Carmen n.4

Carmen n.4, originally uploaded by ananda_nahu.

Another version by Ananda Nahu

# VIVA CARLOS

# VIVA CARLOS, originally uploaded by izolag.

Izolaq continues to rock my images transforming them into master pieces.

Yolanda n1

Yolanda n1, originally uploaded by ananda_nahu.

Another Nahu redux of one of my images. I love the fact that these people who were a part of my youth continue to live on in the eyes of others across a whole continent. Simply amazing how small the world has become in the age of the internet. Smaller and warmer and just a little more kinder. Truly, the world is in the hands of the generations growing up in this age.

190x160

190x160, originally uploaded by ananda_nahu.

When a queen becomes a goddess....

Izolag and Ananda are a tag team, both from Brazil, they rock the Favelas with their murals as well as create fantastic canvases. An amazing pair, and incredible artists.

#BOMBOX

#BOMBOX, originally uploaded by izolag.

By, Izolag. The power of the internet and the immortalization of of a good friend by one of the world's foremost muralists. It left me speechless today.

Puerto Rican Day Parade, Bronx

Puerto Rican Day Parade, Bronx, originally uploaded by Rigglord.

Para Mi Gente

Microtek SUCKS

The Microtek ArtixScan 4000tf 35mm and APS film scanner.

I have a Microtek scanner that now operates as a paper weight on my desk. After numerous calls to the company I was told that they no long have a repair facility in the US to support their products and in fact was closed in 2004. After going back and forth with their customer support, which must be run by a bunch of malcontents working at a temporary job until something better comes up I got this as a reply;


"Microtek's repair facility closed in December 2004 and to accommodate many of our out of warranty customers Microtek authorized Customer Service to offer replacement units at a reduced price."

Maisah
New Micro, Inc.
d.b.a. Microtek Customer Service
10900 E 183rd St., Suite 290
Cerritos, CA 90703
Customer Service: 310-687-5940
Web Support: www.support.microtek.com

You would think that was a good deal. Not. You would still have to fork over $500.00 to get an equivalent model. Mind you that this product only produced less then 2000 scans and a quick look around the web seems to substantiate this for some other of their products.

My advice; stay the hell away from them. Buy their products at your own peril.

When he comes knocking

When he comes knocking, originally uploaded by Rigglord.

I have been struggling with this growing anger over people responses to illegal immigration, specifically the rising tide of racism that I have been reading on local blogs. I saw this beautiful stain glass window of an iconic image of Jesus Christ knocking on a door as a metaphor for the discussion around immigration issues. I decided to juxtapose what I have been reading against that image. Here are the quotes, typos and all;

Welcome to America. The most violent nation on earth.

I get a kick out of these people naming themselves "Jesus" "Angel" what a crock that is.

Do you think they really used the term "undocumented" during biblical times?

U.N. visitor!!! More like illegal imagrant!!! No more amnesty people!

The truth hurts, you Chili lover.

"Si, my head hurts!"

Whats wrong with profiling? If it looks like a thug acts like a thug its a thug!

You mean illegals brought it on themselves.

The cop is going on trial for manslaughter for killing a beaner. Period.

He probably wants a jury of his peers to be 12 illegal aliens.

Put a bullet in his head!

the average Latino is not smart enough for my standards. And yes, low IQ people (85-90) of all races are a burden on society. But we are stuck with them. There's no reason to import tens of millions of low IQ violent people who will always be a burden on society.

AH yes another racist from LA RAZA who is pissed off because his degenerate ancestors could not invent anything or contribute to the advance of civlization,

If he is so concerned about these animals, why not teach them the correct way to become a citizens!

Anyone else tired of hearing about illegal immigrants? America is reminding me of a roach motel.

illegals should be treated as the garbage-scum they are. I wish they were shooting them dead as they cros the border

Alex

Alex, originally uploaded by Rigglord.

Alex was a former gang member with the Savage Skulls which was at its biggest in the 70's and 80's. As time wore on he grew disillusioned with the Outlaw life and turned to religion as a way to deal with the pain and demons of his earlier life. His transformation was driven by the birth of his first son and his need to build a family. One of his brothers that I know of, Lil Man, was killed during the gang years and this greatly impacted Alex's life. We would spend hours talking about life and god as I hung out with Alex as he did security for the buildings that were getting rehabilitated on our block. At that time the Savage Skulls was transforming as well under the leadership of Commanche and they started doing security work in protecting the buildings that were being built or renovated.

The last time I saw Alex, he had a new wife and seem to be happy and at peace with himself.

The Guys on the Block

The Guys on the Block, originally uploaded by rigglord.

Strange what emotions crop up when you look at old photos. Nostalgia, a remembered smile and sadness.

The Blue Chair

The Blue Chair, originally uploaded by rigglord.

A young woman was murder on Saturday. She is survived by her parents and brother. A equestrian by passion and a budding and gifted photographer who also loved the City of New Orleans. Her room is decorated with all of the ribbons that she has won over the years. On the floor, in neat little stacks, are framed photographs of various things that fascinated her visually. Around the room are photos of her competing. Graceful and elegant she appears in the photos on her horse as she jumps over the hurdles.

Like all these scenes that I have seen in the past I always wonder, why?

The murderer took his own life afterwards. Cold comfort and in the end none at all for her family and friends. She is gone.

Reflections in Blue

Reflections in Blue, originally uploaded by rigglord.

Sometimes the stress of the job becomes overwhelming. I find myself at some scene where some senseless violence has taken place, a situation that has played out repeatedly for me over the years. I try to have a cynical air about the experience, but in reality it affects me just as much as the first time that I witness it.

So in reaction to that I have been attempting to take images of what is in some way the opposite of the situation that I'm in, sometimes within the very day. In other ways to acknowledge a particular experience directly. Not to the negate the violence that I have witness but to acknowledge it in some sort of creative way to help channel some of the emotions that have affected me.

Reflections in Blue is a series of photos that document that inner chaos.

Train to Orchard Beach

Train to Orchard Beach, originally uploaded by rigglord.

I have been uploading all of my images as fast as I can scan them onto Flickr. I hope to concentrate mostly on the images from the South Bronx during the 1980's then expand out to my other body of work as time progresses. I would appreciate any comments or information on the series which can be posted either here or on flickr.

Yonkers Puerto Rican Day Parade

Yonkers Puerto Rican Day Parade, originally uploaded by rigglord.

I have been uploading my South Bronx photos on to Flickr.com. If you are interested in any of the photos, please drop me a line.

Thanks

Flower

Josphine

Rest in Peace

Pasquel "Tiger" Rouse

Originally uploaded by rigglord.

Copy right 2005 Ricky Flores - The Journal News. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction Without Expressed Written Consent.

Shades of Gray

No story is black and white. It's the dirty gray between the lines that cannot be easily defined or fitted into neat packages. They are the words left unsaid and unheard. It's the stuff that we filter out and define based on our own education and experiences. It is where tragedy is found and for me, on this day, pity and sorrow.

Two young boys, ages 3 and 2, drowned or were scalded to death on Friday. The circumstances are not clear. It's believed that the father filled the tub for the boys to take a bath, told the mother, ( or maybe not ), who apparently was sleeping, whether he left the house or as the police stated they both fell asleep in a narcotic stupor is still unclear to me. Several hours later, the boys are found by the parents, so they say, in an overflowing tub filled with hot scalding water that flooded out their apartment and caused water damage to two other apartments below them.

The family, like so many families from the inner cities is a amalgam of several different relationships. Her son was from another father and so was the father's from another woman. A dysfunctional family with no close ties to other family members and who had only friends, who are now divided over what happened, to defend the pair to us in the press. One member of the family didn't even know the name of the step-child. It's said that the police have visited the family over the years, because of the mothers' history of seizures and for the father who had a criminal history dealing with possession of drugs. Both it is said have some sort of drug addiction or abuse but no one saying what kind it is. We all have opinions on what happened, some indifferent, some angry, others just puzzled by what has happened. Some just shrug and move on to other topics of conversation more palatable.

Then I think about what I heard from people who actually saw the pair before they made their appearance in court. Both of the parents emotionless. One said that he saw the mother with her head bowed and her hands shaking in front of her. In court one friend said that she had no expression on her face whatsoever, she looked like she was dead to her. On their second appearance in court only one man who identified himself as a cousin spoke for the father. He claims that the father drew the bath and left the children in the care of the mother. She, he felt, was responsible for what happened. A friend of the mother talked bout how loving she was to the children that she never left them alone and that she always had them with her. For all the love whether indifferent or incompetent, two children are dead and we stake the courthouse out and try to piece the information together any way we can.

The funeral has not been set. The parents were denied bail and if what I understand to be true, couldn't even afford it if they had the means to post it. As for the children, no one seems to know how or when they will have their funeral because it's unclear as to how it's going to be paid for. A family member has yet come forward to take on that responsibility.

I look at the faces of the children, think about what little family that they had and how much life they have lost and all I can feel is sorrow.

Dialogs from a Photographer

We come in contact with peoples lives sometimes at the most stressful and traumatic times of their lives. We have to make contact to get closer to the story and in the process hope to make an image that gives meaning the tragedy. The publics reaction to our being there and attempting to do our jobs are wide ranging and often dramatic. Most ignore us, some look and treat us with disgust and others open up their lives and let us in. Despite popular belief, due mainly to the sensationalism inflicted on us by major media outlets like Fox and The New York Post, for many of us, we are truly there to service them and our readership. There are situations that I believe we should not be cover and if it were not for some middle management person making a bad call, I would rather not be there at all. If I get a clear indication that the family does not want us around then I have no problem what so ever in walking away.

When we come in contact with people who never had any experience with the media and we have to cut through layers of perceptions about who we are and what we really do. Many times people perceptions are justified, but rarely in the circumstances that are currently impacting on their lives.

Our profession has evolved and in many instances devolved from the mission of keeping government open and transparent and monitoring the issues that affect our communities. We struggle with being reactive to breaking news and then struggle some more to go beyond the initial headlines that lead us to the story. In many cases we seriously underestimate our readership and pander to the lowest common denominator simply because we don't want to offend too many people. We live in a time where so called 'real news,' is dictated by news corporations with their own political agendas and where new generations of readers and viewers equate freedom of the press, ethics and objectivity with that of the tabloids and the papparazzi. People now turn to the internet and pick up information that in many instances are inaccurate or downright dangerous. They don't realize the check and balances that exists in the modern newsroom and the dire consequences that face members of the media when they violate those ethical polices. This is something that many websites do not have in place.

We live in a society of information overkill with a small minority of people able to siff through the chaff to get the information that they need. Disinformation is the trend and good solid journalism is the prime target.

The Shows That Never Ends

The Hanger ons, the curious, those that are looking for an angle in which they may gain, others just hoping to catch a bit of that elusive glow. The bored, the cynical, the disinterested and the obligated, sitting in a room hearing about how two lives that was destroyed by one and the fate that awaits the one. Sitting in a dim room in a town where the Constitution was penned and talking about how all that was built on that document will impact the family of the victims and the victimizers just for several days of stories that will recede from memory faster then it takes to take a breath.

It keeps us employed and it serves our audience.

I wonder, do we?