Time Travel

Yeah, it put a long belated smile on my face too. Finally, the aged career criminal, the Teflon Don goes down in the history books as the first Convicted Felonious POTUS. This is but the aperitif of what should be a long continuous chain of legal woe; the joy may be short lived however, this November may still see the rise of the Reign of Trump II. Twelve jurors did more honest work in a few weeks than he did his entire life; but in a world where compassion, fact, and logic no longer matter, the nonsensical rules and evil fills the void.

A Walk In The Sun

Photo: © Stan B.    Soaking in that Vit. D!

The Memorial Day holiday marks the unofficial start of summer in the US of A. Meanwhile, the ten hottest years on record have been in this century, the twenty hottest years on record in the last thirty years, and the very hottest year on record was 2023...

Beyond any and all reason, Donald Trump will likely be POTUS once again- and he's talking about hanging in the White House for possibly another three terms (completely illegal by two, but MAGA isn't counting). That means nothing will get done as far as addressing or alleviating the situation for however many years he remains in office slurring incoherently. 

Oh, and 2024 is already pacing to outdo 2023- SURPRISE! Polar ice is melting at well beyond predicted levels, glaciers are receding worldwide at record rates, and coral reefs (the canaries in the coal mine) are bleaching at unprecedented levels as the Atlantic Ocean water temps are breaking records with the expected storms to match!

I don't have kids, I'll be outta here in a few- so I'll be leaving just as the Loudest Deniers of today (the few who haven't succumbed to heat stroke) bitch the loudest about why our government didn't do nothing!

So enjoy it while you can- should be enough time left to even out that tan!

PS- Or just stand under a tree in Mexico- and the truth will set you free...

Jacob Holdt- The Photographic Anomaly

Jacob Holdt is a rather curious asterisk in the history of photography, even within the realm of what has come to be known as "concerned photographers." He came to photography with neither a trained eye, nor a clear purpose of intent. It merely became a way to document a rather extraordinary life, not in a selfie look at me style, but in a... I can't believe this world exists and I am actively interacting with it. And interact with it he did- Holdt was anything but the objective journalist. He purposely thrust himself into a foreign land within lifestyles that could be said were foreign to most of its own natives! And it was not a lifestyle without considerable danger(s) to navigate and endure. 

Somewhere along the line, he decided to start photographing his experiences, as well as those around him, as best he could; and to do just that, he began selling his plasma to help buy film for his point and shoot camera. Now, that's a certain level of... commitment! The resulting American Pictures will not fare well in the hallowed halls of art gallery walls, but they do serve as potent documentation of those places, people and lives that many of that era had already long dismissed as either no longer relevant, or not even in existence. 

And that after all is photography's number one raison d'etre.

Trump Takes The Stand

Today is the day that Donald J. Trump (man of truth, conviction and honor) takes the stand and testifies under oath- speaks truth to power and sets the record straight once and for all! 

Promises made, Promises kept!!!

Are-You-Capable?

ET

While I (would) welcome the whole "Disclosure" process (ie- government admission of an extraterrestrial/extradimensional presence), at this point, it's a topic that I hold with diminished interest. Confirmation of the obvious is neither crucial, nor critical- or as Theoretical Physicist Michio Kaku stated:

The burden of proof has shifted. It used to be the burden of proof was on the people who believe in UFOs. Now the burden of proof has shifted to the Pentagon, to the military. Now they have to prove that these aren’t extraterrestrial. We have multiple sightings by multiple modes. That is the gold standard for looking for these objects. Not just one person, but several people who are reputable. Not just radar, but visual sighting, infrared sensors, telescoping evidence... 

What I crave is exploring: how many different kinds (of ET's) are visiting, where are they from (and how do they get here), and most importantly- why are they here! The most familiar race of beings we've been introduced to are the so called "Greys," the 3 foot guys with the big bug eyes- but they are far from the only visitors that have graced our planetary shores. We've had multiple reports of: 10ft. robotic type creatures, lizard type creatures, preying mantis shaped beings, tall Nordic looking visitors- and quite a few more... And not only can they differ vastly in appearance, their tech also varies, which only makes sense- being they're from different places in the universe and have therefore advanced differently. But advanced as they are, including their mastery of travel and, no doubt, the ability to eliminate us (if they desired)- what are their agenda(s)? Some have literally been seen gathering soil and plant samples (ie- observational), others offering... spiritual guidance! Some however, also seem to be conducting significantly more hands on, nefarious operations.

The reason(s) why officialdom is dread to disclose even Part A of the above is that not only would they have to admit that our mightiest military cannot protect us, but... the whole topic falls under the terms of "The Little Bit Pregnant Clause," ie- they would then have to address all of my major concerns (above), including what have we gleaned from them technologically, and... otherwise. And they ain't letting loose with that info anytime soon! Private industry ain't gonna admit the goodies they were bequeathed, and worldwide government certainly ain't gonna volunteer what they've been able to develop outta sight and outta mind.

And that's exactly why we have to start taking the accounts of abductees ("Experiencers") a lot more seriously- at least as seriously as our military investigates them in secret. Sure, you have your share of crackpots and crazies, but as Dr. John Mack soon discovered- the vast majority are quite sane indeed (not to mention quite reticent to reveal their experiences publicly)! Long before the internets, a lot of people both worldwide and unknown to each other were describing eerily similar, out of this world details and occurrences... and it is they who are the ones most familiar with these visitors, and their secrets (fun starts around 18:00).

Slow Year

Photo: © Stan Banos         The Pride of Madeira

Yeah, I know, I know... haven't been posting much of late- true, true. Last coupla days I've had a cold that's just been kicking my ever lovin' butt three times till Christmas! Other than politics where things have been ramping up every bit as bat shit crazy, sick (and funny) as one can imagine, it's been pretty much as I foresaw last year- there just ain't that much cookin' in my neck of the woods. I've had some pretty productive years in a row, more than I thought possible (least for me that is). But I damn well knew that it was absolutely inevitable that my lucky streak was bound to come to a screeching halt in the current ghost town that is San Francisco. 

As if to emphasize the obvious, I was sizing up a possible photo op involving a homeless person, when some guy walks by screaming and castigating me for attempting to photograph "Low Hanging Fruit!" Later, I discovered that he's considered by some as San Francisco's premier street photographer. Strange that a fellow photographer would assume the accusatory mindset that would automatically have me taking an exploitative/demeaning photograph of a homeless person, the same mindset that would have a nonphotographer assume someone taking a photograph of a public building or monument was a terrorist! I would have been happy to discuss it with the guy, apparently, he was just out for the late afternoon reprimand as he briskly ambled onward.* Second time I've been scolded for photography in public this year; previously, it was the young lovers fiasco. 

*I once noticed a photographer on Fifth Ave. in NYC wearing a motorized Nikon on one hand (with a black leather racing glove no less) and a Leica on the other. What a douche I said (to myself)! A coupla weeks later I actually got to see his work, and I quickly learned to withhold judgement until one sees the finished goods. That's not to say that the end always justifies the means, but...

If You Could Find It In Your Heart...

Photo: © Stan Banos

Well, this is a new one (in more ways than one), and yeah, being just a tad flippant here- to say the least. But then, I honestly don't know. At it's very face it seems a very frivolous, if not utterly outrageous ask. Someone gets their car window broken- and we the public are supposed to help pay their way? People are dying of hunger in Gaza and Sudan and I'm supposed to help pay for somebody's car window? It's a fairly late model car, in fairly good shape- doesn't seem like someone's living out of it. But that's a lot of assumptions to make on my part. They might really need the $, but I would feel a hella lot more comfortable giving to those starving kids in Sudan or Gaza who really do need it, without question- which reminds me... 

That said, I've had some sort of blog since 2005 now, and I've never once asked for money, or even had ads. Not saying I'm better than anyone, hardly; it's just that one day I might very well have a very real need to do so. Maybe I'll be doing a Go Fund Me for the photobook I've always wanted, or maybe, just maybe, after a serious turn of events, I'll be desperately down on my luck- it may very well happen! And then, for sure, I'd hope someone, somewhere out there would find it in their heart...

The Chinese/MAGA Bible!

Made in... "Gina" (pronounced in classic truncated Trumpian misspeak), complete with: Faux leather, tissue thin paper and an abbreviated US Constitution!

Golden Gate Fiasco

Photo: © Stan Banos

If I had my way (a seldom occurring happenstance in this section of the universe) I would have this statue facing the backside of a lavatory nowhere adjacent to the Golden Gate bridge. This bronze statue is of Joseph B. Strauss, a man of small stature and even smaller integrity. He designed the first draft of a god awful, butt ugly version of the Golden Gate Bridge. No one wanted to build his deplorable looking monstrosity, and good thing too, because word was the wind would have soon collapsed it into the bay; so he hired a young engineer (something he apparently was not) named Charles Alton Ellis to design a version a tad less stressful to both eye and peace of mind. And it was the latter's creation that was overwhelmingly approved- and finally built! Strauss rewarded Ellis by firing him and taking all the credit. His wife provided the statue.

PS- If you haven't already- make sure to see the remarkable work of Jake Ricker who photographs said bridge and all that happens on it!

James Hamilton- Uncropped

Gonna keep an eye out for this one- one of my favorite photographers of all time! Absolute master portraitist- bar none! Back in the day I would run to grab a copy of the Village Voice each and every week just to find the portrait by James Hamilton. He would use every millimeter of the 35mm frame to maximum effect. Every shot was a revelation, every shot its own master class in photography- never understood why he wasn't one of the first names mentioned when anyone discussed photographic portraiture. He also managed to squeeze more quality out of a 35mm frame than seemed humanly possible, his photographs seemed to be taken with a 4X5! Everyone has a lot to learn from this guy...

Paul & Pearl

Photo: © Stan Banos

I see shit like this all the time. Yeah, I know- how can you be so cold, cruel, clinical? This scenario was less than a block away from work this Monday morning. And no, I don't always take a picture of these hapless individuals (perhaps I should to make it more 'democratic'). Fact is, I stopped for two reasons: a) it had a possible photo opportunity (there, I said it) and b) I feared she might be in the process of an OD, or... actually dead. After years of seeing people in like positions (practically daily), you get a sense as to which are just working it off, and those which just might be in trouble. This was such a singularly odd positioning however (ram rod straight, elbows bent as if in preparation of some perversely aberrant push up), I decided better safe than sorry. I approached, took the photo, called out (received no response), called out louder and gave her a nudge... Finally, movement as she repositioned herself; she's alive, don't have to call 911. I'm back on my way to work, where people with disabilities await.

FWIW, I've written extensively on the ethics of taking photographs of this type. Honestly, you can make a worthy argument either way. In short, the way I think- take it when in doubt, and then decide if it should see the light of day. Photographers are often told the adage that our work should encompass our everyday lives, I already ignore don't photograph 99% of the pain I see in these streets every day, wouldn't I be in complete denial if I didn't reveal at least a small percentage photographically?  

Editing the photo I get to thinking how this was someone's child, who laughed and had dreams while she too sat amongst her peers in grade school. Somehow, it went tragically, woefully wrong. And the streets throb with their presence...

Open Your Mind- Michio Kaku

 Are we alone? "Of course, what took you so long," Michio Kaku.

Been a while since last posted. So here's something to think about, starting at... 15:35. Michio (who now believes the burden of proof has shifted to proving UFO's are man made) asks us- "What if they are hundreds, thousands, millions of years more advanced than us?" That's always been the thing that ticks me off- STOP thinking like a primitive simian hominid!!! They sure as hell don't! Forget the landing on the White House lawn BS. And forever refrain from the condescending (I'll cover my ass every which way as politely as possible) non answer- well, they probably do exist but they're so far away, yada, yada, yada... 

The way they think, live and travel is not beyond our imaginings- but it is well beyond our present technology and understanding. "Open your mind-" one hundred fifty years ago, trans oceanic travel measured in hours was a laughable pipedream, think of what thousands of years could achieve (precluding self destruction)... then think another million to our current 6!

PS- 38:00 also quite interesting...

Now, That's An Audience!

I was twelve and still remember just how rhythmic and radical this sounded next to anything that ever came before it! The same that that rad audience was thinking at song's end...

Serendipity

Recently, I talked about the difficulty I experienced sequencing and editing the photos for my most recent long term project. The day after I received a copy of the finished product, I came upon a post on Conscientious, and lo and behold- advice on how to edit and sequence a photobook so that it has a certain, unique narrative flow. And although we expressed it somewhat differently, and I'm not sure if I can claim success in Mr. Colberg's eyes- it was exactly what I was trying to convey, and exactly how I went about doing it to the best of my admittedly limited ability!

Making Book

Usually when I've made my photobooks and zines, they are 3-4 day affairs (of 3-4 hrs work ea) made during a sustained burst of energy. And they usually accomplish their goal of illustrating their singular, selected topic. This endeavor was different, it encompassed a larger time frame, encompassing a larger range of issues that affected and changed the state of a city from pre thru post Covid. I've done stuff on San Francisco (and Covid) before, and you've probably seen most of these pictures before (although it does contain around a dozen new mages). But this particular project encompasses more diverse, disparate influences, incl: crime, homelessness, addiction, Covid, technology, employment, etc. It's a disturbing if uneven glimpse at a steady deluge of conflicting plagues that beset this once thriving city.

Include too many photos of one particular topic or issue and you can go top heavy on tangents that make it hard to reintegrate, not enough and they can seem like distractions or a greatest hits compilation. Maintaining a sense of balance was a constant consideration; I could have shown more 'depressing' images for sure, but one grows weary of that quickly. So exactly how many photos depicting various aspects, negative and otherwise, does one intersperse to sustain a diversity of interest without betraying the topic at hand, one basically illustrating the downfall of a community at large? 

Editing this book was ironically similar to writing a short story, although the analogy is far from perfect. I wanted some sense of narrative, the photographs being the sentences, and how you display them, the punctuation. You can bend and formulate words, sentences, paragraphs to your liking to better fit your storyline as far as pace, sequencing and emotional narrative. It's harder with a series of set images meant to exist as independent structures- your options are more limited, basically: where and when do you present them (in the storyline and on the page), how large do you present them and how do you present them, solely or in groups? Those are your major story telling options in a book of photographs- besides the actual content within the photos themselves. And no, I'm not getting into captions, since there are none.

Fortunately, by using Blurb's magazine format, one has more options as to how to present one's photos. Two horizontal photos on one page, a slightly larger solo, a full page vertical, and yes- a double truck horizontal spread. And this was my first venture using all the above for maximum impact.

Broken City! is my swan song to a second home that has been hopelessly left reeling by leaders, laws and attitudes comfortable enough to evade their own neglect. The pictures only hint at the world of hurt that plagues it, the colors way too pretty and cheerful- again, who would look otherwise? I myself now opt to take the bus to work rather than dodge the landmines of drug addled zombies, feces and detritus that blocks the way and wears-at-you-daily.* Seventies "Drop Dead, New York" was never in question of coming back, it was literally too big to fail, but a city of less than a million, with a downtown hollowed out to the core is a much more vulnerable, dubious animal.

*That's the very street (see 0:36) I used to walk everyday to work, and now bus, and that ain't no prize either 'cause Crazy also boards the bus (also the street where the photo on p.7 was taken). About 2 of ten passengers actually pay their bus fare; one time while waiting on a red light, an impatient passenger knocked out a window and casually jumped out- when ya gotta go, ya gotta go!

Obscene, Yet...

Hilarious all the same. When your insecurity demands you separate yourself from your fellow man by seeing just how high you can stick your nose up your ass!

And uhh, speaking of Penthouses...

Portrait by...

I was immediately intrigued by the portraits that graced this very interesting interview. They seemed uncharacteristically... harsh, and intriguing- more in your face straightforward than your usual portrait of a well respected art icon in their latter years. By the second to last shot, yeah, I was sure- before having the last shot pretty much scream it out loud...

Photo:  ©...

A Future Darkly

Photo: © Stan Banos

One can make the argument that Dems and Repubs are two sides of the same coin- I've often made it myself. But truth is, had Gore won, there would have been no Iraq War- that was a complete, pure and unmitigated W/Cheney concoction of lies, lies and more lies that cost hundreds of thousands of innocent lives (not to mention a few of our own)... a trillion dollar plus debacle that is curiously never mentioned when it comes to the financial collapse of the aughts. 

I voted my heart in exactly one presidential election- yeah, I voted Nader in 2000; ya see where this is going. CA went for Gore so I can be 'absolved,' but then there was... Florida, where Gore lost to W by 537 votes, a state that cast almost 100,000 votes for Nader. And this year a Kennedy is running, no one I can get excited about, but together with unenthusiastic Joe's refusal to do the right thing and officially put the brakes on Israel's best imitation of genocide- he's voluntarily giving away the very votes in Michigan that got him in!

All this in a time when we have an outright wannabe Fascist, psycho manchild on the verge of all out dementia gearing up to put an end to our already paper thin semblance of a democracy. And even if good ol' tottering Joe manages to pull one out of a hat, no one is even talking about what to do when The Don calls in his chips and unleashes his minions for his last hurrah...

Recycling Is A... LIE!

I'm gonna assume most some people know the aforementioned is true (I was blissfully oblivious for longer than I care to admit), but it still angers the Bejeesuz out of me... to say the least. Everyday we have countless citizens putting in the extra effort to do what is right, honestly thinking the extra effort is worth the beneficial result and making all our lives (including that of their children) that much better... and it's just another Matrix-sized LIE (at least in the good ol' USA)! Unfortunately, we're all just politely jerking each other off thinking we're actually doing a good deed for our fellow human. And all that's happening is that Big Oil and Company(s) have found yet another way to get rich at our expense, while making us smile- and fucking us in the ass while doing it! Efficiency at its finest.

And truth be told, I still do it! There is now so much plastic encapsulating everything we buy (particularly food) that I don't have room for it all in my garbage container. The plastic bins, containers and packaging that currently envelops our food products alone is simply overwhelming...

Exactly.

PLAIN & SIMPLE...