Wadiblog

Posted by Siliconstani

  Today, Friday August 1st a number of  Calfriends and I met for our weekly TGIF FRIDAY CLUB at STRAITS RESTAURANT (http://straitsrestaurants.com) in Santana Row While looking over the menu,  my eyes fell upon an interesting item: ROTI JOHN.

Roti John, is a sandwich inspired by some legendary guy named John who apparently while in Singapore was over come with nostalgia for a sandwich from back home. Goes out in search of a bistro or deli like place, ends up at one the many street side hawkers and custom orders a sandwich made from Asian bread or Roti, omelet, and vegetables.

The hawker, a Malaysian Muslim had the entrepreneurial savviness to brand this sandwich as ROTI JOHN that apparently became the talk around town.

I couldn’t order ROTI JOHN since it’s only served for lunch, however the name alone inspired me to share this on WadiBlog, not to mention having a mouth watering ring to it.

I wonder how many times we go through life where because of our impulsiveness, urges, desires to do or eat something we, without realizing inspire someone with a great idea.

Entrepreneurship isn’t something you learn in school, or can read up in ENTREPRENEURSHIP FOR DUMMIES.I doubt anyone taught this Muslim Hawker about how to look out for a good idea, or how to market and brand the idea, no?

*WadiBlogging from Blackberry

SEO Optimized by WadiBlog admin

Mahvish Rukhsana Khan an Afghan-American attorney from San Diego, California presents in her acclaimed book “My Guantanamo Diaries” the human catastrophe resulting from the U.S. led War on Terrorism in Afghanistan. She presents stories from inside the Guantanamo Detention camp at a book reading hosted by the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, California on July 10, 2008.

To learn about future such readings, join My Guantanamo Diary on Facebook.

Posted by: Abdulrahman Rafiq on behalf of Faraz Shah (Photographer)

Sitting with several Calfriends, sipping cups cold coffee (Pakistani Style) at Mirchi Cafe in Fremont, California I was astounded to learn about Facebooks content copyright policy.

Believe it or not, any content, primarily photos and videos that a user posts to Facebook is solely own by Facebook.com.

Even if you delete the content from your profile, it will not be deleted from Facebooks database, and they reserve the right to use any content for marketing and publicity purposes.

See Facebook’s Terms of Use:

By posting User Content to any part of the Site, you automatically grant, and you represent and warrant that you have the right to grant, to the Company an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, publicly perform, publicly display, reformat, translate, excerpt (in whole or in part) and distribute such User Content for any purpose, commercial, advertising, or otherwise, on or in connection with the Site or the promotion thereof, to prepare derivative works of, or incorporate into other works, such User Content, and to grant and authorize sublicenses of the foregoing.

To learn more about this visit http://PhotoAttorney.com

Moral of the story is: Before posting content to any Social Network  make sure you have read the Terms of Use statement. You may be in for a surprise.

(Posting from Blackberry)

(Article adapted and updated from my article for TriCity Voice dated July 18, 2007)

The health care system in the United States is clearly sick. Our health care system is one of the most expensive among the industrialized countries and yet the World Health Organization rates us as 37th in overall healthcare performance [1]. California is no exception. Over seven million people in California alone are uninsured and many more are underinsured [2]

There have been many proposals put forth, including mandating individuals to purchase insurance [3]. The League of Women Voters of California (“LWVC”) and the its local arm, the League of Women Voters of Fremont, Newark and Union City (“LWVFNUC”) [both of which also include men], after reviewing the various proposed options to remedy the healthcare system, support single payer universal healthcare. LWVC and LWVFNUC along with thousands of others supported Senate Bill 840, titled “The California Health Insurance Reliability Act”, authored by State Senator Sheila Kuehl.

This landmark legislation provides fiscally sound, affordable and comprehensive coverage via single payer universal health insurance for all Californians. SB 840 would require replacing all health premiums, taxes, deductibles and co-payments now paid by employers, employees and individuals with one affordable premium paid to the public trust fund. Proponents expect that the bill will save $8 billion in the first year alone and $344 billion over a ten year period [4]. This legislation would replace the current 1,500 plus insurance plans in existence in California with a more cost effective universal access health care system.

SB 840 passed both the State Senate and Assembly in the 2006 legislative session. However, it was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger on September 22, 2006 on the grounds that “healthcare is not a right” [5]. Proponents of SB 840 have noted that the Governor received $4 million in campaign funds from the Insurance Industry [5]. Despite 2006 legislative year obstruction, Senator Kueh and supporters forged on ahead with its re-introduction in the 2007 legislative session. SB 840 passed the State Senate and is now in committee’s in the State Assembly Appropriations Committee.

The League of Women Voters of Fremont, Newark and Union City (“The League”), will continue to participate in OneCareNow, a grass roots campaign to educate Californians about single payer universal healthcare. The OneCareNow campaign held health care awareness activities in 365 cities throughout California. The campaign started in August 2006 and continued until August 2007. Every day for 365 days, one city in California was asked to support the concept of making sure that all Californians have health care. July 18, 2007 is the day that was devoted to the City of Fremont.

February 12, 2007 was the City of Newark’s day. In February, the League engaged in outreach activities with residents and presented information about SB 840 to the Newark City Council. May 5th was Union City’s awareness day. The League presented testimony to Union City’s Council which passed a resolution in favor of SB 840 on May 22, 2007.

Fremont’s awareness activities included leafleting at various theaters which were showing Michel Moore’s recent documentary about the deplorable state of our healthcare system – “Sicko”. The League also sponsored a packed forum featuring the following knowledgeable speakers who shed light on the various proposals Assemblymember Alberto Torrico, Co-author of SB 840, Ms. Pat Snyder, League of Women Voters of California, Mr. Andrew McGuire, Executive Director, Health Care for All.

The OneCare grassroots movement convened a State Strategy Summit in February 2008 in Los Angeles to plan for ongoing strategy to obtain universal coverage for all. Stay tuned for updates.
Useful Websites:
www.lwvfnuc.org
www.onecarenow.org
www.healthcareforall.org

Reference web links:

[1] World Health Organization: 2000 report: www.who.int/whr/2000/en/index.html

[2] Health Care for All: www.healthcareforall.org/healthcare_crisis.html

[3] This site has a readable summary: Health Access California: www.health-access.org/advocating/2007_bills.html

[4] Health Care for All: www.healthcareforall.org/studies.html - based on the Lewin Group 2004 study.

[5] OneCareNow: www.onecarenow.org/sb840.htm

Tradition, Technique, Technology – II ;

Contemporary artists from Pakistan

Featuring Farida Batool, Adeela Suleman and Ayaz Jokhio

Aicon Gallery, Palo Alto, July 17 – August 30

Opening Reception, Friday July 18, 2008, 6:00-9:00 p.m.

A great show case of 3 artists’ personal exploration of Pakistan’s history and how to deal with it.The press release says:“Working separately in Lahore and
Karachi, these three artists reference the transformation of heritage as a means of identifying the urgency to address issues of violence, sexuality and stereotyping. The artists included in this exhibition each take a unique approach to their art and its history that both challenges the viewer and allows for individual interpretations. ”

Siliconstani, ifaqeer, Abbas, and myself will be there on opening night. Hope to see you all there!

To learn more and to see an online preview:

http://www.aicongallery.com/exhibitions/2008-07-18_tradition-technique-technology-ii/pressrelease/

http://www.aicongallery.com/exhibitions/2008-07-18_tradition-technique-technology-ii/images/

For Directions:

View Larger Map

The following is an excerpt from Silicon Valley Moms’ blog:

“Wow, so mom? My Legos are made from dinosaurs?!”I smile big. My son also realizes that Legos and gas come from the same oily source, so he knows that a tank of gas and a box of Exoforce have more in common that price.

I tell the twins to touch everything in their room made from metal, then wood. Those are much smaller lists.

We read the end of the Oil book which explains the environmental effects of using so much oil. We look at a world map of where oil is found and I tell them about the Middle East and how they control most of the oil in the world. We talk about running out of oil. This is a good conversation with six year olds. They are really in to it.

Continue Reading…

My stance is the stance of one who stands the test of fire.
My drum the raging force of burning, over-come desire.
I march to the beat of my own raging beating drum.
I dance my fire-dance like only few can but inspire.

People dance with fire, yet I dance to my own flame.
My fire is my turban, and my flame is my own name.
In this crazy world, I choose to play yet I refrain,
from playing any game but the one I find insane!

The game I choose to play is the game Allmighty One,
has made for us to learn with every daughter every son.
The game of learning more; of seeking out our truth galore.
The game of finding who we are, whatever makes us run.

This - , my crazy world is seeking not in sanity.
Living mass delusion, preaching MASS insanity.
Thus insane, the game, pulls my burning heart to play.
To seek out my own answers, to make out my own way.

Danced my heart out here - a gift to a friend - click here to see it.

Who are the Wadiwalleh, or Valley people? This is the very premise upon which Wadiwallah.com was established. Wadiwalleh are the people who inhabit the region commonly referred to as Silicon Valley. To the most part they are techies working, living, and breathing all things Technology and Business, or so the popular media will have you believe.

Yes it is true that the typical Wadiwallah has something to do with Technology, works at one of the big blues - the Ciscos’, Googles’, and Microsofts’ of the Valley. However, they do have a life apart from their jobs, and a dam interesting one. They are multifaceted beings - passionate about life, very social, and socially aware.

These Wadiwalleh have in recent times started to engage in conversations, both within, and without the corporate firewall. The conversation tend to go against the grain of the atypical “Corporate” mindset - in fact the average Wadiwallah, essentially a cog in someone else’s cube has a very “uncorporate” mindset, though he may not openly show his true colors for fear of loosing his job.

During the day they will have the demure of a “Corporate Boy”, a yes sir type of person - however during the nights, in a social gathering, their true colors come out. It is here that the Wadiwallah will amaze you. These guys have complicated minds - reflecting upon life, and searching for the Truth…

They are passionate beyond bounds - have dreams to transform the world, alleviate poverty, promote intellectualism, and promote grassroots innovation. Left to their own devices, with the appropriate resources, Wadiwalleh have the ability within themselves to transform lives…

The love of seeking Destiny =*= marks the Greatest wish in me,
which DESIRE, for a better.. Future =*= created in me.
Which can be attained by us =*= ‘AS U COMPREHEND YOURSELF**
U UNDERSTAND WHAT RULES U’ =*= since the begining’s in WE.

What this mortal does desire =*= is to win goodness within.
What dreams and aspirations are =*= to achieve them, as we win..
Leave no mark of his own SELF =*= on a single speck of earth,
which he may not set alight =*= with the goodness found here-in!

A conqueror of hearts and words =*= has this gripe to pick with thee.
Without the love to conquer all =*= what’s the joy in what we be?
Oh ‘Desirer’ for thy sake =*= spoke the ‘Poet Of The East’
“Raise thyself to heights so great =*= Fate my seek Thy Destiny.”

———————————————————————————————-
**
This is a famous, mystical quote attributed to the source of most mystical, sufi traditions: Ali KAW, son of Abu Talib (|Abu Talib: father of the seeker).
The original: “Man Arafa Nafsuhoo, faqad Arafah Rabbuhoo.”
The simplest translation: Know thyself, and know thy Lord.

I now think of me as I am..
a maturing thought - yet realizing itself.
I have always seen myself as I envision -
a reality coming about in its own time.
Altering destiny in its wake, more than the story of me.
It’s beyond what we see; the story of a past yet to be.
~
I remember, as a child, wanting the non-existant..
desiring toys uninvented, that were to become my tools.
Wanting to play with model airplanes, and the mind,
with flight simulators and grand opponents, strategizing.
I recall longing for that chess partner, no longer around.
And friends distant I wish I could chat with, and confound!
~
And I look back and realize that my dreams are ..
no longer dreams anymore. So many of them.
My dreams have the ability to alter reality, see?
So many toys I have today are the result of wishes.
So many joys of mine are outcomes of dreams -
and these dreams - children of desires screamed!
~
I remember grieving over the Commodore 64,
and now what do I play with? Mac OS X galore!
Windows 3.1 showed possibility, but left me wanting more,
So I asked for it to change, and it became Vista via M.E!
I desired the means to share thoughts across time,
and now we have the web & blogging, beyond MIME.
~
I remember missing my baby sister, beloved she.
And now I am blessed to be father to a her and a he!
So now that I know that my dreams create -
they create the future and the history of time..
Why don’t I then employ them to Liberate -
this future, so beloved, beyond the curtain blind?
~
Help the new age that arrives, as yours and mine,
straight from the Source, through intention divine!
Which we are! You can see: it is so! Here are we.
And my desire -my burning need- I say is One.
I wish to attain that single most worthy of goals..
I seek to KNOW -to remain in union with- ALL *.*
~
So that when I go, its not so much a departure..
as it is an arrival - to the place of my desires.
And what, do you ask, is the place of my desires?
It is the state of connectedness to the source of ALL *.*
And what, do you think I mean by these elusive words?
I mean exactly what Rumi meant, when he spoke of being more.
~~
*.* = All-Wisdom, All-Grace, All-Knowing, All-Love!