capnjasbo

Yeah I agree. I mention that in the section of my blog, "My Experience."

"My self-image was mutilated after just 2 weeks of people treating me like shit, despite knowing, (in the back of my head), I could get off the streets at any time. I can't fathom what it's like when you truly have no place to go."

That's why I made sure to have plenty of interviews with those who are (or have been) truly homeless.

Also, I think we need to agree on the best way to help before anything can change. If you watched the documentary you saw that shoes/sleeping bags weren't scarce in Denver. Throwing money at the problem doesn't help, but throwing money at the right organizations does ;) My favorite is Step13 who's slogan is: "real change, not spare change."

Also, maybe if we can make government assistance harder to take advantage of then those truly in need can be rationed more assistance. I'm not sure on the logistics of UA-ing but that seems like a good place to start.

For more thoughts on how to help: http://povhobo.blogspot.com/2012/09/okay-what-now.html

Well, I lived with the homeless while hitch hiking around and when I'd tell people my experience & conclusions on how to truly help no one would believe me. They'd just dismiss me like the girl at 21:40.

I'd think, "Man, if only they saw what I saw..." light bulb

Hey, thanks for the constructive criticism. No offense taken, as far as the internet goes you could've been much more harsh.

So, my original plan was to just add variety to the narration with a girl's voice. I was gonna' go to a hostel and find someone with an accent but while editing I just used my own voice "temporarily." Well, when I showed one of my friends and mentioned going to a hostel to find a girl to re-record he assured me it was fine.

I should've asked anonymous strangers on the internet for advice; they don't pull punches ;)

Long story short, during this project I got so drunk I blacked out & woke up in a dumpster. I had lost all my camera equipment, (including the spy glasses themselves), and my external hard drive with countless hours of interviews. Luckily, I had an old external that crashed. So, I restored it and scavenged together the remaining footage to make the piece of shit you see today :D

Ah well, maybe I'll make a legit version of this someday. But for now, I hope it educates/entertains folks.

He was proud but probably only among his peers. 16:26 describes home bums the best. The home bum father figure was a real nice guy. Rough around the edges but you could tell he had a good heart.

In order for people to change, they have to reach a "bottom" with their addiction. You couldn't see it 'cuz I concealed his face, but his right eye was swollen, bruised, pus filled and apparently "legally blind." He laughed and called it his "money maker" 'cuz people feel bad and give him wayyy more cash. If you're content sleeping behind/eating out of dumpsters, and rationalize severe medical issues then you probably won't ever reach a "bottom."

IDK, he was a USMC veteran so he had my respect. I found that home bums are just more lonesome than anything else. They'll gladly share what little they do have just for some company. In the end, it's up to debate/your prerogative if you want to support their habit, but just treat them with some humanity.

Literally couldn't finish? That's a bummer...