Where is NZ?????
To our generous and BEAUTIFUL SYSCA community - you have absolutely floored us with how many Kiwi kids you’ve helped us support with KidsCan. It’s such a privilege to get up every morning and write to the kindest and caring-est (I don’t even care if that’s not a word) people on the planet, and you’ve really demonstrated that over the past few weeks.
So far, the SYSCA community has helped to feed 780 kids breakfast and morning tea for a whole week, and today we’re asking for one last push for KidsCan’s $15 for the 15% appeal.
A bunch of you have emailed me asking how we’ll know if the donation comes from one of our SYSCA besties - and don’t worry - we can count you all if you use the links we give you in here!
We literally see (and are so proud/ grateful for) you all, and to anyone who’s already donated, or is donating today - we love you so much!!
Hi my angels!!!! You’re getting this a lil later than usual (and will be for the next two weeks) because Rubes and I are in Sydney!!! We had a lovely chill weekend catching up with pals (and watching the All Blacks beat Ireland) but I don’t have much to fill you in on because it’s been a lot of getting our bearings and hiding out from the rain. BUT, keep sending through your recs for things to do (espesh rainy day things/ good op shops/second-hand shops 👀👀)
I’d also be lying to you if I didn’t mention that our Sydney experience has also been absolutely CONSUMED by this video of The Inspired Unemployed, and we are now in a very bad habit of talking like babies to each other (ironically, of course - still gross/embarro tho.)
A final push for KidsCan
A shooting in Copenhagen
Fan fiction doesn't have to be a punchline
A weird fact about Scientology
Have you ever had post-concert depression?
NZ keeps getting left off world maps
What 555 means in Thailand
When a plane lands do you stand up immediately, or do you wait for your turn to exit the row and then stand up?
✨One final push ✨
As you know, over the past few weeks we’ve been working with the amazing Aotearoa-based charity KidsCan, to help feed Kiwi kids affected by poverty. We’re really reaching crunch time now, and are doing one final push to see how many Kiwi kids we can help feed (all by giving up a coffee or two!)
But I don’t think it’s me you should be hearing from right now - I was lucky enough to grow up in a family who could always provide the things I needed to have a healthy childhood. So, I want to introduce you to 20-year-old Verity Brogden, who grew up in poverty and relied on KidCan’s food and clothing. Verity is now studying politics at university - she wants to get into parliament so she can make life better for kids growing up in situations like hers. By speaking out, people can see there are real people behind the statistics, and with your help, we can reach so many other kids like Verity.
Here’s what she has to say about KidsCan’s impact:
“Growing up in poverty, you feel pretty much invisible. Like no one sees you and no one cares about you. You're living in such a horrible environment, and it can be easy to feel like you're forgotten. Just to feel like someone could see me and see what I was going through is really cool. It's someone showing you they care about you. It was the first time in my life that I felt kind of rich.
I was 9 years old, and we were really poor. Quite often the only food that I'd really get would be the stuff from KidsCan at school. I can clearly remember getting my first pair of brand-new shoes, just for me, from KidsCan. Before that I had hand-me-downs or shoes from the op shop. It was really exciting. Obviously, they fit me better, and they didn't have holes in them!
KidsCan helped me out so much, with those little items of hope. When it's the only meal you're having a day, or your first new shoes, you can't even imagine the impact that has on kids.”
Here she is talking about her journey with KidsCan:
How we can help other Kiwi kids:
KidsCan have launched an urgent $15 for 15% appeal, where with a $15 donation we can provide a child with breakfast and morning tea for a whole week. 15% of kids in Aotearoa don’t always know where their next meal is coming from, so if we just give up one bought lunch (or a couple of oat milk flat whites) we can help provide a child with food for a whole week!
KidsCan currently feeds 44,000 kids per day, but so many more need help (and you don’t even have to be living in New Zealand to give your support) - let’s see how our community can help them!!
Several killed in Copenhagen shopping mall shooting
Note: This story is still developing but it broke as I was writing the newsy so I thought I'd include it.
Several people have been killed at Denmark's largest shopping centre after a gunman opened fire. Police don't know the motive, but aren't ruling out an act of terrorism and have arrested a 22-year-old man in connection with the attack.
Also, Harry Styles has a concert tonight less than a mile away from the shopping centre, and organisers have said that it will still go ahead, in close coordination with the police.
Fan fiction doesn't have to be a punchline
I absolutely ADORED this piece by Allegra Rosenberg (who writes for Garbage Day every now and again) about how fanfiction doesn’t simply exist for mainstream culture to make fun of - it’s an art in itself. Here’s what went down, prompting Allegra’s piece:
“A couple weeks ago, a friend of mine posted a warning on social media. Apparently, someone claiming to be a TV producer was going around and posting comments on Real Person Fiction (RPF) fan fiction on Archive Of Our Own of the British gameshow Taskmaster, asking the author’s permission to use the stories on a “new TV show.” CODE RED! CODE RED! The response within the small community of writers was immediate panic. Everyone responded, “Hell No” to the producer, began locking down their fics, and generally freaked out. As of July 1, the comments have been removed by AO3 for violating their terms of service, which prohibits commercial promotion.”
This goes back to the same shit I’m always saying in here - just because something is aligned with fandom doesn’t give you a free pass to mock it/ doesn’t make it any less ‘credible.’ You should read the whole piece here!!
Speaking of fandom - Jen wants to talk about post concert depression
And fair enough, because that shit is REAL! Here’s what she emailed me:
“Can we talk about post concert depression, especially post Harry Styles concert depression? The kids and I were in the Hamburg golden circle this past Sunday and I haven't been the same since. I'm a 43 year old woman and I want to be back in that energy and community. I have no words to describe the day and the time we got from HS except it was like a surreal fever dream. Is this a real thing or am I just a weirdo?”
I told her I’d bring it to the newsy readers so we could let her know that she is not a weirdo - in fact, she is incredibly normal for feeling this way (Rubes and I got super bad post-concert depression when we saw One Direction at high school!!)
New Episode of The Shit Show
The Fucked Up State Of America — open.spotify.com
The right to abortion has been overturned and Trump threw a plate at the wall. Everything you need to know about the state of America right now (or at least as much as we could handle talking about) in this week's episode of the aptly titled Shit Show!
A weird fact about Scientology
I know the words ‘fact’ and ‘Scientology’ don’t usually go together but Rubes and I were having a big conversation about Scientology (shivers) one morning and found out that NEW ZEALAND WAS THE FIRST COUNTRY TO OPEN THEIR OWN SCIENTOLOGY ‘CHURCH’ AFTER AMERICA. WTF. Of all places, we legit had the second one in the world. I bike past it on the way to work each day and it gives me the creeps but I’m also really keen to go in one day and check it all out.
A few emails I got abou the ‘how people laugh around the world video:
So remember on Friday when I shared this link about all the ways people laugh around the world? First, a bunch of you emailed me about the fact that NEW ZEALAND WAS LEFT OFF THE MAP!!! Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated occurrence (here’s a whole reddit thread of NZ being left off world maps!!!) And here’s a NZ tourism video all about it, featuring Jacinda Ardern:
Another cool email I got about this link was about how people laugh in Thailand - Geoffrey emailed me saying:
“About the ways people laugh, in Thailand, the number five is pronounced as ha. So people will use 555 in social media chats to denote when they find something funny in lieu of ha ha ha.”
And that’s SO INTERESTING (also I’ve corroborated it here!)
When a plane lands do you stand up immediately, or do you wait for your turn to exit the row and then stand up?
14% immediately stand up
86% wait your turn
These stats do not reflect any experience I've had on a plane, but good to know we've got patient newsy readers 💘💘
Also, Rubes and I had a slightly hellish experience at the baggage collection area when we got off the plane to Sydney - people kept pushing right up to the carousel, blocking everyone else from grabbing their luggage, and even when we moved to new spots for a clear vantage point people would JUST STAND RIGHT IN FRONT OF US!? It was like we were invisible. A lil bit of patience wouldn't go a miss at the old airport eh???
Help to feed a Kiwi kid for a week, for only $15! (Our partnership with KidsCan)
Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal Could’ve Had Sex ‘All the Time’ (Vulture)
Brian Cox Has a ‘Lot of Respect for’ Succession’s Logan Roy (Vulture)
The Fucked Up State Of America (The Shit Show)
Our Love Island Debrief (Culture Vulture)
Celebrities react to Roe V Wade Being Overturned (Culture Vulture)
SYSCA playlist (✨Supporters only✨)
Our HUGE SYSCA reading list! (✨Supporters only✨)