Puppi and Burma the adventure cat.
#1
Puppi and Burma the adventure cat.



[Image: stephen_puppi_instagram.jpg]


[Image: burma_book.jpg]



I went to the Grange pet country today with 20 three and four years olds in tow. We saw this guy there with this very old calm dog, and this incredibly calm, mellow cat. We looked at the cat and the guy said "This is Burma the Adventure Cat." Burma the Adventure Cat seemed unphased to see 20 preschoolers. It just gazed back at us. I was curious about Burma, so I googled him when I got home and was surprised to find Burma has a facebook page and a book and a movie, and Burma and Puppi's owner is a homeless vet who served in the first Bush admin in Iraq. Burma and Puppi are his family.


[Image: burmaspack.jpg]

Apparently Stephen has a few health issues.

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It seems the threesome have a facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/PuppiandBurma and a Twitter page.

And articles about them.

http://www.oregonlive.com/pets/index.ssf...eless.html




Apparently Burma and Puppi climb tall mountains.

[Image: n-STEPHEN-SIMMONS-large570.jpg?12]


[Image: images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTLrkO5ZASTgqUvba8xPZl...-ykPY4_bEC]


And swim in what looks like the Smith River:

[Image: 7e12411f5661ab71ef55d0385e462894_large.jpg?1375727069]


And generally traverse Southern Oregon.

[Image: images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRXMmCjMBESlbdtE5rQbBS...7-j1ndEHsA]

[Image: 1470411_560876960657659_885769205_n.jpg]


They have articles about them and their owner Stephen Simmons in Huffington Post




After his return from the Iraq war, Stephen - like many other veterans - battled deep depression and anger; he struggled to find his place in society. A claim to the VA for Post Traumatic Stress was denied repeatedly, and Stephen slipped into a kind of despair. By 2012 he was homeless and living in Southern Oregon's rugged outdoors, focusing all his energy on survival of the mind and spirit.

He turned to running in the high mountains as a way to satisfy his need for adrenaline-filled adventure, and he documented the harsh lifestyle with thousands of photos. Although every day is a challenge, Stephen says, "This lifestyle has become a therapy, and has given me immense hope for the future, and a newfound determination to overcome this situation."


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/10...&ir=Impact

and have a book about them started by a woman who was doing a study on homeless vets.


He recently connected with a fellow veteran, a Marine veteran named Lydia Davey, who helped him raise funds on Kickstarter to publish a book of his photography.




Friend, author and U.S. Marine veteran Lydia Davey, was moved by Stephen's transparency, and by his determination to see good in the world around him despite his circumstances. Together, Lydia and Stephen created this book to add a voice to the conversation about the dignity and humanity of those who are homeless - particularly those who have served our nation in times of war.



I'm guessing there are some on here who know Stephen and his friends. But I never knew about them. I was impressed by their story once I looked it up. I hope no one looks at this thread and turns it into a debate about homelessness or handouts or whatever, because that's not what it's about. I just wanted to share it because I felt like they were a special family.
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#2
Very cool, thanks for this post. Smiling
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#3
Same here, Big Grin Puppi has a nice smile.
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#4
You be surprised the trials and tribulations that vets go through with the VA (with regards to claims) with visible issues so apparent even to the novice.

Great story...to bad it doesn't fall on the right " ears" to do more.
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#5
(12-04-2013, 09:40 PM)Prospector Wrote: You be surprised the trials and tribulations that vets go through with the VA (with regards to claims) with visible issues so apparent even to the novice.

Great story...to bad it doesn't fall on the right " ears" to do more.

Is it just me or are your comments and their likely responses just about exactly what Tia was hoping to avoid?

Quote:Tia, I hope no one looks at this thread and turns it into a debate about homelessness or handouts or whatever, because that's not what it's about.
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#6
Well, TV, I don't mind if it is positive comments but if it gets vitriolic then it's just a downer and this interesting story becomes a drag of a thread. I wonder where these guys are tonight though?
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#7
(12-04-2013, 09:52 PM)Tiamat Wrote: Well, TV, I don't mind if it is positive comments but if it gets vitriolic then it's just a downer and this interesting story becomes a drag of a thread. I wonder where these guys are tonight though?

The man in the topic is still homeless? The story said he was in 2012, this is almost 2014. If he is homeless is it because that's what he wants?

Anyway with this cold I hope he's inside somewhere.
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#8
(12-04-2013, 09:40 PM)Prospector Wrote: You be surprised the trials and tribulations that vets go through with the VA (with regards to claims) with visible issues so apparent even to the novice.

Great story...to bad it doesn't fall on the right " ears" to do more.

Maybe I misunderstood youSad
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#9
(12-04-2013, 10:06 PM)tvguy Wrote:
(12-04-2013, 09:40 PM)Prospector Wrote: You be surprised the trials and tribulations that vets go through with the VA (with regards to claims) with visible issues so apparent even to the novice.

Great story...to bad it doesn't fall on the right " ears" to do more.

Maybe I misunderstood youSad


Do you mean misunderstood me? I just don't want it to become negative. In terms of highlighting some of the problems of Vets I don't mind at all. But then someone, who shall not be named always arrives and spits on the entire thing and posts evil and nasties and I don't want it to be that kind of thing.
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#10
(12-04-2013, 10:05 PM)tvguy Wrote:
(12-04-2013, 09:52 PM)Tiamat Wrote: Well, TV, I don't mind if it is positive comments but if it gets vitriolic then it's just a downer and this interesting story becomes a drag of a thread. I wonder where these guys are tonight though?

The man in the topic is still homeless? The story said he was in 2012, this is almost 2014. If he is homeless is it because that's what he wants?

Anyway with this cold I hope he's inside somewhere.

I have no idea. I hope not. He was shopping at the grange. Can't be that hard up. Maybe they sponsor him?
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#11
(12-04-2013, 10:13 PM)Tiamat Wrote:
(12-04-2013, 10:06 PM)tvguy Wrote:
(12-04-2013, 09:40 PM)Prospector Wrote: You be surprised the trials and tribulations that vets go through with the VA (with regards to claims) with visible issues so apparent even to the novice.

Great story...to bad it doesn't fall on the right " ears" to do more.

Maybe I misunderstood youSad


Do you mean misunderstood me? I just don't want it to become negative. In terms of highlighting some of the problems of Vets I don't mind at all. But then someone, who shall not be named always arrives and spits on the entire thing and posts evil and nasties and I don't want it to be that kind of thing.

No I was posting to Prospector.Not so much about what he said but more about the conversation he was inviting.
Then I read his post again and realized he meant something different than what i first thought.
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#12
(12-04-2013, 10:14 PM)Tiamat Wrote:
(12-04-2013, 10:05 PM)tvguy Wrote:
(12-04-2013, 09:52 PM)Tiamat Wrote: Well, TV, I don't mind if it is positive comments but if it gets vitriolic then it's just a downer and this interesting story becomes a drag of a thread. I wonder where these guys are tonight though?

The man in the topic is still homeless? The story said he was in 2012, this is almost 2014. If he is homeless is it because that's what he wants?

Anyway with this cold I hope he's inside somewhere.

I have no idea. I hope not. He was shopping at the grange. Can't be that hard up. Maybe they sponsor him?

I would think he gets social security, I hope anyway.
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#13
(12-04-2013, 10:19 PM)tvguy Wrote:
(12-04-2013, 10:14 PM)Tiamat Wrote:
(12-04-2013, 10:05 PM)tvguy Wrote:
(12-04-2013, 09:52 PM)Tiamat Wrote: Well, TV, I don't mind if it is positive comments but if it gets vitriolic then it's just a downer and this interesting story becomes a drag of a thread. I wonder where these guys are tonight though?

The man in the topic is still homeless? The story said he was in 2012, this is almost 2014. If he is homeless is it because that's what he wants?

Anyway with this cold I hope he's inside somewhere.

I have no idea. I hope not. He was shopping at the grange. Can't be that hard up. Maybe they sponsor him?

I would think he gets social security, I hope anyway.

Well....not sure. The article says the Veteran's Administration denied his PTSD claim. Not sure about SS.

That cat was so cute though. And the guy takes awesome photographs of the valley. Make us look so beautiful to the world. Through the eyes of his friends.
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#14
OK I read the article in the Oregonian. The guy was in the military for more than 20 years so he probably has plenty of money. I think the "homeless" thing is a lifestyle That he probably doesn't live so much in the winter.
He owns a jeep and take all those pics with a cell phone.



Simmons joined the Army in 1986 and in 2008 returned from his last tour to Iraq, where he served with the 29th infantry.
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#15
(12-04-2013, 10:30 PM)tvguy Wrote: OK I read the article in the Oregonian. The guy was in the military for more than 20 years so he probably has plenty of money. I think the "homeless" thing is a lifestyle That he probably doesn't live so much in the winter.
He owns a jeep and take all those pics with a cell phone.



Simmons joined the Army in 1986 and in 2008 returned from his last tour to Iraq, where he served with the 29th infantry.

Pretty amazing pictures. They are cool.
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#16
(12-04-2013, 09:40 PM)Prospector Wrote: You be surprised the trials and tribulations that vets go through with the VA (with regards to claims) with visible issues so apparent even to the novice.

Great story...to bad it doesn't fall on the right " ears" to do more.

I volunteered at the White City Dom for a while when I was a Boy Scout. Spent a couple of summers just keeping people company there. No one else was bothering to spend their free time with the people who had served the US.

I was there 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, all summer. There were no regular visitors. When I worked as a caregiver in the Alzheimer's ward we had more regular visitors than the White City Dom had. And they couldn't remember who had visited them an hour later.
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#17
(12-05-2013, 01:30 AM)csrowan Wrote:
(12-04-2013, 09:40 PM)Prospector Wrote: You be surprised the trials and tribulations that vets go through with the VA (with regards to claims) with visible issues so apparent even to the novice.

Great story...to bad it doesn't fall on the right " ears" to do more.

I volunteered at the White City Dom for a while when I was a Boy Scout. Spent a couple of summers just keeping people company there. No one else was bothering to spend their free time with the people who had served the US.

I was there 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, all summer. There were no regular visitors. When I worked as a caregiver in the Alzheimer's ward we had more regular visitors than the White City Dom had. And they couldn't remember who had visited them an hour later.


They say that about Holocaust survivors now. Those who are left aren't really there anymore.
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#18
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#19
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#20
(12-05-2013, 10:17 AM)Tiamat Wrote:
(12-05-2013, 01:30 AM)csrowan Wrote:
(12-04-2013, 09:40 PM)Prospector Wrote: You be surprised the trials and tribulations that vets go through with the VA (with regards to claims) with visible issues so apparent even to the novice.

Great story...to bad it doesn't fall on the right " ears" to do more.

I volunteered at the White City Dom for a while when I was a Boy Scout. Spent a couple of summers just keeping people company there. No one else was bothering to spend their free time with the people who had served the US.

I was there 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, all summer. There were no regular visitors. When I worked as a caregiver in the Alzheimer's ward we had more regular visitors than the White City Dom had. And they couldn't remember who had visited them an hour later.


They say that about Holocaust survivors now. Those who are left aren't really there anymore.

What the?
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