Need Glock parts? Here is a bit of a warning.

You may want to think twice before

considering doing business with these folks

I have written a number of pieces on customer service in this blog.  I have seen some of the  best and some of the worst.  I may have found the worst at this point.

These folks advertise themselves as the number one parts supplier for Glock pistols in the world.  I will venture to guess that a year from now this will not be the case if this statement is even true at this point in time.

I understand with the current firearms issues in this country that certain items are hard to keep in stock by vendors such as this one.  The issue that they, the largest of these vendors, does not note on an item by item basis, what is out of stock when one places an order.  Folks like Brownell's and dozens of other vendors do this.  In face, I cannot find ANYBODY who has online ordering that does not do this, other than these folks.

But, that is NOT the main issue.  The main issue is their lack of customer service, lack of response, phones which are never answered and the general run around.

Yes, these folks in my book are currently the #1 folks in my book but not as a parts vendor. They are #1 in the position of holding the worst customer service award.

Here is a bit of dialogue I sent to these folks .... click "read more" to continue.

Media Quiet About San Antonio Theater Shooting

On Sunday December 17, 2012, 2 days after the CT shooting, a man went to a restaurant in San Antonio to kill his X-girlfriend. After he shot her, most of the people in the restaurant fled next door to a theater. The gunman followed them and entered the theater so he could shoot more people. He started shooting and people in the theater started running and screaming. It’s like the Aurora, CO theater story plus a restaurant! 

Now aren’t you wondering why this isn’t a lead story in the national media along with the school shooting?

There was an off duty county deputy at the theater. SHE pulled out her gun and shot the man 4 times before he had a chance to kill anyone. So since this story makes the point that the best thing to stop a bad person with a gun is a good person with a gun, the media is treating it like it never happened. Only the local media covered it. The city is giving her a medal next week.  http://tiny.cc/l4a3pw

My take on this?

Here in Southern California I patiently wait and count the days until all pens, sharp objects, liquids and other items are surrendered at the door of movie theaters. Perhaps this can extend to restaurants and other places?

Am I the only one smart enough to see that this is California's answer to the budget problems in this state after sales tax increases and business taxes have driven so many employers out of the state, reducing revenue?

Yes! We are soon to be the center of the USA for not only being ground zero for the homeless BUT we are going to have our employment problem vanish as one resident it five will now work for the folks who supply the TSA folks at the airports! We just might find those folks at the entrance to every building which has public access! The side business will be coffee stands and snack carts to feed patrons as they wait in line for security checks for their turn through the detectors.

Yes, California will lead our great nation in safety and our economy will flourish (on paper) as unemployment drops to zero as the minimum wage task force of armed folks with GED educations rises to be the primary workforce in the golden state.

Reporting from the streets of Los Angeles - Skid Row

The political machine is back in full swing after the November election.  Maybe nationally it will be business as usual? Locally here in Los Angeles they are trying to raise sales tax... again.  Drive consumers to Orange County or Ventura to buy that big screen TV, appliance or your next car and save hundreds or thousands of dollars.

The voters in California approved a measure to give the public school system even more money even though our state government has proven themselves as totally inept at managing money.  California is 47th in the nation when it comes to spending per student and yet our government had the gall to ask for more money.  From my point of view they should have let the system fail and rebuilt it from the ground up.  We should have sent a message to our folks in Sacramento.  Guess we will get what we asked for, get what we deserve ... again.

Meanwhile, here is Los Angeles, the homeless mecca of the nation, things continue to get worse regardless of what the media reports.

No longer are the primary residents people with substance abuse, alcohol abuse or mental illness the primary residents of skid row.  They are now families, children, out of work people who have lost their jobs and run out of unemployment benefits, returning veterans from the mid east and folks who have lost their homes to big banks and big business.

I count folks on the street each month.  I see the number tell a heartbreaking story.  But, rather than trust my numbers let me use some numbers to compare two recent months, September 2012 and October 2012 from Union Rescue Mission, the largest mission in the nation.

Total Mental Health Clinic Sessions - 62 vs 110

Total Health Center Visits - 496 vs 537

Total Dental Clinic Visits - Individual Patients Seen - 453 vs 664 Total Legal Clinic Visits 53 vs 105 Total Meals Served 63,755 vs 65,968 Total Nights of Shelter (per individual) This does not include families which is another 2,232 people - 22,799 vs 23,445 .

The above are the figures for only TWO months and the increase from one month to the next.  From where I sit things are not getting better.

Feel free to pass this piece along to others via the link.  If you would like to help just go to www.urm.org.  There are many ways you can help.  You can donate in many ways in any amount.  You can even donate $10 from your cell phone and feed five people in a mater of moments.  (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. )

Thank you.

How do folks feel about Obama this time around?

A picture is worth a thousand words.  Maybe more?  The past ... USA and USSR.

I have written a number of pieces on our economy and government over the last few years.  You can find them in this blog.  One of them ended up in the newsletter of the Speaker of the House.

On November 14, 2012 I wrote this simple statement on my facebook wall:

Just because the election is over it is not a reason to slack off. Keep an eye on the antics of our Government closer than ever before.

The comments and debate are intense to say the least.  

This morning I took a look at the dialogue and posted my own comment on my original post:

Not to digress but ....

How we got here is not the issue, other than the history lesson that showed me that if I look at our nation as a ship I make the analogy that we have a weak Captain with a dysfunctional crew on something much akin to the Queen Mary now docked in Long Beach. A great ship decades ago but her glory days are long gone.

With a proper crew who could work together, some time in the yard for a refit, updated propulsion systems, updated electronics and the "right stuff" the restoration could once more attract attention and be an impressive craft.

But alas, at this point all I see is an outdated rust bucket with things that continue to break as they deteriorate with a dysfunctional crew and clown for a Captain.

There is little value in pointing fingers in regard to how we got here.  It is now time for all of us to keep a closer eye on our government and be more involved by making our voices heard via social media or whatever means one has at their hands.  We have all seen it countless times, grand restorations are possible whether it is a boat, car, airplane, even a country.

Obama or Romney?

Senior Airmen Kristian Robles Cruz and Amber Boyd from the 633rd Security Forces Squadron, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va. are greeted at the Newport News airport by family and coworkers on Nov. 2, 2011 . The two were part of a group of Airmen that deployed in June, but returned a couple of months early after President Obama announced the withdrawal of all U.S. troops by the end of the year. They were among about 20 633rd SFS members who returned to Joint Base Langley-Eustis from deployment with the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron at Balad in the past week. About 10 633rd SFS members are still deployed in Iraq, but they are scheduled to return later this month, hopefully by Thanksgiving, although more are expected to deploy to Afghanistan in January. (U.S. Air Force Photo by: MSgt Jeremy Lock)

A few minutes ago I replied to a comment left on one of my posts where somebody apologized for a comment they left.  I told them, no apology necessary.

I tend to point out some of the Romney antics but bottom line are my brief thoughts below as copied from my reply.

Both of the candidates are awful options with little to hold in esteem by either party. 

If you are one of the troops on duty you can take pride in America for the job you are doing regardless of the stupid antics of you civilian leaders. 

If you are in government, the odds are you don't have much to be proud of. Most of you asshats are part of the problem rather than the steps toward an eventual solution. Shame on the lot of you for the most part. 

Obama is a weak leader, never one who would a picked as a Captain of a ship. 

Romney is a fellow so far out of touch with the majority of the population it borders on pure stupidity. 

Anybody who can find more good than bad in either case should go and put their head back in the sand.

A letter from Japan

I just received a letter from my sister who is in Japan.  I felt her food reviews are much better than my own.

As part of that long weekend we made a "pilgrimage" to Sukyiyabashi Jiro - considered one of the best in Tokyo.  A documentary "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" was made about this chef's father (now 87) who has done nothing but make sushi for over 70 (?) years.   See the movie, if you can!  After we saw the film in L.A. We decided we MUST eat at both of the restaurants (son's and father's).   It was *the best* sushi we ever ate (Tokyo fish market coming in 2nd).  

The meal began with sashimi -- I am not usually a fan of abalone (it is in season now) but this was unlike any I've had before.  It was kind of like my tofu experience in Kyoto; before Kyoto tofu I always told people I didn't care for the no-flavor, rubbery substance that was served in dishes in the U.S.  This abalone was not tough, somewhat mushroomy and artichoke bottom-like.  Really fantastic.  We were given a tiny side dish of a darkly colored matter (I thought it was seaweed) but were told it was abalone liver and it was also delicious.  My favorite however may have been the bonito.  It was seared and smoked and heavenly.  I like bonito generally.  When I saw the slices of fish he was preparing for the sashimi I was a bit nervous as they were large, and I've had a few past experiences with very large pieces of sashimi that have been difficult to eat, chew, etc., etc.  This was creamy and buttery and the smoky flavor was amazing.  It was served with a ginger dipping sauce that was fantastic with it.  

After the sashimi course the sushi was fairly traditional:  flounder, tuna from maguro, to mid-fatty toro, to "o-toro" (honorable), uni (again most amazing I've ever had), ebi (shrimp), squid, clam, salmon roe, mackerel and sardine.  The finish was their famous tamago (egg) that was more like cake than omelet -- sweet and a perfect finish to the meal.  Along with green tea of course.  So, you can tell we were given a large quantity of fish and the pieces of fish were also quite large. 

Later in our meal we started talking with some locals (we were happy to be the only non-Japanese there) and when they learned we were living in Kyoto I think they were more impressed (vs. us being a total tourist) and with Ian at the University, etc., etc.  The others were quite friendly and it was a super-fun and memorable dinner!  We do plan to visit the father's restaurant, also in Tokyo (8 seats) when we are again in Tokyo, at the end of November.

Photo courtesy of Ian Piumarta

Photo courtesy of Ian Piumarta

Photo courtesy of Ian Piumarta

Photo courtesy of Ian Piumarta

Photo courtesy of Ian Piumarta

Click on any photo for a larger image

It is time to think about Thanksgiving 2016

Thanksgiving is upon us once again and there are many folks that don't have much to be thankful for but you can make this more than just another holiday season and do more than just "phone it in", stuff your face with a nice meal, at a nice table, in a nice house .... with a roof .... and heat ... and walls ... and a bathroom ... and running water ...

Please feel free to share this link with as many folks as you can.

The number of homeless on the streets has increased  once again regardless of what the reports of the economy tell the masses.  I have watched the street population rise every year since I started counting folks in 2009.

The economy and increase in homelessness has impacted URM again this year, regardless of what the media reports.  When my involvement started with URM in 2009 the price per meal was $1.84.   You can check out some of the photos from 2011 and 2012 and see how much URM provides for less than half of what one pays for a you pay for a burger and fries at your local fast food place at the links just below.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/myles111us/sets/72157628055910983/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/myles111us/sets/72157632036286632/

I think you would be amazed at the meal they provide.

Many of you have seen the post asking you to help the folks at Union Rescue Mission over the last years.  My original post can be seen at http://la-economy.blogspot.com/2010/11/help-me-provide-thanksgiving-meals-at.html  The people who provided meals in 2010 and 2011 are listed in that piece.

Below is a bit of past information.  In 2014 I stopped counting meals as things became more depressing as I watched the media report on how things were improving .... as the situation became worse.  Bottom line ... by any count, the situation has not improved.  Feel free to contact URM directly if you want to know the figures on meals provided for past Thanksgiving meals.

In 2010 our dinner count was 1,465 dinners!

In 2011 the count from our group was over 1,700 of the approximately 7,000 meals served

2012 the best year yet! - 1,861 meals donated this year!

2013 - Over 4,000 meals were served.

(not counting those who asked to remain anonymous and some cell phone donations) 

Los Angeles continues to hold the title of the homeless capitol of the United States.  Take a look at the two links below for some recent information.

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.

http://la-economy.blogspot.com/2012/08/skid-row-july-2012.html
http://la-economy.blogspot.com/2012/06/homelessness-there-are-individuals.html

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.

Sponsor a table at Union Rescue Mission or 

provide a meal for a family or individual

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.

• Go to the URM website at http://www.urm.org/ and click on the donate tab
• 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 also donate via paypal from the main donation page
• In a hurry? Donate $10 (feed a family of four people) via a text message from your cell phone

The cost of a meal is only $2.41. 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

For $48.20 you can sponsor a table at Thanksgiving.  The table is for 20 people.   You can also sponsor partial tables.  You can donate in any amount.  

Click on either image for a larger presentation.

2011 dinner plate

Pie for dessert.  Not seen in this shot was the four different choices of
ice cream to accompany your pie.

This is a collective effort.  By passing along the link to this piece you help spread awareness.  

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 in this piece. How you are listed is optional.  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.  Those who have helped in the last two years are listed in the 2010/2011 piece.

Optionally, it helps me if you send me a note or message with a donation amount or meal count.  The amount will not be published.  I use the data to get an idea of the meal count we have raised.

Any contribution goes a long way.  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  Ebay may be just the ticket for a better holiday for some folks. 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

Below, a slide show of the 2011 and 2012 event. Thank you all again.   2011 Event 2012 event

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.

Skid Row, July 2012

July begins the new fiscal year for Union Rescue Mission.

The homeless situation is not getting better but many of you reading this helped more than words can express.  Here is a bit of a snapshot of last year:

July 2012 was the hottest month on record in the history of the United States and in Downtown Los Angeles.  When the temperature climbs above 85 degrees downtown the folks at URM pass out cold water bottles to those on the street.  These bottles cost money.  Feel free to help the folks at URM with a donation.

July is also the first month in the fiscal year for the folks at Union Rescue Mission so I will keep some of the figures from the last month of last fiscal year in this piece as information.

The number of families on the street increased.

The number of "permanent" dwellings on the street increased.  My definition of "permanent" is tents, shopping carts, cardboard on the street used for bedding, etc.  These items that one can find in the same place night after night.  

All I can do is count the people I see in a specific geographic area.  I don't have any "hard" facts and figures although some folks downtown in some government offices seem to listen to me.

I can however, give you a bit of a snapshot from June from the folks over at Union Rescue Mission, the largest mission in the USA which sits at ground zero in the middle of what is the highest homeless population in the nation.

By the way, if after you read some of the below figures feel free to visit www.urm.org and look at the many ways you can help.  Even $10 will feed a family of five.  The folks at URM accept any credit card on their donation page and even accept paypal.  In a hurry?  You can feed five people in less than a minute from your 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. 

A few pieces of data for the month of June and (July 2012.  increases in red font)

• 123 people were seen by the mental health clinic at URM (124)
• 436 people were seen by the doctors on site at URM from UCLA (508)
• 570 people were seen by the dentists on site at URM from USC (605)
• 55 people were seen by the legal staff at URM for legal assistance (43)
• 4,293 hours were spent by volunteers (4137) Volunteer hours were down as were donations
• 20,931 nights of shelter were provided by individual (24,095)
• 2,501 night of shelter were provided to families (2,700)
• 70,185 meals were served.  In one month. In June. (73,580)

Services provided continue to increase.  Donations continue to decrease.  Please think about what you might be able to do to help and please pass along the link to this piece.

In the past I have posted Andy Bales status updates in another post which has gotten quite large.  I also have commented on Andy Bales as an individual.  In the future, Andy's latest video update will be seen in a new post such as this post with figures of interest in the post.

For those who want a bit of insight on Andy Bales from some of my past writing see the two links below:

http://la-economy.blogspot.com/2011/02/perhaps-most-impressive-person-i-have.html
http://la-economy.blogspot.com/2011/06/real-deal-directly-from-andy-bales.html


Here is the latest for August status update video from Andy Bales, CEO of Union Rescue Mission.

The American Economy. A Turnaround?

I have written many pieces on the economy in this blog.  One of my past pieces even found it's way into the Speaker of the House's blog.

Click on this image for the full size image

I have spoken about the government and my observation on the ineffective way they have addressed problems in our nation.  I have pointed out issues with both parties.

There has been a big push to the issues of Medicare.  Perhaps the Republicans no longer wish to point a spotlight on the economy. You can talk about some issues from either side.  You can assert that the current administration was handed a disaster while others assert it was all the fault of the current administration.  I will do my best to avoid retreading old ground.

In the past I have posted a financial model which has now been running for over 500 days.  Rather than focus on Wall Street in reference to the Dow, S&P or NASDAQ, my model uses a mix of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs and Gold.  I feel it is a more diverse picture of the economy.

If you look at the chart below, yesterday on August 22, 2012 our nation crossed the high line for the first time since April 29,2011.  Things look to be improving.

The employment situation is still dismal.  There are millions who are no longer counted in the unemployed figures.  They are the 99ers.  Their benefits have expired and they have dropped off the roles of those counted.  But, the numbers of new claims are decreasing.  We still may be much like an airplane headed toward the ground but our rate of decent is slowing.  Perhaps it is slowing enough that the Republican Party is worried.  Perhaps this is why Medicare is being addressed rather than the economy.

Rather than debate these issues, just take a look at the chart on the financial picture and the chart from the current employment figures and take it or leave it.  Draw your own conclusions.

Click on the above image for a more clear image
Look at the total for last year versus this year in the last line

Click on the image for a more clear picture
511 days of up and down
Only time will tell if this is an ongoing trend or just .....???

If a picture is worth a thousand words ...

Below are a few random photos in a random order taken from August 1, 2012 during the first half of this month (August 15).

All are snapshots.  I do not consider any of them photographic artwork.

There are a few military photos in the batch as August 8, 1969 was my discharge date from the military and I thought a few old shots from that time in my life were nice to post.

If you want an explanation on any of these they are all posted on my facebook photos and many do have explanations.

If you click on any of the photos below many of them will become larger in size.

Click on "read more" for the complete post.