General Chat (Non-Music-Related)

I lived ten years in Los Angeles. Pimping music, writing, playing in bands and working security to keep bread on the table. I trained at US School of Law and Enforcement and Whittier Police Academy.

I learned one thing for sure, LA / CA has utterly ludicrous gun laws but it is wrong to think any one follows them.

Experience showed me that the rule of thumb I'd been taught was correct: one out of every two vehicles in CA has a firearm in it. There are not that many conservatives in CA so who has all the guns? I can tell you from protecting them in their homes, lots of those left wing types have guns. they just don't want you to have them.

There are a ton of gang bangers - wonder which side they'll fight on? And yeah, they're armed. So are LAPD not that they're worth a damn.

Talbot

Interesting comment Mike.

I have to laugh because CA is the one state so concerned with lead.

Even down to bullets.... Warning this product contains lead, a known carcinogen by the state of CA.

Hell if you get shot by a lead bullet, I am positive you would not be concerned with lead poisoning!

I agree Glen. Talbot ... excellent assessment of LA. I never lived there but had friends that did. SF was always better but it kept getting worse and worse so I left. Glen ... because of years and years of conditioning and "lead" those running about in LA now are truly very much like zombies ... perhaps a bit more fashion sense but zombies nevertheless. the years of SlowKill has taken it's toll and it is evident.

4 days in Monterey and I was convinced it was beautiful... Something in the water was making me uneasy.
I started thinking crazy thoughts... Can't wait to get back to NY!

I used to prowl around bad neighborhoods at night waiting for alarm calls. I usually didn't have to wait long.

But I would not respond to calls on New Year's Eve, instead I'd park under an overpass until everyone stopped shooting. Usually about a half hour. Auto weapons, all of it.

When I was Sec Mgr at Terminal Freight I had people check the roof (21 acres IIRC - big place next to rail yard) for expended rounds. They brought the bullets down stairs in a five gallon bucket!

I witnessed two murders, one right at the Chinese Theater (gunshot) and one at the Hollywood Ranch Market (ice pick).

In their defense, if the bad guys in LA didn't kill you they'd try to sell you a movie idea or some blow; very strange place.

I liked LA a lot, I had some success there, met great folks. But I was always very careful!

Talbot

4 days in Monterey and I was convinced it was beautiful... Something in the water was making me uneasy.
I started thinking crazy thoughts... Can't wait to get back to NY!

You there now?

I flew out of LAX last Sunday, going back this Thursday. Someone told me they were at the airport on Saturday, the day before I flew out, and the protestors were STILL causing a mess.

I didn't see any, but I did go out of Terminal 3 on Virgin America, which is owned by Richard Branson who is entertaining Obama for the last week. Guess his airline gets a pass?? Hahaha.


.

NO... We missed meeting up by a year.

That's a tough airport... Flying onto that runway from the south west requires some good flying skills. From some of the pilots I know, only Aspen Co is worse. That approach at Monterey requires a fly over those mountains coming in at a 1000 feet. Whoah... You have to be right on the money. Just a perspective.