A Horse Is A Horse...

"During the hearings Hegseth repeatedly said he was going to defend the meritocracy," Brooks writes. In what kind of meritocracy is being a Fox TV host preparation for being secretary of defense? Maybe in the one Caligula fancied when he contemplated making his horse a consul."

Virtual UnReality

Or as commonly known- outright scam. More of the same from the same old dog with the same old tricks who paid "supporters" $50 a head to cheer him down the elevator that fateful day...

Man, Oh Mann!

Recently, there was quite the brouhaha over Sally Mann's photography (again) over at PetaPixel. There's one thing I really miss about the demise of photo-blogdom- the occasional deep dive discussion into a particular photo topic of interest, especially those involving ethics or aesthetics. This one had both, but considering this was PetaPixel- you're not always gonna attract your A list commenters from photography's elite and most knowledgeable. Which means things can rapidly go down the toilet of: opinion as fact, misinformation as quantifiable fact, and ad hominems as absolute, justifiable facts. 

And while I like to think I'm above that, and try to live up to that expectation, when ya get in the mix, you can't always emerge unscathed. Although this is one highly charged topic (as well it should be), it be nice to be able to rationally consider and delineate as to what exactly is worth getting upset about- before raw emotion runs in like the wrecking ball that tears logic and sensibility asunder. One guy actually responded, "Well... like I said. I'm right." As if that's all the verifiable evidence needed! Yeah, that was verbatim- and was also followed by numerous proclamations attesting to his superior intellectual prowess. Hard to argue with that high an intellect.

So why bother? PP may not be the best venue for serious discussion, but it's one of few remaining in the public realm not under the auspices of a yet larger social media conglomerate. And public discourse can help define how one really feels about the topic at hand. It's frustrating when someone can only offer the vaguest of viewpoints or opinions as to why they believe what they do- it's even more frustrating when you can't. Discussing it, even arguing about it (hopefully without the rancor) can really help you understand: yourself, the topic at hand, and the thoughts, beliefs and motivations of others. That's particularly true when you have to write down your responses, having to manually articulate your thoughts into the written word. 

I had thought the whole Sally Mann child pornography thing was safely in the backseat of art history. Apparently not, from the deluge (and sometime ferocity) of the comments. Photography does have its history of sex offenders: Terry Richardson, Thomas Roma, David Alan Harvey, Bruce Weber, Nicholas Nixon- and that's just a partial list, no doubt. And I am as deeply disgusted and appalled by child pornography as anyone else- it is truly abhorrent! I've only seen it in documentaries with the bars over the children's eyes- and that was bad enough. It's as sick as sick gets- Full Stop! 

And it is plain and simple, nowhere near what Sally Mann does. So please, enough of this nonsense! If you see something perverse in her work, you either don't know what child pornography is, or are purposely choosing to pervert it for your own purpose. Her work has already been litigated enough, not that it needed it in the first place. Save your ire for actual pedophiles, or those in Q Anon, which said its very raison d'être was to save children from the sex trade- how many children have they rescued to date, how many predators have they captured? There's already more than enough of this sickness out in the world- let's not make a mockery of the real work that so desperately needs to be done.

The Latest, Greatest Same Ol', Same Ol'

Jorg Colberg at Conscientious just compared current day street photographers to historical reenactors- an analogy I find both quite amusing, and definitely not without merit. But then, ol' Jorg was never street photography's biggest champion... to say the very least. 

It is curious to see the legions of modern day practitioners out and about, unwaveringly dedicated to an art form that has, in fact, long depreciated- since, like... 1976 when Eggleston and The New Color ('81) burst unto the scene and sent old school B&W street into the second hand photo bin. Now, there are countless street: practitioners, ambassadors, mentors, influencers, competitions, vlogs and workshops all devoted to its practice and affirmation. And yet, "the art world" (ie- museums, galleries, top name publishers) continues to treat it as yesterday's paper- Impressionism anyone? Interestingly, in 2025 the photographic art kingdom hasn't moved afar of the large format color photographs that became de rigueur as of the mid eighties- but that's another story, for sure!

Why the almost fanatical devotion to the practice, why the resurgent popularity? Many of these acolytes are insistent on even using the very same image making tools and technology! Although color film (as opposed to B&W) is now the prominent medium of the hardcore, B&W and digital are still very much in orbit. But has anything truly novel been thrown into the mix as far as aesthetics, or is it merely beating the proverbial dead horse? Mr. Colberg clearly thinks the latter, and I'd pretty much have to agree. He presents the work of Fumitsugu Takedo in Ambience Decay as something positive and innovative in the genre, highlighting the prominent inclusion of close up hand and cell phone imagery as well as the extreme crops that are peppered throughout the work.

Can't say I'm sold much, and if we're gonna mention the preeminence of hand and cell phone imagery in innovative street photography, then it is somewhat disingenuous to have that conversation without mention of Jeff Marmelstein's "#nyc." If any street work qualifies as a truly innovative departure (aesthetically and perhaps even... morally?)- certainly that would be it (whether to your taste or not)! Perhaps Mr. Colberg did mention it some five years back, or perhaps he's simply unaware of it, but to not reference it here seems a disservice... 

Perhaps street photography is doomed to be a perpetual reenactor exercise (or as I tend to think of it- endless cover bands for classic rock), or perhaps some current practitioner will open a new door. To be honest, I find the latter akin to one's progeny finding the cure for cancer; but street photography also very much falls under the category of documentary- itself a very legit and worthy avenue of pursuit. We will always need to document everyday life as best we can, as it changes with every passing year and decade- art be praised, art be damned.

The State Of...

It's not even official yet... and it's already started- again. How else can one explain the sheer, utter, nonsensical nonsense of buying Greenland or making Canada our 51st. state....

Four - more - fucking - years - of this shit!

Fade Into You

When I first heard Fade Into You by Mazzy Star, I thought the hauntingly ethereal ballad just had to be an English band- don't ask me the 'logic' involved. And that Hope Sandoval's exotic looks could be attributed to her Eastern European family's immigration to the island nation. Damn, sometimes I just love when I am so spectacularly wrong! Try an LA band with a Mexican-American singer...

Happy New Year!

Photo: © Stan Banos

Don't know how things were round about your neck of the woods this year, but I was quite taken aback by the absolute dearth of domestic, outdoor Xmas holiday decorations!  They were few and far between- to be honest, I think everyone (incl myself) was just flat out exhausted this year. Seems the race for Supreme World Leader knocked everyone flat on their ass... No one had the strength.

Inflatables seemed to be the in thing (the few I saw)- this one, abandoned as it may (or may not) be, was in better shape than most which were flatter than the proverbial pancake. Good luck to us all...

A Complete Unknowning

Never been a Dylan fanboy, but was curious about... the mystique. Why were so many who supposedly knew better (much better) reduced to Swiftian level mesmerization at the mere mention of his name? Are the legendary level lyrics superseding the barely proficient vocal ability and musical command enough to justifiably raise him to his godlike, mythical status? 

If ya asked me, he'd be just one of many stars in the universe of that particular time, stars of whose work I admire, love and respect to a much higher degree. But not here to argue, nor will A Complete Unknown answer or settle much of anything. What it does, is supply a decent scenario as to the time, background and circumstances that allowed the meteoric rise to occur. Actually, it doesn't even do that. In the film, Dylan arrives in NYC in his scraggily jeans and plaid shirt, spontaneously hooks up with the right people, who get him the right gigs, and practically overnight- studio, album... godlike fame! Who knew?!?

There's also a certain electrical problem, but I digress... If you're looking for insight, understanding, an insider's knowledge as to what made him tick and allowed him to set the scene afire- ain't gonna happen. The movie succeeds in the performances. Timothy Chalamet is utterly convincing in portraying the young upstart center of the universe- as convincing as anyone could possibly portray a person completely unknown to everyone including himself.* BTW, Edward Norton is every bit as incredulously convincing as Pete Seeger,** a completely transparent human being, the polar opposite of Dylan. Interestingly, one does get some measure of the intricacies in the love/hate/mutual respect tennis match between Dylan and Baez (another name startingly portrayed). Curiously, we also learn how Dylan and Johnny Cash formed their mutual admiration society! And alas, as in most biopics, a good amount of the scenarios portrayed did not actually happen as depicted... 

Recommended? Absolutely! Although there's one more thing I'd sure like to know- how did the scruffy looking vagabond from '61 evolve into one of fashion's ultimate Mod icons by '65?

*One thing I'll always give Dylan props for was when Ed Bradley of 60 Minutes fame asked him how on earth he thought up his (Nobel winning) lyrics, to which he responded that they literally wrote themselves as if dropped from the ether. Which in my mind only supports the hypothesis that our brains are merely the individual receivers of a mutual mass consciousness, not its individual creator. If you listen to many of his 'interviews,' you'd swear Dylan got a body double and instructed him to say (or mumble) whatever he liked- no matter what would fall out of the imposter's mouth, it would be greeted with unparalleled gravitas... Listen to interviews of Malcolm X or Edward Snowden- you immediately sense you are in the presence of pure, unabated intellect. Listen to Dylan and it's pure... WTF?

**Much as I respect the guy, there's a banjo twangling 24/7 in the background of my particular version of hell.

Draining The Swamp!

I urge everyone to watch this! This is exactly what the title looks and sounds like, or at least, what it's supposed to, had it any teeth. But the woman leading the charge has been given a 'funny' name, so... can't take her the least bit seriously- can we!?

This guy clearly should not be at his post by day's end- should have been forced to resign (and jailed) quite some time ago. To be honest, Obama had the opportunity to clean up and reform the banking system when they well needed it most, and instead punted for some big time, loophole regulations (so as not to offend his own deep pocketed, banker friends). But this is the kind of corruption that capitalism loves and turns a blind eye to, the kind that will particularly flourish for the next four years... 

Rumor Has It...

  Photo: © Stan Banos      

Sure, Eli's always the easy foil. Everyone dumps on ol' Eli. Me, I'll withhold judgement till after the holidays- 

Merry Xmas y'all!

Law And (Dis)Order

I never quite got what the impropriety (let alone the appearance of) was in this particular instance- how does a romantic alliance between two colleagues (on the same side), prejudice a case? Did they in any way shirk or compromise their duty in said case because of it? Don't ever remember how that was: explained, determined, justified... 

But we live (once again) in Trump World- where logic, facts and sanity itself no longer apply. Gonna be one fun ride... again.

On Murder...

Kudos to the killing of the Russian general who used chemical weapons against Ukraine! Imagine if everyone who used these nefarious weapons (or tortured countless soldiers and civilians) had to watch their backs for the rest of their lives. Wouldn't that possibly make them think twice before engaging- instead of having toothless threats issued against them as did Obama when POTUS? Aren't there already enough approved ways of killing people in war?

While we're at it- wouldn't it also be great if everyone involved in the serial murders of civilians due to denial of critical health care benefits also paid their dues... in a jail cell? Not everyone has to be killed for their crimes, but some semblance of justice is always appreciated...

The Shadows of Winter

 Photo: © Stan Banos

They're back, it's the time of year when the shortened daylight hours also produce those long, dramatic, winter shadows. Learn to use and incorporate them into your photographic imagery for their unique graphic appeal!

“When the rich rob the poor, it's called business."

 When the poor fight back, it's called violence.”  -Mark Twain

I don't exactly condone murder, then again... I don't exactly condone doing nothing in the face of (repeated, pernicious, unfettered) injustice. Little Luigi sure looks like a murderer to me, and I'm betting that if we conduct the most cursory of looks into the illustrious career of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson- we'd probably discover that he (and so many like him) are certified, categorical serial killers! United Healthcare literally denied 1/3 of their paying customers' health insurance claims. How many of those denied claims resulted in lives of: declining health, torturous pain and ultimately... premature death! Slow, painful, death- not by bullet, but denial! 

But fear not dear citizens! Next year we get the repeat performance of a POTUS who promised us a "Bigger, Better, Cheaper" Health Care Plan every other weekend for four long years... When asked on TV's 60 Minutes about his proposed health care plan, he handed the interviewer a literal tome of completely unrelated and blank papers. But next year- next year will be different! When asked about his upcoming policy for his second term, Trump confidently looked the reporter in the eye, and proclaimed- "I have concepts of a plan!"

2025-2028, Americans Experience Massive Weight Loss!!!

If Trump stays true to his word, America will finally be seeing it's quickest, most massive, most well needed weight reduction program in decades. Super Gulps gone, XXX LARGE gone, double wide wheelchairs gone, gone and gone!!! America will be back down to original human, pre-midseventies, weight parameters in a period of four short years- heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and their associated drug dependencies all plummet precipitously! 

Not to worry, folks! You'll never see the headline above- Trump ain't dumb, he knows what side of the scale his voter base is on. There's gonna be plenty headlines about deporting illegals for the first few months, but round about spring when everybody gets to eyein' their barbies- no more news about immigrants, 'cause we all need a steady supply of their evil wares to feed our biggest addiction ever... FOOD! We need 'em to plant it, pick it, kill it and chop it all up into the yummy, bite sized, meat goodies we so love to eat, fry, grill, and eat some more! And there sure as hell ain't no red blooded, true blue, American patriot that's gonna break their goddamn back working under the sun, day after grueling day- no matter how much ya pay 'em!!!

Yes, America is hopelessly addicted to our friendly, low cost, drug suppliers from down south- and them darned illegals damn well know it! And despite the bluster, despite all our god fearing hootin' and a hollerin', ain't no way we gonna chase 'em all out, not when we need 'em for the fix we're too damn lazy to supply ourselves. No way... Jose!

Ricoh GR Sensor Cleaning

A poet & he don't know it!      Photo: © Stan Banos

My GR stopped cold a few weeks back while taking the simple snap above- screen just went dead! Found the place to repair it ($274) with a "free cleaning" thrown in. Then thought, why not send in my first, 'retired GR' (well worn, but still works- just needs a sensor cleaning). Precision Camera (authorized Ricoh repair center) wanted the same price just for the cleaning, which true, is still cheaper than a brand new GR3 (if ya can actually get one)- still, it just rubbed me the wrong way. C'mon, make it an even $250 at least- throw me a bone! So I said thank you- no thank you! Which was really kinda stupid 'cause... it's still way cheaper than even buying a used one in Exc Cond- cause even that one's gonna have dust too! 

But what really influenced my no go position was... I stumbled upon this video, and sure enough, idiot that I am, psyched myself up that, yeah, sure, I can do that- and it's the exact-same-thing that the repair guy's gonna do! Except I can do it for absolute... FREE! Except he can do it in his sleep cause he's done it a thousand trillion times, and all I'm gonna do is open it up (if I can get that far), and drop, tear or break something- which at least will spare me from having to not be able to put the whole damn thing back together again!

Too embarrassed to send it back again now anywho. If I can only find the proper sized screwdriver! Say what? Yeah, this'll make a good... retirement project end of next year- a nice relaxing holiday project.

PS- For you GR3 guys.

Photo: © Stan Banos

Funny Black and Brown People

Photo*: © Stan Banos

I'm perpetually bemused by these Black, Brown (name the shade) individuals who think that by cozying up to power- they'll automatically (or at least tentatively) be accepted into the fold of the White (let's be serious) Conservative Power Elite with full and equal rights, privilege and acceptance. That's an L, an O and an L...

These fools refuse to face the reality that when they find themselves bobbing up and down in the freezing water as their abandoned boat sinks, the oar The Right will extend on their behalf from the passing lifeboat will not be used to pull them in, but to batter 'em upside the head. Those in charge will simply assume them one of the usual dark skinned rapists, drug dealers or other criminals they were very much born to be, not one of the (theoretically) possible "good ones." 

No matter, some people choose to dream on, or deny...

* Speaking of non-White peoples... yes, Bill Maher, every inch of America is, in fact, stolen land! No, the claim doesn't hold much water or practical use in our modern day. Yes, other lands throughout history have also been stolen- but that still doesn't make it any the less true. It's exactly the kind of recurring history that would inspire an adage such as- "Ain't no justice on stolen land."

Burned Out- Mark Murrmann

Burned Out- Mark Murrmann

Went to the Leica Gallery here in San Francisco a few days ago, and I must say it's far from the stuffy, elitist institution one would tend to think. In addition to the quality exhibits they usually have, they also have a number of books in the back for sale or perusal and the people there are quite friendly and accommodating- not the kind of treatment someone like myself is accustomed to, ie- being followed about as "a person of interest' in many a place that sells high priced, premium items. So it feels kinda nice experiencing how the other half lives...

Anyway, I was looking through a few books, many of which were quite good- but which were so very similar to those I have previously bought over the decades. Then I noticed Mark Murrmann's Burned Out, a small (5x6 1/2in) little indie made on the cheap in a spiral bound format. I love small book formats that one can easily carry about for a 'quick read.' It consists of forty B&W prints mostly printed double truck across the spiral along with some single page verticals. It's a typology of tire burnouts, many of them occurring during illegal 'sideshows' in Oakland, CA. Many of them read almost as abstracts, although several are more documentary in nature displaying adjoining buildings and other neighborhood details. It's a small labor of love, as are many indie publications. I've done a coupla typologies myself, but on the generic Blurb format- not quite the same thing! It lacks the uniqueness, the personalization... the love!

Of course, none of it adds up to anything unless the images hold up- and that's where the imagination really shines. The photos are not only fun, they're unique, imaginative images unto themselves. A first rate how to manual on making something worthwhile and memorable outta literal skidmarks...

© Mark Murrmann

© Mark Murrmann

(Photographic) Year In Review

Photo: © Stan Banos

Well, must say I did way, way better in procuring new images this year than I had dared think possible- all in a city now bereft of over half its downtown population and services (no joke). I actually managed to get fifty genuine keepers this year, which amazes me more than anyone- a guy who for decades struggled for 2-3-4 per year (if lucky)- while living in NYC no less! I'd like to think it's because of a heightened sense of urgency (mortality looms), but I'm trying no harder now than at any other time previous! In part, it's the annual photo op events held here, but maybe this whole color thing agrees with me more than I realize, don't know; whatever it is, just hope it continues- cause I can't continue being this lucky indefinitely...

That said, I didn't exactly succeed at getting any of it actually... seen- ya know, the whole bleepin' purpose of photography! Send it out and it gets sent back in your face... This year I really got creative in the self abuse arena- I actually started sending out the pdf for my zine/wanna be book Broken City! which I'm fairly pleased with. I like making books/zines, and that was a particular challenge trying to corral a whole bunch of loosely related issues into one coherent storyline- using nothing but pictures. Think I kinda pulled it off, least, like to think so... 

I do miss having (not so much making, but having) actual prints though, it's where photography ultimately shines, as in- show me what ya got, close up and personal! Rich, sensual, satisfying, the ultimate culmination of everything that went into pressing that shutter- all the hope, dreams and potential made flesh despite every technical, personal and aesthetic problem that stood in the way! 

The end of 2025 will also pose new possibilities (and problems) for sure- retirement! Never done it. More time to go out on the road promoting my: books, prints, exhibits and speaking/lecture tours, uh-huh. Which reminds me... all those authors, actors and artists with the nerve to actually moan and groan about having to go out and promote their work on (a paid) tour- a pox on the whole lot of 'em...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

PS- Saw that poster a half hour previous in a poorly lit locale, carefully untaped and walked about some seeing if I could find it a better venue. The gasoline station seemed worth a try, so I retaped and shot away. The guy on the left center emerged from his gasoline hut to see what the hell I was doing- looked at it, looked at me, and walked on back. Didn't realize how well the blue tape complemented the blue stripes of the station till I got home.

Smart, A Looker, And... Pretty Goddamn Evil!

How do you possibly even contemplate posing such a question (with such an overtly obvious answer) to such heavily traumatized... children?!?

Sightings

I was familiar with the sightings in both Hudson Valley, NY in the '80s and those in Belgium (2:10-19:30) in the '90s. What I didn't know was that there were hundreds of sightings at each over the years. In Hudson Valley, entire towns (and their respective police forces) witnessed a variety of giant boomerang shaped UFO's on a regular basis; a decade later, civilians, police, radar and even F-16's repeatedly witnessed a slew of triangular shaped craft. 

Obviously, all of these hundreds of individuals in separate towns, many professionals, most unknown to each other, conspired to fool a worldwide public- or were the unknowing victims of "mass hysteria." The only viable, if ludicrous, 'explanations' other than the most obvious- the mass witnessing of unknown craft of unknown origin and technology maneuvering under unknown, but intelligent control.  

I've been interested in UFO's since the '70s and am quite familiar with most of the major cases in "Ufology." What I didn't realize until quite recently however is how many thousands upon thousands of sightings and cases have been reported across our planet- describing a wide variety of UFO configurations and behaviors, along with a surprisingly wide variance in the physical appearances and behaviors of many of their occupants. The question isn't are we being visited- it's how many different races of beings are we being visited by? And, of course... why?

Whistleblowers are currently testifying before members of Congress- many handcuffed in what they can say publicly under threats of legal action from our government (violate their NDA's and it's off to jail they go), as well as the recipients of death threats from...