* Make Them Visible

a reply to: AccessDenied

As much as I generally like these things, I have a really hard time believing this one is real.
Gunna have to call fake on this.
Also, if you can't see under someone's hat or if you are distracted with being late to work it is pretty easy not to notice their faces. I get the point of it, but should we really be expected to lock eyes with every single person we meet on the street?

I was homeless for 4-6 years at a very young age, and though I respect the message of this, I'm gunna have to call bunk on it.

But if it moves you, good on it.

a reply to: LucidWarrior

It's a one day at a time thing. I hope you have a change in circumstances soon. Keep us posted. We can be a good support network.

a reply to: KilgoreTrout

So many things I wish to comment on in your post but Iam short on time. Just letting you know I appreciate your post and will reply soon.

a reply to: DrumsRfun

This restores my faith in humanity Drums. I applaud you. My signature speaks volumes as I feel such a close connection in the way Chris viewed the world. Many say he was foolish,but I see differently. His philosophies,even if borrowed from authors,mimic my own.

Ok hold on a minute, we need to separate reality from TV here, this advertisement is exactly that...an advertisement, made by an advertising agency named "Silver + Partners and Smuggler", for the new york city mission, THE PEOPLE ARE ACTORS, IT ISNT REAL. just because they are merging the borders of fake and real on social issues in a kind of reality tv vibe doesn't mean that in your laziness you just accept it as real.
COME ON how long do you think pre production on an ad shot with this kind of lighting takes, then post production, how many takes, people walking through the shot "sorry bro my bad".
WAKE UP " they are paid actors in a tv commercial working for a client to invoke the exact responses as i just read, all i can say is well done to ad agency Silver + Partners and Smuggler as 95% of the comments i read hit pay dirt.
BAAA BAAAA.

COME ON how long do you think pre production on an ad shot with this kind of lighting takes, then post production, how many takes, people walking through the shot "sorry bro my bad".

I catch your drift. I know nothing about television or advertising however I always wondered about how all this works. For instance, you see a large print ad in your newspaper for bedroom furniture and a luscious young blonde is straddling the bed-I mean, does she come with it ? How does that help sell the items? I would think women shop for furniture more than men-is the sales pitch that women will look like this young tart if they by this stuff? It's crazy!

Anyway the homeless commissions budget here is $702,000. They get complete free medical, dental and mental health care along with clothing, food, housing and a special fund for veterans that includes Pro Bono lawyers for veterans rights cases.

The problem with that is-and no one is yet to find a solution-is they live much better than the working poor or even lower middle class families. Is hard to blame them for registering as homeless to get the things they can't get with a job and a place to live.

If anyone figures out this let America know. And it's not a living wage because if you mandate that the jobs disappear and you have more homeless.

Didn't Seattle, which has a huge runaway population, figure out something for that problem?

One other thing. A corporation grant gave money and a live/work area for the homeless to run a small newspaper. The paper is sold by homeless venders and has been somewhat of a success so the people are no longer considered homeless? or jobless?

It's crazy.

It is bad that these people are invisible to others simply because they "fell down".

I suppose I would be considered pretty much homeless, but not because of the reason many of the louts out there would expect, most people couldn't understand no matter how it would be explained to them.

I'll give it a try.

I live the way I do because the profit oriented system of everything makes it more nearly impossible to get by every stinkin day, gas keeps going up, taxes keep going up, the price of everything keeps going up, up ,up.....

...And wages stay the same or go down relative to the cost of buying what I need to survive...

I saw a day in the future where I would be forced to work more and more to tread water but still be in over my head in the end, which is where anyone who is trying to be "A good contributing member of society" is, whether they want to admit it to themselves or not.

I used to bust my ass trying to provide for myself and my family, the kids grew up, the marriage became un-necessary... I have watched others do the same and ruin their bodies, get sick from stress at an early age like I did and die way too soon not ever having really lived at all, they basically worked themselves to death at some soul crushing and demeaning job until there wasn't anything left of them.

The homeless people I see for the most part denigrate themselves by trying to kill the pain of not being a member of the herd and I don't have much pity for such a useless beast of burden, which is exactly what most people amount to, most times they don't even amount to that.

Go ahead and try to make yourself feel better about yourself, your self imposed incarceration (house) and zombie-like existence working yourself to death for nothing while others get wealthy from your labor, try to make the miserable free people feel guilty about not doing the same.....

I work, I have money and a car, I am not addicted to drugs or alcohol, I am homeless, I am the true "Invisible Homeless".

I am happy not to be a member of your herd which is headed for that cliff edge.

Why does nothing ever get addressed here in this country?.

It seems to be one endless game or TV show, one endless and meaningless distraction, I used to say crack a beer and turn on you TV and it'll be OK but that is actually the problem.

Most of you have it too easy, but you only have a few distractions to go to in order to nullify your fear of being useless, and your options are being reduced all the time.

Just walk away and allow the system to completely fail.

The only difference between a panhandler and a politician is that you have the option not to pay a panhandler for nothing in return but a warm feeling.

Just don't look very closely and it'll be OK.a reply to: SpaDe_

Hmmmm, I guess nobody really wanted to hear that huh?.

That's exactly what's wrong here.

One day long ago there was this guy, a king who was supposedly blessed by "The God" and "The Clergy" (Kings, Clergy, Politicians are little more than parasites in disguise), this person realized that if he allowed the surfs (slaves) to have space and shelter enough to provide for themselves that the logistics of keeping slaves would be easier to manage.

Now he has self sufficient livestock and demands some of the excess wealth the serfs generate for himself and his family and buddies and partners in crime, somehow getting these people to accept this through force (Knights, Police, Military) or getting them to believe some omnipotent guy who lives in the sky that no one has ever heard, or met...desires things to be arranged in this way because the King, Government or whatever is godly somehow and deserves to have nothing to do but think while others provide for him ( For some reason the Dalai Lama even comes to mind considering this)...

I am becoming so tired of watching what goes on here in this world that I don't even really want to be part of it at all.

It's a good thing I am not suicidal, because there is no place else to go to escape this scheme.

Realize this....Freedom is not free, freedom does not exist anywhere.

Yeah, I know I'm ranting a bit.

At least I'm not in debt.

this ship has sailed....there simply will be a ever-growing class of poor....www.forbes.com...


this article shows that the wealthy ARE ALREADY in control. the massive amount of money and resources that they can bring to bear, on anyone or any country for that matter, will not slow down, let alone stop, the accumulation of "more". they have shown that they will pay to have people kill each other in conflicts and wars, to protect their accumulation of "more". if this sounds like a hyperbolic negative view, than so be it...but, for my 61 years of life, I have not seen anything that would change my opinion, only evidence to re-enforce it.

a reply to: PLAYERONE01

I feel horrible that you see it as an "Ad" campaign and not simply just to raise awareness. You make it sound as if some New York executive is rolling in the dough after pulling on our heart strings. If it were you on a corner,and someone you knew walked by,would you want them to see you? I mean really SEE you. I believe you and everyone else would. You are taking aim and firing at the messenger,and ignoring the message. The article claims outright this was an experiment,and never claimed to be real. But you cannot tell me that you believe it does not portray true events.

I realized the truth that you explain here when I was in my 20's , scared stupid in a combat zone.

Anyone who doesn't see at least a portion of or variation of it deserves everything they get or don't get.

Anyone who sees it for what it is will realize it's always been the way it is, it just has a wobble, like a "Societal Axial Precession".

Technology changes, people have always been pretty dumb.

a reply to: jimmyx

a reply to: MyHappyDogShiner

I heard you. Understand what you mean. Am on the brink of the same decision = checking out of the system.

How much worse can it be???

Enjoy your freedom - may you come to find all good peace of mind and self-actualization. Well done, and well spoken.

Congrats on the wonderful thread! Very thought provoking and powerful. Nearly brought tears to my eye. Good job! We need more like this.

a reply to: AccessDenied

I dont usually like watching such things as I dont like things tugging on my emotions, what emotions I have anyways, I find it annoying and would prefer that they more calmly and directly just told me what it is they want. But for what it is, the vid does prove a point in the social mental aspect of it. In fact everybody lives in a cloud in daily in there life's, I know I do, and sure as hell everybody else does to, to see the true scope of the world would be to stare directly into the face of insanity and madness. However some do life to much in there blank day to day loops, some bit of madness would do them and the rest of us some good.

The thing about the homeless is that there is no clear cut dry and paste scenario, I have meet all kinds. The scammers, the insidious, those who just ran out of luck, the just plain vile with bad intent, to the real who need real help, and everything in between. Its hard to know who is who and what is what, and yes there not only homeless who tug on you string but there are those who say they are there to help the homeless who do the same, and are just there to cash in. And then there are real people who need real help, of which giving them a few bucks wont do much, but it will not hurt, even those who spend it all on drugs and drinks do so for a reason, that reason is more generally not withing there control.

I have meet some who after I gave them some money I asked myself what they were about and pretty much felt like they were faking it, one guy not long ago I remember asked me to buy him some food as I was heading into a teriaky joint, he even had a speech about how he is not going to spend it on alcohol and his wife was hungry and all that. Well I did that, and after I gave him the box of food, he starts getting all prissy with me that I forgot to get the sauce, which really was in the bag with the other things I bought for myself. You know I was like my bad dude here , now go away! Anyways I gave him his sauce to get him on his way. Who knows what his story was but i would not say he is of the most that are hurting, or that he had no problems, as both would be likely true, really you could probably write whole articles about this, in one job I had I worked downtown at nighttime and ran into all kinds of people.

My own little brother at one point got scammed for thousands of dollars by a guy who claimed he was homeless and needed some cash, the dude is and was always easily tugged on by such thing and he was going through a religious phase and was even going to church with that guy and everything, I think he even meet the guy there in one of them church shelters, at one point he even tried to get all philosophical and highbrow religious bull with me, my little brother was impressed by that stuff however I am not.

Thought I, and my family, and friends told him he was getting taken for a ride, he did not believe any of it. That is till some time latter after, me and him were downtown on some errands and I saw the guy in question in a suit heading into one the more expensive and more well to do skyscrapers, and pointed him out to him. I think he was a stock investor, and I am sure he invested the few thousand $$ he got from my bro over the time they spent together pretty well. HA! # happens I suppose. But now he does not trust any of them, even gets a bit aggressive when he sees people asking for money or help, like everyone he comes across is just scamming, which is incorrect. But you know! The greater part of our outlook on things is determined by our experiences by and with those things, but for the majority there fears guide there outlooks on things, and so many homeless people even when right in front of you may as well be invisible like that video shows.

Not to say there are no real people who really need help, because there are, and yes they are likely to be the most invisible, things generally proceed down that direction. And like everything else in life when it rains it pours.

Threads like this although well intended always draw the the same BS lines from the pretend do-gooders and the ones who think their tiny offering makes them better people! IT DOESN'T

People on here say things like "I give money and clothes"....."I offer food and warm blanket" all the same tired old crap.

BUT no of you who "care" take any home with you ..... give them a shower and a place to live for a week or more. A nice bed in a family home till they get back on their feet???????????? NO you DO NOT!!!

Because you have a line!!! A line you invented, that if you do a little maybe you will be awarded some karma points or some stairway to heaven. it makes you feel better pretending to fully care...but you dont, its more like convenient!!

FACT is no one is really doing anything! (yes some of these homeless dont want to be help..Well in that case F*** em) but none of you offer the real means to escaping!! Take one in....let them sit at your table for a few weeks and dine with you and your wife and kids!!

Offer them your spare room or your couch for a month....go ON!!

Yeah...thought so.....attack me with your little excuses. (Just so you know, I dont pretend to help homeless people, I might chuck a dollar at one here and there...but in reality I wish to keep a distance and go about my life)

Ok .. going to punch a huge hole in the naysayers attitudes and members on there that don’t think this can happen to normal every day people that have held long time careers; because it does~!

My story right here, right NOW!

I'm still one step from being completely homeless...and my wife is 60days to be the same, if you think someone can just call up some magical fairy godmother and wave her wand and everything will have a happy ending....you ...REALLY need to visit a homeless shelter(s) or sit down with someone that IS homeless and ..

hear their story..! I gave you mine!!

Are they people that take advantage? OF COURSE ..! we all know this.. so burn your strawman and get real.. scammers only make up about 1% of the ENTIRE homeless community...

and where's my source .. I have none !!! but have been involved in assisting people get back on their feet for 30+years. in churches, family and friends.. as the member said..."there's a detailed story behind every homeless person"

originally posted by: projectbane
Threads like this although well intended always draw the the same BS lines from the pretend do-gooders and the ones who think their tiny offering makes them better people! IT DOESN'T

People on here say things like "I give money and clothes"....."I offer food and warm blanket" all the same tired old crap.

BUT no of you who "care" take any home with you ..... give them a shower and a place to live for a week or more. A nice bed in a family home till they get back on their feet???????????? NO you DO NOT!!!

Because you have a line!!! A line you invented, that if you do a little maybe you will be awarded some karma points or some stairway to heaven. it makes you feel better pretending to fully care...but you dont, its more like convenient!!

FACT is no one is really doing anything! (yes some of these homeless dont want to be help..Well in that case F*** em) but none of you offer the real means to escaping!! Take one in....let them sit at your table for a few weeks and dine with you and your wife and kids!!

Offer them your spare room or your couch for a month....go ON!!

Yeah...thought so.....attack me with your little excuses. (Just so you know, I dont pretend to help homeless people, I might chuck a dollar at one here and there...but in reality I wish to keep a distance and go about my life)

Ok ..well.. I can tell you this much..

It takes wisdom to take in street people.. a craigslist ad popped up last week of some homeless girl named maggie was less than completely spiteful, someone took her in and 2 days later.. everyone had head lice and scabbies and some other items..

so .. yea.. it takes a bit of wisdom

A new study of homeless men found that 45% of the subjects surveyed had experienced traumatic brain injuries in the past. Brain injuries can cause both cognitive and personality problems that researchers don't yet fully understand

We need to take care of our own better. I am guilty of ignoring that too.

Maybe a month back I popped into 7-11 for some smokes and a guy I always see on the corner was there and after I gave him a few cigarettes he mentioned that he had just got a job. He was obviously very excited and said something about finally being off that corner. He wanted to work. Sad thing is I saw him a week or two ago on the same corner.

We do need to treat these people better. I don't care how lazy, addicted, mentally deficient a person is, everyone deserves shelter, food, clean water and clean clothes. It would probably cost taxpayers $20 a year if that.

One thing people don't realize is that after a certain point it's incredibly hard to pull yourself up. How are you going to find a job when you smell, your clothes are dirty and there is no way to contact you?

The video isn't very convincing to me. Disguise anyone and people won't recognize them. At least it sparks dialogue.

a reply to: PLAYERONE01

I wonder how much $ that ad agency and the actors involved with the advert donated to the mission?

I'm betting a big, fat nothing at all.

We're talking about G8 nations here, not 3rd world ones.

It is immoral there are ANY homeless people that don't want to be there, another sign of the corporate greed and ambivalence flooding our societies over the last few decades.

If you think it's bad now, hang onto your hats in another 10 or 20 years...then you'll wish the world has the problems it has today.