Very Senior Trump Official Said...
"He lacks any shred of human decency, humility or caring. He is morally bankrupt, breathtakingly dishonest, lethally incompetent, and stunningly ignorant of virtually anything related to governing, history, geography, human events or world affairs. He is a traitor and a malignancy in our nation and represents a clear and present danger to our democracy and the rule of law."
Gotta admit, I was kinda on the fence about this whole AI thing- no longer, my friend! Anything that can create this dream nightmare, horror homage of fun has my admittedly meaningless full approval!
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| Tourists posing and celebrating on 6/2023 at monument of death and avarice. Photo: © Stan Banos |
I must admit, I'm kinda obsessed with... The Vessel! The ultra gaudy, $200 million 'art' monument to suicide and man's narcissistic indifference that has been indefinitely closed since summer of 2021. Its ultimate outcome has yet to be decided (far as I know)- though I can't imagine it will get to forever flaunt its legacy of infamy center stage. When I last visited it's vacant, ever winding series of stairways in NYC this June, it seemed the ultimate monument to irony, the circular pathway to nowhere that can no longer be trod by anyone at any price. Said stairs are blocked, locked and secured; no one is getting inside or upside the Vessel proper- and still, no one knows what to do, other than wish they had never risen to the level it never achieved.
Actually, my 'obsession' is a healthy diversion to everything else that is happening throughout the world- politically, socially, environmentally. In a word, it's... not good; people throughout the world seem more divided than ever, very much as we started the previous century- and we all know how well that worked out and unraveled. And yet, here we go all over again, many of us looking no less... to strongmen, and wannabe strongmen for answers, safety and security- as if we've learned nothing, nothing at all in the previous hundred years. All this occurring as we plunge full steam ahead into a 3 degree Celcius increase (kiss 1.5... Goodbye!) in temperature worldwide, continuing a record setting two decades of unprecedented, unabated, man made global warming culminating in the warmest year on record- 2023! And all the while, we continue to discuss all the things we know we should be doing- while continuing to burn ever increasing amounts of fossil fuels!
Did I mention that there'll be more plastic (by weight) than fish in the oceans by 2050? So yeah, best keep those higher level Vessel stairs closed up tight- and in the meantime...
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
Is there some magic number here? How many more children must be slaughtered and dismembered? When will the blood lust be sated? Israel is out to teach Hamas a lesson- and in doing so, are teaching the entire world, in no uncertain terms, that they are every bit as "savage" as those they accuse...
I hesitate posting this simply because, as I previously stated, I don't want to get into a tit for tat, back and forth about who's the worst player, the biggest abuser in the never ending see/saw of bloodshed that is the Middle East. I also said that there was no doubt as to who gets the short end of the stick as far as news coverage bias in the US of A (and Congressional financial and rhetorical support takes that to a whole 'nother level). But as to the media, these two little known and vastly underreported facts are definitely of public interest and emblematic of the ongoing lack of parity.
Recently had the opportunity to observe Wolfgang Tillman: To Look Without Fear on a freebie night at SFMOMA. It was a smorgasbord of photographic styles, subjects and presentations: From straightforward portraits to completely abstract images (yours truly had no idea if several of the latter were even photographs- they sure didn't look it), from 3X5 drugstore prints casually taped all about, to imposing mural sized prints that dominated museum sized walls.
I honestly don't know what Mr. Tillman is about, he doesn't seem to care much about 'complex' photographic compositions whether in portraiture, landscape or photojournalism mode, and seems to practice an outsider artist approach to photography. Of course, he could be operating on a level far beyond my mortal ken, after all he is a world renowned, internationally acclaimed artist, and I'm someone barely known outside the realm of this narrowly read blog. Yeah, slight imbalance there, I know...
As I wandered throughout the ginormous museum rooms, appreciating but a handful of images, one thought kept running through my mind- one could create countless similar type exhibits of just about any photographer's work by simply hanging a vast assortment of their work prints, final prints and everything in between created during the part of their career where they desperately explored and attempted to find their own style. Most photographers, after many hapless starts and stops throughout the years, eventually end up honing and refining an individual style or approach suitable for certain content or particular subject matter. The greats become masters of their domain: in studio, on the streets, in the field. Tillman seems to be content at being a jack of all trades and master of none- but unlike so many of the countless minions of the aforementioned forever populating both art and history... he's become extremely successful at it!
I liked (and did) a lotta dumb, stupid things when I was young. Another term for youth is, after all- "temporary insanity," and some (like myself) were more prone to it than others. In the subsequent years since, I've managed to cut down on both the frequency and severity of such actions, many of which were, in fact, done for laughs.
Now, some may say this is a contemporary phenomena (ie- social media), but I fail to get this whole staged prank BS- maybe, just maybe, because it so drastically fails at achieving its main objective... being funny! Instead, you're just left shaking your head at: how stupid the person is doing it, how stupid the people are who 'appreciate' it, and how vile the venue and support system is that promotes it. And the main venue would, of course, be Tik- Tok. I waste enough time on the internet, often trying to desperately validate said time in a futile attempt to prove I'm not, in fact, wasting it- by trying to find some hidden diamond in the rough...
This, however, blatantly demonstrates how instead of finding that diamond, you are more often than not, more liable to just keep finding lower (and lower) quality coal. This person has... 1.5 million followers. And I'm not saying all this just to be holier than thou- cause a large part of it is saying, there but for the grace of god...
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"Ever wonder what living under fascism is like?" The aforementioned graffiti (pre 2020), was followed by: "you're living it." Bill Maher (who I definitely don't walk in lockstep with) has predicted a Trump victory in 2024- and we all laughed (dismissively) when he said that Trump wouldn't leave the White House voluntarily in 2020, under any circumstances...
Well, insane as it may be (and there is no "may" about it)- despite the 91 indictments, despite the call(s) to insurrection and blatant criminality of those around him, Trump may actually once again be POTUS- after already proclaiming this his "Retribution" tour whereupon he and his cronies will proceed to dismantle the Constitution as they see fit once reseated in the throne of his making ...
And, of course, this disruptor of all things sane and just does not operate in a vacuum. He has his loyal acolytes, eg- The Crazy Twins, each one more crazed, ignorant and belligerent than the other (although granted, their sheer, blatant stupidity is at times a perverse beauty unto itself)! And the fact that they go outta their way to openly display their disdain of each other, almost upends their maniacal hatred of all things Democrat. Of course, they are far from the only fervent cult Trump acolytes in Congress or government- while others respectfully (ie- fearfully) bend the knee to Orange Jesus in abject terror for themselves and family.
But the never ending whirlpool of lies, insanity and personal attacks serve their purpose:
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| Photo: © Stan Banos |
I can't for the life of me imagine why a fully grown man would ever contemplate parading himself about as... a Power Ranger- jeez, even nine year olds are long weaned of such an infantile super hero. Then again, it's infinitely more sane and practical than "open carry" proponents promenading about with their AR-15's on their way to the local grocery store. Or as one 'enthusiast' proclaimed, "Ya never know when you'll be confronted by multiple attackers."
Life, of course, is a constant, non stop struggle, one requiring unremitting amounts of patience, ingenuity and persistence- and all ever the more so as one ages, gracefully or not. It never let's up, never gets easy, never apologizes; every day the same length, every trial without guarantee of severity, repetition or reward.
In this case, parking the car is just the start of the process (the second comment by Knocky9Doors is gold):
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| Photo: © Stan Banos |
I've always liked Thanksgiving- for what it's supposed to be... an appreciation and celebration of life, as the cooling temps and turning colors announce the annual cessation of nature's bounty to await rebirth the following year. For some however, it is quite rightfully... a National Day of Mourning for the life and land stolen beneath their very feet.
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| Photo: © Stan Banos |
Saw this graffiti exiting the subway and thought it just the wild ramblings of yet another of our myriad of wildly delusional, street denizens. So I go home and google, not expecting to find much, if anything- and although I must admit I had zero knowledge of any of this... apparently, it does actually appear to be quite the thing!
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| Photo: © Stan Banos |
Lawdy, Lawdy- This is one of the most amusingly gratifying scenarios I ever did set to picture in my mind's eye!
And it only makes me further wonder how they went about describing it to The Don himself- 'Well, uhhh... he was so taken aback by the gravity of our presentation that he was literally dumbfounded! Never got one single word out! I tell ya, the guy never saw it comin'!'
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| Love the sarcasm- that is sarcasm... no? Photo: © Stan Banos |
The APEC summit is coming to town and the downtown area is in the process of being dehomelessized. They're definitely being scattered to the winds (well, at least their sidewalk blocking tents are) this week- whatever public safety/sanitation laws couldn't be applied previously, are now being applied... until they no longer are the following week! 8ft security barricades are also being deployed all around the Moscone Center as the Biden/Xi Jinping Express is scheduled to come barreling into town. It's gonna be one royal mess of crowds and security as yet another part of the world gets exposed to the embarrassment of vacant storefronts and vacant faces that is present day, downtown San Francisco.
And then it all reverts back to our now normal, everyday abnormality of filth, garbage, homelessness and insanity once the crowd returns home regaling their peers of the Dream once called American...
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| A "classic" I well remember going back to Viet Nam... |
It's pretty ironic(?) in a sick sorta way, that something so horrific that is happening literally halfway across the world would provide me with the opportunity to partake in what I most... enjoy- photography. That is, the horrendous deaths of thousands of innocent civilians in Israel and Gaza has stirred worldwide condemnation and protests for either side, some of those protests occurring right here in San Francisco, long known for its endless procession of protests.
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| All photos: © Stan Banos |
Such as:
1) The slaughter of innocent civilians (particularly children) is never 'a good look' for either side. Hamas slaughtered 1,400 civilians on Oct. 7; as of today over 4,000 innocent children alone have been slaughtered in Gaza in retaliation. Some will argue that the Israeli children were killed intentionally, while the deaths of Palestinian children are "collateral damage," the "consequences of war." I would argue that dead children are dead children, both sides very much aware of the direct consequences of their actions- whether by bullets at point blank range during a concert, or at distance by push button munitions deliberately aimed at the most crowded place on earth.
2) Hundreds, indubitably thousands, more children (not to mention women and elderly) will be slaughtered in Gaza before Israel succeeds in "wiping out every last member of Hamas," an objectively impossible 'objective.'
3) I'm going to stop, I'm going to stop- restraint must be exercised if others are expected to follow, or the usual tit for tat, back and forth ensues ad infinitum... Each side arguing and fighting as only those with God on their side can. And I am bloody well sick of the hypocrisy, the madness, the ceaseless slaughter...
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| Both sides now. |
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| No, not a phone- a booklet on... Palestine. |
Always amusing hearing MAGAites complain about Biden's gubs and gaffes. And, in all fairness, they're absolutely 100% Right (as in correct)- but they never (ever) mention (because they're never exposed to) the incessant and ever increasing myriad of verbal guffaws by Dear Leader. We currently have a POTUS verging on senility, who (if fate will have it) may well be replaced by one who is equally senile- as well as deranged!
As scary as the latter is (as in 'kiss any semblance of democracy goodbye' scary), and as ridiculous and numerous as Trump's mental/verbal farts may be- the absolute funniest thing in this clip is at 9:30!
I see this pretty much daily, and as bad awful as it is to experience live, it seems even worse on video. And while every store isn't closed, this shopping district isn't anywhere near as empty as the financial district directly next door,* and keep in mind you're not seeing the slew of: homeless tents, piles of garbage, mentally ill behavior, feces, drugs and general filth and squalor** of the neighborhoods of SOMA and the Tenderloin directly adjacent!
All this in a city with sky high fuckin' rents that compete with... New York City!!!
*All of pre-Covid downtown San Francisco was one helluva hustlin' bustlin', crowded and thriving part of town for a city barely reaching 1 million....
**(not to mention the stench)
