Homeward Bound:

Okay, Got it!

2012-01-30T17:34:00.000-08:00

By Cliff Harrison

If you want to want a modern company from the crow's nest and see it move full speed ahead toward an ice field watch Google & Company.

Google has sold itself like a two-bit whore on a street with one-dollar tricks.

Google was once a superb company, one to be greatly admired and appreciated. That appreciation came mostly from its simplicity of use. Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger mentioned in their book Simple Church how Google and other companies succeeded because of their simple design particularly the home page of the Goggle search engine page. Unfortunately a new class of fools has taken over the helm of once great ship.

The new captain and the new crew of the Goggle empire has lead it into the cold, cold waters more destructive than the North Atlantic was to the great Titanic. The Titanic, which sank just one-hundred years ago on 15 April 1912, was warned of the impending dangers just as Google has been warned. At twenty minutes to midnight the Titanic, just four days into her maiden voyage, hit an iceberg and sank two hours later. Evidence in the history books shows the captain and the crew of the Titanic were warned repeatedly of impending icebergs. In fact, ship after ship after ship tried to warn those at the helm of the Titanic it was on a grave, collision course with a gigantic ice field.

Ignorance soon placed the Titanic at the bottom of the sea. Google will soon be laying at the bottom of the technology sea as well. It is inevitable. An ice field lays ahead for Google's giant empire. That ice field is going to tear Google apart from bow to stern. People are up in the crow's nest screaming at the Google crew ICEBERGS AHEAD! Their screams fall upon deaf ears.

Thousands, literally thousands of comments are made on YouTube where Goggle announced changes to their e-mail server, Gmail. The video Gmail's New Look posted by Google has at this writing 23,776,552 hits. 49,929 dislikes have been registered. That's a lot of people screaming, "ICEBERG AHEAD!" Of course, a number of people like the new changes which put the ship in the peculiar predicament of "Full speed ahead!" and "Reverse the engines!"

Across the board, if you are a big user of Goggle services like I am, Gmail, Blogger, YouTube, Google+, Google Search Engine, AdSense which is now AdWords, Google Chrome, and other services you come to rely on a fixed way of doing things so that you can function in your day and do things without relearning everything. Well, Goggle for some reason beyond intelligent thinking decided to tamper with its existing system. That tampering has virtually destroyed Google.

Big Brother has arrived and his name is Google.

I've had AOL journals, Microsoft Spaces and many other social networks. I don't intend to loose anymore work due to corporate ignorance in the technology business. I don't bed down with whores or communist and I don't see any course other than a direct course with a path of ice fields directly ahead for Google. I can not see Google surviving the next five or ten years. They've taken a wrench to things that weren't broken and that playing around amounts to letting a kid play in the engine room of a very expensive machinery. The end results are going to be very costly for Google.

Google has in my opinion, not only made too many changes across the board, they have involved themselves in political arenas they do not belong. It is fine to express political opinion, but it is not fine to force those opinions on your viewers or to counter those using your system with adverse political images.

In addition Google has created a monster spy machine in which they use the information gathered, your private information, for use in the sale and marketing of third-party interests. The government can easily obtain such information by any insider who desires to forward it.

I'm no longer interested in being a part of Google's large family. I operate over 200 blogs, a number of e-mails, constantly use the Google search Engine, YouTube and other Google services. I will begin withdrawing those uses. I will withdraw my usage until they become zero. There are a lot of fish in the sea. Google by no means is the only fish in the sea.

All of my Google-based blogs along with their respective e-mails and other services will begin being moved to my self-hosted websites until such a time no Goggle services will be used by me or my affiliates. It will be a slow and long process, but it will eventually be complete. I don't expect Google services to survive a future much longer than a decade and that is the long shot. I would bet they will hit the iceberg in half that time and sink as quickly as the Titanic did on the fateful, chilly night a hundred years ago.

If not the last, this will be one of the last post on the Blogger service for the Homeward Bound "Voices from the Streets." The Homeward Bound Publishing Group including all of the blogs in the River Organization Network, Christian River Network, Homeward Bound Group, and many others will all be incorporated and consolidated into my network of self-hosted websites.

Once I've got the destination sites set up I'll post a link to direct all traffic there.

The Google decision is not the only reason for my consolidating the networks. My health and the ability to continue or finish what I had previous planned to commit to has greatly been altered due to my poor health. it will be much easier commanding all of the blogs and e-mails from a self-hosted service and not have to worry about the drastic continued changes like Microsoft, AOL, and Google seems to want to employ.

Keep your eyes peeled for ice fields and stay alert in the crows nest; it's going to be a cold swim if you don't.

Interview Video

2012-01-18T00:00:00.001-08:00

Food Not Bombs - Las Vegas from Michael Zayas on Vimeo.

Five Feet from the Finish Line

2012-01-14T23:34:00.001-08:00

The Devil & Me
By Cliff Harrison

I shouldn't let the cat out of the bag and go spoiling a good story prematurely, but I'll tell you why I chose the title, "Five Feet from the Finish Line." That's what it feels like.

One of the stories I'll publish one day in an up and coming installment of The Devil & Me is about a snowmobile race I was in back in the 70s. There I was leading the pack darn near a half a lap ahead of the nearest snowmobile coming up on the finishing line. Five feet before the finish line my drive belt broke, stopping me dead in my tracks.

There I sat unable to even push my sled across the line for a win. I was clearly ahead for most of the race and I only had sixty inches to cross the finish line and be the winner to take home the trophy. Sixty inches!

I just shook hands with the devil and thanked him as sled after sled passed me by as if poking fun at me for being that close to a winner only to be the worst loser of the entire race--dead last.

I feel like that now. Five feet from the finish line.

I've got so many writing projects that I just know are winners but I can't even get up enough energy to get them put together and published in the organized order they need to be in. Five feet from the finish line is where I am at stuck with a broken drive belt that went just like that.

I guess today I'll make more than one entry in my journal.

I can see the finish line. I can touch the finish line. I just can't get across the finish line. It's like in my mind as if I'm a cowboy in one of those old western movies and I'm crawling in the desert trying to reach the watering hole that is really nothing but a mirage while buzzards circle overhead. I'm just about there. But almost isn't good enough and those birds of prey are starting to call out to one another communicating about the bodacious dinner that's coming up.

Better men than me would have committed suicide by now. Just end it. Put themselves out of their misery. But not me. I like hanging around and giving the devil a hard time.

There are too many demons in this world to just up and leave them. It's more fun hanging around and making their life miserable like they do God's Children.

So, I guess I'll just have to plug along and do what work I can. My writing could be so much better if I didn't have this demon inside of me holding me back while draining my energy.

Well, what do you know? I meant this to be an entry for my journal. But you know what? I just wrote a piece for The Devil & Me. Why not? Maybe I can push my sled over the finish line.

The Devil & Me is a syndicated column by Cliff Harrison

I Hate Change!

2012-01-05T04:19:00.000-08:00

Common Sense
by Cliff Harrison

Bank of America tried it. Wells Fargo tried it. Verizon “Can you hear me now?” Wireless tried it. Countless other big corporations tried it. And the public revolted. Change. Everybody says they want change. But nobody wants change. No, not really.

Google, AdSense; no, AdSense changed to AdWord, Blogger, YouTube, Yahoo!, they’re all making change. Change that is disturbing their customers. More change more tempers flare. More change more people drop the big 1% corporation they love to hate.

Microsoft, oh, don’t get me going.

I do like the changes YouTube made. I especially love their new music “mix” where you can play consecutive songs by the same artist. The one thing YouTube needs to add is the ability to “repeat” a song, like all music players have. I like repeating good songs. You see, I like sticking with what I know. I like sticking with what isn’t broken. I like sticking with what works. I like sticking with what I like. The changes made at YouTube aren’t so drastic that someone who liked the “old version” isn’t satisfied.

Why can’t all America’s corporations learn that?

One thing that never has changed, and it’s Microsoft “Change Daily” is the word processor spell checker. I spelled AdSense the way Google spells AdSense.

No matter how many times I click “ignore” it keeps coming back with the red line under the word indicating it is misspelled. Pssssst! Try clicking “ignore all”. Oh, my God! I thought that read ignorance.

“Ignore all” isn’t available every time, often only “ignore” is. And it keeps coming back.

They seem to change the stuff that works well and they don’t change the stuff that doesn’t work. The problem we have in America is we have too many geeks employed. If we had more geeks in our soup-kitchen lines maybe they’d change the soup-kitchen and give us something decent to eat and leave the rest of the stuff alone.

As I publish this I review the YouTube video that came with the Gmail “New Look”. 41,052 people voted they “liked” the video, meaning they liked the change while a whooping 36,300 disliked the video/change. That is the largest dislike I have ever seen on any YouTube video, nearly 50% of the voters rejected it.

I sort of felt bad after I sent a nasty comment to the geeks for changing Gmail but I don’t feel bad now, read the comments thousands of pissed users posted in the video comments.

I bet tomorrow we’ll hear a lot of the same thing we heard from Bank of American, Wells Fargo and Version Wireless, “Gmail dumps new look for old version after user revolt.”

After you send in a message for ‘feedback’ you are taken to a ‘help’ page which shows all of the Google help centers as if now they want to help you when before you had to pull your hair out in order to get help.

When you go to the menu page you can’t even find AdWord anymore. You have to hunt for it. It used to be first on the list. Google screwed up AdWord so much I’m about to pull the plug on any Goggle product, just like I did Yahoo! and Microsoft. Ignorant idiots!

Google started out a simple company with user friendly features. They should have left well enough alone.

By the way, spam has increased a thousand folds on Gmail.

The only changes Google ought to be making is they ought to fire everybody companywide from top to bottom except the YouTube division.

There is no common sense at Google.

If Google was Bank of America it would be bankrupt.

I rest my case!

Common Sense is a syndicated column by Cliff Harrison.

Homeless Boy Steals The Talent Show

2011-12-23T05:12:00.000-08:00

This kid has talent. Another Susan Boyle? Another Ted Williams? Of course.
He not only has a touching story, he has touching talent.

Sung-bong Choi

2011-11-24T06:20:00.000-08:00

By Cliff Harrison

I’m praying and hopeful that the family of Richard Smith may find peace and comfort from God on this Thanksgiving Day. I pray the results of their search here in Las Vegas this Thanksgiving weekend is a successful one. My heart goes out for them and for their missing loved one.

It is my life conviction that all homeless people become homeward bound.

Rising out of Poverty

2011-11-24T06:06:00.000-08:00

From the Dark Shadows of Destitution to the Limelight of Professional Football.

Rising out of Poverty. A story of achievement. The story of Green Bay Packers’ wide receiver James Jones rise from homelessness to championship.

The James Jones Story FOX SPORTS

<a href='http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Green-Bay-Packers-James-Jones-journey-from-homeless-childhood-112311?videoId=091441f1-152a-4c72-a988-7ee53f7eb336&src=v5:embed::' target='_new' title='NFL on FOX: James Jones Preview' >Video: NFL on FOX: James Jones Preview</a>

Today the Packers play the Lions. Go Packers....

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Need Your Help

2011-11-23T03:19:00.000-08:00

Missing Veteran

I need your help people. We know Rick is currently in the Las Vegas Area. Let’s find him and bring him home. We leave no one behind. Thanks.

Richard "Rick" Allen Smith

I had pulled down the photo and flier of Rick Smith because we though we had located Rick, but his family said the homeless man we thought was Rick was not him. So, our search goes on. I've reposted his photo and an updated flier is posted below. We'll currycomb Las Vegas until we find him for we leave no comrades behind.

If you see Rick please contact his mother Belinda Mayer bmayer58@gmail.com

Richard (Rick) Allen Smith
DOB: June 16, 1972
Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 145
Hair: Dirty Blond/Light Brown
Eyes: Hazel/Green
Complexion: Ruddy
Veteran US Army.
Distinguishing Marks: Large Spinal Scar from Lumbar Fusion Surgery.
Needs Medical Care to remove metal plate and screws from back.

Frequents 10 A.M. feeding Catholic Charities, Is a loner, Is quiet, Walks with his head down, Stays in NLV area, Last known to be hanging out at 7-11 corner of Bonanza and NLV Blvd. Current photo taken August 9, 2011 by NLVPD. Last seen by Salvation Army Security walking toward Catholic Charities down Owens in early Sept 2011. Has been in Las Vegas since summer of 2009. Contact: (mother) Belinda Mayer, 10407 N 38th Lane, Phoenix, AZ 85051, or e-mail bmayer58@gmail.com

Homelessness is a destructive thing in the lives of the homeless and their family. Finding a missing love one can be a trying and exhausting experience filled with a roller coaster of emotions. Both the homeless and their family suffer a great deal.

The Sun Sets on Veterans Day 11-11-11

2011-11-11T23:11:00.000-08:00

By Cliff Harrison

As the sun goes down, let us not forget those who served and gave their all. Again, thanks for those who have worn the uniform of the United States military. Thank you veterans, to all of you, those gone, those serving, those who have served and to those who live on the streets of America homeless because they have no home. And especially, those veterans who died on America's streets homeless because the county you fought for didn't care enough for you to give you a home, thank you. Thank you.

Veterans Day 11-11-11

In honor and memory of U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Paul E. Phelps

Veterans Day Freedom's Not Free

2011-11-11T19:36:00.000-08:00

I know this is a Memorial Day video by The Great Americans, Rivoli Revue, but today is a great day to listen to it again. For those of you who have never heard this moving song it's tim you did.

Supporting Our Troops

2011-11-11T14:33:00.000-08:00

Photo taken at Dylan’s Dancehall & Saloon at 4660 Boulder Highway In Las Vegas.

It's Veterans Day 2011

2011-11-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

Today 11-11-11 is Veterans Day and millions of America people are uploading photos of men and women in uniform to celebrate. They upload images of those gone, those serving and those you have serviced. Sometimes it is a chilling experience. Sometimes it is a warm and proud experience. Sometimes it brings tears. For others it brings joy. Regardless of the emotions it is a day of remembrance and a day of thanks for those who have worn the uniform of the United States military. Thank you veterans, to all of you, those gone, those now serving, those who have served and to those who live on the streets of America homeless because they have no home. Thank you.

Veterans Day 11-11-11

In honor and in memory of U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Paul E. Phelps

Jack in the Box Beats McDonald’s Prices

2011-11-03T03:33:00.000-07:00

Jack in the Box $2.99 Breakfast Platter

By Cliff Harrison

McDonald's isn't the only fast-food on the block. In fact, on the corner of E. Desert Inn Road and McLeod Dr., where I shot this photo of the Jack in the Box Breakfast Platter there is a McDonald’s right across the street.

McDonald’s Big Breakfast used to include two slices of bacon and sausage for just under $5. Then some stores started taking one slice of bacon away and snapping the single slice in half. I complained about that sneaky stuff. Since that time well over a year ago, the Big Breakfast has reduced the amount of food you get and have increased in price.

As this photo shows, I not only purchased a Jack in the Box Breakfast Platter--only $2.99 with your choice of bacon or sausage--but also added a Breakfast Jack (99 cents) and a delicious cup of Hawaiian grown Kona Classic® Coffee with senior discount and sales tax and the total price was less than $5.

After fasting for lab work I was hungry and since I can’t eat this kind of meal at home anymore due to health reasons I treat myself once in awhile to a delicious meal out.

The Breakfast Platter consists of a hearty breakfast of scrabbled eggs and bacon (or sausage), hash browns, mini-pancakes and premium Log Cabin® maple syrup. More than a hearty meal and very filling.

Without the Breakfast Jack, but with the coffee and tax, the meal still would have been only around $3.77, well under $4.

It didn’t break the bank to add the breakfast sandwich to destroy the hunger pangs I walked in with--only an extra 99 cents.

Hey, it’s legal to splurge once in awhile, especially after being on a strict diet. Even foods that are not considered all that healthy are okay as long as you consume them in moderation and factor in your total daily allowance with the remaining meals of the day.

When you are hungry and homeless or living in the shadows of poverty, the menus on the value meal boards at fast-food joints can be your best friend.

Despite record profits, McDonald’s continues to raise prices while most Americans are struggling to scrape together enough pennies to buy just one more meal.

I used to be a big fan of McDonald’s. I used to eat there regularly. Almost daily, in fact, when I was homeless. I’ve got the AAA scars and stent implant to prove it. But like OWS protesters are now boycotting big banks like Bank of America and Wells Fargo, I’m conducting my own mini protest of McDonald’s for forgetting just who made them into the conglomerate they now are.

I do that mini protest peacefully and quietly, enjoying mini pancakes at Jack in the Box while looking across the street at my old hangout, McDonald‘s. Did I say delicious mini pancakes?

And nobody makes a better cup of coffee than the U.S.A. grown Kona Classic® that Jack in the Box serves. Nobody!

Fast-Food Deals

2011-11-02T18:34:00.000-07:00

By Cliff Harrison

McDonald's isn't the only one in the fast-food, burger-joint business. As McDonald's raises their prices on numerous items, having already done so several times within the past year, Jack-in-the-Box offers attractive deals.

In addition to the always available all-day-long Breakfast Jack that is only 99 cents, even lower than the one-dollar value meals offered by McDonald's, Jack-in-the-Box now offers a Double Cheeseburger Combo for only $2.99. That's less than one dollar per item, which includes the double cheeseburger, curly fries and a small soda.

Hamburgers may not be the healthiest of meals, but when you have little money in your pocket deals like those you can find at Jack-in-the-Box sure do stop the growling in the belly.

And nobody has better coffee than Jack-in-the-Box. So, just because you are homeless and don't have much money doesn't mean you can't find a little something better than that slop soup they call food at the local soup kitchens.

Limited Time Only

Traffic Accident On Boulder Highway

2011-11-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

A lone police officer tends to a traffic accident scene

By Cliff Harrison

About 8:30 this morning there was a multiple-car accident on Boulder Highway just south of Desert Inn Road. A lone police officer arrived and put up numerous road flares and then left the scene.

A motorcycle cop arrived on the scene about ten minutes later and is still on the scene as this post is being written.

In the half hour to forty-five minutes that I monitored the scene for at least ten minutes there was no police officer on the scene. Each time they were there, there was only a single officer, one in a cruiser, and the other on motorcycle. No wrecker service had yet arrived although at least three vehicles were involved in the wreckage

That leads me to believe that there are a number of accidents elsewhere on the Valley's highway causing an overload on both the tow truck service and the police force. It is a miracle that additional cars didn't pile up due to the lack of emergency crews to supervise the accident scene.

Eventually a Las Vegas construction company vehicle arrived and blocked the most dangerous path toward the disabled vehicles. The driver of that rig set up numerous road flares to warn approaching traffic.

Hey folks, it's rush hour, slow down! Stop tailgating.

I witnessed dozens of close calls of approaching vehicles narrowly smashing into the disabled vehicles or cars that were slowing down for them while the lone motorcycle cop was in route. Without fire trucks parked crosswise in the roads as they often do and without tow trucks on the scene it was fortunate that there were no additional injuries or vehicle damage.

It's a cold morning to be sitting in those vehicles waiting for emergency service crews.

A View on Homelessness from Seattle

2011-10-11T05:40:00.000-07:00

When it rains in Seattle, it pours. Ryan McNamee takes a look inside Ballard's Homeless Population.

This is an excellent video, with coherent homeless people explaining in plain English so we can understand the problems with homelessness and why many can't escape it.

The Homeless Neighbor from Ryan McNamee on Vimeo.

Well Fargo Strikes at the Poor

2011-09-12T02:16:00.000-07:00

By Cliff Harrison

ADVERSE NEWS FOR MANY WHO ARE ALREADY STRUGGLING.

Wells Fargo is ending free checking account in some cases unless customers can meet new terms.

At a time when people are down and out, big banks that the taxpayers bailed out and kept from collapsing are now punishing those very taxpayer who no one bailed out. Banks are being robbed every day at an increasing rate. People are going off the deep end and committing hideous crimes. Big corporations are establishing themselves as an enemy of the people and creating additional stress. Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citi Bank have all been in the news of late. This news is not surprising. At a time when everything is going up except COLAs and raises America is pitted with rich against poor, giant corporations against the people. Now that the 911 uniting of America is over with, we go back to our normal division.

This notice sent to checking account holders this month states:

Upcoming Change to Your Premium Membership Checking Account
September 8, 2011

Upcoming change to your Premium Membership® Checking account The August statement for your Premium Membership Checking account included a message about changes to your account. For your convenience, we've summarized these changes below.

What's changing
Effective November 14, 2011, the options to waive your Premium Membership Checking account monthly service fee will change.

You can waive the $15 monthly service fee when you have three additional linked qualifying accounts/services and one of the following:

Maintain a qualifying direct deposit of $750 or more1, OR
Maintain $5,000 or more in combined balances in deposit or qualifying credit accounts, OR
Maintain a monthly automatic loan payment from this Package checking account to a Wells Fargo home equity/personal loan or line of credit, or Wells Fargo Home Mortgage loan

If you do not meet one of the above monthly service fee waiver options, this fee can be discounted by $2 per month when you set up and receive online statements for this account. What you may need to do
Automatic transfers are no longer available to waive the monthly service fee. Please review the new monthly service fee waivers carefully as it may be necessary for you to take action to ensure your account is not assessed a monthly service fee. What isn't changing

Your qualifying automatic transfer will continue to waive the monthly service fee on select savings accounts.
Your account number will remain the same.
Your automatic payments, transfers, scheduled online bill payments and direct deposits will continue uninterrupted.
Your account will continue to be FDIC-insured up to applicable limits.

You will continue receiving the same benefits and services including:

Bonus interest rate on a linked Wells Fargo Money Market SavingsSM account2
More than 6,300 Wells Fargo locations and 12,000 ATMs
Free access to Wells Fargo Online® Banking with Bill Pay
Telephone customer service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

If you have questions, or would like to receive a free financial review to see if you have the right accounts and services to meet your financial goals, please contact your local banker or call us at 1-800-TO-WELLS (1-800-869-3557), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Thank you. We appreciate your business. Sincerely, Wells Fargo Consumer Deposits Group

1. A qualifying direct deposit is a direct deposit of your salary, pension, Social Security, or other regular monthly income, electronically deposited to your account by your employer or an outside agency. Transfers from one account to another, or deposits made at a banking location or ATM, do not qualify as a direct deposit.

2. Bonus interest on the Wells Fargo Money Market Savings account will discontinue when the account is delinked from the Premium Membership Checking Package.

Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.

It isn't so much the nuisance of a free checking account becoming a fee-paid account after being lured into doing business with a banking company as it is the timing of squeezing those who have no more room to be squeezed.

In a land of high unemployment, under employment, rising government support and undesirable and unrewarding employment a buck is a buck and the more corporations squeeze that dollar out of the ordinary consumer's hand the most likely the entire economy will collapse.

Wildfire Burns Northeast of Las Vegas

2011-09-02T18:32:00.000-07:00

The helicopter seen near the smoke cloud is more likely than
not a tour helicopter rather than a news helicopter or BLM's.

By Cliff Harrison

Around two o'clock this afternoon I was taking a walk and noticed a huge mushroom cloud behind the mountains Northeast of Las Vegas. I was a bit puzzled by the shape and color of the cloud. It looked like a massive explosion since it rose straight upward as if a huge bomb had exploded. But the color wasn't really the color bomb explosions usually looked like.

I knew being that the smoke was coming from behind the mountains it was an area of extremely rough terrain. If rubber, plastic, petroleum fuels, automobiles or houses were engulfed in flame the color would have been black. The remote location made it less likely that any of these were involved.

Had a jet fighter out of Nellis Air Force Base crashed or even if a bomb had been dropped--accidentally or otherwise--at least traces of black or dark gray would have been visible.

The fact that smoke was still rising, especially from a remote area of wildlife wilderness reduced the possibility of a bomb explosion. The fire was still feeding. Unless an explosion caused a wildfire, the smoke should have then been dying down and drifting away.

The next rational solution would be a wildfire. It is the time of year for wildfires, dry and humid. But there was no lightning is the past couple of days. A wildfire was the most likely possibility but the shape of the cloud was puzzling since it resembled a mushroom cloud and not a spread-out drifting cloud like a normal wildfire.

After taking the photographs I published the pictures on my Facebook page and wrote this post: Huge mushroom cloud rising from desert behind mountains in Northeast Las Vegas. A white, vapor type cloud with no traces of gray or black smoke. Either some kind of huge bomb was detonated or wildfire. It would seem a wildfire would spread outward and not rise like a mushroom cloud. And it would seem a bomb explosion would dissipate much sooner. Smoke trail drifts northeastward. Mystery. Shortly after 2:00p.m. PST and still visibly active.

It is a wildfire in the remote Desert National Wildlife Refuge.

After posting my Facebook photo and accompanying statement I went to the TV News Channel 8 website, KLAS-TV 8 News NOW, and found two stories covering the fire. Apparently the fire was discovered yesterday, 01 September 2011, by BLM officals but was only recently seen by people in Vegas.

New reports claim officials from the Bureau of Land Management believe the fire may have been caused by a lightning strike last week. It is possible the lightning strike left smoldering embers that later ignited in the dry and humid vegetation.

Officials said they were not going to fight the fire due to the fact that it is in such a remote area and no structures are endangered. They said they will let the fire burn itself out. They will monitor the situation closely. Both news helicopters and BLM helicopters are keeping a close eye on the fire.

In additional news about wildfires, KLAS-TV 8 News NOW reports that I-15 near Cajon Pass was closed due to a "fast-moving wildfire" in Southern California. I-15 is a major route between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Added New Report Source from: KLAS-TV 8 News NOW
Sheep Mountain Wildfire
Wildfire Burns North of Las Vegas
Wildfire Closes I-15 Near Cajon Pass

This photo taken at 5:00p.m., about three hours after the above
shot, looks more like a wildfire than a bomb cloud.

Shortly after 7:00p.m. at dusk it looks like the fire is dying down.

Excessive Heat Warning For Las Vegas

2011-08-23T21:30:00.000-07:00

The National Weather Service has advised an excessive heat warning in effect for Clark County, Nevada which includes all of Las Vegas Valley. Dangerous heat will rise to 113° or more. Temperatures were 110° today. The excessive heat warning was issued from 11a.m. this morning, 23 August 2011 until 8p.m.Saturday, 27 August. [NOTICE: Excessive Heat Warning has been extended until further notice! Possibly cooling off after tonight, Monday 29 August...] Remember ground temperature can be 10 to 15° higher than air temperature so this heat wave can turn deadly in a hurry. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Stay inside in shelters, cooling shelters or air conditioned buildings. Avoid alcoholic beverages which can dehydrate you and monitor the weather channels for changes in the reporting status.

Severe Weather Warnings for Las Vegas, NV

National Weather Service Forecast Office Las Vegas, NV

Monitor Fox5 News and Weather

Cooling Stations Locations:
Cooling Stations Open Until Sat. 27 August

March On City Hall Today

2011-07-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

Food Not Bombs Las Vegas Shoutout at Las Vegas City Hall Today at 5:00PM-6:00PM. Shoutout about Orlando's inhumane ban on feeding the hungry. No limit on how loud you can shout.

Friday, July 1 · 5:00pm - 6:00pm

City Hall
400 Stewart Ave. (at Las Vegas Blvd)
Las Vegas, NV
Created by Sean D. Daily, a Las Vegas Author
For Food Not Bombs Las Vegas

From Sean's Facebook Page:
We're going to meet outside City Hall to bring attention to the City of Orlando's ban on the sharing of food with hungry people and to show solidarity with Orlando Food Not Bombs members who have been arrested as a result.

We'll have signs and flyers available detailing the issues surrounding the ban and the subsequent arrests and will be asking people to let the Orlando mayor's office know how they feel about them. You are welco...me to participate in any way you feel comfortable or to simply be there to show your support. You are also free to bring your own signs, if you should feel the urge to do so. Please tell everyone you know and encourage them to spread the word to ensure that we have as big a turnout as possible!

It's especially important that we here in Las Vegas support those in Orlando. Back in 2006, our own city government passed the same sort of ban on offering food to hungry people. Many of the members of Food Not Bombs Las Vegas, as well as FNB members, who had traveled from other cities to support us, were ticketed and even arrested for the simple act of sharing food with someone in need.

Message from Sean D. Daily
Here's contact information for Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. Please put this on any flyers or placards that you make for the Friday action. If you can't make it on Friday, take a few minutes out to call, e-mail or tweet Mayor Dyer.

Phone: 407.246.2221
Fax: 407.246.2842
E-mail: buddy.dyer@cityoforlando.net
...Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/orlandomayor
Twitter: @orlandomayor
City Twitter: @citybeautiful

Food Not Bombs Las Vegas Website

Message from Cliff Harrison: Remember in 2006 we had the same unconstitutional ordinance crafted by Mayor Oscar Goodman and the Las Vegas City Council until the federal courts struck it down and ruled the ban unconstitutional.

Can't Get Rid of Oscar

2011-06-08T00:53:00.000-07:00

By Cliff Harrison

For the homeless Oscar Goodman isn't much different than the Nazi Adolf Hitler.

It is an unfortunate event that we are stuck with Oscar Goodman having influence in the affairs of the City of Las Vegas. The fact that his wife will be mayor we know Oscar won't be too far away.

The brutal dictator that "bulldozed" homeless camps and treated common American citizens like criminals because they lost their jobs, had their homes foreclosed and had too many medical and financial problems to remain stable is a criminal in my book. I was there on the streets, on the receiving end of his tyranny and I know what he did to the homeless. I know he'll never be too far from the shadows of wife.

An evil man and an evil woman in an evil city make for an evil future. I'll be there to cover it. If anything I have another 4-12 years to let the public know what this puke, mafia thug has done to the community's poor. Yes, I'll be there.

KLAS-TV 8 News NOW Coverage

Carolyn Needs Help Voting

John “The Duke” Wayne

2011-05-26T22:59:00.000-07:00

26 May 1907 - 11 June 1979
Marion Robert Morrison
John “The Duke” Wayne

By Cliff Harrison

On this day, 26 May 2011, the birthday of an American hero of our childhood , John Wayne, we remember him with grace and gratitude. Perhaps more than anyone else, John Wayne taught boys how to be real men. The American icon who always fought a fair fight of good against evil, and treated women and children with respect, something which has often faded from our society today, can never be replaced. There is only one John Wayne. From cowboy to soldier it was John Wayne who taught us how to be a real American.

Wherever you are in Heaven, Mister Wayne, thank you for bringing the cowboys and soldiers to my life. Thank you for helping establish the man I am. Thank you for showing me respect for women and children even when in today's world they don't always deserve respect.

On those clouds like wings of an angel ride them high and ride them proud.

God bless you, John Wayne, for all that you stood for. Amen.

BREAKING NEW

2011-03-22T04:27:00.000-07:00

McAfee anti-virus company and computer security protection service has issued an urgent announcement. The company announced to its virus-protection customers it has detected a surge of scammers using the Japanese earthquake as a base for stealing money. The advisory warns against donating money to unknown sources. Please be alert to scams related to the Japanese tragedy.
Get the full details at McAfee Blog

Las Vegas Homeless on "D" Street

2011-02-09T09:19:00.000-08:00

A group of homeless men pose after a recent humanitarian delivery
on "D" Street in Downtown Las Vegas

By Cliff Harrison

During a recent humanitarian delivery I made along my normal, established routes I found the number of homeless increasing while those helping them have decreased.

I distributed new underwear, boxer shorts and T-shirts, which is expensive compared to other humanitarian goods I often supply such as bag lunches, personal care products and used clothing and such. But underwear is sorely needed and seldom supplied by anyone.

People who have lived on the streets for a long period of time need a change of under clothing. And of course I delivered the most needed item of all--socks!

Slowly, I am getting other people involved in helping the homeless with the Christian River Do-it-Yourself Direct-to-the-Streets charity. It eliminates the greedy so-called charity of nonprofits that skim donated money and items for the fat-cat salaries.

Christian River is a concept of humanitarian effort to help the poor, the homeless and hungry with direct donations of goods without compensation. We volunteer our time and donate our own goods we select. Many of us at Christian River provide ministries, or mini-ministries to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to offer a prayer or two, to extend the Christianity to those most in need.

Underwear can be expensive, but if folks grouped together a few people could service a large number of homeless people with needy items such as new boxer shorts and t-shirts.

When I was homeless I remember frequently in Frank Wright Plaza guys buying and selling used clean T-shirts for $2 each. That is how bad they are needed. If you have been in the same shirt for a week or two in three digit weather a clean t-shirt seems to be worth $2. But they can be purchased new for around $2 each or less.

Other items, like bag lunches, personal care products and much more can be purchased for much less. The Christian River network of media is an expanding source of information and more people are getting involved.

There are hundreds of thousands of Americans who lost their jobs. Many of them are over 40 and find it difficult to find a job. The longer they are homeless and out of work the harder it will be for them to ever find a job. Some never will. It's a time in America where life will be harsh for those who once had a good income and who were independent. I'm doing my small part helping the thousands of homeless in Las Vegas. You can do your part in your community and together it will all add up and we can accomplish a lot.

While we live in a mean, nasty world, the homeless are often target to the most non-compassionate of people. Christian River obeys Jesus Christ and helps the poor without compensation. It's not that hard. And many souls are grateful for the little effort we manager to put together.

I hope others will join me in their own communities in looking after the homeless and poor--people who fell through the cracks of society on their way to follow the American Dream.

There usually is no greater feeling than driving home after a humanitarian event like this where you've met new friends on the mean streets of America. Seldom will anything feel so good as helping others.

Food Prices Flaring Up Like a Wildfire

2011-02-05T17:58:00.000-08:00

By Cliff Harrison

It's time to tighten the belts just as tight as you possibly can. I mean to the last notch. Bad times are coming the likes never before seen in our life time, or our parents or our grandparents.

If the world thinks Cairo is at unrest wait until the Americans take to the streets to overthrow their government. Anybody who thinks it can't happen is a pure idiot and ought to flee the nation now. Even Mexico will be safer than America in the coming months or years that follow a division so intense no police or peace force on earth could calm down, not the United Nations, not the Russian or Chinese forces, nobody!

I'm not trying to sound the alarms, others will be doing that enough. I'm not stating it is end times, others that have no way of possibly knowing are doing that. What I am expressing is a warning to get prepared, to heed the call that bad times are coming and they will come in waves after waves.

The writing is on the wall. I warned of the recession being present in many of my blog posts months before the "experts" and "advisers" and "consultants" and the United States government ever saw it coming.

Too, I've pointed out in posts past that empty billboards were a sign of a poor economy, even a recession. People are upset with their government, local, state and federal. The calm is about to explode. Anybody and everybody with a dislike for another will clash and the blood will flood in the streets of America. The beliefs that separate us and divide us will fuel an unrest seldom if ever seen in America.

Unemployment extensions can't last forever. People who have been unemployed for a long time will exhaust their safety nets. Food stamps will be overwhelmed and states will run out of money. Retired government workers pensions and health benefits will drain the system. America will no longer be able to obtain credit to pay the day to day bills. And if it does it will be so costly that any loan would essentially bury us.

Anybody who has ever held a grudge against anyone else will use such time as an excuse to unleash anger and hate. No one will be immune. The poor will hate and attack the rich. Non-government workers will target government workers. Anti-abortionists will attack pro-choice groups. Christians and atheists will clash.

One needs to reserve what ever they have. One needs to stock up on essential survival gear and foods such as non perishables with long shelf life. One needs to remain calm and cool, yet educate oneself on survival and countering such unrests as riots, civil disorder, emergency medical procedures and much more along the lines of a complete government collapse.

Be sensible. If nothing happens, nothing negative, you have nothing to lose by being prepared. (As long as you remain calm and don't panic and do something stupid.) But if there is an eruption of disaster as I predict, then being prepared the best you can be will increase your chances of survival.

Exactly what will cause the unrest I do not claim to know, we have a lot of evil things going on in our fishing pond and anyone of them can bite and bring horror to us as we reel it in triggering a chain-reaction of other forms of rebellion. But for sure, we are NOT headed for good times. We are in the mist of a growing danger.

Do not fall for the false belief that the economy is getting better and things will be okay. The so-called experts who are always wrong will say, look at the new businesses starting up, the construction, the positive things going on in our communities. It is true there is a percentage of development appearing, that development is by people who had money and invested that money in bargain buys. People who bought closed or foreclosed businesses or buildings for pennies on the dollar and are now remodeling those purchases. But is no one has money to buy, then no matter who great a bargain you have, your goods won't sell.

All I am saying is, be prepared and get prepared now.

Save your money. Stock up on can goods and survival supplies and make a game plan of what you will do "if" something bad happens. Have your move ready to employ. Have a plan "A" and a plan "B" and a Plan "C". Be flexible, don't be stubborn or scared. Just be ready for the worst possible scenario.

With each passing day we come closure to total unrest. We come closer to governments running out of money and collapsing.

Food prices are rising all around us. When food prices go up it obviously costs more for people to feed themselves and their families. When people have less money to spend on food due to unemployment it becomes more difficult to sustain the same intake of food as previously conducted. And when there is no possible means of obtaining food, such as by paying for it with resources, obtaining and using food stamps, receiving aid from food banks and charity then people will revolt and do whatever they must do in order to obtain food, even if that something is resorting to violence, unrest or and/or crime.

Survival is something we all must accomplish. The more difficult it is to survive the more drastic we will act in order to survive.

The dollar value meals at McDonald's hasn't disappeared yet, but some of the major items that used to be obtained for one dollar have skyrocketed in price. The Sausage McMuffin with egg in now $1.93 in some stores. A few items like hash browns can still be obtained for one dollar, but the real value items are gone.

Burger King's Whopper Jr. which for years could be obtained for a buck in now $1.25 in many stores, a whopping twenty-five percent increase.

I haven't visited a Wendy's fast food chain store lately, they used to have lots of good items on the value meal for a dollar. A couple of weeks ago I did stop at a Jack in the Box on Tropicana and had a Breakfast Jack for a buck.

You can't really blame any of the fast food joins for raising their prices. They all have maintained a fairly plentiful value meal with many items a long time for only a dollar or so. It is just heartbreaking knowing that they are increasing their prices just at the time you need them the most. The same with charities, running out of supplies or donations at a time when people need them most.

The Longhorn Casino just raised its long-standing attraction meals, the Chicken Steak breakfast that used to sell for $3.99 is now $4.99. The "Old Vegas" Steak Dinner or Steak and Eggs Breakfast that recently sold for $4.99 and is now marked up to $5.99. Again, you can't blame this establishment for raising the prices of their low-end menu since they have maintained it almost for as long as time can be remembered.

There are still many bargains out there including at the establishments mentioned, one simply needs to look harder.

Wal-Mart is unstable as are most other large food markets. By "unstable" I am referring to the fact that some food items are unchanged, some have even been lowered and others have climbed, with some items climbing completely out of sight and so unreasonably high that they no longer ought to be purchased by the price conscious consumer.

One needs to be bargain savvy and change the way he or she shops. Slow down and pay more attention to prices and advertisements offering bargains.

Something I've noticed going on in a lot of establishment is what I will call trickery. Failing to place the proper price on an item or placing it in a position where the lower price of another item is visible or concealing the true content of an item.

I recently purchased a bag of popcorn from a local Wal-Mart connected McDonald's. I didn't notice a problem since I picked up the bag as normally as anyone would. Once I got home and laid the bag down on the counter I noticed the entire bottom was unpopped seeds. The lack of quality control or the intended trickery is becoming common place now a days. Was I going to get into my car and take the product back for an exchange or refund? Of course not, that would cost foolish.

I purchased a cake from Wal-Mart and when I got home and removed the plastic cover I noticed it was not a full cake. In the center was a plastic filler and the cake had this huge hole in it that was centered with this plastic filler. A large label was placed over it so you could not see it through the plastic transparent cover. I was furious. I felt like taking the cake back to the store and pushing it into the manager's face. This is uncalled for. Returning an item is not worth the time and gas to do so. This is the quality of management we see now a days, inattentive managers not fully knowing what's going on with their business.

Again, at Wal-Mart I purchased a 5.5 pound container of hamburger and couldn't find the price. No label was on it and there was no proper label on the shelf. When I got home and remembered the question I see I was charged almost $19 on the bill. That's $3.45 per pound. I could do better.

Also, Wal-Mart and K-mart and perhaps many other stores, it seems there are far more items damaged on the shelf than ever before. But that's another story. But I'm not going to take these items back for a refund, doing so would place me on the loosing end. Instead, I'll take photos of them and tell you about it, screaming loudly in public.

As prices of food and gas and just about everything else we need at a time when people are run low on money or running out of money means some very troubled times are ahead. One political party believes one solution and the other political party believes something completely different will solve the problem. The truth is, there is no immediate solution.

Homeless Couple Going to the Super Bowl

2011-02-05T14:57:00.000-08:00

By Cliff Harrison

Tomorrow, Sunday 6 Febuary, 2011 a homeless couple, Ouida Wright and Aaron Hermes, will enjoy the Superbowl game in Dallas, Texas. The homeless Green Bay Packer fans will be hoping their team beats the Steelers.

News reports have been chattering about the homeless couple from Green Bay winning a trip to the Super Bowl in a contest sponsored by the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau.

I followed many online news and sports pages and the online communities seems to be widely split on the story as they are on almost everything else. Comments ranging from good-for-them tones to "they ought to be doing something else, like trying to get a home" comments, most generally made by ignorant people, have been made.

Like anytime the homeless are mentioned in the news a certain percentage of people, usually the ignorant, think it is disgusting that the homeless get anything that they themselves weren't awarded.

In news reports all across the country, Ouida Wright and Aaron Hermes, share their story of how Aaron's "lifelong dream" of going to the Super Bowl while the packers where playing was fulfilled when they left a soup kitchen and bumped into folks that could make his dream come true.

Some commenters that I had followed mentioned the tickets couldn't be transferred, but apparently, they could. But out of respect for the promoters, the homeless couple choose to go to the game than to sell the tickets which could improve their lives.

Read the stories as more homeless people across America are catching a moment of fame.

It's a true fairy-tale Super Bowl story...

Search the Stories

Search more Stories

Medication Errors

2011-01-18T16:13:00.000-08:00

Medication on left is 12.5 mg Hydrochlorothiazide. On the right
side is 25 mg Hydrochlorothiazide, same thing only double the
strength. What a difference in features.

Mistakes In Medicine
By Cliff Harrison

Mistakes in medicine can cost people their lives. Medication errors injure some 1.3 million people every year claims malpractice Attorney Kerry L. Steigenwalt. In the same online ad generator for business it is claimed that medication errors cost in excess of 29 billion dollars a year. Some estimates claim it is as high as $72 billion.

Medications can be confusing and that confusion can be deadly.

Clearly too many people die and too many people suffer lifetime injuries due to errors in medication. Many of those errors stemmed from pharmacists unable to read doctor's sloppy handwriting.

I had advocated for years for the typed or printed prescription since I have been a victim of mistaken medicine prescriptions in the past. Had I taken what was accidentally prescribed to me it would have most likely taken my life. An alert and cautious pharmacist prevented my receiving the wrong medication.

But now most prescriptions are computer printed and rarely are doctors handwriting scripts anymore. Also with the help of computers medical records are stored with far more accuracy than they were even five years ago.

This article is not about prescriptions or doctor-related errors. It is about drug company ignorance and federal authorities allowing it to exist. Drugs that are the same that don't look alike and drugs that are different that look alike.

That dilemma can be a serious problem in today's hurry up and rush world.

Three photos in this post show prescription drugs that are all of the same medicine, just different strengths. One shows two extremely different drugs, yet the pills look identical.

When we take our pills we get used to our medicine looking a certain way. When there is change we become alarm. We can't be too safe or trusting, not when our lives depend on it.

Different companies making the same type of drugs, or generics can have widely different appearances as well.

Too often errors kill and no matter how careful we or the providers we deal with are mistakes can and do happen.

But all I want to point out in this article is three medicines and how they look very different although they are the same exact thing, except one is a stronger dose than the other, or more mg per dose.

I also have two very different medicines that look almost identical. If I did not examine them very closely it is likely I'd get them mixed up.

The point being, the drug companies with their high-paid executives and high-profit investment margins need to pull their heads out of their back pews and start designing drugs so that they are safer to handle and use in the hands of the consumers using them.

The one on the left in each of these three photos is the smaller dose and the one on the right the stronger.

Wikipedia

* In the U.S., medical errors are estimated to result in 44,000 to 98,000 unnecessary deaths, in hospital settings, and 1,000,000 excess injuries each year.

* Medical Errors: Medical errors are associated with inexperienced physicians and nurses, new procedures, extremes of age, complex care and urgent care. Poor communication (whether in one's own language or, as may be the case for medical tourists, another language), improper documentation, illegible handwriting, inadequate nurse-to-patient ratios, and similarly named medications are also known to contribute to the problem. Patient actions may also contribute significantly to medical errors. Falls, for example, are often due to patients' own misjudgments.

Listed among the examples of errors;

* Giving the wrong drug or (wrong patient, wrong chemical, wrong dose, wrong time, wrong route).

* Giving two or more drugs that interact unfavorably or cause poisonous metabolic byproducts.

* Patients' implementation of drugs and treatments.
(Incomplete list)

Both of these are Toprol XL. On the left
is 25 mg and on the right 50 mg. They don't
look alike at all.

These two medications are identical.
Lisinopril. On the left is 20 mg and
on the right is 40 mg. Amazingly
different in shape.

These two medications are extremely
different, yet they look alike. On the
left is Amiodarone HCL 200 mg
while on the right is Lisinopril 40 mg.

Medicines should keep us alive, not kill us! It's real easy to make mistakes with medicine designed like this.

Just the Way You Are

2011-01-14T07:39:00.000-08:00

Bruno Mars

The Ted Williams Story Continues

2011-01-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

Voices from the Streets
By Cliff Harrison

The Ted William story continues. Although one could spend time using the search engines and find every story about Ted Williams, I will do much the same here.

As I jump start Homeward Bound "Voices from the Streets", I'll cover Ted frequently. My own homelessness has ended, as of July 2010. Still my sickness prevents me from getting all of the web logs in the Christian River network up to where I'd like them to be.

The heavy medication I am on often makes me totally dysfunctional. I often have to wait until the medication wears off before I can do anything. It is a severe deterioration of health due to the fact the heavy medication and the effects of them, along with my disabilities, such as my internal injuries and my brain damage, prevents me from doing proper exercise and other functions I need to do in order to survive.

It sometimes takes me a week, even two weeks, to perform the slightest of tasks. What I used to complete in a day or even an hour now consumes large amounts of time. Still, I will struggle through it in hopes I can accomplish what I originally wanted to accomplish by presenting stories, articles, photos and other creations about the homeless and the poor in Voices from the Streets.

So, for now, since we homeless and formerly homeless and those who advocate for the homeless and care about the homeless have much reason to celebrate with the victory of Ted Williams going from an unknown to a world-known man with a voice, I'll cover his movements the best I can.

One thing for certain, this Voice from the Streets is being heard.

Ted Reunites With His Mom After 20 Years
Ted Is Offered Movie Role
Ted Williams "Interview" Search
Ted on "Good Morning America" Search

On a Sadder Note
Body of Missing Las Vegas Woman Found

Another missing child of God has ended in tragedy in the City of Evil.

The body of Debbie Flores-Narvaez was found in Downtown Las Vegas Friday.
A tip to Metro police Friday lead to the discovery of the body and the arrest of Debbie's abusive, previously violent boyfriend, Jason "Blu" Griffith, 32. The two had made previous music videos together. Unconfirmed reports state that the Fantasy dancer's body was dismembered and placed in concrete-filled tubs. Metro is tight-lipped on the discovery of the Luxor dancer's body or the arrest information on Griffith.
Debbie Flores-Narvaez's Body Found
Website for Debbie

The Homeless Man With the Golden Voice

2011-01-07T03:57:00.000-08:00

Like Susan Boyle He Has The Gift from God!
By Cliff Harrison

Ted Williams The Homeless Man With the Golden Radio Voice

Will the Real Ted Williams Videographer Please Stand UP!

Confused? So are we. It seems YouTube allowed some copycats of the original video and then more YouTube videos were made. That confused us too.

This is the real source, Columbus Dispatch videographer Doral Chenoweth III. However, we wonder if this isn't a case for two wrongs sometimes do make a right? If it weren't for the copycat who brought the clips to YouTube would Ted Williams be famous now?

Dispatch.com

Dispatch.com

Four Years Ago Today, on 07 January 2007, I Became Homeless for the First Time
Four years ago, on 06 January 2007, during Epiphany I was moving my things into storage. I was still packing, and this night I slept with boxes and totes of my things scattered around the apartment. The next morning, this day four years ago, I moved the last of the things into a U-haul storage, returned the truck and then went back and locked down my apartment for the very last time. After checking out at the office, I then walked across Boulder Highway and waited for the 107 bus. Then with a duffle bag overstuffed full of clothes and a cane, crippled and barely able to walk, I took the 107 from Tropicana and Boulder Highway to the Downtown Transportation Center (DTC) and then took the 215 Bonanza bus to the Las Vegas Rescue Mission where I stepped off the bus at 3:30 p.m. and became homeless for the first time in my life.

Within hours, I felt like a Jew in a Nazi concentration camp. I received the biggest shock of my life under a big blue cross that reads “Jesus Saves”. Jesus does, but these people certainly didn’t.

During the course of the following week, I would learn just how corrupt the entire social service system was in Vegas. From the Mayor's office, to the County Commission Chairman Rory Reid, all of the men's shelters, the Las Vegas Rescue Mission, Catholic Charities, the Salvation Army, the complete State and local social services.

And I would record that time of my homelessness from the moment I stepped off of the bus until the time I was no longer homeless in July of 2010.

Come to the USA

2010-08-26T08:37:00.000-07:00

Ray Stevens

Copy and paste codes to your own website.
Watch the entire series
RayStevens.com

Recycling

2010-08-19T01:44:00.000-07:00

Putting the Trash out
By Cliff Harrison

More than a decade ago companies around the nation started using containers that are recyclable.

Yet, today in Nevada few things are recycled.

In states like New York trash is put out in separated containers that allow garbage men to keep recyclable items separate from disposable items. Each item is then separated again in the area it is to be recycled or the classification type of item it is to be recycled under.

Trash crews have told me that locally, here in Las Vegas, in the short future trash will be sorted at the garbage facility. I’m not certain of what extent that trash will be separated, but items that do not break down naturally in landfills, those that take years to decompose such as plastic, need to be recycled.

Recycling is not cheap.

There is truth in the statement that some recycling is a waste because of the big shipping cost of heavy duty trucks and the sort to move the unfinished and finished products. Ships crossing the ocean use a tremendous amount of fuel and energy.

This argument is one that makes bottled water a very environmentally harmful episode. It takes vast resources to move bottled water as opposed to our parents and grandparents method to pipe water.

Plastic takes thousands of years to break down in landfills and even then traces or significant amounts of the plastic remains could be found.

Think of the old Dixie cup ice cream we used to get in school. It came with a small wooden spoon to eat the ice cream with. Wood decomposes naturally and breaks down to its component elements in a landfill in a relatively short period of time. Plastic on the other hand will be there after the End Time and maybe even later.

We’ve become a nation of better ideas that in the end translate to becoming a worst solution for our problems or way of life. We used to use glass for soda and milk containers. These containers were refillable, or reusable. Then we switch to plastic which many people still do not recycle. Our resources diminish when our needs increase.

In New York and several other states a deposit is paid on items such as soda or beer cans or plastic drink bottles. When returning the cans or bottles to the recycle center a deposit is returned. Machines the size of a soda machine crush containers, each machine crushing separated items; aluminum cans, plastic, glass, etc.

Often people of means discard these containers not caring that they don’t get the deposit back because it is more of an inconvenient to them to haul the empty containers around so they discard them instead of cashing them in for recycling.

Poor people and homeless people then go through the trash or along the streets and travel ways and pick up those containers and take them to the recycle facilities or machines to convert them to cash. Mega tons of recyclable material is kept from being discarded into our environment this way. Homeowners also separate their reusable items and set them out for the garbage crews to pick up.

Nevada needs to rethink it’s recycling methods. Deposit charges need to be added to containers to assure their recycling. Laws need to be created or facilities established that ensure recycling and save reusable material from being wastefully dumped into our landfills.

In Nevada we have vast deserts to dump our trash and never need to worry about running out of landfill space like so many states such as New York do. Still, we need to do what is right and that is to explore what other states and communities are doing to recycle our consumer material.

We may never run out of landfill space due to the vast desert that surrounds Las Vegas, but we will eventually run low on raw material that we could otherwise be recycling and reusing.

Clark County is working on a trash and recyclable items pickup schedule, but we need to become a community that completely recycles, not a half crocked one. The real effort needs to be done at state level.

Deposit charges on soda and beer cans as well as other containers have proven effective in other states and needs to be applied here in Nevada, too. Manual trash sorting to recycle most of our consumer goods containers and waste create jobs and reduce our landfill requirements. It also discovers crimes as offense evidence or subjects are often discarded in the trash.

Recycling is one area we need to focus on if we are to enter the future with good habits.

Clipart by Microsoft

Update: 04 September, 2010 Recent Recycling News
MyNews3
Recycling pilot program coming to Henderson
Recycling Pilot Program Article

Update: 05 September, 2010
Many grocery stores in Las Vegas now offer a place to recycle plastic shopping bags. I have a photo I'll need to post from Albertsons that shows a bench made from recycled plastic shopping bad.

Some communities in California has been trying to outlaw the plastic bag. Higher legislation has struck these ideas down. Although we do need to educate on the pollution aspects of the plastic bag. In western states these bags are blown for miles littering the country side and the city landscape. Paper bags would biodegrade, but plastic takes centuries to breakdown to original elements and decompose.

Some Walmarts are offering recycle bins for "Plastic", "Aluminum Cans" and other recyclable items. I've shifted from giving my aluminum cans to the homeless to taking them to the Walmart dropoff. Due to the need to carry them around until I find a homeless person that collects them, I now simply load my recyclable cans and plastic bags in the trunk of my car and when I go to Walmart to shop I drop them off inside the door in the proper containers.

It would be so much easier to just take them out to the trash and place them in separate containers the way New York has been doing for decades.

I don't agree with this, but the lady who works at Walmart says the "Plastic" container is for any kind of plastic, not just plastic bags. I've seen plastic coat hangers in there, plastic bottles, anything plastic. If it's true that those bins are designed to take it all without the need to further sort then that's really convenient.

Homeless Feared Killed in Nashville Flooding

2010-05-04T17:52:00.000-07:00

At least 29 people were killed in Tennessee and across the south

Officials fear scores of homeless citizens living in a tent city in Nashville, Tennessee may have been swept away by flood waters. I know of homeless people who live in that area of Nashville and my prayers go out to all of those people struggling under inclement weather in Tennessee. It's always dangerous for homeless folks living without proper shelter.

Read the Story & See the Video msnbc

Homeless Hero Left to Die Alone on NYC Streets
Saved Woman's Life then Died from Attacker's Stab Wounds

A Nation of Sad People

Read the Story & See the Videos
New York Post
NewsRunner Search

Daily News
Homeless man killed in hit-and-run is mowed down by two car
Killing of Homeless a National Epidemic

Spending Our Way Out of Recession

2010-02-27T11:05:00.000-08:00

So-called Financial “Experts” are Telling Us to Save Money Instead of Spending
By Cliff Harrison

That’s the Wrong Advice If You Want to Turn the Economy Around
It Is the Right Advice if You Want to Keep the Recession Going

Cyberjerks are out there in droves and are dispensing the wrong advice.

Claiming to be so-called “experts” they are jamming Cyberspace with bad financial advice.

They are writing tons of columns telling us to save our money and not to spend.

In order to bring the country—and the world for that matter—out of the recession we need to spend. Spend. Spend. Spend.

We need to spend our way out of recession.

We hear it on talk shows. We hear it on TV shows like Oprah. We read it in the newspapers. We read it on the Internet in blogs, news columns and various website.

We are facing the worst recession since the Great Depression, if not an actual depression. It's true people need to spend money wisely and not spend their money on foolish things. But we do need to spend, not save as all the so-called “experts” are advising us.

In the beginning of a recession, when signs tell us that a financial storm is on the horizon, we need to tighten up our belts and save money to get us through the storm of Tough Times. Like when a squirrel saves its nuts in the fall for the winter. Or like when Grandma used to do her canning in the late summer or early fall after the harvest to save money and food to get through the long winter. Or like a farmer who puts in summer hay so that he’ll have plenty of hay he can throw down from the haymow all winter long.

That’s when we save, at the beginning of a recession, not at the end when a recovery is trying to peek over the horizon.

Granted, I believe we still have a long way to go before this ugly recession is behind us, but we can’t help it along by saving. We can only push the recession behind us, like shoveling snow out of our way, by spending.

Droves of writers and talk show hosts on radio and TV as well as cyberspace jocks are telling people not to spend, to save. This is dangerous. It will prolong the recession. The advice appears sound, but it is not. It is the exact opposite of what we need to do.

Again, we need to spend our way out of a recession.

Soon people will be getting their income tax returns back. If they go out and spend their tax refund, that spending will generate business. If consumers deplete the products from the shelves at the store, new orders for retail consumer goods will be made. Because the stores are busy companies will hire more employees in order to handle the new traffic.

Reorders at the factory will put people into overtime and soon more people will be hired to handle the demand for products. A build up of productivity will take place in order for the supply to meet the demand.

This is capitalism. This is consumerism. This is what makes the economical wheels spin, people spending money buying consumer products that stimulate the economy by creating a shortage of product supply which generates the demand for more productivity which is more supply. More productivity means more jobs. More jobs mean more money in the economy. More money in the economy means more people are what? Spending money!

You don’t fix broken economies by saving money. Only far-left liberals can dispense that kind of advice. Over taxation means people have less money to spend. Saving our money means less money is cycling through the economy. We need more money recycling through the economy.

That is why smart politicians reduce taxes during economical hard times or during recessions. They reduce taxes so people have more money to spend and that spending automatically stimulates the economy.

It is tough to spend money when the economy looks so bad. The natural thing to do would seem to save. That is because we are worried about the recession continuing to hang over us like a black cloud. We’ve lost our hope.

The correct move, however, is to spend. Spend locally at locally owed and operated stores or businesses if possible. Bring your own community out of the recession by driving it out of the recession with consumerism.

Stabilize businesses in your own community and you will help stabilize businesses around the world because of the chain of inventory production (supply).

You create the demand, they create the supply. Supply and demand has always dominated prices and has always dominated financial traffic.

Let’s get that traffic out of a traffic jam and onto a high-speed financial highway. The highway to recovery.

Remember, it was so-called financial “experts” that got us into this mess in the first place. Why would you want to listen to them and keep a dark cloud hanging over our heads?

Let’s let the sun shine through and brighten our day. We can do that by spending and making people busy. That creates jobs.

Save money when times are booming and you are making more than enough to get by. Spend money now. Just spend wisely. That is buy only the things you need. And the rest will take care of itself.

The key to spending wisely is to compare prices. Shop for the best deals. Be competitive by selecting the best prices on like products. Do your shopping at the best stores and businesses that offer the best products at the best prices. Look for bargains on sale; offering the best quality for the money. Do business with companies that have the best customer service.

Research the wide world of consumer economics.

Educate Yourself on Consumer Economics. Learn how to be a smart consumer. Learn how to be a wise shopper. Study how to save money shopping. Become skilled at how to use coupons and other cost saving shopping tips. Become a pro. It’s your money. Gain knowledge of how to compare products by weight and other factors. Discover the secrets of educated consumerism and purchasing power. Find out how to do all these things by checking out and studying the tons of information on the Internet. It’s easy by using your search engine, and it can be fun with the knowledge you gain lasting you a life time. Or, visit our many websites and I’ll help you learn.

There is a world of knowledge out there. All you need to do is go tap it. Just be careful and consider the information you take in. Compare the information with other sources and use your head for thinking.

Then by all means go out and spend money. But spend intelligently. Become your own “expert”.

Fall 2009 Project Homeless Connect Event Planned

2009-11-05T12:26:00.000-08:00

Homeless Event Planned at Cashman Center

The Fall 2009 Southern Nevada Project Homeless Connect is planned for Tuesday, 10 November, 2009 from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM at Cashman Center in Downtown Las Vegas.

The event will be held at Cashman Center Exhibit Halls A & B.

Adjacent to Cashman Field, Cashman Center is located on the corner of E. Washington Ave and N. Las Vegas Blvd. It is just north of the Las Vegas Library and south of Foremaster Lane.

The event now called Project Homeless Connect was formerly known for years as the Homeless Stand Down. Government controlled groups and nonprofit groups known as Nevada Homeless Alliance, Help Hope Home and Project Homeless Connect are taking credit for staging the event.

All Services are free.
According to a flier passed out at social services offices available services include the following:

Medical Care
Immunizations
HIV Testing
Vision & Dental
Housing & Shelter
Benefits Assistance
Social Services
Veterans Assistance
Pet Check and Care (bring your pets)
Lunch
Las Vegas and North Las Vegas Courts
Legal Resources
Family Services
Teen Services
Children's Activities
Job Readiness Services
Mental Health Services
Substance Abuse Services
Haircuts
Giveaways

Map

Homeless Events Scheduled

2009-10-23T19:47:00.000-07:00

Living Grace Foursquare Church

Living Grace Foursquare Church will provide an outreach event for the homeless and needy at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 27th. The church is calling the event God's Outreach.

The event will be held at the Las Vegas Rescue Mission on the corner of "D" Street and Bonanza.

Free food and drinks will be served.

For any questions or for more information you can call someone at Living Grace Foursquare Church at 702-646-7332.

The church websites:
Living Grace .Net
Living Grace Foursquare Church

Email: contact@livinggrace.net

Las Vegas Dream Center

The Las Vegas Dream Center will be providing a full Thanksgiving Dinner for the homeless and needy at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 21st.

There will be clothing for the needy, games for the kids and much, much more.

Remember, the Dream Center has food and clothing for the needy as well as spiritual services every Thursday evening starting around 5:00 p.m.

The Dream Center is located at 911 G Street at the corner of W. Washington Avenue. For more information call 702-636-0023.

Church Website:
Las Vegas Dream Center

Email: info@dreamcenterlasvegas.org

Las Vegas Rescue Mission
The Las Vegas Rescue Mission has opened their new dining room. Three weeks ago, Thursday, the new dining area opened. It is a beautiful dining room and service at the Rescue Mission has improved. They are offering better meals more often.

Meals are served from 5:00-6:00 pm.

Fresh Sara Lee bread can be picked up at the dining room or outside at the men's dorm entrance while visiting for dinner.

The Las Vegas Rescue Mission will now convert the old kitchen and dining room into bed space. That will be a welcomed achievement when the project is finished.

Website:
Las Vegas Rescue Mission
Phone: 702-382-1766

Before Selling or Pawning Gold Jewelry Educate Yourself

2009-10-06T11:21:00.000-07:00

Photo by Cliff Harrison copyright © 2009 used by RIVER Organization Christian Church with permission

Learning Gold Jewelry Value
by Cliff Harrison

In these turbulent economical times many people are suffering financial hardship. When people have little or no income they begin pawning or selling their assets in order to obtain money.

Often gold jewelry is the first thing they begin to pawn or sell.

You need to know what your gold is worth before you pawn or sell it. The information in this article will help point you in the right direction.

Today, 6 October, 2009, gold sold at a historical record high, selling for $1,042.80 per troy ounce.
[This article was written on 18 August, 2009 and is updated and published today.]

Gold hits record: “Gold prices were soaring, hitting a record high of $1,042.80 an ounce this morning” [6 October 2009]
MSN Financial News Article"

MNS MONEY

Gold Price
August 18, 2009
13.1 Grams of 58.33 % Gold == 230.879 US Dollar

How much is Gold Jewelry Worth?
Gold Calculator

According to this website, (using the calculator provided) the “spot price” for 13.1 grams of hypothetical 14K gold was:

On 05/26/2009 the day it was pawned (for $145) it was worth $235.050
On 01/26/2009 it was worth $221.346
On 02/26/2009 it was worth $236.434
On 03/26/2009 it was worth $228.113
On 04/26/2009 it was worth $223.287
On 05/26/2009 it was worth $235.050
On 06/26/2009 it was worth $229.880
On 07/26/2009 it was worth $234.039
On 08/18/2009 it is worth $230.879

August:
On 08/01/2009 it was worth $231.150 * Begins steady increase
On 08/02/2009 it was worth $234.698
On 08/03/2009 it was worth $234.709
On 08/04/2009 it was worth $234.978
On 08/05/2009 it was worth $235.453
On 08/06/2009 it was worth $237.176 * Highest Point Yet
On 08/07/2009 it was worth $236.835 * Begins steady decline
On 08/08/2009 it was worth $235.898
On 08/09/2009 it was worth $234.934
On 08/10/2009 it was worth $234.929
On 08/11/2009 it was worth $233.827
On 08/12/2009 it was worth $232.543
On 08/13/2009 it was worth $232.575
On 08/14/2009 it was worth $234.264 * Rebounds then declines
On 08/15/2009 it was worth $234.552
On 08/16/2009 it was worth $233.349
On 08/17/2009 it was worth $233.336
On 08/18/2009 it is worth $230.879 * Sudden drop in value

Using the above chart, we can see gold has held pretty much steady since the first of the year, with a low of $221.346 on 01/26/2009 to a high of $237.176 on 08/06/2009, nearly $16 fluctuation.

What would different pieces of jewelry of the same weight, 13.1 grams, with different karats or purity content of gold be worth on the various hi and lo dates as shown above?

Using a sampling of the same dates and making a comparison between the values of 14 karat, 18 karat and 24 karat gold jewelry:

01/26/2009 14K= $221.346 18K= $284.588 24K=$379.451
08/06/2009 14K= $237.176 18K= $304.940 24K=$406.587
08/18/2009 14K= $230.879 18K= $296.844 24K=$395.792 (Today)

Gold is measured in karats. Pure gold is marked as 24 karats. 18k gold is 18/24 or 75% gold. 14k gold is 14/24 or 58.33% gold. 12k gold is 12/24 or 50% gold by weight.

The Precious Metal Calculator on this site also gives the value of platinum and silver in addition to gold, and you can select your answer in the currency of your choice by choosing the dropdown screen.

Replace the information on the Calculator with the information of your selected piece of jewelry and then click onto the tab that reads: “How much is the metal worth?”

If you click onto the advertising banner below the tab you will enter a marketing page.

How do you compare the accuracy of this site’s information on the Precious Metal Calculator and the real precious metals market?

Go to the Gold Index or Gold Price Index of the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) and look under "Market" for "Gold". Click "Gold (GC)" to see Futures Overview. You can also use your search engine to locate other sites with current gold prices. (Remember these prices are for one troy ounce.)

Research the market thoroughly and check several options prior to making a sale. There are a number of scam operators out there so you must beware of unscrupulous dealers and avoid scams. You can use Google search engine and other search engines to obtain information in order to educate yourself before making any transaction rather you are buying or selling your jewelry.

There are also several good websites to provide you with good sources of information about gold jewlery value.

When buying jewelry, especially gold, some people use the idea that holding jewelry will increase in value if inflation hits. If it is a legitimate piece of gold jewelry then it ought to always be worth something. It is your decision rather it is time to buy or sell or hold gold jewelry. It all depends on your personal financial situation and your optimism of the future.

You need to learn the type of gold jewelry or gold item you possess. Is it pure gold? (Unlikely since pure gold is very soft and not suitable for most jewelry), Or, is it 18 karats, 14 karats, 12 karats or less or only gold plated, meaning it has little precious metal value.

The higher the karats, the higher the gold content and thus the higher the value of the jewelry; this means more money for you.

24 karats equals 100% purity of gold.
20k has a purity of 83.3%.
18k is of 75% purity.
14k is 58.3%.
12k is 50%.
10k is 41.7%.

The gold jewelry should be stamped or marked with the karat number that tells you how much gold the piece of jewelry contains. In other words a mark or stamp of 14K means the jewelry is 14K gold jewelry with 58.3% gold. It contains 14 parts gold and 10 parts of some other metal, (one or more), making it 58.3 percent gold.

With 24K being pure gold, you can measure in parts of 24 to realize the gold content of a piece of jewelry and thus the overall value. 20K has 20 parts of gold, 83.3%, and only 4 parts of other metal(s) or 16.7%. 18K has 18 parts of gold, 75%, and 6 parts of other metal(s) or 25%, and so on. Obviously, the more gold content in the jewelry the higher the value.

If you are uncertain of what the gold content in your jewelry is, you can take your gold jewelry to a pawn shop and ask what the pawn value of it is. Ask what kind of gold it is, 18k or 14k or some other content, and what the actual weight is. Don’t pawn your jewelry; just gather information as to the weight and gold content of the piece as well as the “pawn value”. Visit several different pawn shops and/or jewelry stores that buy gold and obtain the information you need. All sources ought to have given you identical information as regards to weight and gold content, which is rather it, is 18k, 14k, 12k or virtually worthless gold plated. (Gold plated jewelry may have some jewelry value, to a private buyer, but we are talking about gold value here.)

Gold plated jewelry is a piece of metal jewelry that has a very thin layer of gold applied to it. Gold plated jewelry generally wears or rubs away from use with the thin layer of gold not offering much value.

Gold filled jewelry is a piece of jewelry that has a sheet of gold applied to its surface.

If you are having a piece of jewelry appraised, be sure you know precisely how to identify it. Be leery of a dealer who takes your piece in the back room to evaluate it. Corrupt dealers bait and switch, exchanging your piece for something of less value in the backroom and handing you back a worthless counterfeit. This would not be likely with legitimate dealers, but with businesses failing at an alarming rate, it is possible to fall prey to a scam operation.

Using the above information, as well as doing your own research to educate yourself, you will have a general idea what gold jewelry is worth. If based on the above prices for 14K or 18K jewelry for example, and you find gold being sold from a dealer at less than these prices, you need to pause and wonder why?

Rather you are buying or selling gold jewelry, be informed as to the actual value according to the weight of the gold piece before making a decision to buy or sell. You may decide to learn the approximate value of your gold jewelry and then simply hold onto it. If inflation becomes an issue in the future and the dollar declines, gold will most certainly be worth more and rise in value.

Of course, purchasing or selling gold, regardless of what its “market value” is, dealers are in business to make a profit, and legitimate profit is not a dirty word, so you must ask yourself after paying a markup for the dealer’s profit, is the transaction really worth it?

Buying and selling gold jewelry is not the same as buying and selling gold on the market on Wall Street or through a brokerage firm. It is simply converting something of value to cash, or purchasing something which will at least in part hold some value. Gold jewelry especially that with higher karat value will always be worth something and even for poor people can be a good source of short or long-term savings.

So, rather you buy, sell or hold, being informed and educated on the value of your gold jewelry is something which makes common sense. The better you understand the value, the less likely someone is going to rip you off with a scam and the better you know a good deal when you see one.

When the price of gold goes up, people generally sell their gold items, especially if they are not using them or if they desperately need money.

Using the Precious Metal Calculator which provides the “Spot Price” for gold, let’s use the same hypothetical piece of gold jewelry as we did above, a 13.1 grams piece of 14K gold, and see what the price would bring us on the same date, 08 August, in each of the previous years going back a decade.

08/18/09 $230.879
08/18/08 $193.780
’07 $160.501
’06 $151.162
’05 $109.819
’04 $ 98.787
’03 $ 89.218
’02 $ 77.192
’01 $ 68.667
’00 $ 68.262
’99 $ 64.269
’98 $ 70.067
’97 $ 79.477
’96 $ 94.979

In ten years, from the same day on August 18th 1999, the price of the same piece of gold went from $64.269 to $230.879 today, a whopping 359% increase. From 1996 to 1999 the price fell $30 or approximately 33%, and then steadily climbed for the next decade.

On today’s market, 18 August, 2009, a USD/oz of gold (minutes before the market closed) sold at $936.50 down from a high of near $945 on yesterday’s New York Market.

It is still near the historical all-time high of a little over $1,000, a record price for gold, set in March 2008 and nearly reached again in February 2009.

A look at the gold charts will quickly tell you that gold is rising fast and has dominated a presence that it has not dominated in years, even decades. There is a reason for this. When war or fear of inflation moves into the economical climate gold prices tend to rise.

Too, scam operators dealing in gold, fool’s gold which is less than 10K or claiming to pay the best prices when in reality they are not paying anywhere near what the gold piece is worth is a call of warning. Beware of the scams; there are plenty of them out there.

We speak in grams here, the market speaks in ounces.

Know the pawn value of your gold jewelry by visiting several pawn shops in your area. If a gold dealer only offers a little more than the pawn value, why sell it? You can pawn a piece of jewelry over and over again through the years if needed. You may not always receive the same pawn price since gold fluctuates, but as the above chart shows, the value of your gold jewelry can increase or decrease over a period of time, meaning you may receive more pawn value or less depending on what gold is worth. You should earn substantially more selling your gold jewelry than the pawn price, otherwise it is ridiculous to sell it since if needed you can borrow against it and still own it.

The subject of pawn shops have come under political fire recently. When the U.S. government clamped down on mainstream banks for unfair lending practices, they did not generally include pawn shops. Pawnshops often charge anywhere from 100 % to 400 % in annual percentage rates, the cost of your credit as a yearly rate, plus fees and the practice has placed pawn shops under political fire.

There is much debate on this subject and consumer groups are on both sides of the fence, some denouncing the practice of charging excessively high interest rates for a loan in which you are pawning or using valuables as collateral or security. Other consumer groups want the practice to continue, stating that without these types of loans, (payday loans or pawnshops) poor people would not be able to gain money to make ends meet until such time an income arrives and they can pay back the loans or recover pawned items. One argues because of the high interest rates and fees many never are able to pay back the loans and eventually lose their personal property which was held in security. The other claims without such loans, although highly finance charged, would not allow the people doing business there a source of money to get through tough times.

Certainly, one of the most flourishing businesses in today’s economy is the pawn shop business. There is a reason for that. People are hurting and they either sell the things they own of value or they pawn their items in order to obtain cash to make it through the days. Hard times bring people to sell their gold jewelry and other values as does provide an opportunity for value-hunters who buy pawned items that sell for a good price.

If someone does not come in and pay for their pawned item by the time the contract date is up, they lose it. Then the pawn shop is free to sell the item at what ever price they choose. Sometimes this provides bargains for value shoppers, especially if the pawn shop is overwhelmed with similar inventory or has had it in stock for a long period of time.

Buyer beware, not all goods sold at pawn shops are of good value. Although sometimes one can find bargains at pawn shops, again one must know the true value of the item purchasing. Remember it is used, and you do not know how the previous owner took care of the item. Most reputable pawn shops allow a reasonable amount of time for exchange or refund, and make sure you have such an agreement before purchasing. Before purchasing an item at a pawn shop do your research online or in comparable stores to see what the item you intend to purchase sells for new. Then decide a reasonable price for the used item with wear and tear.

All sorts of things are sold in pawn shops from vacuum cleaners, construction tools, TVs, CD players, CD, electronics of all kinds, jewelry, cameras, laptop computers and a long list of other merchandise. Often you will see these items sold for near the price new merchandise is sold. Other times you will see fantastic sales, so you really do need to be prudent.

The argument of pawn shop interest gouging will be a hot topic to come and the Battle of the Pawn Shops is likely to be a political debate as the economy swallows up more victims and cast them into poverty. It is a very charged discussion.

It is a highly debatable argument and both sides have valid points. It remains to be seen where the dust will settle on the pawnshop/payday loan issue. Our discussion today isn’t about rather pawn shops and payday loan centers ought to exist or not, it is about obtaining the information to correctly assess the value of your gold jewelry so you can thus make a rational decision on rather to buy, sell, pawn or hold.

We’re not talking about making an investment in gold jewelry here, since gold jewelry at least in the form of 14K or 18K is not a good investment. Perhaps higher karats such as in the 20s could be used as an investment, but gold jewelry is for using and enjoying. But when times are hard, or when times are right to sell, then one needs to be informed so that he or she does not fall victim to scams or unreasonable gold jewelry dealers.

Gold is measured in troy ounces. 1 troy ounce equals 31.1034768 grams. The Troy Ounce is the traditional unit of weight for precious metals. Be careful not to confuse grams with grains, since it takes 15.4324 grains to equal 1 gram.

31.1034768 grams (1 troy ounce) divided by 13.1 grams (our hypothetical gold piece) equals approximately 2.37.

[13.1 times roughly 2.37 would be a roughly a troy ounce. (We’ve eliminated the mile long fractions, so we are not accurate; we just want a rough idea of what our piece is worth using the New York Market.) So, our gold piece ought to be roughly worth what?

Gold sold for $936.50 divided by 2.7 equals $346.851 (approximately) for 13.1 grams of pure gold. $346.851 of pure gold (13.1 grams) divided by 24 (parts) equals $14.452125 worth per part. 14 parts times $14.452125 (per parts) equals $202. 32975.
$936.50 divided by 24 equal parts equals $39.02083333 per part, times 14 parts equals $546.291 (Pure gold)] This needs to be re-checked for accuratcy since it doesn't make sense.

To determine the value of our gold that we used in this illustration, 14 K 13.1 grams gold jewelry, we can determine the value, and check the calculator for accuracy, or approximation. We know the weight is 13.1 grams. We know it is 14 karats. We know that today’s gold prices are $936.50 a troy ounce. So we figure like this:

We divide today’s gold price of $936.50 by 31.1034768 (total grams in a troy ounce; which the answer of is today’s gold price per gram) and equals $30.109.

Today’s gold price per gram is $30.109. This is what pure gold is worth per gram.

We now need to find out what less than pure gold is worth, or less than 24 karats.

We then divide the karats of our gold jewelry, which in this case is 14 (K) by 24 to arrive at 0.5833.
Next we multiple the price per gram ($30.109) by 0.5833 which equals $17.5625. This is the price/value your 14K gold jewelry is worth per gram.

Finally, we multiple the price per gram or $17.5625 times the number of grams, 13.1, which equals $230.06875.

The calculator said our 13.1 grams of 14K gold jewelry was worth $230.879. We didn’t always use the complete fractions in every mathematical calculation, and the spot price we used for today’s gold price and that the Precious Metal Calculator used may be slightly different, so we can be satisfied we arrived at nearly the same value. We are only off by a few cents, so we can obtain an approximation to our gold jewelry by using this system.

Once we have the weight in grams of our gold jewelry or gold scrap and the karats of the items, and know today’s gold price selling on the market in troy ounces, we can arrive at the price of our valuables.

We divide today’s gold price (troy ounce) by 31.1034768 to obtain the price of pure gold per gram. We then divide the karats of our gold jewelry (12k, 14k, 18k, 22K, etc) by 24. In our case it was 14/24 or 0.5833. We then multiply the price of pure gold per gram or $30.109 by the previous answer which is 0.5833 to arrive at the price of 14K gold per gram which is $17.5625797. Then we multiply this figure, $17.5625797 by the totally number of karats of our gold jewelry which was in our case 13.1 to arrive at $230.069.

(Today’s price of pure gold per troy ounce) /31.1/ 24 X the karats of your gold X your gold weight in gram.

or

936.50 / 31.1 / 24 x 14 = $17.56 x the weight in grams (13.1) = $230.11

Again, this is easy:

936.50 divided by 31.1 divided by 24 X 14 X the weight in grams = $230.11

Now that we know for certain that our piece of gold jewelry is worth $230 we can go out and try to sell it if selling it is what we decide to do. We can visit several jewelry stores or establishments which advertise “We buy gold” to see if we can get anything close to a reasonable price for our gold jewelry.

If not, we simply go home, nothing is lost. Do not allow yourself to be pressured.

If we take $230 (the value) and multiply by 20% we arrive at $46. $230 minus $46 equals $184. This would seem a fair price the gold would be worth to a gold dealer, anything above that amount would seem generous since he is in business to make money. But anything less would take some considering. At least you have an indication of what you could pocket for cash.

But you need to know the pawn value. If the pawn value is $130-$145 then it would seem silly to sell it when there is only a difference of only $40 to $50.

You obtain the pawn value by simply seeing what a given pawn shop would offer to you for a loan securing the loan with your gold jewlery as collateral. If the pawn shop offers you $140 (a loan) while holding your gold, that is the current pawn value for that pawnshop.

You’ve done your homework; you know what your gold is worth. If you can’t get your price you need to decide if you will take less. You need to decide what the pawn value is in ratio to the sale value. You need to decide rather or not the jewelry is in fact worth more as a piece of jewelry than as scrap gold and ask yourself if you should try to market to a private individual, perhaps through Craigslist. (Never give up the jewelry for an appraisal, meet the prospect at an agreed upon appraiser at another time as this option is risky.)

What you do is your decision, and depending upon how much gold jewelry you own, now is a good time to consider rather or not to sell, buy or hold. At least after reading this and checking out the references below, you are more educated in gold jewelry value than when you started reading this.

Here is a site that explains how to accurately calculate the value of scrap gold. Gold jewelry, unless it is has antique value or some other value such as being a rare piece, is just that, scrap gold. Wikihow: How to Calculate the Value of Scrap Gold

Scrap gold by definition usually means that broken jewelry as well as coins, and other scrap gold is going to be melted down and the gold abstracted from the other metals. A piece of jewelry may have a higher value than the scrap value, so one needs to be careful when selling their gold jewelry. But if you are selling it for the gold content, it is likely going to wind up in the scrap pile. Things like class rings and wedding bands probably won’t resell as jewelry, but will wind up in the scrap pile.

If your jewelry is in good or better condition, try selling it to a private party first, you are likely to receive more for it. You can take a photo of it and advertise it on Craigslist to see what happens. Who knows, you may receive more than you expected if you can find someone who wants your jewelry as bad as you want to sell it. Again, use caution. When dealing with strangers and jewelry, especially gold, there are risks involved. Street dealing should be avoided for safety sake.

High School class rings, and other rings such as college, military etc, are usually 14 karat, but can vary widely from 10 karat to 18 karats and even different karat as well as being in yellow or white gold or can even be a cheap gold plate birthstone ring of little if any value. So, check the information, usually imprinted or engraved on the inside of the ring, and research the value before undertaking any decision to sell or pawn spontaneously.

What is the current gold market? Find out before acting out any other decision.

Using your search engine, or one of the established markets, such as the NYMEX listed above:

Then find current gold prices under commodities>metals>gold. ($US per troy ounce.)

Just two of many informative sites are KITCO and JACK HUNT

A number of informative websites are available, so researching and becoming informed is relatively easy with the use of search engines and referrals from one site to another. Be aware of scam sites and educate yourself as much as you can in obtaining the value of your gold jewlery before making any marketing decision.

How your gold jewlery is marketed depends on what condition it is in and rather it is valued for resale as it is or melted down for scrap gold. The following is an interesting video. (you can also follow other links or videos on the same topic, Gold jewlery.)

What happens to scrap jewlery?

Scrap Gold Being Melted Down

ScrapGoldUK

We leave you with today's(6 October 2009) (spot) price or value of our sample 13.1 grams of hypothetical 14K gold jewlery that was used as our example above and we ran the information again through the calculator at Gold Calculator : October 6, 2009
13.1 Grams of 58.33 % Gold = 247.332 US Dollar $247.33

We also used the easy calculations above to figure our own:
(936.50 divided by 31.1 divided by 24 X 14 X the weight in grams = ?)
$1,042.80 divided by 31.1 = 33.5305 divided by 24 equals 1.3971 X 14 = 19.5594 X 13.1equals $256.22.

$256.22 minus $247.33 = $8.89

So, we are only $8.89 off using our long calulation (omitting long fractions) and we arrive close to the calculator's figues. Close enough!

Now we know how to figure gold spot price and check our figures against the calculator anytime we need to.

With this information we can intelligently decide rather to sell, pawn or hold or to buy gold jewlery. If the U.S. dollar goes down gold will usually go up. If inflation hits, gold will usually go up.

No matter what you do, especially if you are desperate, at least learn the value of your gold jewlery's spot price and make your decision accordingly.

It's likely to be a long, economic storm. It is already the longest recession in U.S. history, especially since the Great Depression and World War II. Protect yourself and weather the storm the best you can by making smart decisions based upon accurate information.

Best wishes.

Great Americans

2009-05-05T22:23:00.001-07:00

What if we could visit our founding fathers and political leaders of early America?

What would it be like to listen to what they had to say? What would it be like to ask them questions?

What is it that they would tell us when we asked them what they thought of modern day America?

Would those who made early American history approve of what America is today?

We will never be able to communicate with our founding fathers or early American leaders, but we can have fun pretending, can't we?

The Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson

George Washington And His Farewell Address

Gettysburg Address By Abraham Lincoln

Words From Lady Liberty

Maybe He Wasn't An American, But He Faced the Enemy of Liberty
In 1940 Adolph Hitler had conquered all of Europe except for a small island off the coast of France who refused to be conquered. This island was all that stood between Hitler and complete conquest

Winston Churchill - This Was Their Finest Hour

My Country, 'Tis of Thee (AMERICA)

Good Night and God Bless!

Social Profiling or Stupid Ideas?

2009-05-05T19:26:00.000-07:00

Henderson City Council Sought Ordinance to regulate the number of unrelated people who can live in a single-family home in Henderson.

After Happy In Nevada brought the issue to our attention in March, we found no current position taken by the City Council only to shelf the issue or withdraw it completely.

Photo taken 4/6/2008 is of homeless citizens taking a rest in the former Frank Wright Plaza which was destroyed by the City of Las Vegas last August. (See sidebar to the right for news on the event). The park is now closed and nothing but a barren wasteland that cost city taxpayers some 50 million dollars. (Photo by Cliff Harrison Copyright © 2009 used by RIVER Organization Christian Church with permission.)

We did a search to see if we could find the latest news results of the Henderson City Council on the matter of making it illegal to allow up to 10 unrelated people to live together in a single home. We turned up very little.

The news reports we did find includes one from Las Vegas Sun mentioning the matter has been stalled.

Henderson Council tables zoning ordinance

The other is from topix which refers the reader to the Las Vegas Sun full story, but the single reader comment interests us enough to post the link.

Reader calls Henderson "Anti-American Nazi"

The topix reader statement reflects what we hear on the streets constantly.The sentiment we frequently hear is a voice of the people extremely unhappy with their government. Be that government local, state or national, people are upset with the way our political leaders interfere with our lives and fail to govern as they ought to.

The word "Nazi" is becoming a common word echoed over and over again on the streets.

Regardless of how the Henderson case panned out, we vigorously oppose the government regulating the number of persons living in a home when those efforts point toward those residents being homeless or formerly homeless citizens.

It is unfair and unconstitutional to single out the homeless, formerly homeless, poor and any other social profiling of our citizens.

Be that said, we stand on two sides of the fence here. Government ought not be telling private homeowners what they can and can not do in their own homes unless there is actual illegal activities going on or public health risks. Dictators do that!

Government particularly ought not be singling out individual groups or social profiling. It runs counter to our founding laws. Equal protection of the laws means ALL people benefit equally.

On the other hand the manner in which the Clark County and State Social Services handles the homeless situation is an ultimate disgrace. And it is this we oppose.

The Clark County Social Services provide $400 rent vouchers to the homeless in order to provide housing and get them off the streets.

Unscrupulous landlords take advantage of this and overcrowd their property in order to make the most money from homeless individuals.

Clark County Social Services and the landlords in the county are in bed together.

Oscar Goodman was given an award from HUD for the ingenious idea of housing multiple homeless individuals in crowded living establishments. But he had nothing to do with the idea, yet received the award beaming.

A landlord can take a three-bedroom home and house up to six to nine individuals. Placing two or three individuals in each bedroom, receiving $400 each yields between $2,400 and $3,600.

That is huge money for a landlord to take in. Often the properties are rundown and nasty. Not all are nice homes.

I've known homeless people who informed me their landlords crowded as many as six people in the living room where they slept on the floor.

I know dozens and dozens of homeless people who lived in these voucher-homes who were ripped off by the landlords and Social Services.

Some were evicted before their rental period was up with the landlord keeping their money and only renting the rooms out to other homeless citizens.

Some landlords actually have rental pimps who go out to find homeless people, help them get rent vouchers and then earn large sums of money filling up the residents with overcrowded people, mostly all strangers.

There isn't enough space here to go into detail of the effects this type of rental-voucher housing has on the homeless individuals, but we will cover it in length in the future.

In short, both the Social Services and area landlords prey off the homeless. Many of these homeless individuals or perhaps even most of them return to the streets and become homeless again.

I lived for a little over two months in a home in North Las Vegas while homeless and using the $400 rent voucher. There was constantly people coming and going, strangers to be roommates with. There was an average of nine people living in one house.

The girls, all on disability, paid the landlord $500 per month and shared the master bedroom, up to three in a room.

The rest of us guys shared two to a room for the other three bedrooms. The four-bedroom house was crowed and usually full.

Try going to the bathroom when you first get up in the morning with nine adults in the house. Try using the kitchen to make your meals with nine people.

You are pushed into a situation with STRANGERS. You know nothing of your roommate.

Tiny rooms with cots, not beds, collect $800 to $1,200 for the zealous landlords.

Most of us in our situation got alone well and made ends meet by respecting one another. We did our own dishes and picked up after ourselves and we respectfully shared the living space.

But we had this one jerk who I'll call Freddie the Freeloader because that is what he was. This guy was nothing but trouble. He used dope. He stole from others. He caused problems. He'd hog the TV remote and spread out on the sofa denying others room to sit down. He did everything he could to make life miserable. He wouldn't forward a message when a tenant had a call from a potential work source. You name it, he was the Devil.

I ended up back out on the streets without fully completing my three-month rental allowance. And so did a lot of others.

Living on the streets was better than living with eight or nine strangers, some of who had no respect for privacy or the feelings of anyone else.

Dozens and dozens of homeless individuals can tell you the same horror stories of similar experiences with the ingenious voucher plan. Few are successful stories.

Some maybe fortunate enough to break away from the situation, land a job, get an apartment they can afford, perhaps with one or two roommates and move on with their lives. But many never reach that point and they land back out on the streets.

I've written enough to fill a book on the plight of the homeless and the situation here in Nevada. If I sound hostile at times when I write, it is not that I mean too. It is simply a horrible situation this state, county and city put homeless people through. Millions of taxpayer dollars are wasted and mismanaged. And, that is an understatement!

It is just that I've been there. I've seen the broken system and I've seen the abuse. It is a system that does not work. It is a system that wastes the taxpayer's money because it is so mismanaged.

I read hundreds of articles, books, blogs and writing on the subject of homelessness and poverty. One thing that turns my stomach is to read of social workers or good deed doers say, "I've been in the trenches".

They don't even know where the "trenches" are. At least very few do.

I thank Happy in Nevada for bringing up this subject. I apologize for not getting back to it sooner. I have a lot of information to cover on this subject and hope I can get to it soon.

In the meantime, I oppose government not using common sense. I oppose government not researching their topics enough before making decisions which affect other people's lives. And I certainly oppose the rent-voucher system this county uses to stall the ability of those poor citizens to climb out of homelessness and gain Independence.

Until we meet again, God bless and good night.

Brother Cliff Harrison

Social Profiling in Henderson

2009-03-10T15:29:00.000-07:00

Diane, HAPPY IN NEVADA , sent us information on social profiling in Henderson, Nevada. Social profiling is something which is happening all over the United States.

Social profiling, is unconstitutional as well as a violation of civil and human rights. Until some smart attorney takes a case like this one to the high courts it is likely to continue.

The homeless and the poor are targets for hate-mongers. The homeless and the poor continue to be fodder for the elite anti-social characters who continue to attack them.

No more could a community prevent a black, Hispanic, or Asian family or anyone from a different race, religion or social group from moving into the community, they can not discriminate against the poor. Yet the poor are constantly attacked and singled out each and every day across America. Economical profiling or social profiling has to be dealt with by launching severe counter blows against the violators in the courts.

We are late in posting this entry, Diane has sent us, and for that we apologize! Social profiling is an issue we intent to write plenty about in the future. We have many articles in reserve on the subject. Thanks, Diane, for sending it our way!

HAPPY IN NEVADA said...
Hi - I thought you might want to read this article;
maybe even turn it into a post.

I'm including the e-mail of the person who wrote it; figured you might want to let him know your thoughts (as I did mine).

Happy Heart's Day to you....

Homeless in Serene Country Estates prompt action from city
By Jeremy Twitchell

Fri, Feb 13, 2009 (6:27 p.m.)

Read the memo:
Download a .pdf copy of the memo from Assistant City Attorney Ron Sailon.

Related stories:
Serene Country Estates to get tavern (10-22-2008).
Amid Suburbia, an island of serenity (6-13-2008).

Last year's discovery that two homes in Serene Country Estates were housing several homeless people has prompted Henderson to draw up a new ordinance that would prevent the practice.

The new zoning ordinance, which would redefine the number of occupants allowed in a single-family home, received a unanimously favorable recommendation Thursday night from the Planning Commission. It is scheduled to go before the City Council March 3.

After residents in Serene Country Estates complained in June about what was happening in the two homes, city attorneys reviewed Henderson's single-family housing ordinance and determined that it was problematic, because it allows up to 10 unrelated people to live together in a single-family home.

"After researching the law in this area, it is my opinion that our ordinance can and should be amended in order to provide that a group of people living in the same household must function as at least a functional family unit, such that transient people living together merely as a result of a government program would not qualify as living in a single-family residence," Assistant City Attorney Ron Sailon wrote in a memo to the city's Community Development Department.

The ordinance being considered would require the residents of a single-family residence to meet the city's definition of a "family unit," which could be one of three definitions: any number of related people and no more than two unrelated persons; four unrelated people; or two unrelated people and any minor children related to either of them.

In the two homes in Serene Country Estates, homeless individuals were placed by a property management company, which found them on the street and took them to Clark County Social Services to apply for a rental voucher. If approved, the individuals were put up in the homes for up to three months while they looked for work and permanent lodgings.

The practice was legal because of the way the ordinance is written, but it raised concerns among city officials after some Serene Country Estates residents complained that they were being confronted and threatened by the occupants of the two homes.

In his memo, Sailon wrote that, while cities aren't allowed to define family units as traditional nuclear families, the courts have upheld their efforts to uphold family environments by limiting single-family homes to stable groups.

"This suggested definition of a family unit promotes a sense of community, sanctity of family, quiet and peaceful neighborhoods, low population, limited congestion of motor vehicles and controlled transiency," Sailon wrote. "These are valid zoning objectives."

The ordinance would preclude "any society, club, fraternity, sorority, lodge, organization or group where people come and go on a transient basis or where the relationship is merely based on a commercial basis" from residing in a single-family home.

Jeremy Twitchell can be reached at 990-8928 or jeremy.twitchell@hbcpub.com .

Introducing Diane, from Laughlin Nevada

2009-01-27T16:49:00.000-08:00

HAPPY IN NEVADA IS DIANE'S BLOG SIGNATURE.

Diane has left some interesting comments on RIVER Organization blog and we feel they are worth taking front stage. So, here we will introduce Diane to our readers and hope that her writing stimulates others to follow suit. This is the kind of communication exchange we are looking for, people-to-people. Common people with common sense.

Homelessness is something we can all do without. Diane has had plenty of experiences with homeless people and was once homeless herself. We invite more of her writing and research talent, including stories and especially first-person experiences that she has had with homeless people.

At the bottom of this post be sure to click on the link leading to Diane's own blogs. She is a prolific writer and has some awesome talent to display. Not only is she a gifted writer, but she also has the endowment of a creative artist. Displaying a wide-range of graphics, video and music arrangement in her many blogs (we stopped counting after 25) of interesting topics and genre including poetry.

We are certain you will find visiting her work of art and words of wisdom as exciting as we have.

We thank her for making this contribution and her caring about the homeless with so much compassion. We can only hope more of her work will follow.

Intoducing Diane from Laughlin, Nevada....
Statistics on Homelessness
I noticed the post was made at 11:26 a.m. - I was born 11/26...hmmmm.

Anyway, some statistics that might be helpful to any of your readers (and you if you don't have them yet). Diane

Southern Nevada’s Homeless Crisis
Southern Nevada is currently spending over $25 million annually on shelter, healthcare and other stopgap services for the homeless. Yet we still have over 14,500 homeless men, women and children in our valley.

Did you know that?

Doing nothing costs something!

Studies in New York and Philadelphia showed that the average person who was chronically homeless accessed over $40,000 per year in public services. In San Diego, the costs were as high as $200,000 over 18 months. The details of these costs can be found at the US Interagency Council on Homelessness website (http://www.ich.gov/).

These same startling costs are true for Southern Nevada's chronically homeless.

A monthly stay in emergency shelter costs $300; the typical stay is six months or $1,800.

One night in jail costs $106 per arrest. It would not be unusual for four arrests and bookings to occur per year at a cost of $424.

Emergency room visits cost an average of $3,722. Homeless individuals average two visits per year at $7,444 per homeless person. An average transport by ambulance costs $214.15.

The average hospital stay is three days at an average cost of $4,440. Those who only access healthcare through the emergency room do not receive follow-up care or services beyond immediate intervention, making them more likely to return to the hospital in the future.

It can happen to anyone.

Many hard-working people have become homeless because they have lost their job or had a healthcare crisis.

Approximately, 60% of all workers work in service or retail trade. Unfortunately for many of these workers, their income does not allow them to meet their basic needs without government assistance. Many can’t afford housing, health care, child care or health insurance.

There are many faces of homelessness.

Families with children are among the fastest-growing segment of the homeless population, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless. 50% of the homeless in Southern Nevada are families with children.

"Homelessness affects you and you can affect
homelessness."

Of Our Homeless Population…
16% are employed but cannot afford housing.
25% of our homeless are veterans.
67% have lived in Southern Nevada for less than a year.
73% have a high school education or higher.
31% have a disabling condition.

On average, each night 331 unaccompanied homeless youth are sleeping on the streets or on friend’s couches.

In the '05-'06 school year, Clark County School District reports that there are over 3,700 homeless children enrolled in school.

One size does not fit all when helping the homeless.

There are as many reasons for homelessness as there are homeless individuals and families. Because of this, there are that many differing programs needs.

Because each individual and family comes with their own unique needs and circumstances, it is necessary to have a diverse service delivery system that includes:

*Aggressive outreach to those living on the streets and/or in shelters that would otherwise not seek assistance.

*Clinical assessment and referral for medical treatment of physical and psychiatric disorders, including substance abuse.

*Long term transitional residential assistance, case management and rehabilitation.

*Employment assistance and linkage with available income supports and permanent housing.

Homelessness affects you and you can affect homelessness.

Over 14,000 of our neighbors in Southern Nevada live on the streets, under bridges, in alleyways, in the desert, on rooftops, in cars or in shelters...

This is not acceptable.

We need to make sure that there are opportunities for everyone to be a part of this great community and contribute.

[Thank you, Diane!]

Diane can be reached by visiting her at one of her blogs. Just click the link below to visit Happy In Nevada.
HAPPY IN NEVADA

Season's Greetings

2008-12-21T14:20:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!

A Dying Angel

2008-12-08T10:24:00.000-08:00

The Brenden Foster Story

"Help the Homeless"
Brenden Foster, an 11-year-old boy from Bothell, Washington, was dying of leukemia when he made a final wish: "Help the Homeless!"

"I was coming back from one of my clinic appointments and I saw this big thing of homeless people and then I thought I should just get them something," Foster said, ABC World News with Charles Gibson reported.

The 11-year-old boy inspired food drives nationwide to help the homeless and poor. His final wish to feed the homeless leaves behind his legacy. "Tis the season to give," young Foster said, as cameras captured the dying boy's final hours.

Later, Brenden Foster died in his mother's arms.

"Tis the season to give."

Every person on the face of this earth is here for a purpose. Was Brenden's purpose to bring public awareness of the homeless and the hungry? We think so. In his final days he was such an angel. He thought of others instead of himself. He could have asked for anything he wanted as a final wish, but he asked for help for the homeless. His wish was granted. All over the country, and perhaps the world, people came together and contributed their donations to help the homeless and hungry.

"They're probably starving, so give them a chance."

The world will always remember Brenden Foster and it is highly likely many communities will have an annual Brenden Foster Food Drive in his remembrance. What an angel. Such a little boy who did such a remarkable thing during his last days on earth.

"They're probably starving, so give them a chance," Brenden Foster told the news media covering his story.

We pray for you, Brenden, and we pray for your mother and your family. We know God has made a very special place for you.

The Brenden Foster Story

The Jack Davis Story
A Related Story, Read More>>
Two 11-year-old boys are heroes of homeless people, Brenden Foster and Jack Davis. It is amazing that children can sometimes be a whole lot smarter than adults.

We have said for a long time, the same thing Jack Davis has said. It is a ridiculous waste of restaurants throwing out food because of their fear of lawsuits. Food which could feed the hungry. Restaurant owners and people trying to feed the hungry ought not to fear malice lawsuits because they are trying to help others if there is no negligence or criminal intent involved.

We agree with 11-year-old Jack Davis. Nevada needs the same laws he advocated in Florida to protect restaurant owners and reduce wastes. In fact, we need federal laws that reject suing those who are trying to help others. Every single night across America tons of good food is thrown out which could feed the homeless and hungry.

[Editor's note: Volunteerdude first brought this story to our attention on 25 November 2008.]

Thanksgiving Dinner at the TIE Club

2008-11-17T22:04:00.000-08:00

He's No Longer Homeless, But He Still Cares About Those Who Are!
A Letter From A Formerly Homeless Man:

Courtesy of Daril Lev

I Also wanted to Make You Aware That The TIE Club, on 11th and Stewart, on Thanksgiving Day at 12:00pm Noon, Will have An Excellent Free Hot Thanksgiving Meal. All You Can Eat! A Hell of a lot better than any Shelter! Which will be packed anyway, and will only give you 1 plate of food.

My Real Name is Daril Lev, No Longer Homeless.

If You Go to Clark County Social Services, On Shadow Lane, Near Charleston, Make An Appointment with Barbara Grostick. Tell Her of Your Situation, and She will issue You a $400 rental Voucher.

Take it to Winfield Manor on Casino Center Blvd. Near Charleston. They Have single Furnished rooms for rent for Men, starting at $380 Per Month, With All Utilities paid! It Is Actually A lot Easier than You Might Think it is.

Anyway, Please Find a Safe Place to Sleep at Night, and Try to Stay Warm.
Sincerely, Daril Lev.
TIE CLUB
WINFIELD MANOR

One-Dollar Value Meal to End at McDonald's

2008-11-17T07:06:00.000-08:00

Bad News for the Poor
By Cliff Harrison

McDonald's will end the one-dollar value meal within the next few days. Local franchise McDonald's have already pulled their $1 value meal signs from the menu board.

At 7530 W Washington McDonald's, a newly franchised restaurant, here in Las Vegas, a sausage egg McMuffin was still obtainable for one dollar, but the price on the menu board was for $1.19.

The morning shift manager stated that beginning next week there would be no more dollar value meals. But, they were still allowing customers to purchase the meals at the old price although the dollar-value meal menu was removed from the menu board.

Within the next few days, the dollar-value meals will end at McDonald's.

McDonald's Corporation has been the lifeblood of feeding America's hungry. That lifeline to America's poor has now been severed.

The popular value meal accounts for 14 percent of McDonald's Corporation's U.S. sales, said Chief Executive Officer, James Skinner.

While Skinner claims the dollar value meal will stay, stating that there will be only minor changes, such as the double cheeseburger becoming a double hamburger with only one slice of cheese instead of two, and the price of the meal going up to $1.19.

Those are not minor changes, they are major. The corporation will be selling something other than what it used to sell. Consumers will receive less for more money--a 19% increase for less.

Franchise McDonald's have always been able to set their own prices as opposed to McDonald's Corporate-owned restaurants which operates at a set standard across the board.

You can always see the downfall of McDonald's restaurants when they change from corporate management to franchise owned and operated. Why McDonald's allows the franchises to operate at substandard levels from their corporation stores is beyond rational thinking.

In recent months three of our top-rated McDonald's restaurants which were formerly corporate-owned stores have fallen to franchise ownership. With the change service deteriorated, leaving customers with less than desirable service. Superb managers were fired during the process and were replaced by inferior managers in each of the three cases of Las Vegas local McDonald's.

In the process wide-spread racial and age discrimination was paramount in each case. White management and employees were replaced by Asian and Hispanic teams of which have difficulties in speaking the English language.

In fact, the female Hispanic shift-manager at one such restaurant that has had for months a sign "Now Hiring Cashiers" on its main sign out front, and still has such sign, told me, "No, we no hire cashiers, only me cashier!" when I inquired. Yet that very store has hired numerous Asian and Hispanic cashiers since.

The changes that often come with newly acquired franchises taking over formerly corporate-run stores we see anti-customer signs being taped to cash registers and pasted on walls stating the store no longer excepts this or that and announces reduced services.

Plastic service trays disappear and are replaced with environmentally unsound plastic bags even if you order eat-in meals. Plastic takes thousands of years to break down in landfills and using service trays reduces trash.

Napkins are rationed, instead of being readily available. Yet packets of ketchup and other condiments are shoveled out in truckloads to consumers. Every American has kitchen drawers or refrigerators full of these unused products and homeless Americans have at least one backpack compartment stuffed full of this never-to-be-used stuff.

What reason does McDonald's have in eliminating the dollar-value meal and trying to tell the public it is still here, only the price has gone up and you get less? Gas prices are over two dollars less per gallon than it was just a few months ago, when corporate America used gas prices as an excuse to create inflation.

The public is informed and not stupid. McDonald's is making a serious mistake in eliminating the one-dollar value meal and will most likely receive serious backlash in the months to come from implementing such counterproductive management move.

At a time when more Americans are falling deeper into poverty and have less disposable money, McDonald's joins the ranks of other American corporations. Greed rather than common sense seems to drive their decisions.

What reason is there for the one-dollar value meal to disappear other than greed? Gas prices are lower than they were months ago, by two dollars per gallon. Two dollars!

It is unlikely McDonald's management, both in corporate and franchise realise the impact their decision will have on America's poor. Their decision will have such a backlash it will punish the chain and rightfully so.

At a time when more Americans are struggling, McDonald's unwarranted price increase and menu elimination will be remembered during economic recovery.

Middle-aged white and black workers will remember the difficulties of placing an order with non-English speaking McDonald's employees who replaced them or refused to hire them when they needed work.

We can no longer praise McDonald's as we once did. We can no longer hold McDonald's at the level of praise as we have held for so long. McDonald's has turned its back on America's poor just when America's poor needs her the most.

Profit is not a dirty word, but when you gouge us, and then purposely lie to us, we will boycott you and take our business elsewhere.

McDonald's management needs to remember, it was America's poor who built their business and made them the global corporation it is today. It certainly wasn't steak eaters who carved McDonald's meat.

As McDonald's Human Resources caters to Asian and Hispanic prospective employees in the Las Vegas area, and leaves the corporation wide open to massive discrimination lawsuits, the fifty-cent burger would have been a cheaper way out and a better way to go.

McDonald's has other high-end products in which are extremely profitable for the company and in which it could easily balance its books and leave the one-dollar value meal alone.

Until the dollar-value meal returns and remains at McDonald's we will consider McDonald's to be in the same bed as the AIG Insurance Company.

Thanksgiving Banquet

2008-11-10T13:28:00.000-08:00

DREAM CENTER
Thanksgiving Banquet

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22nd
911 G. Street (Cross Street - Washington)
12:30 - 3:00 pm

Come for fun, food & great entertainment for the whole family!

Dream Center
Thanksgiving Banquet
Featuring:

Live Entertainment
Free Thanksgiving Feast
Free Clothes
Free Blankets
Free Health Kits
Special Events for Children and Youth
Bounce Houses
Fun, Games, Prizes
Fun for the Whole Family

EVERYTHING IS FREE!

Bus Routes: All routes start at 12:00PM

1. Searles /23rd Street
Bonanza/15th Street
2. Buena Vista
Sunset Palms
Doolittle
Sherman Gardens/Villa Capri
3. Marble Manor/Dream Center
4. Cheyenne Point
Casa Del Norte/Rosemont
5. Casa Rosa, Salvation Army
Shade Tree, Rescue Mission

Date: November 22, 2008
Time: 12:30pm - 3:00pm
Location: 911 G. Street
(Cross Street - Washington)

(702) 636-0023
http://www.lasvegasdreamcenter.org/

Las Vegas Dream Center

Other Events at the Dream Center

"Inner Healing" Intensive

Hablamos en Español?
Bienvenidos a
Dream Center
Dia de Accion de Gratis

Sabado, 22 de Noviembre
911 G. Street (Cruzando la calle Washington)

Dia 22 de Noviembre
Hora: 12:30 a 3:00 pm
911 G. Street
(sobre la calle Washington)
(702) 636-0023
http://www.lasvegasdreamcenter.org/

Sabado 22 de Noviembre
De 12:30 - 3:00 pm

Ven y diviertete habra
Comida y un gran
entretenimiento para
toda la familia.

Dream Center
Dia de Accion de Gracias
Evento Especial:

· Cena – gratis
· Ropa – gratis
· Covijas – gratis
· JUEGOS, PREMIOS
“Todo es gratis”

Ruta del Bus
todas la rutas empiezona las 12:00

1. Searles /23rd Street
Bonanza/15th Street
2. Buena Vista
Sunset Palms
Doolittle
Sherman Gardens/Villa Capri
3. Marble Manor/Dream Center
4. Cheyenne Point
Casa Del Norte/Rosemont
5. Casa Rosa, Salvation Army
Shade Tree, Rescue Mission

Muchas gracias

Las Vegas Dream Center

A Public Service Announcement Provided by the RIVER Organization for the Dream Center of Las Vegas. The RIVER Organization-- Making a difference in our community and around the world.

Linda

2008-10-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

I met Linda one early morning just after sunup. We were sitting on a bench at a bus stop waiting for a bus. She was shivering. Her big blue eyes were staring aimlessly toward the ground. Her face was sad.

I imagined her true age to be younger than she looked. Homelessness takes its toll on people’s body and face. Especially on women who age rapidly on the streets.

“Would you like something to eat?” I asked, as I opened my duffle bag to lift out food to offer her.

Without lifting her eyes, or uttering a verbal response, Linda slowly shook her head, no.

“What’s wrong?” I asked softly.

“There’s no place to sleep,” she said, speaking her first and few words to me. The few words she speaks to me for several weeks to come.

“I know,” I said, nodding, not that Linda would notice. “Someday… we are going to change that.”

“I hope so,” her faint voice whispered, as she continued to look away. Although I would see Linda several times in the near future, those were the last words I'd hear her speak for sometime to come.

She was so tired, so exhausted she wasn’t even hungry. Hunger suppression is a secondary priority surpassed by sleep deprivation control.

I hand her an index card with the names, address and phone numbers of two organizations written on it. These two places claim they help the homeless, providing them with beds, shelter from the streets, food and other services, even transportation.

She slowly moves her hand to receive the index card with information that promised help for the homeless. I tell her that I have not yet investigated the organizations to know for sure they indeed helped the homeless. She nods with the understanding; there are many faults promises out here in the world of lost souls.

We sit in silence. Linda is distant.

I have no clue of why she is homeless, or for how long. I suspect domestic violence, but I can’t be certain.

That was around March of 2008. Linda is not her real name. I only publish real names when I have permission to. Months later, I learn that Linda has been homeless since February. So, when I met her, she’d been on the streets approximately one month.

The next time I saw Linda, I asked her if she found help with those two organizations I has given her on the index card.

She shook her head no, slowly, and moved on.

Over the next several weeks and coming months, Linda’s reaction when she saw me was anything but casual. She remained distant. I was certain it was domestic violence, in my own mine. But still I could not be sure. I wasn’t going to pry. Linda wasn’t ready to open up to me.

I did ask her if she tried Shade Tree on Owens, a shelter for women and children, especially domestic violence cases.

Linda, in a soft-spoken voice, informed me she had already stayed there, the time limit for shelter had passed and she was back on the streets.

I felt the need for a woman to accompany me in order to communicate with women of the streets like Linda. Perhaps, being a male, I didn’t make much of a candidate to help her. That would especially be true if she were indeed a victim of domestic violence.

There is a dire need in the valley for more services for homeless women. Homeless women do not have nearly the services that are geared for men. Shelters, showers, a place where a female can feel like a female.

Time went on and I’d see Linda around town. Usually, I’d see her sitting at an outside table at the DTC or while on a bus to nowhere, riding up and down the endless, homeless road of life.

It took months, but eventually Linda began to open up to me, and talk to me. I’d ask her if she needed anything, food, or what ever I had to offer.

She’d ask me how the organization was going. “It’s going slow,” I’d reply. “It’s taking a long time to get where we want to be. But one day we will get there.”

“I hope so,” she replied.

Soon, Linda began to open up and converse with me, like many of my other homeless friends. Slowly, over a period of several months she began to trust me. It was understandable, Vegas isn’t friendly toward homeless people. Homeless people are the victims of countless attacks and scams simply because they are without means.

For some homeless people, it takes time to open up and trust someone. But now, Linda and I chatted like old friends. It felt great, but I had wished I had the power to get her off the streets and back on track to a good life, safe from harms way.

Then one day while I was rushing to jump from one bus and trying to catch another, I saw Linda sitting on a bench in front of an outside table at DTC.

“How are you doing?” I asked, smiling and touching her shoulder, gently.

“Not good,” she said, in her typical soft voice, “I need help.”

I sat down to listen to her. The bus I was going to catch took off, that was all right, I had more important things to do. Linda needed an ear to listen to her problems.

“Last night while I was sleeping, they hit me over the head and stole my things,” she started to explain, while showing me her wounds. “They stole all of my IDs and my money, and everything I had.”

“I’m sorry, Linda,” I sighed, “there has been a lot of violence lately, and too many people have been attacked, especially while they were sleeping.”

“Where can I get new IDs?” she asked.

I wrote down for her the names and addresses where she could recover her IDs. I also asked her if she had a doctor look at her wounds, and told her to go see Brian Lane over at the homeless Clinic behind the Rescue Mission.

She wanted to know if I knew a certain priest, or pastor, and I had told her I had not. This clergy had told her he could help her find shelter. I recommended she ask around the Rescue Mission since they know of many different Christians who help serve and provide ministries there.

I felt sorry for Linda, like many other homeless friends of mine, she was just another who fell victim of brutal attacks and robbery of her belongings while sleeping.

It stands to reason why she was afraid to sleep from that point on. Not that she ever got more than a few moments of sleep as it was. Homeless people don’t really sleep when they are on the streets, they nap if at best.

Linda recovered from her wounds, but she still did not recover her IDs as of yet. She stayed temporarily at shelters, the limit the shelters allow. You are back on the streets during the day, and can only stay a few nights and then you are back out, on the streets again, 24/7.

Nor did Linda recover from her fear of sleeping outside. Who could blame her? From now on there was only one place Linda could sleep, if you would call it sleep--on CAT buses, just like all the really old people do. The only place where you have at least some protection from attacks. As mean as the bus drivers are (or were), you at least had help a phone call away.

For women like Linda, someone who is always in an exhaustive state, riding the buses is the only safe place to sleep. The fear of being mugged in your sleep and your processions stolen while your eyes are closed runs high.

Each time I saw Linda after this period of time, at the DTC, in food lines, and soup kitchens, or on buses, she always went out of her way to wave to me, or to say hello.

New friends were made, but it took a long time coming. It would be so easy to lift someone like Linda off the streets, into private shelter and repair her broken life. She’s a good person, she doesn’t do drugs, she's not into sex, and she does not drink.

Writing a Repair Order (RO) on Linda could be one of the easiest things to do. But in Vegas, the total wrecks are put into the shop for repairs first while the ones with the least damage are left behind.

I think money has something to do with that.

There will be a day when the RIVER Organization will help people like Linda. She is someone who could quickly be placed back into productive society, if only someone gave her a chance and spent a little time with her. Even holding her hand, if need be.

The first thing she needs is about three days of rest, in a private setting. Someplace where she can collect her thoughts and plan her future after recuperating from the streets.

In the background, I ask a couple of homeless friends of mine, to keep an eye on Linda, and assure her safety. The guardian angles will watch over our own kind. It’s the only true safety we know, looking out for each other.

In the next article, “Linda Isn’t Her Real Name,” I will tell the latest about Linda. Over the recent 5-day mission, Linda and I learn more about the City of Evil.

Are the beatings and murders of homeless victims a new rage of hate?
http://www.lahomelessblog.org/2008/10/14-year-old-boys-charged-with-murder-of.html

2008-10-16T15:55:00.000-07:00

Letter
From: Tina Miller
<tina@thestoryofjesus.com>
To: homelesshomewardbound@gmail.com
Date: Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 9:39 AM
Subject Welcome, New Affiliate
Oct 9 (8 days ago)

Dear Cliff,
Thank you for partnering with us in spreading the Good News of our Lord via the Internet to the world by becoming an Affiliate with The Story of Jesus.

We are getting wonderful response from unbelievers as well as Christians from all over the world. It's such a privilege to be able to share the Good News through this wonderful means.

I pray for you Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

God Bless you, Cliff,

Tina Miller
Bible Heritage Foundation
http://www.thestoryofjesus.com/

A Testimonial from A Homeless Friend

2008-10-09T13:21:00.000-07:00

LETTER:

Greetings

During my journey as a homeless citizen of Las Vegas for the past 4 months I have run into a wonderful guide named Cliff.

This man is a wonder for those that get the rare chance to meet him as he is a book that you don't want to stop reading. Always filled with intrigue and tips on how to maneuver in the turbulent fields that Oscar is trying to curse against.

Homeless people are just misguided folks that have got off the track on the way to the American dream. I am not afraid to say that I was misguided in my journey, which I may say is still not over until the evils have left our home.

I've met a few bright and similar homeless citizens in my journey, some friends of Cliff and have to say that even though there are sour grapes in the vineyard, not everyone is terrible and criminal.

So I will say this, thank you Cliff for all your help and we need more people like you to help guide the misguided and lonely to get by.

And never lose focus and hope and there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

But you gotta be willing to trust the holy spirit as it will always guide you to the promise land.

And never look back but always help those less fortunate than yourself.

Luv ya big guy and be safe and wise out there.

--The Homeless Native

Homeless Women Veterans

2008-09-23T14:28:00.000-07:00

APPENDIX I. RECRUITMENT FLIER

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
HOMELESS WOMEN VETERANS

DID YOU SERVE IN THE:

AIR FORCE
ARMY
COAST GUARD
MARINES
NAVY

Criteria

Lack income or have income less than $800 monthly

Lives at the Salvation Army

Lives at the Rescue Mission

Or sleep Roofless

If you are interested in: Participating in a research study, Sharing personal experiences related to homelessness, Receiving an incentive for completing an interview, and Obtaining information about VA Benefits.
Please contact Virginia A. Hines, Human Service PhD Learner @ 702-657-8750 if you are interested in participating or want additional information.

Virginia A Hines
PhD Learner
General Human Services
Capella University
225 S. 6th Street, 9th Floor
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402

A Public Service Announcement Provided by the RIVER Organization for Homeless Women Veterans. The RIVER Organization-- Making a difference in our community and around the world.

A Homeless Friend in Need

2008-09-19T14:34:00.000-07:00

A homeless friend of mine seems to be a bit exhausted from his latest journey on the streets. The following are lines of communication I’ve abstracted from numerous emails he has sent me over the past few days. Without describing him or otherwise identifying him, I’ll reveal a glimpse of what it is like being homeless in Las Vegas.

Before going into his recent story of being on the streets, I’d like to make a statement about a public misconception about homeless people. First, many in the public believe homeless people are lazy and refuse to work. I must tell you, it is impossible to be lazy and live on the streets in Las Vegas. A lazy person could not do what a homeless person on the streets must do in order to survive. Homeless people are constantly forced to move, being on the go, never being able to sleep, or even rest. The current political administration is hostile to the homeless and the officials in Las Vegas do not allow the homeless one moment of rest. A homeless person must travel great distances in order to find food. A homeless person must wait in long lines, often in scorching heat without shade, or extreme cold weather without wind buffers in order to find food.

If a lazy person is homeless, then you can be assured that person is somewhere in a shelter or transitional housing. He certainly would not be on the streets. He certainly would not be on the streets for any given length of time, because being on the streets requires a person to be energetic. It is a simple fact of life.

Second, many homeless people are employed. The meager jobs they have bring them some income, but not enough to sustain them in adequate housing. There are a large number of homeless people living on the streets of Las Vegas who are working, at least a part-time job.

Finally, when you live on the streets and you are kept from getting adequate sleep and finding food, it is most difficult to maintain a job or find a job. Often, one goes for days without more than a few minutes of sleep. That person is in no condition to find work or maintain a job. Those who do have a great effort in keeping up. It is an inhumane condition caused by the lack of competent leadership by our city, county and state officials.

Also, when someone is working, or out searching for work, he often misses the scheduled feedings at the local soup kitchens. St. Vincent serves soup between 10:30 AM and 11:30 AM. The Salvation Army serves food around 2:45PM and the Las Vegas Rescue Mission serves soup from 5:00PM to 6:00PM. If someone is working or searching for work during those time periods, unless he has money, he goes hungry unless he can find food served by one of the church groups who try to help the homeless and hungry in the area.

In a little while, I’m going to make a one-day, 24-hour excursion to go find my homeless friend in need and show him a “secret place” where he can sleep undisturbed while I stand sentinel. I will show him where he can find food, and then perhaps he’ll be in better condition to find his way out of the current situation he is in. I had a duffle bag full of clothes and items I was going to pass out to the needy homeless people this afternoon, but I’ll hold off on doing that until I get my homeless friend pointed into the right direction. Sometimes all one needs is a friend, and someone to show them the places to go. It is always better going with someone than going alone on these mean streets of Las Vegas where the homeless have few friends.

I met this young man a few days before our communication, here, at a bus stop in central Las Vegas. Then again, we met over the Labor Day weekend while I took about five days to distribute supplies to the homeless. One night when he went his own way, to sleep on a bench he had been using (his comfort zone), a group of men attacked him and punched him while was sleeping on a bench. He was fortunate not to have sustained serious injuries from his being a victim of an attack.

Email Messages from My Homeless Friend
2 September (17 days ago) “When we left last night [he and another homeless friend of his, whom I had met, a young man who was sleeping in parks and who had a fulltime job and used his money for a couple of nights stay at a motel for rest and bathing] we went to the SSTT depot on the other side [departing for DTC], this [deleted] security guard, saw us fall asleep on the concrete bench while waiting for the bus till like 2:15 in the morning, and she says she took pictures of us sleeping.” “Well, there is a bench on the side of [deleted strip location] that seems ok for temporarily, just to rest, as it is far from the streets and out of most people’s way near limos and taxis and crowds.”
2 September (17 days ago) “I have a job interview coming up.” “I’ll be at the library for awhile.”
3 September (16 days ago) “A cop car came to [strip location deleted] this morning to harass the sleepers. I wasn’t one of them. I just made it up when the car rolled in.” “At SSTT, 2 cop cars were parked there [when we arrived].”
4 September (15 days ago) “I got a job at [deleted]. “I start Monday.” “Three days training and a final exam on last day.” [He is truly excited about this job.]
6 September (13 days ago) “I started working Monday for training for a few days.” “Last night I was at DTC and fell asleep on the bench and fell on the concrete ground.” “The night before, I fell asleep and a guard woke me up and told me that the next time he catches me sleeping he’ll escort me off the property.” “I heard they are cracking down [on the homeless population] more around town.”
8 September (11 days ago) “I’m trying to get rested up and cleaned up, but I can’t do it.” “This is hard, I can’t be lugging around all these bags, I have to work.” [When the homeless are forced to drag around their belongings their employers know they are homeless and this leads to problems.]
10 September (9 days ago) “This is a tough job! The training is real hard and I’ve got to remember all kinds of stuff for a test in three days.” [Having little sleep doesn’t help one’s ability to learn]. “Once I finish the training, I’ll earn $150, but then I have to spend $85 for fees to work.”
13 September (6 days ago) “Get this; I was fired 2 days ago because the bus was late 30 minutes when I was coming back from lunch.” “I came back to training class and the manager told me to pick up my things and leave.” “I only missed four questions on my test, but it won’t do me any good now. I’m going to [another place to apply for work] to see if they will hire me.” “I know, it’s a [deleted] finding work.”
18 September (2 days ago) “The cops gave me misdemeanor public nuisance ticket this morning for sleeping on a bench.”
“Maybe we can meet soon?” “Where is the best place to get homeless food?”
18 September 8:45PM (15 hours ago) “I’m gonna try [something], and then ride buses all night long.” “I was at DTC earlier, and fell asleep on the table and the [deleted] security came over and woke me up like I was doing something bad.”
19 September 9:21 AM (2 hours ago) “Something definitely needs to be done!” “I rode the buses, Flamingo and Maryland
Parkway buses last night and slept a little bit, and then the bus driver dropped me off in Summerlin somewhere and I had to walk a few miles to get to a bus stop and then [I] went to the library from 5 am till 7 am with no problem” [The 109 Maryland Parkway bus drivers are the absolute worst in the system, deserving personal lawsuits for their hostilities against the homeless who have, by the way, paid fare.] “Then I went to SSTT, and went to the bathroom, and [deleted] security guard asked me if I were sleeping in the bathroom. [The security personnel at SSTT are also getting ultra aggressive against the homeless, and a lawsuit is warranted here also.] “I’m still tired” “I want to check out some of these places that give out free food, the churches or whatever, not St. Vincent or Salvation Army or any of those places, they are too corrupt and dingy and in bad areas of town.” “I’m going to Nevada JobConnect in the mornings to check on work, and the library. I’ve got another job interview at [deleted], I gotta get something.”

This anonymous story writer, told through an email communication, presents a glimpse of what life on the streets of Las Vegas is like for the homeless. There are thousands of homeless out there, each with their own story. This guy is young, but many of the homeless are old, men and women in their 60s, 70s and 80s.

Being homeless in Las Vegas is an inhumane thing. Being hungry is inhumane. Going without food and water is inhumane. Going without sleep is inhumane. Hundreds of homeless in Las Vegas have jobs, yet they can not pull themselves out of destitution. Their daily, and nightly, struggles are heartrending. The RIVER Organization will stand firm to protect and serve the homeless. In the future, as we grow and gain strength, we will challenge the local atmosphere in regards to the homeless, and we will bring focus on the international human rights laws which stand to protect them.

One of the reasons my homeless friend has so much trouble is he is forced to carry around his belongings in a suitcase, dragging it behind himself, telling the world he is homeless. Lockers have been closed down at St. Vincent, and no FREE lockers are available for the homeless. Another problem, another story for the problem-solving future.

In closing, I would like to mention, the inhumane, often abusive, harassment the City of Las Vegas and its public officials, and contractors bring against the homeless population shall not go unnoticed. It will be documented, and it will be brought to the greater public attention, even the Federal government if that is what it takes to correct the problem of the mismanagement of the Las Vegas leaders.

Over the Labor Day weekend, while I was conducting a mission to deliver supplies to the homeless, one night I got off a bus at the SSTT with the young man who wrote the above emails. I had two bags full of articles I was passing out, so obviously I probably looked homeless to the officials who get paid to harass the homeless. While sitting on a public bench and smoking a cigarette and having a sandwich and snack, a Wachenhut security officer, rolled up in front of us in his two-wheel chariot [why they need them, I could not tell you other than pure LAZINESS. The SSTT complex is not that large.] The Wachenhut officer asked us what we were doing. I told him we were taking a break and then we would catch another bus. He stated the bus we needed was on the other side of the complex, and ordered us to move on, telling us we had been sitting on the bench for over an hour. I stood up, in a non-aggressive manner and got close enough to read his name tag and badge number, to identify him, as I spoke softly, “We have not been here over an hour, but for only fifteen minutes. I’m smoking a cigarette which I can not do on the bus, and I’m eating my lunch, which I can not do on the bus. This is public property, we are the public, and we are not misbehaving, and I have a paid bus fare, do you have anything that you find wrong with that?” I looked him square in the eye, and then he spoke, nervously, “Be gone by the time I come back,” and then he rode off on his expensive toy of a white chariot. It wasn’t the first time I’ve stood up for justice, nor will it be the last.

It’s just another night in the life of the homeless in Las Vegas. There will be better times ahead.

Sleeping or not, the only thing which should involve law enforcement or security, or involvement or concern by a public official, such as a bus driver, is BEHAVIOR, or the lack of good behavior. Anyone, homeless nor not, who is behaving properly ought not be subjected to inhumane, cruel, abusive, harassment treatment by public officials the taxpayers pay for lest the taxpayers be subject to the liabilities thereof. It may be costly for the city to learn this basic lesson of governing government in the future.

[Saturday, 20 September 6:26 PM: Mission Accomplished!]

Poverty In America

2008-09-14T17:38:00.000-07:00

Catholic Charities USA reports on poverty in the United States. The report on poverty taken from the new census numbers shows 37.3 million people in the United States live below the 2007 federal poverty level of $20, 614 for a family of four. The number is up from the 2006 level of 36.5 million people. The CCUSA report states that the number of poor people by the official U.S. Governement standards is more than the entire population of eleven states. The report is packed full of facts and stats, including a state by state account of federal figures.

Mississippi ranked number one in the United States with 20.6% of its people living below the federal poverty line. Nevada ranked 38 with 10.7% of the population living in poverty below the federal standard.

Updated August 2008, the report provides several links for the reader to follow in studying the poverty crisis, including U.S. Census Bureau and recent news releases from the U.S. Department of Labor and Bureau of Labor Statistics. The report also includes a link to a recent press release from Catholic Charities USA stating that the new poverty rate was unacceptable. We couldn't agree more!
POVERTY IN AMERICA

With more people living in poverty, fewer jobs, more competition for jobs, higher prices and loss hope, America is in perils of the lost American Dream.
CAMPAIGN to REDUCE POVERTY in AMERICA

THE BIBLE

2008-08-18T21:53:00.000-07:00

By Scott Tighe

The Bible includes past, present and future history with historical accuracy. It is the only self-authenticating book in the history of the world. It was written by 40 men, representing 20 occupations, living in 10 countries, on three different continents, in three different languages, over a 1500 year time span; working with a cast of 2,930 characters, in 1,551 places, yet fits together like a jigsaw puzzle that is incomplete if any one piece is missing. Together the greatest publication project of all time produced 66 books, containing 1,189 chapters, over 31,000 verses, 774,000 words, and over 3 1/2 million letters called the Bible. It covers every conceivable subject and is expressed in all literary forms such as poetry, prose, etc. The Bible has complete unity in spite of the great diversity of compilation. There are over 25,000 archeological digs, that correspond to 25,000 places, people, or specific events in the Bible that proves the skeptics wrong and the truth of the Bible. The Bible is set apart from every other book or religious writing due to the fact that it is the only book that is filled with over 3,000 exact prophecies about people, lands, and nations, that cover from a few decades in time, to hundreds and even thousands of years. Out of the 26 books in the world that claim to be, or have claimed to be Scripture, there is not one that contains any predictive prophesy. This fact sets the Bible apart from all other literature that has ever been recorded, as 25% of it is prophesy. History and archeology has proven the Bible to be 100% accurate and the skeptics 100% wrong.
Dr. Nelson Glueck, the most outstanding Jewish archeologist of this century said, "It may be stated categorically that no archeological discovery has ever controverted any Biblical reference. Scores of archeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or in exact detail historical statements in the Bible."
A respected scholar named Dr. J.O. Kinnamin declared, "Of the hundreds of thousands of artifacts found by archeologists, not one has ever been discovered that contradicts or denies, one word, phrase, clause, or sentence of the Bible, but always confirms and verifies the facts of Biblical record."
There have been over 2 billion Bibles published since 1455. Every minute somewhere on the planet, several million people are reading or studying the Bible. Basic Instuctions Before Leaving Earth.

[Editor's Note: Scott Tighe is a Christian who is also a homeless advocate. He has worked hard in his faith and with the homeless in Las Vegas, Nevada. He submitted this entry to the ROCK, (RIVER Organization Chapel of Knowledge). We thought THE BIBLE was so good we also posted it here at Homeward Bound: "Voices From the Streets".]

WHO YOU ARE

2008-07-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

LYRICS by R. Joshua Collins (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Copyright (c) 2008

WHO YOU ARE

As I walk this earth, I find few things,
that can compare, to praising Your name
not to many, this I can explain
this praise to You, I can't contain

Chorus
I praise You Lord for who You are
You're the great I AM, the Bright and Morning Star

You're the Prince of Peace, this I know
because when You're near me, it's peace untold
will You please dwell with me,
my Lord Jesus, it's You I need

Chorus
I praise You Lord for who You are
You're the great I Am, the Bright and Morning Star

You're the Alpha and Omega, giver of hope,
My Everlasting Father, who I know,
why You chose me, I don't understand,
But I praise You Father, for Your Plan

Chorus
I praise You Lord for who You are
You're the great I AM, the Bright and Morning Star

You are our Mighty King, Ruler of the world
such a Mighty God worth more than any pearl
God stay with us, let our praises to You
never end, make us one with You

Chorus
I praise You Lord for who You are
you're the great I AM, the Bright and Morning Star

[Editor's note: We thank R. Joshua Collins for his submission to our publication. His lyric ,"Who You Are" is the first submission from a homeless person. We hope to have more creative talent from those who are homeless or formerly homeless soon. Joshua plans to submit other songs he has written soon. We've opened a sidebar for his creative talent on the right side of the page. So, please visit there for more of Joshua's work.]

HAZARDOUS WEATHER WARNINGS!

2008-07-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

There are multiple Hazardous Weather Warnings posted for the Southern Nevada area, including Clark County and Las Vegas for the next few days.

EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING!
The National Weather Service has deemed the predicted temperatures for July 9-10 as POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS!

The Dula Gymnasium will be open as an EMERGENCY COOLING STATION. Water Provided. 11:00AM until 7:00PM.

Dula Gym is located on East Bonanza Road and Las Vegas Boulevard North. (Next to Municipal Pool and the Las Vegas Senior Center.)

LAS VEGAS TEMPERATURES ARE PREDICTED TO EXCEED 112 DEGREES F; GROUND TEMPERATURES COULD REACH 124 DEGREES F.

EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING!

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV

The National Weather Service also warns of:
DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...

DEEPER MOISTURE REMAINS IN PLACE OVER PORTIONS OF MOHAVE AND SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AGAIN TODAY...WITH ISOLATED SEVERE WEATHER AND FLASH FLOODING POSSIBLE...DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE WILL INCREASE AND SPREAD FARTHER NORTHWEST EACH DAY THROUGH SUNDAY. FLASH FLOODING AND SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE POSSIBLE EACH DAY...WITH THE GREATEST RISK EXPECTED ON SUNDAY.THERE COULD BE SOME DECREASE IN THUNDERSTORM CHANCES EARLY NEXT WEEK...BUT THIS IS STILL UNCERTAIN.

In extreme heat; drink plenty of water, use an umbrella for shade, wear a straw hat, avoid alcohol, seek shelter, shade and air conditioning, avoid excessive exertion and movements. Keep medications cool and within prescribed temperature range to prevent spoilage.

With threats of flash floods and thunder storms; DO NOT sleep in culverts, washes, or storm drains. (Always avoid such places, and never use them for shelter.) Do not try to walk through moving water. Seek shelter on higher ground and avoid moving around. Stay near people and populated places until threat is over with.

SEE SIDE BAR for extreme weather safety tips.

THE LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE HOMELESS

2008-07-05T14:38:00.000-07:00

The Lighthouse for the Homeless
Wed. 28 March 2007 Day 79 Homeless

THE LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE HOMELESS
By RIVER (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Dedicated 28 October 1886, the Statue of Liberty was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States of America. It is the universal symbol of Freedom and Democracy.

Some 25 million immigrants and other people passed through New York Harbor between 1892 and 1924. Liberty Island and Ellis Island are the symbolic gateway representing freedom and democracy. From around the globe people came to the land of free passing by Lady Liberty with her torch held high. Many, if not most of those people, were homeless until America showed them a new life and a new home… and the American Dream.

Over 40 percent of the population of the United States of America can trace their ancestry through Ellis Island according to the Ellis Island web home page.

On her 15th birthday, Annie Moore arrived from Ireland on the SS Nevada to become the first immigrant processed at Ellis Island on 1 January 1892.

The broken chains or shackles at Lady Liberty’s feet signify liberation from oppression and tyranny.

The torch, which Lady Liberty holds high as a beacon as like from a lighthouse, signifies enlightenment.

The tablet in her hand shows the date of the nations birth (July 4 1776).

The dedication plaque of the Statue of Liberty at the foot of Lady Liberty reads with these words:
…”Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores. Send these, the homeless, temptest-tost to me; I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" -- Emma Lazarus 1883

Entry to this country, the United States of America, provided a warmer welcome to those homeless from a distant land than the homeless receives in their own land, like in Las Vegas, Nevada, the state that the first ship that brought the first immigrant to America was named after.

When God’s torch touches Las Vegas, Nevada, the homeless will come home to Him.

[Editor's note, The Light House for the Homeless was first printed in the Forgotten Voice a Las Vegas street newspaper for the homeless, and also published by the AOL Journals website, JESUS LOVES YOU! in March and April of 2007]

4th of July BBQ Better Late Than Never

2008-07-04T22:46:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas--Hungry? Saturday’s BBQ won't be on the 4th of July, but it will be just as good just the same.

Like every Saturday, there is a BBQ lunch provided by Calvary Downtown Outreach Inner City Ministries. FREE!

Every Saturday at 12:00 Noon.

Good food, great people and beautiful music. And, plenty of it.
LIVE MUSIC and a message from God’s Word. So, why not head out there on Saturday and have some fun?

Usually they have free bibles and other spiritual literature for you to pick up and enjoy, too. There is always someone to talk to about your spiritual needs as well, just in case you need a change of pace.

Take the 113 Las Vegas Blvd. North bus from DTC and get off at Lake Mead Blvd East. (Or take the MAX and get off at Lake Mead Blvd.) The services are in the back lot, behind the Holy Trinity AME church at 700 Lola Ave. You can see the steeple and Cross NW from the bus stop.

Have fun!

GREAT NEWS FOR STREET ARTISTS!

2008-07-04T22:33:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas—For all of those creative homeless people out there who love to write poems and lyrics but have no means of setting their creative project to music, we have just received an offer from a Las Vegas musician to volunteer setting their words to music. This volunteer specializes in jazz and is willing to spend some time using his recording studio, equipment and musical instruments, especially an organ to set street artist’s creative work into jazz songs.

Who knows, we may discover the next star for America’s Talent.

The Las Vegan jazz composer was optimistic about helping homeless people combine his talent and their work for a joint venture of exposing songs from poverty.

We are excited about the merits of this possibility since it is one of the things listed in our Vision. There are a lot of talented artist living on the streets. If we can bring them together with more fortunate artists perhaps we can form phenomenal teams.

So, our talent search begins. We told you we wore many hats. Now we will flip our Talent Scout hat on and go find some creative street people who feel up to the challenge. Many have told me they wanted to pursue their creative projects. So, here is the chance.

One of the goals of Homeward Bounds Publications is to publish street artists’ work; such as songs, lyrics, poems, fiction and non-fiction stories, photography and videotaping work as well as graphic artist paintings and drawings and other creative projects.

We had hoped, in the future, to couple street artist of various creations with the talents of like artist who are already established and present their joint works here in “Voices From the Streets”. But we have so many other pressing things on our agenda; we were surprised to find such quick volunteer response to our pleas for help.

Just remember, it’s not the first horse out of the starting gate that counts, it’s the first one over the finish line. And it’s the finish line we had our sights on.

We can just see our name in lights now.
Songs from Poverty by RIVER Studios.

Presenting….

Well… maybe we are getting a little carried away with optimism. But then, we do have some candidates in mind. All we need to do is go tell them the great news. So, we’ll let you know the results. Singers, get ready!

LOCKERS LOCKED DOWN!

2008-07-04T22:08:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas—Rumors last week on the streets had it that the lockers at St. Vincent Catholic Charities will soon close down. Employees of Catholic Charities confirmed today that those rumors were true. Employees verified as correct that the lockers will indeed be shut down and tore out.

When asked exactly when the lockers would shut down, the unnamed sources speaking at Catholic Charities said, “Well, they are actually already closed down.”

No additional locker rentals are being accepted at the charity.

As rumor stated and the charity’s employee verified, the space now used for lockers will be converted for use as parking space for employees and clients.

The lockers which were available in different sizes and renting from $5 per week for a small locker, and up to $40 for 30-days for the largest ones, will be a truly missed service for Las Vegas’ homeless population.

The largest lockers that were available was able to hold a homeless person’s backpack, sleeping bag and sleeping bag pad as well as a substantial amount of other gear.

One of the most hostile towns in America listed several years running by the National Coalition for the Homeless just got meaner.

First, the chaos of previous years against the homeless; numerous laws making homelessness illegal, laws that made feeding the hungry a crime, no shaving and no bathing ordinances and no provisions for thereof and a grab bag of other wishful anti-homeless laws and homeless-bashing thinking, and then came along CAT bus route 403 being eliminated, then the soap dispensers in the men’s room at the DTC are removed and the single hand dryer in-op, before we know it, we will be the Number One Meanest City toward the homeless in America.

What an accomplishment.

The city can’t afford to replace, or refuses to replace the tattered American flag on top of the Old Post Office, the pet project of the “Mafia Museum”, and give it a righteous retirement at the VFW, so what can we expect from a city which won’t even honor our own national symbol of freedom, Old Glory?

The homeless desperately need those lockers. With triple-digit temperatures and local newsrooms warning of extreme and excessive heat conditions, homeless persons will be forced to lug their belongings around. Going job hunting will be impossible. The timing couldn't be worst.

A Metro Police Department poster posted at the Lied Dining Facility entrance on the Catholic Charity campus warns homeless people they MAY be arrested for possession of stolen property if caught with shopping carts.

The lockers had provided security for homeless individual’s belongings and were accessible 24-hours per day, seven days per week. Now those individuals who were able to afford the locker rental fees will be forced to find an alternative.

The RIVER Organization plans not only to provide lockers for homeless people in several areas around town, but at a no-cost or substantially lower fee. But the RIVER Organization is a long way off from meeting that idea since it is only in the start-up phase and the locker program is in the expansion phase.

Anyone who is aware of another location of existing locker rental please contacts us and let us knows so we can verify and publish the information.

Until then guys, sorry, but you’re just going to have to work up a little sweat, as if you are not already used to that, huh?

Homeless Services Reference Guide

2008-07-04T17:13:00.000-07:00

Homeless Services Reference Guide provided by RIVER Organization

Also listed on-line by Homeward Bound Productions, a division of RIVER ORGANIZATION.
Homeward Bound: “Voices From the Streets” An Electronic street newspaper for the homeless.
http://homewardboundvoicesfromthestreets.blogspot.com/

[Indicates Bus Route Number with all departures from DTC] (See bus routes & information at RO Information Center on-line at HOMEWARD BOUND PUBLICATIONS Homeward Bound:“Voices From the Streets”)

Feeding Stations
Frank Wright City Park (Across from DTC (Downtown Transportation Center)
Sundays 12:00 Noon [Any Bus to DTC]

Foremaster Street (Across from St. Vincent Catholic Charities)
Usually around 5:00 PM Nightly. Sporadic feedings at other times, provided by other feeders infrequently, and unannounced throughout the night. [113 Las Vegas Blvd North bus to St. Vincent]

The Bridge
Under the bridge Monday nights at 6:00PM. (Behind the Las Vegas Rescue Mission which is on Bonanza and “D” Street. [From DTC take 106 Rancho, 214 H&D Streets EAST (Clockwise) or 215 Bonanza West Bus] Walk west past the Las Vegas Rescue Mission one block, take first street on your right. Site is under the I-95 Bridge.] [106/214 EAST/215]

Calvary Downtown Outreach Inner City Ministries Every Saturday at 12:00 Noon. FREE BBQ LUNCH. Live Music & a message from God’s Word. In the back lot behind Holy Trinity AME Church (700 Lola Ave.)
(Just NW of Las Vegas Blvd. North and Lake Mead Blvd. East.) [113 or MAX]

RIVER Organization will eventually be establishing outreach feeding stations TBA (To Be Announced). Feeding Missions will be conducted by individual feedings through out the Las Vegas Valley in areas and locations homeless are found away from regular, established feeding stations and soup kitchens.

Soup Kitchens
Primary Menu: A Bowl of Soup, occasional “door prize”.

Las Vegas Rescue Mission 480 W Bonanza meals served from 5pm to 6pm [106/214EAST/215]

St. Vincent Catholic Charities 1501 Las Vegas Blvd N. Free lunch served from 10:30am until 11:30pm. [113]

Served Meals

Salvation Army 35 W. Owens Ave. Free Meals from 2:45pm to 3:45pm. [113/209]

Las Vegas Rescue Mission (The Chicken Lady) 480 W. Bonanza Free meals served anywhere between 11:00am-1:00pm depending upon arrival. [106/214EAST/215]

St. Vincent Catholic Charities 1501 Las Vegas Blvd N. Lied Dining Facility $2.00 per meal. Go to cashier between 12:00pm to 2:30pm M-F to buy meal tickets. Or use food stamp card (EBT) at dining room.

Breakfast served from 5:30am to 6:30am

Coffee and Donuts served from 7:00am to 7:30am (FREE)

Soup served between 10:30am and 11:30am (FREE)

Lunch served from 12:00pm to 1:00pm

Dinner served from 5:15pm to 6:30 pm [113]

Lockers

St. Vincent Catholic Charities 1501 Las Vegas Blvd N. -- Lockers range from small to Xlarge with rent ranging from $5 per week to $40 per month(30-days). 24-hour access. Security cameras and security patrol. May be discontinued soon. [113]

Coffee & Donuts

St. Vincent Catholic Charity 1501 Las Vegas Blvd. N. Free coffee & Donuts served daily between 7:00am and 7:30am outside of the Lied Dining Facility. Get in line as many times as you like. Bring your own cream and sugar and paper towels or napkins. No milk or juice. [113]

Help for the Homeless

Will Too!

Call 1.866.255.7894 or Email: lizzy_boyd@yahoo.com

We need more information on this organization, but we understand they provide food and shelter as well as other services for the homeless. We will investigate Will Too! further and post our findings with an update.

DAY SHELTER OPEN AT ST. VINCENT'S CATHOLIC CHARITY

From 9:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. a day shelter is currently open at St. Vincents due to three digit temperatures. Go to the INFORMATION CENTER on campus to check in. Watch movies, take a shower, and receive hygiene products and more. Keep Cool. Relax. [113]

HOMELESS SERVICES PROGRAMS
FOOD ASSISTANCE
Groceries

Catholic Charities
1501 N. Las Vegas Blvd.
382-6727
Hours: Call for current information

Salvation Army
1581 N. Main St.
649-8240
Hours: 8:30am-12noon, 1pm-3:30pm M-F

Help of Southern Nevada
1640 E. Flamingo
(Between Maryland Parkway and Spencer)
369-4357
Hours: 8am-4pm M-F

Henderson Senior Center
27 E. Texas
565-6990
Hours: M-Th 8am-9am Fri 8am-4pm
Sat 8am-1pm Sun 10am-2:30pm

Weekend Emergency Assistance
2727 Civic Center Dr. NLV
3720 E. Tropicana
383-4054
Hours: Saturday 9:00am to 12:45pm
Sunday 1pm to 4pm

Lutheran Social Services of Nevada
800 N. Bruce St.
639-1730
website: lssnv.org
Hours: 8am-12noon M-F
Afternoons by appointment only

Giving Life Ministries
416 Perlite (Henderson)
565-4984
Hours: 9am-12noon Tuesday & Friday
(Henderson Residents 89121, 89122)

St. Therese Center
67 E. Lake mead Dr. (Henderson)
564-1465
Hours: Call for current information

SERVED MEALS
Catholic Charities
1501 N. Las Vegas Blvd.
382-6727
Donuts & Coffee 7:00am-7:30am
Free Lunch (Soup) 10:30am-11:30am

Las Vegas Rescue Mission
480 W. Bonanza
382-1766
Dinner at 5:00pm

Salvation Army
35 W. Owens Ave.
649-8240
Breakfast & Lunch M-F 9am-3:30pm

This reference guide is not complete. We will expand it as time warrants. Please use the links in the sidebar elements to link you directly to other service information.

A HOMELESS SUCCESS STORY

2008-07-02T06:58:00.001-07:00

IF HE CAN DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT!

This is a story from MSN MONEY that tells how one man went from being a homeless drug addict to becoming a millionaire. Success stories are always a pleasure to read, especially those about homeless people who have raised themselves up from poverty and climbed the stairways to the American Dream.

SUCCESS STORY: FROM HOMELESS TO MILLIONAIRE

17 recession success stories
MORE SUCCESS STORIES

You are not a failure until you stop trying to succeed!
Succeeding takes practice & practice & more practice.
Again, and again, and again....
Hobo's JukeBox
La Bamba Being Worked
And Worked
Until it is finally right...
Ritchie Valens-La Bamba
To be successful takes Patience, Perseverance & Practice. Keep working your project until you finally succeed at your endeavor. Then go out and show the world what you have accomplished.

Why Are They Homeless?

2008-06-30T15:10:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas--Why are they homeless?
Good question. This article will address more closely the reason why many people become homeless.

As mentioned in the previous article, there are lots of reasons why people become homeless. This entry will not address the most obvious ones.

Without using too much brain energy we can come to a reasonable conclusion why those who have mental problems, and those who are addicted to drugs, alcohol and gambling wind up homeless. We can also make serious assessments of those with severe medical problems and disabilities. And of course, serious financial problems is a leading factor in all categories.

Either the lack of financial resources or the lack of proper financial management or a combination of both are an obvious factor contributing to homelessness.

We will address these individual issues and causes of homelessness in the future.

We will also provide the space for homeless people to tell their own stories of why and how they became homeless. They will also have the opportunity to freely discuss the issues they face by being homeless. For now, we are just going to get the ball rolling and fire-up the conversation.

We will also leave domestic violence and many other factors out of the discussion of this article.

Over and above the more obvious reasons leading to homelessness, we will mention two major areas we see contributing to homelessness on a large scale. These two areas consist of people we have observed on a regular and long-term basis and have found no evidence of any of the previously mentioned problems or addictions. (Except financial, of course). There were no apparent mind-influencing addictions in their behavior--that is drugs or alcohol. Most used no drugs or alcohol at all.

Of course, these two areas are not inclusive as to being the only major cause of homelessness by any means. They are simply two areas we see a large number of people belonging to these groups. And, we have found little or no mention of these types of causes of homelessness listed in any of the research we have conducted. We have spend countless hours of research to find the causing factors of homelessness through sources locally, nationally and globally.

The first and most prevalent is what we label as self-entertainment addiction. More specifically, TOYS. More precisely, ELECTRONICS.

The technology-age has created such an addictive force of mind-luring toys, games, and self-entertainment products that many otherwise normal people are falling through the cracks by large numbers.

Computers, video games, cell phones and text messaging, emails and unlimited web surfing including pornography, chat-rooms, music electronics and an endless list of self-pleasure electronics and other self-entertaining products or activities.

The heck with work, let's have fun. The heck with the real world, let's escape. Perhaps that is the frame of mind of many living in severe destitution today. Some say why? I say why not!
If it feels good do it. Everybody is doing it. Are we seeing a picture being painted on the canvas?
Mind games, warp speed ahead....

It can be said, the only difference between a boy's toy and a man's toy is the price.

Like any addiction, self-denial contributes in the prevention of the individual gaining help. In order to fix a problem, you have to know what the problem is. You have to know what caused the problem in order to solve it. The contributing factors electronics and self-pleasing "toys" have on the incidence of homelessness is the expenditure of time and money. The shifting of priorities to the application of enjoyment.

We are not going to presume we have analyzed all of the reasons why this is occurring to a large number of people, but we will take an educated guess. It is an apparent two-fold addiction process.

The first, most electronics, especially those designed to be "mind games" are inherently designed to be psychological. That is why slot machines are so addictive, they are designed "psychologically" to make you THINK you are going to be a winner. They are designed to present a psychological force over you to keep you playing until your money is gone. Other non-gaming games are designed the same way, to keep you seated and playing... forever!

The second, is most likely an "escape" system. We live in a very tense and stressful world and escaping from it for some personal entertainment or pleasure may be all too attractive for some people. Like anything else in life, everything has a use and an abuse. Some are apparently unable to prevent themselves from over doing it and going overboard, and thus fall deeply into addiction.

Another source of this self-entertainment is the prevailing large number of creative people or people who think they are creative. By this, we are referring to creative art. A large number of homeless people are indeed creative. For some, the time expenditure on their hobbies take priority over everything else.

There is not enough space to go into more detail about this "self-entertainment addiction" only to say that it not only exists, but it inflicts a large number of otherwise normal homeless people.

One might argue that they are only seeking to pass time while living a difficult life, but we find evidence of the contrary. With that said, we move on to the next item which causes a significantly large number of people to become homeless.

The other apparent contributing factor we spoke of is employee/employer relationship. More specifically, the worker and his/her immediate boss. The last boss. The one he/she had before homelessness became a way life.

There is an unprecedented number of people who state the reason they wound up homeless was because of personal conflict between themselves and their last immediate supervisor.

Some of the individuals had been on the same job for years and then suddenly found themselves with a new supervisor they were not compatible with. Companies grow, bosses get transferred, people move away and take other jobs. Supervisors get discharge or otherwise replaced. The new boss is the boss. That leaves the employee in a vulnerable position, regardless of how long he has been on the job.

We grow up in an educational system which pounds into our heads that we live in a democracy. We live in the land of the free. We have remarkable, almost unlimited freedoms. But when we go to work we see we really live in a dictatorship. At least in the work environment. That is a conflicting message in which some do not adjust well with.

Sometimes it is the employees inability to accept change. Other times it is the supervisor's inability to manage. Supervisors who have no clue how to relate with people, especially subordinates. Supervisors who could care less of what the employee thinks. They only think that matters is what the supervisor thinks, and that is final.

America's businesses have many unqualified managers among the brilliant managers. Like any other segment of society, there is the poor performer and the excellent performer.

This isn't a lesson on management practices, nor is it a debate to take sides of subordinate over supervisor. It is simply to state the fact, that sometimes, if not more often than thought, people become homeless because of previous conflicts with their most recent employer. There is no pointing fingers here, it is a situation where there might not be a single source of blame, but the end result is homelessness, nevertheless.

Many Americans live paycheck to paycheck. Depending on where one lives, if the rent isn't paid on rent date, tenants are locked out and stand to loose their possessions. A missed paycheck results in real problems. Eviction is just one of them.

One of the most significant factors in job dissatisfaction, is people taking jobs they weren't properly matched to, to begin with. People take jobs, any job in order to get themselves employed. But when they don't really like their job, and the have problems with their boss to boot, it is much easier to walk away from it or get fired for poor performance. The wrong job for the employee is the quickest way to unemployment. People need to find jobs that they will enjoy. Jobs that they love. Jobs that make them want to get out of bed in the morning. Once they found that job they have a greater chance of overall success.

They only need one job and one good boss. Once they find that combination there is less likelihood of losing the job, for whatever reason.

Several homeless people have expressed that one thing that lead to their homelessness was the sudden cut back on hours at work. They had already been living so thin that once they lost hours they could no longer manage to pay all of their bills. Things began to crumble and it wasn't long, due to the work hours cut back, and sometimes coupled with employer relations problems, they eventually became homeless.

Job lost, of course, is a common factor in homelessness, since jobs are the significant source of income and the lost of such leads to financial problems. Americans live so tightly that the smallest squeeze in income or unexpected expenses can start the unstoppable domino effect.

Although homelessness affects people of all ages, from teens to seniors, a growing number are in their 50s, 60s, 70s and even 80s. Men and women who grew up during an era in which the nation went through dramatic changes.

These older Americans have a difficult time adjusting to the way the new America is behaving. But a significant factor relevant to homelessness among the elderly, absence of any addictions, or medical problems is that their pensions, social security, or disability income does not provide them enough income to pay for adequate housing. They either spend a week or two in a motel and the balance of the time on the streets or they divide their time on the streets and in shelters in order to have some spending money. The elderly are often victims of violence due to being targets for the pension, social security or disability income checks.

The incidence of homeless individuals who have experienced relapse or who have experienced repeated bouts with homelessness is alarming. This is, that they find themselves on the streets, then they get off, only to return again and again. The RIVER Organization knows the reason for this, but we are going to hold it in our back pocket for now and address it in the future. But the relative factor in this is the wasted resources for the revolving door effect.

Have a large number of people just simply given up? Are Americans so fed up with the dying or dead American dream that they succumb to the streets? Would they rather have the freedoms of individual movements, despite the struggles they face, rather than to work a non-meaningful job? For a non-thankful company?

Only the future can answer those questions. One thing for certain, America has not seen the worst to come when it comes to homelessness. And there are people who are homeless that don't fit in any previously described group.

Las Vegas is a second chance town. For some, it is a last chance town. And once that last chance runs it's course and the last grain of sand drops through the hour-glass, then what? Do you just say the heck with it. Do you just give up? Is all faith and hope gone because there is nothing left in society to be excited about? Is your self-esteem so evaporated that the only thing to do is indulge in self-entertainment and escape reality?

We will find the answers to those questions and more when homeless people start writing in to us and begin telling us their individual stories. In the meantime, the RIVER Organization intends to be there to help pick up the broken pieces and start putting them back together again. If we've come to any conclusion, it is if you want to get anything done, you often need to do it yourself! By that, we will do as much as we can with what we have to work with and with those who are willing to help us. Fixing the homeless problem isn't a quick-fix thing, and there are so many angles and diverse situations that no one plan will work with all homeless individuals.

The examples we mentioned in this article are by no means the only reasons why people end up homeless, but they are conditions which must be considered in addition to those categories already known to be major conditions.

We have only covered a few reasons why people become homeless. Obviously, to cover them all, or even most of them, would take an entire book or volume of books. Nevertheless, the intent was to get the public thinking up. Not all homeless people fall into the same category of mentally-ill, drunks or drug addicts. And even those need to be loved and nourished since more often than not, the reason they have their problems is because the lack of love and nourishment in their lives.

For every homeless person who is out there, there is a different reason why they are homeless. That is why, in order to eradicate homelessness, they must be worked with individually and not just in groups. And, that is a phenomenal workload. A workload worth undertaking because every individual homeless person is just as important and valuable to us as anyone else.

Hobo's JukeBox
Johnny Rivers: Baby,I Need Your Lovin

Who Are The Homeless?

2008-06-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas, Nevada USA--Homelessness has no single cause. Numerous events and conditions cause homelessness.

There is no single classification of what or who a homeless person is. Society often makes a distinction or classification and that classification is often wrong. The uninformed society generally classifies homeless people in one group; lazy drunks and drug addicts who don't want to work. Slackers!

Homeless people come from all walks of life. People become homeless for all kinds of individual reasons. No two identically alike.

During the last couple of years I have interchanged, mingled, conversed with, monitored or observed and interviewed hundreds of homeless people.

I have met homeless people who came from such a variety of backgrounds, occupations, cultures and educational levels that no distinction can be placed on homelessness as a single cause of effect. No group is a common group.

Homelessness is a society all of itself.

Virtually every group from mainstream society contributes members to the homeless society or the society of the homeless.

I have met homeless people who have come from high-level federal government agencies, to those of social security age who could not collect social security because they had not worked enough quarters in their lives to contribute and receive social security benefits.

There are those who never made it past grade school and those with four-year degrees, and even higher education.

There are those who never had a worth-while job in their life, nothing that paid anything to brag about at least. Then there were those who once held jobs commanding $100,000 per year or more.

I even once met a former new car dealer. The former millionaire was roughing it on the streets. He couldn't buy a baby carriage with four broken wheels. Sometimes the sands of time run swiftly through the hour glass of life. Those who don't hang on, lose it.

I've met the "Lifers", those who have been homeless for as long as they can remember, to the gambling tourists whose Lady Luck went out with another guy and left them high & dry on the streets only minutes or hours before I had met them.

"Jack of Diamonds you robbed my poor pockets of silver and gold."

Some are winners. Some are losers. Most are losers. "Come to Vegas for a life-changing experience!" It's a life-changing experience, alright. For many it is the end of the road. Homelessness is the new life-changing experience. Welcome to Las Vegas. "What happens here, stays here!" Now you know why!

I've seen the mentally-ill which yields a wide-spectrum of subclasses from those with mild mental illness, in which if they went back on their medication, could probably function in mainstream society, to those of extreme metal illness belonging in mental institutions.

Some of those extreme cases of mental-illness, Dr. McCoy of Star Trek's starship Enterprise, wouldn't have a prayer in healing. The kind where their brain ended up being the egg tossed into the sizzling-hot frying pan. Like the guy named Don, who seemed coherent through a long conversation and several meetings and suddenly in the mist of one conversation he was a MIG fighter-pilot in a dog fight over imaginary skies with imaginary combat enemies in his mind.

Or the lady I met at a city park and after several minutes of coherent conversation she started speaking as a prophet chosen by God. The world was coming to an end--that very afternoon. Her world had already come to an end.

Then there are the kind I'd seen dancing around a street lamp, hair matted from sleeping in the streets for perhaps weeks or months, talking to himself as he spun around and around the street lamp. Heavy winter coat, despite triple-digit summer temperatures.

And then there is the one everyone says was brain-damaged from being hit in the head by an I-beam on a construction-site accident. He walks around like a zombie, bumming cigarettes and wandering about aimlessly. Somebody is enjoying the benefits of his tragedy, for he certainly isn't. And where is his court-appointed guardian? Somebody has to pay when there is a construction accident. Why is this guy even on the streets?

The mentally-ill, the drug addicts and alcoholics not only have a chapter all to themselves worth writing about, but an entire book. But then, mainstream society already knows about these three groups from the homeless society.

Then there are the veterans. If there is a sorry case to be seen on the streets it is the number of U.S. military veterans. The numbers are significant. The numbers are staggering. No veteran, especially combat veterans, should be on the streets of America. Such a disgrace to a proud nation they served.

Most, but not all, of the veterans suffer from one or a combination of; TBI (traumatic brain injury); PTSD (post traumatic syndrome disorder); drug and alcohol addiction; and other types of mental-illness and personal communications & human relationship disorders.

Many veterans have a total distrust for the government. There is no general from any military branch going after them. The Soldier's Creed doesn't apply on the streets. Comrades are left behind. Forgotten just like the rest of the homeless people are forgotten.

I've talked to veterans from every modern-day war America has ever been engaged in. World War II, The Cold War, Korea, Nam, Afghanistan, Iraq and every conflict in between. If there is a such thing as American shame, this is it!

For those who have died so Americans wouldn't wake up died and those who paid the price for freedom, (which wasn't free), this is their reward? To know their comrades are left behind on their own homeland streets? No one going after them to rescue them from the streets of America? Makes you proud to be a citizen of this fine nation, doesn't it?

What about the rest of the homeless population? Who are they? Where did they come from? What happen in their lives to cause them to be homeless?

They come from all walks of life. They are people just like you and me. Something broke in their life. Sometimes it was broken minds. Sometimes it was broken dreams. Sometimes it was broken hearts. But for sure, something broke.

Broken people. Broken minds & broken souls.

The RIVER Organization is setting out to fix those broken things which cause homelessness. We are going to write a Repair Order and we are going to fix broken people and make the repairs they need to become functional and productive again, one person at a time, individually.

Our next entry will discuss more about who the homeless people are and why they are homeless. Homeward Bound Publications dedicates itself to serving the homeless people and giving them the voice they need to be heard by mainstream society. Homeward Bound: "Voices From the Streets" is the place they will be heard. Our sister publication, Homeward Bound: "The Homeless Voice" will provide additional support for the homeless as well.

Las Vegas, Nevada has a current homeless population of approximately 15,000 people. Each year more than 50,000 people experience homelessness in Las Vegas at any given time of the year.

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas! Now you know why!

(Let's put a little music in our souls. Just because we face hard times doesn't mean we should give up faith and hope. Music can brighten even the darkest of days!)
Hobo's JukeBox
Jack of Diamonds

Click & Switch

2008-06-28T16:46:00.000-07:00

Click & Switch Between Homeward Bound Publications:
To quickly Click & Switch from Homeward Bound: "Voices From the Streets" to Homeward Bound: "The Homeless Voice", or back and forth, simply click on "View My Complete Profile" in the About US element in the upper corner of either publication and then switch to the desired destination.

Homeward Bound Publications

2008-06-28T13:27:00.000-07:00

Homeward Bound Publications is owned and operated by RIVER Organization. The two publications, "Voices From the Streets" and "The Homeless Voice" were designed to give homeless people a voice in their community and in the world at large.

Both publications will address issues concerning homelessness locally, nationally and globally.

Homeward Bound Publications is based out of Las Vegas, Nevada USA. It is a division or branch of the RIVER Organization , a start-up, in-progress, nonprofit 501(c)(3) charity organization with a mission to eradicate homelessness, feed the hungry, help the needy and give to the poor. The nonprofit organization is in the process of creating innovated and unique services for those living in destitution. Being in the start-up phase, it will take some time to plug in all of these projected projects. So, please bare with us as we dig in to tackle one of the world's most pressing social problems--homelessness.

Homeward Bound: "Voices From the Streets" as well as Homeward Bound: "The Homeless Voice" will hopefully benefit homeless people in their day-to-day lives as well as be fun for them.

Both publications are in the form of "electronic newspapers", meaning they are currently only available on the Internet. The Web, with its expanding powers of technology and communications abilities enables us to link to one another as never before.

We have much more to say, but then we have until eternity to say it. So, with that said, we look forward in serving the homeless and destitute. We hope everyone is just as excited as we are in the idea of launching these two publications for the benefit of homeless people. We hope, together, we can provide and receive feedback from all who care about this horrible social issue-- of homelessness-- and find solutions to solve the problem.

As we move deeper into the 21st Century, homeless people will have a voice like never before. That voice begins right here, right now with Homeward Bound Publications.

Eventually, we will link all of our organization's websites together for easy public monitoring and viewing. Once we tie all of these together, you will gain a better picture of were we are going. You will have a better understanding of what we are doing. Until then, we welcome everyone to participate and make comments. We thank you for your patience while we work to get everything up and running as we have planned them to be.

We sincerely thank the Google team for making available to us the blog space which we will use as our websites and source of public communications. Without them, our future would be severely hampered.

To quickly Click & Switch from Homeward Bound: "Voices From the Streets" to Homeward Bound: "The Homeless Voice", or back and forth, simply click on "View My Complete Profile" in the About US element in the upper corner of either publication and then switch to the desired destination.

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Contact US: mailto:HomelessHomewardBound@gmail.com

http://homewardboundvoicesfromthestreets.blogspot.com/ Please Come Back to Visit Us Soon. Thanks!

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