Have aliens from space visited us?

Larry King's 11 year old interview is

 Shermer on Larry King Live with the UFOlogists 

It has people that I wouldn't disagree with

as they range from Presidents, Governors, an Astronaut

(who was the second person to walk on the moon),

and many others that include witnesses.

•

There is also Michael Shermer, a leading Skeptic,

among the panel. Always an important person to listen to.

(He is also the editor of Skeptic, a magazine well worth reading).

He has objections to the standard story and wants evidence.

•

A documentary, Out of the Blue,

and subtitled

The Definitive Investigation on UFOs

is narrated by Peter Coyote

and many of you maybe familiar with him.

Most people think it's the best film in this genre!

•

There are, of course, objections by many serious people

about all these being 'conspiracy theories'

and they are mainly right.

But not all of them can be right, either.

•

One theory that is almost always mentioned

is that the Governments are hiding a secret 

and don't want it out in public view

because it would create a panic.

Some say that beings outside our planet

would create a religious panic:

Why would the 'Son of God' appear just on Earth?

Christianity would then be wrong.

But that's no help, really.

Apart from the fact that hundreds of religions

and their sub-sects don't even accept that

Jesus was the 'Son of God'.

They do not even have him in their 'texts'.

In Abrahamic Religions only 2 of the 3

accept him but only one accepts him as God's Son.

•

And what about Buddhists who have no God?

Why wouldn't they announce it if they knew this.

And Hindus, with their several gods

- who came from the sky - would accept this, too.

And so would Communists.

Their Atheism has no such problem.

And Scientologists would actually love it!

•

One of the great pieces that I recall

was the The Walton Affair:

Woodworker Travis Walton was 'abducted',

in the presence of his friends.

Many though he'd been murdered by a friend

and the others were spinning a story.

Travis was discovered a few days later,

by a phone booth from where he contacted

a friend who was with him during the 'abduction'.

In 1993 a film Fire In The Sky was made about him.

(Do watch it! The scenes in the UFO are a treat!)

As Wikipedia stated, some people said this was a hoax.

Shermer criticized Walton's claims, saying

"I think the polygraph is not a reliable determiner of truth.

I think Travis Walton was not abducted by aliens.

In both cases, the power of deception and self-deception

is all we need to understand what really happened in 1975.

•

However, you can now watch

Tarvis - The True Story of Travis Walton

and make up your own mind.

This is Travis many years later confirming

that his story is true and 100% right!

•

•

•

[BTW, Tubi is a great place to watch some films for free.

But do remember that these are films.

Some are, naturally, based on true stories

but the rest are great fictions, too.]

•

Marginalized

I keep trying to see which other Country has a White (or any color) Stripe or Symbol on the their flag to represent Minorities? Can someone list them here or in my Social media pages, please!

Placing these items 'separately' on the flag

already 'separates' them.

These minorities are part of the country and should be part of whatever the country stands for. Like Unity, Faith, & Discipline. (and I don't mean the rather new meanings these have been given!)

If Countries want Symbolism, that's fine. India has a Chakra. Many Countries have Crosses. Some have colored their flag backgrounds Greens … and others have Reds. They represent that most of these countries have a feeling about some ideology. They don't have a White Margin, like we do.

So often am I reminded of these things, specially when I pass by the large Christian Cross in Karachi, which is absolutely great to see. It's not about the Brits who ruled us (or the Americans who keep trying). It's about  Christianity. I was told that Christians are People of the Book, so that's OK. Lovely …

But there are a few Jews here (We even have at least one that 'officially' claims he is a Jew, while others hide themselves under different names). They don't have a Place of Worship here but are also part of the People of the Book. Can they build a large statue of the Wailing Wall (or something else) here as a token of being Pakistan's Jew.

I sometimes wonder if Hindus can put up a Large Krishna or Ganesh in a Public Place (but they are even opposed from building a new Temple). But that seems unlikely.

And there are other religions here (Sikhs, Parsis, even non-God religions like Buddhism). Can they build things here in Public Places? Guess not … other than their present day temples or whatever they have.

After all our adopted father country, Saudi Arabia, doesn't allow any religion other than Muslims to have a public place of worship there. So naturally we follow.

On the other hand, imagine Muslims wanting to build a Mosque and being disallowed by the residents of another country to do this. There's be riots everywhere, And protest marches. In fact we'd even have them in Pakistan where public property would be destroyed.

I think I'll give up thinking.

What now?

Bol, keh lab āzād haéñ tayray?

Now UFOs are REAL

Click here

A few people think it could be China. Others think it could be another country. They believe that testing these amazing UFOs is being done until the Crafts are perfect … and then they will declare a world war and conquer the world.

Others, like most people I have asked or have seen in the Press, agree that these are Alien crafts. They have been happening well before China or USSR or any country could have existed.

One of the reasons that many people stated was that it could lead to a general panic. In fact they think the Governments were aware of that and chose to refuse the facts just to stay safe.

I doubt that!

When have we ever been so wonderfully close?

Many people thought news like this would lead to a religious panic. Who would God be? Allah, Jesus, Bhagvān, Zeus or many other gods people have believed in?

I doubt that, of course!

After all a larger number of scientists are atheists?

Would they care?

Imagine the number of people from all walks of life who saw this. From Police people to Army Officers to well-known citizens who were accepted in high positions. Also a couple of US Presidents. They were called Liars,  Schizophrenics, Hoaxers (Yes. There were many fakes, of course!) and even more by the Press. This was because the Governments had said so about them. Now they are all sane! We need to reinterview those that are available.

What's your view?

The INDEPENDENCE Day

Over half the states that make up the union we call the United States are actually Native American words for the land or the people. White men kept them as they spread out …

1. Alabama
Named after the Alibamu tribe of Indians who were members of the Creek Confederacy. Literally, it means “clears the thicket.”

2. Alaska
From the word “Alakshak’ which means peninsula.

3. Arizona
This one’s uncertain but may derive from a word meaning “small springs.”

4. Connecticut
From the expression “quinnitukg-ut” which means “at the long tidal river.”

5. Hawaii
From the words “Havaiki” or “Hawaiki,” which was the legendary name of the original Polynesian homeland.

6. Idaho
Derived from one of three sources and meaning one of three things:
Comanche “Idahi”
Shoshone “ee-dah-how” which means something like “Good Morning”
Salmon River Tribe of Indians “Ida” means salmon and “ho” means tribe so we might be saying “Salmon eaters”.

7. Illinois
From “ilhiniwek” or “illiniwek”. “Illini” meant “man” and “iwek” makes the word plural, so, literally, “men.”

8. Iowa
Named after the Ioway Indians.

9. Kansas
Named after the Kansa Indians.

10. Kentucky
Means one of three things: meadow lands, cane and turkey lands, or dark and bloody ground.

11. Massachusetts
An Indian word meaning “about the big hill.”

12. Michigan
From the Chippewa Indian word “Michigama” meaning “large lake.”

13. Minnesota
From the Dakota Indian word “Minisota” meaning “white water.”

14. Mississippi
From the Choctaw word meaning “Great water” or “Father of Waters.”

15. Missouri
“Town of the large canoes.”

16. Nebraska
From the Oto Indian word meaning “flat water.”

17. New Mexico
Named after Mexico, of course. Means “place of the Mexica.” One source says that it’s derived from the name “Mertili” who was an Aztec god.

18. Ohio
From the Iroquois word meaning “beautiful.”

19. Oklahoma
From the Chocraw word meaning “red people.”

20 & 21. South and North Dakota
This used to all simply be called the Dakota Territory. The Indian word “Dahkota” means “friends” or “allies”.

22. Tennessee
From the Cherokee “Tanasi” which was a village. The word means one of three things: “meeting place”, “winding river”, or “river of the great bend”.

23. Texas
A Caddo Indian word meaning “allies.”

24. Utah
Derived from the Ute Indian word “Yuta” meaning “people who live high in the mountains.”

25. Wisconsin
From the word “Wishkonsing” meaning “place of the beaver.”

26. Wyoming
“On the Great Plain.”

And don't forget to look at this.

Read (and hear) this — and tell me what you think

I am not a believer in supernatural things

but I had to write this … and play two audios for you.

•

Perhaps you can tell me what you think is wrong.
Or right.

•

I had a maid that we employed.

Her name is Zahida.

She has a husband and several children.

The children include a married daughter … who has 5 children.

This daughter had terrible anaemia

and has been given blood several times.

•

But that did not cure her 'actual' problem …

A few months ago Zahida took leave to go to a Pir Sahab's Dargaah because her daughter was now speaking in a lisping voice and made strange noises. The girl said in a pseudo-masculine voice: "I am a 'Hindu' who has taken possession of this girl".

Every time there was a Qavvaali she'd listen for a bit and go into a Dhammal (a dance that happens at every Pir's grave) and would fall flat on her back by somersaulting really high. No hurt, though. She'd get up and do it again. And again. Until she fell asleep. Then the 'Hindu' would go away and she'd wake up and speak normally for a bit. Then the 'Hindu' would be back.

I told her, "Pir to mar gaé haéñ. Voh küchh naheeñ kar saktay. Doctor kay pass jaao." (The Pir is dead. He can't do anything. Go to a Doctor.)

My wife also set an appointment for her to visit a Psychiatrist. But Zahida said that Doctors can't help. "Yeh to 'andar' ki cheez haé." (This is an 'inside' problem.)

Zahida's husband had been well and used to drive a borrowed Motor Rickshaw. He had suddenly stopped eating - except for very small things - about 7 months ago. He was getting weaker. He left the Rickshaw and refused to work, lying in bed all the time. Made the family even poorer. That was another thing that the 'Pir Sahab' had to 'cure'.

Zahida left and came back.

This is what she said.

A few days later she brought her daughter to my house. She spoke with a childish lisp. Often it was difficult to understand. I said at one point , "Tüm zameen par baéth jao, baytee". (Sit down on the floor, girl.) She yelled, saying "Maén 'Hindu' mard hooñ. Baytee kyooñ kah rahay ho?" (I am a Hindu Male. Why are you calling me a girl?)

An hour later Zahid came up and asked me to play Qavvaali music as the girl wanted it and was shouting in the kitchen. I went down and put on my iPod. Within minutes she started trembling and then started to jump. I saw her do this three or four times. She'd somersault really high and land on her back … and then would do it again.

I came up (also feeling a little scared that she'd damage hair back). After 20 minutes Zahida came and said I should shut off the music as she was asleep. I did. In a few minutes she woke up and held her mother and said "Chalo". (Let's go!)

A month later Zahida went back to the Pir with her daughter.

When she came back, this was her story.

I am still sure that this is not really possible.

The beatings and the cruelty that the daughter received at Pir Sahab made her scream … but the Pir said (and Zahida thought) that it was the 'Hindu' that was screaming. Imagine being beaten with your hand twisted behind your back. Constant pushing and thumping on your head and back. Hitting.

The chimgaada∂ story is a figment of Zahida's imagination (as it was for the attending team). That's obvious. But was the girl putting all this on? Was the father putting all this on, now that he is well again and has got a job?

Sounds so strange.

•

As far as I am concerned, Zahida firmly believes everything that has happened … and says so. The Pirs are tricksters, there is no doubt. Nothing will help the girl in the long term, I am sure.

Unless she is somehow part of the trick.

•

FOUR MONTHS LATER UPDATE

Zahid says her husband is well.
So is her daughter.
The Pir Sahab's Chayla (Student!) has done his work.

•

I await your response!

Konfused

Please stop these idiocies …

Please use the right pronunciation.

(Otherwise you'll be treated like Mumtaz Qadri fans!)

When our beloved people die …

These are my views. You may agree or not.

Yesterday we had a ruling about Mumtaz Qadri, the murderer of Salman Taseer. It was supported by most people in the media. This included many (including me) who oppose the death penalty and want him to get an un-parolable life sentence. Think of it: killing is an act of just a few minutes. And then he's dead. It shows human emotions that makes the Government murder a person — which is not really different from what the criminal did.

A long life sentence is something that is going to teach the murderer (all the time) about not just another man's life and the tragedy he caused the man's wife, children, friends, and followers … it will also make him think of his own wife and children. They, in fact, did nothing wrong and maybe someone needs to give them some help in ways to live.

Add to this, if you are pro-death, to the difficulties and the problems we have in our laws and how we frame and get people, often for the wrong reasons, denounced as criminals. Happens frequently. Just think of Aasiya Bibi, right now! I think the courts should move ahead and pardon her. To hang an innocent person is far worse …

But I also thought of ways beyond this murder.

What does the State (or the Government of that time that we have 'contracted' to run the State until the next elections) do when a person dies or is killed or gives up his/her life in a battle or war? How does it make sure that these people are honoured for a long time and our children and their children read about them or talk about them?

Nothing, really!

Let me tell you what we do: In the military circles many roads are named after such heroes … which is right. After all it was one of them who gave up his life fighting hard for the lives of the rest of us. His colleagues and his juniors honour him. He joined the forces, knowing that this was a risk he was taking. I feel sorry for his family, too. And their amazing courage.

Often, though, many main roads in the cities are named after them. I move around Karachi a lot …and go to Lahore, often. I can't recognise more than a couple of names and what they did. I ask young people in Lahore and they say so-and-so is a 'Shaheed', but they don't know which war with India he fought. I was also told that one person died in our 'war with Russia', when I knew that was not true.  Incidentally, how many main roads are named after war heroes? Take a look at this page, for example, and see. And you can find many others, too.

There's also a lot more that we miss out on.

Take the murders of Salman Taseer, Shahbaz Bhatti, Sabeen Mahmud, and may more. If the Government wants us to remember them, how about naming the places where they were murdered linked to their names. A Memorial Square, maybe? Perhaps with a link to their websites written on a stone under it … for the young go their often. Let them see what honest people, doing honest and respectable things, were killed for. By whom, too, if we really know.

A Salman Taseer Roundabout or a Shahbaz Bhatti Avenue shouldn't be too difficult. The Sabeen Mahmud Square - at the place where she was shot - should be no problem, at all. In fact the latter would be put up by DHA/CBC and show that they care, too, about the things these people did for this country: their country and our country.

How about Postage Stamps? They go on our mails abroad and within Pakistan. Let's have their images on them. That should be an ideal follow-up to the series of those who helped make Pakistan and have images on stamps already. After all, these people were the ones who tried to keep Pakistan safe and better for many of us. In fact people around the world held services for them.

I'd love to see small paragraphs in our Pakistan Studies books? Books that children get bored of reading fairly soon may become more exciting when we have newer paragraphs on people they have seen. And one can keep changing these every few years to keep them updated.

Do you think we can do this?

Moving backwards …

When we had a little quarrel among people in our offices, Sab, you and I would call the two persons and ask them to talk to each other, discuss the problems, and go away as friends. It always worked.

•••••

When you put up T2F you decided that everyone should talk. No violence. No gaali-galoch. No lies that harmed others. People should become friends even if they retain their views. Many of them became friends. Even the ones who disliked you, once, discussed their views with you and also became your friends.

See. It worked again. 

People came. Listened. Accepted or argued. They left, not always as friends but, at least, willing to hear the other points of view. Some even changed a small amount. 

•••••

Now you've gone.

•••••

Some people say they want to do things the way you did. And yet they are not talking, not allowing people to discuss, not being straight forward, lying, pretending to do things but actually doing something else, moving friends apart, being hypocritical - all of the things you hated.

•••••

What a pity! 

I'll miss you forever.

The Future

Years ago, when I was in the Merchant Navy, I had two experiences:

The first one happened in a camera shop in Hong Kong. I saw a couple buying a camera and the salesman was telling them something that the camera could not do. I had had that model before. The couple looked Indian so I told the man in Urdu/Hindi that the camera didn't do what he wanted to do and the shopkeeper was cheating him. I left. The couple came out a few minutes later and the man thanked me. I asked him if he was a tourist and it turned out that he was the Indian Ambassador to Mongolia.

Mongolia? The last time I heard of it was in school, I think. In Pakistan's newspapers we rarely see the country mentioned. But it is there. With an Indian Ambassador.

The second experience was going to Kenya - which had fallen from grace. It used to be a beautiful place once. I had friends in Government College, Lahore, from Kenya.

Now, shops after shops remained empty. One large department store had only one item: One single brand of toffees in a corner. A large restaurant had very few dishes but could cook anything you wanted, if you were look for a bad version of its taste.

In both cases people lived. Their countries existed.

But - for all our purposes - they were as good as dead.

I can't remember anything great about it

except Gengiz Khan from Mongolia.

•••••

Apart from these two experiences there were two more:

We went to Athens. Greece had lived as the centre of civilisation for centuries. In modern Greece, there are a few ports, a shipping industry that breaks all records of honesty, and tons of tourists that arrived each day.

I remember one American tourist standing near the Acropolis and telling his wife that this was where he stood in the war and had his picture taken. She asked him why the building was famous. He said it was the oldest school in old Greece.

We also went to Rome. Again the centre of civilisation for centuries, it is now just a major city. Tourists love it. However it is no longer a world power. The old buildings, like those in Athens, are there for all of us to see … and it has the Vatican.

•••••

But from Greece and Rome - the great powers that they were - we still remember many great philosophers, mathematicians, kings, poets, writers, and even gods.

These are some Greeks

Socrates (c.470/469 – 399 BC) was a classical Greek (Athenian) philosopher credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy. He is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of classical writers, especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon and the plays of his contemporary Aristophanes.

Plato (c.429-327 BC) - He was a brilliant student of Socrates and later carried on his work. He gathered Socrates' ideas and wrote them down in a book. Plato founded the world's first university. He wrote down his teachings and people all over the world, even today, study the Greek philosophers

Aristotle (382-322 BC) - discovered many things in science and biology. He wrote books about physics, poetry, zoology, biology, politics, governments, and more. His father was the personal physician of the King of Macedonia. When Aristotle turned 17, he went to Athens to study with Plato.

Parmenides - watched an eclipse of the Moon in about 470 BC, and noticed that the Earth's shadow was curved. He worked out that if the shadow was curved, then the Earth must be round.

Archimedes - was a mathematician and an engineer. He designed a machine, called the Archimedean screw, which could make water flow uphill. His design has been used for almost 2,000 years, to take water from rivers to the fields. Archimedes was able to tell fool's gold from real gold.

Pythagoras - was a mathematician. Can find out about Pythagoras' theorem on right-angled triangles.
Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great - born in 356 B.C. in Pella, Macedonia, the son of Philip of Macedon, who was an excellent general and organizer. He was called 'the Great' because he conquered more lands than anyone before him and became the overall ruler of Greece. He also travelled to areas that are now part of Pakistan.

And here were some of their gods and goddesses: Aphrodite, Apollo, Artemis, Athena, Hades, Hera, Poseidon, Zeus.

These are some Romans

Gaius Marius - the man who organized the army into the most effective fighting machine on earth. At times it appeared nothing could withstand the mighty legions of Rome. It was Marius who changed the way the army organized itself.

Julius Caesar - no doubt the most famous Roman of them all! He conquered Gaul in a brilliant campaign which is still used in studies for training generals today. His victories in Gaul brought into the empire what should later become one of the most important new territories to the empire. (See the movie with Marlon Brando).

Nero - the most notorious Roman of all times. It is most likely that Nero was insane. He came to power because his mother murdered his step-father emperor Claudius. During his rule much of Rome burnt down in the Great Fire of Rome. Helpless to stop the fire, he is supposed to have sung as he watched Rome burn. (A great movie, Quo Vadis, has Peter Ustinov play him. Well worth a watch).

Cicero - “Gratitude is not only greatest of the virtues, but parent of all others.” This timeless quote, and many others that tell us about the essence of living our lives, and that we may have heard time and again – all of them came from the famous Roman philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero. Widely considered as one of the greatest orators and prose stylist to have lived in the ancient Rome.

Spartacus - Without a doubt, the most famous gladiator in the entire Roman history, a Thracian by birth, he was a soldier caught in war and then sold in slavery to fight in the-then famous gladiator battles. But as history has proved time and again, even though you may take away a soldier’s freedom, a warrior’s fierce will for independence can never be easily given up. (Don't forget to see the movie and the 4-part TV series about him. Both are called Spartacus).

And here were some of their gods and goddesses: Apollo, Aura, Aurora, Bacchus, Cupid, Diana, Genius, Juno, Jupiter, Lucifer, Luna, Mars, Nemesis, Pluto, Saturn, Venus, Voluptas, Vulcan.

•••••

When Cancer comes to a person s/he dies. Just like the others who have not had Cancer. It will be painful … and s/he could live longer and worry more. But s/he dies.

When Cancer comes to a country, sadly it doesn't die. It lives on and on. Sometimes of no use, like the first two. Sometimes as a City that people visit and even care for, like the last two, but without the power they once had. And people remember their names. Read about them. Study about them in schools. Look at them as planets. See films about them.

•••••

India 'died'. We called it Partition of 1947. Pakistan came into being as part of it. Pakistan 'died'. We called it Partition of 1971. Bangladesh came into being. Soon these countries will die. But differently.

What will we remember about them? I don't know about the other two, but Pakistan will die fairly quickly - specially at the hands of the small group of fanatic extremist Muslims that are becoming larger and larger everyday as a group. How long before they get their hands on or produce a nuclear weapon?

I know that when it is dead and gone, and people read about it years from now in their history books, there'll be Professor Abdus Salam who will live on.

In his conclusive remarks after getting the Nobel Prize.

instead of taking any credit for himself,

he said "Pakistan is deeply indebted to you for this". 

Alas Pakistan forgot and betrayed him.

•••••

And in the 'cultural world', maybe, Faiz Ahmad Faiz. Here's a translation of his poem (written in August 1947, at the birth of Pakistan), Subhé Aazaadi.

Dawn of Freedom (August 1947)

(Literal Translation: V G Kiernan)

This stain-covered daybreak, this night-bitten dawn,

This is not that dawn of which there was expectation;

This is not that dawn with longing for which

The friends set out, (convinced) that somewhere there we met with,

In the desert of the sky, the final destination of the stars!

Somewhere there would be the shore of the sluggish wave of night,

Somewhere would go and halt the boat of the grief of pain.

By the mysterious highroads of youthful blood

When (we) friends set out, how many hands were laid on our skirt's;

From impatient sleeping-chambers of the dwellings of beauty

Arms kept crying out, bodies kept calling;

But very dear was the passion for the face of dawn,

Very close the robe of the sylphs of light.

The longing was very buoyant, the weariness was very slight.

 It is heard that the separation of darkness and light has been fully completed,

It is heard that the union of goal and step has been fully completed;

The manner of the people of suffering (leaders) has changed very much,

Joy of union is lawful, anguish for separation forbidden.

The fire of the liver, the tumult of the eye, burning of the heart, --

There is no effect on any of then of (this) cure for separation.

Whence came that darling of a morning breeze, whither has it gone?

The lamp beside the road has still come no lessening,

The hour of the deliverance of eye and heart has not arrived.

Come, come on, for that goal has still not arrived.

25th December

2014/12/17 - Morning has broken?

How Little We Know …

OK family and friends. Here's another day.

My Gall Stones

My brother-in-law, Tariq Husain, is generally worried about everyone's health (except, perhaps, his own!) and at every person's slightest problems he will always jump in and try to help. I am grateful for his over-enthusiasm because it sometimes sticks. 

Of course, I get that help from him, too, often despite my protests. Now that I had refused my surgery at NMC after a near disaster, Tariq called from his Haj Trip and said I should look for a second opinion, possibly from Dr Saad Khalid Niaz. Although I believe that a 'friendly doctor' didn't think much of him, Nuzhat got an appointment for yesterday and off we went with all my papers.

Dr Niaz spoke to me and enquired why there had been no Ultrasound even on my first trip at NMC. He said it was a good hospital and he was surprised. Then I showed him the Ultrasound taken at Shamim's insistence and he said fine, you have gall stones and a surgery is necessary. No other treatment, he thought, would work. This is what Shamim had also said, earlier.

I showed him my other papers and explained the process that left me refusing surgery at NMC and all he did was laugh. He said the Anaesthetist was strange. Also there was no need for an Open Surgery and I should have a Laparoscopy, instead. He suggested an Anaesthetist, Dr Jakharani (whom he thought was one of the best here), phoned him up after I agreed, and got me an appointment in half an hour. So off we rushed to see him at another hospital.

Dr Jakharani - an oldish man - saw me, spent some time with me, advised me, and said that Laparoscopy was the right answer. No need to do an open surgery. He said Dr Zia Yaqoob, at NMC, was right in saying I could have it. But he thought I should speak to Dr Maher Mumtaz, the surgeon who'd perform the operation.

Dr Mumtaz was Dr Shamim's first preference, but because I had had 3 surgeries (Hernia, Quadruple Bypass, Pacemaker) at NMC — which is also only 5 minutes away from my house — he also suggested two Professors he knew there, and I chose them.

I now know that the senior of the Professors had been 'trained' by Dr Maher Mumtaz who pioneered Laparoscopy in Pakistan.

Just a few minutes wait and Dr Mumtaz came in. An even older man than Dr Jakharani, he was very good during his conversation. He checked me out. Saw the Ultrasound and said Laparoscopy is the only answer.

When I said I had a right to refuse the NMC surgery, he said:

• You have had a Bypass – so your heart is working
• You have a Pacemaker — which means it's keeping the rate right
• Both things make you better than the average patient
• The Anaesthetist would have had to give you the anaesthesia either way, so what was he worried about
• Let's not talk about what happened at NMC. Let's just move on
• Keep this stupid old report of Hepatitis B out. It might cause a mistake. Just keep the right ones in your folder
• There is no need for an open surgery at all!!!
• I should sleep over the right side of my body and not the left … as that could cause the stones to go near the entrance and block it or hurt me a lot.

Dr Jakharani & Dr Mumtaz, both, said they have treated octogenarians and yesterday they did a Laparoscopy on a Doctor who is retired and is 92 years old.

The answer, then, is that if I have to have Surgery, I'll have to go to Dr Mumtaz's assistant after Baqr Eed. Give him my ECG, X-Ray, Ultrasound and anything else he wants. Keep off Loprin for 5 days. And then we can do the operation. Shamim came back last night. I've discussed this with him. He says that's the right way to go since my Gall Bladder is no use now.

•••••

All of this seems good, except my faith in Doctors here has shaken. My father was a Doctor of the good old stock. If necessary, he asked for a second opinion or brought another doctor in on the case. He always had extremely good bedside manners. He loved his work! Today, Shamim is also like that. Of course, neither of them made money here!

•••••
Anyway, I have to live to 85 … as I promised my daughter this.

•••••

"The idea is to die young as late as possible."

Ashley Montague

Medic[p]aid

Some people are arguing about Medicaid in the USA.

Democrats and Republicans differ.

But that is too far away from us.

•••••

Here, however, is an example of what Medic[p]aid looks like.

•••••

On the 20th September, at around 3pm I started a rising pain in my stomach. It got worse and worse until 5pm when I was in tears and called Dr Shamim who gave me an injection. The pain remained for a while and stretched now to my back. Nuzhat arrived, too.

The pain abated … but very slightly. Shamim told me to go see a doctor. I was taken to NMC (DHA - Karachi) by Nuzhat and him. Injections and medicine and more injections followed and the pain disappeared in about half an hour. I went home.

We all thought I should get an Ultrasound Test done and on the 21st I went again. The results arrived the next morning.

The report concluded with this: Gall bladder is slightly thick walled and distended. Multiple calculi are seen. One of them measures 1.0 cm. Sludge is also seen. These findings could be secondary to acute cholecystitis. Clinical correlation would help.

I checked on the Internet for what Gallstones really were

… and the effect the surgery would have on my diet.

Oooops!!!

The sites I visited said after surgery I could not have Ice Cream, Cream, Butter, French Fries, Burgers, Steaks, Sweets, Cheese, … and, much much much worse, no Coffee or Espresso

Of course the site holders live in the Glorious West and didn't mention Bundu Khan's Kabaab, Paratha, Tikka … or the Burns Road Sheermaal & Kabaab. And heavenly Mangoes!!! Obviously, those were not allowed, too.

I decided that this was it. No surgery! You can't ask a man to go through the last year(s) of his life like that! Jehan Ara visited and said Rukhsana has had the surgery and eats everything. A friend's daughter said she eats her usual meal. I was still not convinced.

Rather surprised, I phoned Shamim. He said you can eat whatever you like. He knew a couple of Doctors (Professors Aziz and Asad) who specialise in this and sit together at NMC. He phoned them up and made an appointment for me.

Shamim, as is usual for me to ask him to come along, went with Nuzhat and me. Dr Asad was not there but Dr Aziz saw me and the report and said you should get an operation. He gave me a prescription for being admitted to the hospital whenever I wanted to. His paper said Cholelithiasis. That's from the Greek: chol- (bile) + lith- (stone) + iasis- (process).

I have had a Quadruple Bypass 4 years ago and a Pacemaker put in a few days ago … so I asked if it was ok to have the surgery. Dr Aziz said I should check with my Cardiologist. Shamim spoke to him and he said it's fine. I can do a Laparoscopy and there is no need to for Cholecystectomy.

My next - and a much more important - question: What could I EAT after surgery? (Ohhh, of course, you CAN'T talk about DRINKING here.) Dr Aziz said, "Everything." I listed all my favourites and he said that's ok. I can have all of those things and get my wife to make a nice Biryaani, too. (I am not a Biryaani fan, but it helped to know this.)

Apparently those diets on the Internet are for the West! Don't you think some Pakistani or Indian Doctors should write about our diets, too?

I took the prescription home and thought I'd go into the hospital on Friday so that I could be out by Sunday. Shamim phoned me and said it'll have to be an open surgery as Dr Aziz's Cardiologist said that it would be risky. "Fine", I said. I will be in hospital on Friday.

3:00 pm was the time that NMC gave us after we phoned. Nothing to eat/drink from 1.30 pm. Surgery scheduled for 8 pm.

Now the show starts.

3:01 pm I am in the hospital.

4:04 pm I am in a room.

Or is my dead father in the room?

A young RMO (Dr Zohra Ghanghro) arrives. She is an extremely pleasant girl and is almost the main feature in this story. People take my Temperature. Blood Pressure. Blood is taken for checking if I have Hepatitis.

It's 5 pm. The Assistant Anaesthetist arrives. He is followed by the Cardiologist. Both say they will inform the surgeon before he starts the operation at 6 pm. 

Nuzhat calls Dr Ghanghro. Says I have eaten at 1:30 pm. Why has the surgery been brought forward. Doc goes out and phones people and says it could be 7:30 pm. At least that's what she thinks. I said that the Anaesthetist has not seen me yet. Nor has my Surgeon. She says she was told that the Surgeon had seen me. "Not at all", I say. And she rushes out to phone them both.

It is now almost 6 pm and the Assistant Anaesthetist arrives again. He asks me to sign a form that allows the Surgeon to go ahead. He says its a 'High Risk' operation. We ask him what 'High Risk' means. He says, "You might not come out of Anesthesia. Your age. Your previous operations. Your Pacemaker. Your Bypass. All that make the risks very strong. If you don't come out, they'll have to put you into an ICU. Maybe 1 day. Maybe 3-4 days. If that doesn't work, then they'll put you on a Ventilator."

WTF! All the doctors here have seen my reports. Why didn't they tell me this before I decided to have the operation? I was not going to take this risk for a Gall Bladder surgery. I'd rather have the pain and come back for medication. So I got up. Called Dr Ghanghro. Told her I am not having Surgery. Phoned Shamim and he said, "One shouldn't take such risks on a Gall Bladder or Appendix operation. Don't have the surgery."

(Later Shamim told me that it is the Anaesthetist's job to make sure that he gives the right amount of the right Anaesthesia and make sure I come out of it. There was no reason to think of the last part at all … unless the Anaesthetist had no confidence.)

Shamim phoned Dr Asad who said the surgery is due at 8(!) and he will get there by that time. Shamim decided to come there at 7:30 pm. We told Dr Ghanghro at 8:05 pm that I wasn't having the surgery. We'll inform the doctor when he comes in.

We waited.

And waited.

And waited more.

Dr Ghanghro said she'd get the blood reports ready. It was way past 8:20 pm. Had there been a surgery, the reports should have come in earlier. Anyway, she came back and said that the Hepatitis B report was here. The Hepatitis C would take a while. Right! After the operation, I guess.

My Hepatitis B report showed that the Max Count is 1.00 (One) but my count was 146 (One Hundred and Forty Six). Damn. I had a Hepatitis B problem. [Later at home I checked (Thank you, Google!) and in the USA the treatment was almost over a year and could go unto $25000 per year.]

Ohh … and I am now the w/o rather than s/o!

At 9:40 pm I decided to have a biscuit and water. Starving for 8 hours was making me (and my Diabetes) feel really bad. Shamim said he cannot believe this report to be right. I should check it at AKUH Lab the next day. Meanwhile Dr Ghanghro came back with the report on which she had added by pen that I don't have Hepatitis C. She found this out by phone since the report wasn't still ready.

Isn't that wonderful! I hope the Hepatitis C Report is OK.

We were now told that Dr Asad was in hospital and was operating another patient … after which he'd call me in if I agreed to have the surgery. I had, of course, said no to two people by now. So I was ready to go home. But I couldn't. Dr Asad had to sign the form before I could be released.

Shamim phoned him up and spoke with him. Do Surgeons use the phone and speak to the caller during an Operation? I guess in Pakistan they do. He asked Dr Asad to please tell Dr Ghanghro to speak with the Desk and release me. That was done … and I was finally home.

The next day I got checked for Hepatitis B at AKUH Lab.

0.361! No Hepatitis B.

••••••

I wonder where our 99% illiterates go with false reports.

They take the wrong medicine.

They die, I guess.

••••••

Thank you Nuzhat and a zillion apologies for all the trouble I have always caused you. Thank you, Sabeen, for being constantly in touch from UK. Thank you Jehan, for all your wishes and constant calls and visits. Thanks Ruhi & Misha for a short but delightful visit from UK.

Thank you, Shamim, for always being there.

Let's have more coffee tonight … and every night.

And thank you, Dr Zohra Ghanghro for being so helpful, full of energy, and being a good RMO. This is no place if your Professors are so faulty and unreliable. I am sure your mother will allow you to go abroad and study. C'mon. Press mom hard. Her UCLA background will make sure to let you go and become a great Doctor.

•••••

The above was written yesterday. But I have an addition to make. Nuzhat went to NMC to collect my report for Hepatitis C and was given it … as well as another copy of my Hepatitis B that they had given yesterday. Except that it now read 0.25 instead of 146! Wow!!!

•••••

Will write more about today … in the next day or so.

"… And there's one more thing"

Sorry, this post is not about Steve Jobs. Or Apple.

It's about my Pacemaker, fitted on

August 25th, 2014.

In case you (or someone you know) is going to get one,

this is what happens in Karachi.

As you can see, my Pacemaker came from Meditronics,

a world-famous firm that makes great stuff.

Yes, it works. Don't worry.

But "… there's one more thing". Or maybe even more.

The Cardiologist I went to was Dr. Zia Yaqoob (ZY) who was also my Cardiologist during my Quadruple Bypass in 2009. He works at National Medical Centre, which is just a couple of minutes from my house. Very convenient.

(You can read this and this, if you've missed out the past!)

I was admitted and was to have my surgery performed in the afternoon. ZY said he had asked the Vendor to supply the Pacemaker and it would be here in a while. A little later I was taken to the surgery and was being prepared.

Outside, my wife had someone who approached her with a package that she had to accept and pay for. It was the Pacemaker and parts. Pay? I thought the doctor had told us what it would cost and since we were paying the hospital they should pay the Vendor and bill us. But no. In this case you bought it separately.

Fine, said my wife. But could you please take it to the surgery and make sure its the right thing. No, said the Vendor. "You pay. You take it in." My wife gave the person the money (he left right away) and she handed the Pacemaker to ZY&c. It was, thankfully, the right one … but its awful that the Vendor doesn't hand it over himself. The receiver may not know if its the right item or not.

I came out of the surgery an hour and a half later and stayed in the hospital overnight. The next day I was asked to leave and was told that the Vendor would give me an Implanted Device Identification Card in two days. I should carry it with me all the time. I gave Sabeen my Visiting Card to make sure she'd call the guy up and give him the correct spelling of my name. She did. And he said in two days you'll have the card. I thought I'd wait another three days … nothing works on time here.

On the 29th I called him up again. No answer. We continued doing this for several days. No response. Finally, on the 5th September, I went to see ZY for a check-up and also mentioned to him that the Card hadn't yet arrived. He called his assistant and told him to phone up and get the card delivered to the hospital.

On the 8th September we phoned up the guy and he responded. He said he had sent the card via TCS Delivery Service. "Where to?", asked my wife. "I don't know. Could be your house … or the Hospital!", said the Vendor. Wow. Isn't that just great.

Three days later we went back to ZY without a card. He said he'd "chase the chap right away". Nothing happened. On the 15th September I visited him again and the chap at the Reception handed me an open Card and said someone had just left it there a little while earlier. No TCS. No envelope.

I thanked ZY and said I'd had to cancel my trip to Lahore because I could not have flown without this card. He said to me, "The Vendor is a nasty piece of work. There was another Vendor who was better but this chap had him removed. We have no choice. I have told the other doctors about your bad experience."

Got home and decided to scan the card and keep a copy.

Here is what had arrived.

Apart from an overtyping of my name and the Serial Number

there was Hospita.

Khaér. I scanned it.

Then I'd thought I'd check the boxes give to us.

Most people just throw them away.

And, in any case, with an English Literacy rate of 1%

they can hardly read anything.

Fortunately, I did open the boxes up!

The Serial Number should have been

NWS637799S

(Just a digit missing, right?)

Worse, the Lead Number should have been

LEP542478V

(Absolutely wrong on my card.)

Tried phoning the Vendor. No Answer.

I called up my neighbour and friend Dr Shamim Ahmad, who phoned up ZY, and got the address of the firm. We spent a lot of time looking for an office "above Scholl's". The Scholl chap said the building had a top floor. There was nothing there. The door was locked.

After more searching we went back to a small tailor shop at the other end of the building. He said, "Oh, the ACP store? Come through my shop. It's above us." Actually one could have seen the door from outside, too, but there were no Signs or Names to look at. This is what it looked like.

 On the right you can see a man opening the door and going up

A trip to the stair case took me to this entrance.

That's the Tailor Shop on the left.

After ringing a small bell that had the company's name badly written, I walked up through the door that was just opened by the man I had seen earlier.

What a bell!!! The company name is on it. So easy to spot, no?

There were hordes of boxes on the stairs all the way up to the office, with a couple of people pulling them up and stacking them. The boxes were from Turkey.

Of the two gentleman the senior one asked me what it was. I told him. He said Mr Waheed does the typing and he is "at the Cardiovascular Hospital. Can you wait?" 

The other person said I should come up and sit down. He'll call Waheed on the phone. In I went. Saw even more boxes piled up everywhere.

I am sure the Turks think this is a great company.

I also asked the person that the office must keep a record of what had been given and to which patient. There must be a record in the office. Accounts? Delivery challaan? Huh? Huh? No response.

Waheed came on the line. Was told what had happened.

Not even a 'Sorry' from him.

The gentleman said to me that Waheed had written on the last card they had in the office and sent it on to me. There were no cards left in office. I said it shouldnt't take more than a couple of days to print them here … but was told that they have to be from Medtronics in the USA.

Given the card that I had, it was on a rather poorly printed version with Medtronics in Blue. Easily printed here, I am sure. Specially by their Distributor. I asked him why Medtronics didn't send as many cards (plus a couple more) than the machines they sent here. I mean that seems obvious, right? "It's Amrika", he said "and they can do what they like."

Sad that in a country, with little or no literacy rate, a Pacemaker can be fitted and the card (with the wrong numbers) sent out after 3 weeks … with so much more worrying, and visits to the Doctor, by the patient. What if the patient happens to be a chap from the interior of Sind (and one who cannot even read what's on the card). He may be travelling to the UAE for a job, for example, and have an invalid card. If something happens to him, the Medtronics team will not be able to trace these boxes back, if called.

Although ACP wanted a TCS Delivery Address I have left my phone number, instead, with them and asked them to phone me when the cards arrive. Will go and pick it up myself. And make sure its correctly filled in.