In Desperate Need of Help - Updated

Rent is due and I haven't worked in such a long time I looking at being homeless quite shortly. I've got to generate $425 by the 5th of March, or I'm toast. (yikes!)

The good news is I finally qualified for SNAP benefits, but you can't buy toilet paper or paper towels with it. Gee go figure, I can get Alaskan King Crab, but not toilet paper. (I hate crab meat, any kind...)

My internet has been turned off and I have less than a month left on my cell service, which since I hit my "data cap" is slow as dog meat. (apologies to dog lovers...) I did meet guy living in the same building as me that has let me use his internet, but he lives on the other side of the building, so I only use my tablet or cell phone. (Writing on a tablet sucks, lol)

I had to move at the beginning of January because I didn't have rent then, but was able to move into a commercial building a guy I know owns, but he's not a forgiving as my former apartment manager. She was at least nice enough to not file eviction papers on me. I had lived there for 6 years and was only late on rent twice in the past year, and only then by a few days.

After my wife passed away in July of 2015, I tried moving into a smaller, cheaper apartment, but could not find a place that would accept either 6 months or a year's worth of rent up front. They all demanded that I have an income 3 times of the monthly rent, which is totally absurd, if I'm paying the entire lease, upfront. They didn't care. I guess they thought I was some kind of drug dealer or something. Heck, I even showed them my wife's death certificate and the insurance pay out. It didn't matter. (Don't ya just love capitalism) "I'm sorry sir, it's our corporate policy". Yeah, well, fuck your corporate policy bitch! (apologies Ladies, it's just a term of endearment for people I despise, nothing personal.)

Well the insurance money has run out and I've been selling all my video and photography equipment since Sept 2016 to stay alive. I have a few ad's on craigslist but nothing is selling. I guess Christmas has put everyone in the hole or more in debt and can't afford anything.

Here's a list of the item's I currently have for sale: (make an offer)

Dell XPS 8700 Computer w/ 16GB ram

2 - Switronix XP-L90A Gold Mount Battery batteries (Battery charger included) These batteries work with Anton Bauer equipment, just not AB battery charger.

64" Slyder Dolly The Digital Juice SlyderDolly Portable Linear Tracking System (64") allows you to capture quick, smooth short-run dolly shots up to a distance of 58.5" (148.6 cm) using camera rigs with up to 30 lb (13.6 kg) optimum weight. It eliminates the need to carry a full dolly system and track to capture the shots.

40" Slyder Dolly It's the same as the 64", just shorter.

Zoom H4nSp Audio recorder. These things are awesome for audio recording. SOLD

Shadow Kit The Shadow Kit is a portable lighting modification system that allows you to quickly create and adjust your scene's mood, style and setting using the magic of shadow patterns. This is especially useful when you need to transform the look of a bland boring space to create a more visually compelling shot. Contained securely within a stylish deluxe carry bag, the Shadow Kit includes three main components: a 36"-square retractable shock-cord frame, a 35"-square window matte and ten different 22 1/2"-square shadow pattern gels (also known as cucoloris or 'cookies') that attach to the window matte.

I've been to two job interviews in the past week. One with the Texas Campaign for the Environment and another to be a videographer for American Airlines. I have an interview today at noon with the Texas Clean Water Action.

If you can contribute a dollar or two, my paypal email is rooster@therantingrooster.com, or hire me to make videos to promote your essays, social media, personal blogs etc....

(I hate asking for help, I'm supposed to help others dammit!)

My blog site
My youtube
My twitter

******** UPDATE ******** 9:45 pm

First, I sold the Zoom recorder. I got 75 for it.

Second, I got a PM from a user who told me they sent me a little money via paypal, and when I logged in to paypal, I was humbled, there was a total of 210.00. Another user sent me a PM and was sending me a check for 25.00.

You people truly are my family.

The last time I heard from my so called family, I got a FB MSG from my mother the day after my wife passed away, asking how my wife was doing. (Pardon the expletive, but she's a fucking cunt!) Gee for the two and a half years my wife suffered, never heard a fucking word from anyone in my so called family. Not a fucking word! Back in the early nineties, I invested in my father's business when no one would loan him a dime, he was in debt to his eye balls and owed the irs tens of thousands of dollars. He fucked me out of my investment. Well, dumb ass me trusted him to keep his word. Nope. When my older brother wanted to buy a house in Seattle, I loaned him the down payment. Took him 4 Years to pay it back, but I never hounded him, never said a damn word. One of his friends got cancer and they were all about raising money, helping out left and right, but gee my wife gets cancer and not a fucking word. never lifted a finger to help, never even offered any support what so ever. Selfish fucking bastard!

You see, I met my wife in a heavy metal biker bar. Of course it wasnt a place she would go on her own, she just happened to be hanging out with a girl I once dated, but we wound up be just really great friends. My family didn't like the fact I fell in love with a woman I met in a bar. I used to play in a hard rock band (for most of my life) and my mother would always tell me Ild never meet a good woman in a bar.

Y'all are my family. Thank you so much, I truly am blessed. If it wasn't for y'all, I would probably lose all faith in humanity. Y'all have no idea how much y'all mean to me. Fuck I got to stop, I'm tearing up....

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RantingRooster's picture

I just got back from my interview with Clean Water Action, Texas and it went great. I go back tomorrow to train and be observed in action, see if I "get it", and if I do well, I'll get the job.

I'll be canvasing neighborhoods (knocking on doors) educating Texans about clean water and fund rasing, so it will be good experience and I'll get some much needed exercise. Who knows, after a year I might run for public office. Of course I'll have to sue the state to allow me to run, as I don't "believe" in a supreme being, as required by the Texas constitution, to run for public office. I've been wanting to run for office just to sue the state for that reason alone.

You can read more about the organization here --> http://www.cleanwateraction.org

Thank you all for your support!!!! I am truly greatful! (Every penny helps...)

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C99, my refuge from an insane world. #ForceTheVote

@RantingRooster

Word of caution. Do not work for commission only. You deserve a guaranteed wage for your time regardless of how you perform. If they don't like your outcomes, they can fire you. But you deserve to be paid for your time.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

RantingRooster's picture

@RantingRooster I've discovered I have something wrong with my hip joints. I lasted about 5 hours and both my lower back, but more importantly, my fricking hip joints were killing me. I could hardly walk yesterday and I'm ill in some pain today. Also the guy I interviewed with turn out to be a dick, the Hillary bot kind of dick.

We (canvas crew) loaded up in the company van and headed out to Ft. Worth area to canvas and he put the radio on NPR and there was someone from the New Yorker magazine being interviewed about Russia, Putin, discussing Putin's rise to the Russian presidency, and recent history of the collapse of the Soviet Union up to current events, ie Russian hacking our elections etc...

I just happened to mention the IMF and the Chicago boys economics they introduced to help Yelstin convert from a state economy, to a more capitalistic economy and the damage it inflicted on everyday Russians, and boy did I get an ear full.

The guy almost became unhinged. "What are you a Putin puppet?" He asked. I'm like dude, I'm just mentioning a little context, not to mention acknowledge the damaged inflicted by our people on the Russians and their economy at the time, high death rates, the oligarchs that got the IMF money to gobble up state assets at basement bargin prices, while the Russian people would be on the hook for the repayment of those IMF loans.

The guy even asked if I voted for Trump! I did'nt mentioned I voted for Jill. I couldn't write Bernie in, I live in Texas and he didn't get on the list to be a write in candidate. Which was another thing that has contributed to my disillusionment with Bernie, which was finalized after the Electoral college gave the election to Trump. I even made a video message to our Electoral college electors to make Bernie president, but to no avail.

Nothing worse than a lone "Bernie bro" in a van load of Hillary bots. OMFG, I wanted to jump out of the van.

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mhagle's picture

You need your equipment to live, right?

Have you thought about living a bit more rurally? Housing costs about 50 miles from where you live are much much less. And Internet is everywhere.

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Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

RantingRooster's picture

@mhagle but if people aren't hiring, it's not doing me any good collecting dust from lack of use. Not having a "job" has been the bain of my existence trying to move. No one will rent to someone with out a "job". Even when I did have the money from my wife's insurance, they all required I have a "job", and show proof I make 3 times the rent in income. I've been self employed since 9/11 and I don't get a regular paystub so to speak.

The last "video" job I did was in Feb of 2016. Since then, nothing. Everyone wants free video. Heck, I have ad's on craigslist offering business videos for just 250 bucks. But it's this catch 22, if you offer to low, nobody believes it will be quality, but if you charge too much, well they say they can't afford it. Ugh!

I signed up with several "freelancer" web sites, but they take 20% and I'm competing with people in Pakistan and India that work for $5 or less an hour, with master's degrees in Computer science.

A big problem was I had 3 cats, and the deposit's on pets was crazy. 2-300 per pet and max of 2. I found a girl to take them because the place I'm at now won't allow them. (I miss them soo much.) I went from a 1,100 sqft apt, to a 200+ sqft room. I had to just leave a ton of stuff, because I just didn't have anywhere to put it.

I paid for my move by selling my big camera (BlackMagic 4K cine) and my steadicam. I still have a cheap Canon HV 20 video camera with a couple of lens and a Canon Rebel t5, but I'm considering selling both of those as well.

My only "bright" spot if you will, is I own my truck out right, so if I do go homeless, at least I can live in my truck, for awhile anyway till I get pulled over for out of date inspection sticker, lol. My car insurance got cancelled last week and I can't get an inspection sticker with out it. (Ugh!)

When it rains, it pours.

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mhagle's picture

@RantingRooster

As far as housing, that is why I am suggesting po-duck small town Texas with no rules. Renting a trailer house might even be an idea. Lots of those trailer parks are mostly old folks. Some are too nasty for consideration.

Hopefully enough of us will send you $$ to get you through the immediate crisis.

Do you have a B.A. degree? You could become a teacher. Not a bad gig for a creative person such as yourself.

Sorry if my suggestions suck. Just trying to help. Smile

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Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

RantingRooster's picture

@mhagle see my 1st comment on essay for update....

I'm self educated, according to military, I'm only an 8th grader, but scored high enough to go to OCS, Office Candidate School. I've only taken college courses to educate myslef on specific topics, like fluid dynamics for robotics engineering, but not for a degree.

I think it was Mark Twain that said, "Never let schooling get in the way of your education".

Before 9/11, nobody cared if I had a degree, only cared about experience, which I have in spades....besides the library, estate sales, and half priced books is much cheaper than college lol!

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Big Al's picture

I can chip in a little but probably mail is best for me. Or I could do Western union. Send me a message with your address if you can.

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Mark from Queens's picture

Just had a visit from a good friend in a similar position. Lent her the money she needed.

Hope your fortune changes and you land a job soon.

Make my blood boil to see so many good people being crushed in the merciless grinder of unbridled capitalism. Hang in there, comrade.

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"If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:

THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC"

- Kurt Vonnegut

RantingRooster's picture

@Mark from Queens

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mimi's picture

the tools you need to do your job. If I understand you correctly, your skills are a craft and a craftsman needs his tools.

Trying to think about something that makes sense. Will send a little bit. And then think some more.I hope you find a job soon.

It took me a while to remember who you are. And I wondered too, if it was ever discussed here at c99p if members felt your promotional video represented how they feel about their own site. Did you get a feedback about this?

Anyhow, no matter, if people liked your video or not, you should not have to sell your equipment and you need to find a place to sleep. How about stealing a "video production truck from the main stream media" and make it your home? Ok, just kidding. Nothing else one has left than make some bad jokes these days...

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RantingRooster's picture

@mimi

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Amanda Matthews's picture

I sold all my stuff that was of any worth long ago. I was sad at the time but hey, I had to do it.
Don't let go of your belongings out of desperation. People will take advantage of you if they know that you're desperate for money. The only thing I have left of worth, at least to me, is my Grandmother's Noritaki China. Full set with extra pieces and serving bowls and platter. People were offering me $75 or less and they had the nerve to get nasty when I turned them down. So don't let people beat you out of your 'stuff'.

NOTE: I'm not saying anyone here would try to screw this person, but if he's putting it out on Craig's list or other internet sites, you'll run into opportunists who honestly look for desperate people to fuck over. And newspapers. The sharks come to garage sales or to your house and some of them are really nasty people. The kind who get angry because you don't want to sell your good gold pendant and chain for $5.00.

Just BE CAREFUL. I hope you get the job and don't have to sell anything!!!

Best wishes!

EDIT: you/your

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I'm tired of this back-slapping "Isn't humanity neat?" bullshit. We're a virus with shoes, okay? That's all we are. - Bill Hicks

Politics is the entertainment branch of industry. - Frank Zappa