Crime during a single week downtown

Last week I received my seventh paramedic call slip for the year.  Not too bad considering the crime in the area I walk many evenings each week.

Four of the seven days of last week's crimes are shown in the above map.  There will be one more violent crime to the list released next week.  Thankfully that particular crime was interrupted and things ended up better than they might have.

Don't buy fridge items from Smart and Final

This morning I went to Smart and Final to pick up a few items.  They are close to my home. 

Over the last few months I had been looking at the expiration dates on items in the Smart and Final refrigerated items.  Milk, butter, orange juice and yogurt (Yoplait).  Their dates seemed much more narrow in date scope than the same items from Ralphs, Vons or Target. 

Recession or Depression in a nation with no direction?

We keep hearing that we are in a recession rather than a depression.

We are a nation of no direction.

The above chart shows that financially our nation has been in the same place for the last six months.  This chart is not the Dow, NASDAQ or S&P.  It is a mix of stocks, bonds, mutual funds and a cross section of our economy.  What is not shown on the chart is the rise on unemployment, rise in home forclosures, the increased number of people on the street.  Union Rescue Mission is the oldest and largest mission in Los Angeles and the largest in the nation.  In the last year their services have risen over 40% while their donations have fallen over 20%.  The vertical scale on this chart spans such a small range that it is insignificant.  We have not moved.  The only reason we have not come crashing downward as a nation is that for every event reported which is bad news our Government can reply in moments with an explanation or proposed plan to limit the possible effects of the bad news.