Gentlemen's Club

From as far back as Alexis de Tocqueville, the French have a long, well established history of traversing the mighty seas from the far reaches of the old country to discover, investigate and reveal to us what is truly great in America! This time photographer Francois Prost captures the majesty of American strip clubs in all their tacky, strip mall, neon glory from "sea to shiny sea" in... Gentlemen's Club.

The photos look great in all their square wonder- good choice of format to uniformly display them in all their various shapes, sizes and demeanors. And the book looks quite the treat as well- unfortunately, it is sold out and a second printing has yet to be confirmed. One can always hope...

Da Slap- Part 2!

Finally made my way to Chris Rock's new comedy special. Now, I usually would've jumped upon first hearing, but truth be told, his previous performance (Tamborine) was surprisingly... lackluster, and the clips I caught from the current special sadly seemed to echo that trend. Rock has been my personal king of comedy for a good decade plus; one can't sustain that indefinitely, and ironically, it was he who would actually note how the powers of his comedic peers would start to tarnish and diminish. I suppose both age and living large (and in increasing isolation) do little to maintain an edgy, punk, comedic persona.

Rock's number one super power is/was his genius level prowess at observation- translated into his frenetic, in your face delivery. He could organically riff on his acute observations with an ease and fluency that would leave one convulsing in laughter (eg- his description of middle aged church woman stuffing their ample feet into their dainty Sunday best footwear until the tops of their feet resembled warm loaves of bread fresh from the oven). LOFL!

This special was different however, it marked the advent of an equal amount of... proclamations. He was actually preaching, pontificating as opposed to merely presenting the evidence, and letting his comedic presentation draw you to its own conclusion(s). It struck me as being both intellectually and comedically... lazy- like aging rock stars who find they've lost a step or two on stage and now rely on grand gestures instead of the more nuanced, natural motions of a now faded youth.

Finally, the issue of the slap itself. And frankly, I expected more- both on a comedic sense and a philosophical one (yes, Rock can go there- both with relative ease, and truly revelatory results). He has repeatedly proven his powers of insight and scathing self reflection on a wide variety of topics- he goes wherever the evidence leads him. But we didn't get that this time 'round, instead we got something more like Trump's current Retribution Tour. He succeeded in landing his counter punches at last- but little else. I expected more, simply because he's been so exemplary of it.

Da Slap!

Michael Jai White is one seriously devoted martial artist, he’s also equally devoted to disciplining his mind as well as his body, which is evidenced in how calmly, rationally and succinctly he breaks down and analyzes the whole Will Smith Incident- not to mention fame, power and human ego in part and whole. A font of information on the intricacies of human interaction: physical, emotional, social.

PS- And me being as dumb as I am didn’t realize till recently that he and none other than Black Dynamite are actually one in the same. The latter being one of the most perversely and genius level comical enterprises ever put to film!

The Face Of Insanity

Logic (and sanity) At Its Highest Order

 

One man has a strong argument- the other has logic, fact and sanity...

Got Your Back

Hey! All you hapless luddites who still think the written word trumps video currency- (y)our days are numbered...

Yes, Sir- May I Have Another!

I'm gonna be as respectful (and logical) as possible... After four years of being debased, ridiculed and belittled by The 5X Deferment, the FBI can't possibly be this gullible or chicken shit, which leaves only one other possibility- they actually love the guy and the abuse he bestowed upon them!

Speak English!

Isn't that what you hear Xenophobes across this nation of 'Merika so often yell at all the goddang foreigners invading our shores "from sea to... shiny sea?" Well, if this person was the least bit familiar with the English language, she'd know what an absolute fool she just made of herself. But this, after all, is that person known, applauded and elected to continually make a fool of herself, without shame, self awareness or any understanding of the language she so professes to love and demean. Yes, we're talking none other than Gazpacho Police Girl!

And her latest vitriolic attack, which explodes in her face as soon as she mouths the very words that scream her ignorance to all but herself, is but the latest exercise in her commitment to linguistic genocide! 

Intelligence has its limits, while stupidity has none.   -Claude Chabrol

I Love...

Hedgehogs! But never had I imagined them capable of such outright, blood curdling viciousness, nor their committed acquiescence to the unwritten but age honored rules of mortal combat.

To The Rescue!

Now, being a city boy and all, can't say I knew much about this. I would have obliviously walked on by like most other folk on their way through their local heath, and figure the sheep in question was downright lazy, pensive or just another fentanyl down and out. But now that I'm enlightened, I just can't wait to try it out and save, save, save as many as possible. It may require a slight relocation to uhh... greener pastures- but I'm determined to find, upright and save me a sheep!

And So It Goes...

2022 was both one of the most painful and productive years of my life. Three trips to the ER (two by ambulance)- and did I mention a month long bout with the dreaded varmints from hell... bedbugs? And yet, and yet, throughout it all, photographs seemed to sometimes fall into my very lap- and good thing too, since it was probably my one sole link to sanity throughout. All the while knowing that a drought could and would most likely drop at any time.

The beginning of every new year brings with it the anxiety of what you will create, how much you will create, and just how good it will be. Fortunately, I've learned to take it in stride more than previously, but the anxiety persists nonetheless. And the early winter months always promises fewer results, promoting that anxiety further still until things warm up, people come out, and photo ops are more abundant come spring.

But you try and collect whatever you can (while one still can), usually not Pulitzers, but keepers nonetheless...

All Photos:  © S. Banos

All Photos: © S. Banos

The Way It Works!

 

 

And he's basically... correct- Happy Presidents' Day!

Unfortunately, it's pretty damn difficult fighting the anonymous powers that be, people we can't see, let alone meet or confront directly, which is why we're so often left with confronting their petty political foot soldiers... And while many may consider it a fool's errand (and I can't give an impassioned argument otherwise), there is, in fact the question of nuance within those two sides of the same coin, eg- had it been Gore rather than Bush we could have avoided entirely unnecessary (decades long) wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that were every bit as based on lies and greed as the current war in Ukraine; and er, uhh- Trump...

Crazy As A... FOX!

Back in the day, when shame and common sense were still... a thing, these guys would have rapidly imploded and ceased to exist quicker than Rosie Ruiz! But now, lying liars and the tales they tell have become a de rigueur badge of honor. Remember when the Bush admin declared, "...we create our own reality?" Well, the Donald kinda took that to heart, and instead of calling him out on his mind bending, reality makeovers- true believers just... believed, reality be damned! But when George Santos sashayed it in their face, some actually cried most foul- alas, the train had already left the station...

Blind

Kinda enjoyed this Claymation type production. Humorous, visually appealing and open to interpretation...

ICBM A No-Go!

If I told you that UFO's (UAP's) have turned our nation's land based nuclear missiles on and off at will, I'd no doubt receive more than my share of eye rolls- and justifiably so. But when the officer in charge relates the story as he and his men experienced it, well... one should really sit up and listen!

More here...

History In Review

One of the great things about history is that if you study it long enough, it can sometimes teach you things on a much more personal level...

Tighten Up!

Ages since I've heard this, and the video is pretty surreal- looks like a bunch of White boys in their late Sixties, flower power, psychedelia dress threads booked the same studio time as Archie Bell, who rather than argue, had an idea, went outside and grabbed three guys off the sidewalk that afternoon for a (really) quick dance rehearsal and an evening taping fit for R&R, R&B history!

You Can Call Biden Senile

... all you want. He most certainly has his moments, and then some... But his State of the Union address last night finally elucidated, clearly and succinctly, why even the wishy-washy Dems are still miles ahead of the clown train GOP: cheaper meds and health care, social security, gun control, infrastructure, the workers right to unionize, police reform, taxing the rich... Most working class Americans support that; and last night, POTUS did a pretty admirable job reminding everyone exactly what side at least tries to legislate for the above. It's a pretty admirable list of which they've had some fairly demonstrable wins of late, and yet somehow always fail to mention- unlike their Republican counterparts who repeatedly tout their imaginary accomplishments and baseless accusations on cue and on script ad naseum...

So make fun of Ol' Man Joe all ya want- I know I do! And then listen to this guy, you know, the guy who bragged that he aced a "Genius Test," when in reality his own handlers were too embarrassed (and afraid) to tell boss man that it was really little more than... a test for dementia!

The fun starts at 0:54 with what I think is an attempt at haiku- "I call it a dog, a beautiful dog, a talented dog," before he then starts riffing with a Knock-Knock joke. Yeah, priceless...

Or as one reporter once said about Herr Trump, "What does he mean when he says words?"

Really, Seriously?!?

We needed a radar evading, stealth, fifth generation jet fighter armed with a Sidewinder air to air missile to take down... a balloon, a balloon?!?

If ya really wanted to humiliate China, ya send up a biplane with a propeller and machine gun and rat-tat-tat the fucker down King Kong style. And even that's overkill- hell, meet it on its own terms... send up the Good Year blimp and have the copilot ride shotgun! That's the kind of embarrassment that'll deflate any thought of future balloon incursion!

That's Gratitude For Ya!

You'd think that after fixing up the rotting pier where it now stands to the tune of millions in order to show the public world class art (photography) exhibits for absolutely free (exhibits that would go for double figures these days)- yeah, you'd think that would count for... something! So the good people in charge right here in San Francisco decided to show their appreciation by throwing Pier 24 Photography out- lock, stock and barrel...

Funny Sick, Or Funny Ha-Ha?

Always amusing how those who attack "feelings," are the same who live by them (as opposed to say... Facts).

Great speech, that ignores the fact that many people are desperately working to bring about change, and being completely ignored, by: the fossil fuel industries, by Conservative, Right Wing politicians (who deny climate change even exists, and if it does, is not man made) and governments by and large, rich and poor. Every few years, these world governments get together, solemnly pledge great things they will accomplish in a few short years, and then proceed to do absolutely... NOTHING.

Meanwhile, Big Oil continues to get subsidized, innovative, clean alternatives continue to get underfunded, and plans for even more climate conventions are made, driving people to the point of near madness where they desperately end up throwing soup on paintings as their elders hasten to mindlessly poison their very future. The ice caps are melting, the permafrost is melting, and glaciers are disappearing wholesale while giant sink holes are appearing in Siberia releasing unprecedented levels of lethal methane. Island nations are disappearing into the Pacific, and storms are more devastating than ever as tornados appear where they never have before; droughts are longer and more severe worldwide, desertification is increasing, and the last ten years are the hottest on record...

Yeah, great speech (uh-huh)- and about as funny as a Republican with a snowball on the Senate floor.