The Optional Depressive

It’s the third time I’ve rang. Still no answer….maybe I should start pestering the White House instead …maybe I should start leafing through the directory ringing Politicians, finding second homes to see if they are in. It was a really good move. The squatters. They have descended on Mr & Mrs Keen’s second home and set up a really good comedy club…’The Benefit Gig’. This has really made them go back into the tortoise shell of shame.

Maybe I should go down there, take a crate of Carling and a bag of tuna and volunteer for the cause. It could be more fun that the sorry debacle of Big Brother XIV. The couple apparently claimed £140,000 in Parliamentary allowances for this designated “second home”, a luxury apartment just nine miles away in Westminster. What a sight the neighbours must see as the new tenants urinate on the front lawn at 6.30am…glorious…and I wish I was there.

In a letter to those same neighbours on the other hand the “Expenses Couple” complained that they feel “violated” by the ten squatters taking over their home in protest at their expenses. Her feelings of being violated by ten men shouldn’t be running through her mind, but rather the blatant disregard to UK taxes and allowances which in my view is a violation. If only I could get there, riding in on a motorbike..taking pictures and documenting “my own home“. Yet I can’t, I must keep ringing the local homeless shelter to get work, ironically. I’ll have another drink and try the phone again.

The piece I am about to start work on directly stems from a charity called Photovoice, a charity that gives less fortunate beneficiaries the means to record their lives. Maybe I should ring Politicians and donate cameras. As I walked around in the sun stretched town of Lancaster, looking for a new tent. One without corridors, compartments and special zips to keep the deadly house fly away, it occurred to me that they weren’t there. Where were all the war veterans? The post traumatized ‘war homeless’ now in the 4-figured numbers swelling Britain’s roads. Day time in the heat wasn’t the place, not when Sally and daughter Jessica are buying new socks.

Gordon Brown maintains his stance that things are being done to alleviate the homeless problem. In his direct letter to Ms Edwards at Homeless.org he ‘welcomes your positive comments about the governments commitment to tackle homelessness‘ and so forth until you lose your temper halfway down, grab a camera and record each individual homeless persons life and post them through the doors of ‘second homes‘ to show the nation a real problem.

I’ll keep trying the phone…

stephensidlo.com

Filed under: BBC, Benefit Gig, Benefits, Big Brother, britain, British, Carling, expenses, government, homeless, journalism, Keen, london, Politicians, second homes, Stephen Sidlo, Westminster, White House

Goodbye W. But will you be missed?

As we wait, clutching our mice, radios and newspapers for that final vote to be counted and verified for this year’s Next Top World Leader, we cast our minds to a man currently occupying the hot seat in Washington. More loathed than loved for eight years, George W. Bush has been the center of conspiracy, religious hate, financial decline debates and the breakdown of allied relationships. During that funny little mans reign as President, did he do any good?

The world in 2008 is well aware of the faults that surge from the White House as another catastrophe unfolds. The peak of his decision making skills during his ‘Oil War’ in Iraq, damaged further when he failed to get adequate water supplies to the Superdome during Hurricane Katrina. This act alone was frowned upon globally, his own countrymen open armed in desperation asking him, what are you doing you idiot?

It came clear to me as I watched 800 men, women and children descend into Parliament Square, during Mr Bush’s last visit to the UK. Large items were thrown, such as French baguettes from a local Tesco’s Metro, rioters of all religions, creeds and backgrounds waded into heavy armed riot police down Whitehall hour after hour. Hurricane jets escorting identical Air Force 1’s to fool terrorists on the ground, thunder through the air above us. It was clear then, that his bad command had far outweighed the good during his time in Office. His biggest achievement they see is convincing U.S voters that Defence means Attack.

Yet. He introduced three major tax cuts, which in turn had seen America become the fastest growing economy of any industrialized nation. Homeownership was high, mortgage and interest rates historically low, plus unemployment was lower than any average since the late 1960’s. Many of these reasons contribute to why this man was voted in for a second term. Like any country, if rates are low and your penny is worth more, Mr Tax Payer will keep the status quo regardless of far away wars.

Maybe he will be missed by that T-Bone and radish sauce eating, middle class tax payer, who believes the next President will take more away from him and purchase more expensive weaponry, or even the snack eating poorer folk who don’t want their Medical accounts taxed. Either way, I’m positive he won’t be missed by many, but I’m sure he won’t be forgotten any time soon either.

stephensidlo.com

Filed under: america, BBC, black hawk, carpet bombing, CNN, ethics, Iraq, iraqi, Politicians, terrorists, U.S, White House