Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Thanks Mom

Yankee-Israeli Genocide! 
Palestina Vencera!

Monday, January 26, 2009

Every Girls Dream


What do middle school girls aspire to be? Married blonde white women? How strange, hilarious.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Monday, January 19, 2009

Radiate Skate



Im trying to get a trip together for the skaters of new orleans, hopefully to get a group of skaters from nyc to work in solidarity with those down there to get them a place to skate. I think skating can be a really positive outlet of energy and there were a lot of kids out there practicing on their driveways. The kids were all down with radiate, hecka tight skaters down in NOLA. i have pictures of them all but i still have to develop the film. Thing is the park cost 10 dollers to get in everyday. what kind of joke is that, there is no grocery store in the lower ninth and your charging lets see... lazy people at 12th and a go there every day so thats 70 a week, 280 a month mad guap a year. Hit me up if your down with the trip to Nawlins it should be really fun i just have to get it together.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Hatred

"Darkness cannot fight darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot fight hate; only love can do that." Martin Luther King, Jr



You know that tingly feeling of disgust and nausea when you see something really really sad. I've been feeling like that all week about Gaza. I spent a week in Israel last August, in the most privileged situation ever. Put up in the Carlton right on the beach, surfing in the Mediterranean. I feel guilty trying to explain my situation but lets say that these "bougie" vacations are not in the Gil taste, we were taken by very close friends to attend a bar mitzvah. Part of it was a tour, I've never felt so infiltrated in my life by national pride. Our Tour guide obviously was led by a very astute historical MIHAL, she didn't refrain from adding Israel's opinions of everything though constantly referring to 1948. " After Israel became a state" " When the Jews finally got their homeland" "After a long fight for our home" "When Israel was recognized as a state" legit that was every other statement she made, or anybody who tried to give us information there. I was depressed, we passed a terrorist detaining center, the west bank wall, very little was said i couldn't even snap a picture. I really wasn't feeling the vibe there and honestly the trip upsetting in a lot of ways. I have never had to spend so much time around right wing politics in my life and i began to feel sick, only to be cured by the fluffiest bagels and unbelievable shoreline complimentary breakfast. Anyway the synopsis of the trip you can dig from this one story.





While in the Jerusalem market, Susie from our trip advises me to buy a Jordan scarf and not a Palestinian one. I shot her a cold look and ignored her for the remainder of the day. So i got one of those hip Arab scarfs, except this one is from the land of the oppressed I'm thinking this is real man, i can wear this, not some stupid urban outfitters copy ( ironically Urban Outfitters is openly Zionist BOYCOTT). At the end of the day i find myself at the wailing wall, with a plead for revolution in my right hand. In my left i held my Palestinian scarf, intended to hide my shoulders in 98 degree weather. We go through intensive security and I'm handed another scarf meant for my legs. What is this winter in Siberia?, crazy people. Then we enter this massive courtyard type thing, with a large barrier between men and women. I'm thinking whatever let me get rid of this note to the Jewish god, i might as well, revolutions don't discriminate. So a few of us start to enter the wall's prayer section. I suddenly feel really hot, and uncomfortable, like giving an symposium in front of mad heads with no clue as to what your talking about that will determine if you pass high school or not. My hearts beating really fast, and my skin is real tight. I feel like I committed a hate crime and all the hate weighted me. I was trying to figure out what happened, as i took a glance around i recognized the source. There were likely a hundred orthodox women stabbing me with their eyes. They're energy actually was so focused on me and the people i was with i could feel it on my skin. These two girls are performing the exorcism of Emily rose on my left. Crying and shaking, and whispering things to themselves. These people had projected all of their negative feelings right into me. As I'm dropping my note, and old women calls me over.
" Do you speak Hebrew or English" i should have made deaf signals, right then i defensively said
" English."
" That is a disrespect for Israel, you shouldn't wear that," 20 other women turned their attention to me, i must have had at least all the people who had their eyes open, who weren't shaking and crying looking at me.
I dipped with my Palestinian scarf around my shoulders, never have i been so out of place in my life. Radical now that i think about it, entering the purest Zionist monument in all of Israel with a Palestine scarf. Now all i can think about is the wailing wall and the west bank barrier, i am sick thinking about gaza. True story. Nice looking males may i add. If anything i stand by these kinds of jews to represent israel, http://orthodoxanarchist.com

Monday, January 12, 2009

Genocide



The race war down in Nawlins is pretty intense.

2009 is killing it.

No beer advertisements here. Fuck product placement, i love these people.







if you give me a fish you have fed me for a day 
if you teach me to fish 
then you have fed me until 
the river is contaminated 
or the shoreline siezed for development
but if you teach me to organize
then whatever the challenge 
i can join together with my peers and we will 
fashion our own 
Solution!

Thursday, January 8, 2009

LiL Wayne Kids

Monsta with da Fade holding it down for Nawlins!

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Agents


" Cornell was a singular force in the world of photography, opening our eyes to the power of the photographic image as an agent of change"


I am an agent of change
I am a Photographer
I am Concerned!

The use of imagery to influence and create social change has been historically one of the most effective and powerful means of education. Looking at the propaganda during revolutions such as the Chinese cultural revolution it becomes evident. Without the persistence of 2.2 billion images symbolizing and strengthening Mao's power the revolution would have never occurred. Although very Orwellian, Mao achieved a mass social revolution by destroying all that contradicted him and replacing that with visual arts furthering his movement. This being only an example of the dystopic manners in which powerful imagery can be used; revolutionary none the less. We see this today in advertisement; arguably a revolution slowly converting the economy and American social life to revolve around consumerism. The power of advertisement through image couldn't compare in effectiveness to other forms of accumulating information. The question for me becomes can i use a lens to inform people about social injustice, counter culture movements, action through solidarity, and genocide we see in our own country and world today. Who and where do we turn to for information on the state of our world? The American media's job at showing the revolution of Nicaragua again cant compare to  the power of Susan Meiselas work showing the revolutionary movement there. Taking back the power of imagery is so important, what we see today is the manipulation of visual arts in forms of negative propaganda. in contrast this is my little fight, bringing justice to the Capa's, Lauren Greenberg, Susan Meiselas, Eugene Smith, and Jim Goldberg's.  


Monday, January 5, 2009

Hamas



Free palestine, pictures from israel coming soon with more about that experience. so excited!