Search

Search

[+] Advanced...

Author:

Region:

Sort:

«12. . .1,8201,8211,8221,8231,8241,8251,826. . .2,6342,635»

Lousykitty wrote:Trash heap nations represent!

What does that mean?

How do people feel about these South Pacific polls, by the way?

We've been receiving them politely, but honestly they do seem kind of self-indulgent, and aren't really in keeping with the normal tone of Forest's content. They're not responses to what anyone is talking about, they're not intended to initiate any conversation, they're basically just direct promotion of another region's polls, and they turn up with sufficient regularity that its starting to feel like unwanted spam.

Personally I wouldn't be averse to asking Auphelia to stop cross-posting these polls to Forest, but that's not really my decision to make. What's the general feeling on them?

Effazio, Drasnia, Deontologia, New Kvenland, and 12 othersOctopus islands, Mount Seymour, Atsvea, Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, Auphelia, Turbeaux, Northern Wood, Eco-empire, Girelna, Middle Barael, and Forestal

"Murmuria is certainly not a newcomer and has been around since long before even I arrived. :P"
That's correct, Mount Seymour...I certainly been here for a very long time, since time immemorial (meaning I can't remember for how long, but I have recorded TGs dated 9 years ago).

About the matter of an embassy with India...India, the RL country, is that kind of place everyone feels to know something about...be it the food or the music or the religious philosophy, its diverse culture or its history.
Alexander the Great reached India. Would the British Empire have been the same without India? Absolutely not. It was the crown jewel and from Queen Victoria until Independence, British monarchs were titled Empress/Emperors of India.
Never been there myself, but the very country I hail from in RL had a shared history with India for over 400 years. Still there are strong cultural ties.
Many a Westerner felt the allure of the East.
We all feel familiar with India, one way or another.
Does that mean that Forest ought to have an embassy with India for the above reasons ? Not necessarily. It isn't unavoidable.
So, in my humble opinion, that's why it's so important to put embassy proposals to vote. India is the perfect example of how a region modelled after a RL country or political entity can trigger an emotional response in NS.

Shwe Tu Colony wrote:On that note, N-buna mentioned that he's been inspired by Henry Darger

Now you've really hit on a deep interest of mine. Henry Darger's life and work are among the most interesting things I've encountered this life of mine. I am at risk of swamping the RMB with discussion about this figure, so I will restrain myself and merely point to a book I found useful. The more salacious bits about his life and works are readily available to anyone willing to look, but this book is more thoughtful and careful in its approach:

Darger's Resources by Michael Moon
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13206073-darger-s-resources

Shwe Tu Colony wrote:In other news, FREEESH AVOGADO6

If you mentioned this artist before, I cannot remember it. It's a sad-sweet type of video. I looked more into the artist and found this article, which is a pretty good look at his work:

https://nextshark.com/mysterious-japanese-artist-haunting-art/

I've definitely encountered some of his pictures floating around the internet. There is indeed a "haunting" quality to them...sad but in an invigorating way.

Thanks for sharing.

Government Post

Hey there Forest-folk! Can you believe it's been another month already? That means it's time for your July transparency report! Between the environmental analysis work, the embassy votes, and the event planning for our upcoming Crystal Jubilee, we've had another successful month. Read all about it, here!

July 10, 2020

Greetings, Foresters, and welcome to the July 2020 Transparency Report!

Time seems to alternate between standing still and flying by during the ongoing chaos our world is experiencing, but our regional officers are always at work, doing what they can to try and keep Forest a small core of sanity that we can all rely on. Jumping right in to it:

-------

Forest’s Ecological Footprint Report for 2020 has released!

Kawastyselir released a brilliant report on the real-world ecological footprint of Forest’s nations! Based on voluntary survey results, and published and tested methodologies, Kawa gave us a glimpse of precisely how eco-friendly we really are. The fact that those of us here in NationStates largely represent people from technologically advanced areas who lead modern high-impact lifestyles was very much in evidence! Despite the fact that we make a point of being more eco-conscious than most of our peers, nearly all of us still exceed the global average ecological footprint, and every last one of us consumes at a rate greater than the planet can sustain.

All is not darkness, however! When compared with others who live in modern technologically-advanced countries, many of our members do in-fact lead comparatively sustainable lifestyles! Also, if we can take a small green lining from this horror of this global pandemic, the “Earth Overshoot Day” (the day of the year when global resource consumption exceeds the planet’s annual ability to regenerate) has slipped backwards by nearly a month due to the tremendous reduction in resource consumption this year! While nobody believes we will hold on to this year’s dramatic cuts permanently, let us take hope that it has demonstrated what is actually possible when we try, and puts the lie to all the naysayers who claim we can’t make a difference. One glance at the strangely smog-free skyline of LA shows what we can do.

Check out the report here:

page=dispatch/id=1397967

-------

Performing an Environmental Impact Analysis

It is probably no coincidence that Turbeaux was our top performer in the report above – they really know how to take their impact in to account! As a follow-up to the June Environmental Action Item, check out Turbeaux’s work on an environmental impact report for a popular tech item, the iPhone 11:

page=dispatch/id=1397917

This kind of thought process can be done for any aspect of your life! The study of Material Culture blends well with environmental analysis, and there are numerous organizations out there trying to make it easier to identify products and materials with reduced (never eliminated!) environmental impact. If you’re building a PC, look for a good 80+ certification on your power supply, and more efficient power consumption for your components. If you’re buying, building, or upgrading a home, the standards for LEED certification (now expanded to include Europe as well as North America) can help you reduce your impact! You don’t need to be trying for an actual certificate to see the standards and help them guide your choices. For both of these, going green can even save you money in the long run! I cut my power bill by 25% simply by replacing some lightbulbs, and the savings paid for the upgrade within a year. Even things like cleaning products have green certifications! Again, nothing will eliminate our environmental impact, but together we can bring it down to a more acceptable level!

-------

Crystal Jubilee Planning Update – Upcoming Flag Competition (and more)

The Forest Crystal Jubilee is coming! August marks 15 years since the original founding of our region, which today has grown in to thriving international community of people with a shared interest in our collective future. Chan island is leading a planning committee that includes Lord Dominator, Uan aa Boa, Mount Seymour, Kawastyselir, and myself to try and put together a little celebration appropriate for this joyful occasion. Please keep your eyes open for information about this, which should be forthcoming over the month of July.

For my own part, I will be operating a Flag Design Competition to develop a temporary Jubilee Flag to mark the event! This flag will be voted on by Foresters, and will fly on our homepage during the celebration period. I will send out the full announcement and with links over the weekend – keep an eye out, artists, we’ll want to see your best!

The contest, and several other elements of the event, will be taking place on our Forums, in order to preserve our RMB for its proper uses. Make sure you’re registered over on our forums at https://forest.freeflarum.com

-------

Forest’s Foreign Affairs

Our Foreign Ministry and diplomatic offices, under Ruinenlust and Middle Barael are continuing the reconciliation of our ambassadorial lists. If you are an ambassador or have recently volunteered to be one, and haven’t yet received a telegram, you should expect one soon!

Also, please welcome our recently opened embassy with Thalassia, which stood up operations last fall as the spiritual successor to our former ally region of Pacifica, and which is operating fully on its own two feet. Hello again, friends!

-------

Please reach out to me or my fellow officers with any thoughts or questions you may have! All of us are here to serve you. Stay strong and stay beautiful, you wonderful Forest folk!

Fondly,
Verdant Haven
Forest Keeper

Read dispatch

As always, don't hesitate to reach out with any question, concerns, thoughts, or ideas.

Yours,
Verdant Haven
Forest Keeper

Candlewhisper Archive wrote:How do people feel about these South Pacific polls, by the way?

We've been receiving them politely, but honestly they do seem kind of self-indulgent, and aren't really in keeping with the normal tone of Forest's content. They're not responses to what anyone is talking about, they're not intended to initiate any conversation, they're basically just direct promotion of another region's polls, and they turn up with sufficient regularity that its starting to feel like unwanted spam.

Personally I wouldn't be averse to asking Auphelia to stop cross-posting these polls to Forest, but that's not really my decision to make. What's the general feeling on them?

I don't care for them at all. I find them intrusive here. I will add that Auphelia called this last one an ethical question. I don't know about previous polls. Self indulgent spam sounds like a good descriptive term. They have an embassy, but...

Octopus islands, Mount Seymour, Atsvea, Ruinenlust, and 6 othersLord Dominator, Auphelia, Turbeaux, Northern Wood, Girelna, and Middle Barael

Verdant Haven wrote:Hey there Forest-folk! Can you believe it's been another month already? That means it's time for your July transparency report!

These are the reports ambassadors are meant to post to their respective regions, correct? I sometimes am confused about which are meant to be released out to other regions, and which are meant to remain merely among "Forest-folk."

Henry Darger, Northern Wood?
The outsider artist of The Vivian Girls fame? I read articles about it and I believe there's a documentary on YouTube. At least I watched one a while ago.
Poor fellow, had a very lonely, heartbreaking life. But his work is fascinating.

Murmuria wrote:Henry Darger, Northern Wood?
The outsider artist of The Vivian Girls fame? I read articles about it and I believe there's a documentary on YouTube. At least I watched one a while ago.
Poor fellow, had a very lonely, heartbreaking life. But his work is fascinating.

Yes, the one and the same. I have not watched any documentaries or movies on him... What did you think of the one you saw? I think I am somewhat concerned how he will be portrayed. If I knew the documentary was going to be the kind of dry, objective overview, then I think I could enjoy it, but I suspect most will have an agenda and attempt to hijack his story for whatever "cause celebre" they happen to favor.

And I agree about his life. I think that's the most interesting thing about him, really. I mean, his writings and paintings are certainly fascinating, but I am most intrigued by the life of a man who toiled all of those years in solitude and anonymous poverty, day after day, alone and apart from the rest of society.

That's one of the things I liked about the book I linked above -- it shows him absorbing the wider popular culture around him and incorporating it in his work, whether its street art or pulp works or newspaper stories or public advertisements or religious pamphlets being handed out to passersby.

Hello forest. I come to you with another update from XKI.


10000 Islands Emissary Update

Date: June 2020
Population: 2113
Delegate Endorsements: 710
Forum: Linkhttp://10000islands.proboards.com/
Discord: Linkhttps://discord.gg/mw27pug

TITO Command

Has your region been invaded, or do you want to get in touch with TITO? If so, contact one of the following nations:
~Chief Executive: Markanite.
~Field Commander: Kanta Hame.
~Tactical Officers: Shy Guyia, Smugglers and Mercs (EF), Mingulay isle, THX1138.
~Executive Officers: Aschente, Hakketomat.

Government

As of this reportís publication, the Government of 10000 Islands consists of:
~Chief Executive: Markanite
~WA Delegate: Kuriko
~Senior Senator for Blue Canaria North (Emissary Report): Grea Kriopia
~Senator for Lyonnesse East (Houses): The United Royal Islands of Euramathania
~Senator for New Republica South (Debates and Discussions): Controlitia
~Senator for Himes West (RP): Marxist germany
~Minister of Labor: HumanSanity
~Minister of Immigration: THX1138
~Minister of Education: The tasmanian islands

Additionally, XKI is proud to announce the signing of the Treaty of the Waxing Moon with The East Pacific to further recognize and appreciate the history of friendship between the two regions.

Information about other government officials of 10000 Islands can be found Linkhere.

New Government Appointments

~ The FA team grew again this month as Thedairos was appointed Emissary to The Coalition of Democratic Nations, Grea Kriopia was appointed Emissary to The North Pacific, Kohnhead was appointed Emissary to Wintreath, Free Las Pinas was appointed Ambassador to Texas, and Wille-Harlia was appointed Emissary to South Pacific.
~ The Cultural Office gained Thedairos, Free Las Pinas, Snakeden, and Al0neforever as Cultural Office Assistants.
~ Woonsocket was hired as Casino Manager in the revitalization of the XKI Casino.
~ With the Casino shuffle, Paffnia was made Regional Reserve Chair with Woonsocket becoming Deputy Regional Reserve Chair.
~ In the Education department, Wille-Harlia was hired as Deputy Minister of Education by Minister The tasmanian islands.

XKI Summer Olympics

June saw the first-ever XKI Summer Olympics hosted by Cultural Officer HumanSanity and Cultural Office Assistant Grea Kriopia, which ran as a month-long event spree where 3 Olympic teams competed for points, trading cards, and bragging rights. Events featured spamming contests, an Issues writing contest, a short story contest, Card collection competition, Factbook writing contest, team debates, and more, each awarding a points reward to the winning team. The event had a staggering 96 participants in total and much friendly competition was had!

In the end, Team ALEN led by THX1138 took home the gold with a total of 525 points. Next followed Team Fleeb in second with 396 points and in 3rd place with bronze came Team Anime Daisuki with 339 points. A hearty congratulations to all teams, though, for their strong participation and team spirit that helped kick the summer off strong, and special thanks also go to all of the guest judges who helped with various events.

Around the Islands

~ The LinkXKI Cards Co-Op snuck in right at the end of the month to establish a community based regional card farming operation separate from the XKI Cultural Office. More info to come in July once the Co-Op is up and running.
~ June's LinkFeatured Nation was Wille-Harlia! Congrats to him on all of his recent accomplishments and promotions, and we can't wait to see what you do next!
~ As mentioned previously, the XKI Casino got a nice revamp in the month of June with the help of Woonsocket. Now, Islanders can fulfill all their gambling addiction needs with regular lotteries, Roulette, and more to come!
~ The first space launches of the XKI Space Program took place in June with Linkdramatic results for all their parties involved.
~ Some XKIers moseyed over to a Texas Saturday morning BBQ for a nice chat and friendly regional visit.
~ The Summer Olympics brought lots of additional spam to Taco Island, but the chaos only grew as a Linkcriminal manhunt was underway for Shy Guyia. Full support to Mayor Louisistan as he seeks justice!

XKI Game-Side

A regional poll in June by Jabberwocky asked Islanders what soda they thought was sodalicious.

This month’s RMB posts show what's really on Islander's minds during quarantine...

Self-confidence is key!
Suspect everyone...even the pigeons
Weird flex, but ok
Grandmas be like...
Cards go vroom
A nice reminder
Darn, copyright!
It's called fashion

WA Affairs

June 03, 2020 SC Commend Crushing Our Enemies: Citing the target's legislative, organizational, and military work across NationStates.
Author: Jakker City
10000 Islands discussion on this resolution: LinkLink
Regional vote: For 0 | Against 14
Delegate vote: Against (weight 809)
Final WA vote: For 15370 (75.0%) | Against 5135 (25.0%)
Result: Passed June 06, becoming SCR#310

June 03, 2020 GA Rights of the Employed: A resolution to further establish and clarify worker's rights unilaterally.
Author: The Greater Soviet North America
10000 Islands discussion on this resolution: LinkLink
Regional vote: For 5 | Against 10 | Abstain 2
Delegate vote: Against (weight: 810)
Final WA vote: For 11828 (53.9%) | Against 10133 (46.1%)
Result: Passed June 7, becoming GAR#491

June 07, 2020 SC Commend 9003: Seeking to commend the target for their extensive work in International Artwork (cards) and military work.
Author: Noahs Second Country
10000 Islands discussion on this resolution: LinkLink
Regional vote: For 17 | Against 0
Delegate vote: For (weight 842)
Final WA vote: For 21925 (90.3%) | Against 2358 (9.7%)
Result: Passed May 8, becoming SCR#304

June 07, 2020 GA Proper Hygiene For Medical Instruments: A resolution to bolster hygiene standards in healthcare to raise universal standards of health.
Author: Morover
10000 Islands discussion on this resolution: LinkLink
Regional vote: For 11 | Against 0
Delegate vote: For (weight 785)
Final WA vote: For 18256 (91%) | Against 1803 (9%)
Result: Passed June 11, becoming GAR#492

June 11, 2020 SC Repeal "Liberate Iran": A movement to repeal Iran's liberation in order for the region to be refounded.
Author: Iramerica
10000 Islands discussion on this resolution: LinkLink
Regional vote: For 20 | Against 0
Delegate vote: For (weight 772)
Final WA vote: For 16861 (87.5%) | Against 2416 (12.5%)
Result: Passed June 14, becoming SCR#312

June 11, 2020 GA Language and Education Rights for Deaf Individuals: A resolution to protect Deaf individuals from discrimination with emphasis on education quality.
Author: Morover
10000 Islands discussion on this resolution: LinkLink
Regional vote: For 10 | Against 0
Delegate vote: For (weight 770)
Final WA vote: For 17814 (93.6%) | Against 1221 (6.4%)
Result: Passed June 15, becoming GAR#493

June 15, 2020 SC Commend Apulita: Citing the target's work in regional government, particularly in Warzone Europe.
Author: Jean Rowe
10000 Islands discussion on this resolution: LinkLink
Regional vote: For 10 | Against 4
Delegate vote: Against (weight 753) - violated ROVA
Final WA vote: For 4150 (26.2%) | Against 11708 (73.8%)
Result: Failed to pass.

June 15, 2020 GA Regulating Desalination: A resolution to protect Deaf individuals from discrimination with emphasis on education quality.
Author: Honeydewstania
10000 Islands discussion on this resolution: LinkLink
Regional vote: For 14 | Against 1
Delegate vote: For (weight 752)
Final WA vote: For 11930 (65.2%) | Against 6378 (34.8%)
Result: Passed June 19, becoming GAR#494

June 19, 2020 SC Repeal "Condemn Vandoosa": A movement to repeal the target's condemnation on the grounds of poor quality and overexaggeration.
Author: Tinhampton
10000 Islands discussion on this resolution: LinkLink
Regional vote: For 0 | Against 13
Delegate vote: Against (weight 755)
Final WA vote: For 4000 (25.2%) | Against 11903 (74.8%)
Result: Failed to pass.

June 19, 2020 GA Supporting and Valuing the Humanities: Establishing extra academic and monetary support for the humanities in academic institutions.
Author: Castle Federation
10000 Islands discussion on this resolution: LinkLink
Regional vote: For 10 | Against 1
Delegate vote: For (weight 753)
Final WA vote: For 15221 (82.6%) | Against 3197 (17.4%)
Result: Passed June 23, becoming GAR#495

June 23, 2020 SC Commend The Salaxalans: Citing the target's work of the highest potato quality in Spiritus.
Author: Morover
10000 Islands discussion on this resolution: LinkLink
Regional vote: For 11 | Against 1
Delegate vote: For (weight 734)
Final WA vote: For 13640 (90.3%) | Against 2763 (9.7%)
Result: Passed June 26, becoming SCR#313

June 23, 2020 GA Standards on Police Accountability: An attempt for higher accountability on police standards.
Author: Isaris
10000 Islands discussion on this resolution: LinkLink
Regional vote: For 4 | Against 11
Delegate vote: Against (weight: 733)
Final WA vote: For 7062 (41.0%) | Against 10146 (59.0%)
Result: Failed to pass.

June 27, 2020 SC Condemn Australian rePublic: Seeking to condemn the target nation for their chaotic contribution towards Issues.
Author: Authoritaria-Imperia
10000 Islands discussion on this resolution: LinkLink
Regional vote: For 13 | Against 2
Delegate vote: Against (weight 719)
Final WA vote: For 9371 (66.2%) | Against 4794 (33.8%)
Result: Passed June 30, becoming SCR#314

June 27, 2020 GA Fair Arbitration Act: A resolution to better protect and support fair arbitration on behalf of individuals.
Author: Cretox State
10000 Islands discussion on this resolution: LinkLink
Regional vote: For 13 | Against 1 | Abstain 2
Delegate vote: For (weight 718)
Final WA vote: For 13157 (83.9%) | Against 2532 (16.1%)
Result: Passed Jul 1, becoming GAR#496

Poet Laureate Competition

June brought around the XKI Poet Laureate Competition where the region's finest poet's faced off on the topic of 'anger', aiming for the best poem on the topic in any form or style. The winner of this competition was Liberdon and their poem, The Storm's Wrath, is featured below:

The Storm’s Wrath

The midnight sea lay still
Until a wind started to blow
And silence fell to a shrill
And once calm waves began to grow

Far above foaming dark
Rested thatched roofs and clay walls
Nestled in straw, a lark
All unaware as the wind calls

Higher! Higher! the waves howl
Leaping, lashing the salty rock
Suddenly the skies growl
Tick, tock, tick says the clock

Crash! A terrible sound
Waves strike and tear, unleashing wrath
Bash! Bang! Roar! the waves bound
Forgetting caution, the waves scathe

Wind grows weary and dies
Waves calm and recede to the sea
Morning dawns on clear skies
But on wreckage and debris

But do not despair, for
The storm has no more spite
Rejoice and leap and soar
And rebuild what was lost last night

For no storm can last long
And clear skies will always return
The trick is staying strong
Until the waves and wrath adjourn

Until next month, your XKI Update Staff is signing off - Grea Kriopia
Read dispatch

Northern Wood wrote:These are the reports ambassadors are meant to post to their respective regions, correct? I sometimes am confused about which are meant to be released out to other regions, and which are meant to remain merely among "Forest-folk."

All transparency reports are 100% public in nature - no secret info there! Because they are written for a Forest audience I might recommend rephrasing them or editing the content simply to make sure it's actually of interest to allies, but definitely feel free to include any information from transparency reports (or the report itself) in your ambassadorial messaging if you feel it is appropriate for the region with whom you work!

Verdant Haven wrote:All transparency reports are 100% public in nature - no secret info there! Because they are written for a Forest audience I might recommend rephrasing them or editing the content simply to make sure it's actually of interest to allies, but definitely feel free to include any information from transparency reports (or the report itself) in your ambassadorial messaging if you feel it is appropriate for the region with whom you work!

On that end, I am going to start sending out telegrams to nations that are either currently counted as being ambassadors, or that have expressed interest directly to me or to Ruinenlust or Verdant Haven. If you are not in one of these groups, but still wish to become an ambassador, please quote this post and/or telegram me.

The telegrams have been standardized so as to reduce the amount of time it’ll take to reaffirm our ambassadors, so if the telegram seems a bit oddly worded or impersonal, that is why. Once we have reaffirmed all of our ambassadorships, we will start trying to find new ambassadors (please volunteer!) and if need be, we’ll push for certain embassies to be withdrawn.

It has been great getting to work with Ruinenlust, Verdant Haven, and everyone who has already reached out to me, and I can’t wait to finish organizing the embassies.

Edit: Verdant Haven, you sent me the dispatch with the footer/header for the offficial Forest documents, but it never said how to add it. Do you know how to add the footer/header? And if not, could you point me to someone who may know? I know how to add images, but since the header/footer is not an image, I am lost. Thanks

Candlewhisper Archive wrote:How do people feel about these South Pacific polls, by the way?

We've been receiving them politely, but honestly they do seem kind of self-indulgent, and aren't really in keeping with the normal tone of Forest's content. They're not responses to what anyone is talking about, they're not intended to initiate any conversation, they're basically just direct promotion of another region's polls, and they turn up with sufficient regularity that its starting to feel like unwanted spam.

Personally I wouldn't be averse to asking Auphelia to stop cross-posting these polls to Forest, but that's not really my decision to make. What's the general feeling on them?

I don't mind the polls themselves but would rather see them posted in Discord and/or our forum.

Octopus islands, Mount Seymour, Atsvea, Ruinenlust, and 3 othersLord Dominator, Auphelia, and Northern Wood

Hi, I am BEKM. I am Gandenia's new WA puppet state. IC, we became Gandenia's puppet after a war against Malah (who is also our puppet, and also in Forest) that ended in Malahian defeat 3 months ago. BEKM is a federation of 4 countries: Esitonia, Bositana, Korman and Morany. Esitonia is our capital country.

Candlewhisper Archive wrote:How do people feel about these South Pacific polls, by the way?

We've been receiving them politely, but honestly they do seem kind of self-indulgent, and aren't really in keeping with the normal tone of Forest's content. They're not responses to what anyone is talking about, they're not intended to initiate any conversation, they're basically just direct promotion of another region's polls, and they turn up with sufficient regularity that its starting to feel like unwanted spam.

Personally I wouldn't be averse to asking Auphelia to stop cross-posting these polls to Forest, but that's not really my decision to make. What's the general feeling on them?

My general feeling is thank you for saying something!

I have long found these polls to be annoying and useless for all of the things you mention, and the polls themselves are often nonsense, with an "oh wow, I'm breaking the fourth wall!" option at the end that I guess you're meant to pick if you don't know the actual content of the poll.

Imagine if these polls were all Elmo gibberish? It would be suppressed immediately, and rightly so. Perhaps Auphelia could be asked to stop posting them on the RMB.

Verdant Haven, Octopus islands, Atsvea, Lord Dominator, and 5 othersAuphelia, Northern Wood, Eco-empire, Middle Barael, and Forestal

Heyo guys! Hope you're doing well today!

The SPSF's weekly report is out, by the way, you can check it out on the dispatch linked below or on our forums! (https://tspforums.xyz/thread-8420-post-203578.html#pid203578)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prologue
By Imperial Dodo

It was a regular afternoon, just chasing Hawks around. That was, until out of nowhere Haku screamed at the top of his lungs:
“Code 101! I repeat, Code 101!”

As soon as we heard this, we all jumped into our nuclear submarines, and rushed to Haku’s location.

Upon our arrival, we found Haku kneeling on the ground, holding what seemed to be a small piece of broken metal. The metal had a slight blue tint to it and was extremely sharp. One side of it was chiseled into what seemed to be some sort of a spear the tip of which is made of gold. The metal was polished perfectly and was smooth like paper.

“Does anyone know what this is?”, I asked.

Phoenix walked over to Haku, bent down, picked up the small piece of metal and examined it.

“This is not good,” she said, “This small piece of metal, although it may seem very insignificant, is one of the most important discoveries in all of SPSF’s history. Around one week ago, while I was waiting for any activity, I was ambushed by a swarm of Hawks. I was forced to retreat, and in the process abandoned my trident. That Trident is the most precious item that SPSF owned, or did own until last week… It is made of a precious metal called Pacifium which can only be found in the caverns deep below the SPSF headquarters in Sandaoguo. Pacifium is the strongest metal in the World, and is practically unbreakable. Not only is this trident special because it is made with Pacifium, but when it comes into contact with water, it forms a magnetic shield around you and summons a swarm of guardian dolphins to protect you. And don’t worry, inside the shield, there is only air, preventing any water from extinguishing me. ”

We all stood in silence, waiting for someone to say something. That was when Jamie said:

“Well, what are we waiting for, let's go find these Hawks and get this Trident back!”

I pulled out my prototype Railgun, Phoenix transformed into her bird form and Jamie jumped onto his unicorn and we set off to hunt these hawks.

Promotion

In the halls of the SPSF HQ, there are many rooms. Some are top secret rooms for only the most trusted members, some are more open to others. One room holds a special significance, however.

This room is larger than the others, holding a much different atmosphere inside. A sense of grandeur, pride, maybe even nostalgia lingers in the room, much different from the more streamlined feel of the rest of the building.

Minister Phoenix quietly flew up to the podium on the stage, shifting to the humanoid form, adjusting the headset microphone which appeared on her head. Following after her, were Generals Nakari and Roavin. Soon, Soldier SA and Trainee Prarie sat themselves on opposite sides of the stage, Prarie holding a certificate, and SA holding a brand-new uniform. Soon after, everyone else in the SPSF filed in, filling the hall with eager warriors, excitetdly anticipating the ceremony about to commence.

Phoenix briefly looked across the room, the excitement on her face as obvious as the Intruder flag which General Roavin stubbornly continued to wear despite the joke being as old as time itself.

“Hello, my fellow friends. Today, I have gathered us all here to acknowledge the dedication and hard work our dear Trainee SwiftyGamer has exhibited. They have gone above and beyond in our shared mission of protecting the oceans of NationStates, chasing down the pirates with fierce determination to see them stopped. This is why I ask Swifty to come up to the stage at this time.”

Swifty stood up from his seat and quietly made his way to the stage. The sheer amount of pride he held at this moment radiated like another sun in the very room, confidence in every step echoing around the hall.

“Trainee SwiftyGamer.” Phoenix said, turning to face the bold Trainee. “You have proven yourself to be more than capable in battle, a valuable asset to our crew.”

Swifty nodded, the smile on his face growing larger with every passing second.

“Do you promise to continue on this path that you’re on, vowing to do all that you can to defend the rough seas against those who wish to harm her, as she will be your friend as you are hers?”

“I promise.” Swifty replied to the question.

“In that case…” Phoenix lingered on the last word, reaching for what seemed to be nothing by her side. The brief moment of realization on her face passed by her unnoticed, and she moved her hand down to clasp the hilt of her katana instead. She drew the sword, resting it on Swifty’s head. “By the power vested in me by the people of The South Pacific, I now henceforth declare you, Soldier SwiftyGamer.”

The hall erupted in wild cheers and applause. SA stepped up first with the new uniform, followed by Prarie with Swifty’s certificate. The Generals stepped forward, shaking the new soldier’s hands enthusiastically.

“FREE S.P.I.T. ON THE HOUSE!!!” Trainee Omega shouted, passing around glass after glass of South Pacific Iced Tea to everyone in the room.

Chasing Lilies: Major 2020-07-07

Phoenix had set sail alone in the middle of the night, after reports of mysterious flower traffickers came through, from contacts in The Grey Wardens and the Rejected Realms Army. She was grateful that the seas were calm as they were, to prevent more ocean spray from hitting her. Without the Trident, her job was about to become much, much harder.

“Alright, hurry up and get here, and prepare to go as fast as you can.” Haku said over the radio. Phoenix quickly shifted into her normal bird form after anchoring the ship to where it was, soaring quickly to the land where she met the rest of the group.

“Phoenix, go with Jamie and Matthew and hunt down that group. The rest of you, go after the other group.” Haku nodded when Phoenix arrived, and the chase began.

They kept up a wild pace, chasing the wild flower traffickers on land, picking up the lilies as they fell.

“They’re moving too fast.” Matthew dropped, panting heavily.

“We can do it. We just need to keep going.” Jamie said, looking down at Matthew and Phoenix from their high unicorn. “They can’t go forever now.”

“Jamie’s right.” Phoenix acknowledged, dragging Matthew back up to his feet. “Keep moving.”

And the chase continued for the entire update, recovering 140 illegal flowers in total.

Flower Chasers:

[SPSF] Phoenixofthesun
[TGW] Haku
[TGW] Matthew
[TGW] Sir Merlin
[TGW] Tim
[TGW/EU] Vincent Drake
[FRA/RRA] Jamie

region=esterois
region=yamstan_invasioxz
region=solas_prime
region=mandalore2
region=darkhaven
region=celtic_nations
region=imperial_confederation
region=the_wasteland_of_no_longer_used_nations
region=commonwealth_of_geopolitics
region=l_o_v_e_m_u_f_f_i_n
region=council_of_asian_regions
region=cudreobar
region=the_commonwealth_of_mothers
region=witchcraft
region=steam_punk
region=temporary_home
region=the_holy_empire_of_the_waifu_republic
region=the_irish_underwater
region=the_empty
region=the_european_warsaw_pact
region=red_dead_redemption_2
region=new_region_name
region=nordia
region=union_of_shoddy_subaverage_republics
region=tyrannoregion
region=its_k_bby
region=somewhere_unknown_treaty_organisation
region=order_of_chef
region=duolingo_birds
region=the_bluejackets_world
region=united_feminist_imperium
region=dubian_conference
region=telemarketia
region=esra
region=karakalpakstan
region=the_ultimate_commonwealth
region=planetary_galactic_governments_assembly
region=apartheid_south_africa
region=comedy_islands
region=expanded_antactic
region=3rd_hour_personal_finance
region=the_western_alliance
region=the_jungles_of_the_amazon
region=2nd_best_card_farm
region=independent_states_of_double_cut_islands
region=united_mars
region=ravenclaw
region=american_psycho_fan_club
region=the_telech_islands
region=league_of_planarians
region=the_confederation_of_nowhereland
region=moscow_convention
region=insert_cool_name_here
region=consolidated_nonsense
region=ultra_fascist_region
region=new_refugia
region=the_west_pole_closet
region=the_allied_nations_of_west_davenport
region=land_of_the_great_apes
region=the_croquet_fields_of_damnation
region=universe_of_nineteen_eighty_four
region=battle_royale_with_cheese
region=great_historia
region=laighin
region=the_united_republic_of_nation_states
region=loznyia
region=the_nasther_empire
region=meridia
region=azvazalia
region=aerium
region=chungachanga
region=aetenia
region=galactic_nations
region=net_neutrality_is_a_form_of_hate_speech
region=terra_aetheria
region=indomalayfioiausvietkambolaomyanindibang
region=alone_in_darkness
region=autumn_p_and_heathcliff_p
region=terramir
region=the_heen_empire
region=yee_haw_texas
region=nausan
region=concord_of_friedenburg
region=the_sith_united_nations
region=pax_bellum
region=around_the_world_in_eighty_days
region=west_michigan
region=the_south_atlantic_league_of_nations
region=neues_europa
region=boom_boom
region=isolia
region=rossmark
region=banana_emporium
region=main_event
region=niro_capital_association
region=region_of_levsnia
region=new_arshultzkow_pact
region=ayy_lmaoland
region=new_republic_of_sovereign_states
region=celtic_nationalists_coalition
region=holy_kevin_james_earth
region=roavin
region=terrater
region=the_empire_of_the_azekhe
region=poopypoop
region=democratic_republic_of_cheese_doggos
region=world_simulator
region=the_puppet_place
region=penguin
region=world_of_final_fantasy
region=carne_de_vitello
region=da_church_of_jyesnt
region=coalition_for_global_liberty
region=hyperclovian_colonial_empire
region=sillessurizzian_islands
region=garam_garam_maggi
region=the_holy_bonzaii
region=planetary_of_andalus
region=funland
region=union_of_socialist_catgirl_states
region=the_gothlands
region=furstenbirn
region=enewetak_atoll
region=mcdonalds_burger_dipped_in_toilet_water
region=ted_talks_go_here
region=the_land_of_colmecti
region=alternian_union
region=boston_massachusetts
region=land_of_asmr
region=true_patriots
region=hivaya
region=stars_and_moon_region
region=union_of_baobabs
region=roma_invicta
region=united_nation_states_of_federals
region=divonya
region=aovelale
region=the_templeos_federation
region=allied_unions
region=soviet_space

Other Missions

[TGW] Haku
[SPSF] SwiftyGamer
[RRA] Jamie
[AFP] anti winx

Defences: 1
region=echo

[TGW] Haku
[SPSF] SwiftyGamer

Defences: 1
region=regional_executive_of_arcecia

Read dispatch

Candlewhisper Archive wrote:How do people feel about these South Pacific polls, by the way?

We've been receiving them politely, but honestly they do seem kind of self-indulgent, and aren't really in keeping with the normal tone of Forest's content. They're not responses to what anyone is talking about, they're not intended to initiate any conversation, they're basically just direct promotion of another region's polls, and they turn up with sufficient regularity that its starting to feel like unwanted spam.

Personally I wouldn't be averse to asking Auphelia to stop cross-posting these polls to Forest, but that's not really my decision to make. What's the general feeling on them?

I'm all in favour of a good, old-fashioned ethical dilemma! The sort of thing that prompts a philosophical debate! The trolley problem is a bit on-the-nose, but you get what you pay for.

When they start posting more mindless polls about mindless things, I'll b-

What was that, invisible person who doesn't exist but I'm pretending to talk to for comedic effect?

Oh.

Murmuria, Mount Seymour, Atsvea, Ruinenlust, and 3 othersLord Dominator, Auphelia, and I like fire

Northern Wood wrote:f you mentioned this artist before, I cannot remember it. It's a sad-sweet type of video. I looked more into the artist and found this article, which is a pretty good look at his work:

https://nextshark.com/mysterious-japanese-artist-haunting-art/

I've definitely encountered some of his pictures floating around the internet. There is indeed a "haunting" quality to them...sad but in an invigorating way.

Thanks for sharing.

I don't think I've mentioned Avogado6 before, but they make art that's exactly my taste. Cute lads mixed in with horror. I wrote a short report on him for a drawing class I took at a college as a dual enrollment opportunity — I was technically supposed to do an artist who distinctly inspired art in history, but I wanted to do Avogado6. Got a few points marked off for it, but eh.

Turbeaux wrote:I don't mind the polls themselves but would rather see them posted in Discord and/or our forum.

Maybe we should tag Auphelia so she's in on the discussion here? :)

Mount Seymour wrote:Maybe we should tag Auphelia so she's in on the discussion here? :)

Well, if you don’t like them, say something! This is why I don’t post my polls in TWP or Osiris.

Admittedly, my next poll will hardly be less self indulgent. And only twelve hours long, no less, what with our delegate elections!

Edit: And it is here!

A poll on some of the finest LGBT films I have had the pleasure of seeing over the past few months. Out of several hundred (it was a bit of a rabbit hole), these were some of the best. Not the best, which will come in a later poll, but nevertheless each entertaining, thought provoking, or beautifully made in its own way. Do you have any thoughts on the listed films? Do you think there are better ones out there? What are your opinions on the representation of queer people and culture in media, and how do you think it could improve to more fully represent the diversity of life on screen?

Also, if you dislike D.E.B.S., we may need to have a talk.

page=poll/p=160624

Well I guess I didn't know if people liked em or not, so it was worth sounding out opinions first. But it sounds like the broad consensus is no, so maybe leave them off for now?

At the same time, good conversation is always appreciated, so raisin g a topic of interest as an open and thoughtful discussion is something most of us love to see.

Re best lgbt films, I guess my own opinion is that the best thing for representation would be an openly gay protagonist whose sexuality isn't central to the plot. You know, the sort of thing that cis hetero roles get by default.

Like give me a wonder woman film where she kisses a female live interest, and it's not the main story, because she was raised in an all female society... It'd be odd if she was close minded to these things.

Candlewhisper Archive wrote:Well I guess I didn't know if people liked em or not, so it was worth sounding out opinions first. But it sounds like the broad consensus is no, so maybe leave them off for now?

At the same time, good conversation is always appreciated, so raisin g a topic of interest as an open and thoughtful discussion is something most of us love to see.

Re best lgbt films, I guess my own opinion is that the best thing for representation would be an openly gay protagonist whose sexuality isn't central to the plot. You know, the sort of thing that cis hetero roles get by default.

Like give me a wonder woman film where she kisses a female live interest, and it's not the main story, because she was raised in an all female society... It'd be odd if she was close minded to these things.

I agree that LGBT representation in media is not really very good at normalising LGBT identities. It bothers me how most instances of LGBT characters really overdo them coming out or doing something gay like kissing someone the same gender as themselves. I can't help but feel like making a huge fuss over a character being LGBT in the media itself really does anything but make it feel like being LGBT is more unusual, which is counter-productive to what media representation should be doing: making LGBT identities as normal as possible.

I think the ultimate goal of normalisation should be to get it to the level of being left-handed. As someone who is left-handed, the biggest fanfare I've ever gotten is being asked "Oh, you're left handed?" when someone first notices, to which I'll say "Yeah." and that's the end of it. Being LGBT isn't terribly common, but I'd imagine the incidence rate is probably not that much lower than the 1 in 10 incidence of left-handedness, so a conversation that ends as quickly as it begins like my example is probably as normal as LGBT identities could ever be made.

All that media really needs to do is have LGBT interactions on the level of my left-handed example above and to treat a man falling in love with another man no differently than they would with a woman. It's so simple it surprises me how few interactions like this I have seen. Eventually society would likely reflect the normalisation portrayed in media as the idea is accepted by the public. There will probably always be religious fanatics or something similar that will be against it until the end of time, but if only the smallest minority oppose the idea then there will probably be very little to worry about for the community.

Good morning! Bonan matenon!
The Republic of Alcantaria is pleased to be a new member of the Forest region.
After much deliberation and study of its history, culture and values, Forest was
selected as the best candidate region of which to be a part of, in hopes of a new
era for Alcantaria full of prosperity, joy and friendship. A new chapter in the
Alcantarian history is about to start, and we are grateful to do it within Forest!

Alcantaria wrote:Good morning! Bonan matenon!
The Republic of Alcantaria is pleased to be a new member of the Forest region.
After much deliberation and study of its history, culture and values, Forest was
selected as the best candidate region of which to be a part of, in hopes of a new
era for Alcantaria full of prosperity, joy and friendship. A new chapter in the
Alcantarian history is about to start, and we are grateful to do it within Forest!

Welcome and allow me to congratulate you on your thought-through decision to join Forest.

Lura wrote:I think the ultimate goal of normalisation should be to get it to the level of being left-handed. As someone who is left-handed, the biggest fanfare I've ever gotten is being asked "Oh, you're left handed?" when someone first notices, to which I'll say "Yeah." and that's the end of it. Being LGBT isn't terribly common, but I'd imagine the incidence rate is probably not that much lower than the 1 in 10 incidence of left-handedness, so a conversation that ends as quickly as it begins like my example is probably as normal as LGBT identities could ever be made.

This is exceptionally well put, both for its simplicity and its ubiquity across all cultures. I absolutely love this analogy, because it truly hits the nail on the head. We live in a right-handed world, and that's okay insofar as 90% of the human race is right-handed, but it's not okay insofar as that has historically caused problems and mistreatment towards the 10% who are left-handed. Religions also ought to view being non-straight as being left-handed as well; it's easy to explain as something that "just happens to happen once in a while," or something to that effect.

I always ask my students if anyone is left-handed, and it's never more than two or three in a class, and sometimes it's zero or one. The truly rare thing is being functionally ambidextrous. I can actually write on the board with either hand, and the kids can't seem to tell the difference. On paper, though, I write with my left hand. I have to practice more with my right hand, haha!

Alcantaria wrote:The Republic of Alcantaria is pleased to be a new member of the Forest region. A new chapter in the Alcantarian history is about to start, and we are grateful to do it within Forest!

Welcome to the Forest! I hope that you enjoy your time here. This is a good place to put down roots and to stay in. :-)

«12. . .1,8201,8211,8221,8231,8241,8251,826. . .2,6342,635»

Advertisement