The Libertarian – January 2022

No.	Article	Section	Author
1	Team Leader Introduction	Introduction	StrongTiger
2	Green Interview	Interview	ardnaxela
3	Nature Warrior	Story	Aneha
4	Step by Step Project	Guide	Yodar
5	Plant Glow Up	Tips	StrongTiger
6	Space Dump	Story	StrongTiger
7	The Darkest Night Produces the Brightest Star	Story	Dan.K
8	It’s So Hot	Poem	Toxic_silver2x
9	Terrarium DiY!	Guide	hakateach
10	Beauty of Mother Nature	Story	chiari.cord
11	3 Endangered Wild Animals	Article	midgetbella
12	Elon Must? Or Elon Nah.	Article	StrongTiger
13	Office Spotlight	Interview	Eliza4Forever
14	Majestic Beast	Poem	Dan.K
15	Coffee Date with USD P	Interview	StrongTiger

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Team Leader Introduction 

By StrongTiger

Peace & Welcome to January Libertarian 2022! 

Firstly, I would like to thank all the Libertarian team that managed to pull this off together. Despites certain shortcomings that are standing in our way, I believe that such obstacles are inevitable. To all my team, I would like to remind you, creativity can be improved through hard work. USDF should be a platform for you to improve yourself and never settle with your current level. Maybe someone would criticize your art works, maybe someone would criticize your writing, let them be as their criticism should be a good experience to help you grow. Real world is tough, if you are not able to navigate your way through USDF, how could you face the harsh reality out there? Trust me when I say all the Leadership in USDF is trying their best to help you improve, and like Muhammad Ali once said, “ I hated every minute of training, but I said don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a Champion”. Push through demotivation and focus on improving yourself, strive for greatness and help others when you are successful. May your greatness roar through heaven and hell. 

Moving along, with a new year coming to grace us, we all should be grateful that we are still blessed with fresh air, clean water and a cosy home. However, all good things are never permanent. We human beings are sometimes forgetful that we are not the only beings that exist on earth. Our greed, desire and ego have caused a lot of devastation on our only home that we are sharing together called earth. Therefore, all is not lost and there is still time for us to do our part in preserving mother nature. This Month’s Libertariatian edition is looking forward to raise awareness about the environment, things that we think are often talked about, but little action has been taken to properly solve it. 

Enjoy Reading.

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Green Interview 

By ardnaxela

Nature is beautiful, sometimes inexplicable yet always unescapable. Everyday we are exposed to the wonders of the world around us. I’ve reached out to several members of USDF asking about their experiences with nature and how they feel about the nonpareil that is Mother Earth. We asked the following participants:

1. Where the most beautiful place they have been is
2. Do they think it is important to protect these places

According to LTC SugarNoah, the top destination not to be missed is the Badlands National Park in South Dakota, United States.
“This place felt surreal, like a place this magical and peaceful existed. It was mountains of sandstone and you come to a huge cliff that overlooks miles of endless hills.”

He goes on to say “Without this kind of beauty, I don’t know how we would survive. Nature is what Earth is all about and it’s amazing how it contains the most beautiful scenes we have ever seen. We need to remove the threat of destroying these places and preserve what we can”

CW3 Urong, our lovely SWOAA, says “The most beautiful place I have been is Baguio City in the Philippines because of it’s green scenery and cold weather making it the Summer Capital of the Philippines.” In her opinion it is important to protect these places for two purposes. One is tourism which of course benefits areas massively in economical ways. The other is because green spaces need to be protected to preserve the inner beauty and help to ease the world’s suffering due to Climate Change.

I’m sure we are all aware of the catastrophic events that could become more common and a bigger reality due to climate change. Looking after nature and the environment is so important to keeping the effects of climate change down. Read towards the end to see what our personnel do to minimise their impacts on the Earth.
Continuing on with our beautiful places list! CWO4 LittleHappyRed, our SWOAAF told me that the most beautiful place she has ever seen is Schwangau in Germany. “For Christmas 2019 my father took us to Germany to show us how beautiful and amazing it is. Every single sight was breathtaking and amazing to experience. The mountains, the landscapes, the castles, the cities, the markets and the overall culture!” She says “I think it is very important to protect the environment and nature, it’s so special, it gives us a place to live.”

CSM PiersonP says that his favourite place is either “Costa Rica or Kruger National Park in South Africa. Both have such diverse wildlife and it really adds to the impressive scenery in both”. When asked if he thinks it’s important to protect these places he added: “Absolutely. If we do nothing to protect nature, nature will do nothing to protect us. We need to take care of the planet in order to maintain healthy living conditions.”

SGT Troubleshooting has been to many countries in her life but considers Norway to be the most beautiful. She was lucky enough to see some relatives there and got to see fjords and snow, something not found often in her home country of England!. “I was only 14 at the time and I remember going sledding and making snowmen, it was a Christmas dream come true! I felt very blessed to be able to witness such a wonderful country and see the feats of nature. The temperature reached as low as -20C (-4F)!”

Does she think it’s important to protect this place? “For sure! I think if we look ahead into the global warming crisis, we will see more colder environments suffering. The glacial retreat in colder places is seeing places like the Alps having less snow cover year on year. Our children may not live to see snow like we have and how sad they may never experience sledding.”

CW4 StreetArmy16 gets the opportunity many of us would love to have by travelling often with his job. “The most beautiful place I’ve been to is Milan in italy. The mountains are stunning and definitely unexpected.”

Now most importantly how can we protect the environment and nature?

Personal responsibility was a common answer amongst our interviewees. What does this mean you ask? Using public transport and carpooling can have a massive impact, says SGT Troubleshooting and CWO4 LittleHappyRed and they’re right. If 50 people work in an office and all drive to work, then that is 50 different cars producing 50 lots of fumes contributing to more CO2 in the air. 50 people on one bus for example would be a lot friendlier for the environment. Next time you go to get in the car, think, could I walk/cycle/catch a bus/get a train and help our planet.

Another common answer was the 3Rs. CSM PiersonP says: “The famous “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” plan is what I think will help us save Earth. We need to reduce our usage of the environment. We need to reuse the resources we have in order to keep a healthy amount in nature. We need to recycle our former way of thinking in order to create somewhere that is healthy and safe for all, humans and everything else.” 

What’s the most beautiful place you’ve ever seen? For me I think it has to be the view from the peak of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) in Wales or the view from a kayak in the middle of Lake Windermere. And how do I help protect places like this? I recycle everything I can and buy nearly expired food to both save money and waste. I do my small bit and you should too. 

There are so many small things we could all start doing to help, a quick search can help you find ideas of how you can contribute. Natural beauty is all around us, whether huge national parks or your local green space in a city centre. It is up to us to see and preserve the beauty in the world around us.

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Nature Warrior

By Aneha

Coming soon

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Step by Step Project

By Yodar

Step by Step – Recycling Project
Homemade Paper

Have you ever wondered what you can do to help save the environment and trees?  There is an easy way, recycling! If you love drawing/writing, you will LOVE this project as we can reuse rejected/scrap paper into new paper!  Let’s go over the process first.

Papermaking involves dipping a screen stretched across a frame, which is known as “mold and deckle” into a vat of pulp which can be either recycled paper or plant materials. The screen is lifted out of the fat with fibers on it and allows the water to drain from the screen.  The freshly made paper then is transferred onto a surface and is pressed and dried.

Come join me as we recycle paper together, and make cool things with it!

Materials

– A mold and deckle (If you want to make your own, 2 old picture frames or 2 inexpensive stretched canvases, plus a piece of fiberglass or aluminum window screen (recommend using the smallest screen that is available))
– A blender (you will not want to use the blender for food after this, so invest in a new blender for this project)
– Recycled paper (office paper, tissue paper, etc.)
– Water
– A plastic vat (larger than your mold and deckle)
– A staple gun (if you have one already)
– Duct tape or strapping tape
– Several sheets of felt, or fabric
– Sponge
– Clothesline

The mold and deckle (Skip this step if you purchased the mold and deckle from your local hobby shop, or online)

If you decide to make your own mold and deckle, you will need to carefully take apart your chosen item to separate the wooden frame from other parts, which you can recycle into other things in the future.

After you have obtained your frame in the size of the paper you want to make, stretch your backing over the frame and use a staple gun (or duct tape) to affix it to the frame and trim off the excess.

Do not attach the backing to the second frame as that part will be your mold to form the paper into the size you want.

Making pulp

The first step in creating a sheet of paper is to make pulp, which you can do with a blender and recycled paper. 

1. Get a bowl and tear paper into small pieces (1-inch square is recommended) and place the paper into the bowl. Add water to the bowl until it covers the paper, and put it aside for about 8-12 hours or overnight. If you need to make the paper pulp for a specific date, plan ahead so you have enough time for soaking the ripped pieces.

2. Take a blender and fill it ¾ full with water, and put a handful of soaked paper into the blender.

3. Put the lid on the blender and turn it on.  It is recommended to build up the speed slowly as you want to make sure that the blades can blend up the pulp.  Add more water if necessary to thin out the mix.

4. Pour the pulp mix into the vat you will use to make paper, and continue until you have enough pulp to start making paper.

NOTE: The ratio of pulp to water varies, depending on how thick you want your sheets to be. Start with a few blenders full of pulp in a vat and see if you are happy with the thickness. Then, add pulp or water as necessary. As you make sheets, you will need to replenish your pulp.

5. Before starting to make paper, make sure you have your felt/fabric sheets ready for transferring the paper onto.  You want the sheets to be larger than your mold size. Placing your felt/fabric material on a tray—like a cafeteria tray or cookie sheet—will help with collecting excess water and prevent a big mess.

Making paper

1. Mix up the pulp in the vat with your hand to make an evenly mixed solution.

2. Wet the mold and deckle with water, and place the deckle on top of the screen, making sure that the screen is in the middle of the frames.

3. Hold the pieces together as you dip the mold and deckle into the vat at a 45-degree angle towards the bottom of the vat, and after it reaches the bottom, make it parallel to the bottom, and pull it up out of the water.

4. Shake the mold and deckle semi vigorously left to right, and back to front to interlock the fibers until you see the fibers starting to settle onto the screen.

5. Remove the deckle off (the frame without the sheet attached) and set it aside.

6. Set one edge of the mold down on one edge of the felt/fabric sheet with the pulp facing towards the sheet. Carefully lay the entire wet paper pulp onto the sheet and apply even pressure on the back of the mold’s edges and screen to ensure it will transfer.

7. Lift one edge of the mold and take a look to see if the wet paper has released from the mold, and carefully remove the mold off the paper. If the paper breaks or tears off, you can dump the pulp back into the vat and try again!

8. Place another sheet of felt/fabric directly on top of the wet paper and continue until you have enough paper made for your project.

9. When you have finished making paper, then we need to press out the excess water before allowing it to dry.  Carefully lift one sheet of paper that is attached to the felt/fabric and place it on top of a dry felt/fabric to help absorb excess water. Place another sheet on top of the paper to protect the surface.

10.  Using a sponge, gently but firmly sponge the water out of the sheet, while squeezing the water out of the sponge repeatedly as you continue.

11. When done, gently peel off the protective layer of felt/fabric and hang it on a clothesline to dry (can take up to 24 hours, maybe longer, depending on the humidity level).

12. When completely dry, gently peel off the paper from the felt/fabric sheet and you have your own paper!

Now that you have made your own paper, you can use it to create fancy handwritten letters to others to show your new skills to others. Be creative, and you can even trim the edges off your paper to make it look more professional. If you want to go further, try making a journal out of it, a place card at your next event, or even a book. Have fun with your new skills while saving the environment!

Additional Notes

– You can make your paper fancier by adding in cosmetic pigments, glitter, flowers, threads, confetti, dried herbs, and other colorful bits. You sprinkle on the embellishments after you lift the frame from the container before pressing it, or you can even mix it in with your pulp in the vat before you start making paper.

– Did you know that you can color your paper pulp with acrylic paint?  Simply add a squirt or two of your chosen color paint to the blender and blend until combined, then proceed with making paper!.

– If you want your paper to be flatter after it has dried, stack the homemade paper on top of each other, and stack some books on top of it and allow it a couple of days to flatten.

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Plant Glow Up

By StrongTiger

Planting might be tedious to some. But plants are needed for humans to thrive in this world. As plants absorb carbon dioxide in our atmosphere and turning them into oxygen through a process called photosynthesis. Clearly the equation of making oxygen is not as simple as that, but we are not here to talk about sciences! We are here to look into tips on how to grow a big fat plant in your home that can be used to please our eyes and give a calming sensation in a room. So wear your glove, your straw hat, don’t forget your sunglasses and come follow along! 

First tip would be, learning to recognize when your houseplants need water. We need to stick with the general rule, anything that is excessive is never good! Same with an abusive partner, big no no fellow readers. Therefore, keep in mind that it is okay if we under-water our plants rather than having our plant over-watered. Having the soil moist is good enough rather than the soil overflowing with water. The tip here is to pour water carefully into the pot and wait until we can see water dripping out of the drainage holes. When we can see water dripping out, it’s a sign that we can stop watering our plant. Usually houseplants only need water once or twice a week. Another tip to see if they need water is to stick your finger two inches (5.08 cm) deep into the soil, and if it is dry, it is a good time to start watering. 

Next tip would be regarding the surroundings of your room. Do you think you should only read the body language of your crush to know whether he or she likes you? No dummy, even with plants you need to know the correct temperature, humidity and ventilation to make sure they will grow well. The most optimal temperature for houseplant to grow well is between 65 and 75 fahrenheit (18.33 – 23.89 degree celsius). For humidity, 40% – 60% humidity level would be nice. How to measure humidity you ask? You can use a handy tool called a hygrometer. A hygrometer is a device that serves as an indoor thermometer that comes together with a humidity monitor. 

Moving on, sunlight! Majority of the plants need sunlight so that they can do photosynthesis in order for them to convert the carbon dioxide in the surrounding into oxygen. But, that does not mean we can just put our plants outdoors directly in sunlight 24/7. Remember the general rule, anything excessive is never good! Moderate the sunlight for your plants as not all plants require constant sunlight. Some houseplants thrive in a low-light condition while some others thrive in a situation with abundance of sunlight. Does light from a normal lightbulb count as sunlight you ask? Nope. The artificial lights that can work are either fluorescent light or LED light. 

In conclusion, these tips are not exhaustive. These tips are just the basics to help you get started. Always and always keep on learning something new. Everything is at your fingertip nowadays. Thank you and good luck future gardener! 

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Space Dump

By StrongTiger

It is the year 2050, and fresh air has blessed the earth. How is this possible? This is made possible due to an idea introduced by Dr. Perry Veban, to take all the trash on earth to outer space. At first it was challenged by many, due to ethical reasons and lack of research regarding the outcome of such a move. Not only that, the price to make a rocket is not like paying for an ice cream. But Dr. Perry Veban managed to convince the United Countries League to give his idea a test run before deciding to shut his idea completely. Dr. Perry Veban’s speech at the United Countries League assembly managed to influence the majority of the global leaders to see where this idea would lead them too. He argued that landfill cannot sustain human’s waste in the long run, as more and more trash would be produced due to human’s consumption. Not only that, landfill has taken away valuable land space that could be used for other projects that is more beneficial.  Landfills also attract rodents that may carry diseases that can bring harm to the human. He said in his speech; “Trashes are taking away our lives, our space, and our freedom to breathe fresh air, if we are to sit around and argue about ethics. Might as well we all starve to death because eating animals and plants is not ethical as we are sacrificing one live for our own benefit. If we are too cautious in exploring the horizon of a new dawn, we might lose sight of the new era that awaits in the great beyond.” His speech influenced many of the great leaders of the world to give his idea a run for their money. Although critiques are everywhere, the leaders are desperate for a solution on their trash. People do not want to hear the cons anymore, people want a solution. And this guy, Dr. Perry Veban is offering them a glimpse of hope for a better future.

After a few years of testing, more and more space on earth is available for human development. The air is becoming more and more fresh. The sight of mountain trash is a rare occasion. The trash is being transported through an underground metro system where it is brought to a launching station. In the launching station, the trash would be transferred to a portal that has been stabilized using an advanced sophisticated quantum physics formula that would teleport all the trash into space. Years after years, the practice has continued, and more and more countries have followed suit after the successful testing and campaign by Dr. Perry Veban. 

In 2057, an alien contacted the earth. They branded themselves as the Urgox. The Urgox is so mad with earth as the trash that was thrown to space, drifts across to their planet. Urgox gave earth 1 year to clean up the space or they would enslave all the earthlings under their control and would turn earth to a space dump. The leaders in the United Countries started to panic as they did not believe that aliens actually exist. Dr. Perry Veban disappears amidst the panic that is brewing on earth. He is nowhere to be found; it’s like he just vanished into thin air leaving no trace. A lot of speculation clouded Dr. Perry’s disappearance. The most famous one is that Dr. Perry is Urgox’s spy. Month after month passes away, but earth still cannot do anything about the trash that has been thrown to space. They tried a lot of things such as tinkering with the formula by Dr. Perry Veban, but to no avail. A year passed, and as the Urgox promised, they came to earth. Their technology is so advanced that the United Countries Army was defeated in no time. In 2 weeks they conquered earth. After conquering earth, they begin to transport all their planet’s trash to earth. Making earth like a space dump. The fresh air that once graced earth for a few years was robbed away just like that. Earth became uninhabitable, and humans became the Urgox slaves that manages trash. 

Moral of the story, things if sounded too good, there is always a catch behind that. We should never take things for granted and always be prepared in the aftermath of our decisions. Problems are meant to be solved, and not thrown away. If you keep on running away from your problems, one day it would come back knocking on your door and slap you so hard that you will regret your decision of not solving it earlier. Love the environment. We are not here alone, and if every nook and corner of the earth is filled with trash, where else can we go? How can the future generations breathe the same air as we did, see the same animals as we did, experience the clean water as we did, and be amazed at the wonders of mother nature as we did.

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The Darkest Night Produce the Brightest Star

By Dan.K

CWO2 Intimidator911  – A person I look up to MAJ Williamh14. He was my SWOAN when I joined. He proved himself as a member of Navy command and now is excelling as an officer. My goal is to get into a command position and become an officer just like him. I consider him a role model and hope to be half the person that he is. This is who I look up to and why I look up to them

SMSgt Tarrnish – HeyItsAllenArc – A person whom I look up to. He was my CMSAF when I was reinstated. He was so helpful and friendly all the time. After some time he went for OISA and became a command and as well got promoted to CWO3. I would consider him as my role model because of his hardwork and dedication he has shown. This is who I look up to and why I look up to them.

LT Dinsky – A person I look up to is MAJ Williamh14. He was my JNCO Mentor once I hit E4 after reenlisting and was also the SWOAN for a fair bit some time after. I’ve had the privilege of working with him in the Navy Council and JDT in the past. One of my fondest memories at USDF is being in the same OCS class as him and getting to go from mentor and mentee to OCS graduates. We’ve both grown a ton from when I first met him and he has always inspired me to be my best self. William is absolutely crushing it as PMG and I know he will do great things at USDF in the future. I only hope I will be able to accomplish as much as him.

MGySgt gibbbyyyy – A person from USDF I look up to is COL sugarnoah. He has been a role model for me and my peers. He helped process my reinstatement and welcomed me back into the community with open arms. Always been a person I can go to if I need help or feel upset about anything. COL sugarnoah is a great officer and leader. He motivates me to be the best I can be.

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It’s So Hot

By Toxic_Silver2x

It’s heating up

tension rising,

Snow caps melting

Splash

another one down.

trees falling, forest dying

Sirens everywhere, helicopters buzzing

another one down.

Clouding atmosphere

Burning in the air,

digging Mother Earth to its knees.

Oil consumptions,

it’s getting harder to breathe,

Inhale

gills squeezing

plastic, choking

Exhale

Sweltering heat,

drip, drip, drop.

a human falls from their doing

another surrounded by water,

gurgle, gulp, sigh.

floating in the silhouette, 

missing in the dark seas

crops shriveling,

animals scattering,

food webs fleeting,

beholds the future where greed is king.

It’s time to make a stop.

Together! 

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Terrarium DIY

By hakateach

Materials:

• Glass bowl
• Potting soil
• Small rocks
• An assortment of small indoor plants
• An assortment of decorations— examples are: toadstool mushrooms, plastic dinosaurs, moss, grassy rocks and craft birds. 

Directions:

1. Fill the bottom of your glass bowl with small pebbles—about 2–3 inches high. This allows for proper drainage.

2. Fill the glass bowl with potting soil about ¾ of the way up.
   
3. Pick an assortment of small indoor plants and plant 2–3 plants in each terrarium. Leave a small space at the front of the bowl empty so that it can be filled with special decorations as you see fit.
   
4. Fill their terrarium with special objects of your choice. (ex. Rocks, stones, pebbles, twigs, shells, crystals, minerals, or figurines.) 

5. Place your terrarium in a sunny indoor spot and water when soil becomes dry. Do not over water or saturate the soil with water.

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Notes:

• Making a terrarium with kids is a great way to teach them some responsibility about how to care for living plants.
• It allows for creative freedom to set it up how it works for you.
• Feel free to use any types of decorations or toys (for the kiddos) that you would like – this is your sanctuary!
• Some fan favorites of items to use include: larger rocks, colored sand, mini garden gnomes and fairies, other plastic animals, etc. 
• Have fun!

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Beauty of Mother Nature

By chiari.cord

The sky looked amazing. I glimpsed out the window and I could barely see anything but big white clouds covering all the city. There were still four more hours until we landed on the ground, which meant I was going to have time to look at the sky during my favorite time of the day, but from a totally different height than my room. I had been waiting for that moment since I stepped foot on the plane I was in. It was my favourite moment every day.

You might be asking yourself which time this was. Well let me tell you it wasn’t the time by itself, but it was the sky during this time. And I am talking about the most magical hour of the day. An hour where the sky turns into a canvas of colors, and it’s never the same as the day before but both the previous day and the following one are mesmerizing in their own unique way. It’s the moment in which the sun sets where I can find myself amazed by how pretty the sky can be.

This time it was special. I was far up from home, so I had the colorful sunset right above and what looked like a field of puffy clouds just below my plane. It was funny to think that if I wasn’t on that flight, I wouldn’t have been able to see such beauty since the sky was cloudy. But everything led to me witnessing the best painting that Mother Nature could have ever painted for me.

Luckily for me, this wasn’t the end. After the majestic show of colors the sunset provided to my soul, darkness filled everything I could see through my window. Slowly, everything was turning dark blue, and the stars were starting to appear. Like shiny diamonds, as bright as a million light bulbs, the stars quickly covered the night sky. I imagined myself being there with the stars, picking them up one by one like if they were flowers, and all I could feel was happiness.

During those last hours on the plane, I stared outside of my window, contemplating and admiring the wonders that this world can have. Something as simple as the sky, that’s always there throughout the whole day, can have a whole lot of different faces, various colors, and even shapes or textures if you pay attention to the clouds too. That’s why this was my favourite time of the day, because no matter how bad it got, Mother Nature would always be there to surprise me with her new painting on the sky.

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3 Endangered Wild Animals

By midgetbella

Endangerment of animals is a growing problem in our world today; extinction holds severe consequences such as the breakdown of food chains (leading to more extinction) and interruptions to medical advances to name two. There are currently 30,178 species on the The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List threatened with extinction with humans being the main cause.

Amur Leopard

Sadly, the amur leopard is one of the most endangered of all big cats; they are listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. Currently there is said to be around 70 left in their natural habitat, which is 22 less than 2015. Humans are the biggest cause of their endangerment, poachers lust after their fur coats and their bones are used in traditional Asian medicine. Man made fires and climate change are also causing their habitat and amount of prey to change.

Saola

The Saola is one of the rarest mammals on Earth. They were first discovered in Vietnam’s Annamite Range back in 1992. The find was so exciting that it marked the most spectacular zoological discoveries of the 20th century. Due to the rare sightings and elusiveness of the Saola it is often referred to as the ‘Asian Unicorn’. While the exact population of the saola is unknown, they are considered critically endangered, mainly due to loss of habitat.

Gorillas

A gorilla, probably the animal that everybody is the most familiar with,shares 95-99% of its DNA with humans. They are capable of showing emotions such as grief and compassion and can even laugh! There are two species of Gorilla: the Eastern Gorilla and the Western Gorilla with both of them having two subspecies. 3 of 4 are listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. In June  2020 there were only 150 adult Cross River Gorillas left in the wild. As with the previous two animals, the main cause of their endangerment is the result of poaching, habitat loss and disease. Gorillas are slow to recover due to their low reproductive rate which means female Gorillas can only conceive every 4 to 6 years which also greatly affects the population of gorillas. 

Overall, it is evident that the main causes of the decline in our wildlife comes from human disruption. It is humans who continue to build in or destroy their habitats and hunt them and their food sources. We need to start taking measures to protect our wildlife before we start to see catastrophic effects to our food chain. There are a few things you can do as an individual, which if enough people begin to do, will have a huge impact on the survival of other species. Simple tasks such as reusing products, disposing of waste correctly and not using toxic chemicals can begin to make a difference. However, greater things such as maintaining a healthy backyard, advocating for conservation and even reducing your meat/dairy intake can begin to make a difference. You have the power to act now and help in the fight to prevent extinction.

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Elon Must? Or Elon Nah.

By StrongTiger

Have you ever dreamt of buying an electric car? You must be thinking, why should I consider electric cars compared to the conventional petrol fueled car. Well this segment is here to help you look at the pros and cons of electric cars. 

The first benefit of owning an electric car is you will no longer require gas for your car. This is indeed an interesting point since the average American is to be said to spend between $2,000 & $4,000 on gas every year (Demuro, 2021). As we are also aware, fossil emission also contributes to global warming. Therefore, having to use less gas can lessen the amount of fossil fuel emission. Not only will you need to pay less for gas, you will also leave little carbon footprint when driving an electric car!  

The next pros is low maintenance. Due to electric cars are mainly using a battery to keep it moving. They do not need to do an oil change that is required to lubricate the engine. Other engine works are also not required as an electric car runs because of the transmission. The transmission would change mechanical power from the electric traction motor to move the wheels. In addition to this, do you know that several states in the US offer a minimum of an 8-year/100,000 mile warranty on EV batteries? These moves are made to encourage people to consider switching to an electric car. 

As we have highlighted the benefit of having an electric car, we are going to look at the downside of an electric car. As the saying goes, not all good things are good, surely there must be a downside in certain areas. 

The first downside is the recharge points. Electric cars have been around way before than we thought. But the commercialization of electric cars is only at its initial phase. Therefore, the infrastructures that are needed are not enough to cater to all electric cars users. For example, the recharge points are not available in all the areas. Therefore, it can be tricky especially when you are visiting your parents, your partner or your friends that are living in rural areas. You need to plan carefully the battery usage to avoid getting your car stranded in the middle of nowhere. In addition to this point, electric vehicles also are not 100% emission-free. Especially when the countries that are generating electricity are still using the traditional coal power plant. Electric vehicles still need electricity to move, and if the way they are getting electric through a coal power plant, it is just similar to using a petrol fueled vehicle. Until the way we generate electricity is using a more sustainable method, the effect of using electric vehicles still does not give a major impact in reducing global warming. 

The second downside would be the price for the electric vehicle itself. As the production and technology is still being developed, the price for an electric vehicle can be quite costly. Looking into the price of a Tesla, the current car line model which are Model S, Model X, Model 3 and Model Y has a market sale price range between $43,990 – $129,990. This is only the price in the US, which is the home company of Tesla. Imagine buying a Tesla car in another Country, surely the import fees, and tax on the car model would be quite intimidating to some people. And people can say the car serves only for wealthy groups. 

All in all, Electric Vehicles can be used as an alternative to reduce global warming, but more efforts are needed to be done and development in renewable energy sectors needs to be given more priority. We need to address the root of the problem, in order to ensure we are actually living side-by-side with mother nature. Rather than living on mother nature.

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Office Spotlight

By Eliza4Forever

When did you join OISA, and how long have you been in the office?

HunterAnthony1 – I joined OISA in early October so going on 3 months.

warzo00 – I originally joined August 2020, altogether I’ve been in the office over a year.

HeyItsAllenArc – I joined OISA when I was an MSgt I suppose, it was in August but I don’t remember the date. I was also a member back in 2019 but I only made it through CISA. If I remember correctly, I think I’ve been a member for like 3 months already.

eyeFad – I joined OISA when I returned to USDF after my short break. It’s almost a month now!

rona879 – I first joined OISA last June, so now I’ve been part of the office for almost 6 months now.

iAmbitious – I don’t remember the exact date, but I first joined OISA prior to serving as the XO SP&C. After awhile in that position, I decided it was my time to try for something different and I really enjoyed OISA previously, so I decided to try for DASD RSA, and sure enough here I am today. :3

LuxuryZ… – I joined OISA in the Summer of 2016. It was the first office I applied too in USDF. Afterwards, I have spent some time in and out of the office primarily in the Black Ops office better known as the USSOCOM. I have dabbled here and there in other offices such as OJFD, and OJSIG. I would say that overall I have spent approximately 2.5 – 3 years overall in OISA.

What made you choose OISA?

HunterAnthony1 – (I) was in OJFD for the longest time and was demotivated and had to resign for a few months. after returning fresh I decided to change offices and OISA interested me with getting to interact with other agencies and helping improving USDF’s foreign affairs.

warzo00 – Honestly, the current CoS, Mr Watch4Me and an OISA AD at the time encouraged me to apply because I wasn’t enjoying the office I was in. I applied, got accepted and just grew to love the office.

HeyItsAllenArc – I’ve always been an avid fan when it comes to diplomatic relations, which made me interested in joining OISA. I am also an aspiring diplomat in real life and it would be a great experience for me on how a diplomat’s responsibility would feel like. The members are also very welcoming and kind which made me choose OISA. I also enjoyed conversing with our allies and establishing civil yet friendly relationships with them.

eyeFad – OISA was the first office I joined after my return from a 1-year break in 2016. I really enjoyed my time in OISA and made BUNCH of great friends, though short. I thought of coming back this year and see if I’d still like it, and I did!

rona879 – I chose OISA cause I wanted to find an office that will challenge me, as this office is not easy, it’s like representing USDF to the agency floor. Aside from that, I wanted to build friendships and meet people outside USDF.

iAmbitious – Prior to being appointed XO SP&C, and joining OISA, I was in OJFD. I guess I chose OISA for a breath of fresh air, and then I really enjoyed the work that is done within OISA. I get to work with others to meet new people, as well as with being DASD RSA – I get to help those progress in the office with their career here at USDF.

LuxuryZ… – I chose OISA back in the summer of 2016 because it seemed more challenging then the other offices at the time. The thought of just coming to a new military which I had zero idea of at the time (I was primarily looking to gamble after a hiatus) was exciting. The thought of meeting new people, making everlasting friends, and getting recognized for my efforts potentially sold me right away.

What was your first impression of OISA, and did it differ from your expectations prior to joining?

HunterAnthony1 – Everyone was super welcoming and friendly. My mentor was great at explaining how to do my duties. It definitely did differ from my expectation but I love it. (It differs) in a good way, I wasn’t expecting the amount of duties but it’s manageable.

warzo00 – My first impression was really good, everyone was really welcoming and friendly. It definitely differed, in a good way, but I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but yeah overall it was really great from day 1.

HeyItsAllenArc – It did not disappoint, I’ve always expected challenges and major adjustments. So It matched my expectations. Although It was challenging when you are adjusting to a new environment but when you get used to it. It is an enjoyable one and you get to excel even more.

eyeFad – I honestly thought OISA would give me a hard time adjusting, but it didn’t! Everyone was very helpful and just from that, I fell in love with OISA.

rona879 – My first impression of OISA was that they will be spending a lot of time on the group floor getting to know each organization there. Which it did when I joined the office.

iAmbitious – Honestly my first impression with OISA was, “Wow something different, but now I’m going to have to keep on top of these reports”. I guess I was kinda intimidated at first, but when I got into OISA and started talking to everyone I definitely started to consider OISA like a big family.

LuxuryZ… – My first impression from OISA was as most think initially. “What the hell is all of this?”. OISA can be overwhelming at first with all of the Rules, Regulations, SOPs, Organizations, Events, EA Heads, 1iCs, random organizations for Roleplay, new/old organizations all popping up at once (yes at any given time this can all happen in a week or span of 3 days. Trust me I’ve seen it happen). I expected to join up and have a walk in a park just exploring, but the analytics, reporting, and diplomacy was much more involved than I had originally anticipated. I suppose that all offices can be overwhelming at first to the untrained eye, it is mostly about stepping out of your comfort zone and experiencing new things that will allow you to grow and learn at USDF.

We talked about what made you choose OISA, but what made you choose to remain in OISA?

HunterAnthony1 – I like doing the duties of getting to befriend other people from other agencies, getting to do events / expeditions etc. I’ve also decided that I want to start my command in OISA and I’m currently a HNCO ISA.

warzo00 – I really fell in love with the office very early on, I loved doing the reports and being able to get closer to other organisations and build up my knowledge. Once you’re in OISA, no matter how long you spend, there’s always more to learn about other organisations, whether it’s new things you find out about organisations in general or whether it’s learning about the new organisations that open and how they do things. And then of course, it’s the people, entering an organization on a casual visit and instantly being greeted by people happy to see you again is always a great feeling. A lot of the group floor is really like a close community. I aimed to get a command position here and wasn’t willing to give up until I did, people told me to join a different office but I was passionate about staying in OISA and getting into command because I want to make a difference. I could talk about this all day but yeah.

HeyItsAllenArc – It is the members and the workloads that made me enjoy OISA even more. Everyone has been so kind and supportive, which allows me to caress and interact with them more. Doing Fans, reports, visits, and events is also what I enjoy. The workload and its people made me choose to remain in OISA.

eyeFad – I am not big with dealing with foreign entities — and OISA helped me with that! I also still get to practice my fun-side of room designing, wiring, script writing, and hosting. These are the reasons why I am still here — I am challenged everyday and still get to have fun!

rona879 – At first I was getting bored of OISA because of the same duties we do, until an opportunity came and I decided to go try it and that was to become part of the command, then when I got the position, that’s when I decided to stay and help the office.

iAmbitious – After a brief time out of OISA as XO SP&C, I guess I chose to return and remain in OISA because I missed the OISA group. I enjoy the work that we get to do in OISA and I enjoy the expeditions and going around the client interacting and visiting with foreign organizations. As DASD RSA, I get to interact and communicate with other organizations more as I get to help plan and facilitate events with them, such as our recent “Red and White Met Gala” that we hosted with our newest alliance FBI.

LuxuryZ… – What made me stay in OISA was a few things. Primarily it was a mixture between the community interaction (not only USDF but I have made friends in probably 30+ organizations throughout the years). Another reason for staying which is the most important was the safety and security of USDF on an external level. From an early rank I experienced a war when I was in OISA to which we were awarded the MUC in October 2016 for our efforts. The information I cannot go over, but I was privy to things that really sparked my motivation to become the ASD ISA and be a deterrent to all threats foreign and domestic.

Aside from OISA, what’s another office that you’d join and why?

HunterAnthony1 – Probably trying for OSEAC to further help the whole branch run more efficiently, give new ideas etc..

warzo00 – OJAG, it sounds really interesting, lots of new skills to learn and a really unique office to experience. It really interests me, learning more about what goes into deciding whether to approve/deny appeals/pardons. For a small office they make a massive impact on USDF and that really draws me in. I’d love to build up my knowledge, skills and experience within OJAG for sure.

HeyItsAllenArc – Currently, on my radar, I want to join OOT&E because of my interest in the education portfolio. I do have lots of ideas in mind that can be beneficial not just to the office but also to USDF as a whole. I am also interested in coming back to OSEAC. As I know I have something more to offer towards that office.

eyeFad – Maybe SOCOM. I think that office would be very challenging since I’ve never been a part of an intelligence office in my entire agency/military life. I feel like adding SOCOM to my portfolio would help me progress further in my USDF career. Plus, I get to work with my bestie Ne Loozo aka loozone the CDR SOCOM (and she gets to work with me which is a win-win situation WINKZ).

rona879 – OJFD, i stayed there for a long time, I love training other people, helping them to get to know the organization well.

iAmbitious – Apart from OISA, and after hopefully graduating OCS and becoming commissioned, I think I’d join OJAG when a position became available. The work of OJAG seems similar to OISA, as I’d get to use the judgement and communication to communicate to the team, as well as others hopeful of pardoning, and/or appealing, to reinstate into USDF. OJAG has always intrigued me even before the time we’re in now because I’m old, and I feel like now that we are in the time we’re in it would be an interesting office to be a part of.

LuxuryZ… – Another office that I would personally join would be the USSOCOM. I have experience within the office and although I can’t tell you much, the green berets do a lot in regards to keeping USDF a safe and secure environment. Also, for some reason I like training people, so possibly applying to be the DOT&E or training Officers/WOs/NCOs in a broader capacity has always interested me (this is something I’ve done behind the scenes for years and been an unofficial mentor/guide to a great many people who have come through the ranks.)

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Majestic Beast

By Dan.K

Hey Mr. Pock, how was your day?

Sup Dan.K, I wasn’t feeling okay 

I was up all night just coughing, feeling ill

My colors are faded soon I’ll be in a coffin, cozied up all chill

My green has grayed and my blue is weathered 

Can you please find a way to save my feathers?

Well Mr. Pock let me try

I don’t know if I’m that guy

I have been high and I’ve been down

Been playing around, a man feeling like a clown 

With big shoes, but really who am I choose 

I’m just a peacock with a life to lose

Um, well, come on Mr. Pock!

Yeah, please dude why would you stop

I swear this life is worth it 

You need to study it, bro I learned it!

What do you mean, like you read some books? 

Yeah Mr. Pock, just take a couple looks, 

Wow man, thanks for sharing,

I didn’t know you were so caring,

It’s all right, Mr. Pock. 

We’ll be alright, we’re cool

I think one day we’ll be living the dream 

Sipping margaritas by the pool

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Coffee Date with USD P

By StrongTiger

Question 1: Do you enjoy drinking coffee or tea? 

Neither, I can’t stand coffee. It actually took me a whole month of walking past coffees shops every day at my local in order for me not gagging whilst smelling coffee. I did it as preparation for getting a job in a cafe, where naturally I’d have to make coffees. I’m very sensitive to coffee even if you have it in the next room I can usually smell it. Tea on the other hand, I don’t like flavoured water at all. It’s a crime. My go to drink I would say is chocolate milk or soft drinks! 

Question 2: Can you tell us more about what is the most interesting position you ever held in USDF? 

Hmmm… That’s a tough one. It would either be ASD PA or USD P. ASD PA because you have so much freedom and you cover a ton of duties. OPA has the ability to create and change duties regularly, whereas other offices have set duties. Being ASD PA meant I had a LOT of freedom. In my opinion, people who struggle with being stagnant should come to OPA. But even so, you need to take initiative to want to try new things and actually push for it. OPA creates it’s own duties everyday. If the command doesn’t want to run an event, then the event won’t be planned. Command literally decides everyday what the Office does. A lot of people forget that perspective, or forget the freedom they have and just do what’s regular when really they have the creative freedom to do so much more. It depends on how much you want to do, how much you’re willing to put in and the drive you have. 

With USD P I got to learn all about OISA & OSP&C as well as being in OPA. I have a love for OPA so it was great. I could still be a part of it but also try new things. And I really have learned A LOT. Jee time flies! I originally started off in OPA. Back when it was rosters, and I was a part of journalism. Then I moved to OSEAC as the SMA then SWOAA. Then back to OPA as XO > CO > AD > ASD PA. I was also CSA AA before it became VCSA and a JSD position. I’ve also been CMO EA. 

Question 3: Do you often go hiking, jungle trekking or anything that involves nature? 

The closest I get to nature is when I go in my backyard ;d. But I go down to the coast a few times a year to my friend’s property. Where they live in the country and have a lot of farm animals. Usually we go down for parties, socializing and drinks. The scenery is great, we go quad biking, horse riding and trekking at the back of the property where there is a river that runs and to watch the sunset. It’s always quite relaxing and free down there. 

Question 4: What is your support system in life? Is it family, your friends, your pet or just you? 

I live in a city, so my support system is my friends. I’ve surrounded myself with true friends who’d be there for me through thick and thin. So I’d say they’re close to me, sort of like a family I’ve chosen and put together myself. That’s about it. 

Question 5:  How do you often apply what you have learnt in USDF in your real life? 

There is actually a lot that I’ve done here that I use in real life. Here I’ve been able to trial and error a lot of things. So working with specific types of people, handling conflict, coming up with ideas, leading a team, working with people, writing up proposals and policies. All these experiences and skills I’ve actually managed to apply to my real life. I’m a nurse and I do a lot of volunteer roles within my ward. So I’m the COVID marshall, infection control representative and also our nursing union representative. In all these roles, I’ve had to create things, train people, advocate for people, support people etc. It’s all stuff I do here as a leader as well. At any level in USDF, you can utilize your experiences and skills in your real life and vice versa. But it also depends on how you as a person understand what you do, your role and responsibilities and your own perspective. You and I could have the same experience but we take away from it differently and learn different things from the perspective. Some people are here just to chill and have fun whilst others are more attuned to leadership and working hard. But if you are going into something with a goal or something in mind, then you are already looking for ways to interpret your experiences and gain skills from it. If you are trying something out just for fun, sometimes it’s harder to see the teachings you’ve gained. I’ve always had a leadership outlook on everything I do here and by going into a position with that mindset, I’m very aware of what I can do for the position and what it can do for me. I’ve always been good at identifying that sort of stuff, which makes me good at reviewing EOIs and connecting experience to skills and how this helps one’s growth and development. Also it helps me better to guide people when they’re not really sure what they get out of something or to help motivate them. But most of all, being able to interpret stuff and see all the possibilities better allows me to make changes and guide people or offices in a certain direction. If you lack understanding of the fundamentals of how this is done, why is this done, what is the purpose, then it’s hard to adopt a leadership mindset. Some people find it comes easier to them than others. I’ve always been exposed to leadership positions here and in real life, so It’s something I gravitate to and good at. Others may be exceptional leaders, but It takes them a while to get there or they have to work really hard at it. But essentially, everyone has the potential to be a leader. It’s important to realize that some people need to work harder than others. And that’s 100% ok. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. And for sure there are things that I can’t do no matter how much hard work I put into it. 

Question 6: How do you juggle your real life commitments while managing your portfolio in USDF? 

Firstly, you just need to be honest to yourself. What can you do and what can’t you do. What do you need to prioritize, and how much time have you got for things. Once you determine that, you’ve also got to ensure you make time for yourself. Even when you have a lot of things to do or a lot going on, always DEMAND time for yourself. Otherwise you’ll burn out. But think about how much time we’ve lost to COVID. I feel like I’ve wasted two years of my life that I can’t get back. It really puts things in perspective on what is important and what’s not. And if I have the opportunity to see my friends or go out or even undergo training for work that’s going to help me progress in life, I will prioritize that. But USDF is also a priority to me because I do actually take my role and responsibilities here seriously, so I can sacrifice my time where I can. Maybe I’ll stay up super late one night, or I’ll do USDF work instead of watching a movie. People struggle to find time because they don’t utilize it well and they don’t know what can be sacrificed. But you need a balance. Finding that balance is hard, and it will be different for everyone. I can run on 5 hours of sleep a night, work 70 hours a week and still be quite active and involved here. Not everyone can do that. I’m not saying I’m a superwoman, but I can do that because I don’t procrastinate much but I also plan my time wisely. I look at the bigger picture, what can I delegate, where is the free time I have during the week, what do I need to prioritize, where can I put my focus on, where do I have support. I can look at something and determine this all quickly, where others may need to actually create a list or have a planner. I’ve always been good at remembering what needs to be done and finding time to do it. I think because I have so little time, it becomes very precious to me so I don’t waste it. But it does get hard when I’m demotivated. And by gosh, I do get demotivated a lot. For me, even when I’m demotivated and moody, I still do my work. Because I know that no one else can, not with my current positions. If I leave something, then I’ve still got to do it later, so why not just get it over and done with now?

I don’t let demotivation hinder what I need to do. Because I know it affects more than just me. Plus I’ve put WAY too much time and effort into USDF that I don’t want to see my contributions be for nothing or demotivation ruins what I’ve achieved. I’m good at just saying to myself, “just get it done”.It doesn’t work for everyone. You need to have a certain mindset for the tough love act. I want to do so many things, even when I’m demotivated, ‘m still motivated enough to want to keep making a difference. 

Question 7: Do you have anything you want to say, To all your fans, or aspiring leaders in USDF?

Just do what you love and don’t lose sight of that!

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Editors	StrongTiger cagliore
Writers	StrongTiger ardnaxela Aneha Yodar Dan.K Toxic_silver2x hakateach chiari.cord midgetbella Eliza4Forever
Designers	StrongTiger (Cover) cagliore (Layout)
Artists	StrongTiger ardnaxela eunbi :alyss Blaziin-Veniim bluebell1994 katelyn853 Tarrnish Dan.K