From Lans – 22/07/2025 Prince of darkness, Ozzy Osbourne passed away after a long battle with Parkinson’s. Front man of Black Sabbath has created an ever lasting legacy for being a badass, pioneering heavy metal and being a fucking rock star.

Ruby

I’m a history nerd. A world war junkie. An obsessor of origins. A know-it-all-about-America. Like seriously, I have a permanent space on my arm dedicated to the JFK assassination. I’m constantly seeking historical context; the who, the what, the why. But that’s not what draws me in. It’s not the ever-expanding web of events that defines humankind and it’s environment. It’s not the innumerable amount of coincidences that trigger some of history’s most impactful moments. Rather, it’s the crime of it all. It’s the depraved actions of the power hungry, the terrible twists and turns that ensure the world remains a mess, the pain of those who live through it all. This may sound crazy, but I promise my obsession is within reason.  

To me, each cruel action is more than a massive crime; it’s a lesson. A blaring neon sign that reads ‘please don’t make the same mistake again’. Yet, despite warning after warning from the past, the happenings of history form a mirror image of the future. I want to disrupt this cycle.  

At first, I thought law enforcement was my answer. Inspired by procedural crime dramas like Law and Order: SVU and Criminal Minds, I believed getting on the ground and catching criminals of all standings would slowly, but surely, better the world. I know this is deluded’ law enforcement is far from it’s on screen imitation, but I didn’t know that at 15.  

Next, I embarked on a journey to the justice system. I wanted to prosecute the worst people on the planet, putting them away before they could imprint upon history. But before I could take on law school, a debilitating bout of OCD, an academic failure, and a conversation with a law student turned teacher threw a spanner in the works. I needed a new plan.  

Politics became my third endeavour. I aimed to study political science, join a party that cared about New Zealand’s people, and end hate through carefully crafted policy. Yet, like my past pursuits, my path to the Beehive gave way to a final realisation: you can’t change the system from inside the system. I needed to go bigger.  

History was the answer. Indeed, learning and teaching life’s most disastrous lessons was my route to change. By looking at the past’s most devastating events and studying their dire consequences, I can pass a complete picture of the world’s worst crimes onto the next generation – and hope they don’t mirror them. Not only can I make the change I desire by following this path, but I can continue to feed my hungry fascination for the macabre.  

P.S. My true crime podcast is incoming. You’ll be able to listen to Crime with Friends on any and all audio streaming platforms soon. Keep an eye out, Nexus reader x