Why you will not be seeing any of the photos of Tiki Oasis 7 by Dr.TikiMojo

The Short Answer: My Car window was smashed in and ALL my camera equipment was stolen!

The FULL Story: After working double duty at Tiki Oasis 7 as both a vendor, (TIKI HUNTER), and the “OFFICIAL” Tiki Oasis Photographer I put in 4 days of work at nearly 14 hours plus per day. I shot over 1300 photos including nearly, (if not all), the bands, costume contest, lectures, dealers, parties and some of my best candids ever! (My favorites CocoLoco and 4 other lovely ladies all in colorful dresses posing on a bed just for ME and the infamous Crazy Al Cheez Wiz attack shot at The Cult of the Eye room!)
While still fun, by the end of the convention Mrs.Mojo and myself were EXHAUSTED!
Sunday evening we started our drive back up north until exhaustion forced us to stop for the night in Ventura at a La Quinta Inn around 2 AM. Around 7 AM Monday morning our hotel room phone started ringing, it was the hotel manager, the police were outside and needed us down at our car to report a break in! I went down stairs to the car feeling my feet growing heavier with each step. When I reached the car the rear passenger side window had been smashed in, some boxes where out of place and ‘something’ was missing. That’s when my knees went weak, and bile rose from my stomach...... my camera bag and ALL it’s contents were missing! It came like the news of a death of a friend, the memories flooded in of all the places we’d been together around the country, Ireland on bicycle, across Scotland and England, living in the temples in Taiwan, all the photos I was already committed to take and how I would do it, all of the hard work and saving and YEARS it took to put together such nice equipment!
As the police officer asked for all the detailed information on the contents of the camera bag and their approximate values the bile began to rise again, a pro Nikon camera body, 4 high end lenses, a brand new top of the line Nikon Flash, my Nikon Coolwalker 40Gig Digital Storage Viewer, (containing all the photos I downloaded each night when I returned to my hotel room), rechargeable batteries, chargers, cords, cables, mini portable tape recorder, Lowepro Slingshot 300AW Camera Bag, and hundreds of dollars worth of miscellaneous pro filters. Total retail value of the loss between $8,000 to $10,000 plus the $250 to replace the broken glass and $40 to rent a car for the day so we didn’t have to sit and watch the Tiki Cruiser being torn apart and dwelling on the loss. By the time I can replace the equipment the losses of revenue and equipment I may have yet to account for may exceed $20,000......this on the heels of $4,300 worth of car repairs just before we left for Oasis!

If there is any part of this to be referred as, “a positive side”, they didn’t steal the entire Tiki Cruiser and Eva/Mrs.Mojo has been my “photographer in training” recently, she managed to shoot about 150 photos of Tiki Oasis 7 which I will edit, work some PhotoShop magic on and have available. Also after spending the entire day Wednesday on the phone with the Ventura Police and my insurance agents it’s looking as though we MAY be able to make a claim for most of the equipment.......more on that later.

To answer some obvious questions in advance:
Why the Hell did you leave your camera in the car in the first place?

Up until the end of Tiki Oasis the Tiki Cruiser was so full that we had the camera bags and our suitcase in the very back of the car. Every night when we stopped for the night we took in the suitcase and the camera bags. After Tiki Oasis we had sold enough that the Tiki Cruiser was less full. To try to see out the back window I slid my camera bag behind the headrest of the passenger seat. When we reached Ventura we where exhausted, it was late, the parking lot poorly lit, we hadn’t taken the bags out the car for 3 days and fell out of the ‘habit’, we left both bags and took the suitcase up, (the smaller camera bag was under Eva’s jacket and in back. It wasn't seen and is fine). We forgot them just that one time and it cost me!

The other question:
Didn't you have an ALARM SYSTEM on your car?
No. I bought the Tiki Cruiser last year for a steal on ebay! For a 2002 vehicle it was about the most gutless, no frills car I've owned in at least 15 years! But it sure do look perty! Shortly after I got it the first thing I did was take to the place I had an alarm put on my wife's Honda Accord, (after the car stereo I gave her for Valentines day was stolen right in our driveway!) It has no POWER LOCKS and to put in a worthwhile car alarm they wanted to install power door locks at $350 per DOOR, plus the cost of the alarm system! Obviously, in hindsight, I wish I had done it then! Now I can't because of all the other financial losses!

The Tiki Cruiser, (In background is the other car that was broken into)



Mojo in a serious state of depression....no camera means no fun!

To all my friends and family at Tiki Oasis 7 I am sorry that my carelessness has lost so many of our wonderful images from that weekend.

So here's the equipment list since people are already sending me ads they've seem pop up!

**NIKON D200 CAMERA BODY with a DELKIN efilm POP UP SHADE attached to the back, it had a Scandisk 2GB Extreme III CompactFlash card in the camera, a Nikon Strap with Yellow Duct Tape and a Nikon Hand Strap and an Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S DX VR II Autofocus Lens on the camera at the time.

NIKON COOLWALKER PORTABLE STORAGE DEVICE -see previous photos

Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED VR Autofocus Lens (Vibration Reduction)

Nikkor 16mm f/2.8D Fisheye AF Autofocus Lens

Nikkor 35-70mm f/2.8D Autofocus Lens

Spare filter bag attached to the outside of my LOWEPRO SLINGSHOT 200AW CAMERA BAG

SB-800 Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash

About $1,000 worth of miscellaneous filters

Spare batteries, rechargable batteries and chargers

and a mini tape recorder.

*Here's the serial #'s of some of the equipment:

NIKON D200 CAMERA BODY serial # 3038861

Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S DX VR II Autofocus Lens serial # 2016848

NIKON COOLWALKER PORTABLE STORAGE DEVICE serial # 40000389

SB-800 Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash serial # 2795800

Thanks for all the love and well wishes everyone! Mahalo!***

[ Edited by: Dr.TikiMojo 2007-08-24 00:49 ]

[ Edited by: Dr.TikiMojo 2007-08-24 15:15 ]

[ Edited by: Dr.TikiMojo 2007-08-24 16:47 ]

To answer some obvious questions in advance:
Why the Hell did you leave your camera in the car in the first place?

Man that sucks. Sorry to hear about all these situations that you just had. I wouldn't have said Why the Hell did you leave your camera. In your car for that short of time. Just shouldn't have happened. I could almost see a lot of people doing that in the situation that you described. You have tinted windows so you weren't advertising anything. Nothing that you did wrong, just some sick people in the world.

I'm so sorry for this situation, Mojo. I did see you working your photo magic at every event and know how much effort you put into this project. At least you two were not physically hurt in any way and although we won't be seeing your images, the memories of that weekend will remain vivid in our minds. Much luck to you in replacing your equipment so we can have our "official tiki event photographer" back in action soon. Please let me know if there's anything I, or The Maikai Gents can do to help out. By the way, your caption of "no camera means no fun" is not true! I have seen you in action and know that your gregarious personality allows you to have a blast even without the lens in front of you.

-Weird Unc

Holy Crap!! I agree.. that just shouldn't happen! I don't care what is inside your car, windows up or down, your belongings are personal property and it sucks for us to have insurance and locks to try to keep what we work long and hard to obtain.

You were all over Tiki Oasis snapping shots! Your album would have been one of the best records of the action all weekend. My heart goes out to you, Dr!!

Hang in there, my friend. We still have the memories of a wonderful time at Tiki Oasis!! I am glad that cool Cruiser wasn't damaged more.

Aloha
Myke

Damn Mojo-dude, that sucks! Sorry about losing all that nice equipment, and all the photos you took with them.

Dude..

We met at the last Pub Crawl and I know that you are a nice guy that did not deserve this! I will try and send business your way by spreading the word with the local Ohana about your webstore, which is looking awesome by the way. I hope the insurance company comes through 4 u. I can empathize on the Photo equipment, I would be devastated if my equipment was stolen. These are just things though, you are still a great guy and nobody can steal that! As soon as you get sales up and running on your website let us know so we can start shopping.

What the f! Sorry to hear about your equipment. I'm also sorry that the moments captured are in some jerk's hands right now.

Wasn't at Oasis and haven't met any of you folks yet -- but this news still hurts to read. Best wishes as you pursue all possible remedies -- with the authorities, fellow TCers, etc.

Hey Doc?!? I mean Ouch!!!

I'm with the rest of the 'ohana in feeling your loss here; that and getting the "violated" part too (pretty sure we all get that one).

They may be just things and images technically, but with your mojo in 'em it means more.

Overdue from me is a big Mahalo for being the most delightfully present, most appropriately unobtrusive, happiest, always-there-in-exactly-the-right-way-honestly-visible photo journalist I have had the pleasure of meeting and observing work. Everyone got the photo part, but you made it look like you were having a blast on top of it. None of the sneaky, or wait while I pose you just right, or other buzz-kill crap of a lesser guy. On the other hand, for you, I think any of us wouldn't mind that when needed.

You are the only journalist I have known who, entirely due to your spot-on way of being, was welcome everywhere because of your self, with the additional coolness that we saw your other purpose and could get excited about that too. Camera or no camera, you're an asset to any gathering!

Please, please: ask for whatever help you need, and join us for the next luau, with or without equipment.

Pele's gonna be workin' overtime... and this was Monday morning, right?
OK, that falls into Elegua's hands whether we ask or not...

Bigtime Bummer Mojo! :(
Stuff like this shouldn't happen to such warm and generous people!
If there's anything us Ohana can do to raise funds or lift your spirits-just holler!
A curse on those stupid petty thieves!
If only they knew how much hurt they've caused...
Sending you and the missus BIG HUGS!

I am so sorry to hear about this happening to anyone, let alone in my quiet little town.....if any of the Ventura Ohana can help please let me know and we will do our best

Gddmmmittt the mthufckrrrrrsss!
The equipment loss is bad, but the loss of ones own personal work that one was inspired to do out off one's own love for it and whose only pay off would be the results, AND WHICH has NO GODDAMN VALUE to those stupid thiefs is really aggravating!

I feel your pain in the pit of my stomach.

May the thieves suffer bouts of impotence with their women and indigestion with their favorite foods until their growing irritability causes them to be viewed with suspicion by their criminal cohorts who deal with them in a most unpleasant way.

The Tiki God's are angry!
Instant Karma upon the camera thieves!
I'm sorry for your loss bro, at least no one was injured........peace.

On 2007-08-23 11:29, Dr. Shocker wrote:
I am so sorry to hear about this happening to anyone, let alone in my quiet little town.....if any of the Ventura Ohana can help please let me know and we will do our best

Actually Dr. Shocker, there is something you and any of the Ohana local to Ventura or the SoCal area can do....search the PAWN SHOPS, LOCAL PAPERS, CRAIG'S LIST......where ever HOT merchandise might go.... THERE WILL BE A GENEROUS REWARD FOR THE RETURN....ESPECIALLY FOR MY NIKON COOLWALKER STORAGE DEVICE WITH PHOTOS INTACT!!!!

THIS IS THE ITEM I NEED MOST....the NIKON COOLWALKER STORAGE DEVICE, serial #40000389, (most likely) IMAGES MUST STILL BE ON THE DEVICE TO BE WORTH ANYTHING

My camera Bag is also quite unquie so keep an eye out!

Sorry to hear that Tikimojo. I have to agree that this is pretty F$%^ed up!
So shall we organize a mass tiki oasis attendy pawn shop search of san diego? Imagine pissed off tikiphiles in their most angry aloha shirts barging into pawn shop demanding to see the recent "additions". Most pawn shops will cooporate with folks but sometimes these creeps will demand paying for the product first.

Posse? anyone?

TIKI Posse?

Hi David and Eva, we just got home last night and just now found your post. It's always the truly good people that have this &%^$ happen to them. I took photos at the Bali Hai and on and off on Saturday. They are just tourist photos but if you would like them I can CD them to you. We hope to see you soon, hugs from your tiki buddies, Wendy and Dan

On 2007-08-23 14:20, IKABOD wrote:
Sorry to hear that Tikimojo. I have to agree that this is pretty F$%^ed up!
So shall we organize a mass tiki oasis attendy pawn shop search of san diego? Imagine pissed off tikiphiles in their most angry aloha shirts barging into pawn shop demanding to see the recent "additions". Most pawn shops will cooporate with folks but sometimes these creeps will demand paying for the product first.

Posse? anyone?

TIKI Posse?

**Thanks for all the super nice wishes from all my Tiki Ohana......love you all!

Tiki Posse.....uh, YEA!**

On 2007-08-23 13:23, Dr.TikiMojo wrote:

On 2007-08-23 11:29, Dr. Shocker wrote:
I am so sorry to hear about this happening to anyone, let alone in my quiet little town.....if any of the Ventura Ohana can help please let me know and we will do our best

Actually Dr. Shocker, there is something you and any of the Ohana local to Ventura or the SoCal area can do....search the PAWN SHOPS, LOCAL PAPERS, CRAIG'S LIST......where ever HOT merchandise might go.... THERE WILL BE A GENEROUS REWARD FOR THE RETURN....ESPECIALLY FOR MY NIKON COOLWALKER STORAGE DEVICE WITH PHOTOS INTACT!!!!

THIS IS THE ITEM I NEED MOST....the NIKON COOLWALKER STORAGE DEVICE, serial #40000389, (most likely) IMAGES MUST STILL BE ON THE DEVICE TO BE WORTH ANYTHING

My camera Bag is also quite unquie so keep an eye out!

damn, saw bones, that's a major bummer! shit happens though, so don't stress on it. keep your head up braddah!

That is so messed up. I looked up La Quinta Inn Ventura it looks like it is near Montalvo. That's a bad part of town. Drugs. I am in Ventura and if I see anything I will let ya know.

I'm so sorry to hear that. A bummer cap to a great weekend. I hope they get the dirtbags who are responsible.

Sadly enough, this follows Tiki King's jewelry being stolen.

OMG...I am crying here...what an awful thing to happen. I know everyone at Oasis saw you two working your booties off. You were like a clone Dave...all over the place.

Please don't beat yourself up over this....as it will just make you sicker. We all make mistakes in life that hugely impact us emotionally, financially, and change our loves forever. Your victimization just goes to show all of us that the world is still a dangerous place and there are way too many evil people on the planet.

I hope you will be able to recover some or all of your equipment...watch ebay. What goes around comes around and the thief be damned.

Sorry that had to happen. Somehow we did not meet at Oasis and that is a shame. The hotel is the one at Valentine and Victoria, right? Not the best or the worst area.....assholes can strike anywhere. I do work indirectly with the police department several times a week and will try to keep my ears and eyes open. Even in our little podunk part of Ventura County our local "police blotter" that lists the weekly crimes are mostly shoplifting and car break-ins. We have room here for out of town TC folk that we have met.....so maybe next time....That last shot looks like Pismo beach.

On 2007-08-23 20:24, bongofury wrote:
Sorry that had to happen. Somehow we did not meet at Oasis and that is a shame. The hotel is the one at Valentine and Victoria, right? Not the best or the worst area.....assholes can strike anywhere. I do work indirectly with the police department several times a week and will try to keep my ears and eyes open. Even in our little podunk part of Ventura County our local "police blotter" that lists the weekly crimes are mostly shoplifting and car break-ins. We have room here for out of town TC folk that we have met.....so maybe next time....That last shot looks like Pismo beach.

You got it Bongo....Valentine and Victoria that was the one.....and yes, the last shot of depressed Mojo was Pismo Beach, (Splash = BEST CLAMS EVER!!!).

So here's the equipment list since people are already sending me ads they've seem pop up!

**NIKON D200 CAMERA BODY with a DELKIN efilm POP UP SHADE attached to the back, it had a Scandisk 2GB Extreme III CompactFlash card in the camera, a Nikon Strap with Yellow Duct Tape and a Nikon Hand Strap and an Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S DX VR II Autofocus Lens on the camera at the time.

NIKON COOLWALKER PORTABLE STORAGE DEVICE -see previous photos

Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED VR Autofocus Lens (Vibration Reduction)

Nikkor 16mm f/2.8D Fisheye AF Autofocus Lens

Nikkor 35-70mm f/2.8D Autofocus Lens

Spare filter bag attached to the outside of my LOWEPRO SLINGSHOT 200AW CAMERA BAG

SB-800 Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash

About $1,000 worth of miscellaneous filters

Spare batteries, rechargable batteries and chargers

and a mini tape recorder**

On 2007-08-23 02:53, Dr.TikiMojo wrote:
Why you will not be seeing any of the photos of Tiki Oasis 7 by Dr.TikiMojo

The Short Answer: My Car window was smashed in and ALL my camera equipment was stolen!

[ Edited by: Dr.TikiMojo 2007-08-24 00:49 ]

Mojo

That sucks really bad. It sucks for you, for me, and for the fans of Tiki Oasis who will not be able to enjoy all the great memories you captured. I had my camera stolen by a drunk asshole at Kona Club and he erased a bunch of photos
(I was later able to recover 90% of them via data recovery but for a week had that violated, bile-in-throt feeling of loss)

I feel for you and my sympathy goes out to you

Positive lesson learned: back up photos and keep photo cards as emptied as possible onto backup storage separate from cameras. Do I adhere to this rule? No!

TC folks, let's gather some photos together and try to regain the memories lost here. Is there a photo thread on TC or should we start one right here?

Bump.

The list helps allot thanks.

Sorry about your stuff getting stolen!
That is sooo lame.
arrrrrgh.
Pea

May the thieves , once caught , be locked up in a cage nude with two extremely horny gorillas high on acid ,

No, no, no, no, no!!!! This is awful! I know you took so many amazing photos and I'm heartbroken that they have all been lost (even being in firsthand on that bed full of ladies stuff :wink: ) but how terrible for you! I am sending all the good energy your way that your equipment might still be recovered. Please keep us updated on the status of things. I'm so sorry, David.

Suzanne

Sorry to Hear about that man,
bums me out.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Lordy! My wife, daughter, and I have stayed at that motel and it seemed rather safe. Nothing is safe anymore.

Oh man! That is horrible! I just learned about this from Otto! I'm a tiki carver and photographer too. I'm in Spokane, so it's probably not too likely the merch will show up here, but I will keep it in mind if something suspicious turns up. Peace out to you and your 'ohana!

Wow Dr. Tikimojo, I'm truly sorry to hear about your loss. I'm
curious if the room you stayed in had a safe? If it didn't, under
California law the hotel may be liable for your entire loss, regardless
of them posting a "Hotel is not responsible for stolen items" sign.
If would be great if just once the police would bust some crack addict
and all of the stolen equipment would be found safe and sound. I've
been the victim of theft more than once and it just plain sucks and
pisses you off. Hang in there.