William GREINER: June 2007

Friends You Will Never Meet

Motorcycle Shop Tent, Baton Rouge LA 6/2007 from Baton Rouge Blues

all reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

I didn’t know Chris Roberts. We probably wouldn’t have been friends. He was a tough guy , a motorcycle man , a mechanic and racer. However, I cannot help but feel the loss of Chris Roberts. He was murdered in New Orleans , while trying to stop someone from stealing his motorcycle. He died on father’s day , leaving behind a young daughter, a Katrina baby.

Chris Roberts had moved after Katrina, following the motorcycle manufacturer he worked for to Huntsville, AL. However, Chris decided he missed New Orleans too much , and as strong as his desire to build motorcycles was, the desire to live in New Orleans was stronger.

A very nice short tribute film was made by Confederate Motorcycles:

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/video/index.ssf?chrisroberts

STATE FAIR

Man at Fair, Baton Rouge LA 2006/2007 from Baton Rouge Blues

all reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

LSU School of Art

STATE FAIR

summer invitational exhibition

July 7 - August 4, 2007

Reception: Saturday , July 7th 7-9 PM

Shaw Center, Alfred C. Glassell Jr., Exhibition Gal.
Sponsored by LSU Museum of Art
Open to Public
For more information:
Kristen Krolak
389-7180

not miami INK

William Greiner, Baton Rouge LA 2007

photograph by Chad Chenier

http://www.225batonrouge.com/news/2007/jun/01/blooming-baton-rouge/

Not 2 but 20

School Yard Fence, New Orleans 7/2005

all reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

It was reported today* , that Louisiana Recovery District schools in New Orleans paid The Guidry Group , a Texas firm , nearly $20 million for security services to protect 22 public schools in New Orleans!

Michael Guidry, president of the Guidry Group, acknowledged the contract was pricey! “Does it cost a lot of money? Yes. Have we lost any children? No!” , Guidry was quoted as saying last week.

* State-run N.O. schools’ security to cost $20 million By The Associated Press 6/26/2007

WHAT ARE YOU SMOKING?

Dead Dog, Baton Rouge LA 4/2007 from Baton Rouge Blues

all reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

I had blogged about Robert Polidori’s photographs made in New Orleans after Katrina. Specifically, I was incensed by the image he had made of a dead man , in the man’s bedroom. I thought it an invasion of privacy and undignified! The work ended up on the walls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and in a huge monograph book. Ah , the art of disaster!

Now, Mr. Polidori has decided to lend this work to the cause of smoking cessation in a foreign country! What a creative idea?

Other commentary:

http://amysteinphoto.blogspot.com/2007/06/national-disaster-as-visual-metaphor.html

http://www.galleryhopper.org/archives/2007/06/polidori_katrin.html

MAPPING RISK

World Map - Jazzfest, New Orleans 5/2006 from 8 Days in Spring

all reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

Risk maps took 150 experts more than 18 months to develop:

http://nolarisk.usace.army.mil/#map

THE HURRICANE POSTER PROJECT

Flooded Music Store, New Orleans LA 7/2006

all reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

This is an amazing project , with incredible work:

http://www.thehurricaneposterproject.com/index.php?page=poster

DEAD WOOD

Bare Tree, Gulfshores AL 4/2007

all reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

I have received a number of emails from people responding to my recent blog entry concerning the cutting and harvesting of Louisiana cypress trees for the sole purpose of use as garden mulch! It appears this is actually happening!

It sounds like the plot of a cartoon...
Cypress swamps are clear-cut and entire trees are ground up to make cypress garden mulch. Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and Lowe's are driving destruction of the Gulf's best natural storm protection by selling cypress mulch all over the country. It's time they stopped.
One of the most important actors in this tragic comedy is you. Once you've watched the cartoon, please help ensure a happy ending by using our action system to send an email directly to the CEO's of all three companies. Then, if you show the clip to five friends, we'll send you a little token of thanks.

excerpt from:

http://www.healthygulf.org/

also check:

http://saveourcypress.org

SINKING SHIPS

Tanker on Horizon, Gulf of Mexico 12/2006 from the series CRUISE

all reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

NEW ORLEANS — Tidewater Inc., the world's largest operator of vessels serving the offshore oil and gas industry, may move its corporate headquarters to Houston, company president Dean Taylor said Wednesday.

"We have a lot of sympathy for the city, but our shareholders don't pay us to have sympathy," he said. "They pay us to have results for them. We ultimately need to do what's for them." Taylor said the move proposal is getting serious consideration.

Tidewater Inc. May Move
By BECKY BOHRER Associated Press Writer © 2007 The Associated Press

published June 20, 2007

Going Blind

Surveillance Camera, Baton Rouge LA 4/2007 from Baton Rouge Blues
all reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

Last week, the Associated Press reported that a U.S. hurricane satellite could fail at any time and it’s loss would reduce accuracy of landfall predictions (by 10%*)! That is the bad news.

What is worse news is that it’s replacement is not scheduled to be launched until 2016!

*If the satellite faltered, experts estimate that the accuracy of two-day forecasts would suffer by 10 percent and three-day forecasts by 16 percent, which could translate into miles of coastline and the difference between a city being evacuated or not.

The Road Less Traveled*

Music Express, New Orleans LA 5/2005 from Fallen Paradise

all reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

The outside contractor , ICF, which is administering the distribution of $6.5 billion Road Home program has been audited by the State of Louisiana.

It was determined that ICF has been paid more than $700,000. for travel expenses that the company has not incurred!

No wonder the program has run out of money leaving more than 49,000 homeowners without Road Home funding!

As reported: Audit: Road Home contractor overpaid $700,000 for travel expenses The Times-Picayune June 18, 2007 , David Hammer -Staff writer

*refers to the self help book by M. Scott Peck' , "The Road Less Traveled".

BARKING UP THE WRONG TREES

Tree in Fence, New Orleans LA 4/2007

There is a nasty story circulating about the “fact” that Lowe’s , Home Depot and Wal-Mart (amongst others) are selling cypress mulch for garden decoration , harvested from cutting down cypress trees in Louisiana! These are the same cypress trees which offer a buffer and protection from storm surges. If this story is true:

http://www.healthygulf.org/

all reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

NO ROAD HOME!

Motorcycles on Mountain Road, Telluride CO 6/2007

all reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

It was reported yesterday, that the $6.2 billion set aside to aid the return of New Orleans home owners has dried up! 85,495 home owners will receive the funds , while the balance of an additional estimated, 57,430 are out of luck - unless the Federal Government comes up with an additional $3 - $5 billion dollars.