There Was A Time...

When I too thought Elon the 21st century equivalent of Einstein and Edison jelly rolled into one! There's just no stopping this guy's sheer, unadulterated genius!!!

Then the sheen started to slowly, then rapidly dissipate. His beautiful Model 2 Roadster of 2017 with specs up the wazoo was promised to go into mass production in 2020, make that 2021, 2022- do I hear 2023, 2024? Certainly 2025... Hey, check out the all new, redesigned 2026 with- Rocket Boosters!!! Scheduled for delivery in... in... lemme get back to ya!

Then there was the... HyperLoop! Which would quickly and efficiently revolutionize commuting on a scale not to be believed- would ya believe a two mile test track?

And then there's... Twitter X! The young, capable futurist really did things right on that one; proving not only his ability to downsize corporate waste into a lean, efficient enterprise- but to make it spit out money as never before... particularly his own!

But those are just a scant few of this miracle man's many innovative models of folly and failure- all beautifully wrapped in the shiniest bullshit money can buy! His ultimate ruse was his fast and furious vehicle of bureaucratic duplicity- the silver bullet called... DOGE! Advertised as that which would save us all untold billions, cut waste and transform Washington into a dynamo of streamlined government competence... we instead got a cover for someone to quash every government investigation into his multiple criminal business practices and crooked dealings! While at the same time: cutting USAID (.5 of 1%) of the federal budget (resulting in the estimated deaths of literally millions the next few years), disposing of pesky regulatory and investigatory commissions (who cares about screw worms and explosive diarrhea)- and who needs anything or anyone investigating fraud! The US military has never passed an audit- so why start now?!? And just how did non-governmental agents (incl- Big Balls), completely outside the legal bounds of federal law and regulation, get to decimate, undermine and terminate the lawful mandates of a duly elected, legislative body called Congress?!?

Yes, sir- can't wait to see what else we can expect from this god sent visionary from the future. We can only continue to thank, salute (ya know the kind) and fund, his life long dedication to our best interests! Afterall, we are scheduled to get men on Mars by 2025, 20...

More Cameras Witnessing Less?

It's common knowledge that we have become inured to images of violence, from documentary footage, to Tik Tok, to Hollywood cinema. Only a fool would contest that. But what then happens when we no longer have visual references for real events at all, no documentation of particularly heinous acts of violence, no visual proof of the very real possibility of unspeakable crimes committed? What happens when we don't have "a napalm girl," My Lai slaughter images, or a Kent State tragedy icon? What happens when we can't even dispute or argue if it's real or AI... before ultimately forgetting and dismissing?!? Whether it's slaughtered children in our nation's schools, primary schoolgirls ruthlessly dismembered in a completely unnecessary and illegal war, or the thousands of underage victims of a revenge war metastasized into genocide!

Graphic images of actual horrors inflicted may no longer carry the emotional weight and cause for self reflection they once did, but they still supply a reference point as to public evidence- to be actively researched and debated, denied or accepted. Their elimination, their non existence is the crudest, most potent form of refutation...

How Much More?

Photo: © Stan B.

Do we have to see and hear? Witness and endure? 30,573 lies in his first term alone- a record he's easily surpassed midway through his second term untethered by the constraints of a semi-rational admin. But how much more can any of us endure? Vandals wrecking the reflecting pool; Iran purposely killing their own school children; Ukraine starting the current war with Russia; personally ending eight wars; vowing not to touch "a single brick of the East Wing;" claiming Renee Good "violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer;" declaring we've won the Iran War when we're clearly stuck with no foreseeable way out of the ever expanding morass; and my personal favorite (thus far this term)- the ever fantastical, confabulatory, tall tale lollapalooza of Sharpiegate (I actually fell for that one)! The guy lies for no rhyme or reason- it's his profession, past time and lifetime commitment. 

And for the most part- no one says shit. "We have the world's hottest economy," all thanks to the sleeping wonder who can't stay awake- except to criticize "Sleepy Joe Biden!" He has yet to comply with releasing the Epstein Files, in which his name is mentioned second only to the article "the," files he admits would hurt his friends. And yet, the "fake news" press just keeps chugging along- no matter the insults, no matter the censorship... Had they done their job in 2015, his already long NYC, criminal career exposed, would have spared us all this sad travail of one man, delusional mayhem and tyranny...

"Nothing bad can happen, it can only good happen."   -Donnie J!

We've Been Warned!

 How many blatant, outright warnings do we need!?!

Free Money $$$!!

Don't know about you guys in the rest of the world, but I'm gonna get mine some hefty Xmas presents this year, cause I'm in line for some Big Time $$$ courtesy of, and promised by... the greatest POTUS of all time! First, I got $5,000 coming in from all the massive, record breaking DOGE savings. It's a little late, granted (ya know the PO), but it's a comin' awright! Then there's another $2,000 from the unprecedented tariff savings on the way! And finally, finally, I got another five grand come Midterms when MAGA humiliates and lays waste to the last few, remaining Lib snowflakes that still infest The HOTTEST Country with the Hottest Economy in the Entire World!!! That's $12,000 Big, Beautiful Greenbacks headed my way- read it and weep, Oh Canada!

But... But...

So... Elon's telling anyone that'll listen (with Donnie POTUS at his side) that Artificial Intelligence, pardon- Super Intelligence is gonna give us all, Universal Basic... make that- "Universal High Income!" Now, when will the light bulb shine bright over the head of some young Press lad or lass and they finally get to asking, "Hey, ain't that there what y'all call... "Socialism!?" Ya know, the same exact stuff they're always frettin' and a hollerin' is gonna be the death of us all!

Elon also said some of us might just have jobs as a... "hobby." Maybe those who do will finally get some of that Socialist Universal Health Care to go along with it... 'Magine that!

PS- What's income inequality like today? Well, here's an example: if ol' Elon gave $100 to every person in the United States, he would have about $371.6 Billion to $839.6 Billion left over, depending on his exact net worth.

Wish They'd Showed The Entire Quote!

Photo: © Stan B.

"The only way to deal with exploiters is to terrorize the bastards!"     -Philip Burton

American History 101

No need to waste your time going to school or reading page after page of A People's History of the United States, y'all! You think our President bothered reading fake news? 

Here's AMERICAN HISTORY in a nutshell- sweet, short, concise and as true as you is blue! And if ya wanna be A Patriot, good news too- ya don't have to train like Jason Bourne!!!

Ya Got To Know When To...

Recently, I commented on Jake Ricker's trials and tribulations concerning his most famous body of work; and while I still deplore how his particular project ended, in retrospect, I think those copy cat jerks may have just done him the favor of his life. That is, after amassing his considerable body of work from years of persistent, daily commitment... it may just have been the right stimulus, at the right time, to make the right decision to call it a day and move on to other creative subjects of interest. 

Agreed, it's not my call to make, and our particulars vastly different, but last year after about a dozen years of covering the Folsom St. Leather Fairs I finally decided to close shop. And even though it was only twice a year, it just began to feel routine, more like work, and less like challenge- and yes, the law of diminishing returns also began to take its toll. More and more, I would approach a possible photo-op and realize- no, I already had a better one of those. It began happening with increasing regularity, and I couldn't pretend any longer- time to call it a day! While the subject matter itself was never easy for me, it was always easy to convince oneself that you could always squeeze out one more keeper because... well, you were practically guaranteed you could do just that!

This past weekend was the biggest of the biannual fairs, and while tempted, I'm happy I held firm- even managed a couple of keepers elsewhere in the city! 

Now, to make the final edit and final book, after making the work in progress some eight years ago (thought it was three or four)...

 How Is This Even Possible!?

21st Century SA

Photo: © Stan B.

Some inevitably raise their eyebrows and roll their eyes whenever one dares mention Trump/ICE/Nazis in the same sentence. No, Trump hasn't killed millions, only hundreds, possibly thousands: of schoolgirls, fishermen, various foreign nationals in "shithole" countries and American citizens denied adequate healthcare. But one can no longer deny the very real similarities that already exist. Trump propelled himself to political prominence by his racist condemnations of Mexicans as drug dealers and rapists (this coming from a man who is an adjudicated rapist with a long history of rumored drug abuse). 

And ICE has become Trump's personal paramilitary thug force, ill trained wannabe cops and soldiers, many with less than reputable background and a penchant for violence, literally answerable to no one. They don't display ID or wear bodycams (despite having them in their massive budget) and have a well deserved reputation for brandishing their firearms needlessly and shooting people in the back while making up false reports of being attacked first. They are literally the 21st century American SA, and yes, they most certainly do attack and sometimes kill American citizens, in their cars and on the street!

Despite decrying Nazi comparisons to the Trump/Miller regime- they're neither hyperbole nor hysteria. It is they who have officially, blatantly and irrevocably crossed that line: the uniforms, the policies, the rhetoric, one Nazi salute at a time (from someone who promotes ultra-Righist organizations throughout the world- as in Germany for instance). We even have a known Nazi sympathizer well entrenched in the DOJ itself!

Meanwhile, our fearless leader continues planning his vanity construction projects (including plans for a new bunker) as the country all around him wallows in the chaos of his own creation as he chastises us for not willingly putting up with a little suffering on his behalf, for not believing in him enough... Who starred in that very role almost 100 years ago?

Too Sad, Too Funny, Too True...

 This is what they do- and they're pretty damn good at doing it!
Really, really good...

U... S... A!!!

Photo: © Stan B.

I've always had mixed emotions upon seeing the American flag. My first reaction is one of familiarity and pride, the latter due to all the good this country has done both for its own citizens and people throughout the world. This initial, feel good response is then quickly overtaken by the sad realization of all the evil, yes- evil, this country has also wrought throughout its history, to the very present. Wars of choice, discrimination at home, coups abroad... as if there's an actual policy that every good deed must be countered by an equally monstrous one. 

Throughout the years, people came to make better lives for themselves, on land stolen at the point of a gun, worked by the labor of slaves- and it's not just history (although, even that is now also being erased in our schools and institutions of learning). We have a proud tradition of providing aid to the needy, food to the starving, medicine to the sick- last year, our government eliminated many if not most of those life saving offerings... and cheered!* Needless deaths now replace the lives we once saved. We dropped more munitions on Viet Nam than those dropped by the Allied and Axis powers combined during WW2- the mass killing of a people who never attacked us in any way, who initially quoted our own Constitution in regard to founding their own government. And this year we killed one hundred-fifty schoolgirls in a completely unnecessary and illegal war, to which our President actually suggested that it was Iran's fault for somehow obtaining a Tomahawk missile, then launching it on their own children- an assertion so blatantly ridiculous (in so many ways), so tragically absurd, that it should have automatically laughed him out of office! To say nothing of his complete and utter disregard for human life... "small potatoes."

Every - single - time I hear chants of USA! USA! USA! at political rallies, my mind races to the same, sound alike echoes of KHO-MEI-NI! KHOE-MEI-NI! KHOE-MEI-NI! that Iranians yelled aloud during the taking of US hostages in the '70s- rhyming, trisyllabic chants that trigger the same mindless, jingoistic vacancy of the eyes, the same mindless mob rule, the same mutual willingness to commit mindless acts of violence and brutality... 

Such a beautiful flag, still full of potential and possibility... one day it may learn to finally live and abide by it.

*by DOGE cutting USAID (.5 of 1% of this nation's budget), more than 14 million additional deaths could occur by 2030, including over 4.5 million among children under five, or about 700,000 extra child deaths per year.

 The Most Transparent Admin... EVER!

Addendum: And as always in this admin- there's more...

"He was garbage. Now he is dirt."

That comment (by Cal Myers) was The Best, Most Accurate Synopsis of Charlie Kirk's brief career- succinct, accurate, on point! No, he most definitely did not deserve to die as he did (no one does)- but I despised the man. His whole King of Debates faux aura; it was never an actual "free and open discussion of ideas" as his followers insist to this day. Both racist and misogynist, he would excel at luring naive, impressionable college students, and after letting them have their brief moment in the sun... pounce and cut them down with his well rehearsed, rapid fire talking points. He had the formula down!

The few times he actually debated knowledgeable, experienced adults (as in England), it wasn't such a smooth cruise- he would shrewdly move the gold posts, ever so slightly and persistently change the subject matter he was responding to and not quite answer the question at hand... in short, it was his turn to squirm. 

A couple of years ago there was a great video of a professor analyzing the debate tactics and strategies Kirk used to dominate; he broke it down in step by step detail with his actual debate cuts- brilliant breakdown and explanation, and of course, can't find it now for the life of me! Here's the Cliff Notes:

And after repeatedly calling for the release of the Epstein Files, Good Ol' Charlie's tune kinda changed rather abruptly when the Oval changed hands, to: "I'm gonna trust my friends in the government!" Wow! Oh... and one more thing:

I think it’s worth it. 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 other God given rights. That’s a prudent deal. It is rational.   -Charlie Kirk

YIPES!!!

A light hearted moment of honesty and transparency!

Followed by his reactive gaze, and... that rocking baby in the corner- worth the price of admission alone!

Twenty Five Years Ago...

... the seemingly impossible happened; we persevered an unimaginable horror, had the goodwill of the entire world on our side, and then squandered it by also committing unspeakable horrors on innocents (women, children, civilians) for years on end, including a war we were so obviously lied into... At least 408,749 civilians in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen died as a direct result of the post-9/11 wars. And... As of May 2023, more than 7.6 million children under five in post-9/11 war zones suffer from acute malnutrition. 

Fifteen of the nineteen hijackers were citizens of Saudi Arabia, where most if not all of the funding came from- and yet, somehow, it was never even scratched. And as if the loss of life wasn't enough, the wars also cost the US an estimated $8 Trillion. To this day, we are the only wealthy Western nation that does not guarantee universal healthcare for all its residents. We're repeatedly told we-just-can't-afford-it!

This year we initiated yet another war, this time with Iran.* It was presumably done to prevent them from acquiring a nuclear bomb... after we purposely reneged on an agreement that prevented Iran from obtaining one! Under the JPCOA, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors received continuous, 24/7 access to Iran's declared nuclear sites, supply chains, uranium mines, and centrifuge manufacturing facilities; and- Iran agreed to implement the IAEA Additional Protocol, allowing inspectors to request access to undeclared or suspicious locations anywhere in the country. Not a bad deal!

Today, Iran is on its way to acquiring some kind of nuclear device for the same reason no one attacks North Korea, scary- but can't say I blame them. Meanwhile, the whole world has lost trust in us as we've torn up treaties and threatened allies- even picked a fight with the friendliest country any neighbor could ever possibly ask for! We have lost old friends, and made more enemies...

As we remember the tragedy of 9/11, let us also strive towards the realization that in eventually eliminating that villain past, we've created the breeding ground for many more from the children whose innocent family members we've killed: at school, in hospitals, at wedding celebrations and in their very homes having dinner. It is a ritual we've already carried out yet again, in yet another country...

*The direct military cost of the war with Iran has reached at least $37.5 billion according to Pentagon estimates, while independent economic and energy tracking pushes the total cost past $100 billion. 

Like Clockwork...

 Trumpalooza does it again!!!

The Wonderland

 ... of Jason Eskenazi! A most definitely known photographer- and for good reason.

Talk About TED Talks!

Is this not the most inspirational, the most motivational lecture ever!?!

7X7 Adventures...

Photos: © Stan B.

Retirement, and the long daylight summer hours, continue to allow me the time to explore the nooks and crannies of this 7 square mile plot of land known as San Francisco. I've actually discovered places unknown to this East Coast transplant these past two decades, places like the non presumptuous Turtle Hill, which allows one the most panoramic view in all San Francisco- from the downtown skyline to the entirety of Golden Gate Park (20 acres larger than Central) to the Pacific Ocean itself... a spectacular vista from such an unassuming and unheralded viewpoint! 

One day I zigged instead of zagged in an area I had previously frequented and found myself in the neighborhood of... Sea Cliff, an area tantamount to a drug induced experience- LSD in the morning coffee! Most of San Francisco, no matter what the geographic or economic environment, has a certain rhythm and familiarity to it, particularly in its unique architecture. Sea Cliff left all that far behind, it didn't look like anything, feel like anything even remotely connected to San Francisco! By the mere turn of a corner, I had been somehow, someway rather magically transported to a Riviera seaside resort, a very wealthy seaside resort. I was now in the land of, not the well to do, but the filthy rich- mansion beside mansion beside mansion... with curiously little real estate separating them. A goddamn ghetto of mansions! And I do mean... Mansions! With a beach on either end of this very compact and ultra exclusive neighborhood. 

These photos are from neither of the aforementioned, not much purpose in my book if the photos can't in some small way capture some of what the place actually feels like. If I can't do the place some kind of justice in my small way, well then, I'd rather it live in my mind just how I wish, rather than belittle it with an image that just demeans the entire experience. Fortunately, I do, on occasion, get photos where I never anticipated, expected or contemplated;* these are the neighborhoods I've been exploring, usually working class, mostly residential and on the outskirts of town, far from the hipsters, tourists and tech nerds the city is known for; neighborhoods such as Bayview, Excelsior and Portola. Rounding the corners and traversing the hills and crevices, one will occasionally (very occasionally) be rewarded with the odd, photo worthy streetscape or unique, unforeseen point of view...

Photos: © Stan B.

*I still see young 'street shooters' moping about in the SF downtown area and I wanna yell at them (or at least gently suggest)- why are you wasting your time trying to retake classic street photos... on streets devoid of people?!? Move on, adapt- do something different! Even pre-Covid, when downtown SF streets were bustling, it was good to have a more varied diet of photo resources, now it's 100% crucial! It's why I expanded to also do essays on: pet cemeteries, 'bipping,' graffiti (and painted over graffiti), cars, Oakland Mail Trucks, panoramics, the SF leather Fairs and just about every protest I can attend locally. The latter will culminate in a book entitled 45-46-47 (ie- the Trump years) which will end in (god spare us all!) '28... Point is, ya gotta keep stretching the envelope, testing the waters- or rot on the vine.

Is What It Is...

And while we're at it!!!

Fame And (Mis)Fortune!

I had no idea whatsoever about the torrent of copycat infiltrators Jake Ricker was subjected to at what would mark the forced conclusion of his Golden Gate Bridge project. I can well understand wanting to see him in action, congratulate him, engage in conversation and possibly learn from him- but I just can't even begin to contemplate what was going through these people's minds that they would willingly try to copy his photographs... directly in his presence! How does one even begin to make sense of that- the audacity, ignorance and sheer impudence of such an act? How do their minds (not) work- somehow, someway thinking they can magically glom on to his hard earned work, talent and recognition simply by trying to directly imitate him... right next to him!?! How dishearteningly surreal is that- particularly at such a world famous venue which is both so uniquely public and yet singularly isolated? We're such an utterly flawed species...

Hope he eventually gets his well deserved book deal!

I Don't Understand...

 And I don't think I want to... 

There's a Pokemon Convention/Celebration/Championship currently in San Francisco. I don't know much, if anything about it, other than being some kind of cartoon character game/creation that seems to be quite the money maker. Now, I can understand parents taking their six year olds to it, what I can't understand are all the twenty year olds lumbering about with armloads of hundreds of dollars of swag, smiling away, looking as if they were finally released from their basements for their first taste of sunshine since puberty- all for something I would have been thoroughly embarrassed to have not left in the rear view mirror years before entering freshman year of high school!

People in this country are dying from not having the money necessary for routine life saving operations, and people and babies the world over from Afghanistan to Gaza to Sudan are dying from not having the most basic nutrition and medicines to stay alive, thanks to the gutting of US Aid (.5 of 1% of the total US budget) so that a Nazi saluting billionaire could gleefully claim he eliminated government fat while not touching a single cent from our bloated military budget (soon to be well over a trillion US dollars), so that yet another billionaire could get the public's mind off his pedophile past by starting a completely unnecessary and illegal war he had already resoundingly lost a month in- and has not the slightest on how the hell he's getting us out 'cause he's just too damn busy personally handpicking matching drapes and fondling his Corinthian columns! 

I-just-don't-get-it.

Wild Horses

That's right, America's symbol of freedom, the wild Mustangs of the West; get 'em by the thousands for pennies on the dollar- perfect for someone's dining room table, all thanks to... 
Great American Orange Man!

I Wanna Live...

In this girl's universe!

Cool, Calm, Rational

No hyperbolics, zero partisan rants, just rational, logical in your face, common sense- a lovely change of pace on the insane card we've all been dealt...

Fight Song!

I'd gladly follow her into any battle with this song in the lead- a beautifully infectious, somewhat quirky, and highly melodic song (with a long convoluted history) as are many in Sinead's repertoire. Her rendition captivating and life affirming- as was she...

The Nerd Reich

Ce La Vie...

Really enjoyed this (Celui qui tombe), not even the music (which I didn't particularly) could stop me from liking it. And it works on so many levels- as both sculpture and dance, love and confusion, and anything and everything we experience in life, art, and loss...

Feeling Groovy!

Really need to get my mind off the usual lunacy we are forced to live with on a daily basis, so how 'bout a nice lighthearted musical melody to soothe the nerves and bring in the weekend... 

So all you younger readers, aspiring musicians, and sailors trapped on aircraft carriers for almost a year with no goddamn end in sight, eating a hamburger patty with a scoop of rice (then hoping to find a working toilet) because of an illegal war meant to take our minds off a bunch of files, photos, tapes and videos that implicate our POTUS and so many of his dearest friends in an international pedophile ring- this one's for you!

The Tell Tale Heart

So... Trump, with the aid of the Secret Service, plays his little, Top Secret, Three Card Monty, Now Ya See Me, Now Ya Don't, food container/airplane disappearing act to avoid a possible Iranian assassination attempt. Deftly played! And let's just forget those loser reporters in the decoy plane that were purposely put in harm's way to secure his safety. 

But how, why would such highly detailed details of such a TIPPY TOP SECRET Operation be so quickly made known unto you, me, or... the Iran who would so longingly love to kill him!?!?!? Who within Trump's Top Secret entourage leaked the plans of his Top Secret Abracadabra Escape Plan?!? Must be one heckuva BIGLY investigation the size of Air Force One itself looking into it- Call, Jeanine Pirro!!! THAT IS ONE HELLUVA SECURITY BREACH!!!

I bet once Cap'n Kash and The Boyz find the scurrilous dog of a traitor, they'll shove him right in the very same maximum security cell with the infamous pool knifer, or worse yet- The Sandwich Executioner! And I wouldn't, couldn't be happier...

Who, oh who, could it possibly be!?!?

You Throw A Party, And...

 What I have to remind myself- ad infinitum...

The Joys Of Retirement

Photos: © Stan B.

I still wake up giddy most days, two-thirds of a year in, retirement has certainly not lost its sheen! Don't know if a return to employment will mar the scenery at some inopportune time hence, but for now... 

One of the things I find (that I could in no way foresee) is how in the moment I am now allowed to be, to experience, to feel! No longer consumed by time restraints, one can now truly relax, enjoy the moment- free of schedule or time limit. Weekends, holidays, even vacations are all finite, so that even while enjoying, one is forever aware of the ever present temporal restrictions. Life is forever consumed by the accountings of everyday life, the eternal ticking of the clock, the push to get things done, before...

Being free of that particular anxiety and apprehension is liberating indeed, and can even lead to more thoughtful and contemplative photographs, and perhaps more important, definitely more important- if I don't get the photograph... at least I fully enjoyed the moment itself! Felt it, breathed it, took it in and experienced it! There's always another day, and another picture- up until there isn't, and then... I needn't worry that possible return!

Trump Dump

We all lead busy lives- so just in case ya didn't catch the art phenomenon of the year... 

It sold for $1800, if we would have gotten our promised tariff dividend- that would have left the buyer with $200!

Helluva Week In Review!

If ya listened to the news this week one woulda swore that 60,000 Africans crossed the sea into Europe and invaded Spain by force. Actually, the news headline shoulda been- 60,000 Africans emigrate to... Africa! Ceuta (where the temporary immigrants emigrated to) is a city in Africa that Spain just happens to occupy, after taking it from Portugal, who forcibly took it from the rightful natives. Spain has another such colony (Melilla) in the country of Morocco (which is none too happy about either situation)- also in the continent of... Africa.

Meanwhile, Sammy The Bull Gravano, was interviewed by the FBI to come up with the goods on the lowdown over- "86" and The Seashells (never did like their harmonies)! Apparently, a former mob prosecutor was nearly hospitalized keeling over in laughter...

Perhaps that complete and utter embarrassment may have played a role in Jeanine Pirro joining AA dropping her 'vandalism case' against a former Olympian. Seems even a working drunk has a better sense of reality once the fog lifts than a dry one!

Meanwhile, hated by some, applauded by many- Dr. Fauci also had an interesting week. I thought him to be the voice of reason during Covid, until... his little scrap with Rand Paul (a man I so thoroughly detest- and Fauci forced me to applaud) when Fauci insisted that Paul had to get the vaccine to be thoroughly immune- even though he had already contracted Covid and endured its consequences! Curly haired doctor, one- short doctor, zero. Then Fauci went on to swear that the virus research center in Wuhan had nothing to do with Covid research! Curly haired doctor, two- short doctor, zero! 

Finally- can't leave w/o mentioning The Fact Attack in DC, cause pretty soon we'll all be too dumb to even find a museum, let alone remember what it's actually for...

But hey, ya know what they say... Leave 'em Laughing!!!

One Man Level of Cool!

Photo: © Stan B.

Having grown up in New York, I've always admired a sense of style. It takes something to possess one, even more to own it; and says something about the person and how they move in the world. Of course, it's ultimately superficial (never judge a book by its cover) but in a world so dominated by the visual- it can carry the day! Some may call it, "Cool-" the look, the manner, the very presence.

There are many things I admire about San Francisco, where I have lived these past 25 years. One thing it clearly does not possess however, is a distinct sense of personal style- it's never recovered completely from the Flower Power days, but its denizens absolutely jump at the chance of getting into costume for whatever generic holiday, event or celebration (they even run their foot races in costume)!

I was on the return journey home from Crissy Field in SF, a simply gorgeous day in a simply gorgeous area around the Golden Gate Bridge, enjoying it for what it was since I knew I was returning home with nothing to show for it, when I happened upon this gentleman who seemed dropped by the hand of god beside that particular signpost. A surreal off site presence, as if he had created his own French New Wave retro movie in which he was clearly starring in the leading role! And star he did!

Before exposure I only dared look at him peripherally, trying desperately not to be noticed- while positioning myself directly in front of him (with no one else beside or around me for cover)! To make things worse, there was a group of tourists directly beside him- I would have to wait, and clearly he would change his position or just wander off while I waited for them to depart and leave us. My previsualizaion was most certainly doomed. Meanwhile, I turned around, checked my exposure and distance- and... prayed. 

As the crowd finally (finally) moved, I turned and quickly took a short series of exposures with very minor alterations from left to right. In my absolute haste to get it in the can, I still didn't get the opportunity to assess the totality of the image (and subject) I was capturing. And he never did look in my direction or acknowledge me (at least not while I was looking), although he certainly had to have sensed my presence. I thought perhaps it was just another street eccentric who temporarily succeeded in  rising to the level of his own imaginings (the most any of us can usually aspire to)- but upon examining the image, it was clear the guy's no simple poseur, this guy's the real deal! Cool? The man defines it!* The suit, that pose, the whole freakin' shebang- goddang, he is a goddamn, one man movie! But is he hero, or villain?!?

*He even balances the phone parallel to the horizon line!

American Fear

7/25/2026                                      Photo: © Stan B.

It's a sad and sorry situation- but true. There's this growing trend of mistrust and fear even among peaceful protestors where some participants are now worried of being photographed, identified and made to face retribution. The result is that they now purposely position their signs in front of their faces in order to dissuade subsequent identification. I've also had some confront me openly with mistrust, even hostility and question who I am, who I'm with, who I represent... This rarely happened before and is becoming considerably more commonplace. And we are not talking "illegals," we're talking White American citizens.

It's sad, and at first made me both confused and a tad ticked off, to be honest. But it is understandable; we live at the behest of a tyrant who has openly made retribution a reality he both flaunts and relishes, and people have undoubtedly suffered due to the retaliatory actions of his fragile, childlike ego- and immense far reaching power. All the more reason to call out, confront and demonstrably defeat this fascist bully- and set precedent for any that follow...

The Parable Of The Snake...

He attempted to steal a Presidential election in front of our very eyes-
do you expect any less of him in the midterms?

And then, there's this...

When Shit Talks...

 

How The CyberTruck Was Designed!

Things I Contemplated Over The Weekend...

A Coupla Things:

Trump Assassination Victim's Widow Makes Stunning New Claim 😳 #Trump #Breaking #Politics - YouTube

ICE Officer In Maine Shooting Has History Of Violent Behavior, Family And Records Say | HuffPost Latest News

A Twofer:

Republican election fraud

They told her she could vote - YouTube

And Finally:

"We Don't Have The Biggest D*CK On The Planet!" - Nick Irving

[DEBATE] U.S. Lost The War With Iran!

Miscalculations are costly. #historyshorts #history #trump #greenland #nato  

Addendum: COMIC RELIEF!

The NYC Landscape

 Photo: © Rob Stephenson

If you're a photographer in NYC, you're a street photographer- unless you got a studio and shoot portraits. What's that... landscape? How many shots of the skyline can one possibly take? 

Obvious questions lead to obvious answers. And deciding what to shoot (and doing it well- the tricky part) is a problem that besets every photographer, especially in an era when anything and everything seems to have been done ad infinitum... But not everyone goes the usual route, assumes the usual role and makes the usual contribution. Brian Rose has presented a more diverse NYC, he has wondered the geographical limits of the five boroughs in search of a more diversified landscape shaped and influenced by its diverse population. Rob Stephenson is also a landscape photographer, defined by the mundane, repetitive and overlooked commonalities that saturate New York's outer boroughs- neighborhoods and communities that don't look anything like Manhattan.

The four boroughs adjacent to Manhattan are anything but scenic (Manhattan itself is hardly... 'beautiful'). NYC is built for expedience and practicality, it sure ain't Paris, not even London, which is at least quaint in parts. Some of it is downright ugly, most of it, just plain forgettable, from the poorest of working class neighborhoods, to its more well to do environs. 

Mr. Stephenson makes the most of these unremarkably ordinary of landscapes with a series of very memorable typologies, memorable for their remarkably diverse feature set within a uniformity of presentation. His Dead End typology features the aforementioned signposts in a variety of industrial, residential and more 'pastoral' settings. The sheer variety and uniqueness of settings is more than I could have possibly imagined. And his Split series is an absolute joy- something I would have never, ever contemplated saying about anything to do twin homes! These banal and usually (intentionally?) overlooked residences pepper the real estate landscape of NY; the very thought of photographing them seems preposterous, laughable at best... who the hell would want to photograph something so overwhelmingly boring and aesthetically dismissible!?

And yet, these home portraits of fraternal, if not identical, twins are absolutely fascinating!  I would have never in my life thought these architectural nonentities could be so endlessly intriguing, so curiously captivating. The not quite mirror images, the minute details that entrance and delight! But that's what good photography and photographers do- reveal the mystery and uniqueness of that which we overlook and undervalue... Can't wait for the book!

 Photo: © Rob Stephenson

Breaking News!

MAGA believes every single, recycled lie President Trump reiterated this evening concerning the 2020 election. 
Thank you for your attention to this matter-
we now humbly await his state of emergency declaration to steal the midterms!

The Dems Screw It Up, Again!

Imagine if there was one thing, just-one-thing that most Americans could agree on, that most Americans actually want. Imagine one magical something that most Americans could unite on; if only something like that actually existed- something like, something like... The Epstein Files!!! You'd think the Dems would have had their act together and hammered away at Todd Blanche at his DOJ confirmation meeting on the very biggest vulnerability that any and every semi-sane person can easily agree on: 

1) Why are you refusing to release the entirety of the Epstein files and in so doing breaking the very law your own boss signed into being?

2) Why do you insist there is nothing to investigate when other countries not only see plenty to investigate, but are actually investigating as we speak!?! 

3) What are we to make of the hundreds (Thousands!?) of still photos and videos of men with underage teenagers?!? Can you seriously state there's nothing to see--- after seeing those!?!

4) Why is Donnie's name mentioned thousands upon thousands of times in said files- don't ya want to clear his holy name?!?

5) Why haven't you interviewed the survivors to verify the evidence in said files?
   For god's freakin' sake---- Why - haven't - you!?!?!?! Ya had Plenty O' Time to meet with Ghislaine!!!

Sure some of them asked here and there- but imagine, just imagine if every Dem at that meeting had relentlessly asked and demanded answers to those five most blatant and obvious of questions... those five questions!!! People would at least be talking- and maybe, just maybe, demanding an honest answer or two themselves...

American Insanity

Was going to post on photography, but it's just too fucking disturbing to ignore- people wantonly being assassinated on the street by our 'Law and Order' administration, a 'Law and Order' administration led by an adjudicated rapist, con man, traitor and pedophile revered by millions who proclaim themselves (as does he) to be both Christian and patriotic...

Across The River

Photos: © Stan B.

I was walking out of my mother's nursing home when I was hit with the hottest wind I ever experienced in my life, unnaturally hot, radioactively hot, and having grown up in NY, having experienced many a NYC summer, I realized- this is most definitely not normal! 

It was 98 degrees that day and the major reason I wasn't spending extended periods of time pounding sweltering midtown city streets in the little time I had. So, I continued my Queens bound journey to Long Island City- which I once termed "the armpit of NY." For decades it was the land forgotten by time, one of the last stops before Manhattan on the 7 IRT subway line. Not many people lived there and it wasn't anything even remotely resembling a city, the area immediately surrounding said subway stop was just a stagnant, malignant area of decay- like a hoarder's long forgotten and abandoned living space. The area adjoining it was a mixture of longtime residents living in small residential communities separated by areas of light industry, spreading from the aforementioned LIC to neighboring Astoria- as sleepy and domestically banal as neighboring Manhattan was forever busy and bustling. It was an area I frequented while living in the Lower East Side for it's relative solace and tranquility, streets where one could find themself the only person afoot, where even the occasional horizon line could be spotted.

That all began to change the end of the last century, when hyper gentrification began to rear its head in the NYC real estate market directly across the river. It began quietly in the eighties with PS1, a beloved art museum alternative- when someone once proclaimed: "Artists- the shock troops of gentrification!"* Anyway, by the turn of the century there were Manhattan sized skyscrapers (both business and luxury) springing up all around- a trend that continues to this day. Still, there are pockets of quiet and stillness not found beyond the riverbank, as well as the occasional tree for shade and solace, which is where I headed to and found the included photos (as well as the best bagels I ever did eat)...

*I suppose one could now substitute "techies" with artists.