#Northern Australia Food

[entegrasignaturestructures]

Check Australian Farmgate Output Insights For Agriculture Production

Explore insights from NFF's Darwin forum and Australian Farmgate Output release a plan of $100M for agriculture production development in Australia. Check out the complete roadmap in our blog and visit our website to know the benefits of farm sheds.

[onenicebugperday]

Shiny spider beetle, Mezium affine, Ptinidae

Distributed widely in the Northern Hemisphere and has been introduced to Australia. Larvae are known to infest stored foods of all kinds.

Photo 1 by per-hoffmann-olsen, 2-5 by desislaviliev, and 6 (on finger for scale) by fran86

[uncharismatic-fauna]

A Sweet Time with the Honeypot Ant

Camponotus inflatus, better known as the Australian honeypot ant or the black honey ant, or the yarumpa or wuukurta ant among Aboriginal Australians, is one of the most well-known members of the honeypot ant group. As their name implies, they are endemic to Australia. They can be found throughout the continent, but are most common in the arid desert and scrubland regions of central Australia.

Honeypot ants, including the Australian honeypot ant, are best known for their specialized worker ants known as repletes. Other castes of workers go out to forage for nectar and honeydew, and bring it back to the colony where it is fed to the repletes. The abdomens of these individuals swell as they are fed, so that they can hold several times their weight in food. In times of shortages, this food can then be regurgitated and fed to the workers and larvae. In addition to its workers, each colony can contain multiple queens; some colonies have been recorded harboring up to 6 queens, presiding over 1,000 workers.

Visually the replete and forager workers are quite similar to each other. Both have black bodies with gold striped abdomens. However workers remain rather small, at only 5-8 mm (0.19 - 0.31 in) in length, while repletes can grow up to 1.4 g (0.03 oz) in weight and about 15 mm (0.59 in) in length. When their abdomens become swollen with honey, they turn transparent to show the amber liquid inside.

Black honey ant nests are most commonly found near or under vegetation, particularly the Mulga bush from which workers harvest most of their food. In addition co collecting nectar from the flowers, workers also collect honeydew secreted by the sap-sucking insects that live in the leaves and roots of the bush. C. inflatus in turn is predated upon by lizards and birds. Many Aboriginal peoples, especially the Tjupan, Mutitjulu, Anangu, Arrernte, and other groups in northern Australia, have also traditionally harvested Australian honeypot ants as a delicacy.

Conservation status: C. inflatus has not been assessed by the IUCN. Its populations are widespread and so believed to be stable. While traditional Aboriginal harvesting has not posed a threat, increased commercial harvest for its pharmaceutical properties may put increased pressure on this species.

Photos

Steve Shattuck

Jean & Fred Hort

Wang & Pan et al.

[dinoflwer]

this odd little goober^^ is called a tasselled wobbegong and is 1 of 12 species of carpet shark in the orectolobidae family (wobbegong being the common name). orectolobidae are found in shallow, temperate and tropical waters of the western pacific ocean and eastern indian ocean, mainly around australia and indonesia. however, one, the japanese wobbegong, strays from this pattern by going as far as japan!

the 12 types of wobbegong are: tasselled, floral banded, gulf/banded, western, japanese, indonesian, spotted, ornate, dwarf spotted, network, northern and the cobbler wobbegong.

the reason for their classification as "carpet sharks" is of course related to their resemblance of ornately patterned carpets but also because they all have 5 gill slits, two spineless dorsal fins and a small mouth that doesn't extend past the eyes, as most of the species have barbels- small whiskerlike organs near the mouth which house taste buds and search for food in murky waters.

the tasselled wobbegong's arguably most distinctive trait is its fringe of branching dermal flaps around the head, which dribble onto its chin. the fringe enables the tasselled wobbegong to camouflage itself against the reef environment. this is done by the complex colour pattern of small blotches and reticulations (a pattern of interlacing lines resembling a net). their colour can actually change colour slowly over the course of several days to blend in with it's environment.

also, they're a nocturnal species and are only active at night. they're solitary snd spends most of the day resting in caves, under ledges, with their tail curled up around them. think of a really odd, kind of distorted and funny looking cat! similar, right? individual tasselled wobbegongs will have what's referred to as a small "home range". these areas contain several preferred resting spots which are used repeatedly.

wobbegongs primary diet is bottom-dwelling fish (mainly the bony type) and invertebrates such as small octopi, crabs or lobsters. when it hunts, they perch on reef and lunge up to suck in its prey. it then clamps down with its large jaw and fang-like teeth, not letting go until it's successfully killed its prey. the tasselled wobbegong is very opportunistic as it tends to remain in its favoured resting spot and whilst it's lounging, it'll ambush its prey. however, the little carpet also has its predators! this includes sharks- like the blacktip reef, horn, nurse, sand tiger and sand shark-, larger fishes and marine mammals.

these guys tend to reside in shallow habitats (ranging from 5 to 50 metres, 160 feet) near coral reefs! they're found in the tropical waters of the indo pacific ocean off of indonesia, australia and new guinea.

the maximum size of this species has been found to be 1 metre (4 feet) and it's complete lifespan is actually unknown but estimated to be about 26 years, between the average shark lifespan. this species has a very broad and flattened body and head, hence the carpet nickname.

we don't actually know much about the biological structure of the tasselled wobbegong but it's assumed to be a viviparous species (give birth to live young) based off of the reproductive habits of similar and related species. the pups are kept inside the womb of the female wobbegong in the form of eggs until they hatch and the young get their nourishment from the egg yolk. in a litter, there's typically 20 or more pups at a time. all measuring to about 20cm long (8 inches). their size at sexual maturity, however, is uncertain. their mating has been reported to have been observed in a cave at night, but not much else is known. one male, adult, was found to be adult at 1 metre - the average tasselled wobbegong size.

compared to other wobbegongs, the tasselled wobbegong is notorious for its "unprovoked attacks" on humans. whilst the species has certainly proved that it's capable of inflicting severe wounds, divers have also been able to approach the species without incident. given the sharks camouflaged appearance and poor vision, it's recommended people avoid accidentally harassing the shark as it will mistake a foot or hand as prey.

this carpet shark doesn't actually have a great economic value. although it's peculiar skin may occasionally be used for leather, it's not fished in australian waters and faces minimal threats. however, elsewhere, it may very well be affected by excessive fishery activity and habitat degradation (loss) from pollution, blast fishing (an illegal method involving explosives to stun/kill schools of fish) and coral removal. regarding this, the ICUN has declared this species of shark as least concern. meaning that it's still plentiful in the wild and isn't considered threatened or,pre 2001, conservation dependant.

note: ive came to the realisation that the previous image shown was a monkfish, not a tasseled wobbegong. i apologise for the misinformation! ive changed/updated the image since! very sorry

[matan4il]

As I promised to update, I'm back from the hospital and I'm okay.

Food was starting to run out (only had enough left for about half a day), I really didn't want to go to the store when it's dangerous to be away from the bomb shelter, but had no choice. Got food, but there's no bottled water to be found anywhere, exactly when Israeli citizens were instructed last night to stock up our bomb shelters with enough dry food and bottled water for at least three days.

The number of confirmed dead is officially at 900 (still not final), the number of wounded is at over 2,600, the number of kidnapped is at least 150. The number of terrorists who breached Israel's border and massacred civilians on Saturday is estimated to be at least 1,500.

I mentioned Mor and her grandmother already, but I felt like hearing her telling their story is important enough to share this vid. Testimonies like this are coming out in incomprehensible numbers.

Since the beginning of this war on Israel on Saturday, five independent terrorist attacks were attempted and stopped. Thankfully, no one was reported to have been murdered, though there are casualties.

In Egypt, a soldier guarding tourists (likely inspired by Hamas' massacre) opened fire at a group from Israel. He murdered two Israelis and their Egyptian local tour guide. At least one more person was also wounded in this terror attack.

There have been rockets fired into Israel from the north by Hezbollah (while Hamas fires thousands of rockets from the south) and there was also a breach of Israel from the north by another terrorist organization named Islamist Jihad. During this, Israel's northern citizens were instructed to lock themselves inside their homes. All of the terrorists who infiltrated Israel from the north were killed, but so was an Israeli commander, Alim Abdallah. He was supposed to finish his army service this coming Sunday. May his memory be a blessing.

On a personal note, my former boss' son was killed (may his memory be a blessing. ז"ל), and one of my colleagues has been kidnapped and is held hostage in Gaza.

Another personal story is that of Lior Asulin. He was a talented soccer player. Among other clubs, he played for an Arab team and helped it become Israel's soccer champion. He was murdered at the music festival that he went to in order to celebrate his birthday, and where at least 270 young people were butchered (ז"ל).

There's news from other countries about anti-Israeli demonstrations where the massacre of innocent Israelis is celebrated, in Australia the pro-Palestinian demonstrators shouted "Fuck the Jews" as well as "Gas the Jews."

In at least one protest a pro-Israeli demonstrator was beaten up:

And already there are antisemitic incidents, where Jewish establishments outside of Israel are being targeted.

Countries whose citizens are known to have been kidnapped or murdered by Hamas in the attack on Israel:

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[hossam97]

Emergency: Help Evacuate My Family From GAZA WAR

Dear Humanity,

I'm Hossam from Gaza , from a family of 4 people: my mam and two daughters .

I've witnessed the evidence of the tragedy that has struck our lives in Gaza, where my family and I have survived amidst numerous previous wars. But today, we face the most dangerous and fierce battle in the current war. The urgent need intensifies for us, as we have nothing left and are unable to secure our basic needs such as food, water, and safe shelter.

Here is our story - On October 7th, our lives changed forever, my family and I evacuated from northern Gaza to southern Gaza, hoping to return soon, but it wasn't meant to be. Our home was surrounded, burned, and then completely destroyed, Our home, once a fortress of hope, now lay in ruins, a stark reminder of our shattered dreams.

The night before we left from the north to the south was terrifying. Shelling sounds were everywhere, making a loud noise that felt like it went through our souls. Every explosions shook the ground like earthquakes, sending shockwaves of fear through our trembling bodies. filling us with fear. The air smelled of destruction and blood, making it hard to breathe. When dawn came, we saw the devastation around us, realizing our home was now a symbol of loss and despair.

I was looking at the faces of the people around me, old and young, everyone was scared, everyone was trembling, everyone was asking about his fate.

Everyone is asking where we are going who will receive us if all the houses we know are demolished.

We had nothing but the path of danger, either we walk it and see what the end of this road is, or we stay hidden and expose ourselves to greater danger.

We ran into the streets and with each step we took into the unknown streets, we felt as if we were plunging deeper into the abyss of our shattered existence, leaving behind everything we own in our home: Clothes, important official documents, the car, and literally it's almost everything - the enormity of our loss weighed heavily upon us.

The number around us started to decrease, there was only a little left. I look at the clock and I see it approaching the morning hours. My family and I were walking, burdened with fatigue and sadness. We looked and saw us. When the rockets rained on the place where we were, we walked a distance of at least 14 kilometers. Then we reached another house. We entered. Everyone washed his hands. We stayed for a while. And the people around us rushed and raced. So we left the house, where we only sat for a period not exceeding an hour. We went to the hospital to hide there a week later the second house was demolished and we were literally nothing.

The hospital, which houses more than 20,000 people, has become our home where we sleep, eat, and do our needs before. Before the seventh of October, one of us used to shower at the time he wanted and wash his clothes at the time he wanted. Then we washed once or twice a week, if we could and we were injured, we washed our clothes once or twice, and they were spread on the roof of the hospital, and the sounds of shelling and bullets sent fear inside us.

Before the seventh of October we slept here

And then we slept here.

We used to dry our clothes in our private house safely and reassuringly without seeing anything for others and no one seeing us.

But then we were under the whiz of bullets, doing that, and I will attach a video clip that you will find on my page.

I appeal to the world as a whole to hear my cry and the mournful cry of my family in Gaza. We need the helping hand that reaches out to wipe our tears and build a bridge to safety.

Your donation is not just a donation; it's an opportunity to rebuild life and brighten a better tomorrow. Be part of our hopeful story, for we need your hand to start anew.

And that's why we seek salvation, we hope that you become our salvation, help us survive by donating, every tear counts, every feeling matters, and every soul is sacred.

Your donation means the world to us!

[alphynix]

Strange Symmetries #23: Convergent Earvolution

Although it's not visible externally, owls have one of the most striking modern examples of asymmetry. The ears of many species are uneven, with the right ear opening positioned higher up than the left, giving them the ability to pinpoint the sounds of their prey much more accurately.

But surprisingly this isn't a unique anatomical trait that only ever evolved once in their common ancestor.

Instead, multiple different lineages of owls have actually convergently evolved wonky ears somewhere between four and seven separate times.

The boreal owl (Aegolius funereus), also known as Tengmalm's owl, is a small 25cm long (~10") true owl found across much of the northern parts of both Eurasia and North America. While most other owls' asymmetrical ear openings are formed just by soft tissue, the boreal owl's lopsided ears are actually visible in the bones of its skull.

But despite how many times owls have convergently evolved asymmetrical ears, and how successful this adaptation has been for them, for a long time it seemed to be something that no other animals have ever mimicked.

In the early 2000s asymmetric ears were reported in the skulls of some troodontid dinosaurs, which seem to have been nocturnal hearing-based hunters similar to owls, but proper details on this feature still haven't been formally published.

Then, just a couple of weeks ago, another example was finally announced.

The night parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis) is a small ground-dwelling parrot found in Australia, close to the same size as the boreal owl at around 22cm long (~9"). Critically endangered and very elusive, it's rarely seen and little is known about it – and it was presumed extinct for much of the 20th century, until more recent sightings of living individuals confirmed that the species is still hanging on.

Recent studies of preserved museum specimens have revealed that it seems to have poor night vision but excellent hearing, and that its right ear opening is noticeably asymmetrical, bulging out sideways from its skull. Much like owls the night parrot relies on acute directional hearing to navigate in darkness, but since its diet consists mainly of seeds it's probably not using this ability to locate food sources. Instead it may be listening out to keep track of the precise locations of other parrots, and for the approach of predators – so its sharp sense of hearing may be the reason this unique bird has so far just barely managed to survive the presence of invasive cats and foxes.

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NixIllustration.com | Tumblr | Twitter | Patreon

[micewithknives]

Top 5 archaeological sites in Australia that you feel people should know more about? Or top 5 Australian artefacts?

I feel like I’ve talked a bit about artefacts in a few recent asks, and also I feel like a lot of Australian archaeology (and as such, sites) are very underrated, particularly on a global scale. Its often acknowledged in Australian archaeology that getting international academia to recognise the importance of our country’s archaeology is very very difficult.

While there’s a million and one sites I’d love to talk about, I’m going to TRY and give sites that relate to different aspects and locations

This is probably going to be long, so...

1. Nauwalabila, Madjedbebe (Malakunanja II), and the Deaf Adder Gorge region, Northern Territory (Aboriginal)

Rock shelters in this region, and specifically Madjedbebe, are currently the oldest location of human habitation in Australia. Dating evidence from 2017 excavations provided an estimate of earliest occupation of 50 000 years at certainty, possibly extending back as early as 65 000 (+/-6000). It also has provided a lot of evidence for research into the extensive grind stone technologies of the Pleistocene.

2. Cloggs Cave and the Buchan region of the Victorian Gippsland (Aboriginal)

So much research has been done into this region in various ways. Josephine Flood focused her research on Bogong Moth usage (and festivals) within this region, providing some of the earliest accepted academic research in support of Aboriginal peoples’ claims of large scale Bogong Moth Festivals in Australia’s highlands (although the fac that no one really believed communities until then…………..). In 2021 grind analysis found Bogong Moth residue, making this the earliest stone artefact with evidence of insect food remains. And in addition to that recent 2017 research in the area investigated Holocene occupation with Aboriginal community members, with a focus on understanding the interaction of spirituality with the resources found in the caves.

3. Mabuyag Island, Torres Strait Islands, Queensland (Torres Strait Islander)

Mabuyag Island (alternatively known as Mabuiag or Mabuyaagi) has archaeological evidence of human occupation since 7300 years ago. The island is both associated with recent religious practices associated with he heavy processing of dugong remains, and totemic associations with these, which played a role in early 2000s into community lead and directed archaeological research into ritual and religious traditions and practices. In addition to this, Mabuyag is the location of the first archaeological excavations in Australia to find pre-colonial pottery fragments. The fragments at the two sites on the island were associated with Melanesian and Papua New Guinean pottery trade. The excavations relating to pottery on the island played an important role in our understanding of domestic and international trade in pre-colonial Australia, and also formed an influence for the recent excavations at Lizard Island, 300km south, which identified the first datable domestically made pottery technology found in Australia.

4. Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney, NSW

Hyde Park Barracks is part of a collection of colonial heritage structures in Australia, relating to Australia’s time as a penal settlement. Hyde Park Barracks in particular were the location of the housing of convict men from 1819 to 1830, with the 1830s to 1840s also involving the site being a location of additional convict punishment, and the base for the Board of Assignment of Servants. Following on from a reduction of convicts to NSW in the 1840s, the Barracks became the Female Immigration Depot, and the Orphan Institution, later becoming the Asylum for Infirm and Destitute Women.

This time period of women’s occupation provides some of the most interesting archaeological remains, as redevelopment and management of the site has found high rates of preservation within walls, and in areas below floorboards. This includes textiles and fabrics, papers, and other non-organic materials such as pipes (with their tobacco intact) stashed in what was once floor, wall, and ceiling cavities. Archaeological investigations in the area form one of the most detailed assemblages of artefacts relating to instituted women in the British Empire during the 19th century.

5. Notch Point, Western Australia (Multicultural heritage)

Notch Point is a site of varied and mixed archaeology, ranging from pre- and post- colonial period Aboriginal heritage, to diverse 19th century occupation of the region by Chinese, European, Malay, and Aboriginal peoples in association with pearling industries off the coast. In addition to this, the point is located on Dirk Hartog Island (otherwise known as Wirruwana), the site of the earliest European arrival in Western Australia in 1616, and contains archaeological evidence of both various early Dutch interactions with the island in 1616 and 1697, as well as French arrival in 1772, 1801, and 1818. Notch Point in particular also contains evidence of conflict between the predominantly Chinese population of the pearling industry, with white-Australian and European pearling masters, and pastoral agents. Its not a site that is widely discussed, but provides a fascinating overlay of the amount of varied cultural groups that can be present within Australia’s archaeological sites.

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Honourable mentions to:

Lake Mungo and the Willandra Lakes which should 100% be on this list, but also I feel like I talk about it ALL the time and I wanted to mention sites that I actually don’t see discussed a lot. Theyre super important for cultural reasons, for archaeological reasons, and also for their role the development of archaeology, Aboriginal community consultation, and the role its played in developing repatriation practices in modern Australia. I have multiple posts about them HERE

Budj Bin Eel Traps in Victoria (same reasons, I’ve definitely talked about them before).

Juukan Gorge (and its destruction, im still horrified)

Harrietville Chinese Mining Village

Strangway Strings and The Peake Afghan Cameleer sites

Recherche Bay in Tasmania, and its 1792 French settlement sites

Homebush Mill & Mission Hall in QLD and Beowa National Park sites containing South Sea Islander heritage

[aroace-spec-empire]

History of the AroAce Spec Empire (So far)

(Will update as I rummage through this blog and find posts/events that are considered as important history bits-)

2024

Note: At some point Luxembourg and the AroAce Spec Empire signed an agreement. Luxembourg would help with the invasion of Europe if they got Greenland

May 1 - The AroAce Spec Empire is founded during the Great Bot War Of 2024

May 1 - Almost immediately after being created, the Empire joins the Great Bot War of 2024 on the side of Aspecs

May 2 - The Empire hosts a vote to decide which European country to invade first

May 7 - The Empire reveals a map of Europe covered in dots + Promises to give Northern Ireland to Ireland

May 7 - A vote is made to decide which type of government the Empire should have

May 7-8 - The AroAce Spec Empire decides to not invade France, due to the founder Crystals la Bubble Tea (@/crystalsandbubbletea) being intimidated by them

May 9 - Draft of the AroAce Spec Empire Constitution is created

May 9 - Voting to decide which European country to invade first ends, with Denmark taking the overwhelming majority of the vote

May 13 - Czech Republic offers an alliance to the AroAce Spec Empire

May 15 - The Alliance between the AroAce Spec Empire and the Czech Republic is made official

May 16 - Canada and the AroAce Spec Empire form an alliance

May 16 - The King's Lomatia becomes the National Flower of the AroAce Spec Empire, while Garlic bread becomes the official food

May 16 - A poll just to be silly opens. The poll is for deciding if the Empire should be renamed to Peanut AroAce Spec Empire or Peanut Spec Empire after the Empire was called a peanut twice

May 17 - The USA and the AroAce Spec Empire form an alliance

May 17 - Luxembourg has to remind the AroAce Spec Empire about the agreement

May 17 - Ikea joins the AroAce Spec Empire

May 17 - AroAce Spec Empire and France open up discussions for a possible alliance

May 17 - Crystals la Bubble Tea thinks about making May 17 a national holiday known as "National Update Day", depends on the majority vote though-

May 17 - It is revealed that Crystals la Bubble Tea isn't a government official, due to the AroAce Spec Empire being an anarchy country. Instead they are responsible for polls and writing the constitution

May 17 - Antarctica and the AroAce Spec Empire become allies

May 17 - Arby's and the AroAce Spec Empire are officially chill with each other

May 18 - The Empire made a Discord server

May 20 - A new list of proposed alliances is made. The countries on the list are Germany, Turkmenistan, and Australia

May 20 - Crystals la Bubble Tea announces that they won't be in public as much for a while (AKA finals happening)

May 20 - Alliance with Australia has been confirmed

May 20 - Crystals la Bubble Tea goes out hunting for bots on the ace tags, they find none. This isn't enough for them, as who knows when the bots will be back?

May 21 - The Denmarks know about the plans to invade Denmark, causing Crystals la Bubble Tea to contemplate their life choices

May 21 - The Empire takes a bite out of the flag of Scotland and immediately regrets it

Aug 7 - The Empire faces increasing concern due to both France's losing their memories. Crystals la Bubble Tea goes into hiding

Aug 12 - The Empire gets their memories wiped. Crystals la Bubble Tea thinks about making the empire go into lockdown to prevent further memory loss

Some time between Aug 12 and Aug 19 - The Empire gets it's memories back

Aug 19 - The Empire and Communist America form an alliance

Some point in August - India and the Empire form an alliance

Aug 30 - The British Empire and the AroAce Spec Empire form an alliance

Sept 1 - The AroAce Spec Empire starts the invasion of European Countries

Oct 2 - The Great Bot was is presumably over

[stevenbasic]

Growing into the Job, Post 419: A Few Hours to Kill

The man looked at her from across the bar, lifting the drink in his hand, standing, and then smiling at her as he came over. “Thank you for cocktail. Can I get you one?” he predictably asked, finally stepping up to the bar beside her and pulling out a barstool for for himself…

…

Ten minutes ago she’d watched as he had entered this quaint izakaya, probably on his walk back to his hotel here in Utsunomiya City. He looked like he was here on business. Shoes were Northern European, haircut vaguely nothing, but the accent he’d used while struggling to answer the barkeep’s simple greeting of  ‘Irrasshaimase’ pegged him as a traveler from just outside of Hamburg , which seemed to her oddly fitting. 

She’d seen how he glanced around at the local patrons as he stepped in and awkwardly made his way to the bar, under the paper lanterns and past the framed photos of the nearby shrine in Nikko. He pulled up a stool on the opposite side of the bar, across from where she’d been sitting. His back was to the door. Moderately busy, the pub had attracted a few salary men arguing loudly in the corner, a smattering of students and professors from the local university, and a small group of senior citizens from Europe, maybe Australia. Aside from the tourists he was one of the only foreigners in the room, and he was sure to notice that she was one of the only women present. 

Drying his hands on a towel, the bartender welcomed him again. She noticed how he asked for a beer, choosing a Kirin as it was likely familiar. A cold draft soon appeared for him in a frosty glass, which he drained halfway in a single gulp. The bartender didn’t raise an eyebrow but asked if he wanted to order food. Scanning the menu, which was entirely in Japanese, she saw how he looked around for inspiration. That, in a brief moment, was the first time their eyes met.

He’ll do.

“What are they eating?” he asked the man behind the bar in rudimentary Japanese - broken, strongly accented - as he gestured with his hands to the men over in the corner. 

“Yakitori,” replied the bartender, now switching to English, “Baked chicken on skewers. It is very good.”

With her heightened senses, the redhead could hear his stomach rumble. 

“I’ll take a portion of .. yaki .. chicken,” he replied, giving up on his Japanese, “and some of those green beans.” A minute later a plate of chicken yakitori appeared along with a bowl of salted edamame. He attacked his meal with gusto, and again surreptitiously eyed her across the bar. 

It had been many, many years since Dr. Olivia Henders had gone out looking for the company of men, but she knew she had the attention of this one. She took the opportunity to sit up straight on her barstool, gazing sidelong towards the low tables and tatami mats in the dim pub and allowing him to take in her figure. She was tall, and despite her age she was shapely. She smiled secretly to herself. Casually, while still looking away, she removed her tan cardigan. She almost chuckled, knowing what had become of men and therefore knowing that the plunging tank neckline of her taut bodysuit would suddenly become this little pub’s main attraction. She felt eyes, his included, suddenly drawn to her.

She wrapped her sweater around her waist and returned to both her grape shochu cocktail and her ruminations on the most recent leg of her travels. Though the nearby town of Nikko and its Toshugo shrine was what drew most foreigners to travel to Utsunomiya, the picturesque attractions were not why Olivia was here. Rather, it was the university, and its Department of Molecular Agriculture, that she had been here to visit. That, along with a handful of the dozen or so other sites that she’d seen on her trip, seemed adequately appropriate for a new hive. One of the younger professors had amenable genetics and, more importantly, she had the right politics. Olivia had already been in communication with KOLECTV and Evolution would be sending a team out next week to get Dr. Sato started on her treatment. 

In the meantime, she had the following few hours to herself. A rarity to be sure. While the next several weeks of Olivia’s schedule were more than busy - I need to clone myself, she sometimes thought, always followed by: but you’ve tried that already - her last few hours in Japan were free. Then it was “home” - she needed to see this Melissa thing for herself - and then back on a plane.

She looked up from her phone, where she’d been checking in on the KOLECTV pilot who’d get her back to the States, and, again, looked across the bar to the hapless European male. He’d finished his food, and, though she could still sense his all-too-apparent interest in her chest, he had been too reticent to come over and talk to her. His beer was almost gone.

Privately, Olivia smiled. In all her years on this earth - and she’d seen a lot of them - men the world over had never been as timid as they’d been these last few months. The prion had done its job, and she had no doubt it would continue to do its work.. She bit her lip, anticipating the day. In the meantime, though, she needed a fuck and was thirsty for something else besides cheap japanese liquor.

With a curl of her finger and her impeccable Japanese, she called the barkeep over and ordered the European a budo sawa to match her own. No one else at the bar saw what she covertly slid into the bartender’s hand or heard the weirdling tone to her voice when she told him what to do with it. She observed closely as the cocktail was made, watching to make sure her extra ingredient was added, and then delivered. The man across the bar looked up at her, picking up the drink with a smile. Coyly - men love that - she looked away.

“Thank you for cocktail,” he said in awkward English, finally stepping up to the bar beside her and pulling out a barstool seat for himself, “Can I get you one?”

“No thank you, I got it” Olivia replied, watching him take a seat. He had the balls to do that, at least. For the time being. They both looked up as the bartender placed a new buda sawa down in front of her. It shared the same slight pink blush as his.

He picked the drink up and took the first sip.

Immediately, Olivia took a sip of hers and - Bingo. 

The small talk began. This was pretty standard courting behavior for normals, she knew. Thankfully she spoke his inelegant first language because his English was nearly as horrible as his Japanese. This guy was obviously a businessman here on work, and he made sure  to explain his bland job to her in excruciatingly grueling detail. Despite all the reorganization that the male mind has undergone with the prion, men still liked to talk about themselves, and they loved to explain things that were entirely obvious and boring. What he did, who he was, or where he came from was really not all that important to what she needed from him, and honestly he wasn’t much for entertaining conversation, even without the language barrier. He was nervous, she allowed him that, but she would not tolerate his tiresome mansplaining much longer. Maybe we can get a law passed, she thought in reverie. 

“So you’re…traveling also?” he asked her finally. 

“Yes. Just here on business, not nearly as interesting as yours I’m afraid.” Olivia was able to bite back a bit of cold sarcasm, and noticed that he’d been doing an admirable job of not glancing down at her full cleavage. His cocktail would likely take care of that soon enough. 

“How long have you been in Japan?” he continued, “How long is your trip?”

“It’s been just six days in Japan - here, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka.” Olivia explained, rattling off the most recent locations, “But I’ve been in Asia for about a month - Khazakstan, Mongolia, all over really.” Her tongue was probably looser than it should be, but she knew this scrotum wouldn’t be seeing the chance to tell anyone else anything. “I have a plane leaving in eight hours, but for now I have some time to kill.”

She took a sip of her drink, and let her eyes sparkle. 

“Are you headed home?”

She had to admit, even if he wasn’t quite catching her innuendo, he was showing some honest interest in her. There was possibly something moderately endearing about this fellow. He reminded her of a lamb. 

“Yes, sort of,” she replied, allowing her hand to brush closer to his.

“It’ll be good to be back in your own bed after all that time?” he asked, “I always feel that way when I travel.” His eyes, for the first time and just the briefest of seconds, dropped to her neckline.

Olivia chuckled, both at his errant gaze and his question. “I don’t know. I’m used to the lifestyle, and don’t really feel the pull of home like most,” she said, briefly smiling as the barkeep slid a bowl of edamame to them. “I’ll only be home for a couple nights. There’s a grand opening for a new medical facility I need to attend before I’ll be off again. A formality, really. I’m looking at some new clinic sites in Des Moines, Madison and Mankato. Then my mother is demanding a visit, she’s in Washington.” She paused, and wondered for a moment why she was telling him all this. Maybe it would sweeten the first bite, she figured. “Those are cities, in the US.”

The man nodded hesitantly, and reached down for an edamame pod. She saw how suddenly he found himself unable to look up after glancing again at her big white breasts.  

““Wh-who do you work for?” he asked, struggling to recover, “What is it that you do?” 

The first telltale stammer in his voice, did not go unnoticed by her, nor did the first real tingle of what was in her new budo sawa. She was sure he was feeling his own tingles too. 

“Well, I work for myself,” she decided to answer, “I consider myself a consultant at this point. I sold a biomed startup and now I work with the groups that are using the technology, trying to get it out into the world. I suppose you could say that I’m overseeing a few things.”

“So you’re a…biomedical consultant?”

“Genetics research and implementation, mostly,” she explained, watching him take another swig of his drink. Whether or not he finished it at this point wasn’t all that important, but the drunker he got, the better. He’ll fight less. “I also do some political consulting, helping candidates, pushing policies, trying to change the world and all that.”

At her mention of politics, she saw him immediately get a little nervous. She realized, with all their recent victories, old governments everywhere were changing, and that not everyone was comfortable with it. Many of the men, worldwide, were oblivious, honestly. But many men, she knew, were scared, and some were outright opposed to what they’d been doing. But, you know what? Too fucking bad. 

“Ha…ha…trying to ch-change the world? R-r-really?” he stuttered, and she saw the gears starting to roll in his increasingly addled brain. Maybe he was getting his first inkling as to what sort of people she worked with, and the ambitions they were trying to achieve. 

“Yes well I have a project I’m working on that some people would rather see fail,” she added, a bit cryptically, “But the important thing is that we all have the same goals.”

Looking over another sip of her - what would Ashleigh call it? A ‘Panther Sawa’? - she eyed the innocent Bavarian male, and pictured him in a cage. A small cage. 

“What are your goals, little man?” Olivia purred, letting the first real hint of seduction seep into and deepen her voice. She saw him stiffen at the term. ‘Little man’ was something secretly arousing to most men these days, along with ‘good boy’ and a host of other infantilizing and demeaning expressions. She would be sure to try some of them out tonight. “What do you want to accomplish tonight, here in this beautiful country, in this quaint little pub?”

Olivia realized that, just for a night, she wanted to do what normals did. Not that this evening is going to turn out like anything even vaguely resembling “normal”. “Dating” was not something in Olivia Hender’s playbook. There was always, invariably, just too much to do. She’d fed, for sure. She’d used what the younger sisters might call ‘Pink Panther’ several times in her years on earth, but she hadn’t tried something like this - picking up a guy - well, not since, haha, that time.. She was out of practice, maybe? And romance, taking a lover she felt was generally a waste of time. But a quick one-night fling while on a business trip? Sure. Fun. Easy. She could be a seductress for a night and then get back to business. 

Olivia noticed the male hadn’t answered her question. The poor thing looked at a loss for words. And fighting hard, so very hard, to keep from staring at her chest.

“So? Hm?” she asked, leaning in a bit towards him and casually  pressing her breasts together between her arms, “Is there something in particular you’d like to do tonight?”

Now he couldn’t help himself, and goggled at her bust. He struggled to find his words. 

“Y-you mentioned your family?” he asked, scrambling for something he thought might be a safe topic. 

Ha. If only he knew. “Had I?”

“Y-your mother? She is in Washton DC?” 

The last thing Olivia wanted to talk about, tonight, was her mother. Not as talented as her mom, she’d always made up for it with her studies, her science, her research and discoveries. She liked to think, in her career of - it was hard to count the decades - that one art complemented the other. Olivia knew she was a pioneer in bringing the Dark Female to the field of genetic engineering. Still, her mother had always cast a big shadow. 

“We don’t need to talk about my family,” Olivia abruptly announced, now in English as she put down her drink and from her clutch pulled a ¥10,000 bill to lay down on the bar. With one gesture she paid his bill and her own wasting no time as she stood, and offered him her hand. She’d tired of conversation. “Take me back to your room.”

She watched him stand, and she watched his eyes as he realized she was taller than him. She smiled. The man, younger than her, was obviously thrilled. Olivia still had quite the looks, and she was undoubtedly tall. She’d inherited some of her mother’s famous behind and shapely legs, and had grown into a heavy bust over the years. It was at that chest that this man was now struggling not to stare, the poor thing. It had become universal: males all over the world were attracted to these kinds of tall, shapely women: primordially busty, powerfully maternal. 

“Wow, you are one big American,” he managed in English. 

She chuckled. “Yes I am,” she brooked, back in his native tongue, placing one hand on his chest, “And this big American is going to lock the door to your hotel room, pin you to your cheap mattress and let you suck on her big, mother’s nipple as she hovers her giant white breasts over your weak, tiny, shrunken little face before she smothers you and steals every inch of your size.” 

Her smile curled as she watched his eyes goggle again. 

“What do you have to say about that, boy?”

He didn’t say much. There was not much he could say as she pushed him towards the door and into an awaiting cab…

 …

Two hours later, Dr. Henders stood, alone, on the sidewalk outside a hotel once known to be  popular with traveling businessmen. Her shoes were now tight, and she’d just barely been able to squeeze herself back into her top. To anyone who had known her, they might also be impressed that despite all her travels she looked five years younger. She’d politely paid the man’s bill on the way out, at the desk, with what yen she had left in her clutch. His debt was paid, but he wouldn’t be checking out anytime soon. Or ever. 

Where’s that car? she mused, as she stood waiting for KOLECTV’s local driver to appear and feeling the new youth and strength the male had given her coursing through her ancestral blood. Let’s go. I’ve got a plane to catch.

===========================

Thanks to Frag592 for his insights into Japanese bar culture.

[unhetalia]

this is really weak of me but I really do have to headcanon the Nations as having nothing to do with their governments and at times actively working against them because otherwise the atrocities are Not Fictional...

and anyway these beings hundreds of years old absolutely know that governments do not always have the people's best interests in mind. Do not always take care of the land. Nations believe their role is to take care of their land and their people, and maybe the older Nations tried to work with those in power in the beginning, but quickly learn their lesson.

because of this headcanon, I imagine the Nations all have 'departments' they belong to that focus on a certain issue. It would be impossible to have one individual try to have intimate knowledge of every single issue a country faces, and I love the implications this has on how much the Nations rely on each other, and how much their relationships are not reflective of human politics, because their purpose is not to reflect their people but to protect them and the land they're on.

SO finally, to the point of this post.

Here's what I think certain Nations do:

England and Russia are in charge of information gathering AKA espionage, as both have infiltrated their own governments at a very high level. Arthur is in MI6, Ivan is in the KGB-turned-FSK-turned-FSB. They're valuable assets to the rest of the world because they tend to have information on what everyone's governments are doing. Some other Nations who work in this department are Hungary, Philippines (F), Canada, Cuba, Ukraine, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland.

A lot of Nations work on environmental issues - Sweden, Finland and Denmark focus on governance as a way to mitigate environmental issues, while Australia, New Zealand, South Africa are focused on conservation, Brazil, Colombia, Congo focus on deforestation and air pollution, the Pacific Islands on rising sea levels and ocean pollution.

China, France, Ireland and Turkey are focused on food security - each one focuses on a specific aspect of it. China on availability, Ireland on access, France on utilisation and Turkey on stability.

Social welfare is headed by Austria and Belgium, with Spain, the Italies, Greece and Portugal focused on it.

Internal security is handled by the Germany brothers and Switzerland - this is the protection of the Nations themselves. Arranging identities, extraction of Nations who land themselves in trouble, and also the keeper of their arsenal.

America heads the research and development department that connects everything together - they develop the gadgets used by Arthur and Ivan's team, help develop technologies and conduct research focused on the environment and food security, help trial new ideas on addressing poverty, hack databases in order to help create identities for Nations. This department includes Japan, South Korea, India (F), Taiwan, Tony (not a Nation but heavily involved), Liechtenstein, Hong Kong, Belarus, Netherlands, Estonia, Mexico (F).

EDIT: I have to re-think a lot of this because I keep thinking about how very little countries there are compared to shit happening in the world and it messes with this universe a little bit. SO. WILL BE RE-WORKED.

[entegrasignaturestructures]

Check Darwin Unveils $100M Ag Plan for Australian Farmgate Output

NFF outlines a $100M Ag production strategy in Darwin to elevate Australian Farmgate output. It targets renewable farm sheds and farming, safety, and workforce growth. Visit our website to learn more about agriculture production and sheds.

[northgazaupdates]

3 January 2024

Sulala Animal Rescue is an organization in the Gaza Strip that saves abandoned, stray, hungry, sick, and injured animals of all species. It was founded and is still operated by a man named Saeed, and staffed by his son Sa’ed, among others. They are the only legitimate animal rescue in the Gaza Strip.

Their primary facility is in northern Gaza, but they were forced to evacuate due to threats of Israeli bombardment. They evacuated as many animals as they could, but danger posed by IOF attacks forced them to flee for their lives. They are working on getting the rest of the animals moved south with them, and are also taking in more sick and injured animals in the south. If all of this wasn’t difficult enough, they are now almost out of all animal food. No animal food has entered the Strip since October 9th, and things are extremely desperate. They now have only two bags left for all the animals.

They have three needs: for the Kerem Shalom border crossing to allow shipments of animal food through; for Israel to designate a safe area where the animals won’t be bombed; and for the IOF to allow Sulala to pass safely back into the north to retrieve the remaining animals. They are asking for people to advocate on their behalf, and have drafted an appeal letter for you to send, and have provided a list of individuals and agencies for you to contact. Here is a link to a Google Doc with that information.

They do take donations despite little/no aid coming in because they can use the money within Gaza to buy neglected and abused animals from their owners, particularly donkeys, who are extremely burdened since they had to take the lead in transportation. You can donate to their PayPal link or to their partner organization, Animals Australia, who sends 100% of donations to Sulala. More information on donating is available in the caption and comments of this post.

For more information, please see Sulala’s Instagram page here

To some, it may seem trivial to be concerned with animals when 2 million humans are suffering. However, successfully lobbying these agencies will help normalize letting more aid past the blockade. Further, Sulala itself is important because it provides not just care for animals, but also work for their staff and business partners, and money for local enterprises. Finally, it is possible to fight for both humans and animals, and to do so without pre-prioritizing the needs of the human population.

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Taming the Tiger Shark

The tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) is a common sight for divers, fishermen, and tourists in the tropical waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. They are often found around sea grass fields or coral reefs, and tend to prefer warm, shallower waters near the coastline or surrounding atolls and islands. The northern end of their range extends up to the northern borders of the United States and China, while their southern range reaches down to Brazil, Madagascar, and the eastern coast of Australia.

While they're slightly smaller than great whites, G. cuvier is still one of the largest carnivores in the ocean. Adults can grow up to 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) long and weigh between 300 and 900 kg (700 and 2,000 lb). Females tend to be larger than males, but the two sexes are otherwise indistinguishable. Individuals are typically bluish gray or green, with a white or light yellow underbelly; this provides them with camouflage, as fish swimming overhead or below are unable to pick out the shark's silhouette against the dark or light background, respectively.

As an apex predator, G. cuvier has few predators of its own. Juvenile tiger sharks will often fall prey to other sharks, including adults of their own species. Orcas are also occasionally known to prey on tiger sharks, but these occurrences are rare. In their own food chain, G. cuvier has a large appetite and will eat almost anything. Coral reef fish are a common target, though their speed and small size makes them harder to catch. More often tiger sharks will prey on cephalopods, crustaceans, sea snakes, turtles, sea birds, and a host of marine mammals like dolphins, dugongs, sea lions, and young, injured, or dead whales. Inadvertently, tiger sharks will also consume garbage such as bottles tires, earning them the nickname 'The Garbage Can of the Ocean'.

Tiger sharks are primarily active at night. Contrary to other sharks, G. cuvier has excellent eyesight, as well as a keen sense of smell. In addition, tiger sharks have two special sensory organs. The lateral line extends down the length of the body and can detect minute vibrations in the water. Ampullae of Lorenzini are small electroreceptors located on the snout; these detect the weak electrical impulses generated by prey. All these features make it easy for tiger sharks to find a meal, and once located their body shape allows them to put on a burst of speed and make quick turns to catch their target. Most of the time, this hunting practice is done alone, but occasionally groups of tiger sharks will gather to scavenge a large carcass or for the mating season.

Male tiger sharks mate every year, while females only reproduce every three years. Breeding seasons differ based on location; in the Northern Hemisphere mating occurs between March and May, while in the Southern Hemisphere it's between November and January. During this time, dozens or even hundreds of sharks may gather to find mates. Females carry their young for up to 16 months, at which time they give live birth. Tiger sharks are ovoviviparous, meaning that eggs are fertilised and hatch inside the mother; this species is also unique in that they employ a technique called embryotrophy, in which young gestate in sacks which are filled with an embryonic fluid. A single litter of tiger sharks may contain between 10 to 80 pups, and each one may live up to 12 years in the wild.

Conservation status: The IUCN has classified the tiger shark as Near Threatened. While exact numbers are unclear, a great many tiger sharks are killed each year for their skin, fins, and liver. This species also has a reputation for vicious attacks, and while they can be aggressive when threatened, only a handful of shark attacks occur each year.

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Photos

Neil Hammerschlag

Brian Skerry

David Snyder

[galadriel1010]

One of the (genuinely very few) things that I am struggling with in Australia is Christmas. It is such a seasonal festival in the northern hemisphere. It is a winter festival with all the trappings. Hot food made with ingredients that have kept since the harvest, warming spices, fairy lights that take over from the sun at 4 o'clock, open fires and all the imagery to match. And here in Australia... It's the same. It's a winter festival but it's 30°c, and my body braces for cold every time I walk out of a building and then goes "Oh god what the fuck is happening to me".

I am very confused.

[matan4il]

Daily update post:

The Israel Electricity Company worker who was mortally wounded yesterday, passed away from his wounds. He's the second civilian that Hezbollah has killed on Israel's northern border since the start of the war.

The IDF releases critical footage constantly, this is one example. This shows an aborted attack once civilians, including kids, are detected:

Sometimes, it's so frustrating doing these daily update posts, because I don't have all of the material that I wanna share. Yesterday, Israeli TV shared footage of Hamas attacking regular Gazans as an aid truck comes in. Then they took all of the food for themselves. I'm frustrated, because I can't find it anywhere online, but I'll keep looking and share it in a future update if I find it.

I mentioned that Israel has been fighting on five fronts, but that's not including the constant need to protect Israeli civilians and institutions from cyber attacks. If you count that one... six fronts.

Some of the survivors from the music festival, where Hamas murdered over 260 young people, had to be involuntarily committed to stop them from hurting themselves.

In Australia, a man was attacked just cycling down the street for displaying an Israeli flag on his bicycles.

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A post shared by Jewish Lives Matter (@jewishlivesmatter)

This is Guy Admoni.

He was 25 years old, and visiting his disabled mother in kibbutz Kfar Azza on Oct 7. For three days, he was define as missing. Then he and his mom were found together in her bomb shelter, murdered. They were still hugging each other. It turns out, Guy was an officer in a very sensitive role in the Israeli intelligence forces. His dad Doron was interviewed today, and he said that when he heard his son was missing, he prayed that Guy was killed, not kidnapped. Doron was sure that if Hamas would have gotten their hands on his son, they would have tortured him. Had Guy not broken, he would have suffered a lot and for long. Had he broken, it would have put so many more lives in danger.

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)