#TV Units Sydney

[insideoutjoinery]

TV Units in Sydney

For premium-quality TV Units in Sydney, Inside Out Joinery & Renovations is the ideal choice. Their expertise lies in designing and crafting custom-made TV units that perfectly blend functionality with aesthetics, elevating your living space. Offering comprehensive TV Unit Installation Services Sydney, their skilled team ensures a seamless setup tailored to your home’s layout. From sleek, modern…

[lifewithaview]

Sydney Sweeney in Euphoria (2019) Shook Ones Pt II

S1E4

A young Jules is admitted into a psychiatric hospital and self-harms there. After getting out, she starts transitioning. In the present day, Rue meets with Ali and discusses her feelings for Jules. At the carnival, Nate and Maddy have an argument while Jules and Rue agree to forget about the kiss. While talking to Nate's father, Cal, McKay refuses to call Cassie his girlfriend because of her reputation, upsetting her. After Maddy and Cassie take molly, Maddy makes a scene in front of Nate's family, while Cassie flirts with her classmate Daniel. Jules discovers that the man from the motel is Cal. Kat hangs out with Ethan, but leaves when she sees him talking to an attractive girl, and later has sex with a renowned graduate of her high school. With Jules' help, Rue searches for Gia and eventually finds her stoned. Nate grabs Maddy and leaves bruises on her neck. She confronts him about the photos from his phone and agrees to let it go. Cal confronts Jules, but she reassures him she will not tell anyone about their night together. Jules meets with "Tyler" and discovers that it is Nate, who blackmails her using the nude pictures they sent each other. Afterwards, she goes to Rue's house and they kiss.

*This episode's title is a reference to a song by US rap duo Mobb Deep.

[my-life-my-stories-my-love]

I am a true crime girl through and through but I never have time to watch tv really now that I’m in college. However in high school I binged all of criminal minds (amazing 10/10). The summer before my freshman year of college my grandfather was re watching NCIS. I had never seen the show before but was trying to hang out with him and watch shows he likes so we could talk about them. NCIS so far is really good but the show does pose the question, How much crime takes place in the navy? I mean they can only do so much yet that hasn’t stopped them. Every time I talk about this show with someone that is the biggest talking point. I mean has the navy commented on this. Do they really have that much crime? I need answers

[amaclucky13]

Alert - Andy

What is this show? How does it get some things right and others oh so very wrong?

What is happening?! No. I’m serious. I will completely admit that following the letter of the law doesn’t always mean you’re doing the right thing. History is filled with instances where breaking the law was better than following it. Everyone who harbored Jews, or helped gay people. They broke the law for the better. Did that happen in the latest episode of Alert? I’m seriously asking. I’m…

[leahsgirl]

star girl | lucy bronze x reader

based off the request ‘maybe one with Lucy, that the r scores in the euros final like the winning goal’. let’s imagine it’s the 23’ world cup final again and leah + beth never tore their acl’s xx

—

It’s safe to say tensions were high in the locker room as you and your fellow England teammates prepared for one of the biggest matches of your careers. Sarina had opted for the same line-up that secured your team the european championship a year prior, just a few changes here and there.

Yourself was on the bench as a substitute, however, it didn’t make the experience any less nerve-wracking. Double knotting the laces on your boot, you walked over to a familiar brunette.

“it’s totally normal to feel sick to my stomach right?” She chuckles, as if she isn’t about to go out to a crowd of 75,000+ people. “The life of a footballer love.”

“How have you played three world cups? I feel like a heart attack is going to hit me any minute.” Sitting next to her, she squeezes your hand and kisses your temple. “Calmer?” The older girl asks. “Calmer.” You confirm, leaning your head on her shoulder for a brief minute.

You would describe your relationship with Lucy very much black cat x golden retriever; while you was often energetic and switching through emotions like tv channels, lucy was the opposite. While she liked to have fun and be sarcastic and all, she was actually a very chill person who would just go with the flow.

Lucy and you had been dating for just over a year and a half with only close friends and family knowing. You’d be lying if you had your doubts if the both of you would even last - with Lucy playing in Barcelona and you for your childhood club Manchester United, but you stuck it out and recently just bought your first place together.

It was 7:45pm over in Sydney Australia, both opposing teams beginning to line up next to each other in the tunnel. You and the other substitutes were to come out after the starting players. You prayed to God you could come away with a win tonight - you knew how hard each and everyone of you worked and to win the world cup would just be the cherry on top to an undefeated championship run youse had going.

Walking out, it all suddenly got very real. The cheers from the crowd made you smile as you took your seat.

The referee blew her whistle; it was go time. You watched the game intensely, weighing up the stats of your team and the opposing team. Spain was playing good and the nerves in your stomach were intensifying with each passing second.

“Oh shit look!” Ella pointed over at James who was now running down a practically free pitch. “Come on, come on.” You muttered under your breath as you see Spain’s goalkeeper take her stance. James went to hit the ball, it travelling at a good speed. Unlucky for you and your team, it just narrowly missed the goal and instead hit the crossbar - the goalkeeper catching it as it fell back down, opting to roll it to one of her Spanish teammates.

Ten minutes had passed and your team was yet to make another chance, Spain players literally tackling left and right. It all came crashing down however when Carmona scored twenty-nine minutes in, managing to slot the ball into the corner of the net. As the opposing team celebrated you couldn’t help but feel bad for your girlfriend who you know would be blaming herself for the goal after she gave away the ball taking on three players at once.

The game carried on with a profound feeling of desperation. While Beth, both Laurens and even Keira had a shot at goal, none of the attempts made it into the net. You was happy to hear the half-time whistle blow, running down the steps and back through the tunnel.

“It’s not your fault, don’t even think it.” Knowing exactly the thoughts going on in your girlfriend’s head, you rubbed her back supportively. “I got too bloody cocky, I should’ve just passed it back.” Lucy ran her slim fingers through her tied back hair.

“Hey hey, we still have another forty five minutes to show them what we’ve got. And I don’t know about you, but I think Bronze over here shouldn’t stop aiming for gold.” Her lips tugged at a grin over your partially lame joke. “You’re right, as always. Don’t know what I’d do without my woman.” She quickly pecked your lips.

“Okay lovebirds, keep it in your pants - we have a game to win.” Keira piped up, giving both you and lucy a little smack on the back of the head.

It’s safe to say after the pep talks the squad received in the locker room, England was on top form. It also helped that Spain had let go of the reigns a little, clearly thinking they were safe with the one nil advantage.

The 68th minute. That’s when the crowd started to get a whole lot louder and players were charging down one side of the pitch. Hemp had control of the ball, slowing just before the box and passing it to Beth. The blonde hit the ball with her left foot sending it straight into the back of the goal. Cheers roared through the stadium as you celebrated with the other girls on the bench. The scoreline now 1-1, you was still in this.

Your time had come to make a debut in the game, walking onto the outskirts of the pitch, Sarina going through the plan with you. James was the girl who was making way for your appearance, giving you a double high-five and pat on the back.

Running onto the pitch, adrenaline rushed through you as you made eye contact with a certain someone and sent her a wink. You hadn’t even managed to get three passes before you were caught with studs pressing into your ankle, sending you down onto the ground “What the fuck was that for?” It’s not like you was massive threat to the Spanish team at that moment considering you was about to pass the ball back up your end.

Luckily you were awarded a free kick, having alex take it. The match was getting more tense the longer you played, both teams creating good chances. Spain was even awarded a penalty which thank god Mary saved.

91 minutes. The game had entered extra time. Scores still level.

You watched as Keira dribbled with the ball, passing to Leah who kicked it up the pitch. Weighing up where the ball was in the sky and where you was near the goal you saw your chance; jumping up in the air you threw your body back, your left foot getting a hit on the ball which sent it flying into the net. Getting up off the grass, you look at one of the assistant referee’s to make sure it wasn’t offside.

His flag staying down, you dropped to your knees in disbelief. The girls ran over to you cheering and shouting your name while practically assaulting you with hugs.

The final whistle was blown about thirty seconds later with your whole squad now coming into the pitch. Familiar hands wrapped around your torso and lifted you into the air, carrying you bridal style. “You’re fucking incredible you know that?” The brunette spun you around grinning like a little child.

Once put down you cupped her face in your hands, overcome with emotion and smashed your lips onto hers. Although the defender was taken back, she gave into the moment and kissed you back with just the same intensity. It wasn’t the way either of you was planning to make the relationship public but hey, you just won the biggest tournament of your lives and wanted to celebrate with your special lady.

it wasn't long before you was ambushed by your team shouting compliments left right and centre. the crowd was also off on one, the volume making your ears ring.

walking back through the tunnel and into the locker room you felt the hairs on the back of your neck stand up when a voice whispered into your ear "follow me."

obliging by the command and plodding behind the brunette, she dragged you into what appeared to be a storage room, miscellaneous sports equipment scattered around.

pushing you up against the cold wall which made you audibly gasp she planted a searing kiss onto your lips, hands having a firm hold of your waist. you reacted almost immediately, placing you hand on the back of her neck and bringing the two of you even closer.

"god i love you." the older woman breathed out as she moved from your lips to your neck, biting and sucking the skin to the point you was squirming in effort to not make any noise.

"i should score goals more often if this is how i get rewarded." forcing her to look at you, you reconnected your lips wasting no time in biting her bottom lip and snaking your tongue inside.

just as she slid her hand under your shirt there was a bang on the door. "lucia bronze and y/n y/l/n! if youse two are not out of there in ten seconds i will kick this door down myself!" tooney shouted.

you placed one last peck on lucy's cheek "i think we've been caught."

the right-back rolled her eyes. "we're continuing this later." she smirked, hitting your butt before unlocking and opening the door for you.

-

liked by youruser and 2,792,051 others

lucybronze Won the world cup and the girlfriend jackpot. On top of the world right now.

youruser 🤍

creator has limited comment access.

[meazalykov]

renewal

sydney lohmann x bayern!reader

summary: the latest transfer window was scary for you and your girlfriend

you’re one of the best, if not the best, attacking midfielders for bayern munich. one of the highest valued players in the women's bundesliga, for a player that isn’t german herself. your skills and loyalty for the badge have made you a valuable asset to bayern, but your contract is set to expire in 2024. 

the online rumor, started thanks to soccerdonna, has been buzzing with speculation about your next move—at first some said that you're transferring to lyon in france, while others think you might return to your home in the united states to play for the portland thorns. 

the rumors have caused quite a stir, especially for your girlfriend, sydney, a midfielder who plays for bayern.

after you started at bayern in 2020, sydney and you were friends. not long after, she confessed her feelings for you and you guys have managed to maintain a strong relationship throughout the next three years, making it a point to spend a lot of time together.

 

however, the recent speculation about your future has made sydney anxious. 

little do you know, sydney is going to renew her contract for bayern. you kind of suspected it, sydney is in love with bayern and would never leave anytime soon. 

little did sydney know, bayern is pleased with your performance and eager to extend your contract until 2026, a detail you're not yet allowed to disclose publicly.

during an interview after the game between bayern and freiburg, where you managed to score a goal and two assists, you were asked about your recent rumors. you should’ve known that the elephant in the room needed to be addressed. 

"y/n, there's been a lot of speculation about your future in the last few weeks. can you shed any light on the rumors linking you to lyon or a return to the NWSL with the portland thorns?"

you smile politely, moving your cross your arms as you think about the words you have to say next, 

"well, you know how rumors can be," you begin, trying to keep your tone light. "right now, i’m fully focused on bayern and finishing the season strong with my team. it's been a great journey here, i’m very very happy with this club and i'm committed to giving my best."

the blonde interviewer nods, pressing on gently. "but with your contract expiring in 2024, fans are eager to know if you've made any decisions about your future. can you give us any hints?"

you chuckle softly, as your fingers tangle onto the red zipper on your puffer jacket. the media rooms were a little cold considering you’d played a full 90 minute match. 

"i understand the curiosity, but at this point, there's nothing official to announce. bayern has been a fantastic place for me, and i'm really happy here. when the time comes for an announcement, you'll all be the first to know.”

there were rumors about sydney going to the wsl or the nwsl. you knew you shouldn’t believe them, but transfer windows can shock anyone. sydney was outspoken about “not being afraid to live in new places” too. 

during the days where you guys have the day off to spend with each other— you can feel the tension between you both grow as the rumors persist. 

sitting on the couch in your munich apartment, sydney stared at you intensely as she stood by the couch. she watched your fingers flick on the remote, while your eyes watched the TV flickering in the background with a rerun of your favorite netflix show. you know she's staring at you, but she had a tendency to do that a lot. 

"baby, i need to ask you something," she says, her voice hesitant. you look up at her with worried eyes as she moved to sit beside you on the couch, only giving an inch of space. that was too far for you, though. 

your eyebrows knitted together in curiosity, your look gave her the silent permission to continue with her question. 

"are you really moving back to the states to play with portland?"

you fully turn your body to her, ignoring the tv, and you see the worry in her eyes. before moving to munich in 2020, you played in the nwsl in your home country. starting off with the washington spirit straight out of high school before playing in the 2019 world cup, winning it all at just 17. 

eventually, you moved to orlando pride before wanting to have a full change. you knew that a different league would be the best for your growth.

many european clubs were on your doorstep, wanting to send you offers due to how natural you were with the ball. you chose bayern and have been loyal to the club ever since. 

your heart aches knowing how much the uncertainty has been affecting sydney. one thing you couldn’t stand was seeing your happy and silly girl so upset. 

at this point, you’ve already signed the renewal with bayern, it wouldn’t hurt telling your girlfriend about the news.  

"no, sweet pea," you say gently, taking her hands in yours. "bayern is happy with me and i’m happy with bayern so i'm renewing my contract with bayern until 2026. i’m sorry for not telling you before, i just couldn't say anything until it actually happened."

sydney's eyes widen in surprise before a wave of relief washes over her face. she wraps her strong arms around your shoulders as you, naturally, place your hand on her right knee. 

"you're staying?" she whispers, almost in disbelief. the rumors scared her recently and it was clear. the german girl loves you so much.

you nod, smiling softly. "yes, i'm staying. i love it here in germany, and i love being with you. I can’t leave, this is my home."

tears of happiness well up in sydney's eyes as she pulls you into a tighter embrace, moving your body so you’re sitting on her lap instead. she holds your lower waist as you bury your head into her neck. "you don’t understand how relieved i am," she says, her voice muffled against your shoulder. "i've been so worried."

you hold her tightly, grateful that feeling the tension between you both is gone. "i know, syd. it's been hard not being able to tell you."

syd pulls your body back slightly, looking up into your eyes as her hands move to sit on your thighs. "well, i have something to tell you too," she says, a small smile playing on her lips. 

“what is it?” you say with a surprised look on your face. you hoped it was good news, but due to the look on syd’s face, you can tell it was.

"the rumors about me staying at bayern are true. i wanted to surprise you later but the rumors are starting to get a little crazier."

your heart skips a beat. "you’re staying?" you ask your lover, hardly daring to believe it. especially since you thought sydney wanted a change away from her home. 

she nods, her smile widening. "yes, i wanted to stay close to you and stay in germany. i wouldn't stand the thought of us being apart for so long."

you both laugh, the joy of the moment overwhelming. "this is amazing," you say, kissing her forehead softly.

“i love you.” 

“Ich liebe dich mehr.”

<3

[catastrxblues]

articles and news on what’s happening in west papua are so appallingly scarce that i could rarely find any except a few before this. as an indonesian, i didn’t even know any of this is happening in the first place until a few months ago because rarely any of the big news outlets have ever brought it up, much less in a scale that is necessary to gain the world’s attention. SO PLEASE CHECK THIS OUT, one article at a time if it seems too much (which is what i'm currently doing too).

i think it’s important to note that while indonesia has been loudly advocating for palestine’s freedom, it has also been committing silent acts of violence against the people of west papua and exploiting them for years and silence those AND others who have tried to bring it to light.

things included in the thread ->

ARTICLES :

freewestpapua.org *the link isn't working at the moment but op has included screenshots in the tweet!

west papua : a history of exploitation (al jazeera)

courtesy of amnesty international

OTHERS :

amnesty international - "sudah, kasi tinggal dia mati" pembunuhan dan impunitas di papua (in bahasa)

BOOKS TO READ :

'the road : uprising in west papua' by john martinkus

'an act of free choice : decolonisation and the right to self-determination in west papua' by pieter drooglever

'merdeka and the morning star : civil resistance in west papua' by jason macleod

’see no evil : new zealand’s betrayal of the people of west papua’ by maire leadbeater

‘freedom in entangled worlds’ by eben kirksey

‘poisoned arrows’ by george monbiot

‘papua blood’ by peter bang

’west papua and indonesia since suharto’ by peter king

pdf available :

’the united nations and the indonesian takeover of west papua’ by john saltford

’west papua : the obliteration of a people’ by carmel budiardjo and liem soei liong

FILMS TO WATCH :

rebels of the forgotten world (1991)

blood on the cross (1999)

freedom for west papua (1999)

papua merdeka (2002)

west papua — the secret war in asia (2007)

forgotten bird of paradise (2009)

strange birds in paradise — a west papuan story (2010)

west papua — a journey to freedom (2011)

mama malind su hilang (our land has gone)

benny wenda — oslo freedom forum (2012)

isolated (2013)

courage is contagious — TEDx sydney (2013)

the road to home (2015)

punks for west papua (2016)

run it straight (2016)

act of no choice (2019)

paradise bombed (2023)

investigative tv reports :

inside indonesia’s secret war for west papua — ABC news (2020)

selling out west papua — al jazeera (2020)

INFOGRAPHICS :

amnesty international

brief history

2017

2018

[cryobabyy]

Tbh I don't think it's that Storer is against Syd and Carm moving past a platonic relationship, he probably just doesn't want to reveal too much about what goes on in the writer's room and what they're cooking. You gotta throw people off with some misdirection - it's pretty standard for keeping the plot a surprise. No one wants to watch a TV show when they already know what's going to happen.

That being saaaaaiiid 👀

The decision to use Strange Currencies; first when Carmy and Claire see each other for the first time in the supermarket, and then again but distorted and backward when he's thinking about Claire, and then clear and forward when he thinks about the first time he met Sydney; that was pretty heavy-handed symbolism. It was a deliberate choice. From a narrative standpoint, there are not many ways to read that juxtaposition of Claire and Sydney other than Claire triggering anxiety associated with his past and Sydney representing the future and stability. Claire reminds him of who he was and what could have been. Sydney reminds him of who he is; More so who Sydney believes he is. "You're the most excellent CDC, at the most excellent restaurant in the entire United States of America". Her voice literally and figuratively cuts through the chaos, the thought of the first time he saw her and how she came back when he thought he was irredeemable brought him down from the panic attack.

I literally can not come up with a platonic justification for such blatant imagery. I guess you could say his vision of Sydney represented the restaurant as a whole? But if that were the case, why not include any of the other staff in the montage? Why choose a romantic song for this sequence? WHY IS IT THE SAME SONG THAT PLAYED WHEN CARMY MET CLAIRE???

"These words; you will be mine all the time." LIKE??? HELLO???

Anyway lol

I can only think of two logical explanations

1.) This scene was a massive oversight in the writer's room. They unintentionally framed Carmy's feelings for Syd as romantic by making the creative decision to Juxtapose her with Claire (his actual love-interest at the time). What was written did not translate well to the screen. So basically "Oops we didn't mean it like that".

2.) Storer is slowly laying the groundwork for Sydney and Carmy's relationship to evolve past friendship, or at least experimenting with that narrative possibility.

Now, I do think it will literally take forever - like multiple seasons forever - but I do think it will happen. The build-up is so important. Well-developed and satisfying romance (especially in television) takes time. Don't lose hope y'all!!

[kdbleu]

Costuming and The Bear...

So, costuming on TV, in a movie always means something even if it’s only a representation of the character. The Bear seems to use that on the next level, too, on the more thematic/symbolic level.

Richie wearing only Beef merchandise is the most obvious use of both these ideas, because it’s not subtle, like Richie is not subtle. His adherence to the Beef dress code shows that his character is tied more to the past than the present/future, and that he’s outside the rest of the group as the kitchen staff dons the new blue aprons. The only exception Richie makes in the present is when he’s on a date. Which says something too. That Richie knows how to fit social expectations. Even how to impress if he keeps his mouth shut.

Clear, color separation is used with Sugar. She wears civvies because she doesn’t work in the kitchen, but she’s in orange, the opposite of blue on the color wheel in the pilot, and pink, a social opposite of blue later when she comes to clean up the shot-out glass and search the office for the tax paperwork. This makes it obvious that she doesn’t work in the restaurant, and she doesn’t like it. In the season 2 trailer, talking to Cicero, she coordinates with Carmy and Sydney, showing that she’s coming around.

There’s a distinct present quality in the blue apron uniform as Mikey’s kitchen staff only adds Carmy’s apron to their usual personalized work wear while Carmy and Sydney wear more personally standardized white tops and black/dark pants that not only are consistent but coordinate with each other, already making them a unit within the unit.

This apron/group dynamic is heightened by it not only being pointed out by Tina, but by Tina going from not wearing the blue apron to Carmy remarking that she looks like Sydney when Tina finally does and Tina in return saying to him she’s “profesh” now. It's interesting that Tina wears a white blouse, like Sydney, before the blue apron. It’s the apron and Carmy she resists not the kitchen uniform, but it hints at the future before she joins the present. And before she sheds her individualism.

This desire for individualism leads to Sydney’s scarves, her show of individualism and how she works the fact that she has to hold her braids back into something distinct and bold within her personal uniform that she likely spent a lot of time working towards as she figured out how stand out as herself in a professional kitchen in a way that could not be argued with. Although she also probably played closer to the rules in an attempt to almost hide, wearing something very discreet until she found a place and acceptance at the Beef with Carmy. She wears a more subtle version of her scarf in episode 1 with it rolled then she does in later episodes with the triangle point showing off more color. I envision her wearing the rolled version while catering and interviews because it’s a little sleeker while still hinting and her boldness.

Carmy keeping to his own version of a very classic chef look shows his insecurity even as he comes into his own. He wants to wear something he’s comfortable in that hints at the denim collection and keeps him close to Mikey, but white tee and black work pants with a blue apron is still very professional kitchen. Carmy shows off on the plate, not in his uniform, which he keeps no matter how he’s working in the restaurant or where he’s cooking. Except at home, which is notable. This is echoed in his off-duty clothes, muted colors, and denim, as opposed Sydney’s prints, stripes and screen tees.

All of this is a very winding way to say that all the costume choices mean something. It’s something that the new girl will have a uniform that matches Sugar’s life outside the Beef/Bear. That Richie has Berf merch hidden in someone’s basement, a further tie to the messed up past. That Tina seems to be doing better in culinary school than Ebra. That Marcus and Fak have their own flair.

(There’s not enough of Marcus in the trailers to really guess at his path forward, just rumors, so I’m going to hold off on him in season 2, but in season 1 he falls between present and past but definitely in action looks to his future. I mean, he’s obsessed with possibility and donuts.)

But it also signifies a lot that Carmy and Sydney match in one chaos menu scene but not in the other. Just like it’s important they’re in his home. So, yeah, Carmy and Sydney standing outside their evolving restaurant with Carmy in his personal uniform and Sydney in a personalized inverse of that uniform is a moment that ties them as equals who fit together and complement each other. The fact that they’re together day and, if BTS shot are to be believed, night looking up to the future means they’re a pair. No matter what that future might hold. (the picture is from @devisrina's blog. Thank for posting it.)

[amanitacaplan]

Finally posted the final chapter of my Love Island Sydcarmy AU. Didn't expect this fic to end up being 40k words long when I started it, but I was having so much fun writing it. Enjoy!

Fandom: The Bear (TV 2022)

Relationships: Sydney Adamu/Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto

Summary:

"Alright girls, ready to enter the Love Island Villa?"

Sydney just gives them a nervous nod while the five other girls shriek in excitement.

Fuck, she's still not sure if this is a good idea or not. She only applied to Love Island on a dare one night when she and her friend Janine were slightly drunk. She truly hadn't expected them to call her back and offer her a spot as one of the Casa girls for the new season. She thought about rejecting it at first, but then she realized it could be good exposure for her catering business.

However, she still can't wrap her head around the fact that the Carmen Berzatto - best CDC of the United States  and creator of the best dish she's ever tasted - is here. Not in a Michelin-starred kitchen, not in a food competition show, but in the Love Island Villa. And in just a few minutes, she's going to meet him.

_____

Or Carmy and Sydney meet on Love Island

[tooneys-russo]

BOOTS AND BROKEN HEARTS

Previous Parts: Chapter 1

Summary: Alessia and her UNC coach Willa have a bit too much chemistry. Only downside is that Willa has a girlfriend.

Chapter 2

As Willa walked towards her car, she saw a black BMW with its lights on a little bit away from her car. He knew that car belonged to Jennifer. As she got into the car she noticed that her girlfriend appeared to be extremely pissed off. “You seem to be loving the college girls still.” Willa sighed, he knew exactly what was coming. “I am a coach, she wanted to know about forward movements and I have to make them better.” Jennifer turned towards Willa. “Yeah make them better players, you don’t need to flirt with them and try to fuck them.” Willa felt some anger rise in her chest. “My god I can have a fucking conversation with a girl without wanting to fuck her.” Jennifer gripped onto her steering wheel as she pulled out of the car park. “So you don’t think that blonde is hot?” Willa rested her head against the headrest and sighed. “She can be pretty without me wanting to fuck her.” She was exhausted, Jennifer was always picking these pointless fights. They had a similar fight every few weeks, they would make up and she would be standing next to her at some event the next day. As they arrived at Willa's apartment Jennifer did a once over, checking that there was no sign that there had been another female in the room. Willa’s apartment was on the fourth level, where you could see the North Carolina Soccer Stadium. It was a two bedroom, with the second bedroom being utilised as her collectors room, there was a collection of Batman figurines, costumes and comics, Newcastle United memorabilia as well as her UCLA memorabilia. Willa also had her gaming consoles, gaming collection, tv and desk filling the room. It was perfectly organised how she liked it, alphabetically and separated based on collection. Jennifer hated the room, she used to call her a teenage boy who needed to grow out of the kid shit. It ate away at Willa each time. Jennifer finally sat down on the couch that she had picked out, and turned on the tv. Willa went to sit down, “Gross no, go shower.” Willa sighed and went to shower. She let the water fall onto her body, releasing the tension from her muscles. It was her break from Jennifer for the night, she took every single second at her disposal. After she was done he put on some old UCLA shorts and sat next to Jennifer who had put on the newest season of Real Housewives of Beverley Hills, Willa had a little laugh along with the drama that was unfolding. Jennifer went on about how important the game was this weekend to her, having Orlando Pride pick her up was huge for her, and Willa knew that. But Jennifer wanted Willa to give up everything. After she listened to Willa’s analysis of her team and what she was thinking for the season's opening game they went to bed, they had sex as they always did when they were together. It seemed for both of them now that they were just going through the motions and there was a lack of love and intimacy there. 

The following morning Willa made Jennifer her favourite breakfast, avocado on toast, with two poached eggs and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. She took it into the bedroom so her girlfriend could eat it in bed. Willa had to head off in an hour and Jennifer had to head back to Orlando Pride for training that afternoon. They both knew that it would just be a night together every couple weeks but they agreed to do it because it was the best for both their jobs. Willa had a shower and got into the North Carolina uniform ready for another session before the scrimmage the following day. She kissed Jennifer and told her she loved her. Part of Willa still loved Jennifer, but perhaps she just loved the idea of her, the safety of the relationship. 

When Willa got to her office he noticed that Sydney, one of the players on the soccer team was waiting for her. “Hey Sydney, everything okay?” She nodded. “I just need some help. I don’t want to talk to Dorrance because I don’t want him to think I am an idiot.” Sydney explained that she didn’t understand some of their set plays, she was getting confused with the signals. Willa smiled and nodded, this was an easy fix. For the next hour she and Sydney went through each play on her office whiteboard, a couple of other players ended up joining in, apparently the signals and the movements of each player were being confused. After two hours she had most of the team in her small office watching her closely. It made her feel really good to be asked to help players understand more about their plays. She did notice that Alessia wasn’t there, she must have been in class or still in the gym. Once the impromptu coaching session was done Willa made her way to the gym, Alessia was doing some lower body work on the leg press. Willa jumped up onto the pull up station and easily lifted her body. “How are you feeling?” The blonde was startled by the northern accent. “You scared that shit out of me.” She turned to the older girl. “Sorry.” Willa dropped off the pull up bar and walked over. “Just had most of the team in my office asking about the set plays and the signals.”Alessia got off the leg press and moved to the hamstring machine, “Oh the one arm, two arm, movement to back post, offside trap and the false press?” Alessia replied with ease. “Guess I know why you didn’t need to show up then.” Alessia smiled. “I know how to deal with signals, I just struggle with movements sometimes.” Willa nodded. “Don’t go too hard today in the gym, the scrimmage tomorrow will be big. Season starts next month and I want the team in prime condition.”Alessia stood up in front of Willa, their eyes locking, nothing being said for what felt like an eternity. “Don’t worry I will be ready.” The blonde finally said, then walked past the now nervous brunette. But it was fine, Willa didn’t think about that little bit of tension at all. Not for a single second. Not even when she watched Alessia walk out of the gym, focusing on the smaller shorts that the blonde was wearing. Willa loved Jennifer, Alessia is just a pretty girl who isn’t at all judgemental or using her. Just a pretty girl.

For the scrimmage Willa was coaching the light blue team, Anson was coaching the white team. Alessia was put on the light blue team and Willa laid out the game plan, she wanted Alessia to play as a holding forward, moving into the midfield to lay the pass off to a winger then sneak inside. She was unsure of how to feel about the other Brit’s plan considering she had always played as a strong attacking player, dribbling into the box. Willa went around to each player giving them three goals to work on during the game, she didn’t focus on particular plays, only individual game performance. Willa handed the Captain’s armband to Lotte Wuben-Moy, another Brit who had gone through the Arsenal academy and similarly to Alessia had turned down a pro contract to develop their football. The teams took to the field, it was a strong start by the white North Carolina team who were playing their regular style of football. Willa’s light blue team were focusing on their new plan, Alessia had finally gotten the ball to her feet. She passed it out wide and snuck in behind the defenders who were too focused on the other players getting into the box. Lois ran down the edge of the box towards the goal line and crossed in the ball. Willa watched as Alessia rose above the other players to get her head on the ball, it was an almost perfectly aimed ball, only going over the crossbar by inches. Alessia threw her head back and groaned. She ran towards the halfway line for the goal kick. The half continued to be hotly contested with light blue getting so close to scoring and white trying to counter. At half time, Willa and the light blue team went into the changerooms, she stood by the whiteboard. 

“Hey, take a seat. How are you feeling with the setup?” Willa looked around at the players. “Lois I can see you are getting free down that wing. We can do a quick one, two with Alessia. That will open her up to loop around the back and free up the box. Lotte, your delivery from the backline and your command is perfect, it is exactly what we need. Right now they will be looking at how we set up in that half and try to adjust, I want us to change it up slightly. We keep our formation, but hit Alessia, she’s got the height and can get away from those defenders.” Alessia watched Willa closely, she was so expressive and was captivating to watch. Alessia could feel some butterflies in her stomach, she put it down to just admiring the older girl. The second half went exactly as Willa had predicted, Anson and his team shifted their tactics, but so did Willa and her team. Alessia did exactly what Willa had said, she lost her player going around the back of the pack as the cross came in. She rose above other players and headed the ball into the back of the net. Her team cheered and Willa clapped the blonde. It was a heavily contested second half with Willa and Anson’s tactics being put to the test. By the final whistle of this inter club game, Willa had won 2-1 against Anson. He shook her hand and she smiled wide, she felt so proud of herself and how her studying of the players paid off. The girls hugged her one by one as they went into the changeroom to shower and get ready to leave. Alessia was the last player to hug Willa, purposely waiting to the side. “Guess you were right coach.” Alessia stepped forward. “There are a few things I know. Football happens to be one of them.” Alessia and Willa stood looking at each other, there was a little bit of tension in the air, Alessia broke the stand off and hugged Willa. The blonde’s arms going around Willa’s neck and the brunettes arms wrapping around Alessia’s waist. Their bodies were pressed against each other, they didn’t want to let go it felt right to hold each other. Willa came to her senses and pulled away. “Um great game again, you did phenomenally.” Willa grabbed her clipboard and walked down the left hallway, a few seconds later she walked past Alessia again. “Wrong way.” She mumbled to herself, her face red. Alessia watched Willa walk into her office, biting her lip as her coach closed the door behind her. They were both in a bit of trouble.

The weekend finally came with Willa avoiding being alone with Alessia the whole time. Willa had Lotte, Sydney and a couple of the other players one on one to discuss tactics and movements. Alessia tried to get the coach alone, maybe getting just one more hug or a sneaky hand touch, just something, but nothing worked. Alessia asked for a quick chat but Willa was on her way out, heading to the airport after their film session. “Sorry Alessia, look text me if you need me or anything happens. I am heading to Orlando Pride, Jennifer has her first game and I promised that I wouldn’t miss it. I will see you when I get back.” Willa handed Alessia a post it note with her number, Alessia immediately put it in her phone and texted her coach. ‘Hi Willa, it’s Alessia from UNC.’ In her Uber Willa smiled at the text. ‘Hello Alessia from UNC. Sorry about not being able to chat for long, we can chat when I am back.’ Willa would have loved to have been sitting with Alessia chatting about football and everything that they could think of, but she had to go to her girlfriend. Willa put her phone away not looking at it when it pinged, knowing that it was a text from Alessia. 

Once she got off the plane in Orlando she saw the girlfriend she should have been missing. Jennifer jumped into Willa’s arms and the coach wrapped her arms around her girlfriend’s waist. There were a few paparazzi taking pictures with hype surrounding the number 1 draft pick and the UNC coach. Their bodies didn’t fit as well as Willa and Alessia’s, but Willa pushed that from her mind. On the way to Jennifer’s apartment Willa barely got a word out while Jennifer continued to talk about how awesome the new girls were and the facilities. Willa zoned out a little while Jennifer spoke, she was proud of her girlfriend but she was so tired from everything she struggled to pay attention. Jennifer’s apartment looked like it was from an interior design magazine, Willa followed her girlfriend and sat down on her couch. Not once did Jennifer ask how Willa was going, while they watched a movie Willa finally checked her phone and there was a text from Alessia from a few hours before. ‘I would love that, I will see if I can see you on the tv tomorrow.’ Willa smiled at the girl’s text and put her phone away. The media had started posting the pictures from the airport, Alessia saw the pictures and rolled her eyes. Jennifer and Willa’s fans were reposting the pictures and commenting how cute they were together. Alessia tried her best to not continue scrolling on the comments, but she couldn't help herself. Everyone kept saying how cute the pair were together, that they were the perfect couple. She knew she could make Willa smile wider than the polite smile that graced the coach’s lips in the photos. 

In the morning Jennifer and Willa went for a walk to a local cafe, the barista knew Jennifer’s order, a soy double shot with a little bit of hazelnut syrup, Willa got a soy hot chocolate apparently she was lactose intolerant but she didn't bother getting a doctor check she thought the stomach pain after a milkshake was explanation enough. “It means so much that you’re here baby.” Jennifer held Willa’s hand as they walked. “I will always support you.” Willa kissed Jennifer’s hand. “I’m sorry I was a bitch when I came and saw you. I just get jealous when I know you are alone with those girls, to be honest you’re very hot and if you were my coach I would do everything that I could to get you.” Willa smiled at her girlfriend. “Yeah no I get it. I’m sorry that I have been distant and so focused on UNC.” Willa and Jennifer stopped by a bench in a park and sat together. Willa looked at her girlfriend as she drank her hot chocolate, there were moments where she looked just like the freshman she fell in love with, she didn’t know what happened to that girl and where this self centred attention seeking woman came from. Willa leant in and kissed her girlfriend’s cheek, Jennifer pulled out her phone, “Babe do it again.” Willa kissed her again and Jennifer took a picture. It was quickly posted and suddenly their moment of connectedness had disappeared as Jennifer worked out the best caption, Willa moved her arm from behind Jennifer and looked around at the other people in the park trying to avoid thinking about the captivating blonde UNC striker.

Chapter 3

[ncisfranchise-source]

The NCIS franchise continues to expand—but not every show can last nearly as long as the mothership. Hawai’i, currently in its third season, will be ending with the May 6 episode.

“I was shocked” by the news of its cancellation, NCIS star Rocky Carroll tells TV Insider. “Less than two weeks ago, I was doing a talk show with Vanessa Lachey and LL COOL J. We were all sitting around celebrating being a part of the NCIS universe. You never know what the motivating factors are, but I’m hoping that those characters, because we still have the mothership as we call it, we still have NCIS: Sydney, and who knows, those characters may turn up. I mean, LL COOL J’s character came from Los Angeles and was in Hawai’i. So who’s to say that Vanessa Lachey’s character wouldn’t show up somewhere in the NCIS universe again?”

There are at least two more series coming, the Origins prequel about a younger Gibbs (played by Austin Stowell, with Mark Harmon narrating) and Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo reprising their roles of Tony and Ziva in an untitled spinoff. “I’m thrilled about [the expansion], and I think it’s a real testament to the staying power and the commitment of CBS Paramount to have this show be sort of the staple that we now have a brand that’s expanding,” Carroll says. “It’s like the Marvel universe now. New audiences, new generations of audiences can now have their show that they can say, ‘Yeah, I’ve been with it since season one,’ like the diehards from NCIS who are 22 years in now.”

With Carroll playing the director of the agency, while neither Tony nor Ziva remains with NCIS, it would be quite easy for him to appear in a video check-in, right? “It’s funny you should mention it. I just did a podcast with Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo, and we had a chat about that, and I said, ‘Who knows? Sometimes the director may need to come in and check in on you kids because you’re on the other side of the world here,'” shares Carroll. “That would be kind of fun. Video check-in would be nice. I’d like to see their faces when Vance just walks into the room.”

RELATED

'NCIS' Aftershow: Wilmer Valderrama Teases Torres' Influence on Knight

But is there a spinoff he’d like to see in the franchise? He points out that there are divisions of the agency that have been introduced, like the REACT team. “The thing that made NCIS so interesting to begin with is [creator] Don Bellisario picked a federal agency that most people had no idea what NCIS stood for or what it was,” Carroll notes. “There’s all these other parts of this federal agency that you could focus on as opposed to just NCIS: Costa Rica—which wouldn’t be bad. I wouldn’t mind having Vance’s retirement job being a director in a small office in Costa Rica somewhere.”

Not every attempt at a spinoff has been a success; Los Angeles Season 4 introduced Red, the mobile unit, but that wasn’t ordered to series. “There’s never any guarantee,” according to Carroll. “But the universe has this solid footing now that you can take a chance, take a leap of faith, and say, ‘Well, let’s try it and see what happens.’ You know that the universe is still going to be safe, still going to exist.”

After all, NCIS is still going, even three seasons after its lead, Mark Harmon, exited. “There were star-driven shows in the ’70s and the ’80s. It was the name above the title and then the show.” Carroll recalls. “But now what CBS had done—and Harmon was a big factor in this, too, he always wanted the agency to be the star of the show. And CBS has been successful with other shows like CSI; once Billy Petersen left CSI, people thought, ‘Well, he was the main character behind it,’ but the show still had life after that. Because it was about the agency. And I think that’s one of the things that CBS does pretty much better than anybody else.”

[kwebtv]

The Doomsday Flight - NBC - December 13, 1966

Thriller

Running Time: 93 minutes

Stars:

Jack Lord as FBI Special Agent Frank Thompson

Edmond O'Brien as The Man, Bomb Threat Caller

Van Johnson as Captain Anderson, Pilot

Katherine Crawford as Jean

John Saxon as George Ducette

Richard Carlson as Chief Pilot Bob Shea

Edward Faulkner as Co-Pilot Reilly

Tom Simcox as Flight Engineer

Michael Sarrazin as Army Corporal with PTSD

Edward Asner as Mr. Feldman

Malachi Throne as The Bartender

Jan Shepard as Mrs. Elizabeth Thompson

Greg Morris as FBI Agent Balaban

David Lewis as Mr. Rierdon, Personnel Director, Aviation Co.

Howard Caine as Mack, L.A. Dispatcher

The movie was the most watched made-for-TV movie to that time, with a Nielsen rating of 27.5 and an audience share of 48% until it was surpassed by Heidi in 1968.

The Doomsday Flight led to copycats who would call airlines and claim to have a similar bomb aboard a flight. A notable attempt was the Qantas bomb hoax in 1971, when a caller claimed to have placed such a bomb. The man actually placed a bomb at the Sydney Airport, leading officials to take the threat seriously and pay out $560,000 to the person. In 1971 the Federal Aviation Administration urged television stations in the United States not to air the film, on the basis that the film could inspire other emotionally unstable individuals to commit the same or similar acts as the villain in the film. (Wikipedia)

[brexiiton]

Australia unites against Musk to take down terror posts

By Dominic Giannini and Tess Ikonomou, 22 April 2024 4:00pm

Elon Musk says X will fight the eSafety commissioner's order to take down offensive content. (AP Photo)

Political unity against social media giant X for fighting to keep potentially harmful content online has reinvigorated a push to crack down on graphic material.

Leading politicians have taken aim at comments from X chief executive Elon Musk, with one labelling him an "egotistical billionaire".

The federal government and opposition have backed efforts for graphic content - including of a stabbing massacre at a Sydney shopping centre - to be taken down from X, formerly Twitter.

It has led to a renewed focus on a government bill that would have tackled misinformation online that was temporarily shelved after the opposition argued it went too far and impacted free speech.

Opposition communications spokesman David Coleman said the coalition was willing to work with the government to curtail violent content online.

He also wants the government to adopt an age verification trial "so fewer kids see this awful material".

X has raised concerns about censorship, the jurisdiction of Australian laws and edicts dictating what overseas users can see.

Powers allowing the eSafety commissioner to issue a global takedown order to companies that had servers hosted overseas were put in place to deal with a scenario such as this, Mr Coleman said.

X said it would challenge an order from the eSafety commissioner.

It said the commissioner did not have the authority to enforce what users could see globally, branding the move an "unlawful and dangerous approach".

Global takedown orders also violated the principle of an open internet and threatened free speech, it said.

The response has irked all sides of politics in Australia.

"It beggars belief, doesn't it, that this egotistical billionaire thinks it's more important for him to show whatever he wants on X or Twitter ... than to respect the victims of the crimes," Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek told Seven's Sunrise program.

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young called for Mr Musk to front an Australian parliamentary inquiry and answer questions about algorithms that help content go viral and garner attention.

"These laws need to get to the heart of the problem and that is the profits they make off the algorithms they use and the data that they use," she said.

"It's no wonder that Elon Musk, the narcissistic cowboy, thinks he can just give the middle finger to the Australian government because for too long, we've had little to no regulation."

Liberal frontbencher Simon Birmingham said the use of social media advanced algorithms and technology to quickly target users meant platforms should be able to "quickly and effectively remove content that is damaging and devastating to the social harmony and fabric of society".

"Particularly images such as terrorist attacks," Senator Birmingham told ABC TV.

"We should expect that, we should demand it and we will certainly back the government to put in place the types of powers or penalties that make social media companies pay attention."

He also rejected claims about censorship.

It was an "insulting and offensive argument" to say the removal of imagery of a terrorist attack was censorship and it should be left unfiltered for children and others to see, Senator Birmingham said.

There was also the potential images could be used to inspire future terrorists, create disharmony and be manipulated for propaganda, he added.

Lifeline 13 11 14

[tubby1]

USA Tour

My thoughts after travelling the United States extensively

INTRODUCTION-

I have been to the United States several times before this trip, but in 2023 and 2024 I really went in depth and reached some of the more rural areas, the ones not many tourists/non locals visit.

I am a graffiti writer/urban explorer, although not a traditional one. The 2 main things I do while I travel the US are 1- paint hidden areas under bridges/tunnels 2- walk around/skate around downtown areas. While most writers like to stay around the big cities, I prefer to visit the smaller towns/rural areas.

Because of these 2 activities I partake in, I visit a lot of random places that normally other people would not visit simply because they are generally just boring places to your average individual.

As well as this, I stand out as an obvious outsider, being non-white and having an Australian accent, it often strikes up conversation with the locals from the small towns.

While I am painting/seeking out hidden areas, I often run into homeless people/remnants of campsites in these places. I always try to be friendly and say hello to people, so sometimes I strike up conversations where people talk to me about their living situation and how they ended up there.

The main question I always get asked by people is “Why are you travelling here of all places?” My answer to this is the same as why I travel anywhere. I just enjoy being in new places, and seeing both the good and bad of the world. It’s important to see the bad to appreciate the good. 

And make no mistake, I am very grateful for the situation I was born in and the advantage I was given in life. After travelling to many different countries, I am aware of the advantage I was given simply because of where I was born.

My hometown of Sydney, Australia, as of 2023, was ranked as the 4th best city to live in the entire world. Not a single American city ranks highly on the list, and for good reason.

Ever since I was 16, I endeavoured to make a living online through internet marketing, at a time where the average joe making a living online wasn’t really heard of, compared to these days where there are plenty of kids who can make a living online doing something simple like streaming video games.

But make no mistake, I am also extremely grateful that I was able to waste many months online, making pennies before I was able to make a sustainable living. I had my parents supporting me and a safe place to live until then. If I was born in a less advantaged place, I could be already working in a sweatshop before I became a teenager, I could be in a war torn country fearing for my life daily, with no electricity, let alone access to the internet.

I will write more about the global situation and the geopolitical issues I have seen, but for now, the purpose of this write up is to write about the socio-economic issues I have observed in the United States.

The main points I will be covering are

How travelling from state to state feels like travelling from country to country

The deteriorating downtown areas in much of the rural US, while the corporations and strip malls(stroads) grow larger and larger.

How the homeless problem in the US differs from any other country I have been to

How many Americans I have spoken to from rural areas have not only no/warped understanding of how other countries are, they do not even know much about life in cities like NYC, Chicago etc besides only being a few hours drive away.

How Americans seem to become more fiercely political the more rural you go, and how they argue politics where it’s completely unrelated.

The large amount of propaganda Americans are subjected to, on the billboards/radio etc, and how it differs when you go from the city to the country.

How Americans accept a lot of things as ‘normal’, when it would not be considered normal in any other country

How the United States remains an economic superpower with a large influence over the world, especially via Hollywood TV/Films, but the vast majority of the US, is absolutely nothing like many people think, with so many people living in poverty.

Let's take into consideration 3 huge American corporations and how they impact the people and community. Amazon, Walmart and Dollar General.

Amazon

While Australia also has Amazon, it is nowhere near as widespread as it is in the US. No matter where I have been in America, I always see the Amazon delivery trucks as well as the Amazon boxes outside people’s houses and businesses. 

In Africa, if you want a cheap everyday item like a phone case, you go out and buy one from a vendor on the street.

In the US, if you want a phone case, you can order it off Amazon for a few dollars with free express shipping, free returns and it will be at your doorstep before you know it. 

Now while this is great if you want cheap items, you also need to think about how it is impossible for small businesses to compete with this giant. You cannot undercut Amazon, simply because you would not be making any profit. They even have their own shipping courier, which is unheard of in other countries. Because of how highly it is used and ranks in search results, some smaller businesses resort to selling their products on Amazon and giving them a cut of their profits.

I believe Amazon is a key reason why shopping malls in America are dying, as well as why so many stores in different downtown areas around the country remain abandoned/vacant.

Walmart 

Walmart is the all-encompassing megastore which is in every major town in the USA. These days you can go out to eat at Subway for lunch, go to the optometrist, go grocery shopping, go buy some childrens toys, go to the bank to get a loan, go buy some hardware and tools, get your car fixed, all in the same building known as Walmart. In Australia, I would have to go to several different stores, and spend several more hours running the same errands. However, convenience comes at a cost. Walmart is able to effectively put many different local places out of business, and not just the retail sector. One Walmart I visited even had a medical centre inside, although this is something I only saw once.

Also take into consideration this-

When Walmart moves into a small town and wipes out all the smaller businesses by undercutting prices, they also eliminate a large amount of jobs. So the people who were paying $5 instead of $10 for a meal, this can come full circle when they lose their job and end up working at Walmart and getting paid less.

Walmarts do not exist in downtown areas, they exist usually on something known as a stroad, an exit off the highway, and are usually located near fast food chains, and other big box corporate stores. They effectively remove business from the heart of the town and move it to this new car-centric area. The big chains band together, and this exit off the highway becomes the new epicentre and one stop shop, killing off the downtown area.

Dollar General

I underestimated the power of Dollar General until I really went deep and visited the very rural areas. This chain exists in towns so small that they do not have a Walmart. I have spoken to several people who do not even regularly go to the grocery store, instead they survive off fast food and the cheap processed food selection that Dollar General has.

This corporation is also responsible for ending a lot of smaller businesses.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How Americans are fiercely political and divided

I have never been to a single other country on the globe where its citizens are so political, and this is observed every day when I was travelling throughout it. There are always huge flags, banners, bumper stickers, and signs everywhere. It is common when I strike up conversations with people that they start diverting and talking about politics when it has no relevance to the conversation. This phenomena can also be observed online, the amount of times I’ve seen Americans arguing about politics online in the comments of completely unrelated YouTube videos, among other things, is absurd. 

For many people, this truly is the most important part of their personality.

I do not have much interest in speaking about American politics, so I will not elaborate too much on this section. All I will say is that people should realise there are bigger issues to worry about, and the rich and powerful rely on this division of its citizens to pit them against each other.

While driving I would sometimes listen to the radio as well as observe billboards, which don’t really make sense to me. For example, I don’t quite understand why so many people are always discussing gay/trans rights, when, unless you belong to that demographic, it really should not affect your everyday life regardless how you feel about that topic.

I have noticed in poorer communities, people tend to be more politically inclined, compared to the city, and they think the political parties are the only thing which can save/deteriorate their town.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oblivious to the outside world

Most Americans I have met do not have too much knowledge of the outside world, and are shocked when I tell them about things in America which do not occur in other places. 

For example, going to a restaurant and paying the price of the food only rather than paying the ‘server’ is mind boggling to some. Going to the doctor/hospital and not showing any sort of ID or anything, just getting free treatment is something that doesn’t make sense to many Americans.

The prison system, the school system, the way Americans are all taxed, many just believe this to be the norm and can’t imagine anything else.

Americans are assigned a ‘social security number’ at birth and set to live, work and die.

Travelling state to state, or country to country?

Painting graffiti in different states feels like painting different countries. I paint mostly underneath bridges and tunnels. This requires me to park the van in a place that may be seen as unusual. In a very populous place like California, maybe no one bats an eyelid if they see someone park and then walk under a bridge with a backpack. In a very rural state like West Virginia, this could be quite the opposite. Several times I would park the van, and start walking, and people would come out of their houses to question me, to follow me secretly, to say I couldn’t park there (regardless of actual legality), etc…

I realised I had to try and be a lot more cautious in these more rural states if I was to avoid trouble, so I resorted to not ever parking near people’s houses and forgoing certain spots if I felt it was just too rural and my presence walking around would draw too much attention. What state/town I was in would drastically affect my attitude for graffiti/stickers. In a big city, I would generally feel comfortable walking/climbing around and painting/putting up stickers if I was visible by the public as I was usually quick about it. In the smaller towns I was far more cautious, as even just putting up stickers in front of pedestrians could cause some issues.

A place like NYC does reflect what I envisioned and exactly what I expected, from what I’ve seen on television/movies. I would see lots of people riding bikes around, commuting to work, lots of small corner stores, lots of people out and about, parks full, people playing basketball, whatever you normally see in a big city etc etc….

A place like rural West Virginia/Arkansas is completely different, you rarely see people walking around or outside, the downtown areas look completely abandoned, and if you see people hanging around downtown they are likely homeless. 

Another example I have to consider, is when I spent some time travelling through somewhere such as California, is most people I observed with relatively ‘normal looking’, but going to rural states, most people are obese as well as the amount of ‘morbidly obese’ is so high, it would be easy to guess if you are in an urban area or a rural area just by looking at the people walking around Walmart.

A person from NYC going to a rural town in upstate NY would be a culture shock despite being only a few hours drive away, and vice versa.

The lack of public restrooms, and why

There is a huge lack of public restrooms in the US, as well as the ones you see in places like parks are often just locked without any valid reason or signage. So much so that I generally don’t even try opening the door to most public restrooms I see, I just assume they will be locked.

The few public restrooms you see open are usually small with only one stall, very dirty, out of toilet paper etc…

In the cities, many businesses will have signs saying their restrooms are broken, not for customers or have a numerical lock on the door.

Now let's look at ‘rest areas’ on the interstate. I’m going to be honest here, these places are usually superb, very clean and very nice. While driving long distances, I often look forward to these places, to break up the drive, use the restroom, fill up my water bottles at the refill stations, and sometimes just sit and chill in a very clean, air conditioned area.

What’s the difference with the restrooms here and in the city? One caters to vehicular traffic and one caters to pedestrian traffic.

Skateboarding’s link to observing economic disparity.

One of my favorite ways to wander around a new city and explore is to ride my skateboard. While skateboarding is illegal on the sidewalks in many places, this is where I normally like to ride, and after riding through a few cities, there is something I have noticed.

In the poorer suburbs, the sidewalks are basically unrideable. I basically spend a lot of time just carrying my board as the sidewalk is full of cracks/weeds and completely unrideable.

In the wealthier suburbs, the sidewalks can be exceptional to ride. Smooth, wide and very well maintained.

It is the same city though. Just certain areas the city cares about, and certain areas they do not. 

The quality of sidewalks is not something that many people notice, but as a skateboarder, it is something I have observed everywhere I went. It is one small detail out of many.

Los Angeles - rich get rich, poor get poorer

I have always wanted to go to Los Angeles since I was a kid. It’s Hollywood, y’know? LA is a big place, and the areas within it are very different. I have wandered around the train tracks and LA rivers around downtown and it’s pretty lawless to say the least. Completely covered in trash, full of homeless, and some spots I did not paint because of the hostile people living there.

I remember a particular stretch of tracks downtown, walking through giant piles of stolen bikes being parted out, and seeing masked people rob a freight train as it parked up momentarily. I have observed chaotic scenes similar to this before in poorer countries, but it’s not really what tourists think of when they think of ‘Hollywood’.

Not too far of a drive away from this chaos, what do you have? The rich celebrities, the gated mansions and wealthy neighbourhoods of Beverly Hills, Calabasas etc… 

Conversations with homeless

Painting graffiti in America, I always run into homeless people. Sometimes they keep to themselves, sometimes they want to talk. 

Sometimes they ask me for money and I offer to buy them food instead. Most of the time they will decline, but something they will take me up on my offer so I strike up a conversation as I walk with them to the nearest food place/grocery store.

I ask where they are from and how they got into that situation. Some people say something simple like they lost their ID, and then had trouble acquiring a new one, and then their life gradually declined into homelessness. Many people had a bad childhood. Sometimes I meet people that enjoy living under a bridge. Sometimes I see families and children, just trying to survive and get through the winter… 

The fact that I paint graffiti and enjoy exploring lets me see the kind of places the homeless seek out. I am merely a traveller, a tourist passing through and painting something for fun. For them, that bridge covered in excrement and trash is their home… 

It is true that a lot of homelessness is associated with drugs/alcohol addiction. I have met many people who are obviously high and incoherent and other times I meet regular people though. I treat everyone the same, regardless of whether they appear to be wealthy or poor.

Some of the worst people I’ve met in life were the wealthy, entitled ones. Some of the kindest people I’ve met were the unhoused ones with next to nothing.

Some people are in that situation because of their own bad decisions. Some people were taken advantage of and dealt a bad hand in the game of life. Many people suffer from bad mental illnesses, and are left untreated and unhoused.

I remember these people I crossed paths with that I could not help. I remember being in a small town, saying hello to someone under a bridge and opting to start a friendly conversation before realising that they had schizophrenia. They started rambling to me and talking to people that were not there, and I listened to it all as I took my time to paint a piece. I normally paint quickly, but sometimes I opt to do a piece and paint longer if there are people who I feel are enjoying talking to me at the spot.

I remember reading discarded journals under bridges, of people writing about their lives. I remember people telling me about their goals and dreams, I remember the hope in their voices as they described where they wanted to get there in life, and I knew the chances of them achieving their dreams were next to nothing.

I remember meeting people who were living amongst a pile consisting of just random objects they collected of no use to them, they were obviously hoarding and had a mental illness.

Maybe when you have so little to your name and no one to support you, having a bunch of random items around you makes you feel okay.

No one chooses where they were born and what situation they were born in. We shouldn’t try and divide ourselves. We are all humans moulded from the same clay.

We laugh, we cry.

We get excited, we get angry.

We love, we grieve.

We are all one race, the human race.

[umichenginabroad]

Beyond Coogee (Week 2)

After a week of exploring Coogee and the surrounding area, my housemates and I felt prepared to embark on a voyage inland. In Surry Hills, a suburb of Sydney known for its stylish cultural and cafe scene, we embraced our duties as college students and went thrifting. I couldn’t name each shop we walked into or every hat I tried on, but I could, with much gusto and enthusiasm, show you exactly where I got the Nutella Latte that changed my life (I just wish it lasted me more than two minutes). Apparently, Australia has a very strong coffee culture which was well established before coffee chains even tried to enter the market - there are less than 70 Starbucks shops in Australia compared to over 17,000 spread across the 50 United States. The coffee tastes even better after converting the cost of the coffee to USD and seeing that it cost me half the price of its counterpart in America.

With our appetites built up, we made our way towards Chinatown where we enjoyed some authentic Chinese dishes followed by my favorite Oolong Tea Boba.

A habitual Coogee Beach swim and coastal walk followed later that day joined by Lauren and Shaunak, a student from Georgia Tech. The three of us grew to appreciate each other’s company as we contemplate the philosophical on our walks - everything from how our relationships with our friends and families shape us to commentary on the realities of tourism.

Before we knew it, the NCAA championship was upon us! Luckily, Lauren and I had prepared a watch party at the same local bar where we’d watched the semi-finals. This time, determined to draw a larger crowd, we created a flyer that could be easily passed around amongst students in the area. Though not all UM fans, students crowded the bar and seats ran out after the first hour to watch us take the trophy. Go blue!

Later in the week, a trip to Bondi Beach went south when an incident occurred in the water. I had just gotten out of the water when I noticed a large crowd forming in the northern end of the beach. After some inspection, it turned out that somebody had been rescued from the water and was getting medical attention on the shore. Film crews surrounded the area. Bondi Rescue is a TV show filmed at Bondi Beech that follows lifeguards as they locate drownings, carry out rescues, and handle other conflicts in and around the water of the busiest beach in Australia. The sight reminded me of just how dangerous the ocean can be with waves reaching 5ft above the water. Lifeguarding is often regarded as a common summer job for teenagers in the US, but in Australia it’s taken quite seriously. Just a few minutes at Bondi Beach is enough to see a lifeguard tell someone to swim to a designated area, leave the water if it’s declared unsafe, or even make a rescue. Having been a lifeguard myself, safety is always at the top of my mind when I swim, but let me tell you - these waves are not to be messed with.

With week 3 approaching, I’m excited to take my first trip out of Sydney to the Gold Coast! Cheers!

David Bayer

Biomedical Engineering

University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia