The Nature of Swarms
Off into outer space you go my friends
We wish you bon voyage
And when you get there we will welcome you again
And still you'll wonder at it all
See all the wonders that you leave behind
The wonders humble people own
I know a boy from a tribe so primitive
He can call me up without no telephone
See all the wonders that you leave behind
Enshrined in some great hourglass
The noble tongues, the noble languages
Entombed in some great english class
Off into outer space you go my friends
We wish you bon voyage
And when you get there we will welcome you again
And still you'll wonder at it all
Buffy Saint-Marie. Moonshot.
To understand what was happening you had to understand the nature of swarms.
Some had been this route many times. For others it was their first flight. Some were old. Some were wise. Some were young. Some were naive. We welcome you again. Old Buffy. Literally half a century before, his mad little cohort, he the pied piper of derangement, high as a kite on microdots and orange barrels and window panes and all the other superb acid of the era, direct from the US. They chortled to themselves. A new psychedelic age was upon us. Those who ignore the experiences of the ordinary person do so at their peril; as an entire generation and class of the woke were now doing, as obnoxious in victory as they had been in defeat.
While Trump exited with whatever dignity he could muster; the bold and the righteous, as they liked to think of themselves, were taking the reins of power.
Beware. The road to good intentions is paved with evil. Or in this case redbrick degrees from the blizzard of colleges and universities cloaking the aspirations of the middle class.
They inherited a more divided, more violent America, so they claimed.
While the devilments of the left destroyed Australia just as assuredly as they were destroying their so-called ally across the Pacific.
Marriages of convenience are only alliances in the loosest of senses.
We have spoken now. We are speaking now. We will be with you now. Yes, you can see the protective spirits moving in the tree tops, you can feel the swirl that has just begun, the visitation that is, was, always will be, the circlings of mysteries that stood across time and space, that breached the unthinkable, yes, the wonder of it all.
I knew a boy from a tribe so primitive, he would ring me up without a telephone.
It was true; it was happening all around the world.
It was true, the adepts were awakening.
It was true, that the farrest reaches of theory and theology were now the only theories that fitted the facts. Well, the observable facts.
Which brings us back to swarms. To circles. To the number 9. To infinity. To what the humans perceived as magic.
And yes, don't for a moment think you're safe.
We swept aside the merchants in the temple. We will sweep your corrupt little asses out of what was once our church, our gorgeous citadel, our sacred land; and we will not for one second regret your passing.
There is a sovereign right. You just don't understand it.
A beech forest, if he remembered rightly from The Hidden Life of Trees, put out a billion seeds a year, operating as a single entity. Only one of them would grow to maturity.
That's what they were teaching him; just now. Nothing was handed on a platter. There was no guarantee of survival.
He watched with fascination the trident maple in the backyard of the compromised sanctuary, how very beautiful it was. Originating, apparently, from eastern China, it had somehow managed to make it into this Oak Flats backyard.
Just like humans, it was shedding thousands of seeds in the hope that one might germinate. And the similarities did not end there.
The rumour mill was in function. He was 68. He didn't care.
But on these rocks you shall falter. On these stupidities you will pass away. In this madness your country will be destroyed.
There was, now, little opposition.
A clarion call. A waiting cluster. A message to the millions and to my lord.
You will have to learn the nature of swarms. And the nature of survival.
We didn't get here cheap.
HEADLINES
Biden Is Already Rewarding Failure
JAN 20, 2021 6:00 PM BY ROBERT SPENCER36 COMMENTS
When Sundown Joe takes office on Wednesday, the old gang will be back in the saddle again: the foreign policy establishment hacks who have done nothing but fail, fail, and fail again, and in response keep getting rewarded not with dismissal and a forced return to private life, but with honors, awards, and promotions. AFP reported Saturday that Biden has appointed Wendy Sherman, whose chief claim to fame is negotiating the notorious Iran nuclear deal, to be deputy secretary of state. It’s a classic example of failing up.
Biden said of Sherman and anti-Russia career diplomat Victoria Nuland, whom he named undersecretary for political affairs, that they “have secured some of the most defining national security and diplomatic achievements in recent memory. I am confident that they will use their diplomatic experience and skill to restore America’s global and moral leadership. America is back.”
Well, that may be overstating the case, but there is no doubt that the disastrous State Department “experts” are back. Sherman is getting her promotion nearly two years after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled 55,000 pages of documents and 183 cds demonstrating that “Iran did not come clean about its nuclear program,” and that it pursued a program “to design, produce and test five warheads with 10 kiloton of TNT yield for integration on missiles.”
When Iran’s leaders denied that they intended to construct nuclear weapons, Netanyahu said, they were “blatantly lying.” He charged that “Iran lied about never having a secret nuclear program. Secondly, even after the deal, it continued to expand its nuclear program for future use. Thirdly, Iran lied by not coming clean to the IAEA.”
Wendy Sherman’s Iran nuclear deal was, according to Netanyahu, “based on lies based on Iranian deception.” The Islamic Republic’s Fordow nuclear plant was, he said, “designed from the get-go for nuclear weapons for project Amad…We can now prove that project Amad was a comprehensive program to design, build and test nuclear weapons. We can also prove that Iran is secretly storing project Amad material to use at a time of its choice to develop nuclear weapons.”
There is more. Read the rest here.
Where can I travel to? Here are the current coronavirus border restrictions around Australia
With coronavirus clusters in Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales seemingly under control, different states and territories have begun easing their coronavirus border restrictions.
Here are the various restrictions as they stand:
I want to go to …
Tap through to find out where you can travel to, depending on where you are travelling from:
New South Wales
NSW's borders are open to every state and territory.
Previously, you couldn't visit NSW if you had been to Queensland's City of Brisbane, City of Ipswich, Lockyer Valley Region, Logan City, Moreton Bay Region, Redland City, Scenic Rim Region or Somerset Region since January 2.
However, NSW relaxed its borders after Greater Brisbane emerged from its three-day lockdown.
There are no restrictions on moving around within NSW, but the State Government has asked people to avoid non-essential travel to the regions, particularly Greater Sydneysiders.
That's because most of NSW's cases are concentrated within the Greater Sydney area, which includes the Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Wollongong.
LIVE UPDATES: Read our blog for the latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Queensland
People who have visited a Greater Sydney hotspot within the past two weeks are not allowed to enter Queensland.
Areas include the Blue Mountains, City of Sydney, Central Coast, Wollongong, Parramatta, Northern Beaches and several more.
Anyone entering Queensland who has not been in a declared hotspot in the last 14 days but has been in New South Wales since December 11 must apply for a border pass.
Queensland residents returning home from a hotspot have to quarantine for 14 days in government-arranged accommodation at their own expense.
Visitors from other states and territories can enter Queensland without a border pass or quarantine period.
Victoria
All interstate travellers will require a permit to enter Victoria under the state's new travel permit system, which allows travel from "green zones" and "orange zones".
Travellers from "orange zones" will be required to be tested within 72 hours of arrival and isolate until they receive a negative result.
The state has relaxed restrictions on travel from Queensland, downgrading Greater Brisbane from a "red zone" to an "orange zone".
Greater Sydney, including Wollongong and the Blue Mountains, have also since been downgraded to an "orange zone".
However, 10 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Greater Sydney remain a "red zone".
They include: Blacktown City, Burwood, Canada Bay City, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield City, Inner West, Liverpool City, Parramatta City and Strathfield Municipality.
The red zones will be under daily review.
All Local Government Areas (LGAs) in New South Wales' border bubble are now green zones, meaning those who have visited these locations within the last 14 days will not be required to self-quarantine or get tested upon arrival.
They include: Albury City, Balranald Shire, Bega Valley Shire, Berrigan Shire, City of Broken Hill, Edward River Council, Federation Council, Greater Hume Shire, Hay Shire, Lockhart Shire, Murray River Council, Murrumbidgee Council, Snowy Monaro Regional Council, Snowy Valleys Council, City of Wagga Wagga, Wentworth Shire.
Read more about coronavirus:
Stranded Australians' hopes all but dashed as National Cabinet maintains arrival caps
Why China's 'pounced upon' its chance to flog more of its COVID-19 vaccines abroad
Boris Johnson says UK COVID-19 variant could pose higher risk of death
Australian Capital Territory
The ACT has announced people from Greater Brisbane will no longer need to quarantine in the capital.
It has also since removed the Central Coast, Wollongong and the Northern Beaches from their list of COVID-19 affected areas in New South Wales.
However, the ACT continues to classify 10 Sydney Local Government Areas as hotspots: Blacktown, Burwood, Canada Bay, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Inner West, Liverpool, Paramatta and Strathfield.
Returning ACT residents who have been in these areas can return as long as they undertake a 14-day quarantine period.
All other NSW residents are free to go to the ACT without declaring travel or quarantining.
Tasmania
Greater Brisbane's coronavirus risk rating will be scaled down from medium-risk to low-risk from 12:01am on January 22.
That means travellers from Greater Brisbane will no be longer required to quarantine at a suitable residence or government hotel at their own expense.
Twenty-four medium-risk areas in the Greater Sydney region, including Wollongong, will also move to low-risk areas.
The areas that remain as medium-risk are: Blacktown, Burwood, Canada Bay, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Inner West, Liverpool, Parramatta and Strathfield.
Those who have been in one of the 10 remaining medium-risk areas in the 14 days prior to arrival in Tasmania will be required to undertake 14 days quarantine, unless they are an approved essential traveller.
The state of Victoria has been deemed a low-risk location, meaning travellers do not need to quarantine upon arrival.
Western Australia
Western Australia has moved to a controlled border with Victoria, with the state now reclassified as "low-risk".
It means people can enter the state without needing a special exemption, but they will still be required to self-quarantine for a fortnight and get a COVID-19 test.
Anyone coming from Victoria who has been in, or travelled through, a medium-risk jurisdiction in the past 14 days will not be able to enter WA without an exemption.
Travel from anywhere within Victoria or NSW is not permitted either unless the person is exempt — for example, they are a diplomat or military personnel.
People from the Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory, South Australia and Tasmania can visit, as long as they fill in a form and complete a health screening on arrival.
South Australia
Anyone who wants to go to South Australia has to fill in a form, known as the Cross Border Travel Registration.
South Australia has removed its quarantine requirements for travellers from Greater Brisbane who arrive in the state, but those who have been in "high-risk locations" will still be required to continue quarantine.
Travellers from the Greater Sydney, Wollongong and Central Coast are prohibited from entering SA unless they are an essential traveller or an exempt person, while people from the rest of NSW may travel but need to have a COVID-19 test on days one, five and 12.
Premier Steven Marshall said the border restrictions would be eased at 12:01am on January 31, provided New South Wales records no new locally transmitted infections.
The SA Government says the travel ban does not include people escaping domestic violence, people who normally live in South Australia and those relocating to South Australia.
If a person lives within 100 kilometres of the NSW and South Australian border, they're free to travel anywhere within SA as long as they haven't been anywhere else in NSW during the past two weeks.
Stay up-to-date on the coronavirus outbreak
Northern Territory
Everyone headed to the Northern Territory is required to fill in an exemption form.
But people who have been to a COVID-19 hotspot must go into mandatory supervised quarantine at their own cost ($2,500) upon arrival.
The NT's declared hotspots include: Blacktown City, Burwood, Canada Bay City, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield City, Inner West, Liverpool City, Parramatta City and Strathfield Municipality.
The NT Government has revoked its hotspot declaration for Greater Brisbane.
That means people who have been in Queensland's capital and its surrounds no longer need to quarantine in the NT.