Full Fall Fills Floor Of Forest Under Falling Sun - IMRAN™

Full Fall Fills Floor Of Forest Under Falling Sun - IMRAN™, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

I was fascinated by the shape of the twisted tree, and the endless carpet of fallen leaves walking through a relatively unknown but surprisingly lovely water surrounded park opposite the Moriches Inlet, in New York.

The falling (winter actually) sun (seen by its shaft of saturated golden light on the right and leaves on the bottom right) was in starl contrast to the almost turquoise colored growth on the dark dead wood with some evergreens providing a dash of color.

The range of color depth in this otherwise seemingly one-colored photo made this a 13.1MB JPG!

© 2012 IMRAN
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Golden Eye. Stunning First Full Moon 2012 - IMRAN™

Golden Eye. Stunning First Full Moon 2012 - IMRAN™ -- 500+ Views!, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

Now THIS is a Full Moon.

I used 3 cameras to take pictures of the *First Full Moon of 2012* at Fire Island beach, NY. Each caught surreal colors of the sky as the supersized full moon appeared before the sun had set behind me, so the sky was lit in amazing pastel colors at the Atlantic Ocean beach at Smith Point, NY.

The boardwalk gives you perspective of how large the Moon was. Previously posted was an iPhone 4S shot (posted on my FaceBook page, facebook.com/IMRAN.TV ).

This is the Nikon D300 handheld shot, 450mm eq telephoto at 1/80 seconds. Click to see real beauty. Another shot is at twitpic.com/878z4e

Even more fantastic tham the spacescapes of James Bond movies, this literally Golden Eye glancing at us mortals on the beach, almost seemed rolling on to ride the rolling waves of the ocean, that themselves were rising up to its pull even as they tried to lay themselves down to worship its power.

© 2012 IMRAN
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Mission I'm Possible: Do Buy Dubai Sky High - IMRAN™

Mission I'm Possible: Do Buy Dubai Sky High - IMRAN™, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

I was in St. Paul's High School, in Karachi, Pakistan, in the mid-1970s when the Middle East boom started. I first arrived in America 25 years ago.

In those years I have always taken direct JFK flights to Pakistan, usually on PIA, even when Emirates Airlines offered some nice options. A direct flight was always better to me than a few hours stopover in Dubai.

This time they made me an offer I could not refuse. A nearly full weekend day and night in Dubai, en route to my Lahore home. I took the offer.

I was finally ready to savor the experience that Dubai is, as it now had enough of a spectacular skyline to make a lifelong Manhattan resident feel blown away. And, after seeing the latest Tom Cruise movie, Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol, which has possibly among the best aerial views of Dubai, I was ready.

Meeting up with an old Aitchison College, Lahore, Pakistan classmate, Zaigham Haque, long settled in Dubai, after 33 whole years was a delight. As was meeting an old Pakistani-American Manhattan neighbor and friend Askari Chandoo. And introducing these two to each other was a bonus.

Later that night, after seeing most of the main sights of Dubai, and preparing for my onward flight to Lahore, I was enamored by the magnificent views of the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building.

The steamy, cloudy, dark and dreary sky actually provided an even more dramatic backdrop to take this handheld photo (I could not fit a tripod in my carry on luggage).

I had to take a dozen shots, quickly chnging the ISO settings, with people jostling around me, because I could not be sure if the discreetly lit, magnificent structure would stand out brightly enough to be captured in a good photo, without being blurred from a handheld shot. (This is ISO1000 f/3.5 1/6 second at 18mm),

I am certain I can take many more photos to do more justice to this amazing feat of human engineering, but here is the only one I had time for. If I straighten the tower, the top gets cut off and the lower level structures get too skewed, so I kept the camera level to the surface I was standing on.

Evem as the skyline rose higher, and the real estate market collapsed deeper and deeper in Dubai, I had a feeling, the time had come to say, Do Buy Dubai Sky High Views At Down To Earth Prices.

I hope you enjoy this view.

© 2012 IMRAN
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(Like A) Virgin / Snow (White) - IMRAN™

(Like A) Virgin / Snow (White) - IMRAN™, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

I tend to stay up late in general. It gets even more likely I will stay up all night when traveling abroad. Janary 21, 2012 had a forecast for snow pop-up after I had already purchased my tickets.

To make things worse, the snow arrived earlier, wetter, heavier on a colder night making roads icy. It was a Saturday early morning so there was not even enough traffic to melt the icy road surfaces. I left even earlier for the airport than was required on normal days.

One of the most boring things in the world, besides listening to idiotic talking head hate mongers on TV, is waiting four hours prior to departure on what is already supposed to be a nearly 24 hours long pair of flights.

Seeing the snowflakes raining down heavily coating everything in a heavy white fog, mist, coat and cover was making the day even more dreary.

Then, I saw her… a beautiful princess asleep, awaiting the arrival of her prince captain, as dwarf-like machines and minions gathered to de-ice and prepare her, before awakening her engines into a mighty roar of passionate power, that would carry her over the oceans on the invisible flying carpet of jet propulsion.

But until then, there she lay, silent, unmoving, on the cold slab of frozen tarmac, her frozen white body and fuselage merging in color with the iced surface, and the snow-filled sky.

But, like beautiful, lust and love filled red engorged lips, her tail cone proudly lifted in the air, right above an orange traffic cone below.

She shone, proudly showing her seemingly shut rear entrance, next to the bright red steel lips and tips of the tail and rear control surfaces, overcoming the frigid moment, promising the warm embrace of her seat to the chosen pilot taking command of the joytstick or yoke….

(Like A) Virgin / Snow (White)…..

Silently saying, "Come, take me, ride me and fly me, to blue skies, leaving a contrail of sighs, Captain Of My Soul."

© 2012 IMRAN
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Swan / Lake - IMRAN™

Swan / Lake - IMRAN™, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

I am just mixing up the style and subjects of photos I post here, as 2012 will shape up to be a year of major changes in my life.

I will have less time to post also, especially as I am traveling in Asia this quarter.

This is just an 'ordinary' shot compared to some of the wonderful landscapes and sunsets I have savored looking at and photographing. But this winter NY shot, on a murky brackish lake walking distance from my home, took longer to execute as the swan moved about.

I had to wait until it was perfectly framed within the hanging dead branches that would spring to life in Spring.

If you look closely you cn still see the reflection of the swan on the greenish gray water, and even see the tuft of grass hanging from it's beak.

I am posting this in the same Album (Gorgeous Greens) where I posted a photo of a swan on the same lake in lush green colors. I am not sure if it is the same swan wondering why I keep following it for so many years. :-)

I would love to have your feedback because I was not sure if I should post this shot. It had over 100+ Views on TwitPic where I test-posted it, so decided to try it here.

Let me know your thoughts, my friends. Best wishes from Pakistan...

© 2012 IMRAN
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Product Review: Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Pro FireWire 800 USB 2.0 Ultra-Portable External Hard Drive for Mac STBB750100

IMRAN.TV Product Review: Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Pro FireWire 800 USB 2.0 Ultra-Portable External Hard Drive for Mac STBB750100 (Personal Computers)

Hopefully the background of my decision will help you in making a decision, especially if you're using an older Mac laptop.

Having an early 2008 Apple MacBook Pro (which I got with the faster 7200rpm 200GB drive rather than the slower 250GB one) meant my having to keep my iTunes and iPhoto files on external bus powered USB-drives for several years. Generally I use Carbon Copy Cloner for my internal drive clones to external FireWire ones, and am OK using the USB powered drives like Iomega 320 and WD 160 in the past to keep my libraries.

I did want to upgrade my internal drive to the 750GB Momentus and keep all the data in one place, but opening up the MBP, going through that hassle, and then hopefully getting an early 2012 MacBook Pro with something like a 75pGB or 1TB internal drive (whenever they come out) would mean wasted money and effort on this older laptop. So, an external bus powered drive was my practical choice for now. When I saw the 500GB bus powered 7200RPM Seagate on the shelves of the Apple Store I was tempted to buy it immediately. Then I found that this 750GB 7200RPM Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Pro FireWire 800 USB 2.0 Ultra-Portable External Hard Drive for Mac STBB750100 version was also available in the market, and decided to go this route.

As always, ordering from Amazon was a pleasure, and even though it was fulfilled by another vendor (HPP Enterprises), even as part of a larger multi-item, multi-shipper order, everything went smoothly. The shipper was very quick in responding, understood my request to ship the drive soon as I will be traveling soon, and the drive arrived very quickly. The packaging was great from the shipper, and the Seagate packaging was OK too.

First thing you notice is how cheap, flimsy and low quality the Seagate product is in manufacture. It is a plastic case with silver sort of painted on it. It looks like some child laborer was given a spray can to paint drives, as the paint is uneven. The drive itself is light (considering how much data it lifts :-) ). The 2 interfaces included were nice to have, the FW800 and the USB2 to use on PCs. It came Mac formatted but that was irrelevant to me, as I partitioned it into 3 with Disk Utility.

The drive runs fine, fairly quiet, fairly fast. Not MUCH faster than the FW800 external powered ones, but quite good for bus powered. I did not notice the interface overheating as I have read some reviews mention. Pretty warm, but not burning hot. I did not test the USB one yet. The 200GB Carbon Copy Clone and even the 160GB iPhoto library moved over quite fast and without any errors or problems. Overall, satisfied with current (new) use. I cannot speak for long term reliability (e.g. the interface cable cheaply glued to the unit is said to be susceptible to breaking) but it is cheaper looking than it should be at $175 or so.

I am hoping the new MBP that comes out will have a 7200 rpm 750GB in it so I can then use this as the take-along on trips backup while larger desktop drives are stay at home backups. Hope this helps you in your decision as you consider a portable external drive for your Mac or PC. Please oblige with your acknowledgement if it is. Thanks.

Imran Anwar


Technorati Tags: Apple, Mac, Technology, Macintosh, MacOS X, Seagate, Storage, Reviews, MacBook Pro

Dark Of The Moon - IMRAN™

Dark Of The Moon - IMRAN™ -- STOP SOPA, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

SOOC Image Straight Out Of Camera!! NO editing, tweaking, cropping, of ANY, ANY kind. Only framed in Photoshop & saved image as merely a 0.5MB JPG.

On the occassion of the STOP SOPA campaigns, and the massive popularity of the recent Transformers 3, Dark Of The Moon, movie, this was a perfect photo to complete the transition of my last several photos to something completely different.

The previous several photos had color themes transitioning from red to gold to orange to multi-colored bright smiling faces.

So, a dark night, with no Dark Knight to Transform the darkness, or crusade against global governments slow and inexorable movement to colonize the Internet, was the perfect time to go from the bright colored previous photo to this totally natural, but almost black and white full moon rising over my home in NY.

The Black and Dark Gray color theme was to complete the contrast from my previous photo, and to support the STOP SOPA efforts by leading web sites blacking out their pages to protest those government attempts to curb freedoms.

I am all for intellectual property rights, but not for them being used by governments to start controlling the avenues of free expression… of ideas, of dissent, of opinion, of protest, even of creativity.

Maybe we are howling at the moon, but the wolf, my dear friends, is often dressed in threads of government suits, regardless of what country or political system we live under.

© 2011-2012 IMRAN
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Less Weight More Smile Wait Less Waitress California - IMRAN™

Less Weight More Smile Wait Less Waitress California - IMRAN™, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

SOOC Image Straight Out Of Camera!! NO editing, tweaking, cropping, of ANY, ANY kind. Only framed in Photoshop & saved image as 5.5MB JPG.

My first trip to San Francisco had been after I moved to the USA in 1989. I flew there to meet my brother who had flown in from Pakistan via Tokyo. Our plan was to meet there, and then make a trip to Los Angeles with my old Lahore neighbor, friend, partner in my Internet business and co-founder of the .PK Internet email system, Ashar Nisar who had moved to the Silicon Valley area the same year.

During that trip we drove to LA but took the fastest highway routes. Over the years I also flew the SFO-LAX route a few times. But, going down the famed California Pacific Coast Highway was something it took me 22 years to getting around to doing.

Making it a 2-day trip, I had a beautiful trip. {See the Big Sur photo previously posted here. }

One stop was at Stearns Wharf, in Santa Barbara, to get a late lunch.

This naturally lovely, very sweet, fun, and very service driven young waitress at a place called Longboards Grill was a delight. And in that late afternoon falling sunlight casting a glow around her light hair and face, perfectly lighting up the deck umbrellas in an explosion of colors framing the picture, it became a lovely memory of a gorgeous moment, a beautiful girl, a great trip, and a collection of gorgeous colors.

I will have to dig up the contact info she gave me to tell her this timeless photo of hers is among the very few of non-landscape/nature shots I post here. {See Cat's Eye, for example.}

Slim, slender, fit, happy, smiling, serving food quickly, she was all about being a Less Weight, More Smile, Wait Less, Waitress!

© 2011-2012 IMRAN
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Nikon D300 ISO200 95mm 0EV f/7.1 1/200 sec.

Happy New Year, First Sunset 2012 Atlantic Ocean, Long Island, NY - IMRAN™

Happy New Year, First Sunset 2012 Atlantic Ocean, Long Island, NY - IMRAN™, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

I wish you all, my dear friends, a very happy new year. May the tides always bring glad tidings, may your days always be bright and your nights always glow with joy.

Sunset on the Atlantic Ocean, at Cupsogue Beach (Westhampton Beach), Long Island, New York. An unprocessed Nikon D300 image did have to be straightened -1.3 degrees in Photoshop before framing.

f/14 1/800 seconds, 450mm eq zoom, 0EV, ISO200, compressed to JPG format.

© 2012 IMRAN
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Imran Anwar Keynote Speech Filipino American Association Philadelphia An...

Delighted to speak to several hundred people at this annual gala/pageant/coronation event at a Hilton ballroom in Philadelphia. I am sure it will entertain, inspire and excite you too. Your comments and thoughts mean a lot to me.

Dealing With Nasty Criminals Like The German Los Angeles Arsonist & His Disgusting Mother

There was an LA Times news story about a German arsonist living in Los Angeles who started about 50 fires, causing untold damage, and endangered countless lives, because his ugly, criminal, possibly-a-prostitute, mother was being deported to Germany. I would love to have your thoughts on the interesting discussion which ensued, after I posted saying:

Imran Anwar · CEO and Founder at ICloud.PK

If she knew he was mentally ill, why did the stupid criminal b&^ch not have him committed?

Reply ·  4 · Unlike · Unfollow Post · about an hour ago

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  Janet Margrave ·  Top Commenter
  
  

  not that simple any more. the streets are filled with people who have mental illnesses. the states aren't interested in providing care. budget cuts affect the old, poor and mentally ill.

  Reply ·  7 · Like · about an hour ago
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  Imran Anwar · CEO and Founder at ICloud.PK
  
  

  Janet Margrave I understand. But, then people who later claim mental illness for serious crime perpetrators should be able to show proof they tried to have the person committed as a danger to society. Then, the state, or whoever set them free, should be liable for the damage they do.

  Reply ·  4 · Unlike · about an hour ago
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  Paul Birmele ·  Top Commenter · Santa Monica College
  
  

  Imran Anwar And who is supposed to pay for that? The state is broke. The feds are broke. And guess what gets cut FIRST: Mental health support. The justice system is FULL of people who should have been put in a mental institution long before they committed a crime, but there aren't any. Talk to any sheriffs deputy or jail guard. They will agree.

  Reply · Like · 45 minutes ago
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  Imran Anwar · CEO and Founder at ICloud.PK
  
  

  Paul Birmele , and who pays for THAT? The cops, the courts, the jails, the food, the upkeep, etc? We all end up paying that, ON TOP of the cost of the damage criminals do to lives and property. Almost all of whom claim some sort of insanity when that is the only way out of prison time. My proposal, seriously, is to outsource prisons…. abroad. Mexico, Pakistan, India…. then see how many people want to go to jail.

  Reply · 1 · Unlike · 41 minutes ago
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  Paul Birmele ·  Top Commenter · Santa Monica College
  
  
  Imran Anwar Imran Anwar They already outsource prisons. They already privatized. 264 of them in the US are private. Has it made it cheaper? no. Scarier.
  

  
  I think its nice that you suggest he not have any civil rights. I assume you are a native american and have lived here for thousands of years, but the rest of us and our ancestors came to America to live a free life, with civil liberties. Saying he should lose his is stupid.
  
  Case in point: Some people believe in profiling at airports. This is something YOU should know about. That would mean any time YOU were in a public place the cops would search your whole body. Why? Because you aren't blonde and blue eyed. But they aren't supposed to. Why? Because in America we have civil liberties.
  
  I SURE AS HELL DON'T WANT TO LIVE IN AN AMERICA WITHOUT CIVIL LIBERTIES.

  Reply · Like · 29 minutes ago

  
  
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  Barbara Stevens ·  Top Commenter · San Diego, California
  
  

  Janet Margrave Neither of these two people should be here. WHY aren't they sent back to Germany? why are they allowed to stay here?

  Reply · 1 · Unlike · 29 minutes ago
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  Dick Brandlon ·  Top Commenter · Teacher/ Student Teacher Supervisor at Retired Teacher
  
  

  Imran Anwar Can you envision people paying taxes for this?

  Reply · 1 · Unlike · 28 minutes ago
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  Imran Anwar · CEO and Founder at ICloud.PK
  
  

  Paul Birmele , I have news for you. I AM profiled when I am at the airport. But, no one strips me down… maybe if the TSA officer was a pretty blue eyed blonde I would not complain. LOL. But, seriously, in addition to that profiling, the dirtbag Mayor Bloomberg of NY was working closely with the CIA or others to spy on MULIMS (not some suspicious individuals). Did you do something about that to complain? NY Daily News, the rag from NYC, wrote editorials defending profiling Muslims… wonder if they'd write the same if cops used profiling to catch expensive car thieves in certain uptown parts of NYC. Bigots like LOWE'S management can express their hate for Muslims and get away with it without any of my fellow Americans stopping shopping there.
  
  BUT, hate is not against the law, crime is. This dirtbag's fat ugly b*&ch mother was illegally here, committed crimes in her own country, apparently ran a sensual massage service (with her son? who knows), and he hated America, committed serious crimes, and should be thrown in the slammer forever (or maximum sentence possible if that is not possible) after a trial. Sorry, but what part of that is taking away his civil rights?
  
  The only good news in all this was this scumbag was not a Muslim. LOL. In that case, he'd be charged with terrorism. Sad, but true. LOL

  Reply · Like · 17 minutes ago
  
  

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  Technorati Tags: Justice, Germany, Crime
  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

Paristmas! Paris Christmas & Happy New Year! - IMRAN™

Paristmas! Paris Christmas & Happy New Year! - IMRAN™, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

Paris is one of my favorite places to visit. And, like my other favorite city, Manhattan, New York, which is amazing to visit at Christmas, France's capital city is a spectacular experience at holiday season time.

My first visit to the United States, New York, was in 1987 around Christmas time, the same year I had spent my birthday Summer 1987 in Paris, among other cities of Europe.

So, it was great to return there, nearly 20 years later, but merge my NY Christmas and Paris Summer experiences with a magnificent, MY PARISTMAS… MerrY Paris Christmas.

This photo, taken at the world famous Galeries Lafayette in Paris, is one of the most unusual I have taken.

I almost lay down at the base of the Christmas tree, to capture the full height of the massive tree, and the stunning ceiling of the building. The golden decorations, balls and balloons created a unique view.

I had to do that with my pocket Nikon S6, while trying not to be accidentally thought of as a foreign born Muslim troublemaker trying to topple the tree! :-) I look forward to returning to Paris in the near future, God Willing.

As Christmas season draws to a close, and as 2011 nears its inexorable end, I leave you with this wish and prayer….

No matter how down things look right now, never stop looking up, at the bright skies and gifts of God's blessings just waiting to be placed at your feet.

Remember me in your prayers too, my dear friends. Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to you, your families and loved ones.

© 2006-2012 IMRAN
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Ashes To Flashes, Dusk To Decks - IMRAN™

Ashes To Flashes, Dusk To Decks - IMRAN™, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

This SOOC {Straight Out Of Camera) photo was posted on TwitPic and already got 300 views there. To post if for your pleasure I did straighten it out 0.8 degrees and framed it in Photoshop as is my style here.

I had been waiting for this sunset. The weather was just the right amount of layered cloudy, which, as I had hoped, kept its promise of offering magical layers of colors that are unique and magical once in eternity visuals to savor.

As this stunning sunset unfolded outside my home, I put my longest Nikon D300 zoom lens (450mm eq) to use and was able to capture sky colors as if painted onto a soft canvas. by God himself, with the stillest portions of water off my beach acting like a mirror reflecting the sky colors to the lower left of the image.

The plentiful flashes of light from the tower and lighthouse 20 miles away had not yet started up, nor could my camera flash have fought off the ashes of darkness that had descended on the landscape beneath me.

Day turned into night, as the golden Phragmites (reeds) turned black and the sky turned golden in preparation of itself turning black. I was reminded of the eternal circle of life, and light, and death, and dearth of light, as the delapidated deck, its dead wood decaying becoming its own coffin, dissolving slowly into the icy waters and ravages of years under the dusk…. The words of a burial phrase came to my mind, which seemed here to say….

Flashes To Ashes, Dusk To Decks….

May we be blessed to live our lives to the fullest, happiest, blessed maximum, before, like the dusk signaling the end of day, our end of days comes. And may the canvas of our lives leave a portrait of great deeds painted on a landscape of blessings God opened before us… a painting of our lives for others to see, and, if we are worthy, savor our memories as we do this dusk.

© 2011 IMRAN
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Fiery Red Blue Sky Turns Blue Water Liquid Gold - IMRAN™

There's nothing that makes my spirits soar than flying over ocean beaches and yachting havens, in, under and through blue skies… except yachting and sailing in New York even in mid-December, under fiery red skies turning the cold calm Great South Bay waters beneath me bubbling hot liquid Gold. Unedited iPhone 4S photo taken across from my blessed home at sunset, as the only other mariner out there also heads home.

Technorati Tags: Boating, iPhone, Life, New York, Photography, Sailing, Yachting

The Cold Man & The Sea - IMRAN™

The Cold Man & The Sea - IMRAN™, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

In keeping with the series of photos you have loved, The Old Men And The Sea, The Odd Man And The Sea, The Young Woman And The Sea, and The Young Boy And The Sea, I am happy to share this photo for which I braved the frigid weather on the Fire Island, Long Island, NY, beach last evening…

The Cold Man And The Sea is the perfect title. It is reflective of the hands in the pockets, as well as the fact that one of the waves rolling on to the shore soaked my dress shoes & socks, drenched my feet, and chilled my bones until I got the car heater warm enough on the drive back home to start to thaw me out!

Absolutely no color editing, changes or color processing done to this photo from the Nikon D300 working optimally again.

I hope you will enjoy this cold and coldly beautiful moment with warm feelings (and in your warm homes or offices).

© 2011 IMRAN
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The Young Boy And The Sea - IMRAN™

The Young Boy And The Sea - IMRAN™, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

A starkly different scene, and set of colors, from two of my favorite photos previously posted… The ODD Man & The Sea (Nikon D300), and The Young Woman & The Sea (iPhone 4S), this photo was taken with my pocket Nikon Coolpix S6 during a wonderful trip to one of the most beautiful places I have been, The Baths at Virgin Gorda, in the British Virgin Islands.

I was trying to take some good shots before we had to leave to catch the ship, and I wanted to do so before the small boat with several men on it would pop into the middle of the frame.

But, this young boy, oblivious to the travails of travel schedules and science of scene setting was just running around.

I decided to capture the shot, and succeeded in catching him in mid-stride, confidently taking on the wild blue sea yonder but under his feet as the sands of time of the future awaited him.

And I wondered, if, by some weird chance of verbal fate, the little boy near the big rocks could possibly from some place called Little Rock.

I hope you will relive the first time you met the ocean when you enjoy this photo. What were your first memories of the sea?

© 2008-2011 IMRAN
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The Young Woman And The Sea - IMRAN™

The Young Woman And The Sea - IMRAN™, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

You Belong To The City by Glenn Frey is not just an inspired, amazing, timeless, poetic and rocking work of musical art, it is a song that, at one time or another, resonates with all of us as we pass through the stages in the play we call life. The song is even more special to me. It is one of the select songs I consider the soundtrack of my life.

It was thus ironic how quickly it came to mind when I met an old young beautiful intimate beloved friend, from recent years past, for an unexpected dinner and evening together. I had been planning to go to Smith Point beach to catch what was sure to be a beautiful sunset and dusk, when we connected on the phone after a very long time. So, we ended up going there together, a place we had last been several years ago, together, and with another love past and gone.

She, always patient, loving and caring, waited while I captured photos of the setting sun with my new Apple iPhone 4S. Not knowing I was watching her, she stood atop the forlorn log that had made the sands of Long Island its temporary home. And, I saw a moment that was as magical as it was timeless.

The Young Woman And The Sea, I said to myself as I clicked.

The wide angle view from an external lens I was testing on my new iPhone, the moment, the lighting, the log, the way the sun reflected on her golden tresses from the right, and the incredible way the tide had made the sand flow in the shape of angel wings around the log she stood on, I saw a timeless and absolutely unique moment in time…. a surreal almost masterpiece-like painting of life, accidentally brought to life, etched into memory, and now captured for the ages, by a mere cell phone camera.

I quickly snapped this photo and, later, at home, as I imported it into iPhoto, something struck a powerful chord....

We had been going through amazingly tumultuous and yet interesting and wonderful times in our respective lives when we last met and shared many wonderful experiences. And, as time, life, circumstances, people, events and fate dealt their hands, their blows, their stabs, it meant we continued our separate, still event-filled, surreal, sometimes happy, sometimes sad, journeys through life, until we got together again tonight. As these thoughts passed through my mind, in my ears Glenn's voice rang out truly, how "So much has happened, but nothing has changed".

As I pasted the lyrics to that wonderful song below for your pleasure, I could not resist but tweak some of the words (I hope the Text shows how I replaced some of the words {strike-through font} with ones even more suited to this moment {shown in bold}).

As you, gentle readers, dear friends, lovers old, new and future, read these words, just know, your most difficult, arduous, lonely journey is shared with me. It is shared by those you love, loved and will love. We may not be on the same part of the road, or hitting the same bumps at the same exact time, but, sooner or later, our paths will cross. I will take your hand, and be there for you. I promise.

One day, you will look back on the cold stormy nights and know that you did make it... because….

You Belong To The City

The sun goes down

The night rolls in

You can feel it starting all over again

The moon comes up

And the music ocean calls

You're getting tired of staring at the same four walls

You're out of your room

And down on the street beach

Moving through the crowds sand through the midnight heat winter freeze

The traffic ocean roars

And the sirens seagulls scream

You look at the faces waves, its just like a dream

Nobody know where you're going

Nobody cares where you've been

'Cause you belong to the city

You belong to the night

Living in a river of darkness, beneath the neon moon light

You were borne in on the city sea-tree

Concrete Sand under your feet

It's in your blood, its in your moves

You're a woman of the street beach

When you said goodbye

You were on the run

Tryin' to get away from the things you'd done

Now you're back again

And you're feeling strange

So much has happened, but nothing has changed

You still don't know where you're going

You're still just a face in the crowd

'Cause you belong to the city

You can feel it

You can taste it

You can see it

You can face it

You can hear it

You're getting near it

You want to make it

'Cause you can take it.

You belong to the city

You were borne in on the city sea-tree!

Original lyrics © Glenn Frey
Photo, prose, and this work © 2011 IMRAN
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Sun Way Sunday - IMRAN™

Sun Way Sunday - IMRAN™, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

Fall in New York is a time of contrasts, and surreal colors.

Because of some currently unresolved issue in my camera, it is not recognizing lenses, defaulting to the slowest speeds. Trying to get it to behave I randomly changed many settings back and forth, and kept shooting. Consider this random surrealism.

The clouds were dark initially but brightened and filled with color as the sun slid down. You can make out the steamy fog starting to form on the Atlantic Ocean in the left of the photo, making the terrain in the distance on that side hazier than straight ahead.

This accidental almost vintage toned shot just heightens the contrasts -- between the pinkish yellow sky from a sun bursting forth under clouds and the pale yellow green of reeds, drying grass and evergreens -- providing an interesting backdrop for the almost bleached looking boardwalk, like a path, a walkway to the Sun.

Sun Way, Sunday.

Have a great week and rest of the year, my friends, as the nights get colder, and longer, and, as the clouds get darker, and lower, remember, the bright new sunshines, the brave new springs, like hope eternal, will spring forth around the calendar's corner.

Hold my hand, and come with me...

© 2011 IMRAN
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The Hands Of Time On The Sands Of Time: Eid Mubarak - IMRAN™

The Hands Of Time On The Sands Of Time: Eid Mubarak - IMRAN™, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

Different worlds, different nations, different holidays… one planet, one day in time…

Eid Mubarak, Veteran's Day, 11/11/11….

All events, some twice a year, some annual, and some once a millenium, all reminders of the inexorable march of time, the hands of time, the ebb and flow, of life, of history, the world at our feet, across the sands of time.

Unedited/unprocessed iPhone 4 photo framed in Photoshop in about 5 minutes of work. Ironically, I had no time to work on the photo about time.... I had to do other work. Name text not perfectly centered, etc. but it's the thought that counts.

© 2011 IMRAN
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Imran Anwar on Imran Khan: Why The Future Of Awakened Pakistan Is Not In One Man's Hands

The news media are buzzing about a rather large political protest gathering that took place in Pakistan. People seem galvanized and gravitating more to a national hero Cricket player, turned populist politician. Much that I am happy to see the silent majority Pakistani public starting to rise, I do not have much hope for the person they are following, even though I like and respect him. Here's why.

Imran Khan was about a decade ahead of me at Aitchison College, Lahore, Pakistan, and about 100 years ahead of me in popularity (and dashing good looks :-) ). He will always have my respect for sacrificing his popularity not for wealth but for a Cancer Hospital (in the memory of his late mother). With that one mission in life, he has done more good than Zardari, Benazir Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif and Pervez Musharaff combined could do - even if they had tried.

However, there were two reasons Imran Khan struggled in his quest for national power.

Initially it was the typical curse of Third World countries like Pakistan... the same "awam" (عوام - public/populace) that curses crooked politicians is also the one that votes them in to power. Why? Because the crooks are the ones who will help peddle influence illegally, to get things done when voters ask for favors. Someone supposedly aboveboard will not. So, he, like Imran Khan, will stay on the fringe and not get real power. This one sad realization was one major reason I said good bye to my political aspirations in Pakistan when I left 20 years ago. (I do salute Imran Khan for staying and putting up a good fight, even at great personal risk).

Now that the Arab Spring in the Middle East, the Occupy Wall Street in the United States, and far more importantly, the middle class uprising in India against corruption has vested interests and tyrants (political and economic) running for cover, Imran Khan may have a real chance.

But, that brings us to the second serious problem. He is still hampered by lack of any clear (articulated) PLAN that he would execute on, if he was in power. Even his speech in his largest rally (which is being reported on by media including the New York Times, etc.) was another "letdown".

Image via Wikipedia
The only Pakistani leader who could get away with rambling speeches, and still have a million people or more listening and jumping into action, was the late, once-great, later-tyrannical, deposed and hanged Prime Minister, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. Imran Khan is nowhere near that man's stature, statesmanlike quality, popularity, or even vision. In the end, even with his charisma (that Bill Clinton would want to learn from), speaking ability (that Barack Obama would dream of achieving without a teleprompter), it was Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's hubris, putting the interests of his crooked henchmen ahead of the nation's, and having no more vision and plan beyond getting re-elected, that got him hanged by General Zia-ul-Haq and the military.
Image via Wikipedia
Imran Khan needs to do more than gather 100,000 people (and make a meaningless speech).

Even I can make a speech about what the problems in Pakistan are, name who the crooks are, and why we need to solve the problems....

But, without saying HOW I would solve the problems, WHO I would have as my trusted and nationally trusted lieutenants to execute the plan, I too would be as useless in power as Imran Khan will be - if he does by some twist of fate find himself in government.

Unfortunately, even 15 years in politics getting to this point, Imran Khan, whom I would love to see in power compared to the current crop of so-called leaders, has neither stated his vision, nor articulated his strategy, and neither has he shared a roadmap and execution plan. That is what makes Pakistan's leadership void doubly sad.

Even worse, regardless of his Western education and former lifestyle, Khan's current wave of popularity is driven by a populist state-the-obvious (politicians are crooks and have done nothing for Pakistan), blame-USA fervor (while sometimes sounding like a Taliban apologist).

Yes, the current leaders and even the opposition are crooks. News Flash: So are the ones in the USA and other countries. (Italy's Premier could give Pakistan's Asif Ali Zardari a run for the money and the scandalous behavior).  Yes, the USA has a shameful record in Pakistan. Yes, Pakistan's spineless sellout leaders have allowed even more exploitation for their own power. But, Pakistan had economic problems since independence. It has had ethnic near-civil war in different regions for decades before 9/11 or America's arrival in Afghanistan.

Without addressing specific problems that Pakistanis themselves tolerate -- and allow their leaders to create -- neither the cronyism-loving leaders, populist personalities, nor well-intentioned analysts, or worse, power-hungry dictatorial generals, can change the country's future.

As I have said in my own public speaking and on radio & television.... "National destinies are created by people, not by leaders, dictators, pedagogues, or sycophants. Pakistan needs to be saved not from America, but from (illiterate, violent, extremist, close-minded, crooked, corrupt) Pakistanis, by Pakistanis (who still believe in the great future that the nation is capable of achieving)."

What do you think?

© 2011 Imran Anwar
IMRAN.TV

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