tagged w/ Social Commentary
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The Tsunami of Legacy will Move the Obamas to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue...
There's JOY in her voice, JOY in the song and a JOYOUS election.The Tsunami of Legacy will Move the Obamas to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue...
There's... more
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Check out this newly launched magazine, curated by Magnum Photo's David Alan Harvey. Some of the finest photojournalism being done today is and will be here;
http://www.burnmagazine.orgCheck out this newly launched magazine, curated by Magnum Photo's David Alan Harvey.... more
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In an effort to raise a little capital for urgently needed new gear, I have put together two galleries of my street photography in hopes of selling some open edition prints. They are not expensive and would make for excellent gifts or an exciting addition to your print collection.
Images approximate between 12x8 and 13x9 inches on 11x14 inch Fuji Crystal Archive stock and sell for £35 apiece.
I need to raise an additional £500 to get video and audio equipment by summer's end for a series of short films I'm developing. I'm relatively new to motion capture but I see it as an increasingly important part of my professional activities going forward.
If you know anyone who might like some off-kilter street photography for their walls, then please let them know about this material. I would be enormously appreciative.
Many thanks.
Paul TreacyIn an effort to raise a little capital for urgently needed new gear, I have put... more
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As wildfires fires continue to rage in the Angeles National Forest, polar glaciers melt, ocean levels rise, and hurricanes grow more powerful as the world gets warmer, we are looking not only at The Age of Stupid, but the rise of Dystopian Cinema.
A Dystopian world is the opposite of a Utopian one, basically: usually miserable, poverty-stricken, and dehumanizing. Last year Wall-E proved a surprise blockbuster, while 2009 brought us Alex Proyas’s Knowing, starring Nic Cage as a man facing a grim forecast for the world, McG’s Terminator Salvation, set in the future as John Connor (Christian Bale) rages against the Machines, and Neill Blomkamp’s sleeper hit District 9 with its insect-like aliens living in a fetid South African slum. Still to come: Shane Acker’s animated 9, John Hillcoat’s adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, the British documentary hybrid The Age of Stupid, and the latest sky-is-falling installment from Roland Emmerich, 2012: dystopian movies all.
If we’re not scared yet, we should be.
Filmmakers have been imagining the end of the world and what life would be like for its survivors since William Cameron Menzies’ 1936 H.G. Wells adaptation Things to Come. The nuclear age brought 1959’s On the Beach, followed decades later by George Miller’s 1979 Mad Max and its sequels, Ridley Scott’s 1982 Blade Runner, and more recently, Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men (2006) and Will Smith in Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend (2007).
Opening September 9, the animated 9 pits friendly humanoid robots against deadly monster-bots. Set to open October 16 after its debut at the Toronto Film Festival, The Road stars Viggo Mortensen as a father trying to protect his young son (Garret Dillahunt) in a hostile, fire-ravaged world inhabited by gangs of cannibals scavenging for food. Here’s the Apple trailer. (@ link)
UPDATE: Another movie coming up that fits the bill is the Hughes brothers’ Book of Eli, starring Denzel Washington as yet another warrior in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The Guardian has theories about this trend.
The post-apocalyptic disaster movie is one strain of the genre. Armed with the latest VFX, will 2012 prove as successful on November 13 as Emmerich’s other destroy-the-Earth scenarios Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow? Here’s the 2012 trailer: (@ link)As wildfires fires continue to rage in the Angeles National Forest, polar glaciers... more
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The newer, lovelier version of my 2006 book. Lovers of street photography, visual wit and dogs will appreciate this book. I guarantee it.
http://photohumourist.comThe newer, lovelier version of my 2006 book. Lovers of street photography, visual wit... more
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Let’s get the hoary ol’ cliche out of the way right off: sex sells. That’s a formula relied upon by anyone involved in the media — including podcast producers hoping to up their hit counts (and thus, permit me a moment to address the search engines directly: sex, sex, sexity, sex, sex, sex. And, in conclusion, boobies) — and it’s certainly something wholeheartedly embraced by the practitioners of burlesque. Thing is, as revealed by director Deirdre Timmons in her new documentary, A WINK AND A SMILE, contemporary burlesque has started throwing a little post-modern self-awareness into the stew, making performances both the rip-roarin’ celebrations of undulating flesh they always were, and more knowing send-ups of the self-same celebrations, calling into question notions of beauty, eros, and the proper deployment of brightly dyed feathers.
Fortunately, Timmons — who herself has spent some time strutting the stage — knows enough to balance her doc’s intellect with the stuff that gets the (fully clothed) butts into the seats: performances that range from the genuinely erotic to the raucously satirical (better brace yourself for Ernie von Schmaltz, a cross-dressing female performer who flaunts a prosthetic pot-belly and prodigious faux chest hair). Come for boobs, hang around for the brains — now that’s what I call a full-service documentary.
Click on the above link to hear my interview with Timmons.Let’s get the hoary ol’ cliche out of the way right off: sex sells. That’s a... more
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This is my favorite Palin Sketch from Funny or Die.
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Photo by: psd http://www.flickr.com/photos/psd/1806225034/
I had a question posed by a friend, and I’d thought I’d seek your advice (mine is usually worthless anyway).
“What would you do if you had added a friend on Facebook whom you had known many years but when you read their page you saw lies and embellishments on their alumni status and degrees that you know for a fact they didn't get? In my case this person to which I am referring works for a CHURCH! I am so stunned. How can a person live such a lie?! Do you think it's just the social networking disease where people think they have to portray their lives much better than the reality to create a facade?? What's totally ironic (or not) is that in the description of herself this person refers to [themselves] as "for real" and "authentic". I am disturbed but don't know if I have any responsibility to keep my mouth shut or write the person or their employer?! I have lost alot of respect for this person and am mulling over what to think...”
What do you think? Is there a 'moral' responsibility?Photo by: psd http://www.flickr.com/photos/psd/1806225034/
I had a question posed... more
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When the columns crumble, the American Eagle will be there to take Wall Street to it's final destination...When the columns crumble, the American Eagle will be there to take Wall Street to it's... more
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perhaps an SAT test question from the future: " 08). PLEASE FINISH THE FOLLOWING: The GOP was to Microsoft as Obama was to _______.perhaps an SAT test question from the future: " 08). PLEASE FINISH THE FOLLOWING: The... more
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19 minute film endeavouring to capture the festive atmosphere and some of the colourful characters of the G20 demo in the City of London on the eve of the G20 Summit. By photohumourist, Paul Treacy. If you like it, please pass it on. Thanks.
Paul Treacy19 minute film endeavouring to capture the festive atmosphere and some of the... more
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After visiting a Denny's Restaurant, President Obama was visibly shaken and disillusioned; and plans to abandon complex policies on emissions, clean coal and refocus on achievable goals like applying deodorant daily, and learning what to say when you burp.After visiting a Denny's Restaurant, President Obama was visibly shaken and... more
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Some of you humans may recall various stories and snippets that ran recently about former astronaut Edgar Mitchell, the sixth man to walk on the Moon, who has been saying for years that aliens in fact do exist. The Discovery Channel had a good chat with him on their blogs recently. Or perhaps you’ve seen the interview with rocket scientist David Adair, who built a fusion containment engine at the age of seventeen and solved math equations with Stephen Hawking.
Basically, a growing number of reputable scientists, pilots and astronauts are saying that the US government has been hiding knowledge of extraterrestrial life for decades. To many, this alleged cover up will come as no surprise. However, the real tragedy is that if indeed there has been a cover up to hide knowledge of beings from other planets, it means that we’ve been missing out on the opportunity to chat over a cup of coffee or knock back a bevy with our interstellar brethren, and to ultimately engage our unearthly visitors in a healthy, earthy debate about society, politics, or perhaps even universal health care.
[the latter of which may coincidentally need to be renamed as pre-existing intergalactic copyrights on the phrase universal health care may prevent its use here on planet earth. We’ll need to check with the intergalactic copyright office and make sure we aren’t infringing on any already-registered, interstellar rights which subsequently may have already levied upon us some hefty planetary penalties]
But back to my point and query: why should the government get to hog all the face time with our so-not-new-by-about-fifty-years intergalactic friends?
I don’t know about you, but I for one would welcome the chance to get together for a friendly visit with beings from distant solar systems we don’t even know about yet; not to bombard them with all the esoteric questions they must get tired of hearing from all the other planets they meet for the first time mind you, but instead invite them over for a barbeque or dinner party, to share photos from our vacations or play a game of scrabble, and to inquisitively ask (politely probe if you will) for advice on how to help humanity, like how to help feed the hungry, improve living conditions, cope with weapons/war, and in general, advice on how we can relieve suffering and help our civilization evolve...
[due to character limits, the above is an excerpt. Please follow the link for the rest of the essay]
Some of you humans may recall various stories and snippets that ran recently about... more
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from: GEORGE CARLIN: LIFE IS WORTH LOSING (HBO)
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JASON SERENO IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE RELEASE OF SCI-FI SONGS, AN OUT-OF-THIS WORLD DIGITAL MIXTAPE FEATURING FOUR SONGS WITH SCIENCE-FICTION THEMES.
Los Angeles, Calif. - July 1st, 2008 - Singer/Songwriter Jason Sereno has released a concept album that is truly out of this world. SCI-FI SONGS, landing July 1st, 2008 at JasonSereno.com, is a digital mixtape with science-fiction-styled music tied together through a common narrative, inspired by unsuccessful rock operas of 1970s.
Sereno, an acoustically-minded musician with a background in comedy and vaudeville-like performances, thought of the concept after a night of binge drinking.
"I was walking to the bathroom at about 3AM," Sereno hastily recounted. "I couldn't even see straight but this idea popped in my head, so I ran back in the bedroom and asked one of the girls to write it down for me. Thankfully Sharon - or maybe Brenda - listened. For once."
Sereno also enjoys multiple partners in the recording studio, which is why he enlisted the help of longtime friend and fellow axe-wielder T-Dogg for the SCI-FI songwriting process.
"T-Dogg was crucial in the creation of the storylines and lyrics for SCI-FI SONGS," Sereno begrudgingly admitted. "He was the one who suggested we utilize the guitar as the focal point for the album instead of synths and drum machines. Too bad he won't see a dime from the record sales because nothing in our agreement was ever in writing. Dumbass."
Rounding out the group is Cremer, Hollywood 's premier voiceover actor and narrator of the album.
"Cremer's talent is truly unmatched," Sereno fondly recalled. "He added so much to the project that I couldn't imagine SCI-FI SONGS without him, but he won't be receiving any monetary compensation either. Once again - nothing in writing. Duh."
SCI-FI SONGS consists of:
RocketShip Guitar: A boy receives a guitar from his birthday but when he plugs in the instrument it transforms into a rocketship that takes him on an intergalactic journey.
Dimensions: The party started in the first dimension. But things get weirder… er.
TimeTraveler Love Song: A time traveler finds the love us his life… but when he travels back to meet the woman of his dreams he can only speak in Spanglish - an unfortunate side-effect of time travel.
CarPlanes: In the future… there are no cars. There are no planes. There are only CarPlanes.
Cremer's Promos: An incredible assortment of inappropriate radio commercials (bonus track).
Although the recordings are meant to be heard sequentially - at least the first time - Sereno insists every tune is exceptional in its own right because of the combinations of style, substance and tone within each track.
"I’m really friggin' proud of the music we've put together," Sereno boasted. "We have full-on guitar solos, insane effects, gripping lyrics, influences from rock, punk, hip-hop and latin styles, as well as a complete storyline that is far more epic and moving than any post-apocalyptic Kevin Costner film."
Sereno is confident that the SCI-FI SONGS team's hard work will pay off - at least for him - because the album speaks to an untapped audience in today's music market.
"No longer will the nerds of the world be forced to stay home on Friday night to watch reruns of Battlestar Galactica," Sereno proclaimed. "They now have a voice. They have a rhythm in their hearts. They have SCI-FI SONGS."JASON SERENO IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE RELEASE OF SCI-FI SONGS, AN OUT-OF-THIS WORLD... more
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A short, hectic, stop motion freecording of me and my sons going to school.
Shot with a Nikon D200 and spliced together in iMovie 08.
If this piece makes it to TV it can be prepped for HD.
Music by Matt Messina used with permission.
http://paultreacy.comA short, hectic, stop motion freecording of me and my sons going to school.
Shot... more
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some great anti-consumerist / cultural comment T's to be found over at sould....
there's one tv channel on there some may recognise..you may even agree with the sentiment..
dsome great anti-consumerist / cultural comment T's to be found over at sould....... more
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Observing The Flag is a sardonic look at American life and Americans' love of their flag by photojournalist, Paul Treacy. First published in 2008 by Photohumourist.com. This book is available in soft & hardcover. Observing The Flag is a sardonic look at American life and Americans' love of their... more
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They say a free press is the cornerstone of any democracy. But since there's nothing free about our press, and very little that's democratic about our government-for-hire, America's house of democratic illusions is only held up by those naïve enough to still believe the fairy tale, and those too apathetic to do anything about it (which, if we're honest, is most of us).
George Bush is certainly under no illusions about the role of the media in our pseudo-democracy. After a speech intended to welcome journalists to the new White House briefing room in July 2007, a photographer took a now infamous snap of the president's speech. The man charged with maintaining what should be the greatest democracy in the world had taken a black pen to his own neatly typed address, and, after the phrase "a free press is", had scrubbed out the words "one of the cornerstones of." But then, as he wages wars in the name of democracy abroad, he's waged another cold war on democracy at home, which has been aided and abetted by the very cornerstone our "democracy" is supposed to rely on.
But if you won't pay 50 cents per day for a newspaper, $29 a year to support an independent online news service such a Salon.com, or $50 a year to fund news on PBS or NPR, then don't blame the press for the current fix we're in. It's a matter of value. What do we value more, the news, or the cars and burgers sold in between the news? If it's the former, we should economize on the latter and be prepared to pay for quality journalism.
Like any other commodity, with news you get what you pay for. Purveyors of infotainment, such as Fox "News", which comedian Lee Camp succinctly called out live on air last week for being a "parade of propaganda" and a "festival of ignorance," serves no higher purpose than to provide fodder to keep viewers tuned-in for the advertisements. Like any other mainstream news outlet owned by one of the big media conglomerates, Fox News serves its parent company's bottom line, and is under no illusions that its purpose is to provide a check and balance to curtail the activities of a runaway government.
While pumping billions into an ill-advised war overseas, Bush is trying to cut off the lifeblood of those that report on it with an independent voice at home. His proposed federal budget would cut more than half of the funds allocated to public broadcasters in 2009 and 2010. And with the New York and Los Angeles Times both announcing three-figure job cuts in the past month, don't be expecting their much maligned journalists to have the time to come up with as much original thought or news as they have in the past. With less staff but the same column inches to fill, many of our once grand newspapers are being reduced to nothing more than printed blogs, reprinting the same recycled news, press releases and wire stories by the inch, and commenting on the commentary of others in place of the time consuming task of researching their own fresh news and opinion.
Ask yourself why the word "divisive" ubiquitously sits next to Hillary's name, as does "change" next to Obama's. In truth either world could equally apply to both. But these clichés have become ingrained in our culture thanks to a media that doesn't have the time, money or inclination to find the news, but merely reports on the same "news" briefings and press releases, representing the often unchecked facts and quotes they contain as news.
If you want to arrest entropy you need to put more energy into a system. Write to your congressman or woman and demand that they fight the PBS budget cuts. Consider where you should get your news from (the BBC is a great place to start), rather than reaching for the remote or reading whatever's on your homepage out of habit. Refuse to be another Faux News viewer or clicker. Don't let these masqueraders make money off you. And don't just take the news as read, but consider where a story is really coming from, who's promoting it, and, most importantly, why?They say a free press is the cornerstone of any democracy. But since there's nothing... more
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by Nicole
A member of the Israeli parliament blamed a recent spate of earthquakes on gays, and what he sees as Israel's overly tolerant attitude towards homosexuality. Shlomo Benizri, a member of Ultra-orthodox Jewish Shas party, made the comments during a debate on earthquake preparedness on February 20, 2008.
"Why do earthquakes happen? One of the reasons is the things to which the Knesset (parliament) gives legitimacy, to sodomy," said Benizri, who is known for his homophobic views. "A cost-effective way of averting earthquake damage would be to stop passing legislation on how to encourage homosexual activity in the State of Israel, which anyways causes earthquakes."
"We are looking for earthly solutions, how to prevent them," he continued. "I have another way to prevent earthquakes. The Gemara says that one of the reasons earthquakes happen, which the Knesset legitimizes, is homosexuality."
The Israeli government repealed laws banning consensual gay sex in 1988. Since then, though they don’t permit gay marriage, they have recognized same-sex unions performed abroad, and have extended many of the benefits and rights married couples enjoy to same sex couples. Last Sunday the country’s attorney general ruled on legislation that expands the rights of same-sex couples to adopt. Since then, two more earthquakes have rocked the region.
"God says you shake your genitals where you are not supposed to and I will shake my world in order to wake you up," said Benizri, who is a member of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's ruling coalition. What Benizri seems to have conveniently overlooked is the fact that homosexuality is really not on God's Top 10 List, with things like adultery and theft being far more of a priority for the oft misquoted and misunderstood deity.
If God is really showing his displeasure by shaking up the Middle East, it's more likely because of the worship of false idols (money and oil), the coveting of a neighbor's house (Palestine/Afghanistan/Iraq), and the (mass) murder being committed in the region by people from all sides (including us). Can we just stop blaming the gays for our troubles? I know God isn’t.
http://www.dailymantra.com
http://www.myspace.com/thedailymantra
by Nicole
A member of the Israeli parliament blamed a recent spate of earthquakes on... more
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