One Of My Most Cherished Photos From The Trip

Several years ago, I was planning to spend a week at Tail of the Dragon motorcycle resort in North Carolina. To make a long story short, before the trip I began searching for places to photograph in the area. Not quite sure how I found this abandoned vintage gas station during one of the searches. I figured that with a little creativity it would make an interesting photograph to shoot the one century old gas station next to my modern Kawasaki Ninja.

The old gas station in Luck, North Carolina, is the historic Pink J. Plemmons Groceries & Feeds, located on NC-209 ("The Rattler") in Madison County. Once served as the town's post office. Built around 1902, this now-defunct landmark features iconic, rusting 1950s-era gas pumps and a vintage sign, making it a popular, frozen-in-time spot for photographers and travelers.

From the motorcycle resort to the old gas station is roughly a little over 4 hours roundtrip, covering about 230 miles. So, a couple of days before I had to return to Philly, I decided to visit the location. It was quite an adventure to find the old gas station, out in the middle of nowhere. All in all, it was worth it, and one of my most cherished photos from the trip. 

Donald Trump, the Wannabe Fascist Dictator Invades Iran

During the presidential campaign, Trump promised to keep the United States out of "forever wars". The United States is currently attacking Iran, and your dear leader this morning said, "there could be American casualties, and that that often happens in war". 

There is now a full-fledged war taking place between the United States against Iran. All hell is breaking loose in the Middle East. How easy a draft dodger sends other people to die in a stupid ego war and to distract from the Epstein Files.

Whatever is in the Epstein files must be very damning because now Trump is starting wars to distract. We don't have money for healthcare, but we definitely have money for missiles.

So much for the "NO NEW WARS AND AMERICA FIRST". The economy is bad, and now the "peace president" has brought us into another war. Those of YOU who voted for this wannabe fascist dictator are responsible for this.

To anyone who voted for Trump = AMERICANS BLOOD WILL BE IN YOUR HANDS. 

Cartoonizing Photos Appear To Be More Appealing To The Eye

Turning pictures into cartoons have many advantages.  Not only enhances visual appeal for social media it also helps create personalized content, while removing imperfections from the original image.

I took this image three years ago next to the "I Love PR" sign in San Juan, PR. Is the perfect example why some pictures need to be converted into cartoons. I know that when it comes to pictures of myself, I am my worst critic.

In my humble opinion, I look terrible on this original image and is the reason why it has been hiding in my computer for three years. Turning this hideous unflattering picture into a cartoon has brought the image back to life and to me it is more enjoyable and visually appealing to the eye. 

I Absolutely Love Being Retired

A couple of days ago, after I finished creating this cartoon image of myself sitting in my old health center office, I felt kind of nostalgic. It's been five years since I retired from a career in healthcare that I loved. 

After 26 years in the HIV/AIDS field, I think is normal to feel nostalgic after going through a major life transition like retirement. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy being retired and my newfound freedom from work-related stress. 

It's been a blessing to pursue my hobbies, setting my own schedule, and spending more quality time with family and friends. The bottom line is that I absolutely love being retired and living life at my own pace.

Unable to Title This Post Properly

For some reason, I am unable to come up with the proper title for this post. Earlier this week I created several personalized cartoons of myself using photos taken during some of my travels to visit family and friends. 

This picture cartoon in particular, was taken while shooting at one of my favorite tourist locations at Muelle de la Libertad in el Poblado de Boqueron. During the past three years, I have visited this area dozens of times. My favorite picture so far, it's one I took during sunset hours. I will post a copy of it at the end of this post.

I can't understand why a personalized cartoon picture looks so much better than the dozen or more images taken with several digital cameras in a particular location. I just goggled this question, and received this response, "personalized cartoons often look better than photos because they simplify, exaggerate, and idealize reality, removing distracting, imperfect, or mundane details."

Maybe Google is correct, but to me, a personalized cartoon picture allows me to create a unique image that represents my personality. And that is what I am trying to convey on my blog. I am going to continue adding my real pictures, but if I can write a post using cartoons, I'll use them too. 

My Personalized Motorcycle AI Cartoon

I have to confess that creating my first Al (Artificial Intelligence) personalized cartoon of my 2010 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 and my 1978 Kawasaki KZ 1000 LTD, has been both a blessing and a curse. I love playing with the app. I am hooked, but who can blame me?

The United States and Iran Are On The Brink of War

Just recently, Trump threatened to attack Iran if they killed protesters. Here is a newsflash for you, Trump's fascist tyrannical regime shot and killed American citizens protesting ICE. In my opinion, one of the most patriotic things anyone can do is protest and hold our government accountable.

During the presidential campaign, Trump called himself the "President of Peace" and campaigned on a platform of ending foreign conflicts. Since then, he invaded Venezuela, threatened Panama, Canada, Cuba and Greenland. Trump is currently moving aircraft carriers and hundreds of aircrafts into position in the Middle East.

The difference this time is that the Iranian leadership appears to be even more deluded than Donald Trump faithful MAGA kool-aid drinkers and their thirst for war. Trump's authoritarian tactics could use the Iran war to deflect the attention from the Supreme Court tariffs debacle, and the Epstein Files cover-up.