This is Jack Briggs, and I am homeless. (1 Viewer)

Remember me, folks? I used to be an administrator at this site. Back then, floating high and mighty in Los Angeles.

Well, I am still in Los Angeles. But due to this awful (more than awful) economy and due to my having been laid off from my job in October 2012, things have fallen apart.

Just to let ya know ...

Then our congress cut off long-term unemployment benefits at the end of the year. Soon thereafter, all came apart for me. Now I am on "general relief" (about $221 a month) and food stamps. And, most seriously, I am out of my apartment and crashing at nights in a homeless shelter.

All my things -- including, yes, my home theater, but, worse, my books, my papers, everything -- are gone. All I have is what I could pack into three carrying bags.

Such is live in the U.S. of A.

Be glad for what you have, folks. You would be amazed at what becomes important once you have nothing at all but a few clothes and such. Could it be worse? Yes. How much worse, though?

At any rate, my plan, as such, is to accumulate what few funds I can and to purchase a Greyhound ticket that will take my to Nashville, TN.

I will miss California. I cannot stay here, though.

Be grateful for what you have.

Jack Briggs

I’m very sorry to hear what has happened over the past couple of years, Jack. Here’s to better fortunes and luck in Nashville.

I am investigating this. I expect this is a ruse but am not 100% sure.

I am investigating this. I expect this is a ruse.

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Do many homeless people have access to the internet?

^ Yes. Public libraries.

I think some libraries, though, have instituted rules (or are trying to institute rules) with respect to the length of time an individual may remain at a computer.

Without getting too in depth, let me just say there are some red flags that have been raised which raise questions on our end.

I could be wrong to question the validity of the OP...but am just doing due diligence.

Mike Frezon said:

I am investigating this. I expect this is a ruse but am not 100% sure.

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Thanks for checking. Something about this just doesn't seem right.

In fact, I think I'm going to lock this thread until we know more.

Re-opened as I continue to look into this.

Jack, you are in my thoughts.

I really hope this is a ruse.If not,Jack, you're one of the good guys and I hope you see better days ahead. Take care.

Well, Jack, you once had lots of contacts in Memphis.
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/topic/156527-anyone-here-live-in-memphis-in-the-70s/#entry3638753

Is this going home?

Mike Frezon said:

Without getting too in depth, let me just say there are some red flags that have been raised which raise questions on our end.

I could be wrong to question the validity of the OP...but am just doing due diligence.

Click to expand...

Please keep us posted on what you find, Mike.

If this was truly Jack posting, I am very sorry to hear of your current troubles. I hope your fortunes turn for the better in Tennessee.

Sorry to hear that Jack. Assuming this is legit you may want to reach out to Scooter Jolley who has recently been through much of the same:http://homelessadvisor.blogspot.com/http://invisiblepeople.tv/blog/2011/10/scooter-mobile-homeless-new-jersey-glenn-beck/As someone who has a modicum of success your story sounds exactly like what I've tried to keep reminding myself for the last few years. I keep thinking of that "there's a storm coming Mr. Wayne" scene:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3CLc0IGstkWe live in amazing times, but it's not evenly distributed. And it truly seems that many successes are just a few steps off from great falls. Wishing you all the best getting back in the mix.

I remember finding out about Scooter. Sam I haven't checked those links is there good news about him there? Anyway I hope this is not really jack. Becoming homeless is a frightening thing to me.

Actually he has a new blog:http://punditnomadic.blogspot.comImprovement for sure but still a struggle.

Good day, all.

I understand Jack's plight. Won't say "I Know" because each situation is different. I was lucky in that I had my van and a LOT of God's blessings. I was, and am, blessed. A few from HTF reached out to me as well.

I will keep Jack in my thoughts and if he wants to reach out to me, I'd be happy to help him however I can.

Hello there, all.

Yes, indeed, Mike Frezon is checking up on this. And this is, you can bet, truly the one and only JB -- of 2001: A Space Odyssey "fame," and, more recently, Mulholland Drive infatuation.

Mike had wondered about the legitimacy of the post, since this in an all-new account. Simple explanation: I could not figure out how to log onto my old account (remember, it had a new Mulholland Drive image on it).

MODERATOR'S NOTE: We have since updated Jack's first two posts in this thread to fall under his long-standing account after we were able to help him gain access to that account. --Mike Frezon

As stated in an earlier post, it is correct: I am writing this in a public library in South Central Los Angeles, which, as I wrote Mike, is where the shelter I am staying at nights is located.

One thing I did not mention: My sister, Dee, who was my closest remaining relative, died in July of 2011. And, as I stated to Mike, no family, no fallback.

I will say, though, it feels good to be saying something out there into the Internet and to, finally, be hearing back from someone. In the past few months, as all started to fall apart, I have learned what the word "alone" can truly mean. And, I will say this: I would not wish this, even on an enemy.

An enemy right now, though, for me, is simply not knowing what is coming. And, as for this Tennessee thing, well, something I have never mentioned on this site in all my years here: That is where I come from originally. I moved to California, to Los Angeles, in the year 1987. My late sister had lived here since 1966, and after our mother died I was free to pick up and start "chapter two" of my life, leaving behind an ex-wife in the process.

(I sometimes wonder if I would have done it had I known what the future held in store. That I cannot answer.)

As I said in my original post, you only start to realize what truly is important in your life when it is put in such stark perspective. And homelessness is as stark a perspective as I can imagine in my present situation. (You hear about falling to the bottom rung of society in this economy. Let me tell all of you -- each and every one of you -- that when one is homeless, one is below that bottom rung.)

Thing is, I am not bitter, just scared. But at least I have a plan of sorts, which is, after twenty-seven years in the state I most love, California, returning to Tennessee. I do not really want to do that, but, to my thinking, it is what I have to do. The job situation there, employment, is better than here.

To wit: California, while it is, in my opinion, the most beautiful state, it does however favor those with heftier bank accounts. And right now, I do not have an active account (the lest transaction I was able to carry out was last October -- now Bank of America is trying to nab me for several dollars in what it calls "overdraft fees" -- those fees being simply what B of A charges on the checking account every month. How 'bout that?!).

At any rate, thank you so much to responding to this thread. I must now search elsewhere on the Internet for necessary news and further such stuff in order to figure things out further.

I will return to this thread as often as I can.

Thank you, people. (And I'm sorry to all those who, when I was an admin here, had to "pounce" on back when this place was so wild and sometimes unruly -- back when the Internet was younger. Boy, those were the days ...)

Jack Briggs
(who even still loves Zardoz)

"I could not figure out how to log onto my old account" Forgotten password?

Jack...reach out to me. I have a contact in L.A. who may be able to help you. Ron and the admins here have my email addy.

Very sorry to hear of your troubles, Jack, and I hope the near future brings better things for you.