WTF is a ✨permacrisis?✨

We should know, coz we're in one!

Angels! You’re getting this a little later today as I’ve just jumped out of a V.I.M (Very Important Meeting) about a V.I.P (Very Important Project) and before you ask - NO it has nothing to do with Harry Styles. But, on that note, he is literally in NZ NEXT WEEK and it’s a crime that no one has reached out to let us meet / interview / thank him for all he’s done for SYSCA (and let him thank us for all we’ve done for him!) I’m not holding my breath but I’m also not giving up hope that the universe will provide…

💌 shit you should care about 💌 @SYSCAbout

if there is a god, tell her to let me interview harry styles for the fangirls

But enough about me and my pipe dreams (what even is a pipe dream?? why is it called that???) IT’S THE FIRST OF MARCH! Where did the time go? Where is the year going? I am aware that it’s never a hot take to talk about how quickly time is flying by but god, don’t you just wish you could grab onto a rock and catch your breath for a sec before you continue being swept down the river????

Eek - more musings on life and how fast it’s going in our special Friday diary edish for our paying supporters 💌💌💌

• 🔔Bel Chimes In: On how to cope with the permacrisis🔔

• “We’re in PR, not in the ER”

• 🗺Around the world🗺

  • Greta Thunberg, Nigerian elections, Supreme Court to rule on student loan forgiveness, and more!

• SEASON THREE TED LASSO TRAILER, LESHGOOO

• Do you say "something or rather", or "something or other"?

🔔Bel Chimes In: On how to cope with the permacrisis🔔

This section is written by my crush, the refreshing-as-a-house-chardonnay-on-a-steamy-day, Bel Hawkins. She also writes our Sunday newsletter ‘No News is Good News’ which all our paying supporters receive. Upgrade your plan to get her newsy here!

Hey besties! Writing you this on my couch in the waning sun after coming back from my  ~ sacred spot ~ on the rocks near the sea where my friend Vee and I met to excavate our hangovers and generally make each other feel better.

I know I've mentioned the recent floods in the last few Chimes, and I don't want to be that girl constantly harping on about things because there's always something going on somewhere, and so much to unpack, and almost everything deserves attention and understanding and oof, a life's work making sure we know about it all (lol — the literal reason for this newsy and SYSCA in the first place!). Plus, I want to always leave you feeling good/be a positive force in the world ✨

But I must say, these recent events have left this hovering bleak feeling here in Aotearoa after a summer of cancelled plans, things still folded at the door hoping to be scooped up and driven away for something cute and sunny, and on a greater level, destruction and chaos.  I wanted to find a word for you, and us, to both describe and understand this fuck-what's-next state. Which is how I got to this:

'Permacrisis', which was Collins Dictionary's word of the year in 2022 and means 'an extended period of instability and insecurity, especially caused by a series of catastrophic events.' Right?

As we run head-first into a period of climate adaptation (a simple example being building to adapt to climate events happening like using hurricane-proof glass), tech AI metaverse who the hell knows what, the recesh and other imperfect things that are impossible to predict, I feel a little like... ergh, argh, it's SO MUCH ALL THE TIME. So, how do we cope? I liked that there was a least a word to justify the sensation.

I wish I had the answer, I wish I had the cure. I don't, but I do have a feeling which is what I thought I'd offer you this week. And the feeling is that amongst all of these wild and dangerous things, sometimes the biggest thing you can do to feel in control of your life is to seek out joy. 

Back eating corn chips and sipping a simple Schweppes dry lemonade on the rocks by the sea, Vee read this thread on the Guardian aloud to me, which was an interview series with 100 people who'd turned 100 on their tips to living well. Our favourite quote was this from Virginia (lol):

As we went through one by one, each one building on the other, I asked Vee, 'what's the common thread between all of these? What's the secret here?'. She laughed and said, 'well, no one is talking about their incredible dedication to their career are they' (context: she's just quit her job). 

But honestly throughout it? It was really just about finding the small things that bring a sense of happiness and freedom and not taking them for granted. I could say a lot of live laugh love stretch canvas shit here and keep going on, but I won't because I don't want to reduce anything you're going through, or what the world is facing. I just really liked the last part of the above quote: "Be happy and manage your freedom wisely."

When everything is always swirling outside, and we do the best we can; recycle, buy less, be cute to others, say nice things, try most of the time, I found it kind of comforting that there will always be a part of you you can manage: how you let yourself feel both joy and freedom. Maybe, in those sharp fragments of time where you're not so sure, that can be enough?

Phew! Hope that helps? Thanks for tuning in. Ily!

Xx

PS. This week on No News Is Good News I've quilled up an unsolicited list of rules to live by I think you're going to bloody vibe with. And yes that's my humble go at baiting you to becoming a paid subscriber and getting a door into one of the cutest places on the internet. just saying. Or, to quote my Chill Girlies out there, no worries if not.

---

“We’re in PR - not in the ER”

I first heard about the term ‘permacrisis’ at a talk Bel gave in our office where every month she gets everyone ✨in the loop✨ about what the fuck is going on in the tech/ online world. As soon as she started talking about it I was like “she needs to write about that in the newsy - because it’s literally how we’re ALL feeling rn.”

Now that she has (and brilliantly) I wanted to add a little extra chime with something I often think about to ease the day-to-day stresses that can sometimes make you feel like your life is in crisis - reminding yourself THAT IT’S NOT THAT DEEP!

(Ugh caveat: obv this is only referring to the minor things that are affecting you and are in your control — not about huge life/global existential disasters.)

Yesterday when I was neck-deep in emails, trying to write a podcast script for an episode I had in 15 minutes, while also trying to think of the next five stories to write about in the newsletter and some fresh website copy, I turned to one of my workmates and was like “why am I stressing SO much rn - I have no ones life in my hands, no one will tell me off for not getting this done and I’m literally going to talk about the latest in the Hailey/ Selena feud, or what copy is going to sit right on our website - it’s not even that deep” and she simply said Luce, “we are in PR - not in the ER, never forget that.”

💌 shit you should care about 💌 @SYSCAbout

my workmate just said to me (in a moment of stress) "we are in PR - not in ER, never forget that" and I'm taking it to my grave

And sometimes that’s all you need to hear to put things back in perspective. I’ve spent months in Indian hospitals watching healthcare workers try to nurse my little brother back to health after a traumatic accident - that was life or death. I’ve watched those same doctors and nurses work too-long shifts where too many people’s lives are LITERALLY in their hands, and they’ve still had time to bring me a cup of tea and help me with the crossword clues I’m stuck on. And here I am trying to think of the next mundane poll to put on Instagram or how to meet Harry Styles??? (we do other Very Good and Helpful things too - but let’s compare for the sake of my point.)

Perspective is a shitty thing to have to gain, but a beautiful thing once you’ve got it (and you will have totally different perspective-giving experiences to me - I know) but sometimes we all just need to remind ourselves that we’re in PR - not in the ER AND send out some love to the people that LITERALLY ARE on the frontlines of anything and who are making sure we are safe and okay - which might be you - so thank you 🥺🥺🥺

---

🗺Around the world🗺

Europe

Greta Thunberg and Indigenous protesters block Norway energy ministry over wind farms (Reuters)

Environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg and hundreds of other activists on Monday blocked entrances to Norway's energy ministry, protesting against wind turbines built on land traditionally used by Indigenous Sami reindeer herders.

Back in 2021, Norway’s top court ruled that some wind turbines have been built on land traditionally used by Indigenous Sami reindeer herders - violating their rights. Now, 500 days on, Norway hasn’t changed anything based on this ruling, so Greta Thunberg and hundreds of activists have gathered to block Norway’s energy ministry.

"Indigenous rights, human rights, must go hand-in-hand with climate protection and climate action. That can't happen at the expense of some people. Then it is not climate justice” - Greta Thunberg.

China

China hits out at US over TikTok ban on federal devices (BBC)

China has accused the US of ‘overreacting’ (damn, sounds like my parents) after the White House gave government agencies 30 days to delete the apps from their phones (they’re worried that the Chinese-owned app is harvesting their data.)

"We firmly oppose those wrong actions," spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters during a news briefing on Tuesday. "The US government should respect the principles of market economy and fair competition, stop suppressing the companies and provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory environment for foreign companies in the US."

"How unsure of itself can the world's top superpower like the US be to fear young people's favourite app like that," she added.

Africa

Nigeria election results 2023: Bola Tinubu takes strong lead over Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi (BBC)

In case you missed it, Nigeria is having an election rn, and Bola Tinubu (from the ruling party) currently has a strong lead. Votes (at the time of writing) have been counted from about three-quarters of the states, and Tinubu has a lead of about 1.5 million votes.

America

Biden's student loan relief faces its biggest test yet at the Supreme Court (NPR)

Today the Supreme Court will hear a challenge (led by Republicans - duh) to the Biden administrations student loan forgiveness plan, because a handful of them reckon that the prez “exceeded his authority” by creating it (let’s not forget that this program which could cancel up to $20k of student debt for people!!!)

This could result in a PERMANENT block on this effort because apparently helping young people get out of debt isn’t something they’re into.

---

SEASON THREE TED LASSO TRAILER, LESHGOOO

---

Today’s mundane poll:

• To get my Friday diary entry, a whole bunch of links and recommendations, and Bel’s Sunday morning newsy ‘No News Is Good News’ become a paying supporter 💌