In the competition, every three days, the schedule is released, then the results the day after. The teams play around the same number of games, and competitors can see how they are doing in their teams leaderboards. All players have so far taken to mainly broadcast format in their RP posts, sometimes with excerpts from the games. The spirit has been fun and light-hearted, with undoubted thrills of adrenaline when you find that your team won not a game, not two games, not three games, but four amazing games. Or you lost them all. Participation on the factbook side of the RP has also been astounding, with most players releasing at least a logo, and some taking the time to write up detailed histories and overviews of their teams. A very helpful reference guide has been written by Veaetmar to help you navigate through the 21 team’s intricate factbooks. Let us just dwell on that number for a second. Twenty-one teams. That is a great turnout that we got, and so far interest in other sporting events is high. I, like many others, see an olympics in Thalassia’s future, although the organizational effort for that would be immense. This season of baseball is proving to be a catalyst for Thalassian RP. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go write a RP post!

Thalassian Thoughts is a segment of the Wave where we interview (read: interrogate) various members of our region and catch a glimpse into the minds of the people behind the screen. This edition, Badivermaraed sits down with Prime Minister Arenado to discuss roleplay, his hopes for Thalassia, and the only correct favorite food.

Bad: Hi folks! This is Badivermeraed, sitting down with Arenado, the PM [Prime Minister].

Arenado: Hello!

Bad: First, how'd you come up with the Baseball RP? Can you explain what's behind it?

Arenado: Well, I love Baseball (Colorado Rockies all the way) and with baseball season starting soon I really wanted to indulge in something I loved. That and I am not very familiar with sports other than Soccer. I felt that Baseball was the best choice for the Sports RP I had been working on for close to two months.

Bad: Now there's two leagues, if I'm correct. One of them is the Thalassian League, which you and I are in, and one of them is the Regional League, right? Are you planning on using baseball as a diplomatic outreach program?

Arenado: Not per say, the reason there are two Leagues is too emulate the real life MLB Leagues, the Regional League is an expy for the National League and the Thalassian League is an expy for the American League, but I did leave the RP open for our embassy regions to participate in the RP and I am glad we have had a large number of participants from other regions.

Bad: What would you say is your #1 goal for the region right now?

Arenado: After getting the Sports RP off the ground, settling into the position, and dealing with the initial challenges like the unexpected Presidential Election, I hope to finally embark on my platform of Administrative Reform- things like a Ministry of Recruitment, legislation and government reforms.

Bad: Is there anything that surprised you about being PM?

Arenado: Well, beyond the unexpected events? I had never served in a head of government role before so I had no idea what to expect, to be honest, but I feel like I am finally getting a hang of the position.

Bad: For funsies- what's your favorite food?

Arenado: Ribeye steak and a baked potato. Medium rare.

Bad: That's correct. What's one thing you like about your cabinet?

Arenado: Really, everyone currently in it has excelled themselves in my view, I could not ask for a better cabinet.

Bad: How has becoming PM changed your mindset on NS, if it has why?

Arenado: I've never really been terribly interested in the GP [Gameplay] side of things and my time as PM has not changed that, however, I have found a new appreciation for other regions.

Bad: In your own opinion, what is the best possible scenario for the rest of your time as PM?

Arenado: We get the Administrative Reforms I would like passed, we open one new embassy, we finish our Culture Projects, and we release the first edition of the Wave.

Bad: Final question, If you could tell everyone in NS one thing, what would it be?

Arenado: Just have fun and be nice to each other. Don't be cruel to each other, please.

Bad: Alright, I'm Badivermeraed, this has been Arenado. Arenado, always a pleasure.

Arenado: Thank you!

Hey Arenado, what's the best way to handcuff a one armed man? Asking for a friend.

So, a little background of mine: I was a Police Officer for 2 years in Singapore. Now, I am not a subject matter expert with regards to the police; I do not know all there is to know about the police, even in what was once my own Force, let alone in nations I have never been to. Most of what I am about to say is my opinion and knowledge informed by my experience and training. I claim no unique genius with regards to my answers. So, now that the obligatory preamble is out of the way, let me get down to it.
I actually did receive training in what to do in the event that you had to handcuff a man with one arm (along with other unique situations such as pregnant women, foreign dignitaries, incredibly obese individuals, etc.) and what I was trained to do, in that situation, was to handcuff the arm to the subjects belt or belt loops if possible. If not, there are several possible alternatives including using several pairs of handcuffs to wrap around the subjects body, or even using “grip restraints” (cloth restraints that secure the subjects arms to the subjects body).

But, in my experience, what most patrol officers, myself included, may do in that particular situation would be to secure the subject in a location out of public view and request backup, specifically for a superior officer. In these scenarios, individuals may not even be cuffed, since cuffing a subject often comes with a lot of potential red tape, especially if you are then ordered to release them afterwards. At that point, it would be the responsibility of the superior officer to decide the next step.

I would like to reiterate that I am no legal expert. Do not take anything I say as the concrete final word on the matter.

Is a hotdog a sandwich? Why or why not?

Ahhh, the age old argument, almost as old as ‘Who shot first, Han or Greedo?’, ‘Why did they not just use the giant birds to fly to the mountain in Lord of the Rings?’ and ‘What is the meaning of life?’. All equally important questions, I am sure we can all agree, but few trigger intense discussion as quickly as ‘Is a Hotdog a sandwich?’. Let’s dissect a couple of the most popular arguments.

“A hot dog is not a sandwich because the bun, typically, has a seam connecting the two buns.” If I cut the seam, does the hot dog then become a sandwich? What about hoagies, subs, or rolls? Flatbread sandwiches? By that logic, none of these are sandwiches either, and yet I have never heard anyone doubt that these are sandwiches, but why? Generally speaking, these are also connected as one big piece of dough. Following a similar line of though, the lack of a seam should also disqualify these from being sandwich, and yet it hasn’t. This argument against a hot dog being a sandwich is therefore flawed.
“Since no restaurants, food stands or other eateries call a hot dog a sandwich it is, therefore, not a sandwich.”

First, is this consistent across the board? Not at all. But beyond that, look back at the birth of this delicious food and see what it was first called when created. When the hot dog was first created in the late 1800’s it was called… a ‘Coney Island Sandwich’. Damning evidence.

I could go on with more evidence of the sandwichness of a hot dog, examples like the dictionary definition, the definition of the US Department of Agriculture, etc... but I think my point is clear. Without an iota of doubt a hot dog is most definitely a sandwich.

Unless you don’t want to call it that. Then, hey, more power to you, have fun.

Now indulge me for a moment while I answer a question you didn’t ask. It’s time for...

Hey folks! Badivermeraed here, hosting a review of the Popeyes Chicken sandwich.

The Packaging
The sandwich comes in a standard large bag, with a smaller, foil lined sandwich bag containing the sandwich.

The Ingredients
The Popeyes Chicken sandwich is comprised of a brioche bun, with chicken, spicy Cajun sauce, and three pickles jammed in-between it all. The spicy Cajun sauce can also be switched out for Mayo, but I typically get the sauce, except for recently, when the Cajun sauce was sadly unavailable.

The Taste
The first bite? Perfect. All the other bites? Perfect. With savory chicken, mayo that doesn't taste like mayo, and pickles throwing in a bit of flavor every bite, this sandwich is the best thing you'll eat.

FINAL RATING: 10/10 would eat again

Signing off,
Bad

The war in Ozovia was a major international incident throughout Thalassia. Our reporter Zentata interviewed numerous stakeholders in the affair to try and glean an insight into the situation. We asked the leaders of some of the nations involved about the war to gleen better insight into the fast moving intricacies of the conflict.

The responses show how war is, at times, a multi-faceted issue. As well as the increasing interventionalism and complexity of the international scene in Thalassia.

Prime Ministerial Election

March is upon us and the new Prime Minister has already been elected and taken office, but in January in one on the most heated elections yet, four candidates joined the race and one came out. The candidate list included both some faces already known to Thalassia, and previously Pacifica, like Toerana and Wiskawga, but it also brought some new faces like Arenado and Ashurg.

The official tally of the Prime Minister election was as follows:

Arenado came with previous civil service experience in Wintreath, but none in Thalassia, and was endorsed by the former founder of our region, Cormactopia prime, as well as former President Rockiberg, and former Prime Minister Badivermeraed. He focused his campaign around 3 R’s: Renew, Revitalize, and Reform. His goals- Renew roleplay by working closely with the Ministry of Culture to foster and expand the Thalassian RP, Revitalize recruitment by creating a Ministry of Recruitment, and finally Reform the Thalassian administrative structure with the creation of the Ministry of Administrative Affairs (which shares its name with a similar department from a famous British political sitcom) to oversee and implement the changes needed in order to open the government more and increase transparency.

Former Minister of Security and running mate for Wymondham’s failed campaign for the Presidency, Wiskawga, promised the organization of regional and interregional events. He also discussed the creation of a new independent judiciary to interpret laws and try citizens, however, this idea was later publicly rescinded in an interview with NationStates Today. Additionally, Wiskawga proposed an RP summary to help players keep up with the fast paced and increasingly intricate world of the Thalassia RP.

Toerana iii, the former Minister of Culture, promised to invest all ministries but made his intent to focus primarily on the Ministry of Security clear. He promised to offer cards based rewards for “all aspects of Thalassian life”, and voiced his support in maintaining proscriptions and working with his Minister of Security to keep Thalassia safe. He pledged to ensure the Information ministry worked closely with NSToday to keep Thalassia informed of goings on and to publish information releases to the public through FA.

Ashurg, a brand new player, seemingly disappeared- he did not present a campaign dispatch and received no votes in the election.

Coverage of the election as it happened was provided by NSToday with each candidate, save Ashurg, being interviewed. Polling, which occurred before voting officially opened, placed Arenado as outright winner with 54.5% of the vote. Followed by Wiskawga with 27.3% and Toerana iii with 18.2% of those that responded to the poll. Congruent with the final result, Ashurg received no votes in the poll.

Presidential Election

Two candidates stepped forward, offering themselves to serve our region as the Head of State. Neither candidate was a stranger to Thalassia- on one side we had Cormactopia prime- our former founder and the former President of Pacifica- and on the other side we had Ayeinc- who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in both Thalassia and Pacifica.

Both candidates mentioned their plans to cooperate with the cabinet and individual ministries, but would not command them, as they both recognize that is part of the Prime Minister’s jurisdiction and not the President’s. Cormac also mentions his intent on keeping good relations with the Founder, stating that it is essential for the founder and the president to have good relations in order for the region to operate smoothly.

When asked if the Thalassia government should focus on its internal problems rather than trying to connect with other regions, both candidates stated the importance of keeping a balance between focusing on ourselves and handle foreign affairs and that both are vital to Thalassia. Cormactopia prime also stated, however, that the President should not be interfering with affairs from the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, citing the importance of maintaining the separation of powers. Cormac then went on to mention that the constitution does not require radical change as it stands and that most of the government is working quite well, but some ambiguities and overlapping responsibilities could eliminated from the constitution as they do not make sense anymore, as the constitution was based on Pacifica’s previous Charter, which was designed for having an inactive founder and that is not the case in Thalassia.

Ayeinc, taking a different approach to the presidency, presented his thoughts on what he thinks is important to do for each ministry and proposes the idea of hosting an event called “Grand Thalassian Fair” (inspired by Sho’s proposal for the “Thalassian Tides Faire”) to showcase the best of Thalassia. He states the importance of maintaining good RP activity, being prepared to defend the region from incoming threats and also the importance of keeping a news source for all of Thalassia’s residents.

As one of the main constitutiontional responsibilities of the President is representing the region in the World Assembly (WA), the candidates were asked their opinions on joining WA voting alliances, Ayeinc stated that the existing ones are not sufficient for Thalassia, that one could be started but that the time is not right. Alternatively, Cormactopia prime stated he would like to see Thalassia join the World Assembly Legislative League (WALL), comprised of independent and democratic regions that share many of our values- but that ultimately, that would be something to discuss with the rest of government when the time was right.

Finally, on the matter of whether the candidates would be interpreting the constitution themselves or appoint a body specifically for doing so both candidates state, both candidates said they would be handling that themselves, though this ultimately this ended in disagreement, with Ayeinc stating that he would be open to the previous proposal and seek assistance if necessary. Cormactopia prime, who authored the Constitution, stated that while appointing a body would not be constitutional, he would consult with the executive government and the founder but would never support the establishment of a court.

The official tally of the Presidential elections was as follows:

In the end, Cormac won the election by a clear majority.

After the election, Liruslau was nominated for and appointed as Vice President after receiving a unanimous vote in his favor at referendum.

_{Those who submitted were given the option to ask anonymously or to be credited. Opinions in this article are solely the candidates and are not representative of The Wave or Thalassia. Similar questions were grouped. Due to the varied response lengths, their answers have been spoilered for your reading convenience.}

Tell us about your NS History- formers regions, former roles, etc.
Anonymous

Candidate	Response
	I started out in The Interdimensional Community, a role-playing region, but it wasn’t my type. So I moved to Pacifica and a couple weeks later, I applied to be an Ambassador. Veaetmar assigned me to the region of India. I was promoted to Senior Ambassador and then Deputy Minister. After V’s resignation, I became Minister and was so under Prime Ministers Shoalia and Badivermeraed. I left MoFA after the January Election and have been active in the region since. I joined the Thalassian Assembly of Nations and have been drafting a charter. I also ran for President in February. I also served as ambassador to St Abbaddon and The Glorious Nations of Iwaku.
	On my first day of joining NationStates, I very briefly joined 10000 Islands among other regions I can't recall, before settling on Thalassia. I have been serving as an ambassador to The Communist Bloc for almost a month, and have been active in the World Assembly since my first week in the game.
	I joined NS in December 2016, did some noob stuff in 2017 and maybe late 2018, but I got truly involved in March 2019. I spawned in TNP [The North Pacific], immediately joined their offsite and became a citizen, and was quickly introduced to cards. Cards became my branching off point into my WA work, and what made me join TRR [The Rejected Realms]. In TRR, I've been the Outreach officer, the Media officer, and have helped in creating their WA programs. My WA work started by tackling the rules violations from writing a resolution about cards, and I had to defend the idea against convention-loving skeptics. The result was Condemn Koem Kab. I started loving the SC, and fairly-quickly passed 3 more resolutions. The most recent one, Commend Kindjal, mirrored Condemn Koem Kab, as it was the first resolution to primarily focus on the merits of quiet, consummate, and clever issue answering over years of work. Currently, I'm an active SC player, and have recently been tasked by Sedgistan to write the new guide to the SC. I was invited to join Thalassia after concernedly informing of a blacklisted player disguised under a different name in Thalassia's discord (nothing worrisome though). I was MoS in Bad's absence, where I helped in developing documentation and other ventures.
	I started off in Pacifica, and upon the formation of the republic, Cormac [Cormactopia prime] offered me a job. He'd noticed that I was active on the RMB and offered me to be his Foreign Secretary. To sum that up, I went into the places where Cormac was banned, so a number of larger regions, to found relations, consulates and embassies. I resigned and left following some drama that lives best buried in the past. I moved to Voltarium, Vamp's [Vamperiall] region, and did a bit of roleplay. I climbed government fairly quickly and started a few programs, my golden child being V-WASP, the WA development program. As an active cards player, I was interested cards a lot, and really wanted to get my hands on Frattastan II, a CTE'd nation for my GCR collection so Wop said I could ask guy if I could buy his card, that's where I joined TRR [The Rejected Realms]. I, admittedly, joined for image posting perms in their discord, but I am very glad I decided to join. Throughout this I was in and out of Pacifica, but properly came back shortly after the DRUS [Democratic Republic Of Unified States] delegacy drama, where he'd bargained with Cormac to keep myself unbanned, in return for the region. I reemerged and applied for government positions, just Ambassador to start, before I applied for Culture when DRUS resigned. I was accepted and served as Minister of Culture through the rest of Pacifica, where I resigned in Thalassia following Lazarus. I missed out on SP [The South Pacific] and the one I have forgotten Warzone Airspace. But I haven’t done much in either, outside of yell at Warzoners.
	Alright, this shouldn't take too long. I joined NS in November, and as soon as I got the tg from Thalassia I was hooked. I started getting involved in the region by doing RP, and have since become involved in culture, where I'm the deputy minister, foreign affairs, where I'm the ambassador to TLA [The Leftist Assembly], and have written articles for information. Due to my relativly short time on NS, I haven't gotten involved in other regions that much, and so I don't have negative political baggage, only good relations with TLA.