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!!!

Happy 4th!

Photo: © Stan B.

I can pass (in a crowd), and am no doubt considered some kinda Arab when in Europe (hell, most Americans ain't sure what a Puerto Rican is)- but this is indeed interesting! Meanwhile, this is as borderline Genius, as this is hilariously obvious. And as to further round out our nation's great history... Enjoy the day!

It Is No Exaggeration...

Photo: © Stan B.

None whatsoever, to state that we are dealing with an openly racist Presidential administration. The dog whistles and subtle code talk of yore are no longer needed and can no longer be disguised when confronted with the blatant in your face actions of this administration.  I have nothing against actual merit based programs and promotions- I do have everything against a system that places one race, one religion and one gender front, right and center! Particularly, that race is White, that religion is Christian, that gender is male- as has always been the case in the history of these semi-United States. After WW2, the US Armed Forces was one area where some modicum of diversity was promoted within the work force. We had progressed to the point where even the most conservative of military minds finally realized that the blood that stained any battlefield was uniformly red (and that most White youth had better things to do anyway).

Now that Popgun Pete, our Manly Weekend Warrior (whose first order of the day was to install a make up room in his office- before blabbing classified info to his wife, friends and members of the press) is fully in charge as Secretary of WAR, he's decided to backtrack on decades of progress within said military. Promotions of women and Black military officers (promotions that have gone through rigorous and strident review by many leading military personnel) have been denied outright for reasons that... well, actually- none were given! Even those tried and true dog whistles won't fly when it's this flagrant, this overtly racist and sexist! A portrait of the first Black USAF four star general has been conspicuously removed from it's display space, and last October, Black US Admiral Holsey retired when he saw the writing on the wall amid the illegalities of extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean. 

Then, of course, there's Vampire Miller and his chorus of ghouls in the Supreme Court; all happily rejoicing in their deportation of immigrants back to their "shithole countries," suppression of voter rights and suspension of DEI in favor of the aforementioned one race, one religion, one gender fealty program. Our President, however, will assure us all that he is "the least racist person in the world," and if ya don't believe him- ask any one of his All White Cabinet members...

So... This Changes Everything, Right?

Everyone who didn't know Trump was an avowed, dyed in the wool racist before is now fully awoke, aware and in full condemnation mode- Right?!? They just weren't sure before, and people (like myself) are always trying to demonize him. Or... hey, it's just a meme, it really doesn't mean anything, so... "stop the fake outrage!" 

I can already visualize Republican legislators silently, walk/running past reporters' questions in the halls of Congress in their heads down defensive posture. Can already hear the half apologetic, totally incredulous excuses by the few corralled in some wayward corner of a Capitol hallway, the self righteous and indignant denials by the FOX talking heads...

But we had no reason whatsoever to believe he was racist before- just like we have no reason to believe he's a pedophile...

PS- I wonder why such a sue happy kinda guy doesn't-sue-'Katie Johnson'* for saying such horrible things?!? Hhmmm...

*full video

Happy Holiday!

Unless you live in CA, you can't get into a US National Park for free this MLK Holiday (or Juneteenth)- nope, gonna have to wait for Trump's B'day for that! Of course, there are those that will insist that the decision to stop that tradition has nothing whatsoever to do with racism, the 35% of the US population who insist that Renee Good was deliberately trying to run down the masked gunman who shot her four times point blank as he broke protocol and stood facing her car while she tried to drive away upon being accused of blocking traffic, the same 35% who believe anything and everything out of Herr Donald's mouth that is (or isn't) slurred and semi-intelligible when not resting his eyes. The same 35% who believe that none of this is the least bit racist whatsoever... 

Dr. King, a staunch advocate of non-violence all his life, was also accused of being a wanton criminal, terrorist and worst; I'm reminded of that in Renee Good's last words (to ICE) on earth, "It's OK, I'm not mad at you." The masked gunman who murdered Renee Good in public with four shots point blank is then heard saying, "Fuckin' Bitch!" before hastily and illegally driving off, departing the crime scene he himself created...

That'll Show "Em!"

 And would ya believe it- people continue to say that Trump is racist!

Mea Culpa...

Actually, I'd written this in anticipation of my retirement, addressing something I'm very not proud of, to say the very least- so here goes...

The following is to once again apologize and attempt to explain the motivation (woefully misdirected as it was) for a most regrettable action. It's something I will forever regret, something I knew was wrong, soon as I did it... It resulted from a poison deep within me, a toxic stew I well acknowledge and usually control 99.XX% of the time. I'd probably be wrong to claim this the only time it ever manifested, but this was the event that that caused the most harm- and I can only hope the brunt of that harm manifested on myself alone.

About ten years ago I accused a photographer of "passive racism" in a certain photo essay of his. And while the term itself is neither invalid nor unwarranted (when used responsibly and accordingly) it was Most DEFINITELY NOT, by any means or manner- valid, true or appropriate in this particular instance! It was totally, completely, 100% in my head- and in my head only! I was 'seeing' and injecting my personal frustration and vitriol directly into a fabricated (mis)interpretation of his work, something completely not native to his work, and certainly undeserving of such criticism. And I was not only accusing someone of something not of their doing, I was simultaneously cheapening and bringing doubt upon real life situations and occurrences of prejudice. Both are deplorable, and I knew I was dead wrong the minute I pressed Send- but the poison I let manifest from mind to keyboard was now out in public. 

I remember reading how a jumper/survivor of the Golden Gate Bridge recalled that the very second he leaped, he immediately realized just how wrong his decision had been. Such was the feeling, and I quickly issued a hasty, if much needed, much warranted apology- both publicly on the platform where I made the comment, and to the photographer in question, privately. I didn't attempt to explain why I had made the comment, I thought it too self serving at the time, and people would have seen it as an excuse- and most rightfully so! And although, I damn well recognized why I had uttered such stupidity and outright negativity, I also realized it demanded further analysis, understanding and self reflection... And that my own humiliation and embarrassment, although very much warranted at the time, would not immediately allow it. Some in the photographic community ghosted me- understood, although I've always hoped that discussion better serves such an offense, not so much for my 'rehabilitation,' but more importantly, to reach a further understanding of how prejudice can linger, manifest and metastasize. And I can only hope that my totally misdirected 'criticism' of said photographer did not in any way negatively impact him- anyone looking at the work and reading said 'criticism,' would have had an exceedingly hard time seeing any justification for it (as commenters accurately reflected).

Racism in any form is such an ugly thing, no matter it's manifestation. Verbal, physical or contemplative- it always leaves its mark (on both victim and perpetrator), often more than we know, sometimes in ways we hardly realize or recognize. Life is hard enough as is, prejudice and racism just add another perpetual level of unnecessary and unwarranted anxiety and difficulty anyone could well do without. As a Hispanic living in a predominantly White neighborhood for a good part of my developing life, I was fortunate not to experience any direct physical brutality due to racism, but there were the everyday slights- intentional and not. One could ignore, or address and confront directly, I did both- whichever felt the most appropriate, or expedient at the time. And then there are the instances where ya-just-don't-know. Hhhmmm... that was a dig wasn't it? But was it racially motivated? Did they flip me off for being an everyday jerk wad (real or imagined), or was the motivation/purpose an actual (if disguised or unconscious) racial dig? Those are the ones you keep tossing in mind, wondering, pondering and wasting waaay too much time and energy on (whether one wants to, or not); and the suspicion never leaves- it lingers, poisons, and sometimes metastasizes, producing some rather nasty after effects. 

Point is... all the aforementioned leaves scars, far from visible- and far from superficial. And if one hasn't directly experienced it over a good portion of their lifetime, it will likely remain foreign to their realm of knowledge, and reality. Most of the time, people of color learn to adapt, deal with it and get on with life. But it can rear its (very) ugly head and pervert someone's personality in a very negative direction, or unconsciously color certain perceptions, attitudes and reactions in a less than positive, clear headed direction. I once thought I had it very much under control in my waking life- and for the most part I did (and still do). But I most certainly dropped the ball on that day. Big time. I got cocky, self assured in my self-actualization and criticism of what I (thought I) knew, and in how I dealt with things both personal and social... Big Mistake! Upon doing so, I also came to realize- that said photographer had been one of the very (very) few who had actually been so very kind to send me a free, personal monograph- yeah, when I F-up... I F-up!!!

So, why now, why dredge this up yet again? Good question. As I enter the next stage of life, one becomes more introspective. And despite my overwhelming shame and embarrassment due to my blatant 'aberration' on a topic I prided myself in understanding, I had hoped that someone would initiate a conversation that would address it directly, and hopefully go beyond it. I didn't feel it was my place to initiate that conversation, my mouth had already spewed enough, too much- and I was properly shunned. Now, I just want to address and explain that incident as best I can, to myself, the person I wrongfully accused (whose photography BTW is incredibly inclusive), and anyone else who may possibly remember- or not.

Again, some might still see this as self serving- understood. I'm just trying to add a measure of understanding for the motivation behind an injustice I voluntarily committed, regret to this day and fully accept responsibility for. It's an ugliness that, once injected, stays within one- a virus you can acknowledge or deny, suppress or unleash, but hopefully learn to transform. I thought I had, but it's a cunning motherfucker, and that's part of its MO- the second you think you've dealt with it and put it to bed is exactly when you expose yourself anew.

I still call out racism as I see and experience it- hopefully, with greater clarity, discrimination and responsibility. And it especially does my heart good to see in the recent years since, the actual presence, involvement and active participation of more photographers of color throughout the industry and artworld- instead of just in front of the lens. It is well overdue; diversity (now vehemently under attack, yet again) can only enrich our experience, and help rid us of the ugly scars and practices of the past, personal and otherwise...

"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...

It's Good To Learn...

Something (not exactly) new every day! Whether it's about Israel, or America, or its health care:

Laughs, Islands And Garbage...

Even I, as a Puerto Rican, could have laughed off "the floating island of garbage" joke if (IF!) he had spread the... love to others, IF he had gone on to some self deprecating humor. But no- the purpose here wasn't to have fun (see 9:30), it was to make fun of those they don't like, those they look down on, those they think are less than...

Then he went on to claim, after the fact, that "I made fun of everyone." No-you-did-Not! Wish ya did now (maybe), but not then. It would be ironic indeed, if Puerto Ricans, the very same people Trump so contemptuously threw rolls of paper towels at (looking every bit the bored fraternity bro 'shooting baskets' in his dorm room pissed off his toga party was cancelled in order to tend to the sorry unfortunates before him) now had the opportunity to help make Tucker's dream come true, "We are very, very close to being able to ignore Trump most nights, I truly can't wait." You and me both Tuck-Tuck, how does an island victory cruise sound? 

Origin

 

Origin is director Ava Duvernay's riff on Caste: The Origins Of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson (played by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor). It's not quite what I expected as a film, which is a pretty dumb thing to say since I had no idea what to expect going in. The film certainly does touch one emotionally,* but most of all, it challenges you to... think.

Isabel Wilkerson's thesis is that what we take for granted as racism in America is actually a system of caste. Not everyone buys in, but she makes quite the compelling case, and I think it has a lot going for it, even if, the end result is just a rose by any other name. Wow, that was the shortest summation dismissal possible- which is why you really have to read the book/see the movie!

Slavery, systematic racism, critical race theory, segregation, Anti-Semitism, Jim Crow, colorism, caste, class... all the aforementioned have their place in said discussion. But the movie also goes further, or perhaps I should say detours into... the writing process, life itself and how one perseveres through it all- while experiencing the loss of your: spouse, mother and best friend.

Wilkerson closely studies the caste system in India, the Holocaust in Nazi Germany along with racism in the good ol' US of A. And I do love the analogy she uses when confronting those who proclaim, Well I didn't own any slaves! No, you damn well didn't, and no one's saying you did. But it's like growing up in a house that shelters you, protects you, and also comes with its own faults: leaky plumbing, roof that needs mending, etc, etc. You might not even have been around when those problems started showing, but they're your problems now- and you acknowledge the good with the bad, and deal with the problems you may not have created, but nonetheless have to address. Yeah, damn good analogy- what should simply be called common sense, what so many Americans today actively refuse to even contemplate, let alone practice...

*if seeing that human beings have to clean out human refuse by going into pits unprotected and up to their very necks in it for a scant daily living in the very same year that we have assholes walking the streets donning $4,000 computer goggles doesn't affect you...

An Archaeology of Silence

I've been lucky to have seen some pretty good art in my day, perhaps because I've survived and persisted through seeing so much of the shit that passes for it. Much of it has been in the realm of photography, the one medium I have a passing acquaintance with. But I like to think that I can enjoy and sometimes even appreciate quality in any form, be it a vintage watch, a good cigar, a Renaissance painting.

On Memeorial Day Weekend, I visited Kehinde Wiley's tour de force at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco. The highly detailed and decorative paintings, along with the reclining sculptures were impressive enough, but they neither grabbed at my soul nor any other part of me (others, maybe most, would very rightfully disagree). A major let down considering the hype concerning the amount of emotion that this exhibit was said to induce in all that saw it. Yes, incredible technique, but... 

And then I came upon the sculpture of the same name- two stories in height, in its own darkened and discreetly lit chamber, reminiscent of entering some sacred Roman temple of yore. And there I stood- transfixed, mouth agape, as if bludgeoned by a ball bat upon gazing upward. I don't think I've ever experienced such a gut punch from a work of art my entire life; the size, grandeur, majesty- people reverently stood in silence, walked slowly around it, strangely seeming to adhere to the outer walls that contain it, as if keeping their distance from whatever power it exuded to all who dared view and present themselves before it! 

The horse itself is classically magnificent, but what transforms the whole piece unto the realm of art mythology and personal resonance is the body of the black male atop it, on its back, legs splayed to one side, a solitary hand drooping down the other. Both stunning and heart wrenching, something I am not likely to forget ever- no photograph could even suggest the in person experience, none included...

25 Seconds...

I tend to be judgmental, sometimes to the point of being prejudicial, not so much in a raced based manner, more in the way of stereotyping people. Everyone does it, it's part of sizing people up, it saves both time and kinda lures you into a false sense of confidence- you are a man of the world who knows how it works and are a good judge of character and your fellow man! 

Unfortunately, I probably (undoubtedly) get it more often wrong than right, something I have to constantly remind myself- particularly because I-so-hate when people pigeon hole me. So I really kinda love when I get it so wrong and people surprise the shit outta me- in a positive way! Like this guy, or...

The Ever Changing Construct

Recently I wrote a post about the ridiculous insanity of a "Mexican American Neo-Nazi," the writing of that very term a sheer exercise in lunacy. That said, some people to this day refuse to believe just how malleable the construct of race actually is, to them it's as clear as uhhh... black & white- despite the numerous examples throughout history proving otherwise. 

This video briefly traces the history of Italian American immigrants in the United States particularly down South, where they were basically seen and treated as another version of N-word until they were gradually redeemed and upgraded to official White status when it served a purpose. It also neglects to mention how the arrival or Puerto Ricans (my people) in the North helped boost that White privilege upon Italian Americans, just as Italians helped solidify the Irish (previously regarded as non White apes) unto their honorary White status. It always helps to have a new fall guy (traditionally just a shade darker) to hasten the ascension of the previous group of racial downtroddens. Now there are certain factions of the KKK that actually accept Italian Americans into their fold (even Ron DeSantis could join)! How do you spell "progress?" 

And so we get to the present day where even light skinned Cuban Americans who speak without accent can be effectively perceived as "White" in these United States. And the Carribean to this day remains a hotbed of racial hierarchy based on skin color and secondary 'racial' attributes. 'White' Cubans predominate the expat contingent who fled Cuba under Castro to Florida; poor, dark(er) skinned Cubans predominate those who remained on the island. Puerto Rico, the island I'm most familiar with, also maintains its colonial heritage: skin color, hair texture and other secondary 'racial' characteristics can easily come into play when considering one's social status, deliberately or unconsciously. And then there is the case of the Dominican Republic, where the majority of peoples African heritage is clearly on display; and nowhere is it clearly more in denial- because everyone knows that anyone "Black" is obviously located on the other side of that island's border in a place called... Haiti! Hey, someone's gotta hold up the bottom line if we're gonna keep this whole system up and running. 

BTW- Amazingly, it's still a very popular notion to hold up Haiti as proof positive as to how a Black run enterprise can only produce a "shit hole country" (to use official Trumpian terminology). Unfortunately, none who believe that have even the slightest, most tenuous knowledge of how Western countries (incl our own) have throughout the centuries purposely gone out of their way to repeatedly and perniciously punish Haiti into the economic, social and worldwide pariah that it remains simply because they (a colony of Black slave labor) had the audacity and ingenuity to defeat a major colonial power... 

FREEDOM!!!

Photo: © Stan Banos

We're movin' on up; think of it- Latin X children throughout our great land can finally dream of being Neo-Nazis! If that ain't progress in the US of A, I don't know what is- America really doesn't see race after all! Nick Fuentes never got the memo that he couldn't be a Neo-Nazi simply because he's Hispanic. I mean even a dark skinned "mulatto" the likes of Enrique Tarrio can be a full fledged White Supremacist now. And if that don't top all, Yeezus freakin' himself is a self professed Hitler acolyte! No way I could aspire to such lofty possibilities back in the day.

Been thinking on this for a while now and this whole Mauricio Garcia mass shooting really set things off, I mean, I had to go see what the guy looked like (upon writing this very paragraph) cause he most definitely comes off like some blonde haired, blue eyed Nazi in good standing- and, uhhh, surprise... let's just say he would have indubitably been on the receiving end of any OG SS officer's Luger. 

Seriously, I don't know what to make of this, then again if you can pervert the teachings of a Jesus Christ, an ideology of complete compassion and pacificism, into... "White Christian Nationalism" just to suit your needs- hey, sky's-the-limit! If you can do that in your own head, then believing yourself some form of mythological White super being no matter what shade of Brown, Black, or "non-White" you may be... piece o' cake! And shooting up a bunch of innocent men, women and children to justify it- easy fuckin' peasy.

Remembering 2 Minor Icons

A quick search of The Guardian last Sunday revealed the passing of a sublime guitar hero, and the examination of a noted photographer and documentarian who went to his grave with a very sobering secret...

I still remember the utter thrill upon first listening to Tom Verlaine's album Marquee Moon and being transported to rock & roll guitar heaven! The album was transcendent, a proto-punk who could actually play, a guitar virtuoso who delivered the goods tenfold, and still kept you wanting for more...

Meanwhile, Ernest Withers compiled an enormous body of work of a time and community that he alone was positioned to have such access- while at the same time compromising that very legacy with every shot he took, every life he documented, every secret he exposed...

W/O Comment...

Just Trying To Make Sense

Back in the day, if you weren't getting laid (assuming you uhhh... wanted to), it wasn't exactly a point of pride. I mean you could joke about it all ya want- hell, ya had to if it was the case... but a point of pride?!? I mean this whole incel thing is truly bizarre, perverted is more the word. So this guy can not only not deal with other races, he can't even deal with the opposite sex, or the same- and then starts pontificating about the virtues of Catholic autocracy, without any irony whatsoever concerning the rather well documented exploits of certain priestly "incels" and their male, childhood victims.

I guess no fellow White Power advocate has ever called Mr. Fuentes a "Spic," that just may have changed his perception while growing up. Just how does he get to be all Aryan like with that surname again?

And speaking of trying to make sense of shit that just don't...

"The Talk"

Can Only Imagine...

How absolutely radical these few chords must've sounded back in '58! Enough to get Rumble (an instrumental no less) banned in several states. An Indian named Link Wray had made his mark- and how prescient is this...