A city of Contrast. A center of entertainment. A center of music. A center of cool trendy things and wealth? The city with the highest homeless population in the United States of America.
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.
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.
Los Angeles Architectural History
1935 Art Deco at some of its finest: No. 168 - Griffith Observatory- (click on the photo for information)
Looking at some of the recent news items I find myself wondering, what the heck is going on?
The above shot is by Mark Horvath who is currently walking the Los Angeles River. Mark recently completed a trip all around the USA working for and with the homeless. A lot of this is documented at http://www.hardlynormal.com/ and http://www.invisiblepeople.tv/
Last night Andy Bales, a past Mayor of Los Angeles, Dan Portnoy and others spent the night on Skid Row. Andy Bales is the CEO of Union Rescue Mission. ( http://www.urm.org/ )
Below I have compiled some of the photos and comments that Andy sent during the evening.
Our 'village' of EDAR.org 's on San Julian, roughest street on LA's SKID ROW.
Spending night on Skid Row with Mayor Richard Riordan & @danportnoy & @petersamuelson
CBS (2) news and KCAL news (9) did a story on the news last night.
Dan Portnoy commented - Look for my mug tonight on KCAL9 and CBS2 at 11 with @abales, former mayor riordan and the crew from http://www.edar.org/
Peter Saumelson is the inventor of the EDAR.
First photo above at the top of this post; Andy Bales: Our 'village' of EDAR.org 's on San Julian, roughest street on LA's SKID ROW.
We gave up several EDAR.org 's to senior ladies coughing & trying 2 sleep on cold sidewalk. How could we not?
We've only been cussed out a few times and nearly all have been extremely thankful & kind.
We called LAPD on car speeding down San Julian& running red light. Nearly hit pedestrian. Gang member called me snitch & I chewed him out.
We've been trying to take a picture of the huge rats, but they are too fast!
We were hungry & @petersamuelson bought us my recession special, McDoubles & diet cokes. We gave some 2 senior ladies & gang members.
All violence & gang members have moved away. That is what happens when strong kind people occupy space keep an eye out for others.
Pamela & Bernard were very thankful for the EDAR.that we gave them & they could quit walking all night.
Man verbally attacked & made racist statements. We understood,let him talk. He's atheist because as kid he feels prayers were unheard.
He ended up apologizing, shook hands, & we thanked him. He talked for nearly an hour. He's bright & frustrated with 20 yrs without home.
Foster grandma to 12 kids and now on skid row
I've never seen it so clean and quiet on San Julian. Maybe our presence and a sr ladies made a huge difference
Here's the KCAL Thanks @foxlaamymurphy for covering the #EDAR sleep-out at @urm with @abales and friends! - The link to the story is here:
Never have seen San Julian on Skid Row LA so quiet. Hard working senior lady in picture has done all the cleaning.
2 members of a gang selling drugs just chased a man down 5th street but he was too fast. We alerted LAPD.
Eventful night. Woman just stormed by looking for a light 4 cigarette screaming kicking carts & threw a chair.
Dan Portnoy shot. Don't get the impression that Andy Bales spends nights on the street when the news media shows up. He has spent more than a few nights on skid row to say the least. I wish the news media reported things like this every day because this is the story on the streets of skid row ... every day.
Sugarbear and Andy Bales outside URM by Dan Portnoy
Inside the KCAL9 truck watching the feed with Peter Samuelson - Dan Portnoy shot.
My final comment is from my friend Don Garza:
Andy Bales is living on the sidewalks of skid row this morning... the most dangerous time to be out ,,, the beginning of the end of the first of the month,, right when folks get their food stamps and sell them for their last effort to buy their drug of choice.. dealers out in full force disguised as homeless..or homeless running for them.
The streets of skid row are always a tough place to be. The holiday season is an even more difficult time of year. If you would like to help my friends and I sponsor a table at Union Rescue Mission to provide a full Thanksgiving dinner to folks please take a look at my blog post at:
Please feel free to pass along the link to others.
Myles Rose is the founder of Guitar Amplifier Blueprinting which provides support services and training for touring bands and individuals as well as blueprinting services. I offer consulting services to various amplifier designers and manufacturers. The link www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com has links to music industry forums which I moderate and direct email contact information. My shop is located in the complex at www.65amps.com. If you wish a tour of 65 Amps please feel free to contact me directly. When I am not doing something related to music I do what I can to support the homeless of Los Angeles either directly on the streets at night or through my good friends at Union Rescue Mission.
This post is from last year with a few minor updates. It is time to do it again this year. We did great last year. I hope that this year we can do even better. In the last year the number of children and families who are homeless has risen by 50% and donations have fallen by over 50%.
As of November 25, 2010 our dinner count is now 1,465 dinners!
For 2011 I am not planning a running meal count as trying to get updates from folks was difficult. I will post the final count of what was served for Thanksgiving from URM once we have the data.
For those who help out this year, 2011, and if you are not on the list of great people here, please feel free to send me your information so you can be added to the list. You may use any name you wish, advertise your company (send me a web URL) etc. More details below.
I am reaching out to my friends, to my associates in the music industry and to others that would like to help those less fortunate during this holiday season.
This year, more people than ever before in our nation's history are facing a difficult holiday season.
The economy continues to take a toll on the population. I personally see the numbers of homeless increase month after month on the streets of Los Angeles.
Homeless is not a label which is reserved for people who have mental problems, drug or alcohol problems or have personality disorders. There are people on the streets like you and me. People who were a productive part of society who have lost their jobs due to the economy. People who have lost their homes.
Union Rescue Mission is the oldest and largest of the Los Angeles missions. They are highly organized, very efficient and have a track record of long term recovery that goes back over 100 years. The stretch a dollar farther than anybody I have seen stretch a dollar. URM provides a full meal for about $1.84.
I am asking my friends for help. There are a number of ways you can help. The bullet points below hit the high points. Further down in this piece there are additional details.
You may contribute in ANY amount. Even a few dollars helps
All contributions are 100% tax deductible
All credit cards are accepted on a secure site
You may donate from either donation page link via paypal
You may donate $10 (feed a family of five people) via a text message from your cell phone
No matter which way you choose to donate please drop me a note, email, tweet (myles111us), facebook message (mylesr) or send me a text if you have my cell number so I can keep the meal count updated on this blog piece. (for 2011 I am not attempting to keep an ongoing meal count as mentioned above but feel free to send me your information so I can add you to folks being thanked.
For $36.80 you can sponsor a table at Thanksgiving. The table is for 20 people. You can also sponsor partial tables. I got the ball rolling with the first contribution from this blog post:
Sponsor a table at Union Rescue Mission
Go to the official URM website and page where you can sponsor one or more tables. This is a fast and easy method, they send you confirmation and documentation as this is fully tax deductible.
The cost of a meal is only $1.84. No credit card? No pay-pal? Do you have a cell phone? To donate $10 to Union Rescue Mission, text the letters URM to 85944. You will receive a confirmation text message. Reply with the word YES to complete the transaction. This will supply five Thanksgiving dinners. Please send me a message if you donate in that way so I can keep track of our meal count from the music industry and my friends.
Many of you helped me when Hope Gardens was in trouble. I am asking for your help again.
This is something of a collective effort. We can pool our resources and let folks know that there is a collective group out there who care, pool resources and spread the word on the homeless situation.
If you donate to Union Rescue Mission using any method, please feel free to send me your name or company. Your supplied information will be included at the bottom of this blog where a number of folks are noted if you desire to be listed. It does not have to be your own name. The donation can be in the name of a loved one, family member, organization, company, your dog, a cause of some type or just about anything you wish. You will also be listed on the main blog site at the bottom of each page. 2011 update - please send me your name or information if you donate this year if you are not listed from last year and I will add you to this post.
About 3/4 of a million folks have read this blog since July 1, 2010. I would be happy to post a link or name of anybody who support the homeless. September 2011 update: There have been over 5 million readers.
Cannot afford to sponsor an entire table? Don't let that stop you. Even a few dollars helps. Many of you have spare change sitting in your paypal account. That $8.43 that may not enough to buy a book off Amazon or a cool effects pedal off of Ebay. On the URM page you can donate in any amount and they will put it together with other donations.
Every dollar helps. The salt alone for the stuffing could be paid for by one small donation. Here is Chef Larry's recipe for stuffing; for 4,500 people :)
250 pounds crusty bread
32 pounds butter
500 onions, diced
500 celery stalks, diced
63 cups minced fresh parsley leaves
62 table spoons salt
125 table spoons ground black pepper
500 cups chicken broth
500 large eggs
As a collective group can help each other raise awareness, pass along links and information and be a stronger group than we might be as individuals.
If you send a donation to Union Rescue Mission for Thanksgiving please feel free to let me know. I am trying to keep a running total of the number of meals we have sponsored as a group.
Contributions to URM are fully tax deductible.
All money that is sent to me this month via my own paypal account will be sent to URM. I will post an audit trail in this blog entry of any transfers to URM which are normally used to purchase snacks which I provide to people on the streets in the late evenings.
Below is an audit trail on money I collected myself from friends or donated myself that has been sent to URM via paypal. This does not include money that was sent directly to URM by friends who tell me how many meals they donated so I can keep an ongoing meal count going on this post. Thank you to everybody who have helped and thank you to others who will be helping in advance.
11/3/10 6:30pm update: The count was at 127 on 11/3 at 6:30pm. Uneven counts bug me so I added another $25 for 13+ more dinners to round things up. The count was then 140 dinners.
Plus direct URM contributions from friends who have helped!
Missy Rose, a black lab doggie from the west valley
Gary Carr
Gregory Faust
Dennis Tudor
Mary Ellen Alltizer Gale
Betty Edwards
Sheldon Gomberg
Laura Forster
Kim Rose
Bonnie and Alan
Brad Leabo
Lee Flier Some of the folks from the Dr. Z Amp Forum are listed below but some are also above not indicated
Gregg White from the Dr. Z Forum
Tom Breitsch from the Dr. Z Forum
'Oldster and the Knuckleheads' from the Dr. Z Forum
Buddy Whittington and Family from the Dr. Z Forum
Gouv Cadwalader from the Dr. Z Forum
Ryan and Vicki Horyza and Family from the Dr. Z Forum
Frank "BritInvasion" Quarracino from the Dr. Z Forum
Harvey Reams and Family from the Dr. Z Forum
Keith Aylward - from the Dr. Z Forum
Mike Giliberto from the Dr. Z Forum
Bill Shea from the Dr. Z Forum
Gary from the Dr. Z Forum
Ron from the Dr. Z Forum
Helmi 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
Lee Carriker from the Dr. Z Forum
Jeffrey Thomas Adkins from the Dr. Z Forum
Patrick & Michelle Kerrin from the Dr. Z Forum
Doungvannak JB Keo,Merritt Island,Florida from the Dr. Z Forum
The Z amp community from http://ztalk.proboards.com
Dr. Z, Michael Zaite - the man himself - Godfather/Owner/Creator Z Amplification http://www.drzamps.com/
Paul (TRANE) - New Mexico - Dr. Z amp Forum
Albert from NW Indiana; the Dr. Z Forum
Zed from the Dr. Z Forum
"Z" Steve from the Dr. Z Forum
Edward Balaschak - Eschak on the Z Forum
Scotty from Texas on the Dr. Z Forum
6strang (aka Paul) Big Rapids, MI - Dr. Z Amp Forum
mpa93 - Ontario - Dr. Z Amp Forum
Tony L Stovall - T-R☼CK ♫ on the Dr. Z Forum - Tennessee
Lee (maddog) from Texas - Dr. Z Amp Forum
heynewguy(aka Bill) from New Jersey - Dr. Z Amp Forum
Robert (aka meanslide) from California - Dr. Z Amp Forum
PaulT (Bluzman) - Dr. Z Amp Forum
Jennifer from Florida - Dr. Z Amp Forum
randalp3000 from Michigan - Dr. Z Amp Forum
Peter Graham - Dr. Z Amp Forum
Bob (rjc1811) - Dr. Z Amp Forum
rockinmac - Northwest NC, Dr. Z Amp Forum
Nick MkII (Nicholas) - Dr. Z Amp Forum
twoscoobysnacks - Dr. Z Amp Forum and http://www.warriorcry.org/
number9 - Dr. Z Amp Forum
roscoenyc from NYC - Dr. Z Amp Forum
Ignatius? (Gary) - Dr. Z Amp Forum
GuitarZ - West Chester, PA - Dr. Z Amp Forum - http://www.mikezband.com/
Don - Midwest U.S. - Global Moderator on the Dr. Z Amp Forum
Eddie from Ohio from the Dr. Z Forum
Tom Breitsch aka cap10toons- Dr. Z Amp Forum
The gang from www.musicplayer.com / Guitar Player Magazine
Caevan O'Shite
Bluesape
Sharkman
WPsmith
Thanks to all and keep me updated if you help.
A video from last year:
Here is a slide show of how the folks mentioned here helped for this 2011 event. Thank you all again. I will be uploading more photos over the next few days. The first uploads were from the day of the event on November 19, 2011
Myles Rose is the founder of Guitar Amplifier Blueprinting which provides support services and training for touring bands and individuals as well as blueprinting services. You may contact me from the link. My direct contact information is provided as well as links to two of the Internet forums where I answer technical questions. You may also ask questions in any post in this blog by using the comment application on each post.
When I am not doing something related to music I do what I can to support the homeless of Los Angeles either directly on the streets at night or through my good friends at Union Rescue Mission.
My pants too short and 8 out of 10 amps I tested on this day failed :-)
Helping guitarists sound better, one amp at a time. Some questions from two columns I write may be posted as blog entries from time to time.
Some questions have been addressed in a few fun videos. I will also post links from time to time with updates on additional questions or commentary. If you have a specific question feel free to post it in this post as a comment, post it on one of the forums or send to my email listed in my profile here.
Guitar Player Magazine: Music Player Forum; Feel free to ask Myles - http://bit.ly/iZGvIu
Z-Talk Forum in the Ask the experts area, Ask Myles or Chad - http://bit.ly/lJakRD I address amp issues. Chad Weaver (Terry Clark, Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift) addresses performing tech issues (guitars and other instruments, pickups, stage mics, wireless, life on the road etc.)
My GAB website covers a subject or two - http://www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com/ and there are many resources on the right side of this blog that may be of interest or help as well. I am updating this blog site more often than my GAB website as a side note.
Click on "read more" to continue to read this particular post.
I posted a lot of information and photos on things like the 6th annual L.A. Ampshow ( http://www.ampshow.com/ ) and the press release party for http://www.65amps.com/ on two new amp models......
I will not cover much of that in this post as the old posts are still there for folks.
I posted some vacuum tube information, posted some of my thoughts on the economy and the world in general on twitter and facebook.
This post will be primarily snapshots and a bit of commentary on some random items and activity. A bit more informal than some of my other posts.
I would like to open this post with this shot from a friend of mine Mark Horne. Mark is a guitarist and tour bus driver. If you have seen a Trace Adkins show you have probably seen Mark. He is a killer guitarist and raises cattle when he is not on the road. I have been watching these guys grow up for a while now which is pretty cool. I won't talk about where they will end up as some folks may go veggie on me and get upset :)
I drove in traffic in the rain at 5:30pm on the 405 with Dan Boul one day. The Perfect Storm when it comes to traffic situations.
Dan and I went to TrueTone Music in Santa Monica. We went there to drop off a London Pro amp. We looked at a lot of great guitars and amps, a lot of great vintage stuff.
These are two sought after classics. The GEC KT-66. KT stands for kinkless tetrode as a side note. The tube is interchangeable with a 6L6 but is a very different tube with very different response and tone. More lows and lower mids is one way of looking at things. Bigger is a words some use to describe the tone.
A typical GEC KT66 will have about 10mA more plate current at the same plate voltage and bias than a typical (spec) 6L6. This means they are not plug and play, a bias check and adjustment is a good idea.
Some amps that use the KT66 in the music instrument world utilize ultra-linear output transformer circuit designs. Most high end audio amplifiers that use this tube do the same. An ultra-linear output transformer is not a requirement. These tubes sound huge in amps such as Fender amps from the tolex and black face eras.
The second tube data sheet set is the Tung Sol 5881. This is from the era when a 5881 was not the same as a 6L6. They were still interchangeable but they were in different tubes. The plate dissipation was higher on this particular tube back in this era by about 20% over the 6L6 of the day. 23 watts was the plate rating on this tube. 6L6 tubes of the day were typically about 19 or so watts. This tube was the big monster in the 6L6 family of the day and was the tube used in amps such as the Fender High Power Tweed Twin. Today the rating of the 6L6 or 5881 is typically 30 watts. The 5881 of today is generally a 6L6 with a 5881 label or at times made in a shorter bottle to look more akin to the original shorter bottle Tung Sol or other 5881 tubes in the past. There is even one company out there that bought the Tung Sol name and puts the label on current tubes that have little in common with the originals from a design standpoint.
The month was busy with things like the L.A. Ampshow, the press conference at 65 Amps, consulting work on new amp designs and there were a lot of folks in town from out of town who I took around and showed the sights. Those things changed the basic nature of my general activities but in a nice way.
I made fewer trips to Skid Row in October in the evening than I usually do in a month. I only made nine night trips. I did make a few day trips. A few were to www.urm.org - Union Rescue Mission. One trip was for the Stubb's BBQ and another trip was to take a friend from out of town to see Skid Row, see URM and talk to the folks on the street. I think many misconceptions were erased in his mind after talking one on one with many of the folks that live on the street.
The month of October was a busy month for the folks at Union Rescue Mission. Andy Bales wraps up the month with this video. A lot of very cool things happened this month. I will try to get some statistical data to post later or perhaps ammend this blog entry.
Thanksgiving is upon us. The folks at Union Rescue Mission could use a bit of help. Some of their comments:
Please consider sponsoring a Thanksgiving table this holiday season. It costs just $36.80 to provide Thanksgiving dinner for a table of 20! Your gift not only provides a delicious holiday celebration, but an opportunity to transform lives.
Thanks to donated food and wonderful volunteers, it only costs $1.84 to provide a hot meal to our guests here at URM. And this Thanksgiving, we’re planning a mouthwatering menu complete with turkey, stuffing, buttery mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and pumpkin pie heaped with ice cream!
But the nourishing meals that you help provide are just the first step. By making people feel truly at home for Thanksgiving, they begin to relax, open up and find hope again.
I did a bit more than typical this month. Last Sunday I shot with Jason King and Fabrizio Buschini over at www.moorenmoore.com Jason broke a firing pin return spring which was fixed in the field. Jason is the head fellow behind http://www.internationalsportingclays.com
Jason is on the left launching for Fabrizio as I take the photo
Jason's broken pin ( 5 pieces ) prior to repair. Jason had spare parts on hand
I continued to watch the economy, the unemployment picture and the battles of the upcoming election. I posted a number of links to stories which I thought were notable:
It is really a numbers game - smoke and mirrors. After 26 weeks the first wave are no longer counted as noted in this piece - Initial and Continuing Claims Fall -
From my friend Andy Bales of Union Rescue Mission - we share cell phone food shots
Better shot, Myles, of 5 lb. Ribeye roast cooked in crock pot for my birthday! http://twitpic.com/30kokc
I had a bit of a cold for a few days (which is still with me at this time) so I took life a bit slower in the evenings. I compiled over 300 food shots into a slide show. These shots are from the last two or so years, from about September 2008.
Most of these meals I have eaten. Probably over 95%.
I am 5'10" and weigh 170 or a bit less. Still. Perhaps it is walking a few miles each day that helps.
These shots are from cell phone cameras and good cameras. Some of from friends. Some are meals cooked by and eaten with friends.
Some of these shots are from people who send me their cell phone shots as they are eating and I send back my shots.
Thanks to too many folks to begin to list here but you know who you are!
These photos have been reduced in size and resolution.
Myles Rose is the founder of Guitar Amplifier Blueprinting which provides support services and training for touring bands and individuals as well as blueprinting services. I offer consulting services to various amplifier designers and manufacturers. The link www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com has links to music industry forums which I moderate and direct email contact information. My shop is located in the complex at www.65amps.com. If you wish a tour of 65 Amps please feel free to contact me directly. When I am not doing something related to music I do what I can to support the homeless of Los Angeles either directly on the streets at night or through my good friends at Union Rescue Mission.
Just a bit of info for tubes fans - over on my GAB website you can download part II of my Tube Primer. It is a PDF file and about 100 pages that has a bit of info on vacuum tubes. Feel free to share.
Myles Rose is the founder of Guitar Amplifier Blueprinting which provides support services and training for touring bands and individuals as well as blueprinting services. I offer consulting services to various amplifier designers and manufacturers. The link www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com has links to music industry forums which I moderate and direct email contact information. My shop is located in the complex at www.65amps.com. If you wish a tour of 65 Amps please feel free to contact me directly. When I am not doing something related to music I do what I can to support the homeless of Los Angeles either directly on the streets at night or through my good friends at Union Rescue Mission.
Can one person make a difference? A social media question? An issue of privacy? Where are we headed in regard to information dissemination?
This week I saw the movie Social Network. No big surprises but it made me think about the trail some of us rode to get to places like Facebook today. .....
I started this blog on December 13, 2009 to raise awareness on the homeless situation which is growing due to the current economic situation in this country. Two priorities at this period in my life are helping the homeless on the streets of Los Angeles and helping musicians sound better one amp at a time.
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.
Union Rescue Mission - What they do.
I talk a lot about Union Rescue Mission on this blog. I also talk a lot about them on facebook. I talk about them on my GAB website.
Many of my friends have become friends with Union Rescue Mission and members of their staff. I am sure many of you feel the same way I do about what they do and are a little bit better for knowing them. videos you may learn a bit more about the work these folks do.
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.
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