Benefitting Who?

(c) guardian.co.uk

Three years ago I moved from the glorious city of Leeds back to the not-at-all-glorious Catterick Garrison. I had no money, no job and no get up and go; I was suffering from severe depression, which was only fuelled by feeling like a failure and moving back into my parents’ house. My boyfriend was in tow and it soon became clear that there was a lot of unease due to living with Mum and Dad.
Brad and I went to our local Connexions centre and were told that all they could do was put us into a homeless unit because moving out was our own choice. We weren’t entitled to anything more and didn’t set out with high expectations.

We arrived at the unit on August 20th 2009. We waited in the main living space to be signed in and given a room. Within 30 seconds a tracksuited youth approached, asking if we could get him some weed; there wasn’t really much politeness in the way I said no and the disdain I felt inside was clearly legible on my face. What had we fallen in to?
It was a relief to be given a room in a different building with only a few other people, all of whom had found themselves homeless through no fault of their own. One man, Karl, was an ex-fireman and a vicious divorce had seen his wife leave him with nothing. He was funny, friendly and a well-functioning human – thank God we weren’t the only ones!
During our time in the unit we applied for a Council house and were flatly refused because Brad had no local ties. What they meant to say is we worked, didn’t do drugs and I hadn’t popped out babies to 48,129 different men. Because those are the kinds of people who get help and we didn’t fit any of that criteria.

Fast-forward to now and we still work, still don’t do drugs and still haven’t been impregnated by any drunken squaddies on terrible nights out. And we’re still entitled to nothing, even now Brad is seen as being a ‘local’. In November 2009 we managed to secure a place to live of our own; it’s a small studio flat which is essentially a shoebox with an oven. We pay for everything, keep it running and have a little space in the world that’s just for us.
Unfortunately depression is still a massive factor in my life, so much so that my doctor has advised we find somewhere new to live; a house with separate rooms and actual space. He’s written three letters to the Council detailing the need to move, but it’s proven to be fruitless. Clearly medical professionals have no sway in the eyes of Richmondshire Council but keeping the drugged up wasters and dole-claiming single mothers happy is a top priority.

The sad thing is that it’s the same up and down England. Just because thousands of people like us can afford to keep a roof over our heads, does that mean not a little bit of help can be given? In the grand scheme of things Brad and I are some of the lucky ones because we have little bits of money left to do as we please each month. Sure it’s tight, but it could be a lot worse.
It seems the Government presume that because a person goes to work they can cope and manage because they have a job. It’d be a lot easier to cope and manage without having to pay increasing tax, worry about fuel costs and face increased pricing on everything from bread to electricity.

There’s an endless amount of people who have no intention of working, yet get given ‘Jobseekers’ Allowance; people have children purely to get a house that they won’t pay for, instead claiming Housing Benefit which also cancels out Council Tax.
It’s a pretty cushy life for those lazy enough and selfish enough not to get jobs , but why are these people allowed to do so? More importantly, how do they keep getting money from a system which is supposedly there to help people?

Who are these benefits actually benefitting?

Band Profile: Leviathan

L-R: Cunningham, Wroe, Roberts and Shutt

LEVIATHAN, NORTH EAST – Formed in late 2011, Leviathan are the North East’s newest offering on the alternative music scene. Blending hardcore with death metal elements, the colourful quartet are sure to get rooted into your eardrums very soon.
The band is made up of guitarist Ben Roberts, bassist Ben Shutt, drummer Brad Wroe and vocalist Danny Cunningham. All of the gents have played in bands before, coming together after Wroe and Roberts decided to go ahead with making music once again.

With half of the band spending their day jobs as tattooists, and three out of the four being partial to a spot of BMXing, it’s clear there are some extrovert personalities within the group. Rather than vying for attention though, the mix blends smoothly and the heaviness they’re producing is exciting, not to mention catchier than chlamydia in a brothel.

Song names like Mel Gibson is Satan and Shit Storm would suggest they’re not taking it all too seriously, but when there’s as much promise as there is with Leviathan it’d be silly to write them off purely for having a sense of humour. Honestly, it’s a welcome relief nowadays.
And their tongue-in-cheek views don’t end there. When asked about potential problems with their American death metal namesakes, Wroe cracks a cheeky smile before answering; “Well one of them’s a paedo isn’t he? So they don’t count because he’s a filthy cunt.”

Band Facebook: HERE

Tattoos As Self-Harm



By Danny Derrick

Reading a back issue of Skin Deep I came across an article that brought up the idea of tattooing being akin to self-harm. I got thinking and had to question whether the two could really be linked.
First of all, are there any similarities between them?
Both mark your body and are done through choice. But that’s it. In my mind nothing else draws a parallel between getting a tattoo and choosing to harm yourself.

When it comes to self-harm it is usually an act of release and a way of regaining power when everything seems out of control. There isn’t a ‘one-trigger-fits-all’ situation that can cause the feelings of helplessness, much less one universal reason for the situation to present itself.
Perhaps most importantly are the circumstances in which self-harming occurs. It’s no secret that society’s view on the subject is seriously skewed, which explains the highly clandestine manner in which sufferers go about things. It’s a sorry state that even now there is still such ignorance about psychological problems and the ways in which people deal with them. If more help and understanding was commonly known of, the chances are more sufferers would come forward and ask for the help that they deserve.

The main argument against the idea of tattoos being classed as self-harm is the control element. If the only shred of power in your life is to wound your own body, would you hand it over to a stranger? Would you allow them to inflict the pain you’ve come to rely on? Something that is so personal and therapeutic wouldn’t be relinquished just for a tattoo.
The power given to tattooists is huge; giving someone the opportunity to mark your body for life is something that requires so much trust and is fully governed by the artist. To cover yourself in tattoos is one thing, to suffer at the altar of self-harm is quite another, and it’s increasingly obvious that the two have no correlation whatsoever.

Tattoos are so common now that it’s rare to find a person without one. Does that mean the majority of the population self-harm? Well, no. It’s easy for psychologists to pop in their ideas by claiming there’s a link, but they probably have every Marilyn Manson fan down as a murderer and every football fan as a prowling, yobbish thug.
The point is, there’s no link between the two and claims of this nature are completely preposterous, not to mention potentially damaging and dangerous. Of course there will be self-harmers who get tattoos, but they aren’t doing so as an act of causing further injury to themselves. It’s the same for people with no desire to self-harm – they wouldn’t suddenly feel the need to inflict pain after getting tattooed.

I have tattoos because I adore how they look and I enjoy the culture surrounding tattooing in regards to travelling to get work done, creating new friendships and making great memories – not to mention being adorned in some beautiful art work. On the opposite side, I used to self-harm. It began when I was 14 and lasted until I was 19, with a relapse of around 8 months just before I was 21.
As a person who can speak about both subjects from personal experience I feel that the concept of tagging tattoos as self-harm is ludicrous. I want to show off my tattoos, talk about them, admire them and get more of them, whereas with harming myself I wanted nothing more than to keep it to myself for fear of being branded crazy or worse. There’s also a deep-rooted shame that I had to resort to those actions, whereas the only shame I’d feel with a tattoo is if I was stupid enough to go to a manky home scratcher and come away with a turd-butterfly and a side of AIDS.

Happily that’s not going to happen, and even happier is the thought of having those dark days behind me. Nowadays I look forward to the buzz of the tattoo machine and seeing finished pieces that are made with mountains of skill and effort.
That sounds like the complete opposite of harmful to me.

Life Therapy?

(c) telegraph.co.uk

You know those days where you feel like crap? The ones where everything from your hair to your cooking is going wrong, your top somehow doesn’t match your new skirt and you can’t help but wonder ‘What if…?’ about your job, ex and everything in between. Oh yes, you know those days.
Well ladies, you don’t have to suffer any longer, I have the answer. He’s the early morning saviour of the unemployed, steely-faced as he wades through lie detector results and DNA tests galore; he’s dealt with thieves, underage pregnancies and more love triangles than the average Premier League footballer. Of course he is Jeremy Kyle.
I am fully urging you to tune into La Kyle if you’re ever in need of a pick-me-up when life isn’t quite what you hoped it would be, for Jezza truly is the perfect antidote to My Life Is Crap Syndrome…

· Area 1: Man Troubles
There’s nothing that gets you down quite like the behaviour of men. Single or taken, serious or having fun, the dilemmas are never far away. ‘Does he like me as much as I like him?’, ‘Why can’t he help around the house more?’, ‘Will he label me a slut if I sleep with him before Date Three?’
You may never get any answers to these questions and they’ll stay burrowed in your brain until the whole into him/help/slut situation is all you can think of. They might seem like impossible-to-deal-with niggles, but here comes Jeremy Kyle to blow your man woes out of the water!
The ante has been upped; lies, cheating, threesomes, meddling families…somehow your male-related problems seem as important as what to choose for tea, leaving you to sit there smugly thinking ‘Well at least MY boyfriend isn’t a potential father to his best friend’s cousin’s sister’s ex-boyfriend’s babysitter. And at least he didn’t meet her on Facebook.’
Enjoy Date Three.

· Area 2: Appearance Insecurities
If the dodgy male behaviour isn’t enough to perk you up in the ‘my life’s better than yours’ stakes, the female guests could well be the answer to your problems.
Fresh on the Kyle Catwalk are all the latest council estate looks, from tracksuit bottoms teamed with grubby vest tops, to too-small jeans and ‘quirky’ t-shirts from Select circa 1999, not forgetting that there’s usually enough cheap gold jewellery on display to show exactly why Argos is still in business.
Team all this gorgeousness with the very best Croydon facelifts and squiggly scratcher tattoos, and suddenly your uncertainties about trousers or a skirt are proven completely unfounded.
But that’s not all. If your hair is misbehaving, simply be thankful for the following: at least it’s not ginger-dyed-black with a good three inches of roots growing through. Greasy roots. With visible dandruff. Proudly displayed on national TV.

· Area 3: Annoying Friends
Let’s face it, we all have them. The ‘why won’t he call me back?’ girl, the ‘guess what I heard today…’ girl or the ‘I’m so fat’ size 6 girl.
You give your shoulders for tears and ears for comfort and sometimes you just can’t help wishing you hadn’t bothered. Sometimes the problems of friends get on your wick, which is perfectly normal, they were probably looking for the nearest exit when you dissected your latest break-up for the hundredth time.
Stop right there though! After an hour with Jeremy you’ll be begging your bestie for some mindless gossip and dying for her to complain about faux-fatness simply to tell her how fabulous she actually is.
Look at it this way: has she ever tried it on with your man?  Has she ever tried to implicate you in any dodgy dealings? Has she ever stolen money off you and used it to pay for drugs? No, no, no. Most importantly, though, has she ever allowed you to go on national TV dressed like a long-lost relative of Worzel Gummidge? HELL no. And she never would. She’d never do any of those things, which is something you’ll be eternally grateful for after hearing of the double-crossing shenanigans of Jezza’s finest.

· Area 4: Career Doubts
As a fresh-face 18-year-old you headed off to university with every intention of becoming the best lawyer in the country. By the first set of holidays the doubt crept in, your liver was functioning at 30% and the majority of the previous three months was a fancy dress-filled blur.
Come the first set of Easter holidays uni life is a distant memory and, four years later, you’re in the same job you had to get when you moved back to your parents’ house. So your life’s not gone exactly according to plan, but there’s no need to feel bad about it.
The tracksuited, lie detecting brigade are on hand to make your dowdy 9-5 feel like a high-flying power career that’d impress Alan Sugar. You may well ask why, and the answer is the surprisingly simple: at least you have a job. It may not be what you set out to do, but you can feel happy in the knowledge that you’re a contributing member of society.
All too often the guests on Mr. Kyle’s programme are jobless layabouts, happily claiming benefits with no intentions of looking for work to provide for the uncountable number of unplanned children they’ve brought into the world. And they’re unashamedly happy about this set-up. This instantly gives you the moral high ground and the feeling of smugdom you deserve for being a worthy member of the United Kingdom.

So there are four key areas for you to stop stressing about. The next time you’re having one of those days just sit back, pop the telly on and indulge in some Jeremy therapy.
Your life will never have seemed so perfect.

A Weighty Issue

(c) inquisitr.com

Remember a few years ago when Nicole Richie looked like she’d drop dead at any moment? We all remember that photo of her running on the beach, flat as an ironing board but for her excessively protruding hip bones and ribs. Shockingly, women across the world tried to emulate the look; size zero was everywhere. Being on the ill-looking side of painfully skinny shouldn’t have been appealing, but it was. Thin was in.

Fingers of blame were immediately pointed at the fashion world, but fashion is about clothes, not the people wearing them. It makes sense for models to be thin and average-looking instead of voluptuous and beautiful. Gorgeous creatures on the catwalk would provide too much of a distraction from the clothes, whereas plain, slim models allow the clothes to shine.
Fashion wasn’t to blame, nor was celebrity culture, it was a sheer lack of good old common sense! If you’re of the idea that you have to fit into jeans small enough to be confused with your daughter’s then perhaps you’re a bit deranged anyway. What’s wrong with having boobs, hips, a bum and – God forbid! – a bit of a tummy? Well, absolutely nothing as it happens. It’s perfectly normal.
As women we’re pretty much pre-programmed to be dissatisfied with most things, but it’s a big step from lusting over designer handbags to actively forcing your body to be something it’s not.

There are loads of celebs who’ve been down to the size zero depths and realised that being healthy is more important than being thin. Nicole Richie has now embraced motherhood, isn’t skeletal anymore and looks amazing for it. Tyra Banks has piled on some pounds, still looks fierce and often speaks out against being too skinny. Christina Hendricks is the same and even Geri Halliwell has a fantastic figure again after leaving her size zero years behind.
Some of our leading ladies have always been savvy enough to embrace their natural curves and are champions for supporting normality. Think Kimberley Walsh with her gorgeous hourglass shape; America Ferrera who scrubs up from Ugly Betty into a fabulous curvy girl and Kim Kardashian who is the current poster girl for boobs and butts.

Happily, it has come full circle, although it's taken half a decade to do so. For every Victoria Beckham there are now three Beyoncés – women who appreciate and embrace looking womanly. Gok Wan is the out-and-out champion for real-size girls, whilst Supersize vs. Superskinny is one of the only TV shows highlighting the negative effects of being underweight instead of just focussing on the overweight.
Times have changed since the initial size zero hysteria and, with an average UK dress size of 16, it seems we’re not all under the skinny spell. With Spanx, heels and clever make-up we can all look our best all of the time without having to feel guilty about having pudding.

Kate Moss can keep her “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” idea to herself because surf babe Marisa Miller sums it up perfectly: “It’s always better to look curvy. Women look sexier.”