It has been a hard week for a lot of people.

Well, the market is down a bunch this week. I got a twitter update from the EDD that I follow with a link to a story about better unemployment numbers. I posted that story with the comment.


More nonsense! Maybe look at the number of folks who are at the end of their 99 weeks as extensions have run out on them. Now they are dropped off the roles of the unemployed and hung out to dry. Bailouts for big corporations yet let the person who has lost everything go hungry or loose their home. This sort of BS makes me sick. The story can be seen at http://m.sfgate.com/sfchron/pm_21448/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=CbQiaA0q

There is flooding in Nashville where the photos look like a reinactment of Hurricane Katrina. Many of my good friends are scrambling to recover their instruments and equipment that is underwater. Most folks focus on the instruments and amplifiers and overlook things like computers, FOH consoles, monotor consoles, lighting computers, wireless systems and other boxes filled with software which has been dialed in over years on the road in some cases.

The economy continues to decline no matter what seems to be reported on Wall Street. I watch the population grow in the area known as skid Row in downtown Los Angeles, the city with the largest homeless population in the USA. More homeless folks in Los Angeles than the population count of Santa Barbara.

Today I spent the day at 65 Amps and spent a bit of time posting photos from my collections to help lift the mood out there in the world.

In an attempt to help some folks, and try to help the perspective for those folks that live in Nashville, those who are watching their fishing business and life work be threatened by an approaching oil slick, the families of the mine workers who have recently died, the families and loved ones of our military overseas far from home, the homeless, the hungry, those dropped off the ranks of the unemployed because their benefits ran out ... well ....

I am not an optimist or pessimist. I am a realist and I observe what goes on around me. So ... all you folks that can identify with some of what I have said above take comfort in this thought. Many of you do not live in Los Angeles. The worst traffic in the USA? The highest homeless population. And here is a bit of what has transpired in the last week or so when it comes to drug deals gone bad, gang activity, crime and drive by shootings.

Lets take a moment to look at the last week or two. The race of folks is noted in police reports for statistics as a side note.

5 shot, 2 dead in Hawaiian Gardens rampage [Updated]: A man carrying an AK-47 rifle and a can of gasoline....

Slain pregnant woman apparently in "wrong place at the wrong time," LAPD says: Jana Collins was a newlywed. Unborn baby of pregnant woman fatally shot in West L.A. dies: A pregnant woman and her baby died Wednesday

Erwin Ramirez, a 19-year-old Latino, was shot and killed Sunday, May 2, in the 300 block of S. Harris Ave. in Compton

Olga Martinez, a 33-year-old Latina, was stabbed to death Sat., May 1, in the 11000 block of Glenoaks Blvd. in Pacoima

Joel Leach, a 28-year-old white man, was shot to death May 1 in the 1100 block of N. Alexandria St. in East Hollywood

Rita Morales, an 87-year-old Latina, was killed Friday, April 30, in the 7000 block of Eton Ave. in Canoga Park

Manuel Reyes, an 85-year-old Latino, was beaten to death Fri., April 30, in the 7000 block of Eton Ave. in Canoga Park

Vincent Ramos, a 31-year-old Latino, died Friday, April 30, several hours after he was shot in Long Beach

Allen Alexander, a 48-year-old black man, was fatally shot April 29 in the 1000 block of E. Mission Blvd. in Pomona

Michael McCall, a 44-year-old black man, was shot and killed April 29 in the 1000 block of E. Mission Blvd. in Pomona

Dante Willis, a 24-year-old black man, was shot and killed Thursday, April 29, at Exton and Hazel streets in Inglewood

Jonathan Val, a 17-year-old Latino, was shot to death April 28 in the 300 block of North Avenue 57 in Highland Park

Bahati Dunbar, a 40-year-old black man, was killed Weds., April 28, in the 12000 block of S. Main St. in Willowbrook

I will stop for now. I think I made a point. It has not been a good week for a lot of folks.