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Fade to black – Is government leveraging homeless agencies out of business? Thursday, March, 4, 2010
Is politics the problem or the solution to homelessness? Monday, March, 1, 2010
Why do you hate in the name of God? Monday, February, 22, 2010
Cardboard is for shipping, not for housing Thursday, February, 18, 2010
Throw the bums out—RPG game re homeless should be sent back Monday, February, 15, 2010
Down-sizing affordable housing could increase the reduction of homelessness Thursday, February, 11, 2010
Down and exploited in Beverly Hills - Is TMZ.com exploiters? Monday, February, 8, 2010
Is marriage the solution to poverty or is it the cause of poverty? Saturday, February, 6, 2010
Book on homeless man and Los Angeles journalist is highlighted by Long Beach Book Week Thursday, February, 4, 2010
Why homelessness is decreasing while hunger and poverty is increasing
Thursday, January, 28, 2010
IPad: A Magical and Revolutionary Device… To Find Housing
With all of the hype about Apple’s latest iPad tablet, as well as the Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube mocking—is it some sort of feminine device?—someone needs to inject some real life perspective to this.
So here goes…
Everyone needs a pad. A house that is. A place to hang your hat, to rest your head. Most of us take our cozy apartment or secure home for granted. Until your bank account can only afford one more month of rent, or you’re cradled in your Honda Civic in some dark alley because you’re homeless.
Then a pad becomes a desperate item for your personal security.
Yesterday, out walked the man in blue jeans and dark turtle neck, with a name that represents another desperate item people need to possess. Jobs. He sports this piece of glass and aluminum frame, like it’s some sort of tablet of divine words.
He sits comfortably in a black lounge chair on stage, while his every word and finger gesture is broadcast on the billboard-size backdrop, and more importantly on computer screens around the world.
The iPad. The next amazing Apple electronic device that everyone should possess. And in my opinion, everyone, including people who are homeless.
Think of the magic…
A person living on the streets can Google her way to every local food pantry or food bank in the community to feed her hungry children.
An unemployed man living out of his recreational vehicle could search employment ads, type up a resume, and email them to potential companies.
People with supplemental security income could go on Craigslist to try to find a roommate to share the cost of an apartment unit. Since one person’s current public benefits is not enough to rent an apartment.
Sick, without health insurance? You can find a free health clinic in the neighborhood. Struggling with substances? Find an AA or NA group.
Most importantly, having the internet in the palm of your hand gives you access to a whole online community—Facebook, Twitter, Xanga, YouTube, you name it. A direct link to a support network that most people living on the streets no longer have.
Is this a revolutionary device, claimed by Apple? Only if it is used in revolutionary ways. Like empowering homeless people to access resources to get them housed.
For the past few weeks, people debated what Apple’s tablet should be called. iSlate? iTablet? iPad?
I like iPad. If it refers to: My Pad. My Home.
Posted 2010-02-01 06:22:25
Posted 2010-01-29 14:25:46
Cindy in Simi
Posted 2010-01-28 18:53:55
Taxing Our Way Out of Homelessness? Friday, November 21, 2008
A Third Wave Of Addressing Homelesness Monday, November 13, 2006
705 Missing Homeless People: Where Did They Go? Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Civil Overestimation Friday, January 30, 2009
Unemployment Numbers: I'm Worried...
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