Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[txriverrat2001]

First Lady Michelle Obama showed up Thursday as a surprise and welcome volunteer at Miriam's Kitchen, a soup kitchen for homeless people not far from the White House.
She brought with her some food donated by White House staff. The first lady served up mushroom risotto and broccoli to a long line of homeless men and women during part of her lunch hour and in these photos poses for a picture by one homeless diner obviously excited to be in the First Lady's presence.
It doesn't detract from the First Lady's generous gesture or the real needs she seeks to highlight to ask two bothersome journalistic questions (which, by the way, haven’t been asked by journalists) about these news photos:

1. If this unidentified meal recipient is too poor to buy his own food, how does he afford a cell phone?
2. And if he is homeless, where do they send the cell phone bills?

:huh:

[X-Rated30]

1. If this unidentified meal recipient is too poor to buy his own food, how does he afford a cell phone?
2. And if he is homeless, where do they send the cell phone bills?

:huh:

There are degrees of poverty. People sometimes get down on their luck and have to resort to charitable programs. Sure, there are some that abuse these programs, but it is an injustice to those using such programs as they are intended and to the people that run the programs when you assume everyone is just a bum looking for a handout.

1) A cell phone is a huge asset to someone looking for employment. Try getting a job without a way for employers to contact you. We should want every unemployed person to have one.

2) You don't have to be homeless to use a soup kitchen (just hungry), but even if he is, there are plenty of places he could get his bill without living there. Friends, family members, and a PO box spring to mind. Also, some shelters will allow mail to be delivered there.

Not trying to rag on you... just answering your question.

[MarylandMark]

I took them as rhetorical questions

[Ratickle]

I thought they were reasonable questions.


Kinda like today. Our Gov was on. She said we would be the place to build wind turbines because it cost to much to ship them. Then said one of the main reasons we would get them vs less labor cost states and countries, because we had access to the waterways and that was the cheapest way too ship.....can you say idiot???

[Sydwayz]

I would mention Pay as You Go cell phones, BUT, that looks like a pretty nice Blackberry phone.

So, this is ^edit: probably^ just another case of a ballsack showing up for a piece of pie, on his way to go get a piece of THE pie.

[Sydwayz]

I thought they were reasonable questions.


Kinda like today. Our Gov was on. She said we would be the place to build wind turbines because it cost to much to ship them. Then said one of the main reasons we would get them vs less labor cost states and countries, because we had access to the waterways and that was the cheapest way too ship.....can you say idiot???

She MIGHT be on to something. Those wind turbines are REALLY big. They might be easier to barge-ship vs. train or other methods.

[Buoy]

She MIGHT be on to something. Those wind turbines are REALLY big. They might be easier to barge-ship vs. train or other methods.

Those things are freaking HUGE.
A few months ago on my way South to Nashville, I saw a few trucks hauling them North - Never realized they were THAT big.

[X-Rated30]

I would mention Pay as You Go cell phones, BUT, that looks like a pretty nice Blackberry phone.

So, this is just another case of a ballsack showing up for a piece of pie, on his way to go get a piece of THE pie.

Wow. This is some pretty judgmental BS here. Assuming you are correct about the type of phone, what is to say he didn't get it before he lost his job, or he got as a Christmas gift, or he bought it used, or any number of plausible explanations for the phone. What makes him a ballsack - eating at a soup kitchen? Who says he doesn't work there as well as eat there? Brian, as long as you keep looking for the worst in people, you will continue to find it.

[txriverrat2001]

Damn ...... didn't mean to start a rukkus ..... just copy'd and paste'd something I got in an email from some other redneck .... easy now......

[Sydwayz]

Wow. This is some pretty judgmental BS here. Assuming you are correct about the type of phone, what is to say he didn't get it before he lost his job, or he got as a Christmas gift, or he bought it used, or any number of plausible explanations for the phone. What makes him a ballsack - eating at a soup kitchen? Who says he doesn't work there as well as eat there? Brian, as long as you keep looking for the worst in people, you will continue to find it.

Seriously, thanks for the check. I appreciate it.

I'm the last one to resort to the 'worst in people'; as I've been accused of seeing the world through rose colored lenses nearly daily by my GF.

I may have been a little harsh; but please... someone tell me I'm wrong.

[Perlmudder]

Those things are freaking HUGE.
A few months ago on my way South to Nashville, I saw a few trucks hauling them North - Never realized they were THAT big.

They have a couple setup outside of Buffalo that I can see from my cottage. you are right they are GIGANTIC! Some people have said they have 300 foot wingspans and I would not be surprised. I saw part of a blade on the back of a truck going over the peace bridge and it was massive. Cool stuff though!

[phragle]

first hand experience.... working as a medic in Detroit, I went into peoples houses several times a day. houses falling apart, unemployed with no insurance but damned if most of them didn't have a huge flatscreen tv.... thats not opinion, thats fact. priorities, when you have food stamps and welfare payments to cover the cost of living, you seem to have an extra $1000~$1500 to buy a really sweet tv... and a cell phone.

[MarylandMark]

Nah- your right..

If he is at the soup kitchen and it was a Christmas present he should eBay it to pay for some food. I have no issue helping those that need help but sure the hell looks like he is living better than me. I don't have a BlackBerry...

[Sea-Dated]

They have a couple setup outside of Buffalo that I can see from my cottage. you are right they are GIGANTIC! Some people have said they have 300 foot wingspans and I would not be surprised. I saw part of a blade on the back of a truck going over the peace bridge and it was massive. Cool stuff though!

There is a HUGE wind farm in Western Kansas that we drive by when we go to Colorada and to say they are huge is an understatement!!!!!

[catmando]

She MIGHT be on to something. Those wind turbines are REALLY big. They might be easier to barge-ship vs. train or other methods.The turbines are shipped by truck in Texas to the huge wind farms out near Lubbock. They must have to get special-length permits because those blades are LONG.

[PARADOX]

I see a lot of "homless" or underprvilediged people at street lights, gas staions,, etc.. Holding up make shift signs "hungry",, "homeless".. or just begging for change becouse they claim they ran out of gas.. etc.. etc.
Often my doughter want's to help and starts looking for change and bills in my car. Fine,, then I look closer, seeing the dude wearing nike shoes and a blutooth earset.
I said it before, I say it again. ANYONE want's a job, no matter what is current economical times .. can get one. I asked a few, " you want to work for a few hours? " I always get the same answers.
I hate hand outs but I used some needy people (no nikes and cell phones)just to cut my grass,, help with some things around the house or my projects. Often when the grass was short.
There are some seriously unfortunate people out there and then there are the scam artists.

[phragle]

there have been many news stories done on the "homeless sign holding beggers" depending on location, some are actually making good sized incomes tax free. news stories have documented these people having nicehomes, driving BMW's etc. working affluent neighborhhoods they said it wasn't unusual for people to hand over twenties all the time. a couple 20's, a fww 10' and several 5's an hour adds up quick..