Taha's Blog

The Belated New Year Blog – A Five Year Long March to Entrepreneur Freedom

2012-02-05T20:27:00.000-08:00

OK so I have been absent from blogging for many months! 2011 came to a close and the New Year, 2012, came storming in. The year of the end according to the Mayan’s has begun and yet I feel a sense of renewal and rebirth of sorts.

The depths of the recession started way back in late 2007 and hit me personally hard in late 2008, continued in 2009 and felt I hit the very lowest in 2010. In 2011 I felt things were getting lined up for us to start climbing out of the economic misery that had lasted a long 3 ½ years.

On January 23, 2012 I celebrated 5 years with my small business FMW Fasteners (www.fmwfasteners.com) that I bought in partnership with Steve Baker and Ron Shaw. Yes we passed the 5 year mark, the critical milestone that most small business owners mark on their calendars when they start this long march to entrepreneurship freedom. And yes this has been a gruesome march through the deep dark jungles of misery, business torture, and hardship that only the three of us can understand. It’s impossible for me to measure and articulate what the three of us have gone through and in many ways our journey still seems to only be starting. This has been analogous to being stranded in a jungle with no resources, no communication and nobody to help except yourself. And yes we are not out of the forest yet, although sunlight is now visible and there is a path we are taking that is showing the road to freedom from the prison of recession and a business startup.

The story of FMW is a continuing story and in many ways Chapter One is still being written. When we started this business we had a plan and a vision which would have taken us three to five years to execute - had everything gone as planned. When we took over FMW in Jan 2007, no one predicted the Great Recession. These plans we had created for ourselves were out the window of course and we got into this endless cycle of trying to reinvent ourselves. Our ultimate goal was to take an antiquated industry to an online machine! That journey was complicated and thrown off course by the economic catastrophe, compounded by the inexperience of three guys with extreme technical background in an industry plagued with old school legacy methods. This was classic “Lost” in the fastener world! But the strong faith in our partnership and the collective ability of the three of us complementing each other’s skills and looking out for our blind spots we knew we could pull through. Many events occurred some under our control and many completely out of our control that constantly derailed us from our mission. But we continued to move forward and accomplish a slow march towards taking this company to the online business that you see today.

And so the last quarter of 2011 rolled in, the momentum was on our side and we finally saw our webstore catching traction with customers. We saw the numbers growing and the success finally happening; albeit still immature. As I mentioned, we are still in Chapter One – the beginning. But I must say that we have brought to fruition a vision that many industry leaders said cannot be done. Steve, Ron and I persisted through. Many times when I thought “how in the hell is this going to work?” Both Steve and Ron said, “I know this will work!”

So now the New Year has flown by! I must report that FMW is on a growth path again- finally! We are now preparing for Chapter Two and onwards. In many ways, we reset our 5 year clock many times because we had to “start over” so many times I forget the count. We would try, fail and try again! We never gave up and more importantly my partners Steve and Ron never allowed us to give up.

We have sacrificed tremendously and that sacrifice has paid its dividends ten folds! It will continue to pay dividends for our lifetimes. And that is something there are no words to describe the value that I carry with me today. FMW is the ultimate fruits of our long labor and we are just beginning. I can only hope that our fire and desire to strive for the continuous innovation and continuous passion to want a better answer always continues…and with this team it surely will, I know. Yes we will disagree and we will passionately question each other – but that is precisely the medicine and the formula that allowed us to get here. No one knows what the next 5 years will bring….I do know that if we have learned something in the past 5 years then I am not worried about the challenges that are yet to come. And yes there will be challenges no doubt, but that is indeed the game we bargained for and we are ready.

A new millenium With one we start by having faith in One

2011-11-23T20:12:00.000-08:00

A hundred in 360 with 60 times 6

A seventh, the final seven starts with 1433

1,4,3,3 makes this 11, the first year of the seventh

The King has given the successor the command of One

Moharram starts with One

The sacrifice on the 10th begins and ends with One

One sacrifice for the many on the seventh sixty

60 into 6 - 360 every year

One day on the tenth the sacrifice

Let there be the One sacrifice we see

on the 10th a reprise we long

Shall we go and see such sacrifice

For maybe we beg for that glimmer

A glimmer of the One tear

rolling down making 360 into the seventh

Leapfrog Technology for The Industrial Distribution Sector

2011-09-08T13:51:00.000-07:00

It was Dec 2006 and the entrpreneur team of Ron Shaw, Steve Baker and Taha Raja went to the closing table to purchase an old fashion industry distributor - Fasteners for Metal and Wood, today known as FMW Fasteners.

The objective was to bring modern systems and new capabilities to an old school business. Lets bring new technology to a traditional business and provide a "new way of doing business".

The thought and the theory was sound, but the question was how? What technology and what systems would bring the competitive edge? It took 18 months for our team to figure out the best way to address this challenge. The answer came with Sererra and Netsuite.

In an industry that is dominated by business owners with 30-60 years of experience, entrenched relationships and customer loyalty, it becomes very difficult to compete. As anewcomers to an old established system, the choice was clear. Compete in the field created by your competitor well established for 60 years or change the game and the playing field and have them chase you?

With Sererra and CloudTurn (A Sererra initiative using the Power of Netsuite), FMW was able to turn a traditonal brick and mortar business into a true online ecommerce business at a fraction of the cost required to bring similar capabilities using traditional software and systems available in the market space.

FMW vetted out many software providers and none of them provided the ease of deployment, rapid customization, and end to end integrated CRM, Accounting, Inventory Management, Accounting and Ecommerce in one package. Further it provided the ability to bring unique industry specific capabilties like certification tracking, WMS, lot and serial tracking, and other unique fastener specific needs with rapid platform development capability.

The other challenge to "leapfrog" our competitors was how to do this using a budget that worked? Endless money could have been spent and most traditional software systems required a perpetual license investment, infrastructure and other soft and hard costs outside of simple licensing. CloudTurn uses the power of cloud computing which provided a rental - month to month approach to our investment.

CloudTurn provided FMW Fasteners with a professional turn key solution that clearly leap frogged our competitors. Today we are launching hundreds of new products every month and providing a true low cost supply of quality fasteners through out the USA with the ease of point, click and buy! Something very few Fastener distributors can offer today.

CloudTurn provides the automation and the ability to increase productivity by multiple folds! What was before tied down to a brick and mortal location with sales people pounding the pavement with their relationship has now been replaced by Google, Yahoo and Bing as our premiere sales people touching thousands of customers every second! Now that is reach, potential and a game changer!

A New Moon of Shawal Al Kareem

2011-08-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

Today the New Moon marks Eid
The hilal of grace...to the giver of grace
The ship of rehmat sails to Najaf and Kufa
For Ali and Husain, the vessels of grace will arrive
Twice they will embrace
The captain and his first together
With them the spirtual yearning of thousands
The sacrifice of Kerbala and the sands that heal
Beckon the arrival to the very shores
Where the tents once stood firm
Winds of injustice replaced by the gentle breeze
As the vessels sail to the shores of Hussain
Embracing Burhanuddin and Saifuddin.

3 Stages of 30 Days - My Journey Through Ramadhan

2011-07-31T21:42:00.000-07:00

Here we are in the middle of summer, dog days of August knocking on my door step and with it Ramadhan! For the past decade plus, living in Houston, we have been lucky due to the lunar calendar, Ramadhan has mainly fallen during milder weather months.

But finally this year, it has started smack August 1, 2011. Now mind you this has been slowly inching towards summer for the past few years, but for some reason it is hitting hard this year. Part of me is kind of not looking forward to this difficult task of fasting. The emotional side of me like every other American, continues to want to eat , drink and live happily ever after. And why not, right?

So my life is about to dramatically change for 30 days. The morning will start early to have breakfast approximately 90 minutes prior to sunrise. Yes sunrise! That will make it around 5AM in Houston. I know for some northerners that is late because I know some of you may have to wake up far earlier than that. With my sleepy eyes and a massive headache from the previous long day, I will scramble up something and eat in a few minutes. Right after, it will be time to get ready and go to Masjid (mosque) for Fajr (early morning) Namaaz (prayers). Aaah....but let's not forget, this year the Houston Congregation of the Dawoodi Bohra Jamaat does not have a masjid! Our masjid was demolished last week in preparation for the reconstruction of a new Masjid.

Yes our Masjid in Houston was too small and in 2008 the Jamaat created a Master Plan to redo the Masjid, Mawaid (Dining Multi Purpose Hall), and Madresah (religious sunday school). The Jamaat completed the Mawaid building - a state of ther art facility of 40,000 sq ft last December. Now that the Masjid is demolished, Ramadhan will be observed in the Mawaid building.

So this year will be different...after all....hot weather, no masjid, long days, and of course lots of changes in my personal life...continuing.....

On the personal front, this year is the year of major change. The past 3 years I have gone through the meat grinder and now the process of rebuilding has started. Ramadhan is about sheding the old and building a foundation of new...new ideas, new starts and beginnings. Its a month where we reflect back. Thirty days of Ramadhan can be split into three sets of ten.

The first 10 days is about reflecting back and see what went wrong and how I could have done things differently. I am definitely more wiser and more deliberate in my decisions. My risk profile has changed and I am humbled in more ways than I can remember. Humbled by realizing that I should have heeded the wiser experienced advise, humbled by the fact that the experience from our elders is worth considering. Maybe it is because I am just getting older, or maybe because I now have children approaching the age where they are starting to make the same mistakes I made? Either way these first ten days are a way to start earning this wisdom by first looking back and realizing the errors of my ways.

The second 10 days are to start formulating a new plan by spiritually connecting with my maker. The long fasts provides a meditative state that provides plenty of times to dig deep into ones spiritual strength to start coming up with ways to move forward from the realization earned in the first ten days. The first ten days are the hardest as your body acclimates and so by the second third, your mind, body and spirit are starting to align and your focus and your perception starts becoming clearer. Thus it will becomes a great time for me to start creating a road-map for myself. This year I am hoping to be able to get clarity on what I can do to execute this recovery for myself, my family and my business.

The last ten days are going to be the last stretch! Like a marathoner, the finish line will be a reality. My mind is clear, my body has shed the excesses. The fat of gluttony, greed and selfishness will be minimized. Physically my body will have completely adapted to the fast and my body will be in a groove! And spiritually I will be in a groove too! Clarity of vision, victory will be close, the mental victory of having accomplished a task and therefore my mind becomes free of the shackles of the past. Rebirth of the mind will provide the motivation to move forward and seek a new beginning. It will culminate with a victory lap on Eid-Ul-Fitr when my lips will touch the moist flash of a date early morning of Eid-Ul-Fitr marking the end of a thirty days of fast piety and prayers. Inshallah, I will emerge a new man with a new beginning.

Till then.....this is the first day only...I can only ask the almighty Allah to give me strength, health and the sound mind to execute these thirty days as best as I can....in hopes to earn the wisdom to be reborn again....Ramadhan Mubarak to you all! Pray for us all to have a spiritually fulfilling month.

The Trap of Extending Credit

2011-06-02T09:09:00.000-07:00

The crux of the issue on this past Great Recession was credit. We all overextended ourselves by borrowing too much and we all over extended ourselves by lending too much. Both sides the debtor and the financier were at fault here.

So what are the lessons learned for a small business? My business FMW Fasteners is a small regional distributor of fasteners serving the construction and commercial applications industry - an industry hardest hit by the recession. Like everyone else we had many customers "On Account" where they picked up fasteners and then we billed them / invoiced them on a standard Net 30 terms.

Like always, necessity is a mother of all inventions (or reinventions)! At FMW we took a close look at our customer base, average transactions, and the type of customers we had. For the most part a large majority of customers with the highest transaction costs were small customers that bought $20-$300 worth of Fasteners "On Account".

The issue with these customers was the entire transaction and cash flow was not profitable at all! How many of our small businesses have these type of customers? Those that walk in, buy about $30 worth and then walk away with a signature putting this small order on account? Then what happens? Well, you have an administrator that "bills" this invoice or your system "invoices" this customer. This invoice is then sent to the small business owner via email, fax or mail.

Then 30 days go by and guess what.....the customer has not paid the $30 invoice....ever have that happen? I am sure this is a common issue all of us have faced? So now you start chasing a $30 invoice. You try calling them, emailing them, faxing them...taking up time and money. Let's assume you had 50% gross margin on the invoice. That means you made a gross profit of $15. Take out transaction cost of picking the item, packing it, giving to the customer, admin costs, etc. You may be down to a measly $5 to $6 profit. Now you have to wait for 30 days for this profit? If you end up making any follow up calls, emailing, or any other follow up work you will start losing money.

So now the question comes, what can you do differently. At FMW have made a conscience choice to convert our customers to debit card, credit card, checks or cash. Would you be willing to pay 3% to a credit card company so that they can take up the burden of lending that $30 customer the money to pay you immediately? 3% on $30 is $0.90! far less than the cost of making a single follow up call or the cost of two stamps for mailing the invoice and a statement?

The answer for us was a resounding yes! Have a policy that if a customer does not do more than $5000 per year with us you, do not even contemplate giving them credit. Further, those that you extend credit to have to either be a public traded company or have a good DUNS credit report. If they do not have a DUNS number then we absolutely require personal guarantees on the credit application.

The rest who do not meet the above criteria, here is how my conversation goes:

CUSTOMER: Can I put this order on account.

FMW: Sir, I am sorry but effective this month, we are no longer extending credit terms to any of our customers. However, for your convenience we accept all other forms of payment.

CUSTOMER: Why is that? I have always had an account?

FMW: Yes I understand and we continue to appreciate your business. But in order for us to reduce our transaction costs and to allow us to offer you the most competitive prices and service, we are no longer extending credit to any of our customers. We can accept Debit cards, credit cards, checks or cash and our system can easily have that securely on file so that the next time you buy from us it will automatically charge to that system, if you like.

CUSTOMER: That does not make sense....why not

FMW: Well sir, FMW is a small business and we simply are not well equipped to continuously evaluate credit for our customers plus we are able to extend to you more favorable prices if we you buy with credit card, cash or check.

Normally, this resolves about 80% of the objections. The customer whips out their CC and pays for it. Most of these customers are small business owners themselves and they can certainly appreciate what you are doing.

Yes there will be the 20% who will argue or will say I do not have a credit card, etc. etc. To those I start wondering....that if a customer does not have a way to pay for a $30 transaction using a credit card, cash or check, OR if the credit card company does not deem them worthy to give them a credit or debit card then do you want to extend them credit? In these 20% cases, you can always evaluate on an individual basis and then decide.

At FMW we have implemented this cash basis transaction and it has dramatically reduced admin workload, improved cash flow and vastly reduced dead beats! Would you rather do a $100 in sales and make $50 or would you rather do a $200 on account and get only $30 after 30 days?

Evaluate your customers, use technology to monitor your cash flow and understand your transaction and collection cost. You will quickly realize that this simple technique may save you a lot of headaches and save you time and money and make you more profit!

The World is "...Pursuing Happiness..." Is that the Key?

2011-02-19T05:30:00.000-08:00

Hosni Mubarak has left Egypt....Who would have "thunk" that? Why is Egypt in turmoil while the Chinese enjoy stability. Both have autocratic central governments with little to no democratic reforms.

The difference I believe is the fundamental "pursuit of happiness". The Chinese have figured out that the basic human need of pursuit of happiness is far more important and it is the root cause of wanting freedoms and democracy.

In todays world - what is the pursuit of happiness? It is the desire to support oneself through a dignified living, being able to raise your family and progress through generations so that you leave your children a better world than yourself.

Now look at these basic principals from the eyes of the Chinese. Just a generation ago, they were toiling in farmlands earning pennies with no progress in sight. But the last 30 years, their government has invested trillions into building their infrastructure, invading the global economy with their goods, building cities from wasteland, and raising the overall standard of living of 1 billion people - all this in less than 30 years!

Compare this to Egypt and we see a government that has loosely tried to "reform" itself, but overall it is marred in corruption where the elite and the military control 90% of the wealth. Religious fundamentalism has grasped aspects of their socio-political spectrum. And of course the political elite did nothing but drained the economy of millions if not billions over three decades.

Essentially both countries over the same period theoretically same governing system, and yet they both took drastically different paths. China has now become a dominant economic power house while Egypt sank into utter chaos last month that has resulted into pressing the reset button for them. In the next 10 years, China will race to the top of global dominance while Egypt will spend it building their systems again (if they are lucky and do not see another corrupt strong man).

The lesson to be learned here is....."the pursuit of happiness" should be the fundamental core of any government's principal. It does not have to come from a US Based Democracy but rather the goal of uplifting your people so that "The Pursuit of Happiness" is realized for each one in their own way.

Immigration - A Way to Move Forward in A New Global Economy

2011-01-20T08:37:00.000-08:00

It was 1776, July 4th and our great nation was born with these immortal words....

"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,^[72] that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."

Everyone recognizes this of course as our nations declaration of independence from the Great Britain. It was a nation that took universal values implemented from global ideals through many different nations and cultures that were prevalent at that time. The founding fathers were brilliant in incorporating these values into our declaration and the constitution.

The cliche - true - is that our nation was built by immigrants and as such our country prides itself from the diversity and the melting pot that was created over the past three centuries. But I feel in the past 10 years, we are turning more inwards and we think we can continue to compete in this world alone. "We have had enough immigration, we really need to stop those "immigrants" from coming in and stealing our jobs."

Well, guess what, these "immigrants" do not need to even come to our country to "steal" our jobs. In this "Flat World" jobs are going anywhere and everywhere. In fact we are now competing for talent as well as jobs around the globe.

So how do we fight this fight and how does immigration come into play? First and foremost, our nation is underpopulated compared to our competitors like China, India and Brazil. We have vast resources our population is 1/3 of China and India. This gives us plenty of room to increase our population through immigration without putting a dent on our natural resources. Second, we absolutely need positive immigration to continue to attract the skills and talents from abroad. We simply will not be able to produce local talent fast enough to keep pace with global expansion of skills. The reality is we do not reproduce enough and secondly we can't educate more skills fast enough. Best case if we revolutionized our education system and forced everyone who needs retraining to get magically retrained tomorrow, we still would not be able to keep up with the new skills and talent that we need to revitalize and compete in the global economy.

So how do we manage this? Immigration is the answer - the very thing that built this nation and the very document (Declaration of Independence) that has been the beacon of light for all people. Instead of turning xenophobic and putting up more walls, we should open up our immigration policy. Now wait a minute, are we saying just do not monitor borders and allow everyone in.....no that is not what I am saying.

But let's examine two extreme sectors and I think my point will be clearer. First let's consider the blue collar workers like farm workers, day laborers and other traditional Central and South American workers who dominate our economy today in this sector. We all know that much of the national outrage is focused on these kind of workers, i.e Arizona Laws. Our complaints for them is they are using up our resources like education, healthcare and other social services when they are illegal and not paying into the system. So should we kick them out? The answer we all know is a BIG NO! Why? Because simply put we need them here. There is no way our economy could function without their contribution. BUT we should legalize this process by making it easy for them to come across the borders, work legally and contribute their "fair share" into our society. Issue workers permits in those employment categories with no pathway to citizenship. This would allow these workers to legally come to the United States, be gainfully employed, pay taxes, sales taxes and property taxes but they would not have a pathway to citizenship or residency. They must keep their criminal records clean and they cannot have unpaid debts. You combine these with other simple restrictions and then have a 5 year permitting process, we will gain tremendous advantage in competing globally by allowing cheaper laborers working in this country doing the work necessary to increase manufacturing and provide services that there is no way to produce without these workers. Will they displace "American" jobs? Maybe, but I doubt these jobs are being fulfilled by native American in big numbers to begin with. Yes there will be casualties but the upside is huge and necessary in my opinion. President Bush's workers permit program was a good program and we should implement it. This is the way we compete with the "low wage" workers in other countries. We bring our own here. We have the room, the resources to make it happen and many are already here but they can not participate in big numbers contributing to our growth.

The second category is the highly skilled educated workers. Historically we have done fairly well in attracting these type of immigrants, but after 9/11 our immigration policy at all levels is very prohibitive. Combine that with the growing opportunities in China and India, we are much less attractive for these workers and entrepreneurs to come to the USA. Why would a highly skilled person ready to make money and invent 10 things wait 15 years to immigrate to the USA or work under a dubious H-1 visa when they can stay / go to China or India and work for the same US multinational company and invent and contribute there immediately. Or better yet, why should a student studying at Harvard, Stanford, MIT, or any of our hundreds of first class universities getting a PhD or Masters try to find a job in the USA when he/she can go to India and quickly start reaping the rewards of his/her degree faster? Because staying in the USA, means I have to convince my employer to "Sponsor" my green card, toil in the system for a decade, and then maybe I will have the rights to stay here. This antiquated immigration policy is causing the brain drain in reverse! We used to be the brain drainers in the past. Now its going the other way, we are experiencing lack of positive immigration from the elite highly skilled people simply because they do not see our immigration policy favorably. Its too difficult and cumbersome! I propose that we streamline this process. First and foremost, if you study in the USA and get a Masters or PhD in any of our first class university, we will staple a green card to your degree/diploma upon graduation. Why not? The country just spent thousands of dollars educating this person (all universities receive government subsidies at some levels) and now we are going to let him go back to China, India or wherever to implement this education? Why? Keep this valuable resource here, have him invent contribute and engineer here for a US Company. We still have some of the best quality of life and systems and in my mind most of these folks if they were to be incented to get a green card upon graduation they would stay. This would immediately increase immigration of highly skilled workers to the USA. Young bright students that qualify to go to our top universities will gladly come to the USA to study in hopes of getting a green card. Exactly the way to accelerate the future skill set in this country. Keep us in the competitive edge for a very long time. Oh and by the way, how do we limit this? We make sure that they graduate from first class accredited university. Not the local internet school that hands out Masters and PhD's. We are talking the great private and state universities of this country - and there are hundreds!

So do we need to strengthen our immigration policy? Yes we do, but I propose we strengthen it by doing some of the things I suggest above. Yes we still should secure our borders and yes we do have issues, but I can tell you this....spending $1 billion dollars on a great wall is not the answer! I assure you this will not keep the crazies away! Spend a billion dollars in educating these immigrants and then encourage them to stay in this country. The biggest benefit we have for this is we will start bringing the very talent that China and India depend on back to the USA. Second, by having a positive immigration policy, we will start the next step in enriching our country with the people we need to add to continue to compete with the emerging economies.

To protect this country we need to open ourselves more to positive immigration not shut it down! We are competing for the people to make us successful. I assure you what we have locally is not enough. We need more people to create new companies, innovate and produce more. That will inevitably help grow this economy faster than the measly 2.5% we are doing right now.

So write to your congressman/woman and encourage them to reform immigration...not by putting up walls up but rather encourage positive immigration of the skill, labor and talent we have been so good at attracting in the past.

FMW Fasteners Introduces Free Shipping to Online "Nut and Bolt" Consumers

2011-01-17T08:50:00.000-08:00

FMW Fasteners Introduces Free Shipping to Online "Nut and Bolt" Consumers

Closing 2010 in Fasteners

2010-12-28T08:39:00.000-08:00

This week, business is winding down 2010. A year that began with optimism but quickly became the year of not so much recovery.

In the Fastener world, many businesses experienced a "recovery" of sorts. Comparing the huge decline of 2009, this year presented stability and normalization. The rapid downward curves were gone and predictability had arrived once more.

However, the stark reality that the new "norm" was somewhere in the 2005 or earlier levels has hit hard. With sluggish growth on all sectors, the US economy is in the long run for a gradual increase. We need growths in the mid 3% area to recover the losses we have experienced in the past 4 years and to bring the unemployment down from where it is. The news of low to mid 2% growth means we are just barely keeping up with the new folks entering the labor market.

The issue is further compounded by the fact that the requirements for new labor is completely different than those that have been laid off. More technologically savvy and educated workforce is becoming a must. New jobs are going to be dependent on high productivity associated with technology, internet and high end manufacturing (check out Germany's economy for the past 3 years - Lessons from German Economic Boom ).

Fundamentally, we need to work closely with our working force to educate and uplift the workers capabilities. Basic education, retraining and partnerships have to change. These will take time....in my opinion 5 to 7 years.

So what will happen to Fasteners? I think we are ripe for similar changes. I truly believe the old model of multi-tiered distribution are going to change. With customers and manufacturers demanding more productivity, the industry is going to experience gradual but big transformation over the next few years.

For one, Master Distribution concept will transform. Many Asian manufacturers I believe will start entering the US Market themselves through consolidation and acquisitions. I have to believe the Porteous, Heads, Brighton, and Stelfast combinations will be different. Either they will transform themselves or they will get transformed.

The value chain from manufacturers to distributors to retailers (e-tailers) will also need to change. As technology forces regional players to go national via the internet, Master distribution will need to vertically integrate with their channels. This simply will not be a web based ordering, but rather true vertical integration where the manufacturers/master importers are truly enabling their distributors beyond just providing them low prices and availability.

For example, the ability to drop ship and seamlessly move inventory from the importer/manufacturers warehouse to the endpoint? Logistic integration to truly provide availability beyond phone calls and websites? Dynamic pricing to where certain manufacturing benefits are immediately visible to the end users. What am I talking about? Well, if you look at other commodity industries like soft drinks, groceries, or clothing, you will see the tremendous vertical loyalty and integration that these manufacturers provide to their channels.

Examine how Hilti has enabled their channel and you will quickly see a forbearer of what I think needs to start happening in the Fastener world. However, it will happen via technology and modern workforce. And changes like these take a while to happen.

So I ramble on......and I want to come back to our economy. How will that effect us? For one, we all need to make sure that we have the productivity capacity to grow our business by 30-40% over the next 5 years without significantly increasing our expenses (and yes that unfortunately includes labor). This is what will be needed to compete in the new economy. Already Fortune 500 companies shrunk their expenses significantly and they are now generally growing without adding significant labor or other expenses. Productivity increase is the name of the game.

Look for the construction industry to be sluggish for the next 2-4 years. The massive overflow of inventory (foreclosures and excess from the last few years) will take time to work off. Combine this with the reality of new rules for lending and financial world which still has a massive hangover from the drunken debt we took on in the past; look for development to be considerably slow in commercial and residential area. Those of us relying on this market will need to be pragmatic and look beyond our regional borders to expand. Possibly look into other sectors for opportunities. There may even be opportunities in consolidation and mergers!

FMW Fasteners has taken a leap into the technology world and we continue to learn. We are humbled by this great industry and the legacy of the giants that continue to navigate this world of ours. I want to thank all of you that have helped us in various ways over the past year. We honor the giants on whose shoulders we are standing today. Without you we would not have the foundation to build our little abode. Thank you for your support and we hope to march on to 2011! Happy New Year!

Thanksgiving 2010 - Talking Turkey About Our Country

2010-11-23T14:07:00.000-08:00

Another Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Two days from now, the food fest will start for most Americans.

Thanksgiving usually marks the beginning of the Holiday Season in the US. Most look forward to various festivities at home, school, churches, community centers and other venues. It also marks the last few weeks of the year as we look forward to 2011.

For many 2010 was a mixed year. The economic struggles continued with marginal improvements across all sectors. Uncertainty is still prevalent. I am seeing this year as one more to chalk up as a tough economic year - part of the "Great Recession". So what happens next?

Recently, I was watching some political shows (the political junkie that I am) and I started noticing a pattern that I believe can provide one answer to our long term strategy. I noticed that in his recent trip to the East Asian countries, Barack Obama was pummeled by the Eastern Tigers on the economic front. This was not an easy trip for President Obama, but a brutal beating from the Eastern Asian Tigers that are waging a furious economic battle with the USA. We seemed like we were begging and pleading our Asian allies to help us compete with them and they are more than content to say, "why should we do that?"

I ask you to see where are we spending the most money in our deficit ridden budget and the answer is: Entitlement (Social Security, Medicare), Defense, and Interest on our Debt. We hear lots of talk about cuts, but until we can significantly cut in these three areas, we are kidding about solving our long term problems and becoming competitive in the new global arena.

Let's address each one very simply. Social Security and Medicare will absolutely need to be cut. We will need to reduce our entitlements to a mechanism of a safety net where those citizens that need it get it. The rest have to pass a means test where there is a sliding scale of your benefits. For example, those that make over $200K per year do not get any entitlements. Plus all income is taxed for Social Security. No exemptions after $107K per year. So what does this mean: effectively it is tax increase! Yes, Republicans need to get with it and accept this tax increase. And Yes Democrats need to suck it up and let go of their entitlements. And those Tea Baggers that repeatedly say, "cut everything, but do not touch my Social Security", sorry that has to go.

Medicare needs to do the same thing. Other than the cost cutting programs that are in place there needs to be means test and a sliding scale on monthly premiums for seniors that can afford it. Yes its not free and never should be unless for those that are in need of the social safety net. Oh and by the way you Doctors, yes, you will receive severe cuts as well. No more of the fat cat checks from Medicare.

Defense!!! Aaahh that industrial complex cash cow that every congressmen sucks at the tit and can never let go. I hate to sound harsh but the 9/11 event has made our country go berserk! We are spending crazy dollars on Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to go after cavemen! Of course I am being a little facetious, but the reality is, these terrorist are making us go bankrupt from their caves in Pakistan. I mean, let's face it, we are spending trillions a year on defense, billions on security at the airports, billions on machines to have "body scans". Statistically, it absolutely does not make sense and more importantly it is absolutely asinine expenditures! Yes statistically we would save a lot more lives if we spent that money on healthcare in this country. For all practical purposes, these terrorists are wining the war by making "the crazy Americans spend like fools on chasing cavemen in Pakistan!"

Defense needs to be adjusted for targeted operations and updated to meet specific threats that make up the 21st century! I am no expert in how that needs to be done, but my guess is that spending billions on submarines, airplanes, and troops in the thousands deployed in these countries is not needed to take out a bunch of hooligans with AK-47's.

Well, the reality is none of my aspirations are going to come true. I can only wish and I can only try to see if any politicians will hear us. But the reality is, we will argue and we will "discuss", but the democratic and special interest forces of this country will make it very difficult to do anything proactively.

I am predicting that our economic system will continue to decline. We will be pushed to the brink of bankruptcy and then we will have to take austerity measures of the like none of our previous generations have seen. Do I have faith that we will be able to do it? Yes I do, but it will be more painful and more drastic. It will involve unprecedented action that will fundamentally shift the way we Americans live.

So this Thanksgiving as you sit around a table crowded with family and friends, give thanks to one more year that has past with the American life still intact. But at the same time resolve for yourself, that the era of consumption, living in fear of cavemen, and hiding behind the facade of security while we see our freedoms and our country go through a slow painful death is not acceptable. I will resolve to fundamentally work to help change this way and preserve the very ideas we have founded this nation on.

Happy Thanksgiving to All! Have a safe, happy and prosperous Holidays!

The Lighthouse at Hutaib

2010-10-01T21:57:00.001-07:00

A Journey that began at the shores of the Tigris and Euphrates

Now He travels to the Mountains of Haraz

A beacon shines on top of Hutaib

A gleaming dome to the era of yesteryears

For that is where His predecessors wrote

The books of Knowledge

History foretold 600 years ago

unfolds in front of our very eyes

A race towards 100 with humility

Acknowledge the past for they are ahead

Kerbala, Najaf, Hind, Misr

All who sacrificed for this very day

Specs of white climb the hills of Shibaam

Thousands lined up to peak the First

He comes last to initiate

The words of wisdom from the past

Alive they become guiding us all

Like a lighthouse at Hutaib

For the domes gleaming and beckoning us home

A journey promised by Husain

Written by Hatim and Idris

And spoken and practiced by Mohammed

We are fortunate to see Him

A hundred years in the making in front of our own eyes

May we see a hundred more for it never is enough

Thirty days a reflection of three in Ashura

2010-09-08T22:30:00.000-07:00

As the sun sets on the eve of Fitr
Thirty days of fast
A tribute of ten times three
We remember the days of Husain
For ten above each on three here
Shores of Euphrates weeps daily

After a long hard three days
On the eve of the fourth
Ten times three 30 days of giving
Earn a place in fortunes
For the 4th is eternity

The ten have foretold
Beckon us three times
We will answer always
Eid ul fitr begins the journey
Back to Ashura on the tenth
For this year coming 1432
The year of 10 and 100.

The Last Fall of the Decade Labors Next Week

2010-09-03T05:42:00.000-07:00

As Labor Day of 2010 approaches, you can tell that Summer of 2010 is coming to an end. This September marks the last few days of the last Summer of this decade. This also marks the last Labor Day of a tumultuous decade.

School has started with kids bustling with home work, practices, and various school activities. The sounds of fall and the holiday seasons will start shortly. Temperatures will start drifting lower and our attention will veer away from Summer fun to a more home /holiday season routines.

This year for a billion plus Muslims, Ramadhan will end next week too. Celebrations of Eid will coincide with the end of Summer 2010.

Looking back, this Summer was bitter sweet. When May of 2010 came around, I remember being hopeful and optimistic that the summer will see us on the "road to recovery" - both economically and socially. But now as the summer comes to a close we look back and see that it was bitter sweet.

Our Road to Recovery has been slow and we continue to struggle economically and socially. The Oil Spill and the two wars dominated the news. Various major global disasters like the Pakistan Floods gripped headlines. Unemployment continued to hover around 10 percent and businesses showed news signs of lathargic growth. Whispers of a second recession got louder.

For me as Ramadhan ends, things continue to be tough. My personal road to recovery has been a long journey. The journey is not ended yet. As I enter the fall season, I am hopeful and energized. My company FMW just launched a new online webstore www.fmwfasteners.com. I am excited about its prospects.

My Daughter Jamila started High School. It has been a source of pride for my family as Jamila is now entering her final 4 years of school getting ready for College and being an adult. It amazes me that almost 15 years have gone since she joined our family. It was 15 years ago when I saw myself and Lubaina struggling in a Mail Boxes Etc franchise with a just a few dollars and an uncertain business in our name. The journey from there has been full of surprises and joy. I am thankful for all that has been given to me. Words cannot describe the rich experiences and many great things that have come about for all those years. Looking back there are no regrets at all and that gives me the greatest inspiration for the next 15 years.

In many ways, the journey has been a full circle thus far. I am back again struggling in a new business and things seem to point to new beginnings. But this time around it is also different. My experience, my family and my mindset are all much more richer than before.

So as Fall 2010 approaches, as the leaves turn and the weather cools down, the engines will rev up for the last quarter of the year. Time for sowing the seeds for the next decade start this Fall. We will take advantage of this renewed spirit to build the very foundations that will drive us for the next 10 years.

Mubarak! Congratulations to all that have survived! I bid you farewell Summer of 2010 as you leave us taking with you the challenges of the past. Ahlan Wasahlan, Welcome! Fall of 2010....the last quarter, the last days and the last stand for 2010. We are ready to execute as we move to 2011.

Obama Supports The Cordoba House Masjid - To The Saudi and Other Muslim Countries - Learn!

2010-08-14T05:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening President Obama supported the Park 51, Cordoba House Masjid (Mosque). In a Whitehouse Dinner hosting Muslim leaders to celebrate the beginning of Ramadhan, President Obama Said:

Recently, attention has been focused on the construction of mosques in certain communities -– particularly New York. Now, we must all recognize and respect the sensitivities surrounding the development of Lower Manhattan. The 9/11 attacks were a deeply traumatic event for our country. And the pain and the experience of suffering by those who lost loved ones is just unimaginable. So I understand the emotions that this issue engenders. And Ground Zero is, indeed, hallowed ground

But let me be clear. As a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. (Applause.) And that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in Lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances. This is America. And our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country and that they will not be treated differently by their government is essential to who we are. The writ of the Founders must endure.

We must never forget those who we lost so tragically on 9/11, and we must always honor those who led the response to that attack -– from the firefighters who charged up smoke-filled staircases, to our troops who are serving in Afghanistan today. And let us also remember who we’re fighting against, and what we’re fighting for. Our enemies respect no religious freedom. Al Qaeda’s cause is not Islam -– it’s a gross distortion of Islam. These are not religious leaders -– they’re terrorists who murder innocent men and women and children. In fact, al Qaeda has killed more Muslims than people of any other religion -– and that list of victims includes innocent Muslims who were killed on 9/11.

I applaud President Obama to uphold the core values of our Nation and respect his courage to do so against an overwhelming anti-islamic sentiment that has swelled around this issue.

However, I also feel President Obama lost an opportunity to further accentuate the religious freedom opportunity by pointing out to the very leaders that sat around this dinner listening to him; Ambassadors and Dignitaries representing some of the most totalitarian states like Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia continues to practice some of the most egregious form of totalitarian dictatorships in the world. Not only are they intolerant of other religions but rather they are intolerant to other Muslim brothers who do not agree with their Wahabi interpretation of Islam. Case and point is the continued persecution and desecration of a Shi'ite revered site in Medina where the Prophet Muhammed SA daughter, Fatema AS and grandchildren are buried - Janat-Ul-Baqi. Here the Saudi government not only has systematically destroyed key religious sites important to Muslims, especially Shi'ite Muslims, but they have prohibited any further development of the area. Instead it is kept in a delapitated state with the Secret Police monitoring the site and surrounded by a fort like structure which looks grand from the outside but disrespects the actual cemetery and the religious significance of the location.

When President Obama made the above statements yesterday, these very same leaders who represent their governments stood up in support clapping and giving a standing ovation to President Obama. I call upon those leaders attending this ceremony to take heed and learn from the ideals talked about by President Obama and adopt those principals in their own country.

I have said repeatedly that this controversy surrounding the Community House at Park 51 represents the best of our United States. The energetic discussion and the fact that the leaders of New York, despite whatever personal preferences and biases, have stood in support for the project and allowed it to move forward says volumes about the true freedoms we enjoy.

On the surface the Cordoba House and the Masjid that it will house may seem "insensitive" and "wrong". I whole heartedly disagree and in fact I think it honors and celebrates the 3000 victims (many of them who were Muslims as well) of 9/11. What better than to honor the memories of the victims of 9/11 then to have a call for prayers sound 5 times a day just a few blocks from Ground Zero where US Citizens will come there to pray and remember. Those families around the local area will come to the community center will play, learn and socially interact with each other and practice the fundamentals of the American Life each and every day. What better way to celebrate the American Dream then to have the true nature of Islam be practiced in defiance to those terrorists who attempted to destroy our way of life on 9/11. This center in fact will demonstrate to those intolerant, ignorant militants that America is not Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, or other but rather a way of life that allows all religions including the true values of Islam to be practiced harmoniously and side by side with others who may disagree.

I call upon the Saudis, The Pakistanis, The Indonesians, The Egyptians, The Kuwaiti and another intolerant regimes to see and learn! I call upon the Saudi's who may be contributing to this Cordoba House project to stop and take head and learn from this awesome system we have in our great nation, and for once just take the first step - allow the reconstruction and rebuilding of revered institutions in their own countries for their minority populations. Maybe they can start by allowing the rebuilding of Janat-Ul-Baqi - a revered site of Fatema AS the daughter of Prophet Mohammed AS.

The Revered Guest Ramadhan Returns

2010-08-11T06:11:00.001-07:00

Once again the 9th Holy Month of Ramadhan is amongst us Muslims. Yesterday for the Dawoodi Bohra Muslims marked the first day as we started our month as per the lunar calendar.

As I sat in our Masjid right after Maghrib (sunset) prayers waiting for my dates, cup of tea and a cookie served by young volunteers to break my fast, the Masjid was resonating with a buzz and prayers. It is during this time for the next 30 days we will ask Allah to guide us back to the graces of heaven and show us the path to avoid the sins that could lead us to hellfire.

A tradition of 1400+ years Muslims during Ramadhan come together and ask the same question to Allah. We gather to seek solace, repent and renew our wows to do better for the coming year. And most of all we come together in Ramadhan to remember the many bounties we have and give thanks for what we have received.

For the past 4 years, the journey for me has been a long, arduous one. Looking back it may seem difficult to see how we can be thankful. For the past 4 years, our country has experienced one of the most difficult times in our history. We seem polarized and truly distraught in where we want to go and what we want to be.

Pundits and Gurus continue to show comparisons to Rome and other empires of the past say that we are going down the same path. And yes there are some striking similarities but there are many contrasts too. I will not bore you with these details but rather write about why I believe this Ramadhan we have many things to celebrate and be optimistic.

As a small business owner I have experienced the "Great Recession". Business is down significantly and the old business models are out the window. "Things just do not work the way they used to..." I look back and think why is it not working, what can I do to make this better or different? History teaches us that during times of great change, turmoil, and distress we come up with the greatest and biggest answers. I know this is true, and this Ramadhan I am thankful that I am living through such a great time of change. For this experience will be the initial sparks to the next sea of changes that will bring decades of prosperity. For these difficult times will give me an opportunity to make a difference in where my humble small boat will float for my family, my friends, my community and my country.

If we raise our view to the national level, we see the recent political, economical and social turmoil and I see numerous opportunities of hope. The Oil Spill in the Gulf was devastating to the local economy and a disaster that will take decades to recover. But it is this very spill that has helped us focus on our endless dependency on depleting and polluting energy source and see what we can do to try to right this endless appetite for oil. I am thankful that as devastating as this Oil Spill has been for our nation, that we will get an opportunity to right the many wrongs that have persisted in this industry. Lives will be changed forever and opportunities for new businesses and ventures will be born. Like any wildfire, yes the brushfire will destroy the old growth but it will also make way for the new. I know we will build and the new will be stronger and better than the old.

Our nation continues to fight two major wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even though I politically disagree with both the wars, but now as we try to exit both theaters, there is great uncertainty of what will happen to these nations and what dangers will be born for our nation. Time will of course tell us, but the reality is that there will always be great opponents of our country and so no war or effort can ever eliminate this threat. We can't win this war in a traditional sense. What has to change is the very social, economical fabric of the Iraqi and Afghani society. This can only be done through time with education and exposure to new thinking.

As nasty and as destructive as the two wars have been, there is a spark for hope. The turmoil once again has brought about a sea of change. The status quo is gone and opportunity to accelerate the growth of new ideas has taken root. Time will tell if those ideas, systems and processes will be positive or not. I am optimistic that the human ingenuity in this great age of information sharing will yield a very different result than what has happened in the past. It will take time and it will be different.

One of the bigger issues of the day has been the Community Center - Cordoba House in Manhattan that is being built by Muslims. It has a Masjid as part of the whole complex. The proximity of this project to the 9/11 site has created massive political repercussions for those that support the project and those that oppose it. I have read and listened to all parties and through this chaos and this Ramadhan I have realized that such a discussion is awesome. This issue has helped do two things. One, it has provided an awesome opportunity for the large American Muslim community to showcase the true aspects of a peaceful Muslim community that are large great contributers of the socio, economic and political landscape of modern America. Two it is showcasing the very beauty of our constitutional system that allows such a discussion to even take place. The very fact that this discussion is occurring is a testament that our system is not broken but rather working and working well. In this information over load age it looks like our disagreements are increasing...but I believe on the contrary. These disagreements have always been there, but through the new age of instant news and communications - things like this very blog - allows these discussions to take place quicker and faster which gives us all an opportunity to practice the fundamentals of the American way better.

So as I sat in the row with my brothers ready to break my first fast of this Ramadhan, a thought crossed my mind that things just cannot get any worse! How can this all be fixed, it just gets worse every day? But then I closed my eyes and as I sipped the hot tea that blended with the juicy date in my mouth after a long 101 degree day, I knew that it can only be good. Just like the Hot Day of August with 101 degree heat and dry fasting mouth can be relieved by the grace of tea and dates, May Allah Ta'ala grant us the bounty of the sweet reward of the great struggles of the men and women of this great nation. I pray that the long fast of this past few years be broken soon with the bountiful flavors of the fruits to come. May he grant us all the Sabr (Patience) to see through these difficult times to realize that the journey will take us to a better place.

Ramadhan Karim, Mubarak to all!

Misr - The return back as we were

2010-06-04T06:30:00.000-07:00

A journey started in the fields of Kerbala

Homage to Kufa, Najaf and Kerbala

The respect and fervor of Dai in Hind

The endless energy of Medina

The countless bounty of Baqi

The everlasting gift of Ka'aba

All the gifts in hand...

The Viceroy returns

To the Land it began

Azhar, Anwar, Juyushi, Lulua

Aqmar, Ahmed-Ibn Tulun

All await to partake and share the gifts

For waterfall of gifts will be shared

In the twilight of Maghrib

The moon will rise as..

The Viceroy will recall

The era of Moiz, Haakim, Mustansir

For its not history but rather...

A message for The Return As We Were

A journey for the living...back home

A reflection of the Grand Journey of our souls

Peer into this message in Misr.

You shall see your return home.

An excellent post...MUST READ

2010-04-20T16:02:00.000-07:00

An American Muslim Imam’s Response to Imam Anwar Awlaki’s call for Jihad Against America

My 99 Years For You.

2010-04-02T08:04:00.000-07:00

It began in the early decades of 1900's

A world without airplanes

Travel by land or sea - days it took

My yearn to reach the world no less

A father every step of the way

Showing the path to greatness

A sparkle of dedication

For my family and friends a spiritual family

Decades of dedications past

Eventually I am in my father's seat

For my Master I give him all

My greatness in His servitude

White clothes, simple attire

A message of peace and love

A message of identity and pride

Greatness is self preservation

Greatness in the modernity of tradition

East to West North to South

Constant remembrance of Kerbala

The bloodshed at Euphrates - a focus of pride

A lesson of peace and jubilation

For my Master won a victory there

I cherish this eternal gift of victory

With my tears and faith.

A Masjid in 1401H at the heart of Misr

Echoes of Hakim now ringing true

Usher the second Golden Age of Fatemi Heritage

A chalice of Gold unearthed after 600 plus years

From this Masjid born hundreds...A true emergence

Fatemi empire worldwide

From the two domes in Kerbala

To the Grand Masjid in Kufa

The sun shines at the peak of eloquence

My victory is for my family

My traditions are for my family

My Islam is for my family

My 99 years is for you

I give you my hand once more

I have given you for 45 years

Will you come with me now?

Do you believe me when I say....

A life of greatness awaits you?

Do not worry my son....I will take you

99 years or more...I am there...just call my name

I ask you remember me today...do not forget

For I never forgot you in all of my 99 years..

Makkah and Medina - A Garden Flourishes

2010-02-10T09:44:00.000-08:00

After a long drought

The Viceroy has returned

Carrying a message - "Forgive your followers..."

Seven rounds - around the home of The Master

The cornerstone begs for his touch

For many years He awaited.

A Journey of Forty Five years

carrying on His Shoulder

Letters of forgiveness

Tears of remorse from the plains of Kerbala

The Victory of Kufa

The Jubilation of Ashara

A final destination with these messages

Makkah was rejoicing

Medina celebrates

My viceroy has come with such news

All around we celebrate...

For our journey has culminated

We are indeed victorious

We are indeed chosen for our destination

We are indeed the lucky ones

Excellent Rollingstone Articles

2010-01-12T11:08:00.000-08:00

On AIG and Paulson takeover

On Goldman Sachs and the great bubble generator

On health care

ENJOY!!!

The Nexus One....

2010-01-06T07:05:00.000-08:00

So the battle lines are clearly drawn in the PDA/Phone market. On one side is the Apple Iphone and on the other side is the new quickly emerging Android/Google/Nexus brand.

Who will win this battle? This to me is very similar to what happened in the PC market almost 20+ years ago. If you recall, the IBM based x86 processor was emerging and at he same time Apple introduced the Macintosh Apple computers.

If my memory serves me right, the buzz around Apple was equally energetic as the Iphone today. I remember the Macintosh being THE computer to have. In school all we did was Apples and everyone wanted the Macintosh. Albeit at the time the prices were MUCH MUCH higher, but the exclusivity built by Apple along with its proprietary closed end concept was very similar.

Iphone came out with much fanfare about 2 years ago. AT&T was the exclusive dealer and you had to play in Apple's domain for applications and music. Closed end, extremely protective. Since the Iphone was a leapfrog in PDA/Phone technology, the frenzy of consumer attention was understandable. Apple made sick amount of money. There seemed to be no competition for the Iphone. Millions of consumers switched as you saw droves of the public mesmerized by the finger swabbing motions on the PDA screen of a white minimalist unit.

But this is where Apple has repeated its biggest mistake I believe. By closing the system and hoarding its consumers to its platform, Apple has traded the short term gains and fame for long term legacy building / game changing platform.

Just like the Macintosh, the Iphone is closed system proprietary based product while the Google Android is open system shared platform. In fact Google has studied the history well and improved on building a fantastic coalition of hardware and software developers who are rapidly building a game changing massive system around the Android product.

Is Android going to be the Windows of the PDA Market? Well everything tells me YES! Trace back the history of the PC, DOS and Windows market and you will see that Google has borrowed the play-book and then improved on it.

Dozens of platforms and hardware are destined to be introduced in 2010. Nexxus One is just one with fanfare. HTC (who also makes the Nexxus), Motorolla, LG, Samsung, General Mobile all are poised to introduce numerous phones with Android 2.0 and 2.1, and onwards....

Applications....well the Iphone may have thousands, but they are still restricted to the Apple market-space and controlled in a closed ended system. Android is rapidly catching up and probably has exceeded the Apple's space. I believe Android based applications will become the dominant providers of mobile applications by end of 2010.

So what will happen to Iphone? I assume similar to what happened with the Apple PC market. It will become a niche player losing market share rapidly to the dominant Android. By the end of 2010, I predict that the Android software market will be at least 2 to 3 times bigger than the Iphone. Apple is going to have to either innovate and leapfrog again OR go against their grain and open up the Iphone and becomes a true competitor. Otherwise in the not to do distant future, Iphone will only be left with a cult following like the Apple Macintosh.

What will Apple do? For now bye bye iphone.....

The Garden of Date

2009-12-24T16:53:00.000-08:00

The sun rose 14 centuries ago
He prepared a garden of dates
The flowers abound a garden of eden
The date palm was watered
Protecting all in the garden

The day of reckoning at past noon
The tenth of moharram
The date palm he rests his shoulder
See the injustice on me
For those in the garden saw the rivers of blood
The date looked on in despair
His caretaker burdened the injustice
A dusk of one age as the dawn of a long night

A lonely palm with a harvest of dates
The garden was protected with the blood of the tenth day
For what time will pass under the shimmer of the moon

The garden of date flourishes
Every harvest remembering the
Sacrifice of the tenth day.
He awaits the sun to rise again
He shall reap the rewards of
Fourteen hundred years,
I ask that I be in this garden indeed.
Come on come on...come under the shadow of garden of date.

A Journey of Benefit

2009-12-20T17:32:00.000-08:00

For my Master arrives today
A sad mourne of the first ten
Days of remeberance for The King
Travels He returned with Treasures
Abound from the plains of Kerbala

Pearls of wisdom he will gift
Many will have their hands ready
Grab the jewels as they fall
For with the wealth is a pardon
For many sins I have committed

Tears roll on the servants cheek
As The Master says O'Brother you
Are washed of all No worries on the
Sea of troubles just hold My Hand
For our Journey is together grab it firm

Travel brings us closer to home
The shores He has seen and I have forgotten
For the captain calls me His Brother
When I am fulfilled as his servant

The ten days will be to capture
The jewels of wisdom
A wealth to pay for our journey home.
Gather the pearls as they are said
A Journey of Benefit He says..

A New Year Today

2009-12-17T12:26:00.001-08:00

For 1431 has arrived!

We travel forward everyday

Today is no less or more than yesterday

But yesterday was 1430 and today 1431

The beginning we mourn, a child born

In ten days a sacrifice for eternity

For the Commander will call upon all

Remember the blood shed on the desert

Sunrise to sunset on the tenth we shall recall

The images of the fields of Kerbala

A distant past tale brought to life

The final time of Asr He will prostrate

To demonstrate and vividly remind the story is today

Thousands in Marol shall see it LIVE

For the King will be there in Spirit

Million plus will join minute by minute

1431 the day of the tenth - Ashura indeed

We await the day where we shall be at his knees

Begging for the blessings that all shall receive

Forget not that he blesses all

But being there it would be indeed best for my feeble mind

A solace on the image on the screen

He will remember me I know

And in that I ask for forgiveness

The tenth on a New year today

I shall await with great fervor.

1431H - Welcome the Nine

2009-12-13T07:55:00.001-08:00

The last few days and hours.

The ten days of mourn - a celebration indeed

This year adds to nine - one short of ten

A hail from Marol to relays of the world

A son in the West replies again

A journey for those lucky

Emirates in the air Eastbound

Celebrate the nine, we await the tenth

This year is nines! 99 years in the year of nine

We await his call for Our Eid on the tenth

One Four Three and One - nine again

Next year Tens! 1432H One Four Three Two - 10

100 years it shall be - we celebrate again.

A glorious two years it will start - Twelve months of the next

Wait for the new moon wait for the celebration.

Indeed we await the glorious nine and anticipate the ten

Thanksgiving And Eid-Ul-Adha

2009-11-25T07:41:00.001-08:00

This years thanksgiving marks an interesting intersection of the Muslim holiday of Eid-Ul-Adha and Thanksgiving for Muslim Americans.

Eid-Ul-Adha is a celebration of the Day of Sacrifice. It marks the climax of the Haj pilgrimage. For over 2 million people who have made the journey to Makkah, this day is when you return from Mount Arafat and have spiritually cleaned yourself. A sense of renewal and re-birth for those fortunate 2 million.

For the rest of us, it is a celebration marked by the second Eid. Festivities, family gatherings are common along with visits to the Masjid (Mosque). Muslims around the world share and rejoice the Eid day along with their fellow 2 million Hajjis.

For Muslim Americans, this Thursday is Thanksgiving. In many ways Thanksgiving is bigger than any US holiday because it is unquely burried in traditions that are the fundamentals of being an American. It is a celebration of our unqiue heritage of immigrants that have built the world greatest country. A heritage that bonds us all together this one day irrespective of race color religion or credo.

What will be going through my mind as I plan to share a meal with family this weekend? First and foremost this will be a non-traditional thanksgiving. Instead of a meal at home, I will be at the Masjid celebrating Eid and giving thanks with family, friends and other members. There will be a celebration from all around.

I will be thinking about what this intersection of two holidays means to me? Such an event comes rarely in a lifetime and I want to make it special by listening to voices that speak about our journey in the past year and what is to come.

This year many events have occured. For many 2009 will be a year to forget due to the tough circumstances that our country has gone through. Many personal events have occured that made the year tough and challenging. My business has struggled as we cope the economic downturn. Family turmoil, health issues and sadly a couple of family and friends have passed away.

But then there have been many good things as well. My imediate family is doing well and everybody has so far gone through the year without too big of any events. We enjoyed a good summer vacation and my parents got to go to Kerbala and Najaf along with my brother and his wife. My two children are doing well. Jamila got her Misaaq done and now she is a young lady peering into her future; marveling at the numerous possibilities. Its so awesome to view life through my kids as they wonder about their futures. It reminds me of my childhood days as I was curious about what I will be doing. Its also fun to collaborate with them and provide options and possibilities from my viewpoint and see how they digest those suggestions.

So to all my friends, colleagues and fellow brothers and sisters in the USA, i bid you a great Thanksgiving Holiday and a very auspicious Eid Mubarak! With many challenges and tribulations of this year, I offer a simple thought of thank you for being able to write this column today and being able to say thanks for one more time for one more great holiday. It is a privilege indeed.

Korea - "We will not buy American Cars"

2009-11-19T13:11:00.000-08:00

It was interesting today to hear a report on NPR about the people of South Korea and their reaction to buying American cars.

President Obama like past Presidents, has tried to bolster the domestic car market overseas - especially in his Asian visit. NPR did an unscientific poll by asking the locals in Korea what they thought about buying US cars. Korea today only buys a meager 6000 vehicles a year! That's it! I see more Hyundai's in one day I think then what Korea buys the entire year.

So what does this mean for us? A common reaction by a patriotic American is to say screw Korea - I will never buy their cars again. Or write to your congressman to put tough tariffs on Korean cars.

I believe a better way to proceed is to bolster our local car manufacturers. Subsidize some of their activities and encourage them to significantly improve their quality and technology. The US has the chance to truly leapfrog the foreign car makers by harnessing the green initiative and truly focusing on building the next generation vehicles.

With the new re-organized companies and the fact that we have helped the locals shed their legacy burdens, I believe the domestic car makers are poised to become a leading force once again. I am glad that President Obama through the department of energy awarded billions of dollars in grants for the Big 3 and others like Tesla Motors to invest in the future Eco friendly vehicles

Its time for us to step up and beat the Koreans, Japanese and the Germans to introduce the next generation power trains in our cars which will serve the future market needs. Once we do this then watch how Koreans and Japanese flock to buy our cars.

Ford, is in my opinion best poised to take advantage of this change. I believe in the next 5 years Ford will become a premier mass car maker with exports far exceeding domestic consumption. From the ashes of this financial meltdown, we will see the giants wake up again.

If you see the quality of products that are coming out of Detroit today - it is excellent products. Quality has improved, design has dramatically changed and progressive thought now dominates this industry. Let's hope the momentum remains. Then NPR can go to Korea after 5 years and let's see what they have to say then.

Very piognant message from Steve Jobs

2009-11-14T05:01:00.000-08:00

I found this speech by Steve Jobs very interesting.

This was given at Stanford Commencement Speech

The Personal Opinion of Value on Value Added Tax

2009-11-11T07:27:00.000-08:00

The debt clock has reached a staggering $11.9 trillion.

This is a staggering number! Keep in mind that our current GDP is approximately $13.3 trillion. That puts our debt at around 90% of our GDP. Even during the worst times in recent history of Reagonomics the debt was no more than around 65% of GDP. The current debt ratio is the highest it has even been outside of WWI and WWII time when the country was in a middle of a major war. Arguably the "war on terrorism" i guess could qualify as a major combat (Iraq and Afghanistan). But realistically Iraq and Afghanistan do not truly compare to our efforts during WWII.

So what does this debt mean and how do we get out of it. MY proposed answer is the national sales tax or value added tax - depending on how you implement it. Here are 3 basic reasons for implementing a value added tax:

1. It has the potential to progressively raise far more revenue than the income tax. A Washington Post article discusses some valid reasons along this line and how it may be progressive and raise revenues while keeping Obama's $200K tax promise.
2. It encourages a pro-environmental consumer by clamping down on rampant consumerism, reduce consumer debt by encouraging less spending on unnecessary goods, and generally trends the society to a more need based consumer than a want based one.
3. It has the potential to grab a significant amount of additional tax money from the illegal community. Currently most illegal immigrants work and pay no taxes. Combine that with cash earners and other "below the radar" cash based economics which do not pay any income taxes, the VAT captures those when the earners spend any money to buy goods. Conservatively if we say that there are 15 million illegals and that results in 5 million households, with each household spending around $10K in taxable goods. Then at a 10% VAT rate we can easily capture another $5 billion a year!

Now a national Sales Tax is not good all around, but for a detailed look at the pros and cons go to this website to read the benfits and drawbacks. I feel the benefits outweighs the drawbacks.

Write to your congressman about this idea. At the end of the day I believe whether we like it or not we HAVE to raise taxes and raise some additional revenue. I think the consequences of not doing anything for this national debt is worse than taxes.

A Farewell Message

2009-11-08T17:19:00.000-08:00

It was Saturday night and my phone buzzed. An SMS from our Masjid SMS system said, "A Sad Demise...". This was a typical message when a congregation member of our community had unfortunately passed away. The message said that the funeral ceremonies would be held Sunday morning at 9AM.

The member was a family friend and a person whom I had known since my arrival to Houston in 1983. He had lived a full life so it was a mixed feeling. A person who has lived a full life finally departing; leaving behind a legacy, memories and friends who will remember the great times.

Funerals always make you think....is the rat race we run everyday truly getting us to the goal of leaving a legacy? This question I have asked more often recently than ever before. The last three years have truly been challenging for me. With the company of great friends and colleagues I started a business in 2006. The journey has been a long challenging one. At many times, even today we continue to ask, "are we doing the right thing?"

But at this funeral as you stand in front of the body in state and pray the final prayers, you are reminded the full circle and journey of us. For the journey must be about the pursuit of happiness and building a legacy. What crystallizes for me is the last conversations that friends, families, colleagues and congregation members will have as you lay in state? What will that legacy be?

A human being hidden deep in the subconscious always pursues immortality. Even though we all know immortality is not possible, yet the human life force instinctively desires it. It longs to live forever. Everyone thinks about it everyday. But then at a funeral you are reminded that immortality is a fable and that it is not possible. My question: is it is truly impossible? What is immortality?

My thoughts are that immortality is the legacy we leave behind. Today as people spoke gently about the passed away, it was interesting to understand that the legacy of this person who just passed was now frozen in time. He had in essence now become immortal. His memory was frozen in time; immortal. He will forever now be remembered as the last person he was before he took the last breath, or last seen, or the last deed he had done.

As my journey since 2006 has allowed me to unplug from the corporate money grabbing rat race, I have come to realize that ultimately my journey must take me to this immortal state. For anything else would be a futile waste of energy, time and resources. What is it that we all long for? Is it the big car, the expensive house, the luxurious vacations? Well of course we all want that, but what will be the whispers when I lay in state? What will the conversation be when people gather to stand in line for the last prayers for me? What will be the thought in the person's mind as he carries the casket with my body in state in it? Will the weight he carries on his shoulders be a burden or a some form of longing to be part of my immortality and legacy?

For today I resolve - my journey must be part of the greater good. As cliche and as soapy that may sound, it is a journey often aspired by all but achieved by a few - close your eyes, think for a minute about who comes to your mind first as you try to remember a loved one. Think about why you are thinking of him so fondly. You have just answered the question - what does immortality and legacy truly mean..now go and try to achieve that. That my friend will give you the ultimate prize in life.

Is Nostradamus Right?

2009-11-07T16:04:00.000-08:00

Have been watching the gimmicks of the Nostradamus series on A&E, Discovery and SyFy. Kind of interesting to see the fervor around the end of the world series as 2012 nears.

My theory is that the Mayans picked a number that was way far in the future and just stuck the number as something they will never have to deal with. And 'lo and behold' here we are thousands of years later speculating on the end of the world when someone decided to stick that number on a calendar as the last number he coud think of based on astrology mumbo jumbo!

How many times has the world ended! Remember Y2K! How about WWI and WWII when I am sure our parents and grand parents speculated on how this war will "end all wars".

As the story of the end the world continues and evolves. Here is my take on what is happening to the world since around 2000.

I feel the balance of power and the socio economic balance is shifting. Finally after 500 years of power shifting to the "Western World", we are seeing the early stages of the shift back to the East. Just like all cycles, the peak of the West is passed and the Ascent of the East has re-emerged.

Its only human and natural order that this shift happens. The revelation and awareness of this cyclical shift is accentuated by the age of the internet. Information today flows quickly and the human collective consciousness is more aware of each other's influence - more so than ever before. This awareness has accelerated the transfer of power.

I believe for whatever we do, the inertia of the West way of life will inevitably cause us to give up our status to the East. The transfer of power has already begun. It is time that we accept and adapt rather than resist. By adapting we will be able to co-exist and blossom. By resisting we stand to loose it all to complete self destruction.

The choice is ours....do we adapt or resist.....

So in a way Nostradamus was right---I guess---we will see the rise of the third anti-christ - except the anti-christ is the 3rd shift of power, once more to the East. I wonder if this will fly in Quatrain 10001, Century 9?????

---aahh one more show comes on in a few minutes, something about Newton and his predictions???....

For it begins when it ends

2009-11-05T16:54:00.000-08:00

A celebration for the end

Forty days and nights have passed

A wave of blessing on Kerbala and Najaf

He came shouldering thousands

All in the glimmer of His eyes

The Prophet's grandson asking questions

For He asked for our forgiveness

Clinching his hands on the grill of silver and gold

Specs of tears flowed on cheeks for all

A joy for the hundreds on His side

On the ground beside him

Many more thousands peering on the TV

Begging for forgiveness as blessings flowed

His last deed to prostrate for His Commander

Ask not whether we are forgiven - for that is a must

Ask what gifts he comes bearing

The gateway to heaven for all guaranteed

For those returning with cups full

Shower the less fortunate as we share the victory

For the Commander had said - we have won indeed!

Foretold almost 1400 years prior

The courtyard filled with marble and gold

More so filled with invaluable forever grace

The two domes await for another time

Soon it shall happen again and again indeed.

The Garden of Kerbala Blooms Again

2009-10-15T18:26:00.000-07:00

After a long wait
The King has returned to his Nation
The homage of a lifetime
The courtyard of forgiveness
And the waters of euphrates flows again
The Garden has bloomed again
For when he lays the forehead on the silver
Look close for the bearer is annointing his King once more
The commander shed tears as jewels of heaven
Capture them and for those turn into grace of a lifetime.
May these days go on forever
The owner of the river has forgiven all...its up to me to capture and remember.

A Case for Electronic Medical Records

2009-10-08T17:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I expereinced the never ending nightmare of transferring medical records (that I own but are kept by my phisicians office).

I have Occular Hypertension - possible cause of Glaucoma. I have lived with this condition for the past 20 years. Since the late eightees I saw one Ophthamologist - Dr. Robert Stewart of The Houston Eye Associates. Dr Stewart passed away last summer and I decided that I would eventually change my physician for my chronic disease care of the eye.

I searched and eventually I settled on The Texas Eye Institute and Dr Jesse McKey. My plan was to visit him yesterday and ask Houston Eye Associates to transfer MY medical records (from the past 20 years) to him so that he can study the comprehensive care I have received and pick up from where Dr. Stewart left off.

When I arrived for my appointment the assistant at Texas Eye told me she was having problems getting Houston Eye Associates sending the records.

She called again and again - each time receiving some faxes and incorrect data from my files at Houston Eye Associates!

After 3 hours!! That's right 3 hours, we still did not get the necessary information from Houston Eye Associates. And by the way these records technically belong to the patient! I own them!

If health records were electronic and hosted by a central system like your credit report...then this transfer would have been MUCH MUCH easier.

The whole transaction of getting my records unsucessfully from Houston Eye Associates to Texas Eye Institute was 3 hours with 6 people involved (total of 18 man hours!).

OUCH!!! at an average cost of $30 per hour that is a ridiculous $540 - just to try to get records transferred - and still unsuccessful.

Finally we gave up. Dr McKey did a basic exam, accepted cash for payment of his service at discounted rate and then he personally called Houston Eye Associates to get records transferred by talking to the chief doctor at Houston Eye. Probably took another 2 man hours of medical docitor time!

If there was ever a case for getting our medical records and systems in an electronic format and help reduce cost.

A Sand So Sweet

2009-09-19T17:09:00.000-07:00

...For save me from hellfire.." The last words at sunset.
All together the jewel box of pure sand..
A few specs on the finger
The sacrifice of 1400 years from the shores of the mighty battlefield of kerbala
On the lips of the fasting.
A thirst for forgiveness of centuries
All soothed with the few specs of sand so sweet
For at sunset as the moonlight dawns..
Oh so pure as the cool breeze of forgiveness rises.

After Midnight

2009-09-12T03:20:00.000-07:00

As the clock struck one hour past midnight.
A gentle march of the sun on the other.
Anwar, Aqmar, Azhar, Lulua and Juyushi -
glimmer in the first rays of the sun
The Night of Power cleansing the soul.
A Fresh Day rises - after more than a 1000 nights
For only we wish we are there
Open arms welcome to the stones of ages.
For the kings made it so that we can benefit
The angels have decended.
Welcome welcome as the dawn breaks in the Night of Power,
a journey of ages ends here.

A Night of Power

2009-09-11T13:13:00.001-07:00

A trickling rain as the emotions flow
The night of power approaches
As the sun sets and angels prepare
The sky seemingly smiles in a golden orange glow
A gift of a 1000 nights all in one
Prepare the vessel for the rain will pour
The spirits will rise
Forgiveness in hearts
A message to be delivered
Peace, The Night of Power till dawn

The Shores of Euphrates

2009-09-11T05:30:00.000-07:00

For millenia the waters of knowledge flowed along the glorious euphrates.
Awaiting the ultimate sacrifice.

Blood would spill on its shores..

An ultimate sacrifice to dispell the myth and keep the truth.
Today two domes tower..between a courtyard of forgiveness.
The king in one and the loyal commander on the other.
A vessel of water he did not manage, for when he fell he may have fallen short.
But the water spilled soaked the courtyard of grace.
Forever linking The Forgiver with his Master.
For eternity this courtyard between them,

A heaven on earth connected by the spilled water of long.
Verily the two shimmering domes today await the arrival of The Commander.

Once again He shall renew this courtyard with images of Kerbala.
Hail from Kerbala the news we wait.

Najaf and Kufa are not too long away,

He will pay homage.

May it be soon that we drink once more at the shores of the great euphrates.

Sail On!

2009-09-11T05:29:00.001-07:00

A ship sailing through rough sees, all aboard gazing through the stormy clouds peering at a gray horizon. a blink of light and a shipmate sounds an alarm "shore shore..we are here." The captain says, "do not get distracted by the lights of a desert, the destination is long and trust me we shall sail through this storm together, sail on sail on with me, I have been to our promised land."

Be Thankfull This Ramadhan

2009-08-25T14:08:00.000-07:00

If you believe that the more thankful you are then you will receive more, then this Ramadhan is a good time to fundamentally change the way we live.

The past 25 years, in the USA we have truly focused on the individual. My success, my money, my status in the economic and social structure. These excesses are a direct byproduct of a capitalistic society unfortunately.

Don't get me wrong capitalism is essential and necessary for this country to operate. I would have it no other way. But to leave it unchecked and to completely absorb our systems in it without any counterbalance is synonymous to letting your animal instincts run wild without the human intellect and moral barriers.

This is precisely what has happened to us as a country in the past 25 years. We let our capitalistic instincts, which is engrained in the DNA of this country, run wild. The rich got richer and the poor and economically disdvantaged were getting worse. Our healthcare, our economy, our morals and the very fundamentals of our society that governed our founding fathers went unchecked. The focus was on the all mighty dollar - more and more! No amount was enough! No time to be thankfull and stop and ponder if any good was coming out of this endless greed. Towards the last five years, anything went for the million dollar bonuses, the bigger houses and the endless excess. Leveraged, over extended, no plan to exit - who cares, as long as I got mine!

This excess prooved to be fatal like it always does. We were not thankfull of what we got and instead revelled in the bounty only to be filled with greed to want more and more. We became shallow in our deep appreciation of the country, system and platforms that made all this possible. Our founding fathers would have been disgusted in seeing the endless scratching and clawing of the ascent of greedy money.

Being thankfull and stopping every so often is a must. This Ramadhan, I am making it a point to everyday stop and ponder at the endless bounties that I receive. Think about what can I do with the many resources I have been given which will better myself, my family, my friends, my neighbors and my country. A reflection of this kind on a daily basis provides the moral foundation to take a healthy next step everyday. It gives the timeout our capitalistic instincts needs to make good positive decisions. It forces moderation and hence fuels more bounties to be had because the decisions made are selfless not selfish.

As a nation I am urging my friends, family and fellow citizens this auspicious month of Ramadhan to think about the endless bounties and search to see if we can find it in our hearts to find solutions to difficult problems like healthcare, war in Iraq and the economic disasters created by the endless greed. Can we dig deep and consider those that cannot have healthcare to say, yes we have gotten enough it is time to restructure and provide the umbrella that we all deserve? Can we look at Iraq and say, yes this was a genuine error and that it is time to listen to the voices of pain and provide solutions to the region than missiles. And finally, are we going to look around and consider the end to the endless consumerism that yielded in a complete financial disaster that may take our kids to pay off?

What can be wrong with being more thankful everyday and stopping everytime to consider of others before you buy for yourself. Are we ready to trascend to the next stage of our social evolution of a society that claims endless greed to a society that looks outwards. A society that is willing to harness the power of capitalism and feed it back in betterment of each other?

I believe starting with a simple gesture where in the morning spend 5-10 minutes during Sehri (breakfast before sunrise) right before you start that meal, reflect and be thankful that you woke up today with all these bounties to see another day, healthy and full of life in a country like the USA. Be thankful for 10 minutes and then see if it changes your perspective the rest of the day and inshallah the rest of your life.

The Arrival of an Esteemed Guest Ramadhan - Sherulla-E-Moazzam

2009-08-20T07:42:00.000-07:00

Ramadhan arrives like a guest, an esteemed guest. Families prepare to receive the guest in many ways. Houses get cleaned, talk of fasting and prayers are abound, preparation to go to Masjid everyday is arranged and generally the whole tempo of daily life is about to change. This year the esteemed guest Ramadhan arrives to the US with much trouble still looming. The year has been tumultuous and unprecendented. Economic challenges along with general instability and uncertainty has turned many lives upside down.

So having a guest like Ramadhan arrive, how should we prepare? What can we do to bring such a noble arrival its due respect while we struggle to make ends meet?

This year for me personally will be a unique Ramadhan. Three years ago I started a small business. After going through the challenges of a startup, I continue to now struggle to make this small business profitable. The economic challenges that started 12 months ago have not made it easy. But the arrival of Ramadhan helps break the monotony of fighting this battle everyday and it gives an opportunity to stop and reflect.

Everyday, I will be at the Masjid meeting friends, family and others. An air of sharing and feeling part of community will envelope my thoughts. The daily prayers at the Masjid will allow me to bond with my friends and the spiritual. The daily fasting will reduce my needs for worldly and materialistic possessions and give me an oppportunity to thank for what I have. This Ramadhan will be unique because our small community in Houston will start its journey to renew our Masjid complex with a new Multipurpous hall, a new Madresah and eventually a new Masjid to accomodate the exploding membership to our Masjid. I have been blessed to be appointed to serve in the construction committee and the start date of this project has been coincided with the beginning of Ramadhan.

As a nation, we are blessed in so many ways. But this year we start Ramadhan with some very lofty challenges. Healthcare reform, economic uncertainty and wars that seem to never end. A trifecta of challenges this big seem rare in American History but not unprecendented. Ramadhan will be a good month for every muslim living in this great nation to reflect the many bounties that our nation has given us and renew the promise to it by re-dedicating our efforts to help bring solutions to these massive problems. I urge every muslim to dig deep, gain strength from the month of Ramadhan and resolve to work towards helping our nation resolve these challenges.

Whether you agree or disagree with either party, I believe all of us can agree that Healthcare needs to change. We are getting crippled by this issue as greed has crushed the very purpose of the system - to bring the best healthcare to everyone. Economically, we struggle because the last 20 years all of us were swimming in excess - we thought we could buy hapiness by overspending and over leverging. Ramadhan will help us reflect and say thanks for what we have. Return to modesty, sharing and community service. Look at those below you and thank for what you have today. We were violently reminded that money is like dirt on your hands. It can be washed away in seconds! Its the glutony of the past 20 years that has caused this issue and all of us somehow contributed to it. Let us remind oursleves of this excess and resolve in Ramadhan to change and solve the problem for our posterity.

And finally the huburous of our past 10 years along with a tragic reaction to the dispicable act of 9/11 has brought us today to confront a seemingly endless war. Thousands of our citizens who bravely follow orders of our leaders are now fighting an endless battle in multiple fronts. What can we learn from Ramadhan to help solve this problem? For one humility and servitude should help us. Let's gain strength to forgive and understand what is around on the other side and gently help guide our fellow man to a world of understanding. Yes realistically peace may not be realized, but calmness and stability is achievable. Let us not continue our display of strength with power but rather show the power of our example of living in harmony. To those who say USA is their enemy, I call on them to stop and look around and see whether Ramadhan as guest in their house agrees to their actions. To our citizens who think we will "change" the others to think like we do - to them I say let us reflect on ourselves and ask are we right to think our way is the only way.

I believe this Ramadhan will help us all reflect deeper, feel more and achieve more - just invite the guest in and let it be your guide. Ramadhan Mubarak to all. May Allah Bless us this month and may He bless this nation of ours in this great month with wisdom, charity and the fruits of freedom.

Reflections of Medical Town Hall

2009-07-06T12:37:00.000-07:00

I was invited to the Town Hall held by Senator Cornyn of Texas. Senator McCain and Senator Mitch McConnell were in attendance. It was held July 30 2009 at 10AM CDT on the 8th Floor Conference Room at the main MD Anderson Campus building in Houston.

My thoughts and views:

1. The republican party seemed very opposed to the Democratic plan primarily based on the fact that government will run healthcare resulting in a decline in what we have today - "the worlds best healthcare". I do not believe we have the world's best healthcare simply because we are the only industrialized nation that does not provide full access to every citizen. In fact we leave over 10 percent of our population without any healthcare. So how can our healthcare be the world's best when we have 45 million Americans without coverage. It is a false notion to think that because we have the best technology that it somehow translates to the worlds best healthcare. There is a thought that maybe we are one of the worst - especially in primary care and preventive healthcare considering that we have the worst obesity and other industrialized nation diseases.

2. Many Doctors expressed their disgust over insurance companies. There was consensus that the Insurance Companies are colluding in the pricing of insurance and that regulations are causing unnecessary burdens. Plus insurance companies take over 25% of the premiums as profit - which sounds very high!

3. Senator McCain claimed that his proposal of widening the insurance pool by providing connectors for small businesses and tearing down state barriers where insurance companies have to operate within a state and that they cannot cross sell is one way to help reduce cost. I tend to agree that by nationalizing healthcare insurance rules (removing each states own insurance regulation industries) you can have a private carrier be one national company that can underwrite a group like small business association across multiple state lines and widening the risk pool. This would also allow for Federal regulations preventing insurance companies from creating biased smaller risk pools which creates sharp increases in premiums unnecessarily. As a small business owner for the past 20 years, I have spent most of my professional life getting healthcare by paying cash. Insurance has been prohibitive because as an individual I am unable to pool together using connectors to help diversify my risk across many others like me. This defeats the very meaning of insurance. Part of the culprit here is greed on the insurance companies side and partly it is caused by each state having its own regulation body.

4. Universal single payer Vs Multiple providers - I am unsure about this. Part of me wants healthcare to be like national defense. We only have one military so why not one healthcare provider. We all need to bite the bullet and say that healthcare is not an industry but rather a government service. But then part of looks at all the good things our medical system provides (and yes there are good things) and I do not see a reason to completely dismantle the machine. I believe a hybrid approach is necessary. I tend to think that allowing the government to be one of the providers where you can have a way to pool in or to drop barriers for pooling is one way.

I think that there is no one way to solve the issue. A comprehensive reform is what I think is necessary. Here is my wish list for what I feel would significantly change the way healthcare is delivered in our country. Only if all or most of the below is done, then I believe we will be on our way to controlling this spiraling beast.

1. Drop the red tape and tangling of state by state regulations and create a national Federal Healthcare regulatory body. This will allow insurance companies to reduce their overhead. Aetna will not have to create 49 subsidiaries to serve each state, instead they will have one underwriter for the country - like the government.

2. Significantly reform our liability and tort process around healthcare. Healthcare is not an exact science - it is an art form. Hence the practice itself is not perfect. Remove as much as possible the defensive medical aspect. Create a more cognitive consultative environment and allow doctors to practice medicine rather than order a battery of tests every time you complain of a headache. Are doctors test orderer or are they medical doctors?

3. Provide the ability to pool into a large group via a government plan or other connectors for small business owners and individuals without insurers. Require everyone to get insurance one way or the other.

4. Empower the consumer by bringing a level of responsbility and education and information to the consumer. Too many times consumers have absolutely no idea of what they are getting from the doctor. Part of it is because Doctors do not take the time to explain what they are doing, part of it is because insurance pays and consumer does not care as long as they pay $10 co-pay, and part of it is because the system wants to hide this information to bring the God Complex of medicine to themselves. Yes not all can use this information but just because some do not use it does not mean more should not be empowered to make this decisions. This country was built on personal responsibility and self empowerment, why is medicine not practicing this?

5. Incentivize the consumer to practice preventive care and empower them to "shop around" to make this happen. Tax credits for preventive wellness care that is not tied to insurance but rather some kind of health savings would create a win win situation. Insurance should kick in after a certain amount every year to take care of catastrophic and major issues. But for the sniffles, for the annual checkup, for the child visits - I would love the ability to shop around to get the best care and value and I would love to see Medical Doctors offer packages that gives me the best care and advise. We should examine why the CVS, Wal-Mart and corner small clinics that only accept cash do well. I have visited them and I feel the care and advise they provide is perfect for primary care. More of that! They advertise on $45 visits, no lines and a doctor who actually takes the time to examine you and see what is going on. - Plus I get to shop for the best care. You combine this with portable electronic medical records and now you remove the dependecy into one doctor and truly create a competitive environment.

6. Which brings me to the final point - national electronic medical records standard. The consumer needs it, the doctors need it and all stakeholders need it. Liek your credit report, your healthcare records need to be standardized. This can be done - I do not know how, but my brother who lives and breathes this stuff (he is in this business), tells me it is a travesty how heathcare is light years behind here. Again part of it is because Doctors can't let go! They feel that these records is their power....let go people, stop holding on to this shit.

The time has come....the gravy train for those suckling at the tit of this cash cow has crippled this nation. 25 percent of our GDP!!! That is ridiculous. No wonder Starbucks spends more on healthcare than coffee - think about it! Let's end this crisis before it becomes another tsunami like the financial crisis.

Shehrullah-El-Moazzam (Ramadhan) - Part II

2007-09-23T10:50:00.000-07:00

The first ten days of Shehrullah-El-Moazzam (Ramadhan) have now past and we are on the second set of ten days. Last year, I posted a story when I had just left my position at Symantec and was seeking for a new business. Since then I have bought a new business, went for Haj and made several changes in my life. Here we are a year later and I feel revitalized and energized more than ever before.

This year Ramadhan has started with a certain sense of change in the air. My life has taken a complete turn and I feel the ship has finally started to sail in the direction I want. There is a sense of inner peace and satisfaction and a renewal of spiritual recogniztion that there is more than the daily rat race that we all get caught up in.

This year the Anjuman-E-Shujaee of Houston has created many improvements to the celebrations for its members. To begin with, a new Mawaid (Jamat Khana) facilities were built on the adjacent land recently acquired. This Mawaid has provided badly needed space for the fast growing Jamaat. In addition, due to Daylight Savings Time, we are taking advantage of the extended evening hours to do some additional events prior to Maghrib Namaaz. Let me share with you a typical Houston Sheruallah day for me.

The day begins with Sehri at around 5AM. Usually some light snack with juice water and hot tea. After my sehri, I usually rest for another 30 min before Fajr Namaaz. After namaaz, its time to go to the business. My business is located around 18 miles in heavy traffic. During Ramadhan, I take advantage of this rush hour traffic by playing Quraan MP3 files of Juz Amma for memorization. It is my goal to memorize from Surat Al-Nas to Surat Al-Balad by end of Ramadhan, Inshallah.

At around 4:30PM, I start heading back home to prepare and go to Masjid for Maghrib Namaaz. Again the Quraan MP3 helps me traverse the traffic and helps the memorization of the Surats. After reaching home, I usually get ready quickly and head back out to the Masjid. My family has already left for Masjid earlier since the kids go there for further Quraan recitation and practice.

When you enter the Masjid complex, you are greeted by volunteers who kindly give you your Iftari Packet. This packet consists of some cookies and Khajoor (dates). As you enter the masjid and receive the iftari packets, you hear the serene sound of Tartil recitation of Quraan by experts from Al-Jamea-Tus-Saifiya! This is a pleasant sound as all the worldly headaches of work, traffic, and other hassels melt away. You truly feel at peace! Its a mediatative expereince for me.

The Quraan recitiation is followed by a short bayaan (sermon) by AamilSaheb (head priest). Usually on a practical topics of Ramadhan and other General Ale-Mohammed Ilm (Knowledge). After this, there is a short Matam Session in rememberence of Imam Husain (AS). By this time Maghrib is here. Azaan is recited by someone from the general public who has given his name in consideration for giving Azaan once this month. Competion is heavy for this sharaf (honor). As the Azaan is recited, silence around the masjid and the anticipation of Maghrib Namaz and Iftari of a long day of Rozu (fasting) is at hand.

After Namaaz, a short Dua asking Allah for forgiveness (Alahuma Haza Shere Ramadhan - Dua that Aziz has talked about in the earlier posts) is recited. Everyone perks up as the Namak (salt) is passed around to break the fast along with the dates given earlier.

Everyone hussels and bussles to eat and drink the cookies, tea and/or milk. People have short converasations as you get a chance to truly be with friends and family reminiscing the day and taking the barakaat of Ramadhan. After short break, Sunat and Ishaa Namaaz are recited.

The Masjid is energized and packed to the gills by the end of Maghrib Namaz. Almost 800 people attend on a daily basis. This is a great festival and time to do ibadaat. Men, Women and Children from all backgrounds come together to do ibadaat under the same roof. It is a unique and joyful experience.

After Ishaa Namaaz, the Masjid empties out to go to the new Mawaid. Here the sumptuous evening meal is being served in Thaals. The barakaat of eating together with friends and family during ramadhan is endless. It is a blessing that I cannot begin to describe. We all eat with modesty and humilty as we accept this gift of Aqa Mola Mohammed Burhanuddin (TUS) and the joy of ending one more day of Sherullah under the saya (roof) of Ale Mohammed and amongst friends and family. This is where the rat race ends! This is what we enjoy and this at the end of day is the meaning of barakaat!

May Allah bless us every day to celebrate and do Shukur of what we have received and what we are about to get from his boudless treasures. May Allah bless us all who take advantage of His bounties during this month of Ramadhan. May Allah Ta'ala bless us all during this month and may He provide us the guidance and wisdom to make choices that allow us to show Him that we are worthy of His bessings.

Shehrullah-El-Moazzam (Ramadhan)

2006-10-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

It is 1427H and the new moon of the nith month signals the start of Ramadhan for muslims around the world. Everyone today knows what the month is for Mulsims. Fasting, extra prayers, community events, and of course charitable giving.

For me, this year marked a special event. My goal this year was to begin the month with a new start in my life. I sold my small businesses, The UPS Stores, and I resigned from my position at Symantec Corp. I chose this great month to signify a new chapter in my physical, material and of course spiritual life.

Ramadhan hails a sense of renewal. This year, with my new start, I plan on focusing on the activities surrounding Ramadhan. Attending the Masjid everyday, giving extra care on the days' activity focused on the principals of cleansing your ownself as well as giving a chance to reflect on my last 14 years as a small businessman. This sense of renewal will undoubtedly provide me the energy and focus I will need for my new venture.

I feel blessed and fortunate that I have a vehicle like Ramadhan to provide me this opportunity. Three months ago I was debating as to when I will make this change in my life for the next chapter. There never seemed like a good time to do this. Then it came to me that why not mark this change with the start of Ramadhan! And so the decision was made. Ramadhan, 1427H for marks a new chapter in my journey. And what a wonderful occassion to embark on this journey. I know with the showers of barakaat that fall duirng this month, success is inevitable.

May Allah Ta'ala bless us all during this month and may He provide us the guidance and wisdom to make choices that allow us to show Him that we are worthy of His bessings.