Headaches makes one take stock, reevaluate, stand up and be counted.  This past week being troubled by headaches even though I am officially off of work, and suppose to be able to relax.  Not able too.  I started thinking back to my trip to Paris in 2007, the trip and love of a lifetime.  To be surrounded by such beautiful culture, good people, like Frederic, Ann Sophie, and Patrick, who helped to introduce my wife and i to their city.  All was beautiful.  My only worry was which film to load, and where should we stop to have a noisette.

This all leads me to here.

Where are we going before our bones lay under the cities walls.  There is so much joy in between.

We need, I need to seek out the joy.  Love the precious life that we are given.

Love

Sometimes I feel like I 

can’t find my way home.

It is time in America to jump those last hurdles of hate.  Move beyond any and all prejudices and join in UNITY as one true nation.  No one is any better, and no one is worse.  All are humans and deserve to be respected.

Refuse to Hate from Refuse to Hate on Vimeo.

No More Hate, No War 2002 NYC, Union Square September 11th

for more info on Refuse to Hate. please visit the website,

refusetohate.com

i see a future for america.

i see the america that should be.

i see hope winning over hate and fear.

i see people coming together.

i see people breaking down the walls that separate us.

i see

Scrambling though one of my cabinet the other day, and came a cross a shrink wrapped pack of a dozen rolls of Fujicrome.  Only to be deflated, when all the film bunked it several years ago.  I though what the freaking hell, I hate wasting, so I popped a roll into my contax T3 and loaded into my gear.  It will go where ever i did for the next several days.  I just gotta know was it any good all will it all just be come landfill to build the next towers project in Tokyo?

The pics came back great.  Good saturations, little grain, nice clean fun.  I left it a lot to chance.  If it was all bunk i probably whould be here telling you how wonderful it is to use past due film.  But in the end all that really matters is just using any film, and camera, going out there and getting that emotions down on celluloid or pixels.

I got a lucky Fuji Instant Camera for my bday from my mate Tomo. This is the first 10 images I shot with it. Unedited and direct to you all. Its great to be out there with this little gadget, hearing that winding sound as the picture comes shooting out the side. you know there are more pics more to come.

1.  Has the great fuji color saturation.

2.  It makes that lovely automatic whirling sound as it pops out the side.

3.  It so easy to use even my mom could use it.  She is completely technically challenged.

4.  Low tech sometimes beats the pants off of high tech.

5.  It makes you work with in the limitations.

6.  It is much more eco friendly than Polaroid.  No battery is in the film pack,so less waste.

7.  You can hold the image in your hand, seconds after you take the picture.

8.  Fun at parties, events, and total strangers.

9.  Adds another fresh camera to my arsenal so I can hit the streets running.

10.  I look cool in my specs, and with those colors.

I started teaching a mixed media class at a community center in Urayasu Japan this spring.  We put on a joint show with the UFRA group and the other classes.  I am so proud of my students for coming along so far in such a short time.  I can’t wait to see what they do next.

Hand Made UFRA flag

Jacob’s Sampling

Harue’s Collage

Junko’s Photography

Kumi’s Stencil Art and Photo Essay

Doors lurk in the corners of our imagination. Can we unlock them and enter into the unknown world where the unreal, real, future meld into one? Keep your eyes sharp. Keep your ears open, find those doors that you need. Then reach out turn the handle to start a new adventure.