Draining The Swamp!

 One... Small... Drop- atta time!!!

The man's a Bloody Saint, he is!

End Of An Era!

The Last Photo- © Stan Banos

And just what era might that be? Well, for the last dozen years or so, I've been attending the annual leather fairs in San Francisco (the Folsom St. Fair and the Dore St. Fair). And although I'm not gay, and don't even have an interest in S&M (I'm sure some have their doubts, whatever)- they sure have proved to be fertile ground for photo ops, around 120 keepers to date! 

And although I'm quite thankful to all that allowed me to photograph them, and all that didn't object, the writing's clearly on the wall, the law of diminishing returns have come into play. Hey, that might be... nah, got one similar, only better. Everything has its expiration date, and what was once fun and challenging has now become almost chore-like and routine. 

This Sunday, I just knew it was the end- the thrill, the novelty just wasn't there... Will I be tempted to go back next year- you bet, precisely because it remains such a wealth of possible photo ops to this day. But it's a bit more complex than that, and it's precisely because I'm not of that scene, that I feel somewhat uncomfortable with the changes that I personally perceive, and my right to objectively and justifiably criticize. I've always considered myself a guest at the event, one who enjoyed and appreciated the event for the photographic results in what was often not unlike a collaborative undertaking. I also enjoyed a lot of the energy that celebrated the power and energy of the individual, that which was original and different- Viva La Difference! 

Admittedly, much most of what I feel is simply the blues at project's end- it was fun, exciting, a proven photo mine, and now... the thrill is gone! The other, smaller part is that I also feel it's changed, even though it's always been a celebration of sex, a certain kind of sex, and particularly a certain kind of gay sex (although not exclusively)- it now seems less focused on the individual, originality part, and more on the hard core sex part. Put on a Furry costume, and you're not really that original, just part of a team, same with the diaper guys. And seeing both of those groups, along with more and more others, openly humping each other in the middle of intersections is not my thing, aesthetically, photographically, any which way- yeah, even if it was heterosexual! But hey, I'm just an old straight guy, so who am I to complain about whatever they wanna make it; and no one forced me to be there anyway- got it... 

On the positive note, I do see more women attending, and people with disabilities! It was a long productive stretch (photographically)- and it's their party and I wish them well... Having already made a book called (appropriately enough) At The Fair, this winter I'll edit a larger, more extensive version in zine format, and try and drum up some interest- most likely, with same sa(i)d results. Granted the photos ain't for everyone, they don't break any grand artistic boundaries, they don't ride any current wave- some are pretty interesting, a bunch fairly humorous, a few even kinda poignant...

Our Press Has... FAILED Us!

Donald Trump lied 30,573 times during his first four years as POTUS- that's approx 21 lies per day, each lie and untruth documented by the Washington Post. How many times did we all hear him respond with the thoroughly, utterly nonsensical, "That's what I hear, that's what they say;" it was a constant refrain! And the press would then hurriedly go on to the next question, consumed by the next lie or obvious deflection. How many times has he denied knowing, meeting, doing business with people he has demonstrably known, met and done business with? Had the press done their job properly, Trump would have never been allowed to run- the first time! Period. His long career of criminal activity in NYC alone was an open secret. I mean there are some excellent investigative journos out there- and they were either out to lunch or maybe working on something, uhhh... more important?  Point is, the Press didn't do their job then, and they've failed to do it since. 

Unlike some European journalists who simply won't tolerate evasiveness and demand direct answers to direct questions, American journalists (those that don't automatically cave and/or immediately change subject) will play a little song and dance where they feign perseverance and determination before ultimately giving their subject a pass. People like 'tough interviewer' Sam Donaldson were really good at this- pressing onward, advancing ever forward and making a good show of it until the line was reached... and never breached, allowing the inevitable politico saving of face and safeguarding future access to that next high ratings interview!

And so, Trump is allowed to make up the craziest, most inane and nonsensical whoppers of all time- over, and over, and over again... He'll end the war in Ukraine before he's in office, he'll reduce prescription drugs by... 1,500%, he'll most certainly release The Epstein Files, of which he now refuses and knows nothing about! Just three of the tens of thousands, have we reached hundreds of thousands- is anyone still counting?!?

Trump once cried out- "Where's my Roy Cohn?" Now, they surround him. Question is, "Where's our Woodward-Bernstein?" Minus a relevant press, we're down to praying for a Hail Mary pass- perhaps a whistleblower, a series of them brave enough to deliver the goods on either the Epstein Files or anything else that will finally land our already convicted felon in the prison that he has for so long evaded and so justly deserved...

And we keep asking ourselves how he gets away with it- because-we've-let-him!

Goddamn DEI!!!

Photo: Jacquelyn Martin

This is what a fully qualified lawyer looks like in the Trump Admin! A former Florida insurance lawyer (and beauty queen) with no prosecutorial experience, Lindsey Halligan was nominated as the US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and will hold “one of the most sensitive posts in the Justice Department, leading around 300 lawyers and staff, overseeing complex national security investigations and representing federal agencies such as the Defense Department and CIA in court.” As if further proof of qualification is necessary, she was also instrumental in removing "offensive ideology" (ie- documented, historical references to slavery) from Smithsonian exhibits- Bravo! 

This is the level of utmost competency one can expect (and demand) when the corrupting influence of DEI is removed from government!

The Triumph of Eternal Friendship!

TRUMP & EPSTEIN!     ©Anna Moneymaker, Getty Images

This is the most moving monument to the top two Titans of Friendship ever created! A masterful, artistic representation of all that is good and decent amongst friends and the secrets they shared, and still keep. Fifteen (15) years of not letting the minor details that occupied their everyday lives get in the way of their morals and dedication to each other. Secrets that come and go- like children passing in the night...

ADDENDUM: This most beautiful of loving statues was purposely defaced and removed in the cover of night- even though it had permission to remain for the week! I ask you... Who, Oh, Who Lord, would possibly commit such a violent, heinous (not to mention cowardly) act?!? Who would have the power and audacity to do such a thing!?! Trump was right- DC is running rampant with crime, and I'm confident our Law And Order President will track down this vicious lawbreaker and punish them like the dirty dog they are under the full weight of the law (soon as they find and punish the evil mastermind who sabotaged the UN escalator)!!! 

It's back up!

God Bless This Woman!

 

 

I think of all the insanity in US politics: convicted sex molester and probable pedophile POTUS pardoning a child molester and other various sex offenders, a 'news show' host calling for the murder of all homeless people, the US "Border Czar" given a heads up on his eager acceptance of a $50,000 bribe, and the Presidential silencing of... comedians! And that, of course, is just the wee, wee tip of yonder iceberg!

So, it it's just such a refreshing (and desperate) breath of fresh air to hear someone: sane, resolute, enlightened...

At The Crossroads!

Photos: © Stan Banos

No exaggeration, no hyperbole. History is rhyming. Once again, an authoritarian lurks, extending his reach beyond his power(s), bending our laws to the point of fracture. He is threatening to imprison protestors solely for peacefully protesting, he has required oaths of loyalty from public servants whose loyalty is to serve their citizenry, he has ordered our public airways to silence those he doesn't want heard simply for their opinion. Step by step, textbook authoritarian playbook 101, tried, tested and proven a hundred years ago. 

The courts, legislative bodies and justice dept; the titans of industry and technology, the press, institutes of higher learning, the arts and even goddamn comedians- jokes must not be made! And All must bend the knee...

Where are the patriots of liberty on The Right and Left who will defend our inherent right to speak, protest and disagree... 
while-we-still-can!?

What are the Top 10 Elements of the Authoritarian Playbook?

1. Divide and rule: Foment mistrust and fear in the population.
2. Spread lies and conspiracies: Undermine the public’s belief in truth.
3. Destroy checks and balances: Quietly use legal or pseudo-legal rationales to gut institutions, weaken opposition, and/or declare national emergencies to seize unconstitutional powers.
4. Demonize opponents and independent media: Undermine the public’s trust in those actors and institutions that hold the state accountable.
5. Undermine civil and political rights for the unaligned: Actively suppress free speech, the right to assembly and protest and the rights of women and minority groups.
6. Blame minorities, immigrants, and “outsiders” for a country’s problems: Exploit national humiliation while promising to restore national glory.
7. Reward loyalists and punish defectors: Make in-group members fearful to voice dissension.
8. Encourage or condone violence to advance political goals: Dehumanize opposition and/or out-groups to justify violence against them.
9. Organize mass rallies to keep supporters mobilized against made-up threats: Use fearmongering and hate speech to consolidate in-group identity and solidarity.
10. Make people feel like they are powerless to change things: Solutions will only come from the top.

Check, Check and Check!

Work, Life, Serendipity...

Photo taken after spotting subject across the street immediately upon leaving work. Photo: © Stan Banos

I've owned my fair share of cameras in my life: Spotmatics, Nikons, Fujifilm X-T's and even a Leica Q (also played with a Widelux and a Mamiya medium format). All fine cameras each! But if I had to pick the camera that served me most and best, it would be the Ricoh GR- I own two of the first iteration (both in various states of disrepair). And the reasons for being my most used and reliable are basically two fold: a) it's ridiculously portable, unintrusive and ergonomic- it can slip in your goddamn (shirt/pants) pocket for Chrissakes, and b) it punches well beyond its weight for IQ! You're paying for its minuscule go anywhere size and the quality of the goods it ultimately delivers!

One can go weekend after weekend (hour after hour) with nothing to show for your effort(s), no matter how earnest, no matter how sincere. You can't will an image to occur, but ya best be ready when it comes. And that's where the GR excels, it allows you to easily transition from everyday, workaday to photo capture mode- waiting on a bus, walking to a grocery store or coming back from work. Completely operable with one hand and the latest (4th) iteration once again comes with a very handy (although now separate) fill flash. You're instantly ready for that 'layered' shot, portrait or cityscape- whatever the subject demands. The 28mm equivalent lens is both ideal for story telling purposes, as well as ridiculously sharp. The viewfinder is sometimes not ideal (granted), but you'd be surprised how well you adjust with continued use. An EVF would increase the size and defeat one of the camera's major attributes- it's extreme portability.

I love taking pictures, with people or without. People pictures have that extra special something when done right, and yet photos without have to have an extra something special just to compete- which is why I enjoy the challenge of each, whenever, wherever they occur! 

Now That Ya Mention It...

Photo: © Stan Banos

Like/Unlike

At least the Dems got rid of their old man with dementia- Republicans elected theirs to another four years. Unlike the United States, Brazil (often considered "a third world" country) convicted their authoritarian leader who tried to lead an insurrection that emulated the one that failed in the US... where the insurrectionist not only went unpunished, but was then allowed to regain control of the country!

As Charlie Kirk Said...

"I think it's worth it. I think it's worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our God given rights."

Thoughts and Prayers...

$58 Gold Karat Deluxe!!!

I remember reading how completely disillusioned a young Cassius Clay was when he discovered that after wearing his Olympic Gold Medal for days, the gold plating started to wear down to reveal... nothing more than common metal.

Well, no such disappointment will be had here! That is, Donald Trump will suffer no such buyer's remorse, because he damn well knows that all those gaudy gold decorations he has been festooning the White House with and telling every visitor and their mama who'll listen that they're all The Real Deal is nothing more than: plastic decorations from... Home Depot, spray painted gold (gold paint, that is, not gold leaf)! Can't - make - it - up. 

Well, at least he still has his full head of hair!

Summertime // Love

Photo: Mark Steinmetz

Went to the Leica Gallery in San Francisco for the opening of Summertime // Love by Mark Steinmetz, who is probably the world's greatest B&W photographer currently alive and regularly working (gladly consider options). Frankly, he's not the greatest speaker, and I really don't give two shits- when your photos do the talking, you can be as low energy as ya want. Some of his prints were definitely on the soft side,* something that I hadn't particularly noticed in his books, of which there was also a nice collection of at the gallery. Each is a master class in how to do justice to whatever subject covered: from Chicago to airports to... the one I was particularly impressed with- Summer Camp. I would have to be forcibly assigned to cover such a topic, and then only after rolling my eyes, throwing up my hands and being threatened with the death of my loved ones- BORING!!! And yet, there they were, page after page, photo after photo of incredible, revelatory images... Remarkable! So really, who cares if the guy is low key! 

Finally, while the staff at the Leica Gallery here in SF are refreshingly non-stuck up, it's still so near absolute ludicrous just how many people attending the opening were sporting their brand new Leicas (look-a-me, look-a-me!)- and then actually pointing them at fellow attendees as if they're gonna get the Leica portrait award of the year for their dedication to brand loyalty right there and then... and it's always guys! Give-it-up!!!

*One of the reasons I always found B&W printing so hard was because I like a certain amount of contrast, printing is waaay easier when you print towards the soft side. It's when the contrast finally kicks in that everything begins to border on unmanageable (highlights and shadows with little to no detail that one has to compensate for)- that's when the real problems start. I remember seeing B&W drug store prints as a child and thinking B&W is so cheap looking- because they were so grey and mushy. Wasn't until I saw actual blacks in B&W did I realize it's inherent power, potential and beauty. Grey and white just don't cut it...

After a decade of shooting exclusively in color, B&W almost seems abstract to me now- not that I don't love it any less so. Just still having too much fun shooting color after decades of B&W... 

This Woman Is A 100% Gonzo, Batshit, Crazy Mama!!!

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 An Honest, Modest Assessment.

To Be Young Again...

I used to go the cinema about every other weekend pre-Covid. I still get a charge watching a good movie on the Big Screen at a theater- being able to escape my humdrum life in this darkened expanse where I'm allowed to enter another world not of my making. Unfortunately, this experience has been severely curtailed post-Covid- local movie theaters, big and small have permanently closed their doors; and since the amount of movies shown are less, the ones of note are even less so...

Caught Stealing was a nice aberration to that formula- it was fun, exciting, well written, funny, and not when it had to be. Didn't hurt to look at Zoe Kravitz either. Not exactly the greatest review, admittedly- I was just happy to see something that was, in fact, so full of life (good and bad), well paced and capable of holding my interest throughout for all the reasons above... The end.

The Fast And The Furious...

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Without End...

Photo: © Stan Banos

Less than 1% of the Epstein files have been released, and already, the MAGA faithful are proclaiming his exoneration, his complete and total vindication. Ghislaine, the convicted sex trafficker, has proclaimed Trump, the self professed pussy grabber, a "complete gentleman" and she, a complete innocent; and this is but one facet of his blatant, multifaceted criminality. Once again, the criminal in charge is allowed to spew forth the most obvious of lies, accusations and defamatory non sequiturs that now not only go unchallenged, but are actually used to defame, harass and criminalize those they are so vilely leveled against! A tirade of vengeance against those he's deemed have wronged him because they have dared to call out his own multitude of criminalities, only some of which he would have been righteously convicted of had he not been reinstated. 

"Ever wonder what it's like to live under Fascism? You are," read the graffiti. It's true, everything I've ever read about its history and trajectory describes the gradual, step by step encroachment proceeding today. Fortunately, Trump doesn't want to take over the world militarily, he just wants to enrich himself without end, and if people have to die or suffer, or lose all they have for his own betterment- what-is-the-problem? He has no issue with the thousands now slowly starving to death in a famine of friend Bibi's own making- if he has a say in the real estate to be had. His ridiculous claims to have ended multiple wars are not based on any urgency to save lives, he has no empathy for anyone's plight, or their suffering- only that they are the currency to attain what he currently covets... A Nobel Peace Prize. It would all be so laughable, if not from a man bequeathed with the power to manifest his petty machinations- all of them being slow walked directly in public view. 

For eons, people world over believed it couldn't happen in America, people just wouldn't stand for it! It is, they are...

Welcome To The Godox Train...

Fujifilm X-T2 w/EF-X8              All Photos: © Stan Banos

Of the literary thousands of posts I've put up over the past twenty years on my blog(s), probably around a dozen (make it two to be on the safe side) have been on camera equipment. Not my thing really, although I've loved my fair share of equipment. I'm also a natural light kinda guy, and with the added ability to dig out digital shadows, never thought I'd really need any kind of additional lighting. I-was-wrong. Sometimes that little extra kick to: help with the raccoon eyes, give some small measure of detail in deep shadows, or just add the little extra oomph can go further than I thought. But I'm still not about to embark upon lugging around some biblical sized potato masher. The miniscule, near toy like flash that comes (or at least came- I'm assuming they still do) with the Fujifilm's XT cameras is more what I'm talking about... Mostly I just I just need a little something for masked or sunny day eyes.... Fill Light!

And while the EF-X8 accessory flash is just fine for my Fujifilm and my (currently somewhat working) GR is also accounted for with its built in flash- what do I do with my Q? At first I tried the Godox iM20 a bite size chewable of a flash that was surprisingly... powerful. It's manual only, has four power levels, but if I went just slightly closer than full length portrait (in landscape format) at its lowest setting, it would still blow out the exposure! If you don't use WA lenses, this may not be a consideration; one thing that is, no matter what lens used is that you can't see its miniscule diodes in direct sunlight. Still... pretty freaking amazing for size and power alone!

Godox iA32

Fortunately, there was an alternative... the Godox iA32, it's automatic (not TTL, old school auto), set the ISO and aperture and you're good to go. Now, I've yet to shoot with it in the field, but some (very) preliminary testing shows that it blows out the exposure by a full stop when set to ISO 200, f8 on auto! Well, I can deal with that, especially in direct sunlight, just set a full stop higher- I'm not your onion skin depth of field, butter creme bokeh kinda guy anyways. And it also gives several f stops to choose from in auto (not just a couple) at every ISO, and seven manual power levels- with three levels for each of those seven, talk about fine tuning. I'll probably just use the 1/32 or 1/64 manual settings for most of my needs if I find the auto problematic. It's almost identical in size to my GR, runs on two AA's, has an easy to see digital read out on the back and can also be triggered off camera. Did I mention it also does bounce (and looks like an electric razor)? 

Godox iM20

Godox has also recently come out with an iT30 mini TTL flash for most popular camera brands (except Leica) as well as the even smaller iT20 (also TTL) as I write this- pretty freaking awesome! At this point I'm betting they'll probably release both of the latter for Leica when I'm finally ready to use my then antiquated iA32 for reals...

Truth To Power- (Epitomized)!

 INTERNATIONAL  --and--  DOMESTIC!

PLAYED!!!

Like A Fiddle. Does it show?

 It's True- Lawless Gangs Do Roam DC Streets!

Debate 101

I've noticed how people often assume that those who are articulate are also, by nature... intelligent. And while both those qualities can, in fact, exist in tandem (perhaps more often than not), they can also exist very much apart! Rush Limbaugh was articulate (or perhaps I should just say he had a way with words), as is Charlie Kirk- today's version of the latter. I find it hard to choose which one more despicable. But today's version of a Conservative "Master Debater," as seemingly sure footed as he is when 'debating' college kids (rarely does he challenge full fledged adults or experts in any field), is far from an even mediocre thinker when it comes to actual intellect. He merely relies on the traditional con man's rhetorical bag o' tricks along with: a rapid fire cadence, continuous shifting of the goal posts, false flags and projection. People unfamiliar with said tactics can often mistake his shrewd, double dealing, whirlwind of verbosity with actual intelligence. Far from it... 

For those interested (I found it fascinating) here's a deep dive into Ol' Charlie's magic bag of rhetorical jive:

Win Some, Lose Some...

Photo: © Stan Banos

Although I generally prefer candids, sometimes there's no getting past having to ask a person directly in order to have any chance of getting the picture, my guess is that people consent about 60% of the time (considerably higher during public events). Compliance certainly doesn't guarantee success, but at least ya get yer chance and go with it! Recently, I noticed this guy who sporadically boards my bus on the way to work and he's a killer dresser, a style very much his own, somewhat reminiscent of Michael Jackson. A visually striking individual who makes one wake up and take notice during the early morning commute. Getting off the bus I decided to approach him the next time to see if he would be amenable to having his portrait taken at a time of his choosing, even if it was just meeting him at his bus stop a coupla minutes early before boarding. Finally, saw and approached him several days later, made my quick pitch right on the bus- and the guy just... stared at me. No yes, no, verbal or non verbal sign of acceptance, rejection, or even confusion- just a blank, unemotive stare. "OhhK, thanks anyway," I said, as I made my way to the door at my stop. Weirdest outright rejection I ever did get, but then this is the weirdest stretch of commuter travel I ever have traversed. That weekend I did manage a portrait I rather like (see above) along the same route, but the bus guy still kinda haunts me- a) because there was just so much there for a striking portrait, and b) the inexplicably bizarre manner of rejection.

Memories, Dreams, Photographs...

Photo (also approx. twenty years ago, of person unknown): © Stan Banos

On a recent promenade through the Tenderloin district, a mail carrier stopped dead in the middle of the street and asked if my name was Stan. Who the hell is this mail carrier asking me my... Oh, shit- I know you! You're the mother of the child I tutored some twenty odd years ago, the mother and child I think of repeatedly- as in, wonder whatever happened to...

She was a mother determined, a mother determined not to let the streets swallow her child- she had hired me when he was around the ages between ten to twelve, once or twice every week to help with his reading and homework. Nice kid. Always wondered. He's twenty eight now, working as the manager of a retail store. 

You made it, mom; you did it, you succeeded! And it was great to see her smile...

For two decades, they've lived in the back of my mind. A question that could have gone either way, vague memories of a past life for which one can only hope the best. Time and memory, people and events- the things that fill the passing of our lives. And its photography, so limited as it is, that has always remained the one small manifest that gives some small credence to the past, all our pasts...

One Way, Or The Other...

Photo: © Stan Banos

I'm not a violence first kinda guy, cause it usually just begets more of same, and uhhh... it's pretty nasty stuff! But something like the above gets me in the type of head space that asks: If you had a chance to shoot Hitler in the head- would ya do it? Hopefully, the answer would be "yes." Then, what about all the other bad guys who kill lots of people, would ya kill all of them too had you the means and opportunity? Afterall, the net good to society would be one of innocent lives saved- that's a good thing... No? But that kill list would grow pretty long... pretty quick! And who anointed you judge and executioner? Hhmmm... 

Is Netanyahu as bad as Hitler? He hasn't killed anywhere near millions- only thousands! Estimates are around 1,200 Israelis killed as a result of 10/07 Hamas attacks. Over 50,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of those attacks- 18,000 of them children. I'd say that's way, waaaay more than sufficient payback- not to mention the almost complete and utter devastation of Gaza resulting in massive wholescale homelessness and the complete annihilation of infrastructure: schools, hospitals, electricity, clean water and food availability. Palestinians have been bombed out of home, 'safe zones,' and refugee survivor camps- and are now being methodically starved to death. Israeli soldiers are so bored of shooting so many Palestinians, they are literally making games of what body part to aim at on any given day. 

And the man who allows, promotes and prolongs this evil is none other than Bibi Netanyahu. He both covets their land, while seeking to delay the serious criminal charges awaiting him (for previous crimes) that would most likely see him imprisoned, if ever vigorously prosecuted... So is he a bad guy- yes; a killer, yes; a man who deserves to be killed, so that others may live? He's certainly not even hinted at ceasing any of the slaughter any time soon! I'd much rather see him arrested, tried and sentenced for crimes against humanity. And bringing up The Holocaust, as some kind of excuse or license is itself about the worst slander possible of that darkest of moments!

Israel has extracted it retribution tenfold and then some- this repeated Wack-a-Mole bombing, maiming of children, and purposeful starvation complete with 'food distribution' kill zones is clearly genocide by any other name. There are no visible targets left in the dust and rubble that is now Gaza, yet Bibi remains dedicated to targeting whatever remains of life and limb. He needs to face the music (of his own making)- one way or another...

Killed minutes later....

FOLLOW-THE-$$$!

Doing What they Do Best!

The Trump admin finally found someone just as, and possibly even more, disgusting and evil than Stephen Miller- and set them up... for life!

Sad, But True

Sung to...               Photo: © Stan Banos

Not quite sure what the political leanings of the owner of said vehicle above are, nonetheless, I've been wondering why Trump would sue Mr. Murdoch about the former's dumb ass drawing when that would force Trump to be deposed and made to answer questions under oath. Someone suggested it was because so many had already panicked and prematurely folded to Trump's suits, that he was on a roll and felt himself invincible. Sounds reasonable. But then someone else pointed out that Trump might be betting that Murdoch would buy the farm by the time the suit finally does roll around and that his son would then be an easy capitulation. Hhmmm... although more farfetched, that sounded somewhat more attuned to Trumpian 'logic.' As much as I can't stand either, I think ol' Man Rupert will somehow see it through- both these guys can live on spite alone!

Pray For Israel...

Please- Pray That Israel Regains Their Conscience!

They have bombed Palestinian civilians in their apartments, schools and hospitals. They have shot them in the streets as they chase them from so called safe zone to 'safe zone.' They shoot them with drones, with tanks and in predesignated target areas where they tempt them with morsels of food. They've grown so utterly bored with shooting so many Palestinian men, women and children... that they now make a game of it! 

And as if shooting and blowing them up is not enough, they are now literally starving them! Pictures are now disseminating, documenting skeletal infants reminiscent of those from Biafra and Bangladesh at the peak of their famines. There is a word for this, for this carefully planned, duly implemented and progressively expanding slaughter on every front imaginable; a word that should not be used lightly or prematurely, but when made blatantly clear and obvious- Shouted and condemned the world over! Israel, once the victim, and now perpetrator of... GENOCIDE!

Can't Possibly... Make... This... Up!

So let me get this straight- Bill Barr's father hired Jeffrey Epstein (who never graduated college) to teach math... in college. And said employer of the soon to be, convicted child predator had already written a science fiction novel concerning- an inter-galactic child sex trafficking ring!

The Killing Game

After lazily allowing myself to be immersed in Trump/Epstein over the weekend, I willed myself to refocus Monday AM only to hear how doctors in Gaza now see injuries to very specific body parts on any given day. Legs shots on one, abdomen on another- then head... groin, etc.

After the Israeli military set up 'food distribution areas' in highly convenient Kill Zones, seems they've have grown increasingly bored with their home-made, shooting fish in a barrel scenario, taking pot shots at desperately starving Palestinians (many of them children) willing to risk their lives for a morsel of food. Apparently, in order to remain alert, and amused, said soldiers have made a further game of it- picking specific body parts on a daily basis to pique interest and chase away the everyday doldrums of military drudgery...

Cabal Of Depravity

This fifteen minute dive is by no means an all encompassing synopsis, but it details the depths of depravity that were the Trump/Epstein symbiosis- presented by the most noteworthy journalist (and Presbyterian minister) Chris Hedges. 

NYC Mayor Elect

The choices for NYC Mayor are clear: A) a disgraced former governor, B) a disgraced mayor under criminal investigation saved by a Felon, C) a guy who kidnapped himself for publicity, D) a man who stands for and believes in the working class!

The Great Unraveling

Photo: © Stan Banos

I had been waiting for this moment for years- over and over and over again... This is finally what sees his demise, this is finally what exposes him for what he truly is, this is finally what drives the stake right into the very heart of his myriad of lies and criminalities!!! And over, and over, and over again- he scoffed, bullied and smirked his way out... So I am NOT gonna get my hopes up, NOT gonna jump up and down with joy, NOT gonna rejoice in righteous indignation... Nope- Not gonna go there!

This time, it-is-different. This time his own team is turning. This time, his cult is, indeed, cracking. But he will survive. He will survive his lame duck presidency, he will appoint some clown prince 'special prosecutor' to absolve him of anything and everything, while blaming all others. But it is the first time he's actually had to squirm to the point where he visibly sweats and appears genuinely vulnerable. A little late in my book, but... such is the reality of this decade's long journey through the Magaverse: where facts and reality, logic and reason, science and common sense held no gravity, rhyme or reason. And at the very least- what was the very real possibility of a thoroughly illegal and Unconstitutional Trumpian Third Term will remain unrealized, the very absurdity of a criminal pipe dream that should have never been uttered in any universe, real or imagined...

Sanity, Decency, Common Sense...

What a breath of fresh air to hear someone speak: so very rationally and eloquently- with compassion and reason (about someone who exhibits none of those traits)... Remarkable!

Fun/Not Fun...

Conspiracies are fun because you can always make of them whatever you want, use them however you want, to whatever end you want. Take a couple of facts, mix generously with the rumors and innuendo that fits your political and personal needs and... Voila- instant 'proof' that can never be disproven, because neither can it ever be verified!

Unless, unless... someone actually does, in fact, come up with the mythological, irreproachable, put up or shut up goods- the golden, once in a lifetime opportunity to lay it all out on the line for all to see! How often does that happen? Miracle of Miracles, BEHOLD- Upon yonder desk! The Epstein Files- The Golden Fleece, The Holy Grail, and The Big Kahuna all wrapped up into one neat pile on Blondie's Desk!!! 

So why is it that the people Most certain, Most demanding, Most SCREAMING, now say... Nah! It's all good- No worries... WE don't even wanna talk it no more- not that we ever did anyways.........

Yeah, I'm sure there's plenty a Democratic pervert in those files... Mucho, starting with Clinton. Plenty of Republicans and non partisan types as well. But Blondie didn't act on her own, she takes her marching orders from the guy upstairs, the guy who was Epstein's Very Best Bud for over ten years, the guy who is documented on the flight logs of the Lolita Express no fewer than seven (7) times, the guy who journalist Michael Wolff has publicly stated is in pictures (that Epstein showed him) with three topless, underaged girls and "a stain" on his pants- but that's just a vicious lie!!! Hhmmm... Then why hasn't Mr. Trump, who just loves to sue at the drop of a hat, ever sued him- even though he's repeated the assertion in just about every venue possible!

And now, Congressional Republicans have officially voted NOT to pursue it further. Meanwhile, Herr Trump desperately searches for the next talking point to divert the attention of those in the Magaverse that are finally starting to question, maybe even starting to doubt... And the girls, now women, who were used, abused and discarded are once again made to feel as Ghislaine Maxwell once described them, "they're like used tissues." 

The Horror! The Horror...

So... after months, years, eons of MAGA foaming at the mouth that The Epstein Files are real, the Epstein files are suppressed- MAGA cohorts finally reached the pinnacle of their dreams and gained the power and access to blow it all outta the water and expose anyone and everyone on said list!!! The List they have salivated for, The List that reveals every Democratic Evil Doer is finally in their happy little hands! And now at their very peak of joy and triumph, they are finally able to reveal that- The Almighty List does-not-exist! Wha...?

First, there never was one Magic List, Democrats are not listed in alphabetical order, and Bondi who has taken the oath of fealty to Trump (along with everyone else in his clown show admin) is not the bad guy (she is- but for many other reasons), just the fall gal. Yes, I'm sure there's many a Dem on those files, no doubt- just as I'm sure that the guy on the very top, the guy who was The Best Bud of good ol' Jeffrey E. for 15 some years, who is listed on the documented flight logs of The Lolita Express no less than 7 times, is none other than... Donnie J! 

This is probably the most I've ever seen Donnie sweat. Some of his base is actually turning, even Alex Jones was giving him some heavy side eye! But fear not, he'll get over yet again, always does... cause his hardcore base is number one at closing the door and closing ranks lest the slightest ray of light or reason sneak on in (credit where credit due). The very next day Jones had changed his tune, saying it was the Dems who'd stolen the files (right off Bondi's desk- I guess)! Certain sycophants will get yelled to hell at, one or two will be fired, and in a few months more or less, things will be back to the usual chaos of Trump World. All just another fake creation of The Deep State, which they now own- but irony holds no gravity in the Magaverse, where: windmills cause cancer, brave American patriots liberate airports in the Revolutionary War, and "the kidney has a very special place in the heart."

As We Cut...

Photo: © Stan Banos

...Medicaid, we also eliminate life saving foreign aid that could forfeit as many as 14 MILLION lives worldwide (while costing less than 1% of our total budget) and- increase our military budget by... $157 B-B-BILLION!!!

Corruption Guaranteed!

Pam Bondi, US AG, the top law enforcement officer in the nation, has now proclaimed that there is not going to be any release of any Epstein list- which doesn't exist anyway! So why are so very many people acting so very surprised, astonished and confused to hear this?!?

Perhaps, because during an interview on FOX News on 2/21/2025 she first proclaimed that Epstein's client list was "sitting on my desk right now to review." Perhaps, because she also went on to proclaim that there were "over one thousand confirmed victims." She also went on to state that law officials were currently examining “a truckload” of previously withheld evidence, including a plethora of videos, all the while repeatedly complaining about the lack of transparency from the previous administration! All that certainly sounds like enough "that will make you sick," especially since those victims were... children! So what could lead such a thoroughly dedicated advocate of justice to what anyone would consider as abrupt as an abrupt about-face can possibly get?!?

But then, this is as corrupt as a corrupt AG can possibly get (in cahoots with the most corrupt FBI director of all time, Kash Patel), the forever faithful lapdog to her twice impeached, convicted sex molester and Felon in Chief... himself, a decade's long best friend of the multiple child rapist in question who flew on Epstein's "Lolita Express" no fewer than seven times!

Take Your Pick!

This man is: A) completely delusional, B) an outright liar, or c) telling the absolute truth as it happened. Does he look and/or sound delusional? If he's an outright liar, what is the motivation? Attention? Most of the attention these people get comes in the form of: personal ridicule, social chastisement and loss of revenue- he has no book or movie to sell, no TV or concert hall appearances to hype. So, you decide in this detail rich 2 1/2 hour retelling of a most 'unusual' experience! What's that, his rank fails to impress? How about this guy- will the captain of a nuclear missile facility be sufficient to warrant your attention and credulity?

Happy No Kings Holiday Weekend!

All Photos: © Stan Banos

The one thing, the only thing that a Trump presidency is good for, are the added photo ops made possible by the increase in protests and public participation. This weekend, I'll personally be recalling and recounting the inspiring tales of derring-do involving our brave American patriots who liberated our airports during the Revolutionary War!

     

All Photos: © Stan Banos

Only the real Spiderman wears sandals!

All Photos: © Stan Banos