Tuesday, December 23, 2014

To Achieve Greatness In The Digital World, Respect Intellectual Property & Innovate, Or Be Irrelevant! - IMRAN™

The article (Tech In Pakistan 2014) in the reputable Pakistan newspaper, Dawn, makes good points lamenting the mind numbingly stupid, and self-destructive, policies and factors that make for such “tepid performance” in Pakistan. The author, Y. Brohi, points out how one does not need an army of people to launch a startup. My personal experience proved that, indeed, even one person can start a revolution or entire industries for others to build on.

At the end of the eighties and in the early 1990s, I was fortunate and blessed to pioneer and launch Internet email service in Pakistan right from my home in Gulberg-III, Lahore, while I was studying for my MBA at Columbia University Graduate School of Business in New York City. Together we, my then partner & neighbor Ashar Nisar and I, were able to launch the .PK ccTLD, literally putting Pakistan on the brave new digital world’s map.

I later also had the opportunity to make another, less known but also important, humble contribution to Pakistan’s economic progress, by bringing and launching global credit cards in Pakistan, starting with issuing the first MasterCard license to a Pakistani bank in the early 90s. The availability of credit to the middle class can be a major driver to drive economic activity and the creation of products, services and related jobs.

Both of those industries were launched with no government funding (actually, we succeeded despite resistance and other tactics of the authorities of that time that I will not mention), and without venture capital, which at that time was near impossible to get in Pakistan.

My reason for writing this is not to boast on past achievements but to exhort the dynamic and industrious Pakistani entrepreneurs to learn from what the article says and what my experience shows.

You, one person, can start anything you want. There is nothing stopping the next secure identity and privacy solution to be created in Pakistan. There is no reason that Pakistanis cannot pioneer artificial intelligence or secure cloud computing methods.

If there is one thing that I have been frustrated by, and feel is a core reason for Pakistanis not creating world changing new things, is the disregard for intellectual property rights and concepts. From people ripping DVD movies to kids ripping games without payment, to the shameless way so-called respectable newspapers (excluding Dawn) steal and reprint others’ creative output, theft of intellectual property is commonplace, and something people almost boast about.

How then can people think in terms of creating intellectual property if they are themselves busy stealing someone else's? That attitude is embedded in our culture and needs to be addressed. Without that, all the creative capabilities of Pakistanis will continue to be wasted on copying or reverse engineering others’ work, not creating brave new IP to change the world. 

I would love to see that topic get discussed at a national level. There are few nations that have so much creative entrepreneurial talent than Pakistan, as I have seen in my ~30 years of traveling the world.

Let us find ways to stimulate that and channel that and guide that for the greater good of the creators and the nation. That is why, in speaking to groups of Pakistani entrepreneurs and technology professionals, I say, “To Achieve Greatness In A Digital World, Respect Intellectual Property And Innovate With Your Own, Or Be Irrelevant!”

 

IMRAN™
http://imran.pk


Monday, November 24, 2014

Questioning Rotten Apple Not Approved In PC (Politically Correct) Fawning Media? - IMRAN™

I have been an Apple user for 30+ years, and a Mac bigot since 1984. Even though my day job is at Microsoft and I use Windows laptops, Surface, Windows Phone Lumia, my personal life's work is invested (and sort of locked) in the Apple ecosystem.

Even my MS colleagues know, I would often be the only guy at an airport with a PowerBook laptop in a sea of Windows machines, which I was no fan of. But the decline in innovation and quality at Apple has been shocking. I’ve had MacBook laptops that had manufacturing defects that Apple hid and then stopped patching after warranty. I had to replace my iPhone 4S (a great device) three times because of static noise issues.

I cannot even buy an external fingerprint reader for Mac OS that would work while I have it built in my PC laptops. I have no touch on the latest Apple MacOS devices. The gorgeous near perfect keyboards of previous MacBook Pros now have been replaced by plastic types that even PC users match or exceed.

iOS and its boring icons are still brain dead and have not evolved since iPhone started. I barely have to life my WindowsPhone screen and still can see who emailed me, what the weather changed to, what the latest news are, what someone said on FaceBook, see my photos rotate, ALL on the home screen without touching the phone. Yes, the Apple ecosystem still has a million more apps but after my initial craze which led me to have 1100+ apps on iOS, I have been aggressively deleting apps since only a handful are actually used. Of those about 80% are available to me on WindowsPhone too. 

My latest iPhone 6 Plus has a lousy 8MP camera while my year+ old Windows Phone Lumia 1020 has 43MP that runs rings around it. But worse of all is the sheer number of painful experiences I have had and seen people report on Apple's own boards is mind boggling.

I used to complain about Windows control-alt-delete but with Windows 8 and now Windows 10 coming plus Windows Phone and super cool Live Tiles the user experience is far more innovative than Apple’s. Samsung users tell me even on hardware that company is beating Apple in new features. But the latest shocking defect in Apple hit me today.

You know how Bluetooth connects different vendors products for 15 years but can you believe Apple's latest MacBook Pro & iPhone 6+ fail to connect to each other even with latest Yosemite and iOS 8.1.1 !

In the old days all media did was predict Apple's death and I would argue against it. Now I see Apple non-stop defect laden launches but hardly any media express outrage or show coverage over it. I am not hating on Apple because someone at MS wants me to. After all, as I said, I have been invested in the Apple ecosystem and even my most used Mac apps are from Microsoft, including Outlook, Office/Word/PowerPoint/Excel and especially OneNote.

It is a pretty incredible switch of roles that I did not have any mail loss, data loss, issues moving from Windows 7 to Windows 8 and even Windows 10 Preview but I lost days of effort to resolving about a dozen separate known bugs and defects in upgrading the MacBook Pro to Yosemite and the iOS devices to iOS 8. That is definitely not how the yesterday’s gold standard of user experience and quality, Apple, worked. Is anyone a clear winner in that user experience war. Not right away. But at least today Apple’s clear lead in that area is gone. 

That is why the next personal devices I am lusting for are not Apple gadgets but the Microsoft Surface Pro 3, an Xbox One and a Microsoft Band. Hint, hint, if you really love me, and of course you do :-) , Christmas is around the corner. Just kidding!

What do you think?

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Berliner Dom DOMinating Berlin Sky - IMRAN™

Berliner Dom DOMinating Berlin Sky - IMRAN™

Berliner Dom DOMinating Berlin Sky - IMRAN™ on Flickr.

I love Berlin, Germany, and every time I am in Berlin since my first visit 27 years ago, I always enjoy visiting the Lustgarten area and seeing this imposing structure of the Berliner Dom.

I was able to take this awesome composite photo by combining a few photos taken with my Windows Phone Lumia 1020 and photmerging them in Photoshop. It is amazing how much detail can be see if you view the 55 MB 11000x7800 pixel image on a giant screen.

© 2014 IMRAN

Wednesday, November 05, 2014

(Flying In) A New York, New York, State Of Mind - IMRAN™





(Flying In) A New York, New York, State Of Mind. --- Stunning Manhattan Views In Fall. Come fly in to New York City and enjoy the spectacular sights of the Verrazano–Narrows Bridge, Statute Of Liberty, New York, cruise ships, downtown ‪#‎Manhattan‬Freedom Tower NYC‪#‎Brooklyn‬, the major bridges, ‪#‎Queens‬Citifield - Mets Stadium, as well as the 1964 New York World's Fairand other landmarks you have seen in movies and on TV, on an early Fall day with the beautiful foliage showing different colors before winter sets in. Recorded with my handheld Microsoft Windows Phone Nokia Lumia 1020 with NO color editing of any kind. Click the gear button on YouTube to see it in HD or 3D. 
 
 

Monday, October 20, 2014

Juma Isha Azaan Kaaba Mosque During Hajj Season




The Islamic call to prayer, Azaan, recorded during my Umrah during Hajj season, on Friday (Juma) at night prayer (Isha) time. I was able to say all 5 prayers in Mecca on this Friday. A blessed experience that remains with me for a lifetime.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Pakistan's Head Case Of Maligning Malala And Denigrating Its Noble Nobel Prize Winners - IMRAN™

It boggles my mind how a once proud and capable country like Pakistan has worked extra hard to become a nation of self-loathing, miracle-waiting, pedagogue-worshipping, people who refuse to take responsibility for their actions, expect Allah to step in with a magical leader to fix the problems the people themselves cause and accept, while blaming everyone on the planet for the issues.

A majority of my fellow Pakistanis, including supposedly educated ones, are the only people who can detect things that even scanning electron microscopes or the Hubble Telescope cannot see. They see conspiracies everywhere. If there was a Nobel Prize for conspiracy theories, Pakistan would have dozens of recipients of the award. 

Sadly, Pakistan is the only country I know of that goes out of its way to malign the only two Pakistanis to win Nobel Prizes. They spit on Dr. Abdus Salam (Physics, contributing to understanding of the forces that make the universe work) because he is from a non-Muslim sect. They despise Malala because obviously she must have won the Nobel Prize (that she deserved to win solo last year even more than shared with someone this year) as a tool of the anti-Islam West and Zionist forces.

These Pakistanis come across sounding like Taliban apologists. The irony is that the first word that was spoken in The Message of God to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was “Iqra” — READ. How tragic that evil Taliban and their Al-Qaeda cohorts malign true Islam by shooting education seeking teenager girls in the head and blowing up children and schools in Pakistan. 

Even more hilarious than the funniest monologue by late Robin Williams or any standup comic in the world are the faux-rational questions people ask, or reasons they give, for why Malala won the Nobel Prize. They see a massive global conspiracy of everyone on the planet in what happened. For them, here is the absolute truth which I am certain will make perfect sense to them. 

One evening Malala and her family were sitting at dinner and said, how can we get rich and famous.

The father said, hey, why don't we arrange to have you shot in the head and it will all work out great. She said, Awesome!

They flew to Switzerland and had a meeting with the Rothschild family, which obviously leads the group of Jews that run the new world order. They got into a conference call with Benjamin Netanyahu (sadly a real life war criminal) and President Obama, who agreed to fund the project to insult Pakistan.

Then they invited every member of the Nobel Prize committee from Sweden to Switzerland for high tea, to get agreement they would give her the prize as an insult to all Muslims.

A Jewish doctor came and examined Malala’s head and pointed to the exact spot she should be shot with a gun.

She was so happy… knowing she would soon be able to make speeches, after a little bit of a headache of course!

The family then took a briefcase of Dollars from Obama (who happens to have had a Muslim father) and a gun from India’s Modi (sadly, a murderous politician in real life, responsible for a massacre of Muslims in India).  

They took out a help wanted ad in Taliban Daily Noose. They picked the applicant to shoot Malala in the head.

The rest, as they say, is (a) history (lesson).

I repeat what I have said many times before. “A nation that does not recognize its own problems, that does not take control of its own destiny, where every single individual knows, believes, and acts to do what he or she can to change and improve their part of society and their nation, is bound to continue into a death spiral. Where stood what was once a great nation all that would remain is a pile of waste, destruction, chaos and blame.”  

Until Pakistanis wake up and smell the reality, it starts with the man in the mirror, Pakistan will continue to be populated by people whose entire energy and creativity is spent on coming up with conspiracy theories that are funnier than George W. Bush’s idiotic utterances, or Joe Biden’s retarded faux pas; that are more complex than the inside of Optimus Prime in Transformers; and more creative than the “Final Unifying Theory Of The Universe." 

If these people actually believe in all their conspiracy theories, I am told there is more funding available so they can volunteer to have their teenage daughters shot in the head to become famous and rich.

My fellow Pakistanis, please stop being a head case. Stop maligning people that bring far more honor to our country and religion than the Taliban whose actions you seem to justify or the pseudo-religious and populist people you are following as leaders. Stop those who seek to destroy what opportunities we have to become the honest, responsible, educated, hard working, God-fearing but tolerant people our Prophet would smile on, and make Pakistan a country Quaide Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah would be proud of having founded. 

What are YOU going to do starting today, to be a better person, and to make your part of Pakistan a better place?

Sunday, October 05, 2014

SideWalk™ : Brandenburg Gate Germany At End Of Berlin Marathon At Dusk - IMRAN™



SideWalk™ - Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany - IMRAN™ by imrananwar on photosynth

This is one of the coolest things I have done during my travels.  I am calling creative items SideWalk™ projects. 

It was great to spend an afternoon, evening and early part of the night watch the scene, lighting, mood and crowd change at this historic spot in Germany. It is always a great experience to see this place but it was a special time of year. It was the start of Oktoberfest, the end of the Berlin Marathon, and the start of Fall.  

This magical effect was created by taking 25 photos step by step walking sideways across the width of the landmark Brandenburg Gate, without bumping into people, going around obstacles but trying to stay in a straight line. It was done soon after the race ended there, so the place was crowded and also littered by visitors who can always mess up a nice place. 

Imran Anwar© 2014 IMRAN

Friday, October 03, 2014

Can't See The (de)Forest(ation) For The Trees? - IMRAN™

I love trees. I love and grew up on and near rivers, waterways, and canals, since my late father, Chaudhry Anwar-ud-din, was in the Irrigation Department. He and my late mother, Nargis Anwar, always loved to plant trees wherever we went. We used to drive along remote parts of Punjab along private department-owned roads, with trees dotting the landscape, but never seeming to be enough for the levels of forestation the country needed.

So I was intrigued by an article written by a columnist in News International -- a newspaper that I had helped the Jang Group's owner launch almost exactly 25 years ago, on October 1, 1990 I think it was, and in which I have been published and written about many times in the past.

The writer was commenting on the trees that have had to be cut along some major roadways that now connect an ever expanding city of Lahore, catering to an ever growing population. But his slant was about criticizing the political leadership, with whom he and others may have other differences.

I am sure the political leadership, at the federal and all provincial levels, in Pakistan leave much to be desired and need to be held accountable. But complaining about trees along just one particular road may seem to be driven by people whose home values may be impacted by such trees being cut. But that is just conjecture on my part.

In my opinion, having escaped death many times on the roads of Pakistan, narrow, poorly lit road cause millions of hours of delays, health issues for people stuck daily among idling engines pouring smoke and poisonous fumes in the air, and cost hundreds of lives in traffic accidents. Those are far bigger issues than saving some trees that happened to line Canal Bank, a popular road in Lahore that is now almost a central artery. This is a road I used to go drive on after late nights in the Jang office, and it would be almost like driving on a private country road late at night. Today, you could go miles beyond what was then wilderness and not run out of homes and communities still springing up.

When I was living in Pakistan, first studying at Aitchison College in the late 1970s and later working at Jang Lahore, The Mall (Road) was narrow but wonderfully tree-lined. I did mourn the trees that had to be taken down over the years to expand that roadway. But as population and traffic increase, and a city built for a few horse carriages is now teeming with millions of vehicles, expanding roads is a sad fact of life. That applies not just in Pakistan but everywhere.

The writer mentions some activists opposed to these trees being cut. I believe the "do-gooders", as the writer calls them, would serve the nation, economy, ecology and environment of Pakistan far more by focusing on efforts to plant more trees nationwide, not just trying to protect some along a busy road that will only get busier.

Deforestation is a global problem. What Pakistan has always lacked is enough trees. I believe that with enough people working together, that is the problem that needs more attention than a particular set of trees, In My Humble Opinion.

Imran Anwar

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Golden Moment In Big Bend Of Modern Times & A Gilded Age - IMRAN™

Golden Moment In Big Bend Of Modern Times & A Gilded Age - IMRAN™

A golden moment in time I captured during my recent visit to London, England, after 22 years.

As the hands of time complete their turns on the Big Ben’s clock face, the face of London continues to evolve.

The changes were so marked in the 22 years between my 2 visits, I can only wonder what someone from an older more gilded age would think, if we could turn back time, or cause a bend in the space and time continuum.

Definitely something to keep a(n) (London) Eye on!

© 2014 IMRAN

Sunday, August 03, 2014

Big Bending Stairway To Heaven Against Big Ben London - IMRAN™

Big Bending Stairway To Heaven Against Big Ben London - IMRAN™

When I finally made it back to London after 22 years, I was almost going to miss getting on the London Eye because of a hectic meetings schedule. But at the end of the day of ICANN meetings towards the end of my extremely short stay, I headed to the landmark.

Of course, right after I paid for it is when the otherwise great London weather I was enjoying turned to rain. But, despite that I was able to enjoy new views and viewpoints of London that I had not seen before, including this unique shot showing a big bending stairway, seemingly to heaven, against the majestic backdrop of Big Ben and the magnificent Parliament building.

This is a one-third crop of a WindowsPhone Lumia 1020 photo straightened and enhanced in Photoshop.

© 2014 IMRAN

Sunday, July 27, 2014

0-200 mph 30 Seconds, Boeing 777 London Lahore TakeOff - IMRAN™




0-200 mph 30 Seconds, Boeing 777 London Lahore TakeOff - IMRAN™


 0-200 mph 30 Seconds, #Boeing 777 #London TakeOff

I captured the takeoff as the PIA Boeing 777 took off on a beautiful English summer day from London Heathrow headed to Lahore, Pakistan.

 http://youtu.be/lvvMirdU8zM 

 

© 2014 IMRAN™  

#flying #travel #Pakistan #PIA

Thursday, July 24, 2014

I Eye London Eye - IMRAN™

I Eye London Eye - IMRAN™ -- 400+ Views!

I Eye London Eye - IMRAN™ on Flickr.

I Eye London Eye.

Nearly 22 years ago, I stood at this same spot to take pictures during my first trip to London. I had stopped to visit relatives on my way from Pakistan to continue across the Atlantic Ocean to New York.

The great old historic city was as interesting and bustling as before. If anything, it was significantly more ‘internationalized’ in terms of the demographics.

But architecturally the biggest change was seeing the London Eye that was nowhere in the pictures I took at the River Thames during my previous visit.

I was also lucky to have amazing weather during my visit. This is a WindowsPhone Lumia 1020 photo.

© 2014 IMRAN

https://www.flickr.com/photos/imrananwar/14314577089/

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Stunning Sunset Slits Cloud To Paint Sky - IMRAN™

This is a WindowsPhone Lumia 1020 time lapse of about one hour shown in 10 seconds.

Despite a heavily cloudy day, the suns’s beams slit the cloud and painted the sky in gorgeous colors that reflected on the waters of Tampa Bay at Apollo Beach.

Watch in HD for best colors.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Cloud Slices Sun As Boat Slices Sea - IMRAN™

Cloud Slices Sun As Boat Slices Sea - IMRAN™ -- 1000+ Views 1 Day!

I am thrilled when I see light cloud patterns across the low horizon at sunset time because they make for the most stunning sunset pictures.

Either a narrow dark band that splits the sky into bands of bright yellow, dark red and orange; or these almost paintbrush like light strokes of semi-opaque cloud that the sun’s light is able to pass through and paint over the edges in golden and red tones.

This SOOC (straight out of camera) Nikon D300 image was labeled with my name in Photoshop and straightened 0.4 degrees in iPhoto. I did not tweak any color or shade, not even to make the boat slicing through the water more visible.

This was just another of those stunning sunsets that make me bow my head in gratitude and amazement to God.

© 2014 IMRAN
DSC_4620

Monday, May 26, 2014

On Freedoms And Memories Of Another Day On Memorial Day - IMRAN™

I was still a final year student at University of Engineering and Technology (Lahore, Pakistan) when Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman, the owner of the media empire in this NY Times story ( http://j.mp/1r9rVO6 ), invited me to work directly for him. I was 22 then. 

 

I had met him a few times before, mostly as a student leader leading protest marches into his office when Jang, the leading Pakistan newspaper but that would cave in and give greater coverage to the Taliban cousins Jamate-Islami fundamentalists party. So it was an ironic twist to become one of his key people. 

 

He originally invited me to write on a Youth page but in my first day visiting his office I saw how IBM people in Pakistan were about to rip him off by selling electric typewriters with changeable font balls as "desktop publishing systems". I made a comment about that. 

 

Yes, I always spoke my mind regardless of the "stature" of the people in the room and continue to do so. 

 

Shakil didn't sign the contract and immediately said, forget the youth page, I want you to sit with me here every day and advise me on anything you want. He had the foresight to see that my vision of technology changing media changing society changing the world was the missing piece in his media/society part of the equation. 

 

I learned a lot of lessons from him, 90% of them good, and just 10% of them disappointments. That is a pretty amazing ratio in a world full of us imperfect people. And I am sure there have been times I must have disappointed him too. But I consider him one of the best teachers in my life besides my parents. 

 

He did his best to dissuade me from going to Columbia Business School on a full scholarship, saying I would learn so much more as his right hand man. I have no doubt that would have been true, but I am glad I left. Yes, it would have been an amazing journey with Shakil, but I would still be an employee of a tycoon. I am blessed and grateful for all that life has brought my way on my own. 

 

Our friendship continued over the last 25 years I spent in America. I literally flew in on a PIA flight carrying several thousands pounds of equipment for the well known News International which I was involved in the launch of. I literally flew in minutes before the newspaper went to press.

 

Shakil left the press building even as plates for the very first copies of the paper were being mounted onto presses. Even though it was a lifetime dream of his family coming true, he drove from the Jang Karachi building to the airport to personally receive me inside the terminal and then drove me to the press with him to see the very first copies of the newspaper roll off the press. I always honor him for how he has always honored me over the years.

 

Though we are not related at all, we used to look alike a bit. (Maybe the prominent nose LOL). He always treated me like a younger brother he did not have (unless I happened to ask for a raise LOL). And he would always laugh when I would affectionately mimic his distinctive manner and style of speaking. 

 

One day we were in his magnificent office on the top floor of the Jang Building in Lahore when I did my impression of him. He was laughing out loud when his assistant (Fayyaz) said a well known but obnoxious person (son of a national leader), who had not personally met Shakil before, was there to visit. 

 

Like in a comedy movie, Shakil thought my impression was so great I should meet that obnoxious person acting as Shakil and Shakil would become Imran. We both moved to the "drawing room" part of the office when the guest came in. And I have to say, I was so flawless in doing my Shakil impression the guest (who had spoken to MSR before on the phone) had no clue what happened. Shakil and I had to do everything in our power not to crack up laughing. We did not do that again, but I remember that and many other adventures, mid-day or midnight, that we shared with love, trust and affection.  

 

Though Shakil and I do not get time to speak regularly now, I still consider him one of the smartest, most forward looking businessmen in the world. Yes, Jang, and the GEO channel, are brilliant commercial media organizations. But not once did I ever see action or hear any words come out of the mouth of Shakil (or his late father the great Mir Khalil ur Rehman, brother Javed, or his brilliant sons or daughters) that would ever be remotely considered anti-Pakistan or anti-Islam. 

 

I laugh at former Playboy, by now probably Viagra-needing pro-fundamentalists, like Imran Khan (whom I once admired) and others making accusations against Shakil. It amazes me how many dumb idiots, especially on Twitter and FaceBook (places they exercise right to free speech), foaming at the mouth about wanting to have GEO shut down. 

 

They do not know what it is like not to have these basic freedoms of expression. They do not know how to exercise the freedom of switching the channel if they do not like something. They want things to be exactly how they want them or to be shut down.

 

These idiots did not serve in newsrooms that were raided by scummy crooked military officers of evil dictator General Zia's regime to rip out stories being put in the next day's paper. They did not know journalists whose fingernails were ripped out by "security services" as we knew.  They did not get court-martialed as an engineering student leader for leading marches against the military regime as I did.

 

They did not fall sleep on the floors of newspaper press buildings at 4AM to make sure nothing kept the presses from running. Shakil did, and I was proud to have been next to him in those times. 

 

Long live democracy, freedom of speech, and a free Press, in Pakistan as well as USA

 

And long live my friend Shakil and his family.

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Surrendering Self-Control To Submissive Sky - IMRAN™

 

 

Surrendering Self-Control To Submissive Sky - IMRAN™
Another impossibly beautiful variation
of colors in the magical dusk
sensually revealing its core
opening incredibly breathtaking charms
to me for me mine mine mine
and leaves me breathless
as I surrender self control
to savor its total submission
on the planet sized canvas sheet
of the heavenly sky.

- Imran Anwar

© 2014-2018 IMRAN™

#poetry #poem #prose #erotica
 

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Happy Mother's Day, Half Century Ago, Today And Forever - IMRAN™

 

 

My Late Mother And I, Happy Mother's Day, A Half Century Ago, Captured By My Late Father. —

 

Beloved Ami Jan, as you look down from your place in heaven, on this and every Mother’s Day, please know that every day that has passed since you left too soon 22 years ago has been a day devoted to loving, missing and remembering you.

One day the number of years that you have been gone will exceed the number of days I was blessed with your love, your presence, your prayers in every aspect of my life.

But I promise you my love for you will continue to flow even more deeply in my soul and the tears that roll down my cheeks as I write these lines that have never let up, never dried, will mark the passing of all the days I have yearned for you to somehow be back, even if it meant exchanging the remaining days of my life for you to have a chance to live again.

Happy Mother’s Day, Ami, will be when God wills for me to walk up to you in the afterlife, and say, I am your son, and I hope I lived a life that was worthy of having been your son. I love you, forever and beyond, Ami.


Imran
Mother’s Day 2014
Apollo Beach

Friday, May 09, 2014

My Sea Of Love - IMRAN™

 

 
Magical Dusk Seduces Me 
With Sweet Surrenders Tonight, 
As I Gaze Far Out, 
To Intense And Deep
Long Coming Tomorrows, 
And They All Promise 
Even Deeper Submission,
Ever Bolder Embrace 
Of My Every Wild Dream, 
Demand And Mad Desire. 
Come, Come, You All, 
My Beautiful Mermaids, 
My Stunning Angels, 
Place Your Hands
Into Mine,
And Your Hearts
Next To Mine.
Seize The Day, 
Embrace The Night, 
Hold On Tight, 
Come All The Way,
Into Loving Reality,
From Lusty Fantasy,
Hot Like The Fiery Sky,
And Glowing Stars Above,
Come Let’s All Melt As One
Into A Flowing Sea,
My Sea Of Love. 

- Imran Anwar
May 7, 2014
Apollo Beach FL
© 2014
 
1st Draft.

Sunday, May 04, 2014

Bye Bye, Fly By, Perfect Sunset - IMRAN™

Bye Bye, Fly By, Perfect Sunset - IMRAN™ -- 600 Views!

A beautiful bird, shocking pink in real life, but appearing black in silhouette against this absolutely perfect sunset, flies by as another day of our lives flies by.

© 2014 IMRAN
DSC_4548sq

The original SOOC (straight out of camera) Nikon D300 image was taken handheld at 450mm eq zoom, converted in FaceBook and cropped square (to fit the darned Instagram format where I do not want to use their filters).

 

Thursday, April 24, 2014

From Dock to Dusk On Tampa Bay - IMRAN™

From Dock to Dusk On Tampa Bay - IMRAN™ -- 350+ Views!
I am blessed to call this place home, only by the grace of God, whose blessings I could spend my life giving thanks for and not have enough time. The bright white dock glows under the reddish golden glow of the dusk at the other end of this handheld panorama photo taken on Tampa Bay in Apollo Beach with my cell phone and enhanced in Photoshop.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Surreal Magical Dusk - IMRAN™

Surreal Magical Dusk - IMRAN™ -- 460+ Views!

Surreal Magical Dusk Facing Me At My Blessed Home,

As I Bow My Head To God, For All That He Blessed Me With, And Even The Unanswered Prayers For What Was Not Meant To Be Despite My Best Efforts, For Only He Knows How Incredibly He Will Make My Dreams Come True Beyond My Own Imagination.

All I Can Do Is Fall On My Knees In Thanks For What He Already Blessed Me With, And For The Gifts Of Life, Health, Love, Family, Joy, Success And Happiness He Has In Store For Me. Amen!

- Imran Anwar

© 2014 IMRAN
DSC_4518

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Oh, B(u)oy! - IMRAN™



Oh, B(u)oy! Buoy 36 is actually supposed to mark the marine channel in the Great South Bay about half a mile away South of my beach, midpoint between my home and Davis Park & Watch Hill on Fire Island. It is the buoy that I have used as a reference point hundreds of times while boating in the last 20 years, to turn from the main channel towards my home and marina.
During a recent windy day it appears to have become dislodged and floated its way to the private beach at my home community. This WindowsPhone Lumia 1020 photo, taken at sunset tonight, shows how big these things are even though while boating they can be hard to spot in the distance. Hopefully no boaters are using it for late night navigation or they will definitely run aground to shouts of “Oh, BoyI Oh, Buoy! Oh, $#!^!”
- Imran Anwar
Great South Bay
April 21, 2014.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Somebody's Watching Me - IMRAN™

Saturday, April 05, 2014

Stunning Sunset Magical Dusk 15 Seconds TimeLapse - IMRAN™





Stunning Sunset Magical Dusk #Florida. Click and be blown away. Savor this most incredible sunset and dusk with flashing colors filling the sky in this 15 seconds TimeLapse video I captured at home.http://youtu.be/uJzVwqak_4U 

Wednesday, April 02, 2014

Take Sun, Clouds, Bird And Boat. Just Add Water. - IMRAN™

Take Sun, Clouds, Bird And Boat. Just Add Water. - IMRAN™

Take a setting sun even on a cloudy and darkening day which is grudgingly coming to an end.

Add some layers of clouds meandering about their short-lived hours of existence, as a bird flies by to nest for the night.

Mix in a boat with sunset worshippers caught in silhouette, as I watch from my blessed home, and you get another stunning magical moment, another memory, another blessing to lower my head in gratitude for, as I mutter my eternal thanks to God.


Imran Anwar
Apollo Beach, FL
Spring 2014

© 2014 IMRAN
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Monday, March 31, 2014

Let There Be Consequences To Treason

I have always been a supporter of democracy, imperfect as it is, over all forms of dictatorship and tyranny, whether ‘benevolent dictators' or hypocritical Kings supposedly custodians of holy places. 

One reason Pakistan has always been overrun by its own military was that there were never any consequences to the military people who broke the constitution.

As in every society, sycophants will crawl at the feet of whoever has power, regardless of how evil or how illegal the dictator may be.

The worst cancer of religious intolerance, extremism and terrorism was injected into Pakistani society more than 30 years ago by the vile General Zia, who turned Islam into a weapon against democracy and moderation.

It was with a sense of hope that I read this news item today. Former #Pakistan Dictator Pervez Musharraf indicted on Treason!

General Musharaff was not bad as far as dictators go, and even did a few good things. Of course, he let power go to his head and paid the price. Even after being ousted he was delusional enough to return to Pakistan expecting to win back power.

I do not wish to see him condemned to death or anything that would be too extreme.

But, may this be a good start to the concept of "actions have consequences" and "no one is above the law" that Pakistan has long needed.

More than teaching Musharaff a lesson, I hope this teaches all politicians, and military people, that Pakistanis have awakened, the rule of law is getting established in the echelons of power, and that in time Pakistan can be a strong, stable, moderate democracy and a regional power of good. Amen.

 

 

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Osprey (Tampa) Bay - IMRAN™

 

A majestic Osprey that nests on my neighbor’s chimney takes off over Tampa Bay to hunt fish several times a day.

This spectacular moment was captured with my Lumia 1020 WindowsPhone as the low tide made the flats expand in front of my eyes.

With the Osprey soaring above Tampa Bay, I was reminded of the place I bought my Kayak, called Osprey Bay.

 

© 2014 IMRAN
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Monday, March 24, 2014

White Hot Sun Fights Dark Clouds On Amber Sky - IMRAN™

White Hot Sun Fights Dark Clouds On Amber Sky. 450mm Zoom handheld photo with a 7 years old Nikon D300 taken at my home in Apollo Beach last night, March 23, 2014.

© IMRAN
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Thursday, March 20, 2014

Burning Heart (And Golden Eyes?) -- IMRAN™

The nearly 7 years old Nikon D300 still can capture some mesmerizing scenes at sunset.

This Tampa Bay sunset I shot at home in Florida, looks crooked because the cloud edge appears to slope. But it actually is straight if you would see the original larger photo I cropped this from.

But the brilliant burning red heart figure in the sky to right above, and the two almost human eye like dark blobs to the right of the stunning Gold sun with clouds sliding past it, make for a surreal scene.

© 2014 IMRAN
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http://flic.kr/p/mg6Aic

Friday, March 14, 2014

Sweet Pink Core Unfurls - IMRAN™

I took this macro photo with my WindowsPhone Lumia 1020 held as close to a new rose, blooming at my Florida home, as the lens could handle. This was cropped to 20% to show the detail of the sweet pink core of the rose sensually unfurling to receive the attention and love it hungered for.

© 2014 IMRAN

Monday, March 03, 2014

Sole Bird Soars Across Golden Yellow Sky - IMRAN™

I was enjoying a calm, breezy, somewhat cool, but pleasant Florida winter afternoon. It was definitely a far cry from the 10F temperature I would have faced in NY.

As soon as I saw this band of clouds form over Tampa Bay, Florida, I knew it was going to make for a spectacular sunset.

In addition to the needed additional layers of clouds at different altitudes and distances, the darker cloud formation was wide enough to cover the sun and alost automatically set the scene for out of this world colors.

The good old Nikon D300 with a 450mm equivalent Nikkor lens were standing by as I watched the colors change from the house.

As a sole bird soared in the distance, I knew it was time to step outside and soak in this heavenly scene of God’s creation.

When the sun sunk over the horizon, I bent my head in Maghrib (sunset) prayers, and gave thanks to God for all that he has blessed me with. With your prayers and his blessings, may the best still lie ahead.

Imran Anwar
Apollo Beah, FL
3/3/2014

© 2014 IMRAN
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Sunday, March 02, 2014

Tender Young Sensual Sweet Pink Petals Unfurl - IMRAN™

The sensual, sweet, blossoming, tender petals of this rose bush are just starting to unfurl in passionate embrace of life and joy.

This is just a photo with a 3 years old iPhone. It is the first flower on a new rose bush I planted at my home in Apollo Beach. The White wall provided a great natural backdrop.

The interesting twist is how this photo was taken in winter in Florida, whereas I would have to wait for summer for such shots in New York.

© 2014 IMRAN
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Monday, February 24, 2014

Bow / Tie - IMRAN™

Bow / Tie - IMRAN™ by ImranAnwar
Bow / Tie - IMRAN™, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

Boating, yachting, sailing, and even flying over and driving to beautiful yachting locations is one of my passions.

This photo was taken with an old cell phone, on a stunning day at Port Jefferson Harbor, in Long Island, on the North Shore, one of many beautiful New York boating areas.

I have been blessed to have owned and operated boats from 23 to 40 feet. Much that I would love to afford a 70-100 feet long yacht, I prefer things I can operate alone without needing a crew.

However, I loved this moment as the yacht’s gleaming BOW was TIEd by dark dock lines on a stunning blue day.

© 2011-2014 IMRAN
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Friday, February 21, 2014

Sunset Reflects Over Top Of The Sun - IMRAN™

Sun/Screen: Stunning Tampa Bay Sunset Reflects In Layered Clouds.

Unedited Colors Nikon D300 Photo. Simply Cropped Square For Instagram Etc.

© 2014 IMRAN
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Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Sole Tree Silhouettes Tranquil Tampa Bay Dusk - IMRAN™

This is a WindowsPhone Lumia 1040 cell phone camera photo at 41MP, which I captured walking back from a walk on the beach at Old Tampa Bay Park last night.


© 2014 IMRAN

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Thursday, February 13, 2014

I'll Cross That Bridge When I Get To It - IMRAN™

I was out to dinner enjoying Fort Myers Beach, Florida. This was during a one month long drive I took exploring every single mile of Florida coastline in 2012, looking for a place to get a second home.

It was my first trip to this area, and I enjoyed the stay, though I did buy my home somewhere else.

This cell phone handheld photo was stitched with a 99 cents app, and clearned up in Photoshop.

© 2012-2014 IMRAN
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