ForestBoard

Northern Wood wrote:

hmmm...I consume massive quantities of milk. About a gallon (~3.7 liters) a week, just on my own. And then there's all of the butter. And yogurt, which I eat quite a lot of, mostly as an inexpensive and easy substitute for meat proteins.

I have tried the substitutes but really dislike them. Not to mention how they are so much more expensive. There's no way I would be able to afford the substitutes for all of those products.

I would have to make some drastic changes to my diet to cut dairy out of it. I really don't know where I would begin... I'll look into the idea from the dispatch of making my own oat milk, as oats are relatively inexpensive and I already buy a lot of them.

Why don't you simply replace it with fruit juice? Not all at once, but partially. Talking about the milk of course, don't replace butter with fruit juice.

Elundris wrote:

Why don't you simply replace it with fruit juice? Not all at once, but partially. Talking about the milk of course, don't replace butter with fruit juice.

I am a huge juice lover, but I've massively cut back my consumption in the last couple years due to the amount of sugar in the stuff. I don't like soda, rarely drink coffee, etc so in the quantities I was drinking juice, the sugar was definitely excessive. I lost about 10 pounds after significantly reducing its presence in my diet. I used to drink a heck of a lot of milk too - a large glass or two at every meal. I do still like and drink (skim) milk, but now I've mostly limited it to just with cereal or to accompany a chocolatey dessert - a gallon every couple weeks, instead of half a gallon per day. Really, I basically just reach for water, with beer or wine sometimes for dinner or special occasions. A lot more boring than it used to be, but a lot healthier as well, which has made a difference.

I think if I was in my old milk-drinking ways, and wanted to change for environmental reasons, I might have more luck swapping to a lower-impact animal source (like goat milk) than to a plant-based alternative. Even my wife, who has gone through extended periods of using almond milk and similar, has repeatedly told me she doesn't actually like it... it's just a little healthier. If somebody out there starts bulk producing a skim goat milk, I'll certainly give it a try as a lower-impact alternative!

Ransium wrote:

It took some rather extreme measures (the poor of Ransium are no longer fairing well) but I am now #2 in the world in eco-friendliness.

Well... hopefully with the global #4 in public healthcare (and a respectable global 14th percentile for income of the poor), they still aren't suffering as much as they are in most places. Congrats on your climb to that spot! Looking over your rankings, you really do have some fascinating stats.

Ransium wrote:

It took some rather extreme measures (the poor of Ransium are no longer fairing well) but I am now #2 in the world in eco-friendliness.

Good! Now go in the opposite direction.

Also, bit of an unrelated rant, but even with the rules of name reuse I still think it's way too strict on what can be reused or not. I wanted to found a new nation based off of a game I played, but when I checked the Boneyard to see if it was available, apparently the guy playing it CTE'd 16 years ago, but still had it reserved because he had only a little bit over 500 million population.

16 years. That's all the way back in 2004. Literally founded and had his last activity in Antiquity, and even though it's pretty obvious that he'll never come back and refound, it's still reserved. A bit confusing, honestly.

Kinectia wrote:

That does sound extreme - maybe someone in admin(?)
I recently checked the name of my very first nation- also from antiquity and it shows as available. I’ll prolly start a new puppet with the same name.

If it were admin it would probably be marked as reserved by a moderator or retired. It just says that it was used by a former nation of "significant size."

Candlewhisper Archive wrote:

In the UK and I'd suggest deliberately stopping there.

I took a nation to the top of the charts for ideological radicality, and instantly got complaints that it was unfair because I had access to the game code. In fact, I didn't use our tools in any way to get to that point, but knowledge of how the game engine works certainly gave me an advantage, as I knew exactly the types of answers that would increase that stat, just as I'm sure you know exactly the types of answers that boost eco-friendliness as stat (and that goes beyond just being eco-friendly, naturally).

It's probably not fair to non-staff players to #1 any chart with the game knowledge we have, but I don't think its unreasonable to hover in the top 10s.

I don’t think I’m going to be able to make the sacrifices it would require to make it to number 1 anyways. If I can make it to number 1 in weather Sedge’ll have to DEAT me before I do it, we both know I knew exactly what I was doing there long before I was an IE. In fact had I not been made staff I’d almost certainly already be number 1, but I stopped answering issues for a few year after. Anyone with access to Trotterdam’s issue index has no greater advantages than me with regards to weather anyway. But we’re a few years away from crossing that bridge.

Lousykitty wrote:

Good! Now go in the opposite direction.

Also, bit of an unrelated rant, but even with the rules of name reuse I still think it's way too strict on what can be reused or not. I wanted to found a new nation based off of a game I played, but when I checked the Boneyard to see if it was available, apparently the guy playing it CTE'd 16 years ago, but still had it reserved because he had only a little bit over 500 million population.

16 years. That's all the way back in 2004. Literally founded and had his last activity in Antiquity, and even though it's pretty obvious that he'll never come back and refound, it's still reserved. A bit confusing, honestly.

That has happened to me too. Multiple times.

Elundris wrote:

Why don't you simply replace it with fruit juice? Not all at once, but partially. Talking about the milk of course, don't replace butter with fruit juice.

I should have clarified, I use milk for cereal, oatmeal, coffee, smoothies. Really, the problem is I eat too much cereal :P

Kinectia wrote:

Click to show...

I would advise beginning with just one little change, say vegan ice cream. Then one more little change - maybe instead of yogurt for breakfast every day, sometimes you have toast and a smoothie. If you make changes that way it gives you a chance to notice any differences and gives your body time to adjust. If you try to do 1:1 substitutions for everything you normally eat now you will see higher expenses - try something else instead of the usual - that may even prove to be cheaper. Also note that dairy products are heavily subsidized in many places. That’s a different kind of choice.

Thanks for the tips. I am going to try to think of substitution meals, as you suggest, rather than substituting the ingredients for meals I already consume.

What do your proteins consist of? Besides yogurt and cheese, I eat lots of beans and peanut butter. Other nuts are too expensive. Oh, also eggs, but I don't really know the environmental impact of that..._{probably not great.}

Regarding the subsidization of dairy -- it's not really much of a choice whether to eat a subsidized food product when it's all you can afford. If the government is going to subsidize dairy, I'm gonna eat that government cheese :P

Turbeaux wrote:

Tofu is a decent substitution for eggs (which have a comparatively huge environmental footprint but less so than cattle).

*looks up what tofu actually is* Oh right, soy. That's a good idea. I guess I forgot tofu even existed. And I am for some reason attracted to the idea of a big block of tofu as a base to do with what you will.

Turbeaux wrote:

sprouting lentils "by soaking them in water for 8-14 hours (depending on size)" gives them a complete amino acid profile.

This is something I've actually played with in the past. I was eventually turned off just because I didn't quite understand the process. If you'll permit me to pick your brain for a moment-

Can you over-soak them? Can they be over-sprouted? Are there any perils to doing it wrong? I guess I'm asking what to look out for if they go "bad," as the standard smell and appearance of soaking beans is already not really something that I find appealing, and the fact that they are sprouting something sets off warning bells in my head (like a potato that has sat too long), so I struggle to identify if they've "turned" (and if that's even something one must worry about).

Thanks!

Aclion wrote:

I feel like a nation that shares its name with a wikipedia page should be available within a month of CTEing.

"Available! The name "List of animals with fraudulent diplomas" may be used to found a new nation."

Mount Seymour wrote:

"Available! The name "List of animals with fraudulent diplomas" may be used to found a new nation."

The name “Chicken Powered Nuclear Bomb” may be used to found a new nation.

📰 GENERAL UPDATE ON TLA's REGIONAL HAPPENINGS 📰

We have had perhaps one of the most eventful terms these past couple months! The 16th General Assembly has passed a whopping eleven legislative motions. Several of these include the dual citizenship legislative package, extending electoral citizenship status to residents within the NSLeft pact, as well as no longer counting a partial term as a complete term.

In foreign affairs, we have gained two new embassies with Refugia and The Red Fleet. Additionally, the NSLeft Solidarity Pact underwent massive changes, providing new opportunities for our community to engage with other comrades in the alliance.

Role play has seen a surge of interest, with a focus on simple yet engaging world-building. One of our most notable accomplishments in our new role play was organizing an Olympics competition, which was loads of fun for those involved. For our last Assembly Day celebration, TLA's Ministry of Events held a poetry writing competition which I will provide the link to. Some great work in there, if I do say so myself haha!

Needless to say, there's a lot going on in The Leftist Assembly. Thank you to all those who have been with us since the beginning and a big welcome to our new friends.

Edit: 🤦🏽‍♂️ So in my rush, I forgot to provide the link to the poetry competition dispatch. 😂 Here it is!

Assembly Day 2020 - Poetry Writing Contest

by Libertasnia

Our fourth regional anniversary is coming up on 14 January, and we are hosting a special event to celebrate this occasion! In response to expressed regional interest, we want to see your best writing skills in the form of poetry.

Details

---

1. We recommend that each poem you submit should be 100-150 words in length.

2. The three categories that submissions will be judged in are:

   1. Community in NationStates

   2. Political world

   3. Real-world life/feelings

3. Our judging panel - New Prague, Cedoria, and Libertasnia - will announce the winners for each category on Assembly Day!

4. The panel's favourite poem from all the winners will be featured for one week in the regional World Factbook Entry

Winners

NS Community

Four Years by Llorens

Four years is a long time for a community like ours,
‘The strong’ remain, while Tryzub rests in the stars.

Healing what was a chaotic divorce,
With unity in diversity helping it stay the course.

A leader caused havoc in a wild spring,
Stability and reform emerged an everlasting king.

The absurdity of a not-so-august incursion,
Its isolation a testament to a history of immersion.

A cavalier of death with creations of beautiful lyres,
A feline peering through a hundred spires.

Rose to hammer, solidarity in command,
This community of ours, it was meant to withstand.

‘Protectors of the revolution, forevermore!’
More than forever, for four years are more.

Political

The Revolution by Papalonia

The sun shone bright on the laboring slaves,
And their resting ruler watched,
From his throne in the shade.

One man spoke of a greater land,
“Soon we’ll be free” he cried,
“From this cruel despot’s demands.”

So they raised their fists and their sickles and hoes,
Shouting “soon we’ll be free,
From our laboring woes.”

Though more wars were to be fought,
The people yet trust,
That they’d soon be free from tyranny’s mighty clutch.

But the suffering and sorrow, the slaughter and pain,
The lives and limbs lost were all lost in vain,
For when the bright sun blinded slaves,
They squinted and saw a man resting in the shade,
And “soon we’ll be free!” he continued to cry,
But the slaves saw through his petty lies,
For they realized that all that changed,
Was the man who sat upon the throne in the shade.

Real World Feelings/Emotional

Windowsill by Greylyn

The rain droplets cascade down my windowsill as I look off into the horizon
I find myself lost inside the maze of recollection as I sift through shards of memories left behind by those who left me in this haze
But the days are longer; the nights are shorter
I’ve got nothing but time and no time at all
And I’ll keep you on my mind as if I had any choice after the fact
Flipping through this photo album, expecting something new
Wishing you’d call me and come back, but you never do
So I’ll sit here and wait beside my windowsill
Watching the sunset on another dismal setting
Am I tone deaf; I ask myself
Can I distinguish between the shades and hues I perceive before me?
Or am I destined to paint the world with the same old color palette?
All I can hear is the echo of the hollow chambers inside my heart beating for something more than what I see
But the days are colder and the rain has turned to snow and soon I am lost in a blizzard of my creation
Am I the architect of my demise?
Release me from this moment that I find myself trapped inside
Stuck beside this windowsill with nothing but these memories
If I could find a remedy, I would do all that I can
But I am just a man afraid of my shadow
Wishing I could go back to before I found myself staring pensively from this window
I wonder if the world will just pass me by, but do I even want to be among the rest?
When we’re all just restlessly searching for meaning and purpose beside our windowsill
Flipping through a photo album; remembering the days past
But these dreams won’t go away
No matter what I do, I know I have to stay awake
I’ve made promises; I have my fight ahead
But still I am drawn to this windowsill
I wonder if you’ll join me as I aim to look beyond
Perhaps we can find a way to both remember the days past and assemble the courage to move beyond
And perhaps that is the true calling of this spot where I remain watching the horizon line
These shards are sharp and cut deep into the very nature of one’s psyche
Reflected to me, I see the bitter truths I’d rather forget
A world on fire and no one to put it out
The people have gone mad and the powers that be feed into the chaos
But perhaps we could all learn something by looking out from this windowsill
Or perhaps we are doomed to perpetual repetition of our worst tendencies

Send submissions to Libertasnia via telegram or Discord DM (@stickypepsi13#6919).

Read dispatch

-Greylyn
Minister of Foreign Affairs

I'm Top 1% in Trout Fishing Industry. I said before that Myordas should do that.

Reason:
North Myordans play this song while they are fishing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2cvrafbf3g

The lake looks like Lake Gifaria in Vavossen,Central Myordas.

Note: Cost of fish eggs in North Myordas is higher than Myordas.