#When in Liverpool july 2024

[tamurakafkaposts]

Is There Anybody Out There?

[two-white-butterflies]

★ — loss of my life | charles leclerc

Description: You're the biggest superstar in the world. You break up with your longterm boyfriend. It's lonely at the top.

Pairing: singer!reader/charles leclerc

yourname: the love of my life. ❤️ @charles_leclerc

liked by 2,391,039 others

>comments

charles_leclerc: ❤️

yournameuniverse: ok drop the album its been 3 yrs

BirdsofAFeather: OMG OMG SHE'S A SINGER, HE'S A RACECAR DRIVER IT'S A WATTPAD BOOK.

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yourname: short n' sweet is out now 🍭

this feels really surreal, i kind of had to unlearn myself and learn myself again in order to make this album. it's the one i'm most proud of thus far in my life. it's the one i hope you listen to and feel like we were hanging and confiding in each other for an hour. me and the mic were like this the whoole time 🤞🏻 i never thought i would finish it because it was really scary to close the chapter. but i closed it so you can open it! and i hope you do. i hope you love it.

rant over now please stream this shit a lot if you don't mind, it took me years to make lol.

liked by charles_leclerc and 4,698,349 others

>comments

charles_leclerc: ❤️

jaylahespy: crying real tears

ynlnnation: WE'RE LOVING IT

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charles_leclerc: Happy 7th! @yourname

liked by 231,382 others

>comments

yourname: Happy 7th lovey! ❤️🥺

charlesuniverse: THE PERFECT COUPLE

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(MONACO, 2023)

You felt like Elvis Presley. Singing in sold-out arenas and having millions of fans that would constantly stream your songs. It was exhilarating. It was a different type of high. Being famous was 100x better than narcotics, because it gave you money.

Money that afforded lazy days like this.

Both sides of your pillow remained cold. The air-conditioning was in optimal condition. Charles' warm arms were wrapped around you, caging you in his warm embrace. "What time are we gonna get up?" you asked with a chuckle, seeing that his eyes remained closed.

"Brunch," he mumbled weakly - fighting against the sleepiness. "- now let's please get back to sleep." he pleaded, his arms wrapping tighter around your waist. A small giggle escapes your mouth.

"Okay, Mr. Leclerc."

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yourname: liverpool you're the apple of my eye ❤️🥺 thank you for being such a wonderful crowd!!

liked by 2,128,192 others

>comments

YourNameWorld: I LOVE YOU PLEASE NOTICE ME

allatflipflops: LIVERPOOL!

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liked by yourname

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yournamenation: Y/N L/N sings Miss American Pie.

liked by 128,392 others

prongsmoony: Oh it's confirmed

Headoverheels: She also liked that twitter post that's speculating over their breakup...💀

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Y/N L/N and CHARLES LECLERC: ALL WE KNOW ABOUT THE BREAKUP SO FAR. by Poppy Corinthia

When Y/N L/N first began dating Formula One racer Charles Leclerc more than seven years ago, the internet was not shocked. The pair first introduced each other as childhood best-friends, both growing up in Monaco, until L/N's eventual leave to NYC.

A love story like theirs did not stay behind closed doors.

Their relationship was first confirmed by an instagram post made by Y/N L/N (which has since been deleted following her karma album) that is captioned "the love of my life" with a picture of her and Charles Leclerc kissing passionately in Turks and Caicos.

This was followed by back-to-back appearances in the racing paddock, as well as Leclerc's attendance in all of L/N's concerts. July 10, 2024 the streak of attendance has been ruined. Leclerc has also not liked any of L/N's post about her Liverpool concert. Y/N L/N also liked a twitter post speculating their breakup.

But what do you think, reader? Is the IT Couple broken up? or are they simply taking a step back on their public appearances?

>comments

valenciaschitt: Yep I think they're over

HollaParker: I refuse to believe it :(

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yourname: Edinburg, you're the one for me! 🥺 thank you for listening to 'loml' for the first time. the song will be released...an hour after this post. loml is really personal to me, but please always choose to be kind and gentle.

liked by 4,213,912 others

>comments

CharlesandY/N: "Please always choose to be kind and gentle" THIS IS DEFINITELY ABOUT CHARLES 😭

charlesuniverse: YOU'RE THE LOSS OF MY LIFE

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Y/NUniverse: When I remember that Y/N got the breakup text 30mins before her show in Liverpool...

liked by 182 others

comments have been restricted.

[jobesbabe]

Summer Baby / Dominik Szoboszlai

dominik szoboszlai x reader PART 1

It’s July, 2024. A few of the Liverpool boys are looking for a getaway before and between the summer series and stumble upon your mom’s vacation home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. There, they spend their time enjoying the sun and one in particular, enjoying the company. You find yourself falling for a charming Hungarian- Domi.

Part 1- vacation spot

warnings- none in this first part

a/n- thinking of making this a series and being more active 🫡 also, lets pretend theres not like the EUROS 😭 Let my story work 😭😭

The whole thing was Harvey’s idea. He wanted the team to have a getaway. Those without kids and wives he wanted to rope into his beach trip.

“Cmonnn’” Harvey said to Trent and Dominik, “This will be fun, you know. We need to relax for a few minutes instead of always being go, go, go!”

After letting the twenty-one year old rant for a few minutes, Trent sighed.

“I don’t think it’s happenin’ for me at least. I got summer plans. Maybe try the youngsters?” He said to Harvey who looked at Dominik with hope.

Dominik shook his head in return, showing Harvey he was on his own with this one. Harvey slapped his knee, and blurted out to nobody in particular,

“I’m booking it anyway!”

Two weeks later, he had convinced Caoimhin, Conor and Bobby, along with Curtis.

Harvey just about had his car packed for the airport when his phone rang. The name ‘Dominik Szoboszlai’ lit up the screen and forced Harvey to think about work on his first day to himself.

“Ya, whats up man,” Harvey groaned into his phone.

“Have you gone to America yet?” Dominik’s voice sounded firm on the phone.

“No, I’m just about on my way though, plane leaves in 3 hours.”

“Got room for one more?” The Hungarian asked.

“I- Uh, Always.” Harvey said to the man.

And Hours later they were at your front doorstep.

Your mother never shared the renter’s information with you, but even if she had, you would not be prepared for what you opened the door to.

You had been a Liverpool fan since childhood, but she never got into it as much as you did and always got the players confused. Her most recent one was Virgil van Dijk. Though he had been playing for years, she always got him confused with a newer signing like Szoboszlai or Gravenberch. She wasn’t great with names, so the name Harvey Elliott was just like John Smith or Jane Doe.

When the renters knocked at your door you rushed to greet them as you always did when your mother was out.

“I’m so sorry, I’ll be there in a second!” You shouted from in the house when they knocked a second time.

You opened the door to Harvey Elliott and his ragtag group of Liverpool players.

“I- Uh- what? Harvey Elliott?” You asked, confused and starstruck, but mostly confused. “Yep that’s me, I’m Harvey and this is-”

You interrupted him. “Curtis Jones, Bobby Clark, Caoimhin Kelleher and Conor Bradley.”

Your wide eyed expression was met with a warm smile.

“Lads, she’s a fan.” Harvey said, earning a nod from Bobby and a chuckle from Caoimhin.

“Yeah, I am. Sorry,” You apologized but you weren’t sure what for. recognizing him? interrupting him?

“What’re you sorry for? It’s nice to know the ladies in America know who I am,” Curtis said in his scouse accent.

That comment earned a chuckle from the five of you and you noticed another man at one of the two Jeeps you assumed the rented.

“Is that, Szoboszlai?” You asked rhetorically. The perfect hair and tattoos belonged to only one player on the squad and you knew without a doubt.

Harvey chuckled.

“May we come in?” He asked.

You opened the door and asked if they needed any help with any luggage or things of that matter.

when they said they were all set, You brought them to the kitchen and showed them their keys.

“The beach house has a few doors, so you’ll each have a set of 3 keys,” You said to your captive audience of six football players.

“Red is for the front door, daisies is for the back door and green is for the car park. They have initials on them if you forget.”

You glanced up, meeting Dominik’s eyes as he licked his top lip and then smiled. You blushed and turned away from him embarrassed. He chuckled to himself and hoped nobody would notice.

“Thank you for the keys, now, can we have a tour?” The flirty Hungarian asked you and you shook your head yes.

“What kind of a host would I be if I said no,” you replied smacking your hand against your chest in a playful way. The boys laughed and followed you as you led them to the living rooms and family room.

“This is where most watch movies and hang out after a long beach day.” You said and Conor sunk into the couch with a sigh.

“C’mon. The tours not done yet Mr.Bradley!” Harvey mocked him.

Curtis smacked the top of Conor’s head urging him to get up.

“Alright! Im up!” Conor sighed, getting up.

You showed them the bathrooms and the rest of the house until you got to the long hallway where they would be staying.

“Here’s the bedrooms, take your pick,” you said to them.

Being just big little boys, 5 out of the 6 of them ran to find the biggest room.

Dominik stayed behind and looked at you. You returned his longing look with a smile.

“What’s on your mind Szoboszlai?” you asked.

He let out a ‘hm’.

“Can you show me the beach. I want to go outside by the beach,” He said in his charming Hungarian accent.

“Of course.” You said.

You guided him out the back door and to the porch steps that led straight on to your portion of the beach.

“Here she is, the beautiful sea.” You said.

A smile appeared on Dominik’s face.

“Will you walk with me, so I wont get lost?” He asked, sheepishly, like he was embarrassed to ask.

You nodded and walked with him, making simple conversation, asking about Liverpool, his experiences there and how he was. He asked about you, noting your favorite seashells by the fact that you stopped to pick them up and shove them in the pockets of your shorts before jogging to catch up with him. The fourth or fifth time a Olive shell appeared, He stopped himself, picked it up, and placed it in your hand.

“Thank you,” You said looking up to meet his eyes.

He smiled his million dollar smile. “you’re welcome.”

As you returned to the beach house, you giggled.

“What?” Dominik asked confused and grinning.

“Nothing,” You smiled noticing his hair was no longer as proper as he usually had it. It was fluffy and curly from the beach air and you loved the way it looked. “You have beach hair. It looks good Szoboszlai,” You said.

“You can call me Domi,” He said.

Caoimhin and Curtis looked out the window of the living room to see the two of you having fun on the beach and chuckled.

“Domi, your hair looks good.” You repeated, in a flirty tone.

“Thank you,” He smiled.

and all of a sudden, you were enamored.

a/n- AHHH i hope this is good. Im gonna make a pt 2 if this gets some likes/comments/ reposts. Also Anon requests back on!! pls request

[tavolgisvist]

It was at Stoky Wood* (badge - black and yellow, with a picture of a Spitfire flying over the River Mersey) that Paul and I saw our first film. We were seated on long wooden benches watching Crime Buster Dick Barton**, a great radio hero of ours, when it became too much for Paul. In the flickering half light I watched with great amusement as Big Brother stumbled over me and his pals to exit screen left, scared out of his tiny mind. He wasn't scared when it came to smaller things such as bullies, however, and many's the time he came to my rescue in the school play yard. 'Big Brother have a use after all,' I thought.

*Stockton Wood Primary School, Speke, Liverpool **Dick Barton: Special Agent, was released in May 1948 Btw, Paul's 'I have another memory, of hiding from someone, then hitting them over the head with an iron bar' is the story about Stoky Wood too (Paul was at Stockton Wood Primary School from September 1947 until July 1951)

My memories of brother and I are of two independent little chaps, but Uncle and Auntie,s remembrances are of 'two right little swine', always up to mischief, or with their backs to the wall saying, 'We won't… WE WON'T!' I'm sure they're just a might confused. I do remember a few instances, however, which might give their memories some validity. Like the memory of Paul and me in 72 Western speeding up the growth of next door's apples by throwing stones at the apple tree, and then vigorously denying it. The stones on the other side let us down! Memories of being boss of my own gang in the later Stockton Wood years and charging against the 'enemy' across the school yard in full war cry (obviously why the headmistress Miss Margaret A. Thomas, who used to make the school toys herself, advised the world that one day I would be a 'Leader of men').*** And the came an older bully unto the yard who hit little girls and maketh them cry, and it behove me to teach unto him a lesson: Seeing that I was far too young and weedy to challenge him personally, I chose a friend to talk for me…(no, not Paul)…a housebrick! Being, as I've said, a holy lad it wasn't too difficult to levitate the brick up into the air…over the Bully's thick head…and cut (snip!) the invisible strings. After this bloody, awful incident, he didn't bully little girls, or anyone else for that matter, ever more.

(Mike McCartney, 1981, Thank U Very Much. Mike McCartney's Family Album)

Part (I), (II), (III), (IV), (V), (VI)

***'I remember the headmistress saying how good the two boys were with younger children,' says Jim, 'always sticking up for them. She said Michael was going to be a leader of men. I think this was because he was always arguing. Paul did things much quieter. He had much more nous. Mike stuck his neck out. Paul always avoided trouble.'

(The Beatles: The Authorised Biography by Hunter Davies, 2010, Updated Edition)

They were four tough kids from Liverpool who’d learned their craft playing in hotel-cum-brothels in Hamburg. I mean, they were tough. They grew up in Liverpool, which was a tough city. It’s like growing up in Detroit or somewhere. Somewhere, that toughness always comes out. <…> This just goes back to where they came from. Liverpool is a tough town. I wouldn't particularly want to run into Paul McCartney in a dark alley, if he didn't like me.

(Michael Lindsay-Hogg, May 2024, interview with Rob Sheffield for Rolling Stones)

[swiftieinbrazil]

The Eras Tour fun fact: The Tortured Poets Department is the 8th album to be completely performed at The Eras Tour. 1989 (Taylor's Version), Speak Now (Taylor's Version), Midnights, folklore, Taylor Swift (debut), evermore and reputation also have been completely performed. But Daddy I Love Him, So High School, Who's Afraid Of Little Old Me?, Down Bad, Fortnight, The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived and I Can Do It With A Broken Heart are on the setlist. Florida!!! was performed with Florence Welch in 4 nights, and the rest of the songs were performed at the Surprise Songs Set:

2024

loml - Paris, France (May 9)

My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys - Paris, France (May 10)

The Alchemy - Paris, France (May 12)

Peter - Stockholm, Sweden (May 17)

Guilty As Sin? - Stockholm, Sweden (May 18)

How Did It End? - Stockholm, Sweden (May 19)

Fresh Out The Slammer - Lisbon, Portugal (May 24)

The Tortured Poets Department - Lisbon, Portugal (May 25)

I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) and I Look In People's Windows - Madrid, Spain (May 29)

The Prophecy - Lyon, France (June 2)

Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus - Lyon, France (June 3)

The Bolter - Edinburgh, Scotland (June 8)

The Manuscript - Liverpool, England (June 15)

I Hate It Here - Cardiff, Wales (June 18)

The Black Dog - London, England (June 21)

thanK you aIMee - London, England (June 22)

The Albatross - Dublin, Ireland (June 29)

Clara Bow - Dublin, Ireland (June 30)

imgonnagetyouback - Amsterdam, Netherlands (July 5)

Robin - Zürich, Switzerland (July 10)

So Long, London - London, England (Aug 20)

Cassandra - Toronto, Canada (Nov 22)

Ps: these were the dates when Taylor performed these songs for the first time at the Surprise Songs Set. After that, some songs have been already repeated.

[whisperingofthepages]

Lover Birds by Leanne Egan

Pages: 400 Publisher: Harper Fire Released: 4th of July 2024 With an irresistible enemies-to-lovers romance, and perfect for fans of Alice Oseman and Becky Albertalli, Lover Birds is a beautifully-written, inclusive and heart-pounding romance. When Isabel Williams moves to Liverpool, she criticises seemingly everything in Eloise Byrne’s life – her city, her accent, her trademark boldness – so…

[vanmccannsfridge]

Yeah you can see it in some of these pictures when he's looking up. They look a bit like red spots on his chin/neck 🤷‍♀️

https://allmusicmagazine.com/catfish-and-the-bottlemen-a-triumphant-return-in-the-park-festival-sefton-park-liverpool-11th-july-2024/

these do look like razor bumps 😂 but yeah !! i honestly never noticed at sefton only the ones on his neck but tbf he was further away at sefton whereas he was basically standing on us at cardiff so we could see EVERYTHING 😭

me and my mates were trying to google what it could be but honestly it could be anything 😅

[ts13erastour]

You asked and we write!

We all know ticketmaster and despite that we keep having doubts about it, but what a lot of us have never use is AXS, the site where a lot of us have been selected for the UK/Ireland midnights presale. So here we go, an informative post about The Eras Tour AXS presale.

How can I know if I've been selected to the AXS presale? If you have received this email then you've been selected for the midnights UK/Ireland presale. you can be chosen for AXS or Ticketmaster. It'll say it like this:

If you got chosen for the AXS presale then you have to create an AXS UK account with THE SAME EMAIL YOU REGISTERED TO GET THE CODES (it is the one you used to buy midnights in the UK store or the one you used for the No Purchase Necessary Form that was in the Taylor UK in October), if not, you won't be able to access the presale.

When will they send the codes? The 6th and the 7th of July at 10 AM British time. If you don't receive the codes then you have to contact with their Customer Service: https://umusicstoresupport.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/requests/new

Your code will be valid FOR ALL THE UK AND IRELAND DATES but you CAN ONLY PURCHASE FOUR (4) TICKETS IN TOTAL. It won't be valid for the rest of the Europe dates and if you try to purchase more than 4 tickets in total it won't let you.

They have assigned 2 different ticket providers in the attempt that it'll be harder for us to crash the sites due to so many people trying to get tickets.

The tickets have been evenly splitted between the 2 different provides and in theory there's no difference amongst the tickets they're gonna sell.

Your AXS code will be valid for the Dublin dates on Ticketmaster (only the Dublin dates) ans you can't buy Dublin tickets on Ticketmaster if you already bought 4 tickets on AXS.

The presale dates and times are:

Monday 10th July 2023

11:00am BST

London | Wembley Stadium | Friday, 21 June 2024

Edinburgh | Murrayfield Stadium | Friday, 7 June 2024

1:00pm BST

London | Wembley Stadium | Thursday, 15 August 2024

Edinburgh | Murrayfield Stadium | Saturday, 8 June 2024

3:00pm BST

Edinburgh | Murrayfield Stadium |

Sunday, 9 June 2024

Tuesday 11th July 2023

11:00am BST

London | Wembley Stadium | Saturday, 22 June 2024

Liverpool | Anfield Stadium | Thursday, 13 June 2024

1:00pm BST

London | Wembley Stadium | Friday, 16 August 2024

Liverpool | Anfield Stadium | Friday, 14 June 2024

3:00pm BST

Liverpool | Anfield Stadium | Saturday, 15 June 2024

Wednesday 12th July 2023

11:00am BST

London | Wembley Stadium | Sunday, 23 June 2024

1:00pm BST

London | Wembley Stadium | Saturday, 17 August 2024

3:00pm BST

Cardiff | Principality Stadium | Tuesday, 18 June 2024

Friday 14th July 2023

11:00am IST

Dublin | Aviva Stadium | Friday, 28 June 2024

1:00pm IST

Dublin | Aviva Stadium | Saturday, 29 June 2024

3:00pm IST

Dublin | Aviva Stadium | Sunday, 30 June 2024

If you have no longer access to the email you registered with then contact the Customer Service, your code had been generated and is waiting for you!

All codes are non transferable

For accessible tickets you need to contact you ticket provider :(

We hope this post has been of help, if you have any more doubts let us know and we'll do everything we can to solve them!

[tamurakafkaposts]

Liverpool, set in its ways, at the end of the line, at the beginning of time, with its back to the land, its feet in the water, its head in the clouds, its heart on its sleeve, hearts in its mouth. Liverpool, its being so cheerful that keeps us going. Liverpool, the first city to rock in Britain.

Paul Morley, The North

[bu1410]

Good morning TUMBLR - March 6th - 2024

''Mr. Plant has owed me a shoe since July 5, 1971."

Ch. VII - 1984-1985 - Milan, Italy - New York - Mexico

Milan, Italy - Navigli area

Milan, Italy - Via Lodovico il Moro. Housing complex

New York - March '84

Twin Towers, Manhattan - March 1984

Mexico City - Zocalo square and Cathedral of Assumption of the Virgin Mary

Mexico City - Chapultepec castle

Teotihuacan - March 1984

Cancun - March 1984

Contoy Island - Mexico

Isla Mujeres . Mexico - March 1984

The years after Iraq represented for me the return to work in Italy. I responded to an advert in the ''Corriere della Sera'' newpaperwhere a local Company was looking for Site Engineer to follow the construction of an housing complex in Ludovico il Moro avenue, Milan. I had an interview with the Construction company's owner and I got the the job. The project consisted of the construction of a housing complex of 90 apartments. It was the month of June, and I think that was one of the hottest month in a century. Inside the deep excavation foundations the heat was unbearable, it felt like being in the Middle East. Within couple of days I met our Sub Contractor, some artisans from Brescia, professional people and tireless workers.

FORD TRANSIT VAN It was an early morning of July when our Subcontractor's personnel arrived at site with a new van: a brand new legendary light blue Ford Transit. They invited me to the bar in front of the site to ''wet'' the newly purchase van. Once returned to site entrence we had an unwelcome surprise: the van had disappeared!!

Where is the van??? One of the two owners asked.

Well....I parked it here......

Yes but in my opinion…

Oh damn God....where is it gone???

Come on - said the second owner…- good joke but now let's sort it out.....- he almost laughin........... After wandering around for a while, we called the traffic police to ask if they had noticed a brand new blue Transit van taken away: nothing, they knew nothing about it! At this point we were forced to admit that the van had disappeared. All we had to do was walking back to site, take the second van (which fortunately was still in place) and go to the nearest police station, in San Gottardo street. Here began the usual ping pong of questions and answers that always characterizes the relationship with the police in Italy.

The cop repeats the same question for the umpteenth time:

'Are we sure someone stole a van from there? ''

Sh******t yesssss … how many times do we have to repeat it? We parked it, went into the bar, took a hoodie and when we came out the van has vanished…… (then in a low voice to his partner: if he ask one more time I'll punch him in the nose.....

and his mater: stay calm Gino …stay calm please.....…

Okkay okkay...... – the cop finally seemed convinced – let's write the damn report ! (and here the usual description of the facts began with that kind Italian language that only police know and practice. That writing between the courtly and the doubtful, always with verbs in remote past tense, even if the facts described only happened a few hours earlier. We left the police station at noon, but at least the guys had the theft report in their hands.

The van was never found again - after a week or so Subcontractor's people arrived with a new minibus, but they used parking it inside the site yard.

A112 I had bought a red and black A112 car. Nothing better to drive around the narrow and always busy streets of Milan. That year Rome football team reached the final of the then Champions League Cup and match was against the English side Liverpool. That evening I reached home a little late so I left the car parked in front of the house, intending to put it in the garage after the game. Regular time ended 1 – 1 (Pruzzo's equalizer after Neal's initial lead). After extra time Roma lost the match on penalties!! Disappointed with the result and it being late, I went to bed leaving the A112 on the road. The next morning, I left for work very early. At a traffic light on Jenner avanue a driver pulls alongside and says to me:

But where do you have the license plates?

Mmmm… (7.00 am) Well . ...supposingly one in front and the other in back of the car......I answered.

No look… there's neither the one in front nor the one in the back!!!

WTF......I pulled over and immediately got out to realize that yes! The license plates were both missing!! What to do? I riched the construction site to warn my colleagues about what happened, and then I continued and went to the very same Police Station in Via San Gottardo, in order to file a report of license plates theft!

The Seargent recognized me:

Ah yes, you are the one from the van that disappeared ten days ago….

No, look agant… I only accompanied the people who work for my company….

Yes…yes…and in any case tell me why…you come from your place till here to report the licence plates disappearance?

Sorry agant but.....I this morning I didn't pay attention the plates were not longer in position, a driver at traffic light warned me… it's not like someone does it the first thing at 6.00 in the morning to check whether the license plates are there or not …I hop you understands me……

Yes…yes…oh well……but you should have gone to the nearest police station ....why you didn't?

This is the nearest police station, after I realised plates numbers desapperead, agent......And what do I know… without license plates you can't drive around....Can I replace the license plates temporarily with two pieces of cardboard while waiting for the regular ones?

Do what you want… but by law you cannot circulate without original plates numbers.

So it was like that I had two temporary sheet metal plates made on site, with which I drove around ''illegaly'' for a couple of weeks, until the regular plates arrived.

WEDDING In the meantime, me and my tha fiancee Rosalba had decided it was the time to get married. The ceremony took place in the Town Hall of Meda, a city about 25 km from Milan, hometown of my ex. It was very hastily officiated by a short-sighted councilor who had forgotten his glasses at home, so that he began to read the ritual sentences with the documents stuck to his eyes, and he try his best to short cut everything by saying etc. etcetera.....etcetera. We had a reception dinner in a cozy rastaurant called ''La Casupola, nested in a large countryside park.

On our honeymoon we went first to New York, then to Mexico City and finally to Isla Mujeres, in the Mexican Caribbean. To tell the truth, we had chosen Cozumel or Cancun, but the travel agency had advised us against the two destinations because - she said - 'too filthy' places.....''. To tell the truth, in order to reach Isla Mujeres we passed through Cancun, and at first glance it didn't seem "too filty" at all.

NEW YORK The flight Milan – New York was pleasant, and we had the opportunity to meet the Grand Master Pavarotti, an exquisite person. On the plane there were also members of the Italian national ski team, who were going to participate in competitions in North America. Great impression from my first visit to New York: on VI Avenue the wind slipped between two rows of very high skyscrapers, and cut our faces as if we were in the Alps. Another - disappointing - impression of the city was that NY was not at all ''all new and shiny'' as we were shown in films and TV series. I saw a lot of ''new used'' (or used new) in the sense of buildings, subways, streets, sidewalks and benches that were not old but already ruined by use. All this left me with a sense of dismay, making me realize that the "American dream" was perhaps just a dream, and the reality was much more down to earth. A beautiful memory was the climb to the terrace-restaurant of the West Tower of the Twin Towers, even though we were not allowed to go out on the open terrace because the wind was too strong up there. The small museum at the top of the tower was very beautiful with photos and videos of the phases of the tower's construction. The video of the antenna installation on the East Tower was amazing: the workers involved were all members of that particular tribe of Native Redskins who - due to a congenital defect of the hearing system - do not suffer from vertigo.

MEXICO CITY

Two days later we were on a flight to Mexico City, and when the captain of the plane announced to fasten seat belts while aircraft started the descent, we spent another half looking to the endless metropolitan area of Mexico city. The city was immense, and neighborhoods could be seen touching the sides of the surrounding mountains. We stayed at the Hotel Casablanca, on Paseo Reforma, a modern 30-story skyscraper. The following year - on Sept. 19th, 1985 - the hotel collapsed during the disastrous earthquake which claimed more than 10,000 victims. We visited Theotihuacan, the floating gardens of Xochimilco, Chapultepec park and the National Museum of Anthropology – and than Piazza Garibaldi, the Zocalo, and finally the famous ''Zona Rosa''.

QUINTANA ROO We than left for Quintana Roo, the state bordering Yucatan, to reach Cancun. Having landed at Cancun airport, at the time little more than a warehouse, we took a taxi to Puerto Juarez, from where the ferry to Isla Mujeres left. At that time, without the Internet, trips were much more difficult to plan and uncertainty reigned supreme. Today, with all the information available online, we would never have gone to Puerto Juarez to wait for a rusty ship, while there was a fast hydrofoil service that connected Cancun with Isla Mujeres in 35 minutes. The weather had worsened, low black clouds threatened rain, which arrived promptly: torrential rain and wind caused rough seas and a further delay to our ferry. Finally the ship arrived, and after unloading a few passengers and vehicles, we boarded and set off immediately. The crossing was quite troubled, with the sea becoming increasingly rough - we reached the pier of Isla Mujeres late in the evening, the rain had stopped, and a taxi took us to the Posada del Mar, the hotel we had booked through the agency in Italy. The hotel was right on the sea front, the room was good, and the bed was huge, an anticipation of what American call ''California King'' I guess. The next morning we had a typical rich Mexican breakfast: tropical fruit, huevos ranchero with bacon, juices of all colors. Than we set off to explore the island, renting bicycles from a lady who, instead of a guard dog, in the enclosure where she was keeping her bicycles, she had a crocodile that she used to release at night. The lady told us that she had never suffered a theft.

Isla Mujeres, with the elongated shape of a barracuda, is about 15 km long. Very beautiful from a naturalistic point of view, with fantastic sea and beaches on the West coast. We spent pleasant days at the beaches, especially in the lagoon that separates Isla Mujeres with its appendix, an islet that housed the Mia Reef hotel. We visited Garrafon Reef Park, where we could familiarize ourselves with nurse sharks and huge turtles. In the shallow water of the sea a multitude of colorful fish. We witnessed a beautiful show of orcas and seals, and during the show we exchanged a few words with a retired American couple, who invited us to have coffee in their mobile home parked nearby.

How long are you staying? The kind lady asked us

About ten days – I replied

Nooo… we're doing a tour of 3 or 4 months… then we'll see – replied the husband.

CONTOY ISLAND Once we decided to go on an excursion to Contoy, a small archipelago that is a Marine Natural Reserve in Mexico. We took our seats on a motor boat where there were already a dozen foreigners, who later revealed themselves to be a group of Canadians from a commercial TV. Halfway through the cruise - which would have lasted about 3 hours - the sailors made a stop to allow us to do some snorkeling in a shoal. The sea was wonderful, lots of fish and coral – then suddenly, while I was swimming, I looked up from the water and realized that they were leaving me there, alone in the middle of the sea!! It was a prank organized by the Mexican sailors to liven up the day, and when the boat turned around to fish me out everyone laughed out loud looking at my face....... At the time, however, I fell for it, and it wasn't one of the best memories of that holiday. One of the sailors, before arriving in Contoy, had caught half a dozen fish, trevally and barracuda, and once we moored at the small pier he got busy preparing the grill. The place was heavenly, the only building on the island was the guardian's house - a multitude of exotic birds and land iguanas populated the dense coconut palm forest. The fish cooked on the grill with peppers and other veggies was fantastic, the beers were fresh: simply a daay to remember! In the meantime, several boats had docked at the small pier on the island, including a yacht owned by couples of young Americans. They began to harass the numerous iguanas that roamed the surrounding rocks. I noticed that the park rangers were already in alert. At a certain point one of the American boys took an iguana by the tail, and, while swinging it, threw it into the sea. Immediately one of the guardians, still dressed, dived into the water and after a few seconds recovered the animal. The land iguana cannot swim and would certainly have died without the intervention of the park ranger.

Cabrones yanqui, hijo de puta mama que vajas antes que te golpeé!! (American goat son of a bitch go away before I beat you) The Americans untied the ropes, without saying a word, and under the reproachful gazes of all those present, they started the engine of the yacht and left accompanied by insults from all those present. We returned to Isla Mujeres while the sea was colored in sunset's pink-red.

FLIGHT BACK TO ITALY After Rosalba had gotten yet another sunburn, the holiday ended. The hydrofoil took us back to the ''filthy'' Cancun. It was very early and so we spent the day on the hotel beach.

At the beach chiringuito I ate the spiciest bocadillo of my life, and then we went to the airport to board the plane to Miami. Once we arrived in Florida, a local black policeman questioned me in Spanish, saying he was surprised that I wasn't Cuban (I wore a mustache at the time, maybe for that?) and then they accompanied us to the International Transit area. Miami had a very colorful airport at the time: pink and purple carpets everywhere. Later we took our seats on the Mexicana de Aviacion plane that would take us to Madrid. The take-off/landing runways at Miami airport are of the X-shaped type and require accurate control by ground radars. Which evidently did not happen that afternoon, where we had a very dangerous near miss. Our Boeing 707 was already launched for take-off, when at the crossroads of the runways another plane appeared landing: the Captain of our plane applied the brakes, many of the bags fell from the overhead bins, the oxygen masks made their appearance, several passengers screamed loudly but luckily the seat belts held us in place, and no one was hurt. The plane had stopped in time to avoid a collision that would have been fatal to the passengers of both aircraft. We returned to the airport, they let us off, some ladies felt ill and medical intervention was necessary. After about an hour, a second plane was ready: we boarded and took off safely. The following morning, after a stopover in Madrid, an IBERIA flight took us to Linate.

Autobianchi A112

[jobesbabe]

Summer Baby Pt 4 / Dominik Szoboszlai

It’s July, 2024. A few of the Liverpool boys are looking for a getaway before and between the summer series and stumble upon your mom’s vacation home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. There, they spend their time enjoying the sun and one in particular, enjoying the company. You find yourself falling for a charming Hungarian- Domi.

PART 4

waking up early, you again ventured into the boys side of the house and began your morning routine of making coffee and tea. Pouring yourself a cup, you heard steps coming from one of the bedrooms and crossed your fingers it would be the hungarian man you were not-so-secretly obsessed with. Your wishes came true when Dominik emerged from his room and enveloped you in a hug from behind. 

“Good morning,” you cooed. 

“Good morning édesem,” he whispered into your ear, placing a kiss on your temple and swaying with you in his arms. 

You closed your eyes and let yourself rest in his arms for a while. 

He again kissed you, but this time on your cheek, then the side of your forehead before turning you in his arms to kiss you on the lips slowly and passionately. 

“Coffee?” you asked him from his in between his arms.  

“oh, yes please.” He told you. 

You smiled at his unshaven face and messy bed head that he somehow made look intentional and perfect. 

“what?” He asked you in his raspy morning voice . 

“Nothing, it’s just- you’re really cute in the morning.” You told him. 

He smirked at you. 

Of course he knew how hot he was, he was Dominik Szoboszlai. To hear it from you though, drove him absolutely insane. 

You turned on your heel, going to the cupboard for a mug. 

“I think you’ll like this one,” You told him pointing to the red liverpool mug with an 8 on it. 

He laughed and you filled the mug with coffee, handing it to him. 

“thank you baba,” he told you with a kiss to the temple. 

He slurped his coffee and smiled. 

He watched you make breakfast, offering to help every few minutes, but you assured him you would be fine making the crêpes on your  own. 

Slowly, the rest of the boys came out of their bedrooms, rubbing their eyes. 

“morn’n” Curtis said, followed by good-mornings from the rest of the crew. 

You quickly served them breakfast and coffee. 

They asked you to eat with them, but you wanted to get an early swim in at the beach and you assured them you’d eat after. 

Heading towards the beach in your pink flowered bikini, you ran, eager to hop into the warm water. 

Floating in the water face up,  you breathed in the hot summer air. Water made you calm, it always had. The beach was your best friend when you had nobody to talk to. You found solace in it when you were lonely. But now, in a whirlwind of a romance blossoming with a football player, the beach felt like a never ending paradise.

After about thirty minutes, you swam closer to the shore, ready to get out. You noticed one of the boys resting on the shore, shoulders slumped. He was tanning, in his swim shorts, but he looked like he’d like to be just about anywhere but there. 

It was Harvey. His noodle-like permed hair was crazy, his face hanging low and his shoulders even lower. 

You walked up to him and placed your towel next to him, sitting as you did. 

“Harvey, is something bothering you?” you asked him.

“no, well. I don’t know, it’s stupid. and no offense but you wouldn’t understand.” He told you frowning. 

You looked at him through his black sunglasses. 

“try me.” you told him, hoping that your voice sounded compassionate. 

“I- Last season, I-uh didn’t preform as well as I know I can,” He sighed, “I just looked at instagram. I don’t think the fans think I should stay. They’re saying I should be sold or benched. I know I didn’t do my best but I’m trying Y/n. I’m not Trent Arnold. I’m Harvey Elliott. I play well and I’m on first team from academy, but at the end of the day, I still somehow feel like the fans hate me. I never see anyone wearing my jersey. I just feel forgotten and hated,” He told you, spilling his guts. It seemed so raw, so unlike everything you’d ever seen, read or thought about Harvey. 

“I have it,” you said smiling at him. 

“What? What do you have?” He asked confused. 

“I have your jersey. I bought it last season. I thought you were excellent. That’s because you are excellent.” You told him. 

He smiled and shook his head. 

“No, I’m serious Harvey. Come on, come with me. I know something you need right now,” you told him. 

You walked in the house, practically dragging Harvey with you. 

You brought him to the kitchen where you started bringing out your homemade sorbet, raspberry and mango. 

Footsteps met the two of you in the kitchen and suddenly it was you, Dominik and Harvey in the kitchen.

You could tell Dominik didn’t realize Harvey was there at first because you heard him say, “Hey baba-“and then stumble over it and say “buddies,” 

Harvey snorted.

“Did you just call me baba? Thats weird man.” Harvey asked. 

“No, no you know my english is not great,” He said, lying.

Harvey nodded and hummed in agreement. 

You turned for a moment to hide your smirk and then turned back composed.

“homemade sorbet anyone?” You asked, grabbing three bowls for the three of you. 

“yes please!” Harvey exclaimed, smiling like a little kid. Clearly his sour mood had melted away. 

You laughed. 

“Me also,” Dominik said, leaning on the counter in a black compression shirt. 

For a moment you allowed yourself to gaze at his chest muscles before snapping back to reality. 

Lucky for you, Harvey hadn’t noticed you staring at his teammate’s chest. 

Dominik however, definitely had and smiled widely. 

“The sorbet, Y/n?” Domi asked you licking his bottom lip. 

“Yes, the sorbet. I make it in two flavors. Raspberry or mango. Or both, which would you guys like?” You asked focusing. 

“I’d try raspberry.” Harvey said. 

“How about a bit of both for me?” Dominik asked. 

“Sure,” you said, scooping some sorbet for each of you. 

Harvey took a big scoop into his mouth and you saw his eyes almost roll back. 

“How are you sooo good at cooking??” Harvey asked while Dominik tasted his. 

“I don’t know,” you say, “I practice.” 

“This, This is good.” Dominik says, not looking up from his bowl of sorbet, shoveling it into his mouth. 

You have some of yours before asking them a question. 

“Did you guys want me to make dinner or are you all going to out somewhere?” you asked them. 

Dominik’s face lit up with an idea but he stayed silent. 

“As much as I love your food, it might be nice to go out,” Harvey said. 

“Okay cool,” You said, “Just let me know when you guys leave, I wanna clean up in here a bit.” 

The boys nod, and you excuse yourself back to your room. 

An hour and a half later, you get a text from Harvey. 

All of us but Dominik are out, He said he felt like staying home, but it would be fine if you cleaned. 

And then a few seconds later, a text from Domi.

 Hey, Come over. I want the two of us to go out to dinner 😉

You smiled and texted a thank you to Harvey and got up out of your room and towards Dominiks room. 

You knocked at his door.

“Come in baba,” He said, and you could hear the smile in his voice. 

He was wearing Khaki loose-ish pants, fixing a watch on his wrist. 

He had two shirts out on the bed, but not a single one on. 

“Hey,” You said to him. 

“Hey, which shirt should I wear?” He asked pointing at the light blue shirt and the pale yellow one. 

“hmm,” You said holding up the two shirts to his body, pressing it to his chest.

He smiled, and you made your decision. 

“The light blue looks good on you with your dark hair.” You told him. 

He nodded, and then went into his closet pulling out a box and giving it to you. 

“What’s this?” You asked him, smiling. 

“A dress, I wanted us to match on our first date,” He said to you. 

You opened the box and saw a beautiful dress, the same shade as his shirt and with ruffles on the side wrapping around to the top with a slit on the left side. 

“Domi, this is gorgeous,” you tell him gasping a bit. 

“I thought you’d like it.” He told you smirking, “Go get changed, I have a plan.”

“okay,” you told him, but before leaving, you wrapped your arms around his neck and gave him a peck on the lips. 

You went to release him, but he pulled you back into an intimate kiss, instantly snaking his tongue into your mouth and kissing you passionately. After a few minutes, The two of you released each other and you rushed to put on some makeup and fix your hair before putting on your new  dress. 

He took you to a nice restaurant and you two sat in the back room. 

He didn’t often get recognized in the US, but he didn’t want to risk an interruption on a night that he was a bit worried over.

If tonight didn’t go well, would you be interested in him at all? 

His unwavering confidence told him ‘no, shes into you and this won’t change it,’ But he couldn’t deny that he was overthinking it. 

Before you could sit, Dominik pulled out your chair and pushed it in once you were seated. you were blushing like crazy. You only hoped the redness on your cheeks didn’t make you look silly. 

Dominik, thought you blushing was extremely cute and made it known with a kiss to each cheek before heading over to his own seat. 

The evening rushed by oh too soon.

One second you were ordering and speaking of his 23/24 season debut, the next you were eating and discussing your family. 

The date ended with Dominik insisting on paying the bill and holding your hand in his back to the car. 

He opened your door and rested his hand on your back as you went in. Before closing the door, he placed a gentle and slow kiss on your lips. He pulled away, smiling and heading over to the drivers side. 

“Thanks for tonight. I feel like we’ve known each other for years,” Dominik said to you smiling. 

“Thank you Domi, tonight was really special. I had a really good time.” you told him nodding your head. 

He placed his hand on your thigh and began driving, the contact sending butterflies to your stomach. 

You hated the fact that the beach house was so close to the restaurant that you two ate at because you could have spent forever just driving around in the car with him. 

As you approached the house, Dominik sighed. 

“I don’t really want this date to end,” He confessed. 

“Me either,” You said. 

None of the other cars had returned to the driveway yet, and you figured that they were probably out clubbing and would be so until the ungodly hours of tomorrow morning. 

“We could watch something, a movie or a show,” Domi suggested and you nodded, unbuckling your seatbelt. 

You tried to get yourself out of the car but he ran over, and opened your door. 

He held out his hand for you to take, and you gladly accepted it. 

He guided you inside and towards his room, where he turned on the tv, dimmed the lights and set out some blankets.

The two of you were sat up at the head of the bed with his arm around you and your head resting on his chest, along with one of your hands. He turned on a Netflix film you both agreed upon and the two of you cuddled there until long after the movie was over and you no longer had the energy to keep your eyes locked on Domi’s. You fell asleep in his arms, they had locked over you in a protective way that told you he didn’t want you going anywhere. Soon after your eyes shut for the night, his did too. And you both rested there until the morning sun.

-here’s a lil first date aesthetic for you all xx-

a/n- im so sorry this is late but i just cant write rn!!! im in a bit of a writers block and the only ideas i have are literally for other players so im sorry if this is bad!!

tags- (lmk if you wanna be tagged)

@szoboslays-girl

[uniquejellyfishqueen]

Fun fact. My senior superlative was most likely to be on facebook at 2 am.

Ace week (formerly asexuality week) falls during the last week of October, 2024 it was October 20th-26th.

Within that week 8 of T.Swizzles albums celebrated birthdays..

(1) Taylor Swift 10/24/2006. 18 years old

4 YEARS LATER

(3)Speak Now, Speak Now Deluxe, & SN World Tour 10/25/2010. 14 years old

2 YEARS LATER

(4)Red & Red Deluxe Edition (oh my goodness the acronyms of that spell RED, was this album supposed to be a double? Does it have a sister? There is more to the ATW story…) 10/22/2012. 12 years old.

10 YEARS LATER

(10)Midnights, Midnights 3 AM 10/22/22. 2 years old.

1 YEAR LATER

1989 TV 10/26/2023 *1989 Deluxe which was released the following day only had 1 additional track on it and that was Bad Blood (ft. Kendrick Lamar). 1 year old.

42101 (8) is the Zip Code for Bowling Green Kentucky. The Area Code is 270 (9) Its also in Warren county which is home to the national Corvette Museum. And was named after Joseph Warren on 12/19/1796. The mayor of Bowling Green is a dude by the name of Todd Alcott, which may make you think of The Alcott by The National ft Taylor Swift which was released on 4/28/2023 and this was also recorded at Long Pond—> Folklore Long Pond was released on 11/25/2020. It was recorded in September of 2020. According to Spotify the total of 34 songs has a run time of 2:14 (there’s 2/14 again)

The next single to be released by tswizzle is Karma and that was released on 5/1/23 (3 days after The Alcott) lol karma is a KAT.

The music video for Karma was premiered on 5/26/23 N1 East Rutherford, NJ. The National also released Alphabet city on August 17 2023. 8 days after her last show in LA which she did not say thank you.. (“Hey kids spelling is fun”) also Alphabet City is in New York.. so like Welcome, I guess?

*ps we haven’t gotten the solid green 1989 set yet. Is this possibly in connection to another album that was also released on 10/22/2012? Kendrick Lamar released Good Kid, M. A. D. D. City on 10/22/2012. Track 5 on this album is Money Trees “pick your poison, tell me what you’re doing. Everybody gon’ respect the shooter” -> imgonnagetyouback “pick your poison, babe, I’m poison either way.” -> poison “that girl is poison. Never trust a big butt and a smile. That girl is poison poison”

**atari means "to hit a target"

But also on that same album track #6 is Poetic Justice ft Drake. Drake is from Toronto, where TS will be for shows 141-146 11/14-11/16, 11/21-11/23. There is a 7 day break for her in between these shows. Then when the Toronto shows end that is 6 days before the release of her BF Target release. (7+6=13).

AND THEN 13 days later the last stop of the Errors Tour is on 12/6 in Vancouver.

I see the VT as a mirror of TV as Taylor’s Version, but also it’s the state abbreviation for Vermont. 8/31/2007 Brad Paisley, Kellie Pickler, and TS were there it was rare.. no idk if it was but they were at the Champlain Valley Fair, in Essex Junction Vermont.. it apparently became Vermonts 10th city on 7/1/22, it was incorporated as a village on 11/15/1892.. what an unfortunate date, dear john go fuck yaself.

11/15/2024 N2 in Toronto 7 hours and 43 minutes to Essex Junction. (7+4+3=14)

743 is the area code for Greensboro, North Carolina… (grew AGAIN) *no idea what I stumbled upon but there is going to be a Taylor Swift Camp here on July 14-18, 2025. *speaking of 1989 10/21/2015 apparently is the last time TS was at Greensboro, NC with Vance Joy, and Miranda Lambert. From what the interweb shows me she didn’t play a surprise song at this show. *ok so she might not have given them a surprise song but she did write the song Carolina (6/24/2022) for the movie Where the Crawdads Sing which was released on 7/15/2022.

Carolina was played on the Errors Tour on 6/15/2024 N3/3 Liverpool show #102. This was played on the guitar mashed up with No Body, No Crime. (Sure there was no thank you post for LA, but on the thank you post from Santa Clara on 7/31/2023 she mentioned that she will never forget the HAIM sisters coming out in their dresses from Bejewled to sing No Body, No Crime this photo is from 7/28/23 because she is wearing the yellow dress.)

*HAIM joined TS on 7/22-8/9, 3 cities, 10 shows, with No Body, No Crime replacing Tis The Damn Season.

Seattle, Santa Clara, Los Angeles…. CLASS.

Area codes 310 and 424 are the telephone area codes for West LA, a small portion of Ventura County, and Santa Catalina Island… (like the Catalina Wine Mixer?) the area code 310 was created on 11/2/1991. Then on 1/25/97 it was split to 562 for the southeast portion of LA county and a large portion of Orange County. (The OC? Premiered 8/5/2003. RIP Marissa, Mischa Barton was actually named the It Girl of 2003, kinda like Clara Bow?)

[enfyswanders]

Manchester, Part 2: July 8-11, 2024

This week of the trip was supposed to be Liverpool, but when I went to book it, I found hotels to be very expensive for some reason (I'm guessing some big event was happening).

I did a little bit more sightseeing in Manchester, in particular their cathedral and "Shambles" area:

I love the little painted bee by the cathedral!

But the highlights of this week were seeing some of my favorite colleagues from my day job, and taking in another Chris Tavener show at Manchester Fringe!

Josh and his fiancé took me for a beautiful walk through a nature preserve and to a fabulous dinner in suburban Manchester at The Lead Station, where I tried a Pimm's Cup for the first time (it's tasty!).

The next day, I got to meet up with several local colleagues, including Josh, at a lovely coffee shop called The Feel Good Club...

...followed by a tasty Japanese dinner with my colleague Simon afterwards.

Much like my visits with David and Tal earlier in the trip, I was surprised how easy it was to be around colleagues while I was on sabbatical. I wasn't stressed out hearing about how things were at work, and I really had fun connecting with everyone. I think that speaks really well to both how much I like my job and how much I like my colleagues, while also affirming my good mental boundaries around my sabbatical in refusing to let any current work issue distract me overmuch.

Later that evening, I went to see Chris Taverner debut his planned Edinburgh Fringe show at Manchester Fringe. Though the song set was almost entirely the same as the set he performed at the Thomas Benjamin Wild, Esq. show earlier in the week, the structure was different, and he had a local crowd consisting of a lot of friends and fans, so that was cool to see. He's such a talented performer and I'm so glad we met.

This week's Adventures in Doing Laundry necessitated me using an expensive service/app called LaundryHeap, because there was no coin-op laundry place anywhere downtown. They did a nice job and picked up my clothes from the hotel reception and dropped them back off at reception the next day.

Another food highlight from Manchester is these delectable crème brulée Japanese soufflé pancakes from Fluffy Fluffy:

And the giggle of this part of the trip is brought to you by this shop name:

The last thing I want to say about Manchester is that Terminal 2 of their airport is an absolute nightmare for neurodivergent people like myself.

First of all, despite the traditional advice to arrive 3 hours before an international flight, the Aer Lingus desk for check-in didn't open until 2 hours prior to my flight, around 12:30 p.m. There were no chairs, so I sat on the floor for an hour until it opened up.

Once I checked in and figured out how to get to security - which was a task because the signage in the check-in area is terrible - the security staff there were particularly thorough and persnickety, making for a high-anxiety experience even for a seasoned traveler like myself. After that fun, I had to walk through the sensory-overload-endless-mall-of-duty-free for several minutes, and then when I finally got beyond that, I found a big central waiting area with some restaurants and more duty free shops, and they announce the gates only about 10-15 minutes before boarding closes, so passengers have to really hustle. My flight showed up on the board promising to announce the gate at a certain time, and that promise never changed despite it not being announced for 15+ minutes after said promised time, right around when the flight doors were supposed to close, according to my ticket. My anxiety could not have been higher at this point.

(If you open that photo up and zoom in a bit, you'll see that almost every flight simply says "relax" where the gate should be. I can't relax, Manchester Airport. You are making it almost impossible for me to do so with the way you run these shenanigans.)

When I finally got to the gate area (which, for all passengers, is a 5-15 minute walk from that central cattle-call area, depending on the gate), there were almost no chairs, and I had to stand in a crowded narrow hallway for an indeterminate amount of time until they decided to start boarding.

It's honestly the worst terminal I've ever been in. Ugh. Do not recommend.

[sa7abnews]

Anti-racism protests sweep Britain after far-right riots

New Post has been published on https://sa7ab.info/2024/08/11/anti-racism-protests-sweep-britain-after-far-right-riots-2/

Anti-racism protests sweep Britain after far-right riots

Thousands of police and anti-racism protesters gathered on streets across Britain on Wednesday to challenge expected far-right groups that failed to materialise following more than a week of violent racist attacks targeting Muslims and migrants.

Britain has been hit by a series of riots that erupted early last week after three young girls were killed in a knife attack in Southport, northwest England, triggering a wave of false messaging online that wrongly identified the suspected killer as an Islamist migrant.

Posts online had said far-right, anti-Muslim protesters would target a list of immigration centres, migrant support centres and specialist law firms on Wednesday, prompting many businesses to close early and some shops to board up windows.

The reports prompted the deployment of thousands of police officers, and crowds of protesters massed in towns and cities, including London, Bristol, Birmingham, Liverpool and Hastings, holding banners saying, “Fight racism”, “Stop the far right”, and “Will trade racists for refugees”.

The protesters were made up of a diverse collection of Muslims, anti-racist and anti-fascist groups, trade unionists, left-wing organisations, and locals appalled at the riots that had hit the country.

By 9pm, there were no reports of any severe disorder. Police said around 50 people in Croydon, south London, had thrown bottles and were trying to cause disruption.

‘Stop the boats’

Riots erupted last week when groups of a few hundred, mostly men, clashed with police and smashed windows of hotels housing asylum-seekers from Africa, Asia and the Middle East, chanting “get them out” and “stop the boats” – a reference to those arriving in Britain in small dinghies without permission.

They have also pelted mosques with rocks, prompting Muslim organisations to issue community safety advice.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a former chief prosecutor who is facing his first crisis since winning the 4 July election, has warned rioters they would face lengthy jail terms as he seeks to stamp out the worst outbreak of violence in Britain in 13 years.

A 58-year-old man was jailed for three years for violent disorder on Wednesday, while two others, aged 41 and 29, were sentenced to 20 and 30 months, respectively.

“This is the swift action we’re taking. If you provoke violent disorder on our streets or online, you will face the full force of the law,” Starmer said.

Migration to Britain was a major factor in its 2016 vote to leave the European Union, and it was a battleground during last month’s election, with Nigel Farage’s Reform Party winning around four million votes on calls for tighter border controls.

Britain saw record net migration levels in 2022, with numbers buoyed by those arriving from Ukraine and Hong Kong, and through work and student visas.

Net migration through legal means was some 685,000 in 2023, while 29,000 people arrived on small boats across the Channel, many fleeing war zones. The far-right chants of “stop the boats” were also a slogan of the Conservative Party before it was swept out of power after 14 years at the election.

The government has put together a so-called “standing army” of 6,000 specialist police officers to respond to any violence.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council said over 120 people had been charged, and 428 arrests were made for the disorder.

(Reuters)

[rashfordxbruno]

Matchday! United take on City in the Community Shield today in a bid to collect our first piece of silverware in the new 2024-25 campaign.

Following our triumph over the Blues back in May in the FA Cup final, and their Premier League success, this bout will be a re-run of that memorable day and the third Manchester derby to occur at Wembley in just over a year.

Our opponents this weekend were defeated in last year's edition of the fixture, that time against Arsenal, on penalties.

The FA Cup champions have a worrying injury list with just three senior defenders fit for the derby.

Jonny Evans, Lisandro Martinez and Diogo Dalot are the only defenders deemed fit by the manager. Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw are all under continuous assessment and may miss out on the Wembley showdown.

New signing Leny Yoro and Rasmus Hojlund have already been ruled out due to injuries they both sustained in the 2-1 defeat to Arsenal just under two weeks ago. Yoro has since undergone surgery on his foot and is in line to return in three months.

There is hope that the fans of the red side of Manchester will get a first glimpse of new signing Joshua Zirkzee. The Dutch striker signed from Bologna for a fee of £36.5 million. He did not travel to the United States for the Reds’ pre-season campaign and instead, carried out his preparations at Carrington since July 29th.

Despite losses to Arsenal and Liverpool in preseason, this side has had a lot of positives throughout the summer. Toby Collyer and Harry Amass are just two academy graduates who could receive crucial playing time in the season to come. Amad Diallo is continuously showing that he does not want to be sidelined and instead wants to cement a place in the starting eleven.

A victory will be pivotal as the Reds then head into the Premier League opener just six days later when they play host to Fulham under the lights.

Let's do this, lads. Come on United! 🔴

[newstfionline]

Tuesday, August 6, 2024

Stocks tumbled over fears of a U.S. economic slowdown (NYT) A wave of anxiety rippled through financial markets today, with stocks falling in the U.S. and around the world as investors zeroed in on signs of a slowing American economy. The S&P 500 fell 3 percent, its worst day since September 2022. The drop brings the index down 8.5 percent from its peak in July, but it’s still up 8.7 percent in 2024 overall. Investors were apparently spooked by a combination of factors last week. Today’s drop extended a sell-off that began after the U.S. jobs report on Friday showed significantly slower hiring, with unemployment at its highest level in nearly three years. The report also followed a Federal Reserve meeting in which officials decided to keep interest rates steady. That fueled fears that the Fed might have waited too long to cut rates, allowing a soft landing to turn into a more turbulent one.

Phoenix: Living with heat (NZZ) If you want to understand what heat does to people, you have to study it where it already dominates life. In Phoenix, Arizona, for example, in America’s Southwest. Nearly every day in July featured temperatures above 43 degrees Celsius (above 109 degrees Fahrenheit), with nights never dropping below 32 degrees. With an average daily temperature of 36 degrees, June was the hottest month on record. The rising nighttime temperatures could ensure that the summer record of 2023 with 55 extremely hot days is broken again this year. After sunset, concrete facades, roofs and asphalt roads continue to radiate stored heat for hours—so much so that people sweat outside until well after midnight. People who live in Phoenix only open the door at night to get some fresh air. If you want to meet people on the street in the city’s residential areas, you have to get up early. Joggers who want to run around the block more than twice set off at half past four at the latest, when it is coolest. Dogs are taken for a walk between five and six, and after sunrise it is rare to see a baby carriage on the street. A greenhorn who has gone outside without a water bottle is kindly but emphatically told by passersby how dangerous this is. You sweat almost constantly in this climate.

Tropical Storm Debby hits Florida with floods (AP) Tropical Storm Debby slammed Florida with torrential rain and high winds, contributing to at least four deaths as it turned menacingly toward the Eastern Seaboard’s low-lying regions and threatened to flood some of America’s most historic Southern cities. Record-setting rain was expected to cause flash flooding, with up to 30 inches (76 centimeters) possible in some areas, the National Hurricane Center said. The potential for high water threatened the historic cities of Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina. Up to 18 inches (46 centimeters) was forecast in central and north Florida. / Something else Hurricane Debby brought: (CNN) Twenty-five packages of cocaine weighing about 70 pounds washed ashore along on a beach in Islamorada, Florida, on Sunday, according to a social media post from US Customs and Border Patrol. According to the agency in Miami, a good samaritan discovered the drugs and alerted authorities. The cocaine has a street value of more than $1 million.

Prime Minister Condemns ‘Far-Right Thuggery’ as Riots Grip U.K. (NYT) Anti-immigration rioters attacked a hotel in the town of Rotherham in northern England on Sunday, breaking windows and appearing to set fires at a hotel that has housed asylum seekers, as riots continued in Britain. The police in cities across the country have braced for continued far-right and anti-immigration protests spurred by a deadly stabbing attack last week in the northern English town of Southport. Disinformation spread rapidly that erroneously claimed the suspect in the knife attack was an immigrant. On Saturday, dozens of people were arrested as demonstrations from Liverpool to Belfast descended into violence. Sunday saw a new wave of clashes, with groups gathering in Rotherham, Bolton, Hull, Southport, Middlesbrough and other towns and cities scattered across the country that devolved into varying degrees of violence.

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina resigns and flees country as protesters storm palace (BBC) Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned and fled the country. Hasina, who was seen as increasingly authoritarian, was forced out by weeks of protests that led to deadly clashes with the security forces. She had led Bangladesh since 2009, and took a helicopter to India, according to BBC Bengali. Hasina's resignation comes as thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in the capital Dhaka—with thousands more set to follow, a day after clashes between police and protesters left at least 90 people dead. Demonstrators stormed Hasina's official residence in Dhaka, looting it and carrying away furniture.

Thai democracy (Washington Post) Pita Limjaroenrat is arguably Thailand’s most popular politician—but his career now hangs in the balance. The suave, charismatic figurehead of Thailand’s Move Forward party led his progressive, reformist faction to a stunning first-place victory in general elections in May 2023. But the political establishment in Bangkok, enmeshed in close to a decade of de facto military rule, had other ideas. Conservative forces moved against Pita and his allies, with the Senate, comprised of lawmakers handpicked by the regime, thwarting his coalition’s ability to form a ruling government. Eventually, the Pheu Thai party, one of Move Forward’s erstwhile allies, broke with Pita and joined hands with the same military that had thrown it out of power in 2014. Pita, cast into the opposition, has been subjected to a concerted campaign of lawfare targeting both him and his party. On Aug. 7, Thailand’s constitutional court is set to rule whether to dissolve Move Forward and effectively disqualify Pita himself from holding political office in the near future. The case is centered on Move Forward’s campaign pitch to reform Thailand’s draconian lèse-majesté laws that criminalize critical speech about the Thai monarchy; they are now being wielded by the state to potentially kneecap Pita and his party. The looming crisis spotlights how Thailand is a “competitive autocracy,” as Pita put it to me himself in an interview last week. “An election victory does not translate to governance here.”

Four years after the Beirut port blast, justice is still stalled (AP) Four years ago, Helen Ata got a call from someone she didn’t know telling her that a massive explosion at the Beirut port had caused her building to collapse. Her brothers were trapped under the rubble. One of them, Issam, survived, with a permanent disability in his right leg. Her twin brother Abdo, whom she calls her “other half,” died. The port blast anniversary Sunday comes as the region braces for retaliation after an Israeli strike killed a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut and an explosion in Tehran, widely blamed on Israel, killed top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. For many, the fears of a new escalation come as wounds of the port explosion four years ago remain raw. On Aug. 4, 2020, hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate detonated in a Beirut Port warehouse. The gigantic blast tore through the Lebanese capital, killing at least 218 people, according to an AP count, wounded more than 6,000 others, and devastated large swaths of Beirut, causing billions of dollars in damages. The blast stunned the nation and a probe by a maverick investigative judge into the explosion shook the country’s ruling elite, rife with corruption and mismanagement. However, years of obstructions by top officials to dodge accountability and stall the probe have hampered hopes for justice.

International airlines have suspended flights to Israel (NYT) Israel went into a new workweek in a state of deep uncertainty on Sunday, with the potential for attacks by Iran and the militant groups it supports already causing disruptions for many. A number of international airlines have suspended flights to and from Israel pending expected retaliation against the country by Iran and its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah. That has left tens of thousands of Israelis unable to come home, according to an Israeli official who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to discuss the matter. Delta, United, the Lufthansa group and Aegean Airlines were among those that suspended services to Israel. Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is asking citizens traveling abroad to fill out an online survey to help the government map where they are and try to organize solutions, including alternative commercial flights. Most are believed to be stuck in Europe and the United States.

Israeli Reservists Confront Toll of Protracted War (WSJ) Aday after Hamas attacked Israel and sparked war on Oct. 7, Adi Hazan drove to a rally point in southern Israel and began what he thought would be one or two months of emergency military-reserve service. Nearly 10 months later, the machine-gunner is still deployed—and the rest of his life is in shambles. His construction business is failing, he is sinking into debt, and his family relies on handouts from friends and charities. And he doesn’t see an end in sight. A small nation with fewer than 10 million people, Israel relies heavily on reservists such as Hazan to keep its military functioning in times of crisis. But now, with the war in Gaza heading into its 11th month, and long-running exchanges of fire with regional militias such as Hezbollah heating up, many of those fighters are close to a breaking point. Exhausted and in some cases demoralized, they are struggling to balance family and work with military service, while the economic toll from their absences mounts. The strain on military manpower is one reason Israeli officials are hesitant to launch an all-out war against Hezbollah, which would require the same cohort of weary reservists to fight against a military power far superior to Hamas.

Israeli Strike on Gaza Shelter Kills at Least 30 and Injures Dozens (NYT) An Israeli airstrike on a school functioning as a shelter in Gaza City killed at least 30 people and injured dozens more on Sunday, according to the Palestinian emergency response agency in Gaza and Palestinian news outlets. It was the third attack on a school in the last four days. Most of the victims were women and children, said Mahmoud Basal, a spokesman for the Palestinian Civil Defense. He said that an F-16 fighter jet hit a school called Hassan Salame, where at least 14 people were still buried under the rubble. Shrapnel and debris also hit a neighboring school known as Nasser, he said. The death toll was initially 25, but rose to 30. The Israeli military said it had targeted “terrorists” in “Hamas command and control centers” located at the Hassan Salame and Nasser schools. It said it had taken “numerous steps to mitigate the risk of harming civilians” before the strike, including using precision munitions, surveillance and intelligence, though it did not specify how it had done so.

Nigerian protests fizzle out amid deadly police crackdown (Reuters) Protests against a soaring cost of living in Nigeria ebbed on Monday as few people turned out in major cities after security forces used lethal force to quell demonstrations. Hundreds of thousands had taken to the streets in cities including the capital Abuja and the commercial hub Lagos demanding relief from economic hardship and widespread insecurity in protests which started last Thursday and were meant to continue until Aug. 10. Amnesty International said at least 13 people have been killed in clashes with the police since Thursday. Police have put the death toll at seven, blaming some on accidents and an explosive device. A firm police response and a call for a protest pause by President Bola Tinubu have dampened the demonstrations.