facing....FACEBOOK

Plastic Clock , Gold Hill NC 7/2008

All reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

Is it possible to have 2,000 friends?

Is Facebook.com a waste of time?

I don't know but it sure is fun!

www.facebook.com

FEMA asks for Immunity Stick

Construction Site Marker, Baton Rouge LA 2006 from Baton Rouge Blues

All reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

Well, even on television, you can't ask to have the immunity stick, and this isn't Survivor or any t.v. show. No, this is our Federal Government agency FEMA (The Federal Emergency Management Agency) , asking that they be granted immunity from any lawsuits resulting from the $2.5 Billion worth of tainted trailers bought to house hurricane survivors!

I think the people who had to live in those toxic fume filled trailers are the survivors who should get an immunity stick, not FEMA!

In the Buff!

Mall of Louisiana , Baton Rouge LA 3/2008 from Bayou's Edge

All reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

"The more wetlands you have in the swath of the hurricane the lower the damages tend to be."*

Robert Costanza , Researcher on storm study

*Wetlands called storm buffers by Cain Burdeau the Associated Press 7/22/2008

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LA_HURRICANES_WETLANDS_LAOL-?SITE=LABAT&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

HORSE SHITE*!

Horses, Baton Rouge LA 2006 from Baton Rouge Blues

All reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

The Road Home program will lay off 550 employees and shut down two housing assistance centers as part of an effort to best utilize funding. ICF International, which administers the federally funded program that helps people who lost their houses in hurricanes Katrina and Rita, announced this afternoon the layoffs would take place Sept. 13. Housing assistance centers in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Kenner and Lake Charles will remain open, but the centers in Chalmette and Harvey will close. ICF says most homeowners have received their housing grants, and the layoffs will not impact the company's ability to process applications.

ICF's announcement came after the Louisiana Recovery Authority announced it was fining the company more than $1 million for failing to meet performance benchmarks. ICF was fined $692,500 for failing to close 116,000 cases by June 30; the amount was $500 for each closing it did not hold. ICF was also fined nearly $357,000 for failing to meet performance metrics. The state is reviewing to see if ICF met other goals; additional penalties could be forthcoming.

News Alert: Road Home program to lay off 550; ICF fined more than $1 million

Daily Report by the businessreport.com July 15 , 2008

*a very british and therefore great way of saying shit. shite sounds much more effective than shit

Fee Feye Foe Fum why pay another one!

BAFFLE RING $2.00 SHAFT .75 cents , New Orleans 2005

All reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

If an arts organization, and I use that term loosely, cannot fund an exhibition.......they should not be trying to mount one? Obviously , the days of sending slides and a sase , has been replaced with send a cd and a Fee!

And I am not referring to any organization specifically! This trend is one of many I have noticed, which I think is a result of a maturing medium (photography) and the growing legend of it's practitioners!

The Millionaire Next Door

Blue Car and Sky, Metairie LA 1995 from Homefront

All reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

No, I am not talking about the book , The Millionaire Next Door ,
by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko , which taught us how to live below our means and not try to keep up with the Jones.

I am speaking about a New Orleans man, John Marque , who died in March at the age of 79, leaving $20 million to the Greater New Orleans Foundation (www.gnof.org). $20 million is a remarkable sum but the surprise was that it was made by just the kind of guy Stanley and Danko speak about in their book.

John Marque ate breakfast at the local diner and drank at his neighborhood bar. He drove a used Saturn sedan. Marque also still lived in the same house that he had for over three decades and wore thrift store clothing. You get the picture of his modesty?
I am always fascinated by these stories about wealthy people who choose to live quietly and modestly, but this one gave me a small sense of pride, since this story was about a New Orleanian

What Not To Wear

Paige's Pink Dress, New Orleans 2005

All reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

No, I am not speaking about the popular television show where two hosts make fun of a person's wardrobe and then go about re-dressing them. This is a story about a retiring New Orleans police officer , Sgt. Bobby Guidry , who on his last day of service decided (for unknown reasons - maybe nostalgia?) to wear his powder blue uniform shirt rather than the new black one.

This sounds like big stuff, high crimes? Well his superior launched an investigation , to be conducted by the "Public Integrity Bureau ". The whole situation could have cost him an honorable end to his career , a blemish on his record , effecting his pension and maybe further law enforcement work outside of and beyond NOPD. Fortunately, somebody at HDQ. had the common sense to rest this case , by simple citing the incident in his service record. Amen for Sgt. Guidry.

This story which I found on line at http://www.nola.com/, titled "Shirt controversy may be ironed out" , by Laura Maggi / Times-Picayune July 11, 2008 , really concerns me! At a time when the New Orleans Police Dept is seriously under-manned , still needing a loan of 300 La National Guardsman to help bolster the ranks, that the powers that be would bother with such an incidence is silly!

Wake up folks, use some common sense and focus on real problems , serious crime , and real issues , finding capable young police recruits! If I were a young person, looking for a career in law enforcement and I read a story like this, it would make me consider another organization besides NOPD.

On lesser but still practical matters, why is the police dept. changing uniforms anyway? So all the shirts that rank and file wore now need to be replaced? Last time I checked, these folks were not exactly bringing home big pay checks which would justify a brand new wardrobe?Also, to go from powder blue to black shirts in New Orleans? You ever ride in the summer in New Orleans and the car had black interior? I'm thinking heat magnet! This is all about common sense , which it appears the heat of New Orleans is affecting? Besides, I always thought only the bad guys wore black?

Can we nominate the New Orleans Police Dept. to appear on “What Not to Wear”? I think they give all their guests a new wardrobe allowance…that might help recruiting?

PICTURING PEOPLE John Ramsey Miller

John Shooting , Gold Hill NC 7/2008

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John R. Miller , thriller writer extraordinaire , outdoorsmen , artist and dear old friend.

LOUISIANA ART & SCIENCE MUSEUM

KIM SOM , New Orleans 1998 from FALLEN PARADISE

All reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

FALLEN PARADISE

(New Orleans 1995-2005)

Opening reception:

Thursday July 10th 5-7 PM

FREE

Exhibition:

July 5 - September 28, 2008

Louisiana Art & Science Museum

100 South River Road

downtown Baton Rouge

225-344-5272

www.lasm.org

FORE!!!!!

Golf Trophy, Gold Hill NC 7/2008

All reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

Miami- Forecasters say Tropical Storm Bertha likely will become the season's first hurricane today!

NOLA NOTES

One Blue Eye, Baton Rouge LA 2008

All reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

It was reported today

President Bush signed into law a $162 Billion war spending bill which would require Louisiana to come up with $1.8 Billion for flood protection/levee construction. What does Louisiana's coastal protection have to do with a war? Evidently a great deal!

The city of New Orleans is gearing up to rid the city of FEMA trailers! Four inspectors have been hired to begin enforcing the trailer ban! Approximately 4000 FEMA trailers remain in use in the city. At 1000 trailers per inspector, . if each inspector gets 2.75 trailers out of the city every single day, they will be done in one year!