Moral- Take Photos...

The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, answered, "Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."

The Power Of One- Elissa Montanti

I've often posted on photographers who make me embarrassed and ashamed to even occasionally refer to myself as one... Then there are those people on this earth like Elissa Montanti who make me ashamed to even consider myself as any kind of responsible, compassionate human being.

Girl Ascending

Had the pleasure of seeing Melissa Ann Pinney's Girl Ascending, replete with its gorgeous reproductions. There's a lot of Larry Fink in these images, with their stolen moments and fleeting glances set amidst the trappings of aspiring high society- without his artful tricks of light. There's also a lot of the direct intimacy found in the photography of Jock Sturges- without the "naked' sexual tension. What you do get are very revealing, very intimate, very beautiful images that capture both the public rituals and private moments of reflection that mark and define this period of discovery in a girl's transition into womanhood- images that practically place you there.

How often does that happen? Most times I am acutely aware that I am viewing a photograph, an object- whether I'm leaning in to observe detail, or leaning back to enjoy and take it all in. Not that that's particularly good or bad- just a given. Many of Pinney's images however, like most good films, allow one to ignore that physical barrier and view them as if... actually witnessing them! And that's pretty impressive- no matter how you look at it.

Photo: Melissa Ann Pinney

Baby I'm Amazed...

Now I'll be the first to admit that I sometimes have trouble telling my plutonium, uranium and cesium apart. Truth is, I really do try to put as much distance between them and me as possible on a daily basis. Don't much care for the whole freakin' lot.

So let me see if I got this anywhere near right... Men pour water on broken, crippled reactors (that had actually exploded to some unknown degree) because the water that cooled them down had escaped. Then when this water, whose purpose was to come into contact with said nuclear fuel rods to cool them the fuck down, in turn leaks out, nuclear engineers are shocked- shocked I tell you, gobsmacked beyond tarnation, that said water in turn has also become... radioactive!?!

This is is the manner of foresight, planning and training that permeates the world's most safety conscious and highly regulated, high tech energy industry in the world? Really? Seriously?

Disgusting!

The "change" I've come to expect...

Robert Lyons- Intimate Revelations

I recently had occasion to listen to Robert Lyons speak and was most taken by his Intimate Enemy photo essay on the Rwandan genocide. They're stark, striking portraits, and I liked his approach of not immediately identifying killer from survivor (certainly proved me wrong- repeatedly), further expanding the "banality of evil" viewpoint (although, in this case, it is also not without its own inherent, unintended consequence).*

But it does cause one to stop, think and ponder on the insanity that betook this nation, an insanity that throughout the latter century (and well into this one) has well proven to lurk within each and everyone of us regardless of race, creed, color or sex.

*...this line-up and mug-shot exercise may also serve to reaffirm the racist stereotype that any Black person could be a threat.

Someday!

I suppose if one does this long enough, you're bound to "collect" a few of these- images that were incorrectly exposed or developed, subject to accident, acts of god... whatever. In this case, the negative (shot circa '01) looks like it was trampled underfoot, don't know what the hell happened to it, except... it's scratched up hellabad! The "good news" is that I was finally able to clean it up enough to make a decent low res jpg so one can get a good idea of how it should look- but to get a decent print from it is going to take a helluva lot more than I can currently muster on Elements 6. Should be able to complete when my Lifetime Achievement Award kicks in...

145/77=

There are 145 million lbs. of spent nuclear fuel in 77 locations in the USA alone- 44 million additional lbs. are produced each year. Much of it is stored in casks that can last 100+ yrs- the waste remains deadly for tens of thousands...

The Walmart Hall Of Shame

It has put out a flurry of television, radio and newspaper advertisements, including one radio spot that accuses opponents of not caring “about how many jobs Wal-Mart would create or how badly people need them."

 But then what would you expect from a union busting, McDonald's wage paying, proliferator of outsourced goods?

The Fukushima 50, And Beyond...

(AP Photo/Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency)

As the bastards who design, finance and propagate these technological wonders of mass death continue to live happy, healthy and... wealthy lives, it's always the nameless worker bees who must come in and sacrifice their own lives to save ours and... theirs.

And long after those murderous bastards are long gone and dead, there'll still be this little problem we have yet to confront in any meaningful way whatsoever- a life and death decision that will be very much with us for thousands of years to come...

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Anniversary

In this age when the minuscule sliver of remaining unions are being attacked by every monied business interest in these somewhat United States- here's but another small reminder as to why these worker inspired organizations are so critical to us now, and well into our future...

PS- And do I really have to remind anyone that the only reason we have: lunch breaks, OT, minimum wage, sick time, a weekend, etc is because of... unions.

Time Out...

People are homeless en masse in Japan, Haiti (who would have imagined those two in one sentence) and lord knows there are enough right here at home- and probably yours. People fighting tyrants for their very lives all over the Middle East. Thank god for the helpful eye photography allows us all, but I'm gonna break today, take a cue from Paul Graham, and dwell on a meditation page or two.

Peace.

Thomas Kern- Drug Free Land

 Photo: Thomas Kern

I haven't seen the actual book, but if the rest of A Drug Free Land is anything like what's depicted here... it's a must get- although at that price it's gonna have to wait some. I know it's all a matter of personal taste, etc, but this is something like what I would have hoped for from the likes of a Paul Graham- 'cept in color, natch. Good interview here! (via American Suburb X)  

PS- Who needs a "B&W Revival" when work this good is still being made right now? What? Looks like stuff from the '70s? If that constitutes legit criticism, then most present day color looks like the '80s- and Paul Graham is god... or Ryan McGinley.

FOX- America's Leading News Team (ordering breakfast)

TIME, Truth & Aristide

After a forced seven year exile, former President Aristide returned to Haiti over the weekend after being kidnapped and removed from power in a US led coup. Meanwhile TIME (in one of the most biased articles anywhere since... TIME's cover story asserting that only American troops could prevent violence against Afghani women) thought this a bad idea. Of course, one need just compare the article from the London Review of Books with the whitewash flight of fantasy from TIME- it doesn't take long to decipher which is first rate journalism, and which is a first rate hack job.

Tim Padgett asserts that although "the US may have performed less than admirably during his overthrow, Haiti 2004 was hardly Chile 73..." You're so right Mr. Padgett- in Chile, the US backed and supported Pinochet from the sidelines; in Haiti, the CIA and covert US military directly "escorted" President Aristide from his home, to unmarked plane, to destination unknown. Whatever his faults, Aristede was someone who actually placed Haitians first; for that, the US did everything they could to covertly sabotage his presidency, and when that wasn't enough, they literally executed a home invasion and kidnapped his entire family.

Bush & Co. didn't even bother with the usual ruse of having the natives perform the dirty deed of removal (no need there- there's no white ruling class to offend).

Lizzy Oppenheimer- Rest Stops

 Photo: Lizzy Oppenheimer

I love these! So simple and direct in their execution, so exquisite in their presentation, they remind me of my own travails throughout the American West, complete with that all too fleeting sense of freedom and empowerment one gets while driving hundreds of miles not knowing where one will spend the night, or the next. Each morning filled with the expectation and promise of good things to come in that first hundred miles, or the hundred after. New things to see and experience, to photograph and remember as we trudge through the remainder of our lives...

Photo: Lizzy Oppenheimer

These photographs bring it home for me, and hope Ms. Oppenheimer gets her Kickstarter* funded!

*FWIW- A brief explanation is sufficient- droning on endlessly does not enhance the experience. Let the work speak for itself, it does so handsomely.

Radiation Is Good For You!!!

Someone please strap this BITCH unto any one of the cracks in those leaking reactors and do mankind (and herself) a favor! Okay, so much for the emotional response on my part, perhaps playing into the very reaction she wants to illicit. So let's go for the grown up take- Why isn't she reporting this "finding" live from the accident site to prove the "theory" correct? That will in turn allow me and countless others to apologetically kneel down and worship her as the goddess she so frightfully believes she is.

Well, Stan- no one takes this seriously. Point is, she's allowed to spew her twisted, vitriolic nonsense on commercial TV on whatever topic, as if she actually knows what the hell she's talking about, while fact and common sense remains persona non grata...

No Way, No How (unless, of course)...

Ya Never Know...

Got fresh batteries for the flashlight, a coupla extra rolls of Tri-X...

Bachmann Homeschool Overdrive

One of the the primary accusations against immigrants has always been that they know nothing of our country, its culture, or its history...     (BTW- she's running for, uh... President)

Obama Complicit In Prisoner Abuse

No, you won't find that headline even on FOX- but this NY Times editorial on Bradley Manning and this (former) State Department spokesman  is as close as we're gonna get to any official proclamation of the obvious (meanwhile, Guantanamo and extraordinary rendition continue to the day).