#kiwi media group

[elfaegyo]

BAZOOKA!

Miya,  Seokyoung,  Seoryoung,  Anne,  Minju,  Lena Woo (Play Bazooka) Woo Achimi omyeon Beep-beep kkok ttokgateun Melody Eojewa gateun biseuthan gamjeong hwipssayeo hwipssayeo Swit swit skip tto neomeogayaji Adeukhaetdeon kkumeseo nawa Wake-up Wake-up Eonjengabuteo heundeullineun My space hajiman nan My pace [Seoryoung / Lena] Don’t shoot Stop it now Sumgyeojyeo boijido anhneun…

[ur-local-kiwi]

thinking of "rewriting" / making my own headcanon versions of the main knk boys bc trying to write anything for them as-is is torture,,, eve. pookie. ily but u r giving me so little to work with here TTOTT

[honkifurhoary]

Emmanuel the Emu: A Story of HPAI Mismanagement

Emmanuel, the TikTok-famous emu owned by Taylor Blake of Knuckle Bump Farms, made national news last month when Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) hit the farm. According to Blake’s initial Twitter thread, Knuckle Bump Farms lost 99% of their avian flock- over 50 individuals- in only three days. These deaths were attributed both to the disease itself and to a cull carried out by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, who did so with Blake’s permission. Emmanuel and a black swan named Rico were the only two survivors, with Emmanuel left unable to stand, unwilling to eat or drink, and quickly fading. Hundreds of thousands rallied behind Emmanuel on social media as Blake documented Emmanuel’s progress, reaching out to public figures like Dr. Pol of The Incredible Dr. Pol and Bindi Erwin of Crikey! It’s the Irwins for help when she failed to find any other sources for emu rehabilitation. But soon, controversy emerged.

Early on, avian influenza experts expressed concern that Blake was not wearing any PPE when interacting with a presumably HPAI-positive bird. Avian influenza is transmissible from bird to human which, combined with the virus’ ability to mix genes and rapidly change, means that PPE is universally recommended when dealing with a suspected or confirmed HPAI outbreak.

In response to concerns, Blake explained that “Emmanuel freaks out whenever we approach him wearing a mask” and that the farm is on a state-mandated quarantine for 150 days, which is the amount of time HPAI is estimated to survive in the environment under ideal conditions. This quarantine reportedly only allowed Blake, Blake’s girlfriend Kristian Haggerty, Blake’s family, and veterinary professionals to enter the property. “I have taken every precaution recommended by the FDA” Blake stated, referencing the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) rather than the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Many people, including HPAI experts, found this explanation unsatisfactory and instead decided to contact the FDACS and USDA directly. Both the FDACS and USDA work collaboratively to manage avian influenza outbreaks in Florida. Dr. Danielle Stanek of the Florida Department of Health clarified that the DOH can recommend that private individuals comply with CDC guidelines, which includes wearing full PPE when interacting with HPAI-infected birds, but they cannot mandate that they do so. Therefore, Blake’s decision to forgo PPE was hers to make, even if it wasn’t in accordance with the recommendations of the FDACS, CDC, USDA, and Florida DOH.

Just as discourse between experts and Emmanuel fans reached its peak, Blake announced that Emmanuel tested negative for HPAI. Instead, Emmanuel’s sudden decline was attributed to stress. “Emus are incredibly susceptible to stress. He was incredibly overwhelmed by the state coming in and euthanizing our flock . . . He stopped eating the day they depopulated.” His lingering issues- the inability to stand or walk independently, twisted neck (torticollis), continued inappetence and dehydration, and lethargy- were caused by a nighttime collapse that left Emmanuel “thrashing on the ground for hours, trying to get himself up”. “He never once had a single symptom of AI, other than not eating”, Blake stated.

HPAI symptoms in birds varies depending on the species and the individual. In chickens, HPAI often presents as respiratory and digestive distress, followed quickly by death. In other poultry species, symptoms may also include the nervous system, causing “tremors, twisted necks, paralyzed wings, laying down and pedaling”. Ratites- referring to the diverse group of keel-less birds that include emus, ostriches, rheas, kiwis, and cassowaries- also tend to develop neurological symptoms. Notably, emus can present with twisted necks (torticollis), ataxia (discoordination), leg and wing paralysis, inability to stand, decreased food and water consumption, purple discoloration or swelling of the legs and head, and lethargy. This corresponds with many of the symptoms Blake has documented in Emmanuel. And it should, considering that Emmanuel did test positive for HPAI.

Test results completed on October 27th, 2022 at the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories showed that Emmanuel’s serum sample, collected six days after the start of the outbreak, contained antibody levels that were consistent with recent infection.

When Blake announced Emmanuel’s stress diagnosis, she was likely relying on information provided by a rapid test, which can provide results within 48 hours. These tests detect viral proteins that indicate active infection and virus shedding. Serology tests, on the other hand, look for the presence of antibodies produced in response to infection, not necessarily active infection. For an indeterminate number of days prior to the sample collection (October 17, 2022) Emmanuel had an active HPAI infection that, rather than stress, likely led to his rapid decline.

Why, then, was Emmanuel not included in the state’s cull on Knuckle Bump Farms? An email between Dr. Michael Short, the FDACS’ Animal Industry Director, and Kassandra Curiel of the FDACS’ Office of the Commissioner, answers this question. Dr. Short states that “USDA guidance is that ratites (emus and ostriches), black swans and exotic pet birds do not have to be euthanized due to lower risk”. Blake echoes this on her Twitter, when she says that “the state only focused on the “super spreaders” which are poultry species and ducks. Ratites aren’t included because they typically aren’t as susceptible.”.

This allowed Knuckle Bump Farms’ four emus (Emily, Eliza, Elliot, and Emmanuel) and three black swans (two unnamed females and Rico), to be exempted from the cull. I cannot find any reference, either in USDA literature or anywhere else, that supports Dr. Short’s statement. In fact, all the literature that I reviewed and all the experts I talked to during my research only confirmed the devastating effects that HPAI can have on both ratites and black swans. This, coupled with the fact that three of Knuckle Bump Farms’ four emus and two of their three black swans died when “the virus hit them extremely hard and very quickly”, calls Dr. Short’s statement into question.

The USDA was also unable to substantiate Dr. Short’s statement. When asked how exemptions to culls were determined they explained that, rather than look at individual species, the USDA classifies HPAI-infected domestic birds as either commercial, backyard poultry, or backyard non-poultry. These definitions ascribe risk of potential HPAI spread by determining the level of contact a poultry premise has with other poultry premises. If a private farm or private household, where the poultry does not have any contact with poultry beyond the property, has an outbreak then they are classified as a non-poultry premises, even if they have chickens, turkeys, or other poultry birds. These non-poultry premises can thus be exempted from culling all their birds by being placed on quarantines by state officials, provided that they adhere to the quarantine and continue to not have contact with any poultry facilities. Knuckle Bump Farms does not sell poultry products; therefore, they were classified as backyard non-poultry and eligible for quarantine. The FDACS seems to have added their own interpretation onto this guidance when they specify ratites, black swans, and exotic pet birds as “lower risk”. I reached out to Dr. Short for comment but received no response.

This isn’t the only time Dr. Short and, by extension, the FDACS demonstrated faulty logic. In that same email between him and Curiel, Dr. Short used this comparison to explain why a citizen’s concern about Emmanuel’s exemption from the cull was unfounded.

“I have heard of only one report of a clinically ill human, over the past 1.5 years of a national response to the current avian flu outbreak. The risk of HPAI to the owner is much less than occurred with household pets that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (Covid).  I am assuming no one would advocate to euthanize all pets testing positive for Covid (At least I have not heard of anyone asking us to euthanize pets).

The risk of avian influenza is constantly occurring with all the wild birds in South Florida.  My understanding (not being a human health expert) is the risk to people, especially children and those immuno-compromised at public or private lakes, ponds and waterways from the AI being shed by water fowl is much greater than the sick emu at knuckle bump farm.”

Dr. Ben Golas, a VMD and postdoc with the USGS who is currently working on avian influenza research, weighed in. “It’s a bit like comparing apples and oranges to talk about risk of transmission of COVID vs. HPAI. With COVID, our primary concern is human-to-human contact. [. . .] With HPAI, farm animals are euthanized not only because the disease spreads within the farm flock like wildfire, but also to prevent spreading infection locally to other farms, because HPAI virus can be stable in the environment.”

The CDC agrees. “There is no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to people. […] It’s important to remember that people are much more likely to get COVID-19 from other people than from animals. There is no need to euthanize or otherwise harm animals infected with SARS-CoV-2.” When it comes to HPAI, however, they emphasize that human-to-human spread is rare and often limited to only a few individuals. Bird-to-human transmission is the primary method of human infection, with each new infection increasing the risk that a new, more virulent strain will emerge. This, along with the potential for massive bird-to-bird outbreaks that could devastate both wildlife and industry, is why complete depopulation (euthanasia) is standard for HPAI and not COVID-19.

The FDACS seems to be operating on contradicting and unsubstantiated information when it comes to managing HPAI outbreaks. Unsurprisingly, the employees seem equally conflicted in their internal emails regarding Knuckle Bump Farms. One Florida USDA representative noted, while forwarding a citizen concern about Blake’s lack of PPE, that “her face is real close to a bird that has HPAI”. Another USDA employee responded “actually, in one of the pictures she appears to be kissing it on the head.”. Dr. Kendra Stauffer of the USDA wrote, “. . . part of the allowing the pet bird to live was that there were rules the owner was to follow from DOH, which clearly she is not”.

Other employees, however, were eager to show their support. Commissioner Nikki Fried of the FDACS posted a photo of her, Blake, and Haggerty, and later posted a photo of herself drinking Knuckle Bump Farms’ branded beer while wearing an Emmanuel t-shirt.

Fried’s support generated a lot of concern, particularly amongst local farmers. One Florida emu farmer stated, “my disappointment and concern is 100% with the actions of Nikki Fried as Agricultural Commissioner to allow some birds to be exempt from depopulation, including emus, for no quantifiable reason. Emus are susceptible to HPAI. Emus in other states have contracted HPAI in this current outbreak and they either died on their own or were put down. Research shows they are susceptible to HPAI, and can spread it to other birds and humans. The decision by Fried and FDACS makes no sense and it sets a dangerous precedent.”

Considering that Blake has over 847.4K followers on Twitter, 938K on Instagram, and 2.4 million on TikTok, the precedent the FDACS and USDA have set here is, indeed, dangerous. Many of Blake’s followers learned about avian influenza for the first time through her documentation of Emmanuel’s illness and the state’s response to the outbreak. “I watch for Emmanuel updates every day! This has also been a great lesson for many people in farming education.”, one follower said. Another echoed this sentiment, saying “Thank you for taking the time to let us know what’s going on, and answering questions. You truly are an educator”.

Herein lies the problem. Knuckle Bump Farms is a small, backyard operation. Through social media, however, they reach millions. This specific outbreak of HPAI and its subsequent (mis-)management by the FDACS and USDA has now set the standard for many, rather than the exception. Blake’s public failure to comply with PPE recommendations, the lack of transparency regarding Emmanuel’s true diagnosis, a similar lack of transparency within the FDACS and USDA regarding this outbreak, exemptions to cull protocols made with seemingly no supporting data, and a publicly-elected official openly (and financially) supporting Blake through this process, all pose a serious threat to public confidence in HPAI management and future public health. The concerns of farmers, virologists, public health workers and organizations, wildlife rehabilitators, and animal sanctuaries have been ignored, particularly when they asked whether Emmanuel’s fame and the risk of public backlash led to the FDACS’ decision to leave him and several other symptomatic birds alive. It seems, through this research, that there is more support for this theory than the narrative we’ve been provided until now. It is my hope that, with the publishing of this information, the very real concerns raised by people directly effected by HPAI will be given the weight they deserve.

Please take this opportunity to learn about avian influenza from reputable sources:

Protecting Birds from Avian Influenza

Avian influenza and PPE

CDC Avian Influenza

USDA HPAI Response Plan

Florida Avian Influenza Update (Oct 2022)

A huge thank you to the following experts who generously answered my questions: Dr. Ben Golas, Dr. Jim Wellehan, and Dr. Jennifer Riley.

[gothicwidowsworld]

Mayfair M.A

Y/N L/N’s loved when she got to sit in on and be a part of Screaming Meals, whilst having cameras in her face had become a necessary evil in her career Screaming Meals was less media duties and more fucking about and having a lark with her boyfriend and their tightknit group of friends without having to worry about a show, a race, an interview or anything else her career and Marcus’ threw at them. Yeah Nah G’day was the jewel in the Screaming Meals channel at least in Y/N’s eyes watching Marcus & James slip back into simple Kiwi boy’s sharing stories & laughs, the occasional sly dig thrown in. 

“I was just hanging around Mayfair the other day… I’m not flexing I’m just I was in Mayfair at a cafe with my girlfriend…” Marcus began already rolling his eyes at the face James was pulling at the mention of the infamous London location. “Was I there?” James asked quickly, the tall Kiwi forgetting to let the Driver finish his sentence. “Are you my girlfriend? Marcus asked sarcastically, raising a quizzical eyebrow in response. Resting back, relaxing more into the firm sofa Marcus continued his story “The cafe was reasonably empty, and I’ve sort of looked over to my left and uh… and I’ve seen someone. And I’m like she looks familiar. At this point Y/N’s given me a weird look, I’m like she looks really like Rihanna. Obviously, I didn’t say that to Y/N/N because you know I wasn’t looking at another girl but I’m also not stupid.” Snorting at his mates replay of his inner monologue James interrupted again “Debatable.” It was obviously in jest, but Marcus couldn’t help the offended look that filled his pale features. James and Marcus even Clém often poked fun at each other but they never meant any harm by it, it was just playground high jinks despite leaving school years ago. “So I’m like I’ll just get my phone, I check online um oh shit Rhianna is actually in London right now. And She’s realised that I’ve noticed it's her and there’s only like my table and her table” The Kiwi Driver explained moving his hands around to try to visually explain the distance between him and who he’d now confirmed as the famous Barbadian singer. “And she’s like basically from me to y/n away, she’s so close and I’m like oh my god.”

“Mate she’s gonna freak out when she sees this” James explained teasing the clearly excited Marcus, if there was one thing Marcus Armstrong was bad at other than singing it was hiding his emotions. It didn’t take a genius to work out when he was excited. From the way his soft golden hazel eyes would sparkle to the small twitches of his upper lip as he tried to bite back a growing grin. “I know” Marcus replied somewhat bashfully, an awkward laugh of disbelief tumbling from his pink lips. “When she watches this she’s gonna absolutely lose it. So I’ve realised it’s her and She can see in my eyes that I’ve just realised it’s Rhianna right. And she’s obviously said something to her mate who’s like right next to her and I believe that mate was A$AP Rocky. Quite a table next to us and uh so she’s mentioned something, and I’ve turned to my girlfriend and I’ve said, “Whatever you do don’t turn around.” Marcus trailed off mentally reliving the moment, his heart starting to race. 

“Obviously the first thing Y/N’s gonna do” James stated with a shrug of his shoulders, it was a known fact the y/h/c girl couldn’t be trusted in situations like this. It wasn’t her fault; it was just a reflex she struggled to control no matter how hard she tried. “No I’ve said “don’t turn around Babe do NOT turn around, but Rhianna is on the table behind us”. And of course, my sweet sweet girlfriend has turned around. Um and then suddenly it just struck me I was like actually now that I realise it this room is full of security guards… And they’re all looking at me because I’ve just said that WAY too loud, and Y/N/N’s turned around.” Marcus recounted, a small smile breaking onto his face as he locked eyes with the aforementioned girl behind the camera. “Kind of like Clément Novalak in a Drivers briefing” James chortled purposely ignoring the scoffing that came from his female long-time friend. 

“Exactly like Clément in the driver’s briefing… she’s going to hate that you’ve compared her to him..” the F2 Driver replied laughing at first before trailing off. It was a joke, a good joke even, but Y/N hated being compared to any Driver on the F2 grid or otherwise. Adjusting his headphones Marcus cleared his throat “And uh, my heart is like pounding, it’s like the most nervous I’ve ever been in my life seeing Rhianna, she’s looked me in the eyes and given me a look of disgust, something that I’m quite used to now.” 

“It was not a look of disgust!.” the y/h/c young woman called out softly, a giggle rippling from her chest, her heart warming at the sight of a slightly panicking Armstrong. At the same time James decided to add his thoughts. “Yeah, especially from women… or Y/N’s fans” James added knowing that over the past couple of months the young woman’s fanbase had grown, and with that so had some of jealousy targeted towards the New Zealander.  “Thanks man… And uuhh so I actually I felt so embarrassed for myself that i’d made her uncomfortable that I just thought I need to leave, Babe we need to leave. I just can’t believe I made her feel like this. Lets just get up and leave, I’m sorry I’ve ruined our date, but we just need to leave. So I’m like let’s go.  And then Y/N just looks at me like I’m insane and walked up to Rhianna and says “Hey Rhi how are you” like it was nothing!? Then they like hug and everything and then we just walk out, we just go. I’m still buzzing now like yeah.” 

“I can tell.” the taller Kiwi replied, “It is weird when you see like a full-blown celebrity in the wild.” James hummed a second later nodding his head slightly at his statement. “James, you see me all the time?!” Y/N hollered tilting her head slightly in confusion, some loose strands of y/h/c locks disturbing her view of the lighter haired man. “I said a celebrity!” James barked back in faux angst. “I’ll just go fuck myself then? No more concert tickets for you!” Y/N sassily retaliated losing the fighting urge to stick her tongue out at her boyfriends and unfortunately hers depending on how you looked at it close mate. 

“Hold on a minute! You can’t do that!” James exclaimed loudly, shooting forward quickly, almost yanking his headphones violently. Turning to face his co-host James frowned slightly “Can she do that?” James whispered obnoxiously a look of utter bewilderment casting over his face. All the insurance broker got in response was a half-hearted shrug.  

y/nl/n posted to their story

[nomkiwi]

This was a promo post, but is now my intro cuz I’m lazy.

wip

◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢

now you’re probably thinking

“who the actual [BEEEP] is this girl and why does she want a promo ?”

I’m here to answer !! (Obviously!)

I’m kiwi, a rentrymaker + trying to make a name for myself on editblr !

I mainly do rentry graphics, sometimes take requests for rentries,and um. Shitpost. i like shitposting.

I take requests for almost all media’s though there is a blacklist which is the following:

✦•〰〰〰〰〰〰•★•〰〰〰〰〰〰•✦

BLACKLIST:

-Roblox (sorry but I have never touched that game and the community makes me kinda uncomfortable)

-Mascot horror (I just don’t like things like that at all, though requests of ACTUAL horror games are really welcomed !)

-Fortnite and brawl stars (sorry but just no)

-home stuck (haven’t read it yet, and for one I’m scared of spoiling + editing those characters won’t really work in my editing style, I have nothing against homestuck tho !)

-General brainrot stuff (skibidi toilet and stupid shi like that)

✦•〰〰〰〰〰〰•★•〰〰〰〰〰〰•✦

I actually also have a whitelist, though you are also welcome to request ANYTHING that isn’t in my blacklist, we’ll see if I’ll be able to do it !

✦•〰〰〰〰〰〰•★•〰〰〰〰〰〰•✦

WHITELIST:

-BSD (bungou stray dogs)

-Genshin, honkai (star rail ?) , hoyo in general !

-Magical girl anime !

-the persona series !

-REVERSE:1999 !

-splatoon!

-LoZ!

-I also do certain music groups, preferably j or k pop though !

✦•〰〰〰〰〰〰•★•〰〰〰〰〰〰•✦

feel free to talk to me or just request something , I love talking and finding new friends and people !

[emsprovisions]

Tag Game: Found Family

Thank you for the tags @lonestar-s5countdown @tellmegoodbye @lemonlyman-dotcom @lightningboltreader @strandnreyes 💕

What is your favorite 911 Lone Star Found Family moment?

There are so many to choose from that this honestly is so hard. Back before I actually started watching LS, I used to watch Tarlos clips on youtube, and I would just see the 126 gang in the videos and wanting to know more about them and the found family dynamic is part of why I finally started watching. One of the most memorable ones from the clips for me was the group supporting Marj, whether it was her broken engagement or when she was being blasted on social media. Another big one for me was the group rallying around Nancy and giving her a trophy for being Nailed it Nancy.

Now having seen the show, I think one of my favorite scenes is the whole family cleaning up the firehouse together after it blew up. And also the scene where Nancy and Mateo work out their relationship in the loft and Carlos is adorably squeezed between Paul and Marjan.

Which platonic pairing/friendship dynamic are you most looking forward to seeing again in season 5?

Nancy and TK! I love their friendship so much, cannot get enough of them.

If you could pick one Lone Star character to be friends with, who would you choose?

This is impossible. How can I choose ONE??? Maybe TK. I'd love to be best friends with TK.

Which would you rather attend: Catan night at the loft or game night at the Ryder house?

Catan night at the loft every time. Though one of these days we really need a mega team-up game night with both parties. That would be fun to witness.

A character of your choice ends up in jail. Who would they call to bail them out (assuming their romantic partner, parent, and/or child didn't pick up)?

For fun, let's put the least likely suspect to ever get arrested in jail: Carlos. He will call on Paul to bail him out because Paul would do it, and he'd save his questions and criticisms for later, and he wouldn't blab to TK, he'd give Carlos the chance to fess up first.

Thank you! This was fun :)

No pressure tagging: @sapphic--kiwi @ironheartwriter @eclectic-sassycoweyes @herefortarlos +open

[margraviate-of-headcanonburg]

Hi, I’m Margrave, and if canon is usually a ball of yarn and the fics are the cardigans, then the Countryhumans fanon + Hetalia canon are sheep whom I have sheared and spun their outer layers into my own combined, entirely handmade yarn.

My personal universe of hcs is more like a mash-up of CH and Hetalia traits, though I’d never watched or read hetalia canon up until just recently (and only clip compilations). When I was 12-15 I was hyperfixated on CH, but my interaction with it was limited to wattpad and youtube. Out of the inevitable following history and geography hyperfixations I created my own universe, which was then heavily influenced by some Hetalia blogs over here. 3 years later some songs just pulled me back down into the thick of my CH world and now I’m here to make it everyone else’s problem. If this stuff actually garners interest then perhaps someday I’ll make a masterlist of my great city of Headcanonburg. If you wanna know more than don’t be afraid to ask :D

‘FC’ = First Citizen, the title that al of the nations hold in their countries (equiv. to calling leaders ‘president’ or ‘PM’)

Some TAGS

[note: the ‘Aldwin Family’ refers to Arthur/Britain, Jack/Aussie, Mora/Kiwi, Matthew/Canada, Alfred/America, Haishen/Hong Kong, Mira/Marianne/France (married to arthur), William/England, Malcolm/Scotland, and Gwyneth/Wales]

Headcanonburg - HCs

Nations on Twitter - My series of FC shenanigans on social media

lmfao - funny things

pretty art - RB’d artwork

Alfred Fitzgerald - everything to do with America

the snarky immortals table - things for the FCs as a whole or the UN as a group

security council of idiots - things for the western allies/NATO as a group

Current SHIPS

FrUK (m/f), NedPan (m/m, one deceased), EstiFin (m/m), AusHun (m/f, amicably divorced), PruFritz (m/m, one deceased, shoutout dani) InTan (m/m, india/bhutan) SovAme* (m/m, one deceased) (*clandestine-open-relationship-lovers-friends to clandestine-open-relationship-lovers-enemies)

[UNDER THE CUT IS THE FAMILY TREES I DESIGNED MYSELF AND BASE ALL OF MY OWN CHARACTERS OFF OF. These are ones I’ve currently made and which are continuously in development as I research and brainstorm headcanons; they’ve already been updated/edited many times. Once there are more than 10 I will make separate posts and a masterlist for them. There are multiple layers—grey lines mean adoption—but I’ll leave those to the separate posts]

[thisisabernieblog]

‘A frightening precedent’: New Zealand to send military personnel to target Houthis

By Mick Hall

Jan 25, 2024



Bombing one of the most impoverished nations on Earth over its sea blockade to stop genocide in Gaza reflects Kiwi values, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says.

A decision to send military personnel to the Red Sea to help bomb Yemen reflects New Zealand’s values and a desire to protect the “rules-based international order”, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says.

Addressing his first post-Cabinet media stand-up on January 23, Luxon announced the deployment of six NZDF members to target Houthi assets for UK and US bombing missions. The deployment is to last up to 31 July.

Luxon was accompanied by Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins.

The decision was greeted with alarm by a range of politicians and peace campaigners.

In Context revealed in December the government was weighing up a request from the US to send military assets to support Operation Prosperity Guardian, a naval coalition formed to confront Ansarallah/Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in response to Israel’s military onslaught against Gaza.

Yemen has now been targeted in strikes on eight separate occasions since it was first attacked on January 12, a move New Zealand backed in a joint statement by 10 countries. The US has said the bombing campaign is separate from and not associated with Operation Prosperity Guardian.

In the latest attack on January 22, Yemen’s capital was hit Sanaa as up to 30 strikes on targets across the country aimed at degrading drone and rocket capabilities were recorded.

Luxon said the NZDF personnel would not enter Yemen and would be used in an intelligence gathering capacity, based at an undisclosed location outside of New Zealand.

New Zealand military officers already operate out of a US base in Jordan, working alongside others as part of Operation Gallant Phoenix. The intelligence cell of about 250 personnel was originally set up in 2013 to monitor foreign Islamic State (IS) fighters in Iraq and Syria, but is said to target “terrorist” groups across the region regardless of ideology.

The US Department of State announced on January 17 it was designating the Houthis as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group.

The Yemeni forces announced in November shipping destined for Israel and vessels linked to the country would be targeted in response to Israel’s Western-backed genocidal onslaught in Gaza, which began after the Hamas attack on October 7.

Houthis ‘destabilising’

The Houthis have targeted other naval and commercial ships, including those owned by US and UK interests. In response, shipping giants have decided to use travel around Africa, through the Cape of Good Hope, rather than attempt to use the Suez Canal, adding up to 10 days to journeys. Approximate 400 commercial vessels use the route at any one time.

Luxon said: “Houthi attacks against commercial and naval shipping are illegal, unacceptable and profoundly destabilising.

“This deployment, as part of an international coalition, is a continuation of New Zealand’s long history of defending freedom of navigation both in the Middle East and closer to home.”

The Israeli bombardment of under-siege Gaza has officially killed nearly 26,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, with many of the strip’s displaced residents now on the verge of starvation and threatened by disease. A leaked Israeli government document revealed last year Israel would like to expel the 2.3 million population into Egypt’s Sinai desert.

In an often-incoherent appraisal of the New Zealand’s foreign policy settings, Luxon said his government’s decision to help bomb one of the most impoverished nations on Earth at the behest of the US was ethically grounded and necessary to maintain a rules-based international order, a descriptor for US hegemony.

“It’s about values. It’s about standing up for things we believe in and we need to talk about them, but we also need to do something about it as well to make sure that we put real capability alongside our words and that’s what we’re doing,” he said.

As Israel prepared a ground assault in Gaza in late October, US and UK naval and military assets were deployed to the region to deter the so-called Axis of Resistance – Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iran and Yemen’s de facto government – from intervening in Israel’s operation, which was described by South Africa at the International Court of Justice earlier this month as a genocide.

As the Gaza killings continue, Israel’s repeated bombing of neighbouring Lebanon and Syria over the past month, with the killing an Iranian general in Damascus and a senior Hamas figure in Beirut, threatens to create a catastrophic regional conflagration.

Wrong to ‘conflate’ issues – Luxon

Luxon said it was wrong to “conflate the two issues” of Houthi attacks and Israel actions in the Middle East. He claimed that 31 attacks from Yemen that had affected 60 countries were “hugely indiscriminate” and that attacks on shipping would have happened regardless of Israel’s operation in Gaza.

“What is obvious is they’ve tried to run an argument but it’s not held up in fact. It’s been a really indiscriminate attack in commercial shipping,” he said.

The Houthi disruption of shipping had the potential to cause starvation, he added.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the attacks on commercial shipping routes had affected hundreds of millions of people. He said the Houthi actions also threatened New Zealand’s national interests as a trading nation and necessitated military action. He said the government would “not be intimidated” by the threat of Houthi attacks on Kiwis.

Defence Minister Judith Collins said the US-led coalition’s response was an inevitable consequence of Houthi actions and were designed to address “a serious threat of global stability”.

Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) spokesman John Minto called the government’s justifications for sending personnel “shamelessly hypocritical” and said it would only add fuel to the fire.

“Luxon should be condemning Israel’s slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza as ‘illegal, unacceptable and profoundly destabilising’ and yet Mr Luxon refuses to utter a single word of criticism on Israel despite the death toll of over 25,000 Palestinians – including over 10,000 children,” he said.

“Foreign Minister Winston Peters saying the deployment should not be linked to recent developments in Israel and the Gaza strip is simply laughable.”

Without Parliamentary mandate – Te Kuaka

New Zealand foreign policy group, Te Kuaka, called the deployment “deeply alarming”. Co-director, Dr Arama Rata, said it would “inflame regional instability and cause more civilian deaths without addressing the root cause of the Houthi actions, which is ending the genocide in Gaza.”

She said the decision was made without a Parliamentary mandate and that there had been no explicit authorisation of military action in self-defence against Yemen by the UN Security Council.”

“This sets a frightening precedent for how foreign policy decisions are made. There are huge risks to not just the Middle East, but New Zealand directly when we take the side of the US and the UK, nations that have a long history of oppressive intervention in the Global South.”

Peters told media the opposition had not been consulted about the decision because the government didn’t think it needed to.

Rata added: “We need to have an honest reflection about our positioning alongside the US and the UK. Instead of colluding with these colonial powers, we should be standing with countries like Brazil and South Africa, which are challenging old colonial regimes, and represent the majority of the international community.”

The Green Party said the government should be focused on de-escalation.

“We are horrified at this Government’s decision to further inflame tensions in the Middle East by sending New Zealand Defence Force personnel to the Red Sea,” co-leaders of the Green Party, Marama Davidson and James Shaw said.

“It seems inconceivable for this government to be so dangerously naïve to say that this deployment has nothing to do with the horrific violence that continues to suffocate Gaza. The Government should be using every opportunity to push for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.”

As well as failing to call for an immediate ceasefire, the government has failed to support South Africa’s application to The Hague for an interim injunction to stop Israel’s military operation in Gaza while the court makes a determination on whether Israeli is guilty of genocide against Palestinians.

There were also moments during the post-cabinet media event where a duplicity in paying lip service to the notion of Palestinian statehood seemed exposed.

When asked if the government would recognise the state of Palestine a clearly bemused Luxon deferred to Peters, who claimed the government supported a two-state solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict, but would not recognise Palestine as a state as its borders were not defined.

The Oslo peace accords of the 1990s clearly defined the borders of a future Palestinian state.

When pressed over the fact borders were defined, so why not support Palestinian statehood, a befuddled Peters replied: “Because the Prime Minister of Israel made a statement to the contrary… he didn’t support the two-state solution”.

Luxon bizarrely added it was because Palestinians didn’t have a functional government.

Over the weekend, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the idea of Palestinian statehood as an existential threat to Israel. He posted on social media: “I will not compromise on full Israeli security control over the entire area west of [the river] Jordan — and this is irreconcilable with a Palestinian state”.

So New Zealand's gone full fascist.

[invertedworldszine]

YOUR MODS

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[elfaegyo]

GWSN Like It Hot

Miya,  Seokyoung,  Seoryoung,  Anne,  Minju,  Soso,  Lena   Like It Hot Like It Hot Ooh Woah Oh Yeah  Ooh Woah Oh Yeah Yeah  Jeomada ganjeolhan kkum geu bichi hwaryeohan got Jeoldaero jiji anhneun jeo dwie neol ara Jakjiman gangryeolhan chum teok kkeute chaoreun sum Urin eojjeomyeon gateun kkumeul kkwotji Dahgo sipeun geol Neoui maeum soge chago chaoreuneun neoegero More More Deureojugo sipeun…

[formula-1-otp]

Safety Net

Summary: A misunderstanding causes a conflict between Yuki and Liam, Charles notices Liam’s panic, Logan and Charles to the rescue!

A/N : Hello everyone! I hope you enjoy this also from a tumblr prompt from @saraswritingtipps

"¡ promise i'll keep you safe, no matter what."

I hope you guys enjoy feel free to comment requests!!

—————————————————————————

Williams had had a great race. Logan finally felt like he was proving what he could do. Logan saw Alex to his left as he exited the car ready to congratulate the younger man. He accepted the celebrations before going over to the team to see how everyone else placed and debriefed. Logan peeked out of the garage to see the other drivers all chatting out front. It wasn't uncommon for the drivers to meet after a race but outside Williams was odd.

Liam stepped out of the car, definitely not the finish he wanted but he would take any experience in the car he could get. Heidi saw the team looking at the data sheets trying to find where it all went wrong, qualifying 5th fastest but finishing almost last was not normal, but Liam wasn’t sure what happened he just couldn’t find the pace he needed to keep up. He was quickly escorted out of the garage and to the media pen where he answered what felt like millions of questions.

“So Liam how do you think this will affect the team for next week’s race?” Liam couldn’t help but take a few seconds to find a good answer. Heidi had been media trained but nowhere near the ability of a full-time driver.

“As long as we keep our heads up and learn from our mistakes I think we’ll have no issue for next week,” he managed to give a fake smile, he wasn’t sure if he would be driving next week, Daniel was supposed to be off for a couple more weeks but he couldn’t help but overhear talk that Zane may take over for the few Liam was trying so hard to prove he deserved to be there. He wanted a full-time seat for next year but with today’s performance, he wasn’t sure that would happen.

“Liam, do you have anything to comment about the allegations online?” Liam gave a blank stare he hadn’t heard of any allegations, at least his PR manager hadn’t said anything.

“I don’t know about any allegations-“

“So no comment on you defacing Yuki’s car?” The interviewer asked again before Liam could even get a word in his PR manager was beside him warding off the media and dragging him back to the garages.

“What were they talking about?” Liam had to ask, if this was about him he needed to know.

“We’ll discuss it after just go back to the garage for a debrief and I’ll meet you there.” Liam gave a small huff as he slowly made it back to the RB garage.

Unfortunately, news spread fast in the paddock and it wasn’t long before the young kiwi was being surrounded by other drivers and staff all questioning him. Liam was trying to come up with an answer but before he could Yuki walked straight through the crowd to the Kiwi before giving him a quick hard slap across his cheek.

“I thought we were friends! But you wanted to get in the good books so badly you had to destroy my car!” Yuki was yelling and Liam was just frozen in fear. He didn’t know what was going on but whatever it was it wasn’t good.

“Liam why would you do that?” He turned to see Max staring at him, he couldn’t read the expression of the Dutchman. Liam could feel his breathing picking up he was starting to feel claustrophobic with the amount of people surrounding him all screaming for answers but no one would give him time to explain or get a word in edge-wise.

Charles wasn’t stupid he could see the panicked look on the young Kiwi. He wanted answers as much as everyone else after watching the video but he knew that sending the young kiwi into a panic attack wasn’t going to help. Charles quickly turned to the Williams garage, he found the American who was already staring at the group outside.

“Logan, we need to get Liam out of here,” Charles didn’t give time to explain and he was grateful Logan didn’t ask too many questions before running through the group to get to the middle.

Liam couldn’t hear much his hearing was coming in and out just like his vision he was aware someone was touching him before he could even process who it was he was flinging himself backwards just to get away from the commotion and silence his brain for a second.

Logan wasn’t sure what was going on, he could only imagine how Liam felt, the American was having a hard time understanding anything all he could see was his boyfriend in distress.

“What’s going on?” Logan asked but no one would listen, all too busy talking over each other to understand anything. Logan stood in front of Liam trying to shield the kiwi from the outside world.

“Liam? Liam, can you hear me?” Logan could see how the words weren’t registering. Logan could see the shakiness of his stance and how laboured his breathing was. It wasn’t until Logan went to put his arm on Liam that Logan understood the severity of the situation. The second Logan’s hand made contact with the kiwi the other boy was flying backwards into the people surrounding him.

Charles couldn’t watch anymore he knew Yuki had a right to be mad, but they should hear the full story before assuming. Charles pushed his way into the middle of the circle.

“If you are not directly related to the incident can you please leave!” Charles tried to be polite but also had to get his point across luckily most of the group had wandered off. Yuki and his crew were now just standing in front of Charles with Logan and Liam behind, Pierre was not far behind but that didn’t surprise Charles.

“I know you’re mad Yuki-“ Charles went to continue unfortunately Yuki cut him off.

“Mad! Mad doesn’t even begin. I want an explanation! I have to go to debrief but I’ll be back,” Logan rolled his eyes luckily the Japanese man couldn’t see. Logan still also not knowing what they were talking about his only concern was his boyfriend.

Yuki and Pierre stormed off and Charles let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding. Heidi finally got a chance to turn to the two behind him.

“Thank you, Charles,” Logan gave the Monegasque a small smile.

“Here I’ll hear you get him into your driver's room,” Charles carefully went to the side of Liam.

“Liam, Charles and I are gonna help you back to my driver's room is that okay?” Logan made sure to make eye contact before getting a small nod out of Liam. Logan could see the tears in his eyes and had to stop himself from punching out half the grid. He knew violence wouldn’t solve anything but he hated seeing Liam like this, honestly, it was usually the other way around, Liam would drop everything to help Logan through his race weekends and console him after he crashed out or had a bad finish. Logan couldn’t say it was often the tables turned. The two men finally got Liam situated in Logan’s driver's room. Logan barely sat down before Liam was clinging to him.

“Hey baby, can you breathe with me?” Logan could still hear the laboured breathing so he began to take big deep breaths. It wasn’t long before Liam’s breathing finally calmed down unfortunately the tears had started.

“I don’t know what I did,” Liam sputtered out before more tears began to fall. He didn’t, all he knows is that he failed his team in the race and now the grid was mad at him.

“I don’t know either baby, it’s okay we’ll worry about it later,” Logan just consoled the kiwi.

Logan looked to Charles who was sitting on Liam’s other side. He and Charles weren’t friends but he was glad the older man could see the problem and notice there was an issue. Liam fell asleep against Logan’s side, the panic attack he had had wiped out most of his energy.

“Do you know what this is all about?” Logan asked quietly he didn’t want to wake the kiwi but he wanted to know. Liam and Yuki were friends and to see Yuki ready to tear him to shreds hurt Logan’s heart.

“There’s a video circling, I’ll show you,”

Charles pulls out his phone, Logan can’t believe his eyes. Liam ran around the side of the car, scratching the doors, spray painting the side and so much more. Logan didn’t understand, he had been with Liam almost all weekend apart from media and race time.

“Wait can you pause it and rewind a bit?” Logan was inspecting the video, something looked off nothing big but something small. As he zoomed in on the video he saw a small outline in some parts of Liam.

“What do you see Logan?” Charles was confused he had watched the video but he hadn’t inspected it like Logan currently was.

“It’s fake…. See that, you can see he was placed on top,” Logan pointed out to Charles. The Monegasque just stared, he knew fake articles were normal but fake videos were new.

“We have to show everyone,” Logan said, he knew until the grid had this issue sorted everyone would be picking sides unfortunately he couldn’t blame anyone for picking Yuki, from the blind eye the video looks real it’s not till you deconstruct it that it starts to come to flourish.

Logan ran his fingers through Liam’s blonde hair. He couldn’t help it having the blonde in his lap made him a bit more affectionate.

Liam’s small nap had done nothing to help his anxiety or the exhaustion from racing and having a panic attack. The kiwi opened his eyes to see Logan smiling at him, he then saw that Charles was also smiling.

“Hey, did you have a good nap?” Logan asked quietly not wanting to startle the boy.

“I guess,” Liam rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up. At this point, he just wanted to sleep for eternity.

“Do you want to see what everyone freaking out about?” Logan asked he made sure to once again make eye contact with the Kiwi, he knew Liam had to know this was his choice.

“Sure,” Liam looked over to Charles's phone as the Monegasque played the video. It wasn’t even 30 seconds in before Liam’s eyes were watering again. He couldn’t believe was he was watching. He didn’t remember doing this? And to Yuki he would never intentionally hurt Yuki.

The tears were coming again and Liam couldn’t stop them. He had tried hard to hold them back but he just couldn’t.

“It’s okay, the video is fake,” Charles added with a smile to Liam’s shocked face. The Kiwi couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“You didn’t do anything,” Logan was next rubbing the kiwi's back. Liam was processing, he didn’t do anything, it was all a big misunderstanding.

The three sat in Logan's room for another few minutes. Logan could see how tired his boyfriend was and he would be lying if he said he wasn't also exhausted.

“Shall we go clear your name?” Logan stood with Charles holding out his hand for the kiwi.

Liam smiled as he stood taking Logan's hand, the three made their way back out to the paddock where a group was still gathered. As the three came out of the Williams garage Liam could feel the daggers being stared into him. He stood a little close to Charles pulling Logan closer on his other side.

“I have proof the video is fake!” Logan said to the group immediately.

The group just stared as Logan starting with Yuki and Pierre went around the circle showing everyone that the video was edited. Logan could see the hurt on Yuki’s face, he wouldn't say he was happy but he was glad the Japanese man finally understood.

“I am so sorry Liam,” Logan wouldn't let Yuki get too close not wanting to send the kiwi into another panic. The group apologized and Liam just waved them off. Once the group had dispersed the three men stared at each other for a few seconds before Charles spoke first.

“I do have to get back to the garage but you guys have a good night!” Charles smiled at the two before heading down to the bright red garage.

The two remaining boys ended up going back to the hotel, enjoying some room service dinner before cuddling up in their bed. Logan could see a slight shake in Liam. The American smiled and pulled the other boy to his chest.

“Thank you, Logan,”

“I made a promise I'll keep you safe, no matter what, and I intend to keep it.”

[stygianfields]

Diversity in Gaming and Cultural Melding, or "Why does that Aussie character have a Maori skin?"

I'm not too sure where to post this essay as it encompasses a lot of different games and diversity, I eventually decided on here. I want to preface that I'm half Australian and half Pakeha (NZ European). I don't claim to know the ins and outs of Maori culture, but I do have experience first hand as a New Zealand born.. New Zealander, and have lived in the country my whole life, so I still wanted to voice my perspective.

We've moved more and more from the older gaming trends of 'straight white guy saves impoverished people/country from shady group/tyrant' in recent years for modern gaming. A lot of fps games that had a scowling man on front cover walking/holding gun have changed tone and bucked the older ways to try and be more diverse and open for people, which can either be viewed cynically ('they just do it for more money') or as a genuine effort for change and growth. I'm honestly not here to debate either side of that as both arguments have merit, though I will say that I prefer the expanded range of characters regardless of original intention. This also isn't a post about the companies behind the games and the things they've done or still do, this is just a discussion on characters in the games.

Games having a diverse roster, be that culturally or even from various alien or fantasy races, inherently make a game a more enjoyable experience for me and many other people. If they're crafting in a fun and respectful way as well then that improves that factor even more. A suite of playable characters in a game needs those characters to behave differently from each other in order to keep things fresh and not allow things to feel the same with just a minor voiceline change and nothing else.

There's a reason why games such as Apex and Overwatch characters are much more loved and respected by their communities than the majority of playable characters in Call of Duty. Yes, all 3 of these games have different models, backstory and voicelines from the others in the game, but Apex and Overwatch cultivate a much greater personality to their characters which is showcased through animations, voicelines with more character and dedicated media outside of the game to expand on the lore and backstory of the characters.

Which is, unfortunately, where I need to put in the 'but'; due to a variety of factors, my culture is constantly mistakenly combined with another, or ignored entirely.

I come from New Zealand, a small country in the lower right hand side of the world, under Australia. To some, my country not showing up in media often may not even be a surprise. It's a fairly decently known meme that it never even shows up on maps in film and tv. A lot of people know us either from the director Taika Waititi or the Lord of the Rings movies. In recent times we've definitely made strides to be seen more in media but there still seems to be a mix of cultures that happens to people unaware of the differences. I don't claim to be an expert on my or any other bit of culture, but at least putting out some information and my viewpoint as born and raised Kiwi (NZer) may hopefully help at least one person better understand, which will make all this writing worth it.

I'll be talking specifically about 3 games and 6 characters in total; Maui in Smite, Mad Maggie in Apex Legends and Junkrat, Junker Queen and Roadhog in Overwatch.

Maui is the new character being added to Smite very soon, the second Polynesian god to be put in to the game. Maui is an incredibly important figure in many mythologies around the islands in the Pacific, but the decision was made to focus on his Hawaiian interpretation. I personally have little issue with this because I know and respect how prominent he is to various cultures. In mythology, he founded my country by fishing up the South Island and his boat was made the North Island.

This is actually shown in the game in his abilities with him pulling up an island as an ultimate ability. I love this, honestly. I'm a bit disappointed that they don't have more ties to Maori culture but they even specified in the dev notes on creating him that they wanted to shift mostly on to Hawaiian folklore instead of Maori. I more than understand that and I'm honestly just happy that the rich mythology is getting more coverage in media.

I adore Mad Maggie. She's legitimately the first full on Kiwi in a major game that I know of, alongside having strong Maori characteristics. She has a distinct accent and tone accurate to the role (she's literally voiced by a Maori woman), she has a skin inspired by Maori culture including tribal tattoos *and* she actually speaks Maori in game via voicelines. That's why it's so upsetting to me that people were mostly dreading her release due to an event in Apex she took part in.

For those unaware, Maggie has a history with the character Fuse, a man with a very strong Australian influence. Maggie featured in an event before she released, trying to chase him down and essentially making a bonus game mode. Unfortunately, she suffered from some of what other characters like Newcastle and Vantage did in that she repeated voicelines several times. This lead to a lot of people mocking her voicelines and openly exclaiming that they didn't want her in the game due to just 3 or 4 voicelines from a single event. Thankfully since release this has died down, but it did still temper my excitement due to how rude people were about her. I still love her though and probably always will.

Finally we have Overwatch, one of the first big games that really tried to push for an incredibly diverse roster that I can think of. I'm not fully invested in the deeper factors of the story but I do know that Australia was nearly destroyed during the Omnic Crisis and this caused a liberation group to be formed, a group of scavengers to pop up and the like. During this however, New Zealand is barely even mentioned, if at all in the lore.

Junkrat is probably the most overtly Australian (aside Junker Queen). He has a strong accent and says some common Australian slang. Roadhog is.. a bit more concerning.

Roadhog has several strong connections to New Zealand and New Zealand culture. His real first name is Mako, a shark that while admittedly seen in many locations around the world, is well known for being in Polynesian waters, including a common appearance in New Zealand. His voice is muffled by a mask so you can't hear his accent, but a few of his voicelines are more commonly heard in New Zealand than Australia. 'Sweet as' is a very well known Kiwi phrase and 'I'm beached as bro' is a reference to a viral youtube video making fun of Kiwi accents.

The strongest connection however is his 'Toa' skin. A Toa is a Polynesian warrior, or in Maori is used to mean being bold, experienced and capable. This in tandem with the skin itself having an obvious Maori influence with (an attempt at) tribal tattoos, Huia feathers and a mask with the tongue out to echo the end of a Haka (a dance to celebrate achievements or sometimes as a method of intimidation of an opponent) makes it pretty obvious they wanted him to be a New Zealander.

But he's Australian.

Mako is never mentioned being a Kiwi, his story begins with him being displaced due to a peace accord in Australia. In fact, aside from a leaked map datamine early in release, New Zealand is never mentioned at all, anywhere. With Roadhog being enraged at the treatment him and his people received to the point he joins a liberation movement, you would expect him to be a lot more proud and open about his heritage, yet he gets a couple of New Zealand sounding voicelines and an obviously Maori warrior inspired skin and he's still labelled Australian.

This has been a painful sticking point for me since I first played Overwatch several years ago, honestly. Overwatch released in 2016 and was the first character in a large game with a Kiwi influence. It took a 6 year wait to get Mad Maggie this year to get a much more genuine feeling character and it frustrates me. At best this feels like Blizzard accidentally mixed some cultures together but at worst the skin feels like an Australian man cosplaying as a New Zealand person and it honestly leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth even now.

To be honest I wouldn't make as much of a big deal out of this if it wasn't for Junker Queen, one of the newest characters in the game. JQ is a very obvious Australian, with another thick accent and very Australian voicelines ('get moving you drongos' etc). It honestly breaks down in to two problems: Overwatch having yet another Australian and allegations of being Mad Maggie 2.

The first part is fairly minor for a gripe as they also just brought in a third Japanese character; Overwatch now has 3 Australians yet no Kiwis. I find it frustrating that the only Australian with some NZ links is called Aussie and they just give us a third Aussie. It makes me disappointed because they always tout how diverse and vibrant they are, but they relegate New Zealand to some voice lines and a skin but give Australia 3 characters.

The next is about the gaming community as a whole, wherein Mad Maggie and JQ have been compared to each other several times by many people. I feel a decent amount of this is because they sound *somewhat* similar, however I won't say that I don't find it kind of harmful when New Zealand has always been underrepresented in media. In my opinion, JQ has a bit of what's known as a 'bogan' accent. It's typically used to describe an 'uncultured person' which can either be a pejorative or a term of endearment, but I feel it fits as she has a notable twang and is quite obviously a bit more blunt personality wise. In comparison I'd say Mad Maggie just has a fairly common New Zealand accent, with some of the similar bluntness (though dialed up to 11 just like JQ).

I'm not a linguist and may be inaccurate in terms of region specific accents. Saying this however, I've noticed a lot of people claiming they're basically the same character. I can see parts of this argument but as a New Zealander I still have to express it makes me sad that they get conflated together in a similar way to Roadhog and his Maori inspired cosmetic, especially when Maggie is very strongly inspired directly by New Zealand and our culture.

This ended up being a lot longer than I intended. I suppose it's been stewing in my mind for years, ever since I played Overwatch and found that Toa skin. I would honestly love to see New Zealand featured more and more in games as we have a diverse array of people and a rich history but it seems like very slow progress. I expressly remember when I was interested in Rainbow Six: Siege I made a New Zealand operator called Katipo, named after one of only 3 dangerous spiders in our country. I posted this fan creation online, excited to just share a *tiny* bit of my country and the response from other fans was literally "they'll do Australia well before this". It shattered me, because it was true.

Australia is big, they're much more well known. That doesn't mean that other, smaller countries don't deserve some attention and it *certainly* shouldn't result in smaller countries having their culture subsumed into an Australian character via a single skin and a couple of lines of dialogue. Maybe part of it is that Australia and New Zealand have always had a partial rivalry and respect for each other that makes it hit different, I'm not sure.

What I do know is that I love gaming. I loved it since I was a child, I've been a gamer for nearly two decades now. I love that more cultures are being shown and embraced. It's time for more Kiwi representation. I want others to learn about my culture, I want to learn more about my culture that I don't know. I felt so much pride seeing Mad Maggie release and I want to feel that again.

People really don't understand how impactful diversity can be until you experience your own culture being shown in a game for the first time.

[sebengineer101]

The Bat-Morning Report

Monty Python, the iconic British comedy group, has a unique nickname for Radio New Zealand (RNZ) National's morning flagship news and current affairs program, Morning Report. They affectionately refer to it as Bat-Morning Report, drawing inspiration from Nelson Riddle's instrumental soundtracks for the 1960s Batman TV series.

Morning Report is a staple in New Zealand's media landscape, providing listeners with up-to-date news, interviews, and analysis on a wide range of topics. The program airs every weekday morning, helping Kiwis start their day informed and engaged with the world around them.

The nickname Bat-Morning Report is a playful nod to the program's serious and authoritative tone, juxtaposed with the whimsical and adventurous spirit of the 1960s Batman TV series. Nelson Riddle's music, with its catchy melodies and dynamic rhythms, adds a touch of excitement and drama to Morning Report, making it a must-listen for many New Zealanders.

Monty Python's association with Morning Report goes beyond just the nickname. The comedy group has a long history of poking fun at traditional media and news outlets, using satire and absurdity to highlight the absurdities of the world around them. By calling the program Bat-Morning Report, Monty Python adds a touch of irreverence and humor to the serious business of news reporting.

But despite the playful nickname, Morning Report remains a vital source of information for New Zealanders. The program covers a wide range of topics, from politics and economics to culture and entertainment, providing listeners with a comprehensive overview of the day's events. With in-depth interviews, expert analysis, and on-the-ground reporting, Morning Report keeps Kiwis informed and engaged with the world around them.

In a world where news can often be overwhelming and confusing, Morning Report stands out as a beacon of clarity and reliability. The program's team of experienced journalists and presenters work tirelessly to bring listeners the most accurate and up-to-date information, helping them make sense of the complex issues facing New Zealand and the world.

And while Monty Python may playfully refer to Morning Report as Bat-Morning Report, the program's impact and importance cannot be understated. With its commitment to quality journalism and public service, Morning Report plays a crucial role in keeping New Zealanders informed and engaged with the world around them.

So the next time you tune in to Morning Report, remember the playful nickname bestowed upon it by Monty Python. Bat-Morning Report may be a lighthearted moniker, but the program's dedication to quality journalism and public service is no joke. Stay informed, stay engaged, and enjoy the unique blend of seriousness and whimsy that makes Morning Report a must-listen for Kiwis everywhere.

[bookclub4m]

Episode 193 - Spring Media Update

It’s time for our Spring Media Update episode! We talk about art installations, manga, board games, comics, and birds. So many birds.

You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system.

In this episode

Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jam Edwards

Join our Discord Server!

Media We’ve Been Consuming

Jam

Quality Assurance in Another World by Masamichi Satō

Wingspan (board game designed by Elizabeth Hargrave)

Redactle

New York Times responds to Only Connect resemblance

Anna

Meow Wolf

Convergence Station

Terraria

Terraria Ep1 || Mine O'Clock

Amanda the Jedi

Explaining the Chaotic Disaster of Madame Web

Meghan

Lisa LeBlanc 

Long books : 

The Abominable by Dan Simmons (663 pages)

Dead Water by C.A. Fletcher (513 pages)

The Year of the Locust by Terry Hayes (760 pages)

Bungalow Details Interior by Jane Powell

Matthew

Spy x Family, vol. 1 by Tatsuya Endo

Giant Days Library Edition, vol. 1 by by  John Allison, Lissa Treiman, and Max Sarin

Birds We Mentioned

Chickadee

Emu

Cassowary

Kākāpō

Shoebill

Tawny Frogmouth

Pesquet's parrot (Dracula Parrot)

Kiwi

Hawk

Pigeon

Crow

Chicken

Links, Articles, and Things

OLA RA in a Day

Yotsuba&!, vol. 1 by Kiyohiko Azuma

Chiac

Acadia

Birds Aren’t Real

Only Connect

Bungalow

12 Political Thrillers by BIPOC Authors

Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.

Rogue Justice by Stacey Abrams

The Caretaker by A.X. Ahmad

The Opium Prince by Jasmine Aimaq

Exceptional Circumstances by James Bartleman

The Emperor of Ocean Park by Stephen L. Carter

The Sniper by Chang Kuo-Li, translated by Roddy Flag

The Executioner’s Game by Gary Hardwick

What You Leave Behind by Wanda M. Morris

One in the Chamber by Robin Peguero

Grant Park by Leonard Pitts Jr.

Paper Gods by Goldie Taylor

American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson

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Join us again on Tuesday, May 7th we’ll be discussing books from Indie Publishers!

Then on Tuesday, June 4th we’ll be discussing non-fiction Pop Culture!

[my-fortnite-blog]

Reasons why I bought Tropical Punch Zoey Skin !

Opinion/Review

Reason N° 1: SISTAR Hyolyn´s outfit is like Zoey’s

I love K-POP, when I was younger and I started  listening to K-POP music, some day I found a girl group band called SISTAR (SISTAR was a South Korean girl group formed in 2010 by Starship Entertainment. The group consisted of Hyolyn, Bora, Soyou, and Dasom), I loved SISTAR so I became a big fan because their music, their super summery aesthetic and funny dances.

When SISTAR launched "Shake it" single I loved the song, well I loved everything, especially the outfits, they were so cool and funny.

When a k-pop group do a comeback they do a promotion on TV Shows, social media, etc, and they do a performance of their single, in this case, SISTAR sang and danced "Shake it" different days, in different TV shows, with different outfits, one of them is this!! That is wearing Hyolyn.

¡Razones por las que compré Tropical Punch Zoey Skin!

Razon N°1: El outfit de Zoey es muy parecido al de Hyolyn de SISTAR

ESP: ME encanta el K-POP, descubrí dicho genero cuando era mucho mas joven; entonces, un día, buscando nueva música encontré una un grupo de chicas llamado SISTAR (SISTAR Fue un cuarteto femenino surcoreano formado por Starship Entertainment en 2010. Las integrantes del grupo fueron: Bora, Hyolyn, Soyou y Dasom). Me gusto tanto el grupo, que me volví una fiel Fan debido a sus canciones, su estética super veraniega y sus divertidas coreografías.

Un día, cuando SISTAR lanzo su nuevo single "Shake it" en 2015, simplemente ame la camión y sigue siendo hasta el momento una de mis canciones favoritas de toda la vida. Es que me encanto TODO, pero aquí solo voy a resaltar los outfits.

Permítame explicarles, para los que no lo saben, cuando un grupo de K-POP hace un "Comeback" la mayoría de las veces, hacen promoción en shows de televisión coreana, Social Media, entre otras cosas, y hacen presentaciones de su "single" en dichas plataformas, en este caso en especifico SISTAR canto y bailo "Shake It" en diferentes shows en diferentes días, con diferentes outfits. Uno de ellos es este que esta usando HYOLYN.

ENG: If you notice, She is wearing high-heeled shoes with socks like Zoey tropical punch, the shorts have a similar cut style, even she wears another short underneath. The high-heeled shoes are, in fact, very similar; besides Zoey's shirt looks like a combination of SISTAR's shirts, obviously the colors are different, of course, but the cut and styles are very similar.

I'm not saying the outfit is a copy, I'm just explaining why Zoey's outfit reminds me of SISTAR's aesthetic and I LOVE THAT !

ESP: Si observamos bien, ella esta usando zapatos de tacón con calcetas largas, de la misma forma que Zoey ponche tropical, solo que con diferentes colores, los shorts también tienen un estilo similar, pues el corte parece ser el mismo, además de usar un short debajo de otro. Es un hecho que el estilo de los zapatos es también demasiado similar; además de que la camiseta de Zoey parece una combinación de los cortes que usan las chicas de SISTAR, pero el corte y estilo son bastante similares.

NO estoy diciendo que el outfit es una copia, solo estoy explicando porque el outfit de la skin de Zoey me recuerda a la estética de SISTAR y ciertamente eso me encanta.

Reason N° 2: Her color palette

In her clothes we can see a metallic color and texture like the candy wrapper, Let's remember that the concept of the original zoey is related to sweets, so point!

All the colors in her hair remind me of the ones used in watermelon-flavored candies. Here we have another point!

And all the colors of the outfit can easily be related to fruits such as: strawberry, cucumber, watermelon, kiwi, lemon, among other tropical fruits

Razón N° 2: La paleta de colores

En su ropa podemos encontrar un color metálico con textura similar a las envolturas de algunos caramelos, recordemos que el concepto original de Zoey esta relacionado con los dulces, así que... ¡PUNTO!

Todos los colores de su cabello me recuerdan a los que se usan en los dulces con sabor a sandía. ¡Aquí tenemos otro punto!

Además, todos los colores del outfit pueden fácilmente relacionarse con varias frutas, como: la fresa, pepino, sandia, kiwi, limón, entre otras frutas tropicales.

Reason N° 3: All attention to detail

We can see all the love and attention to detail in a single glance, Zoey Tropical Ponch is not only a redesign of the original Zoey, it changes and reinvents everything that she was from the beginning without losing her essence.

We have candies on her clothes, for example on her glove, hair and belt, a striking color palette that reminiscent of refreshing fruits; In addition, we having very good movement physics in her hair and belt.

It was certainly made with a lot of dedication and you can see the very good quality within the gameplay.

Razón N° 3: Toda la atención al detalle.

Podemos ver todo el amor y la atención al detalle en una simple mirada, Zoey Ponche Tropical no es simplemente un rediseño de la Zoey original, dicho rediseño cambia y reinventa todo lo que era desde el inicio sin perder su esencia.

Tenemos dulces en su ropa, por ejemplo, en su guante, cabello, cinturón, una llamativa paleta de colores que recuerdan a frutas refrescantes; además, contamos con buenas físicas de movimiento en su cabello y cinturón.

Ciertamente fue hecha con mucha dedicación y se puede ver la buena calidad dentro de la jugabilidad.

Reason N° 4: The bubbles of gum in her hair

I have to mention how I absolutely fell in love at first sight when I see that bubbles on her hair. it was a creative and beautiful detail.

I don't know how to explain it well, but I'll try, if you imagine it, the bubbles in her hair can be many things, example: 1) it can be bubble gum 2) They also look like pink sea bubbles that got stuck in her hairstyle 3) or a kind of plastic to protect her hairstyle from the water.

Razón N° 4: Las burbujas de chicle en su peinado

Tengo que mencionar como me enamore a primera vista cuando vi las burbujas en su cabello, pensé "¡que creativo y bonito detalle!"

No sé cómo explicarlo bien, pero lo intentaré, si te lo imaginas, las burbujas en su cabello pueden ser muchas cosas, ejemplo: 1) puede ser chicle 2) También parecen burbujas de mar rosas que se le quedaron pegadas en el peinado. 3) o una especie de plástico para proteger su peinado del agua.

Credits to whom it corresponds for the last image used for illustrative purposes.

Thanks for reading me and support my content !!

The English isn't my native language, if I write something wrong, please leave me a comment, that would help me a lot because I'm still learning. Thanks for your help.

[hongcherry]

Ask Game for Readers

As I’ve mentioned, I’d like to interact with you more. Therefore, with the help of @love-strike, we've created an ask game where the focus is on you 😄 Normally, you’d send me an ask and I’d answer, but this time, you get to answer!

Find your overall favorite flavor in the list and send me a message with your response! Feel free to elaborate on your answer(s) as well! There is a mix of fanfic-related questions (geared more toward reading than writing) and personal questions. 

Note: Fic = Fanfic

Apple: Favorite type of fic (i.e., one-shot, series, social media, etc.)?

Banana: Bright rooms or dark rooms?

Blueberry: Favorite group/fandom to read for?

Bubblegum: Current three favorite songs?

Butterscotch: Favorite/preferred platform to read on (i.e., tumblr, ao3, twitter, wattpad, etc.)?

Caramel: If someone wanted to really understand you, what should they read, watch, and listen to?

Cheesecake: Fic(s) you’re looking forward to this year? OR Fic(s) you’d like to see?

Cherry: Something you wish you knew how to do?

Chocolate: Favorite fic(s) that you've read recently? 

Coffee: An idol you’d like to be best friends with (platonically)?

Cookies n cream: Top three favorite tropes to read?

Dragonfruit: Song(s) that make you feel like a bad bitch/empowered?

Grape: Describe your perfect story. What fic would you love to read that you don’t think exists yet?

Green apple: Biggest pet peeve?

Kiwi: Post a reaction gif/meme for the latest fic/chapter you’ve read.

Lemon: Last thing that made you laugh (personal or fic related)?

Lime: Top three favorite genres to read (i.e., fluff, smut, angst, humor, hurt/comfort, action, etc.)? 

Mango: One thing you need to hear today?

Matcha: Favorite setting to read fics (i.e., in a dark room, music playing, whenever/wherever, etc.)?

Mint chocolate: Best advice you’ve ever been given?

Orange: Favorite fic authors?

Passion fruit: Favorite published book (not fanfic)?

Peach: Top three favorite au’s in fics (i.e., coffee shop, historical, college, idol, etc.)?

Pineapple: Describe your dream home.

Raspberry: Favorite combination of genres/aus/topes?

Red velvet: Best pun you’ve ever heard?

Strawberry: Fic(s) you would want to be living in (as Y/N or another character)?

Vanilla: Describe one thing that makes you super happy (i.e., a memory, person, artwork, song, clothing, item, etc.).

Watermelon: Favorite line(s) from a fic(s) you’ve read?