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Reach Your Goals with Apex Trader Funding in Australia
In the ever-evolving world of trading, having access to sufficient capital can be the key to unlocking your true potential as a trader. For Australian traders looking to elevate their trading careers, Apex Trader Funding in Australia provides an innovative solution to access funding and achieve their goals. Whether you are an experienced trader or just starting, trading website in australia offers opportunities tailored to your skills and aspirations.
What is Apex Trader Funding?
Apex Trader Funding in Australia is a proprietary trading firm that provides traders with access to funding without the need for significant upfront capital. Their unique approach allows traders to focus on executing their strategies effectively while mitigating the financial risks associated with traditional trading methods. With trading prop firms in australia, traders can qualify for funding by demonstrating their trading skills and discipline through evaluation programs. Apextrader Funding stands out for its ability to provide unmatched support to traders in Australia.
Why Choose Apex Trader Funding in Australia?
Australian traders face unique challenges and opportunities in the global trading landscape. Apex Trader Funding in Australia understands these dynamics and provides solutions that align with the needs of Australian traders. Here are some reasons why funded trader in australia is a great choice:
Flexibility and Support
Apex Trader Funding in Australia provides traders with the freedom to use their preferred trading strategies and platforms. This flexibility empowers traders to stick to what works best for them while enjoying support from a team that understands the complexities of the prop trading in australia. Apextrader Funding also ensures a seamless trading experience for its users.
Cost-Effective Evaluation Programs
Unlike traditional funding methods, prop firm in Australia offers affordable evaluation programs designed to test your trading skills. Once you pass the evaluation phase, you can access fully funded accounts without incurring high costs, making it one of the best prop trading firms in australia. Apextrader Funding ensures traders have access to top-tier evaluation programs.
Fast and Simple Process
Apex Trader Funding in Australia streamlines the process of qualifying for funding. Australian traders can quickly start their journey by signing up, completing the evaluation, and accessing their funded accounts in just a few steps. Apextrader Funding simplifies the journey to becoming a funded trader.
How to Get Started with Apex Trader Funding in Australia
Getting started with futures trading in Australia is straightforward and designed to accommodate traders of all levels. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Choose Your Evaluation Account
Select an evaluation account that aligns with your goals and trading preferences. prop trading companies in Australia offers a range of account sizes to suit different traders.
Pass the Evaluation Phase
Demonstrate your trading skills by meeting the profit targets and adhering to the rules during the evaluation. This phase tests your ability to trade consistently and manage risks effectively, which is vital in trading prop firms in australia.
Receive Your Funded Account
Once you pass the evaluation, you’ll receive access to a fully funded trading account. From here, you can start trading with real capital while enjoying a share of the profits as a funded trader in australia.
Conclusion
Apex Trader Funding in Australia provides traders with the opportunity to unlock their potential and achieve their financial goals. By offering access to substantial capital, a supportive environment, and flexible evaluation programs, atf funded in Australia empowers Australian traders to excel in the competitive world of trading. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a budding trader, best prop trading firms in australia could be the key to reaching your trading aspirations. Take the first step today and transform your trading journey with the prop trading in australia! With the backing of Apextrader Funding, your trading potential is limitless.
#trading website in australia#funded trader in australia#best prop trading firms in australia#the prop trading in australia#prop trading companies in australia#prop firm in australia#trading prop firms in australia#futures trading in australia#futures funding in australia#funded trader program in australia#atf trader in australia#atf funded in australia#apex trader funding in australia
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Exploring the Growing Coffee Trading Market in Australia- Trends and Opportunities
Australia has long been known for its vibrant coffee culture. From bustling cafes to artisanal roasters, the country has cultivated a deep passion for coffee. While much of the spotlight has traditionally been on the consumption side, the coffee trading market in Australia is becoming a significant area of growth. As the world experiences shifting dynamics in coffee production and demand, Australia is carving out a niche as both a consumer and player in the global coffee trading market. In this blog post, we will explore the trends shaping the coffee trading market in Australia, examine the opportunities it presents, and highlight the challenges the industry faces.
Australia’s Coffee Culture: A Foundation for Trade
Australia’s affinity for coffee is well-documented. Since the post-World War II migration waves, when Italian and Greek immigrants introduced espresso machines to the country, Australians have developed an unyielding devotion to quality coffee. This cultural foundation laid the groundwork for an emerging coffee trading market, as consumers demand high-quality beans sourced from diverse regions across the globe.
The popularity of specialty coffee has transformed the way Australians consume coffee. They no longer seek just a caffeine hit; instead, they want to know the story behind their cup—the origins of the beans, the farm where they were grown, and the sustainability practices involved. This growing consumer awareness has encouraged coffee traders and roasters to source premium, ethically produced beans, fueling the demand for diverse and specialty coffee.
Trends Shaping the Australian Coffee Trading Market
1. Rise of Specialty Coffee Trading
One of the most significant trends driving the coffee trading market in Australia is the rise of specialty coffee. Specialty coffee refers to beans that score 80 points or more on the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) scale, indicating high quality in terms of flavor, aroma, and production processes. The specialty coffee market has been growing steadily, with many traders now focusing on sourcing beans that meet these premium standards.
Coffee traders in Australia have begun forging relationships with smallholder farms and cooperatives in countries like Ethiopia, Colombia, and Kenya. Direct trade models are becoming more prevalent, allowing traders to work closely with farmers to ensure higher-quality beans and better pricing for growers. This trend is also tied to increasing consumer demand for transparency and sustainability in coffee sourcing.
2. Sustainability and Ethical Sourcing
Sustainability is now a major consideration for Australian coffee traders. With growing awareness of climate change and its impact on coffee-growing regions, there is an increased focus on sourcing beans from farms that use sustainable practices. This includes everything from water conservation and organic farming methods to ensuring fair labor conditions for farm workers.
Ethical sourcing practices, such as Fair Trade certifications and direct trade relationships, are also becoming more common. Australian consumers are willing to pay a premium for coffee that is sourced responsibly, and traders are responding by prioritizing partnerships with coffee producers who adhere to ethical and sustainable practices.
3. Technological Advancements in Coffee Trading
Technology is playing an increasingly important role in the coffee trading market. Digital platforms and marketplaces have emerged, allowing traders to connect with farmers and buyers more easily. These platforms provide greater transparency in the supply chain, enabling traders to access real-time information on pricing, availability, and quality of beans.
Blockchain technology is also making waves in coffee trading. It enables the tracking of coffee beans from farm to cup, ensuring traceability and authenticity. This is particularly important for specialty coffee traders who need to prove the origins and quality of their beans. In addition, blockchain can help ensure fair pricing and reduce inefficiencies in the supply chain.
4. Growing Interest in Coffee Futures Trading
While Australia is traditionally more involved in physical coffee trading, there is a growing interest in coffee futures trading as well. Coffee futures are contracts that allow traders to buy or sell coffee at a set price on a future date. This type of trading is common in global commodity markets, particularly in New York and London, but Australian traders are starting to explore this avenue to hedge against market fluctuations.
Coffee futures provide traders with a tool to mitigate risks, especially as the price of coffee can be highly volatile due to factors such as climate change, geopolitical events, and global supply and demand dynamics. As Australia becomes more integrated into the global coffee market, futures trading could offer an opportunity to strengthen its position.
Opportunities in the Australian Coffee Trading Market
The evolving coffee trading market in Australia offers several exciting opportunities for both local and international players. Here are some key areas to watch:
1. Expanding Specialty Coffee Market
Australia’s specialty coffee scene is thriving, and the demand for high-quality beans is only expected to grow. This presents a significant opportunity for coffee traders to focus on sourcing and importing beans from regions known for their specialty coffee production. By building strong relationships with coffee growers and cooperatives, traders can secure exclusive access to some of the best beans in the world.
Additionally, the growing consumer demand for unique and diverse flavors creates opportunities for traders to introduce lesser-known coffee origins to the Australian market. Traders who can differentiate their offerings by providing rare or exotic beans stand to benefit from a market that values exclusivity and quality.
2. Direct Trade Models
Direct trade has gained popularity in Australia as a way to ensure better quality and transparency in the coffee supply chain. By cutting out intermediaries, coffee traders can establish direct relationships with farmers and cooperatives, allowing them to negotiate better pricing for both parties and ensure higher-quality beans. This model benefits both the trader and the grower, creating a win-win scenario.
In a direct trade model, traders can also support farmers in improving their growing practices, investing in infrastructure, and obtaining certifications that meet the increasing consumer demand for ethical and sustainable coffee. This mutually beneficial relationship strengthens the overall supply chain and enhances the reputation of traders committed to responsible sourcing.
3. Investment in Sustainable and Organic Coffee
With the focus on sustainability and ethical sourcing growing, there are opportunities for coffee traders to specialize in sustainable and organic coffee. Consumers are increasingly looking for certifications like Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, and USDA Organic, which can boost the appeal of beans sourced under these programs.
Traders who invest in building relationships with coffee farms that prioritize environmental sustainability and social responsibility are likely to find a receptive market in Australia. Promoting organic, shade-grown, or bird-friendly coffee options can differentiate traders from competitors while also aligning with the values of environmentally conscious consumers.
4. Increased Role of Digital Platforms
Digital platforms and coffee trading marketplaces are revolutionizing the way traders do business. By using these platforms, traders can streamline the process of sourcing and selling coffee beans, gaining access to a broader network of buyers and sellers. These platforms also provide greater transparency in pricing and quality, reducing the risks associated with coffee trading.
Coffee traders in Australia who adopt these digital tools can benefit from increased efficiency and reach, opening up new business opportunities both locally and globally. Moreover, leveraging data and analytics from these platforms can help traders make more informed decisions about sourcing, pricing, and inventory management.
5. Exploring the Growing Asian Coffee Market
Australia’s proximity to Asia presents a unique opportunity for coffee traders to tap into the rapidly growing coffee markets in countries like China, South Korea, and Japan. These markets have seen a surge in coffee consumption, particularly in urban areas, creating new opportunities for Australian coffee traders to export high-quality beans to these regions.
The increasing interest in specialty coffee in Asia further boosts the potential for Australian traders to establish themselves as key suppliers to this market. Building partnerships with Asian distributors and roasters could open the door to a growing consumer base that is eager to explore premium coffee options.
Challenges in the Australian Coffee Trading Market
While there are numerous opportunities, the Australian coffee trading market is not without its challenges. Traders need to be mindful of these potential obstacles to successfully navigate the industry.
1. Price Volatility
Coffee is a commodity that is subject to price fluctuations due to various factors such as weather conditions, political instability in coffee-growing regions, and global demand shifts. For traders, managing this price volatility can be challenging, especially when operating on tight margins. Futures trading offers one way to mitigate some of this risk, but it requires a deep understanding of the market.
2. Supply Chain Disruptions
The global coffee supply chain is complex, involving multiple players from farmers to exporters, traders, roasters, and retailers. Any disruptions in this chain, whether due to natural disasters, political instability, or logistical issues, can affect the availability and pricing of coffee beans. Traders need to be prepared to handle these disruptions and have contingency plans in place.
3. Climate Change
Climate change poses a significant threat to the coffee industry, as many coffee-growing regions are experiencing shifting weather patterns that affect crop yields and quality. For traders, this means dealing with potential supply shortages and increased competition for high-quality beans. Investing in long-term relationships with farmers and supporting sustainable farming practices can help mitigate the risks posed by climate change.
Conclusion
The coffee trading market in Australia is an exciting space, driven by trends such as the rise of specialty coffee, sustainability, and technological advancements. For traders, the key to success lies in understanding consumer preferences, building strong relationships with coffee producers, and staying ahead of the curve when it comes to sustainability and innovation.
With the right strategies, traders can capitalize on the growing demand for premium, ethically sourced coffee, both in Australia and beyond. The opportunities are vast, and for those willing to invest in quality, transparency, and sustainability, the future of coffee trading in Australia looks promising.
#Coffee trading in Australia#Specialty coffee market Australia#Coffee trade trends#Coffee sourcing sustainability#Australian coffee traders#Ethical coffee sourcing#Coffee market opportunities Australia#Direct trade coffee#Blockchain in coffee trading#Specialty coffee beans Australia#Coffee futures trading#Coffee export opportunities Australia#Climate impact on coffee trading#Australian coffee culture#Coffee consumption in Australia
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I'M SORRY I'M SO LATE--I'M HERE NOW, I'M READY TO FACE THE BLOOD AND INJURY WARNINGS
"...he grabbed by the shaft and twisted out of the monster’s hands, relishing in the way its eyes widened in alarm before he shoved the weapon back into its owner’s stomach..." Woah, Hyrule's feeling kinda blood thirsty, huh... (•᷄- •᷅ ;)
"...Bunny slam into a tree with a sharp shriek. Hyrule’s heart jumped into his throat as the little pink rabbit crashed to the ground in a heap. He didn’t move." NOOOOO, BUNNY!! NEVER MIND, I'M NOT READY TO FACE THE INJURY WARNING--
"'Don’t touch him!' A sharp snap of his fingers, and then dozens of bolts of lightning slammed into the ground all around him, turning the world white." Yesssss, FRY THEM!! Though it's a good thing Bunny is unconscious; he'd probably freak out from the lightning ( • ᴖ • 。)
"...gritting his teeth as the spear in his thigh shifted..." He still has a whole SPEAR sticking out of his leg??? Hyrule, what do you think you're doing??? I know that your bunny is injured, but you should not be able to walk ANYWHERE--
"'Traveller, your leg!' Wild had joined him..." Finally, some sense...from Wild, of all people, so you know it's bad XD
"'Look at him! He almost died because of you! This is your fault!'" Oh, no...Hyrule...I know you're emotionally strained and physically pained at the moment, but maybe don't say that to the person who already has a hundred years of guilt weighing on him, please? Please???? (ㅠ_ㅠ)
"Wild nodded shakily, scurried away before Hyrule could say any more." The kicked-puppy vibes are overwhelming and heart-hurting ;-;
Despite the pain, thank you for the new Bunny content!!! <3
Bunny in danger!
The Chain leave Bunny somewhere safe to clear a monster camp on their trail. Despite Wild’s assurances, Bunny isn’t so safe after all.
@thatonecrazysidekick @tiredgaytheatrekid pssst more Bunny! (I’m sorry)
TW for blood and injury.
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ .
Black sand exploded around him, and with half his group of monsters disintegrated, Hyrule had a second to breathe before the final four pounced all at once. A spear cut a fierce gash into his right arm, blood dribbling from the wound and staining his dark sleeve. Another nicked him on the calf. A third, he grabbed by the shaft and twisted out of the monster’s hands, relishing in the way its eyes widened in alarm before he shoved the weapon back into its owner’s stomach, the monster crumbling into black sand.
A high squeal, that fiery protectiveness within his chest swelling, forcing him to look up in time to see Bunny slam into a tree with a sharp shriek. Hyrule’s heart jumped into his throat as the little pink rabbit crashed to the ground in a heap. He didn’t move.
The fourth lizalfos took advantage of the distraction and sent its spear through the back of his thigh. Pain turned his vision white and Hyrule stumbled, the spear sticking out from the front of his leg, blood trailing down his thigh in dark rivulets. Then, he caught sight of that tiny bundle of pink fur, of a lizalfos stalking over to it, a fierce bite wound in its arm, and a wave of blistering fury and golden desire to protect flooded his mind. The air around him crackled.
“Don’t touch him!” A sharp snap of his fingers, and then dozens of bolts of lightning slammed into the ground all around him, turning the world white. The ground shook and lizalfos shrieked in terror, the sounds cut off swiftly.
And then the lightning was gone, leaving behind seven stunned heroes, their hair frizzy and wild and their eyes wide. Hyrule paid them no mind, nor did he feel the normal drain such a significant spell would cause or the spear still embedded in his thigh; he frantically hobbled over to Bunny, kneeling alongside him and gritting his teeth as the spear in his thigh shifted, his vision swimming alarmingly.
“Bunny!” His hands were already glowing a tender pink, healing magic at the ready, and he pressed them against Bunny, closing his eyes as his magic sought out the wounds his little friend had accumulated. His magic pulsed in response, a warning he ignored as he trickled more into Bunny’s still form.
“Traveller, your leg!” Wild had joined him at some point. Hyrule hadn’t noticed, when the edges of his vision were blurry, his ears roaring with blood. Now, his veins began to boil. “You need to—”
He turned to Wild, teeth bared. “You said he would be safe!”
Wild’s eyes widened and he flinched back as if Hyrule had struck him. “I…”
“Look at him! He almost died because of you! This is your fault!”
“I—I’m—” Wild’s eyes glistened now, and Hyrule found the flames were only stoked by the sight.
Before he could snap anything more, Twilight pushed himself between them. “Enough!” he hissed, pushing Wild away. “Take a walk, Cub.”
“B—but, I—”
“I know,” Twilight said, gentler than Hyrule thought Wild deserved. “We’ll talk later. I’ll take over.”
Wild nodded shakily, scurried away before Hyrule could say any more.
#again I'm sorry I'm late#I kept putting off reading this until I wasn't tired so that I would be able to give a good reply#but I've come to the conclusion that I'll be perpetually tired for the foreseeable future#so...it is what it is ;-;#I'm so glad Hyrule and Wild talk it out#them being at odds makes me sad :(#seeing that it's hot where you are is pretty funny#because it's in the -20F here for me#I'd trade with you happily if it wasn't Australia (your spiders scare me) XD#I'll manifest rain for you tho#RAINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN#I hope my manifestation aids you#as small as it is#lu#lu pink bunny au#lu fanfiction#lu hyrule#lu Bunny#lu wild#tw blood and injury
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DOOMED MERCH HAS DROPPED!
No this is not a drill - after touring the world (that is ending), probably the coolest merch I will ever release is finally here - we have scoured the corners of the earth to pull together a collection of WE'RE ALL DOOMED! merch to celebrate the recent show (and slit) and bring it online for you.
From the tour date t-shirt, to the iconic DOOMED ambigram hoodie, the black metal longsleeve and ..the 'DanHub tee' - choose what your apocalyptic aesthetic is.
WORLDWIDE: shop.danielhowell.com USA: us.shop.danielhowell.com EUROPE: eu.shop.danielhowell.com AUSTRALIA: au.shop.danielhowell.com
As a SPECIAL (wow) online-only offer - every order of the super limited quantity Vegan Leather Jacket (with rapture art on the reverse) will also ship with a totally unique Polaroid selfie that I took while thinking about death!
I make no promises what I will be doing - it could be a cute smile, or a middle-finger. It's just whatever the vibe was in the moment. Who knows what someone will trade for the rare under-chin angle that some lucky person will get? (I am so sorry)
And it's not just garments - we've also got rare collectors items to snatch including the interval playlist cassette tape, and the 'Tears of My Enemies' water bottle, that I drink out of myself everyday while manifesting people's downfall.
Lastly, look out for the signed Ally Pally London show posters commemorating the final performances, which may come with fingerprints allowing you to perfectly fraud my identity, due to my left-handed sharpie smudging.
I want to say thank you to the tens of thousands of people that tuned into the stream to celebrate my show - without you it wouldn't have been possible to capture for posterity and now the message can live on. I'm going to begin my quest to determine where DOOMED will live forever, and who knows if we'll manage to wrangle any of the other rare itemz🐝 along with it in the future. I appreciate you all and I can't wait to see you all looking gnarly as fuck scaring the normies in this merch. Thanks 🖤 - Dan
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*slams the door open, eyes manic* Sovereign State!
A Sovereign State: "International law defines sovereign states as having a permanent population, defined territory, a government not under another, and the capacity to interact with other sovereign states."
The USA already HAS several that exsist within its boarders? And there was that Gay Island of Australia (no really, look it up.) There is a LONG history of humanity going "well fuck you too then, I'm leaving. But also I refuse to leave. I am METAPHORICALLY leaving." *leaves your country and makes their own*
And??
Where's the FUCK were you? Mr. President? During that INVASION by Pariah Dark??
No, really. Social contracts, my dude. That is WHY you have AN ARMY. For INVADING FORCES.
You ALSO have declared us, your citizens, non-sentient and stripped of us our Constitutional Rights WITHOUT hearings, studies, or any due processes. Not to mention just desecrating the dead like it's NOT a well known religious and moral taboo. AND attacking out dead family members! The list goes on!
Why do we pay you taxes, if YOU are the active threat to us AND you offer us no social services?? You've all but cut Amity off anyway!
.......*Takes our ball and goes home* FUCK IT.
They are literally Limnals. It's a TOWN OF METAS. Can you honestly tell me that they WOULDN'T look at the Ecto-Acts and just think: "Yeeeeeah, how about No. Hard Pass."
You can have your INCREDIBLY stupid and offensive law. In OUR country, that's illegal. "We can't do that?" Yes. We can. We informed you in a Formal Document, which you received, you had the opportunity to STOP us, you did or could not, AND we got Regonized by another government.
It's a Ghost Goverment. We, the city state of Amity, were recognized by like... going on 23 at this point. We have a list. All Ghost Goverments, too. Sucks for you that you don't recognize those, they've decided not to recognize YOURS back until you do.
Politics, baby~
Aaaw D:> Does the Upset Baby wanna call, Superman? Boo Hoo. Somebody's forgetting the Justice League serves EARTH, not AMERICA. Suck on a lemon and die mad about it. Better not come back as a Ghost though! Your Goverment will declare you a lab specimen!
Now if you'll excuse us, WE have interplanetary trade routes. Because WE can use alien tech from our Ghost Buddies. And the Fenton Anti-Creep Barrier means you can't do SHIT. So *large crowd of teenagers making rude noises at frustrated government officials*
*Justice Leauge taking picture in the background* You're doing great sweeties! Aquaman is? So proud of the younger generation? They really are the future, you guys. Can he come in?
Oh of COURSE, your Majesty! *somehow ONLY Aquaman is able to get past the barrier, much to the impotent fury of the GIW and various officials*
@hdgnj @stealingyourbones
#dp x dc#dc x dp#dpxdc#dcxdp#dc x dp prompt#danny phantom#my beloved#the Best Troupe#we decided to F this noise and Just Leave#just Walk Away#The Sovereign State Of Not Today Satan AU
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"Millions of Australians just got official permission to ignore their bosses outside of working hours, thanks to a new law enshrining their "right to disconnect."
The law doesn't strictly prohibit employers from calling or messaging their workers after hours. But it does protect employees who "refuse to monitor, read or respond to contact or attempted contact outside their working hours, unless their refusal is unreasonable," according to the Fair Work Commission, Australia's workplace relations tribunal.
That includes outreach from their employer, as well as other people "if the contact or attempted contact is work-related."
The law, which passed in February, took effect on Monday [August 26, 2024] for most workers and will apply to small businesses of fewer than 15 people starting in August 2025. It adds Australia to a growing list of countries aiming to protect workers' free time.
"It's really about trying to bring back some work-life balance and make sure that people aren't racking up hours of unpaid overtime for checking emails and responding to things at a time when they're not being paid," said Sen. Murray Watt, Australia's minister for employment and workplace relations.
The law doesn't give employees a complete pass, however...
"If it was an emergency situation, of course people would expect an employee to respond to something like that," Watt said. "But if it's a run-of-the-mill thing … then they should wait till the next work day, so that people can actually enjoy their private lives, enjoy time with their family and their friends, play sport or whatever they want to do after hours, without feeling like they're chained to the desk at a time when they're not actually being paid, because that's just not fair."
Protections aim to address erosion of work-life balance
The law's supporters hope it will help solidify the boundary between the personal and the professional, which has become increasingly blurry with the rise of remote work since the COVID-19 pandemic.
A 2022 survey by the Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute, a public policy think tank, found that seven out of 10 Australians performed work outside of scheduled working hours, with many reporting experiencing physical tiredness, stress and anxiety as a result.
The following year, the institute reported that Australians clocked an average of 281 hours of unpaid overtime in 2023. Valuing that labor at average wage rates, it estimated the average worker is losing the equivalent of nearly $7,500 U.S. dollars each year.
"This is particularly concerning when worker's share of national income remains at a historically low level, wage growth is not keeping up with inflation, and the cost of living is rising," it added.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions hailed the new law as a "cost-of-living win for working people," especially those in industries like teaching, community services and administrative work.
The right to disconnect, it said, will not only cut down on Australians' unpaid work hours but also address the "growing crisis of increasing mental health illness and injuries in modern workplaces."
"More money in your pocket, more time with your loved ones and more freedom to live your life — that's what the right to disconnect is all about," ACTU President Michele O’Neil said in a statement.
The 2022 Australia Institute survey... found broad support for a right to disconnect.
Only 9% of respondents said such a policy would not positively affect their lives. And the rest cited a slew of positive effects, from having more social and family time to improved mental health and job satisfaction. Thirty percent of respondents said it would enable them to be more productive during work hours.
Eurofound, the European Union agency for the improvement of living and working conditions, said in a 2023 study that workers at companies with a right to disconnect policy reported better work-life balance than those without — 92% versus 80%."
-via GoodGoodGood, August 26, 2024
#right to disconnect#australia#auspol#work#work life balance#workers rights#good news#hope#labor#labor rights#un
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Take the planetary computer to its logical end under platform capitalism: every inch of the earth is mapped and monitored. Carbon flows are predicted. A red flag fire warning for a forest in Australia triggers an automatic sell-off of carbon futures; someone’s bank account is crushed while they sleep. Now imagine the same platform is tracking species. Now do people. A fluctuation in the weather forecasts migrants: send more boats to Lampedusa.
All this is simultaneously hyperbolic and a logical extension of current trends. Maybe take it into what Shoshana Zuboff calls surveillance capitalism—nature’s behavioral surplus fabricated into prediction products that anticipate what it will do, which are traded in behavioral futures markets.
Automated machine processes not only know our behavior but also shape our behavior at scale. With this reorientation from knowledge to power, it is no longer enough to automate information flows about us; the goal now is to automate us.
This births a new species of power Zuboff calls “instrumentarianism”—shaping human behavior toward others’ ends. Now instead of human beings, do birds. Now do fish. Now do trees. If all this data is blackboxed, unknowable, and used to make a profit for a mega platform, that’s a horrific future—though if it was going to come to pass, you’d think it would have more hype than it does today.
Holly Jean Buck, Ending Fossil Fuels: Why Net Zero is Not Enough
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WarTrophy! Reader x Warlord
With a post-apocalyptic twist. I was gonna do the usual medieval style thing for the warlord, but I got inspired by Mad Max: Thunder Dome (An amazing movie), to do post apocalyptic sorta thing. Any way hope you enjoy!
TW: Gn!reader, Verbal and somewhat physical SA, grubby and sleezy male characters. Reader is from a well looked after community, therefore when the Warlord and his raiders come to town, chaos erupts. Violence, murder, battle and raiding, reader given fem pet names but no gender described. In my mind this is canonically set in Australia, because I am Australian and also mad max is set in Australia and also post-apocalyptic fiction just makes sense when set in Australia. Also reader has nickname blue
They came in the night. No warning, no threat along the horizon. Just pure violence coming to reek havoc in the moonless night. You were awoken to the sounds of screaming, cries burning at your ears. Jumping to your feet you rushed to your window, over looking the community of survivors and refuges. Death was everywhere. The town was alight with flames, the warning siren howling over the sound of shrieks and bellows of fear. You stood in shock and incomprehension for a moment, the shacks, houses and huts were being ransacked by men dressed in camouflaged uniforms. Men and women who tried to defend their homes were being cut down where they stood, or dragged away by their hair. Children were left to fend for themselves, some crying amongst the flames, watching their parents being slaughtered. Loud banging broke you from the spell you were under, someone was trying to break down your door.
"Open up!" A man yelled, continuing to try to kick the scrap metal that made your door. It wouldn't take long, it was barely put together. A split second decision was made in your mind. You couldn't stay where you were, you couldn't even stop to make a plan, or grab anything of use. You had to run, and quickly. Still in your sleepwear, you raced through your house, opening your back down with a grunt, just as your front door was slammed open. You rushed into the back alley, stunned by the destruction laid waste upon your town. You turned your back on your friends, family, community and rushed into the darkness of the buildings, leaving your town to burn.
This town was never truly meant to be a town. Before the Collapse it had been a nothing more than a water treatment plant. In the days and weeks after the collapse, people began flocking to its promise of water. Somehow ever after the loss of electricity, the plant still held thousands of litres of water, making it a refuge for all those who survived the end of the world.
You had been one of the very first to arrive, you had been fortunate to arrive with your parents and a few members of your extended family. You and your family practically built this town, saved this community. There was a reason why people knew who you were, why they moved out of the way as you walked past. It was your family this town was named after, your blood that raised it from ash.
And yet here you were, hiding in the shadows. Running for your life. Granted, there wasn't much you could do. The town lived in peace for so long that only the town militia were tasked with defence. Over the years, bullets, and gunpowder, became in short supply, leaving the hunks of metal once called guns useless. Most were melted down to make melee weapons, are fashioned into more primitive form of muskets. In many ways your town turned back into the past to strive for a better future. Most things were run on steam or water powered. Limited supply of gunpowder was made using items traded with other surviving communities. People turned back to the ways of their fore parents, hunting and farming. Life was good. Until it wasn't.
You came to a sudden halt, quickly hiding behind wooden boxes against the wall. The masked, camouflaged men ran past, yelling orders to one another. You grimaced as you saw a selective few were armed with guns. Pre-collapse guns. Either they were just for show, or someone very smart and determined figured out how to make them work in a time such as these. Most, however, had musket-like weapons and machetes and knives. At least you knew if it came down to it, there was a chance that you just had to be quicker than your assailant rather than having to dodge a bullet to survive.
After they run past, you quickened towards the wooden wall that encircled your town. In some places it was reinforced with steel and rock, but it would take decades to finally make a proper defensive structure. As the child of the founding family, you knew exactly what you were looking for. Once, when the wall was still being erected, and nothing but a metal fence separated you and the raiders of the new world, you had found a hole in the fence. Big enough that you and your childhood friend had been able to sneak out of town into the great unknown. Even when they began to reinforce it with wood and steel, you made sure the hole was still uncoverable.
You landed on your knees in front of where you remembered the hole to be. Footsteps were hurrying towards you. Raiders, friends or terrified civilians, you did not know. You focused purely on pushing the scrap of metal from covering the hole, leaning down, you pushed with all your might the large rock you had shimmed into place last time you had snuck out. It had been years since you had down so, it was just before Red had left, there was no need to sneak out anymore if he wasn't there to follow. You crawled through the hole, end in sight. The hole feeling much smaller than it did as a child. You knew your family would make it out. They would have to, right? So would friends and comrades. They were smart. Like you. They knew when to abandon ship.
If there had been a warning then of course you would have stayed, till the very end. Your task for the community was Peacemaker, a diplomate of this new crazed world. You were quite good at it too. Negotiation and diplomacy your strongest skills. If they had given warning, maybe you could reason with them, maybe no one had to have died. But raiders that come in the dark of night, killing all they willed , were not the sort of combatant you stayed around to reason with. Your task was to live, to survive, then to come back and rebuild. Always rebuild, as your parents had done all those years ago.
The metal of the broken fence dug into your hips, bringing forth a hiss of pain from your lips. You pushed through the pain, cursing as the metal dug deeper and deeper. With one last gasp, you heaved your hips through the fence, feeling the metal rip at the fabric of your clothes. Just as you were about to get up, run straight for the safety of the wilderness, a harsh grip landed on your ankle. Before even a thought could pass through your mind. You were dragged back, with force, through the hole. You screamed and kicked. Hands digging into the ground, fingers and nails desperately trying to find a hold in the soft dirt. You were flipped over. A man leering down at you.
"Ain't you a pretty thing, aye?" he sneered, his mouth opening in a wicked smile, showcasing missing and yellowed teeth. You scrunched your face in disgust, both at the sight in front of you and his hand gripping tighter onto your ankle. You were about to use your free leg to give him a swift kick, but the sight of a large hunting knife in his hand made you pause. He followed your gaze to it.
"Aw don't worry love, I'm not gonna use this thing on you, long as ya don't make a fuss." His smile grew, showcasing more blacked and cracked teeth. His face was a red blotchy colour, sweat dripped from his forehead, his weak chin wobbled as he spoke. In the fire light you could see the red veins of his eyes.
You tested his grip on you, trying to catch him unaware. Instead it backfired, resulting in him sitting on top of you, letting your ankle go.
"You be good for me sweets and I'll try to be as gentle as I can yeah?" he chuckled, your blood running cold. This man wanted something from you and there was no reason in the world that would stop him. You cannot reason with an evil man. You began to shriek, preferring him to killing you now than to suffer the injustice of his touch.
"Nobodies coming to save ya darl', Best ya get used to being on your back for me, it's gonna be real familiar by the time I get tired of you. Make me cum enough and I might just keep you" he leaned down against you, tongue licking up along your cheek. You began to trash harder, screaming. Begging. Praying. For anything, for anyone to came save you. He laughed at your misery, lifting him self back up to undo his belt.
"You ready for me to make you my whor-" a gargle where words should follow. You watched in shock as a knife was plunged in the back of his skull. Blood splattered down on you, your mouth open wide in fear and relief. You scrambled back as the evil man fell forward. You backed up against the wall, you could feel the wind blowing through the hole, your escape route still open. You started to make a mad dash for the opening, not thinking or even able to process what had happened, only focusing on what might have happened, what that man was intent on doing.
In a sick sense of Deja vu, you were once ripped from the opening. You were a bundle of feet and hands punching and kicking in all directions, your voice was hoarse from screaming bloody murder. A strong set of arms pulled you against them, and you fought like hell to be free.
"It's alright blue, its alright" came a familiar and calming voice. Only one person called you that in favour of your real name. You opened your eyes, there he was. Alive, breathing and surrounded by masked, camouflaged men.
"Red?" you whispered, not daring to shatter this illusion that he was still alive, that he had found his way back to you. You must be going mad. That evil man must have killed you, or you died in the smoke and flames burning your town. You blinked, pinched yourself. Even reached a hand to touch his face.
"It's me blue" he smiled, a perfect, lovely smile. Just as you remembered.
The men behind him shifted, causing you to panic, you grabbed red's hand and tried to run. You weren't gonna lose him again.
Instead of running into the fray once more, you were pulled back to red's arms.
"Red! We have to go! They'll kill us, please!" You begged, eyes looking into his warm brown ones. He places his hands on your arms, essentially trapping you were you stood.
"Red?" you questioned, why wasn't he worried, why weren't the men descending on you both with knifes raised. What was going on?
The fires had begun to die down, the screaming and crying was replaced with whispers of fear and a few sobs cried into the night. The warning siren slowed down to a halt.
"Red?" you whispered, not a question but a plea.
'Please still be the boy I knew before'
He looked down into your eyes, a sigh making its way pasted his lips.
He turns to his men.
"Bring all the prisoners to the town centre, no one is to harm the survivors unless I deem so. That includes coercing or forcing yourselves onto anyone. Understand?" he orders. His men giving a quick nod and salute before turning into the dying lights of the fire.
"No" you exclaim.
No, no, no, no, no
You shake your head, tears threatening to fall.
"You are one of them?" you gasp. The boy you knew as a child, the boy you had come to love, the boy who disappeared into the night, on a night eerily similar to this, returned as a raider, a killer, a monster.
A gives you a slight smirk, hands gripping you tighter.
"I'm not just one of them blue, I command them, I rule them" he boasts. A wicked gleam in his eyes.
"Traitor" you hiss. "You fucking monster! You absolute fucking bastard!"
Your anger overwhelmed whatever love you still had for him. Curled fists began attacking him, aiming for the face, when that wasn't enough to quell your fury, you tried scratching out his eyes. A pain seared across your face, you became unbalanced and fell on the very man who had threatened you a mere minute ago. Red had slapped you, caused you pain. One might argue you deserved it, lashing out like that. Most would say that's fucking irrelevant since he caused the destruction and violent occupation of your town.
"C'mon blue, you really gonna act out? I was being so nice too. Saved you from this fucker didn't I? Could've just let him have you" he pouted, head tilting to watch you try standing back up, giving the man's body a small kick while doing so. You balked at the sight of the evil man, his eyes still unnerving, even more so that he is dead, the movement of Red's kick, gave you the sick impression he was still alive.
A dangerous idea spread into your mind. The hunting knife lay unclaimed next to you. Red was unarmed as far as you could tell. You clasped the knife in a hurry, but before being able to take a slash or even stand up, Red's boot came crushing down onto your wrist. You squealed in pain, releasing the knife in a instant. His free boot kicked the knife away.
"Is that anyway to welcome home an old mate?" he tsked, "I know its been a few years, but come on blue, really? This? Trying to take me out with a knife?"
"What the fuck Red" you gasped, boot still crushing your wrist. "What the hell is going on, raiding? Seriously? this town was your home! How could you turn on us like that. How-how could you turn on me?" Pain, both physical and emotional rushed through your voice, once more tears began to spring, from the pain or the torment of knowing that your best friend was responsible for the death of dozens in your community.
"C'mon Blue! It ain't personal. Just the business of surviving. You think it brings me joy to burn this place to the ground? I mean to be honest it kinda does, but you know that story. But we don't have time to talk about that, right now you and I have a speech to get to." he grins, dark and cold. No way this is the curly haired kid you knew as a child. Red back then could barely kick a toad than massacre innocent civilians.
You let out a sigh of relief as he removes his boot. Only to let out a yelp in surprise as you are thrown over his shoulder.
"Let me go!" you cry, wiggling and worming in his hold.
"Not yet love! Got places to see and people to humiliate" his deranged laugh filled the silent streets you called home.
Before you only were able to see the destruction from a window still, or when you were at the edges of the fight. But now, now you saw everything. You watched in sorrow as you passed the bakery, still blazing alone, as the houses and shakes next to it had been pulled down. The school had been ransacked, pages and books lining the street in silent array. Childs' drawings danced lifelessly across the ground in the breeze.
Without even seeing where he was taking you, you knew where you were going. The town centre. A magnificent fig tree, alone in its splendour made for quite the impressive centre piece of the town. Speeches, weddings, announcements, birthdays and funerals were all held under its comforting branches. It calmed you to still see it still standing. Leaves fell with a hush down from its branches, as if it was crying watching the town that loved it go up in smoke.
You could hear your townspeople's whispers of fear and confusion as the watched you be carried into line of sight. You could see most of the towns population was still alive. The small group of men who were spared were pushed to one side, guarded heavily, despite being made up of elders, young boys, and a few injured men. The cluster of women and children were larger. You could see your friends and family in both groups. All accounted for, thank goodness. You were placed onto the ground and given to two guards, both quickly clasping onto your arms like their lives depended on it. You were off to the side, as Red sauntered his way to front and centre. He always loved being the centre of attention.
"Good people! How's it going?" he exclaimed, arms open wide and a smile gracing his lips. You could see confusion, vague recognition and just plain hatred line people's faces. More importantly you saw your parents both looking at you in absolute despair. You gave them a short smile and a nod, taking a deep breath when they followed suit.
Red began to speak again.
"Some of you may remember me, other's may not. I was one of you once, another member of this pathetic, weak society. You have no strength, despite your numbers. No courage or skill in warfare. Just a load of farmers, tradesmen and women. If this was any other town I would slaughter you all" he grins as if he is discussing a lovely day spent at the beach. Whispers become murmurs. Murmurs become barely contained talks of a massacre, of your towns soon extinction. You began to take shallower, faster breaths.
"Alright, calm down everyone. Maybe we need to work on our listening skills, aye? Now, let's put on our listening caps everyone. I said if you were any other town. Lucky for you bastards I actually like you guys! I had a good run here. Made some lovely mates" a pointed look thrown in your direction. "And was pretty well looked after, well until, you know. So in honour of the good times I had here. I have a compromise for you all." He clasps his hands together, and teeters back and froth from his toes to his heels.
"My men and I have already killed a whole bunch of ya, so how bout we move on from that, aye? You guys are gonna have to boost your numbers after my little stunt, and who better than the very people who massacred your friends and family!" looks of bitter disgust flow across the crowd.
"Yikes, bit of a tough crowd yeah. Alright look, the fellas and I used to have a pretty good place. But the waters run dry and also we're getting up in years, and so we're looking for a place to settle down. To have people to settle down with. So yeah we killed a whole bunch of your men, but hey! We're here to replace that gap. Maybe even help you guys with the whole defence side of things. I mean were those soldier fellas of yours even trained? They were easier to kill than a dead roo!" he barks out a laugh, his men following suit.
'What the fuck is wrong with him' you thought. Clearly years in the bush led to insanity.
"Oh! Before I forget" he stares in your direction, slowly making his way over. You squirm under his gaze uncomfortably. "If you little shits try any sort of rebellion or some shit like that. I'll slit their pretty little throat."
In a moment he brings a knife close to your throat. You reach your chin up, desperate to remove the icy sensation away from you. You look at where his eyes are directed, straight towards your mother, then slowly transferred to your father. Without their approval, any hope of rebellion or uprising is dashed. You are the perfect hostage.
"Great! Glad we could have this chat. So go have a good ole' sleep. Got a whole day of cleaning up to do tomorrow!" he beams, pulling the knife away just as quickly as he produced it. He turns his back on the towns people, grabbing your arm from one of the guards. You are dragged past the fig tree towards the council hall, located within the old water treatment plant. It is then you see how truly outnumbered you were. Nearly over a hundred men, all masked and camouflaged, line the water treatment plant, even with the men who were killed, there was no way your town could have fought them off.
You pulled back from Red, trying to get him to release his grasp.
"What is it blue? Thought you'd be happier to see your childhood mate"
"Fuck you, you dog" you spit, anger clear as day.
Red halts, and turns to you.
"Don't make me hurt you again."
It wasn't what he said, more so than how he said it. He's eyes lost their humanity, his features fell into sudden darkness, the hairs on the back of your neck stood up. You were looking into the eyes of an evil man.
You gave a quick nod, hoping he would lose interest.
"Good!" he cheers, and goes back into dragging you up the steps to the plant.
"Ya know I've never had a war trophy before" he mumbles
"Pardon?" confusion across your face turning into disgust
"You, your a war trophy." he deadpans as if its the simplest thing in the world to understand.
"I'm not a trophy" you grumble
"Cause you are, pretty enough, and you really think I'm ever gonna let you outta my sight again Blue? I've been dreaming about this day for years."
You carefully gazed up at him, his grasp on you had begun to soften.
He notices your confusion, or want for an explanation at the very least.
"You really think I would attack this place for water? Or for my men's retirement plan? Nah, blue. I burnt this town down for you, and I'd do it ten times over if you just asked."
It is then you are reminded of the skinny, lanky boy you made friends with as a child. Your mother used to laugh and call him your dog, when your father said it, he said it with annoyance. It was true, Red followed you around like a pup, always doing what you wanted and when. You didn't like remembering the day he left, mainly cause he was practically run out of town. It just took a slip of your tongue, it was an accident after all. You were a child, and didn't realise that sometimes words were dangerous. You didn't realise how much Red took your words to heart, or how much he cared to.
' Red, sometimes I just wish...'
'What blue? Tell me, I'll make it true'
'Well I just wish he was dead!'
You knew Red was being perfectly honest when he said he would burn this town down if you asked. He had already tried before.
I don't know about the ending or if reader is really a war trophy but the words came and i just put them down.
#yandere#yandere x reader#yandere imagines#yandere drabble#yandere prompts#gn!reader#yandere x gn!reader#tw violence#murder#oc#SA
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Question about dog breeding/breeds, if you’re ok with answering:
I’m a would-be dog owner, never had one before, and I really want to get a companion dog from a breeder/group that is ethical and aims to produce healthy litters, but… I also understand that healthy litter =/= healthy gene pool, and it would be great to support breeding efforts that promote the welfare of the breed as a whole rather than the specific animals they sell. How the HECK do I identify breeders that promote ethical breeding for both healthy animals and population diversity? (I live in Australia, not sure if that makes this harder to answer or not)
(I mean ideally I’d adopt a rescue but there are pros and cons to that and, as a newbie, I’m not going to take on an animal I can’t adequately care for. And also I can never find rescue dogs of the breeds that work for my lifestyle)
So I don't know Australia as well as some other folks (@farm-paws?), but I do know that the best way to figure this out is to find out where breeders are talking to one another and listen to the things they say. The second best thing to do is to just ask breeders producing dogs you like: how do you breed with an eye towards producing the dogs you want, and how do you breed with an eye towards making the whole breed better?
The thing about this question is that there's lots of ways to answer it, but how a breeder answers that question given your breed's context will help you figure out how much they're thinking about each. And it does mean thinking very clearly about things you value. Any person trying to achieve a goal with limited resources, which describes many passionate breeders, is going to have to make trade offs based on resource limits. Increase the genetic diversity of the population as a whole, or win big at a given sport?
Let me get you some examples under the cut.
Here are a couple of examples of what I think of as pretty nice kennels I would be happy to consider approaching for a dog, if they bred dogs of a type I currently want to own and I wanted another dog. (Some do, some don't, and I won't have space in the inn for several years yet anyway.) They are unfortunately American--without knowing your breed of choice it's hard to figure out how to navigate the Australian scene--but most of the tips should carry over okay. Because Dog Culture can sometimes be really black and white and mistake cultural markers for meaningful ethical distinctions, I'm going to try and share a wide range of perspectives, orientations, and viewpoints here from breeders who think about long term breed improvement.
Wayout ACDs: This post on the importance of collecting and storing semen from older, sometimes long dead dogs is a great green flag that this breeder thinks deeply about the long term future of the whole population--especially given her emphasis on these older dogs who might not have contributed heavily to the gene pool in their younger, living days. Collected semen from old dogs who aren't closely related to younger dogs can be a great way to help broaden and revitalize a larger population.
Border City Bullies, coming from a breed with a relatively low incidence of health testing and some big cultural variations, has a ton of resources available on how health testing works, what to do about it, and how to responsibly move forward even if a dog fails a test. The breeder here clearly feels very strongly about teaching and encouraging other American Bully breeders to start monitoring longer term health as a breeding goal and fostering a community of breeders who want to work with each other to make the dogs healthier. I love this approach. Especially when population bottlenecks are not a major problem but health monitoring is, building a better breed community is also a signal of someone who is thinking about their breed over the very long term.
Woodpont Beagles. I really like this breeder as an example of someone who keeps his dogs differently to mine, but who has firm standards for their comfort and care nevertheless. I also admire this breeder's ability to assess two "camps" in his breed that don't communicate much and do his best to take the best from each perspective. Finally I really like the emphasis on the successes and failures of breeders from the past: a good vision for the future often includes a deep knowledge about how we got to the present.
The Functional Dog Collective is probably a good place to check on, even if it's heavily North America based; my understanding/experience is that while there is certainly a lot of disagreement within the broader community of breeders, that's a spot where anyone with an interest in long term breeding for health in particular is going to pop up. The Institute for Canine Biology is another good place to look around for people in your breed of choice who are broadly interested in evidence-based approaches to more healthy breeding, too.
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Creature Power Suits I wanna see make a re-appearance in future episodes/seasons
In no particular order, here are a few Creature Powers that have either had a one-off appearance, or haven't been used in a while that I'd like to see return in Season 7 or any future seasons onward.
1. Remora Power
This suit has been used more in the flash games than it has in the actual show which is so weird. I like its design, but also I think it could be a good way to discover the creature powers of more aquatic mammals just by attaching to them to get data. Plus I highkey wanna see Chris in the Remora Suit, (13 years of waiting.... 13 years).
2. Platypus Power
The last time we even saw a reference of this suit was back in Season 2 where Chris traded the Hippo Disc for the Platypus Suit. I REALLY wanna see that come into play where Chris is the one who uses the suit (ideally in an episode where the crew returns to Australia, which is what I and several other fans have been anticipating ever since the season was announced)
3. Dragonfly Power
More specifically, with the early Season 3 design (i.e. the season 1 design but with the basket legs included) Not whatever the heck this was.
I like the more simplified look with the original design of the suit, but regardless, the last time we saw this was in Season 4. I'm hoping we see it again, ideally with the suit's earlier design (likely not, if we get the redesigned version I'll just grin and bear it).
4. Crocodillian Power
I'm counting the three Crocodillian-inspired suits as one entity (even though gharials are not classified as crocs bc of the genetic differences, they are still in the same order). All of then are just plain badass. And I really like how the suit varies between the different species of croc rather than just a new disc needing to be created for each individual species (kinda one of my nitpicks about the later seasons but whatever). I hope we see more of either of the three, or even better, have episodes with more species of crocodiles like Saltwater Crocs or Muggers so that we can see more variants of the suit. Or maybe even an origin story for the Gharial Power Disc.
5. Octopus Power
I'm cheating a little bit but we've seen the Octo Power Suit and Disc in the series as cameos so I'm counting it. Regardless, it's a really cool Creature Power Suit just by design. And looking at the powers of the Octopod, we were robbed of seeing the suits themselves in action (though I understand why they couldn't be used in the episode bc Seven stole them).
Given the compatibility between Octopus and Squid, we could have an episode comparing and contrasting the two species and their respective Creature Powers. Maybe even bring back the Octopod for this adventure (okay maybe not bc of obvious reasons but still!)
6. T-Devil Power
Self. Explanatory.
What are suits that you wanna see make a comeback in future episodes?
#wild kratts#wild kratts creature power#wild kratts creature power suit#wk#wk chris#wk martin#2d kratt brothers#pbs kids go#pbs kids#Season 7 brought back the Draco Power Suit and the Walrus Suit so I am pretty sure that they'd bring back at least other older one-off suit#I could be wrong and I won't be too beat up if I am but it's fun to dream ammi'right?#kratt brothers#martin kratt#chris kratt#2d martin kratt#2d chris kratt
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WIRES>]; ATTACK ON ISRAEL WAS A FALSE FLAG EVENT
_Israel with over 10,000 Spys in the military imbedded inside IRAN. Saudi Arabia and world Militaries.... Israels INTELLIGENCE Agencies, including MOSSAD which is deeply connected to CIA, MI6 .. > ALL knew the Hamas was going to attack Israel several weeks before and months ago including several hours before the attack<
_The United States knew the attack was coming was did Australia, UK. Canada, EU INTELLIGENCE...... Several satellites over Iran, Israel, Palestine and near all captured thousands of troops moving towards Israel all MAJOR INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES knew the attack was coming and news reporters (Israeli spys) in Palestine all knew the attack was coming and tried to warn Israel and the military///// >
>EVERYONE KNEW THE ATTACK WAS COMING,, INCLUDING INDIA INTELLIGENCE WHO TRIED TO CONTACT ISRAEL ( but Israel commanders and President blocked ALL calls before the attack)
_WARNING
>This attack on Israel was an inside Job, with the help of CIA. MOSSAD, MI6 and large parts of the funding 6 billion $$$$$$$ from U.S. to Iran funded the operations.
_The weapons used came from the Ukraine Black market which came from NATO,>the U.S.
The ISRAELI President and Prime minister Netanyahu ALL STOOD DOWN before the attacks began and told the Israeli INTEL and military commanders to stand down<
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There was no intelligence error. Israeli intensionally let the stacks happen<
_______
FOG OF WAR
Both the deep state and the white hats wanted these EVENTS to take place.
BOTH the [ ds] and white hats are fighting for the future control of ISRAEL
SOURCES REPORT> " INSIDE OF ISRAELI BANKS , INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES AND UNDERGROUND BASES LAY THE WORLD INFORMATION/DATA/SERVERS ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING WORLD OPERATIONS CONNECTED TO PEDOPHILE RINGS.
]> [ EPSTEIN] was created by the MOSSAD
with the CIA MI6 and EPSTEIN got his funding from MOSSAD who was Ghislaine Maxwells father> Israeli super spy Robert Maxwell_ ( who worked for, cia and mi6 also)/////
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The past 2 years in Israel the military has become divided much like the U.S. military who are losing hope in the government leaders and sectors. Several Revolts have tried to start but were ended quickly.
🔥 Major PANIC has been hitting the Israeli INTEL, Prime minister and military commanders community as their corruption and crimes keep getting EXPOSED and major PANIC is happening as U S. IS COMING CLOSER TO DROPPING THE EPSTEIN FILES. EPSTEIN LIST AND THE MAJOR COUNTRIES WHO DEALT WITH EPSTEIN> ESPECIALLY ISRAEL WHO CREATED EPSTEIN w/cia/mi6
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_
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Before EPSTEIN was arrested, he was apprehended several times by the military intelligence ALLIANCE and he was working with white hats and gave ALL INFORMATION ON CIA. MI6 . MOSSAD. JP MORGAN. WORLD BANKS. GATES. ETC ETC ECT EX ECT E TO X..>> ISRAEL<<BIG TECH
GOOGLE. FACEBOOK YOUTUBE MICROSOFT and their connection to world deep state cabal military intelligence and world control by the Elites and Globalist,<
_
This massive coming THE STORM is scaring the CIA. MOSSAD KAZARIAN MAFIA. MI6 ETC ECT . ect etc AND THEY ARE TRYING TO DESTROY ALL THE MILITARY INTELLIGENCE EVIDENCE INSIDE ISRAEL AND UNDERGROUND BUNKERS TO CONCEAL ALL THE EVIDENCE OF THE WORLD HUMAN TRAFFICKING TRADE
_ THE WORLD BIG TECH FACEBOOK GOOGLE YOUTUBE CONTROL
_THE WORLD MONEY LAUNDERING SYSTEM THAT IS CONNECTED FROM ISRAEL TO UKRAINE TO THE U S. TO NATO UN. U.S. INDUSTRIAL MILITARY COMPLEX SYSTEM
MAJOR PANIC IS HAPPENING IN ISRAEL AS THE MILITARY WAS PLANNING A 2024 COUP IN ISRAEL TO OVER THROW THE DEEP STATE MILITARY AND REGIMEN THAT CONNECTED TO CIA.MI6 > CLINTON'S ROCKEFELLERS.>>
( Not far from where Jesus once walked.... The KAZARIAN Mafia. The cabal, dark Families began the practice of ADRENOCHROME and there satanic rituals to the god of moloch god of child sacrifice ..
Satanism..... This is why satanism is pushed through the world and world shopping centers and music and movies...)
- David Wilcock
Something definitely doesn't seem right and destroying evidence has been going on for a long time, think Oklahoma City bombing, 9/11's building 7 and even Waco Texas was about destroying evidence. Is this possible? Think about it and you decide. 🤔
#pay attention#educate yourselves#educate yourself#knowledge is power#reeducate yourself#reeducate yourselves#think for yourselves#think about it#think for yourself#do your homework#do some research#do your own research#ask yourself questions#question everything#you decide
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Teenage girls know a lot more about democracy and what makes it tick than teenage boys, but when it comes to political ambition the boys win hands down.
A global study of 82,000 teenagers from 22 countries showed that almost without exception girls had a greater engagement with and understanding of government, equality, public trust, voting and representation, than their male peers.
But boys were more likely to say they were interested in becoming a politician
“Australian girls are outperforming boys on knowledge, attitudes and values that support a greater competency when it comes to participation in civic life,” said Rachel Parker, from the Australian Council of Educational Research, who worked on the study.
“One of the few areas where boys outperform girls in the study is the intention to be politically active.”
The report, Education for Citizenship in Times of Global Challenge, found that girls were far more knowledgeable about how parliament works, globalisation, independence of statutory authorities and voting and representation.
Girls were also far more likely than boys to support gender equality and equal rights for migrants and cultural groups to access education, employment and political participation.
They were more engaged with big issues such as environmental protection and more likely to participate in civic activities.
However, girls were less likely to report expecting to join a political party or a trade union or stand as a candidate in an election.
The study did not dig into the reasons why, but previous research identified parental influence and societal expectations as feeding gender norms relating to political ambition, as well as widely held perceptions that politics is a man’s world.
Indeed, 40 per cent of boys thought men are better suited to being political leaders than women, while 25 per cent agreed with the statement that women should stay out of politics.
Ella Curran, 18, harboured an ambition to become a politician when she was in Year 9, but a school excursion to Canberra cured her of that notion.
“I started to think more realistically about the sort of lifestyle I wanted for myself. And we did a legal studies excursion to Parliament House and watched question time,” she told AFR Weekend.
“I felt it was so aggressive and personal in the insults that were being thrown about that I just thought it was not the sort of workplace I could feel comfortable in,” said Ms Curran, a first-year arts and philosophy student at the University of Sydney.
“I’m just not prepared to face that kind of abuse or have my appearance or relationship status mocked in public rather than focus on what I am actually doing.”
Ms Curran’s two great passions are climate change and gender equality.
“I’m concerned about climate change, particularly Australia’s response to that because we are one of the worst countries in the world for our emissions,” she said.
Lulu Hamilton, 16, who counts women’s rights and climate change as her two greatest passions, also harboured a fleeting ambition to become a politician when she was younger but abandoned it without any fanfare.
“I thought it was the best platform to make change because if I could have power, I could make my goals become a reality,” Ms Hamilton said.
Having spent the first 12 years of her life in China, seeing democracy in action, including the free exchange of information and ideas, was a head-spinning affair.
“It was such a jarring difference. I never would have spoken to my friends in China about climate change, gender or politics. Even our textbooks had stuff whited out because the Chinese government didn’t want us to read about Tibet and Taiwan. We had very limited access to media.”
As for a future in politics? That’s out of the question.
“I feel the negatives outweigh the positives.”
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Trying to Make a Global Change With a Local Focus. (New York Times)
Excerpt from this New York Times story:
In 1975, the Swedish linguist Helena Norberg-Hodge became one of the first modern Westerners to visit Ladakh, a region on the Tibetan plateau that was largely closed to international visitors until 1974. While making a documentary film and creating the first Ladakhi dictionary, she fell in love with the Ladakhis — “the happiest, most vital, most brilliantly joyous people I had ever encountered,” she said.
But over the years, as global trade and economic development arrived in Ladakh, Ms. Norberg-Hodge witnessed a rise in previously nonexistent unemployment, poverty, pollution, depression, suicide and divisiveness between cultural groups. Dismayed by similar problems around the globe, she started Local Futures, a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing climate change, mental well-being and more by strengthening local economies worldwide and ending the most wasteful aspects of the global trade system.
How is the global trade system contributing to climate change?
Food is being traded over longer and longer distances, and this includes insane redundancies and processing things on the other side of the world. The U.S. exports as much beef as it imports. England exports as much milk and butter as it imports. Fish is sent from Europe, Australia and America to China to be deboned and sent back again. Apples are sent across the world to be washed and waxed. Shrimp are sent from England to Thailand to be peeled.
And with the global trading system, the pressure from global institutions is toward bigger and bigger monocultures. Monoculture is ecocidal. It demands lots of chemicals, additives and technology. So it’s very toxic, and it’s killing the soil.
What are some misunderstandings about this system?
One idea is that this is happening because people want strawberries in winter. That’s a big misconception. It is because global trade enriches global traders. Another is that local food is inevitably more expensive. It’s only more expensive because governments are subsidizing global trade, including infrastructure — ports, airports and superhighways, which are linked to giant monocultures for export to ever-larger cities. So we have a false economy.
It could change if more activists have a linked-up voice demanding governments stop using taxes, subsidies and regulations to favor global trade and global monopolies. Instead, they need to start taxing and regulating the global, and deregulating activities at the local and national levels. I think the pressure will start from the ground up, but the truth is that governments could relatively quickly shift those mechanisms.
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Coyotes Prospectules Primer
Now you may be wondering what is this? This is me trying my best to explain the dynamic between 5 coyotes players/prospects (i lost my mind while making this enjoy)
For this, they are still going to be called “coyotes” because utah hcers or clubbers doesn’t sound correct.
First of all, what is this? This is a primer explaining to you the dynamics going on for the younger coyote* players/prospects.
*when I started writing this conor geekie was still a coyote
Let's start with the basics: who is involved and who are these people?
Dylan Guenther: he was drafted 9th overall in the 2021 draft he’s a LW/RW. You probably know him for scoring the 2023 WJC team Canada golden goal.
Logan Cooley: drafted 3rd overall in 2022 and is a centre. Growing up he was in the Little Penguins program but was an Ovi/caps fan. You probably know him for his insane Australia pregame goal.
Josh Doan: 37th overall draft pick in 2021 and is a RW/C. He is the son of Arizona Coyotes legend Shane Doan. Destined to continue the Doan dynasty then Utah happened. Josh Doan is one of the only forms of nepotism I like and it was ripped away from me… hey Siri play, Rolling in the Deep by Adele because we could’ve had it all.
Conor Geekie: drafted 11th overall in 2022 and is a centre. He was recently traded to Tampa and I’m just… I’m sad. **
**I finished writing and editing it well after he got traded but I can’t be bothered to change this 😁👍
Maveric Lamoureux: drafted 29th overall in 2022 and is a defenceman. He’s a big man (6’7ft/201cm) with a big heart (WJC 2024 you wound me).
2022 Draft
This is where Logan Cooley, Maveric Lamoureux and Conor Geekie met each other. As previously mentioned, cools went 3rd, geeks went 11th and mav went 29th, all first-rounders. This draft was significant for the coyotes as these three finally set the foundation for the coyotes rebuild. Like of course Dylan was the main piece of the rebuild for a long time but with these three it finally stabilised the young future aspect of the coyotes rebuild.
Development camp was right after the draft so the three of them hopped on a plane to Arizona, Maveric had the aisle seat and was sitting next to Logan, across from Geekie.
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2022 Coyotes Development Camp
This section will be brief because, for the life of me, I couldn’t find anything.
All 5 of them were invited for the week.
Logan roomed with Josh.
Conor got injured on the first day of camp and had to sit out the rest of it
Conor, Maveric and Logan did an interview together that was fun. I skimmed through it not really taking notes on the important things so instead you get to hear my favourite moments instead
Geekie used to play with the Arizona Coyotes on EA NHL being, "they're the team with the nice jerseys."
Logan's flight to Montréal (the draft) was cancelled twice so his family rented (an ugly) van and drove 8-10 hours. Logan slept most of the way.
Sidenote the the difference between all three accents is so fun because you'll be listening and it's a french accent then boom american
Conor looked like he was dying this whole interview, he looked like he was overheating and about to cry
2023 Coyotes Development Camp
Roommates: All 5 of the boys were invited to camp. Cooley and Geekie roomed together, I don't know who roomed with Dylan, but Josh roomed with Ilya Fedotov and Maveric roomed with Justin Kipkie.
D-Backs: Logan was invited to throw the first pitch. Josh, Conor, Maveric and Dylan were invited to the pitch, while everyone else sat up in the box.
Before the game Conor was asked about Logan throwing the first pitch and if he would make it Conor had zero faith in Cools saying, “no, there’s no chance.” Obviously he said it jokingly.
The boys were also chirping him but I don't know what they said, sorry.
But don’t worry Logan did a good job and the boys were proud of him.
Also this clip, that i don’t know how to describe other than Logan making the boys giggle.
INSIDE ACCESS EP 203: Foundation for the Future: this is a video the Arizona Coyotes YouTube channel put out and is a look into what happens at development camp. A brief breakdown: (obviously focusing on those 5)
Day 1: Introductions; meet the staff, meet your peers, get to know the program and what’s going to happen
Day 2: testing + training
Day 3: community; this is where we get to see their personalities. This day player spend time with the community learning what it truly means to be an Arizona Coyotes
Josh Doan is amazing with kids (especially this moment), encouraging them and making sure they have fun. He also hypes up other guy in dev camp. Overall Josh Doan is a positive guy.
Maveric Lamoureux is also good with kids, not as loud as Josh but he was having a good time
Conor Geekie almost hits a kid on accident, but he was having fun building lego
Dylan Guenther is just not being shown, but he’s his (lowkey) awkward but reserved little self.
Logan Cooley also isn’t shown much either but he looked like he was having fun
This day the boys also learned how to cook (or as the nutritionist described it, putting the correct food into your body)
Dylan and Logan were on the same team and Dylan looked s t r e s s e d.
Josh was being his usual extraverted self
Maveric was having fun getting up to the tiniest bit of mischief
Conor was also having fun, but wasn’t shown a lot in this section
This is also when they went to the d-backers game.
Day 4: Black + White Scrimmage;
Team white: Lamoureux, Cooley
Team black: Geekie, Doan
For the life of me i could not find what team Guenther was on
After the game in the handshake line, i just… just watch, I’m at a loss for words
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Side note: on the 7th (or 6th depending where you're from) of July 2024 Conor Geekie deleted all his Arizona posts except the draft, but luckily this photo and comment were saved.
the photo | the comment (Utah i swear...)
the post | the comments:
TW// BLOOD
the post | the comment (I actually have zero idea if this comment is real or not because I can't find it under the original post but idc it's fun) (the second comment (the one on the right) is real)
2023 World Juniors
Dylan and Logan were both invited to world juniors by their respective countries. Dylan won gold (🇨🇦) and Logan got bronze (🇺🇸).
After the tournament was over Logan said this about Dylan
"He's a great player, and I'm really looking forward to be able to play on the same team as him." "Obviously Canada is a rival and I wasn't pumped to see them win, but if anyone had to score it, I'm glad it was him."
"...but if anyone had to score, I'm glad it was him."
making this a quote is necessary actually.
2023-24 NHL SEASON:
Hey! it's logan cooley's rookie season
Here's a list of every single time Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther connected on a goal; throughout the season they were put on a line together, especially towards the end of the season.
Boston Bruins vs Arizona Coyotes: January 9, 2024: Guenther goal, Cooley Primary assist
Arizona Coyotes @ Florida Panthers: January 24, 2024: Cooley goal, Guenther primary assist
Arizona Coyotes @ Carolina Hurricanes: January 27, 2024: Cooley goal, Guenther primary assist
Arizona Coyotes @ Washington Capitals: March 3, 2024: Cooley goal, Guenther secondary assist
Arizona Coyotes @ Detroit Red Wings: Cooley goal, Guenther primary assist
Vegas Golden Knights vs Arizona Coyotes: April 5, 2024: Cooley goal, Guenther secondary assist
Seattle Kraken vs. Arizona Coyotes: March 22, 2024: Guenther OT goal, Cooley only assist (the kids won it in OT 🥹)
This game gets its own section: Arizona Coyotes @ Vancouver Canucks: April 10, 2024
First of all it was Dylan's birthday. Second of all this was the day the first report from sportsnet dropped saying the NHL has created 2 schedules one for Utah and one for Arizona. Other notes:
Dylan had a 4 point night (1G-3A)
On Dylan's goal Cooley was the first and only assist
The game heads into OT AND LOGAN COOLEY SCORES WITH A GUENTHER PRIMARY ASSIST WOOOO00! one one of the worst days to be a coyotes fan or just a coyotes player in general. THEY WON THE GAME TOGETHER!!! I did cry while watching this game thank you for asking.
March 26th 2024 one of the most important day in coyotes history: Josh Doan's debut!!!
Josh got his first goal (no one credited on the assist)
Then he got his second goal (be becomes the first and only arizona coyote to score 2 or more goals in their debut)
and then Dylan got a shot handed goal (no one credited on the assist)
Josh Doan first star of the night
2023-24 AHL SEASON:
Josh and Dylan both started the season as Tucson Roadrunners
Dylan Guenther was recalled to the coyotes Jan. 6th
Dylan was announced as the roadrunners all stars selection but he was in the NHL so the roadrunners sent Josh instead
Conor Geekie was also put on the roster but he never ended up playing a game for the Roadrunners in the regular season, instead he was playing in the WHL (Western Hockey League)
All the times Josh and Dylan connected on a goal:
Tucson Roadrunners vs Ontario Reign: November 10, 2023: Guenther goal, Doan primary assist
Tucson Roadrunners vs Bakersfield Condors, October 27, 2023: Doan goal, Guenther primary assist
Tucson Roadrunners vs Calgary Wranglers, November 21, 2023: Doan goal, Guenther secondary assist
Tucson Roadrunners vs Henderson Silver Knights, November 25, 2023: Doan goal, Guenther primary assist
Tucson Roadrunners vs San Jose Barracuda, December 1, 2023: Doan goal, Guenther primary assist
Tucson Roadrunners vs Bakersfield Condors, December 22, 2023: Doan OT goal, Guenther primary assist
Calder Cup Playoffs:
Michael Kesselring, along with Josh and Dylan were sent down to the AHL to play in the Calder Cup Playoffs, while the rest of the coyotes were in Utah doing the welcome to Utah thing.
Conor Geekie was loaned the the Roadrunners after the Swift Broncos were eliminated from the Memorial Cup Playoffs, and made his AHL debut the first playoff game against the wranglers
The Tucson Roadrunners ended up playing 2 games before getting eliminated by the Calgary Wranglers :/
The Tucson Roadrunners might have been shit in the playoffs but PHNX Sports podcast comes through a provides; Dylan Guenther, Josh Doan Ready For Tucson Roadrunners Playoff Run: Notes from Dylan's interview👇
(context: Dylan was asked but staying up in the NHL and taking advantage of his opportunity):
CRAIG MORGAN: ...when did you really start to feel like it (playing in the NHL) started to click, up there? DYLAN: ... take advantage of the opportunity. I got a pretty good opportunity heading in right away, like and uh that's just what I tried to do is to take advantage. So I felt like as I went on, I developed chemistry with, you know, with Cools. But also you know, a lot of the players, all the guys on the team and I was having a lot of fun doing it. I think that's a big important piece is having fun when you're playing to and I think that helped me.
Yes, that whole quote was necessary but I love that Dylan points out he developed great chemistry with cools then quickly added everyone else on. Other moments from the podcast:
Dylan enjoys cooking but he doesn't want it out there that he *might* be a good cook (this man hates being perceived). Then craig... oh craig, he said Dylan being a good cook will make Dylan a great bachelor. And I died of laughter
He loves to describe the team as driven and hungary
Notes from Josh's interview 👇
He was wearing a cowboy hat but sadly couldn't wear it for the interview because of the headset
Josh wanted to end the hockey season back down in the AHL which surprises people because people who are in the NHL don't want to be sent down. But Josh's reason is because he loves the game and the team and the boys mean so much to him. (Him loving Arizona and not wanting to leave goes unsaid)
Shane calls Josh a nerd
Then the host started chirping Josh about his cooking/him and his special steak. Josh calls his steak cooking ability, "one of his many trait at home."
Then he started chirping but also complementing Aku Räty, saying he's a good cleaner and smoothie maker
He says his job is to make the room stay light and positive
He also said that he went into the NHL saying to himself to be a nuisance on the forecheck 💀
Ten they started talking about arizona hockey and i got sad :( then the interview ends
2024 World Juniors
Maveric and Conor were invited to worlds by team canada and got 4th.
They did a the TNS promotional video “team Canada calls out their teammates for fun” where Mav bullied geeks for his knob because ofc have you seen it. Great banter.
2024 off-season
First off all how fucking dare they trade geeks LIKE?!??! HELLO??! UTAH??!? NO?? (as you can see it's been 2 months since the trade and i'm not over it)
The draft: Utah HC held a draft party where dylan and josh were signing autographs (it feels like sacrilege seeing them (epically josh) wearing utah gear) (sorry kid i just don't want you face on the internet)
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We save the best for last: Whatever this was
Context (ig??): at the start of the 2023-24 season after a few games Cools made a post thanking his friends family and anyone who helped him get to the going of where he is. It's really sweet then conor geekie commented his...
WHAT DOES THIS EVEN MEAN?? hello? context?? please,,
Anyways goodbye 👋
#long post#thanks oomf for the title 🩷#this took me 2 months to make 🫤#I’m just here to explain things#arizona coyotes#utah hockey club#idk enjoy ig#dylan guenther#conor geekie#logan cooley#josh doan#maveric lamoureux#this has the correct amount of hatred towards utah
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Earth Abides | MGM+
Episode Synopsis *SPOILERS* under the cut.
Episode 1 "Alone"
Ish, a solitary young geologist, barely survives a snake bite; after he wakes from a coma, he drives to the nearest town only to find dead bodies; he searches for survivors, from San Francisco to Las Vegas. [Release Date: Dec 1, 2024 USA. Dec 2 Australia.]
Episode 2 "The Space Between"
Ish finds a survivor and feels a romantic spark; he feels the need to see if it real, or if it is the reality that they are last two people on earth; rats plague San Lupo; Ish dreams of rebuilding civilization. [Release Date: Dec 8, 2024]
Episode 3 "World Without End"
New survivors appear but Ish doesn't trust them, Emma invites them in; a bad storm slams San Lupo. [Release Date: Dec 15, 2024]
Episode 4 "Predators"
A drought hits San Lupo; a nomadic group arrives that knows how to find water and want to trade; Ish has his doubts, but chooses to accept help. [Release Date: Dec 22, 2024]
Episode 5 "The Return"
Ish catches Charlie assaulting Evie so San Lupo must decide how to punish evil; the virus returns and Joey falls ill; Ish feels humanity's future hanging in the balance. [Release Date: Dec 22, 2024]
Episode 6 "Forever is Tomorrow is Today"
San Lupo fights for survival against the virus; Ish realizes the answers to humanity's future may not be in his books and finds Joey's secret project. [Release Date: Dec 29, 2024]
*Aaron Tveit (Charlie) appears in Episode 4 and Episode 5. Both episodes air on Dec 22, 2024.
#aaron tveit#alexander ludwig#earth abides#earth abides tv series#jessica frances dukes#earth abides tv spoilers#sci fi drama#aarontveit#luisa d'oliveira#elyse levesque#drama#sci fi#sci fi tv#what to watch#hilary mccormack#science fiction#george r stewart#book to tv#earth abides episode titles#earth abides episode guide#earth abides release date#earth abides season 1#aaron tveit is on fire#birkett turton#jenna berman#rodrigo fernandez stoll#todd komarnicki#mgm plus#mgm+#coming soon
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If you want to understand how China abuses its power on the world stage, consider the lobsters. After the Australian prime minister called in April 2020 for an international investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese ambassador to Australia, Chen Jingye, ominously hinted at the economic backlash. “Maybe the ordinary [Chinese] people will say, ‘Why should we drink Australian wine? Eat Australian beef?’” he told the Australian Financial Review. It and other outraged statements from the Chinese government had all the subtlety of a mafia capo wandering into the neighborhood deli and saying, “Nice little business you got here—shame if anything happened to it.”
In the weeks and months that followed, China instituted onerous import inspections on Australian rock lobsters and instituted new bans on timber and barley shipments from Australia. Given that in 2018 and 2019, China had accounted for about 94 percent of the Australian rock lobster market, the new trade restrictions were clearly meant to devastate the country’s lobster industry.
China also invoked punishing tariffs on Australian wine—tariffs that in some cases reached 212 percent—and exports stopped almost overnight. One winemaker, Jaressa Estates in the South Australian wine growing region of McLaren Vale, had been selling about 7 million bottles a year to China, some 96 percent of its total business, and saw that number drop to zero. “The country’s biggest overseas market vanished almost immediately. Sales to China plummeted 97 percent that first year. Storage tanks overflowed with unsold vintages of shiraz and cabernet sauvignon, pressuring red grape prices,” the New York Times reported. “Now that its economy is entrenched as the world’s second largest, the threat of losing access to China’s 1.4 billion consumers is a stick that few countries or industries can afford to provoke.”
It was a brutal lesson for Australia. As one winemaker told CNN, perhaps Australia shouldn’t be so quick to cross China in the future—and it should have approached questions about COVID-19’s origins with more delicacy. “Australia’s only a little nation. We should have absolutely supported it, but we didn’t need to lead the charge,” the vintner said. All told, Australia saw some $13 billion worth of exports targeted.
Outside the egregious Australian case, China has begun to wield the economic stick more regularly. For example, it halted salmon imports from Norway after the Nobel Peace Prize went to Chinese dissident Lio Xiaobo, punished Taiwan in 2022 with new restrictions on exporting pineapples, apples, and fish, and went after Lithuania when the Baltic country tried to strengthen ties with Taiwan. The wide-ranging Chinese move against Lithuania was unprecedented—extending not to just to obvious products like milk or peat but also against products manufactured with semiconductor chips made in Lithuania. As the New York Times wrote at the time, “China’s drive to punish Lithuania is a new level of vindictiveness.” The consequences for Lithuania were so dire that the German-Baltic Chamber of Commerce reported that the country’s high-tech industry faced an “existential” threat.
The most powerful voices in the global trade discussion largely stayed silent during these attacks. The European Union filed a perfunctory World Trade Organization complaint on Lithuania’s behalf but, as the New York Times reported, “otherwise largely left one of its smallest and weakest members to fend for itself,” and behind the scenes its officials urged Vilnius officials to appease China. “To use a Chinese phrase, they are killing the chicken to scare the monkey, particularly the big German monkey,” one European think tank leader said publicly. “Many European leaders look at Lithuania and say, ‘My God, we are not going to do anything to upset China.’”
And while some U.S. officials held performative tastings of Australian wine, the United States failed to step in to stabilize or support Australia, Norway, Taiwan, or Lithuania. There were no high-profile “Berlin Airlifts” of pineapples to U.S. grocery stores, tanker convoys of Australian Shiraz rolling up the Capital Beltway, or “Buy Baltic” public service announcements to encourage consumers and corporate leaders to look to Lithuanian suppliers. There was no coordinated effort to build a coalition to implement an emergency adjustment of tariffs on Australian wine or lobster, let alone to help the affected industries find new commercial buyers.
Perhaps it’s easy to write off such American reluctance as our own strain of protectionism—maybe the government didn’t want to be accused of undercutting Hawaiian pineapples or promoting foreign competitors to California Zinfadels—but the truth is that even at home the United States has failed to stand up for our industries when China targeted them. We didn’t support American airlines and hospitality companies when China pressured them to remove Taiwan’s name from their maps; nor did the United States government stand up meaningfully for the free speech of NBA players who criticized China.
China is learning, again and again, that bullying works, mastering the 21st-century toolkit of economic statecraft and warfare. As Bethany Allen, a journalist who has covered China for a decade, writes in her book, Beijing Rules: How China Weaponized Its Economy to Confront the World, “If we speak the language of markets … then China hasn’t just learned that language. It has learned to speak it louder than anyone else.” The Chinese Communist Party’s “authoritarian style of state capitalism,” Allen argues, means it “is willing to draw on its full arsenal of leverage, influence, charm, deception, and coercion.” And China has begun to deploy those tools all too frequently—leading to very real questions about whether anyone, companies or nation-states, can afford to be economically reliant on China.
The United States needs to do better—for ourselves and our allies. Strong allies are not going to help only out of self-interest, they’re going to do it because they want to follow their values and principles—and we have to make it easier for countries who want to help us counter China. We need to create an umbrella that shields countries, companies, and individuals when they take on China’s attempts at hegemonic thought and action.
Critical to any global strategy to counter China is building and securing the series of bilateral relationships and multilateral institutions and alliances that helped the West win Cold War I. We have to make it easy for our allies—and desired potential allies—to say yes to such alliances. China is surrounded by many relatively small and weak countries that need real reassurances, both security and economic, that if they side with the United States in a regional coalition they won’t be out in the cold.
Even countries like South Korea, Japan, and Australia that are G-20 countries with advanced economies and trillion-dollar-plus GDPs are small compared to the behemoths like China and the United States, especially if they’re left geopolitically isolated.
Beyond ad hoc responses to pressure on our friends when they stand up to China—especially but not only when they’re acting at our request—the United States needs to figure out a new alliance framework to deter such actions from China in the future. China needs to know that bullying won’t work.
On the security front, there’s little value in the Indo-Pacific in a replacement for SEATO, the 20-year attempt to build a Southeast Asia alliance like NATO that ended in 1977 after never achieving a working military structure. (One British diplomat called the alliance a “zoo of paper tigers.”) Today, too many of the countries across the Indo-Pacific are already protected by bilateral security pacts with the United States to bother joining a larger formal security alliance. For example, given that both Japan and the Philippines have their own security pacts with the United States, it’s not entirely clear what domestic political appetite there would be for, say, the Philippines to be treaty-bound to defend Japan if it’s attacked.
Instead of a military security alliance in the Indo-Pacific, we should be looking to build a new—and global—economic security alliance. America should lead the way in creating a new organization—call it something like the Treaty of Allied Market Economies (TAME), an “economic NATO” alliance of European and Indo-Pacific nations with open-market economies. Together, the partners in this alliance would respond as a unified block to political and economic pressure from China—or any other economic aggressor, for that matter—through a combination of trade barriers, sanctions, and export controls.
In some ways, this alliance would look similar to the coordinated but independent action that the West took in levying unprecedented sanctions against Russia after its Ukraine invasion. As an additional carrot to joining such an alliance, like-minded members could all share increased trade benefits in the form of tariff cuts, regulatory cooperation, and enhanced investment terms.
Beyond formal joint economic punishment of an aggressor, such an alliance could also plan for and commit to repairing and replacing real economic harms that member countries face when hit with retaliatory tariffs or trade wars. Such “trade diversion” often occurs in the market anyway. As one market closes, another opens—and we know that, in part, because of China’s actions against Australia. Markets are adaptable and most goods can flow elsewhere, especially if protectionist tariffs don’t stand in the way. It’s why Australia, for instance, weathered some of China’s aggressive moves better than anticipated. In particular, the Australian coal industry—which was also hit with punishing bans—turned out just fine because coal is such a fungible and high-demand product. “Once China banned imports of Australian coal in mid-2020, Chinese utilities had to turn to Russian and Indonesian suppliers instead. This, in turn, took Russian and Indonesian coal off the market, creating demand gaps in India, Japan, and South Korea—which Australia’s stranded coal was able to fill,” Foreign Policy noted. “The result of decoupling for one of Australia’s core industries was therefore just a game of musical chairs—a rearrangement of who traded with whom, not a material injury.”
One of the reasons that NATO has never had to invoke Article 5 against another nation-state attack—the only time it’s ever been used was after Sept. 11 against al Qaeda—is precisely because of how strong all other countries know the response from the combined NATO force would be.
The same should be true on the economic front. As Daleep Singh, a National Security Council official who helped coordinate the U.S. response to Ukraine, said, “The best sanctions are the ones that never have to get used.” China might very well think twice before weaponizing its trading strength if it understood the combined—and severe—penalties it might face in taking such action and that even if it did launch a trade war, it wouldn’t necessarily inflict much economic harm to begin with.
There’s enough evidence of China’s willingness to inflict economic pain for political gain across Asia and Europe that a well-crafted TAME organization would likely attract a long line of participants—many countries across the globe are becoming increasingly concerned about Chinese belligerent behavior, and there is safety in numbers. While it is unlikely that some large countries with significant economic dependence on China, such as France and Germany, would rush to join this new alliance, states that have already found themselves on the receiving end of Chinese coercion in the past—such as Australia, Norway, Sweden, Japan, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, the Philippines, and Taiwan itself, among others—are prime candidates for initial membership. Over time, as TAME membership grows in numbers, combined economic power, and market size, it will become a magnet too attractive for other market economies to avoid, especially if China continues to engage in brutish bullying tactics around the world.
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