Benj
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benjel.bsky.social
Benj
@benjel.bsky.social
200 followers 96 following 99 posts
Florida man in Baku. Travels and sails. Student for life and teaches social science. Reads about business and history. Enjoys comics and death metal.
🗣️🇺🇸🇫🇷🇷🇺
More of a cat person.
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benjel.bsky.social
Hello, Doha! Swanky hotel? Oh, yes. 🇶🇦 #indoors #travel #photograph #qatar
The image shows an intricate and striking architectural design feature within a hotel. The main focus is a large, angular glass and metal structure that extends upwards, forming an impressive overhead canopy or atrium. The design incorporates a series of intersecting triangular and diamond-shaped panels, creating a dynamic and geometric visual effect. Some of the panels are made of clear glass, allowing natural light to filter through, while others have a metallic, mirrored finish that reflects the surrounding environment. The overall impression is one of modern, sophisticated design that is both aesthetically pleasing and functionally integrated into the building's architecture.
January 24, 2025 at 8:02 AM
benjel.bsky.social
At Heydar Aliyev Airport. Leaving Baku again for a week on work. Destination: Doha, Qatar.
The image shows a large, dimly lit airport terminal with a high, curved glass ceiling. The terminal is empty, with rows of black leather chairs arranged in the center of the space. The windows on the walls are tall and narrow, and the artificial lighting creates a moody, almost theatrical atmosphere. The overall impression is of a modern, minimalist design with a focus on functionality and efficiency.
January 23, 2025 at 5:22 PM
benjel.bsky.social
Soviet mural in downtown Baku, #Azerbaijan. The mural commemorates "The Great Patriotic War," a different take on World War II.
A Soviet-era mural on a building wall in Baku, painted in white and beige geometric shapes, depicting stylized figures with upraised hands and a cross symbol, commemorating World War II. The mural is set against a cream-colored building with classical architectural details.
January 18, 2025 at 1:43 PM
benjel.bsky.social
After-school and overcast in Baku. #azerbaijan #school #football #cityscape
A soccer field with artificial turf and white goal posts at a school in Baku, Azerbaijan. The urban skyline stretches across the background, featuring numerous cream-colored high-rise apartment buildings against a moody winter sky with scattered white clouds. A few people play soccer on the field while evergreen trees line the perimeter. The late afternoon light casts a warm glow on the buildings, contrasting with the cool, overcast atmosphere.
January 14, 2025 at 3:22 PM
benjel.bsky.social
I greatly appreciated the street art in Tbilisi, Georgia. Lamb's work could be found throughout the city back in 2017.
#travel #georgia #streetart
January 13, 2025 at 4:19 PM
benjel.bsky.social
A friend was looking for a deal on an Azerbaijani carpet. I tell her, every carpet seller I've met is happy to cut a deal. Everyone gets a "friend price."

That song and dance is all part of the game. I admire the dishonesty built into the tradition.
January 12, 2025 at 6:34 PM
benjel.bsky.social
More quaint warnings from the the 1990s #punk and #hardcore scene.

I found this one in Reversal of Man's (1998) "Revolution Summer."

The entire insert booklet for this 10" is a work of art. It uses the old zine methods of copy editing.
January 10, 2025 at 5:06 PM
benjel.bsky.social
Tucked inside Catharsis's double-LP "Samsara" (1998), I found this insert promoting an indie publisher.

Feels so quaint these days. #hardcore #music #indie #punk
"WHEN CORPORATIONS RULE THE PLANET, YOU'LL MISS THE SMALL PRESS" "We're living at a time in history when multinational corporations have become the largest single force in determining the way we live our lives. Not only do they control nearly all areas of commerce & consumption, they also control the flow of information and ideas. Fewer than 10 corporations control most of the global media and it's getting worse with every corporate merger. As these institutions become larger and larger, they control more and more of our lives. They decide what is "newsworthy"... they decide which books get published... they decide which opinions will be voiced. These points of view inevitably support the agendas of those that control these empires. Advertisers manufacture our desires while "news" editors manufacture our consent by regulating the flow of information... information about the health effects of chemicals in our food, the effects of our consumption on the biosphere, and the real cost of the products we buy (in terms of human misery & ecological destruction). These corporations are subsidized by our tax dollars through an elaborate system of corporate welfare. They exist to make a profit for their shareholders. This is their prime directive and it is becoming increasingly evident that they will steamroll anyone or anything in their path in order to meet this objective. These corporations won't be publishing books on grassroots resistance to U.S. imperialism & war, or be making movies about labor struggles. They won't be reporting on the devastating ecological effects of urban sprawl and a culture based on fossil fuel dependency. This is why the independent press, now more than ever before, is essential to the well-being of a vibrant and original culture of resistance. Indeed it is vital to our very freedom, quality of life and right to honest information. Alternative media (and all small businesses) all over the world are in danger of extinction. Your support is essent… "TREE OF KNOWLEDGE PRESS" "Tree of Knowledge is a mailorder distribution & publishing collective struggling to provide the finest in alternative media at affordable prices. We have more than 150 zines, books, and pamphlets focusing on health & social issues, activism, DIY, anarchism, ecology, alternative living, punk/hardcore, youth culture, feminism, veganism, & other forms of intelligent rebellion. We've got zines such as Auto-Free Times, Fucktooth, Contrascience, Icarus Was Right, Inside Front, The Match!, Flavorpak, War Crime, Here Be Dragons, Cooties, Retrogression, Screams From Inside, Dishwasher, Temp Slave, Outpunk, Dwgsht, Femme Flicke, Cometbus, Doris, The Underground Auto Worker, Dwelling Portably, War Crime, Live Wild or Die, Slug & Lettuce, Backseat, & Enobled Mind... plus a good selection of comics (including the entire Migraine Press catalog). We've got books by Emma Goldman, Noam Chomsky, Judi Bari, Graham Purchase, Ward Churchill, Grace Llewellyn, Mumia Abu-Jamal, Raoul Vaneigem, and many other articulate folks. We publish stuff when we can... stuff like The Playground Messiah, a graphic novel by Emily Heiple & Nate Powell about some teenage revolutionaries who inspire an uprising in their high school, or Spectacle Magazine, a journal of ecology, activism, humor, & alternatives & resistance to corporate dominance & destruction of the planet. Our 1999 mailorder catalog is out and is yours for just $1.00 (or some stamps) from the address below. Thanks a lot!"
January 9, 2025 at 4:33 PM
benjel.bsky.social
As I approached my front door, I heard the Mars Volta coming from inside the apartment. I then walked into a cosmic light show. #unexpected #psychedelic
January 7, 2025 at 5:19 PM
benjel.bsky.social
After completing the shorebased course last month, I received my RYA Coastal Skipper & Yachmaster Offshore certificate today. Looking forward to applying those skills this spring. ⛵ #accomplishment
January 7, 2025 at 3:38 PM
benjel.bsky.social
My Master of Science in Business Analytics officially kicks off this week. #quantic #business #analytics #lifelonglearner #stoked
Screenshot from Quantic's MSBA homepage, indicating it's Week 1 of the program.
January 6, 2025 at 3:25 PM
benjel.bsky.social
Early Sunday afternoon near Fountain Square Baku. #Azerbaijan #photos #trees #architecture #winter
A tree-lined sidewalk in downtown Baku, with classical European-style architecture, ornate balconies, and a Boss store. Parallel-parked cars line the street. Looking up at bare winter trees against a cloudy sky, framing the elaborate balconies and façades of a historic Baku apartment building.
January 5, 2025 at 9:28 AM
benjel.bsky.social
Good morning, Baku. #Azerbaijan #photograph #skyline
Baku's skyline on a clear morning, showing Soviet-era apartments in the foreground and modern towers rising in the distance, with an urban park cutting through the city center.
January 3, 2025 at 6:01 AM
benjel.bsky.social
The view from below inside the Istanbul Airport. #travel #architecture
January 2, 2025 at 3:22 PM
benjel.bsky.social
I-guana wish you the happiest of New Years! 🎉
#Florida #nature #wildlife
A green iguana sunbathing on a textured tree branch, its spiky crest silhouetted against blue sky and foliage. Close-up shot showing the reptile's scaly detail.
January 1, 2025 at 7:00 PM
benjel.bsky.social
A walk through a familiar neighborhood seven years ago. I always look forward to revisiting this street. #BoyntonBeachFL #travel #sunset
A suburban street at sunset with palm trees silhouetted against a dramatic orange and yellow sky. Typical Florida single-story homes line the curved road.
December 31, 2024 at 8:48 PM
benjel.bsky.social
Lunchtime view of the Intracoastal in #BoyntonBeachFL.
December 31, 2024 at 7:03 PM
benjel.bsky.social
The city boasts the largest mosque in Central Asia. The promanade featured kiosks shaped like yurts.
An outdoor walkway or promenade with traditional Kazakh yurt-style structures (booths) set up along the path. These structures are decorated in traditional Kazakh patterns with white, green, and red colors. String lights are hung overhead in a web pattern. People are walking along the paved pathway, and trees are visible in the background. A close-up view of one of the decorative yurt-style booths. It shows the detailed ornamentation including fleur-de-lis patterns in red, traditional Kazakh geometric designs in green, and gold trim. Inside the booth is a white-clothed table with floral decorations. (AI used to remove the vendors' faces.) Interior of a mosque, in Astana/Nur-Sultan, showing spectacular Islamic architecture. The space features ornate white walls with geometric patterns and Arabic calligraphy, large decorative chandeliers with blue geometric designs, and a stunning turquoise and navy patterned carpet with flowing arabesque designs. Natural light streams in through ornamental windows, and several visitors can be seen in the prayer hall.
December 30, 2024 at 9:48 PM
benjel.bsky.social
Earlier this year, I visited Astana, Kazakhstan. The skyline was breathtaking.
#travel #Kazakhstan #architecture
A panoramic view of Astana's modern city center from an elevated position. In the foreground is the neoclassical Kazakh National Opera building with its white columns and grand entrance. Behind it rises the city's distinctive skyline, dominated by the Soviet-style Triumph of Astana building with its spired top. The image shows a mix of modern architecture and green spaces with parking areas visible in the mid-ground. A closer view of the city's business district showing the iconic curved golden-glass "beer can" tower (officially the Kazakhstan Business Center) and several modern blue-glass skyscrapers. In the foreground is a curved neoclassical building complex that forms part of the city's administrative quarter. The image captures the dramatic contrast between contemporary and traditional architectural styles. A view looking down one of the city's main boulevards, with modern office towers on the left and a striking white mosque with golden domes on the right. The boulevard is lined with trees and heavy traffic is visible. The image particularly highlights the city's mix of modern architecture with traditional Islamic design elements.
December 30, 2024 at 9:39 PM
benjel.bsky.social
Hard to believe in a time when South Florida public schools were built on the beach. Yet, in the 1930s, that's where the community developed Boynton High School.

Images courtesy of the Boynton Beach Historical Society. www.boyntonhistory.org/boynton-high... #BoyntonBeachFL #history #education
A vintage black and white photograph of a large Spanish Colonial or Mediterranean Revival-style building with a central section flanked by two wings. The building features arched entrances, multiple windows, and a tiled roof. Some palm trees are visible on either side, and what appears to be an old car is parked in front. The foreground shows an undeveloped or grassy area. A vintage black and white photograph showing a row of Spanish or Mediterranean-style houses with palm trees lining the street. The houses appear to be two-story structures with white or light-colored stucco walls and arched architectural details.
December 29, 2024 at 6:13 PM
benjel.bsky.social
Nearly thirty years later, I still have an affinity for Casio calculator watches.
A Casio calculator watch worn on someone's wrist, showing the time as 12:02. The watch has a digital display and a calculator keypad below it. It's labeled as "WATER RESIST" and "ALARM CHRONOGRAPH" on the face. The watch has a silver/grey casing and is photographed against a dark background.
December 28, 2024 at 5:11 PM
benjel.bsky.social
Another closet rummage discovery. In high school, I was fortunate to take a photography class. In the mid-1990s, this class would have predated the ubiquity of digital photography. My parents had kept my portfolio and classwork.

We were assigned to take selfies before they were called that.
A contact sheet of black and white photographs showing multiple expressions and poses of a person outdoors. The photos appear to be taken in sequence on Kodak TMX 5052 film. The scene shows a white building and trees in the background, while the subject is seated and goes through various expressions from smiling to contemplative to covering their face. The contact sheet layout shows approximately 15-20 frames arranged in rows, each capturing a slightly different moment or expression. The photos have a warm sepia-like tone and appear to be from a casual, candid photo session.
December 28, 2024 at 4:53 PM
benjel.bsky.social
Development along the Intracoastal Waterway of Pompano Beach, FL, 2012 and 1989 with 2015 map.
An aerial photograph taken in 2012 of Pompano Beach in Florida. It shows a long strip of high-rise condominiums along the Atlantic Ocean. The Intracoastal Waterway runs parallel to the beach, creating a narrow barrier island. On the west side of the waterway are dense residential neighborhoods with single-family homes. The Atlantic appears deep blue, contrasting with the urban development. Image courtesy of formulanone. https://flic.kr/p/SujtKZ An aerial view of a residential waterfront Pompano Beach, Florida neighborhood in 1989. The image shows single-story homes with white roofs along a wide waterway. One property has a visible swimming pool. The photograph has a purple-blue tint and shows a more suburban, less developed area compared to later images. Photograph taken by Robert M. Overton in 1989. Image archived by the Florida Memory project. https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/131760 US Topo 7.5-minute map for Pompano Beach, FL, from the U.S. Geological Survey. https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Maps/USTopo/PDF/FL/FL_Pompano_Beach_20150804_TM_geo.pdf
December 28, 2024 at 2:29 PM
benjel.bsky.social
Other finds from my parents' closets: LPs. Let me say, Jethro Tull's turned packaging into an art. We're talking watercolor paintings, pop-up gatefolds, and a newspaper complete with help wanted ads, cartoons, a crossword puzzle, etc. #vinyl
December 27, 2024 at 5:19 PM
benjel.bsky.social
Whenever I visit Florida, I take advantage of walks before dawn. #BoyntonBeachFL
December 27, 2024 at 3:07 PM