The Kamranistan Blog

NEW DESIGNS FOR 2010

2010-02-01T20:15:00.000-08:00

Hey all!

I apologize for my 6 month absence. I just finished my undergrad 7 months ago and started a new job. Now that I am settled down Kamranistan Clothing Co. is ready to break records and spread its name all over the world. We are looking towards a great 2010 with new designs and MORE products!

Our new products include shoes and ties! We are finishing our second year of operations at the end of the month. I look forward to sharing our stats with our supporters and customers when the time comes! Don't you forget, our success is because of our patrons!

Here are some new products for your eyes!

The Palestinian Kaffiyeh Tie

The Palestinian Kaffiyeh Shoes

I ( Dhol ) Punjab

The Greek Coat of Arms

Introduction of Armenian Apparel

2009-07-25T00:24:00.000-07:00

Armenia,

a country lying in the Southern Caucasus mountains With a diaspora through out Russia, Europe, the Arab world, and much more , the Armenians remember their history through their language and customs. The Armenians speak an Indo-European language akin to their Iranian and European neighbors. Armenian is one of the few Indo-European languages that has gone unchanged since its creation thousands of years ago.

Here is a quick run down on the history of Armenia.

"Smallest of the former Soviet republics, Armenia lies landlocked and earthquake ridden in rugged mountains. In A.D. 301, Armenia became the first Christian nation; today it is almost surrounded by Islamic nations. During World War I the Ottoman Turks brutally forced out Armenians, causing a diaspora to foreign havens. Armenia gained independence in 1918, but succumbed to a Red Army invasion in 1920. In 1988 a devastating earthquake killed 25,000 people, and conflict erupted with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh (a region of 140,000 ethnic Armenians). Armenia won independence in 1991; by 1994 Armenians had defeated Azeri forces and had control of Nagorno-Karabakh—but the dispute remains unresolved."

And for those of you who dig not so factual facts about Armenians, here you go.

You know you are Armenian when

1. You unwrap Christmas gifts very carefully, so you can save and reuse the wrapping (and especially those bows) next year.

2. You only buy Christmas cards after Christmas, when they are 50% off.

3. When there is a sale on toilet paper, you buy 100 rolls and store them in your closet or in the bedroom of an adult child who has moved out.

4. Your stove is covered with aluminum foil.

5. You use the dishwasher as a dish rack.

6. You have never used your dishwasher.

7. You eat all meals in the kitchen.

8. You save grocery bags, tin foil, and tin containers.

9. You use grocery bags to hold garbage.

10. You always leave your shoes at the door.

11. You have a piano in your living room.

12. You play a musical instrument.

13. You pick your teeth at the dinner table (but you cover your mouth).

14. You twirl your pen around your fingers.

15. You hate to waste food.... a. Even if you're totally full, if someone says they're going to throw away the leftovers on the table, you'll finish them. b. You have Tupperware in your fridge with three bites of rice or one leftover chicken wing.

16. You don't own any real Tupperware-only a cupboard full of used but carefully rinsed margarine tubs, takeout containers, and jam jars.

17. You have a collection of miniature shampoo bottles that you take every time you stay in a hotel.

18. The condiments in your fridge are either Price Club sized or come in plastic packets, which you save/steal every time you get take
out or go to McDonald's.

19. Ditto for paper napkins.

20. You never order room service.

21. You own a rice cooker.

22. Your dad thinks he can fix everything himself.

23. You majored in something practical like engineering, medicine or law.

24. When you go to a dance party, there are a wall of guys surrounding the dance floor trying to look cool.

25. You live with your parents and you are 30 years old (and they prefer it that way). Or if you're married and 30 years old, you live in The apartment next door to your parents, or at least in the same neighborhood.

26. Your parents' house is always cold.

27. Your mom drives her Mercedes to the Price Club.

28. You only make long distance calls after 11 PM.

29. You always cook too much.

30. If you don't live at home, when your parents call, they ask if you've eaten, even if it's midnight.

31. You e-mail your friends at work, even though you are only 10 feet apart.

32. Your parents send money to their relatives in ARMENIA.

33. You're always late.

34. You eat every last grain of rice in your bowl, but don't eat the last piece of food on the table.

35. You know someone who can get you a good deal on xxxelry or
electronics.

36. You never discuss your love life with your parents.

37. Your parents are never happy with your grades.

38. You save your old Coke bottle glasses even though you're never going to use them again.

39. You keep used batteries.

40. Your toothpaste tubes are all squeezed paper-thin.

41. Your relatives either work in medicine or real estate.

Kamranistan now officially introduces its first Armenian product line.

Check it out at http://www.kamranistan.com !

Peace For Now!

Great News!

2009-06-12T12:35:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

Long time no see. We've been busy here with life, what can we say. A couple quick words before you surf on to another website.

Good News Item 1:

The International Pro Palestinian Lobby is officially online. Currently they have a temporary website and it will be evolving into a Social Networking Website for the Lobby. Please check it out and join their mailing list at

www.ipplobby.org

Good News Item 2:

The Kamranistan Clothing Co. has been invited to Europe's Premier Persian Fashion Show. With more than 15,000 spectators, Persian magazines, and Persian news channels it is a perfect starting point for anyone who would like to model. We are looking for models preferably of Iranian descent. If you are interested please email us at kamran@kamranistan.com.

The even takes place in August of 2009.

Look out for another posting in the upcoming weeks!

Cafepress Slashes Royalties For Contributors by 75% While Increasing Its Own Profits by 40%.

2009-04-23T14:39:00.001-07:00

There is a new uproar at the infamous Print On Demand company known as Cafepress. It was announced yesterday that they will make some changes that will benefit the customers and make their shopping experience better. This includes cleaning up the Cafepress marketplace by sorting and throwing out redundant designs to make browsing easier. This is something that fellow shopkeepers have been asking for for so long, so that’s the great part of the changes to be made in June. But what isn’t cool, is how we shopkeepers will benefit by making a measly 10% from marketplace purchases. As of right now, the agreement is that shopkeepers set their own prices whether the products are sold from the marketplace or directly from our shops. If a t-shirt’s base price is $14.99 and we set our markup to $8 that means that the final selling price to the customer would be $22.99. Now according to the new changes coming soon, shopkeepers will only receive 10% of $14.99 if the item is sold through the marketplace. Why is that bad? Well how would you feel if you were used to having your freedom as agreed in the TOS to sell your products at a reasonable price set by you and only you….only to have the agreement change and told that you will earn a whopping $1.49 for your design. A design that many shopkeepers have spend countless hours on on many days just to make a living. Now shopkeepers can still earn whatever markup they chose via their shops directly, but since most shopkeepers earn their profit through the marketplace, this is a drastic problem for us all!! Tell me Cafepress, how does this benefit the very people that brought you sales in the first place? The very people that changed their lives just to contribute your business by uploading hundreds and thousands of designs..to make enough to pay mortgage or a bill or two. Here’s the recent press release regarding these very disappointing changes.
PRESS RELEASE
CafePress Retail Platform Evolving: More Focus on Buyer Needs
Last update: 1:55 p.m. EDT April 22, 2009
SAN MATEO, Calif., Apr 22, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) — CafePress, the leader of user-generated commerce and biggest online destination for self expression through merchandise, today announced changes to their marketplace to respond to the needs of their growing customer base.
As with other companies based in user-generated content, CafePress has witnessed an explosion of design submissions (from 2 to 300 million products in just 5 years); and their customer’s needs have changed as the size of their catalogue has grown.
“Our focus has always been helping customers find unique products that allow them to express themselves. In the beginning this meant just having designs available on every topic imaginable, today it means helping customers locate the most unique and relevant design amongst millions of choices,” explains Fred Durham, CEO and co-founder of CafePress.
Over the months to come, CafePress will be rolling out changes in their marketplace to improve their customer experience for their 11 million monthly shoppers in two key areas:
1. Search Platform and Algorithm changes to ensure they better deliver the designs and merchandise their customers are looking for by bringing the best designs to the front and reducing redundant designs.
2. Pricing and Designer commission structure changes in order to offer their customers consistent and competitive prices and invest in their site experience.
CafePress’ changes to their marketplace mark a major milestone in the evolution of the very space they have pioneered. The vision for the marketplace is to become more retail-like, where innovative and quality designers are rewarded with premium shelf space and customers can consistently and easily find relevant and unique designs at a great price.
“These changes are all about listening to our customers and using their feedback to launch the next generation of the CafePress marketplace, streamlining how customers find products and investing in a quality experience,” comments Durham.
Over the months to come, CafePress shoppers will more easily find a wide selection of quality designs on products most relevant to their searches at consistent prices across the board.
About CafePress
CafePress is the leader in User-Generated Commerce and offers sellers turnkey e-commerce services to independently create and sell a wide variety of products, and offers buyers unique merchandise across virtually every topic. Launched in 1999, CafePress has empowered individuals, organizations and businesses to create, buy and sell customized merchandise online using the company’s unique print-on-demand and e-commerce services. Today, CafePress is a growing network of over 6.5 million members who have unleashed their creativity to transform their artwork and ideas into unique gifts and new revenue streams.
For more information visit CafePress at www.cafepress.com
SOURCE: CafePress

CafePress
Kimberly Youngstrom, 212-221-1713 (Media)
Marc Cowlin, 650-655-3039 (Media)
pr@cafepress.com

So tell me Cafepress…are we supposed to get excited by earning .99 cents for a bib that costs $9.99? How can you sit there and tell us that this is all about the shopping experience when your own shopkeepers are the ones who made it possible to even buy your products? Many people including myself will lose over 50% of our income because of this change and it’s not right. Many of us have purchased expensive software, fonts, marketing, etc to maintain our shops…and here we are preparing to have it all for nothing. Many of us shopkeepers took a huge blow when Cafepress changed the volume bonus program resulting in loss of income, and now this? How much money did you save by doing that Cafepress?? Oh yeah…way more than what we will earn from now on!
I sure hope that you have considered all possibilities to go along with these changes. Because it will be your loss and too late when your best and loyal shopkeepers turn their backs on you…even though some already have rightfully and understandably. Do you know the saying “don’t burn your bridges?” Well you’ve set the bridge on fire a while ago and just let it continue to burn with us shopkeepers still running across it. And if you are a shopper at Cafepress, my advice to you is to get what you like now because it may not be there in the near future.

Kamranistan Joins Forces With The International Pro Palestinian Lobby

2009-03-09T19:14:00.000-07:00

The Kamranistan Company is proud to announce that we have joined forces with the International Pro Palestinian Lobby based in Australia. The Lobby has been officially recognized by the Australian government and is showing strong growth in membership and awareness.

From here on out 50% of profit earned from the sales of Pro-Palestinian shirts will be given to the International Pro Palestinian Lobby. Additionally we are now selling 'special edition' Palestine shirts. When you purchase one of these shirts shown in the picture, Kamranistan feeds a family in Palestine for a week.

As a company we are committed to helping those who are less fortunate. We know that wealth and prosperity has been spread unequally across nations and we know that marginalized peoples must be represented. If you are the leader of a human rights organization and would like to collaborate with Kamranistan feel free to email us at kamran@kamranistan.com.

Peace and Love,

Kamran

Milestones And A One Year Anniversary

2009-03-01T03:13:00.000-08:00

At the Kamranistan Co. we have just finished our first year of operations. During our first year we achieved many milestones including exceeding our goal in sales for year one. Every year Kamranistan will make an annual posting stating its total sales and its improvements. Our total sales and improvements are the result of our supportive customers. Every item you buy not only helps you express yourself, but it also allows others to see that they can wear expressive clothing also.

During our first year of operations from February 2008 to February 2009 we managed to sell 254 shirts. Our goal is to double this quantity for our 2nd year of operations.

In addition to exceeding our goals in sales we have been proud supporters of the United Palestine Appeal, a non profit organization that sends money to Palestine for humanitarian aid. We have also had the opportunity to link with great artists such as Montreal Based musician, Sikh Knowledge.

The year has been a great experience for the company and we hope it has been a great experience for all of you who had the opportunity to become exposed to our apparel. We hope you visit our site many times more in the upcoming years. Make sure to check out our blog on a regular basis to stay in touch with the latest fashions and designs!

Enjoy the rest of your March!

Sincerely,

The Kamranistan Clothing Company

Involvement in human rights and equality

2009-01-28T17:39:00.000-08:00

Kamranistan has always been a company that endorses the equality and unity of everyone regardless of their background.

Recently I stumbled upon an artist who goes by the name of Sikh Knowledge and is based in Montreal. He recently released a song about the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict and I found it to be a strong yet catchy song. I encourage you as individuals to stand up for equality and human rights no matter what form you do it in. We as a human race have too much in common to try and slit each other''s throats. Anyways, enjoy the song!

Please be sure to check out Sikh Knowledge's new single, Palestine Ch CHIng.

Bollywood is DEAD

2009-01-21T23:05:00.000-08:00

Though many disagree, I must say that Bollywood is dead. Bollywood has peaked out in the amount it tries to mimic Hollywood, and might I say they do it horribly From cheesy lines to speaking random English sentences in a dreadful accent, they do it all. Did I mention the random 'Shit' in a heavy Indian accent, Yeah, not cool. So in loving memory of Pre-2000s Bollywood I have created this shirt. Enjoy!

Africa

2008-12-24T09:10:00.001-08:00

Africa, essentially the cradle of civilization. It is home to thousands of tribes,thousands of ethnicities, and thousands of languages. Many cultures and many countries make up the continent. The Colors of Africa range from black,to brown, to white. Kamranistan hopes to begin a pan solidarity movement between all Africans. Whether you are Arab,Ebo,Somali,Amharic, Liberian,South African,Tanzanian,etc. Kamranistan plans to do that by starting a brand new Proud African section. We have released our first design for this brand new section. Check it out at

http://www.cafepress.com/kamranistanco/6306912

How Do You Feel About Sarah Palin?

2008-10-21T19:02:00.000-07:00

I think that she is under qualified for her job. I feel that if McCain dies before he can even be sworn in as president, our country may be screwed. So in honor of that we went ahead and released our anti-Sarah Palin design. Enjoy ! :)

First Design of September

2008-09-06T12:57:00.001-07:00

Alright so I just recently cranked out another design. If you've ever seen those shirts that always have pictures of a bunch of Guitars with a caption underneath saying 'Choose Your Weapon', you will know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, please bear with me :).

Anyways I made this shirt with depictions of a dhol,tabla,chimta,sarangi, and tumbi. I figured this would cover the bulk of South Asia (India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh primarily).

The most recognizable instrument is the dhol which is actively used through out Pakistan, Northern India, Afghanistan, and throughout parts of the former Persian Empire. Ever wonder where the dhol's ancestry lies? Well I'm going to tell you!

The Dhol consists of three primary pieces, the Dhol (Double Barreled Drum), Dagga, and Tilli. The dhol is thought to have been introduced to Hindustan via the Persians who brought the 'dohol'. The dhol of Armenia and Iran are smaller and sit in the laps of the player whereas in the South Asia the dhol is rather bulky and hangs from the shoulders of the dholi. The person who plays the dhol is called the dholi.

Today the dhol is used in Bhangra(Traditional Panjabi dance), Sufi music (Panjabi Islamic Music), Attan(Traditional Afghani Dance), amongst many other dances.

Anyways,

Make sure to check back.

I hope this post was informative for my readers!

Cheers,

Kamran

Website Revamp

2008-08-31T17:06:00.001-07:00

Hey folks!

My website has been revamped and there will be minor changes taking place periodically. The Kamranistan Facebook Group has 1,983 members as of today. Whoever is the 2000th member and whoever invites the 2000th member will both get free shirts.

Just search for the facebook group by typing in 'Kamranistan' in the search field so don't miss out!

Keep checking up for updates!

My Birthday

2008-08-23T20:08:00.001-07:00

Hey folks,

My birthday was today so in lieu of that Kamranistan will be having a nice sale! All value t-shirts will be heavily discounted up until August 30th.

Cheers,

Kamran

The Rooster Sauce

2008-08-19T13:49:00.000-07:00

Okay, so heres the deal. Ever since I was a kid I have always had a fetish for
Sriracha. I'd eat it with everything. Whenever I got stuck with some bland American food I always had my rooster sauce around to make things a little better. Well I'm guessing a lot of you feel the same as the 'Rooster Sauce' design has gone through the roof with record sales!

Watch out for folks sporting the top in your neighborhood as the 'Rooster Sauce' movement has gone international. Anyways, this is just a quick check-in with all of my supporters. If you've ever got something to say feel free to shoot me an email at kamranistan@gmail.com.

Until then,

Peace