Fashion Patrol

Ok people of FC, Winter time is here and its time to bring out your scarves, jackets, sweaters, etc etc to keep you warm. Now, these days basically shirts are going slim, although the classic formal shirt never goes out of style but slim fit shirts are really in Vogue these days. The collars are getting Slimmer, no more Dracula like collars, slim and pointed collars to go with slim ties. Yes, that’s right Ties are going slim, slim ties are back, say goodbye to broad ties, its time for ties to get slim and sexy as well. Striped and printed Ties are what you will see this year although Checks are running strong (they never seem to go out!).

Coming over to scarves, nothing completes the winter look like a good scarf, either hanging loosely or wrapped up tightly around your neck, they provide warmth and give you that extra touch of style as well. This slim craze is getting everywhere, gone are the boot cut jeans or the baggy styled ones, it’s all about fitting and clinging to your skin. Trousers as well should be slim and straight these days preferably in darker colors for winters. You can finish your complete look by sporting on a nice jacket, preferably a two button jacket and that just completes the whole look.
Colors which designers offer for men this season are mostly dark: black, grey, brown, deep green, etc. They are practical and always look stylish. However, for those who love to stand out there are a few bright fall hues: orange, red and burgundy. And there are two tones which look exceptionally beautiful in fall and winter – white and beige (however they are difficult to wear in winters), even bolder colors, aurora red and teal, are in. Other colors which might intrigue you would include camel, leather, rust, walnut and pumpkin (warm brown and golden tones), earthy tones olive green and khaki, light reflecting colors burgundy, pale pink and beige.
Etiquettes for wearing suits:
First of all, if you are wearing a three button jacket, only the middle button has to be closed, for a two button jacket it’s the top button that you should have buttoned up, when sitting down you should unbutton your jacket and when standing button it up. Double-breasted suits are kept buttoned.. With single-breasted suits you have the option of leaving the jacket open or buttoning it. Secondly when you select the tie to wear make sure that it does NOT match the color of your shirt, it should as a rule be darker that your shirt or should be in contrast. The socks should match the leg of the trousers, yet darker than the trouser shade. If you cannot match the trouser color, match the shoes. They must be over the calf and made from cotton or wool.
Lastly, consider the accessories worn with your suit. There are a few basic considerations here. Your belt should match your shoes. The only jewelry worn with a suit should be cuff links, tie tack, and a watch. Though not very common now, some men carry a handkerchief in their upper chest pocket. That's all the basics for suit wear in today's day and age. Now you can avoid some common mistakes and blunders and look your best.
By Nabeel Hassan

China Road:A Journey into the Future of a Rising Power by Rob Gifford

Just like everyone, I thought it was simply a story about someone’s trip to China. But the more I read, the more amazed I am with how much the author knows the existing problem, or threat that government of China has to deal with in this time of big shift. We laugh at the products which are ‘made in China’, it is cheap, you might say. But there is no doubt that China is one of the strongest newly rising countries, no one will doubt about it…or will they? This book brings you the deepest report on the real China. The author, who is a British reporter, has peeled of layers of superficial glamorous, or what we call ‘Chinese pride face’. This is something you definitely cannot miss if you are interesting in the markets of China as a business student. You need to know the history, psychological mindset, culture, problem, fear and people’s needs. It feels like I am re-studying Chinese/ geography/ history/ social study class at the same time, only I can see the real pictures in my head. Thanks to the book.‘If you have only seen Shanghai, you will leave with no doubt in mind that China is the super nation’,written in chapter 2. Recently I had a chance to visit Shanghai and I had to say it is so modern that you hardly believe Taiwan’s ex husband looks like this now. ‘Since when did he become so stylish?’  I personally love Shanghai very much because people are so friendly and unusually polite. I was asking direction from a lady and she walked me all the way to the destination. When she knew I was from Taiwan, she smiled and said ‘Isn’t Shanghai beautiful?’ That was not the common over-confidence you see everywhere in China. Shanghai has class. How can you possibly think China is a ‘communist country’ when you see all the fancy cars, international brands, 5-star hotels and so many other restaurants. It is extreme capitalist. There is so much freedom! But thank God, the rest of the 1.3 billion Chinese people are as confused as I am, and plus you, who is reading this article and trying to figure out what is written in the book.
There is another paragraph from the book(chapter 4), ‘China used to be a victim, no doubt, and it was for a very long period being oppressed by western countries and Japan. However, China now has super power economically, diplomatically, and internationally. Yet it still thinks it is a victim. Most Chinese people feel in that way and I seriously don’t know how will help them change. They are confused. As a nation it has been in failure for too long and it is now lost in the current victory. It is like a fan of Boston Red Socks suddenly sees it wins the world champion. ’ It is very true. China was way ahead in technology than other countries in the history, it had its proud and suddenly when British came with cannon, all of that glory was gone for about a hundred year. Mao-Ze-dong was a good leader, who carried the hopes of all farmers, but he started to do many crazy stupid things that took away millions of people’s lives and also made a irrecoverable damage to the culture. Although it is nothing new for me but I really like the way when the author talks about KMT (Kuo-Ming-tang). Yes the revolution was done but the administration was not prepared to manage the whole big China, and Mao-Ze-Tong came and changed the status of women and improved the sanitary level. Actually it is the whole tone of the book. He is not trying to judge, but to illustrate what happened and what is happening now.
The author started his trip from Shanghai to Kazakhstan though Route 312. The book has recorded the conversations he made with the local people in every stop he made. Sometimes he had to travel in bus too and it just added so much spice to the book! It is just so real and fascinating that I feel the need to share with you about this book, if you want to know about Chinese. I saw people gave 4.5 out of 5 stars on the Amazon.com. Start your journey to China with Rob Gifford and find out where China is heading. By Cindy

Twitterature

Great reviews of books on Twitterature only in 140 characters! Now that is what I call terseness.Really fuuny. 

Review: Shot down and stranded, a group of boys try to play nice... but boys will be boys.

Read more at: http://bit.ly/4ow1C4

Constant Dreamer

I dream of thousand dreams
Dreams yarn together by fibers of day and night
When a new day dawns
I dream about mundane reality
When the sun sets
I dream about a magical place
Yonder north
A green meadow with rills and spills
And In my dream
I fall asleep under a rustling tree
As the night advances
I am surrounded by thousands of ghost and ghouls
They dream of vileness and destruction
And want to sell their dreams to me
But I dream away from these nasty beasts
To the morbid dream of reality again
To find 115 people with shattered dreams
That will never be dreamt again

Candy Floss; Your ultimate follow-up on the college gossip

After starting oh-so-controversial novel, one wonders why I need to start this segment on my blog. After spending a complete one year at Forman I feel obliged to spread out the word of gossip-al which enlightens everyone’s soul from within and gives a reason to live another day. For instance it’s completing daunting to learn that E is infamously known for ‘Poondi’! How could have I completely overlooked it? I mean one year is long enough! Well, no need worrying, I’ll get over it soon enough! Besides, learning this information is no good to me, it gives me no advantage over the others. So, if you’re a ‘Kool’ guy and a happening ‘Doll’, I guess you know the right places to be at. That doesn’t mean that I have not come across the HIP crowd. I may look like a ‘bum’ now days, but I have had my share of ‘socializing’! So here is a how-to, in case, you’re trying to climb the social ladder. Get to know a ‘Doll’; I am extremely sorry did I not give out definition of a ‘Doll’. The girl all the ‘Phond’ follow around all the time, make passes, try to please her. But doll has an entourage of girls and guys around her, called ‘the Pack’. The members of a pack vary from girls who work as stooges to guys who act flamboyant; they can be divided into sub-dolls or fatsos. Sub-dolls are not as attractive or powerful as dolls; however they hold strong position in a pack. Fatsos are fat and not-so-attractive girls who are eager to make a statement that they hang around with the ‘dolls’. Another way to spot a doll is if you hear these words’ Oh my God, that guy is so hawt’ or ‘Oh my god, there are no hawt guys around here’ FYI, sub-dolls and fatsos can also act like dolls. Spot that girl, try get to know her and boom you get entry into the hip cycle.
PAY HEED, DO NOT HANG AROUND with people who are considered weirdos by the hip-crowd! If you are having difficultly getting to know the dolls, try sub-dolls or fatsos. They will eventually get you to know the dolls. On the flipside, if you wanna be a part of the kool guy circle. Here are few tips; DON’T study at all, being laid back is the first rule, and smoking adds few more points. Act like you have dated 15 girls, all dolls. Generally kool guys do go out ‘phondi’, not in a tradition way. So, what is their modus operandi? They’re usually followed around by the dolls and they are always on a look out for fresh meat. So when they see a new doll enter the premises, they make their move,‘seen you around, find you interesting, wanna spend some time?’ Of course the dolls show some nakhars and eventually give in. Kool guys are also further divided into sub branches. The supporters, a Kool guy needs someone to support him, someone to laugh at his jokes, someone to tell everyone one how notoriously bad he is. Getting to know a kool guy requires that you act kool with a K, and hop on the bandwagon of koolness. These words are heard around Kool guys, ‘yar koi bachi nazar nahi aa rahi’ I hope this how-to will make your social life more interesting. If it helps; don’t forget to thank yours truly.

Freedom of will

Just as existence of God and the life hereafter are the postulates of morality, so freedom of will too has basic importance for moral actions. In order to declare a person responsible for his actions and in order to make him deserving of the reward or punishment for his doings, it’s essential that he should be believed to be free in the performance if his actions. Moral freedom means that a person has two or more alternatives before him out of which he is capable of making, and in most of the cases does make a choice of the alternatives and then behaves accordingly. If a person has only one way of action before him or out of the many ways he is compelled to adopt only one particular way, we can’t pass a moral judgment on that person or his behavior. Actions of animals are not moral actions on that account. Similarly, the actions performed by an insane person or by one who is completely swayed by some emotions are not moral actions. Only those actions are declared to be morally good or bad which have been consciously, deliberately and freely chosen. There are three kinds of determinism based on free-will. But, I want to specially write about the controversy between the Jabarites and qadarites.
The sect of jabarites in Muslim theology specially was the upholders of this kind of determinism; it asserts that God is powerful over everything; they argued that nothing can happen against His will. Not even a leaf can move without His decree. The sovereignty of the God extends to he actions of men as it extends to everything else. On the contrary, qadarites or free-willists uphold freedom of man and justifiability of the moral judgment. Both sides have strong arguments in their favor, Thus I fail to pass a judgment of my own :P. I know we love to pass a moral judgment on people; it’s become a kind of habit as a nation. But, try exercising your freedom of will and look things from others’ point of view. (Excerpts from elements of philosophy)

SHUT UP!

With freshman’s arrival and intermediate’s infestation of the campus, it’s very hard to even stand in the cafeteria, I wish the administration won’t allow the inter students to enter the S-block café. During my freshman, I came across rather a grave problem; I was not sure whether to write about it or to not. But, finally, I thought it’d worth writing about something that’ll makes people think. I am rather a traditionalist when it comes to ethics, so I let people be, and don’t appreciate when they tend to get too nosey and personal. But the times have changed, and so has the vocabulary of the intelligentsia (smirks). Gone are the days when people used to say may I, and please let me, and to be honest it does get annoying when people use such archaic expressions. Being direct can be good, it saves you time and sometimes you don’t have to be pleasant to the people you don’t like a lot. But, when a faculty member uses expressions like ‘she’s a bitch’, ‘that’s all bullshit’, ‘shove to a place where the sun never shines’, I have issues. We all know that the B school is buzzing with all kinds of isms but its fun to see it from a distance and not get involved. We may not be a match to American technological developments but we can at least copy their lingual degeneration. Of course, one now comes across more expressions like shut the fuck up, she is a cunt, she is such a bitch or that guy is a faggot. I even heard a girl say, I‘d love to fuck that guy behind the bushes, who ironically claims to be pristine. At first it’s disturbing and eventually it gets annoying. Being direct is one thing, but being kitschy and downright obscene is another. So, I didn’t know, how to act initially when around being people who swore a lot, and eventually I learned two magical words, SHUT UP! And walk away. Of course the desired results ensued; you have to try it to believe it.