#Vote ALP

[commonpeople2359]

Download free posters and social media images from the following link:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-9i-rB4kbMzOkZIu8QzHglG39_bVU5zJ 

Put them on your socials. Post them to forums. Send them to your friends.

Print them out and paste them up around your city, neighbourhood, work, universities.

[douglaspiggott]

had plans for some self care tonight but instead I’m sitting on the couch with my cat crying over the election 🥲

[tomorrowusa]

When we see Australian election returns they often resemble the chart above. And this final result is certainly accurate. The ALP (Australian Labor Party) won with 77 seats in the House of Representatives and so it can now govern with a majority.

But as a nerdy American hearing confusing and seemingly contradictory references for the past dozen days I decided to look a little more deeply into the actual parties which won House seats.

The result was the creation of this chart.

What really complicates the party situation is the long term relationship between the Liberals (who aren’t that liberal) and Nationals (who aren’t that national). It gets peculiar in the state of Queensland where the two have tied the knot and now run on a common slate. To make it all simple, The Liberals, The Nationals, and LNP of Queensland are usually referred to as The Coalition.

Of course the complications don’t end there. Katter’s Australian Party and the Center Alliance are now essentially one-state parties; though Rebekha Sharkie (South Australia) and Bob Katter (Queensland) might dispute that.

The Australian Greens are indeed a regular party who even picked up one seat in May. 

The biggest media splash in this election was made by a loose grouping called “teal independents”. It’s not really an official name but they seem to have split with the Liberal Party over the latter’s increasingly conservative policies on climate and social issues.

And to top it all off, there are four regular independents.

While initially confusing, it’s worth keeping up with Australian politics these days. The ALP has a clear majority under Prime Minister Albanese. And there are four Greens and six Teals who could support him on some environmental measures.

Australia is also in the process of coming to terms with its colonial past and maltreatment of indigenous peoples. We’ll be hearing a lot about the ULURU STATEMENT FROM THE HEART in the next few years. There may be elements of this which we might find applicable in North America. 

[freeleyenrashespeakstruth]

By Kitty Werthmann

“I am a witness to history.

“I cannot tell you that Hitler took Austria by tanks and guns; it would distort history.

If you remember the plot of the Sound of Music, the Von Trapp family escaped over the Alps rather than submit to the Nazis. Kitty wasn’t so lucky. Her family chose to stay in her native Austria. She was 10 years old, but bright and aware. And she was watching.

“We elected him by a landslide – 98 percent of the vote,” she recalls.

She wasn’t old enough to vote in 1938 – approaching her 11th birthday. But she remembers.

“Everyone thinks that Hitler just rolled in with his tanks and took Austria by force.”

No so.

Hitler is welcomed to Austria

“In 1938, Austria was in deep Depression. Nearly one-third of our workforce was unemployed. We had 25 percent inflation and 25 percent bank loan interest rates.

Farmers and business people were declaring bankruptcy daily. Young people were going from house to house begging for food. Not that they didn’t want to work; there simply weren’t any jobs.

“My mother was a Christian woman and believed in helping people in need. Every day we cooked a big kettle of soup and baked bread to feed those poor, hungry people – about 30 daily.’

“We looked to our neighbor on the north, Germany, where Hitler had been in power since 1933.” she recalls. “We had been told that they didn’t have unemployment or crime, and they had a high standard of living.

“Nothing was ever said about persecution of any group – Jewish or otherwise. We were led to believe that everyone in Germany was happy. We wanted the same way of life in Austria. We were promised that a vote for Hitler would mean the end of unemployment and help for the family. Hitler also said that businesses would be assisted, and farmers would get their farms back.

“Ninety-eight percent of the population voted to annex Austria to Germany and have Hitler for our ruler.

“We were overjoyed,” remembers Kitty, “and for three days we danced in the streets and had candlelight parades. The new government opened up big field kitchens and everyone was fed.

“After the election, German officials were appointed, and, like a miracle, we suddenly had law and order. Three or four weeks later, everyone was employed. The government made sure that a lot of work was created through the Public Work Service.

“Hitler decided we should have equal rights for women. Before this, it was a custom that married Austrian women did not work outside the home. An able-bodied husband would be looked down on if he couldn’t support his family. Many women in the teaching profession were elated that they could retain the jobs they previously had been re- quired to give up for marriage.

“Then we lost religious education for kids

“Our education was nationalized. I attended a very good public school.. The population was predominantly Catholic, so we had religion in our schools. The day we elected Hitler (March 13, 1938), I walked into my schoolroom to find the crucifix replaced by Hitler’s picture hanging next to a Nazi flag. Our teacher, a very devout woman, stood up and told the class we wouldn’t pray or have religion anymore. Instead, we sang ‘Deutschland, Deutschland, Uber Alles,’ and had physical education.

“Sunday became National Youth Day with compulsory attendance. Parents were not pleased about the sudden change in curriculum. They were told that if they did not send us, they would receive a stiff letter of warning the first time. The second time they would be fined the equivalent of $300, and the third time they would be subject to jail.”

And then things got worse.

“The first two hours consisted of political indoctrination. The rest of the day we had sports. As time went along, we loved it. Oh, we had so much fun and got our sports equipment free.

“We would go home and gleefully tell our parents about the wonderful time we had.

“My mother was very unhappy,” remembers Kitty. “When the next term started, she took me out of public school and put me in a convent. I told her she couldn’t do that and she told me that someday when I grew up, I would be grateful. There was a very good curriculum, but hardly any fun – no sports, and no political indoctrination.

“I hated it at first but felt I could tolerate it. Every once in a while, on holidays, I went home. I would go back to my old friends and ask what was going on and what they were doing.

“Their loose lifestyle was very alarming to me. They lived without religion. By that time, unwed mothers were glorified for having a baby for Hitler.

“It seemed strange to me that our society changed so suddenly. As time went along, I realized what a great deed my mother did so that I wasn’t exposed to that kind of humanistic philosophy.

“In 1939, the war started, and a food bank was established. All food was rationed and could only be purchased using food stamps. At the same time, a full-employment law was passed which meant if you didn’t work, you didn’t get a ration card, and, if you didn’t have a card, you starved to death.

“Women who stayed home to raise their families didn’t have any marketable skills and often had to take jobs more suited for men.

“Soon after this, the draft was implemented.

“It was compulsory for young people, male and female, to give one year to the labor corps,” remembers Kitty. “During the day, the girls worked on the farms, and at night they returned to their barracks for military training just like the boys.

“They were trained to be anti-aircraft gunners and participated in the signal corps. After the labor corps, they were not discharged but were used in the front lines.

“When I go back to Austria to visit my family and friends, most of these women are emotional cripples because they just were not equipped to handle the horrors of combat.

“Three months before I turned 18, I was severely injured in an air raid attack. I nearly had a leg amputated, so I was spared having to go into the labor corps and into military service.

“When the mothers had to go out into the work force, the government immediately established child care centers.

“You could take your children ages four weeks old to school age and leave them there around-the-clock, seven days a week, under the total care of the government.

“The state raised a whole generation of children. There were no motherly women to take care of the children, just people highly trained in child psychology. By this time, no one talked about equal rights. We knew we had been had.

“Before Hitler, we had very good medical care. Many American doctors trained at the University of Vienna..

“After Hitler, health care was socialized, free for everyone. Doctors were salaried by the government. The problem was, since it was free, the people were going to the doctors for everything.

“When the good doctor arrived at his office at 8 a.m., 40 people were already waiting and, at the same time, the hospitals were full.

“If you needed elective surgery, you had to wait a year or two for your turn. There was no money for research as it was poured into socialized medicine. Research at the medical schools literally stopped, so the best doctors left Austria and emigrated to other countries.

“As for healthcare, our tax rates went up to 80 percent of our income. Newlyweds immediately received a $1,000 loan from the government to establish a household. We had big programs for families.

“All day care and education were free. High schools were taken over by the government and college tuition was subsidized. Everyone was entitled to free handouts, such as food stamps, clothing, and housing.

“We had another agency designed to monitor business. My brother-in-law owned a restaurant that had square tables.

“Government officials told him he had to replace them with round tables because people might bump themselves on the corners. Then they said he had to have additional bathroom facilities. It was just a small dairy business with a snack bar. He couldn’t meet all the demands.

“Soon, he went out of business. If the government owned the large businesses and not many small ones existed, it could be in control.

“We had consumer protection, too

“We were told how to shop and what to buy. Free enterprise was essentially abolished. We had a planning agency specially designed for farmers. The agents would go to the farms, count the livestock, and then tell the farmers what to produce, and how to produce it.

“In 1944, I was a student teacher in a small village in the Alps. The villagers were surrounded by mountain passes which, in the winter, were closed off with snow, causing people to be isolated.

“So people intermarried and offspring were sometimes retarded. When I arrived, I was told there were 15 mentally retarded adults, but they were all useful and did good manual work.

“I knew one, named Vincent, very well. He was a janitor of the school. One day I looked out the window and saw Vincent and others getting into a van.

“I asked my superior where they were going. She said to an institution where the State Health Department would teach them a trade, and to read and write. The families were required to sign papers with a little clause that they could not visit for 6 months.

“They were told visits would interfere with the program and might cause homesickness.

“As time passed, letters started to dribble back saying these people died a natural, merciful death. The villagers were not fooled. We suspected what was happening. Those people left in excellent physical health and all died within 6 months. We called this euthanasia.

“Next came gun registration. People were getting injured by guns. Hitler said that the real way to catch criminals (we still had a few) was by matching serial numbers on guns. Most citizens were law-abiding and dutifully marched to the police station to register their firearms. Not long afterwards, the police said that it was best for everyone to turn in their guns. The authorities already knew who had them, so it was futile not to comply voluntarily.

“No more freedom of speech. Anyone who said something against the government was taken away. We knew many people who were arrested, not only Jews, but also priests and ministers who spoke up.

“Totalitarianism didn’t come quickly, it took 5 years from 1938 until 1943, to realize full dictatorship in Austria. Had it happened overnight, my countrymen would have fought to the last breath. Instead, we had creeping gradualism. Now, our only weapons were broom handles. The whole idea sounds almost unbelievable that the state, little by little eroded our freedom.”

“This is my eyewitness account.

“It’s true. Those of us who sailed past the Statue of Liberty came to a country of unbelievable freedom and opportunity.

“America is truly is the greatest country in the world. “Don’t let freedom slip away.

“After America, there is no place to go.”

Kitty Werthmann

[youssefguedira]

tog fandom's favourite luca marinelli movie: ROUND TWO

Summaries:

Le otto montagne / The Eight Mountains (2022):

“An epic journey of friendship and self-discovery set in the breathtaking Italian Alps that follows the profound, complex relationship between Pietro from Turin, and Bruno, who grew up in an isolated mountainside village, over four decades.”

The Old Guard (2020):

“Led by a warrior named Andy, a covert group of tight-knit mercenaries with a mysterious inability to die have fought to protect the mortal world for centuries. But when the team is recruited to take on an emergency mission and their extraordinary abilities are suddenly exposed, it’s up to Andy and Nile, the newest soldier to join their ranks, to help the group eliminate the threat of those who seek to replicate and monetize their power by any means necessary.”

RULES:

ideally vote based on which film is your favourite, but if you haven't seen both / either vote which one you'd like to watch most or prefer the vibes of

or any other reasonable metric of your choice

propaganda IS encouraged and can be sent to me or added to the post

go forth and have fun!

[rageagainstmymachine]

The Cold and the Sleepless (or something like that) [Edward Richtofen x F! Reader]

Summary: Eddie cold and hungry and tired, but you’re here to help

Words: 3,149

There he was, settled on the snowflake ridden ground, weary from the consequences that led you to where you were - a forest at the base of the Austrian alps, chasing after a future that you could only dream to grasp. Yet, there he was. You would have withered away by now with the world he carries on his shoulders.

Richtofen warmed his hands by the flames of the fire, although they were practically in them. He was so tired, and only you seemed to notice. Or maybe you were the only one who cared.

You were at the other, smaller fire that you made solely to cook the little food you had. It was your last ration - a simple can of meat, but your growling stomach yearned for it.

“Hey, we’re going to call it a night, Richtofen’s on watch so feel free to get some sleep whenever you do.” Dempsey snapped you out from your thoughts, standing over you with a cigarette between his lips.

“Alright, thanks.” You acknowledge, eyes trailing back to the German.

How did he manage to get stuck with first watch? If you recalled correctly, he had first watch last night, and the night before that. Did he volunteer to get it out of the way? Or was the voting rigged against them? Knowing those three, you wouldn’t doubt it. He looked way too tired to willingly want to do it, his eyes seem to droop a little more as the minutes pass.

The meat bits bubbled in the can, signaling it was done, you pushed it off the hot coals and into the snow. The can cooled quickly enough for you to be able to hold it within a minute or so, the entire time, you spent staring at the lone doctor. Who knew what was going through his mind, he still had that far away stare.

You looked down at the can in your hands, back up the the man, and while ignoring your weeping stomach, stood up, carefully shuffling over to the main fire, giving him a polite smile when your movement caught his eye.

“Hallo, fraulein.” He said as more of a confused question than anything. “I have first watch, I hope you’re aware. I thought you would be heading to bed already like the rest.”

You smile, shaking your head as you sat next to him. “You know, I’m not really that tired…. In any case, I got you something.” You tell the doc, holding up the canned meat.

His eyes went wide, watching as the steam rose and disappeared into the chilled air. You knew he ate his last rations that morning, and you saw the envious glances he gave to the others as he watched them eat their dinner. You didn’t even have to hear his stomach rumble, his eyes told you everything.

“Oh, frau, danke, aber, I can’t-“ he tried to wave you off, seeing as you were sacrificing your own meal.

“No, no, I found this at the bottom of one of the packs, it’s extra.” You lied through your teeth. You never liked to lie to him - Dempsey thought that was hilarious with how often he lied to y’all - but you felt it necessary to keep his energy up. He was the de facto leader, and he needed to be strong.

Richtofen eyed you suspiciously, seeing right through your half-baked lie. But the way you insisted, holding the can under his nose, letting the aroma grab his stomach and brain, he couldn’t possibly say no again, his resolve was crumbling too fast. When you didn’t reel your hand back, he timidly took the can, inspecting it to see if there was anything wrong with it - why else would you be giving away good food? He didn’t find anything, of course, he brought the fork to his mouth and was met with the most delicious meat. He knew that was the hunger talking, but he didn’t care.

Edward quickly scarfed down the food, the can a mere inch away from his mouth the more efficiently shovel the food inside. Some bites burned, but it was a mere afterthought. He only took another breath when the can was empty, his chest heaving as he looked at you.

You couldn’t hide the amused look even if you tried. He cleared his throat.

“I try to eat with ein little more decorum than that, but I’ve been damn hungry.” He laughed, taking out a handkerchief to clean his face.

“Don’t worry about it, I’ve seen worse from Dempsey.”

“Eugh, if you’re comparing me to that Buffoon, I’ve fallen from grace.” He said dryly, using the handkerchief to now clean his hands.

You chuckled softly, inching closer to the fire to chase away the cold from your face. You watched the dancing flames. It was hypnotizing, really. Many minutes could be lost from getting lost in the warmth and in the show they gave.

“So, what’s the plan?” You ask him softly. You turn your head towards him but never let your eyes leave the fire.

“Well, after that fiasco with the rocket.. und the moon… we have other important places to be - und soon.”

“Do you really have to rush?” You ask him, finally tearing your eyes away from the orange hues. “I mean, we do have time and space travel on our side. I say we take a break, find us our own little corner of the world.” A shiver found your spine as your face was caressed by the wind again. “Somewhere warm. Y’know, Dempsey might’ve been on to something when the island idea - the sun and some alcohol, a margaritaville.”

Richtofen smiled at your enthusiasm, he shook his head at your antics, but found it amusing nonetheless. “Well, as it turns out, I provide that island - you might not like it, though.”

“Please let it be Tahiti.”

“…don’t get your hopes up, fraulein.”

You sigh, rolling your eyes. So next stop was an island, huh? Well it coudlnt possibly be worse than that stupid castle you just escaped.

“But as to the previous point,” Edward knocked you out of your thoughts. “The Summoning Key can be… finicky sometimes. That’s why I prefer to do things now rather than later. It’s gut words to live by too.”

The silence settled comfortably between the two of you, but your mind itched to fill it, to continue talking to him - to ask him a million and one questions you know he won’t answer. So, you settled on -

“Are you okay?” You asked before you could psych yourself out. His eyes flicked toward you, genuine surprise on his tired face.

It was different being here, being in a place and time where light pollution didn’t litter the sky. The stars and galaxies and moon lit up everything with a soft blue hue, you didn’t need another light source to see well, especially with the snow reflecting said light. You could see the deep bags under his eyes, the frown lines that creased his skin, paired with where they creased when he narrows his brows. He looked thinner than when you met, as well - an insane thought, he was already damn skinny living off German army rations. No matter what he said, you knew the answer.

And perhaps he knew that you knew.

“I’m- I’ll be okay. Once everything is fixed und we get back to normal, I’ll be okay.” He tried to assured.

“But are you okay now?” You ask, voice even lower than before. You put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, not missing how his muscles tensed under your touch.

His eyes drooped some more, flicking back to the flames. “I’m tired. Es ist so very draining… und im tired.” He finally admitted, a venerable tone lacing the words. His hand came up and caressed the back on yours, soothingly - for you or for himself, you didn’t know. You didn’t care.

Richtofen looked on the brink of a breakdown, and you couldn’t blame him. He has been fighting exhaustion, hunger, the cold… you couldn’t watch him go on like this.

“Why don’t you get some sleep. I’ll take first watch tonight.” You tell him reassuringly, squeezing his shoulder.

“Oh, nein, it is okay.”

“I really insist, Edward. I’ve gotten my way once, let me keep that streak, okay?”

He seemed even more unsure than when he took the food, his gaze scanning your features just waiting on a ‘just kidding!’ or ‘suck it up!’ Or any of the cruel words he was used to, but all he found was a genuine concern for his health. It was…. unnerving…

“Nein, Liebchen, I can’t”

You huffed, putting a hand on your hip as you glared at him, hoping he would melt under your gaze and secede. He looked at you, a similar determination in his eyes. You realized he was not budging, so you tried a different approach, sighing like you just lost the battle.

“Fine, fine, but the bags under your eyes really do look terrible. Please just lean against me and take a like, 5 minute Power Nap, please?”

Richtofen thought about it for a moment , his eyes closing in a very long blink that seemed to answer your plea. He scooted closed to you, carefully leaning his head on your shoulder. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt, aber, you wake me up in 5 minutes, ja?”

“Of course, doc. 5 minute nap, I’ll keep watch.”

Almost as soon as he let his eyes close, he was out, like dead weight against your clavicle. It wasn’t the most comfortable, but being able to peek at his worried-ridden face finding that more younger, innocent look as he slept made it worth it. He snored slightly, tiredness lacing in the sound.

5 minutes passed, and then 10. 15 came and went and so did 20. You never intended to wake him when he asked, he needed this sleep and you were going to make sure he got it.

Your shoulder, however, was screaming. You had at least half his weight on you — 70 ish pounds — making sure all the nerves felt it. It ached but you were too scared to move, scared he’ll wake up before he needs to.

At the 20 minute mark, your fingertips were pins and needles, you had to do something. His sleeping bag was laid out behind him, he was sitting at the foot of it to keep the snow from soaking his pants. If you could just lay him there,

Carefully, you started to lean back, careful not to go too fast, and keeping a firm grip on him. You’ve never had such a calorie burning abs workout before.

Soon enough, he was laying on his bed and you were getting soaked in the snow you were laying in. When you knew he didn’t wake, (thank god for that), you spring up, grabbing your own sleeping bag to unzip and drape ontop of him, since you couldn’t actually get him in his.

He still looked peaceful, almost happy if you’d ever seen him that way. He deserved this - and if it took you taking a double shift to give that to him, well that way more than okay. As you finished tucking him in, you couldn’t help but give him a soft kiss on the forehead, silently wishing he had sweet dreams.

The next 3 hours were hell, you’d admit. You were tired, cold, did you mention tired? You were very tired. You found yourself dozing off a few times, but the anxiety of being ambushed because you couldn’t stay awake was a fairly good stimulant.

“Ah blyat’, I’m up.” Nikolai said in a startlingly loud voice, making you almost jump out of your skin. How long had he been standing there? He rubbed his eyes, sleep still costing them in their hard-to-resist spell. “You look awful.”

“You really know how to compliment a woman, Nikolai.” You grumbled. You stood, stretching the tight muscles in your back.

“What up with him?” He asked, lowering his voice once he saw Edward asleep so close. He put his hands on his hips and he surveyed the scene — the doc sprawled out on his sleeping bag with a second one draped on him.

“He was really tired, I took his shift so he could get some sleep.” You tell the Russian.

“Oh? Well when he wakes, and he doesn’t appreciate it, you can do that for me next time and I will show you how much I appreciate it, da?” Nikolai grinned, trying to weasel his way into an uninterrupted night of sleep.

You looked at the doc’s face again, seeing how peaceful he looked, how the tiredness drained from his features the longer he slept. “Well, let’s see how he feels in the morning and we’ll go from there. Say, can I use your sleeping bag? Mine is currently in use.” You ask.

“Da. But the bacon stuffed into the seams is mine. Don’t get any ideas.”

You gave him a worried look, surely he was joking? …no, it didn’t look like he was joking. You thanked him with a heavy heart, not looking forward to smelling nothing but bacon as you fell asleep.

Fuck, he really did have bacon in here. Luckily, you were exhausted, and you didn’t have to tolerate the smell for too long before you drifted off into a dream of breakfast foods and certain farm animals.

It was warmer when you awoke, not by much but every degree counted. Nikolai’s bed was stupidly comfortable so much you really didn’t want to get up and start the day. You just wanted to lay here… your eyes still closed, teetering between being asleep and awake, it didn’t even bother you that the sun was pressing against your closed eyelids.

It didn’t bother you until it wasn’t anymore.

And a throat was cleared, seemingly… very annoyed.

You slowly opened your eyes, peering up at a very unamused Edward, arms crossed and tapping his foot into the snow. His eyebrow was raised. You sat up, confused.

“Can I… help you Richtofen?” You asked.

“Care to explain what happened last night?” He asked in return.

Oh, right. You were still shaking off sleep, you forgot about it. You stood up to have this conversation with him, not wanting to have that height difference and you really needed to get away from Nikolai’s bacon bag, your stomach was beginning to growl.

“You seemed exhausted, so I just let you sleep.” You say, earnestly.

“Mh. Und who kept watch while I was supposed to?”

“Well… me.” You thought that would be obvious. You felt like you were doing the nice thing — the right thing. So why did he look so… angry?

His eyebrows furrowed, arms crossing even tighter, mouth tugged into a frown. “First giving me your food, then making me sleep, und then covering me with your sleeping bag, do you just feel the need to mother me? Am I not capable of fending for und taking care of meinself?” He asked, words sharp as knives.

“What?” You asked, exasperated. “Richtofen, I'm not trying to undermine you in any way-“

“You don’t need to take care of me. I don’t see you doing this for the others. I am capable.” He almost yelled. His cheeks were red, jaw clenched as his chest heaved.

It clicked…oh, Edward.

Your eyes softened, what was once rage building inside you was now understanding, even slight pity, and you hoped he didn’t see that - wouldn’t want to put fuel on his fire. You timidly put your hand on his shoulder, fully expecting him to slap it away, but he didn’t. You took a deep breath.

“Edward, I didn’t do any of that because of your survival or leadership skills, I just did it because I care about you.” You tell him calmly, trying to ease his embarrassment that he hid with anger. “I see that you as the leader of this rag tag group is, understandably, under a lot of stress, and I just want to help in any way I can.”

Richtofen bit his lip, his embarrassment still flustering his face, even more so now that the anger was slipping away. He was wary, not entirely convinced you weren’t lying to him.

“Why?” He asked.

“Because I care. That’s all.”

Your hand trailed from his shoulder, to his face, cupping it in a bold move. You smiled and hoped the soothing movement of your thumb caressing the apple of his cheek calmed him down. He grabbed your hand, pressing it harder against his face. When was the last time someone touched him like this?

He decided to believe you, at least for now. He deserved this… well, maybe not, he thought, but he’ll take it anyway.

“Danke,” he said after swallowing hard. “Es tut mir lied for… the anger.”

“Don’t mention it… but don’t make it a habit, doc.” You scold playfully, gaining a soft chuckle from him. “You hungry? I know we’re some bacon’s at, we can have a little feast.” You ask him, dropping your hand.

“Are you talking about Nikolai’s sleeping bag bacon?” Richtofen inquired.

“Damn, you know about it too?”

“Eugh, how could I not? If you’re sleeping anywhere near him you can smell it… und I’m not sure if it’s even still edible, how long has it been lukewarm?”

You cringe, not even thinking about that. “I have no idea… how the fuck does he plan on eating it then without getting every foodborne illnesses know to man…?” You mostly ask yourself, walking with Edward to the campfire.

“He’s Russian, he has a stomach of steel… probably from eating expired things all the time living in Siberia.”

Edward warned his hands by the fire, you were happy to notice a pot of coffee in the coals, Dempsey’s probably. You’ll steal some here soon, he won’t mind too much.

“Actually, I think he’s from Stalingrad.” You say, grabbing a mug, using snow to clean out the old coffee from the bottom.

“Where?”

“Oh, Tzaritsyn.” You wince, shaking your hand from the snow. Ugh, it was so cold.

“Oh, ja I’ve heard of that place, in any case my point still stands.” Edward, upon seeing you clean out the mug, grabbed the coffee pot, pouring the contents into the cup. “Here, it’s the least I can do.”

“Danke, Edward.”

The smile he gave you was worth everything.

“Gern.” He replied, enjoying the time spent with you. And you felt the same.

It was going to be a long journey, and it was going to be hell, but at least you have moments of respite like this. Edward was really grateful, even if he didn’t have the words to tell you.

That was the best damn sleep he had in months.

~

~

~

“Hey, who the FUCK drank my coffee???”

Yikes.

———

Mostly just a little fleshed out Drabble as I’m trying to figure out writing again.

This fic on Ao3

All fics (Ao3)

[thunderbirds-showdown]

Which Thunderbirds Are Go episode is better?

Vote on which episode you think is better. Episode synopses below the cut.

Relic: When a meteor shower is projected to hit the decommissioned Shadow Alpha One Moon base, concern arises with the discovery the base is still inhabited by a lone crew member - Captain Lee Taylor, an old friend of Jeff Tracy. Scott and Alan take Thunderbird 3 on a rescue mission after attempts to warn him fail, but when Scott boards the base, he's surprised to find Taylor attempting to maintain its defence system against meteors. After initial attempts to defend the base against continuing waves of meteors start to fail, both Scott and Taylor are forced to abandon the base to meet Thunderbird 3 at a rendezvous on the moon's surface that is itself threatened by the meteor shower.

High Strung: John detects a high altitude balloon heading straight for the Southern Alps in New Zealand and is unable to contact the pilot. At first everyone suspects that Francois Lemaire is the pilot but when Scott boards the craft he discovers that the pilot is a teenager named Brandon Berrenger, who works for Lemaire. When the balloon crashes on top of a mountain Scott and Brandon have to use Brains' new invention, RAD, to get down.

[rubberizer92]

🌟 Welcome to the Grand Finale of OBEY Season 12: The All-Human Edition! 🏆✨

Gentlemen, it's the moment we've all been waiting for. After countless twists and turns, we've arrived at the Grand Finale! 🌐💥

Our top three contenders, representing the elegance of 🇦🇹 Austria, the natural vitality of 🇸🇬 Singapore, and the unwavering strength of 🇬🇧 the UK, have given it their all. They've danced with elements, posed in rubber like no other, and now it's YOUR turn to crown the ultimate OBEY champion!

Voting is open on all our platforms - Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter. You have the power to make one of these outstanding gentlemen the victor. Each like, share, comment, and save counts. The stakes are sky-high as they've showcased not one but two mind-blowing looks for your delight!

First up, Fabi from Austria 🇦🇹 is here to share why he should claim the OBEY throne. With his connection to the element of ice and a heart as vast as the Alps, Fabi embodies the stability, grace, and spirit of a true OBEY champion. He's ready to take the crown, but it's your votes that will make it happen! Cast your vote and be part of this thrilling journey! 🧊💪🏅 #OBEYSeason12 #GrandFinale #AllHumanEdition #WhoWillWin 🥂✨

[commonpeople2359]

Download free posters and social media images from the following link:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-9i-rB4kbMzOkZIu8QzHglG39_bVU5zJ 

Put them on your socials. Post them to forums. Send them to your friends.

Print them out and paste them up around your city, neighbourhood, work, universities.

[identitty-dickruption]

guys. our major conservative party in Australia is called The Liberals because:

there used to be multiple conservative parties, none of which were stable

this included the Liberal Party, who were socially progressive but economically liberal (free market conservatives)

the ALP was so strong that having multiple conservative parties was holding them all back (splitting the vote)

the Liberals were the slightly stronger of the conservative parties, so they mostly won out (at the cost of having to change some of their policy stances)

when Menzies reformed the Liberal Party, he decided to use Deakin’s party name for. brand reasons

but honestly, the TLDR is that “liberalism” is a very specific economic ideology, and it’s one that many would recognise as conservative. it’s not “backwards” that the main conservative party in Australia is called the Liberals. it’s just that the USAmerican idea of what a liberal is doesn’t necessarily track in other contexts

in conclusion — liberal is not the same as progressive and never has been

[eclipsedsuns]

for some reason no one is voting on my other version of this poll so here’s a new one 🙄

[luthienebonyx]

What a truly progressive government looks like

The man in this photo is Gough (pronounced Goff) Whitlam, the 21st prime minister of Australia. Fifty years ago, on 2 December 1972, Gough Whitlam’s Australian Labor Party won the federal election, and ushered in easily the most progressive government Australia has ever had. It was a government that truly changed Australia, and set it on the path towards being the country it is today.

Gough (he was one of those rare politicians who was widely known simply by his first name. There was truly only one Gough) was tall and imposing, with silver hair and dark eyebrows, and a booming voice that delivered his razor sharp wit. When he led the ALP to victory in 1972, the party had been out of government for 23 long years, and were determined to make a difference when at last they were back in power. As you’ve probably worked out from the glorious 1970s t-shirts in the picture, the election campaign slogan was It’s Time. It featured in a famous election ad jingle, performed by Alison McCallum and accompanied by many famous faces of the time.

After winning the 1972 election, Gough wasted no time in implementing his election promises. Not willing to wait until the final results of the election were confirmed and the full ministry could be appointed, he and his deputy, Lance Barnard, were sworn in as prime minister and deputy prime minister on 5 December. Between the two of them, they held all 27 government portfolios for two weeks until the rest of the ministry was sworn in. The duumvirate, as it was known:

ordered negotiations to establish full relations with China

ended conscription in the Vietnam War

freed the conscientious objectors who had been jailed for refusing conscription

ordered home all remaining Australian troops in Vietnam

re-opened the equal pay case (for women, who were at that time by law paid less than men for doing the same job) and appointed a woman, Elizabeth Evatt, to the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission, the body that made the decision

abolished sales tax on the contraceptive pill

announced major grants for the arts

appointed an interim schools commission

barred racially discriminatory sport teams from Australia, and instructed the Australian delegation at the United Nations to vote in favour of sanctions on apartheid South Africa and Rhodesia

And that was just the first two weeks.

In the three years that followed, the Whitlam government:

introduced a national universal health scheme

abolished university fees

abolished the death penalty for federal crimes

established Legal Aid

replaced God Save the Queen with Advance Australia Fair as the national anthem

replaced the British honours system with the Order of Australia

created the family court and introduced no fault divorce, the first country in the world to do so

ended the White Australia policy

introduced the racial discrimination act

advocated for Indigenous rights, including creating the Aboriginal Land Fund and the Aboriginal Loans Commission, and returned some of their traditional lands to the Gurunji people in the Northern Territory. This was the first time that any Australian government had returned land to its original custodians. Here’s a famous photograph by Mervyn Bishop of Gough pouring a handful of red earth into the hands of Gurunji leader Vincent Lingiari, ‘as a sign that this land will be in the possession of you and your children forever‘:

I’m sure there are more achievements of the Whitlam government that I’m forgetting. There were a lot.

Of course, the Whitlam government will always be seen through the lens of the way it ended, but I’m not going to talk about the constitutional crisis of 1975 - plenty of books have been written about that, including one by Gough himself - or about the various dysfunctions of the Whitlam government, particularly once the international oil crisis hit in 1973.

I just really want to point out that truly progressive governments can change their countries profoundly, and for the lasting betterment of their people. Not everything that the Whitlam government achieved withstood the assaults of the conservative government that followed it, but some did and are still with us, half a century later, while other aspects, like universal healthcare, were resurrected by the Hawke Labor government a decade later, and endure to this day.

Gough died in 2014 at the age of 98, not quite making his personal century. Tonight I’m raising a glass to his memory. Thanks, Gough, for all the things you did to make this country a better, fairer, more inclusive place.

[s-petals-blog]

This is what is happening to hcw who speak up against genocide in Australia. Not one medical association or medical defence company or regulator has spoken up for these people. But publishing a list of a zioni$t groups coordinated attacks against proPalestine workers, gets a law changed.

Never voting for the ALP again.

[faith-nerd]

Round 3! Give it up for Round 3!

Links are Below the cut.

If you want to revisit all of these Silly Songs, check out the YouTube Playlist, and Check out our third Midweek Match-up, our first 2-Parter, where we are voting on Archibald Asparagus' Appearances: Best Performances and Best Freak-Outs.

In Round 3, we have:

"The Water Buffalo Song" vs "Dance of the Cucumber"

"The Hairbrush Song" vs "I Love My Lips"

"The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" vs "The Yodeling Veterinarian of the Alps"

"Pizza Angel" vs "His Cheeseburger"

"Endangered Love" vs "The Bellybutton Song"

"Oh, Santa!" vs "The Credits Song"