I am asking my friends for help again. The battle is not over.

Last month I turned to my friends and asked them for help to make Thanksgiving dinners for many of the homeless of Los Angeles possible. 

Below is the November 2010 end of the month update from Andy Bales of Union Rescue Mission.

Many of you who are reading this helped make these Thanksgiving dinners possible.  Thousands of dinners were served on two days.  Just under 7,000 meals were served on the Saturday before Thanksgiving day and on Thanksgiving day itself.  4,500 meals were served on the Saturday Thanksgiving event which was quite amazing considering it was raining and the event which was set up outside on the street had to be moved inside at the last moment.

I would like to take a moment to thank my friends and my friends in the music industry who donated money to Union Rescue Mission and who passed on the word and asked their friends to help. We raised close to 1,500 meals for people that do not have much to give thanks for and would not have had a meal of this kind.

We now have Christmas on the horizon.  I am asking for help again. 

This is from Union Rescue Mission:  As for Christmas, we are serving Christmas Day meals (on the 25th) and hosting our annual Christmas Store on Dec. 16th and 17th.  You may want to let your readers know that Christmas Day is already booked with volunteers, meaning we have all the help needed for that day.

Comment on the above from URM from me - they are saying they have volunteer help in the form of people.  Please do not confuse this with thinking they do not need financial help and donations which are critically needed. 

The economy continues to take a toll.  Compared to just one year ago the services at http://www.urm.org/ have increased by over 40% while their donations have dropped over 20%.  Things are critical to say the least and the end of the year is going to be very difficult.

If you have been watching the news you know that in this month of December unemployment benefits will be cut off for more than 2 million more Americans.  Just one more wrench tossed into the machine of an already difficult holiday season for so many.   

My thanks to the volunteers and staff at Union Rescue Mission.  It is an honor to be associated with you people.  Looking at the 450,000 people in California alone who will lose their unemployment benefits this month; either by having them expire or have them cut off before the 99 week period due to our government ending them prematurely, it looks like Union Rescue Mission may be a lifeboat to an even larger population.

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 once again.

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.  People who have made a transition from a home to a car to the street.

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 once again. 

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.  $10 will feed five people.
• All contributions are 100% tax deductible
• All credit cards are accepted on a secure site.  Paypal is also an accepted form of payment.
• You may donate $10 (feed a family of five people) via a text message 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.  Takes seconds to make huge impact on somebodies life.

Do you have a few dollars in your paypal account that is not enough for your next desired purchase?  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 to provide a holiday meal that will make a difference in a life.

There are many additional ways to help those in need who are served by the folks at Union Rescue Mission. 

Details on how YOU can help can be found at  www.urm.org/store

In reference to unemployment benefits running out for so many more people today AND the fact that the cold weather is upon us:

The Union Rescue Mission Winter Shelters open tomorrow.  www.urm.org receives funding to run four winter shelters throughout the area in West Los Angeles, Glendale, Culver City and at URM. In essence URM gets paid for a certain number of cots per location and we receive a certain number of hotel vouchers for families. They serve many more more people than they get paid for.  Winter dives up their meals and shelter per night number up dramatically.

This is from Union Rescue Mission: As for Christmas, we are serving Christmas Day meals (on the 25th) and hosting our annual Christmas Store on Dec. 16th and 17th. You may want to let your readers know that Christmas Day is already booked with volunteers, meaning we have all the help needed for that day.

Comment on the above from URM from me - they are saying they have volunteer help in the form of people. Please do not confuse this with thinking they do not need financial help and donations which are critically needed.

Below are a few of my cell phone shots of the Thanksgiving dinners at Union Rescue Mission.  Nicer shots are available at www.flickr.com/urmmedia that show more of the events.  Once again, thank you to so many of you reading this for your help in donating close to 1,500 dinners for these events.

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.

www.urm.org

What were the odds of me being alive today?

It is Sunday evening after Thanksgiving Thursday 2010. 

I spent the day with my boys.

As I was driving home a song came on the radio on a country station.  I have one country station preset and three rock station presets that range from classic rock to today's rock.

The song was "All I want for Christmas is you" came on the air.  It was being sung by a country singer who did a good job but could not hold a candle to the original artist, Mariah Carey.

When I arrived home I turned on my PC. 

I was in luck.  My Uverse was operational which has not been the case much in the last week.

I looked up the song by Mariah Carey.  There were many versions from the past years.

I found one version that caught my attention which I posted to facebook. 

My comment on the post was:  For the holiday season. A bit old, a bit dated, grainy video. But a great crossover of so many music periods from the Phil Spector's wall of sound days, backup harmonies of the sixties that set standards used today, video style of the sixties, a great voice, a great piece of writing from Mariah that has been covered by so many other folks today.

The production and video reminded me of TV shows of the era; Whisky a-go-go, 9th Street West, Lloyd Thanxton, Shindig! and other music shows decades before MTV was even a dream.

Comments started to be written to my facebook wall.  I commented back to some of the comments:  When I was 17 I had a girlfriend, Kathleen B. Henn who was a dancer on Whisky-a-go-go and Shindig TV shows. She later became a stewardess for Eastern Air Lines and told me their motto was ... "when the birds won't fly Eastern will". She lived on Calneva in Encino. If anybody knows where she is let me know as she was very cool and I would bet she would still be cool today.

I thought back on what I had done in my life to this point and was somewhat amazed I made it this far. 

I have often remarked that photographs are for people who can not remember things in their life.  Photographs are nice to share with others though.  I have been taking photographs since I was about 13 years old.  I rhought of the photos I had in storage where my boys live.  Many of them going back to about Junior High School.  Most folks reading this might not even know what I am talking about when I say Junior High School.

The sixties and all that come to the minds of many when they think about this era.  I was in the middle of it all. 

Over my life I have been asked; "if you could pick when you were born what would be your choice?"  My reply has never changed.  I would want to be born when I was born.

Psycedelics, concerts, The Fillmore, Haight-Ashbury, The Cheetah, Sunset Strip, driving my 1957 MGA on Sunset Blvd from the sea to the end of the strip, Vietnam was probably the only downside to the era.

The Shangri La's who were a part of my life prior to the British Invasion.  I posted a video set of them and wrote this to my boys as I shared the link with them on facebook:  To my two boys - go into your mom's cabinet where my photos are and look at the pictures of my car with the girl checking the oil, on the roof, under the car and in the trunk and then look at the lead singer in these videos.

I posted a video link to the Ronettes with a comment:  Check out the backup dancers. Things have come further with dance than they have even progressed with audio and video advances :-)

I look back on the path I walked to get where I stand today.  My most recent status update on facebook prior to writing this blog entry was:  I heard a song on the radio when I was driving home which made me look up the original song on youtube. Looking at some of those videos I recalled the past and wondered how I ever made it to my current age and makes me realize that if I died tonight, as one song lyric from the past says ... " long time comin' " and I would not think I left all that much uncovered or not experienced.

In the Mariah video some of the things I like:

1 - the backup singers and their harmony arrangement
2 - Mariah's mini-dress being even shorter than the dresses on the dancers
3 - Recalling how Carol Norman in High School used to be sent home at least once a week for her mini-shirt being too short.

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.

www.urm.org

AT&T - so wrong in every way

On November 23, 2010 I pulled up to my house after a day at the shop.  There was an AT&T truck parked directly in front of my house.

I walked into my house and turned on my television.  It did not work. 

URM November End of Month update

November 2010 end of the month update from Andy Bales of Union Rescue Mission http://www.urm.org/

In the video Andy mentions the Thanksgiving event of 11/20/10.  There is another Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow on 11/25/10 on actual Thanksgiving day as well.

Many of you who are reading this helped make these Thanksgiving dinners possible.  Thousands of dinners were served on two days.  I would not be surprised if the number was somewhere near 10,000 meals.

We now have Christmas on the horizon and I will be posting this once again.  I will be asking for help again.  The economy continues to take a toll.  Compared to just one year ago the services at http://www.urm.org/ have increased by over 40% while their donations have dropped over 20%.  Things are critical to say the least and the end of the year is going to be very difficult.

I would like to take a moment to thank my friends and my friends in the music industry who donated money to Union Rescue Mission and who passed on the word and asked their friends to help.  We raised close to 1,500 meals for people that do not have much to give thanks for and would not have had a meal of this kind.

My thanks to the volunteers and staff at Union Rescue Mission.  It is an honor to be associated with you people.



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.

www.urm.org

EL84 discussion on the Dr. Z Forum

Over on the Dr. Z amp forum I have a column in their Ask the Experts area.  Yesterday I was in one of the other areas and came across a post on the Doc's new Z Wreck amp.  

For a year or more this amp was not a product offered in the Z lineup.  The amp was only in the hands of Brad Paisley.  The amp is now available to all. 

As a side note, there is info on the amp at http://www.drzamps.com/amp/z_wreck/ 

One of the owners of one of these amps had posted some comments on the EL84 output tubes he uses.  I jumped into the thread.

KABC TV in Los Angeles story on Homeless in L.A.

This morning KABC television in Los Angeles broadcast a 30 minute show on the subject of the homeless in the homeless capitol of the nation, Los Angeles. 

Because none of us wants to die alone?

Last Sunday a friend dropped by with an apple pie.  She has been a great friend for decades and a great chef in her own right but I digress.

Earlier that day I had been talking to somebody who asked me a question.  They asked me if I felt there was a good reason for marriage.  I expressed my thoughts.  Later I talked about this topic with my friend who brought me the pie.

I voiced my thoughts on various aspects of why I felt people get married.  Building and sharing a life.  Building and raising a family.  Many of the reasons seemed very obvious.  There are countless reasons for marriage just as there are countless reasons not to be married. 

Over the last few days thoughts would dart in and out of my mind.  Reasons for marriage change as we grow older.  Security?  Companionship?  Friendship?  Sharing a recall of things two people have accomplished together in life?

I recall a conversation with a friend who wanted to leave his wife.  His reason to me was, she does not want to climb mountains with me.....

I felt his logic was a bit shallow when this statement was made to me over a decade ago.  

He did not see how much she cared for him and how she altered much of her own life to support him in his quest to build a business (he was already gainfully employed as a side note).  She supported his hobbies and interests.  She helped him accomplish his dreams in his own life.  She was there to catch him when he would fall. 

He was not able to see what she had done for him as they built a life and raised a daughter. The importance of her past work, love and effort were overshadowed by his own desires to climb a mountain.

In the end, her intentions and real actions carried little weight.  The lack of climbing mountains was the logic he used to end the relationship. 

So often in the end one person just turns their back on the other and walks away.  Marriage?  Vows?  Promises?  Government?  The economy?  There are a lot of folks out there that just quit, lie or just give up. 

One just walks away.

As we grow older our accomplishments are behind us rather than in front of us.  Some people have an adverse reaction to growing older.  Many look as their life as a race to try to accomplish all possible things before the grow old.  Wake up folks.  If you are acting like this you may already be old.  

One must earn growing old.  It is not something that you can just make happen by taking a test or procuring some sort of certificate.  There is value in age.  Knowledge.  Experience. 

By all means, go out into the world each day and make the most out of each day but do not turn your eyes away from people who hurt others, people who turn their back on people who need help where you can provide help.

As we age our focus on what is important changes.  We shift our resources from home, car, clothes and possessions to things like insurance, health care or other things that give us a sense of security.  In some ways it is a false sense of security. 

Perhaps this is one reason for marriage?  Perhaps it is a reason some couples stay together later in life.

There is a story on marrige in the Huffington Post that talks about marriage:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/18/time-marriage-study-four-_n_785746.html 

In the end none of us want to die alone.  In actuality though, it is the journey to our death that is something to think about.  Perhaps one more reason for marriage or a partnership in life.

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.

www.urm.org

Important message - Hope Gardens

Hope Gardens

Today I checked my email as usual and read a disturbing message from Andy Bales, the CEO of Union Rescue Mission.

Last month things were looking pretty good.  This is the October video from Andy Bales at Union Rescue Mission.



Yesterday was a terrific Veteran's Day lunch program (thanks to http://www.dailygrill.com/ for the great food and serving the Veterans)

Today I read this email:

Dear Friends,

On August 8, 2006 5 sweet ladies became our “Pioneers” when they moved from Union Rescue Mission’s downtown location on Skid Row to the safety of Hope Gardens Family Center. Since then, thanks to Union Rescue Mission and Hope Gardens Family Center, hundreds of moms and over 1800 children have been rescued from the streets! And, with capital support from faithful friends, foundations and including the LA County Board of Supervisors through their Homeless and Housing Program we’ve been able to renovate all of the buildings at Hope Gardens Family Center, expanding our capacity to care for moms and precious children at Hope Gardens by almost 300%. Our goal (and mandate from the county) that no child be left on Skid Row could literally be reached by March thanks to you and hundreds of others.

Tragically, as of the date of this e-mail, the County Supervisors have yet to renew their commitment of subsidizing a portion of the operating costs which is crucial to the success and sustainability of Hope Gardens in these devastating economic times.

We’ve come too far to stop now!

If you live in LA County, please contact the Supervisor for your district and urge them to renew the operating subsidy portion of the HHPF so that we can accomplish our goal and make sure that no children are living on Skid Row! You can click here to download a sample letter/e-mail you can customize. You will find contact information for each of the 5 LA County Supervisors below. There is also a link for you to use below if you are unsure of the district you live in.

On behalf of the moms and precious children waiting to move from Skid Row to Hope Gardens Family Center, thank you!

Sincerely,
Rev. Andy Bales
CEO, Union Rescue Mission

To find the district your LA County Supervisor is in, you can go to this site and enter your address.

http://www.lavote.net/onlinedistrictmapapp/

Contact Information by District:

District 1
Gloria Molina
Los Angeles County Supervisor, First District
856 Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration
500 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
molina@bos.lacounty.gov
(213) 374-4111

District 2
Mark Ridley-Thomas
Los Angeles County Supervisor, Second District
856 Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration
500 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
markridley-thomas@bos.lacounty.gov
(213) 974-2222

District 3
Zev Yaroslavsky
Los Angeles County Supervisor, Third District
856 Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration
500 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
zev@bos.lacounty.gov
(213) 974-3333

District 4
Don Knabe
Los Angeles County Supervisor, Fourth District
856 Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration
500 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
don@bos.lacounty.gov
(213) 974-4444

District 5
Michael Antonovich
Los Angeles County Supervisor, Fifth District
856 Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration
500 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
fifthdistrict@lacbos.org
(213) 974-5555

Union Rescue Mission can be found on the web at http://www.urm.org/

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.

www.urm.org

Is the world a little more crazy or is it just me?

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/

Andy Bales and Mayor Richard Riordan spend the night on skid row

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: 

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2010/11/06/richard-riordan-volunteers-to-spend-night-with-homeless/

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:

http://la-economy.blogspot.com/2010/11/help-me-provide-thanksgiving-meals-at.html 

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.

www.urm.org