Here we go again. Syria.

Here we go again?

One of my friends on facebook posted some commentary on the possible strike on Syria.  I have my own thoughts on the subject and won't even bring up the issues of getting involved on foreign soil while we have so many issues here at home.  I did comment on the history of the subject.

When I was very young I was told that the reason they teach history in the school system is so we can learn from our mistakes. 

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March Against Corruption

If you are not comfortable with the actions of our government take a few minutes to watch the video.  You may find it interesting.

A last act of consideration

A last act of consideration.

The decades pass yet if I could change my age or the year I was born I would not give the thought a moment of consideration.

Growing up in the sixties I drove my 1958 MGA down Sunset Blvd from the strip to the ocean more times than one could count.  I bought the car when I was 16.  It was used in actual years but new to me in 1966.  LSD was still legal and the worst consequence of fooling around with the wrong person was a side trip to the Venice Free Clinic.

The only bad aspect of the era was Vietnam perhaps but even during that period we had Woodstock in 1969.  Woodstock had it's downside I suppose.  From my own personal point of view there was Joan Baez.  Some thought she was a genius and talent.  I thought she stunk.  In August of 1969 she talked about her boyfriend David and wrote an album about him as he sat in prison for draft evasion.  She tried to make a hero out of him.  My personal belief was that he burned his draft card in front of authorities to get tossed into the big house to get away from Joan Baez rather than try to explain to her why he wanted to get away.

This decade was a great one for me even with military service.  Most reading this were not even born yet.

The following decades I sailed the sea and lived on my boat for years.  Again, most reading this were not alive.

Where did all this thinking come from?  Just dusting my place and came across a few of the things I have saved over the years other than a few vacuum tubes, guitars and amps.  As I age I toss stuff that is just "stuff" with little purpose.  I suppose that in the back of my mind I feel that my family and friends will have less stuff to throw away when it comes time to throw what is left of me away.  A last act of consideration.

Dish Network - Next on the list of bad customer service?

The screen snapshot here pretty much sums up the issue so far....

The story at this point ....

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JENN-AIR: Bad equipment, even worse customer service

I will be adding to this blog by inserting a write up from a close friend in regard to Jenn-Air products and their customer service at a later date.  I will give a bit about my own point of view on these folks as a preface.

I have a friend who is a wonderful chef and has fed me more meals than I can begin to count.  Her joy in life is cooking.  Two years ago she totally remodeled her kitchen as the focal point of their home.  Island, custom counters, built in furnishings.  The works.  No expense spared.  It was a gathering place for family and friends.

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Gun Control

Our state government in California continues to propose, pass and enact one law after another as they follow an agenda to ban firearms of any type.  Most of these proposals are never put on a ballot or voted on by the public.  New restrictions are enacted.  New taxes are implemented without representation of the residents of our state.

I wrote this in response to legislation such as Assembly Bill 187 (Bonta) imposes an additional ten percent sales tax on ammunition and Assembly Bill 760 (Dickinson) imposes a sales tax of .05 cents per ammunition component (complete cartridge, bullet or case).

In a few cases individual citizens have proposed legislation which has been placed on the ballot for the people to vote upon.  Same sex marriage.  Legalization of marijuana.   Some people use the system to take action in perhaps the only way that our elected representatives in California understand.

I am asking for somebody to write up the following concept to place on the next ballot.  This is my proposal but I have no experience in Constitutional Law and this may need a work over by somebody with that sort of expertise.  I would think that the NRA may be helpful in collecting signatures that may be necessary to make this happen.

Please read this and if you agree, please share the link on every social media application you can even if they do not live in the State of California.  It could be an example for your own state to follow.

click on "read more" below

Skid Row Los Angeles, a URM story

A short video from the folks at www.urm.org

Firearms Problems in California - Not the obvious type

There are three gun stores on Magnolia Blvd. in Burbank.  Gun World is one of them.  The focus of this piece is on Gun World.

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Current Production 12AX7 Tubes

Click on this image for a larger image

I have been promising a current test of some of the current production 12AX7 / ECC83 offerings and have just completed my testing.

Gain and Transconductance. Some folks confuse these two things. Maybe this will help explain:

Gain is the factor by which an amplifier multiplies a signal. It is the product of the output voltage at the plate divided by the input voltage at the control grid. Gain is a unit-less factor since both measured signals are voltages. (voltage)

Transconductance is a measurement of the ability of a tube to transmit current. It is the product of the output current in amps divided by the input voltage at the control grid. Transconductance is significant in that it shows us the difference in current capability that is generated by variations in plate impedance between tubes. (Current)

When I test tubes I also measure standing plate emissions current for preamp tubes that will be used in the phase inverter position. Plate current is one factor that many tube testers do not measure.

150 tubes were tested. 15 of each type.  The above lines on each tube are the average of that particular tube.

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Los Angeles - Highest Homeless Population in the U.S.

This is the April 2013 update from Union Rescue Mission.

I have written about URM and Andy Bales their CEO since 2009.  Some of my other pieces can be found here:

http://la-economy.blogspot.com/search/label/urm and here http://la-economy.blogspot.com/search/label/homeless




You can help.

Update today 5/8/13.  I posted this on facebook:

Congratulations to the folks at Union Rescue Mission and their CEO Andy Bales and their VP Jacqui Groseth. The latest facts and figures are in from Charity Navigator, the folks that investigate and rate all the charities. URM received 4 stars out of 4 for Accountability & Transparency. A score of 67 out of 70. 

Back in 2009 I wanted to align myself with one of the homeless support organizations in Los Angeles. I spent a lot of time visiting facilities and asking questions. In the end I picked URM. Looks like I made a good call.

In the end there are many great organizations in Los Angeles but it makes me smile when I look at these independent reports and find that URM came out ahead of the two other Los Angeles missions that I also feel do great work.