mnml10387

reedy

In fact I'd like to see a future feature every week where an editor posts a sort of travel blog - as a reminder that these people dont sit in front of a screen all day, most of the time they have other jobs and responsibilities and we kind of take them for granted here.

Thanks Flynn, and company, for being part of my favourite community. I dont get to post and join in the convo asmuch as id like to anymore but im a dilligent reader and shall always support ya.

Also the community itself, cheers for mostly a great year - apart from that 1% of dicks that seem to pop up anywhere you go lol - but mostly thanks to:

Scazza - always have respect for you man, a longtime kotaku troller like myself :)

Witzbold - for being our glorious leader and keeping the posting up every day!

@Zeouterlimits: and youre in ireland? heh another kotakuite in ireland yarrrrr

shaunomacx

Infradead

Tye-The-Czar

Tye-The-Czar

Chilly Hollow

Casual_Hardcore

"Second, you have no idea - not even the beginnings of an idea - of what type of places he's looking at. You don't know what he makes - you have ABSOLUTELY NO ROOM to cast judgment here."

The burden isn't on the reader. It's on the writer. People assuming he's eating a single baked bean for dinner (exaggeration) are just as bad as those pointing out that he's not destitute.

blinkman987

blinkman987

Out here in Montreal you could easily find 2 bedroom apartments for maybe 600$. And in very nice neighborhoods.

Flynn, I assume you know all about Craigslist, but do you know about HousingMaps (www.housingmaps.com)? They map out on Google Maps the location of Craigslist entries for the day. It's a very useful tool to narrow down searches (you can also specify price ranges, pictures and the like).

Guizzy

JimmyPageJun1or

m9105826

Venice beach taught me a lot about homeless people, even if that's not the kind you were.

GeorgeLiquor

M. Kava

I think the fact of the matter is that a lot of people have incorrect notions about the homeless and don't bother trying to confirm them. At the shelter I work in, most of the guests have jobs. Many of them may only be day-laborers but they get out of bed, some as early as 2:45am to shower, and prepare for the coming day. While some of them certainly have substance abuse issues, there are many who don't.

Congratulations on at least managing to have someplace warm to sleep. From working at the homeless shelter these past years, I know that even the gratitude that I feel for the things that I have plaes in comparison of some of the people that stay at the shelter for simply having a warm, dry place to sleep.

jovial1

(Why are my posts always so damn long?)

Bob6k

blinkman987

goldwings

Paul Soth

Tye-The-Czar

Cor-Wii

Miyomei

crapsh00t

It's a good thing you can adapt so well to so many changing environments, keep doing what you're doing, Just know that we are here for ya man.

ffmusicdj

agustin2489

Woah woah woah. HDTV?

Flynn, you can stay at my place as long as you need.

But I get dibs on drums for Rock Band.

Apollo

Apollo

cybereality

Lezard

Either way, good luck with the home search. SF rent is ridiculous! You'll need some roommates.

boopadoo

Thassodar

Thassodar

Akvj1n

PROTIP: You're doing it wrong - bring the HDTV with you - you'll find it easier to find a couch to sleep on if you tell your friends and family that in exchange for a cozy couch and a blanket, they can make use of your HDTV for the duration of your stay.

What The Geek

JoDi

crazyscreenwriter

We hung out when the whole Kotaku Crew came to Japan, great fun it was!

Witzbold

Don't berate someone for choosing to move to SF until you understand their reasons.

Remember the old thing about NY, "if I can make it there I can make it anywhere"? SF invites that same dogged determination from a different sort of person and its not something you can really understand unless you have experienced it.

Ultimately his reasons are his own, and whatever they are San Francisco is worth it.

lilibat

In that article on destructoid, Flynn, AKA fruit_brute refers to gaymers using the inclusive pronoun "We". I think Flynn's sexual preference is pretty much confirmed by this statement.

Note: it doesn't make a lick of difference to me either way - just pointing that out for those who asked.

What The Geek

K-Squad! (Badass Edition)

You know, I don't think I've ever seen him say he's gay - I am just sorta making the assumption (which a few others here have backed up) based on the fact that he runs gaygamer.net

What The Geek

Flynn's gay?

Woah, I didn't know that.

My respect is still a billionfold more for the homeless man who stops by to help out the less fortunate.

I nominate Flynn for Time's man of the year.

Ignatius

kathartik

黒天使

[www.atomicteevee.com]

It's silly in a way, but inspiring. Give it a view!

Nullzero

TheCleaningGuy

Odin

Anyways, back to the story.
Wow. The story of that lady is still touching, and put in perspective with you being homeless makes it all the more impressive. Now why did Putin win over you?

Kirbytheslayer: In-Kirby XMB

Good luck to you man, and way to make like the best posts ever.

Sonic_and_Tails

HawaiianActor

lilibat

Knoxximus (XBL/PSN)

No offense meant.

But this is really the tale of a homeless gamer. Carrying your consoles and using convention swag as clothes. That's awesome. But I hope you find a home soon.

Codexx

Flynn keep the faith brother. Im sure something is bound to come your way with enough perseverance.

If you ever stop by Tokyo again you are always welcome here my friend. :)

Witzbold

@Islandkiwi: That's an interesting idea, but for someone who has so much tech and who's profession depends on having so much tech it's terribly risky. He could be away from the house when some property owner/real estate agent shows up out of the blue and throws out many thousands of dollars of his stuff. Not to mention the undependable electricity situation. I say interesting because I've recently moved to Los Angeles, am paying for a closet of a studio in the ghetto, working a full-time job, and losing around $200 each month. If I could get some space and save some money by squatting on a Paper Street house Tyler Durden-style... well, you've piqued my interest.

DiscipleofJamzy

SSJPabs

lamine3

Isomeri

What, you'd rather have a Girly S?

An HDTV to get back from storage is a bright outlook, for when you find an apartment. Keep on trucking.

Alien426

I assume the "children" and the "vocal few" you speak of are directed largely at me, so I'll address what you're saying. It may come as a surprise, but I agree with you - being in a tight spot like that may very well involve giving up stuff you'd rather not give up in favor of personal well being - I know it did for me at least.

Whereas you looked at those issues in an objective, neutral light, Pope John Peeps II has taken a similar line of thinking and approached it from a negative angle. Approaching the issue from a disrespectful viewpoint does no one any good.

While I'm a fan of Flynn's work, I'm not what you'd call a "fanboy". What I mean by that is I wouldn't support Flynn in any old decision he made. If he chose to start kicking puppies for a hobby I'd be all "Yo, don't kick puppies - it's not cool". This is different - it's a far more complex situation than kicking puppies. There are a wide variety of factors to be taken into account here, and none of us except for Flynn himself know all of them.

I support your neutral viewpoint where you approach where you think Flynn may be - That's how I'm trying to look at it myself. I don't support kicking someone who's down on their luck as some other commenters see fit to do.

What The Geek

Blank

marissa_melee

Actually, he is homeless....

Aero7

Islandkiwi

deathbunny

I agree with your views on homelessness because I've been close enough to it that I can approach the subject with much seriousness but even then, I've never been without options. They just weren't very good options. Avoiding homelessness might involve giving up ones freedom, property, job, status, etc. Letting go of such things at the right time allows you to save the things you have left and place higher value on such as family, safety, health, things from the prior list, etc. Being in an maze of decisions like these could be where Flynn is and that's just my take on it. Then again, he could be just saying it with a bit of an exaggeration from wariness. Regardless, I understand what you are trying to say but most probably assume that it wasn't being used to seriously and a small vocal few just want someone to cannibalize.

okenny :) ...building bridges (to hide under)

douche.

What The Geek

You also have us Kotakuites that applaud you, so keep on chuggin'!

MelodyKitn

that's life

WillW

MasterSnake

AqueousBeef

AqueousBeef

May be why he would like to live in San Francisco, since it's known as a tolerent city with a great gay community.

If I found a city with a big geek community I'd move there in a flash.

Shimmergeek

Oak land

etchasketchist

However, I'm not sure why Flynn wants to life in SF. I know it's the mecca of gaming on the West coast. But even Mr. Crecente doesn't live in SF, he's in Denver if I'm not mistaken. That proves you can move just about any where to do you job. Flynn, it sucks to be in this situation, but I would pick somewhere cheaper to try and live. I'm sure Brain could suggest a place or two out in his home state.

SpiBoy a.k.a Duane Brown

BigChiefSmokem

I got lucky and found this brand new flat at a reasonable price just 10 minutes from the beach and 5 from the town centre. Lovely for all kinds of activities except one that requires privacy outdoors :P

Candlejack

Good luck finding somewhere permanent, I don't know how you do it...

Zeouterlimits

Hey, I got through my situation. It sucked, but I made it through. I have no need to defend it - it happened, and it's over with.

I have sympathy for someone who may very well be going through the same thing I did. You're right - I don't know any more than anyone else - but isn't it kinder, and more gracious of us to assume the best of Flynn rather than the worst? Isn't it better of us to assume that he's in a tight spot rather than to assume he's a jerk looking for undeserved sympathy?

I've read a good number of articles by the man over the past year or so, and from what I can gather, he's a decent human being. From what I've read in this post, it seems he has his priorities in order, and is looking to better his situation - I could be wrong, but that's just my take on things.

You can choose to be supportive and sympathetic, or you can choose to be harsh and belligerent. It's up to you how to take this - but think about it long and hard before you open you mouth or touch your keyboard - if you were in a tight spot, how would you want to be addressed?

What The Geek

sainraja

And if he has no idea, how do you? How do you know what he is facing?

You can't base it on what you experienced. You have no idea either, unless you know him personally....and if so, you should have said so.

sainraja

Chastise him all you want, but don't use one definition of a word and ignore another.

Ghede

LucasKane

Ghede

Lezard

Out of curiosity, what does a 1br apartment go for in SF? In Vancouver the cheapest is like $750/mo.

argh

kennyd1

Whooooooaaaa back the douche train up there pal - First off, Homeless means without a home. Flynn does not h ave a home to call his own, therefore, technically, he is in fact "homeless".

Second, you have no idea - not even the beginnings of an idea - of what type of places he's looking at. You don't know what he makes - you have ABSOLUTELY NO ROOM to cast judgment here.

I was in a similar situation once, and you know what? it was terrible. Having no choice but to rely on the kindness of friends and family can make you feel lower than low.

I'm not going to wish such a fate on you - as I've said, it's a shitty situation and I wouldn't even wish it upon the douchiest of all douchebags - I do, however, hope the banhammer finds it way to hitting you soon though.

Flynn, Don't listen to anyone. Chin up, and work through it.

What The Geek

Redface, The Dark Messiah of Justice

And it especially doesn't mean that he should write a story that basically BEGS sympathy. That's what's disonest about the story. He's asking for sympathy because he's temporarily inconvenienced by the housing market. This isn't actually a REAL problem.

The difference is that his problems are his CHOICE. The real homeless don't have a choice. If he uses all of his available money to buy a porsche, should I feel sympathy because he can't afford groceries? He's got the freedom to choose where to live because he's got work, he's got some funds. That should be enough to make anyone content.

Pope John Peeps II

any way you wanna spin it, the guy doesn't have a home to call his own. That's shitty no matter what the surrounding circumstances are. He's couch surfed from Atalanta to SF. No matter how you look at it, it's a rough situation. He may not be "poor" by your definition, but he still can't afford a home in the area he's in - that makes him homeless.

What The Geek

Yeah because 'homeless' means you are on the street and not, oh say, out of a home to call your own.

Turael

Flakor

Zyzex_Remix

And, as cruel as it can be to say to a person in your situation, I have to agree in part with kromekoran. A city is expensive enough to live in, let alone being a struggling journalist in a town as outrageously expensive as SanFran.

Hell, for the price of a dingy, nasty, dirty, dank basement apartment in SF would probably buy you a house out here in Norfolk. In my home state of Michigan, it would get you a three story house with probably three acres of land.

I know it can be hard to hear, but damn man, get the hell out of that town. There's no shame in it, and I'll tell you: Michigan may be cold this time of year, but it's beautiful.

PapaBear434

Pope John Peeps II

Chewbenator

Doshu

Americo

superbabyproject

Bjern Fita

kromekoran

Doesn't work like that. I was once jobless for close to a year, and it had nothing to do with the amount of looking I was doing. I got by on odd jobs - but it wasn't what you'd call "living well".

Furthermore, he's doing blogging as successfully as anyone can. Between Kotaku and GayGamer, ht's probably doing better than the average pro blogger. To suggest that he sell off the "tools of the trade" and "just get another job" is an over simplistic, and narrow minded solution to his problem.

What The Geek

weggles and pope also fail to realize how bad you feel at times being a burden on someone else when your homeless.i was once there but i was younger and didnt really know it.i thought we were just staying at my aunts house for a couple months like a long sleepover.funny though a shopping cart was our moving van lol.

Truepatriot

WEGGLES90

Now, I may be missing the point entirely here, but to me this article gives me hope and a little ray of brightness. Here we have a person who recognises that while hard circumstances may befall you, life continues in one form or another and all we can do is make the best of a bad situation.

By choosing to have happiness, by focusing on the positve rather than the negative, that's what sepearates Flynn.

I was going to go on, but then I'm not a writer and this certainly isn't my blog. Be happy everybody.

beeawwb

Darthvinder

ffmusicdj

First off, blogging doesn't pay well. I know, I tried it for a while. Second, it's quite possible that - regardless of the size of your paycheck - for a person to hit hard times out of the blue. Unless you personally know Flynn, and are fully aware of every aspect of his situation, sit down and shut up.

What The Geek

*runs off*

Truepatriot

Long story short, shit happens and we have to keep our heads and spirits high ... and with enough hard work and determination, we can do anything we want to. It's amazing sometimes how resilient the human spirit is, but at the same time ... it can be so very weak. Truly, people like you and I have walked the hard path, but things will get better as long as we keep going and have a positive outlook.

Here's to you Flynn, and your path ... and may it bring you everything you desire.

dead_red_eyes

Sounds like a journey I'd want to make.

NotoriousJnX

Darkest Daze

That's not exactly the definition of "hardship".

Pope John Peeps II

WEGGLES90

PenitentPenguin

cheesecake000

Having been there myself, all I can say is keep at it, and don't let your situation get you down... when things are tough you can be your own worst enemy. If I can make it you can too - and for the record, you have a much cooler job than I did at the time... hell, you have a much cooler job than I do now.

What The Geek

mizzle

asianmacker

Fadakar

How I have lost faith in humanity..

*sigh*

kumuasata

tiredriver

captronj

Serro

maver1ck89

WaterMedia

I salute you.

Jesus Christ

dashyt2dafulliz

dafthero

Arkageon