Ted4321

I really don't understand how the standing in traffic thing is allowed anyway.

You and me both.

I've been scratching my head over this one for so many years.

Robotism

Maybe I'm a bit too skeptical but I don't understand why you would offer someone $50 an hour for gardening and they would turn it down. Seems a very high wage to me and I wonder what else happened since the story is so brief.

So when this guy came up to me and asked for money for his family, I offered him more money than the job was worth. Then the jackass shoved my offer back into my face!!!! I should have called the cops on him.

Hello!

This topis here is no joke, there are serious thing going on right before our eyes - we see the history being written! It sure isn't as cool as one might expect it...

Yes, the 200$ offer was generous and I wouldn't turn it down neither. But aren't we a little fast to judge? Not knowing the man at all? Maybe he was sick? And it could have been a bad back, it could have been a drug addiction (also a sickness) or something else. Severe stupidity - I would include it as a sickness too. But is it really your fault if you're born stupid? I don't say what the man asking for money did was good - I'm just asking not to jugde him so fast.

And those professional beggars - in the past they were said to be able to become millionaires. And I can understand how somebody giving them money feels cheated upon discovering they are doing so well. But I always say: if you think beggars or prison inmates have it so good, why don't you trade places with them? Why not start begging or go to jail (free food, accomodation and services)?

I also had one dude come to me while I was shopping. He asked me to buy him something to eat, which I did. I like to help when someone asks me nicely. Well the last one was cool - I told him I'll buy what he asked me to, and I asked me to wait for me outside. I noticed he bought a beer on his way, and I scratched my head and laughed - with the food taken care of he could organize something to flush it with...

But I wouldn't trade places with this one - he was obviously unable to do anything productive, and that must be a sad state to be in.

I wish you all good health and good luck - we all need it a lot these days!

Paweł

Nah,I don't Think so,if he was sick or hurt and he was a good dude,he would have said so.

Pawel

 

But I wouldn't trade places with this one - he was obviously unable to do anything productive, and that must be a sad state to be in.

I wish you all good health and good luck - we all need it a lot these days!

Paweł

 

I understand what you are saying. I also agree with you that there are plenty of people around that are unable to work for physical, mental, and emotional reasons .The person that I wrote this story had none of those issues. His reply was just plane rude and snarkey. He acted insulted that I offered him money in return for some simple work.

ill never forget years ago when i worked in baltimore WTC, i walked the same walk from the garage everyday.  There were these panhandlers always asking for money.  so one day i offer one some apples and food and was politely told, i dont want the food, i want $$.  Oh well, a few bad apples spoil the barrel.  The beggers here now have dogs with them because they know the cops wont take em in with a dog because of all the extra hassle of having to deal with an animal.

Great looking garden, wish I had something like tha, but we're almost 6" below the level of water we should have so in my case everything woiuld be brown and crispy by now.  I have to get my well going again soon.

People don't even stop and ask for money now.  I just tell them that I've been out of work for almost a month and they leave.  Of course, it could be that I live several houses down from the gas station at the end of the street, or it might also be the pistol that I always wear.  A duty size .38/357 magnum or tends to get their attention.  Either way they leave me alone.

Pawel

But aren't we a little fast to judge? Not knowing the man at all? Maybe he was sick? And it could have been a bad back, it could have been a drug addiction (also a sickness) or something else. Severe stupidity - I would include it as a sickness too. But is it really your fault if you're born stupid? I don't say what the man asking for money did was good - I'm just asking not to jugde him so fast.

Sorry Pawel but I disagree with your observation.  I don't think that statement is valid.  To me, this quote from the original post says it all:

He said to me, "Work??? I don't want to work. I just want some money."

JohnnyK

 

 

Robotism

Maybe I'm a bit too skeptical but I don't understand why you would offer someone $50 an hour for gardening and they would turn it down. Seems a very high wage to me and I wonder what else happened since the story is so brief.

 

 

 

There is a bit more to the story. Earlier that day I went to the Drycleaner. This is someone that we have been going to for 30 years. The owner told me that his business has dropped off by 85% in the past month. He said that no one brings him clothes to clean because no one is going to work and no one is going out  to socialize. He had to lay off part of his staff. He said that he came here from South Korea 35 years ago to find the American dream and he was not sure if he could continue in business much longer. He had these huge tears in his eyes. I was so moved that I sat in my car and cried.

 

So when this guy came up to me and asked for money for his family, I offered him more money than the job was worth. Then the jackass shoved my offer back into my face!!!! I should have called the cops on him.

 

I went by my favorite Japanese restarant last week- they were still doing take-out. I picked up a hundred dollar gift certificate at the time. Just a little extra help to give them a hand paying the rent till this mess blows over. I'd ask anyone that had some extra money you might consider doing the same for small local companies.

And beautiful flowerbeds JohnnyK! I love stuff like this but don't have the patience to put in the work to get such results.

Your garden is beautiful Johnny. By the way, I would've helped you for a pizza and a bag of jellybeans.

I just heard this on a local radio station where people where calling in to vent about this pandemic.  One guy calls and says he is homeless living in a car and prays daily for help. He only gets $190 a month in food stamps and fears he will die out there. The radio host asked him if he has tried the Salvation Army or the Red Cross or shelters? He says the Salvation army will feed him and give him shelter but he has to work for 4 hours picking up trash..........

Hasn't tried the Red Cross and local homeless shelters won't take him because of his criminal history past. My observation here is he has a cell phone, cell phone service and a place to crash but he doen't want to work 4 hours a day for it. Really?

I've had enough experience as a social services volunteer to have learned that a big reason people get into these situations is poor decision making, mental health issues, and a complete lack of learned skills to solve problems. Add substance abuse, alchoholism, and bad luck. And yes, people get lazy when they are hopeless.

So let's lighten up. This shouldn't be survival of the fit. Even the screw-ups in life need to be helped.

Bill

GMorrison

So let's lighten up. This shouldn't be survival of the fit. Even the screw-ups in life need to be helped.

 Bill

 

Lighten up?? This guy has been offered food and lodging in exchange for 4 hours of light work and yet he does not want to work for it. 

lawdog114

Your garden is beautiful Johnny. By the way, I would've helped you for a pizza and a bag of jellybeans.

 

or a six/twelve pack of beer, depending upon the workload... far less than $200...

You had met one of the many "snowflakes" that seem to habitate in our cities nowdays, young "milenius" who are over 25 but still living in their parent's basement.

Now days, these young kids think that they are entitled to everything without having to work for it and they are suprised when they meet someone like me that in his entire working career never took once cent from the goverment or anybody.

PD Are there any chances of this blog to get a speller checker? I really could use one.

Having-fun

You had met one of the many "snowflakes" that seem to habitate in our cities nowdays, young "milenius" who are over 25 but still living in their parent's basement.

Now days, these young kids think that they are entitled to everything without having to work for it and they are suprised when they meet someone like me that in his entire working career never took once cent from the goverment or anybody.

 

PD Are there any chances of this blog to get a speller checker? I really could use one.

 

Most of us are grateful for that public assistance.

Go figure.

Bill

[quote user="Having-fun"]

You had met one of the many "snowflakes" that seem to habitate in our cities nowdays, young "milenius" who are over 25 but still living in their parent's basement.

Now days, these young kids think that they are entitled to everything without having to work for it and they are suprised when they meet someone like me that in his entire working career never took once cent from the goverment or anybody.

[/quote

Following is a quote from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire: "When the freedom that they wished the most was the freedom from responsibility, then they ceased to be free'"  In the USA, freedom, responsibility and work go hand in hand.

Stay safe everyone.

Thanks for the nice words about my garden. Gardening is similar to cooking. Cooking is fun, but washing the dirty dishes is a drag. Planting plants and gardening is fun, but pulling weeds is a drag.

Hello!

I'm with Bill here, and I thing I explained it in my previous post.

murph - I'm glad we can disagree and stay nice and civilised nonetheless. That's a cool thing. But I don't think it would be this easy if I had nothing to eat, no job or some mental sickness, severe stupidity included (hey I might have it and don't know it, right?).

Times are getting tough and we should try to help each other. But sometimes the help just can't get through - it's sad but I think we shouldn't make things worse for the one that still needs help.

Stay healthy and have a nice day

Paweł

I had a bum come up to me once and tell me he needed money for food. I told him I'd walk with him over to Subway and buy him a sandwich. What does the guy do? Turns around, drops his grimy pants (wearing no underwear at all) thrusts his ass out at me and proceeds to unleash a torrent of diarrhea in my direction. I took that as a "no thank you". 

II

This thread has turned into a very nasty thing.  How about something else.   I don't need this.  I know about bums, drug users, etc.  It's been that way for decades.  Just end it.  (Nice garden).

stikpusher

 

 

lawdog114

Your garden is beautiful Johnny. By the way, I would've helped you for a pizza and a bag of jellybeans.

 

 

 

 

 

or a six/twelve pack of beer, depending upon the workload... far less than $200...

 

Heck, I'd do it for free... or more accurately, I'd send my two able bodied sons over to do it for free.

BTW, that is a nice looking garden Johnny and living not that far from you, better not get too optimistic about our weather yet...might snow on us again!

I agree that there are people in this country that, for many legitimate reasons, cannot work. We are a very blessed and  rich country and we should help those people (yes, I am a liberal). However, I have no compassion for someone when you offer them a lot of money ($200) to do an easy job and they stick it back into your face ("I don't want to work. I just want money"). If he didn't want to work, that's fine, but don't insult me. Just say "Thanks" and move on.

The top photo is the garden as of today, April, 22. The plants are just waking up. Some of these plants will be six feet tall in only three months (bottom photo). Mother Nature is pretty amazing. What's really amazing, is that this happens year after year after year.

Isnt that great? We've been out gardening too.

Finishing our winter vegetables and planting for spring.

We live in a rural area so we grow our green stuff, including artichokes by the box load.

Monterey County in CA is the artichoke capital of the world and we love them.

I'm building an outdoor oven.

Do you have song birds?

We have mockingbirds, sparrows, wrentits, towies.

A lot of hummers.

My neighbor across the road has bees. They polenate my limes, Meyer lemons and a little Mandarin tree.

By the end of my life, I want to be an old bearded fellow asleep in the sun, listening to the bells from the Mission, and looking at my plants.

Oh, and she has 50 roses. That'll probably kill us both.

Happy Earthday Brothers and Sisters.

Bill

GMorrison

Happy Earthday Brothers and Sisters.

 

Bill

 

GMorrison

Isnt that great? We've been out gardening too.

Finishing our winter vegetables and planting for spring.

 

Bill

 

We can't safely plant summer vegetables until after Memorial Day due to a chance of frost. Yes we have songbirds. Robins, Cardinals, Goldfinch, Sparrows.