when the skipper’s morale was high after being declared Man of the Series in the recently concluded ODI series against Zimbabwe.....

Sticky issues: Chop and change It was unwise on the part of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) to change the national team management just four months prior to the Beijing Olympics. It would have been much better had the federation waited till August.....		Well red Colour is integral to our lives. We cannot imagine life without the beauty and liveliness that colour injects into our lives. Colour is central to our perceptual experiences of the world around us. But more than just lending beauty to our world, colour has an effect on our psychological functioning as well.....

Medical Notes: Raising the odds In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is an option for a woman who has failed to conceive and wants to have a pregnancy, The procedure involves retrieving the woman’s egg, fertilising it in the laboratory and transferring the embryo back into the woman’s uterus.....		So out of control… It’s my father. He is getting out of control. He is 60 and doing things like wearing a scary mask and going out in the street, listening to extremely loud music, driving very fast, abusing, etc. We live in a posh area and have a good reputation in society, but because of him my family and I feel disgraced.....

Past Present: Elections and representation In democratic societies, elections are routinely held to provide an opportunity to the voters, either to vote for the continuity or for change of government, If the ruling party or parties perform well during their tenure, the government earns the support of the people for continuation.....		Quiz-O-Mania: For better and verse ONE: William Dalrymple recently wrote a highly readable and informative book about the last Mughal ruler – Bahadur Shah Zafar, who was also a major Urdu poet. Remember his famous couplet – Hai kitna budnaseeb Zafar dafn ke liye / Do gaz zameen bhi na mili ko-i-yar mein. Zafar was banished from India by the British and pined for Delhi in his last few years. Where was he buried?....