The West PacificBoard

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Joining the World Assembly and endorsing Davelands will grant a 1% bonus to national RP stats beginning Saturday, January 20.

Repeal: “Protection Of Biomedical Research”

• February 17, 2018

  • XIII Winter Olympics - The Holy Principality of Saint Mark brings home the West Pacific's first gold medal! The Angelic Guardian also scored bronze, as did Willania imperium. Well done!

  • Gameplay - Beloved Captain of TWPAF and owl enthusiast Altincredible gave her farewell address Friday. Speaker of the Hall of Nations Overthinkers named the new Dread Pirate Roberts.

  • Dark Day for Canada - Good day for Davelands. You're our new trivia champion!

  • Mister Rogers - This week marked the 50th anniversary of The Neighborhood.

    • His goodbye months before passing

    • NPR eulogy by Lynn Neary (2003)

    • USPS issuing new stamp

    • Tom Hanks to star in Fred Rogers movie

    • His legacy lives on.

    • It would be such a good feeling to read your thoughts and memories of growing with Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Submit your stories for print in next Wednesday's This West Pacific Life.
      

  • Weekly Writing Prompts - Study of a Thunderstorm

    • Davelands

      For most of my day at the beach, the sun had been shining and it was a glorious day. However, now as I gazed out over the dark blue water I noticed the gathering storm clouds.

      My skin prickled as a cool breeze wafted over me. I sniffed slightly, and the scent of impending rain filled my nostrils. The clouds had begun to surround me. I looked around for a place to shelter, but the beach was deserted. I would have to tough it out as best as I could.

      Rain began to fall, lightly at first, then large, hard drops descended from the sky. I could see flashes in the distance and knew that I had to get someplace safe. I began to run on the moist sand and headed to where I knew I had left my car.

      Suddenly a bright light filled my eyes. It was a pure white. Blinding. Without realizing it I stopped in my tracks. Then, it hit me. A concussive wave smacked me hard in the chest, knocking me over.

      I sat stunned in the sand. For how long, I don't know. Eventually I began to regain my senses and took a mental inventory of my body. Everything seemed to be fine. I stood up on shaky legs and looked around. The lightning flashes had moved off into the distance and the rain had stopped.

      Slowly I began to walk. After some time, I made it to my car. As I climbed into the relative safety of my motorized shelter I couldn't help but wonder at the majesty of nature and how small and insignificant one person alone on a beach can be.

    • Middle Teala

      I am deaf.

      I have always been deaf.

      Born without a sense of hearing, I am told (or at least, communicated) that there is a side to life that I cannot experience.

      That life is too silent. That life has cruelly taken the gift of sight, the gift of taste, or the gift to smell or taste away from someone.

      To not experience something. I don’t know what I am missing, since I have never heard a sound. They are all foreign concepts to me.

      I have often been asked what a thunderstorm is like. Thunderstorms, as I understand, are simply lightning storms, since I think I read somewhere that thunder actually comes after lightning.

      If, by circumstance, I am found outside during a thunderstorm, with the raindrops come the smell of the water spattering against the pavement, although I do not know how hard it hits unless I try to catch one in my hands, to feel the stinging pain from above. Maybe if I stuck my tongue out, I could taste it.

      Then comes the actual lightning. It flashes, a blinding light. For me, this is the most significant part of a storm. The zigzagging effect seems quite indicative of the zigzagginess of life itself.

      But to some, what follows lightning is the scariest part. Thunder, the sound that comes after.

      I was once taught that you could tell how far lightning was by counting the seconds between the lightning strike and the subsequent thunder and divide by five. I could never do such.

      Perhaps the fact that light is slower than sound is proof that it is inferior, that perhaps it could not reach my ears? I wouldn’t know.

      I can only tell when thunder has struck when I can see the faces of others, grimacing or covering their ears. I have no need to do that.

      If a strike is particularly hard, I feel the vibrations from it. Or is that just my increased heartbeat? I would not be able to hear it, but I think I can feel it pounding away in my chest.

      I don’t know how deafening thunder is. Would that be a good thing or a bad thing?

      Sometimes, when I’m inside and it happens, someone would come out and ask me, Did you hear that?

      Which, of course, I did not. I’m pretty sure that’s what they say, I’m used to reading lips to the best of my ability. And I can only assume that was a storm.

      Perhaps the omission of thunder from a thunderstorm was a good thing? Perhaps I can appreciate a storm more when thunder does not scare me off?

      I try not to dwell on it, but it comes and goes, like the lightning storms.

      (Disclaimer from the author: I am not and have never been deaf, so if I did something inaccurate, sorry about that!)

    • Chervil

      It was warm. I opened my eyes, and realised I was curling inside my blanket. It was pretty dark, cause I forgot to turn on the lights. Looked to the clock. I barely could see it, but it was around 11 pm. It reminds me of something. I quickly sided my blanket, as the chilly wind striked through my inner bones. This night's under the freezing point, yet it's not snowing.

      I covered myself with the blanket and lit my only kerosene lamp. Gathered my things, and sneaked out behind the door noiseless. A bright light streaked behind the curtains, and dissolved back into the shadows. Stunned, tears streaming down my eyes.

      "I'm sorry. I can't keep you safe. I'm at fault of your death."

      "This burden in my chest, they've haunted me for years. Everytime I sleep, your face slipped inside my thoughts. That sweet smile of yours."

      "Now they're closer than ever. I know this is it. I swear I'm coming home to you, darling. I'm coming home."

      I grabbed my walkman, and I knew. Pressed Sleepsong by Secret Garden. I plugged them into my ears, to ease me from the thunder. I took a deep breath, and stepped outside the shack.

      The first thing that came to me was the air. I could feel it sucking inside me, but in this desert, it became twice as freezing as it should be. I layed my head down the ground and looked up to the sky.

      They were calling to each other. As a show in the night sky, all living things silented, stunned. Only mothers sang lullaby to their children.

      I barely can hear the thunder, or the clacks of horse feet racing near.

      As the sturdy, bright light raced with time, I studied that they looked like a thin stem, designated with random placed branches and twigs.

      How majestic they are. Ruling with a crown, dancing like sparks of blinding flames, and comet tails. It all happened too fast, too soon. How I grew up loving it, but could just admire it behind a glass.

      I know I'll die today. Rather by hunger, thirst, cold, murder, or suffering. So, for the last moments in my life, let me do what I'm craving for.

      I wish I knew how breathtaking and stunning they are. I wish for another day. I wish for a second chance. I wish for many things in my life. But I always forgot to gave more. I was too selfish, too blind to see what I had. Now it's all gone, as how the lightning disappeared from the sky, and left traces of blinding lights on my eyes.

      I felt a boiling metal dived into my chest. But I won't stop, even to see how my blood stained this cloth. My tears fell again, and my view started to blur. Yet I still see the lights. They became much more beautiful, as the glimmer of a thousand diamonds. One by one, luminuous and dim.

      I could feel her prescence. I saw her, lying beside me. I wanted to touch her, but my body was too weak. She smiled to me, and held my hands tight. My eyes let go another tears. She wiped them and looked to my eyes, gently, as if she said that it all be alright.

      She pulled my hand. My body suddenly felt so light. We floated in the sky, seeing the wonders of the lightnings, and danced together with them, in one melody, one beat, and harmony. I looked into her eyes, and she nodded softly. I hugged her as tight as I could. I won't lose her anymore.

      The lights striked in front of my eyes. It was so bright, so pure, so true. I closed my eyes, keeping them inside my memory.

  • Join the Discussion - Content Warning! May cause intense emotional response. Reader discretion is advised.
    

    Year after year, the United States finds itself mired in a debate that will most likely not be resolved within any of our lifetimes.

    vs.

  • Previous Editions

    • February 17, 2018

      • Discord - Some random noob named Dalimbar and an old-fashion haunting.

      • XIII Winter Olympics - Cheer for your TWP delegations and follow the action here. Join our Discord for all your NS Olympic needs.

      • Upvote Squad, Assemble! - Let's show our friends in Lazarus some love. Upvote their WFE dispatches.

      • Ministerial Elections - The final leg of regional elections is in full swing. Head over to the forums and vote Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Sergeant-at-Arms.

      • New Champion - There was a three-way tie in this week's edition of Wait Wait...Don't Purge Me! By virtue of being first to enter, Big Bad Badger is our new champion. Congratulations to Hessere and our current record-holder and former champion, Chervil.
        

    • Join the Discussion - What are your favorite holidays and should the West Pacific develop a set of regional ones?

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      • February 10, 2018

        • TWP News - Your place for the NS Winter Olympics.

        • NS Sports - With five days to go, the West Pacific has entered six delegations to the XIII Winter Olympics in Prescott, Electrum.

        • Treaty With Lazarus - The Chol Covenant between the West Pacific and our recently mostly-dead friends in Lazarus was announce Thursday afternoon. We applaud the stabilization efforts of Funkadelia, Aleister, and the other members of the Lazarene Leadership. Still, though, we're keeping a close eye on things. The South Pacific's Minister of Foreign Affairs Tim Stark, in particular, has been keeping communication lines open with the Celestial Union and TSP ally The Rejected Realms (as a principal ally in the resistance shenanigans last summer). While Roavin can't reveal too much right now, we can say that the only situational changes in March will be early tulips and an induction ceremony to the Order of the Koala.

        • Ministerial Elections - Nominations have been made for Ministers of World Assembly Affairs, Recruitment & Citizenry, and Internal Affairs.

        • Karaoke Friday - The playlist is up! Listen to Week 6 now.

        • Winning - Wait Wait...Don't Purge Me! trivia champion Chervil extends her streak to four. She wins more than Potus donald j trump.

      • Join the Discussion - What makes a region appealing and what kind of advice would you give to founders of new regions in order for them to become popular?

        • "A region must be engaging and welcome newcomers with warmth. Those who seek to isolate themselves from the world are doomed to failure and obscurity." - Kawaii Village

        • "Don't create a region, stick to GCR's. It's a more pleasant and rewarding experience to shape a large community. Plus most of the action in the game is centered around GCR's." - Big Bad Badger

        • "Whether userite scum or GCR Citizen, build the world you want to play in and don't worry about popularity. The players worth having will engage. I'll take 10 or 20 active residents who want to be there and are actively contributing over 1,000 lazy, disinterested sleepers." - Bran Astor
          

      • Tell us what you think on the RMB
        

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      • February 17, 2018

        • Discord - Some random noob named Dalimbar and an old-fashion haunting.

        • XIII Winter Olympics - Cheer for your TWP delegations and follow the action here. Join our Discord for all your NS Olympic needs.

        • Upvote Squad, Assemble! - Let's show our friends in Lazarus some love. Upvote their WFE dispatches.

        • Ministerial Elections - The final leg of regional elections is in full swing. Head over to the forums and vote Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Sergeant-at-Arms.

        • New Champion - There was a three-way tie in this week's edition of Wait Wait...Don't Purge Me! By virtue of being first to enter, Big Bad Badger is our new champion. Congratulations to Hesser and our current record-holder and former champion, Chervil.
          

        • Join the Discussion - What are your favorite holidays and should the West Pacific develop a set of regional ones?
          

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      • February 3, 2018

        • Groundhog's Day - Punxsutawney Phil proclaimed winter shall last six more weeks. C'mon man! He's a 132-year old rodent. What does he kno- what? His caretakers report he has a 100% accuracy rate? Li'l dude is on to something.

        • Citizens Against Misconduct - Our friends in Europeia have taken a decisive step forward in the battle against online harassment in NationStates. Contact Farlord for more information or visit their forums to learn how you can Take a Stand against emotional abuse.

        • GASP! - Moral Compass and Angelic Guardian The Holy Principality of Saint Mark uses a Mac!

        • Karaoke Friday - The playlist is up! Listen to Week 5 here.

        • Hail Chervil: The first 3-time Wait Wait...Don't Purge Me! trivia champion! Watch out, Rigels Light. There's a new queen in the making.

        • Whose Line is it Anyways? - A million points to Zazumo, Willania imperium, and Chervil. However, it takes a great of bravery to stand up to your enemies. But a great deal more to stand up to your friends. I award ten points to Neville Longbottom. Assuming that my calculations are correct, I believe that a change of decoration is in order.
          

      • Join the Discussion - As Tom Brady's hopes for a sixth Super Bowl ring come to an end tomorrow, so too will the nomination phase of the Speaker election. Two well-respected members of the West Pacific are in the running for the top legislative job.

        • #ThinkAgain - Vote OT for Speaker

          • Well, here we are, the first-ever Speaker re-election campaign in the Manners era! Despite my snarky advertisement in Coffee of the Day’s publications, I do seriously want to continue serving TWP as Speaker.

            I had been considering running for Speaker to some extent since the position was created last year, but I was always too scared. In the last election, Dave encouraged me to run, and I gave it a shot. So here we are now, and I’m enjoying the job.

            In the last three months, we’ve passed three amendments to the Manners and one to the Etiquette. We did not accomplish my goal of creating a civil and criminal code, but I hope to accomplish that in this next term. Each discussion and vote was attended to in a timely manner, fulfilling what I believe the Speaker’s role in the Hall should be.

            I’ve also learned quite a bit in my term as Speaker. For example, I was not aware that the Speaker had forumwide moderator controls to carry out the job. (I promise that I have not been collecting your emails or IPs, and the only thing on the forum that I broke I fixed quickly. xD) Besides that, I’ve been able to be more closely involved in the other areas of government, such as Recruitment and Citizenry.

            My quip about “having nothing better to do” is somewhat true—I still have plenty of free time to dedicate to the job, and I’m not planning to take on any more RL or NS obligations anytime soon. And after RL, TWP always has been and always will be my top priority.

            (…this campaign post needs more snark, in retrospect.)

            Anyway, my name is OT, and I’m asking for your vote in this election. This thread and my DMs are always open for interrogation, so do your worst!

            Vote OT once more. #ThinkAgain.

          • View Overthinkers' full platform and responses HERE
            

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        • Atlae For Speaker - 2nd time

          • Hi there!

            Most of you know me as Atlae, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, TWPAF Officer, or a person to yell at when things don't go your way. But there's one thing not in that list: Speaker.

            Granted, when I first ran last year, I was a relative newbie in TWP's government and lost to Drall easily. But I think it's fair to say I've learned a few things since then.

            I'd like to start off by thanking OT for his service so far. Admittedly, he has stated that he did not have a civil or criminal code, so if I am elected Speaker, that would be one of my priorities.

            Another thing I'd like to advocate is to build up the judiciary. Right now, it's for banjection appeals, and that's fine as it is, but given the latest few questions about what the law is and how it is interpreted, there needs to be a system in which the Judiciary interprets laws as well as decides banjection appeals per Clause 3 of the Judicial Section.

            Feel free to ask questions below, and I'll answer them the best I can. :)

          • View Middle teala's full platform and responses HERE
            

      • Get involved! Grill our candidates on the RMB and watch them squirm!
        

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    • January 27, 2018

      • Discord - Entrance music and The Legend of El Tejon

      • Karaoke Friday - The playlist is up! Listen to Week 4 here.

      • RMB - Everything you need to know about userite scum and more!

      • Gameplay - Defenders are seeing red in Westphalia after a successful joint operation by The Black Hawks, H Y D R A, The Imperium of Agia Germania, The Land of Kings and Emperors, Lone Wolves United, The Roman Empire, Unknown, and your very own Pirates! Contact Altincredible
        

    • Join the Discussion - What is it about monsters that capture our imaginations? Why do we swim with sharks and hunt for Sasquatch? Why do we turn out of the bathroom light and chant "Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary?" For millennia monsters have been used to provide moral limits, personify scientific phenomena, and explain the darkest parts of humanity. Vampires, werewolves, Slender Man... there are so many to choose from.

      • What monster is your favorite and why?

      • Is there a particular monster that genuinely scares you? (I hear Bran Astor is terrified of the Grudge.)

      • Have you ever spent time searching for a monster (i.e. ghost hunting, squatching)?

      • Why do you think modern society still blames monsters for its shortcomings?
        

    • Share your thoughts, hopes, and stories on the RMB!
      

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    • January 20, 2018

      • 1, 2, 3, 4. Gotesbourg declares a thumb war! - The Pirates have been called to arms following a declaration of war by the Alliance of Absolute Monarchs. Enlist in the West Pacific Armed Forces by contacting Altincredible.

      • Karaoke Friday - What started as an invitation to The North Pacific ended with a surprise appearance from the Rat Pack courtesy of The Sands. Listen to Week 3 here.

      • Hail, Arotania - Lord of the Jukebox and Karaoke Friday MVP.

      • Regional Message Board - Local sneaky snake Bran Astor stole page 8,000. I demand a recount!

      • Discord - Everyone's favorite gruncle Dalimbar stopped by for a nightcap.

      • Third Induction Ceremony - Since 2012, this player has fully devoted himself to the study of the depth, intricacy, and nuances of NS knowledge. His tireless efforts to revolutionize the player base's rigid interpretation of gameplay, as well as efforts to control the problem of over-population in used-created regions, along with his impressive track-record of proven leadership proves he is a true master of our beloved game. For this, the West Pacific humbly bestows upon Vaculatestar, Former Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Great Britain and Senator of Europeia, the Order of the Koala. May we all learn from your example.

        
        
        
        
        

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    • January 13, 2018

      • Karaoke Friday - Sinatra and the Dead. Doesn't get much better than that. Listen to Week 2 here.

      • Forum - The forum is down! The forum is down! AAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaah! What? It's for maintenance? Oh... Well... Okay.

      • Gameplay - The North Pacific elected Gladio II as their new delegate.

      • TWP Radio - Pour yourself a bottle of wine and cuddle in for An Evening With Badger and Dali.

      • Adorable! - It's Davelands's 2nd Anniversary! Show our adorable delegate some love by showering him with endorsements, pushing the RMB to 8,000 pages, and changing your national classification to 'Adorable' this weekend.

      • Induction Ceremony - Today we honor Lanion mon of Exodus for their extensive work in preserving the integrity of the West Pacific's scenic beauty. Their tireless efforts to conserve our wild spaces and avoid the protected wonders of the RMB is truly inspirational. For this, we add Lanion to the rolls of the Order of the Koala.

        
        
        
        
        

    • Join the Discussion - What is the West Pacific? The simplest answer is the most obvious; a game-created region in the online game NationStates. One could go further and recite the tags (Snarky, Silly, Feeder, etc), the World Factbook Entry, and mention Monday Punday or Karaoke Friday, but is that really what the region is? There has been a recurring theme since Big Bad Badger assumed the delegacy. The region is what you put into it. We heard it again in the chat with Dalimbar. The region is what you put into it. We heard it when Davelands named Rigels Light and Bran Astor Guardians. The region is what you put into it. This theme has become a mantra, a steady drumbeat, the beating heart of the community. The region is what you put into it.
      

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    • January 6, 2018

      • RMB - Karaoke Friday again and the West rocks!

      • Forum - Check the TWP Employment Center and choose a career from a number of exciting fields.

        • Trebuchet Repair

        • Dispatch Formatting

        • Eldergrump Care

        • Raiding

        • Guardian Assistant

        • Cultural Event Planning

        • Marsupial Control

        • Travel

        • Snark
          

      • Roleplay - Worldbuilding Chat tonight on Discord, 10 pm Eastern

      • Gameplay - How 'bout them Pirates?

      • Real Life - The Night King enjoyed his vacation on the East Coast.
        

    • Join the Discussion - There is a pseudo-African folksy Hallmark saying about it taking a village to raise a child. It has been chanted, misquoted, championed, and turned into a meme over the last twenty years but it reflects a certain reality for online communities. Our West Pacific community needs all of us to grow and flourish. It needs the parental guidance of the delegate, the memory of the grandfatherly Elder Grumps, the energy, the artistry, and the love of all its residents. So let's talk about that.

      • Where are you most active in the West Pacific community- RMB, Discord, Off-site Forum?

      • Is there anything that keeps you from becoming more involved?

      • What content provided by the community do you enjoy most?

      • How can you personally help the community grow?
        

    • TWP Radio - Hear what some of the movers and shakers of NS have to say about community on An Evening With Badger and Friends (encore presentation)
      

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