Checkerzzz Pro Launched!

After the remarkable success of Checkerzzz Lite in Android Market, eXcelarz Interactive has released a paid version with enhanced features titled Checkerzzz Pro. The Checkerzzz follow the rules of conventional Checkers with slight variation making it more flexible and enjoyable for players ensuring them with a pleasing past time. The main features of Checkerzzz Pro are:

• Challenging Casual, Normal, Pro single player mode
• Exciting Multiple Player
• Allows the users to randomize player’s first turn
• Provide the option to configure undo moves
• Doesn’t enforce force capture making the game captivating
• Comes packaged with 4 amazing themes
• Smooth, impeccable game play
• Awesome graphics
• Unique scoring mechanism with Player performance statistics

Checkerzzz Pro

To check out the game, download Checkerzz Pro from Android Market and have a joyful time playing an all time classic board game in a versatile manner.

For more information, visit http://www.excelarz.com

Love all

There’s a saying that

Love means nothing in tennis!

It doesn’t seem to be the case in Shoaib-Sania story. Watching a re-run of the match on Geo Super on 29^th march, I came across the running slide about Shoaib Malik announcing his engagement to Sania Mirza. However, the first thing that came to my mind is another rumour-scandal being telecasted on Geo. But I did texted a few Friends-and-Family about this breaking bits of news and we did their response ranged from being skeptical to hilarious with the popular opinion being Shoaib attachment to Indian girls 😉

Shoaib Malik with his girls 😉

Anyways, with all the drama being played out on media these days with Pakistan rejoicing, India fuming and Shoaib alleged wife portraying herself as a victim, I have a few things to say.

a)      The wedding between the two will not be bringing peace to India-Pakistan relations. Get real, everybody! Mohsin Khan married an Indian actress; did it create a bridge between the arch rivals? Imran Khan’s marriage to Jemima Khan (Goldsmith?) didn’t make Pakistan and UK buddies, did it? And I’m sure Shoaib and Sania didn’t decide to marry to make the two countries relation cordial!

 b)      Can every news channel in Pakistan (dunno about India) stop obsessing over the wedding and playing songs after every line the utter. For example,

 Shoaib Malik met the press today. *Song*. He seemed relaxed and way in a very happy mood. *Song about being happy and in love*…[cycle repeats]…And by now if you haven’t understood the Sania-Shoaib-Ayesha love triangle listen to this song. *Mixed songs* [And yes these were the words that the news caster said last night]

 c)       Where was Ayesha in the past few months/years? Why didn’t she ask for divorce earlier if the two weren’t together for years?

 Instead of making their marriage a whole Shakespearean tragedy with Shiv Sena threatening and Ayesha’s family registering a case, why not let the two get married in peace. Isn’t this what the Indian films try to depict that love transcends all including border where the most recent example is of Veer-Zara.

Gillete Champions

The most interesting thing however that comes to mind related to the whole incident is the Gillete Curse. A gillete ad shows Roger Federer, Tiger Woods, Theirry Henry and our own Sahoaib Malik all of whom except Federer have been involved in scandalized affairs.  Is Ayesha case the Gillete curse for Shoaib?

 I hope the wedding is not called off after the whole drama. I was just wondering what will we be calling them? ShoSan? Sanaib?

P.S.  While writing this, I came to know that the police have done an initial investigation, taken Shoaib’s passport and he has affirmed to the nikah with Ayesha finally!

R.I.P Pakistan Hockey

If passing through the qualifying round for the world cup by 4-times champions wasn’t humiliating enough, the dismal performance at the world cup  was the last straw.

And when PHF chief Qasim Zia can give comments like they didn’t have any hopes of winning but had no idea we’ll lose in this way, it makes one wonder if they didn’t go to win, why did they even bother to go to India for playing? What is the mindset of the players and the management who even before going have decided that they know they won’t win :S

And now after performing so well, the team has decided to resign! Now, this is the first time I’ve ever heard anything like this!

Anyways, there are two hilarious things related to players outfit. See the pictures!

Indian hockey players outfits in worldcup 2010

Check out their shoes and socks color! Orange socks with pink, yellow shoes!!!!

Team Spain

And then there were guys wearing Princess shirts :P:D

Sweet Sixteen :)

“I can cry like Roger; it’s a shame I can’t play like him,”

Andy Murray said overcame with emotions at the ceremony of Australian Open 2010 after losing to the greatest player of all time, Roger Federer.  It was Federer who cried last year after losing an epic 5-set battle to Nadal. However, he made up for it by completing his career slam at Roland Garros and surpassing Pete Sampras record of 14 grand slams at Wimbledon last year.

Federer with his 16 Grand Slam Trophies

Before the final, it was believed that it’ll be tough one because of the H2H going in favor of Andy and his playing style resembles that of Federer so the game would be fierce battle of Federer vs Federer. But, the king cast his magic spell and won the title in straight sets 🙂

Apart from the game, I loved the part when Andy was unable to talk and Federer came over. As Andy was standing behind him, instead of facing the camera, he turned to face towards Andy and speak about him and encourage him. I know no words could’ve relieved Andy anguish from losing but the gesture does count because a year before Federer was in the same place!

Anyways, in conclusion it was a great victory and have set/equaled a few more records in men’s tennis. And best of all, the slams count for Federer doesn’t stop here. There’s a lot of tennis still left in him. And I can ’t wait to see more 🙂

Boycott IPL!

A few days back, I came across Aman ki asha ad on Geo and thought what’s the use apart from some concerts held here and there achieving no lasting objective? Then I got to know the ads were even biased towards Indians and it infuriated me that we could have done a better job at making the ads. Just a few days later, firing across LoC started killing Pakistani soldiers. Well, there goes Aman ki aasha in the gutter.

No to IPL

If that wasn’t enough reply to the peace process and friendliness being extended by Pakistan, Indians came up with another scheme for humiliating us. Being a bit of sports crazy person, I am more upset at no Pakistani players selected for Indian Premier League (IPL) 3^rd edition. Because I can keep sports, political relations, religious matter separate. Since ages, we keep on hearing that cricket is the only thing that can bring us together or that instead of politicians, players should meet, discuss and resolve matters and etc etc. But in reality, Indians are unable to deliver on what they say. I fail to understand why Lalit Modi and the IPL management had to pull a stunt like this. Pakistani players were banned from IPL 2.0 even when the venue was shifted to South Africa. If they didn’t want to include us even now, why go through all the drama of having their names in the auction list. Also, can they stop giving inane comments like only minimum players were to be selected and Bangladesh players are not selected so why are we making the fuss? How can they even compare the players of the nation who won T20 World Cup last year and were finalist the year before.  No matter how we are performing these days, we’ve the best T20 players in the form of Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Umer Akmal, Mohammed Aamer. And remember the first IPL and Rajasthan Royals team who won it. Sohail Tanvir was instrumental in their victory both with bat and ball.

I’m really pleased that Pakistani channels and cable operators won’t be showing the IPL matches.  Hopefully, Pakistani commentators would refuse to go to India when asked. And I am sure all the Pakistanis are boycotting viewing the IPL after this fiasco. Because if that’s the way India reply to friendliness then we can respond in the same way. Also, Dear Pakistani Cricket Team could you guys please start to give more consistent (winning) performance so that no one takes advantage of us in this manner!

The Lindt Effect

*All names have been changed to protect the identity of the people involved.

It started as any other day. I had slept only 3 hours the previous night and felt out-of-sync. Everything looked and felt the same, my pc was still low on RAM making me unable to even open a browser, and I went on my usual morning walk to get water and in between socializing with people. I filled the glass, walked to my friend in #Gantters team for our usual morning chit chat.

She asked if I like to eat dark chocolate and showed me an exquisitely packed Lindt bar. Since, I had a sore throat, at first I declined but then took a mm bit of it. As soon as I put it into my mouth, the whole world seemed like a colorful place, I saw the rainbow, the unicorns flying and realized that Life is Beautiful. However, in real life I must’ve made a weird facial expression which prompted #GantterFriend to tell me that yes it’s pure dark chocolate but it’s unlike any other dark chocolate and we discussed its potential uses in cakes or cookies. At the same time, I saw my #Neighbor_1 roaming around and asked him to come. I asked my #GantterFriend to offer #Neighbor_1 the chocolate. He took it with a smile, put it on his mouth, gave us a look and left while we were literally dancing with laughter.

Back at my seat, I told my #Neighbor_2 about the whole episode (after deciding about not playing the prank on him..The (A) me) but did tell him to try it out because the chocolate taste is so out-of-the-world! After the morning episode, I had forgotten all about it till I met #GantterFriend on the way to lunch with my friend from the #Alien team. She had the chocolate in her hand and told me that similar scene had occurred when she offered the chocolate piece to a friend in #Flora team. People would just eat and then literally run or disappear. The (6) bulb went on in my head and I told my #AlienFriend_1 to try it out. She did the same by walking out on me for lunch. At lunch, I decided to try this experiment with #AlienFriend_2 who ate the whole thing saying since it’s rizq she wouldn’t throw it.

After that started the whole scheming on who to target next? I picked a few victims and #Neighbor_1 and #Neighbor_2 gave their own ideas. They wanted me to try on #Cat which I refused to do. At the same time, a friend from the #ChatterBox team turned up. He took 3 pieces but ended up only eating one and instead of disappearing like others started telling the names of the people who would love to eat it. And then, a call was made to a friend in #Bird team to come discuss an assignment. And it was decided, I’ll offer the chocolate to him. Before the whole discussion, I had voiced the idea that it would’ve been really cool if we had made a video of the whole as the facial expressions on everybody faces were priceless! And so we ended up having the video of #Bird_1 eating the chocolate. In all, the lindt effect was tried on 21 people (including me). From that only a single person loved it and ate 4 pieces whereas the other 20 did the following: spat it out, went and gargled their mouth, drank lots of liquids, ate something sweet, gave us the look, threatened us (me..since I was the one going around offering) with dire consequences, asked if the chocolate had expired, questioned the mental state and so on. The interesting part is that once a person had been victimized he would offer his services by listing others on whom the effect could be tried. And we did have one popular demand ;):) And yes, credit must be given the ways by not swearing in front of me 🙂

Lindt Excellence 99% Dark Chocolate

Anyways, the chocolate being discussed over here in Lindt Dark Chocolate which contains 99% cocoa which literally means that it’s almost in the pure form. Dark chocolates are bitter sweet but it was only bitter and it tasted…well, its taste can’t be explained. You just have to eat it and decide:)! As for me, I have decided to lay low for a while and stop accepting eating stuff from others.

I heart Apple

Being a bit of a geek, I follow the latest development in technology. I don’t have the latest cell phone, neither believe that I can’t live without the newest, coolest gadget as if my life depends on it, nor do I get impressed much by every new happening in the techy world.  

MacBook Air

 

BUT I do go gaga over Apple products (and I still don’t have any of them either! :(). I find Air book amazingly beautiful;  love the screen adjustments in iPod  

iPod

 

 and then there’s iPhone 

iPhone

 

(still not available in Pakistan!). The fonts, the screen, the style, the thinness, the overall look everything spells C-L-A-S-S in Apple. 

And so, I’ve always assumed that I’ll buy a mac book whenever I decide on getting a laptop. A few days back, auby and I tried playing an online game from our respective homes. But since my home pc is super cool, nothing worked and we ended up having a discussion on upgrading the pc and I told him about my fantasy of buying an airbook. Anyways, a few days later while we were researching laptops, I came to realize that Air book is way too expensive. For double the configuration, I could get a decent DELL/HP laptop for less then half the price! The only thing missing would be the cuteness and the class 😦 

Hit by the reality check of performance-cost-look and the answering the simple question of why I even need a laptop made me put things in perspective. I would still love to get an air book, and if somebody is listening at Apple, could you guys please lower the price to make them affordable and justify the cost OR better gift me one(A).

Hum yeh bhi hain :)

Note: This post is a bit late but better late then never in appreciating what’s amazing in our part of the world:)!

Aisam ul Haque

While attending a training session, I receive a text message from a friend informing me that Aisam has beaten Federer. The Federer fan that I’m I knew he had a doubles match at Basel Open the day before but I never checked his opponents. So it was really surprising and truly a colon D moment for me that a doubles team including a Pakistan player managed to beat a team which consisted of the # 1 singles player in tennis. It was a great feat and goes on to show that our players can accomplish more if given the right support and guidance. Aisam has been winning a few titles here and there at small scale tournaments but I do hope that we get a better infrastructure for producing superior players in tennis.

Mohammad Aamer

Next on the list are two youngsters who have created quiet a ripple in the Pakistani cricket. Mohammad Aamer,  17-year old who made his debut in both ODI and Test this career not only bowls well but was instrumental in a face-saving loss of just 7 runs for Pakistan when he made 73* last month. His phenomenal partnership with Saeed Ajmal of 103 runs is the 2^nd highest ODI partnership for the 10^th icket. He has created quiet a stir with his bowling and I wonder what heights he’ll reach if Wasim Akram mentors him.

Umar Akmal

And then there’s Umer Akmal with his brilliant batting performances. He amazed us in ODI and T20s and then went on to score 200+ runs in his debut Test match. With players like him in our team who wants to play and win matches, we can strengthen our team.

Maria Toor

And fairer sex is not behind in this race for excellence. Maria Toor Pakay, a young girl from Wana, Waziristan was nominated for WISPA Young Player of the Year Award. Though she didn’t win the award in the ceremony held last week but it was an honor to be nominated for such a prestigious award. And do notice the area from where she hails. Of all the negativity we keep on hearing about that part of the country, this is one absolutely marvelous bit of news.

Back by popular demand :)

After a long absence from the blogging scene, I am back to stay :). During the past few months, I’ve been tagged thrice and awarded twice! Thank you for remembering and honoring me 🙂 It’s time to start some serious blogging 🙂

Looking forward to hearing from you guys 🙂

Daddy Federer – II

Just checked Federer’s website and came to know that Roger Federer and Mirka Vavrinec have been blessed with twin daughters named Charlene Riva and Myla Rose last night i.e 23rd of July, 2009 at klinik Bethanien, Zurich. With so much speculations that a boy is on the way, it’s surprising that they kept it all quiet for so long:)

Congratulations to both the parents 🙂

Sources: Federer Website, Federer’s Facebook page