Wondering if any one has watch this series on the LifeTime Channel?
Picked up some good tips from these two ladies concerning cleaning in
the kitchen.
Think it's sad though that people can actually let their homes go as
shown in the series. Watching tonite about the group of young punk
rockers living in filth and that plastic beer straw-whatever-was shown
to contain the bacteria that can cause the flesh eating disease.
I know people can have problems due to illness, martial problems, mental
illness etc. but so far all the people involved seem normal.

On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 02:37:37 -0400, ms. tonya wrote:

> Wondering if any one has watch this series on the LifeTime Channel?
> Picked up some good tips from these two ladies concerning cleaning in
> the kitchen.
> Think it's sad though that people can actually let their homes go as
> shown in the series. Watching tonite about the group of young punk
> rockers living in filth and that plastic beer straw-whatever-was shown
> to contain the bacteria that can cause the flesh eating disease.
> I know people can have problems due to illness, martial problems, mental
> illness etc. but so far all the people involved seem normal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~

If it was on HGTV, I would probably have known about it. I just read
this weekend about different channels doing HGTV type shows. Now I
have to read the TV guide? Life has been simple. up to now...
Discovery, History, FoodTV and HGTV.

I don't need complications.


``````````````

sf > wrote in
:

>
> On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 02:37:37 -0400, ms. tonya wrote:
>
>> Wondering if any one has watch this series on the LifeTime Channel?
>> Picked up some good tips from these two ladies concerning cleaning
>> in the kitchen.
>> Think it's sad though that people can actually let their homes go as
>> shown in the series. Watching tonite about the group of young punk
>> rockers living in filth and that plastic beer straw-whatever-was
>> shown to contain the bacteria that can cause the flesh eating
>> disease. I know people can have problems due to illness, martial
>> problems, mental illness etc. but so far all the people involved
>> seem normal.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> If it was on HGTV, I would probably have known about it. I just read
> this weekend about different channels doing HGTV type shows. Now I
> have to read the TV guide? Life has been simple. up to now...
> Discovery, History, FoodTV and HGTV.
>
> I don't need complications.
>
>
> ``````````````
This is on free to air TV here on a Sunday afternoon. I've caught part of
one episode - not sure which series it is - they were in the US, not in
England.They picked up over US$3000 in notes lying around this woman's
apartment. And it was filthy. I've decided that this is a good show to
watch when I'm feeling bad about keeping up with the housework - even at
its worst, when I've been petrified that someone might turn up on the
doorstep and actually want to come inside <g>, my house has never been
that filthy!

Rhonda Anderson
Cranebrook, NSW, Australia

On Mon 15 Aug 2005 11:37:37p, ms. tonya wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> Wondering if any one has watch this series on the LifeTime Channel?
> Picked up some good tips from these two ladies concerning cleaning in
> the kitchen.
> Think it's sad though that people can actually let their homes go as
> shown in the series. Watching tonite about the group of young punk
> rockers living in filth and that plastic beer straw-whatever-was shown
> to contain the bacteria that can cause the flesh eating disease.
> I know people can have problems due to illness, martial problems, mental
> illness etc. but so far all the people involved seem normal.

heh! You call that normal?

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974


---
avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean.
Virus Database (VPS): 0533-0, 08/15/2005
Tested on: 8/16/2005 4:54:39 AM
avast! - copyright (c) 1988-2005 ALWIL Software.
http://www.avast.com

On Tue 16 Aug 2005 04:56:12a, Rhonda Anderson wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> sf > wrote in
> :
>
>>
>> On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 02:37:37 -0400, ms. tonya wrote:
>>
>>> Wondering if any one has watch this series on the LifeTime Channel?
>>> Picked up some good tips from these two ladies concerning cleaning
>>> in the kitchen.
>>> Think it's sad though that people can actually let their homes go as
>>> shown in the series. Watching tonite about the group of young punk
>>> rockers living in filth and that plastic beer straw-whatever-was
>>> shown to contain the bacteria that can cause the flesh eating
>>> disease. I know people can have problems due to illness, martial
>>> problems, mental illness etc. but so far all the people involved
>>> seem normal.
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>
>> If it was on HGTV, I would probably have known about it. I just read
>> this weekend about different channels doing HGTV type shows. Now I
>> have to read the TV guide? Life has been simple. up to now...
>> Discovery, History, FoodTV and HGTV.
>>
>> I don't need complications.
>>
>>
>> ``````````````
> This is on free to air TV here on a Sunday afternoon. I've caught part of
> one episode - not sure which series it is - they were in the US, not in
> England.They picked up over US$3000 in notes lying around this woman's
> apartment. And it was filthy. I've decided that this is a good show to
> watch when I'm feeling bad about keeping up with the housework - even at
> its worst, when I've been petrified that someone might turn up on the
> doorstep and actually want to come inside <g>, my house has never been
> that filthy!
>
> Rhonda Anderson
> Cranebrook, NSW, Australia

So true. By comparison, and realistically, at worst my house has sometimes
been in serious disarray, but not filthy! Some of what I've seen on the
few epsisodes I've watched is enough to make you sick to your stomach,
literally and figuratively.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974


---
avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean.
Virus Database (VPS): 0533-0, 08/15/2005
Tested on: 8/16/2005 5:19:27 AM
avast! - copyright (c) 1988-2005 ALWIL Software.
http://www.avast.com

"Rhonda Anderson" > wrote in message
.5...
> sf > wrote in
> :
>
>>
>> On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 02:37:37 -0400, ms. tonya wrote:
>>
>>> Wondering if any one has watch this series on the LifeTime Channel?
>>> Picked up some good tips from these two ladies concerning cleaning
>>> in the kitchen.
>>> Think it's sad though that people can actually let their homes go as
>>> shown in the series.

You ever see Clean House, or whatever the name of that show is?
Come on, really, some of that, if not a lot, must be set up. I confess
that I am something of a slob, but there is no way these people can
actually live in the mayhem portrayed on the show. (this show does
not portray dirty houses so much as packrat houses)

I have caught that How Clean show a couple of times, I wonder
about that, similarly, but I think it would be harder to fake filth
like that.

> This is on free to air TV here on a Sunday afternoon. I've caught part of
> one episode - not sure which series it is - they were in the US, not in
> England.They picked up over US$3000 in notes lying around this woman's
> apartment. And it was filthy. I've decided that this is a good show to
> watch when I'm feeling bad about keeping up with the housework - even at
> its worst, when I've been petrified that someone might turn up on the
> doorstep and actually want to come inside <g>, my house has never been
> that filthy!

You're right, it does make you feel better, no way is my place ever *that*
dirty/messy. Having said that, the best way to motivate yourself to clean
the house is to invite people over. That's always lit a fire under my butt.

nancy

Rhonda Anderson wrote:

> sf > wrote in
> :
>
>
>>On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 02:37:37 -0400, ms. tonya wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Wondering if any one has watch this series on the LifeTime Channel?
>>> Picked up some good tips from these two ladies concerning cleaning
>>> in the kitchen.
>>> Think it's sad though that people can actually let their homes go as
>>> shown in the series. Watching tonite about the group of young punk
>>> rockers living in filth and that plastic beer straw-whatever-was
>>> shown to contain the bacteria that can cause the flesh eating
>>> disease. I know people can have problems due to illness, martial
>>> problems, mental illness etc. but so far all the people involved
>>> seem normal.
>>
>>~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>
>>If it was on HGTV, I would probably have known about it. I just read
>>this weekend about different channels doing HGTV type shows. Now I
>>have to read the TV guide? Life has been simple. up to now...
>>Discovery, History, FoodTV and HGTV.
>>
>>I don't need complications.
>>
>>
>>``````````````
>
> This is on free to air TV here on a Sunday afternoon. I've caught part of
> one episode - not sure which series it is - they were in the US, not in
> England.They picked up over US$3000 in notes lying around this woman's
> apartment. And it was filthy. I've decided that this is a good show to
> watch when I'm feeling bad about keeping up with the housework - even at
> its worst, when I've been petrified that someone might turn up on the
> doorstep and actually want to come inside <g>, my house has never been
> that filthy!
>
> Rhonda Anderson
> Cranebrook, NSW, Australia
>
I watched the one show where they had something like 4 dogs doing their
thing in the house. They claimed to go through a roll of paper towels a
day cleaning up messes the dogs made. She was pregnant too. I can't
imagine what the house smelled like!

Obfood: I watch the cooking shows when I don't feel like cooking. They
always inspire me to cook something so I don't get to watch them very
long. I'm up in the kitchen messing with stuff to cook

On 16 Aug 2005 14:24:54 +0200, Wayne Boatwright wrote:

> So true. By comparison, and realistically, at worst my house has sometimes
> been in serious disarray, but not filthy! Some of what I've seen on the
> few epsisodes I've watched is enough to make you sick to your stomach,
> literally and figuratively.

So, these people have some sort of a mental condition?

On Tue 16 Aug 2005 09:50:05a, sf wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> On 16 Aug 2005 14:24:54 +0200, Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>
>> So true. By comparison, and realistically, at worst my house has
>> sometimes been in serious disarray, but not filthy! Some of what I've
>> seen on the few epsisodes I've watched is enough to make you sick to
>> your stomach, literally and figuratively.
>
> So, these people have some sort of a mental condition?

Dunno. Maybe some people are just comfortable living in filth.


--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 11:58:57 -0400, ~patches~ wrote:

> I watched the one show where they had something like 4 dogs doing their
> thing in the house. They claimed to go through a roll of paper towels a
> day cleaning up messes the dogs made. She was pregnant too. I can't
> imagine what the house smelled like!

Ohmygawd... that's disgusting! I wouldn't be able to watch something
like that for long.

"Nancy Young" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Rhonda Anderson" > wrote in message
> .5...
>> sf > wrote in
>> :
>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 02:37:37 -0400, ms. tonya wrote:
>>>
>>>> Wondering if any one has watch this series on the LifeTime Channel?
>>>> Picked up some good tips from these two ladies concerning cleaning
>>>> in the kitchen.
>>>> Think it's sad though that people can actually let their homes go as
>>>> shown in the series.
>
> You ever see Clean House, or whatever the name of that show is?
> Come on, really, some of that, if not a lot, must be set up. I confess
> that I am something of a slob, but there is no way these people can
> actually live in the mayhem portrayed on the show. (this show does
> not portray dirty houses so much as packrat houses)
>
> I have caught that How Clean show a couple of times, I wonder
> about that, similarly, but I think it would be harder to fake filth
> like that.
>
>> This is on free to air TV here on a Sunday afternoon. I've caught part of
>> one episode - not sure which series it is - they were in the US, not in
>> England.They picked up over US$3000 in notes lying around this woman's
>> apartment. And it was filthy. I've decided that this is a good show to
>> watch when I'm feeling bad about keeping up with the housework - even at
>> its worst, when I've been petrified that someone might turn up on the
>> doorstep and actually want to come inside <g>, my house has never been
>> that filthy!
>
> You're right, it does make you feel better, no way is my place ever *that*
> dirty/messy. Having said that, the best way to motivate yourself to clean
> the house is to invite people over. That's always lit a fire under my
> butt.
>
> nancy
>
>
actually, there ARE people who live like that...which I unfortunately and
occasionally come across in my line of work (paramedic). You would be
amazed and disgusted with some of the conditions (I reckon I can still
remember the smell of some of them eeerrrkk)

I also recall thinking at the times I've entered these homes::
a) how can people live like this/eat or sleep in this filth (and I really
mean filth)
b) how did things manage to get this bad...surely no-one is raised this way;
do they just end up not caring about what happens to them? Is there a psych
disorder? What are the reasons for them being unable to cope with the normal
activities of daily living?
c) if they have family/visitors/carers/doctors/Meals on Wheels/etc, how were
they 'allowed' to remain that way (and believe me, some of these people DO
have family, etc that visit them)
d) what can we as a society do for these people, apart from ignoring them?

Maria
<getting despondent again about these people>

On Tue 16 Aug 2005 10:53:32a, MG wrote in rec.food.cooking:

>
> "Nancy Young" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> "Rhonda Anderson" > wrote in message
>> .5...
>>> sf > wrote in
>>> :
>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 02:37:37 -0400, ms. tonya wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Wondering if any one has watch this series on the LifeTime Channel?
>>>>> Picked up some good tips from these two ladies concerning cleaning
>>>>> in the kitchen.
>>>>> Think it's sad though that people can actually let their homes go
>>>>> as shown in the series.
>>
>> You ever see Clean House, or whatever the name of that show is?
>> Come on, really, some of that, if not a lot, must be set up. I confess
>> that I am something of a slob, but there is no way these people can
>> actually live in the mayhem portrayed on the show. (this show does
>> not portray dirty houses so much as packrat houses)
>>
>> I have caught that How Clean show a couple of times, I wonder
>> about that, similarly, but I think it would be harder to fake filth
>> like that.
>>
>>> This is on free to air TV here on a Sunday afternoon. I've caught part
>>> of one episode - not sure which series it is - they were in the US,
>>> not in England.They picked up over US$3000 in notes lying around this
>>> woman's apartment. And it was filthy. I've decided that this is a good
>>> show to watch when I'm feeling bad about keeping up with the housework
>>> - even at its worst, when I've been petrified that someone might turn
>>> up on the doorstep and actually want to come inside <g>, my house has
>>> never been that filthy!
>>
>> You're right, it does make you feel better, no way is my place ever
>> *that* dirty/messy. Having said that, the best way to motivate
>> yourself to clean the house is to invite people over. That's always
>> lit a fire under my butt.
>>
>> nancy
>>
>>
> actually, there ARE people who live like that...which I unfortunately
> and occasionally come across in my line of work (paramedic). You would
> be amazed and disgusted with some of the conditions (I reckon I can
> still remember the smell of some of them eeerrrkk)
>
> I also recall thinking at the times I've entered these homes::
> a) how can people live like this/eat or sleep in this filth (and I
> really mean filth)
> b) how did things manage to get this bad...surely no-one is raised this
> way; do they just end up not caring about what happens to them? Is there
> a psych disorder? What are the reasons for them being unable to cope
> with the normal activities of daily living?
> c) if they have family/visitors/carers/doctors/Meals on Wheels/etc, how
> were they 'allowed' to remain that way (and believe me, some of these
> people DO have family, etc that visit them)
> d) what can we as a society do for these people, apart from ignoring
> them?

It reminds me of when I worked for a telephone company in the midwest. We
would hear stories from the installers and repairmen who would answer a
complaint about a phone not working, and find that the telephone set itself
had a nest of roaches inside the case, or that rats had chewed the phone
line. The rest of the living conditions were similar.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

sf wrote:

> On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 11:58:57 -0400, ~patches~ wrote:
>
>
>> I watched the one show where they had something like 4 dogs doing their
>> thing in the house. They claimed to go through a roll of paper towels a
>> day cleaning up messes the dogs made. She was pregnant too. I can't
>> imagine what the house smelled like!
>
>
> Ohmygawd... that's disgusting! I wouldn't be able to watch something
> like that for long.

Oh it just turned my stomach! I haven't watched the show since. I
really don't like skipping meals

MG wrote:

> "Nancy Young" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>"Rhonda Anderson" > wrote in message
91.5...
>>
>>>sf > wrote in
:
>>>
>>>
>>>>On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 02:37:37 -0400, ms. tonya wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Wondering if any one has watch this series on the LifeTime Channel?
>>>>> Picked up some good tips from these two ladies concerning cleaning
>>>>> in the kitchen.
>>>>> Think it's sad though that people can actually let their homes go as
>>>>> shown in the series.
>>
>>You ever see Clean House, or whatever the name of that show is?
>>Come on, really, some of that, if not a lot, must be set up. I confess
>>that I am something of a slob, but there is no way these people can
>>actually live in the mayhem portrayed on the show. (this show does
>>not portray dirty houses so much as packrat houses)
>>
>>I have caught that How Clean show a couple of times, I wonder
>>about that, similarly, but I think it would be harder to fake filth
>>like that.
>>
>>
>>>This is on free to air TV here on a Sunday afternoon. I've caught part of
>>>one episode - not sure which series it is - they were in the US, not in
>>>England.They picked up over US$3000 in notes lying around this woman's
>>>apartment. And it was filthy. I've decided that this is a good show to
>>>watch when I'm feeling bad about keeping up with the housework - even at
>>>its worst, when I've been petrified that someone might turn up on the
>>>doorstep and actually want to come inside <g>, my house has never been
>>>that filthy!
>>
>>You're right, it does make you feel better, no way is my place ever *that*
>>dirty/messy. Having said that, the best way to motivate yourself to clean
>>the house is to invite people over. That's always lit a fire under my
>>butt.
>>
>>nancy
>>
>>
>
> actually, there ARE people who live like that...which I unfortunately and
> occasionally come across in my line of work (paramedic). You would be
> amazed and disgusted with some of the conditions (I reckon I can still
> remember the smell of some of them eeerrrkk)
>
> I also recall thinking at the times I've entered these homes::
> a) how can people live like this/eat or sleep in this filth (and I really
> mean filth)

Perhaps they aren't aware of the problem mentally just as some smelly
people aren't aware of how they smell? Some of these people are
mentally ill and have been turned out of mental facilities. They really
don't know how to care for themselves or their surrounding. The gov't
justifies it by giving them drugs and sending them on their merry way
without any type of support system. Many homeless are the same.

> b) how did things manage to get this bad...surely no-one is raised this way;
> do they just end up not caring about what happens to them? Is there a psych
> disorder? What are the reasons for them being unable to cope with the normal
> activities of daily living?

People are raised in all types of situations some better than others.
Reasonable & responsible parents teach their kids personal hygiene and
how to clean their living space. Not everyone has these types of
parents so some grow up never knowing how to clean up after themselves.
People also tend to model what they grew up with.

> c) if they have family/visitors/carers/doctors/Meals on Wheels/etc, how were
> they 'allowed' to remain that way (and believe me, some of these people DO
> have family, etc that visit them)

Good question. Since our society believes in personal atonomy there is
little anyone can do unless the person wants help themselves.

> d) what can we as a society do for these people, apart from ignoring them?

IMO, tolerance, guidance, setting good examples, offering help. If you
know someone living in this type of circumstance than I think ethically
you have a responsibility to offer help. Don't be surprised if the help
is declined, just keep after them in a gentle manner. If you are really
concerned keep notifying the proper authorities until something is done.

>
> Maria
> <getting despondent again about these people>
>
>

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> On Tue 16 Aug 2005 09:50:05a, sf wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>
>
>>On 16 Aug 2005 14:24:54 +0200, Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>
>>
>>> So true. By comparison, and realistically, at worst my house has
>>> sometimes been in serious disarray, but not filthy! Some of what I've
>>> seen on the few epsisodes I've watched is enough to make you sick to
>>> your stomach, literally and figuratively.
>>
>>So, these people have some sort of a mental condition?
>
>
> Dunno. Maybe some people are just comfortable living in filth.

I'm SHOCKED by those people. Some of them are sleeping in beds that the
dogs and cats have pooped in and the ladies *find the poop still
there!!! Those people should be embarrassed to have their friends,
family and coworkers see what pigs they are. I wonder if they are though?

"MG" > wrote

> "Nancy Young" > wrote

>> You ever see Clean House, or whatever the name of that show is?
>> Come on, really, some of that, if not a lot, must be set up. I confess
>> that I am something of a slob, but there is no way these people can
>> actually live in the mayhem portrayed on the show. (this show does
>> not portray dirty houses so much as packrat houses)
>>
>> I have caught that How Clean show a couple of times, I wonder
>> about that, similarly, but I think it would be harder to fake filth
>> like that.

> actually, there ARE people who live like that...which I unfortunately and
> occasionally come across in my line of work (paramedic). You would be
> amazed and disgusted with some of the conditions (I reckon I can still
> remember the smell of some of them eeerrrkk)

I believe you, really I do. I kinda meant about the clutter people, there
literally was no place to sit down. I don't mean you'd have to sit on
unfolded laundry, like that, I mean every surface covered with boxes
and crap. Everyone has to sit sometime, or even sleep on the floor if the
bed is covered with boxes, but the floor is covered, too.

About the filth? I absolutely believe it. I've seen enough pictures of
it, also I knew someone like that, yes ... she was my boss for a time,
who was living in a filthy, flea infested house, a gazillion cats and dogs
doing their business wherever they wanted, disgusting. Horses in the
barn up to their knees in manure, starving. Stuff you see on those
animal police shows I catch once in a while.

When they finally fired her years later, the people who cleaned out
her cube were covered in flea bites, they had to have the place
fumigated. So I know there are people who don't mind filth.

> I also recall thinking at the times I've entered these homes::
> a) how can people live like this/eat or sleep in this filth (and I really
> mean filth)

In the case I mentioned, she didn't see anything wrong with it and
would openly talk about it.

> b) how did things manage to get this bad...surely no-one is raised this
> way; do they just end up not caring about what happens to them? Is there a
> psych disorder? What are the reasons for them being unable to cope with
> the normal activities of daily living?

She was obviously (to me) severely depressed and otherwise mentally
ill.

> c) if they have family/visitors/carers/doctors/Meals on Wheels/etc, how
> were they 'allowed' to remain that way (and believe me, some of these
> people DO have family, etc that visit them)

Trying to put myself in their place, if someone came in right now and said,
your desk is messy (whatever), I don't think I'd take kindly to that.
Perhaps
people are rebuffed if they say anything.

> d) what can we as a society do for these people, apart from ignoring them?

Nothing. Unless they are endangering other people somehow, or breaking some
law, I guess they have a right to live like that.

nancy

"Wayne Boatwright" > wrote

> It reminds me of when I worked for a telephone company in the midwest. We
> would hear stories from the installers and repairmen who would answer a
> complaint about a phone not working, and find that the telephone set
> itself
> had a nest of roaches inside the case, or that rats had chewed the phone
> line. The rest of the living conditions were similar.

Remember back in the day, the phone company owned the phone? You
had to return it when you moved or whatever. In certain cities you would
have to return it in a sealed plastic bag. Yeah, you know why. I also
heard of (still in those urban slummy areas) basements where the phone
people would not enter, the walls were alive. Man, give those people
a haz mat suit and hose them off when they come out. Ugh.

nancy

On Tue 16 Aug 2005 12:23:46p, Goomba38 wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> I'm SHOCKED by those people. Some of them are sleeping in beds that the
> dogs and cats have pooped in and the ladies *find the poop still
> there!!! Those people should be embarrassed to have their friends,
> family and coworkers see what pigs they are. I wonder if they are though?
>

I can't imagine them being embarrassed by much of anything if they're willing
to expose their living habits and surroundings on national television.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

One time on Usenet, Goomba38 > said:
> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> > On Tue 16 Aug 2005 09:50:05a, sf wrote in rec.food.cooking:
> >
> >
> >>On 16 Aug 2005 14:24:54 +0200, Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>> So true. By comparison, and realistically, at worst my house has
> >>> sometimes been in serious disarray, but not filthy! Some of what I've
> >>> seen on the few epsisodes I've watched is enough to make you sick to
> >>> your stomach, literally and figuratively.
> >>
> >>So, these people have some sort of a mental condition?
> >
> >
> > Dunno. Maybe some people are just comfortable living in filth.
>
> I'm SHOCKED by those people. Some of them are sleeping in beds that the
> dogs and cats have pooped in and the ladies *find the poop still
> there!!!

Well, I'm not feeling so bad about needing to mop my kitchen floor
now. ;-)

> Those people should be embarrassed to have their friends,
> family and coworkers see what pigs they are. I wonder if they are though?

I get the feeling they don't care, or it wouldn't have gotten so bad...

--
Jani in WA (S'mee)
~ mom, VidGamer, novice cook, dieter ~

On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 09:50:05 -0700, sf > wrote:

>On 16 Aug 2005 14:24:54 +0200, Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>
>> So true. By comparison, and realistically, at worst my house has sometimes
>> been in serious disarray, but not filthy! Some of what I've seen on the
>> few epsisodes I've watched is enough to make you sick to your stomach,
>> literally and figuratively.
>
>So, these people have some sort of a mental condition?

I don't think so. Just a certain comfort level with living in
absolutely unbelievable disgusting jaw-dropping filth.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 10:34:44 -0700, sf > wrote:

>On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 11:58:57 -0400, ~patches~ wrote:
>
>> I watched the one show where they had something like 4 dogs doing their
>> thing in the house. They claimed to go through a roll of paper towels a
>> day cleaning up messes the dogs made. She was pregnant too. I can't
>> imagine what the house smelled like!
>
>Ohmygawd... that's disgusting! I wouldn't be able to watch something
>like that for long.

The first time I watched it, I gagged; you don't even want to know the
things they show in the kitchens and bathrooms. The other amazing
thing is that one of the ladies (with the platinum hair) is always
sniffing the filth. She'll get down on her knees and smell the
carpet, then make a face like she's surprized. They scold the people
too.

I don't know how they found the subjects of the shows who seemed to be
overwhelmed with the task of cleaning such a mess. Most of them
appreciate the help in getting the place cleaned (some of them cry for
happy), so I don't think they are mentally ill. It's more like the
situation got away from them. The ladies make a follow-up visit in
two weeks and most of the houses are still clean.

It hasn't been on around here for a long time though.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

On Wed, 17 Aug 2005 00:59:43 GMT, (Curly
Sue) wrote:

>On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 10:34:44 -0700, sf > wrote:
>
>>On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 11:58:57 -0400, ~patches~ wrote:
>>
>>> I watched the one show where they had something like 4 dogs doing their
>>> thing in the house. They claimed to go through a roll of paper towels a
>>> day cleaning up messes the dogs made. She was pregnant too. I can't
>>> imagine what the house smelled like!
>>
>>Ohmygawd... that's disgusting! I wouldn't be able to watch something
>>like that for long.
>
>The first time I watched it, I gagged; you don't even want to know the
>things they show in the kitchens and bathrooms. The other amazing
>thing is that one of the ladies (with the platinum hair) is always
>sniffing the filth. She'll get down on her knees and smell the
>carpet, then make a face like she's surprized. They scold the people
>too.
<snip>

The people who live like that don't need to be called "dirty beggars"
they need professional psychiatric help, not a couple of glorified
Merry Maids. More trash reality tv we can do without.

TammyM

On Tue 16 Aug 2005 07:49:12p, TammyM wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> On Wed, 17 Aug 2005 00:59:43 GMT, (Curly
> Sue) wrote:
>
>>On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 10:34:44 -0700, sf > wrote:
>>
>>>On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 11:58:57 -0400, ~patches~ wrote:
>>>
>>>> I watched the one show where they had something like 4 dogs doing
>>>> their thing in the house. They claimed to go through a roll of
>>>> paper towels a day cleaning up messes the dogs made. She was
>>>> pregnant too. I can't imagine what the house smelled like!
>>>
>>>Ohmygawd... that's disgusting! I wouldn't be able to watch something
>>>like that for long.
>>
>>The first time I watched it, I gagged; you don't even want to know the
>>things they show in the kitchens and bathrooms. The other amazing
>>thing is that one of the ladies (with the platinum hair) is always
>>sniffing the filth. She'll get down on her knees and smell the
>>carpet, then make a face like she's surprized. They scold the people
>>too.
> <snip>
>
> The people who live like that don't need to be called "dirty beggars"
> they need professional psychiatric help, not a couple of glorified
> Merry Maids. More trash reality tv we can do without.
>
> TammyM

I would love it if ALL of the trash TV shows could be bundled onto one
channel so that they could be collectively avoided.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974


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On 17 Aug 2005 05:22:20 +0200, Wayne Boatwright wrote:

> I would love it if ALL of the trash TV shows could be bundled onto one
> channel so that they could be collectively avoided.

amen to that, brother

<snip>
>
>> d) what can we as a society do for these people, apart from ignoring
>> them?
>
> IMO, tolerance, guidance, setting good examples, offering help. If you
> know someone living in this type of circumstance than I think ethically
> you have a responsibility to offer help. Don't be surprised if the help
> is declined, just keep after them in a gentle manner. If you are really
> concerned keep notifying the proper authorities until something is done.
>
>>
>> Maria
>> <getting despondent again about these people>
>

actually, in a couple of cases I have 'reported' them...to the receiving
hospital staff, so they could get social workers/community workers etc onto
helping these poor souls.

I reported one guy for elder abuse...he'd allowed his frail mother to
subsist on minimal food, then when she broke her lower leg, he didn't
arrange for medical attention until after a few days...the poor thing had
had to walk on it to get anywhere...she was even convinced that she should
walk out to the ambulance, as she'd been walking on it for all that time
(and it was definitely fractured - there was an extra joint between her
ankle and knee)

Other times I've notified our shift managers, who will arrange a meeting
with the person's GP, perhaps their family, etc (usually happens if the
person is a 'frequent flyer' with us, and most of the calls to us relate
more to their need to have occasional human contact, or because of eg
frequent attendances due to alcohol abuse, etc) to work out a plan for their
care. Many of these have been quite successful; often their GP didn't even
know what condition the person is living in, as they only see them once a
month or whatever, and can only act on what the person tells them.

>> c) if they have family/visitors/carers/doctors/Meals on Wheels/etc, how
>> were they 'allowed' to remain that way (and believe me, some of these
>> people DO have family, etc that visit them)
>
> Good question. Since our society believes in personal autonomy there is
> little anyone can do unless the person wants help themselves.

Unfortunately, yes, we have to respect other people's autonomy, and their
ability to make decisions about themselves and their lives...the difficulty
is determining if they are making the decision from a rational and informed
view, or if their thinking is disordered due to whatever factors, or they
don't have all the relevant information, and then perhaps we can step in
(usually with the aid of police)

Maria

<snip>

> I would love it if ALL of the trash TV shows could be bundled onto one
> channel so that they could be collectively avoided.
>
> --
> Wayne Boatwright *¿*
> ____________________________________________
>

>hear hear!!!!

Curly Sue wrote:

> On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 10:34:44 -0700, sf > wrote:
>
>
>>On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 11:58:57 -0400, ~patches~ wrote:
>>
>>
>>> I watched the one show where they had something like 4 dogs doing their
>>> thing in the house. They claimed to go through a roll of paper towels a
>>> day cleaning up messes the dogs made. She was pregnant too. I can't
>>> imagine what the house smelled like!
>>
>>Ohmygawd... that's disgusting! I wouldn't be able to watch something
>>like that for long.
>
>
> The first time I watched it, I gagged; you don't even want to know the
> things they show in the kitchens and bathrooms. The other amazing
> thing is that one of the ladies (with the platinum hair) is always
> sniffing the filth. She'll get down on her knees and smell the
> carpet, then make a face like she's surprized. They scold the people
> too.
>

Oh that just turned my stomach! She smells everything even the icky
stuff in the bathrooms. I can't believe the kitchens either. I've seen
messy kitchens even my own when I'm doing canning prep or a bulk cooking
session. The mess is always cleaned up when I'm finished and as I'm
working. I tend to toss things into the DW as I use them then run it
while food is cooking or the canner is running so it never really gets
out of hand. With kitchens like those you don't have to worry about
getting food poisoning eating out, you can get it right from the
comforts of your own home

> I don't know how they found the subjects of the shows who seemed to be
> overwhelmed with the task of cleaning such a mess. Most of them
> appreciate the help in getting the place cleaned (some of them cry for
> happy), so I don't think they are mentally ill. It's more like the
> situation got away from them. The ladies make a follow-up visit in
> two weeks and most of the houses are still clean.
>
> It hasn't been on around here for a long time though.
>
> Sue(tm)
> Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

As the director of a local food pantry, I have seen many houses like
this. I once was called by a CASA worker about a client of mine whose
house was a total mess. He wanted me to get a few people to come and
help clean it.

No one would help, so my hubby and I bought a bottle of bleach, Lysol,
sponges and a pail and went over to met the CASA worker. I stood in
utter shock and amazement at the condition that these people lived in.
The man of the house was a jovial, very likeable alcoholic, who was
trying to retain custody of his two young children, whom he loved
dearly.

I was given the choice of rooms to clean. As the kitchen was the worst,
I chose it. It had the tiniest kitchen sink I have ever seen, so we took
a plastic bucket, filled it with boiling water and bleach and placed the
first of about 20 loads of dirty dishes in it to soak. While the dishes
were soaking, we emptied the food closets directly into the trash. I
had been giving these people food for years and apparently they had
eaten very little of it. The canned goods were all puffy and rusting,
the boxed goods, macaroni, spaghetti, etc., were full of bugs and
molding. And don't get me started on the smells.

My first instincts were to throw away every single item in the room, but
I knew that there was no money to buy new pots and pans, dishes,
utensils, so everything had to be salvaged.

After about the first 4 hours of dirty dishes and emptying cupboards, it
was time for lunch, not that we had much of an appetite. Before we left
for lunch, we decided that the easiest way to wash the walls would be to
spray them down with ammonia and let them soak. The ceiling and walls
were all tin, (probably beautiful in another lifetime), Every square
inch of the ceiling and walls was coated with food. Not just the gummy
sticky stuff that sticks to your stove vent, but actual food, as if
someone had a food fight in there everyday for a year, and never cleaned
up.

After a one hour lunch, it took that long for our noses to recover, we
went back armed with metal spatulas to scrape down the walls. We had to
hold rags in one hand to hold the scrapings. I think this was the worst
part.

The CASA worker and the client kept finding more and more dirty dishes
all over the house. What really struck me was that the messes on the
plates were in no way recognizable as ever having been food in the first
place. But we kept soaking and washing, over and over and over, until
every single plate, glass, fork, and pan was clean and usable again.

We then tackled the wooden cupboards. We scraped them down, using soap
and warm water, then polished them with a furniture polish, lined them
all with shelf paper, and placed all of the newly cleaned items.

I had brought a new load of food from the food pantry and took a large
jar and filled it with granola bars and placed it on the counter, put
new dishtowels and soap on the sink and presented the man with a nearly
new looking kitchen.

The rest of the house, which consisted of 3 bedrooms, dining room and
living room were filled with the most gorgeous, expensive furniture I
have ever seen. The man had been in the service in the Orient and had
brought home all of this black lacquered, inlaid furniture, dining room
set, living room furniture, bedroom furniture. This stuff was
incredible, but the floors were piled knee high with magazines, papers,
and clothing. Some of the children's clothing were toddler sized, the
kids were now preteens. So I imagine that these clothes had been on the
floor for many years.

I opted out of viewing "his" bedroom and the bathrooms and told the CASA
worker that the least he (the client) could do was clean his own waste.

His 2 kids were the nicest, sweetest kids you'd ever want to meet. One
time when they had come into the food pantry for food, I had just been
given a few bags of mostly childrens' winter clothes. I took the little
girl into the other room to help her pick out some new slacks, a jacket
, hat, etc., but she totally blew off my attempts and just kept
rummaging around in the bags. I finally asked her what exactly was she
looking for and she sweetly looked up with her beautiful black eyes, she
is 1/2 Chinese, and said, " Daddy needs winter gloves." It really
affected me knowing what conditions this innocent child was living in
and she still was thinking of her daddy first.

I'm sorry for such a long post, but I just wanted to show why some
people live this way. Alcoholism, mental illnesses and other social
issues all contribute to chaos in many people's lives. Sadly, a few
months later, this man did lose custody of the kids to the system.

Eventually I heard that the house was sold and the new owners had to
completely gut the kitchen because there was food stuck all over the
walls and ceiling. I didn't know if I should laugh or cry. I guess I
just prayed for the kids.

Denise