A Time For All Time
Apart from receiving his instructions there had been few images, or visions in the previous weeks.
The time channels were so turbulent he just sat and watched as they manifested in long, streaming, churning clouds running down that long valley from the escarpment.
He understood little of it, least of all the reason behind his instructions. Why him? Why now? Why here?
The same questions he had been asking for years.
There was only really one answer: Perhaps there was something about this time that was for all time.
Perhaps the role of scribe was an honoured role after all, in these turbulent times when billions of words flooded across the globe every day, in an era of hyper-connectivity.
When we had all been deceived by those we had been foolish enough to trust.
The hierarchical, or herd like nature of the species had been fully exploited.
For in a herd, the centre is always the safest place to be.
And so we adapt our beliefs to fit the mob, and outliers are scorned.
There remained only one thing to happen now: The collapse of the economy.
The truly shocking mismanagement of the Covid scare over the previous two years had left the country divided, dysfunctional, and on the edge of collapse.
For an old media hound like himself, there was something surreal about it all; for the mainstream media of which he had once been so proud to be a part of had played a vital part in deluding the public into accepting what would once have been entirely unacceptable; pepper spraying defenceless grandmothers on the street, arresting pregnant women in their own homes, smashing protestors in the most brutal suppression of protest the country had ever seen; the time when Australia became a laughing stock to the world for its utterly over the top authoritarian derangement, all, allegedly, to "keep Australians safe".
Apart from the sage, speaking from the future, from a temple nearby his present location, delivering his instructions, there had been few images, or visions, during those weeks of downtime.
A lone sentinel, or scout, a standard bearer, appeared on a hill opposite; on horseback, gazing at the scene, his yellow and red flag flying. He would watch the scene for some time, wheel his steed around and disappear.
What it meant he did not know; whether the first scout of an army which lay beyond, a warning, simply a watching, he could not divine.
Beyond the turbulent, roiling clouds streaming past, there lay little else. No animal spirits, no manifestations, no lioness stalking the savanna lands, no time machines, little more the beauty of place, the flight of birds, the interminable rain, the distributed intelligence of trees. As if God was everywhere and nowhere; spirit drenched and forsaken. As if mystery cloaked them all.
The times were astonishing, simply for the way an imperfect but functioning country called Australia collapsed in on itself; driven by fear, paranoia, and incompetence. The cupboards were bare. The nation's fortune squandered.
And this became, then, a time for all time; when the scholars, sages and seers of the future would attempt to understand what had happened; and why. How it was possible. How humans could treat each other the way they did in the centuries that would follow from this point in time.
A time for all time.
A time which carried a warning for us all.
MAINSTREAM MEDIA:
ABC
Novak Djokovic's father has lashed out at the Australian government over the treatment of the tennis star, likening it to an "assassination attempt".
Key points:
Djokovic's father likened the ruling to an assassination attempt, then distanced himself from those comments
The Serbian president accused the Australian government of using Djokovic for a political agenda
Serbian locals say they are angry at the deportation
Srdjan Djokovic took to social media to blast the Federal Court's ruling to uphold the government's decision to cancel his son's visa.
"The attempt to assassinate the best athlete in the world has ended, 50 bullets in Novak's chest," a post to his Instagram said.
"See you in Paris."
Mr Djokovic later distanced himself from the post, saying the words were not his but of his son's fans.
In a statement, the Djokovic family said: "We will be there to share the blows he received, to help him regain his energy, his faith in this sport, above all in fair play, which was completely absent here."
THE NEW DAILY
Woolworths has suspended arrangements with one of its main suppliers after Australia’s peak union body claimed the abattoir made COVID-positive employees keep on working.
ACTU president Michele O’Neil on Saturday called on the supermarket giant to take action after Teys Australia workers in South Australia were directed to wear coloured hairnets to indicate their infection status.
“Woolworths is turning a blind eye to the exploitation of workers by a major food supplier in the supermarket’s supply chain … who are forcing workers to continue turning up for work even though they are infected,” she said in a statement.
Ms O’Neil said the practice was demeaning but staff were reticent to take a stand.
THE GUARDIAN
Like a lockdown’: in 2022, Australians are still feeling the fear and anxiety of Covid
Most of the population is vaccinated and harsh restrictions have ended. But for the 40 people Guardian Australia spoke to, it doesn’t feel like it’s over
Sun 16 Jan 2022 16.30 GMT
Ashleigh Cooper has spent the new year indoors. Around her, in the suburbs of Melbourne, Covid cases are soaring.
It’s a story repeated in every Australian state, except Western Australia.
Australia recorded more cases in the first two weeks of 2022 than in the previous two years combined. For most, the threat posed by Covid has eased – 92.4% of Australians over the age of 16 are fully vaccinated, and 18% have also had a booster shot. And the Omicron variant, which has ripped through the country since December, appears to result in a less severe illness, in most cases, than previous variants of Covid-19.
Public health orders enforced by strict and punitive laws have been replaced by a mantra of personal responsibility. It is up to individuals to determine and manage their own risk. For the most vulnerable people, the only way to manage this risk is to retreat.
SKY NEWS
Novak Djokovic described being "extremely disappointed" by the court's decision to uphold his visa cancellation as he was snapped flying out of Australia just hours after losing his appeal on Sunday.
The tennis superstar had at least two Australian Border Force Officers by his side throughout his journey inside Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport.
Pictures posted to social media showed the world No.1 wearing a facemask sitting in the lounge with ABF officers metres away.
A second photo showed him appear to smile as he walked by surprised fans and media with his support team on the eve of the Australian Open.
He boarded a Dubai bound Emirates plane, which is scheduled to land around 10:40am (AEDT). It is not know if he will then board another flight for home country Serbia.
A woman claiming to be on the EK409 flight said security escorted Djokovic to a first class seat.