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This says a lot about our country today!!!

Recently, Michele Obama went to serve food to the homeless at a government soup kitchen.

COST OF A BOWL OF SOUP AT THE HOMELESS SHELTER....$0

HAVING MICHELE OBAMA SERVE YOU YOUR SOUP....$0

SNAPPING A PICTURE OF A HOMELESS MAN WHO IS RECIEVING A GOVERNMENT MEAL WHILE 'HE' IS TAKING A PICTURE OF THE FIRST LADY WITH HIS $500 BLACKBERRY....PRICELESS!!!!

And we wonder why this country is in such a mess!!!

Posted by William Feela Realtor 651-674-5999 No. Branch,MN on 06/23/2009 07:55 PM

Comments (39)

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Originally posted at: William's Blog...with a smile!: This says a lot about our country today!!!

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39 Comments on This says a lot about our country today!!!

JUN

Bill...

Well, that is indeed strange ...my guess is just a fan that slipped in t get a good pic!

William,

There are a lot of inequities in the world - you may have just found one of them. :)

Steve

I would think that they "vetted" the people in line like they did for the cabinet. Opps that's right they didn't do to good a job of that did they.

Was that the day she was wearing her $1,100 sneakers? It's all relative.

He could'nt afford a meal but he had a $500 dollar blackberry.I think this is almost normal in this day and age.What will it be like in another ten years or twenty.

O geez Bill you may have gotten me started. OK I won't as I'm on a mission to stay calmer and look on the bright side.

Here goes: That's a really nice camera that guy has and we probably paid for it through a welfare program............................

That is the first thing that caught my eye .. homeless guy getting a free meal with a cell phone.

Just shows how skewed our priorities are these days.

Spencer- normal these days? Hmmm, I don't think so. Only one of my grown up kids out of 5 owns a blackberry. The others choose to pay bills and buy food instead of Blackberries.

William- Unfortunately, I do believe that someone going into the soup kitchen would have a Blackberry.

Studies and research has shown that those under the poverty level own flat screen tvs, play stations, WIIs, game boys, Nike shoes and so on. All thing that mostly I still CHOOSE Not to own. I would rather pay off our car loans and our mortgage, help put our kids through college, etc. It is all a matter of priorities. Katerina

Haha! Amazing how some people take advantage and what is important in life.

Hilarious post! And Michelle looks like she's having fun.

Sadly, having worked plenty of short sales with Sellers facing "hardship" despite what their GINORMOUS big screen TVs, $100+ cable subscription (but maybe they cut into their neighbors service), cell phones, play stations, etc would dictate...it became quite normal for me to witness.

The holiday volunteer service stories I have, too, of "underprivileged" kids getting free Xmas presents...you wouldn't believe me if I told you.

My biggest conflict: Section 8. For the most part, we've had more succussful arrangements, but the bad apples sure to leave a terrible taste in my mouth! I've seen $1800 rents paid, but they refuse to pay the water bill or pay their SIX dollar contribution to the rent. They refuse to spend 4 hrs in an office that will give them yet another grant for their water and electric bill. They took such poor care of the property that the annual Section 8 inspection sited the TENANT in violation and required the TENANT to paint the entire house among other things. Of course she didn't have the money for the paint...and like we wanted the TENANT to do the painting??? I don't think so. That one was a mess.

I pay $1800 a month in rent MYSELF, my utility bills MYSELF and manage to keep darn good care of the place. I wouldn't have a problem with such programs if there were also programs for those who are starting businesses that are providing jobs (not to mention increasing the value of distressed properties in our case), programs that would actually support the CONTRIBUTORS to society rather than the MOOCHERS. Sadly, a guaranteed rent check from the government on the 1st of each month has us continuing to rent to these folks.

Forgive me, I think I've gotten off track a bit from the point of the post. But maybe not.

William, This will get to the emotions of many people who read this post. I think the person taking the picture of the person who is taking a picture of M. Obama put a lot of thought into this...just my 2 cents.

Gotta love it. What a photo op for the presidents wife. We need more free meals given out. He can afford a cell phone he can afford to pay to eat lunch

Do we have here an “opportunistic” individual or one who is “enterprising” ?

We don't know who he is. He may be a volunteer there himself. People are quick to judge before they know the facts.

Makes me laugh, another "entitled" person..... Maybe the phone was given to him by his fairy Godmother.... or maybe he saved all his pennies to buy that phone second hand... ya right... LOL

Maybe he is a volunteer that got stuck on the wrong side of the food line.....

Ricki: Thank you for posting a sane comment. Michelle Obama was volunteering in a soup kitchen and she is getting trashed, the person taking the picture is getting trashed, the systems to help the disadvantaged are getting trashed. WTF?

That doesn't look like a Blackberry anyway. Could be a cheapo cameraphone.

The cost of being homeless to one's soul: Immeasurable

The cost of a kind word to someone much less fortunate that you: Obviously, too expensive for the posters above.

Hi Everyone...This caught me off guard a bit. But, as I think about it, it's not all that unusual. Even in my home town, when i have stopped and dropped food off at the local food shelf, I seen a family come in and even the two small kids, under 10, had cell phones!

I guess poverty has a different meaning in today's world

I recently had a " homeless " looking man come up to me in a gas station and try to sell me a 700$ video camera. I said know . He got mad and then went around the corner and got into a new BMW and left..

I read a very similar post several days ago - I guess this is making the rounds of right wing talk radio. I am actually completely appalled at the response to this. So someone in need of a free meal should be stripped down to nothing? Naked? Fork over every possession? How does anyone presume to know this man's story? How do you know whose phone it is? How do you know who he is, where he's been. how he got wherever he is?

Besides, a phone is a critical element in escaping homelessness and poverty. How do you rent a place or get a job if you have no phone number for a contact?

Liz

That is very strange -- he is homeless and eating at the shelter and has a $500 Blackberry and we don't -- go figure .

JUN

do you think she was working at minium wage or did she write it off on your taxes!

I think many are missing the point. I didn't see a slam on M. Obama like one person refered. This post clearly shows a problem with priorities! I know this is not an isolated case. You don't need a cell phone to get a job. All you have to do is stop back the next day...if you aren't working, what else are you doing.

There are many people that need a helping hand, sometimes just for a short time...but, we seam to have this "entitlement" mentality. That just because I am alive, I am entitled to have this or that, and I am not just refering to those that are down and out. Keeping up with the Joneses and living way past our means has been an epidemic in our society. I know people personally that lost their houses, that if they would have cut down on some of the frivolities, would still be in their homes.

There is a bigger picturehere that needs to be seen!

And why am I not surprised in the least about this situation. I'm just surprised that it isn't a more expensive listing.

To most of the commentors above, that person snapping the picture could very well be you one day. I assume you all have some type of cell phone device, something that I'm pretty sure will be the last thing to go if you end up on the street. ALL of you have no idea what the circumstances of that person are. But rather than extend a Christian hand of kindness, as usual your hypocritcal selves come out, and the best you can muster are snide comments. All of you, including the poster of this blog should be ashamed of yourselves!!!!!!

Terry, for one I am not ashamed of myself. Things are tight for many people including myself. I have a cell phone for business and it is a minimal one. We got rid of my wife's cell phone. We had directct TV, but when the budget tightened we cancelled that and only use the free airwaves via an antenna. There are other things that we have cut back to save money on. We have not stopped or slowed down our giving to the people that are of in need!

This is not a slam against M.Obama and I applaud her for doing what she is.

The point of this post is that many people are unwilling to give up luxuries in life to stay or get ahead, and society seams to think that is OK. There are EXCEPTIONS, BUT, as I said, I know some of these people who feel they are 'entitled' just because they are alive and don't want to give up anything, but would rather complain that they don't have.

Todays' society ALLOWS them to do that. There are many very legitimate needy people out there, and there are many people who like their 'homeless' lifestyle, and don't tell there isn't, for I have dealt with people who feel this way.

Society want's to control the 'RICH' and what they have, but how about the ones that squander and then cry because they feel they don't have enough. That is where part of our problem lies.

I do not profess to know really anything about all of you, whom I read with varied interest and passion. With the exception of your postings regarding the basic real estate banter, your espoused spirit of generosity or lack of it, the way you share your online convictions or proclivities, I really do know nothing about you. And I read some of your stuff near daily... there really hopefully is a much bigger and more complex picture behind all of you as well...

And for those of you who that think you can get a job by just going back every day, you obviously have not been in the job market for a long while. Think again, with many jobs, they don't even want you to call, much less drop by, it's email only in order to cross the first few hurdles. And these too are $8.00 an hour jobs. Or does one, who may have lost their refuge in this economy, have to climb back up the ladder solely via employment which would most likely not even get them out of a shelter environment. And please don't bore me with I have been homeless and I did this and that, or I pay my rent or mortgagte with great difficulty, but I pay it, you are or were the most vulnerable; so extend a little humbleness and not your superiority during this ever widening decay.

WOW VERN...I couldn't have said better myself!

Terry...I will agree with you as to not knowing the exact story of this individual. The point is that this is not an isolated case as you seam to imply. Things on this order or other variations of this are going on all over the place. There are people taking advantage of the system and our gererosity to the detriment of those that are truely in need, and that need is great in today's world.

I could give you many examples of what I have seen and I am sure you would give just as many in the opposite direction. The whole situation, not just the 'food kitchens' need some re-examining in my opinion, and many others.

As for me, I will continue to give my donations where I feel they will help the truely needy and those that really do appriciate the help. Everyone else will and can do as they feel is right also.

OMFG! A "homeless lifestyle?" Yep, it feels just hunky dory waking up under a highway overpass. Gee whiz, what fountain do I want to rinse off in this morning. Let's go to the center of town, you know, the really big granite fountain with the waterfalls. I will have to go early so I can at least dry off before the businesspeople walk by. Don't want to be damp when I start begging for spare change. But, heck, I gots me a swirly $500 Blackberry, one that these holier than thou broke as shit realtors in some foreclosure wasteland have given up. But I digress. Lunchtime at the soup kitchen...Hey, there's Timmy. He's be homeless for 7 years. Wow, what a lifestyle. So carefree. If only he had those meds that kept him stable. Oh well, better him than me. I lost my home, my car, my family. I get soup for lunch today, served by some sweet lady who doesn't judge me by my situation. Well, time to go walk the streets with my shopping cart, full of my meager possessions from my previous life. Now, bedtime. It's been raining for the past hour so my sleeping bag is wet. It's gonna get cool tonight. Damp sleeping bag, the cool night air, back under the familiar overpass. What a lifestyle.

Michelle...The point is that many are just taking advantage of the situation. As for only getting a job by your e-mail, well, you can get a free e-mail account and there are libraies around that allow you to use the computor free and will help you.

I for one have been in the position to hire people. The ones that come back are the ones that showed me they wnted to work and they are the ones that did get hired. We have 2 large local box stores who will only take applications IN PERSON!

YES...There are people in desparate need. But it is the ones that are taking advantage of the system that are hurting the REAL needy .

Yes, Willam, I applaud your methodology, but it is not as widespread a practice as one would think, especially in some parts of the country depending on their instituted protocol. I see many, on all sides of the equation, taking advantage of the economic situation today. On that, I shall certainly agree.

Vern, my point is, not one person here knows the circumstances of that person yet you are all quick to jump to the conclusion he is homeless yet owns a cell phone, which translates into "why doesn't he go get a job."

William, I'm quite sure you have no idea what the broad picture is regarding the homeless, the hungry, the unemployed. I assume that because you saw one picture of one assumed to be homeless person with a cell phone, the system needs an overhaul. And in doing so you would also deny some people the basic need of food. And while you continue to give your donations, maybe you could assume the posture of humility and compassion you profess to extend. Your post certainly shows neither.

Katerina, studies and research? I would think it would be rather hard for a homeless person to have all those high priced electronic equipment stowed in the back pack they carry around from underpass to underpass. Regardless, it is not for you to judge.

And while most of you are indignant because YOUR tax money is going to help other people, maybe I should also be outraged that my tax money is going to educate YOUR children!

I think he is an entrepreneur he probably thought he had the worlds only picture of Michele Obama in an apron and latex gloves till someone took this picture.

Hugh..not that is a theory that I can live with!

Hugh, stop to think here, maybe just maybe that guy was a volunteer at the kitchen, how bout that? I used to volunteer to feed the homeless in DC, and always dressed down so as not to have them think I was better than they were. I also took a lot of pictures when they had large events such as Thanksgiving, but mostly because there were a lot of movie stars there helping as well.

This doesn't surprise me at all, the governement gives money to people all the time without checking if they really need it at all. I used to live next to a section 8 house and they had 3 new cars and a new boat in the driveway, but couldn't afford a house.

JUN

George: Riiiiight.

JUL

I was going to comment, but I'm just going to the next post. I guess that's comment enough.

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