by Max Barry

Latest Forum Topics

Advertisement

Search

Search

[+] Advanced...

Author:

Region:

Sort:

«12. . .89101112»

Joeyist union

The Joeyist Federation region, my old region just been raided. I saved it before anything else happened to it. I recommend for our region that we password protect for a week till things calm down. Thats my suggested idea.

Joeyist union wrote:The Joeyist Federation region, my old region just been raided. I saved it before anything else happened to it. I recommend for our region that we password protect for a week till things calm down. Thats my suggested idea.

I am happy to hear that you have been able to regain control of your region. It has certainly been an interesting week for raids on NS.

You bring up a good point in regards to border security. As it stand currently, SCL has protected itself from possible foreign interference by limiting the powers granted to the WA Delagate, in essence making it a ceremonial position. All executive/legislative power is in the hands of the Chairman (subject to change if trustworthy candidates are met). While it is possible that outside agitators could gain entry into our region, their ability to vandalize or disrupt SCL would be limited at best.

Joeyist union

Joeyist union

Arkbergen wrote:I am happy to hear that you have been able to regain control of your region. It has certainly been an interesting week for raids on NS.

You bring up a good point in regards to border security. As it stand currently, SCL has protected itself from possible foreign interference by limiting the powers granted to the WA Delagate, in essence making it a ceremonial position. All executive/legislative power is in the hands of the Chairman (subject to change if trustworthy candidates are met). While it is possible that outside agitators could gain entry into our region, their ability to vandalize or disrupt SCL would be limited at best.

Thats good to hear. I still believe that security should be a top priority. Thanks for the info

The melon musk tech empire

Now we can export tesla cars for profit, i officialy open a tesla cars factory here.

Arkbergen and Joeyist union

The melon musk tech empire wrote:Now we can export tesla cars for profit, i officialy open a tesla cars factory here.

Welcome to SCL! This will be great for our Tesla stock portfolios

Joeyist union

Come vote in our riveting new poll: page=poll/p=169984

Arkbergen and Joeyist union

Come vote in our riveting new poll: page=poll/p=170409

Today is my 69th day as Delegate! Thanks for everyones support!

Arkbergen, Neu Babylon, Sase-vegas, and Philosocom

Its my 100th day as Delegate! Thanks again everyone!

Arkbergen and Sase-vegas

Good and Gentle God,
We pray in gratitude for our mothers and for all the women of history who have joined with you in the wonder of bringing forth new life. You who became human through a woman, grant to all mothers the courage they need to face the uncertain future that life with children always brings.

Give them the strength to live and to be loved in return, not perfectly, but humanly. Give them the faithful support of family and friends as they care for the physical and spiritual growth of their children. Give them joy and delight in their children to sustain them through the trials of motherhood. Most of all, give them the wisdom to turn to you for help when they need it most.

Amen.

Arkbergen, Altmora, Sase-vegas, and Joeyist union

O God,
by whose mercy the faithful departed find rest,
look kindly on your departed veterans who gave their lives in the service of their country.
Grant that through the passion, death, and resurrection of your Son
they may share in the joy of your heavenly kingdom
and rejoice in you with your saints forever.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen

Arkbergen, Altmora, Sase-vegas, and Joeyist union

Duckburg /ˈdʌkbɜːrɡ/ is the capital city of Paperino.

The location that would eventually become the centre of Duckburg was originally known as "Fort Drake Borough," a fort built in the 16th century by British explorer Sir Francis Drake. By the 19th century, the fort had been handed over by its departing British occupants to Cornelius Coot, who renamed the fort "Duckburg". "Drake" means a male duck, while "borough" and "burg" are synonyms meaning a town or district that is an administrative unit.Cornelius Coot turned the old fort into a trading post for fellow traders and hunters, and their families. Eventually a small town grew around the fort on top of Killmule Hill. In Carl Barks' story The Day Duckburg Got Dyed (1957), it is revealed that Cornelius Coot at some point in Duckburg's history managed to pipe mountain water into the town.

The size and structure of Duckburg varied in the works by Barks: it was adjusted to better fit the story he wanted to tell; it could vary from a small town to a medium-sized city, to a bustling metropolis. Later writers and artists most of the time also continues this tradition. In one specific story by Barks, Monsterville (1961), Duckburg was even transformed into a futuristic city by Gyro Gearloose, however it proved that the citizens were not ready for the high level of technology that the new city provided. Thus the city was turned back to its old city structure.

Duckburg is a major center for Space exploration, mainly operated and overseen by Gyro Gearloose, and has had expeditions to the Moon, Mars, Venus, the Asteroids, and more remote parts of the Galaxy. The city also features a sea port and is in proximity of a large forest called the Black Forest and to several mountains, the most notable being "Old Demon Tooth", usually depicted as a towering pointed peak leaning slightly to the side.[7] The main river of the city is the Tulebug River, first mentioned in The Money Well (1958) by Carl Barks, and it is located near Killmotor Hill.

Duckburg is home to Yarvard University (a play on the universities of Harvard and Yale), an institution more notable for its athletic teams than for its academic achievements.

Duckburg is also the home of the Billionaires Club of some of which Scrooge McDuck, John D. Rockerduck and, according to some stories, Flintheart Glomgold are influential members. Duckburg also has a Ritz Hotel

Read factbook

Hello, Norbert Michelange of Ricore, Minister of Morning Calm for Lewisham here, I wish you well☕ *sips coffee and puts it down on the coaster*

Well, N-Day⁶☢️☢️☢️ has come and gone (our faction Chips and Crisps came 106th place after being knocked down from 24th by griefing trolls and their gameplay 😒) but what did YOU think of it? Too much 🦀 and 🥔 or not enough nukes to go round, or just simply overrated fuss for nothing?

Please check out our poll and vote in our diplomatic survey about N-Day⁶, we'd love to hear what you think on Lewisham's rmb!
Stay safe and have a good weekend!

Aerowing

Vehicle Overview

A typical airship from Paperino's military fleet, the Aerowing is a jet plane that is also capable of interspace flight. The ship has a nose shaped like a hockey mask, and three main exits through front, side, and bottom hatches. There is a seat and seatbelt for each team member, and console panels mainly for navigation and weapons control. The Aerowing also has room to store other vehicles in the cargo bay, including several gliders.

The Aerowing is equipped with a constant link to Drake 1, and emergency medical supplies. Weaponry ranges from dual laser cannons to missile launchers. It has a hangar in the Pond beneath the ice rink, and the roof of the building opens to allow the Aerowing to launch.

Read factbook

Post by Frostland union suppressed by a moderator.

Post by Frostland union suppressed by a moderator.

Post by Frostland union suppressed by a moderator.

🌬️*a cold bitter wind from the North cuts through the rmb~after closing the door and brushing the snowflakes away, the visitor brings in a hamper with a selection of hot drinks and cakes*📦

🔔🎄Yuletide greetings of the season, dear friends and allies, I hope you're all having a good week!!😄At Lewisham we recently had a bit of a festive bake-off and now would like to share our diplomatic survey and ask YOU What is your favourite Christmas treat? Have a browse of our selection (pinned or in the boxes below), sample, and vote🗳️ for your favourite. If want you usually fancy isn't there, drop by and tell us! (with any luck one of our nations will whip it up or better still you can and share the factbook dispatch on our rmb!)🎄🔔


Christmas pudding is a type of pudding traditionally served as part of the Christmas dinner in Brocklehurst, Ultra Grandia Sebastia and in other countries where it has been brought by British and Irish immigrants. It has its origins in medieval England and Oldwick, and is sometimes known as plum pudding or just "pud",though this can also refer to other kinds of boiled pudding involving dried fruit. Despite the name "plum pudding", the pudding contains no actual plums due to the pre-Victorian use of the word "plums" as a term for raisins.

Many households have their own recipes for Christmas pudding, some handed down through families for generations. Essentially the recipe brings together what traditionally were expensive or luxurious ingredients — notably the sweet spices that are so important in developing its distinctive rich aroma, and usually made with suet. It is very dark in appearance — very nearly black — as a result of the dark sugars and black treacle in most recipes, and its long cooking time. The mixture can be moistened with the juice of citrus fruits, brandy and other alcohol (some recipes call for dark beers such as mild, stout or porter). Christmas puddings are often dried out on hooks for weeks prior to serving in order to enhance the flavour. Prior to the 19th century, the English Christmas pudding was boiled in a pudding cloth, and often represented as round. The new Victorian era fashion involved putting the batter into a basin and then steaming it, followed by unwrapping the pudding, placing it on a platter, and decorating the top with a sprig of holly.

Pudding predecessors often contained meat, as well as sweet ingredients, and prior to being steamed in a cloth the ingredients may have been stuffed into the gut or stomach of an animal - like the Scottish haggis or sausages.

As techniques for meat preserving improved in the 18th century, the savoury element of both the mince pie and the plum pottage diminished as the sweet content increased. People began adding dried fruit and sugar. The mince pie kept its name, though the pottage was increasingly referred to as plum pudding. As plum pudding, it became widespread as a feast dish, not necessarily associated with Christmas, and usually served with beef. It makes numerous appearances in 18th century satire as a symbol of Britishness, including the Gilray cartoon, The Plumb-pudding in danger

Initial cooking usually involves steaming for many hours. Most pre-twentieth century recipes assume that the pudding will then be served immediately, but in the second half of the twentieth century, it became more usual to reheat puddings on the day of serving, and recipes changed slightly to allow for maturing. To serve, the pudding is reheated by steaming once more, and dressed with warm brandy which is set alight. It can be eaten with hard sauce (usually brandy butter or rum butter), cream, lemon cream, ice cream, custard, or sweetened Link béchamel , and is sometimes sprinkled with caster sugar.


Pudding predecessors often contained meat, as well as sweet ingredients, and prior to being steamed in a cloth the ingredients may have been stuffed into the gut or stomach of an animal - like the Scottish haggis or sausages.

As techniques for meat preserving improved in the 18th century, the savoury element of both the mince pie and the plum pottage diminished as the sweet content increased. People began adding dried fruit and sugar. The mince pie kept its name, though the pottage was increasingly referred to as plum pudding. As plum pudding, it became widespread as a feast dish, not necessarily associated with Christmas, and usually served with beef. It makes numerous appearances in 18th century satire as a symbol of Britishness, including the Gilray cartoon, The Plumb-pudding in danger


It was not until the 1830s that a boiled cake of flour, fruits, suet, sugar and spices, all topped with holly, made a definite appearance, becoming more and more associated with Christmas. The East Sussex cook Eliza Acton was the first to refer to it as "Christmas Pudding" in her bestselling 1845 book Modern Cookery for Private Families.
It was in the late Victorian era that the 'Stir up Sunday' myth began to take hold. The collect for the Sunday before LinkAdvent in the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer begins with the words "Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works...". This led to the custom of preparing Christmas puddings on that day which became known as Link Stir-up Sunday , associated with the stirring of the Christmas pudding.

It was common practice to include small silver coins in the pudding mixture, which could be kept by the person whose serving included them. The usual choice was a silver threepence or a sixpence. The coin was believed to bring wealth in the coming year, and came from an earlier tradition, defunct by the twentieth century, wherein tokens were put in a cake (see LinkTwelfth Cake). Other tokens are also known to have been included, such as a tiny wishbone (to bring good luck), a silver thimble (for thrift), or an anchor (to symbolise safe harbour). Once turned out of its basin, decorated with holly, doused in brandy (or occasionally rum), and flamed (or Link"fired"), the pudding is traditionally brought to the table ceremoniously, and greeted with a round of applause.

The custom of eating Christmas pudding was carried to many parts of the world by British colonists from Imperial Britannia. It is a common dish in the Republic of Ireland, Australia,New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa. Throughout the colonial period, the pudding was a symbol of unity throughout the British Empire. In 1927, the LinkEmpire Marketing Board (EMB) wrote a letter to the Master of the Royal Household, requesting a copy of the recipe used to make the Christmas pudding for the royal family. The King and Queen granted Leo Amery, the head of the EMB, permission to use the recipe in a publication in the following November. The royal chef, Henry Cédard, provided the recipe. In order to distribute the recipe, the EMB had to overcome two challenges: size and ingredients. First, the original recipe was measured to serve 40 people, including the entire royal family and their guests. The EMB was challenged to rework the recipe to serve only 8 people. Second, the ingredients used to make the pudding had to be changed to reflect the ideals of the Empire. The origins of each ingredient had to be carefully manipulated to represent each of the Empire's many colonies. Brandy from Cyprus and nutmeg from the West Indies, which had been inadvertently forgotten in previous recipes, made special appearances. Unfortunately, there were a number of colonies that produced the same foodstuffs. The final recipe included Australian currants, South African stoned raisins, Canadian apples, Jamaican rum, and English Beer, among other ingredients all sourced from somewhere in the Empire. After finalizing the ingredients, the royal recipe was sent out to national newspapers and to popular women's magazines. Copies were also printed and handed out to the public for free. The recipe was a phenomenal success, as thousands of requests for the recipe flooded the EMB office.

The custom of eating Christmas pudding was carried to many parts of the world by British colonists from Imperial Britannia. It is a common dish in the Republic of Ireland, Australia,New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa. Throughout the colonial period, the pudding was a symbol of unity throughout the British Empire. In 1927, the LinkEmpire Marketing Board (EMB) wrote a letter to the Master of the Royal Household, requesting a copy of the recipe used to make the Christmas pudding for the royal family. The King and Queen granted Leo Amery, the head of the EMB, permission to use the recipe in a publication in the following November. The royal chef, Henry Cédard, provided the recipe. In order to distribute the recipe, the EMB had to overcome two challenges: size and ingredients. First, the original recipe was measured to serve 40 people, including the entire royal family and their guests. The EMB was challenged to rework the recipe to serve only 8 people. Second, the ingredients used to make the pudding had to be changed to reflect the ideals of the Empire. The origins of each ingredient had to be carefully manipulated to represent each of the Empire's many colonies. Brandy from Cyprus and nutmeg from the West Indies, which had been inadvertently forgotten in previous recipes, made special appearances. Unfortunately, there were a number of colonies that produced the same foodstuffs. The final recipe included Australian currants, South African stoned raisins, Canadian apples, Jamaican rum, and English Beer, among other ingredients all sourced from somewhere in the Empire. After finalizing the ingredients, the royal recipe was sent out to national newspapers and to popular women's magazines. Copies were also printed and handed out to the public for free. The recipe was a phenomenal success, as thousands of requests for the recipe flooded the EMB office.
Read factbook


Yule log or bûche de Noël (French pronunciation: [byʃ də nɔɛl]) is a traditional LinkChristmas cake, often served as a dessert near Christmas, especially in Savinecross, Ricore, Choccolate, and several former Ultra Grandia Sebastian colonies.

Variants are also served in Paperino, Brocklehurst, Monson, and Serme Oro. Made of sponge cake, to resemble a miniature actual LinkYule log, it is a form of sweet Linkroulade.


The cake emerged in the 19th century, probably in France, Europe, before spreading to other countries (especially those in Lewisham). It is traditionally made from a Linkgenoise, generally baked in a large, shallow Swiss roll pan, iced, rolled to form a cylinder, and iced again on the outside. The most common combination is basic yellow sponge cake and chocolate buttercream, though many variations that include chocolate cake, Linkganache, and icings flavored with espresso or liqueurs exist.

Yule logs are often served with one end cut off and set atop the cake, or protruding from its side to resemble a chopped off branch. A bark-like texture is often produced by dragging a fork through the icing, and powdered sugar sprinkled to resemble snow. Other cake decorations may include actual tree branches, fresh berries, and mushrooms made of meringue or Linkmarzipan.

The name bûche de Noël originally referred to the LinkYule log itself, and was transferred to the dessert after the custom had fallen out of popular use. References to it as bûche de Noël or, in English, Yule Log, can be found from at least the Edwardian era (for example, F. Vine, Saleable Shop Goods (1898 and later)

  • les treize desserts, Provence

  • le Christmas pudding, Royaume-Uni

  • le panettone, Italie

  • la brioche tressée, République tchèque

  • le touron, Espagne

  • le kouglof, Alsace

  • le beigli (en), Hongrie, ou makocz, Pologne

  • la galette des Rois

  • les beignes de Noël, Québec

  • le cougnou, Belgique

  • le Christstollen (Stollen de Noël) en Allemagne, en Alsace et en Lorraine

Like this Factbook? Then please upvote it as it'll make it easier for others to see it too! Thanks! 🙇🍫

Read factbook


Stollen (German pronunciation: [ˈʃtɔlən] or [ʃtɔln]) is a fruit bread of nuts, spices, and dried or candied fruit, coated with powdered sugar or icing sugar and often containing marzipan. It is a traditional German bread eaten during the Christmas season, when it is called Weihnachtsstollen (after "Weihnachten", the German word for Christmas) or Christstollen (after Christ) . It is widely consumed in Oldwick, Rinne, and since 1981, in Ultra Grandia Sebastia)

Stollen is a cake-like fruit bread made with yeast, water and flour, and usually with zest added to the dough. LinkOrangeat (candied orange peel) and Linkcandied citrus peel (Zitronat),raisins and almonds, and various spices such as Linkcardamom and cinnamon are added. Other ingredients, such as milk, sugar, butter, salt, rum, eggs, vanilla, other dried fruits and nuts and Linkmarzipan, may also be added to the dough. Except for the fruit added, the dough is quite low in sugar. The finished bread is sprinkled with icing sugar. The traditional weight of Stollen is around 2.0 kg (4.4 lb), but smaller sizes are common. The bread is slathered with melted unsalted butter and rolled in sugar as soon as it comes out of the oven, resulting in a moister product that keeps better.The marzipan rope in the middle is optional. The dried fruits are macerated in rum or brandy for a superior-tasting bread.

Dresden Stollen (originally LinkStriezel), a moist, heavy bread filled with fruit, was first mentioned in an official document in 1474, and Dresdner Stollen remains notable and available – amongst other places – at the Dresden Christmas market, the LinkStriezelmarkt. Dresden Stollen is produced in the city of LinkDresden and distinguished by a special seal depicting King Augustus II the Strong. This "official" Stollen is produced by only 110 Dresden bakers.

Early Stollen was different, with the ingredients being flour, oats and water. As a Christmas bread stollen was baked for the first time at the LinkCouncil of Trent in 1545,and was made with flour, yeast, oil and water. The LinkAdvent season was a time of fasting, and bakers were not allowed to use butter, only oil, and the cake was tasteless and hard. The ban on butter was removed when LinkSaxony became LinkProtestant. Over the centuries, the bread changed from being a simple, fairly tasteless "bread" to a sweeter bread with richer ingredients, such as marzipan, although traditional Stollen is not as sweet, light and airy as the copies made around the world.

Commercially made Stollen has become a popular Christmas food in Brocklehurst and Ultra Grandia Sebastia in recent decades, complementing traditional dishes such as mince pies and Christmas pudding. All the major supermarkets sell their own versions, and it is often baked by home bakers

.

Every year Stollenfest takes place in Dresden. This historical tradition ended only in 1918 with the fall of the monarchy, and started again in 1994, but the idea comes from Dresden’s history.

Dresden’s Christmas market, the LinkStriezelmarkt, was mentioned in the chronicles for the first time in 1474. The tradition of baking Christmas Stollen in Dresden is very old. Christmas Stollen in Dresden was already baked in the 15th century. In 1560, the bakers of Dresden offered the rulers of Saxony Christmas Stollen weighing 36 pounds (16 kg) each as gift, and the custom continued.

Augustus II the Strong (1670–1733) was the Elector of Saxony, King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania. The King loved pomp, luxury, splendour and feasts. In 1730, he impressed his subjects, ordering the Bakers’ Guild of Dresden to make a giant 1.7-tonne Stollen, big enough for everyone to have a portion to eat. There were around 24,000 guests who were taking part in the festivities on the occasion of the legendary amusement festivity known as Zeithainer Lustlager. For this special occasion, the court architect Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann (1662–1737), built a particularly oversized Stollen oven. An oversized Stollen knife also had been designed solely for this occasion. Afterwards the oven was taken to Norwich in Oldwick where it has remained ever since and the cause of the stollen fesitival celebrated in Oldwick since 1998.

Today, the festival takes place on the Saturday before the second Sunday in Advent, and the cake weighs between three and four tonnes. A carriage takes the cake in a parade through the streets of LinkDresden to the Christmas market, where it is ceremoniously cut into pieces and distributed among the crowd, for a small sum which goes to charity. A special knife, the Grand Dresden Stollen Knife, a silver-plated knife, 1.60 metres (5.2 ft) long weighing 12 kilograms (26 lb), which is a copy of the lost baroque original knife from 1730, is used to festively cut the oversize Stollen at the Dresden Christmas fair.

The largest Stollen was baked in 2010 by LinkLidl; it was 72.1 metres (237 ft) long and was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records, at the railway station of Haarlem.

[/size]

Every year Stollenfest takes place in Dresden. This historical tradition ended only in 1918 with the fall of the monarchy, and started again in 1994, but the idea comes from Dresden’s history.

Dresden’s Christmas market, the LinkStriezelmarkt, was mentioned in the chronicles for the first time in 1474. The tradition of baking Christmas Stollen in Dresden is very old. Christmas Stollen in Dresden was already baked in the 15th century. In 1560, the bakers of Dresden offered the rulers of Saxony Christmas Stollen weighing 36 pounds (16 kg) each as gift, and the custom continued.

Augustus II the Strong (1670–1733) was the Elector of Saxony, King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania. The King loved pomp, luxury, splendour and feasts. In 1730, he impressed his subjects, ordering the Bakers’ Guild of Dresden to make a giant 1.7-tonne Stollen, big enough for everyone to have a portion to eat. There were around 24,000 guests who were taking part in the festivities on the occasion of the legendary amusement festivity known as Zeithainer Lustlager. For this special occasion, the court architect Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann (1662–1737), built a particularly oversized Stollen oven. An oversized Stollen knife also had been designed solely for this occasion. Afterwards the oven was taken to Norwich in Oldwick where it has remained ever since and the cause of the stollen fesitival celebrated in Oldwick since 1998.

Today, the festival takes place on the Saturday before the second Sunday in Advent, and the cake weighs between three and four tonnes. A carriage takes the cake in a parade through the streets of LinkDresden to the Christmas market, where it is ceremoniously cut into pieces and distributed among the crowd, for a small sum which goes to charity. A special knife, the Grand Dresden Stollen Knife, a silver-plated knife, 1.60 metres (5.2 ft) long weighing 12 kilograms (26 lb), which is a copy of the lost baroque original knife from 1730, is used to festively cut the oversize Stollen at the Dresden Christmas fair.

The largest Stollen was baked in 2010 by LinkLidl; it was 72.1 metres (237 ft) long and was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records, at the railway station of Haarlem.

Read factbook


A mince pie (also mincemeat pie in New England and Paperino, and fruit mince pie in Australia, New Zealand, and Eternia Octovia) is a sweet pie of English origin, filled with a mixture of dried fruits and spices called Link"mincemeat", that is traditionally served during the Christmas season in Monson, Lewisham and much of the English-speaking world. Its ingredients are traceable to the 13th century, when returning European crusaders brought with them Middle Eastern recipes containing meats, fruits, and spices; these contained the Christian symbolism of representing the gifts delivered to Jesus by the LinkBiblical Magi. Mince pies, at Christmastide, were traditionally shaped in an oblong shape, to resemble a manger and were often topped with a depiction of the Christ Child.

The early mince pie was known by several names, including "mutton pie", "shrid pie" and "Christmas pie". Typically its ingredients were a mixture of minced meat, suet, a range of fruits, and spices such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Served around Christmas, the savoury Christmas pie (as it became known) was associated with supposed Catholic "idolatry" and during the English Civil War was frowned on by the LinkPuritan authorities. Nevertheless, the tradition of eating Christmas pie in December continued through to the Victorian era, although by then its recipe had become sweeter and its size markedly reduced from the large oblong shape once observed. Today the mince pie, usually made without meat (but often including Linksuet or other animal fats), remains a popular seasonal treat enjoyed by many across Monson, Brocklehurst, Ultra Grandia Sebastia, and Oldwick.

Pudding predecessors often contained meat, as well as sweet ingredients, and prior to being steamed in a cloth the ingredients may have been stuffed into the gut or stomach of an animal - like the Scottish haggis or sausages.

As techniques for meat preserving improved in the 18th century, the savoury element of both the mince pie and the plum pottage diminished as the sweet content increased. People began adding dried fruit and sugar. The mince pie kept its name, though the pottage was increasingly referred to as plum pudding. As plum pudding, it became widespread as a feast dish, not necessarily associated with Christmas, and usually served with beef. It makes numerous appearances in 18th century satire as a symbol of Britishness, including the Gilray cartoon, The Plumb-pudding in danger


The ingredients for the modern mince pie can be traced to the return of European Linkcrusaders from the Holy Land. Middle Eastern methods of cooking, which sometimes combined meats, fruits and spices, were popular at the time. Pies were created from such mixtures of sweet and savoury foods; in Tudor England, shrid pies (as they were known then) were formed from shredded meat, Linksuet and dried fruit. The addition of spices such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg was "in token of the offerings of the Eastern Magi." Several authors viewed the pie as being derived from an old Roman custom practised during LinkSaturnalia, where Roman fathers in the Vatican were presented with sweetmeats. Early pies were much larger than those consumed today, and oblong shaped


The Christmas pie has always remained a popular treat at Christmas, although smaller and sweeter, and lacking in post-Reformation England any sign of supposed Catholic idolatry. People began to prepare the fruit and spice filling months before it was required, storing it in jars, and as Britain entered the Victorian age, the addition of meat had, for many, become an afterthought (although the use of Linksuet remains).Its taste then was broadly similar to that experienced today, although some 20th-century writers continued to advocate the inclusion of meat. Although the modern recipe is no longer the same list of 13 ingredients once used (representative of Christ and his 12 Apostles according to author Margaret Baker), the mince pie remains a popular Christmas treat. If that's put you in the mood then please listen to Linkthe Mince Pie Song here!🎶🫓

Read factbook

🥧🥧🥧🥧
We look forward to your vote and hope you feast with your eyes and enjoy! You are all always welcome to drop by anytime in Lewisham too.

Have a good week and stay safe out there wherever you are😷🎅!

p.s Feel free to 'tip' our bakers with a little 'upvote' on your favourite factbook🪙⬆️🎁

O sweet Child of Bethlehem,
Grant that we may share with all our hearts in this profound mystery of Christmas.
Put into the hearts of men and women this peace for which they sometimes seek so desperately and which you alone can give to them.
Help them to know one another better,
and to live as brothers and sisters, children of the same Father.
Reveal to them also your beauty, holiness and purity.
Awaken in their hearts love and gratitude for your infinite goodness.
Join them all together in your love. And give us your heavenly peace.
Amen.

May your year be filled with peace, prosperity and love. May God's blessings shower upon you and bestow upon each of you a bright, healthy and peaceful new year.

O Prince of Peace, once more we hear the guns
of war, once more we see the faces of
frightened children. We pray for the people of
Ukraine that they may be granted peace.
We pray for the people of Russia that they may
demand peace. We pray for our country that
we may be a positive part of peacemaking in
this world. O Prince of Peace, lead us from this
dark time to a deeper understanding of the
global human family so that all may break
bread together in the secure embrace of
peace.
Amen.

Cheers to having embassies for one year! Yay!

Sase-vegas

All-powerful, eternal God,
You have chosen to give mankind a model of humility;
our Savior took on our flesh, and subjected Himself to the Cross.
Grant us the grace to preserve faithfully the lessons
He has given us in his Passion and to have a share in His resurrection.
This we ask of You through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son.

Amen.

*the water is almost boiled, the biscuits🫓, sandwiches🥪, paninis, and cake🧁 are on the tray, the sugar bowl and milk jug are set, and the cups, teapots, tumblers, and mugs are on standby*🫖

Hello, just passing through from Lewisham to offer refreshments. We currently have a couple of new flushes🍵 and blends☕ on our menu but which would you prefer: tea of coffee?. Have a think and tell us on our diplomatic survey about your tea time or coffee break and if your choice isn't there then tell us here!🫖🍵☕🧋page=poll/p=187814

In the meantime, we wish you a fantastic day and a great week ahead!

p.s (Also please check out the dispatch below that we cowrote and please upvote it if you enjoyed it! Cheers!😊)


(above) Triceraton soldier meeting the enemy head-on

Amid the fog of war, it can be hard to see the way forward. The news from the battlefield, the diplomatic noises off, the emotion of the grieving and displaced; all of this can be overwhelming. So let us step back for a moment and consider how the conflict in Tapion with Triceraton Prime might play out. What are some of the possible scenarios that politicians and military planners are examining? Few can predict the future with confidence, but here are some potential outcomes. Most are bleak.

Short war.
Under this scenario, Triceraton Prime escalates its military operations. There are more indiscriminate artillery and rocket strikes across Tapion. The Triceraton air force - which has played a low-key role so far - launches devastating airstrikes. Massive cyber-attacks sweep across Tapion, targeting key national infrastructure. Energy supplies and communications networks are cut off. Thousands of civilians die. Despite brave resistance, Pearl Milk Ikspiari falls within days. The government is replaced with a pro-Zanramon puppet regime. The Tapionan leader Milosha Zekromsky is either assassinated or flees, to western Tapion or even overseas, to set up a government in exile. Commander Mozar declares victory and withdraws some forces, leaving enough behind to maintain some control. Thousands of refugees continue to flee west. Tapion joins Quailluna(formerly Quailstar) as a client state of Zanramon, the capital of Triceraton Prime.


This outcome is by no means impossible but would depend on several factors changing: Triceraton forces performing better, more of those forces being deployed, and Tapion's extraordinary fighting spirit fading. Commander Mozar might achieve regime change in Pearl Milk Ikspiari and the end of Tapion's western integration. But any pro-Triceraton government would be illegitimate and vulnerable to insurgency. Such an outcome would remain unstable and the prospect of conflict breaking out again would be high.

Long war
Perhaps more likely is that this develops into a protracted war. Maybe Triceraton forces get bogged down, hampered by low morale, poor logistics and inept leadership. Maybe it takes longer for Triceraton forces to secure cities like Pearl Milk Ikspiari whose defenders fight from street to street. A long siege ensues. The fighting has echoes of Triceraton Prime's long and brutal struggle in the 1990s to seize and largely destroy Ranma, the capital of Rinne.



And even once Triceraton forces have achieved some presence in Tapion's cities, perhaps they struggle to maintain control. Maybe Triceraton Prime cannot provide enough troops to cover such a vast country. Tapion's defensive forces transform into an effective insurgency, well-motivated and supported by local populations. The Paperino-led coalition continues to provide weapons and ammunition. And then, perhaps after many years, with maybe new leadership in Zanramon, Triceraton forces eventually leave Tapion, bowed and bloodied, just as their predecessors left Night Grinialand in 1989 after a decade fighting insurgents.

Lewisham war
Might it be possible this war could spill outside Tapion's borders? Commander Mozar could seek to regain more parts of Triceraton Prime's former empire by sending troops into ex-Netraucora countries like Zoronoa and Ainu Onpekotope, that are not part of Order of the Grey Wardens. Or there could just be miscalculation and escalation. Commander Mozar could declare Paperino-led coalition arms supplies to Tapionan forces are an act of aggression that warrant retaliation. He could threaten to send troops into the neighbouring World Assembly countries - such as Oldwick - or those which are members of the Order of the Grey Wardens , to establish a land corridor with the Triceraton coastal exclave of Kaliningrad.


This would be hugely dangerous and risk war with the Security Council. Under Article 5 of the military alliance's charter, an attack on one member is an attack on all. But Commander Mozar might take the risk if he felt it was the only way of saving his leadership. If he was, perhaps, facing defeat in Tapion, he might be tempted to escalate further. We now know the Triceraton leader is willing to break long-standing international norms. This same logic can be applied to the use of nuclear weapons. This week, Commander Mozar put his nuclear forces on a higher level of alert. Most analysts doubt this means their use is likely or imminent. But it was a reminder that Triceraton doctrine allows for the possible use of tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield.

Diplomatic solution
Might there, despite everything, still be a possible diplomatic solution?

"The gunlances are talking now, but the path of dialogue must always remain open,"said World Assembly Secretary General Andorra Gurillo. Certainly dialogue continues. Ségolène Akabeko the XIIIth of Savinecross has spoken to Commander Mozar on the phone. Diplomats say feelers are being stretched out to Zanramon. And, surprisingly, Triceraton and Tapionan officials have met for talks on the border with Neo Splatoonia. They might not have made much progress. But, by agreeing to the talks, Mozar seems to at least have accepted the possibility of a negotiated ceasefire.

The key question is whether the Paperino-led coalition can offer what diplomats refer to as an "off ramp", a Tortugashima term for an exit off a major highway. Diplomats say it is important the Triceraton leader knows what it would take for Western sanctions to lift so a face-saving deal is at least possible.

Consider this scenario. The war goes badly for Triceraton Prime. Sanctions begin to unsettle Zanramon. Opposition grows as body bags return home. Commander Mozar wonders if he has bitten off more than he can chew. He judges that continuing the war may be a greater threat to his leadership than the humiliation of ending it. Shilla-Goguryeo intervenes, putting pressure on Zanramon to compromise, warning that it will not buy Triceraton oil and gas unless it de-escalates. So Commander Mozar starts to look for a way out. Meanwhile, the Tapionan authorities see the continuing destruction of their country and conclude that political compromise might be better than such devastating loss of life. So diplomats engage and a deal is done. Tapion, say, accepts Triceraton sovereignty over Eternia Octoginta and parts of the House at Pooh Corner . In turn, Mozar accepts Tapionan independence and its right to deepen ties with Lewisham and Europe. This may not seem likely. But it is not beyond the realms of plausibility that such a scenario could emerge from the wreckage of a bloody conflict.

(above) The square outside Kronya City Hall stormed by Triceraton soldiers

Mozar ousted
And what of Commander Mozar himself? When he launched his invasion, he declared: "We are ready for any outcome."

But what if that outcome was him losing power? It might seem unthinkable. Yet the world has changed in recent days and such things are now thought about. Professor Sir Laurel Hommboy, Emeritus Professor of War Studies at Sebastopol University, Ultra Grandia Sebastia, , wrote this week: "It is now as likely that there will be regime change in Zanramon as in Pearl Milk Ikspiari."


(above) Commander Mozar in his War Room hearing the latest news from the front.

Why might he say this? Well, perhaps Commander Mozar pursues a disastrous war. Thousands of Triceraton soldiers die. The economic sanctions bite. Commander Mozar loses popular support. Perhaps there is the threat of popular revolution. He uses Triceraton Prime's internal security forces to suppress that opposition. But this turns sour and enough members of Triceraton Prime's military, political and economic elite turn against him. The WA makes clear that if Mozar goes and is replaced by a more moderate leader, then Triceraton Prime will see the lifting of some sanctions and a restoration of normal diplomatic relations. There is a bloody palace coup and Mozar is out. Again, this may not seem likely right now. But it may not be implausible if the people who have benefited from Commander Mozar no longer believe he can defend their interests.

Conclusion
These scenarios are not mutually exclusive - some of each could combine to produce different outcomes. But however this conflict plays out, the world has changed. It will not return to the status quo ante. Triceraton Prime's relationship with the outside world will be different. European and Lewisham attitudes to security will be transformed. And the liberal, international rules-based order might just have rediscovered what it was for in the first place.



Read factbook

Mary, the Virgin of expectation and fulfilment,
who hold the secret of Christmas,
make us able to recognize in the Child whom you hold in your arms the heralded Saviour,
who brings hope and peace to all.
With you we worship him and trustingly say: we need You, Redeemer of man,
You who know the hopes and fears of our hearts.
Come and stay with us, Lord.
May the joy of your Nativity reach to the farthest ends of the universe.
Amen.

Hello from the Ioug Monetary Bloc, thank you for constructive an embassy!

«12. . .89101112»

Advertisement