I am generally of the understanding that if you are homeless, you have nothing. No home, no food, no money, and all you have are the clothes on your back and perhaps a little stash of belongings in your squat, or in a backpack that you guard with your life. I finished reading "The Road" by Cormack McCarthy a few weeks ago, and it is so bleak. Amazing. But bleak. And i felt this real sympathy for the people that were lost in the world. But then i think about some of the homeless people i have seen in my time in Melbourne and i slowly and cinematically remove and lower my rose coloured glasses, mouth agape at the scandal that wafts right up our noses, and right into our wallets.
I once saw an overweight homeless man (where did he get so much money for food and booze in order to make him so rotund?? i ask) finishing up his begging for the day. He folded up his cardboard sign and started to count his money. not coins, no no. but notes. A WAD OF NOTES! a huge wad, a bigger wad (of notes) than i have ever had the privelage of holding. He started flicking through them like a banker, his dirty fingers working fast through his grimey fingerless gloves. I was shocked. It reminds me of Hearts in Atlantis (the book) with that Homeless con man sub-plot. I think after reading this book i became a little sceptical of the so called homeless.
Again, there is another overwight homeless lady who, to her defence, may actually be insane. She actually lays down in a reclined relaxed pose, almost centrefold modellish, next to strips of ATMs along Collins st or Flinders Street. She lays there looking up, just gurgling her demands - knowing full well that $20 is the minimum amount you can get out of the machine. Also knowing that people can't really say "oh sorry i dont have any money" because they totally do. Maybe she is more of a genius than insane, i dont know. I'm not labelling her a conman yet, but my suspicions are definately stacked in favour of it.
Ok, also there is this guy that sits outside of Melbourne Central station with his drawings all layed out on the ground, asking for donations to buy his pictures. Some of them are pretty cool, and once i nearly stopped to talk to him - except he looks like this:
So anyway i would watch him everyday and one time near Christmas in 2007 i noticed he had no drawings out, instead he had one sign that said "I'm sorry i don't have any drawings for you, someone stole my belongings. Please donate to help me buy new pencils." I felt so sad for him, and i thought about it all night. I even imagined how it would go down if i stopped and gave him a present which was some new pencils and sketch book. I was so close to buying one, and then the next day he had all his belongings back. I didn't want to jump to conclusions and say that he had lied and pulled my heartstrings for nothing, I tried to convince myself that the baddie who robbed this poor homeless guy had come to his senses and returned his precious belongings. haha. yeah right. Since that day 2 years ago, he has displayed the same sign like 50 times!!! i know this because i watch him like a hawk now. Either he is extremely unlucky ad keeps getting robbed, or he is conning us all. What's more, I once saw him with an iPod. Yes, one of those new fandangled iPods that needs a back-catalogue of music, as well as a computer, and power outlets in order to charge it. Perhaps he found it, perhaps not. Perhaps he actually lives in a mansion in the Eastern suburbs and is laughing to his butler about how one time in 2007 he saw a girl's heart wrench visibly through her chest when she actually beleived in his plight after reading his sign.
He is not alone either now. He has 2 friends - a lady and an older guy with intelligent looking specs. They also have a puppy. I should call the RSPCA man, if you can't afford a home and food for yourself, there is no way you can care for a puppy! They sit it with them every day and everyone goes gaga for the puppy and probably donates more money so they can buy more ipods. And i once saw the woman eating left overs (presumably cooked in a kitchen the night before) for lunch out of a brand new bright red tupperware container. Seriously tupperware is like $50 per container - not even I can afford it... But i suppose i should be praising them for not spending it on booze and drugs only to further their spiral down down down into the depths of society.
i happily donate to charities, but even then i am still a little sceptical about how much of the money is actually used for the cause. of course i am too lazy to actually look into it, so i just trust. But, when i see my money and other peoples money over a period of years blatantly being spent on luxury items, and when i see someone supposedly less fortunate than myself rolling in money, i come to wonder just what the fuck is going on. If you are at the point in your life where you have to lose all dignity and beg for money from strangers, i think you definately need help. And i know, I KNOW how many organisations there are out there trying to help people in that situation get back on their feet. Surely these people must know this too, so it makes me wonder just how much money do they make through this racket? I can't imagine this role has many other perks...? I think there is a definate line when it comes to begging for money, and that is this: If you can afford tupperware and ipods, you have crossed the line and need to stop fucking conning the world.
*rant over*
Then i forgot about my camera and finished it all up. I made a white sauce with Nuttelex, soy milk, flour, and herbs like nutmeg and rosemary. 
I used some "3M" mounting tape to stick these on, as they are quite light. I really want to put a big picture of a pin-up girl next to it, that'd be ace. But one slow step at a time ;) YAY!!