Apollo Beach Tampa Bay Florida Jet Ski Racing Sailing Boating Cruising HyperLapse - IMRAN™

I love Florida and I love boating. Combining those two is easy when I am blessed to live in Apollo Beach, on Tampa Bay.
This is a low-resolution (merely 640x480) video saved from a Twitter Livestream, using their Periscope platform. The quality of Periscope videos is much lower than FaceBook's livestreaming quality these days.
But, you can see why this area is a boating paradise for every kind of mariner, See cruise ships, tankers, cargo ships, yachts, sailboats, cruisers, boats, pontoons, jet skis and almost every form of watercraft in this one video.
It is sped up to nearly 500% so a half hour stream can be enjoyed in under 4.5 minutes.
The music track is my nTrance To The Tunnel Of Love, the title album of my music CD that you can listen to on Spotify, Google Play, Microsoft, iTunes, CDbaby, and all major music platforms.
Enjoy. Like, love, comment, share!

© 2017 IMRAN™

Farewell Jerry Lewis - IMRAN™

Jerry Lewis, 91, passes away. RIP.

His movies were mostly slapstick and almost always had the same formula, but as kids we loved watching his goofball comedy movies on TV in Pakistan.

What movies of his do you remember and enjoyed the most?

His best role came later in life with charity work.

© 2017 IMRAN™

My Boat Slip, A Sailboat & Stunning Sunset Skies At Long Island Home Marina - IMRAN™

Walking back home from the beach, after yesterday's gorgeous sunset livestream, I took the longer part of the boardwalk back home.

This way I could catch the stunning shades of dusk and magical clouds against the beautiful boating scene at my boat slip.

My neighbor's sailboat enhanced the view.

© 2017 IMRAN™

Sunset Boardwalk Beach Walk. Deer. ParaGliders. Long Island. LiveStream - IMRAN™

Sunset Boardwalk Beach Walk. Deer. ParaGliders. Long Island. LiveStream - IMRAN™

Come along for a walk on my boardwalk in New York as a beautiful Long Island sunset acts as a backdrop for exciting views of a powered parachute flying by while I get up close and personal with a mama deer and her baby.

Then watch birds and boats pass by me at the beach while the colors of dusk fill the sky.

© 2017 IMRAN™

Real Red/Blue Map Of Votes By County Shows Reality - IMRAN™

I do not belong to any political party and was not a fan of Hillary Clinton. But I knew, and publicly stated, why Donald Trump would be the worst thing to happen to the USA.

The non-stop crisis, chaos, collusion and scandals are bearing it out. Every day he says something that makes things worse.

Almost every day something new and more shocking is revealed. His actions literally are the opposite of everything he claimed in his election campaign.

By now even people on Mars (the red planet) and endangered penguins in Antarctica have seen Trump's Red/Blue map which he whips out all the time -- even when he is asked about something else!

Yes, this Russia-funded Putin puppet won Electoral College with his message (of hate & lies plus Russia's help).

But for the sake of understanding the real state of the union, take a look at this real counties' voting map (from the Washington Post) shows voters' choices by county. America is not as crazy as Trump's Red/Blue map would make the world think!

The intense red spots are the areas where the fringe/lunatic/rabid people who love the man who lied to them are based in highest concentrations. I wish someone would overlay this map on a map of percentage of people with a college degree. Or a map of people and iQ scores, or SAT scores for that matter!

Not all of the people in these red spots are terrible. Many are simple minded, mostly undereducated folks, who are gullible to any snake oil seller's claims.

Thankfully,, these people are not the sharpest tools in the shed. They are by no means the majority of the country. They, and their limited ability to admit to their mistake.

Their delusional, often moronic, statements that Trump is right next to Jesus in being a gift of God, show that Trump can fool some of the people all of the time. Don't believe me? See this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC6wc03OjhY . Also, https://goo.gl/images/LFvsCN shows how correct the late George Carlin was!

And that's how Trump, and his supporters, like it. They embrace living in a world of delusion, hatred, bigotry, illiteracy and falsehoods that sound good. Some openly admit to not wanting to know real facts!

They are the ones demanding and expecting great things in life, like well paying jobs, without even being able to speak, read or write proper English. Many of these areas are the biggest users of ObamaCare, but yelled asking for the failed Repeal & Replace effort.

God save their children from growing up with such ignorance and stupidity. God save our country, and our planet, from the damage Trump and his cronies are doing to it.

 

© 2017 IMRAN™

Terrific Tuesday Boardwalk Sunset Walk Marina To Beach At Long Island Home New York - IMRAN™

 

Come along for a walk enjoying the beautiful landscape and nature's tranquility at my blessed home. Even better for you, you won't be bitten by gnats as I was being eaten alive by them during this livestream. LOL.

You'll also love this highlights music video. https://www.facebook.com/IMRAN.TV/posts/10155754333871155 also!

© 2017 IMRAN™

When Being Boiled Alive Is Not Punishment Enough - IMRAN™

I am sickened reading about this triple-murderer. Even a simple death penalty would not have been enough for his first murder!

Why was this man not fried for the first murder? Then he was let out and allowed to kill again...! Why was he not BOILED alive for that? But he was then let out AGAIN to murder AGAIN?

I generally do not support violence. But in this case I would not shed a single tear if the victims' loved ones seek vengeance on the parole boards and judges who let this son of Satan continue living and being set free so he could continue taking lives. 

What do you think?

© 2017 IMRAN™

Using CVS App A Prescription For Invasion Of Privacy - IMRAN™

Why is CVS Pharmacy trying to track #consumers' #location even when we are not actually using their App? Sleazy invasion of #privacy and a #security risk! Shameful #UX design decision. Maybe the Federal Trade Commission can find out.

© 2017 IMRAN™

https://t.co/0cgubYkwYb

Euro Stairway To Heaven - IMRAN™

Thanks to my beautiful beloved companion Shasha for the many awesome photos she took of me during our amazing time together in Berlin, Germany, five years ago.

She took this candid photo by calling out to me as I was going up a staircase to see if this place was worth exploring. I had made this trip to Germany EXACTLY 25 Years after my first visit there.

© 2017 IMRAN™
IMG_8243

#ThrowbackThursday, #IMRAN, #Berlin, #Germany, #travel, #portrait, #graffiti

Spectrum's DialUp Age Service & Stone Age CRM - IMRAN™

Spectrum's DialUp Age Service & Stone Age CRM - IMRAN™

I had to tweet about the "Moronic #UXdesign POS #UserExperience Spectrum. Dead service.Stupid phone menu identifies my account from callerID but doesn't know what service I have!"

Even a caveman era CRM system would know I do not get any shitty service from Spectrum other than Internet, which is that lame asymmetrical 200/20.

Yet, their retarded CustomerService number (20 minutes to get a rep) lists through their various services I do NOT have to ask if I am calling about those. Retards.

Spectrum is shitty enough to make me give sleazy Frontier another chance for the symmetric speeds.

© 2017 IMRAN™

Delightful Dramatic Dusk Spectacular Sunset Scene Beautiful Blessed Beach Long Island New York Home - IMRAN™

Delightful Dramatic Dusk Spectacular Sunset Scene Beautiful Blessed Beach Long Island New York Home - IMRAN™

Cloud covered skies made sunset short duration but made dramatic colors all around at the Great South Bay, at my blessed home in East Patchogue, Suffolk County, Long Island, New York.

See the livestream at http://facebook.com/MyIMRAN

© 2017 IMRAN™

Delightful Dramatic Dusk Spectacular Sunset Scene Beautiful Blessed Beach Long Island New York Home - IMRAN™

Cloud covered skies made sunset short duration but made dramatic colors all around at the Great South Bay, at my blessed home in East Patchogue, Suffolk County, Long Island, New York.

See the livestream at http://facebook.com/MyIMRAN

© 2017 IMRAN™

Smooth Power Of TakeOff Doha To New York - IMRAN™

 My most recent trip to visit my siblings was on our beloved late mother's 25 death anniversary. I got a great round trip airfare flying on Qatar Airways, JFK New York to Lahore with stops in Doha, Qatar each way. Great new planes and fares but I can honestly say Etihad Airways and Emirates service is far better. The airport itself was boring and the staff was unpleasant and least bothered about service with a smile overall. I managed to capture this video taking off from Doha taking off for NY. Check out the incredible water colors of the Khaleej, the Gulf, there. And enjoy the airflow becoming visible over the wings as moisture left a visible trail. Some idiots would insist that was "chemtrails" if they saw it from the ground. 😄😄

© 2017 IMRAN™

#flying #travel #aviation #Qatar #Khaleej

Growing A 'Small' Business By Getting Down To Hard Work & Pleasing Customers With More Than Lip Service! - IMRAN™

Growing A 'Small' Business By Getting Down To Hard Work & Pleasing Customers With More Than Lip Service! - IMRAN™ 😂

I do not know if this is a hoax but it sure sounds more funny than sexy.

First they will ask, "My pad or your iPad?". Then they will, ahem, get down to business which requires hard work.

Pleasing the customer would be more than lip service. LOL.

Q. Will the BJ providers wear protection on their head? No, no, the real head! In case of hot spilled coffee, you know. LOL

Not to be outdone. perhaps the US coffee chain can rebrand itself as Starƒucks. 😀

 

© 2017 IMRAN™

DO's, DOESN'Ts And DON'Ts, If You Love Grammar - IMRAN™

What a great photo this is that I just had to Share and comment on. I LOVE the photo for its tongue in cheek humor, implied sexuality, obvious voyeurism & exhibitionism and innuendo. Plus, I love the grammar lesson too that so many need. See the bottoms of the shoes.

Now we need a photo that explains the difference between DON'T and DOESN'T which so many people are too oblivious or don't seem to know. 

Even worse, some blame 'auto-correct' when, in fact, if they even type DOESNT without the apostrophe, auto-correct would fix that to DOESN'T.

As I always say, "Artificial Intelligence cannot fix Natural Stupidity!"  Siri can't fix Lazy, Stupid or UnderEducated. :-)

The funny thing is how native English speakers would make fun of foreigners or foreign-born people, especially low-income immigrants, for their accents or supposed poor English.

These days it is foreign-born people who still speak proper English compared to the bast majority of my fellow Americans. On top of that, almost every year it is always immigrant minority kids that win major spelling competitions.

I do not see things getting any better for the standards of education, including English, what to say of Maths and Science, with Donald Trump in the White House and his ignorance-embracing mindset and policies that make George W. Bush seem like a genius.

What do you think?

Imran Anwar
© 2017 IMRAN™

Florida Boating Jet Skiing Tubing Fun & Wipeout Music Video 4K - IMRAN™

Florida Boating Jet Skiing Tubing Fun & Wipeout Music Video 4K - IMRAN™
I was relaxing on Memorial Day Weekend, when I saw a group of friends on a boat and jet ski with a tube in tow appear from the left. I clicked to record what I figured would be a fun thing to watch happening. And it sure was. Enjoy this music video I made using my "Start At 'The End'" music track first released with a 360° Montauk New York driving video. Watch for the tubing fun and the wipeout! Enjoy the boats going by showing why Apollo Beach is such a great place to enjoy life on the water.

© 2017 IMRAN™

Cancer, Life, Death, Cure, All Matters Of Timing & Society's Priorities - IMRAN™

I have had family members die due to cancer in Pakistan. In the USA a girlfriend of mine died of cancer aged 30 nearly 25 years ago.

Ironically, it was exactly the kind of cancer the young lady in the story below was able to be saved from. "Experimental Cancer Therapy That Targets Genes Gives Patients Hope," reports Washington Post.

A lot in life, disease, cure or death is a matter of genes and pure fate & luck. A random exposure to something can bring about the start of a deadly condition. An equally random or accidental event in a lab can find a miracle cure for deadly disease.

It made me think of how many people lost too young could be saved if money was invested in medical science and research instead of on the creation of death machines by governments and on even more frivolous things by individuals.

How great would it be if sleazy politicians did not yank away health insurance and medical benefits from the poor to give tax breaks to the already super-rich. I would love to pay lower taxes, but not if I know it came from leaving the poor and suffering to die for lack of money and insurance.

How wonderful would it be if the sickeningly rich people buying stupid and ugly paintings for $110 Million instead spent that money on hospitals and cancer research centers. I would be quite happy to see that even if they put their names on top of the buildings in gold letters with neon lights (though my sense of aesthetics would possibly require hospitalization).

Any doctors and healthcare professionals reading this, what do you think of this therapy? And others,including those who have lost someone to cancer, what do you think about my point above?

Imran Anwar

© 2017 IMRAN™

Get Passing Lane Hog Drivers Off The Road - IMRAN™

 

 

One of my pet peeves on the highway is the morons and deliberate jerks who have some genetic need to hog the passing lane even if the middle and first lane are empty for miles.

This phenomenon is common in all states but Florida literally has the worst cases. And in Florida the most egregious cases I have seen have been on I-4 near Orlando. With literally SIX LANES and no traffic I have seen a dozen cars late at night, heading west on I-4, each one in the passing lane and not moving over for traffic coming up behind and even signaling.

The Tampa Bay Times had an article about how a lack of highway patrol staff is reducing the number of speeding tickets getting issued. Yes, irresponsible speeding can cause loss of control but the worst hazard are the brain dead jerks who hog the passing lane.

IMHO, In My Humble Opinion,

1. A responsible driver driving even 20 mph over the posted limit in a straight line in the middle lane on a HIGHWAY with little traffic is not the problem, but is still more likely to get ticketed.

2. The brain-dead or fat-necked or lazy slob or deliberate jerk who does not move over from the PASSING Lane deliberately forcing people to go around on the wrong side is MORE likely to cause

- a) road rage and

- b) collisions of other cars) but can go driving like that for miles, but no one pulls them over. I literally have seen only ONE case of it. (Read that at the end below).

3. If the fewer officers available targeted these types of callous and obnoxious drivers with higher fines, it will have many benefits.

- a) revenue for the state

- b) target the real menace on the roads who endanger others

- c) make people actually use turn signals AND stay in appropriate lanes

d) create fewer hazardous situations

e) create fewer road rage reasons, and

f) will automatically be a deterrent even to the speeding drivers as it is human nature to behave when seeing someone else pulled over.

So, that one time I saw someone get puled over. A total jerk in a huge black SUV who was not letting me pass on I-4 near Tampa. He did not move over even when a Florida Highway Patrol car came up behind him after I moved to the next right lane. The guy did not let the cop pass either!

I never cheer any regular non-drunk driver getting pulled over for 'normal' non-aggressive speeding. But, oh, the joy, when the FHP officer had enough and blared his sirens to pull that prick over.

That LITERALLY is the ONLY case I have seen in 30 years of driving in USA. Please, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and Florida Highway Patrol Training Academy, target the real menace on the roads, the passing lane hogs!

Imran Anwar

IMRAN™

 

 

My Explanations For Weirdest Reality Star (Not Trump!) In The Universe Acting Up On My Birthday! - IMRAN™

For those who do not know about this, there is a very strange star (in reality) out there. Well, in actuality there are millions we do not understand, but this one is special. It has wide and wild fluctuations in its brightness. It is named Tabby's Star for a scientist Tabetha S. Boyajian, who predicted it would act up, right at my birthday in May. Thank you Tabby and Tabbys's Star. :-)
There are some theories about it, including one that the light from the star if effected by some sort of solar panels aliens living there use to gather energy. That was too easy to not tie into the current state of our politics, reality TV guy in the White House, talk about aliens, and energy independence.
So I have some ideas on it.
I don't want to make Light of it.. ;-) but I am sure it is Barack Obama's people spying on Trump Towers. Bad. Very bad Dark humor? :-)
Otherwise is it just another Reality Star trying to steal the (orange/lime) light? :-)
But, seriously, to those who proposed some sort of solar panel array causing this, why would it not be static brightness or fluctuating on some sort of sinusoid cycle depending on reflection from the star/sun location in a rotational cycle, or even On/Off periodically?
Random needs for power generation are only likely if the aliens just use it for random things, e.g tailgate parties or camping out where they do not have a power grid. :-)
Whatever the explanation, it is going to be big, yuuuge, so bright, so so so bright, you will need shades.
But we don't want anything to do with those aliens who will want to immigrate here. We will stop them. We will build a Wall made from Oakley shades and cemented with sunscreen to keep them out!
Check out the Washington Post article. What are your ideas?

Imran Anwar
© 2017 IMRAN™

Relax In 4 Minutes! Enjoy Setting Sun On Tampa Bay Florida At My Home & ...

Moody on Monday? Wishing weekend was longer? Sensing stress? Take 4 minutes to stop what you're doing, and come sit by my swimming pool at my Apollo Beach, Florida, home.
Watch a stunning golden sunset form over Tampa Bay, while a relaxing tune 'Lovers Seeking Moonlight' ( https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ntrance-to-tunnel-of-love/id1090633937# ) soothes your jangled nerves, and relaxes your soul.
Watch the speed at which the wind carries the clouds. This is not a timelapse. It is the actual speed the wind was carrying them. That is why I left the sound of the wind in the video a little bit. Watch the pelicans fly by you, and ospreys hover above you.
Enjoy and buy some music from my CD, "nTrance To Tunnel Of Love". Check it out at https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ntrance-to-tunnel-of-love/id1090633937 . I give 100% of the proceeds to charity.
Let me know how you feel. And share with your friends who could use some R&R regardless of where they are stuck!

© 2017 IMRAN™

HappilySingle™ vs Open Marriage vs Fake Monogamy - IMRAN™

I'm happily single, never married. I would consider marrying the person I fall in love with deep enough but do not feel the need to be married for the sake of being married.

I also joke that I am waiting to find my fourth beloved so that I can marry all four of my future wives together. (Muslim joke).

The reason I created the HappilySingle™ brand was to ridicule the fallacy of society's "Happily Married" marketing of an obsolete failure of an institution, marriage. 50% end in divorce as we all know.

I believe at least 25% others are having affairs. Another 12.5% are staying together unhappily for the sake of the kids, or out of fear, or because divorce would be economically impractical.

In my opinion, maybe 12.5% couples can fall under the happily married umbrella.

I would ask the married ones among you which category you fall under but for obvious reasons no one would be able to speak the full truth.

I do have dear friends here who are in beautiful open marriages. So, when I saw this article in The New York Times, I had to share it here and ask your opinions on all of these...the institution of marriage versus non-traditional marriages, non-marriage relationships (that often last longer than real marriages) or just staying Happily Single!

Tell me what you all think.

Imran Anwar

© 2017 IMRAN™

Dusk Dolphins Diving - IMRAN™

Delightful deep colors of dusk filled sea and sky on Tampa Bay, Florida, as I stood on my dock at sunset. A couple Dolphins headed home for the night after feeding and I could see and hear the rippling of their diving mixed with the sound of water waves and the silence of light waves.

© 2017 IMRAN™

Magical Layers Of Sunset At Tampa Bay Florida - IMRAN™

What magic Tampa Bay Florida sunsets reveal in layers that I am blessed to see.
The base photo of this image is SOOC (straight out of camera) of my 10 years old Nikon D300. No editing. No color tweak of ANY kind. No filters. It was simply cropped and I added text to fit it into a FaceBook Cover Photo format.

© 2017 IMRAN™  

Start At "The End" At The End Of Day : Montauk NY 360° Winter Drive Music Video - IMRAN™

Montauk (which means The End) in New York is always a fun place to visit, by car, plane or yacht. As the sun began to set at Montauk Lighthouse, on the eastern tip of Long Island, New York, I decided to do a quick 360° video recording, as I drove from the Lighthouse parking lot to a scenic outlook spot on the way home.
360 degree cameras like the Nikon KeyMission 360 have a hard time blending the two completely separate images from the two sides of the camera when the sun is setting. Because the exposure and aperture are very different so a noticeable banding can be seen at the seams.
But, with a sped up video and a music track I created just for this video, I think you will love coming along with me for a winter drive in New York at sunset. Enjoy the full 360x360° view!

© 2017 IMRAN™

Boats & Sailboats, Apollo Beach Exploration Tampa Bay Florida - IMRAN™ (3D-SBS)

Yachts, boats, sailboats, and more under a setting sun at a marina in Apollo Beach, on Tampa Bay, in Florida, are explored in this entertaining and unique Experience. 3D short film, travel documentary, boating adventure, and music video all in one!

© 2017 IMRAN™

Blue Sky, Red Dusk & White Lightning All Together Tampa Bay Florida - IMRAN™

I do not recall what device I had in my hands when I shot this fairly low resolution video with lots of wind and thunder & lightning about on one side, while a blue sky with golden red sunset and magical dusk were happening on the other side of Tampa Bay. Florida's weather is always magical in these kinds of scenes.
I was out on the dock of my blessed home overlooking an area perfect for boating, sailing and anything beachside.
My primary MacBook Pro with my music storage is in the middle of huge project so I had to use the only music clip I had on this laptop. I had composed "Sunset Flight Of The Bumblebee" specifically for a Long Island New York sunset video live streamed by my drone. But I just used the start of the clip to replace the fluttering noise of the wind in the original video of this scene.

© 2017 IMRAN™

(Still The) World's Most Powerful Medium! - IMRAN™

#TelevisionIn4Words is a trending hashtag on Twitter right now. I contributed to that stream with:
"World's Most Powerful Medium!"
Yes, better believe it, it still is.
You get, as I tagged the post, "#media #news #entertainment #opinion #history #music #comedy #politics #sports #weather" all in one 'box'!
How many heads of state, or sports champions, or politicians, or businessmen, refuse to be interviewed for TV and say, "No, no TV interviews, tweet me or ask me on FaceBook." ?
Much that many of us complain about how TV quality sucks these days, very few spend hours daily watching TV reruns from the 'good old days'. If anything, more and more global citizens are now getting and experiencing the power of television.
Its influence will get even greater as even greater network bandwidth and Internet technology takes global TV to every corner where traditional TV antenna broadcasts could not reach.
And, news flash for those who claim that TV is dead. When you watch video programming, dramas, sports, music, and entertainment on your iPad or smartphone, you are still watching 'television' programming, even if you are not sitting in front of a television set.
Just because the shape and size of the screen change, it does not mean the medium has died.
Stay tuned... television imagery may become holographic or directly tuned into our heads one day in the future, but TV is here to stay. In many ways, it is up to the television industry on how much of the best is still to come.
What do you think?

Imran Anwar
http://IMRAN.TV

Pelican Glides Past Across Stunning Flats At Tampa Bay - IMRAN™

 

It is another windy day though much less so than the last two days. Walking by the bay windows I saw this pelican come into view. I managed to fire up the iPhone 7 to get this short clip of the bird and the magnificent day.

© 2017 IMRAN™

Speedy Stunning Tampa Bay Sunset - IMRAN™

I had just gotten back to my blessed home in Apollo Beach, Florida, after a mostly cloudy and cold weekend at home in New York. I was happy that I arrived in time to catch one of those stunning sunsets that Tampa Bay is magical for.

The sun was behind multiple layers of clouds, and I really would have liked to take photos with my Nikon DSLR. However, I was doing a livestream, so it would have been tough taking pics while doing a steady stream. This is a 45 seconds music video accelerated version of the 6+ minutes video.

Enjoy!

© 2017 IMRAN™

Shark In Shallow Tampa Bay Water Near Me - IMRAN™

I often see a couple of small sharks in the water at my Florida home's dock on Tampa Bay, at Apollo Beach. This one was looking for food in the shallow water in the area near my home when I was able to capture it on my iPhone 7+.

© 2017 IMRAN™

Windy Day Tampa Bay Florida Golden Sunset TimeLapse - IMRAN™

This is a 20X accelerated video of a stunning golden sunset at my blessed home on Tampa Bay, Florida. It is a 4K iPhone 7+ video and you can see from the movement of the phone how windy it was as the golden red clouds gave way to dusk. 

© 2017 IMRAN™

Golden Yellow Rose Of Florida In An Age Of Love Versus Hate - IMRAN™

"Yellow Rose Of Texas" is the title of an old folk song, as well as a 1944 movie, and is used to remember Emily Morgan, a mixed race woman of color who was an indentured servant in New York and later became a free woman, famous for her role in the Texas Revolution and the war with Mexico.

This golden yellow rose is blooming this week in one of the dozen rose bushes I planted at my home in Apollo Beach, four years ago.

The timing of it blooming and the story that goes with it rings so true, especially today. It is a time of tensions with Mexico. And it bloomed the day after the Oscars (Academy Awards) ceremony, which was highlighted by great recognition of actors of color.

That included the first Oscar win by a Muslim actor in Hollywood, Mahershalalhashbaz "Mahershala" Ali, who is also black.

Despite the clerical error at the end of the show, the incredible way Hollywood moved away from last year's valid "Oscars So White" social media outrage is a salute to America's true spirit.

It is especially poignant in this day and age, when racism is perpetuated from the White House, unarmed black Americans can be shot by cops without anyone of them going to jail, criminals can shoot decent cops with impunity and run away to Mexico, and hate-filled gun-toting white guys shouting "Get out of my Country!" can shoot and kill innocent brown-skinned people legal immigrants in the heartland.

Let us 'Make America Great Again'....not by empty slogans that are coded ways of promoting bigotry and racism, but by staying true to real American values. Equality, fairness, justice, freedom and truth are what make America great, not demagogues and false prophets' cries of 'fake news', 'alternate facts', Muslim bans, self-dealing, tax evasion, misogyny and hiding their being agents of a foreign enemy like Russia.

God Bless America and save the world from the harm that is being done to society, to our countries, and to the world, by extremists of all kinds, including the ones wearing ties or turbans.

 

© 2017 IMRAN™
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WaveRunner On Tampa Bay, Florida - IMRAN™

It was another perfect winter day on Tampa Bay Florida when I decided to make a run for Pine Island (Beer Can Island) near my blessed Apollo Beach home.

The stunning blue water and powder blue sky were just perfect. The horizon looks curved because this is from a 360° spherical video action cam.

This is a one-third crop of a Nikon KeyMission 360 action cam on a selfie stick I shoved down my life vest.

I cropped it or you would also be seeing my chest hair and up my nose in more detail than you would like!

Enjoy the fun ride on my Yamaha WaveRunner SVHO.

© 2017 IMRAN™

Tampa Bay Florida Jet Ski Ride After Storms - IMRAN™ (HyperLapse)

Finally after the storms had passed Tampa Bay Florida was its beautiful normal version again.

I managed to get back on my jet ski briefly. This is a hyperlapse (accelerated) video of my ride.

The sailboat sounds were just fun to add.

Thankfully the Yamaha WaveRunner SVHO does not creak like the sounds in the video would suggest.

© 2017 IMRAN™

Day Ends In Gentle Dusk As Wicked Wind Starts Stormy Weekend On Tampa Bay - IMRAN™

This is a full 360°x360° panorama timelapse of a one hour sunset and dusk in under one minute.
What a spectacular batch of pink colors filled the sky without me realizing that next day the wicked wind storm would actually blow away my jet ski!
Explore the full view or the interactive version and feel like you are there looking up/down/around enjoying an accelerated sunset with some sweet music.

© 2017 IMRAN™

(Music copyright of respective owners).

On Procrastination, 24+ Hours Awake Binges & TGIF Inspiration - IMRAN™

One of my worst weaknesses (yes, shocking that I have even one, right? LOL) all my life has been procrasti..... wait a second, let me install this hot new software first... OK... I am back... yes, as I was saying... procrastination. I am kidding about installing the software (or am I ? LOL).. but you get the idea.

The one flaw of my many which has let me... or, I should say, that I have let keep me from doing all that I need, want, aim, dream and hope to achieve in my life. I have probably only hit 1-2% of all that God gave my potential for, and it is a crying shame that it is so little because of the one weakness which I allow to get the better of me.

One way I have compensated for the many days of my life I was not productive is doing things in binges... Just like watching Netflix's The House Of Cards 13 episodes per season within 2-3 nights, I will sometimes go 24-36 hours on a productivity binge.

That is what I ended up doing last night when I took this selfie this morning. As Friday dawns over the Great South Bay outside my windows at home on Long Island, with merely 2 weeks left in what was one of the fastest flying years I can remember, I am taking time to reflect.

The good thing on such 24-36 hour days is that I will get a lot done, but the down side is that each time, each darn time, I kick myself about how this or that could have been done weeks, or even months ago. And, as many of you are all too familiar, I am sure, you too end up swearing off procrastination, "Never Again!" Until, of course, we do it the very next day or week.

We may not always overcome every weakness, but at least committing to fight it is a step forward. Not just a promise to make in new year's resolutions, not just in promising ourselves to try to make tomorrow better, but to doing it Now!... Forget doing better tomorrow.. Make the rest of today, make the rest of this hour, even make this minute, a better use of time than the previous.

That is a fresh start without having to wait for a new year... That is a chance to begin anew even as our lives hurtle towards an end we all will reach sooner or later. No matter what time is left available to use, let us promise to make better use of it.

May God give us the strength to overcome our weaknesses and the tenderness to forgive ourselves and others for what we fail to achieve due to them. As long as we promise "I can and will do better" ... we will!

© 2016 IMRAN™
IMG_7777

Radio City Music Hall Manhattan Street Scene - IMRAN™ (360° Interactive VR 4π Panorama)

(Click to see the interactive virtual reality experience.) I had stepped out of my then office on 52nd Street near Radio City Music Hall when I took shot this handheld panorama on an iPhone 4S.

Unfortunately even four years later, with PhotoShop CC 2017 the program fails to properly stitch actual Spherical panoramas.

Doing the upper view accurately would take too long so I hope you will just enjoy the street scene with some inaccurate processing above my name.

© 2012-2016 IMRAN™

Penny For Your Thoughts But Not Your Services - IMRAN™

Some photographer posted in a FaceBook group about a model hurting their feelings by saying the photos they took (including location, hair, makeup) weren't worth more than $10 each. I think a dozen people commented on that post. 

As I clicked to post my response on the original post it disappeared. Maybe the original poster deleted their post. I'm just sharing my "comment" here for everyone, as there will always be unappreciative and ungrateful clients in every field. 

I wrote: "Most people do not appreciate intangible expertise or subtle specialization or soft services nor put real monetary value on it. 

They'll pay a plumber $200 for fixing a $100 leaky toilet but will have a heart attack paying $300 for cloud & technology or management consulting advice they hit you up for regarding their million dollar business.  

I haven't seen the work the original poster did but assuming it was well done I'd say, go with the attitude, "Yes, the photos were worth just $10 each because the ungrateful model wasn't worth more. 😋"

😋

Driverless Cars Better Than Brainless Drivers - IMRAN™

Michigan is about to approve cars without drivers or steering wheels on its roads. Some people will worry. But a driverless car is better than cars with moron drivers, especially the ones I see everywhere in the USA, but especially in Florida or in NY on the Long Island Expressway.

You know the types of drivers I am talking about. The ones with a genetic inability to turn their fat neck to look over their shoulder, the ones without a brain capable of processing moving over from the fast/passing lane, or the ones without a decent upbringing to know now to be @a$$#0¬3$ on the road.

At least driverless cars will signal when turning or changing lanes, not hog the passing lane like a fat stupid obnoxious pig, or drift between lanes while texting. And I am being polite. LOL

IMRAN™

Autumn Weekend Motorcycle Ride To Marina Long Island New York - IMRAN™ (360° VR)

4K 360° Music Video! A quick music video with one of the tracks "Chocolate & Vanilla, Melting Into One" from my CD (nTrance, available on iTunes). Stunning autumn weather at Thanksgiving weekend on Long Island, New York. I took a quick motorcycle ride to the commercial marina next to my home community to test some gear. The Nikon KeyMission 360 has horrible rolling shutter even at low speeds, made worse by the useless GoPro clamp mount. The clamp is nice and tight but the plastic encased balled joints that make the flexible stand shake terribly and even worse, they slump after a few minutes of riding. Even the maxiumum setting attempt at reducing rolling shutter did not work, at least in iMovie. The video itself is a 4K SOOC clip with zero color editing of any kind. © 2016 IMRAN™ #IMRAN, #Motorcycle, #Riding, #Marina, #Boating, #Autumn, #LongIsland, #NewYork, #Thanksgiving, #Weather, #Lifestyle, #Music #Yamaha #R6

Sunset Flight Of The BumbleBee - IMRAN™ - (4k/UHD)

Be the first to see my new music video and hear the new single track I dropped today as soundtrack to this drone flight. Enjoy the 24 minutes flight (cut at 300% speed) fit into less than 4 minutes! Actual video is 4K. This is just a USB file recording playing on a TV at home during daytime so the colors are not as vivid as the real colors. NO color processing or filter of ANY kind. Like Love Comment & click Share! © 2016 IMRAN™

Ideal Yachting Day At Apollo Beach Florida - IMRAN™ (4K)

Spectacular day for yachting on Tampa Bay in perfect Florida weather. A classy yacht passes by my home and jet ski on the dock as a white heron flies off but a seagull stays put on the jet ski lift. Light clouds and perfectly calm water shows just another day in blessed paradise in Apollo Beach. © 2016 IMRAN™

Shocking Pink Deep Blue Tranquility At Sunset - IMRAN™

An IMRAN™ Experience! Time Lapse 360° VR Music Video Of 2 Hours Tampa Bay Sunset In 30 Seconds. Watch in full view or enjoy the fully immersive 360 degrees virtual reality experience turning your device screen around up and down, left and right, full circle. Or use your fingers to swipe around.

 © 2016 IMRAN™

Perfect Halloween Boating Day Tampa Bay & Last Sunset October 2016 - IMRAN™

It was Halloween but the water of Tampa Bay was eerie in its perfect stillness. The brilliant day gave way to another gorgeous dark night with a beautiful sunset as the perfect backdrop for a jet ski ride, return home, shutting down for the night and enjoying a surreal experience in full 360° VR panorama timelapse video set to an original theme I created "Dark Knight Night WaveRunner" inspired in part by a piece called "Putin's Demise" {which would be a great thing to happen in the real world!) by Basil P. Enjoy the full 360° panorama flat or interactive view as I will post it in both formats.

© 2016 IMRAN™

https://youtu.be/yNfyvXsbRcs

Drone Flying At Dusk, Nightfall On Tampa Bay Florida 360° VR TimeLapse - IMRAN™

Drone Flying At Dusk, Nightfall On Tampa Bay Florida 360° VR TimeLapse - IMRAN™

View in your VR glasses for a 360° view! OR just play in YouTube or FaceBook and rotate the phone. OR swipe with your fingers to rotate left and right to see the full scene as if you are standing there with me. This is an absolutely unedited timelapse video from Nikon KeyMission 360 as I flew my drone at home in Apollo Beach, Florida, to capture 4K video of the dusk while the Nikon camera took five sets of 10 seconds long timelapse clips. You will see the drone takeoff, and land, while boats and birds go by while fish in the water gather around the green lights I installed. I simply combined the 5 clips in iMovie with NO editing or processing of ANY colors of ANY kind. SOOC video. I simply added music, titles, transitions and exported the file. Enjoy!

© 2016 IMRAN™

#VR #360VR #timelapse Nikon Nikon KeyMission 360 #sunset #nightfall #TampaBay #Florida #music #video #SOOC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTB1XWa2P7Y

Our Principles Must Trump Our Symbols - IMRAN™

There are a lot of news items about people expressing their protests in different ways, from kneeling at the time of the national anthem to flag burning Americans.
I have no sympathy for racial groups that have a sense of entitlement because some white man enslaved some black man 400 years ago. Many of us immigrants come from former colonies or enslaved countries. Some still live in places like that in Kashmir and Palestine.
The groups that celebrate gangster culture in their music and commit crimes but get off easy for playing the race card. I cannot stand them. But I am deeply & literally physically sickened when I see, again and again, unarmed black men being killed by out of control cops, none of whom go to jail.
So, I can understand the silent, peaceful, protest of some professional players to call attention to the matter.
If anything, I am dismayed that a supreme court justice, whom I respect, first foolishly expressed political opinions against Donald Trump. Though I cannot stand him, I would expect a Supreme Court justice to keep their personal opinions to themselves in case the election leads to a Supreme Court case. I would expect even a despicable person like him to get a fair hearing.
(Sidebar: I despise both candidates. Donald Trump being the worst Presidential candidate in recent history is the only reason the second worst candidate Hillary Clinton is likely to become President. Even worse, as I have been warning my Republican friends for months, he could cost them Senate and even Congress if things keep going as they are. Then they will be wishing they had accepted President Obama's moderate nominee).
The lady Justice then called the silent peaceful protesting players stupid for kneeling in protest at the anthem. Maybe she is ready to retire and wants to go out making some statements like that to be in the news, but she is wrong on that.
The fact of the matter is, saying Black Lives Matter when an unarmed man is murdered by cops just because he was Black, does not mean one is saying it is OK to kill cops or that other lives do not matter. I do not see a stream of videos of cops shooting white people for even more egregious actions.
Therefore, silent peaceful protest it to be respected not demonized. Would we rather have the violent gangs burning up cities as happened in Ferguson?
No group is perfect. Speak up for injustices against blacks or any group. But throw criminals in jail hard regardless of their color. Stand by the police. But call out and prosecute the killers among them.
That brings us to another controversy people are fed to take their attention off real issues, Burning of the American Flag.
I dislike people who disrespect the flag of their own country. BUT, remember, the Flag is symbolic, the Constitution is what makes us the greatest country in the world.
Symbols represent us. Principles make us who we are. We could change the American flag to all pink and purple or any color and still be the same great nation if we live by our constitution.
So do not get caught up in the furor of someone burning the flag. Sure, discourage them, ignore them, but do not threaten or attack them. They are doing what our constitution gives them the right to do as also decided in a Supreme Court decision.
Only a freedom guaranteeing constitution like ours gives people the right to burn the flag or do other stupid things under free speech.
Our principles must always trump even our own symbols. Symbols can change but not change who we are. But if we abandon our principles, it won't matter what color or how fancy or pretty or fireproof our flags are.
What do you think?
Imran Anwar
IMRAN.TV

One Of The Few BLONDs I Would Eject & Run From - IMRAN™

Everyone knows of my weakness for beautiful women in general, and gorgeous blondes in particular. I would never press Eject or run from them unless they are bipolar or two-faced.

I also happen to love Music of almost all types. Other than a few notable exceptions though, rap, especially the cuss-violence-hate-lack-of-talent filled kind that seems to get most popular because of the ghetto gangsta culture popularized in some communities and by some media, is not on my favorites list. That is why I hardly ever heard of Kanye West types unless they did stupid, or ridiculous, or criminal stuff that got in the news.

Despite all that, I had fallen in love with the song "No Church in the Wild". Kanye, JAY Z, Frank Ocean. Not one of them a person I had ever bought a song of, yet this one quickly became one of my 50 Most Played Songs ever. Surprisingly full of poetry, music, politics, religion, society, history, more music, lyrics, and deep ideas... all wrapped into one song. A song to be remembered for a lifetime by any artist, even though it had 3 major names behind it.

That song was where I first got to know about this, well, artist. Though Kanye, JayZ, et. al. are not in my playlist except that one incredible song above, when I was on iTunes updating apps today, I saw this new album being promoted. I clicked to hear what the much hyped album BLOND by Frank Ocean album would offer.

I clicked, and listened, and then the next one, and then the next one, and.... Now I know the good reason that the "Artist" is hiding this face on the album cover.

The first few tracks sounded like typical B- to B+ songs one can find in many albums. But due to some technical bug, it seems most of the remaining song files got corrupted on iTunes and every CD that was manufactured. I could not hear decent music. I could not hear anything poetic. I did not hear lyrics. I heard some possibly human sounding voices cussing and more like whining than singing.

Then I realized, I had to write this review and save you from wasting your time, if you ever consider getting or hearing BLONDE by Frank Ocean.

What do you think?

© 2016 IMRAN™

That's Not A Phone Ringer, It's The Death Bell For WindowsPhone - IMRAN™

"Microsoft Windows smartphone sales collapse. Down 76%!" reports Computerworld.

That's not a WindowsPhone ringing but death bell of Microsoft's phone platform strategy that you do not hear, because when was the last time you heard a WindowsPhone ring except for the expensive product placements on TV shows and in movies? 

It was a mere $8-10 BILLION write off which destroyed the lives of tens of thousands of Nokia employees. Please stand by for a similar LinkedIn write off in 3 years for about $30 Billion. They could have cured Cancer or built 1000 hospitals worldwide with that money!

Imagine me, a MacOS lover from Day 1, working at Microsoft (in strategy / cloud / consulting though) for 3 years. Ironically, I was already sick and tired of the 200 years old iOS UI (user interface) that has STILL not changed since it launched, and the UXdesign (user experience getting worse) from Apple in EVERY area. 

So I was actually happy to see Microsoft's WindowsPhone interface as one of the few things they did not steal from, I mean, copy from Apple, and something actually better. But, the problem was not the technology. It was, and likely still is, the people of Microsoft.

It is a company with MANY smart people who made so many stupid decisions again and again, but never learned. A most senior leader liked some ideas I had to build a WindowsPhone ecosystem. He connected me with an Indian guy (not Satya Nadella) who was the VP responsible for WindowsPhone app and ecosystem development. I wish I remembered his name now. 

On each proposed step I discussed, he laughed and said, "We are Microsoft, We do not need to do that." And, "Developers are begging us to develop on our platform."

I wish I could have recorded that conversation for entertainment value alone.

Imran Anwar

Butterflies Are Free - IMRAN™

Beautiful summer day on Long Island, New York, at my blessed home. Looking out the sliding doors I saw a reminder of why I love having planted four butterfly bushes years ago. They grow massive and even 12 feet tall or higher before being trimmed by the landscapers. Some days they're covered in monarch butterflies. The bushes, not the landscapers. 😄

Today I saw these two bright yellow and dark blue spotted ones despite it being a windy day. I was able to get close to them and record, create and upload this fun little movie right from my iPhone 6S+. NO color editing or setting or filter of Any kind.

© 2016 IMRAN™

PS Absolutely ƒ-\/-©-|{-!-N-G stupid FaceBook system deleted this video with a false claim that it contained someone else's copyrighted material? Really someone else owns my home and butterfly bush? And the stupid music in the video is actually one of the free BUILT-IN themes for use free in Apple's own FREE iMovie app for iOS. Goddamn stupid policing of wrong stuff while anyone can take your photos and create fake profiles without anything being done by these morons to verify your profile so victims of the fake profiles at least know it was not you. Way to go Mark Zuckerberg, turning a jolly light afternoon into one of extreme irritation. FU. Frankly, Underwhelmed by the 'intelligence' of FaceBook engineers.

You Know What Rises To The Top, In USA Elections & Pakistan Politics - IMRAN™

What!? HOW DARE THEY DO THAT?! A shameful image to see on Pakistan's Independence Day, August 14! People of Pakistan ...

Why are pictures of the founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, and respected Miss. Fatima Jinnah, up SO HIGH?

They are almost too close to the greatest leaders on the Planet (Lollywood) that no one will remember in 50 years.

//end sarcasm 

Send 1000 Jootian (rotting shoes) to the ass licking chamchas (sycophants) who put up the posters this way. Thanks to Shams Bin Niaz for the photo.

For my non-Pakistani friends, this is like political parties here putting up posters of Donald Trump/Mike Pence or Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine ABOVE posters of George Washington/Abraham Lincoln along city streets on the 4th of July. 

Sadly, we are not far from that situation here in USA either. A few years ago Fox News had actually done a segment on George W. Bush (Yes, the moron retard Iraq War one) being THE GREATEST PRESIDENT EVER...

Seriously. It seems Pakistan has also reached that level of sickening political shamelessness. Or, wait.... is it the other way around?

 

Wide Roads, Narrow Humanity, In China - IMRAN™

Q. Why are Chinese roads built so wide?

A. To leave room for traffic to get around dead accident victims laying there.

Help a dying man?.. They have such hectic social lives these Chinese running/driving by. "Ain't nobody got time for that...."

This video shows that the only thing cheaper than the Chinese junk we buy here is Chinese lives in China . Shame.

Even in countries with frequent terror attacks like Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc., where terrorists detonate additional bombs to kill the innocent people gathering to help bombing victims, decent people still rush to help.

Shame on every single person that ignored this victim and kept on going.

What do you think?

IMRAN

 

https://www.facebook.com/240170852998660/videos/276137382735340/

Finally, Rolls On A Roll That I Want A Piece Of - IMRAN™

I'll be honest, though my Dad loved British cars in Pakistan, until he finally got used to the reliability and quality of Honda vehicles, but I have never been a fan of them.

I never liked the classic Rolls-Royce Motor Cars regardless of how much class they were supposed to exude. I disliked them even more when BMW bought the RR brand and made them into brutish, more monstrous than sophisticated, tanks, which, in recent years were being sold in such ugly garish colors that only a hoodlum rapper on LSD (does THAT drug even exist anymore, or was that taken over by some other company too LOL) and a love of shiny disco balls would love.

But, seeing this newest model, I have to say, when I am ready for 4-5 luxury cars, I would consider having this particular model among a Mercedes Maybach / S600/ S65 AMG, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and possibly one of those Danish supercars.

Though I am not a fan of the rear-swinging doors, this is a great photo and color scheme.

Who wants to come for a test drive?

Imran

Wagner's Sacred & Profane Love Atlantic Ocean Ormond Beach Florida Drone...

Profane Loves Are The Most Sacred, in my Book Of Love, Desire, Lust, Passion, and a life lived fulfilling every wish. This video is set to Wagner's opera Tannhauser presented in an IMRAN re-interpretation. Composed in 1845 based on a poet from 1245 AD, the opera has a rather powerful description.... "The story centers on the struggle between sacred and profane love, and redemption through love, a theme running through much of Wagner's mature work."
Sacred and Profane Love (also known as Venus and the Bride) is also an oil painting by Titian, painted c. 1514.
In my book, the most profane loves are the most sacred. And I would travel to the ends of the earth to experience, savor, celebrate, honor, love and cherish them.
I also love the blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean on the East Coast of Florida (and New York) as much as I love the stunning red colors of the sunsets on the Gulf Coast at the West Coast of Florida.
That is why it was great to visit the Ormond Beach area for a wonderful afternoon with beloved friends, and to pick up great food that my private chef there made for me. While she was cooking I went off to enjoy the expansive beaches in the area.
Driving up to Al Weeks Park I found the right balance of wide beach and not too many people around making it perfect for me to do a FaceBook livestream from my DJI Phantom 4 drone. That is why you see me speaking in the video,See it at http://facebook.com/IMRAN.TV . You can see how windy it was, and the drone did a very good job of keeping level in flight. But as I was turning it 360 degrees 400 feet up in the air, you can see some parts where the wind tilts it enough to show the horizon tilt briefly.
This is the actual 4K video, about 30 minutes cut to under 15. I was looking for a piece of music to fit that length and that choice can be somewhat limited. I found this opera in my collection and did a reinterpreted version of it.
I did not have time to do a detail edit to set all the motion to just the right movement of music, especially because rendering a 4K video takes so long, and then uploading it and having YouTube fail to process it twice added to the delay. Third time is the charm.
I hope you will love the stunning scene and the aerial view as you feel yourself at the beach and above it!
What do you think of the view?

Drone Landing At Breathtaking Dusk Tampa Bay Florida SOOC 3D SBS - IMRAN™

Not only was I blessed to experience this mind blowing ZERO color editing or processing or tweaking or ANY kind. This is a quarter of the original 4K SOOC (Straight Out Of Camera) video from the DJI drone camera. As I was bringing the drone in for a landing after a fabulous sunset and dusk I felt the dusk colors would make an awesome backdrop to make use of the closely spaced objects and strictures on my dock at home in Florida to make it a fun 3D video. I will also upload this somewhere on one of my sites in full size for people to be able to view in full resolution on their 3D smart TVs with active shutters than with anaglyph which kills sunset colors.

Add me at http://facebook.com/IMRAN.TV

© 2016 IMRAN™

Last Birthday With Abu - IMRAN™

 

Last Birthday With Abu - IMRAN™

As a kid I left home in Punjab, Pakistan, to live with my grandmother in Karachi, for a better education. My mother and siblings would visit during the holidays. Dad would sometimes come with them. His work with the irrigation department meant many holiday periods coincided with floods in areas he was responsible for irrigation and safety of rivers, canals, dams, etc. But it also became a family ritual that he would surprise us by taking a flight and coming to see us in Karachi. 

Keeping the tradition alive later in Lahore, I would sometimes do the same. But it became even more exciting to be able to surprise my family by showing up in Lahore unannounced while giving the impression I was in New York unable to visit. 

Based on Columbia Business School schedules and later pace of life in NY, my attempt was always to go to Pakistan for my birthday, May 23, even though it is brutally hot in summer.

I tried to twice annually. Over time, as my Surprise visits became more predictable, I mixed it up by going for my parents’ birthdays, December 25 & August 22. 

After Mom's unexpected death too young on 2/2/1992 I started going on that day too. Since flights from New York to Lahore were on certain days a week, my family expected me to 'surprise' them on those days. I would counter that by traveling from other cities, like Washington, DC, to take a longer flight from there on different day. (Remind me another day to tell you the most surreal travel story of my life that happened in one such trip).

In 2008 I was working in Miami, unaware that a very tough time was coming up.  One of my loves T and I worked at an organization in Miami, where management was trying to do something definitely unethical and self-serving use of state funds meant for children on welfare. I was working as a CIO but on a consultant, not full time employee, basis. I was asked to come on full time. Certain that if I did that and did what I was being asked to sign off on, one day I would be left holding the bag for their shenanigans. So, we parted ways in April 2008. 

Abu had been paralyzed by a stroke in 2002 but was otherwise in good health and spirits. I had seen him a few months prior, in a typical short surprise trip. This time I decided to spend more time with him, and managed to surprise them all with my arrival in May. 

It was typical hot weather. Because of incompetence and corruption of EVERY ruler in Pakistan, from Sharif to Bhutto to treasonous Army generals, power failures are a daily routine, sometimes for 12-18 hours in some areas!

Even inside the house, it gets hot quickly. You can see the sweat on my face as I had someone take a candid photo with Dad as he was reading a medicine's packaging. 

I am so glad I spent two months with him then. I came back to NY in July but then went back to surprise him on his birthday in August. I stayed another two months, not too worried about going back to work in NY, as I had plenty of money saved up and stocks. Little did I know that within months it would all be gone. 

Every time I used to bid adieu to my father I always soaked it all in; time and feelings, sights and sounds, love and lifelong bond. One never knows when it is the last time you meet a loved one. 

I came back to New York around October. I was going to do a third surprise trip within one year after a long time, for my late Mom's birth date, but Christmas rush meant there were no seats. 

As God would will it, Abu passed away unexpectedly, not from the stroke but from the effects of aspirating some food accidentally. Within weeks of that all I had built up over 20 years living and working in America was lost in the economic meltdown of 2009, starting one of the most difficult times of my life, from which in some ways I am still recovering. 

But, there is not one thing I would change about the four months of 2008 that I was able to spend with Abu.

Happy Father's Day, Abu, every day, in heaven,

 

Imran

© 2008-2016 IMRAN™

 

18000 Feet 5.5KM Birthday SkyDiving Jump #2 In 3D - IMRAN™

While there can be that sense of fate and foreboding that makes one wonder about doing something crazy like another skydive right on one's birthday, the actual statistical risks are obviously the same as any other day.

But then, fate is always the hunter, and destiny always the elusive and submissive mistress, begging to be tamed by a wild raging heart filled with passion and zest for life.

The song selections for this music video reflect that. Enjoy the music and video in 3D on your 3D enabled TV or laptop or with anaglyph (red/cyan) glasses.

Keep me in your prayers, my beloved friends.

© 2016 IMRAN™

# skydiving # flying # adventure # Florida # TampaBay # lifestyle # birthday # airplane # music # video

Is That A "Doctorate" In/And Journalism Degree In Your Pocket? - IMRAN™

Time To FaceTime The Unfiltered Facts! - IMRAN™

Tampa Bay Sunset Before Tropical Storm Colin - IMRAN™

The gentle pastels of early sunset giving way to the vivid brilliance of dusk on Tampa Bay, Florida, seen from my home in Apollo Beach, the day before Tropical Storm Colin lashed the area. © 2016 IMRAN™

18000' Skydiving Birthday Jump #2 - IMRAN™

While there can be that sense of fate and forboding that makes one wonder about doing something crazy like another skydive right on one's birthday, the actual statistical risks are obviously the same as any other day.

But then, fate is always the hunter, and destiny always the elusive and submissive mistress, begging to be tamed by a wild raging heart filled with passion and zest for life.

The song selections for this music video reflect that. Enjoy the music and video.

Keep me in your prayers, my beloved friends.

© 2016 IMRAN™
‪

Cool Dolphin Chills & Swims Inverted Under Drone Overhead - IMRAN™

I am blessed to see these magical ceatures, beautiful dolphins, swim near my home and dock every day. I was flying my Phantom 4 to catch the sunset when I heard a dolphin's telltale sound, so I turned the drone around. Managing to frame the area where the ripples suggested it was, I was able to capture it on camera as it became visible. What fascinated me was how casually it seemed to be chilling and swimming inverted, then turning around to surface, and going back in sideways. I tried but could not risk dropping my brand new drone in the water trying to go lower to chase it while turning it 180 degrees or I would have loved watching and recording this fun creature a little longer. Enjoy! © 2016 IMRAN™ DJI_0014_DolphinFlips.mov

Red Planet Pastel Sky Tampa Bay Florida Sunset - IMRAN™

There is never an ordinary Florida sunset. But some I can predict to be stunning from the cloud formations even from late afternoon. I try to capture those in timelapse videos. Many times I am blessed to experience these magical momens of life, nature, and closeness to God that I love to share with you. Your prayers always appreciated.

© 2016 IMRAN™