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What is your greatest weakness?

2012-05-19T20:54:00.000+05:00

You'll Get Points for Sincerity
This is a commonly-dodged question and everyone knows it's a commonly-dodged question. So if your response comes across as genuine, that will be refreshing. Too many candidates give the "I work too hard, I care too much" Michael Scott list of failings. Interviewers may conclude from that approach that you can't recognize any personal weaknesses and therefore lack the capacity for self-improvement. Have the courage to discuss an actual weakness.
But Don't Be Stupid
"I don't like people managing me." "I rarely feel motivated." "I've been in and out of the hospital for mental issues." If you alarm a potential employer, the focus won't be on your sincerity. People are right to approach this question cautiously. You do have to be careful about what you share or you could trigger a self-inflicted wound. Work out your answer to this question in advance.click here
Minor, Not Major…Work Habit, Not Character Flaw…Past, Not Present
Prepare for this question by thinking about an "acceptable" weakness. Better a work habit than a character flaw. Even better if it's something you can honestly say you've largely overcome. Yes, a minor work habit issue probably isn't your "greatest" weakness, but this is not a confessional. This is a chance for you to show that you have been able to recognize and solve problems in your own performance/behavior.
The Real Question: How You've Solved It
They ask: "What is your greatest weakness?" However, interpret it: "How did you solve a problem in your work habits?" You might share how you've learned to be more effective in your communication or in a skill of your profession. You could describe how you've become a better team player or a better listener. Or you might specify little tricks you've used to become more punctual with deadlines or more creative in solutions. Show them you're a problem-solver. Give them a dynamic view of how you've changed a vulnerability into a strength and you will have gained a lot from this question. The focus should be on your resolution, not your weakness. And make it brief. Don't linger. Brief, dynamic, and then move on.click here
"What is your greatest weakness?" is a question that makes people pause because they recognize it's tricky. Prepare for it before your interview, but don't give a "prepared" answer.

Tax Avoidance And Tax Evasion

2012-05-19T20:43:00.000+05:00

Author: dudu
Tax avoidance

The weasel abides

Tax avoidance is the legal utilization of the tax regime to one's own advantage, to reduce the amount of tax that is payable by means that are within the law. The United States Supreme Court has stated that "The legal right of an individual to decrease the amount of what would otherwise be his taxes or altogether avoid them, by means which the law permits, cannot be doubted." See Gregory v. Helvering. Examples of tax avoidance include:

Country of residence

One way a person or company may lower taxes is by changing one's tax residence to a tax haven, such as Monaco, or by becoming a perpetual traveler. Some countries, such as the U.S. and the Philippines[citation needed], tax their citizens, permanent residents, and companies on all their worldwide income. In these cases, taxation cannot be avoided by simply transferring assets or moving abroad.

The United States is unlike many other countries in that its citizens and permanent residents are subject to U.S. federal income tax on their worldwide income even if they reside temporarily or permanently outside the United States. U.S. citizens therefore cannot avoid U.S. taxes simply by emigrating. According to Forbes magazine some nationals choose to give up their United States citizenship rather than be subject to the U.S. tax system; however, U.S. citizens who reside (or spend long periods of time) outside the U.S. may be able to exclude some salaried income earned overseas (but not other types of income unless specified in a bilateral tax treaty) from income in computing the U.S. federal income tax. The 2008 limit on the amount that can be excluded was US$87,000.

Double taxation

Most countries impose taxes on income earned or gains realized within that country regardless of the country of residence of the person or firm. Most countries have entered into bilateral double taxation treaties with many other countries to avoid taxing nonresidents twice -- once where the income is earned and again in the country of residence (and perhaps, for US citizens, taxed yet again in the country of citizenship) -- however, there are relatively few double-taxation treaties with countries regarded as tax havens. To avoid tax, it is usually not enough to simply move one's assets to a tax haven. One must also personally move to a tax haven (and, for U.S. nationals, renounce one's citizenship) to avoid tax.

Legal entities

Without changing country of residence (or, if a U.S. citizen, giving up one's citizenship), personal taxation may be legally avoided by creation of a separate legal entity to which one's property is donated. The separate legal entity is often a company, trust, or foundation. Assets are transferred to the new company or trust so that gains may be realized, or income earned, within this legal entity rather than earned by the original owner. Usually one is only personally taxed on property and earnings that one actually owns; thus, by donating assets to a separate legal entity, personal taxation can be avoided, although corporate taxes may still be applicable. If the legal entity is ever liquidated and the assets transferred back to an individual, then capital gains taxes would apply on all profits.

The company/trust/foundation may also be able to avoid corporate taxation if incorporated in an offshore jurisdiction (see offshore company, offshore trust or private foundation). Although income tax would still be due on any salary or dividend drawn from the legal entity. For a settlor (creator of a trust) to avoid tax there may be restrictions on the type, purpose and beneficiaries of the trust. For example, the settlor of the trust may not be allowed to be a trustee or even a beneficiary and may thus lose control of the assets transferred and/or may be unable to benefit from them.

Tax evasion

A "Lion's Mouth" postbox for anonymous denunciations at the Doge's Palace in Venice, Italy. Text translation: "Secret denunciations against anyone who will conceal favors and services or will collude to hide the true revenue from them."

By contrast tax evasion is the general term for efforts by individuals, firms, trusts and other entities to evade taxes by illegal means. Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting or concealing the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability, and includes, in particular, dishonest tax reporting (such as declaring less income, profits or gains than actually earned; or overstating deductions).

Statistics

The difference between the amount of tax legally owed and the amount actually collected by a government is sometimes called the tax gap.

In the United States, the IRS estimated in 2007 that Americans owed $345 billion more than they paid, or about 14% of federal revenues for the fiscal year of 2007.

This section requires expansion.

Illegal income and tax evasion

Main article: Taxation of illegal income in the United States

In the United States, persons subject to the Internal Revenue Code who earn income by illegal means (gambling, theft, drug trafficking etc.) are required to report unlawful gains as income when filing annual tax returns (see e.g., James v. United States), but they often do not do so. Suspected lawbreakers, most famously Al Capone, have therefore been successfully prosecuted for tax evasion when there was insufficient evidence to try them for their non-tax related crimes. The United States Supreme Court has ruled that this does not violate an individual's right to remain silent, and so tax evasion remains a popular method for catching criminals.[citation needed] Other times tax evasion can be used as a "one more nail in the coffin" by prosecutors by stating that if a person earns illegal income, s/he may also be guilty of tax evasion. Those who attempt to report illegal income as coming from a legitimate source could be charged with money laundering. By contrast: In the UK law enforcement agencies do not generally have access to tax returns and so illegal earnings can supposedly be safely declared[citation needed] but in practice those carrying on criminal activities generally prefer not to do so, and so can sometimes be prosecuted for tax evasion rather than for other crimes[citation needed]. Soviet spy Aldrich Ames, who had earned more than $2 million cash for his espionage, was also charged with tax evasion as none of the Soviet money was reported on his tax returns. Ames attempted to have the tax evasion charge dismissed on the grounds his espionage profits were illegal, but the charges stood.

Economics of tax evasion

In 1968, Nobel laureate economist Gary Becker first[citation needed] theorized the economics of crime, on the basis of which Allingham and Sandmo produced in 1972 an economic model of tax evasion. It deals with the evasion of income tax, the main source of tax revenue in the developed countries. According to them, the level of evasion of income tax depends on the level of punishment provided by law.

This section requires expansion.

Evasion of customs duty

Customs duties are an important source of revenue in the developing countries. The importers purport to evade customs duty by (a) under-invoicing and (b) misdeclaration of quantity and product-description. When there is ad valorem import duty, the tax base is reduced through underinvoicing. Misdeclaration of quantity is more relevant for products with specific duty. Production description is changed match an H. S. Code commensurate with a lower rate of duty.

This section requires expansion.

Smuggling

Smuggling is importation or exportation of foreign products through unauthorized route. Smuggling is resorted to for total evasion of leviable customs duties as well as for importation of contraband items. A smuggler does not have to pay any customs duty since the products are not routed through an authorized or notified Customs port and therefore, not subjected to declaration and payment of duties and taxes.

Evasion of value added tax (VAT) and sales taxes

During the latter half of the twentieth century, value added tax (VAT) has emerged as a modern form of consumption tax through the world, with the notable exception of the United States. Producers who collect VAT from the consumers may evade tax by under-reporting the amount of sales. The US has no broad-based consumption tax at the federal level, and no state currently collects VAT; the overwhelming majority of states instead collect sales taxes. Canada uses both a VAT at the federal level (the Goods and Services Tax) and sales taxes at the provincial level; some provinces have a single tax combining both forms.

In addition, most jurisdictions which levy a VAT or sales tax also legally require their residents to report and pay the tax on items purchased in another jurisdiction. This means that those consumers who purchase something in a lower-taxed or untaxed jurisdiction with the intention of avoiding VAT or sales tax in their home jurisdiction are in fact breaking the law in most cases. Such evasion is especially prevalent in federal states like the US and Canada where sub-national jurisdictions have the constitutional power to charge varying rates of VAT or sales tax. Intranational borders in such countries usually lack customs offices or similar facilities that could effectively control the movement of any goods carried in private vehicles from one jurisdiction to another and most of the respective state and provincial governments simply lack the manpower and resources to pursue and prosecute every case of state/provincial sales tax evasion arising from purchases which do not cross state or provincial borders other than for major purchases such as cars.

Control of evasion

Level of evasion depends on a number of factors one of them being fiscal equation. People's tendency to evade income tax declines when the return for due payment of taxes is not obvious. Evasion also depends on the efficiency of the tax administration. Corruption by the tax officials often render control of evasion difficult. Tax administrations resort to various means for plugging in scope of evasion and increasing the level of enforcement. These include, among others, privatization of tax enforcement, tax farming, and institution of Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI) agencies.

Corruption by tax officials

Corrupt tax officials cooperate with the tax payers who intend to evade taxes. When they detect an instance of evasion, they refrain from reporting in return for illegal gratification or bribe. Corruption by tax officials is a serious problem for the tax administration in a huge number of underdeveloped countries.[citation needed]

Role of middleman

It is often alleged that tax lawyers and chartered accountants help taxpayers including firms and companies in evading taxes. In the same vein, the Clearing and Forwarding agents help in evasion of Customs duties. It has been suggested that removal of human interface is a reliable solution to this problem.[citation needed]

Level of evasion and punishment

This section contains weasel words, vague phrasing that often accompanies biased or unverifiable information. Such statements should be clarified or removed. (October 2009)

Tax evasion is a crime in almost all developed countries and subjects the guilty party to fines and/or imprisonment - in China the punishment can be as severe as the death penalty. In Switzerland, many acts that would amount to criminal tax evasion in other countries are treated as civil matters. Even dishonestly misreporting income in a tax return is not necessarily considered a crime. Such matters are dealt with in the Swiss tax courts, not the criminal courts. However, even in Switzerland, some fraudulent tax conduct is criminal, for example, deliberate falsification of records. Moreover, civil tax transgressions may give rise to penalties. So the difference between Switzerland and other countries, while significant, is limited. It is often considered that extent of evasion depends on the severity of punishment for evasion. Normally, the higher the evaded amount, the higher the degree of punishment.

Privatization of tax enforcement

Professor Christopher Hood first[citation needed] suggested privatization of tax enforcement for overcoming limitations of government tax administration in controlling tax evasion. Some governments have resorted to privatization of tax enforcement to enhance efficiency of the tax system. The assumption is that leakage of revenue will lower under a privatized regime. In Bangladesh, part of Customs administration was privatized in as early as 1991.

Tax farming

Tax farming is an old means of collection of revenue when it is difficult to determine the leviable amount taxes with certainty. Government leases out the collection system to a private entity for a fixed amount who then collects the revenue and shoulders the risk of attempts at evasion by the tax-payers. It has been suggested that tax farming may be a solution to the problem of tax evasion seen in developing countries.

This section requires expansion.

PSI Agencies

Pre-shipment Agencies like SGS, Cotecna etc. are employed to prevent evasion of customs duty through under-invoicing and misdeclaration. However, in the recent times, allegations have been lodged that PSI agencies have actively cooperated with the importers in evading customs duties. Authority in Bangladesh has found Cotecna, a PSI agency of Swiss origin, guilty of complicity with the importers for evasion of customs duties on a huge scale. The same company Cotecna was implicated for bribing Pakistan's prime minister Benazir Bhutto for securing contract for importation by Pakistani importers. She and her husband were sentenced both in Pakistan and Switzerland.

This section requires expansion.

The distinction in various jurisdictions

The use of the terms tax avoidance and tax evasion can vary depending on the jurisdiction. In general, the term "evasion" applies to illegal actions and "avoidance" to actions within the law. The term "mitigation" is also used in some jurisdictions to further distinguish actions within the original purpose of the relevant provision from those actions that are within the letter of the law, but do not achieve its purpose.

The examples and perspective in this section deal primarily with Anglo-American law and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page.

The distinction in the United States

In the United States "tax evasion" is evading the assessment or payment of a tax that is already legally owed at the time of the criminal conduct. Tax evasion is criminal, and has no effect on the amount of tax actually owed, although it may give rise to substantial monetary penalties.

By contrast, the term "tax avoidance" describes lawful conduct, the purpose of which is to avoid the creation of a tax liability in the first place. Whereas an evaded tax remains a tax legally owed, an avoided tax is a tax liability that has never existed.

For example, consider two businesses, each of which have a particular asset (in this case, a piece of real estate) that is worth far more than its purchase price.

Business One sells the property and underreports its gain. In this instance, tax is legally due. Business One has engaged in tax evasion, which is criminal.

Business Two consults with a tax advisor and discovers that it can structure the sale as a "like kind exchange" (formally known as a 1031 exchange, named after the Code section) for other real estate that it can use. In this instance, no tax is due because (legally, under Section 1031) no sale took place. Business Two has engaged in tax avoidance (or tax mitigation), which is completely within the law.

In the above example, tax may eventually be due when the second property is sold. Whether and how much tax will be due will depend on circumstances and the state of the law at the time. This is true of many tax avoidance strategies.

The distinction in the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom and jurisdictions following the UK approach (such as New Zealand) have recently adopted the evasion/avoidance terminology as used in the United States: evasion is a criminal attempt to avoid paying tax owed while avoidance is an attempt to use the law to reduce taxes owed. There is, however, a further distinction drawn between tax avoidance and tax mitigation. Tax avoidance is a course of action designed to conflict with or defeat the evident intention of Parliament: IRC v Willoughby. Tax mitigation is conduct which reduces tax liabilities without ax avoidance (not contrary to the intention of Parliament), for instance, by gifts to charity or investments in certain assets which qualify for tax relief. This is important for tax provisions which apply in cases of voidance: they are held not to apply in cases of mitigation.

The clear articulation of the concept of an avoidance/mitigation distinction goes back only to the 1970s. The concept originated from economists, not lawyers. The use of the terminology avoidance/mitigation to express this distinction was an innovation in 1986: IRC v Challenge.

In practice the distinction is sometimes clear, but often difficult to draw. Relevant factors to decide whether conduct is avoidance or mitigation include: whether there is a specific tax regime applicable; whether transactions have economic consequences; confidentiality; tax linked fees. Important indicia are familiarity and use. Once a tax avoidance arrangement becomes common, it is almost always stopped by legislation within a few years. If something commonly done is contrary to the intention of Parliament, it is only to be expected that Parliament will stop it. So that which is commonly done and not stopped is not likely to be contrary to the intention of Parliament. It follows that tax reduction arrangements which have been carried on for a long time are unlikely to constitute tax avoidance. Judges have a strong intuitive sense that that which everyone does, and has long done, should not be stigmatised with the pejorative term of voidance. Thus UK courts refused to regard sales and repurchases (known as bed-and-breakfast transactions) or back-to-back loans as tax avoidance.

Other approaches in distinguishing tax avoidance and tax mitigation are to seek to identify he spirit of the statute or isusing a provision. But this is the same as the vident intention of Parliament properly understood. Another approach is to seek to identify rtificial transactions. However, a transaction is not well described as rtificial if it has valid legal consequences, unless some standard can be set up to establish what is atural for the same purpose. Such standards are not readily discernible. The same objection applies to the term evice.

It may be that a concept of ax avoidance based on what is contrary to he intention of Parliament is not coherent. The object of construction of any statute is expressed as finding he intention of Parliament. In any successful tax avoidance scheme a Court must have concluded that the intention of Parliament was not to impose a tax charge in the circumstances which the tax avoiders had placed themselves. The answer is that the expression ntention of Parliament is being used in two senses. It is perfectly consistent to say that a tax avoidance scheme escapes tax (there being no provision to impose a tax charge) and yet constitutes the avoidance of tax. One is seeking the intention of Parliament at a higher, more generalised level. A statute may fail to impose a tax charge, leaving a gap that a court cannot fill even by purposive construction, but nevertheless one can conclude that there would have been a tax charge had the point been considered. An example is the notorious UK case Ayrshire Employers Mutual Insurance Association v IRC, where the House of Lords held that Parliament had issed fire.

History of the distinction

An avoidance/evasion distinction along the lines of the present distinction has long been recognised but at first there was no terminology to express it. In 1860 Turner LJ suggested evasion/contravention (where evasion stood for the lawful side of the divide): Fisher v Brierly. In 1900 the distinction was noted as two meanings of the word vade: Bullivant v AG. The technical use of the words avoidance/evasion in the modern sense originated in the USA where it was well established by the 1920s. It can be traced to Oliver Wendell Holmes in Bullen v Wisconsin. It was slow to be accepted in the United Kingdom. By the 1950s, knowledgeable and careful writers in the UK had come to distinguish the term ax evasion from voidance. However in the UK at least, vasion was regularly used (by modern standards, misused) in the sense of avoidance, in law reports and elsewhere, at least up to the 1970s. Now that the terminology has received official approval in the UK (Craven v White) this usage should be regarded as erroneous. But even now it is often helpful to use the expressions egal avoidance and llegal evasion, to make the meaning clearer.

Public opinion on tax avoidance

Tax avoidance may be considered to be the dodging of one's duties to society, or alternatively the right of every citizen to structure one's affairs in a manner allowed by law, to pay no more tax than what is required. Attitudes vary from approval through neutrality to outright hostility. Attitudes may vary depending on the steps taken in the avoidance scheme, or the perceived unfairness of the tax being avoided.

In the judiciary, different judges have taken different attitudes. As a generalization, for example, judges in the United Kingdom before the 1970s regarded tax avoidance with neutrality; but nowadays they regard it with increasing hostility. See the quotes below for examples.

Responses to tax avoidance

Avoidance also reduces government revenue and brings the tax system into disrepute, so governments need to prevent tax avoidance or keep it within limits. The obvious way to do this is to frame tax rules so that there is no scope for avoidance. In practice this has not proved achievable and has led to an ongoing battle between governments amending legislation and tax advisors' finding new scope for tax avoidance in the amended rules.

To allow prompter response to tax avoidance schemes, the US Tax Disclosure Regulations (2003) require prompter and fuller disclosure than previously required, a tactic which was applied in the UK in 2004.

Some countries such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand have introduced a statutory General Anti-Avoidance Rule (GAAR). Canada also uses Foreign Accrual Property Income rules to obviate certain types of tax avoidance. In the United Kingdom, there is no GAAR, but many provisions of the tax legislation (known as "anti-avoidance" provisions) apply to prevent tax avoidance where the main object (or purpose), or one of the main objects (or purposes), of a transaction is to enable tax advantages to be obtained.

In the United States, the Internal Revenue Service distinguishes some schemes as "abusive" and therefore illegal.

In the UK, judicial doctrines to prevent tax avoidance began in IRC v Ramsay (1981) followed by Furniss v. Dawson (1984). This approach has been rejected in most commonwealth jurisdictions even in those where UK cases are generally regarded as persuasive. After two decades, there have been numerous decisions, with inconsistent approaches, and both the Revenue authorities and professional advisors remain quite unable to predict outcomes. For this reason this approach can be seen as a failure or at best only partly successful.

In the UK in 2004, the Labour government announced that it would use retrospective legislation to counteract some tax avoidance schemes, and it has subsequently done so on a few occasions. Initiatives announced in 2010 suggest an increasing willingness on the part of HMRC to use retrospective action to counter avoidance schemes, even when no warning has been given.

Tax protesters and tax resistance

Main articles: Tax protester, Tax protester arguments, and Tax resistance

Some tax evaders believe that they have uncovered new interpretations of the law that show that they are not subject to being taxed (not liable): these individuals and groups are sometimes called tax protesters. Many protesters continue posing the same arguments that the Federal courts have rejected time and time again, ruling the arguments to be legally frivolous.

Tax resistance is the refusal to pay a tax for conscientious reasons (because the resister does not want to support the government or some of its activities). They typically do not take the position that the tax laws are themselves illegal or do not apply to them (as tax protesters do) and they are more concerned with not paying for what they oppose than they are motivated by the desire to keep more of their money (as tax evaders typically are).

In the UK case of Cheney v. Conn, an individual objected to paying tax that, in part, would be used to procure nuclear arms in unlawful contravention, he contended, of the Geneva Convention. His claim was dismissed, the judge ruling that "What the [taxation] statute itself enacts cannot be unlawful, because what the statute says and provides is itself the law, and the highest form of law that is known to this country."

Definition of tax evasion in the United States

The application of the U.S. tax evasion statute may be illustrated in brief as follows, as applied to tax protesters. The statute is Internal Revenue Code section 7201:

Any person who willfully attempts in any manner to evade or defeat any tax imposed by this title or the payment thereof shall, in addition to other penalties provided by law, be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $100,000 ($500,000 in the case of a corporation), or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both, together with the costs of prosecution.

Under this statute and related case law, the prosecution must prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, each of the following three elements:

the "attendant circumstance" of the existence of a tax deficiency an unpaid tax liability; and

the "actus reus" (i.e., guilty conduct) an affirmative act (and not merely an omission or failure to act) in any manner constituting evasion or an attempt to evade either:

the assessment of a tax, or

the payment of a tax.

the "mens rea" or "mental" element of willfulness the specific intent to violate an actually known legal duty;

An affirmative act "in any manner" is sufficient to satisfy the third element of the offense. That is, an act which would otherwise be perfectly legal (such as moving funds from one bank account to another) could be grounds for a tax evasion conviction (possibly an attempt to evade "payment"), provided the other two elements are also met. Intentionally filing a false tax return (a separate crime in itself) could constitute an attempt to evade the "assessment" of the tax, as the Internal Revenue Service bases initial assessments (i.e., the formal recordation of the tax on the books of the U.S. Treasury) on the tax amount shown on the return.

Application to tax protesters

This statute is an example of an exception to the general rule under U.S. law that "ignorance of the law or a mistake of law is no defense to criminal prosecution." Under the Cheek Doctrine (Cheek v. United States), the United States Supreme Court ruled that a genuine, good faith belief that one is not violating the Federal tax law (such as a mistake based on a misunderstanding caused by the complexity of the tax law itself) would be a valid defense to a charge of "willfulness" ("willfulness" in this case being knowledge or awareness that one is violating the tax law itself), even though that belief is irrational or unreasonable. On the surface, this rule might appear to be of some comfort to tax protesters who assert, for example, that "wages are not income." However, merely asserting that one has such a good faith belief is not determinative in court; under the American legal system the trier of fact (the jury, or the trial judge in a non-jury trial) decides whether the defendant really has the good faith belief he or she claims. With respect to willfulness, the placing of the burden of proof on the prosecution is of limited utility to a defendant that the jury simply does not believe.

A further stumbling block for tax protesters is found in the Cheek Doctrine with respect to arguments about "constitutionality." Under the Doctrine, the belief that the Sixteenth Amendment was not properly ratified and the belief that the Federal income tax is otherwise unconstitutional are not treated as beliefs that one is not violating the "tax law" i.e., these errors are not treated as being caused by the "complexity of the tax law."

In the Cheek case the Court stated:

Claims that some of the provisions of the tax code are unconstitutional are submissions of a different order. They do not arise from innocent mistakes caused by the complexity of the Internal Revenue Code. Rather, they reveal full knowledge of the provisions at issue and a studied conclusion, however wrong, that those provisions are invalid and unenforceable. Thus, in this case, Cheek paid his taxes for years, but after attending various seminars and based on his own study, he concluded that the income tax laws could not constitutionally require him to pay a tax.

The Court continued:

We do not believe that Congress contemplated that such a taxpayer, without risking criminal prosecution, could ignore the duties imposed upon him by the Internal Revenue Code and refuse to utilize the mechanisms provided by Congress to present his claims of invalidity to the courts and to abide by their decisions. There is no doubt that Cheek, from year to year, was free to pay the tax that the law purported to require, file for a refund and, if denied, present his claims of invalidity, constitutional or otherwise, to the courts. See 26 U.S.C. 7422. Also, without paying the tax, he could have challenged claims of tax deficiencies in the Tax Court, 6213, with the right to appeal to a higher court if unsuccessful. 7482(a)(1). Cheek took neither course in some years, and, when he did, was unwilling to accept the outcome. As we see it, he is in no position to claim that his good-faith belief about the validity of the Internal Revenue Code negates willfulness or provides a defense to criminal prosecution under 7201 and 7203. Of course, Cheek was free in this very case to present his claims of invalidity and have them adjudicated, but, like defendants in criminal cases in other contexts who "willfully" refuse to comply with the duties placed upon them by the law, he must take the risk of being wrong.

The Court ruled that such beliefs even if held in good faith are not a defense to a charge of willfulness. By pointing out that arguments about constitutionality of Federal income tax laws "reveal full knowledge of the provisions at issue and a studied conclusion, however wrong, that those provisions are invalid and unenforceable," the Supreme Court may have been impliedly warning that asserting such "constitutional" arguments (in open court or otherwise) might actually help the prosecutor prove willfulness. Daniel B. Evans, a tax lawyer who has written about tax protester arguments, has stated that:

[ . . . ] if you plan ahead to use it [the Cheek defense], then it is almost certain to fail, because your efforts to establish your ood faith belief are going to be used by the government as evidence that you knew that what you were doing was wrong when you did it, which is why you worked to set up a defense in advance. Planning not to file tax returns and avoid prosecution using a ood faith belief is kind of like planning to kill someone using a claim of elf-defense. If youe planned in advance, then it shouldn work.

Failing to file returns in the United States

According to some estimates, about three percent of taxpayers do not file tax returns at all.[citation needed] In the case of U.S. Federal income taxes, civil penalties for willful failure to timely file returns and willful failure to timely pay taxes are based on the amount of tax due; thus, if no tax is owed, no penalties are due. The civil penalty for willful failure to timely file a return is generally equal to 5.0% of the amount of tax "required to be shown on the return per month, up to a maximum of 25%. By contrast, the civil penalty for willful failure to timely pay the tax actually "shown on the return" is generally equal to 0.5% of such tax due per month, up to a maximum of 25%. The two penalties are computed together in a relatively complex algorithm, and computing the actual penalties due is somewhat challenging.

In cases where a taxpayer does not have enough money to pay the entire tax bill, the IRS can work out a payment plan with taxpayers.

For years for which no return has been filed, there is no statute of limitations on civil actions -- that is, on how long the IRS can seek taxpayers and demand payment of taxes owed.

For each year a taxpayer willfully fails to timely file an income tax return, the taxpayer can be sentenced to one year in prison. In general, there is a six-year statute of limitations on Federal tax crimes.

Tax shelters

See also: Tax shelter and Tax haven

Tax shelters are investments that allow, and purport to allow, a reduction in one's income tax liability. Although things such as home ownership, pension plans, and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) can be broadly considered "tax shelters", insofar as funds in them are not taxed, provided that they are held within the IRA for the required amount of time, the term "tax shelter" was originally used to describe primarily certain investments made in the form of limited partnerships, some of which were deemed by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service to be abusive.

The Internal Revenue Service and the United States Department of Justice have recently teamed up to crack down on abusive tax shelters. In 2003 the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations held hearings about tax shelters which are entitled U.S. TAX SHELTER INDUSTRY: THE ROLE OF ACCOUNTANTS, LAWYERS, AND FINANCIAL PROFESSIONALS. Many of these tax shelters were designed and provided by accountants at the large American accounting firms.

Examples of U.S. tax shelters include: Foreign Leveraged Investment Program (FLIP) and Offshore Portfolio Investment Strategy (OPIS). Both were devised by partners at the accounting firm, KPMG. These tax shelters were also known as "basis shifts" or "defective redemptions."

Prior to 1987, passive investors in certain limited partnerships (such as oil exploration or real estate investment ventures) were allowed to use the passive losses (if any) of the partnership (i.e., losses generated by partnership operations in which the investor took no material active part) to offset the investors' income, lowering the amount of income tax that otherwise would be owed by the investor. These partnerships could be structured so that an investor in a high tax bracket could obtain a net economic benefit from partnership-generated passive losses.

In the Tax Reform Act of 1986 the U.S. Congress introduced the limitation (under 26 U.S.C.  469) on the deduction of passive losses and the use of passive activity tax credits. The 1986 Act also changed the "at risk" loss rules of 26 U.S.C.  465. Coupled with the hobby loss rules (26 U.S.C.  183), the changes greatly reduced tax avoidance by taxpayers engaged in activities only to generate deductible losses.

See also

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Tax avoidance and tax evasion

Bottom of the harbour tax avoidance (Australia)

Civil disobedience

David Wynn Miller

Gary Becker

Loophole

Tax patent

Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act

Tax exile

Tax farming

Tax haven

Corporate inversion

Tax incidence

Tax protester

Tax resistance

Taxation as slavery

Underground economy (also known as the black market)

References

^ "The new refugees. (Americans who give up citizenship to save on taxes)". Forbes. 1994-11-21. http://web.archive.org/web/20060227051231/http://www.frissell.com/taxpat/FORBES1.HTM. Retrieved 2006-12-23.

^ There are certain well-known exceptions to this: Cyprus has a heavily exploited double taxation relief treaty with Russia; another frequently used treaty is the double taxation relief treaty between Mauritius and India. There are also a number of other less well known and less frequently utilized treaties, such as the one between the British Virgin Islands and Switzerland.

^ $345B tax gap: Random Tax Audits Return to the IRS, 9 Oct 2007, Morning Edition.

^ 366 U.S. 213 (1961), overruling Commissioner v. Wilcox, 327 U.S. 404 (1946).

^ Allingham, M. G. and A. Sandmo ncome Tax evasion: A Theoretical Analysis, Journal of Public Economics, Vol.1, 1972, p.323-38.

^ Chowdhury, F. L. Evasion of Customs Duty in Bangladesh, 2006: Desh Prokashon Dhaka.

^ Chowdhury, F. L. Evasion of Customs Duty in Bangladesh, 2006: Desh Prokashon Dhaka.

^ Spiro, Peter S. (2005), "Tax Policy and the Underground Economy," in Christopher Bajada and Friedrich Schneider, eds., Size, Causes and Consequences of the Underground Economy (Ashgate Publishing).

^ Tomkov, Eva (2008): "Tax Evasion in the Czech Republic" In: A Brief Introduction to Czech Law. Rincon: The American Institute for Central European Legal Studies (AICELS), 2008. p. 111 - 121, ISBN 978-0-692-00045-8

^ Chowdhury, F. L. (1992) Evasion of Customs Duty in Bangladesh, unpublished MBA dissertation, Graduate School of Management, Monash University, Australia.

^ Stella, P. Tax Farming - A radical Solution for Developing Country Tax Problem, IMF Working Paper No. 92/70

^ Alam. D (1999) Introduction of PSI system in Bangladesh: Facts and Documents, Desh Prokashon, Dhaka.

^ Hood, C. (1986) Privatizing UK tax Law Enforcement?, Public Administration, Vol. 64, Autumn, 1986, p. 319-33.

^ Chowdhury, F. L. Evasion of Customs Duty in Bangladesh, unpublished MBA dissertation, Graduate School of Management, Monash University, Australia.

^ Stella, P. (1992) Tax Farming - A radical Solution for Developing Country Tax Problem, IMF Working Paper No. 92/70.

^ "NBR showcauses Cotecna on car import scam", New Age

^ New York Times, 06 August 2003

^ The term "assessment" is here used in the technical sense of a statutory assessment: the formal administrative act of a duly appointed employee of the Internal Revenue Service who records the tax on the books of the United States Treasury after certain administrative prerequisites have been met. The term "assessment" has a separate, non-statutory meaning in the United States, viz. the act of the taxpayer computing the amount of the tax when preparing and filing a Federal income tax return.

^ 70 TC 57.

^ See for instance CT Sandford, Hidden Costs of Taxation, IFS, 1973.

^ (1986) STC 548.

^ 27 TC 331.

^ (1860) 1 de G F&J 643 (England).

^ (1901) AC 196 (England).

^ Minimising Taxes, Sears, 1922, Vernon Law Book Co.

^ 240 U.S. 625, 630 (1916).

^ (1988) 62 TC 1 at 197.

^ HMRC goes on 1bn retro warpath, Accountancy Age, 18 Feb 2010

^ (1968) All ER 779.

^ 26 U.S.C.  7201.

^ 26 U.S.C.  7206.

^ Ignorantia legis neminem excusat, or "ignorance of law excuses no one." Black's Law Dictionary, p. 673 (5th ed. 1979).

^ 498 U.S. 192 (1991).

^ The U.S. courts have consistently rejected arguments that "wages" or "labor" are not taxable as income under the Internal Revenue Code. For example, see United States v. Connor, 898 F.2d 942, 90-1 U.S. Tax Cas. (CCH) paragr. 50,166 (3d Cir. 1990) (tax evasion conviction under 26 U.S.C.  7201 affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit; taxpayer argument that because of the Sixteenth Amendment, wages were not taxable was rejected by the Court; taxpayer argument that an income tax on wages is required to be apportioned by population also rejected); Perkins v. Commissioner, 746 F.2d 1187, 84-2 U.S. Tax Cas. (CCH) paragr. 9898 (6th Cir. 1984) (26 U.S.C.  61 ruled by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit to be n full accordance with Congressional authority under the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution to impose taxes on income without apportionment among the states; taxpayer argument that wages paid for labor are non-taxable was rejected by the Court, and ruled frivolous); White v. United States, 2005-1 U.S. Tax Cas. (CCH) paragr. 50,289 (6th Cir. 2004), cert. denied, ____ U.S. ____ (2005) (taxpayer argument that wages are not taxable was ruled frivolous by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit; penalty imposed under 26 U.S.C.  6702 for filing tax return with frivolous position was therefore proper); Granzow v. Commissioner, 739 F.2d 265, 84-2 U.S. Tax Cas. (CCH) paragr. 9660 (7th Cir. 1984) (taxpayer argument that wages are not taxable was rejected by the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and ruled frivolous); Waters v. Commissioner, 764 F.2d 1389, 85-2 U.S. Tax Cas. (CCH) paragr. 9512 (11th Cir. 1985) (taxpayer argument that income taxation of wages is unconstitutional was rejected by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit; taxpayer required to pay damages for filing frivolous suit).

^ Cheek, 498 U.S. at 205-206 (footnote omitted; emphasis added).

^ See also Spies v. United States, 317 U.S. 492 (1943); Sansone v. United States, 380 U.S. 343 (1965); Cheek v. United States, 498 U.S. 192 (1991).

^ Daniel B. Evans, The Tax Protester FAQ; downloaded 24 April 2007.

^ See 26 U.S.C.  6651.

^ See 26 U.S.C.  6651(a)(1).

^ See 26 U.S.C.  6651(a)(2).

^ See 26 U.S.C.  6501.

^ See 26 U.S.C.  7203.

^ See 26 U.S.C.  6531.

Further reading

Taxation of Foreign Domiciliaries (James Kessler QC, 5th edition, 2005, Key Haven Publications) chapter 16 discusses tax avoidance in context of UK anti-avoidance provisions.

External links

Look up Tax avoidance or Tax evasion in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Tax Justice Network - research into "the negative impacts of tax avoidance, tax competition and tax havens"

Law Enforcement

Online security Scams Information from ATO

The Tax Gap Special report from The Guardian about tax avoidance by big business

US Justice Dept Press Release on Jeffrey Chernick, UBS tax evader

US Justice Dept Press Release on Robert Moran and Steven Michael Rubenstein, two UBS tax evaders

US States Atty for Central Dist of California Press Release on John McCarthy of Malibu, Calif, UBS tax evader

Tax Me if You Can - PBS Frontline documentary into tax avoidance

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What is tramadol?

2011-12-13T10:13:00.002+05:00

Tramadol is a narcotic-like pain reliever.

Tramadol is used to treat moderate to severe pain. Tramadol extended-release is used to treat moderate to severe chronic pain when treatment is needed around the clock.

Tramadol may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
Important information about tramadol

You should not take this medication if you are allergic to tramadol, if you have ever been addicted to drugs or alcohol, or if you have ever attempted suicide. Do not take tramadol while you are intoxicated (drunk) or taking any of the following: alcohol or street drugs, narcotic pain medicine, sedatives or tranquilizers, or medicine for depression, anxiety, or mental illness.

Seizures (convulsions) have occurred in some people taking this medicine. Tramadol may be more likely to cause a seizure if you have a history of seizures or head injury, a metabolic disorder, or if you are taking certain medicines such as antidepressants, muscle relaxers, narcotic, or medicine for nausea and vomiting.

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. A tramadol overdose can be fatal.

Tramadol may be habit-forming. Tell your doctor if you feel the medicine is not working as well in relieving your pain. Never share tramadol with another person, especially someone with a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a place where others cannot get to it.

Do not crush the tramadol tablet. This medicine is for oral (by mouth) use only. Powder from a crushed tablet should not be inhaled or diluted with liquid and injected into the body. Using this medicine by inhalation or injection can cause life-threatening side effects, overdose, or death.
Before taking tramadol

You should not take this medication if you are allergic to tramadol, if you have ever been addicted to drugs or alcohol, or if you have ever attempted suicide.

Do not take tramadol while you are intoxicated (drunk) or taking any of the following:

alcohol or street drugs;

narcotic pain medicine;

sedatives or tranquilizers (such as Valium);

medicine for depression or anxiety; or

medicine for mental illness (such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia).

Seizures have occurred in some people taking tramadol. Talk with your doctor about your seizure risk, which may be higher if you have:

a history of drug or alcohol addiction;

a history of epilepsy or other seizure disorder;

a history of head injury;

a metabolic disorder; or

if you are also taking an antidepressant, muscle relaxer, narcotic, antipsychotic, or medicine for nausea and vomiting.

To make sure you can safely take tramadol, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:

kidney disease (or if you are on dialysis);

cirrhosis or other liver disease;

a stomach disorder; or

a history of depression, mental illness, or thoughts of suicide.

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether tramadol will harm an unborn baby. Tramadol may cause serious or fatal side effects in a newborn if the mother uses this medication during pregnancy or labor. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication. Tramadol can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while you are taking tramadol. Do not give this medication to anyone younger than 16 years old without the advice of a doctor.

Fiber Optic Cables

2011-10-13T09:53:00.002+05:00

Author: Jeff McRitchie

In a world constantly seeking new ways to do things faster and more efficient, data transfer is no exception. Traditional copper wiring is rapidly making way for fiber optic cables. This innovative data transfer medium offers a faster, more efficient way to send and receive information as well as provide a great deal of communication networks for commercial offices and industrial buildings. Here is a guide to how they work.
Speed: Light versus Electricity. Traditional copper cables send the information down the copper line to the other end. Fiber optics transfer data using light pulses as opposed to electric signals, like those transmitted with copper cables. Light sends a much clearer and faster signal. This might seem unlikely, considering cables are enclosed in rubber tubing. But fiber optic cables are made from long, thin strands of glass or plastic. These pieces work to reflect light down the strip. To give yourself a visual, picture a hollow tube. Now mentally line the casing with tiny mirrors. Any light shined in would reflect off the mirrors one by one until it exited through the opposite end. Since light travels faster than electricity, the result of this set-up is a rapid, clear signal with less disturbances than traditional materials experience.
Fiber optics come in either single or multi mode. Single mode uses one lone strand of glass or plastic fiber for the entire cable. These can have a diameter of up to nine microns. Since they only use one piece, they are thinner and more susceptible to damage. However, the individual strand allows an increased rate of transmission and a larger range. Basically, single mode lets it go faster and further. On the other side, there are multi-mode cables. As the name suggests, there are a number of glass fibers inside these, measuring either 50 or 62.5 microns. The larger diameter, as you might imagine, allows multiple waves to transmit simultaneously. Plus, it offers greater durability, which means that is more widely used for generic applications.
Another variation is simplex versus duplex. Communication networks use either one-directional or bi-directional communication between the two points and fiber optics is no exception. Simplex is similar to single mode in that is uses a single fiber strand for one way communication. This style is somewhat specific to applications looking directly for one-directional data streams, such as, video and audio inputs and outputs. In the same way, duplex is also similar to multi-node, only instead of a slew of cables, duplex uses bi-directional communication, requiring only two wires. This allows for simultaneous, bi-directional data transmission. You can think of these two as a one way and a two way street. Both have their purposes and both are useful.
So when you go to pick out a fiber optic cable, there are a few things you'll want to know. First, make sure that the type of connector you purchase matches your input connection. Second, check to see if your device prefers single or multi-mode transfer. Figure out if you need simplex or duplex. And finally, choose which length you need. You can discern this by setting up your system and running a string from the speaker or TV to the equipment. Always buy the next larger length rather than one that is on the small side. You won't regret it! If you're interested in purchasing any of these products, be sure to check out BestPriceCables.com. Good luck and happy connecting!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/electronics-articles/fiber-optic-cables-5299522.html
About the Author

Networking for your small business, home office, or just home entertainment? BestPriceCables.com has your Ethernet, Cat 5e and Fiber optic cables ready to go. Useful for telephone data, audio or video, our Networking products are the best cables for the best price!

Top 10 Features in the New iOS 5

2011-10-13T09:51:00.002+05:00

Author: pelegao

Apple will release the brand new iOS 5 for users to update soon for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. For a lone time's waiting, Apple finally brings us the perfect iOS 5, the most advanced mobile operation system in the world, with notification center and other more than 200 upgrades.
Among the new features, some of them are already have on iPhone and iPad with 3rd party app. Now Apple brings them back to their own operation system. If you have ever used "WhatsApp", you will not feel strange when you are using iMessage. WhatsApp allows users to transfer info quickly, including words and multimedia stuff, and with no limitation on mobile platform. "iMessage" adds some new functions based on WhatsApp, such as store the conversation with iCloud. If your device has Instapaper, you have already experienced parts of the new version Safari's function. If you are using something like "Remember the Milk" as reminder, you will love the iOS 5's remind function badly.
Some other features may simple but really useful, such as you can take a picture with the volume-up button without unlock the screen. So many new features and now let us see the top 10 new features with iOS 5.
Top 1 Notification Center
I will give the top one new feature to Notification Center. Apple finally gives up the annoying pup-up window when you are playing game or having something important. The previous notice window like a box with no words, it is really annoying, especially at night, when you are playing games or just chating with friends, a notice window pop-up, have you ever imagine that you will throw your iPhone to the wall.
Now Apple brings us Notification Center to replace the unwelcome pop-up window. This one is like the "Mobile Notifier" app or something like that. The Notification Center not only shows user notice, but also the weather and app's real-time info. If you lock the screen, you can also use the drop-down notice without unlock the screen. When yo swipe the screen, you will see the summary of every notification.
Top 2 iMessage
Apple's iMessage is something like "BlackBerry Message". It runs on more than one devices with iOS 5. For example, you can first chat with your friends with your iPhone and then pick up your iPad to talk with them directly. In future, Mac OS Lion will have this feature also. With it you can see who is reading with delivery and read recipts. While, the difference with WhatsApp is that you can not run iMessage with uniOS devices. Maybe Apple thinks that it is not worth to talk to your friends that with Android and BlackBerry freely.
Top 3 New Camera and photo app
This version iOS has two simple but useful features that will meet all the users need. One is that you can access the camera app without unlocking the screen. You can just use grid lines and pinch-to-zoom gestures to get your shot just right. Focus with a tap. You will never pass a pictures that you want. The other is the you can just press the volume-up button to take photos without using the one on the screen. This will be the most welcome feature for the users who take photo often with iPhone.
The new camera app adds simple photo edit functions, you can easily edit your pictures with it, such as Crop, rotate, enhance, and remove red-eye. This will be really useful for the users who do not have "Camera Plus".
Top 4 Newsstand
There is a Newsstand on iOS 5, which is really like iBooks. But they have differences, such as the Newsstand is only for magzine and Journal. In fact, it is like someting the between iBooks and File folder.
Top 5 Twitter
In iOS 5, Apple brings Twitter into it everywhere. Such as post pictures to Twitter after you take your photo. IOS 5 allows you to share yous stuff on Twitter directly when you use YouTube, Safari and even Maps. And Apple adds a Twitter option under the contact list.
Top 6 New Safari
The new Safari adds several new features. When you are linking your iPad and iPhone, the webpage will be redesigned to adopt the difference between two screens, it will be more friendly for users when the page is without ads and redesigned.
The redesigned webpage will be added to the read list and saved , you can read it offline later. You can lso sync the page to different iOS 5 devices and Mac OS Lion devices and read them anytime and anywhere. It could be use the iCould.
The view page tab also be added to the new Safari, when you open a page, the tab will be listed under the address bar. It is really fast described by Apple official website. Hope it will sove the problems on lod Safari.
Top 7 Reminders
The new Reminders makes it easy to set out many things to do. Simple and clear, you can arange your day easily and also it can be sync with iOS 5 devices and Mac OS X devices. The most eyeball caught feature is that if you added "buy milk" to the to do list and you forgot it totally. Do worry, it will remind you when you are passing by a milk store or supermarket.
Top 8 Email System
Apple enhances the email system with much more text format. If your friend likes put all the words bold, that will be a dasister for you and you will not understand his point of view. So more text format can solve this problem easily.
The control of text indent. When you are quoting, you can control the indent yourself.
Top 9 No longer need PC's assistant
With iOS 5, your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad will no loner need the assistant from iTunes and PC. At this point, Apple finally catch up Android and Windows Phone 7. It is really convenient that when you open your new devices, a welcome interface will appear and you can update all your apps on iOS 5 with wifi.
Top 10 Game Center
Apple gives some improvment on Game Center and introducing some ideas from Xbox and other game platform, such as adding avatar, game discovery and supports Words for Friends and Scrabble and other game like that.
So all the Apple fans, updating your devices to iOS 5 as fast as you can and enjoy the over 200 new features brought from Apple.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/communication-articles/top-10-features-in-the-new-ios-5-5298747.html
About the Author

Hello everyone, I'm Pele and I'm a big Apple fan. iOs 5 will available to users soon with more than 200 new features. Today I will about the top 10 features in the new iOS 5. I also would like to share this ipad Transfer to you to backup your iPad music/video/pictures to computer

The Importance Of Credit File On Personal Loans

2011-09-22T12:37:00.002+05:00

Author: Sarah Jean

These tough economic times simply being felt by several states and its particular buyers can be a lot to control. Other than those individuals who may have high rankings in numerous firms, those who actually suffer are definitely the personnel who got no option but to consider another job right after they get terminated from work due to the company's financial troubles. But yet if you are still hired and you still have cash situations, it will eventually really worry you even if you have got a monthly paycheck to obtain.

Imagine if you surprisingly need money for a hospital stay? Can you imagine if you need cash to cover your overdue bill so that the enterprise will not likely reduce your connection? What happens if you truly should get income to own some thing which concerns the life span of one's loved-ones? But since your month-to-month net income is still not given then what'll you do? The solution is acquiring cash loans especially the no credit check cash loans made available to the general public by an assortment of money-lending institutions and banks.

Cash financial loans and in some cases at times called online payday loans is exactly what you call a little and short-term personal loan women and men get for the purpose of covering the borrower's obligations till the next salaryday comes. It's always to some degree much like payday cash advances or oftentimes called that mainly because the rationale of cash loans is that you get advanced cash to afford something you need to. But nevertheless, it is recommended to bear in mind that even if all nations around the world facilitates the business involving loans, regulations and legislations on such loans still largely varies in accordance with the authority of the particular country.

On the other hand, credit check required is conducted by massive money-lending organizations and banks to make sure that the debtor possesses a a good credit score history. Because it requires dollars, a customer qualifies if he or she is able to pay off automatically the loans they got. Although with other businesses, no credit check payday loans are produced probable. Here is the next best step for many who could have low credit score history when they still need an alternative way money.

The no credit check cash loans procedures are done by some merchants who got small but worthy collaterals from their consumers to be reclaimed should the payment is completed. Though some may instill loan rates and credit limit, it is the next most suitable choice for people who are in bad necessity of money but has inevitable adverse credit history.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/credit-articles/the-importance-of-credit-file-on-personal-loans-5235751.html
About the Author

May Jewels is a professional writer. She writes articles on various topics on the internet. She enjoys sharing useful information to all her readers.she used to share information about no credit check cash loans.she also loves topic related on no credit check payday loans.

Ideas and Trick to Obtain Bright Skin

2011-09-22T12:22:00.002+05:00

Author: sara biston

Maintaining a good looking, youthful and healthful skin is everyone's desire. Even so, a lot of neglect their wellbeing because of to their frantic quickly paced way of life and it demonstrates on skin within the sort of dullness and pale skin shade. Possibly the challenge just isn't on your splendor resources, however the foods you eat. With no paying a lot of time on skincare, there are methods to keep up elegance and to revitalize the missing glow of your skin. So here's how you can maintain healthful skin by ingesting nutritious meals support healthful will present information regarding the some meals that could brighten your skin.
Green Tea
Green tea is made up of catechins, anti-oxidants that help battle viruses and sluggish the getting older procedure.
Nuts
As we know nuts Wealthy in vitamins A and E. peanuts to protect the skin from pollution even though reducing the detrimental results of UV rays. Brazil nuts have more advantages that reinforce the hair, nails, and make your skin far suppler.
Berry Fruits
Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries along with other berry-berry contains collagen which makes skin supple, sleek, and fast.
Olive Oil
This really is on the list of foods is good not merely for skin but additionally for hair, nails, and overall body wellbeing. Like avocados, olive oil is rich in great fats, vitamin A, and vitamin E, to produce the skin sleek and youthful. Pick Virgin Olive Oil which has not been chemically processed.
Red and green veggies
Spinach, carrots, broccoli, and his pals have a lot more beta-carotene capabilities as an antioxidant for the skin. Furthermore to preventing hurt to cells, beta-carotene also is converted through the physique into vitamin A that is useful for fight acne, creating new skin cells and makes skin color appear brighter and younger. It could be much better if we get vitamin A directly through the foods instead of from vitamin supplements, since the excess of vitamin A can in fact interfere with our health.
Avocado
Avocados are a supply of vitamin E. It's beneficial to prevent getting older and skin thoroughly clean of all stains this sort of as acne scars, dark spots, as well as other issues. Eating avocados regularly will even avert the skin turns into loose with age.
Fish
This water creature is wealthy in Omega-3 fatty acids which might be the principle recipe for any sunny vivid skin. Additionally, ingesting sardines, tuna, or salmon are abundant in protein will help shield skin from sun coverage and pollution. The protein contained in it assists the reproductive cells and make skin appear radiant.
Wheat
could be obtained while in the kind of cereals and bread, wheat is made up of biotin which helps the entire body method the extra fat cells. Biotin deficiency can cause dry skin and search uninteresting.
Orange
Every type of citrus fruit, such as grapefruit, is really a source of vitamin C, which have a lot of rewards for your skin. Vitamin C boosts the production of collagen and elastin within our bodies, which serves to lessen wrinkles and stop aging skin. It is also considered to gradual the production of melanin, the pigment that makes skin look darker. Try to take in clean orange the moment per day. Additionally to oranges, tomatoes will also be fruits which wealthy in vitamin C.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/skin-care-articles/ideas-and-trick-to-obtain-bright-skin-5237254.html
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LumnaSkin is capable of resolving all kinds of skin problems, it is specially created to improve and brighten up all regions of the skin, even the most personal regions.LumnaSkin is a very good solution in case you are looking for a way to fight the fine lines as well as wrinkles.

Wireless Base Station Applications And Scenarios

2011-09-15T08:31:00.002+05:00

Author: Ariel

In a crisis situation, communication is key; it's not the only piece that's necessary to properly managing a crisis, but it is important. And often, what this implies and involves is a honed set of technologies. Every crisis has its own relevant set of technologies to use. In remote areas, where natural disasters tend to wreak the most havoc, wireless technologies are the most apt for the job of passing along and relaying vital information to key figures. In most cases, satellite communications with a secure cell are required. There are two basic pieces to any satellite communication system. The end-user will most likely be concerned about his or her wireless base station. This station will be used to communication with a satellite terminal. The smallest form of a base station, you may have already seen before. Satellite phones are a popular format. These look like big cell phones, with huge erecting antennas that aim to achieve what's referred to as, line of sight. Line of sight is critical, when it comes to satellite technologies.
That's because you're dealing with radio frequencies (as is the case with cellular terrestrial technologies). Instead, with satellite networks and technologies, you're beaming information from one point to another. This is another reason that the wireless base station is most popular in the open wilderness. In urban areas, line of sight may not be an easy thing to accomplish, if there are a towering skyscrapers all around that get in the way of that line, between you (the base) and the satellite above (out in space). As mentioned, there are a number of formats and applications that wireless satellite technologies can come in; flavors, if you will.
The satellite phone is good for individuals that need to keep in contact, or need to communicate with mainstream networks, such as the primary phone network. In such a case, the wireless base station will merely act as a data conduit, where voice is transmitted as data from the network of satellites, out to the primary/mainstream phone network. Another data application of these technologies is general, consumer-grade internet data processing. There are mainstream satellite networks of residential and commercial grade internet subscriptions in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia that provide an alternative to terrestrial-based networks, such as coax cable and standard fiber. Another application of the wireless base station is surveillance or even remote control. In this scenario, the base station is used to control an aircraft, which is, in turn, equipped with surveillance equipment (e.g. video cameras). Sometimes, within military contexts, these aircrafts are equipped with arsenals (e.g. smart bombs and missiles). The latter scenario involves employs aircrafts that are commonly referred to as military drones.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/satellite-radio-articles/wireless-base-station-applications-and-scenarios-5070073.html
About the Author

Active Web Group's mission as a full-service web marketing firm is to provide any size business the opportunity to leverage and utilize the power of the Internet as a marketing tool to expand their business. www.activewebgroup.com

Viore TV reviews - How to find the best one

2011-09-15T08:30:00.002+05:00

Author: Susan Whitefield

Viore TV reviews are nothing but the collected information about Viore TV. For your kind information Viore TVs are one of the advanced versions of TV models which are consisting of various advanced technology and specifications. Well, like any other television set, Viore is also one of the competitors in the television industries which provide you the reliable and cost effective television set. So friend if you are one of those a big fan of Viore TV model or say if you are looking for having Viore TV then head on to Viore TV reviews to choose from thousands ofTV sets. For your kind information – it is a wise decision that if you follow the TV reviews for making a choice. So friend if you are ready to have Viore TV model then choose the Viore reviews first to familiar with the viore TV model and then head on the store to that TV set.
For your kind information – there are several online reviews are available on the web to walk though the reviews online. But one thing that you should remember is – you have to aware of manufacture's review, because, it is important that you should avoid the manufacture information because these reviews are usually nothing but the promotional information that usually distracts users to fall into the trap. So it is wise decision that you always prefer user's reviews to get acquainted with the pros and cons of the specified TV models.
Well, best part of theViore TV reviewsare you not only can make yourself educate about various Viore TV models but also you can collect information about the price details and the dealers' information etc. And guess what some of the time you can even get find some discount information too. So it is not too bad to follow these reviews however! So friend, these reviews really can help any buyers to make a perfect choice, even a technically newbie person can make himself to bring a proper television set for home.
Well, There is another thing about Viore TV reviewsis that you can minimize your search to find Viore TV with specified models. Even you can search product within the price range. And most dynamically these reviews allow you to compare various other TV models to each other. So this is one of the best part that makes it even more flexible and allows buyers to discover their desired TV model more briefly and clearly. So friend in overall walking through these reviews are very much important and necessary for a buyer or say consumer. So if you are wondering to buy a Viore TV model then just head on to TV reviews first to have your better choice. For your kind information – educating yourself about various TV models can place to an expert place, where you can even suggest your friends and colleagues to choose the best Viore TV model. So always remember it that – always keep in touch with Viore TV reviewsto get acquainted with the technical information of it.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/cable-and-satellite-tv-articles/viore-tv-reviews-how-to-find-the-best-one-5212524.html
About the Author

Susan Whitefield loves to write about new technologies in HDTVs. She believes that reading Viore TV reviews can help understand the 3D technology in a better way. These Viore TV reviews can educate the consumers which will help them make a buying decision.

Different Types of Barcode Reading Technologies

2011-09-15T08:28:00.002+05:00

Author: Cem Guven

Barcodes are machine-readable characters in the form of black and white bars that are used mainly in business for better operation and management. Barcode systems are used for business purposes mainly for accuracy and simpler processing. This system is preferred most by retailers and business owners because of its reduced number of equipments and faster processing. Barcode reader forms the major equipment in this automated system since it reads and identifies the codes for accurate access. There are different scanning technologies used in barcode systems, some of which are listed below.

Laser Scanners: This is the mostly used barcode scanning technology and it uses laser beam for reading the codes. Because of its greater efficiency, laser scanners are employed in majority of business operations. It seems slightly expensive but gives an excellent performance with reduced maintenance. Accuracy matters a lot when it comes to barcode automation and is excellently satisfied by laser scanners. Another advantage of this scanning technology is that it can capture the images from a longer distance when compared to other scanning technologies.

Projection Barcode Scanners: This type of scanning technology works similar to laser barcode scanning but allows fast reading of barcodes in any direction. A pattern of beams are produced in this system that makes the barcode scanner read codes from any different angles. An excellent advantage of projection barcode scanners also known as Omni-directional scanners is that it can be implemented in simple retail uses to industrial purposes. This automated system has a set of rotating mirrors that provides higher efficiency barcode automation in a faster rate.

Pen/Wand Barcode Scanners: A photodiode placed along with the light source is the feature of this type of barcode reader. Being used in simple applications, the photodiode measures the reflected light intensity and ensures a faster barcode scanning. A pen or wand is used to move across the black and white bars and generates a waveform, which is decoded by the scanner in a better way.

CCD Scanners: Small light sensors are used in this scanning technology to measure light intensity which in turn generates a voltage pattern identical to the barcode pattern. The unique feature that distinguishes CCD barcode readers from other types is that it measures emitted ambient light and not the reflected light.

2D Scanners: Being one of the achievements of recent technology, 2D scanners require a camera for reading barcodes in the form of images. This type of scanning technology reads barcodes faster and decodes it using digital image processing for computers to read. Mobil barcodes are common in trend nowadays because of its operational efficiency, accuracy and advanced technology. Barcode systems implemented in mobile phones are being used today in shopping malls, retail outlets, online ticket booking and many other purposes.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/electronics-articles/different-types-of-barcode-reading-technologies-5216568.html
About the Author

The author has written many articles on barkod otomasyonu and the above article is about the different types of barkod okuyucu and how it functions in satisfying customers.

Magnetic Energy Generator-Free Energy Source is Real

2011-09-15T08:27:00.002+05:00

Author: vilat ratz

What do you think 'free energy' is and which source seems to be the best? When we talk about a free energy system, it simply means the ability to generate electricity at the lowest possible state of energy with very little or no cost. This is exactly what Magnetic Energy Generator is all about. It is a source by which all your electricity burden is broken.
Whether you like it or not, this world system is somehow attached to the use of electricity; and the fact is, there is nothing you can substitute electricity with. It is highly interesting to state further that the economy and social activities could not be separated from stable and reliable electricity source. Truly, people have this vacuum but due to so many experiences that some have went through during the course of looking out for the best electricity system they can make use of, they have concluded that there is no best means. There is a sway out! Magnetic Energy Generator is able to feel that vacuum of your worrisome about the best electricity system to choose for your household and businesses.
To every source of electricity, there is always a backup. In the case of Magnetic Energy Generator, it works all alone, very independent in nature and it can work as far as you wish if you could get the raw material (Magnet) and follow the guiding manual that is provided for you online to letter. The electricity device does not require gas or other sort of fueling. It power itself, it does not depend on any climatic area or wind or whatever. Its power is within it and it can work as long as you want. To be free is a choice and to be wise is another choice. It all depends on you.
The electricity system in question is very neat in nature and it does not pollute the atmosphere with carbon dioxide which could be dangerous to the environment. With the extensive research, there is no retroactive effect in the power generation of this electricity device. It is very dynamic in nature and it is not so big in size to an extent of thinking about building a whole house for it. It just requires a small space in your car park; that is all. You can even decide to provide free electricity to the people of your community through the use of this Magnetic Energy Generator.
Increase your savings today by the choice of Magnetic Energy Generator which will totally eliminate your electricity bill. When you make this choice you become independent and stop to serve all the electricity subscribers who have all this while taken a large sum of money from you every week. The step-by-step guide to build this Magnetic Energy Generator is online for your perusal. The manual is self explanatory and you do not need to become a professional before you can understand the manual as it is very easy to understand
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/electronics-articles/magnetic-energy-generator-free-energy-source-is-real-5217968.html
About the Author

Pay Attention Here:
If you interested in how to make a Magnetic Power Generation,I HIGHTLY recommend you a material call" Tesla Secret Review".I highly recommend it for any person wanting to build professional and integrated Magnetic Power Generation systems from scratch.Check Tesla Secret scam here.and tesla generator scam here. Good luck!

Free Reverse Number Lookup Cell Phone

2011-09-15T08:14:00.002+05:00

Author: Coleen Kayne

You can also get important information online by just typing in some digits. Now you can and this is because of "reverse lookup". You can also give it a try and have everything that you need easily. Try free reverse number lookup using cell phone number and you will also not regret.

You will have to only find the websites that can give you the information that you need and of course security. You will have to be sure. I do believe that you know that it can be also so dangerous to get information online. And therefore, you know that you will have to be so careful.

You will have to find the websites where you can do the "reverse lookup" and at the same time get 100% accurate name, address, phone carrier, and all other related details and also make your own search 100% confidential or safe on their records. It will also be not easy to. But you will also find them if you will try so hard. There are certain things that you can also do to find them. You can check out the Internet, go through some websites, and go over some reviews on the websites offering the service.

It will take a while to find the right websites where to do the "reverse lookup", but it will happen if you will only be so patient to also do everything you can in order to. After finding them, you can just enter the phone number and wait for few minutes to get the important information that you need. You will have 100% correct information and also make your own search 100% confidential or safe on their records.

You will only have to know where to do the "reverse lookup". And it is after knowing where exactly to that you will simply get all the important information that you need and also make your search confidential or safe on their records.

Just do everything that you can in order to find the websites where you can do the "reverse lookup" and at the same time get 100% accurate name, address, phone carrier, and all other related details and also make your own search 100% confidential or safe on their records and you will be good. After, you will get the important information that you need easily by just typing in some digits. And you will do it again and again.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/communication-articles/free-reverse-number-lookup-cell-phone-5218430.html
About the Author

Go To Wireless Phone Number Reverse Lookup or How Can I Look Up A Cell Phone Number For The Latest Offers.

Know Your Different Loan Options

2011-08-26T09:23:00.002+05:00

Know Your Different Loan Options

Author: patty

Taking out a short-term loan has its benefits: you can repay it in a shorter duration which minimizes financial-related stress, and, if you make your payments on time, you end up paying less interest in the long run. In order to maximize these benefits, it is important to learn the details about your short-term loan options before choosing one. Here is some information about different types of payday cash loans to help you make an informed decision about your finances and ultimately your future.

Car Title Loans

Title loans allow you to borrow against the value of a vehicle that you own outright. Depending on the car, this value could be upwards of $25,000 cash. You will need a recent paystub, the vehicle itself and the car's title, as well as state-issued photo identification. You get to keep your vehicle while you repay the loan, and the lender will give you cash the same day you request it. Many people assume they won't qualify for car title loans if they have a bad credit score or poor credit history, but most payday loan stores do not require that information. If you are interested in taking out this type of short-term loan, find out if it's offered in your state. Regulations on loan options vary from state to state, so read all the terms carefully before making a solid decision.

Installment Loans

Of all the loan options out there, installment loans are one of the most popular because they have a longer term length and borrowers can make smaller, more affordable payments over time. Many people prefer this type of loan option because there is less risk involved. They don't need to use their whole paycheck to pay back the loans, which gives them more money every month to save, pay off other debts, or use on necessities each month. When it comes to taking out any kind of payday loan, borrowers are encouraged to explore their options thoroughly; therefore, they will need to do some homework by figuring out whether title loans, installment loans, or any other short-term loan suit their financial needs. From the loan requirements to the repayment schedule, there are many things to investigate in order to make the right decision.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/loans-articles/know-your-different-loan-options-5160478.html

About the Author

Tips for selling a business

2011-08-26T09:17:00.002+05:00

4 Tips for selling a business

Author: pearl.s

When a business owner finally decides that he would want to sell his business, there are numerous steps which should be followed before you try to sell the business. Listed below are some of the tips which will help you get started in the selling process of your business.

1. Make your business Look good— Try to entice the buyer by adding more value to your company. Make your business package attractive that it attracts buyers, but also keep a fair pricing. If you want to attract more buyers make sure your paper works are well organized, complete and impressive. It's a smart choice to reduce your cost by avoiding purchase of equipments which are not a necessity. Always try to build a strong customer base prior to selling your business. This can be achieved by introducing promo's, discounts and good deals to your customers. You can easily sell your business by keeping your premises clean and attractive.

2. Don't overprice your business— This is a mistake which many sellers do. Don't get greedy; always ask for the right price for your business. As overpricing can even cause potential buyers to lose all interest in the business. It is recommended that you should get your business valuation done by a professional financial analyst, which will give you a fair monetary value of your business. As an available option you can also provide a seller financing. What this term actually means is the seller is willing to provide or facilitate a loan to buyer in order to close the sale. The buyer then would agree to pay an agreed amount to the seller for a specific period of time.

3. Run your business—Even if you are planning to sell your business, you should not stop working on it. Always keep your business running. Believe me when I say this that the buyers would be completely ticked off when they see even a slight desperation in your part. And always be ready for one single question, which is "why are you selling your business?" It will be asked over and over again, so always be ready with a good answer. Keeping your business running will give a good impression to the buyers. It shows that your company is still operational and is also in a good shape.

4. Maintain confidentiality – If you are selling your business it is of utmost importance to maintain confidentiality, don't broadcast to the world that you are selling your business. You can face serious problems if this happens, for example low sales, employees leaving and looking for a new job. Make sure of this point as it will make running your business a really problematic matter. As losing man power in a working business can become quite a burden to the business owner and can even cause huge stress.

So follow the above tips for a successful and good business transaction and move on to the next step in your life.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-opportunities-articles/4-tips-for-selling-a-business-5161474.html

About the Author

There is no right or wrong time to sell one's business and there are many different reason which can make someone sell their business, for example retirements, financial problems, change of lifestyle, location of the business etc.

author: Pearl.s, content writer
Businesses for sale NSW
Businesses for sale in Sydney

2011-08-01T20:26:00.000+05:00

The media coverage of newly appointed Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar’s Indian tour is proving to be equally offensive either side of the border. Given Khar’s youth and her inexperience, there were already plenty of ‘ifs and buts’ floating among Pakistanis regarding her capabilities with respect to her new role, but it appears the media’s fascination with her wardrobe has trounced all performance related concerns.

Indian electronic and print media has recently been reported calling the minister everything from “model-like” (Navbharat Times) and “Pakistan’s Best Face” (Times of India) extending to insinuations about her being “drool worthy” as well as “the bomb” (sic), all puns intended. The Indian media’s behaviour, while embarrassing and lamentable, is nothing when compared to the treatment meted out to the newly appointed minister by her own country.

The Indian media’s preference for casting Khar in the role of a fresh-faced, naive and pretty politician may be underhanded but it is equally calculated. The move allows our neighbours to play on her inexperience and dismiss her as a ‘fashionista’ over a politician. But for the Pakistani media to do the same is unforgivable. Pakistani television channels have focused their attention on highlighting the minister’s wardrobe, from her Cavalli shades to her Birkin bag, almost entirely circumventing the content of her discussions.

I admit to not exactly having been over the moon about Khar’s appointment, owing to both her aforementioned youth and lack of experience for such a key post, but one would have liked to see her rise or fall on her own merit rather than while riding a media frenzy focusing on her attire. The Indo-Pak media is in serious need of a refresher course teaching them to distinguish politicians from Bollywood and Lollywood actors.

One repeatedly hears the nuisance commentary regarding how, if women want to be ‘taken seriously’ they ought to not dress up at all. The age-old discourse about monochrome colours and chadors somehow being a testimonial for capabilities is nothing short of sexist nonsense. One has yet to see columns being penned down proclaiming the ‘talents’ of male politicians being held hostage to the price and swagger of their crocodile boots or their designer suits, both of which are liable to cost just as much as a pair of Cavalli sunglasses.

The Indian media has succeeded in putting on a “pretty face to a Pakistani politician” in hopes that both she and we will not find this offensive and the decision will make her all the more easy to dismiss with regards to substance. Our media has gone a step further by linking the abilities of one of their key diplomats to her sense of personal style.

Hina Rabbani Khar has been robbed of the opportunity to truly prove her mettle as a diplomat and in this particular case, she isn’t to blame. Already armed with her very own acronym in the Indian Press, HRK, (one that purportedly trumps Indian counterpart SM Krishna’s, SMK) a Rediff website stated:

“All eyes on glamorous Pak minister… She is clearly being looked at as a perfect combination of beauty and brains.”

Really? Pray tell, where are the columns and headlines devoted to her brains?

A taste of Turkish delights

2011-06-20T22:10:00.000+05:00

“I wish I did not know what I know,” was how Zulkof Ajer had me speechless for a while, after I asked him what he knew about Pakistan.

It was dinner time at the Conrad Hotel in Istanbul on June 4, where we had gathered for a pre-consultation of the International Contact Group (ICG) on Afghanistan. Turkey and Norway hosted this meeting that was followed by a similar consultation among the officials from members of ICG i.e. USA, Japan, Germany, Afghanistan, Turkey, India and Pakistan.

The waiter at the Monet Restaurant, an extremely pleasant personality, was curious about our nationality, and was all of a sudden warm and sweet the moment we revealed it. However, for us, the discussion soon turned sour as he, with a visible tinge of discomfort, spoke of the “bombs and violence and bad economy” that dominate the news from of Pakistan every day.

Our economic conditions were the same ten years ago, he said.

I hope and pray that Pakistan will also survive these terrible times, we will keep praying, Zulkof said before moving on to attend to another guest.

For a while, we struggled to recover from the shock that this friendly Turk had given us.

Not that it was a revelation.

What moved us was the concern that Zulkof’s words carried. One could discern his anxiety about Pakistan, and this is what pinned us down, emotionally.

A day earlier, as we came out of the hotel, one of the foreign ministry officials surprised us by pointing us to the car of another senior official.

“He has requested you to accompany him in the car,” she said before boarding the bus with guests from other countries.

It was a very humbling, though reassuring, experience – a very senior Turkish official wanting to give a ride to a Pakistani delegate – a privilege indeed.

We came across this sentiment all over Istanbul. Most people guess us to be Indians but when told about our real identity, most brighten up with affection.

Two young boys at the Sultanahmet Square, for instance, went out of their way to explain to us the location, and also recount some of the historical facts about the grand area.

Officials at the ministry of foreign affairs in Ankara also view developments in Pakistan with great concern. One of them, Halit Cevak, Under Secretary of state, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, resonated similar feelings for Pakistan. During a cruise through the famous Bosphorous waters, he said:

“For us, the Turks, friendship with Pakistan, as you have rightly observed, is inherent in our souls. I always considered it as something unique between nations. You cannot explain it just by history, culture or anything else. It is just, simply there. That’s the beauty of it.”

Two days later, almost 750km from Istanbul, another Turk almost shocked us with his concern for Pakistan. This time it was Mustafa Cevik, a carpet dealer in the famous Ihlara Valley in Central Anatolia. He said something that left us wondering about the strong feelings Turks have about Pakistan:

“I am very unhappy about Pakistan, I hear about violence, bombs, it is very bad, I wish it gets better… Muslim countries don’t have brains, and are thus suffering.”

By the end of a week-long trip through Istanbul, Cappadocia and Ankara, we were overwhelmed with the way Turks felt about our country. Their quick and effective relief and rehabilitation response after two devastating calamities, the October 2005 earthquake and the super floods of 2010, are also examples of Turkish sentiment for Pakistan and its people.

There is however a remarkable difference between the people of the two countries – the Turks are full of national pride and self-confidence.

Almost a century ago, in 1923, Kemal Ataturk defined and chose a path that has seen the country of 72 million people emerge as a vibrant democracy and a strong economy with almost an eight per cent growth rate.

In Pakistan, our ruling elite, with the predominance of the military establishment, has confused nation-building with religious indoctrination and a perpetual propagation of anti-India sentiments that even today form the bedrock of a skewed notion of security. While clarity of vision and purpose of sincerity has helped Turkey flourish, Pakistan continues to suffer because of confusion, indifference of the ruling elite and a tactical mindset.

Osama Bin Laden: What now?

2011-05-16T21:51:00.001+05:00

While euphoric crowds in Washington and New York celebrated the death of Osama Bin Laden soon after US forces raided his house in Abbottabad, the mood in Pakistan remained solemn – thick, razor-edged with unease.

Not in mourning and not in grief, but rather in apprehension. What now? The question looms large.

For Pakistanis, Laden’s death was an anti-climatic moment. Ever since 9/11 and subsequently the United State’s ‘war on terror’ which went full throttle with the fall of the twin towers, national security has been shot to pieces in Pakistan.

The life of the average Pakistani has been severely affected: oscillating between a deep-rooted fear, resignation and trying to fill his family’s empty stomachs – bloated with malnutrition.

Suicide bomb blasts have become commonplace. As Ahmad Rashid, a Pakistani journalist succinctly puts it in an article for the BBC website:

“Today al Qaeda’s philosophy is one man, one bomb. It does not need another 9/11 to make its mark.”

For the world, Laden represented the face of al Qaeda, the notorious poster boy, the much-loathed avatar for the West, and the adored idol for al Qaeda supporters, that little boys in many a madrassas strived to be, live up to.

And it was this man, a jihad-hungry demon for some, and a warrior messiah for others, who was finally found and annihilated in Abbottabad, a city nestled at the foothills of the Himalayas, on the Orash plain.

The city was named after the founder, Major James Abbot, a British general, in the 18th century who served as the Hazara district’s Deputy Commissioner till the fulfilment of his term in 1853.

Abbottabad, located in the Hazara district, 4,134 feet above sea level, is scenic town whose hill-station-like weather makes it a pleasant get-away from high-city living.

While the local and international media at large currently spews out its news stories about the raid in Abottabad, Laden, new insights and developments in the aftermath of the raid, analyses and conspiracy theories, hard-hitting opinions tinged with sarcasm, humour, self-indulgence and self-righteousness, an important question remains prevaricated:

What metamorphosis will the world undergo now in light of this turn of events?

Will the world be a ‘better place’, as US Vice President Joe Biden said:

“…the world is a safer place today, not only for the American people but for all people.”

Is it really, or would one simply be duping oneself into thinking that the world’s wars and plight of its inhabitants can be fixed right with the fall of this al Qaeda superhero?

Will the drone strikes continue in Pakistan at the hands of the US, and as a result, continue spawning more Laden’s in anger and retaliation? Will this global state of paranoia and creeping malaise ever end, ever recede?

Perhaps it isn’t all that simple. Perhaps there is more than meets the eye. Today, even conspiracy theories are taken at face value, oddly making more sense than ‘factual’, spoon-fed ‘truth’ – served right up by the media.

But Pakistan now finds itself in a tough predicament, as Pervez Hoodbhoy, a professor and political analyst states in his Op-ed for a local publication:

“Osama’s killing is now a bone stuck in the throat of Pakistan’s establishment that can neither be swallowed nor spat out… To appear joyful would infuriate the Islamists who are already fighting the state. On the other hand, to deprecate the killing would suggest that Pakistan had knowingly hosted the king of terrorists.”

We’re in a pretty fix – knee-deep and wedged between trying to keep cool the hot tempers of religious fundamentalists on one hand, and act out the two-faced role of the straight-backed, tight-lipped diplomat to the international community, on the other.

Whatever little good comes out of the country is soon to be blotted out by this travesty of a cat-mouse chase – like a B-rated action flick replete with the barbaric, bearded bad guys, and the clean-shaven Marlboro men good guys.

It’s never, ever, all that black and white in the world of global politics. It never is.

Even though a few days have passed since Laden’s death, and the world continues to dwell on facts and figures, theories and speculations, Pakistanis have gone back to doing the one thing that they know best: the art of survival – one day at a time.

As a Pakistani, my concern like many others like myself is not my country’s government. I have done away with wishing a tsunami takes away the lot of the corrupt goons who stand in high positions of power.

My yet-to-be-born children might never see a ‘good,’ ‘responsible’ and ‘empathetic’ government in their lifetime. So be it.

My concern is not the dual-faced Pakistani living abroad, harping about his/her country’s shortcomings and failures, nor the Pakistani apologist – the spineless diplomat who will subscribe to whatever notion just about anyone wants him/her to adopt vis-à-vis Pakistan.

My concern is not the blubbering, trigger-happy terrorist – the many Laden clones – nor the pseudo-intellectuals who avail their stamp of ‘Pakistaniat’ only when it suits them.

Not in the least.

Like many young Pakistanis, I view Pakistan as a nation bursting with much promise and rich hopes nurtured by the deprived Pakistani who has worked his/her hands and feet to the bone and still finds it within him/her to be kind and just, to live an honest life and to believe in a dawn, when the face of this country will slowly begin healing from the carnage at the hands of its irresponsible government.

The anti-Rahat conspiracy: Pakistan’s persecution mania

2011-02-23T06:49:00.003+05:00

The anti-Rahat conspiracy: Pakistan’s persecution mania

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is a poplar Pakistani musician

Pakistanis seem to suffer from persecution mania. We have a tendency of believing in conspiracy theories rather than facts. As a nation we try to find ways to justify our wrongdoings by making us and others believe that we were trapped in such a way that we were destined to do wrong.

The way most people reacted to the arrest and detention of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan at the Delhi Airport on Sunday for carrying undeclared foreign currency in violation of Indian laws is just another example of how, as a nation, we put on tinted glasses while looking at such incidents.

Khan reportedly told the Indian authorities that he didn’t know about the currency rule. If this is true, then how could it be that his professional rivals trapped him into committing this violation, as some conspiracy theorists claim?

How can an artist who travels frequently across the world be so ignorant that his ‘rivals’ can so easily entrap him for such an infringement?

But nobody from the artist fraternity here in Pakistan said that Khan should have acted responsibly and not carried undeclared money with him. Instead, everyone just rushed to blame this incident on Indians who don’t want Pakistani artists to show their talent off in Bollywood.

In fact, Bollywood super-stars like Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt and more recently Shiney Ahuja have been arrested, locked up and tried in Indian courts for breaking the law. Were all these stars implicated by their rivals too? Did the courts extend some special treatment to them for their stardom and fan following? No. They were dealt with according to the law.

If Bollywood stars were never given any special treatment after violating the law, why do our artists demand leniency? We need to accept the fact that nobody is above the law and the world is not out to entrap Pakistanis. Follow the law and nobody will arrest you for anything.

JOBS IN UAE

2011-02-23T06:47:00.001+05:00

Browse jobs by industries

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UAE Visa

2011-02-23T06:41:00.000+05:00

UAE Visa

The procedures for getting a visa to enter the UAE are relatively simple and hassle-free and if all documents are in order, then the visa is issued within 72 hours. In urgent cases, visas are also issued within a day. The Ministry of Interior's Dubai Naturalization and Residency Department (DNRD) is the sole administrative authority responsible for issuing visas to foreigners who wish to visit the country.

Documents :

To obtain a visa from a UAE embassy, you will need the following:

Passport
2 photographs
Duplicate application form
Letter or fax from the sponsor in the UAE to the embassy concerned
A letter from the applicant's company plus photocopy

The following nationalities will not require a visa to travel to Dubai / UAE as they can have it upon arrival at the airport:

Europe: United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Lexembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Greece,
Finland, Spain, Monaco, Vatican City, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein.

America: USA, Canada.

Oceania: Australia, New Zealand.

Asia: Japan, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Korea.

GCC: Gulf Cooperation Council Countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Kuwait.

UAE has introduced 16 new types of visas following the revamp of the structure and charges of entry documents in line with a cabinet decision. The new visas will be implemented from August 1, 2008.

As per the new policies with regard to issue of entry permits to UAE, the residents can apply for the visa for their spouse or blood relatives. They will need the approval of senior officials for sponsoring other relatives. Only UAE nationals can sponsor friends. The health insurance policy will also become mandatory for visitors and a Dh1,000 deposit will be collected by the department before issuing visas.

Non-renewable visit visas valid for 30 days will cost Dh500 while 90-day visit visa will cost Dh1,000. A multiple entry visa costing Dh2,000 has also been introduced valid for six months. However, a person can stay in the country only for 14 days at a stretch. One-month long tourist visas will cost Dh100 that may be renewed once.

Types of Visa	Fees
Short Entry Visit Visa (1 month)	Dh 500
Long Entry Visit Visa (3 months)	Dh 1,000
Multiple Entry Visa	Dh 2,000
Entry Visa for GCC State Residents	Dh 100
Renewal of GCC State Residents	Dh 500
Entry Visa for GCC State Resident's Companions	Dh 100
Renewal of GCC State Residents Companions' Visa	Dh 200
Tourism Entry Visa	Dh 100
Renewal of Tourism Visa	Dh 500
Entry Visa for Study	Dh 1,000
Renewal of Study Visa	Dh 500
Entry Visa for Expos & Conferences	Dh 100
Mission Entry Visa	Dh 200
Transit Entry Visa	Dh 100
Entry Visa for Medical Treatment	Dh 1,000
Renewal of Medical Treatment Visa	Dh 500

UAE Visit Visa

Citizens of the UK (with right of abode in the UK) will be granted a free of charge visit visa on arrival in the UAE: Passports will be stamped with the visit visa as you pass through Immigration at any airport in the UAE. Although the visa may be stamped for 30 days, it entitles the holder to stay in the country for 60 days and may be renewed once for an additional period of 30 days for a fee of Dh500.
Except for citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council who do not require a visa and nationalities automatically entitled to visit visas on entry, all other visitors who wish to stay longer than 14 days in the UAE (see Entry Service Permit below) must obtain a visit visa in advance through a sponsor. The sponsor can be your travel agency, your hotel, the company or department with which you are doing business in the UAE, or an individual (eg. a relative or friend resident in the UAE).
You can pick up this visit visa on arrival at the airport, but there is a fee of Dh100 plus a Dh10 delivery charge for this service. In order to complete your application, your sponsor will require your date of arrival, flight details, and a photocopy of the first few pages of your passport, which should be valid for at least three months.
A hotel will only provide a visa if you are a guest. For an individual to sponsor a visit visa, he or she must earn over Dh4000 per month and hold a valid residence visa. Your visit visa must be deposited at airport immigration one hour before the arrival of your flight. Note that your airline may require evidence (e.g. a photocopy) before departure that a valid visa awaits you on arrival.
Please note that holders of British Overseas Citizens Passport who do not have the right of abode in the UK do need visas to enter the UAE.

TRANSIT VISA :

A Transit Visa is issued to individuals at the request of any licensed company such as hotels or trading companies who hold an authorization for applying for this visa. It is valid for 14 days and it cannot be renewed.

Documents required:

Photocopy of the visitor's passport
Application form, completed and signed by the sponsoring company
Authorization card of the company

RENEWALS :

The DNRD renews the Visit Visa at its expiry date if the sponsor so decides. Renewals can be made by exiting and re-entering the country to gain an exit stamp and a new entry stamp on the passport or by paying the extension fee of Dhs 500 (US $ 137) at the DNRD.If you overstay your visit visa, there's a ten day grace period in which to leave the country. After that period, each day overstayed will attract a fine of Dhs. 100 (US $ 28).

Multiple Entry Visa :

An option for business visitors who are frequent visitors to the UAE and who have a relationship with a reputable company in the UAE. Valid for six months from date of issue, each visit must not exceed 30 days in total. This visa costs Dh1000. The visitor must enter the UAE on a visit visa and obtain the multiple entry visa while in the country.
German citizens (both tourists and business visitors) may apply to the UAE embassy in Germany for one or two year multiple-entry visa. No sponsor is required. The maximum duration of stay should not exceed three months a year. The visa fee is Dh1500.
US citizens may apply to the UAE embassy in the US for one to ten year multiple-entry visas. A sponsor is required and the visa will be granted free of charge. The maximum duration of stay should not exceed six months per visit.

2011-02-22T12:05:00.002+05:00

Who cares if we win or lose the World Cup?

It may be sacrilegious but it is true!

The first time I went to see a cricket match was when I was 11 years old. I had always been a fan and followed the sport religiously. My father and I managed to reach the stands, through a belligerent crowd that was trying to get in without tickets. I could hardly contain my excitement.

The match was between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Karachi’s National Stadium. But as the fans roared I realised something: I did not understand what was going on.

Who was batting? Who was bowling? Why did that guy get out? Nothing was making sense. Then I realised that I was not the only one.

Nobody knew what was going on but everybody continued to chant slogans like, “Jeetay ga bhai jeetay ga! Pakistan jeetay ga!”

We lost the match but it was great fun.

On the way out of the stadium I saw an angry mob of fans burning chairs and breaking windows. I was terrified and wanted to get home. I couldn’t understand: what was the big deal?

Cricket: I just don’t get it

Today, I am still overwhelmed by the fan following and crazed loyalty our team inspires. I do hope Pakistan does well in the World Cup – not only because our country is fanatical about the sport but for the entirely real possibility that if we don’t, we will mourn until the next one. Cricket is considered to be the core of our patriotism. This hit me when the Pakistan Cricket Board announced that the budget for the World Cup was Rs2.6 billion. However, I’m afraid I am not so “patriotic” when it comes to cricket.

Who cares if we win or lose the World Cup? Will it change anything at all? Will it solve our problems? No, it will not.

If anything it will only deliver temporary fulfillment and that too only if we win. Chances are we probably won’t even make it to the final four. I may be offending many hardcore cricket fans. They may think that I am some sort of outcast who knows nothing about cricket or people’s love for it.

True, I may not know a lot about cricket but I know this: we have bigger problems to worry about right now. We face the mounting dilemma of terrorism, heavy loans from the International Monetary Fund and corruption.

Our literacy rate is shamefully low. We rest comfortably at the top of a list of the most underdeveloped countries of the world including Somalia and Afghanistan.

Why can’t we use our jazba and junoon to cure these ailments that really inflict our society? Why be part of a nationwide mass hysteria that will bear no fruit in the end?

My patriotism says otherwise.

I shall harness my energies not to support the World Cup but at least try to make an active effort to reassess my priorities. If we do not take charge now, we might perish and there might not be a next World Cup.

I am not going to try and hammer these ideas in anybody’s head – this is for us as citizens of Pakistan to realise. I know I will receive immense criticism at the hands of some very loyal cricket fans but it is about time somebody came out and spoke their mind.

After all, cricket is just a game.

2011-02-22T12:02:00.000+05:00

Afridi should be mainly bowling his leggies with less use of googlies and flippers

The sub-continent pitches have always been spin friendly and that’s one of the reasons why India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have always produced great spinners.

In the last World Cup held in these countries (1996), slow bowlers took the most wickets for all the four semi-finalists (joint, in case of Australia). Look at the line-ups of two sub-continental favourites, India and Sri Lanka. Both have selected three specialist spinners in their World Cup side. In addition, they have really useful part-timers.

All of Pakistan’s pool games are in Sri Lanka. The spin provided by the pitch should be present but at the same time it would also have low bounce. So one may call them slow turning tracks. Then there is the dew factor which would make it difficult for the bowlers to grip the ball properly. So the team bowling second might be at a disadvantage.

Shahid Afridi, the captain and the all-rounder, and Mohammad Hafeez, the all-rounder, appear to be automatic choices in the playing eleven. That leaves room for only one specialist spinner. Of the two, Saeed Ajmal and Abdul Rehman, my vote goes for the former.

Ajmal is not only vastly experienced but also brings a lot of variety. For such mega events, big match experience is of immense value and Ajmal fits the bill. His doosra is very effective and still a mystery for most batsmen.

At the same time, he should curb his tendency to bowl a lot of doosras. His stock ball should be the off spin and doosra be used as a surprise. Some may opine that as both Ajmal and Hafeez are off-spinners, Rehman, being a left arm orthodox, would bring variety but he’s inexperienced for the big show. However, he may be played against some weaker opponents.

Wrist spinners have usually been quite successful on the subcontinent pitches. Piyush Chawla’s six wickets in India’s two warm-up ties is the shape of things to come. And remember he hasn’t played a One-Day International since 2008 and was perhaps the most shocking selection in the Indian squad for the World Cup. Pakistan has not selected a specialist wrist-spinner but I think Afridi is capable of doing well. He is experienced with a good variety in his armoury: flipper, googly and change of pace.

Moreover, he’s quite fast in the air. As said in the case of Ajmal, Afridi should be mainly bowling his leggies with lesser use of googlies and flippers.

Both Afridi and Ajmal are wicket-taking spinners which is vital for a team aspiring for the top. Hafeez with his flat trajectory and lesser variety is more in the containing category though he is also capable of taking wickets.

In the fast changing scenario of the one-day game, adaptability is the key.

The bowlers should be able to read the situation quickly and vary their line, length, flight and spin accordingly and that should help Pakistan get the results the nation so badly wants.

Posted by
Danish Kaneria

2011-02-10T23:06:00.000+05:00

Smart weddings: From showy to intimate

The personal touch is back in vogue.

Military top brass, bureaucrats, businessmen and the Pakistani elite have struck the path to throwing ‘Smart’ weddings for their offspring. They can afford the once trendy lavish dos, yet are opting for ’Smart’ weddings - Stylishly short, Manageable, Authentic and Really Tasteful

Outcome: they save their own and the guests’ time by having fewer functions, they redirect resources to the happy couple to start their new lives together and infuse theentire wedding with an intimacy and genuineness.

Smart weddings are also managing to do what legislation (one-dish rule) or government/ NGO propaganda (Jahaiz aik lanat/ trousseau is a curse) never could.

These events are making others question the standard wedding format.

Wedding planners ‘r’ us

The personal touch is back in vogue. Farah Irfan, wife of a pilot ordered the outfit for her daughter Meeha from Anarkali, Lahore, and their tailor stitched it. Meeha was decked in her grandmother’s jewellery on her big day. Her sister supervised the stage decoration. No event managers, just family.

Delicious home-cooked food was served at the small mayun function arranged at their residence for 40 guests. No caterers. She wore the same dress at her nikah andmayun, designed by her sister and friends. Meeha signed her Nikah papers under a bamboo gazebo made by her father.

When people want to celebrate family heirlooms and honour their family’s aesthetic sense, media messages cannot corner them into succumbing to the designer drama wedding.

Abdul Aziz, a businessman, and his wife Halima Aziz had an intimate baraat function at their residence for their daughter Sakina. Among other things the menu included some home-cooked food. They made wonderful memories through this cosy get-together.

Less is more

Alaina and her husband Shayan skipped the mehndi, had one reception co-hosted by both families and a family valima the next day. Meeha and Sakina too did not havemehndis. Many privileged folks have fewer functions, preferring convenience over the race to impress people by tiresome shows of wealth. In the process, these trend setters are making lives easier for themselves and for others.

Smart is not dull

These people aren’t compromising on enjoyment. At their reception Alaina and Shayan had song and dance, and everybody had fun. Meeha and Faran Mirza had a similar arrangement where the bride even danced at her own wedding. She said,

“I didn’t want to sit and stare at the wall at my own wedding!”

Purposeful smartness

People are thinking things through and deciding how to add meaning and beauty to weddings. Halima held her daughter Sakina’s nikah ceremony at Faisal Mosque.

“Basic decency is a beautiful thing,” said Halima, and that’s what Sakina’s wedding was all about.

Quratul Aen Tariq and husband Osman Munir, both children of army generals, had a joint wedding reception. Quratul Aen hosted a dars on how to live a happy marital life. She recommends that other people do the same instead of having song-and-dance events. She says that the money saved can be spent on education, or given to the needy.

Increasingly, families are redirecting wedding budgets to travel arrangements for the young couple, so they get a chance to build a strong bond before getting into the trenches of a more practical existence.

Myth: buying happiness

Many believe that the bigger the trousseau is, the happier the bride will be. How many elaborate weddings leading to failed marriages do we need to convince us that securing a daughter’s (or a son’s) happiness is not about redundant trappings? As Meeha put it, “I am more interested in the marriage than the wedding.”

Parents of grooms are catching up with this idea too. Sakina’s mother-in-law insisted on a trousseau limited to essentials that the bride would need. For furniture and gadgets the mother-in-law declared she hardly had any space in her house!

Thus Sakina’s jahaiz included only things she needed, not things that parents were ‘supposed to give’ to their daughters. Meeha’s in-laws were perfectly fine with this.

Attaining smartness: the journey

The concept of Smart weddings is so convenient that people are wondering why they didn’t think of it before. Inspired by Meeha, her friend Ayisha Mir is all set for a simple wedding, with no mehndi. Sakina’s friends also want smart weddings like hers.

The five-day wedding is still around though. So far Smart weddings have been adopted by the trendsetters, the faint-hearted will follow the trend only after it settles in deeper. Until then, there will always be those who want Such Tedious, Unending, Pricey,Immature, Designer weddings: Oops, the acronym turns out to be Stupid weddings!

2011-02-08T17:46:00.000+05:00

Valentine’s Day is a scam!

Maybe I hate Valentine’s Day because every Tom, Dick and Harry goes overboard to celebrate it.

Disclaimer: I am single and not looking for a relationship at the moment. I may sound like a bitter party pooper, but I am not. The following views are my own and I do not mean to ruin anything for you.

I dread February 14 every year because it turns normal people into lovesick, drooling idiots. It is, however, refreshing to know that some people aren’t big fans of this stupid day.

Maybe I hate Valentine’s Day because every Tom, Dick and Harry goes overboard to celebrate it. Has love been locked up in some closet for 364 days a year, and unleashed for 24 hours on February 14?

Wake up and smell the coffee you fools, because it’s all a scam!

Cliché lines and mushy dedications

TV channels milk Valentine’s Day for all it’s worth. The biggest offenders are the music channels catering to the youth of Pakistan, with their countless live shows, ticker tape for dedications and stupid love songs. Last year, I had to turn off my TV because I was sick of reading silly dedications on the ticker tape running at the bottom of the screen. Lines like “you complete me” or “life is nothing without you” are unoriginal.

Valentine’s day was probably invented by greeting card companies who needed an excuse for people to spend money on stuffed toys, cards, chocolates and balloons

Put some thought into it

Instead of going all out and buying foolish presents on just this day, a better idea to keep each other happy would be to do something special. Give him/her a massage, cook a meal, take her out for dinner when she is feeling low, give her something thoughtful. Isn’t that time well-spent in solidifying the foundations of a marriage? This advice may not be valid for all relationships in Pakistan unless the couple lives together.

So, don’t celebrate just Valentine’s Day. Make every day special through thoughtful gestures instead of wasting time and money on cheesy gifts.

2011-02-08T17:42:00.000+05:00

Karachi Lit Fest: Liberalising the liberals

Back-patting and air kissing galore: but did the Karachi Literature Festival really achieve anything?

“And if the festival is attended predominantly by people from one part of town,” said co-organiser Asif Farrukhi in his opening address, “so what?”

Really – so what?

Even if the venue had been more central, the odds are that people from across the bridge wouldn’t have turned out in throngs. It is people from ‘this side of the bridge’ who generally attend these literary or literary-ish events, and the Carlton Hotel, however ill-appointed its halls, was a terribly convenient venue for the Defense crowd. At least the rooms and auditoriums were overflowing with enthusiasts.

No, I am not going to make snide remarks about the venue, the ambience or the attendees’ income level. Just because the crowd was largely elite does not mean the event was elitist or exclusionary. After all, along with resident and expat English writers, there were also significant representation from the Urdu literary scene, and even the token Sindhi and Punjabi writer. What else could the awaam desire?

But no, the event was, to a large degree, elitist. And exclusionary. And that was because of the tenor of some of the discussion. Deep and cutting lines of me vs. you and us vs. them were drawn.

Who pays for our culture?

The opening session was dominated by an air of officialdom and industry, given that Oxford University Press had to secure funding from the British and American governments because Pakistani sources were reluctant to come forward despite the success of the festival last year. And that is the primary difference between the Jaipur Literature Festival and ours. With no money, we cannot afford even to indulge innationalistic debates about the role of prior and present colonial masters in our literary festivals. We are just grateful for all the help we can get.

It was inevitable, therefore, that we should have to hear speeches from British Council officials and Marilyn Wyatt, the wife of the US Ambassador to Pakistan.

Love is the answer. We forgot the question.

Then followed a speech by the much-awaited Karen Armstrong. After the initial glow of being in the presence of a best-selling author, unpretentious citizens were soon reduced to confusion and exhaustion by the effort to comprehend the twelve steps of compassion, and the various ways in which Greeks showed compassion by entering the minds of Persians via tragic drama. Those who did not expect pontification from a former nun were doomed for disappointment. “Believe in all religions,” Armstrong said, blithely discounting the difficulties to be encountered therein. Is that the new, humanist philosophy of love?

Question: What do we do when the doctrines of one faith clash with another?

Answer: Forget about the doctrines and pin a cross, star and crescent to a satchel, made with rough-hewn Indian cotton and printed all over with the letter ‘Om’.

Dislike, ignorance and other convenient truths

As divinity and compassion are the basis of all religions, Armstrong had this to say for anyone who disbelieves or dislikes the teachings of any one religion:

“His dislike is based on ignorance.”

I looked around and wondered how people felt. After all, wouldn’t two sets of people be completely justified in being offended by this ‘fatwa’ – the atheists who absolutely refuse to believe in any religion and the Muslims who believe in what they do because they think it makes more sense than other systems. Apparently, respecting other people’s beliefs is not enough. We have to believe in what they believe too. This warm, cuddly literary love versus the forces of extremism served as the keynote address for the festival which was dominated by themes of rising militancy and extremism viz a viz the shrinking space for liberals in society and the need for a battle to be waged by ‘educated’ forces.

It was not in the mawkishly sentimental tone of Karen Armstrong that this battle was waged over the weekend. The tone quickly became more acerbic when Madeeha Gauhar refused to recognize how the title of her play “Burqawaganza” and its even more mindless subtitle “Love in the time of Jihad,” could have offended people’s feelings enough for the government to force her to change the title.

In a display of great sensitivity, she referred to all those parliamentarians who recommended the title change as the “hidden beards amongst us”, as if ‘beard’ is in itself a great insult. It may have been better for her to point out that alongside safeguarding the feelings of burqa-wearers, the government should also effectively stop burqa-wearers from offering insult to those who dress otherwise.

Kishwar Naheed was just as subtle in calling for the removal of the headgear of pagri-wearers so that “their minds may open up.” Spotting a bland-faced bearded person or someone with their head covered in the crowd, I wondered what they thought of all this.

Are these people not supposed to be here then? Or if they are here, are they not supposed to look like that.

These jokes are in the best tradition of so-called Western racism and they would have made Ataturk happy too. Such discourse at a literary, bordering on academic, conference would have been loudly denounced in most educated circles in the West as being offensive to a particular religious community. But in Pakistan, they got away with it.

And in great style too, since much of this was swallowed as conventional wisdom by the educated audience.

Air kissing the liberal fascists

Certainly, people clapped loudly often without listening too closely, as ladies stood up mid-session to kiss the air next to the cheek of the face of a long-lost friend.

Zahida Hina’s comment about Pakistani intellectuals being a tribe of liberal fascists was quickly sidelined and dismissed. Perhaps this was because the audience had never read about the term at college in Massachusetts.

When the audience were such convinced progressives, who was the festival meant to liberalise? As I left the hotel, I walked past a car with its front window rolled down. Waiting for the owner, the driver reclined on the seat. Blaring from the speakers was an Urdu sermon in a Pashto accent, enlightening us in simple, yet powerful tones about what awaited us in heaven or else in hell.

“Ye festival awaam ka kuch naheen bigaar saka”

I thought, not knowing whether to feel distress or relief.

Our little social clique of an ‘intelligentsia’ has just no idea how irrelevant their little debates are to everyone else. This is the time of fear. We package and sell fear eloquently, convincing foreign embassies to give funds to spread the message of love (for them) and peace (not stand up to them) which we spend on fun little parties.

So what? It’s good.

At least, some genuinely good writers get a side room to display their talents and true lovers of poetry got a chance to discover them.