Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Ode to ClinPhone

Cheers, indeed

I'm mashaAllah happy to show the following recognition of the company I work for:

European Outsourcing Awards Best use of I.T.
This is ClinPhone's first industry award and recognises the unrivalled success in delivering Patient Diary (ePRO) solutions using Interactive Voice Response technology coupled with expert consultancy and first class operational delivery. This award represents a real coup for ClinPhone as it emphasises our market dominance over other technology rivals in the clinical research sector.

Europe's 500 listing
ClinPhone placed at number 71 in this year's top 500 European organisations. This result recognizes ClinPhone's strong commercial presence in Europe and sees us mentioned in the same breath as Ryanair, lastminute.com and Puma.

Deloitte's Technology Fast 50
ClinPhone has now placed eight years running in the Deloitte's Technology Fast 50, a result unrivalled by any other UK organisation. Even after combining the Midlands and Northern geographical sections we placed 4 spots higher at number 21 in this prestigious listing.


Word up!

Sunday, November 27, 2005

Taha's Place: A Night of Glory...

Hi,

Long was it since a classic Taha-Imran night of adventures and suspense took place. Yes, a night of unadulterated ecstasy was long overdue. A night of pure Punjabiness. A night where men realized what being a man is all about. Indeed, a night of glory...


Oh, and a night where a mama's boy finally got permission to sleep over at his friend's house. But that's another story. So, onwards...!

Two Fridays ago I crashed at T-Man's place so that we could engage in such righteous acts as car dancing to Devon and a romantic, candle-lit dinner that featured microwavable pizza with a low-carb (*cough* taste *cough*) tomato paste. The night started off with me picking up Taha from his multi-million dollar apartment complex (haha, Taha) located in the heart of downtown. We had no agenda. No goals. All we knew was that Daler Mehndi was going to be a big part of the night thanks to Taha's newly burned bhangra CD. So we began our cruise down Mich Ave where we hollered at, well, anyone really. But our targets were most definitely desis and yelling random things at them in Punjabi/desi accents. Yes, we're easily entertained, folks.

We then proceeded to the next block. But the block was dead, yo, so we continued to A-1-A Beachfront Avenue. Girls were hot wearing...

What the...? How'd Vanilla Ice get in here? Sorry, let me turn off the music......Okay, getting back to the Night of Glory...

We then proceeded to Devon for nothing more but the comforts of mango kulfis and galabjomin (sp?). So bhangra music was blaring and one of two things happen to Taha and me when this phenomena occurs: 1) We lose all sense and sensibility by succumbing to the dhol and our shoulders are at the mercy of the music or 2) We're dead silent. In fact, almost a scary silence. Why? Not because we're in some sort of odd bhangra cult (Taha...light bulb just went on! PB'n'J Cult: Punjabis Bhangra-ing and Jamming Cult. How cool is that, puthr?), but because we're imagining that we're traversing the fields of Punjab with 50 Punjabans dancing behind us while we court the Bollywood heroine.

Okay, so when we get to Tahoora (where else?!) we were totally disappointed to see that it was closed. How could it NOT be open at midnight? Jeez!! Oh well. It was more than worth it.

We finally get back to Taha's place and the dude has the audacity to challenge me to do his workout regimen for shoulders and back. Stupid Taha! I mean, granted that Taha is built like a rock, has a chest that seems like it was chiseled by Michaelangelo, biceps that are as big as his Punjabi nose, elbows that have muscles, a back that looks like he's going to carry Chitown on it, etc., but where does he have gall to throw it down with ME? The man. The myth. The legend. The sufi. The lover. The Fighter. The Punjabi.

So that's what I told myself. I mean, I really, really convinced myself of it. Thinking to myself, I was like, I am the man, the myth, the...But that was before I found out that this Taha character does 5 (that's f-i-v-e) sets (at least 10 reps) of everything. WTF? That's insane! Well, I almost made it out there alive. We started around 1am and finished about 2:30am. (And my mom thinks that we go out to the clubs! Azubillah!).

We got back and Taha hooked up the microwavable pizza, which, at 3am tasted really good and watched a movie (Batman Begins). After watching the movie and having fantasies of being Bruce Wayne/Batman, Taha told me that I was NOT going to go to sleep. So he gave me one of his swimming trunks. When I put it on we were both in agreement that I looked really hot in them (no joke). I'd post pictures if I had any. Though some of you reading this may have frequented this blog too often then, so maybe it's good that I don't have any. :)

Anyway, from 5am - 630am we swam. It was really nice, actually, and something the two of us should probably do more often. Oh, and not that I want to make this a big deal or anything, but

I KILLED Taha in a swimming race.
That makes me 3-0 over our 8 or 9 years of friendship. Holla! TAHA SUCKS! (Sorry, this is the only sport I can beat him without question. Thanks Mom for making me swim since I was a kid.) It was so bad, that the poor kid couldn't even finish the lap. Bachara, ghareeb bacha. InshaAllah, one day Taha. Just like one day I'll beat you in hoops. Oh, but before I forget, the funniest part was when we tried to race at one point and midway through, I noticed that Taha stopped. I look up after completing the lap and see Taha holding his shorts. LOL. Apparently, this guy was trying to swim so fast that he flew out of his swimming trunks. And to think, me without my camera and contact lens. ;) Yeah, I'll always regret that one fo' sho'.

Well, that pretty much concluded the night/morning. I prayed Fajr and the moment I laid down on Taha's couch I passed out. Got up around 10:30am and headed back home knowing that I had just accomplished something in my life.

And preparing for the next Taha-Imran Night of Glory.

STL, here we come, baby!

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Long for the Prophet (sw)

AA

This is really beautiful, mashaAllah:
http://www.sunniport.com/audio/owais/yaa%20sahib%20al%20jamal.mp3

The website [www.sunniport.com] is a nice website itself, too.

While there, you can also check this out which will be of benefit as it it about Shaykh al Hadith, Imam Suyuti (rh):
http://www.sunniport.com/books/imam_jalaluddin_suyuti_v1.0.pdf


Remember me in your duas

I am an idiot

Cheers

I mean, what else can I say about myself? After reading this forward sent to me (thanks, Farooq) I can't help but to question my business sense (or lack thereof), ambition, and realization in life that the stupid things are always the most important things.

Confused?

Here, read and see what I'm talking about:

Selling pixels to advertisers

Have you heard about the The Million Dollar Homepage, created by a college student in England who wants to sell off his homepage real estate to advertisers for a dollar a pixel in 100-pixel blocks until he made a million dollars? What a stupid idea . . .

Or is it? An article in the WSJ claims he has made $623,800 so far.

WTF?! I think of stupid things all the time! Why can't I think of the right stupid things, man!

< .. sigh .. >


Thanks

Tom Cruise vs Oprah

Hi

Yes, the epic battle between good and evil was captured on Oprah of all places. I mean, there's acting and then there's real life. In this video clip, I cannot honestly discern the difference...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8530918890580805143&pr=goog-sl



;)

Friday, November 18, 2005

Dil, Dil Pakistan

AA

Link below taken from Shaykh Faraz Rabbani's blog :: http://www.seekersdigest.org/

Cricket and Religion
So Pakistan beat England yesterday in a closely fought game. Whats very interesting is the change thats happening within the Pakistan team these days. From Inzamam's ( Pakistan Cricket team captain) Bismillahs before the post match interviews to all the beards popping up on the players' faces.Here is an article which gives more details about the cricket team and how the role of Islam is growing within the team....

"The growing influence of Islamic teachings on the Pakistani cricketers is becoming more apparent day by day.
And it’s a big shift in the habits of the team members from the last few decades..."

For full article see: http://hammadin.blogspot.com/2005/11/cricket-and-religion.html


Cheers

Sunday, November 13, 2005

Du`a that brought an angel...

AA,

I've shared this one before, but read it again so I thought I'd post it here:

There was a man in the time of the Prophet (sw) who traded between Syria and Madinah, who used to go alone on his journeys without the caravans, trusting inAllah. One time on his way back to Madina, a thief came up to him and told him to stop and the merchant said, 'take my goods, and leave me alone,' and the thief replied, 'the goods are easily taken, I want you.' The merchant said, 'wait until I make ablution and pray to my Lord,' and the thief let him. So the merchant prayed four rak'as, then raised his hands and made this du'a:

O Loving One! O Loving One! (YaWadud) O Lord of the Glorious Throne, O One from Whom all begins and to Whom all returns, O One Who does what He wishes, I ask You by the Light of Your Countenance that fills the corners of Your Throne, I
ask You by Your Power by which You command Your creation, and by Your Mercy that encompasses all things, there is no God but You! O Helper, come to my aid


...and he said this three times. When he finished making his du'a, a rider on a gray horse wearing green garments came with a lance of light, and when the thief saw the rider, he left the merchant and started towards the rider, but when he came near, the rider charged him and dealt him a blow that knocked him off his horse. Then the rider told the merchant to kill the thief, but the merchant declined, so the rider killed him instead.? The hadith goes on to say that this rider was an angel from the third heaven, whom Allah sent to aid the merchant, and that the angel told the merchant: "Know, O servant ofAllah, that Allah will relieve and help one who makes this prayer of yours in any moment of distress, calamity, or desperation." The merchant went on safely into Madina and when he arrived, told the Prophet (sw) of all that had happened, and of the prayer he had made. The Prophet (sw) replied to him, "Allah has inspired you (laqqanaka) with His most beautiful Names into which, when invoked by them, He responds, and when asked for something by them, He bestows it.

A. Narrated from Anas with the difference that (1) the traveller prayed four rak`as before his du`a and (b) without mention of the Holy Prophet, upon him blessings and peace, or the words reported from him at the end, by al-Lalika in _Karamaat al-Awliyaa (ed. Ahmad Sa`d al-Hamman. Ryadh: Dar Tayba, 1992, p. 154-155 §111) cf. Ibn Hajar, Isaba, under the name of the Companion to whom this karama happened: Abu Mu`allaq al-Ansari.


FiAmanAllah

Ode to Nathan Vasher (Da Bears)

Da Bears, baby...

As the Bears have a comfortable 14-9 lead over the hopeless 49ers, I thought that I should comment and officially note Vasher's (aka "The Interceptor" -- at least back in college fball) amazing, heroic, beautiful poetry-in-motion 108 yard field goal TD return.

What's best is that Vasher aside, this NFL record belongs to the Chicago Bears. SubhanAllah. MashaAllah. Seriously, it was amazing...

2 seconds left in the first half. 49ers can't do anything against the best defense in the league and so they take what should be a risk-free 52 yard field goal. Fools! And so Vasher caught the missed field goal attempt in the middle of the end zone and ran it up to about the 15/20 and made a killer cut and just took off from there. Urlacher was side-by-side with him most of the way ensuring that no one would touch (hell, even look) in Vasher's way. And the rest is, as they say, history...

I mean, you can say that we played one of the worst teams out there, but pulling off that feat in against any NFL team regardless of record is so fricken impossible and amazing. Alas! Da Bears defy convention and expectations.

Here's to all the real Bears fans! (Sorry, Umar, I know you can't relate in our joy)

Cheers

Saturday, November 12, 2005

Nadia's Engagement

Asma, Omar, Nadia

A couple weeks ago, we were fortunate enough to see our lifelong friend and cousin Nadia make a step towards one of the most important milestones in her life: her engagement.

Her engagement was to a very fine gentleman, Omar. Alhamdullilah, they make a beautiful couple and inshaAllah we wish them nothing but unparalleled love and happiness.

Here are some pics of the joyous event (held in the middle-of-nowhere-but-a-truly-magical-place-nonetheless Beaver Dam, WI):



Omar, Nadia, Rosina: Inside the tent, engagement ceremony underway...


The heart, soul and love of our family. Nani Ammi (Nadia's Dadi Ammi): Smiling with pure joy :)

Omar and his cousin: Waiting in eager anticipation to see Nadia.

Umar, Ali: Holla!!


Nani Ammi, Mom, Rayyan

Me


Classic sunset view from the Samadani home.

InshaAllah, we can't wait until the wedding!

Allah'hafiz

Friday, November 11, 2005

Meeri Jaan (Josh)

Fobs'R'Us

Ever since hearing this one song (actually, wathcing it on Geo) last weekend, I've been hardcore in love with it. The group/guy (Josh) sings really well in English with some Urdu and I just think that it's a really nice, relaxing, chill song...

Check it out:
http://www.muziq.net/songs/Josh/Kabhi/


Holla @ me