www.humankind.me

SUNDAY. We take a time out to consider Andy Murray winning his first Grand Slam and then visit Humankind.me to ponder the way toward such a grand plan as a "progressive world where invention conquers destruction and humanity can flourish in the creation". You can quote me on that.
Just a thought to put out there for ya...
The above photograph was taken in hollywood road, central, hong kong. The man owned a fruit&vegetable shop with his wife.
Peace. Noel

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi 1869-1948

TODAY, 62 years ago, GHANDI took his last steps in the night air before being assassinated. Searching for the truth his whole life, Gandhi declared that his most important battle was overcoming his own demons, fears and insecurities. Gandhi dressed to be accepted by the poorest person in India, advocating the use of homespun cloth (khadi). He and his followers adopted the practice of weaving their own clothes from thread they themselves spun, and encouraged others to do so. While Indian workers were often idle due to unemployment, they had often bought their clothing from industrial manufacturers owned by British interests. It was Gandhi's view that if Indians made their own clothes, it would deal an economic blow to the British establishment in India. Consequently, the spinning wheel was later incorporated into the flag of the Indian National Congress. He subsequently wore a dhoti for the rest of his life to express the simplicity of his life. By "reducing himself to zero" he refused to be enslaved by the systems around him and indeed questioned them. Gandhi spent one day of each week in silence. He once said ""the ideally nonviolent state would be an ordered anarchy." Gandhi, a 'philosophical anarchist'.

Howard Zinn, 1922-2010

HOWARD ZINN portrait by Robin Holland. After serving in World War II, Howard Zinn went onto become a lifelong dissident and peace activist. Spearheading many a struggle for social justices over fifty years. He published the antiwar book 'The Logic of Withdrawal' in 1967, which changed peoples perspective and the conscience of a whole generation about the Vietnam War. One of Zinn's favourite phrases was: "the countless small actions of unknown people"
howardzinn.org
"A lot of people are troubled by civil disobedience. As soon as you talk about committing civil disobedience, they get a little upset. That’s exactly the purpose of civil disobedience: to upset people, to trouble them, to disturb them. We who commit civil disobedience are disturbed, too, and we mean to disturb those who are in charge of the war." A true champion of humankind. Inspiring thousands to stand up and make a difference. RIP Howard.

LEICA S2

OBJECT OF DESIRE. Indeed. Leica have recently launched the S2 medium format camera packing a mighty uppercut with its 37.5MP CCD sensor which is 56% larger than that of a full frame SLR camera. Despite this the camera in terms of the physical structure is still manageable and maneuverable handheld. Imagine! The scale of medium format, the depth of detail, autofocus, now where's the 16,000GBP Sterling I had hidden under the mattress......

Dhiraj Singh

DHIRAJ SINGH is a photojournalist based in Mumbai, India. He's featured in the magnificent web site burn.com with one of the finest online films I have seen to date. 'My name is dechen'. It's a most affecting 3.00 minute film with audio, titles, and stop motion edited into an intimate dance with Dechen. check it out here:
dhirajsingh.com

"Malaria Vaccine in three years." Bill Gates

MALARIA KILLS one child every 30 seconds in Africa, that's nearly 1 million children under 5 years of age, every year. Half the world's population remain at risk, including travelers to these affected countries. The PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) — which is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced its intention to create a new vaccine, called a transmission-blocking vaccine (TBV) which prevents mosquitos that carry the disease from spreading it further.
Developed by Filipino Scientist RHOEL DINGLASAN PhD, MPH (photo above) an entomologist and biologist at Johns Hopkins University Hospital, it would instead work within the mosquito gut. Dinglasan has found an antigen, called AnAPN1, that causes humans to create antibodies that prevent transmission of malaria by mosquitoes. Get enough of these antibodies into mosquitoes, and you lock the disease up there and prevent it from infecting us. Sounds good, but how do you implement such a strategy? You can hardly vaccinate the mosquitoes themselves. Instead, you put the AnAPN1 into their food source: us. A mosquito that bites an inoculated person would pick up the antibodies and then be sidelined from the malaria-transmission game.
Thanks to TIME Magazine for above info. Read it in full there:
time.com

Haiti's Death Toll over 150,000

HAITI. PORT-AU-PRINCE. Image by Eduardo Munoz for Reuters-Landov. The confirmed death toll from Haiti's devastating earthquake has risen above 150,000 in the Port-au-Prince area alone, a government minister has said. Many more bodies remain uncounted under rubble in the capital, including the towns of Jacmel and Leogane.
Communications Minister Marie-Laurence Jocelyn Lassegue said the count was based on bodies collected in and around the capital by state company CNE. Ms Lassegue said that the authorities were still far from knowing the total number of those killed. "Nobody knows how many bodies are buried in the rubble - 200,000, 300,000? Who knows the overall death toll?"

Haiti's Survivors

SUNDAY. Spokeswoman for the U.N. Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance Elizabeth Byrs says 132 people have been rescued by international search and rescue teams since the earthquake struck. At the peak of the response, she says there were 67 teams in Haiti consisting of approximately 2,000 staff and 160 dogs. Haiti's government has declared the search and rescue phase for survivors of the earthquake over, the United Nations said.
A multinational rescue team last night tunnelled beneath a collapsed hotel in Port-au-Prince to free a 24-year-old man only hours after the government had officially declared an end to rescue missions. A Greek rescue team that had found Wismond Exantus had only arrived in Haiti on Friday to be told that there was nothing left for them to do. Undaunted they set about helping in the United Nations clean-up operation.
Official Haitian government figures put the number of confirmed dead at nearly 111,500 and the number of homeless people around Port-au-Prince at more than 600,000. Byrs says these figures are only preliminary and will change once the assessment missions are completed. Donation figures from the "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief" say that US$57 million has been raised through the telethon.

Haiti's Children

HANS DERYK took the above photo for Reuters. Haitian girls wait in line for food & water at an aid camp. Save the Children, World Vision and the British Red Cross have called for an immediate halt to adoptions of Haitian children not approved before the earthquake, warning that child traffickers could exploit the lack of regulation. There has been a surge in offers from well-meaning foreigners. The scale of the problem is potentially enormous. Haiti is awash with children, with 45 per cent of its population younger than 15. One UN official estimated that between 40,000 and 60,000 children were killed, orphaned or separated from their families by the earthquake. Read this full article here:
timesonline.co.uk

"We don't need soldiers"

youtube.com
PATRICK ELIE, a former Haitian minister comments on the arrival of thousands of armed marines from the USA who were flown in 5 days after the earthquake. Instead of shipping in water, food, aid workers and medicine it was deemed appropriate by the USA to send armed soldiers to a situation that required humanitarian aid. This was not a war zone, this was a disaster zone. The airport is under USA authority, effectively it approves and controls everything that lands in Haiti. American citizens have donated $137 million to the American Red Cross since this disaster struck on January 12th, 2010. Jacmel Airport has opened and is flying in Canadian Military Forces with aid supplies. 1,400 aid planes are reported to be waiting to land.
Some context to Haiti before the earthquake is available here:
viiphoto.com
Haiti is the poorest society in the Western Hemisphere, high crime rate, drug cartels, abject poverty for the majority of the population with minimal chances of improvement unless serious financial aid is offered by overseas aid in all its functional forms.

James Nachtwey, Struggle to Live - the fight against TB

JAMES NACHTWEY is undisputedly the finest living photojournalist and documentarian of the human condition alive and working today. Featured on the magnificent website burn. burnmagazine.org
which positions itself as 'an evolving journal for emerging photographers' and is founded by Magnum photographer David Alan Harvey & photographer Anton Kusters. I suggest you make time today to download the complete 'essay' and take a moment to consider the cost of care provided by your government.

Wideline Fils Amie

WIDELINE FILS AMIE. She is nine years old. Both her parents are dead, and her only possession is the red tartan dress on her back. For the past week, she's been living and sleeping in the indescribably filthy back-yard of the Foyer de Sion orphanage in Pétionville. When you ask how she is feeling, Wideline whispers two words, through her broken teeth: "hungry" and "scared".
independent.co.uk

In addition to being the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti also has some of the worst water in the world, ranking last in the Water Poverty Index. The RFK Center released internal US Treasury Department documents on August 4, 2008, exposing politically motivated actions by the US government to stop the dispersal of $146 million in loans that the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved for Haiti. The IDB originally approved the loans in July 1998, including $54 million for urgently needed water and sanitation projects. However, documents show that IDB and US Department of Treasury staff sought ways to tie the loans’ release to unrelated political conditions that US leaders wanted the Haitian government to comply with. This intervention was in direct violation of the IDB’s charter, which bars the Bank from basing decisions upon the political affairs of member states. Go here for this full report
projectcensored.org

AC360 in Haiti

JONATHAN TORGOVNIK / Reportage by GETTY images. Shown today on CNN website. Behind the scenes film & photography following CNN journalist/reporter Anderson Cooper, he helps a young boy to safety after looters riot and throw stones and bottles at a crowd of people in downtown Port-au-prince January 18, 2010. It's 6 days since the earthquake struck the centre of Haiti and the situations don't seem to be improving for many people who lack water, food and shelter. Out of desperation comes survival and with 2 million people requiring aid, lets hope the politics allows this to happen as soon as possible. View the site here
ac360.blogs.cnn.com

Martin Luther King, Jr Day

MARTIN LUTHER KING, Jr Day commemorating the birthday (Jan 15th) of the great public activist and clergyman. In 1964, at the age of thirty-five Martin Luther King, Jr was the youngest man to achieve the Nobel Peace Prize. he turned his prize money over to the civil rights movement. One place where this day is observed as important is in the Japanese city of Hiroshima under mayor Tadatoshi Akiba, who holds a special banquet at the mayor's office as an act of unifying his city's call for peace with King's message of human rights. Arigato!

www.humankind.me

SUNDAY. Visit Humankind.me Enjoy.

Ricardo Levins Morales

CHECK out the web site of Ricardo Levins Morales, to quote him " I remain engaged in working for a world in which humans and our relations can flourish. I hope that my art will contribute to that goal and that you will find ways in which it can help make your life and those around you better. Enjoy!" The above poster is a fundraiser for Haitian earthquake relief. Proceeds go to Partner in Health, the Haitian-led aid organisation founded by Dr Paul Farmer.
rlmarts.com

Henri Matisse, 1869-1954

HENRI MATISSE, in his final years, too weak to stand at an easel, created paper-cut outs & collages, assembling in colored paper, scissoring out shapes, and collaging them into large & small pictures. These works, daringly brilliant, are the nearest he ever came to abstraction. They are the vision of an artist who has clarified movement & effect into a feeling.
Bravo!

Dennis Stock, 1928-2010

DENNIS STOCK, a photographer with Magnum Photos for almost 50 years passed on Monday 11th 2010. You can view a variety of his wonderful era defining images online, namely his portrayal of James Dean, which defined the young youth rebel as he waited on the cusp of fame and in the months before his death, all iconic images of the young JD which you will recognise.
In addition Stock was a great fan of jazz and spent 3 years, (that's dedication!), on his portraits of a jazz musician's life in the years 1957-1960. A true historian of the changing times, he captured California throughout the 60's, on the road and with the hippies.
In his own words; "Art is a well articulated manifestation of an aspect of life. I have been privileged to view much of life through my cameras, making the journey an enlightened experience. My emphasis has mainly been on affirmative reactions to human behaviour and a strong attraction to the beauty in nature." RIP Dennis. Your images will resonate on. Peace

Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison 41 years ago

1968. 13th January. Johnny Cash records his landmark 'At Folsom Prison' album. One of the legendary live albums out there, such energy transcends the medium, would we see such a thing today? Johnny began visiting prisons in the late 60's, mainly to preach about beating the demons in his life. He did this through his words & song. Rock on John.

The EDGE Annual Question 2010

BUCKMINSTER FULLER as filmed by Richard Avedon (above) got me THINKING of the future good of the planet and empowering the kids that will save us (Yeah I know kids it is a raw deal but someone's gotta do it) allow me to quote JOHN BROCKMAN who writes in THE HUFFINGTON POST today;
"A new invention has emerged, a code for the collective conscious, which requires a new way of thinking. The collective externalized mind is the mind we all share. The Internet is the infinite oscillation of our collective conscious interacting with itself. It's not about computers. It's not about what it means to be human -- in fact it challenges, renders trite, our cherished assumptions on that score. It's about thinking. "We're talking."

This year's Question is "How is the Internet changing the way YOU think?" Not "How is the Internet changing the way WE think?" We spent a lot of time going back on forth on "YOU" vs. "WE" and came to the conclusion to go with "YOU", the reason being that Edge is a conversation. "WE" responses tend to come across like expert papers, public pronouncements, or talks delivered from stage.

We wanted people to think about the "Internet", which includes, but is a much bigger subject than the Web, an application on the Internet, or search, browsing, etc., which are apps on the Web. Back in 1996, computer scientist and visionary Danny Hillis pointed out that when it comes to the Internet, "Many people sense this, but don't want to think about it because the change is too profound. Today, on the Internet the main event is the Web. A lot of people think that the Web is the Internet, and they're missing something. The Internet is a brand-new fertile ground where things can grow, and the Web is the first thing that grew there. But the stuff growing there is in a very primitive form. The Web is the old media incorporated into the new medium. It both adds something to the Internet and takes something away."
Go get em kids. You can read the whole article here
Huffingtonpost.com

New Generation Polaroid Camera

Aldous Huxley by Avedon

OUT of the Ice Age and into a Brave New World. Written in 1932 by Aldous Huxley. That's the current book of choice and I'll have to see who has attempted to take this onto the cinema screens...perhaps it should be you or me to do so...
On 21 October 1949, Huxley wrote to George Orwell, author of Nineteen Eighty-Four, congratulating Orwell on "how fine and how profoundly important the book is". In his letter to Orwell, he predicted:
"Within the next generation I believe that the world's leaders will discover that infant conditioning and narco-hypnosis are more efficient, as instruments of government, than clubs and prisons, and that the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience.
Above quote sourced from Wikipedia, thanks dudes...

Winter 2010

THE bigger picture, literally zooming out and East of Scotland & the British Isles from yesterday to reveal the North and South Americas covered in the Winter Clouds. Thermals are the best bet in an ice-age. Vodka in the car's radiator will prevent it freezing and should you get caught in a drift may well allow you to start the car in the mornings. I've been reliably informed should you find yourself in a drinking session with a Polish, Russian or Outer Mongolian friend then it is advisable to layer your stomach with apples, peaches, pears, thus preventing the alcohol somewhat from overwhelming your blood stream. And slowly filtering itself into your stomach. Enjoy!

Scotland in Snow

SCOTLAND and all of the British Isles covered in snow due to the Northernly winds sweeping down from the Arctic to deep freeze the lands. Winter Records set worldwide from China, Japan, Korea and North Europe heading into dark winter nights. Shine the lights from the home hearth and welcome home the weary traveller from faraway lands.

Alessandra Sanguinetti

RED HONG KONG image from my ferry home tonight it's chilly for sure. . . Heartwarming to be heading home to loved ones.
To warm your soul, please focus on the amazing photographers out there, so many good hearts around the world showcasing the humanity in bloom. Check out the rich visuals of Alessandra Sanguinetti, represented by Magnum Agency, you can read her bio on the Magnum Photos site and here's a link to her personal website which features many wonderful & wild images. Bene!
alessandrasanguinetti.com
HEY Enjoy the Snow & Ice Scotland, Mum & Dad travel safe. Peace. Noel

Dolphins don't watch Television...

TIMES Online.
Scientists say dolphins should be treated as 'non-human persons'
"Dolphins have been declared the world’s second most intelligent creatures after humans, with scientists suggesting they are so bright that they should be treated as “non-human persons”.
And they don't watch television, which pretty much allows them time to think and develop even further as a species? - Noel
timesonline.co.uk
“Many dolphin brains are larger than our own and second in mass only to the human brain when corrected for body size,” said Lori Marino, a zoologist at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, who has used magnetic resonance imaging scans to map the brains of dolphin species and compare them with those of primates.'

Chris Hedges article from truthdig

TODAY just finished a forceful anti-war article by Chris Hedges, Pulitzer prize winning journalist entitled
'The Pictures of War You Aren't Supposed to See'. He name checks two books within his piece; Peter van Agtmael's
"2nd Tour Hope I don't Die" and Lori Grinker's "Afterwar:Veterns From a World in Conflict". You can read most of the second book online and view the imagery also. Powerful indeed.
Check out the complete article at www.truthdig.com

Humankind Website

Welcome to the Humankind.me website. As we begin anew in the first week of 2010, join us, leave your comments, just drop by ..... Humankind.me

Shangrila, Yunnan, China

PORTRAIT of a lady, who sits in the audience alongside me watching the Tibetan show below. She is under ten feet away from me so I think I have the 180mm lens on. It's pitch black of course around us, and her face is lit from the stage lights. I like this photograph caught in the moment. Intimate & intriguing. Humankind.me

Shangrila, Yunnan, China

GAZE upon colourful costumes and surrender to hypnotizing melodies with an overwhelming spiritual intoxication when you release yourself to the possibilities of the Universal energies swirling around us. Powerful huh? This show was enjoyed by many people on a daily basis, tourists from all across China. Tomorrow I will upload a portrait of a fellow audience member as she watched the show alongside me.....

Litang, Sichuan, China

PRELUDE to the second shot posted yesterday, you can see the gorgeous costume of the girl.

These shots deliver what is most fun about documentary photography, the surprises or situations that develop as you turn a street corner, walk through an open door, visit a new land. Life is full of potential. Live it as so and blessed to do so.

Litang, Sichuan, China

ON the way to school. 3 girls head to class in Litang, Sichuan Province. The shot prior to this action I will upload tomorrow, together they make a good duo combination. This was filmed with the 24mm lens and I had to move fast to try and capture the action with the love-heart background, before the girls walked past it.

Happy New Year 2010

WE wish all our friends a peaceful & positive new year into new accomplishments in 2010

Inspire & Guide those around you. Noel