Why Was Jamal Khashoggi Murdered?

Because he was about to expose how Jared Kushner was feeding classified info to MBS for his $2B-B-BILLION!!!!

Ever Wonder...

 Why Trump's first wife is buried in- one of his golf courses? Yeah, me too! Till now...

Enjoy!!

Can't Believe The Wind...

Sorry to go all Dylanesque on everyone, but one of my most recent posts entitled It's Not Polite To Gloat turned out to be... dare I say it- Fake News! Yup- all out, full frontal AI!!!

Now, it wasn't exactly a breaking news story- shit, I thought it fairly innocuous. But it is, what it is- Fake as Hell AI Bullshit. Why fake such trivial BS- I don't get it!?!? I want to blame my insipid Millennial interns who take no interest or responsibility whatsoever in their alleged research and writing- if only they existed. But lesson learned, and I'd like to say it'll never happen again- but hey, Caveat Emptor, myself (very much) included! 

Perhaps, it has something to do with my not having Tik-Tok, or Substack, or FB, IG, X, or much of any other goddamn app (esp- SORA the supposed AI app used here)- and yes, I leave my freaking phone at home most days, where they've lived for most of their history while I walked this planet! Or should I just chalk it up to karma for... gloating!?!  

Anyway, mucho thanks to the anonymous tipster who alerted me... 

Truth To Power

I wrote on the failure of the American press, the failure to make Trump's wide assortment of illegalities and criminal enterprises known far and wide throughout the land- even before he first ran. That's not to say that some did not try, and even succeed... if only in vain. There were those, such as Prof. David Cay Johnston, as well as Sarah Kendzior, who both performed magnificently (even if few took heed)...

It's Not Polite To Gloat

But sometimes... 

Ya really have to spell it out for people before it even starts to sink in!

ADDENDUM: Turns out the video at the above link is AI Bullshit! See comment below, and further bloviation on 11/20 posting...

Nuremberg

Nuremberg is the well crafted and riveting recounting of the initial Nuremberg trials, particularly the one dealing with Hermann Goring. Unfortunately, as is the case with many a based on a true story retelling, essential characters, incidents and portrayals are altered... significantly- not by changing actual historical results, but by the misrepresentation of the details, players and actual events that led to those results! And yeah, those (anything but) minor alterations made specifically for a film adaptation can have a significant impact in the motivation, accuracy and understanding of those consequences as they played out in real life... Crowe is a convincing Goring and Rami Malek, an equally convincing, but significantly fictionalized, version of the real Dr. Douglas Kelly. I can understand why multiple characters are fused into one, or actual historical occurrences edited or omitted for the sake of a film's brevity, but when you alter the very nature and actions of the facts as they occurred, one does tend to significantly distort reality- even as revealing it... 

That said, perhaps the most redeeming part of the movie is how it noticeably foreshadows future histories... much closer to home.

Bogonia

I suppose one could describe it as a black comedy. And it certainly reverberated from challenging (to watch), to bizarrely amusing. But I found the ending (which I was fully expecting to be predictably disappointing) both original, and poignant- an ingenious touch that made the whole endeavor curiously worthwhile...

2025 X 70 X 20

  Photos: © Stan B.

What's with the cryptic numerology? Well, 2025 marks a coupla personal milestones, if ya will (and hopefully- the beginning of the end for the felonious/pedophile/fascist named Donald J. Trump). 

Hard to believe I've done seven decades this lifetime, and looking back, there are things: I'm relatively pleased about, things I look upon with shame and regret, and most of all- a whole lotta time letting life play itself out, most of it just day to day existence, interspersed with those fleeting moments that: teach, resound, challenge or reinforce. It's almost as if we're different people at different times, in different situations with the various people we encounter along the way. Each person gets a different peek, depending on age, mood, amount of sleep, on that particular day of that particular year.

In two weeks, I retire; been running on fumes of late, and am literally counting the days- all the while knowing full well, it will be anticlimactic at best, as are most things in life. I will live frugally, as I always have, and hopefully manage to stretch my modest savings for my remaining years without necessitating a return to the work force. But as we all know, life can be cruel. In the next year and a half, I will rest, regroup, reorganize and plan what and where to do my remaining years- here in San Francisco, the Southwest, East Coast... abroad?

Been blogging a good twenty years now on various platforms, plan to continue and continue photographing- the latter of which I've been doing since a teen. Unfortunately, most of my previous B&W work was destroyed to one extent or the other, and I will be restoring, filing and organizing what I can. But as I've mentioned before, it wasn't until I was sixty and abandoned my beloved analog B&W and picked up digital color that I (quite ironically) began to feel as if starting to actually know what I was doing. At least that's what I tell myself- and also have the results to prove. Hopefully, I can muster some small amount of exposure for it. 

I'm betting on a productive dozen years ahead as my (dare I say it) journey continues... Looking forward to some travel, photos, time with friends, some volunteer work and whatever good times remain- the rest will unfold and be revealed as destined... Thanks for tuning in.

Mermaid Parade- NYC, 6/25

Man's Got Your Back, America!

    Andrew Harnik © Getty Images

He may not have won a Nobel Peace Prize- but this photo should definitely win a Pulitzer!

“An example of the Deep State we have been up against.”

 Photo: © Franziska Wild

Exactly!!! Bondi absolutely nailed it! The agent testified that the sandwich "kind of exploded" upon impact, and that he felt it through his ballistic vest!

Prof. David Cay Johnston- National Treasure

In addition to being a wealth of detailed and insightful political, historical and legal information, this Pulitzer Prize winning author has also written several books on the rise and current reign of Donnie J...

CONGRATS!!!

After all the: LIES, INSULTS and THREATS... from all manner of enemies, local and federal alike. The tepid or complete lack of support from Democrats; NO, he's Not: a Billionaire, Corporate Financier or Tech Tycoon (deal with it)- Zohran Mamdani's Mayor Fuckin' (Elect) of New York Fuckin' City!!!

"PR Failure"

Really, seriously!?! We in this country desperately need someone as brave and responsible as a Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalm- right here, in the US of A! Someone with a conscience willing to make the sacrifice to do the right thing and expose the blatant disregard of law, especially those leaders (convicted and or indicted) who purport to stand for it, while casually and purposely perverting it to their own end.

During WW2, individuals at risk to their own lives, often without special standing or power, stood up to Nazis to protect Jews from certain death or needless persecution- today, we need like individuals to stand up to a lawless Israeli regime brutally persecuting Palestinians- god bless and protect her...

What EVERY American Needs To See...

American Entrepreneurship!

 

Landscape 101                                          Photo: © Stan B.

Halloweenerama!

Photo: © Stan B.

Quite the motley crew of diabolical ghouls and goblins, but the expression that captivates me most is that of the sign maker himself- well, maybe with the exception of the woman on the far left...

Subjectively, Objectively Fine!

Andy Adams recently recommended Subjectively, Objective and while it opened up a whole new world of beautiful (somewhat minimalist) landscape photography, it also seemed vaguely familiar. The reason became apparent as I attempted to add it to the blog under my listing of: Magazines, Galleries, Resources, Etc- it was already listed! While Subjectively, Objective is a host of varied, vibrant projects (book and magazine publishing, online galleries, real life gallery, printing service, You Tube channel, etc) all under the capable auspices of Noah Waldeck, it seemed that the blogging endeavor linked to on my blog (since fixed) pretty much ceased circa 2020, and foolishly not looking beyond it, I assumed the whole enterprise dead in the water. I believe Mr. Waldeck does indeed write and update on Substack, Reddit, IG or some such app, social media, dark web medium (all of which I do not frequent)- only a handful of certain fools continue to publish an actual blog these days. Anyway, he most certainly has his hands full with all I've already mentioned, which is most definitely very much active under any definition...

I recently ordered one of the many available magazine/monographs on site (Richard Fraser, Vol 123) for... $8 (+$2 SH) and received a lovely little 5 1/4 x 8 1/4in zine of eleven photos that were finely printed and a pleasure to hold and view- already ordered two more... I mean what can ya buy for eight dollars anywhere today, except for a microbrew- and ya piss that out in a coupla minutes, ya get to keep the zine! The hardbound books also look absolutely fab- wanted to order Observations In The Ordinary, but sold out. Fortunately, Investigations In Infrastructure and Everything Is Narrative also look pretty damn tasty!

Called Off!

Photo: © Stan B.

ICE was supposed to be deployed here in San Francisco as of yesterday morning (in addition to the National Guard at a later date), but called off at the final hour! Supposedly, Mayor Dan Lurie and POTUS Trump managed to make nice-nice with each other so that ICE Barbie and The Cavalry would not be stopping by...

San Francisco has a shitload of problems, no doubt; but they're socio-economic- they ain't gonna get fixed by armed Feds. Things in SF have gotten ever so microscopically better recently, but there is one long, long haul to go. The Dems have a habit of looking the other way (when not arguing among themselves), while Repubs excel at making a grand show of everything that has to do with nothing- so that, in the long run, little, if anything, gets done by either side...

Been Pondering..

Photo: © Stan B.

And after considerable consideration, think a good part of why I got such few photographic keepers at the No Kings II march was the actual tenor of the crowd itself. The whole attitude of this particular version (and it seems it wasn't just a San Francisco thing) was more upbeat and satirical, complete with an absolute plethora of costumes... particularly- The Inflatables! Satire and weird get ups are always part of the overall festivities, but this had an almost predominantly exuberant, playful Halloween costume parade feel to it! 

Now, I'm all for laughs, non-violence and positive vibes- but I hope this was a one off; not just because of my own selfish photographic needs and desires, but because I think the opposition really needs to be focused, determined and sufficiently motivated to fight back this outright Fascist onslaught. MAGA is playing down and dirty, and while comic relief is often necessary to keep the temperature down, we're certainly not going to humor our way back to all we've lost, and will continue to lose in the three plus years to follow... 

Sic Semper Tyrannis

Photo: © Stan B

There were an estimated 2,600 Anti-Trump, Anti-Fascist protests throughout big cities and small towns alike in the USA on 10/18/2025. This was The Biggest protest I ever attended in San Francisco by far, even bigger than the No Kings of June 14; could have split it in two and still had a massive protest. 

Not surprisingly, took the most pictures at any one time in my life (approx 300), first time I actually used a second battery, and ironically... got one keeper I can swear to. Why such decrepitly poor photographic outcome- not sure, perhaps because this was the only somber faced fellow to be found. But ya know what they say, as long as ya get one...

More importantly- as long as the message gets across!