Apr 4, 2011
Posted by arif in Reviews | 0 comments
I always have some interesting lecture playing in my car. Here are the ones that I’ve recently heard. I recommend you to download them and hear them for yourself.
1. The Good Life-Happiness
This is a lecture by Yale Professor on What makes us happy? How does happiness vary across person and culture? What is happiness for? Hearing this will certainly more skilled at being happy.
2. The Tao of Warren Buffet
A great 30 minutes lecture by Mary Buffet (the ex-Daughter in Law of Warren Buffet) on her latest book the Tao of of Warren Buffet. In this lecture she runs through her book which contains quotations of Warren’s insights on investing and life, that she had privy to being close to him. Good Lecture. I am glad I heard it.
3. Does God Exist? – Debate
I always love hearing debates on the Existence of God. I have just started hearing this one and don’t know how it ends. The bit that I’ve heard is stimulating and am looking forward to complete it. Ofcourse those who’ve heard other Existence of God debates, may not find any new arguments, but the way they are put across is always unique and refreshing. Christopher Hitchens is the author of the book God is Not Great and Al Sharpton is the famous African American Baptist minister, Civil Rights Activist and Radio Talk Show Host.
Mar 13, 2011
Posted by Mohammed Ali in General, Sufi Comics | 9 comments
I’m pleased to share the news that 40 Sufi Comics book is now available to purchase on Amazon.com! If you’ve enjoyed reading Sufi Comics, please take out the time to write a review. Those you’ve requested for a free copy of the book, this week I’ll be shipping them to you. I still have some free copies left, so it’s still not late to ask for one. :)
How does one publish a book on Amazon.com?
- Steps to Publish a book using CreateSpace
Those of you who have been dreaming to publish a book, I would urge you to go for it! It’s a very rewarding experience and has never been this easy! Several people asked me how I got the book on Amazon. I’m outlining here a high level view of the steps:
* Once the content of your book is ready the first thing you need to do is to decide which digital publisher you need to approach. There are 2 big ones: Lulu.com & CreateSpace.com. I did some research and found both of them competitive, but decided to go with CreateSpace.com ’cause it’s an Amazon.com company and therefore the fastest route to get your book on Amazon.
* Once you’re registered with CreateSpace (it’s free), they ask you details about the book you want to publish (name, author, description, genre etc).
* Then you need to decide & inform the Physical properties of the book. This would include the page size, number of pages, type of cover. At the end of the process an ISBN number will be assigned to the book.
* With the above details in place, CreateSpace will ask you to upload 2 PDF files. One for the Interior pages, the other for the Cover page. This was the most time consuming step for me ’cause I had to constantly adjust the margin space, and page arrangements to meet their requirements. My skills in Graphic Design came in use here. If would be useful to have a friend with design skills to help in taking you through this step.
* After you’ve uploaded the PDF files as per their specifications, they will ship (at your cost) a ‘Proof’ copy of the book. If it looks good, you’ll need to approve it. Below are photographs of the Sufi Comics Proof Copy:
* Now you’re almost through. Setup the selling price of the book. CreateSpace will charge a fixed cost per print, whatever you sell your book for above that price is your Royalty! So if CreateSpace charges a fix cost of $5 per copy, and if you set the selling price as $9, then you will receive $4 for each sale.
Once you’ve entered the Sales Information, then in approximately a week’s time you’ll find that your book is available for the world to buy on Amazon.com!
Never in history has it been this easy for an individual to publish a book with the largest distributor in the world!
Mar 2, 2011
Posted by arif in General | 0 comments
“I always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific.”
-Lily Tomlin
Feb 26, 2011
Posted by arif in General | 0 comments
ha ha ha ha…this guy so cracks me up!
Here we go again, another squirming dictator with dire cramps and julaabs, in Libya this time. If it were not for the bloodshed there, his rantings on TV this morning in a womanly voice would have been comical. You know, I had not heard Ghaddafy speak before and with the press terming him a ‘strongman’ I assumed he would have a deeper, manly tenor. Not so, he sounded almost feminine. Ah, well, perhaps he was just nervous with all the fatakras of gunfire going on around Libya. Nightmares, perhaps, dreaming of life in Saudi Arabia with Ali Zain el Abedeen (maybe Mubaarak and others as well?) as neighbors did not agree with his voice box. Perhaps.
What I do not understand is the US and Europeans posturing on these very interesting and exciting, I must confess, developments in the Maghreb and Middle East in general. BBC and CNN have not a clue, as usual, bringing in dubious ‘experts’ speaking awful English to explain why Ghaddafy would open fire on his own people. Duh! For corrupted power! For exactly the same reason blood was shed in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen and numerous countries where dictators felt cramps of julaabs from a populace fed up with tyranny and injustice. There, I am no expert, but have simply explained why Ghaddafy did what he did. In simple, plain, snotty Queen’s English; put me on the tube!
Corrupted power supported and fed by the same governments that now go “Oh, what happened? How terrible! No bloodshed! Democracy must rule (except in Gaza and Iran where people are stupid and elect wrong people as leaders)!” The US and UK supported Mubaarak for decades while he prostituted himself in selling out the Palestinian cause and amassed a disgusting personal fortune of about 70 billion US$ – read carefully now, that is a B for billion. They welcomed him at number 10 and White House with honor, dignity, patted his fat arse with an attaboy and made him even fatter with fine food and wine. In Egypt meanwhile, where I used to frequently travel on business, poverty and crime improved every time I returned. Arbitrary arrests, confinements, torture and murders by Mubaarak’s thugs were overlooked in the name of regional stability suitable for western ‘democracy’.
In Libya, where a brilliant lunatic has been able to cunningly outfox both internal and external foes, was able to lure the EU for lucrative oil / gas deals. For money; easily forgotten were the killing of a lady cop outside the Libyan embassy in London and the downing of Pan Am 103. The very powers that were loathing of the dictator welcomed him to Italy and France; Tony Blair, tongue hanging, with that sinister, peculiar sneer on his face, landed dancing in Tripoli, praising, hugging, kissing Ghaddafy, all bhai – bhai. Why, Silvio Berlusconi even allowed Ghaddafy to set up tent right in the middle of Rome with a harem of females, a passion very much close to Berlusconi‘s heart; they have met each other 13 times in 3 years, so much their love and devotion to each other.
Now, as I see Ghaddafy fortunes crumble around him, making him squirm and as the noose tightens around his crown jewels, I can only pray and hope Libya will be saved the inevitable bloodletting that seems imminent. The saturation of Muslims in Europe that Sarkozy, Berlusconi and company most feared looks like an ever increasing possibility. Not through violent jihadist or mayhem, but exactly as Ghaddafy jokingly predicted to Berlusconi in Rome; by the influx of Maghreb Muslims. Little did Ghaddafy realize it will be his persecution, his suppression and his outstanding cruelty that will prove this prophecy true.
POSTED BY ALIYUSUFALI AT 1:20 AM
Feb 17, 2011
Posted by Mohammed Ali in Sufi Comics | 0 comments
The first paperback prints of 40 Sufi Comics are out! :) These are limited copies that were printed locally. Inshallah, the book will also be released on Amazon.com shortly. I’ll be giving away some of the locally printed ones for free. If you would like 1 copy or more, please fill in this form. Based on the number of copies and where it needs to be shipped to, there will be some cost towards shipping only. Once the form is filled out, I will respond back to you with the details.
If you would like to contribute towards the book, to show your appreciation, I request you to donate to any of these two charities that I support: Comfort Aid and Life Line Trust. This money will be spent well to improve the lives of the needy. Thank you for your support!
Feb 12, 2011
Posted by arif in General | 3 comments
I clicked this at Dr. Pooya’s Clinic in Bangalore.
Jan 23, 2011
Posted by arif in Personal | 9 comments
This is the Most Flattering Email I’ve received.
2011 is off to a pretty good start. Alhumdulillah.
Wish me Luck!
Dear Arif,
We are looking forward to seeing you at TEDActive and are thrilled to confirm your acceptance to present at our Palm Springs TEDYou Living Desert Stage.
I wanted to communicate a few things to you about your TEDYou session and what to expect prior to your arrival.
Your TEDYou session will be at the Living Desert Stage at the Living Desert Amphitheatre and take place on MONDAY FEBRUARY 28 from 3:30pm – 5:00pm. We have allotted 9 minutes for your talk. You may not exceed the time allotted.
Firstly: There will be no formal rehearsal for this session as most presentations have minimal or no video requirements. If your presentation has onscreen visuals, please indicate this on the attached AV requirement form.
Secondly: There is a mandatory call time of 3:00 pm for all TEDYou speakers on Monday afternoon at the Living Desert Amphitheater. We will give you the order in which you will present on Monday afternoon, and walk you through the running order of the afternoon.
Finally: I have attached an AV requirements form and a speaker release form. Please be sure to indicate if your presentation is Keynote/ Mac or Power Point/PC, or if it includes video. If your presentation has no AV requirements, please still fill out the relevant information on the form. Please complete and return to me by scanned email, no later than Friday January 28, 2011.
I will be your main point of contact for any technical requirements, running order, and show logistics. Nick Weinberg will be in touch with you soon to schedule a time to chat about your presentation with Kelly. If you have any questions regarding your presentation content, please email nick@ted.com.
I look forward to meeting you in Palm Springs. It is going to be an amazing event. We are excited you have chosen to be a part of it.
Katie Schaeffers | Manager, TEDActive
TED Conferences LLC
#206 – 930 West 1st Street
North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V7P 3N4
T. 778 340 8872 ext. 124 F. 778 340 8873
Jan 8, 2011
Posted by Mohammed Ali in Sufi Comics | 13 comments
I’m pleased to announce that the 40 Sufi Comics book is now out, and available to download for free. Thank you to all those who’ve been supportive with their encouragement and feedback!
Sufi Comics are short comic strips that illustrate the eternal spiritual truths in the teachings of Islam. These comics were published on the Arif & Ali’s Blog over the last two years. 40 Sufi Comics is a collection of these comics in the form of a book. Along side each comic are verses from the Holy Quran & Traditions from the Prophet & the Ahlul Bayt, related to the topic of the comic. Some of the titles included in the book:
* The Truth about Lies
* Mother
* Where does Wisdom come from?
* Where is God’s Treasure?
* No Problem!
* How far is Heaven?
* A Visit to Hell
* Can I see God?
and more…
Read Online or Download the Book for Free
40 Sufi Comics by Arif & Ali is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. This means you’re free to share, copy & distribute the book (for commercial and non-commercial purposes), as long as you attribute the work to the Authors and do not alter the work.
Read Online
Download book in PDF
Buy Book in Print
40 Sufi Comics can also be bought from Amazon.com and Flipkart.com
