Light/Breezes

Light/Breezes
SUNRISE AT DEATH VALLEY-Photo by Tom Cochrun
Showing posts with label Jon Stewart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jon Stewart. Show all posts

Monday, May 16, 2016

NIGHT MOVES & THE TRUTH ACCORDING TO JON

Noir
    A challenge to photographers, night images have a special appeal. There is a delicate balance to achieve in light value to capture a genuine mood and night shots are full of mood. In the frame above I like the way the light from the street lamp pools while the clouds, house lights and trees hold their own value.
    Night images hold mystery. I was first fascinated with light values in the darkness when I delivered a morning newspaper route in my teens. From a sidewalk or street an illuminated room shines as though a stage.
   Shadow play is fascinating. Capturing an image, offering detail, architecture and shadow is another balancing act. Here we see the multiple textures of the tree, the brick weave, the feature of the fountain, block in the wall and still capture the shadows.
   Night scenes around water offer textured views.

JON THE BEARER
     Pundit, social critic, wit and bright guy Jon Stewart's comments to David Axlerod at the University of Chicago are some of the truest words of the 2016 campaign.
      He told the former Obama political wiz the Democrats and the Obama administration are responsible for what he called the man-baby of Donald Trump. Stewart said their inability to show the American voter an efficient and effective government helped pave the way for what he said was an "ass hole like Donald Trump" whom he also called a demagogue.
     His toughest words for Hillary Clinton have people either ready to take off his head or nodding in approval.
     "What do I think about Hillary Clinton is, you know...I imagine her to be a very bright woman without the courage of her convictions."
      Stewart challenged Clinton to be "authentic" and genuine and to show if "there is a real person underneath."  He said her campaign and communication style reminded him of Magic Johnson's attempt to be a talk show host. It was too much of an act and not real.
       I wonder how many others miss Stewart's nightly presence and the insight of his rapier wit?

       See you down the trail

Friday, April 8, 2016

POWER OF THE PROBE AND LAUGH

REVEALING LIGHT
Sun rise sweeping away pockets of fog in Cambria Ca.
    Investigative journalism resembles the good knight leading a charge against the high and mighty and the rich and powerful.
    An historic effort involving some 370 journalists from more than 75 nations is beginning to shape history itself. Already heads of states are stepping aside, powerful men and women are going into hiding, governments are shifting, legal probes have begun and this is just the beginning of the aftermath of the so called Panama Papers.
   Full disclosure here-much of my professional life was spent doing investigative reporting and documentaries. I'm biased but I consider the work one of life's most valuable callings. The recent film Spotlight provides a realistic glimpse into the work of investigative journalists. It requires devoted attention to detail, massive reading and research, hours spent pouring over documents, interviews, often with those who want nothing to do with you, or with victims of any number of crimes, offenses or disasters. I found time with the hurt, abused, cheated, ignored or helpless a continual grounding in the reason we devote so much of our life to pursing information and facts and looking for evidence of justice, help or understanding.
    The International Consortium of Investigative Journalism is unprecedented. The 11 million leaked documents have been organized and attacked by reporters, editors and writers around the world. Tax cheats, thieves, bankers, lawyers, government insiders in many nations are targeted. A team of journalists is laying out information and doing what no government in the world has done. This kind of exposure will bring heat as well as light.
    The Sacramento Bee, one of the McClatchy news group, a participant in the ICIJ, wrote, "The level of venality revealed by what are being called The Panama Papers, is mind-boggling and infuriating. It's the globalization of corruption and even more contemptible are political leaders who loot the public treasuries of their poor nations."
    Before this is over we will see more names and organizations. Russia's Putin, Mexico's Pena Nieto, the Chinese President, Pakistan's Prime Minister, Saudi Royals, Iceland's Prime Minister, athletes, film and entertainment figures, and others of "the rich and famous" are implicated. 
   Documents now come in digital files. Julian Assange and Edward Snowden are in awe of the Panama Papers leak. In my era leaked documents were Zerox copies of sensitive information hidden or tucked in file cabinets. Stone age, huh? 370 journalists from many nations working together on a digital platform is exhilarating. Traditionally journalists are considered watch dogs. In this era of legislative nursery schools riven with impotence, gridlock and populated by ideological cry babies and in a time of money driven politics, it's encouraging to know the power of the press still has a bark.
AND INVESTIGATIVE LAUGHS
     Some of the best investigative work comes from unlikely messengers-comedians. 
      In the last year HBO's John Oliver has tackled thorny and intricate issues with depth, understanding and ending with a laugh. Last Week Tonight has provided moments when the profane, illegal and corrupt are exposed as absurd and laughable. He is not alone. Seth Meyers of NBC's Late Night achieves humorous elucidation with his segment A Closer Look. Meyers is a brilliant writer. He probes, explores and lampoons leaving you informed and laughing. There is more of the same from Samantha Bee in her weekly TBS Full Frontal. Sam also examines with a lens that can include a contemporary feminist calibration. Her piece on the destruction of rape kits being a case in point.
      Oliver, Meyers and Bee are focused and tough. They are from the Jon Stewart style and school of Journalism. They put before the public critical matters, in an exploratory and examining manner. They are so adroit so they also make us laugh. We pay attention. 
      Whether by an international consortium or clever writing and performance, the matters these communicators bring before us demand our attention despite what power and privilege would prefer. Its good to see innovation in investigative story telling. 
WHERE'S WILSON?
     Driftwood architects had a field day on Moonstone Beach after a few days of active surf. Mindful of something from Castaway.
TO ONE MORE APRIL DAWN
   See you down the trail.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

THIS THING ABOUT "STUPIDITY" and MEN AT WORK and JON STEWART, DIRECTOR

HEAVY LIFTING
   New life is being built into the iconic Cayucos Pier with its bay view of Morro Rock.
   It was built in 1872 but a Pacific storm last year did damage that forced it closed.  
   People have raised $500 thousand to repair the Cayucos pier that includes putting in 14 new pilings. The original pilings were pine from Cambria, just up the coast.  
   Cayucos was the maritime capitol of the north coast as steamships made almost daily trips to and from San Francisco and Los Angeles. For years it was also the starting point of commercial fishing. It has been a recreational pier since the 1920's.

   Under gray velvet skies workers are installing new life to the popular tourist and recreational icon.
THROWBACK TO TENACIOUS
   It's the 1974 Indiana Democratic State Convention and there was a helluva credentials fight underway. This is the closed meeting of the credentials committee. It was closed until an Indianapolis Star photographer and I crashed the party.
    The African American man in the patterned jacket in the left of the frame was a certified delegate, one of many, who was being denied voting privileges on the convention floor. I was reporting live on the flap and decided that while the fate of many votes was being decided in a closed door room, I'd take my live microphone, giant headphones and the public's interest right to the spot. The Star photographer followed. I suspect he thought he'd get a shot of a journalist getting tossed out.
    The big man, third from the right, is the credentials chair, Tiny Hunt and he was cross checking lists and signatures. Earlier I had reported about dead phone banks, lack of access and other political chicanery that a well connected political machine had orchestrated against an opposition candidate. Ah, the good old days.
    By the way, the man was certified and so were several others. From my vantage it was obvious. I don't know how it might have turned out had there not been a pushy and nosy reporter looking over their shoulders.

THIS THING ABOUT STUPID AMERICANS
   Jonathan Gruber, an economist from MIT has evoked a hue and cry from some for a comment he made in 2013. He was quoted as saying the Affordable Health Care Act, aka Obama Care, was passed because of the stupidity of the  American people and because of a lack of transparency by the Obama administration.
   A few facts-Gruber was not on the staff of the White House or Health and Human Services or the Democratic Party. He was a consultant paid to measure and analyze the impact of something called the "adjusted community rating"--in essence it is the affect on prices based on pooling clusters of insured patients.
    Gruber is reported to have said the health care act was written in such a way as to hide these price variances.
     A couple of more facts. The President talked about that price variable in February of 2010.  The Congressional Budget Office wrote a letter to Indiana Senator Evan Bayh in November 2009 saying that the result could be increased premiums for younger and healthier workers. In fact there are several other instances where the price and premium variances were discussed openly by Democrats and Republicans.
     Gruber is probably not a stupid man, but he certainly acted like one with his own "stupidity" comment.  He was very well paid to perform his analysis.  He's entitled to his view, but it was stupid to say what he did because he was incorrect. There had been plenty of transparency even if many American voters were not paying attention.
     Now this will not go over well with some, but in fact many Americans display behavior that would indicate stupidity. Even with all of the news and information services available fewer people are spending time reading or consuming news. The majority of those who do choose their network or news outlet based on political or ideological leaning. Does preaching to the choir resonate here?  Americans are however very well entertained. 
     The streaming networks, premium cable, basic cable and the old fashioned broadcast networks do well in harvesting millions of viewers for a variety of entertainment programs. Gaming is reaching staggering new levels of popularity, but news programming continues to decline. Newspaper readership is also precarious. 
       Let me just drop these comparisons.  Honey Boo Boo and Duck Dynasty or Frontline and Charlie Rose. 
     Perhaps the drop in circulation and viewership reflects dissatisfaction with the quality of the product. Perhaps not! A friend who is a former newspaper syndication executive and who has a particular political preference will still consume a broad spectrum of national and international news sources. She comes to her views from a studied perspective and she, like people with intelligence, holds a variety of perspectives. Conservative on some, liberal on others. Sadly most people are not so discerning.
    A good case can be made that many Americans display signs of stupidity on issues of health, fitness, diet, public safety, diversity, cultural understanding, civility, standards, manners, understanding of history, distracted driving and etc. Now, when this pool is adjusted to political participation you are bound to get manipulation, exploitation, low information voters and stupidity.  Frankly I've heard comments from sitting members of the US Congress who convince me they are what I call "mouth breathers." And isn't it stupid to vote on a piece of legislation that you have not read?
     Back when Izzy Stone was alive and publishing I.F. Stone's Weekly, American Journalists would have known and read the full legislative package and would have raised hell if members of congress had not. Sadly American journalism misses that kind of determination, drive, attention to detail, even boring detail.  
    Tons of information and data are available now, but you have to go get it. Fortunately it's at the end of your finger tips thanks to the same digital age that is robbing us of privacy. I guess it's a trade off.
     So yes Mr Gruber and Mr and Mrs America, some of you are stupid. Maybe we are all stupid in our own way-but just not the way you think we are. Eh?
      By the way, the now notorious Jonathan Gruber had a 
previous client before he worked on Obamacare.  He 
performed the same role for Massachusetts. There its been called Romneycare.

JON STEWART-Director
    I understand why Rosewater is collecting so much acclaim. The story is important and compelling and Stewart has done a superb job of converting Maziar Bahari's book (and life changing event) into a screenplay and film. Gael Garcia Bernal is brilliant as Bahari and Kim Bodina is masterful as Rosewater, the interrogator. So much of the orbit of the film is around the interaction of these two and they deliver extraordinary performances.
   I had some of the same feelings in seeing Rosewater that I had in seeing Costa Gavras' 1969 classic Z, that dealt with repression in Greece. Heavy handed government thuggery still exists and the challenge of journalism, even in the 21st century, sometimes is to simply endure repression by idiots and zealots.
    Jon Stewart has moved into directing with talent, finesse and great chops.  
    

      See you down the trail.
    

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

A RENEGADE OF WHIMSY

THINGS TO OCCUPY US UNTIL 2016
     John Oliver, subbing for Jon Stewart as the resident satirist on The Daily Show lamented the other night he wished the political industry would wait another couple of weeks, until Stewart returns, to begin the next presidential onslaught. Maybe the shills, pollsters, pundits and yackers could wait until say, June of 2016!  Just dreamin'!
     In the meantime, too much life and truly important realities to enjoy.
STAR POWER
    Here are a few happy campers spotted on a recent coastal stroll.

This guy looks like an action hero, ready to spring into action.

PRETTY DELICIOUS
the before and after of a Lana Quiche

AT THE WISE OWL
     One of the great joys of the Central Coast is the abundance of masterful musicians. A recent venue of preference is the coffee/beer/wine bar Wise Owl with evening jams. 


   Perfect summer fun. Who needs TV or politics eh?
   See you down the trail.

Monday, June 24, 2013

CAN IT BE TURNED BACK?

WE ARE SUFFERING SELF INFLICTED WOUNDS
     It is as though we've crossed a "Rubicon" and now worry about the consequences. Big Data, Surveillance, Algorithmic Analysis, NSA, etc, etc.
     Now FaceBook confirms that up to six million users' personal data, even that which is not public, has been seen and or gathered by third parties.  Many have argued those who post so much personal information willingly have themselves to blame when that data is hijacked, hacked, sold or used to either bug or defraud you.
     A couple of experts are now saying that analyzing big data needs to be more effectively used by federal authorities.  They contend the alleged Boston bombers history of viewing violent or terrorist prone on-line videos should have led to an interdiction before they acted out what they were thinking.  Thought police? 
     Being a First Amendment advocate, I've been posting about this crunch since I entered the blogosphere.
      Here's an earlier set of thoughts, dealing with this idea of thought police. The Eli Pariser video should be must viewing for anyone who spends anytime in cyberspace.
      The point is our privacy suffers, by our own hand, by commercial enterprises, by government agencies and by information pirates. It is just out there and all to easy to overlook or put out of mind.  But like most things,it grows.  What can, what should we do about it?


Jon Stewart
The Diplomat
     Those of you who appreciate the satire of Jon Stewart
know he is off this summer, directing a film in the Middle East.  Well, he's made an interesting appearance.

See you down the trail.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

COMEDY PUNCHES THE MUSLIM THUG & A PHOTO SPRING

DIPLOMACY BY RIDICULE
     Egyptian president Morsi, who is thugging his way along a path of repression and regression got mugged last night.  In a brilliant bit of "in your face" diplomacy, comedian and commentator Jon Stewart decimated the Muslim Brotherhood zealot.  Stewart defended his friend
Bassem Youssef, who has been called the Egyptian Jon Stewart.  
        Stewart's work, especially the last couple of minutes of the bit, beautifully demonstrates the difference between a nation of freedom and a place where zealots and fundamentalists would seek to blot free expression.
       This Washington Post piece provides good context, explanation and a link to Stewart's masterful defense of freedom.
       The visual quality is not quite as good, but this YouTube video also reprises the powerful performance.
      Do yourself a favor, spend a few minutes being entertained and come to see how precarious freedom can be.  
OUT AND ABOUT
TEXTURES & JUXTAPOSITION





SPRING TREES


See you down the trail.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

AN IGNORED WARNING

LIFE IN FAST FORWARD
PHOTO FROM JIMMY CARTER LIBRARY
    The "hot line" direct communication link between Moscow and Washington went into service on this day in 1963.  It took 12 hours to decode, translate and respond to Nikita Kruschev's message months earlier during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
    By the time the hot line was on Jimmy Carter's desk, the technology had evolved. The dinosaur phone in the picture, once was the picture of modernity.
     49 years after the groundbreaking channel of instant communication we have come to this:


YouTube's Election hub, a child of the internet, which has revolutionized communication. Social media fueled the "Arab-Spring" and now Phillip DeFranco, the lad on the left who began his program in his basement, has more viewers than Anderson Cooper, Rachel Maddow and even Jon Stewart's daily show.
     DeFranco is one of the multiple offerings on YouTube's election site which puts the director's call of what to air into your hands, truly at your finger tips and on the screen of your choice.
SO IN SUCH A WELL WIRED WORLD
A WORRIED WHY?

     The story of shrinking arctic sea ice, the largest melt since tracking data began, was reported two days ago and barely drew a notice. Arctic sea ice is disappearing more quickly than any time we know of and more rapidly than predicted.
Graph courtesy of Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency and THE WASHINGTON POST

     The increasingly warm summer trends indicate earth's warming and the probability the sea ice will disappear in a future summer.  Warmer Arctic waters can cause Greenland's ice sheet to melt and that can lead to many problems. The shrinking of the Arctic Sea Ice and the diminishing of Greenland's Ice sheet will likely lead to more extreme summers and winters everywhere.
    Man made?  Nature's cycle?  A combination?  Don't you think it's worth exploring?  Still you had to search to see or hear anything.
    About the time the hotline was established a network of radio and television stations, produced a docudrama. Set in the future it was the story of how a news organization covered an environmental and ecological disaster that threatened all human life.  In one chilling passage the anchor does a voice-over of historic clips, listing a litany of warning signs of impending doom, sighting years, and failed international conferences.  Warning after warning went ignored while the people occupied themselves with buying and wanting more.  Until it was too late to hide from the impending end.
     How are we using or listening to our great communication tools? Is mother earth calling our hotline?
DAY FILE
A CORNER OF THE STUDIO
   I was looking around Lana's studio when I became intrigued by the corner near the window.  It's got "personality."

   I'm fascinated by the, texture, lines, divisions and proportionality of the frame below.
See you down the trail.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

THE WEEKENDER :) A CHUCKLE & A WONDER

NOT THE LIKE THE OLD DAYS
Nothing too heavy since this is a weekend, but
things in the media have changed and gotten very silly.
Jon Stewart's Daily Show often shows how
there is a parrot like mindlessness to what is
said on TV.  Suffice it to say, before huge cutbacks
and before people with seniority were let go because
their pay checks were what they were, it 
didn't used to happen.  You know, the good old days.
Enough!  Just click on this and "enjoy(?)" the
vapid.
By the way despite the disclaimer
at the beginning-it is simply laziness,
  and not editing the copy that was sent to the
smaller news stations rather than some kind of control issue that led to "pushing the envelope."
NOW FOR ANOTHER KIND OF SHILL,
BUT WHAT WONDER
See you down the trail.