Venture: Artist Required. Apply Yourself[,] Within.

By Matthew Vandenberg

Some unnamed protagonist travels around the world, searching for Shaun Micallef, and arrogantly tries to solve the world's problems along the way. He eventually bumps into Shaun Micallef. . . . Oh, sorry. Spoiler alert!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tablo Publishing
• Release date: Nov 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9781685830960

Book preview

Belarus

VENTURE: INITIATION

I'd like to apply for asylum at the ABC. I'm a prospective political prisoner.

Are you as funny as Katie Hopkins? And where do you think you'll be held?

Well, my ambitions are NAKED, at least. Don't fret though. I should maybe get a witness. Preferably female. As for my holding cell: Your Gladys suggests personal homes, always. Every bloody day. EXERCISE caution coming here and you won't be stopped: so you'd therefore be determined.

Do you think bars should be open?

No need. Where I'm staying is fine.

Wait! Let me get this straight. You WANT to be a political prisoner, and wish for US - a harem of professional women working for the ABC - to go over to YOU?

Yeah. I'm in Belarus, by the way. But I'll let Putin take it from here. / Hello, this is Putin. Do you like my state. I'm very accommodating.

******

- Belarus In Exile

https://youtu.be/N_W6aZGky1Y

[He helps dissidents wanted by the Belarusian regime over the new iron curtain that surrounds Belarus in the aftermath of last years contested election that led to sweeping protests and a brutal crackdown. - Simon Ostrovsky]  

- The Guardian

Australia news

Katie Hopkins fined by NSW police and deported from Australia after visa cancelled

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/19/katie-hopkins-deported-australia-visa-cancelled-video-big-brother-vip-channel-7-seven-network

[...joking about elaborate plans to breach quarantine rules. In the Instagram video, which is no longer available to view, she said she was trying to frighten security guards by answering her hotel door naked and maskless.]

-  NSW Government

Health

Infectious diseases > COVID-19 (Coronavirus) >

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) - press conferences and video updates

https://t.co/hndTfNS0sS

- Could UKRAINE defend itself against an INVASION by RUSSIA? - VisualPolitik EN

https://youtu.be/kMNQIiGplpE

[At any moment, Russia could try to conquer more regions. - Josh Faulks]  

- BELARUS: Time to rebel AGAINST PUTIN? - VisualPolitik EN

https://youtu.be/GmznmPS67Rc

[...as Vladimir Putin consolidated his power even further, Belarus became an increasingly isolated economy in Europe and was totally dependent on Russia. - Simon Whistler]

- ABC Studios and Media Production

https://www.abc.net.au/studiosmediaproduction/

- ABC: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

https://www.abc.net.au/

- The Australian

Home / Inquirer

Women have a civilising impact on politics: Keating

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/women-have-a-civilising-impact-on-politics-keating/news-story/e7e171e13a75624faf4bf356c49bbf1c

******

VENTURE: PUSSY

*Beside Pussy Riot*

I wanted a much more communicable label. Putin's not too well-versed in English. So I'm appearing with Pussy Riot.

Oh, we moved on to broadcasting and framing journalists.  

So did he. Somewhat. But at least YOU know how to use a camera.

******

- NME

Blogs

NME Blogs

Who are Pussy Riot? A guide to the Russian activist group who crashed the World Cup Final

- Have they put an album out?

https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/who-are-pussy-riot-russia-activist-group-world-cup-final-pitch-invasion-2354987

[...most of Pussy Riot’s songs are freely available to download...]

- AlJazeera

News | Politics

Alexey Navalny timeline: From poisoning to prison

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/19/hold-alexei-navalny-timeline-from-poisoning-to-prison

[Western powers have called on Russia to release Navalny, who is accused by authorities of breaking the terms of a 2014 suspended sentence. Navalny says the embezzlement charges relating to that case were politically motivated.]

Poland

VENTURE: CHOICE

Putin: Where are you now, lackey?

I'm in Poland. There are growing beings here, and others displeased after seeing some defect from you. You should get your people to take them out.

Why are you in a hospital?

Just checking nurses out like Australian media.

Oh. Okay.

******

- BBC News

Poland enforces controversial near-total abortion ban

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55838210

- AlJazeera

News | Politics

Alexey Navalny timeline: From poisoning to prison

- October 1, 2020 –

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/19/hold-alexei-navalny-timeline-from-poisoning-to-prison

[Navalny accuses Putin of being behind his poisoning...]

- ABC: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

https://www.abc.net.au/

******

VENTURE: OFF

In a plane . . . on a road.

Nurse: You said we'd be flying out of here.

Yeah. We're going to the airport.

We're IN A PLANE!

Safety first.

Nurse looks out the window: But did we really need an aircraft carrier?

I saw it on the ABC. We're in for a bumpy ride.

******

- USA Today

Travel Tips

Is Air Travel Safer Than Car Travel?

- Comparisons

https://traveltips.usatoday.com/air-travel-safer-car-travel-1581.html

[In absolute numbers, driving is more dangerous, with more than 5 million accidents compared to 20 accidents in flying.]  

- Stars and Stripes

Navy

US aircraft carrier costs are rising again, Navy budget shows

https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2021-06-07/US-aircraft-carrier-costs-are-rising-again-Navy-budget-shows-1652936.html

- Statista

Society > Demographics

Number of road deaths in Poland 2006-2019

https://www.statista.com/statistics/437964/number-of-road-deaths-in-poland/

[In 2019, more than 2.9 thousand individuals were killed in motor vehicle accidents in Poland.]

- ABC Studios and Media Production

https://www.abc.net.au/studiosmediaproduction/

- ABC: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

https://www.abc.net.au/

- ABC News

US navy tests aircraft carrier with 'full ship shock trial' explosion that registers as 3.9 magnitude earthquake

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-21/us-navy-uss-gerald-r-ford-explosion-full-ship-shock-trial/100230276

******

VENTURE: BREAKING . . . UP? . . . DOWN

Everyone left me. I'm really depressed. My only hope is making it to the ABC studios.

Have you tried some exercises?

I'm not a good swimmer.

No. Tokyo shouldn't go ahead. Scrap that interpretation. I obviously meant, have you tried getting a scholarship through your mental agility?

I thought about it. But then my thoughts obviously shifted to more pressing affairs. Wait, I'm sorry, I forgot to ask if you're available.

Of course. You're talking to me.

Hmmm. I was hoping for a more pressing affair.

Oh, I see. And your partner left you?

Yes. Now you understand my plight.

******

- The Conversation

Anger in Tokyo over the Summer Olympics is just the latest example of how unpopular hosting the games has become

https://theconversation.com/anger-in-tokyo-over-the-summer-olympics-is-just-the-latest-example-of-how-unpopular-hosting-the-games-has-become-161396

- Healthline

Health News

My Doctor Prescribed Daily HIIT Exercises for My Depression. Here’s What Happened.

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/doctor-prescribed-daily-hiit-exercises-for-depression

- Healthtalk

Depression

Depression: distraction, activities and creativity

https://healthtalk.org/depression/depression-distraction-activities-and-creativity

- ABC Studios and Media Production

https://www.abc.net.au/studiosmediaproduction/

- ABC: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

https://www.abc.net.au/

******

VENTURE: TAKE OFF!

I know you wanna be like Katie Hopkins, but please make sure that you put clothes on. You don't wanna scare off potential sponsors. You should be able to find something new and trendy.

Sure, because child labor markets were down but they certainly had their whole life ahead (of them/to recover).

******

- UNICEF

for every child 75

Child labour rises to 160 million – first increase in two decades

https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/child-labour-rises-160-million-first-increase-two-decades

[...progress to end child labour has stalled for the first time in 20 years, reversing the previous downward trend that saw child labour fall by 94 million between 2000 and 2016.]

- The Guardian

Child labour in the fashion supply chain

https://labs.theguardian.com/unicef-child-labour/

- The Guardian

Australia news

Katie Hopkins fined by NSW police and deported from Australia after visa cancelled

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/19/katie-hopkins-deported-australia-visa-cancelled-video-big-brother-vip-channel-7-seven-network

[...joking about elaborate plans to breach quarantine rules. In the Instagram video, which is no longer available to view, she said she was trying to frighten security guards by answering her hotel door naked and maskless.]

******

VENTURE: CAPITAL

Earth is taking on a life of its own, but sadly not getting anywhere; just going around in circles.

******

- School strike for climate - save the world by changing the rules | Greta Thunberg | TEDxStockholm

https://youtu.be/EAmmUIEsN9A

- BBC News

Science

Sir Richard Branson takes off on 'extraordinary' space flight

- Is the competition friendly?

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-57790040

[The tweet also said Unity's impacts on the environment were far greater than New Shepard's.]  

******

VENTURE: FURTHER

A Japanese Olympian workaholic furiously types away on his keyboard.

He appears intermittently in a bubble on the screen the protagonist is looking at after contacting people at the ABC.

Japanese Olympian: Go . . .

ABC: Hello?

Japanese Olympian: Germany . . .

There appears to be an overworked Japanese person appearing at the corner of my screen trying to tell me what to do. He hasn't succeeded yet. I should probably help make his life easier. I'll need to listen to him for a bit. Will Buttrose mind?

******

- WIRED

Business

Japan’s karoshi culture was a warning. We didn’t listen

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/karoshi-japan-overwork-culture

[...745,000 people died in 2016 from stroke and ischemic heart disease as a direct result of having worked at least 55 hours a week.]

- ABC Studios and Media Production

https://www.abc.net.au/studiosmediaproduction/

- ABC: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

https://www.abc.net.au/

Germany

VENTURE: WEIGHTY

Japanese interloper: You will need Germans to lift you up, for their sake, repeatedly. You can tell them what to do so that they know, and won't give up.  

Do I look like Merkel? I'm going back to being a passive viewer of the ABC.

******

- Robert Koch Institut

Overweight and Obesity

https://www.rki.de/EN/Content/Health_Monitoring/Main_Topics/Overweight_Obesity/obesity_node.html#:~:text=Two%20thirds%20of%20men%20(67,the%20development%20of%20chronic%20diseases.

[Two thirds of men (67%) and half of women (53%) in Germany are overweight. A quarter of adults (23% of men and 24% of women) are seriously overweight (obese).]

- Healthline

Is It Possible to Lose Weight by Thinking Harder?

- Which muscles burn the most calories?

https://www.healthline.com/health/does-thinking-burn-calories

[Larger muscles require more energy to move.]

- Transform Health

Fresh Local Wholesome

THE 7 BIG BENEFITS OF TRAINING WITH A BUDDY

- #1: Keeps you accountable

https://www.transformhealth.com.au/uncategorized/7-big-benefits-training-buddy/

[...if you schedule a time to workout with your buddy, you’ll have a harder time canceling that appointment later.]

- ABC Studios and Media Production

https://www.abc.net.au/studiosmediaproduction/

- ABC: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

https://www.abc.net.au/

******

VENTURE: -MOBILE

After stepping off his airplane, the protagonist meets a German by her car that has broken down: Maybe you should have people take a look at your car.

Sure. Where will I pick it up?

You don't. There are lots of people who enjoy looking at cars. Too many. Some potential daily costs could be inflated for the best.

I like jumping castles.

Exactly. Airbags are presently too small. Think bigger cars. Or else people will damage a bone a day, like dogs.  

You don't like cars?

They won't get me to the ABC.

******

- Statista

Transportation & Logistics›

Vehicles & Road Traffic

Number of road deaths in Germany 2006-2019

https://www.statista.com/statistics/437905/number-of-road-deaths-in-germany/

[From 2006 to 2019, the number of road traffic fatalities per year in Germany decreased from 5,091 fatalities to 3,046 fatalities.]

- ABC Studios and Media Production

https://www.abc.net.au/studiosmediaproduction/

- ABC: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

https://www.abc.net.au/

******

VENTURE: HOME

Observing a builder who's taking a break: What's stopping you from doing your work?

Zoning laws, and laws forbidding polygamy. I can build huts and fences to hear what's happening to women through, but that's about all. By the way, leave the kids out of it. That's another reason why more bedrooms are very necessary.

And more stations than the ABC get requested.

******

- DW

Germany: 1 woman per hour is victim of domestic violence

- Not enough space in shelters

https://www.dw.com/en/germany-1-woman-per-hour-is-victim-of-domestic-violence/a-51396638

[More than 114,000 women were abused by their partner or ex-partner in Germany last year...]

[...women affected by domestic violence should be entitled access to women's shelters.]

- Berliner Zeitung

Domestic abuse:

German women killed in domestic violence once every three days

https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/en/german-women-killed-in-domestic-violence-once-every-three-days-li.118018

[The number of unreported cases is high because it usually takes place behind closed doors...]

- DLA Piper

Realworld Law

Planning / zoning

Germany

Legislation and planning/zoning controls

- In outline, what legislative and governmental controls apply to strategic planning/zoning across regions and in localities?

- Obtaining permission for development

https://www.dlapiperrealworld.com/law/index.html?c=DE&t=zoning

[...other types of construction that do not require a building permit (typically minor projects, such as the construction of fences, huts, etc.).]

[First, an application must be submitted in which the planned construction works and the use of the land are specified.]

- BBC News

Germany polygamy: Minister says migrants must abide by the law

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36537305

[Germany will not recognise polygamy or marriages involving minors...]

- ABC Studios and Media Production

https://www.abc.net.au/studiosmediaproduction/

- ABC: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

https://www.abc.net.au/

- SBS

https://www.sbs.com.au/

******

VENTURE: INSIDE

A migrant approaches the protagonist: I'm a migrant and lost. I don't know which country to go to.

Neither do I. But try to dream like Chinese people and act so that people associate Chinese characteristics with you, and Xi will have your back. Just tell your story, stressing the importance of community, to a famous psychologist.

Oh. Yay. A choice.

Unlike when watching the ABC.

******

- Xinhuanet

The 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China

Xi stresses upholding, developing socialism with Chinese characteristics

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/special/2021-07/01/c_1310037324.htm

[...we have pioneered a new and uniquely Chinese path to modernization, and created a new model for human civilization.]

- The Diplomat

China Power

The Real Source of China’s Soft Power

https://thediplomat.com/2017/11/the-real-source-of-chinas-soft-power/

[...the Chinese Dream, has been proposed as a kind of corollary or alternative to the American Dream. This is all part of a charm offensive that will only accelerate in years to come, especially in light of the events at the recent 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.]

- The Economist

Europe

Aug 29th 2020 edition >

Did they handle it?

Five years after arrival, Germany’s refugees are integrating

https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/08/25/five-years-after-arrival-germanys-refugees-are-integrating

[But those whose claims are rejected are stuck in legal limbo]

- The New York Times

With Official Housing Scant, French People Open Their Homes to Migrants

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/17/world/europe/france-migrants-asylum-housing.html

- ABC Studios and Media Production

https://www.abc.net.au/studiosmediaproduction/

- ABC: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

https://www.abc.net.au/

******

VENTURE: CHASE

Putin stops at a pharmacist in Germany, in between times looking for the protagonist: I've been told that I'm sociopathic and need to empathize with other people. So I'd like some drugs, please. Also; I would like to work here, after I find my lackey.

We care.

I guess I'll try Czechia then. At least I can watch the ABC on the way.

******

- Addiction Center

Research Compares Opioid Addiction In Germany And The United States

The Opioid Epidemic in Germany

https://www.addictioncenter.com/news/2020/02/opioid-addiction-germany-united-states/

[While many Germans struggle with opioid abuse, a German study published in Deutsches Ärzteblatt last November suggests that opioid abuse in Germany has not reached the severity of the epidemic in America. The differences between healthcare systems in Germany and the United States might explain the discrepancy.]

- Czech Radio

Radio Prague International

Society

Home-made methamphetamine remains most pressing problem in fight against drug abuse

https://english.radio.cz/home-made-methamphetamine-remains-most-pressing-problem-fight-against-drug-abuse-8129008

- AlJazeera

News | Politics

Alexey Navalny timeline: From poisoning to prison

- October 1, 2020 –

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/19/hold-alexei-navalny-timeline-from-poisoning-to-prison

[Navalny accuses Putin of being behind his poisoning...]

- ABC: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

https://www.abc.net.au/

Ukraine

VENTURE: COLD DEAD WAR

Putin: Where are you, lackey? I don't want you mixing with NATO.

You're not my dad! I might even go to the States if I feel like it, and take a shot at something.

SomeTHING? Why are you so obsessed with looking at material goods?

Nah. I'm interested in opportunities, not small talk like formalities. It's easy to buy guns there, so I should be able to shoot as many as I can.

At what?  

Guns! I need to impress AUSTRALIANS because I'm ultimately heading THERE; to the mighty ABC.

But if I shoot American guns MYSELF they'll call me a warmonger.  

You need to OWN them first. They shouldn't be in so many OTHER hands. We should buy them off the masses; then there will be a mass of DIFFERENTLY strangely shaped weapons to shoot (so, definitely a MASS). This may even have mass appeal. Others can copy or follow us. So MASS shootings will be like mass AUDIENCES: MANY leaders in different areas shooting only AT GUNS. But ordinary people need to buy them if outside the States: YOU are too popular, and running a country and all. Plus airports are hard for any person carrying weapons to get through.

I see.

People are dying to. Half the U.S. nation even.

******

- Could UKRAINE defend itself against an INVASION by RUSSIA? - VisualPolitik EN

https://youtu.be/kMNQIiGplpE

[...If Ukraine joins NATO, Russia would have its enemy on the border. This would be reason enough for Russia to go to open war to avoid it.]

- CNN

Money

This is how easy it is to buy guns in America

https://money.cnn.com/2015/06/19/news/guns-background-checks/index.html

[It's not that difficult to buy a gun in America.;

But gun buyers don't have to go through a background check when they make a purchase at a gun show.]

- The Guardian

Gun control

How Australia’s global gold standard on gun control is being eroded

After the gun agreement came the backlash

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/apr/25/how-australias-global-gold-standard-on-gun-control-is-being-eroded

[Notably, the reforms included a buyback of semi-automatic weapons and guns from owners no longer qualified to possess them. About 650,000 guns were destroyed...]

- WAMU 88.5

American University Radio

Guns & America

How Many People In The U.S. Own Guns?

https://wamu.org/story/20/09/18/how-many-people-in-the-u-s-own-guns/

[Recent surveys find that about 40% of adult Americans own a gun or live with someone who does.]

- The Guardian

US gun control

Americans have bought record 17m guns in year of unrest, analysis finds

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/29/coronavirus-pandemic-americans-gun-sales

[The increase in gun sales appeared to be primarily driven by more purchases of handguns, though Americans were also buying more rifles and other long guns...]

- npr

Shots

Public Health

Mass Shootings Can Be Contagious, Research Shows

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/08/06/748767807/mass-shootings-can-be-contagious-research-shows

[There were three high-profile shootings across the country in one week...;

So a mass shooting happens and then vulnerable individuals who are actively suicidal and in crisis and hear about the shooting and see this as kind of a script that they could also follow, she says.]

- Statista

Economy & Politics › Politics & Government

Firearms in the U.S. - statistics & facts

Key figures

- Firearm Production and Sale

- Firearm related crimes, deaths and injuries

- Public Opinion

https://www.statista.com/topics/1287/firearms-in-the-us/#topicHeader__wrapper

[Annual number of exported firearms manufactured in the U.S.: 554,237]

[Number of firearms discovered by screeners at airports in the U.S.: 4,432]

[Share of Americans who feel gun laws should be more strict: 57%]

- The Hollywood Reporter

NEWS > POLITICS > NEWS

Hollywood Flashback: Charlton Heston’s Cold Dead Hands Speech Fired Up the NRA in 2000

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/politics-news/charlton-hestons-cold-dead-hands-speech-fired-up-nra-2000-1209349/

- Heston, C. (2000, May 20). From My Cold, Dead Hands! [Speech video recording]. YouTube/NRA's 129th Convention. https://youtu.be/5ju4Gla2odw

- ABC: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

https://www.abc.net.au/

Czechia

VENTURE: MAP

Upon entering Czechia, the protagonist meets a cartographer: Am I safely drawing close to maps? Are you a cartographer or a surveyor?

Incidentally, I'm drawing a clear map of Japan on a map of Ukraine, on Czech soil, to foster respect for borders so alien that they're intriguing. Next I'll introduce animals and plants into selected areas, and donate countless robots to the nation, to use to move food from place to place, and much more.

Hmmmm. Include Australia, and the ABC.

******

- Peru for Less

Archeology, Peru

140+ New Nazca Lines Discovered in Peru

- What Are the Nazca Lines?

https://www.peruforless.com/blog/new-nazca-lines/

[...a team of Japanese scientists have identified over 140 new Nazca Lines etched into the deserts of southern Peru.]

[The Nazca people created 300+ figures that depict different plants, animals, humanoids and other geometric shapes.]

- BBC

Japan 2020 | Gen J

What the world can learn from Japan’s robots

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200205-what-the-world-can-learn-from-japans-robots

- Time Out

This new Tokyo café has robot waiters controlled remotely by disabled workers

https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/news/this-new-tokyo-cafe-has-robot-waiters-controlled-remotely-by-disabled-workers-021621

- Nikkei Asia

Business Trends

Japanese restaurants embrace robots as labor crunch bites

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Business-trends/Japanese-restaurants-embrace-robots-as-labor-crunch-bites

- Could UKRAINE defend itself against an INVASION by RUSSIA? - VisualPolitik EN

https://youtu.be/kMNQIiGplpE

[At any moment, Russia could try to conquer more regions. - Josh Faulks]  

- ABC Studios and Media Production

https://www.abc.net.au/studiosmediaproduction/

- ABC: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

https://www.abc.net.au/

******

VENTURE: STEPPING

In Prague: Prague needs more steps for people to take to lose weight.

Citizen: But the castle is so great.

Exactly. Build more. Advertisers will surely pay for steps like signs. So the more steps inside the closer to free the castles will be, for citizens and tourists alike.

Leaving them ironically open to anyone, initially stationed anywhere. Climb from lines to streets to see spots.

There may be some bonds here and there. One needs to accept some weight before choosing one's words. Like people on the ABC might.

******

- Nourish by WebMD

Health & Diet

Diet & Weight Management > News

Study: Overweight People Live Longer

https://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20090625/study-overweight-people-live-longer

[People who were overweight, but not obese, actually lived longer than people whose weight was considered normal, based on body mass index (BMI).]  

- my Czech Republic

More than a destination guide

Prague Castle (Pražský hrad)

Getting There on Foot

- Castle Steps (Zámecké schody)

- Old Castle Steps (Staré zámecké schody)  

http://www.myczechrepublic.com/prague/sightseeing/prague_castle.html

[- the stairs start near the Malostranská metro station and will put you at the beginning of Jiřská street. You will be rewarded with one of the most beautiful views of Prague.]

- World Health Organization

Europe

Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity

Czech Republic

- Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity (%) Among Czech Adults Based on WHO 2008 Statistics

PDF

[Women: 72.3%, 32.6%; Men: 60.3%; 32.7%]

- ABC Studios and Media Production

https://www.abc.net.au/studiosmediaproduction/

- ABC: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

https://www.abc.net.au/

- ABC

iview

Shaun Micallef's MAD AS HELL

https://iview.abc.net.au/

******

VENTURE: BUS

A big bus is present: Who can get on?

Anyone. A ride costs nothing. Beer is also free. There will be a run to as much beer as possible until people can't walk, let alone even TRY to drive. They hop on and hop off when they're ready to be seen by anyone in an unfamiliar place; outside stations where police lie.

POLICE stations?

Not necessarily.

They're in bed?

Again, not necessarily; unless they're still on the bus.

The cops?

Yeah. I think so.

I need to watch ABC. Can I view THAT from the window.

I guess.

******

- No.1 HopOn-HopOff.cz

Open Top Sightseeing Tours in 23 languages

Select your ticket

24-hour Hop On - Hop Off Bus

https://www.hopon-hopoff.cz/

- Kafkadesk

Czech Republic has fourth highest alcohol consumption in the world

https://kafkadesk.org/2020/01/10/czech-republics-alcohol-consumption-is-fourth-highest-in-the-world/

- Statista

Transportation & Logistics ›

Vehicles & Road Traffic

Number of road deaths in Czechia 2006-2019

https://www.statista.com/statistics/437891/number-of-road-deaths-in-czech-republic/

[By 2019, there were 618 road traffic fatalities.]

- expats cz

Czech MPs propose to raise drinking & driving tolerance

https://news.expats.cz/weekly-czech-news/czech-mps-propose-to-raise-drinking-driving-tolerance/

- ETSC: European Transport Safety Council

Drink-Driving in Czech Republic

- Figures

https://etsc.eu/issues/drink-driving/drink-driving-in-czech-republic/

[Preliminary figures for 2020 record 57 deaths due to alcohol impairment on Czech roads.]

- ABC Studios and Media Production

https://www.abc.net.au/studiosmediaproduction/

- ABC: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

https://www.abc.net.au/

Switzerland

VENTURE: RURALLY

Hopping off the bus, in Switzerland.

A nurse: If nurses practice social distancing from other nurses, will they reach rural or wide areas faster than if flying together? And what happens when they stop practicing? Can they stand-in for doctors? And what exactly will they do with themselves? Are there any more buses from other countries with eligible professionals?

I'm hopping back on the bus. The ABC needs me.

******

- SWI: swissinfo.ch

Initiative targets Swiss nursing shortage

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/growing-demand_initiative-targets-swiss-nursing-shortage/42861098

[Switzerland has some 10,000 fewer nurses than it needs.]

- le News

HEALTHY LIVING / HEALTH / SWITZERLAND FACING A SHORTAGE OF DOCTORS

Switzerland facing a shortage of doctors

https://lenews.ch/2016/08/30/switzerland-facing-a-shortage-of-doctors/

[Over 60% of family doctors will retire over the next ten years. By 2020, this will lead to a shortfall of 2,000.;

A system that allows those without a degree in medicine to study for a masters in medicine is also planned. Those with a solid qualification in biology would qualify.;

...Switzerland relies heavily on foreign doctors.;

...there will be not enough general practitioners, something that will not be fixed by only increasing the number of Master students. It depends what kind of doctors they become. The report said in some fields there are too many doctors.]

- BMC

BMC Nursing

Advanced practice nurses in primary care in Switzerland: an analysis of interprofessional collaboration

- Introduction

- Background

https://bmcnurs.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12912-019-0393-4

[...countries such as the Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK have successfully introduced Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) into interprofessional PC teams to fulfill defined tasks and relieve GPs [1–4, references in original source].]

[The shortage of GPs today predominantly affects rural areas in Switzerland...]

- SAGE journals

Home Health Care Management & Practice

Nurse Practitioners in Swiss Family Practices as Potentially Autonomous Providers of Home Visits: An Exploratory Study of Two Cases

- Abstract

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1084822320946289

[In Swiss primary care, general practitioner (GP) home visits have decreased due to impending GP shortages particularly in rural areas. Nurse practitioners (NP) are newly introduced in family practices and could potentially offer home visits to the increasing number of multimorbid elderly.]

- SWI: swissinfo.ch

Life & Aging

Survey highlights staff shortages in Swiss nursing homes

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/survey-highlights-staff-shortages-in-swiss-nursing-homes/46592696

- ABC Studios and Media Production

https://www.abc.net.au/studiosmediaproduction/

- ABC: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

https://www.abc.net.au/

Italy

VENTURE: QUIETLY!

Italy is entered.

The protagonist emerges from the bus, sleepy.

I'm not sure if I want some profile raised, because I'm quite happy with the sleep and lack of attention I WAS getting. I have Putin on my tail, and I don't want him joining the Mafia on it. He's appearing in public now, and possibly looking at some sites. And he likes drugs, women, money, guns, and lying. Where can I possibly go with my tail held down?

You'll need to sign in here, and stay away from crowds to blend into.

Hmmmm. I can't get distracted watching the ABC then.

******

- The Local

What is Italy's COVID-19 digital 'green pass' used for and how do I get it?

- Google blurb.

Access restricted to subscribers.

[When the QR code is scanned...]

- QuickRis

News-En

QR codes scan has increased by 1700% in Italy https://www.quickris.com/qr-codes-scan-has-increased-by-1700-in-italy/

- GardaWorld

Italy: Authorities maintaining domestic COVID-19 social distancing mandates as of July 5 /update 57

https://www.garda.com/crisis24/news-alerts/498151/italy-authorities-maintaining-domestic-covid-19-social-distancing-mandates-as-of-july-5-update-57

- FP

Dispatch

Mafia, Poverty, and the Pandemic

https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/05/04/coronavirus-pandemic-southern-italy-mafia-poverty/

- The Week

News | World News

In Depth

Where does the Mafia still have power?

Where is the mafia still active?

- Italy

- The EU and beyond

https://www.theweek.co.uk/90851/where-does-the-mafia-still-exist

[Across Calabria, in particular, legitimate businesses, particularly those involved in construction and public works, are frequently controlled by gangs...]

[Common rackets include extortion, prostitution, counterfeiting and arms sales, but drug trafficking is by far the most lucrative. A 2014 profile of the ‘Ndrangheta by the Demoskopika research institute found that the organisation had raked in a total of €53bn (£47bn) over the previous year...]

- Bloomberg

Politics

Italy’s No. 2 Cop Says France, Germany Have Mafia Problem Too

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-19/italy-s-no-2-cop-says-france-germany-have-mafia-problem-too

- ABC Studios and Media Production

https://www.abc.net.au/studiosmediaproduction/

- ABC: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

https://www.abc.net.au/

******

VENTURE: DRY

The protagonist approaches an Italian shore.

A refugee walks ashore.

Returning to land so quickly?

I've been out at sea for days.

Only days? You need a houseboat. And the ABC. Spending some money now could