My Favorite Instagram Posts of 2013

There were three 2013s. (1) Theirs: Miley Cyrus, Harlem Shake, Obamacare (as far as American Pop Culture goes), (2) Ours: So called 'Single sisters school,' everyone cries to 'The Prodigal Returns,' and certainly biggest of all--the annual meeting with the NWT update. (3) Mine: Zach and Hannah, Tyler and Esther, Bren and DanDan. Hmm...apparently my life revolves around weddings.

At the end of 2012, I made a post entitled 'A Year In Instagrams' where I shared and discussed what I thought were the best posts over the course of that year. The reply I received was very positive and, as a result, I made it a goal to take screenshots of my favorite posts over the course of the next year (2013) and then decide which posts I liked best at the end of the year from this exhaustive selection. 

That's what I did, and below are the results. Yes, it took me a long time to do it. I'm tempted to say I had too much time on my hands, but that would be like saying, "scrapbookers have too much time on their hands." Some people like scrapbooking. It's their hobby. What I did was pretty much the same thing, just in a digital form...there...I think I justified it to myself.

Of course, this is my scrapbook: You and I don't follow or know the same people on Instagram. I tried to factor this in when making my list below. 

Show me a picture of something pretty, amazing, creative or something I can relate/empathize with or keep your photos to yourself! :P 

That picture of Zach and Hannah's wedding or of Bren and 丹丹 mean something more to me than to you. I was there, and I associate other positive memories with that post...and sometimes it wasn't about the post at all...maybe it was the buzz it created from the comments. 

This is a case example of what I briefly discussed in last year's post about what I think the difference between photography and Instagram is. I think 'Instagraming' is closer to journalism or diary-writing than it is to photography.

That being said, I think Instagram is the best thing that has happened to photography in the history of it. 

Certainly, a lot of photos I loved because...well...the photo was just really cool.

When I say 'cool,' of course I'm talking about what I deem good. I, like everyone else, am not in a position to say that 'Instagram standards' as airplane wings, selfies, feet-at-the-beach, pet photos, sunset photos, etc are good or bad. Most people aren't trying to be artsy, and to be fair, nobody asked them to try, or asked you (or me) to follow them. But I do want to show appreciation for those that do try. I made this list as a celebration of 'good Instagraming.'

If you scroll through all the photos and find out that none of yours are listed here, please don't conclude that I don't like you...I just like you less and think that you post boring, ugly photos and your face is ugly and I don't want to look at it. #notreally #somanymoreiwishicouldhaveincluded

Part I

My Favorite Instagramers

#5 - lao_tyty

Tyler's job requires him to travel a lot and the result is him using his great eye to take some amazing shots. I just mentioned above that this list is a celebration of those who 'try.' Lao_trytry would probably quickly reply that he doesn't 'try.' But so would many great photographers. Oh, and also...so what? His photos are good. 

#4 - fareastnearnorth

My favorite Instagramer from last year posted a lot less this year, but her posts are always interesting or funny. Natalie's photos from Vietnam were the highlight, but her posts from her everyday teaching job in Shanghai are great too. 

#3 - littlescoot

Alexis Taylor definitely has an eye for the camera. Plop her in to Thailand as a needgreater and it's an instant formula for success. To see more about her, see her excellent blog pioneeringinthailand.blogspot.com

#2 v_8a

Veronica's feed stands out because of her consistent original style. She hasn't traveled the world. Posts from her vary from ministry experiences in DR to far more simple ones--such as asking everyone where she can buy a guitar. Her feed is one of the best not for her photographic ability, but instead because of the rounded corners, refusal to be limited to the square canvas and her general creativity using the Instagram platform as a medium to express herself--from the everyday to the extraordinary.

#1 - thesecondgreatestman

Josh, the Kanye West of Instagram, takes great photos and knows he does. His smugness shows through with his choice of satirical hashtags. His ego shows through with his choice of Instagram name. When all is said and done though, he is the best--consistently posting great photos, mocking those who flirt with Instagram cliches and being the best non-professional photographer out there on my feed.

My Instagramers of the Year

1. thesecondgreatestman

2. v_8a

3. littlescoot

4. fareastnearnorth

5. lao_tyty

Part II

Other Instagramers I Love:

I'm not sure how I feel about the idea of ranking things. It seems a bit silly, but then at the same time I think the practice has its benefits because it gives a special level of praise when talent is expressed. Here are a few Instagramers that, though not 'ranked' above, have feeds I really love to follow.

bricook

The above shot was taken at really low shutterspeed with Briana's husband 'painting' in the light on the trees with a flashlight. Brilliant. Her other posts are fantastic too. 

fatkidswithglasses

Phillip, the younger brother of Josh (my favorite Instagramer this year), has been posting amazing shot after amazing shot--proving that talent runs in their family. Above is an excellent 'upside-down shot.'

chilerro

Needgreater in Bolvia, Jason (above) and former needgreater in Ecuador, Courtney (below) had consistent creative posts throughout the year.

courtney_lenae

Part III

The 70 Best Posts

Yes there are seventy and yes I took the time to attempt to rank them all. On another day and in a different mood I would have chosen different pictures and a different order, but for now this is what it is. I won't put captions below all of them since that would make this post far more longer than it already is. Hope you enjoy looking at them, or it at least prompts you to think about your favorite posts/shared memories over the last year.
"In order to know where we are going, we need to understand what we've already experienced and where we have come from." - Someone whose name I can't remember

#1

The photo in itself has a strange feel to it as it is and stands alone as a very interesting photograph. The subtext reads: Gave a talk by flashlight yesterday. Then we sang song #113 a capella... 

What it represents is a bit bigger than the photograph itself. I don't know of another photo (ever) that more interestingly captures the serve-where-the-need-is-great feel than this one. This photo is more than a picture. It is a reflection of a moment in a lifestyle. Many Instagram posts, even excellent ones, are posted, liked and forgotten about. This one strangely stuck with me throughout the year.

#2

As mentioned before, Josh had many great pictures this year, but this jumping picture from the Mui Ne sand dunes in Vietnam tops them all and is perhaps the best jumping picture I've ever seen.

#3

You know, really this is just an Aaron Dana selfie with just a bunch of other people who happen to be in the background. This group picture from Jemaine and Jessica's wedding (the couple looking at each other near the front) reflects a very fun New Orleans spirit that those who weren't even there can sympathize with. With his GoPro on a stick, Aaron wonderfully captures the energy, happiness and excitement of the moment.

#4

Natalie is all about #yesfilter and that's a great thing. The above reflected photo of Ankor Wat from her trip to Cambodia is not a photo or a painting although it could be both. More than either of those two things, it's an Instagram 'painted' on a square digital canvas.

#5

A snapshot of Jeremy kissing his wife with the Aurora Borealis happening above in the Icelandic skies. 

#6

Angle of the year from Tyler, posting a simple picture of his wife with a tall tree. The picture is two dimensional like any picture of course, but it sinks down (and yet up) by hundreds of feet because of the tree.

#7

Underwater shot of the year from R2--the Finn on vacation. Very cool.

#8

Alexis shows a comical spirit of irreverence in front of a beautifully framed backdrop of Thailand. This was my favorite shot from a consistently good Instagramer. 

#9

No fireworks or foreign landscape here, but it stuck with me.

#10

Awesome and cute pre-bellyflop shot.

#11

The picture that started '#instarapcollab'

#12

From a year ago now in January 2013. One of the first great action shots of the year.

#13

Yet another 'everyday Instagram' that for some reason is extraordinary.

#14

#15

#16

#17

Dandan (hard of hearing) signs to her husband Bren (hearing) at their wedding.

#18

#19

Pasiart (now 'sparklingwaterforeveryone') finds the extraordinary in the ordinary with his posts.

#20

Mount Fuji blurred out in the background in this amazing shot from klandestinekitty.

#21

The engagement announcement! A new staple on Instagram... (along with videos...hey that was new this year...and the 5shotchallenge...yeah...remember that?...and other instafads) which of course was instantly parodied by Josh. This and the post below rank as high as they do probably because of personal bias. :P

#22

My favorite of the non-professional wedding shots from #zachandhannahwedding

#23

Sunset photos: a dime a dozen on Instagram. This sunset photo: Stands out even from the other fantastic ones.

#25

Another great shot from the Vietnam trip. They're running down a sand dune here.

#26

This photo was taken just last year, but it feels as if it's from 50 years ago during the peak of the Red China spirit.

#28

#29

A separation of classes by a glass wall. This picture captures the still-transforming country of China in an excellent way.

#30

The groomsmen from #zachandhannahwedding

#40

#41

Chinese street dentist.

#42

#43

Prayer in a Dino-robe.

#44

My favorite fireworks shot from the many Chinese New Year posts from my China friends. This was my first Chinese New Year I had to watch from afar in a long time. The show from atop of a skyscraper in Shanghai during the first night is the greatest show on earth.

#45

#46

I considered disqualifying Josh from this list along with other professional photographers that put their Lightroom or Aperture edited photos on Instagram, but I really wanted to include at least one of the amazing shots he posted.

#47

#48

#49

#50

#51

#52

This selfie is so irreverently wonderfully Instagram-y.

#53

Throwback of the year. From Alissa. Since Alissa is Russian and it's a photo of her parents when they were young, it is possible was taken on the same type of Soviet-era cam that digital photo filters nowadays imitate. Either way, it's a really cool photo.

#54

'Not a single legal move left.' Great selfie from Graham.

#55 and #56

The upside-down shots. 56 goes to fatkidswithglasses...see his upside-down shot--the seventh photo on this blogpost. These two shots were great as well.

#57

Go straight? Or...um...what? #thanksDR

#58

Um...hmmm... #beststupidart 

#59

#godzillawashere

#60

A shot of the JW showroom in Rouen, France.

#61

Awesome Natgeo wannabe photo.

#62

'Who needs a stool when you have a cinder block.'

#63

The kind of food picture I like.

#64

Jesskrebs is an awesome Instagramer. Her quirkiness shines through best in this photo of her brother and his new wife.

#65

#66

#67

#67

Crab on a leash in China.

#68

#bestweirdartever

#69

#70

(All new Bible and Metropolitan Witnessing related posts!)

Thanks for taking a look at this long entry. There are a lot of photos I missed, changed my mind about, and loved but...there are already 70 pictures above. 70! This is the longest time I've ever spent on a post. :) #ihavetoomuchtimeonmyhands #whyamihashtaginginablogpost?!

Hope you enjoyed the photos and hope the photos the posts you make for 2014 reflect the great experiences you have this year. :)

*Update: A friend of mine recently pointed out that while she liked the article...I really don't know know how to count ;) There are NOT 70 photos above. There are only 69 in the whole article! I don't know how I messed that up. Haha.

The Glass Castle (Book Review)

Jeanette Walls, author of the memoir The Glass Castle, mentioned that one of her readers said something to the extent of: "After reading your book, I remember thinking 'I don't think anyone has had a more troubled childhood than you.'" Immediately, another woman in the audience said, "I'm from Somalia," without adding the unnecessary phrase: "I've had it worse."

But that isn't the point.

I would imagine in order for a memoir of a non-already-famous person to become a bestseller, it would have to be an extremely sad and/or extraordinarily unique story. Maybe the memoir of that unfortunate person who grew up in Africa or that fictional story about a Geisha from Japan are exactly that. But I think The Glass Castle became a bestseller because it is a description of a life many, perhaps unfortunately, can relate to.
I found myself reflecting on little injustices I and others around me faced as a child when reading it.

Alex Ray once grabbed me by the neck tightly because I wouldn't agree to play Star Trek with him. I pushed him off and incidentally hit his face with an open hand. He immediately, dramatically started shouting that I'd broken his jaw. He snitched to the teacher...I didn't know how to verbally defend myself...I ended up getting my first citation and getting in trouble.

Brian Grey was in a line with a couple of other troublemaking kids that were holding their fingers over the drinking fountain, increasing the pressure to use it to spray out water.
The teacher unfairly grouped Brian with the rest, even though he was not part of the gang. He got in trouble even though he didn't deserve it. I know. I saw it. I know he was innocent. Hmm...I didn't say anything. I still remember that moment! Why? I wonder if he even remembers it. I didn't say anything. Maybe I should have. Maybe that's why I still remember.

To be sure, reading the 'fine white-trash story' The Glass Castle is a a lot like watching a train wreck of a life much worse than our own. The journalistic, relentlessly objective narrative vividly describes what many, myself included, would call a very ugly, unfortunate childhood.
It's annoying how objective it is. Take sides!
I wanted Jeanette's parents put in prison so many times while reading this book and for so many different reasons.
When questioned on these specific subjects, the author simply replied, "everything [every experience] in life is both a blessing and a curse." I'm not sure if I agree. Everything in life is?
What she said seems to dramatically overstep a mere "I try to look at things from a positive angle."
Wait a minute--I'm sure I disagree.
At the same time I understand where she is coming from.

This book was great because it made me feel so grateful for the situation that I am in now, and childhood I had. That fact, in turn, is why I'm glad I read it and even want to continue to think back to it from time to time in the future.

This wasn't just a book. It was someone's life! Even though we're only getting one edited side of the story here, The Glass Castle is a strong argument for the case of 'why spend time with fiction when there are so many true stories to tell.'

I hope to read more non-fiction and memoirs in the future.

Adrean and Michelle's Engagement Dinner (The Photos)

To save space and the trouble of posting these pictures in several places, I've just included a few pictures from the whole album. To see all of the edited photos from the engagement dinner, click here to be redirected to the photo set on flickr. 

Thanks to Adrean and Michelle for giving me an unexpected opportunity to practice and perhaps one day expand into more professional photography.

Far more importantly, congratulations on your engagement.

Looking forward to your wedding and wish you guys a great first year of marriage.

My Best of the Bay Area

Please check out the embedded links in the article below too. :) Above: Photo I took in San Francisco back when I was in the Mandarin Congregation there for two years.

When planning a trip to New York, many may like to research great films that take place there.
There are many great films to choose from!

When planning a trip to San Francisco there is only one that you need to see,
and it is the greatest film ever made -- Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo.

Note: In the link above, my personal favorite film is listed as number six. Maybe if Jimmy Stewart's character wasn't such a supposed wife-stealer (spoiler alert but not really) I would have liked Vertigo even more than I did.

In Vertigo, you can see the comparatively smaller, less famous, city by the bay in a cinematographic style that many say is unmatched.  It's a good introduction to what TripAdvisor considers the best city in the United States after New York.

Yes, of course, I roll my eyes at the second place ranking; but if one incorporates the greater SF bay area into the mix, I think it's a clear winner. And yes, of course I'm biased.

It's been over four years since I've been to my home of the San Francisco Bay Area. If all goes well, I hope to break that streak with a trip to California in the summer of 2014.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share some of the places I want to go to and my favorite food spots in the bay area for those that would like to visit.

Food:

Although, ranked second overall, San Francisco is easily ranked first in the US when it comes to food. Right? What?! Darn you New Orleans!

This is my checklist of only some of the places I want to go to when back in the Bay Area.
They're all pretty cheap too.

(Restaurant Name) - (Get what?)

In San Francisco
Plutos - Steak Sandwich and Garlic Curly Fries
Pizza Orgasmica - Many say North Beach pizza is the best, but I love Orgasmica. And yes, sorry about the name. Didn't choose it. Get the Latin Lover, Doggie Style...or pretty much just about anything on the menu.

In Berkeley 
Gordo - Carnitas Burrito (with added Sour Cream and Guacamole)
Cancun - Carne Asada Crunchy Taco (with added Sour Cream and Guacamole)
Brazil Fresh Squeeze Cafe - Tri-Tip Sandwich
Zachary's Chicago Style Pizza - Deep Dish or Thin Crust...I like all the pizza here. Be sure to make sure you order something with their excellent sausages.

In Emeryville
Emeryville Public Market - the best Gyro and best Philly Cheesesteak I've ever had, Turkey and Philadelphia included, can both be found in this building of affordable culinary heaven. Stop by the movie theater next door or Borders bookstore afterward.

In El Cerrito/Albany
The Junket - The Liverwurst sandwich is the best here. And yes that pun was definitely intended. There are so many German delights from beers to cheeses here to choose from in case Liverwurst isn't your style.
Al's Burgers - I've thought long about it and the conclusion I've come to is that the best burgers I've ever had in my life were from my hometown of El Cerrito at Al's. The burgers are grilled right in front of you here. Yes, they are amazing.

To drink:
If you think America has terrible beer--you're probably thinking of it's mainstream supermarket beers. And you're right. (And you're also right about the fact that I've been starting a lot of fragmented sentences in this article with 'and')
On the other hand, their microbreweries are amazing. There are many to choose from but my favorites are in the college town of Berkeley.
(Btw, Berkeley is a great city to visit. The Haight Ashbury in San Francisco and Berkeley were where the hippie/counterculture movement in the sixties was essentially born)

Pyramid Brewery - Get whatever you like. You can sample!
Triple Rock - Get the Monkey Head on Tuesday

Places:
In the links above there are tons of great suggestions for places to see, but here are a few personal favorites.

Solano Ave in Albany
University Ave in Berkeley
Indian Rock in Berkeley
Twin Peaks in San Francisco
Sutro Bath Ruins and the old Arcade in San Francisco (As seen in the film 'The Princess Diaries' and 'Harold and Maude').

That's all for now; don't want to make this an exhaustively long post.
Did I leave out any good spots? Agree or strongly disagree with some of my choices? Let me know in comments--preferably on my Instagram.
Hope it piked your interest in visiting the Bay Area...perhaps at the same time I'm out there!
Take care. :)

Sweet Tangerines (A New Acoustic Song)

Here's a simple new original song...well...a song that's new to you (I wrote it back in Shanghai).
I normally strum instead of fingerpick, and this song is an example why. ;)

Hope you enjoy it. As always, thanks for listening.

Below are the links to my other original acoustic songs from earlier blog posts. The bandcamp.com mp3's are coming soon Shanna! :)

Girl in the Picture
Can You Feel the Beat of My Heart
Asthma
God is Not a Trinity
I am a Robot

The Beatles - Everyday Chemistry (The 'Recently Discovered' Complete Beatles Album)

My new thing of the day: The faux Beatles album "Everyday Chemistry."
Check out the album here at thebeatlesneverbrokeup.com.

This album is presented as an undiscovered completed eleven-song Beatles album, only now surfacing. The reality, of course, is by the use of 'magical' computer technology and clever splicing, a certain 'James Richards' has made an album that contains quite a few tracks with Paul McCartney + John Lennon singing to mashed up old Beatles clips pieced together to form new, listenable, and even semi-believable tunes.

I think it's worth a listen.

I liked 'Soldier Boy,' and really liked the piano-y sad spirited 'Over the Ocean,' which kinda...for lack of better description...makes me feel nostalgic about a time that never really happened; When listening to this song, I'm left wondering what direction the Beatles would have gone if they were resurrected back as youths and started making new songs.* I also passively wonder what they would think of modern electronic music, the mark they have left on pop music and where popular music 'is' now.

I personally am a big Beatles fan.

My favorite albums are the stereotypical choices 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club' and 'The White Album.'

My favorite less-popular real Beatles songs are: Don't Let Me Down, Good Night, Cry Baby Cry, Mother Nature's Son, Real Love, Here There Everywhere, Julia, amongst many others.

*many people may say the answer to this question is "Tame Impala," a band that created the critically acclaimed album "Lonerism" which sounds a little like this album. (Favorite song on this album is "Feel Like We Only Go Backwards")

All Things New (The Novel)

All Things New is a completed novel containing fictional interviews and experiences from the New World. It is currently being serialized online @ allthingsnewnovel.blogspot.com.

When one is making some sort of art with a spiritual theme, there are some inevitable problems. One of these is making sure the material isn't cheesy or of poor quality; Jehovah's Witnesses are usually not professional artists and should devote the meat of their time and energy to other more important concerns. Another concern is sharing one's art without compromising the need to be an example in humility. Making art for the sake of fame or personal glory is a trait inseparable from the spirit often shown in this world. Also, there is the issue of not offending or making it seem as if one is presenting presumptuous ideas or something beyond that which is written in the fictional text.  

To quote the writer of All Things New:

"The idea behind this novel first occurred to me in 2010... I assumed that some would be offended by my portrayal of post-Armageddon society. Perhaps they would feel that my book was a transgression in over-speculation. At the very least, there would be a flood of those who disagreed strongly with my depictions...then 2013 came along...that year’s District Convention featured two dramas set in the future–one at the start of the Great Tribulation, the other after the Resurrection. 

"A myriad of questions begged answers in my head that I wanted desperately to explore on paper: How would the U.N. attack false religion? How would the Witnesses later be targeted? How would Jehovah protect his people? What would Armageddon be like? What (and who) would be left? How would we reorganize? Communicate? Travel? Rebuild? What would return to perfection be like? How would a perfect child think? And, perhaps the most intriguing question of them all: What would the Resurrection be like? 

"Thus, in August of 2013, I returned to my novel. I wrote at a swift pace, with a loose quota of 2,000 words a day and an ultimate goal of 100,000 words, the length of an average paperback. As you might imagine, writing a novel takes determination, and writing is just half the effort. It involves hours upon hours of research, editing, and–in the case of a story with spiritual themes–lots of meditation.

"Of course, the stories here are fictional. The events and characters are nothing more than my imaginative renderings of what could be. Still, I’ve done my upmost to align the details of the stories with our current understanding of Bible prophecy. Where that understanding is unclear or incomplete, I have bridged the gaps with reasonable hypothesis. Where some aspect of a story resembles a Biblical account, I’ve tried to conclude the likeliest outcome based on precedent. After all, Divine destruction is nothing new; neither are Divinely-backed construction projects. Does this mean that I believe future events will play out as the stories describe? Not necessarily. They might, but I expect it’ll be much more surprising (and more miraculous) than anything I could invent or write. So please, as you read through the novel in your hands, remember: I’m not making predictions. I’m merely exploring one stream of possibilities. But one thing I am certain of–as are you, I'm sure–is that whatever happens in the end, each one of us will have a story to tell..."

The writer of the blog series wishes to remain anonymous, but hope you get a chance to check All Things New out. Enjoy! :)

Ender's Game (Book Review)

Ender's Game is often listed near the top of most lists for the greatest sci-fi novels ever written. However you might quickly find out that this is really a military, or even a sports novel more than a sci-fi one. It's also different from many other sci-fi novels in that while many deal with ideas (Foundation) or perhaps focus on creating an interesting new world entirely (Dune), Ender's Game seems to rest its laurels on its narrative, especially the exciting battle room sequences, and characters we can easily like. These are the two strongest points of the book.


The Achilles Heel of this novel is the incessant juvenile dialog that feels pulled out of the cut scenes of a Call of Duty video game. The characters are calling each other 'farteater' or engaging in eye-rolling conversations along the lines of:

"We're pushing him too hard!"

"He's the only chance we've got."

"I hope you're right about him."

"If I'm not, God help us all."

(Facepalm)

Ender's Game uncomfortably juggles between the profound and the trivial, and the result is a novel that has a satisfying climax and a few interesting thoughts to consider--but not a novel that leaves me wanting more (and there is much more...this is part of a series).
Its low prosaic value cements its place as a young adult novel that crackles and pops more than it does simmer and linger.

In spite of what I personally feel (and do remember, I am the guy that gave that boring women's novel Persuasion a five star review), it's important to mention that virtually everyone else I know who read this book loved it.

Many right now may be squawking the tired and usually obvious adage 'the movie's not as good as the book.' For me? -- Even the source material has some flaws.
For you? -- It's worth checking out for its legacy and reputation as such a widely acclaimed and beloved book.

3/5