How To Think Clearly Before You Buy A Motorcycle!

I just read an interesting article in BusinessWeek, How to Buy a Motorcycle by Mitch Daniels.


I love motorcycles. (Of course, I love flying, boating, driving German cars, and motorcycles, in that order!).


My Dad bought me my first (and until recently only) motorcycle, a Yamaha Enduro in Pakistan in 1981-82, when they were still imported from Japan.


Twenty years later, in about 2001-2002, here in the USA, I went to go buy another bike because I wanted to enjoy them while I was physically fit. (I prefer racing style bikes to hogs). I figured the under $200 monthly payment was worth it, but was dissuaded by the shocking price of comprehensive insurance.


The insurance company was treating me like a new rider considering how long I had not ridden officially. (I did take friend's bikes in Pakistan for occasional spins during trips there in that time).


So, 10 more years went by, but as I near 50, I took the leap and last year at my birthday, got myself a gorgeous 2011 Yamaha YZF-R6.


The R1 was just a couple thousand dollars more, and a year older unsold Kawasaki 1400cc was just a thousand more on clearance. It was very tempting. But, I realized the few thousand dollars more was worth the price of the toy but not the almost certain guarantee to have too much power and get myself killed.


However, even though I decided on the 600cc, even after the R6 was delivered to me, I did not ride it until I had taken three riding classes. I was delighted at how the instructors were pleasantly surprised that I did not need classes but took them anyway. And I am glad I did. I still learnt so much more. I had all the mechanical and riding skills to pass my test, but the lessons, the tips, the advice, the stories of how people get in trouble, made the riding classes a great investment.


Fortunately, I realized something a lot of people may rather forget. In the 30 years since my first Yamaha, the bike I owned went from 100cc street legal dirt bike weighing probably 100 lbs to a 600cc monster of power (max speed 165 mph) weighing 350 lbs, while my body, though fairly fit, has gone from that of a 150 lbs. 18 year old to a man nearing 200 lbs. and 50, even if not feeling (or looking, LOL) it.


I also bought, and read, books like Proficient Motorcycling, and others, and learned even more. In about 8 months, including winter in NY, I put nearly 4000 miles on the bike and loved every minute of it.


I believe in the adage that at the end of life we regret the things we did not do more than the ones we did (and shouldn't have). But, keep in mind, there are many cases of people where the purchase of a motorcycle more than they could handle led to a hastened end of life.


So, be very, very careful in making this decision. I did not regret it and am blessed so far. But I realize, one false move, even from an inattentive car driver on the road, can mean the end for me.


Choose wisely. Ride safe. I'll see you on the road. 

Clock Tower, Sea Time - IMRAN™

Clock Tower, Sea Time - IMRAN™, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

Singer Island, Florida, is a place I fell in love with when I made it my second home in America in 2003.

One of the nearby places I loved going with special people in life has been Palm Beach, the ritzy but understated, island home-ground and playground of the rich and (many choosing NOT to be) famous. In particular, Worth Avenue is a great place to hang out, where old money meets new glitz. Fancy stores of the world's most posh brands stand next to understated elegant dining. Expensive cars that seem to flash irritatingly in Miami appear to be quietly parked along the street as their owners quietly and without pretense walk the sidewalks.

On the East end of Worth Avenue, a maor renovation was done recently, which included the building of this clock tower. Its architecture has elicited diverse comments, but the view from inside and around it is wonderful.

My last trip here recently was on a stormy night, and the rain was falling on me as I stood by the roadside, taking advantage of low traffic at that dusk hour, when the sky was still bright but the lights were turning on, when the clouds were menacing, but the sea was welcoming.

As I stood there, I realized, as the seconds of our lives go by, standing under a Clock Tower, Sea Time and distance merging at the horizon, you see time through a portal, the image merging time gone by and the endless promise of a beautiful life still ahead, despite the storms on the horizon.

Handheld photo captured with my spare Nikon (pocket sized 16MP Coolpix 6200 ISO1600, f/3.2 at half-second 4.5mm), as I did not want to risk damaging the D300 in the rain.

© 2012 IMRAN
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Technorati Tags: Architecture, Art, Florida, IMRAN, Night, Nikon, Photography, Tourism, Travel, Palm Beach

Pigeon, Homing - IMRAN™

Pigeon, Homing - IMRAN™, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

I stood on the shore of Pompano Beach, Florida, more than a thousand miles from the shore of my NY home, and not too far from where I had my second home in Florida.

I was soaking in the late winter sun, the stunning turquoise blue waters, and foaming white surf.

I stopped to take a photo of this wild pigeon, thinking how a breed of this bird can be used as a carrier/homing pigeon that can travel a thousand miles on its own.

It can fly at 50 mph for long distances and even up to 110 mph over short races.

As I contemplated this and looked at the bird, it in turn observed me. It sat there for a while, and then suddenly took off.

I only had an instant to change focus, while the bird focused on the mission at hand.

It was hard to do on a manual focus 300mm-450mm eq zoom which barely had space to focus on the pier wood a few feet from me.

But, in that instant, the shallow depth of field was perfect to catch the pigeon, the moment after it launched, it's wings stretched almost like an eagle's, as it homed in on the Nikon Moment.... Pigeon, Homing!

The Nikon D300 caught the spectacular blue and white rolling surf and sea, the dark grained wood, and the sharp, intensely focused glare of the piegeon's menacing orange ringed eye…. while the sun behind my shoulder reflected its shoulders brightly, making it an intense, interesting and incredible moment.

I hope your imagination also takes off on seeing this photo as you, I, we all, home in our goals in life, in this time we share on this planet.

© 2012 IMRAN
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Sun. At Half Mast. Literally. - IMRAN™

Sun. At Half Mast. Literally. - IMRAN™ -- [SOOC], a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

SOOC. Image Straight Out Of Camera, absolutely unedited and untouched. (Only frame and titles added in Photoshop.)

I am blessed to live on the water, looking at glorious silky satin smooth silver blue waters in the morning and luscious, brilliant sunsets and dusks, from all the windows of my blessed home on Long Island, New York.

The beach my home is on also gives me magical moments to savor, to make memories in, and to photograph sunsets.

But, sometimes the stunning imagery lies to the side of the house, if I walk out the ftont door and head to my boat slip or beach, the setting sun behind the marina to the side makes for interesting combinations, of sun, clouds, and sailboat masts.

This latest photo I captured at the side of the home was of the Sun sliding down behind the sailboat while the clouds seem like wave passing in front of the… Sun. At Half Mast. Literally!

I hope you enjoy this totally unedited SOOC photo. Click to see larger and on black.

© 2012 IMRAN
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The Blame In Pakistan Lies With…..

Basit Jehangir Sheikh Formar President District Kasur with Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Former President Pakistan and the founder of Pakistan Peoples Party (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Benazir Bhutto, photographed at Chandini Restaurant, Newark, CA by iFaqeer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Did I miss offending anyone with this comment I posted on a Pakistan friend's Wall?

She posted a photo of the front page of the respected Pakistani newspaper, Dawn, of the day power-hungry despot but once popularly elected Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, ousted Prime Minister of Pakistan, was hanged to death by the creator of the ISI, lapdog of the CIA, and purveyor of hate, intolerance, violence, ethnic strife and religious fundamentalism, Zia-ul-Haq.

"I was a big fan of Zulfiqar Bhutto. Met him as a pre-teen (with Col. Qaddafi on the same day!). I'd met dictator Zia several times. The first time was as a student at Aitchison College, Lahore, when, even as a self-imposed President of Pakistan, he was the de-facto Chief Guest.

Later, after leading a protest against his martial law regime, I was arrested, tortured, court-martialed and imprisoned in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat prison. I was 20. And, later, I met the repulsive dictator at media events, when I was working for the Jang Group newspapers.

I recall I was visiting my Karachi home, from Lahore, and was woken up with the news that Bhutto had been hanged. It was inevitable, but still, a shock. It was always said that "There is one grave, and two men. One has to go in."

I was devastated by Bhutto's hanging (which he brought upon himself in his state of hubris) and I had always despised Zia (Islam-thaikedar evil dictator intolerance breeder ko karwat karwat jahannumm naseeb ho) {May he face hell on every turn and twist in his grave… come to think of it… he did burn alive in a plane crash}.

But, to this day, people tend to blame one or other for Pakistan's problems. In my humble opinion, 80% of the root causes of Pakistan's economic problems were because of ONE man, Bhutto and his selective socialism.

He nationalized all that was working in free markets in Pakistan yet let waders {feudal landlords who were lapdogs of the British raj} like himself fraudulently hold on to jageers {estates} and tax free land income.

90% of the intolerance, hate, violence in Pakistan is because of ONE man, evil Zia.

The remaining 20% of economic and 10% of hate mongering problems are because of "ordinary people" like all of us in Pakistan, especially those of us who worship personalities like incompetent Benazir Bhutto, corrupt Asif Zardari, hypocrite Nawaz Sharif, criminal and repulsive Altaf Hussain, and even slogans-without-solutions Imran Khan, instead of doing what WE can to fix OUR own ways.

Not to mention power hungry corrupt Army generals who can only occupy their own country and stinky illiterate spiteful mullahs. Only when the people of Pakistan decide to take control of their own destiny, demand specific detailed plans from their present and wannabe leaders, is there any hope.

Otherwise, Pakistan will continue its path through history like a drunk bull in a china shop.

(Sorry, did I miss offending anyone? LOL)"

[End.]

Technorati Tags: Democracy, Imran Anwar, Islam, Muslims, Pakistan, Bhutto, Asia

Childish Posturing By Pakistan & USA Endangers Both

Obama says, Pakistan Review of Ties Should Respect US Security Needs http://j.mp/HcIIEt . Pakistan's lawmakers (and many civilians want to blow off the USA.

Both postures are dumb.

Karachi (soon followed by Pakistan) went on the path of self-destruction when it could have been the next Hong Kong and Dubai combined.

That was done by the vile dictator Zia setting up the murderous MQM, instigating religious intolerance, terrorism and ethnic strife that was rare in Pakistan in the 1970s.

It is silly of Obama and the US lawmakers to ask Pakistan to decide their policies based on US security concerns when the US blows off Pakistan's security concerns. Ignoring Kashmir is one of the worst moves Obama made (not that previous presidents did anything on that topic).

It is also dumb of Pakistan to expect to remain a basket case economy, torn by strife and domestic issues, and be surprised the US did not take it into consideration in killing the repulsive killer Osama Bin Laden.

Both countries need to be slapped into waking up and dealing with the issues like adult states, not pouting teenagers.

Imran Anwar

Seas, Family, Droppin' Sun Ode To Swiss Family Robinson - IMRAN™

Seas, Family, Droppin' Sun Ode To Swiss Family Robinson - IMRAN™, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

Many of you will recall the story of Swiss Family Robinson, shipwrecked on an island and having to face some tough challenges.

Because of a very complicated phase of my life in the last three years (in which I basically lost almost everything I had built and acquired,, I did not get a chance to return to Florida until recently. I had missed being in the Tiara, I believe the tallest building on sand, that housed the delightful second (third really if you count Lahore and New York) home I was blessed with having. But, for too many years I had not returned to the building, or even to the area.

Finally, I did, on March 13, 2012 . Taking this photo with the Nikon D300, from the balcony I took some gorgeous shots with my then delightful Nikon 5700 reminded me again why I love Palm Beach and Singer Island so much.

The stunning colors of the water, changing shdes of blue in front of your eyes, changing hues as passing clouds and time of day change light conditions.

As I focused my camera to about 500 feet below and away from my balcony, I noticed how the sun, setting behind my shoulder was casting a reddish glow on the already rich toned skins of this family… hopefully not facing the challenges of Swiss Family Robinson and instead making this moment one of Seas, Family, Droppin' Sun!

I am certain you will love the moment as much as I did.

© 2012 IMRAN
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I Saw Orlando Bloom. Seriously! - IMRAN™

I Saw Orlando Bloom. Seriously! - IMRAN™, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

This iPhone 4S photo, taken at just past 4AM, after a long night of driving, waiting for the gates to open at Orlando Airport, during my recent Florida trip, is being posted more for word play than artistic merit. But, I hope you will enjoy it all the same.

After completing almost 2500 miles of driving along the entire Florida coast, I drove late into the night to arrive at the airoport several hours too early for my 7AM flight.

Since the security gates weren't open to go to the airline gates area, I had to pass time in the spacious terminal.

I saw several Disney character figures displayed there, including Snow White… a testament to the traffic the theme parks generate.

But I saw nothing, at least where I looked, from Pirates of the Caribbean, another Disney franchise.

Though I did not see Johnny Depp, I did find something to remind me of another well known actor in that movie series… this flower at the airport…. an Orlando Bloom, literally! :-)

© 2012 IMRAN
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Haze Engulfs Gulf Sun, Bird Dives To Devour Prey At Sunset - IMRAN™ [SOOC]

Haze Engulfs Gulf Sun, Bird Dives To Devour Prey At Sunset - IMRAN™ [SOOC], a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

SOOC. Image colors absolutely unedited and untouched. (Only frame and titles added in Photoshop with 1.8 degree straightening). Just a 4MB JPG from the Nikon D300 at ISO200 0EV f/13 1/640 seconds 170 mm zoom handheld shot.

I have been coming to Florida since I moved to USA in 1989. But I had never been to the Gulf coast. In 2012 I decided to embark on a nearly 3 weeks long trip driving along the entire Florida coastline.

I flew from Long Island into Orlando and started there. I first drove to Cape Canaveral as a salute to those who have traveled much further than I can imagine traveling. From a trip to the NASA turf, I moved on, going on from Merritt Island, and Titusville, I drove North to Jacksonville, then West all the way across the state's width to the edge near Alabama.

Then, I headed East again... I drove along the coastal highway, everywhere from Pensacola, Navarre Beach, Destin, Panama City Beach, Carrabelle, Crawfordville, Deadman's Bay and Steinhatchee, the Cedar Key area, on to New Port Richey, Tampa Bay, and Apollo Beach.

I went by Naples on to the Keys (where I have flown to before and posted pictures of) and then on to attend a great party in Miami for the weekend. Miami was my third home for about 3 years until my Father's death in Pakistan.

I then went to Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach (see the YouTube video at youtube.com/imrananwar ) & then on to Palm Beach (dinner and shopping are unmatched on Worth Avenue) and on to my favorite second-home place - Singer Island. (Some of my earliest photos on Flickr are from my 37th floor condo balcony there). I then drove back up to Merritt Island, past Stuart and Hutchinson Island (where I had started my second-US-home search 10 years ago, before buying on Singer Island), finally completing my more than 2 weeks and more than 2000 miles full coastal trip of Florida.

This was my first sunset capture on the Gulf of Mexico. I was driving along the coastal highway (98) after seeing some Blue Angels fly by, as I watched USAF fighter jets practice high speed chases while other jets flew around behind me at Tyndall Air Force Base. My FaceBook status update says it best....

2 Blue Angels pass me tree level port side, 2 USAF fighters heading straight at me Tyndall Air Force Base & I just saw F15 bank hard starboard behind me!.... I have visual. iPhone is active. Switching to Nikon. Nikon active. Flipping to auto. In range. Beep! Beep! [whirring]... I have Focus. I have tone. I have lock. I shoot! Got him! Shoot again... Got both.... Awesome! This Maverick is heading home!
:-)

(Sorry, I'm a kid when it comes to planes especially Air Force!)

After that aerial excitement, it was time to continue my land based journey along the waters of the United States' Gulf coast.

As I approached Mexico Beach, I realized that the sun would set soon. It did not look like a particularly exciting day for a sunset, seemingly too clear, with no clouds. But I remembered how the best sunset photo I ever took in my life was taken on a very boring day in Miami.

So, I pulled over, went to a local food place, grabbed a sandwich, with a soda, and settled in on the beach. A light haze was visible in the distance. I took my iPhone 4S, the Nikon 6200 and the wonderful Nikon D300 expecting an average sunset, and almost tempted to leave when it appeared to only show typical light yellowish overexposed skies about 30 minutes prior to the full sunset. But, I chose to stay on, sacrificing some coastal scenery in the drive ahead of me, for an instinctive feeling that something special could still happen.

Little did I know that the almost invisible layer of haze would lead to one of the most spectacular sunsets I have ever captured, as it almost turned into a black frame around the sun. This is the moment I was able to capture.... the Haze enGulfing the sun as a bird prepared to plunge into the Gulf waters to catch and devour its prey, as the day fell victim to the swooping night. Sun/Bird… enGulf & Devour.

© 2012 IMRAN
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Stunning Ocean & Beach Day At Pompano Beach Florida - IMRAN™

Enjoy this stunning "winter" day at Pompano Beach fishing pier in Florida. Check out Lighthouse Point and the pelican sunning it's wings. Please view in full size / HD to enjoy the stunning colors. Stunning colors captured by the iPhone 4S, placed into iMovie on iPhone and uploaded without any kind of color editing or processing.

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.