The Winter Shelters of Los Angeles

A little more information

The two main activities in my life: Helping the hungry in the late hours of the night and helping guitar players sound better one amp at a time.

I always try to remember that in order to do good one has to take action and actually do something.

I was born and raised in Los Angeles. I have watched the city and Southern California change for well over half a century.

I can be found on facebook at www.facebook.com/mylesr or on twitter at www.twitter.com/myles111us

As of late 2019 the music related links and prints noted on this page which had their links to by GAB (Guitar Amplifier Blueprinting) website are no longer accessible. I grew weary of updating my GAB website and let it go away. You can contact me on Facebook. Saunders Stewart Models continues full operation but we are not accepting new clients without a referral.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Below: A video from my friends at http://www.urm.org/ - Andy Bales

Who am I?

It is said that a picture is speaks a thousand words. Here are over three thousand random photos in a slide show. This is what I do, who I know, where I go.

An emotionally draining slideshow which mixes art, whimsy, low production values, a general lack of composition, sexual tension, nausea and the feeling of foolishness you have if you can watch the entire show from beginning to end.

What could be better than an album of nothing but low resolution shots taken with my cellphone (and a few from friends cellphones as well) ... and then, take these low resolution photos and upload them in real time to facebook where the quality and size is reduced even more?

Why I do what I do

To the folks who ask why I do what I do.

For many decades I worked in the corporate sector for very large companies. I worked many hours each week.

On some occasions I actually felt as if I made a change in a life. I could help somebody in their career. I could teach somebody something technical. Those sorts of things.

40-60 hours a week or more was generally not all that rewarding other than the friends I made along the way and the occasional change as I was able to make a difference.

I worked hard to make changes in my own life as most of us do. I made money to buy a house, raise a family. Family and friends are one side of our lives. The outside world is another.

I now have two main "jobs" each day. One is to help guitarists sound better, one amp at a time. I help folks in the music business and pass on what I have learned over decades walking this planet. I also try to help other people who are building their own career. That is one of the joys of being my age. You can help those on their path of building their own lives.

My second "job" is helping the homeless on the streets on Los Angeles. Five or ten hours on the street each week helping people makes more of a direct impact on more people than a month of work in my old life. Whether I feed people a snack, listen to what they have to say, give them a card from http://www.urm.org/ or walk them down to Union Rescue Mission I feel I am making life a little better for somebody.

In order to do something good one generally has to do something as in perform some sort of action. Los Angeles has the highest homeless population in the nation. Perhaps I feel as if I needed to do something.

Blog Traffic - Total Post Reads

This blog was created in December 2009. Statistics were enabled on July 1, 2010. From July 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013 there were more than 12 million reads of this blog.

As of 9/14/2018 there has been 36,395,500 reads. There were 189,708 visitors last month, August 2018.

Posts are also seen on facebook, twitter, google buzz, blogger, digg it, atom and many other services that have opted to distribute my antics for reasons that are at times a mystery to me.

Thanks for following, thanks for reading and thank you for sending the link of this site to your friends.

Myles

A special thanks to the following folks who have supported my efforts directly

I would like to take a moment to thank some very special folks who have directly supported my efforts with the homeless of the City of Los Angeles.

Stephen Boykin, Leonard Rodriguez, David Mendenhall, Joe Gorfinkle, Lee Flier, Mike Franceschini - Classic Amp Repair, Brad Leabo, Rick Skillman, Diane Rabinowitz, Gary Carr, Tim McDuff, Sheldon Gomberg, Michael Alexander, Kimberly Rose, Bonnie and Alan, Betty Edwards, Laura Forster, Hans Egil Løe, Dennis Tudor, Alec McGlashan III, Sean Thompson, Gregory Faust, Don Buchanan, Natalie Rose, Dave Asmussen, Tom Breitsch, Keith Aylward, Gregg White from the Dr. Z Amp Forum, Mary Ellen Alltizer Gale, Gouv Cadwalader, Simon Higgs/Wattkins Amp Forums, Buddy Whittington, 'Oldster and the Knuckleheads', Frank "BritInvasion" Quarracino, Harvey Reams and Family,Mike Giliberto,Ryan and Vicki Horyza and family, Vickie Benson and Rick Benson and family, Joseph Glosz, Bill Shea from the Dr. Z Forum, Gary from the Dr. Z Forum, Ron from the Dr. Z Forum, Paul Girolamo from the Dr. Z Forum,Eric Ambel from the Dr. Z Forum, Charles J Adkins from the Dr. Z Forum, Paul Toracinta from the Dr. Z Forum, Jeffrey Thomas Adkins from the Dr. Z Forum, Doungvannak JB Keo from the Dr. Z Forum, Helmi from the Dr. Z Forum, Lee Carriker from the Dr. Z Forum, Patrick & Michelle Kerrin from the Dr. Z Forum

Tammy Knight-Gibbons (www.cupcapesfalmouth.com), Michael Zaite (www.drzamps.com), Loni Specter (www.ampshow.com), Reinhold Bogner (www.bogneramplification.com), Matchless Amplifier / Phil Jamison (www.matchlessamplifiers.com) Marc Ferguson (http://fergsampshop.com/), David Hayes (www.hayesamplification.com), George Metropoulos ( www.metroamp.com ), Jason King (www.internationalsportingclays.com), Ludovic Pierson and family (www.pierson-amps.com), Dan Boul and family (www.65amps.com), Mark Baier (www.victoriaamp.com), Lars H Haugen (www.myspace.com/larshhaugen), Arne K. Hast (www.vintagegitar.no), Robert Wood (www.transformerdesignandsupply.com), Robert Farwell (www.thegc1guitar.com), Sam Hunter (www.samhunterart.com) Stubb's Bar-B-Q Sauce and Products (www.stubbsbbq.com), The Daily Grill (www.dailygrill.com)

Andy Bales and the staff of Union Rescue Mission, Jacqui Groseth, Alexander Cornejo II. Located in downtown Los Angeles, URM is the oldest and largest mission in the nation. The staff and entire organization at URM make me feel that my own small efforts to help the homeless have some degree of value. These folks serve over 3,000 meals a day (over a million meals a year) 365 days a year three meals a day. When I feel that the end goal seems to be like one pushing against the incoming tide and feel beaten down I think of Andy Bales and his staff and find a bit more drive to continue. Look at their website to see how many services these folks offer. www.urm.org

Los Angeles - My City

A little more information

Los Angeles Architectural History

Wednesday, December 29, 2010