Happy Halloween!

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? 

The Handkerchief Salesman

Photo: Raoul Minot

Talk about guts! A lot of would be photographers remark how they fear incurring the wrath of strangers on the street should they point the camera their way- a wayward glance, an uncouth comment... This guy risked it all every single time he pressed the shutter- and it cost him. Special ops agent? A goddamn department store, handkerchief salesman! 

Monuments Befitting The Man

He's always had "the very best words" emanating from his "very, very large brain" (yes, a grown 'adult' actually talks like that). And now he finally has the monuments befittingly commemorating his astounding achievements...

The Epitome Of Assholes Show!

I thought we all tolerated this guy's asinine behavior because, well, after all, he is... A Genius! No doubt of that, especially with all that money. So naturally, we all cut the guy some slack. But, uh... what if, he's not? What if he's just another scammer deluxe? What if the reason he acts like an utter asshole is because he's an actual utter asshole- another BS artist currently supporting yet another BS artist! 

Like so many others, I had naturally assumed (exactly what one should never do) the guy was: an engineer, physicist or some failed genius, scientist, whatever- but genius all the same. And he's- none of the above! He's got Bachelors in physics and economics- Bachelors! Fuck, even I gotta Master's! Another 2 bit con who takes other people's ideas, and then calls them his own. He's not deserving of leeway, but of scrutiny of the highest bloody order...

And then, there's this human shit- Trump loving ("I hate him passionately"), bow tie sporting, M&M defending, son of an heiress guy...

Karma

 It's a beautiful thing!

And yet, his crime boss somehow still roams free... 

Operation Midnight Climax

No, you don't have to take my word for it...         Photo: © Stan Banos

This posh locale is situated atop a hill on a secluded dead end street with a scenic overlook of the bay. Sex and serenity with a view (unless, of course, you suddenly found yourself completely delusional for no apparent reason)!

W-T-F!

I honestly don't know what to make of this guy. His affect is far from grandiose, actually, he's pretty low key, and as a fairly accomplished actor, I gotta think that maybe, just maybe, his whole genius routine is one grand act, a prank, a how dumb do ya gotta be to take any of this for reals...

And give credit where credit due- his pseudo-science gibberish is masterfully articulate and delivered with such naive enthusiasm and conviction that he makes one genuinely want to denounce science, turn common sense upside down and inside out, then deliriously embrace his scatterbrained combobulation as the truth, the whole truth and nothing but... Seriously, if nothing else- I was entertained... this is a fanciful and articulate version of The Weave, even his mispronunciations sound believable! I want to live in his universe, where anything is possible and you get to believe whatever you say!!! I wanna believe that 1x1= 2, I wanna believe in the bisexual tones of the periodic table! Please, Terrence, anyone- make it all come true! 

Duet

One Of Photography's Enduring Secrets

Yes, some of you may be shocked, taken aback, dismayed even- but your subjects needn't sport outrageous costumes nor dangling privates to create worthy environmental portraits. As we all know, indulging desperate characters and graphic subject matter appeals only to photographers of a much lesser calling. There's just no excuse. 

Submitted for your consideration, a couple of wholesome, everyday American subjects taken at the annual, local airshow this past weekend... Art through integrity and strength of vision!

Photos: © Stan Banos

It's Either Right, Or It's Wrong

Every once in a (great) while you get that rare someone who speaks with such clear resounding intellect (usually backed by righteous moral outrage) that it leaves one transfixed in awe and wonder. It's an ability to cut to the chase, not just for brevity's sake, but to calculatingly eliminate the subterfuge that lesser minds (as my own) would get needlessly bogged down in before possibly, hopefully climbing out. Two people who immediately come to mind in my lifetime are Malcolm X and Edward Snowden. Whatever the topic you come away less confused, more enlightened and forever amazed at your own innate ignorance...

Ta-Nehisi Coates exemplifies that exact level in this exchange:

Ramblin' Man...

Personally, I thought the 25th should have been invoked as soon as Trump (repeatedly) insisted that he had a bigger Inauguration Day crowd than Obama- proof positive of his complete lack of judgement and sanity- morally, objectively... every fundamental way possible! Of course, that was just the beginning of his lies while President; by now we've all grown so lovingly accustomed to them all, as they continue to delight to this day...  

"That's what I hear, that's what they say..."

Meet... 'Mr. Nice Guy'

Give credit where credit due- good ol' boy JD came on like Mr. Nice Guy Misunderstood during the debate- when he's every bit the liar (though certainly more finessed) than the larger mass of shit he willingly shovels for..

Anyone remember when (Black) Obama had to renounce his (Black) pastor- funny how White guys don't have to... Is that 'racist' for me to mention? Or is the racism inherent in the actual truth?

Sometimes...

Photo: © Stan Banos 

(Sometimes) ya just have to let loose of all the high falutin', grandiose art expectations in your photographic machinations and embrace the age old, proven simplicity of the good ol' American snapshot! Nothing wrong with it. Your down home vernacular snapshot of the ordinary neighbor next door- the banker, tailor, candlestick maker. Relax, unwind and just enjoy a shared moment. It may not end up in your museum retro, but it may just become its own life long memory that will forever bring a smile to your face, and that of the viewer... 

Tried, Done, Ready!

How does one overturn a democracy- by using the democratic means available. Like the German guy did with his country back in the day, and like a certain American governor did with his state around the same time. You pay off, intimidate, replace and bully everyone who has any say or power under and around your circle of influence one step at a time: legislators, courts and judges, police, civil servants, etc, etc, etc... 

Huey Long did it on a statewide basis, someone now has a plan to do it nationwide- and it starts with... controlling our votes!

Be HAPPY!!!

The Search For...

I don't usually talk the gear talk here, but occasionally I get into it as the prevalent winds (my prevalent winds) demand. I love the 20mm and 28mm (and their 14 and 18mm crop equivalent) focal lengths, use the latter for everyday shooting, while also incorporating the former for event shooting. Recently, I took note of a new 18mm Color Skopar for my Fujifilm cameras, and even though it was manual focus only- I was determined to make it work. The focusing knob and aperture ring on this cute as all hell pancake were true acts of perfection in their precise and silky smooth operation. Alas, the optical quality was... abysmal- far worse than even the 18mm Fuji it was meant to replace! Maybe because it was refurbished, or perhaps it was just a (truly) bad copy? Don't know; but I did focus with the magnified focus check- so that got returned pronto! 

The following week I was checking out an image on the screen of my GR, and when I commenced to reframe- the screen went dead! Must've inadvertently pressed some obscure menu item, but after going through the menu several times, seems my initial impression was correct- and off to the repairman it went! 

Fortunately, my Leica Q continues to perform despite the two of us tumbling hard on concrete the other day, but I'm always slightly paranoid when I take it out, and I sure wouldn't mind using a second focal length on my Fujis. I've refused to imbibe in the overly large and expensive 18mm f1.4 Fujinon, despite its absolute optical perfection, and have pretty much given up hope of an update on the dismal Fuji pancake or third party equivalent. Then along comes the plastic fantastic Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 WA zoom- could that be the an answer? Now I love the results of my optically superlative 14mm f2.8 Fuji (the lens itself is one ugly duckling), and while I love WA's, I don't have much use for anything wider than 20mm (FF)- and I hate lens diameters that go past the 50's (the Sigma has a 67mm filter diameter)! Otherwise, it is fairly compact, and if it can cover 14 and 18mm with sufficient optical quality (which it supposedly does deliver), I may, just may, be able to get over its obese filter diameter size... maybe not ideal for everyday carry, but it just might spell significant ease of use for special events- one camera, one lens, two fave focal lengths! And if'n it can't- off it goes as well, once it gets here. To be cont...

Sigma10-18mm f2.8

How?

 How does one classify this, in what manner, what genre of... creativity- visually, musically, spiritually?

Israel's Dangerous Game

Apparently, Israel, while still playing the role of eternal victim continues the ever so dangerous game of continual escalation, daring, infuriating and attacking nearly everyone around them with whom they have both legitimate and perceived grudges. They continue to rile as many hornets, tease as many wolves, slap, punch and bully as many opponents as they possibly can- and when the fury that's finally unleashed comes calling... Big Brother USA will get the call to save the day! The final sucker in this sucker's game.

Sing Along- They're Eating The Dogs, They're Eating The...

In Doubt I Trust

 

In 1987, Whitley Strieber's Communion, concerning alien contact/abduction, became an international bestseller, years later it became a mediocre movie with a star name and a less than faithful plot. Meanwhile, Strieber went from overnight sensation to media laughing stock when he candidly admitted that he was anally/sexually probed while onboard the alien vessel. He also went from best selling author to flat broke because of the latter- people lost all interest in buying books from the "rectal probe guy."

The UFO field is currently filled with all kinds of 'experts,' a handful are serious about the topic, doing diligent research in their level of expertise- and more credible, legit journalists and scientists are now daring to enter the once career ending field to ask the legit questions and conduct the serious scientific investigation that should have commenced decades ago. Even the US Navy has finally admitted that there's shit flying around up there (and down there) that they have no clue about! But most 'experts' are out to mine it for every buck they can and tell you whatever you want to hear- aliens are here to save us, aliens are here to take you and our planet for themselves, aliens are... 

I admire and have a certain degree of trust when it comes to dear ol' Whtiley, he's a profoundly old fashioned kinda guy in a modern world- but mostly, he's someone who flat out admits that he can't really tell ya what they are, where they're from, or what the hell they want. He's quite adamant that we have much to learn from them- technologically, and... spiritually, if we allow ourselves. But buyer beware- the knowledge comes at a cost, it's a give and take relationship with highly unclear, and often deceptive boundaries. 

Most people judge this entire field and phenomena from a human perspective, consciously and unconsciously- how can we not. And that's our first major, overriding error. Well, they live too far away, they can't get here in any reasonable amount of time- true... if they were using our 'space age,' rocket turtles! And that's certainly not what we are currently glimpsing in our own airspace (the world over). Reviewing our own technological progress of the last one hundred years, imagine what our own tech could resemble in: a thousand, ten thousand, hundreds of thousands of years... 

Not only is their technology beyond our credulity, but so would their culture, their very way of thinking and relating socially- they're from different worlds, dimensions, whatever for Chrissakes! In admitting to the fact that he can't fathom their true motives, Whitley is open to a host of possibilities. If you are new to this field, you'll probably dismiss him in the video above as a fraud and a charlatan simply because of all the craziness he attests to in his life- from his MK-Ultra type origins as a child in the hands of his parents, to his self publicized UFO/alien encounters as an adult. He could have carved out a comfortable niche throughout it all and quite handedly avoided the public humiliation. He's open minded to things you or I would readily dismiss simply because the amount of undefinable, inexplicable craziness he has witnessed in his life is, in fact, beyond belief. So he deals with it best he can, warts and all; you can laugh and dismiss, or listen, ponder and consider...