As Amazon, eBay, and the 2008 Presidential election demonstrated, the Internet is a great revenue stream. Well, two guys out of Houston (Sean and Kevin Dolan) decided to harness its power for the benefit of the homeless – at least for the benefit of one homeless man, Tim Edwards. Tim answered a series of questions about his life for their camera, and they are directing the revenue and donations from the site to Tim’s rehabilitation. But their site has come under attack for its hilarious (but offensive) name: Pimp This Bum. Everyone, from Salon blogs to AOL, is questioning the deliberately controversial name. Certainly, their fundraising tactics are dubious: is Tim Edwards really receiving all the donations? But, one could argue, that a currently homeless person talking candidly on camera about their very real experience is something we need to hear. Already, a rehab facility in Seattle has granted Tim a scholarship at the value of $13,800 for a week-long alcohol recovery program.
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