Fat Ass(ed) Batteries

Photo: © Stan Banos 

This is probably a known topic, that is, since it happened to me, it's also probably happened to others (numbers admittedly unknown) well before me. Don't ask me why, or exactly how- but somehow, someway my Wasabi batteries got... fat! After recharging I tried to put one in my X-T2 after removing the original Fujifilm battery and- no go!?! Oh, this must be the Leica Q battery?!? No, it's the right battery for the right camera, alright- so why the hell won't it fit?!? I'm putting it in the wrong way! No, I'm putting it in the right way- so what the hell is going on!?!? 

Yup, battery got fat- I'm gonna reckon some kinda internal, chemical reaction swelled the suckers all up. Maybe 'cause I don't use 'em all that much- don't know. But before I put two and two together, Stupid Stan decides to see just how tight a fit said battery is in the camera, if he can put it in at all. No dumb camera is gonna stop him- no, sir! Stan successfully manages to squeeze and finagle the battery in the compartment. And immediately upon so doing, it finally dawns on him that maybe, just maybe- he might not be able to get said swolled up battery outa said camera. And gosh, darn it- turns out I really am smart enough to realize just how stupid I really am! 

So... I try shaking the camera upside down- but that battery is now snug as... a big fat battery in a small assed hole. Sucker ain't budging- and now I'm thinking just how much money it's gonna cost me to send it on in to Fujifilm for repair battery removal surgery and then get scolded for using third party batteries. I'm an ever lovin' idiot!  I'm the ever lovin' idiot!

Instead of taking a knife to try and nudge it out, or fantasize throwing the camera with its obese parasite against any of four available walls to jar it loose (as would have been my more youthful solution), I decided to see if I could actually solve said problem in house, and proceeded to put on my Mr. Science/Mr. Fix It hat... 

With the widget pictured above, I carefully placed some crazy glue on the bottom part, and pressed it flush against the exposed battery surface, making sure there wasn't enough to ooze out the sides and damage the battery compartment interior. I then set the entire camera upside down in the fridge (and let the cold also do its contraction thing), crossed my fingers- and a few hours later... commenced to pulling! Slid out with only a moderate tug, and lemme tell ya- that sucker was wedged in there good! Always sumptin'...

From Prescience To... Nonsense

Or... what else do you photograph
when your downtown has devolved into a veritable ghost town?

All Photos: © Stan Banos 

Let Me Think On That...

Hhmmm...

Always Sound Advice!  

Uhmmm... I'll Pass!

Surrender...

 Or Sanity? Fighting (ie- or in this case, throwing away one's life) 
for an old man's ego!

Wounded Child, No Surviving Family

I was about to post something light hearted, after all, I had just finished posting something on this just days previous! And while eating dinner, I learned the meaning of the term WCNSF while watching a clip of a man who three days prior joyously celebrated the birth of twins with his doctor wife... and was now burying all three- all praise to Israel's highly touted "precision guided munitions!" 

And we are partners to this continuing, ongoing slaughter- while pledging our unwavering support...

The Thrill Of Victory, And The Agony Of Dafeet...

After watching the worst possible interpretive art performance of my lifetime under the auspices of the 2024 Olympic closing celebration and thinking nothing I could ever witness could possibly ever get worse, I was then treated to the worst excuse of a rock band- debilitatingly cringeworthy at my advanced age, or any age previous! Then, as if not punished enough, along comes none other than Tom Cruise desperately summoning all remaining testosterone to complete the closing night of dehumanizingly bad taste and error. Four years of healing will not suffice...

On a side note: When I first witnessed breakdancing in 1981, my first thought was- this should be an Olympic event! Forty three years later, it's a reality; and upon seeing this spectacularly failed interpretation of god only knows (which garnered a much earned zero points), I could only recall to mind this noble, heroic gesture of olde with a wistful fondness and respect... 

How Much More Israel?

Really? Seriously... How many more children have to be blown up, butchered and turned into body parts by your "precision guided munitions?" Yes, you were wronged on 10/07/2023- no one can say otherwise- that doesn't give you license to commit like atrocities ad infinitum... This is long past "setting the record even," at this point, one can't even call it... revenge- it's just prolonged, premeditated slaughter. You've systematically created a situation in Gaza where you're literally shooting fish in a barrel claiming you only want to kill a select few at the bottom, knowing full well you have to kill all the innocents on top first!

You claim you want peace but you kill the very people you must negotiate with to achieve that peace! You claim they are terrorists, while willfully forgetting your own. Israel, you have learned all too well from the killers who have sinned against you...

Who's Benito Messouli?!?

Up until today, I also didn't know who Adin Ross was. He's the guy who gifted Donald Trump a Cybertrruck with Trump's giant mug on it- 'cause nothing says 'I own an unassuming, inconspicuous CYBERTRUCK' like driving one with a giant poster of your own mug plastered to its side! But back to... Adin Ross (the guy joining Trump in the latter's now famed two fisted jerk off 'dance')! First, the guy's twenty-three years old and has made far far more money in his 23 years, than I ever have in my sixty-eight, or ever will. So, feel free to take this as the sourest of grapes, should-you-so-wish.

Now, skip to 6:50 in the video and listen to Adin Ross read (ie- attempt to pronounce formulaic representations of known linguistic symbols) the definition of... Fascist. And it is at this point, like Kyle, that I (as a Spec Ed teacher) feel a slight twinge of guilt- maybe I'm laughing at someone who's not... Of course, all that quickly dissipates with him screaming, YOOOOO- BRO!!! Who the Fuck is Benito Messouli? 

But rest easy folks, the future is secure; Adin was, after all, recommended to dad by his in the know son- and you can't stop a young, college bound, Barron to Be! And we all know- Dad... Loves the uneducated!

Once It Was... Tempting

I admit it. There was a time when I was curious, curious about what it would be like to have a lying idiot, con man extraordinaire as POTUS. I mean he wasn't just a life long criminal, he was one helluva entertaining fool that would provide endless laughs and puerile entertainment. All the same, I also realized it was my childish, self destructive nature still residing within that wanted this to manifest. Ultimately, it was out of my hands, destiny had decided its course, President he would become with all the expected nonsense, criminality and more. And Lord help us all if that road we tread once more- his penchant for criminality (once emboldened by whoever he could find- see below), now buttressed by his well placed cadre of handpicked enablers (both in the courts and the voting booth), will be unshackled and unrestrained...

Wake Up Call

Photos: © Stan Banos

Admittedly, I can only complain so much since I voluntarily put myself in the position. So I really don't expect much sympathy when it comes to persevering all the exposed dicks, balls and scrotums I endure seeing twice a year in San Francisco's biannual leather fairs. It's their day(s), I'm their 'guest,' and I'm happy for the photo op(s), especially since the once booming, bustling streets of downtown have now been reduced to a ghost town minus the tumbleweeds, which city hall really should import to complete the aesthetic. So I respectfully go about trying to do the best I can and have a laugh when possible.

And such was the case upon spotting CPAGOLDSF, who definitely stood out, both for his solid gold outfit, and for being blatantly... overdressed. Despite it all, seemed I was one of the few who actually noticed, as he casually weaved his way through the crowd on what appeared to be an early exit. Let's take it on faith that he is in fact a genuine, authorized CPA and I'm betting the guy is already a known commodity rightfully known for his flashy, knock 'em dead threads. Probably goes anywhere there's a crowd to get the word out and figured... why not, let's try the leather fair this year! 

Unfortunately, as he no doubt soon discovered, the leather fair is the one place where those drop dead threads ain't gonna turn any heads- other than mine, as I made my way over for two quick exposures before he hit the exit. And should ya ever need a CPA in SF- he's your man on Instagram!

More traditional, time honored, haute couture...

Wha...!?

As if, "if you vote this Nov, we'll have it fixed so good you'll never have to vote again" isn't bad enough... What can one possibly make of, "you don't need to vote this Nov, we don't need your votes!"

Love/Hate...

Photo: © Stan Banos

Wish I could be so unabashedly, unashamedly proud of my body as the person pictured above. You know, comfortable in your own skin so to speak; just able to let it all hang out and let everyone else deal with any consequent visual dilemma, as perhaps it should be. I dunno. Fine for some, and I really kinda admire them, even though it sorta grosses me out at the same time- and it's just as much my own reflection of self, as of anyone else. But then, isn't life just chockful of these walking/waking contradictions...

Ya see, back in the day, growing up, everyone knew where they ranked on the physical attractiveness/social standing scale- fat people, skinny people, hot, smart, athletic, etc. Sure beauty was still in the eye of the beholder, but ya couldn't talk, fool, bargain your way out of your generally agreed upon classification. I mean, if you were borderline, you could gain a few points and raise your social strata if you were somehow stylishly cool and wore it well. But even most of those attempts were doomed to hideously crash and burn. Nature's just so damn hard to upend, most people just grew into their physical destiny, and learned to deal with what society and their bodies dealt them. 

Shit's different nowadays, it started towards the very end of the 20th century. I remember watching Oprah one afternoon; a doctor was describing the dangers of obesity: high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, shortened life span and a myriad of other symptoms and diseases. And then what seemed like the very next day (could have been a week, month or year- I wasn't a regular viewer) there were all these people celebrating how big they were, how large they were, how it was AOK to love, love, love yourself no matter what size you were- it was all good! Five-two and 325? You're good girl- and fine too! Talk about mixed messages...

Then there were the new class of young-uns, overweight or not, who were now presenting themselves as absolute physical paradigms, as being all that, when they very much weren't, not even close! Their origin story didn't matter: blue bloods, inner city, suburbs, trailer parks, black or white, fat or thin, male, female, or... Thing was, they weren't trying to fool themselves, or anyone else- they actually believed it! Delusion's a whole lot easier than a well grounded acceptance of self or anything resembling a more rational societal reset. Everyone a Supasta!

Ironically, to this day, parents still complain that their overweight child is teased and bullied at school. Really? Today, when obesity is practically the norm across this country and rapidly spreading throughout the 'developed' world except in the absolute poorest of countries? I hate bullies, and no one should be body shamed! But if your kid is being bullied today- dollars to doughnuts, it's something more than just the extra pounds. And it's always good to find out why, before they indulge in the other prevalent obsession of our day- procuring assault weapons.

Migrant Crime! Migrant Crime!! Migrant Crime!!!

We must do everything we possibly can to stop the savage, inexorable onslaught of...MIGRANT CRIME- before it engulfs and devours us, our children, the live, beating heart of our very nation... MIGRANT CRIME- before it engulfs and devours us, our children, the live, beating heart of our very nation...

 

Unfortunately, this notoriously funny Last Week Tonight video with John Oliver has been taken down. MAYBE NOT (see above)!!! It featured FOX 'news' perpetually scaring its viewers with the threat posed by "migrant crime," or as Trump calls it, "Biden Migrant Crime,' which he further reduces to the ever so clever (are you ready for it)... "Bigrant Crime," while smiling, pointing to his own head, and then coyly proclaiming... "Smart!"

It also featured a live interview with Curtis Sliwa, as his Guardian Angels proceed to jump "an illegal in the act of committing a crime," who was actually a Hispanic citizen who was just passing through! We also got to see yet another 'illegal criminal,' who was shown repeatedly on FOX, flipping a double bird to the viewer (the audacity of these criminal illegals) to further amp up the fear and outrage factor- turns out the guy they were repeatedly showing (again Hispanic) was... a case of mistaken identity.

Fact is, migrants in the US proportionately commit less crime than their counterparts who are naturally born US citizens- oh... and wasn't 'Law and Order' Curtis Sliwa the guy who faked his own kidnapping?!? Yeah, you heard right...

FINALLY!

 

So... looks like the Dems are gonna get a new candidate, well, if it's Harris- she's unelectable. Personally, didn't like her before- don't like her now. She's a pure politician, whichever way the wind blows- and more importantly, no one but the Democratic base will vote for her, so we'd be back to square one. So... Let the games begin anew!!!

A Furrowed Brow And A Determined Gaze!

And Speaking of... Hypocrites!

It was OK for Bill Barr to appoint special prosecutors without Senate approval under Trump, and no problem with a special prosecutor for Hunter Biden under our current POTUS (again, w/o Senate approval)- but Lo! unto anyone who dares try the same against almighty Trump...

And BTW- while I'm very much against violence, I have to admit I have as much sympathy for Trump's papercut as he did for Nancy Pelosi's husband- who Trump joked about in public after receiving several hammer blows to the head.

Unless It's Tit For Tat...

 Or worse, and no one wants that, it don't matter much who the Dems run now.

Whatever Happened To...

Talk about meteoric rises and falls, whatever did happen to- Eric Kim? He popped into mind the other day and then I saw this wondering much the same. He was always equal parts: super, high energy passionate about "street photography," and all out promotion of self. It was as if the former served as the vehicle for the latter, so... I could never take him seriously. He always came off as a bit of (ie- mostly) a snake oil salesman- a fast talking, high energy, three card monte dealer. Truth is, I often found him annoying- I could only tolerate his incessant "photo dawg, photo tog" litany for so long... but there was no denying his curiosity factor- he was a minor internet sensation! Ya knew he wouldn't always be able to maintain that level of over the top enthusiasm, so ya always wondered- what was the end game!?! Artistic success, financial success or... mental health issues? I recall one video where he was speed walking his way down a sidewalk with these ridiculous wrap around shades, snapping away with this shit eating grin. As genuinely enthused about "street photography" as he was... dude could be ridiculous! And IMHO his photography never seemed to progress beyond a certain level of competent mediocrity.

Again, not hatin' on the guy, annoying as he could be and was, he was somewhat of an innovator- as far as selling himself using video on the internet, one of the firsts of the genre. Honestly, I wish him well...

Now, whatever happened to that guy who used to jump out of phone booths and snap away at his unsuspecting victims subjects?

Right... they stopped making phone booths (rimshot).

Watch Where You're Going!

Previously, I wrote about tripping and falling spectacularly on an uneven sidewalk (while looking elsewhere other than where I was walking)- something that can be an occupational hazard for a photographer. It was only after I wrote that particular post that I recalled that the exact same thing occurred a few years before under similar circumstances! That time, my camera and I were spared a slightly softer landing (with no less shock) because I happened to land on mother earth after my foot landed in a hole some ten inches wide by 5 inches deep. Needless to say, the possible danger of these occurrences increases with age.

And so, I pass on this blatantly obvious but sage advice- 

Watch Where You're Going!!! 

What I Sacrifice For Art!

Painting: © Niko         Photo: © Stan Banos

So I'm walking back home after a mostly* fruitless photowalk this Sunday. And I'm two blocks from home walking through a small park that was recently renovated. Now, I've seen good renovations, and bad- this was the latter. Previously, South Park (near downtown San Francisco) was like the little park that time forgot. Generally unmanicured and as 'wild' a park as one city block long by one half block wide could possibly get. But neither was it abandoned nor garbage strewn. I loved it... 

The renovation featured a nice upgrade of a small playground, but then they created a wide curving sidewalk right through the middle that covers half the damn park- there's enough concrete and sidewalks outside the park!

Anyway, I'm still looking around as one is apt to do on a photowalk and my foot lands right between the edge of the sidewalk and the lower grass area. Down I go- this wasn't a slo-mo, uh-oh I'm losing my balance fall. This was a BOOM! shot by a shotgun immediate deadfall... I couldn't believe how hard and fast I went down- no ice, no banana peel (yeah, I've done both)! And a split, split second after I hit the ground HARD, I hear my camera hit- HARD! My mighty weekend warrior, my one and only L-E-I-C-A! 

Hell, I'm probably headed to the ER, and even worse, my dream camera is dead after a year and a half. Anyway, I usually spring right up when something like this happens- but I thought discretion the better part of valor in this instance, and I decided to stay down for the count to assess my remains, and I sure as shit didn't wanna look at my strewn about camera innards... Finally, no sharp pains and I slowly rise as my body supports its own weight- looks like I escaped major damage! Now, I turn to the camera and the part that didn't hit is fine, of course- and the side that did take the brunt of the impact, also seems... OK?

The pants may be fugly- but they saved the day!

The bottom of the camera had its pants on (ie- its leather half case) and the bottom of said case is rimmed with thick aluminum that had absorbed the majority of the impact. The case bottom was markedly scratched, but the camera itself was unscathed and seemed in good working order! The Leica lens hood, which can double as armor on a Tiger tank, while scratched on the bottom, was unbent and unbowed! This was the second time one of my cameras has miraculously survived a fall to concrete- the first time was completely my fault when I haphazardly placed my Fujifilm in my bag without securing it, and slide on out it did. And once again, the lens hood and thumb grip saved the day, although both of those were good and deformed. 

*I did manage to get a snapshot of what I'm calling the best art show of the year- the portrait above by an anonymous painter (named Niko) on the side of a vacant restaurant put a much needed smile on my face! And hell, I did get a good shot just the previous Friday coming home from work with my GR.  All in all, a bit sore for damn sure, but (fortunately) not the worst weekend.

Jesus H. Christ!

Seriously, are the Dems that desperate, or that sadistic- to us and him? How big a laughingstock are they willing to make the guy?!? He needs to be gone- by the end of this weekend... Give a nice farewell speech via the teleprompter on Sunday evening and fade into history with whatever dignity left- it's either that, or be forever remembered as US history's biggest political punchline of the century! This is one gaping hole that has already hit bottom- and can only get deeper...

Hypocrites vs. Zombies

On one side we have those who swore that no one (NO ONE!) was above the law including the POTUS, and that abortion was a settled and done deal (why are you even asking?). Not to mention that it was simply beyond all reason and human decency for a sitting Democratic POTUS to nominate a Supreme Court justice with just under a year left in his presidency, but it was perfectly copasetic for a Republican POTUS to nominate and install a Supreme Court justice of their choosing with just a few weeks left in his presidency (why are you even asking?).

And on the other side we have those who allow the walking dead to remain in office well (well) past their expiration date. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, accomplished and agile as she still was, clearly had the buzzards circling, and it cost the party dearly. Dianne Feinstein already had flies buzzing about her state of decomposition for quite some time, and was still allowed a seat amongst the living! And now we have our current POTUS whose handlers visibly cringe on the sidelines every time words may or may not come forth when his mouth goes agape, unlike the other guy's supporters who don't give a flying fucking all about anything and everything that comes outta his- wanna hear the tale about how our brave troops secured the airports during the Revolutionary War?

Happy Fourth Everyone!!! What's-your-poison?