Drone Hysteria

Drone hysteria about the New Jersey nighttime visits from mysterious drones is making it difficult for legit drone users like myself.

I personally don't want to get hassled by the authorities. Last year I purchased a DJI Lightweight Mini SE Drone that weight less than 249g. It is almost as light as a Smartphone, which may exempt it from certain regulations.

I am afraid that what is going to happen with the apparent drone sightings in NJ and other states, is that law enforcement and the FAA are going to overregulate an already regulated drone industry. Count on it.

Lifeguard Observation Tower

I Went to Boqueron Beach in the town of Cabo Rojo yesterday, to photograph the golden hour. Sunsets take place at the end of the day.

This is my first time ever shooting this location. Surprisingly, the beach was completely deserted. Most locals don't visit the beach during this time, despite the tropical climate and warm water temperatures. The average temperature in Dec and Jan, is between 70 and 83 degrees Fahrenheit.

Instead of taking the usual sunset image, I decided to incorporate a lifeguard observation tower into it. Enjoy!

Cravings

Earlier today I was invited by some of my high school classmates, to have brunch at Antojos Restaurant in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. Antojos in Spanish means "cravings".

The high school class president decided to throw an impromptu get-together at this very popular outdoor restaurant to brainstorm about an upcoming Valentine's dance. It's not even Christmas yet, and they are already discussing next year's events.

It was a very productive get-together, while enjoying a fabulous meal. Good food, good friends, good times. You can check out their interactive digital menu by searching for Antojos Restaurant in your favorite browser. Enjoy! 😀

2024 Mayaguez Christmas Parade

Last night, my hometown, Mayaguez, held their annual Christmas parade starting at the post office and ending in front of city hall.

This year parade was dedicated to children, with themes related to Christmas. The kids encouraged by their parents seemed to have a lot of fun. Enjoy the pictures, they were extracted from a short video that I recorded last night! 

My Worst Photo Critic

A photo critique is an event where photographers gather to look at other attendees photos. It can be a valuable experience that helps you see your work in a new light.

In 2018, I was invited to a small "Photo Critique" meetup in Northern Liberties, to get input/feedback on our images. I was asked to bring five pictures, to hear people's opinion, reactions, hear new viewpoints and comments to my photos. The top picture shows participants of the "Photo Critique" meetup reviewing my five images.

This morning, my worst photo critic, offered positive feedback about the two pictures I took yesterday in Rincon, Puerto Rico. I was lucky to have beautiful weather, with the sun and clear clouds in the sky where you can watch surfing and windsurfing.

On a clear day like yesterday, you can see the outline of the Desecheo Island from Rincon. Desecheo Island is a prime destination for diving and snorkeling. My worst photo critic was pleased with the two Rincon images. I couldn't ask for better feedback!

Fiesta de Navidad 2024 - Escuela Superior Jose de Diego - Clase 1974

Our 1974 High School Class held their annual Christmas event last night. The school reunion and dance was a complete success. 

What brings people closer together, an excellent selection of traditional flokclore music and great food. The music group performed Bomba, Plena, Seis, Aguinaldos, Danza and Musica Jibara. A traditional form of folk music that originated in Puerto Rico.

This event exceeded all my expectations, and I am glad to have attended. Enjoy!

Christmas On The Town Square

In less than a week, my hometown Plaza de Colon town square is going to be filled with Christmas decorations.

Traditionally, they have a reputation of being one of the most festive towns in the entire island. No town lights up for the holidays like Mayaguez.

For a town with 500 years of history, and of only 73,000 people, is not an easy feat. During Christmas, people come from all over the island just to see the lights, watch the musical shows and enjoy the Christmas spirit.

During this holiday season I am going to try my best to show you what my town has to offer. Enjoy! 

Top picture was taken using my old trusty GoPro action camera.

Harley Davidson Electra Glide

Yesterday I was invited to attend the funeral service and memorial ride for a fellow motorcyclist in my hometown.

I usually don't like to participate in those type of events, but many of my friends were attending. We gathered for lunch at a local restaurant first, then headed to the funeral home.

You know the tradition for military funerals, where soldiers fire blank cartridges into the air three times. For motorcycle funerals bikers rev up their engines all at once, usually right before the procession leaves the service. Sometimes it's done graveside. There were tons of motorcyclists paying their respects. As expected, it was a very emotional gathering.

The only camera I had available with me was my old trusty action camera GoPro. I am not into Harley motorcycles, but I thought it would be interesting to capture a photo of this Harley Davidson Electra Glide. I thought the picture came out pretty decent. There you have it, my first photo of a Harley Davidson motorcycle using a GoPro camera.

Hold That Plane !!!!

We'll folks, it is time to spend the holidays with the family. My flight is leaving tonight, so you probably won't see me for a couple of days. I'll keep you updated on the water temperature at the beach this week.  Hasta la vista, baby.

Despedida del 2024 con Fuegos Artificiales

Hace un par de dias, una revista de New Jersey se comunico conmigo porque estaban interesados en dos fotos mias de fuegos artificiales que estan en mi cuenta de Flickr. Ellos pidieron permiso para poder utilizar mis fotos en su revista para promover la despedida de año en New Jersey. 

Pense que fue un buen gesto de ellos el pedir permiso para usar las fotos. Otros simplemente copian las fotos sin autorizacion; es algo bien comun en el internet. Si estas interesado/a en ver la pagina, este es el enlace. 

Throwback Thursday - 2012 NHRA Atco Raceway

Looking at this picture reminds me of those days when I ate, slept, rode, talk, breathe, dreamt, lived, and loved motorcycle racing.

Sometimes when I look at these old photos it transports me to a different time and place. They trigger great memories; my friends that were there that day, what we did, and even what we ate. Which is why I love scanning and digitizing old images. Time passes so quickly, to remember is to live again. 😀

The View From My Window

What do you do, when you enter the subway after leaving your favorite bank, and you are the only person on the platform?

With only the echoing sounds of the station, the distant rumble of an approaching train and the visual emptiness of the platform stretching out before you? You take out your cell phone out of your pocket and begin taking pictures, of course.

This may be one of those rare instances when you enter the subway, and the Philadelphia subway platform is empty. Since I am always looking for new opportunities to find objects to photograph, it was easy to notice the converging lines creating a perspective effect for my composition to add depth and interest to this particular image. I love it! 😀

La Isla de los Ratones

En estos dias encontre la imagen original de una foto que tome el verano pasado de la Isla de Los Ratones. Esta es la tercera vez que he tratado de editarla. Pienso es la mejor version que ha quedado de todas las que he publicado en el pasado. 

Recientemente compre un filtro de densidad neutral variable para lentes. El filtro es perfecto para tener control total sobre la exposicion y cantidad de luz que llega al lente. Pronto tendre oportunidad de ponerlo a prueba. 

Foto Friday

A day like today, November 1, 2015, this Brooklyn Bridge image was taken on top of the Brooklyn Bridge boardwalk. This is one of my first photos taken during a cold early morning sunrise using a DSLR camera. The Brooklyn Bridge is also less crowded during sunrise.

I quickly realized that I'd prefer to take pictures during sunset hour because of the soft, warm light and rich colors. It didn't take me long to learn that one hour before sunset is ideal, the light is less harsh than during the middle of the day. Enjoy!

The New Chef In Town

As a child I didn't like oatmeal, I hated it. My grandma would prepare oatmeal almost every morning.

Surprisingly, now as an adult, I am addicted to it for a very simple reason. I learned recently that some of my friends, people my age, are being treated for heart related issues. In fact, two close friends recently had open heart surgery due to clogged arteries.

A while back my doctor prescribed meds to improve my cholesterol levels. I decided it was the perfect time to change my diet. It was kind of a wake-up call for me to learn about my friend's health issues, so I decided to make serious changes on my eating habits.

Since I began including oatmeal to my new diet a month ago, I feel a lot better. Not interested in losing weight, but lower my blood sugar levels, and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Dance With Me

Music and dance was a big part of my everyday life when I was growing up. Both my parents loved listening to music and dancing. After they passed, my sister kept their old vinyl lp's.

Dancing is not only a great way to socialize, it is also a great way to stay in shape and an antidote to combat stress. Several years ago, I was too eager to become a better dancer, that I signed up for dance lessons. The problem was that I was too shy to dance in a studio in front of a group of strangers. To overcome my shyness and anxiety, before going to class I would drink a few beers. With the right amount of alcohol, I danced all night long.

I have great memories from the days I was living in New York, and going clubbing to Copacabana, The Palladium, Les Poulets Nightclub, and Club Broadway four nights a week. My former boss always inquired what was the point of going clubbing so much. Is like riding a motorcycle, I told him once. If I have to explain it, you wouldn't understand. 

Throwback Thursday

This picture is a throwback from my first year trying to learn photography quickly; basically going into photography full time. As you know, practice makes perfect. To reach my goal I traveled to New York City almost every other weekend to sharpen my learned skills. It's been a fascinating journey from which I hope to continue to grow and improve my photography.

Aging Like Fine Wine

Last Saturday, my Rock & Roll queen crush, Stevie Nicks was musical guest on Saturday Night Live, performing Edge of Seventeen.

She returned to SNL for the first time in 41 years. I almost couldn't believe it, SNL actually put a legend to perform. To be 77 years old, singing a 40 plus year old song and still rocking was amazing. The iconic Fleetwood Mac frontwoman performed flawlessly.

No need for auto tune, no crazy lighting, or lip syncing. Just pure live music with the voice being the focus. That woman is magic and an icon. I almost never watch SNL musical guests, but Stevie Nicks is a rock icon. Her music performance brought back lots of memories. Stevie Nicks and her music are aging like fine wine!

Nor'easter Travel Nightmare

Last night, I was watching the induction of the band Journey to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Arnel Pineda, the current lead singer of Journey is not Steve Perry, but does an outstanding job.

In April of 2007, I traveled to Cleveland, Ohio, to attend a friend's wedding. Later that weekend, visited the Rock's Hall Museum in downtown Cleveland with a small group of the wedding attendees. It's a museum established to honor and preserve the history of rock and roll music. Great exhibits and if you are into rock and roll like I do, you'll have loads of fun. The museum was awesome.

The thing that stuck out for me happened after I returned the car rental at the airport that afternoon and learned that all the flights to Philly, Washington DC and New York were cancelled.

As you know I don't watch TV, so I wasn't aware of a nor'easter storm that was affecting the eastern part of the United States. I got stranded at the airport in Cleveland the whole Sunday night after all the flights on the east coast were cancelled. I had to contact my supervisor to let her know I wasn't going to make it to the health center the next day.

I spent the next day in the air, after my flight was rerouted from Cleveland to St Louis, then back to Philadelphia. The whole ordeal was a nightmare.

A Funny Thing Happened At The Dentist Today

When your dentist greets you warmly and asks about your family or work, this is probably a good sign your dentist likes you.

I've written about my favorite dentist before, and the circumstances how I ended up getting my dental services with him almost 20 years ago. Before I met him, I've been scared of dentists since I was traumatized at the age of seven.

The reason I love to visit my dentist is twofold. I get my teeth cleaned; today got my second cleaning this year. Plus, I am updated in the latest MAGA conspiracy theories stories from my dentist secretary.

So you see, I get my excellent dental care service, plus I am entertained by the secretary fringe beliefs. Deep down, I think she is trying to persuade me into joining her party. I try not to laugh, but she is funny and the way she describes her conspiracy theories is hilarious.

New York Mets Eliminates Philly in Game 4 of NLDS

 Francisco Lindor’s grand slam sealed the Phillies fate as their offense recorded just four hits.

Mets Push Phillies to the Brink of Elimination with 7-2 Victory

The Story of Game 3 is the Story of the NLDS: The Mets Have Been Better Than the Phillies.

Let's Go Mets !!!

Phillies Rally To Beat Mets 7-6 Game 2 of NLDS

Philadelphia wins in dramatic fashion. Phillies bats come alive to even series. 

2024 - Phillies vs Mets : Phils Lose 6-2 in Game 1 of the NLDS

Heart-less Phillies collapse again in Game 1 of the NLDS vs. the Mets, like they did last year. Phillies’ bullpen and bats waste a "perfect" outing by Zack Wheeler in NLDS Game 1 loss to Mets.

Let's Go Mets !!!!

Why Pay A Monthly Subscription?

Last night I was reading a heated discussion on a photography forum (seven pages and hundreds of replies) about the pros and cons on why people pay for a subscription membership versus using a standalone photo program.

It is no secret that I edit/modify all photographs I take. In my opinion, it helps to bring my images to life. That is my preference and a different topic altogether.

Why are some people happy to spend money on a monthly subscription to edit the images they take? In the past it was simple, you paid for the standalone software once, and that was it. Nowadays, photography editing software is only available on a monthly subscription. You have to pay a monthly fee indefinitely.

I've been using Adobe Photoshop Elements since 2004, and currently have different versions of their standalone program just in case the time comes that my laptop has to be replaced. I am very happy with Photoshop so far, and the program is capable enough for my photography needs. It's unlikely I will ever go for any subscription monthly software.

Two Wheel Tuesdays

When I was shopping for my current motorcycle, a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14, that year model was color Persimmon Red. Red is my favorite color, but I had other plans.

I bought the bike and a few months later decided to change the fuel tank and all the side panels; and transformed my bike into a black model. This was my plan all along. The color change transformed the bike into a different animal.

While looking at some of my old pictures yesterday and talking to a friend about bikes, I realized that I've been riding motorcycles for a long time. This year marks my 50 years on a motorcycle. My friend asked how I plan to celebrate this milestone. Let me think about it and I'll get back to you, I said.

Feliz Cumpleaños!

Un 23 de septiembre de 1868 centenares de puertorriqueños de diversas clases sociales, tomaron por asalto el pueblo de Lares y proclamaron la República de Puerto Rico. Un dia como hoy nacio la proxima presidente de la Republica de Puerto Rico, mi sobrina. Felicidades!

No Soup For You

Back in 1997, as a first time Philadelphia visitor, I was shocked to see so many homeless people on the streets. As a former New York resident, I thought I've seen it all. A year later after I relocated to Philly, I then realized that the homeless population was out of control. But I digress.

If you are familiar or has watched the Seinfeld TV series, you probably know the infamous Seinfeld episode of the Soup Nazi. This was an establishment that served the best soup in all of Manhattan. A customer's failure to strictly obey the rules provokes the Soup Nazi to shout "no soup for you" and refuse service. It is a hilarious episode, and Seinfeld is one of my favorite comedies of all time.

I love soup but the sodium content is off the charts. When you eat out, you are at the mercy of the restaurants, and as a rule they add too much salt in their food.

Last night I visited my favorite local Latin restaurant. My mouth was watering thinking about ordering chicken with rice and beans. While I was being served, a homeless person walked in and told the server he wanted a soup.

I could hear them arguing at the counter; the homeless person was .50 cents short to pay for the 1.50 cents soup. No soup for you if you can't pay, said the server. To stop the back and forth bickering, I told the server that I will pay for the soup. 

At that moment, in a fit of rage, the homeless guy grabs the soup, threw the hot soup at the server and calmly walked out the door.

Celebrity Breakups

What is people's obsession with a celebrity's life and their relationships? Could it be because they want to live the life of their beloved celebrity?

Everywhere I look these days is all about Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck divorce rumors. I personally believe the media has been gossiping on a daily basis about their on-again, off-again relationship because it is a way to increase traffic to their website. More clicks/traffic means more revenue.

In the next few days I expect to see lots of headlines about Donald Trump Jr and Kimberly Guilfoyle breaking off their engagement now that there are rumors of him dating another woman.

I don't remember seeing that many headlines when I called off my engagement to Kim Kardashian.😀

Two Wheel Tuesdays - Tales From The Garage

One of the highlights of my last trip to Puerto Rico, was to introduce my grandnephews to motorcycles for the first time.

It was great to see them enjoying themselves at the motorcycle garage, getting their hands dirty playing with tools. Both of them already have their own set of plastic screwdrivers and hammers, but nothing compares to holding in your hand real tools. The look of joy on their faces when they tried to start one of the scooters, and ride it inside the garage was priceless.

I'll never forget the first time my father taught me how to work in a small AM transistor pocket radio at his radio and TV repair shop. I was about 9-years old. Those are memories I will cherish forever. I sure hope my grandnephews first visit to the motorcycle shop was as memorable as mine was at my father's radio/tv repair shop.

Never Judge A Book By Its Cover

The federal prosecutor now in charge of investigating the man suspected of trying to assassinate Trump is an immigrant to the United States, from Haiti.

Markenzy Lapointe is a U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. From what I've read so far from Markenzy Lapointe, he came to this country when he was 16 years old with his mother, impoverished.

He graduated from Miami Edison High School in 1987, and then attended Miami Dade College. After graduating from college Lapointe then joined the Marines and served in the first Iraq war in 1990. Graduated from Law School, and served in the US attorney's office before joining a Miami law firm.

Donald Trump numerous times have said this about immigrants specifically from Haiti: "they are poisoning the blood of our country". In my opinion, in this case, Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspected wannabe domestic terrorist, is the man with the poisoned blood in our country. 

It is ironic that while Trump disparages anyone from Haiti, a person from that nation is in charge of investigating the person suspected of his assassination attempt.

Social Media Detox

I've decided to minimize my online presence in social media. I began by deleting my 14 year old Twitter account earlier last month. Today, my Instagram was temporarily disabled.

It is logical that my FB photography page should be removed next. FB pages aren't easy to manage as they were five years ago. And since I am not into it to sell my images, only to share my stuff, I don't see the point of keeping the page.

Instagram and FB pages are becoming a headache; too many trolls, fake accounts promoting stuff and scamming people. Keyboard warriors roam the internet to fight and argue over everything. They are empowered by the anonymity of the internet to deceive, manipulate and vilify others. Allowing them to say things they might not say face to face.

So to regain my sanity, I am deleting a big chunk of my social media footprint. I am signing off from those accounts for good, and taking a temporary social media detox.

Two Wheel Tuesdays - Washington Crossing State Park

One of the most historic locations in our area is the Washington Crossing State Park. George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River on December 25, 1776 allowed his army to strike the Hessian mercenaries at Trenton, NJ. It secured the Continental Army's first major military victory of the war during the American Revolution. 

The Washington Crossing Park is one of my favorite places to visit, because for many years it hosted a motorcycle vintage event called Gathering of the Nortons. It was held in April at Washington's Crossing State Park, just north of Trenton NJ on the PA side of the river. 

Once a year thousands of vintage motorcycle enthusiasts gathered to celebrate all things motorcycle. All bikes were welcome, but especially the Brits - Nortons, Triumphs, Tritons, Royal Enfields, BSAs, Vincents, etc. Good food, good people and if you're interested in old iron, it was an amazing event. Only rule was that you had to ride it in, no trailering.

It is a beautiful park, lots of open space to spend a pleasant day in nature to relieve stress; where people bring their families to relax and forget about life's problems. 

Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places

I finished reading a report in Yahoo News about a female reporter from The Telegraph doing a story about looking for love in Spain in a Spanish supermarket.

The story transported me back in time 35 years ago, to something that happened a year after my divorce, when I ventured into responding to a Brooklyn personal newspaper ad. Back then you met people the old fashioned way, or placed/responded to newspaper personal ads.

To put it in perspective, in 1989 I was 33 years old and one of the first contacts I had from the newspaper personal add was with a woman in her early 30's. It was weird because it felt like a one-sided conversation where I was being interrogated by this woman. She kept asking too many questions, one after the other. I vividly remember her asking me how many children I had, after I shared that I've been married twice.

After I replied that I didn't have children, her tone of voice changed and sounded accusatory. She kept accusing me of lying. The third time she asked, I could sense she was serious; she did not believe that a twice divorced man didn't have children. She abruptly hung up on me. That was my first and last attempt into newspaper personal ads. 

A Labor Day BBQ Story

My neighbor and I rescued a gas grill from curbside in a neighborhood near ours. We replaced a few parts and that thing made for a pretty good gasser.

We took to joining our two families together for Sunday night chicken. We'd each cook side dishes and we'd do BBQ chicken on the gas grill we recovered. We did this for about nine months without paying attention to the grease build up.

We were in the middle of a cook and the entire gas grill caught on fire. We had nine feet flames, we had sideways flames, flames were going in every direction. I thought my house was going to catch on fire; I thought the rubber hose on the propane was going to catch on fire; I thought the propane tank was going to explode.

I'm still not sure how we got that grease fire out to this day. Needless to say, we didn't get chicken that Sunday night. 😄

Fired On The Spot

I read somewhere that in 49 states of the United States you can be fired on the spot without warning. They are what is called "at will states".

This morning I was talking to a friend of mine, who at 63 is thinking about retirement. He shared that last Tuesday he hurt his back, and it's been out of work and seeing a back specialist since.

I told him to get his financial papers in order, to find out if he can live well financially with his current savings until 65. If you have the finances, go and never look back, you are just a number to them, I said to him.

Coincidentally, reading the local news today, I noticed a report about a 63 year old woman who had worked hard her entire life. She announced her retirement, and gave her employer a few months in advance as a courtesy to the company. How did her employer valued her years of loyalty to the company? Her employer fired her on the spot.

I am Only Talking To My Cats Today

I am not sure if I mentioned this before, but I am a cat person. Unfortunately, my landlord does not allow pets in our building.

So even though my landlord does not allow cats, that didn't stop my upstairs neighbor from dating a childless cat lady. At first I thought it was just one cat, but the other day they "greeted me" at the main building entrance door. That is when I realized is not one, but four cats.

When the woman is not in the apartment, they meow and yowl all day long, at all hours. Clearly they suffer from separation anxiety when the cat lady is not around. Very early in the morning or evenings, they dart from one room to the other (having a case of the zoomies) non stop. I can hear them running across my ceiling. 

As much as I love cats, these cats are testing my patience.