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The Fried Head of A Down and Dusky Blonde *sets up a chaise lounge and umbrella on the beach, takes off her cover up and applies sunscreen, sits down and pours herself a Black Russian from a thermos and settles back to enjoy the rays* Densaner, Panther, and Rivierenland |
The Cartographic Society of Rivierenland Imagine having sunlight This post was made by the Western Europe gang |
The Fried Head of A Down and Dusky Blonde We're in the middle of a heat wave. Temperatures haven't been under 90°F in a week or more. Densaner, Panther, and Rivierenland |
Same here. Also, it's that time again! 10000 Islands Emissary Update Date: June 2020 TITO Command Has your region been invaded, or do you want to get in touch with TITO? If so, contact one of the following nations: ~Chief Executive: Markanite. ~Field Commander: Kanta Hame. ~Tactical Officers: Shy Guyia, Smugglers and Mercs (EF), Mingulay isle, THX1138. ~Executive Officers: Aschente, Hakketomat. Government As of this reportís publication, the Government of 10000 Islands consists of: Additionally, XKI is proud to announce the signing of the Treaty of the Waxing Moon with The East Pacific to further recognize and appreciate the history of friendship between the two regions. Information about other government officials of 10000 Islands can be found here. New Government Appointments ~ The FA team grew again this month as Thedairos was appointed Emissary to The Coalition of Democratic Nations, Grea Kriopia was appointed Emissary to The North Pacific, Kohnhead was appointed Emissary to Wintreath, Free Las Pinas was appointed Ambassador to Texas, and Wille-Harlia was appointed Emissary to South Pacific. XKI Summer Olympics June saw the first-ever XKI Summer Olympics hosted by Cultural Officer HumanSanity and Cultural Office Assistant Grea Kriopia, which ran as a month-long event spree where 3 Olympic teams competed for points, trading cards, and bragging rights. Events featured spamming contests, an Issues writing contest, a short story contest, Card collection competition, Factbook writing contest, team debates, and more, each awarding a points reward to the winning team. The event had a staggering 96 participants in total and much friendly competition was had! In the end, Team ALEN led by THX1138 took home the gold with a total of 525 points. Next followed Team Fleeb in second with 396 points and in 3rd place with bronze came Team Anime Daisuki with 339 points. A hearty congratulations to all teams, though, for their strong participation and team spirit that helped kick the summer off strong, and special thanks also go to all of the guest judges who helped with various events. Around the Islands ~ The XKI Cards Co-Op snuck in right at the end of the month to establish a community based regional card farming operation separate from the XKI Cultural Office. More info to come in July once the Co-Op is up and running. XKI Game-Side A regional poll in June by Jabberwocky asked Islanders what soda they thought was sodalicious. This month’s RMB posts show what's really on Islander's minds during quarantine... Self-confidence is key! WA Affairs June 03, 2020 SC Commend Crushing Our Enemies: Citing the target's legislative, organizational, and military work across NationStates. June 03, 2020 GA Rights of the Employed: A resolution to further establish and clarify worker's rights unilaterally. June 07, 2020 SC Commend 9003: Seeking to commend the target for their extensive work in International Artwork (cards) and military work. June 07, 2020 GA Proper Hygiene For Medical Instruments: A resolution to bolster hygiene standards in healthcare to raise universal standards of health. June 11, 2020 SC Repeal "Liberate Iran": A movement to repeal Iran's liberation in order for the region to be refounded. June 11, 2020 GA Language and Education Rights for Deaf Individuals: A resolution to protect Deaf individuals from discrimination with emphasis on education quality. June 15, 2020 SC Commend Apulita: Citing the target's work in regional government, particularly in Warzone Europe. June 15, 2020 GA Regulating Desalination: A resolution to protect Deaf individuals from discrimination with emphasis on education quality. June 19, 2020 SC Repeal "Condemn Vandoosa": A movement to repeal the target's condemnation on the grounds of poor quality and overexaggeration. June 19, 2020 GA Supporting and Valuing the Humanities: Establishing extra academic and monetary support for the humanities in academic institutions. June 23, 2020 SC Commend The Salaxalans: Citing the target's work of the highest potato quality in Spiritus. June 23, 2020 GA Standards on Police Accountability: An attempt for higher accountability on police standards. June 27, 2020 SC Condemn Australian rePublic: Seeking to condemn the target nation for their chaotic contribution towards Issues. June 27, 2020 GA Fair Arbitration Act: A resolution to better protect and support fair arbitration on behalf of individuals. Poet Laureate Competition June brought around the XKI Poet Laureate Competition where the region's finest poet's faced off on the topic of 'anger', aiming for the best poem on the topic in any form or style. The winner of this competition was Liberdon and their poem, The Storm's Wrath, is featured below: The Storm’s Wrath The midnight sea lay still Far above foaming dark Higher! Higher! the waves howl Crash! A terrible sound Wind grows weary and dies But do not despair, for For no storm can last long Until next month, your XKI Update Staff is signing off - Grea Kriopia |
Yeah, the WWI series was incredible. And sad. Incredibly sad, even... That one's a six-part series, with each episode running around 3 or 4 hours. https://www.dancarlin.com/product/hardcore-history-50-55-blueprint-for-armageddon-series/ I also really loved the series on the Mongols. That was a world I knew little about, and came away stunned by what I learned. https://www.dancarlin.com/product/hardcore-history-wrath-of-the-khans-series/ Yeah, one of the benefits you Europeans have is all of the deep history around you. Wow, never heard that legend of Pontius Pilate. That's wild. I wish the BBC article that wikipedia cites also had a source of its own, I'd love to follow that thread some more. I love hearing of the different ways that places and/or communities attempt to connect themselves to certain parts of history. Another that comes to mind, also involving your fair isles, is the legend that Britain was founded by one of the refugees from the Fall of Troy. And Rome pulled the same trick. America has done it countless times, being so disconnected from everything else, way out over here. Alexander the Great was my first history love. Read this historical fiction when I was young, The Virtues of War by Steven Pressfield, that follows his life and journey, and it really hooked me on the story: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1316.The_Virtues_of_War He really is a remarkable figure to learn about. Sure, he may have been a maniacal butcher...sure, he may have been basically handed the world's greatest army by his father and given the perfect moment to use it...but gosh darn-it, I can't stop being fascinated by him. |
The Union Republic of Densaner Yeah, it’s probably in the same league as the Loch Ness Monster, interesting but bol...nonsense. The Yew tree is interesting enough. Sat there minding its own business for the last 3K or so years. If only it could talk.... I guess everyone was a butcher back then. And he needed to actually command the troops, having them there was only half the story. Of course diplomacy was yet to come. I first came across Alexander when I was quite young and on vacay, there’s a big ass statue of him in Edinburgh. I read up on him much, much later. I really couldn’t believe he got to India, then the fact he wanted to go on, but his troops told him to get stuffed. Fascinating. 🇲🇰 https://imgur.com/eWaIi2y I also like the Punic Wars. Now that would be a mini-series worth watching. 🐘 |
That's a pretty cool statue. I don't think I've ever seen a statue of him in person, would be nice to see. Yeah, just imaging ancient Greeks traipsing through ancient India is an incredible thought. It is one of those culture-clashes in history that can make you stop in your tracks. I am also pretty fascinated by the more lasting impacts of Alexander's conquests across Asia. The most interesting example (for me) is the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom that formed in his wake, around modern-day Afghanistan. A remarkable thing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Bactrian_Kingdom Agreed. An endlessly fascinating period in Roman history. Another huge culture clash, too, between the Phoenicians/Carthaginians and the nascent Romans. *subtly points to yet another series in Hardcore History* Punic Nightmares |
The Union Republic of Densaner Absolutely. Another ancient chapter I find very interesting was when the Romans sent a couple of legions into sub Saharan Africa. If Alexander was at head of the column then they would have reached Cape Town! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romans_in_Sub-Saharan_Africa Another one is the supposed story of a couple of Native Americans landing in Europe in about 60 BC, doubt it’s true, but just imagine if it was. https://www.cracked.com/article_19864_6-ridiculous-lies-you-believe-about-founding-america_p2.html?wa_ibsrc=fanpage Amazing legacy from such a short life. I like the story of Ptolemaic Egypt. The fact that it lasted a couple of hundred years and then the story came full circle when the Romans took over. Sure was a bit like the Cold War, except over 2000 years ago. I shall check out the podcast. |
Wow, I wasn't aware of the Romans' sub-Saharan expeditions. Looks like Pliny the Elder is a major source for this, I'll have to dig deeper. Pliny is great fun. Wrote about seemingly everything known at the time, and can range from wonderfully insightful to ridiculous cures for the plague. I am constantly amazed by all of the absolutely fascinating episodes of history that are out there and which I am completely ignorant of. World History is like an endless library full of great stories that you've yet to discover. ----- That's a pretty good Cracked article. I am always disappointed by the set-up and appearance of their site, as it always looks like click-bait. But there's usually decent info in there, and that article is no exception. I especially like #2, where they go into how the Native Americas actually worked and "sculpted" the forests around them, planting fruiting trees and orchards, and widening the paths so much that carriages could simply ride through them unencumbered. They more "resembled English parks" than a dense primal forest. That's a fact that blew my mind. I will quibble somewhat with the "Vikings discovered America" thing. Yes, this is true. However, the Viking explorers left no lasting impact on the Americas, and their discovery made absolutely no impression among the rest of Europe. They had no idea the size and scope of what they found, were seemingly badly defeated by whatever indigenous peoples they encountered, and left to never come again. And they failed to relay this information to anyone else. (Unless, of course, you consider Greenland to be America / the New World. They did have a real, lasting impact there) Columbus' discovery is the one that actually led to something, like the eventual recognition that it was an entirely new continent, and real settlement and exchange (even if said exchange was significantly more negative for one party than the other). Columbus may have been a butcher, but his discovery actually made an impact. |
A question for the Brits among us that occurred to me: Who do you consider more "British": Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa? I won't bother including us Americans in the list, as I know full well we've made somewhat of an identity for ourselves attempting to distance ourselves from being British (even if we're much more alike than many of us care to admit). Really, I think this is between Canada and Australia, but I included the others for completeness sake (Sorry Kiwis. I don't apologize to South Africans at all). I'm just always curious how other countries view things, and this is one that pops into my head now and again. Poll above |
The Union Republic of Densaner I would say - NZ, Canada, Australia then South Africa. India has also retained British cultural influence, particularly with the use of the English language. South Africa was never fully British, certainly not on cultural or language levels. |
Interesting that you chose New Zealand, but Australia below Canada. As an outsider, I think of Australia being the most like "the old country." I also, obviously, do not know enough about New Zealand, as I cannot clearly differentiate them in my mind from Australia (sorry again, Kiwis). What about New Zealand makes you think that? |
The Union Republic of Densaner Australia since WW2 has strayed significantly from the mother land. Partly they felt screwed over by us because we focused on fighting in Europe and India during WW2. The campaign in Burma is one of the greatest stories never fully told about WW2. Have a read up about General MacArthur in Australia, interesting story. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma_campaign NZ is a smaller and I would say more culturally conservative nation. Polls suggest they still support the monarchy. I would place an outside bet on Australia becoming a republic when the Queen dies, a lot will change when that happens. Canada, like South Africa has never been fully British, but I think they retain certain aspects of the Imperial character to differentiate themselves from you lot. Canada has its own unique culture. The National Film Board of Canada has produced some amazing films over the decades. Check out this one. It won an Oscar and the creator was born in my fair land - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_aSowDUUaY |
I see. That makes sense, I suppose. I am still somewhat surprised that you feel Canada has retained more of a British identity, however, given the outside influence our culture must have had on them (poor, poor Canada...) I am somewhat aware of the Canadian film industry, and know that Vancouver is a pretty big mover-and-shaker in that world. But I am unclear as to specifics. I assume, like the wonderful Canadian music scene, that there is as much creativity going on there as in the music world. I'd never scene that Neighbors short you'd linked. I LOVED it. This little tagline was a good description: "employs the principles normally used to put drawings or puppets into motion to animate live actors." It very much captured that feel. And with a very Dr. Seuss-like message. Although, the story got very dark very quickly at the end. ----- I will admit, I knew very little about the Burma campaign. Just the wikipedia page, alone, was extremely enlightening. Sounds a bit like a proto-Vietnam War. I'm going to have to find a book about this sometime (if only there was a good podcast) [Edit: a quick and dirty search brought back this BBC audio series: Something strange that stood out to me, while reading about those Burmese campaigns -- I find the name "Rangoon" to be extremely Romantic, and inspiring of all manner of fantasies of stowing away on a freighter and other high seas adventure. |
The Union Republic of Densaner I think it’s more an non-American identity informed by the Empire. Canada and the USA are probably 99.8% the same. However the 0.2% matters, because that’s the Canadian cultural part. Good, glad you liked it. It is a bit controversial at the end, however it was actually classed as a documentary at the Oscars. Look at history and you can see why. 😦 It’s both a terrible and wonderful story. It basically saved India from being invaded by Japan. The suffering of the troops was immense and it lasted for years. Yes, there is something mystical and obviously exotic about the orient. The names do conjure up a different world within the imagination. |
Came across this interesting article, with a tangential connection for our region: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/may/09/the-real-lord-of-the-flies-what-happened-when-six-boys-were-shipwrecked-for-15-months I assume most folks are at least aware of the general plot outline of the novel Lord of the Flies: a group of young school-age boys are shipwrecked on an island, and gradually descend into barbarity. Well, around a decade after the novel came out, a true version of this story occurred. A group of schoolboys from Tonga (see, here's the tangential connection, a South Pacific island) were marooned on a deserted island for over a year. But instead of "man's true animal nature" coming to the fore, the group of boys cooperated in order to survive the ordeal, coming up with sensible rules and working to help one another. It's a pretty cool story, and the article is well-written and -researched. Densaner, Dorig, A Down and Dusky Blonde, Johanneslanden, and 1 otherRivierenland |
No thanks! |
The Union Republic of Densaner I remember reading that when it came out. Interesting story. Of course in Lord of the Flies there had been some kind of nuclear war, so they probably thought there would be no comeback on their bestial actions. 🍄 |
Oh yeah, I forgot there was a hint that a nuclear war of some sort had occurred...just an image of a mushroom cloud in the background, I believe. I'm not sure about that reading of their motives, though. I think most of them were really too young to comprehend what such a war would've meant. On top of that, I don't believe the children ever mention that the world outside is probably gone, or discuss the war that may be ongoing out there. They eventually give up hope of rescue, but that's more to do with just a general despair and unraveling. I think Golding was implying that it was simply the lack of social structure or civilization which drove them to barbarism. Anyway, "cracking" novel, as you all might say... By the way, what type of paper is "The Guardian"? I am always unsure what the quality of the newspaper is when I come across an article from a British newspaper online. I'd love to hear a brief rundown of British papers, from "most trusted" to "utter rubbish." Densaner, A Down and Dusky Blonde, Johanneslanden, Rivierenland, and 1 otherIggly iggle |
The Union Republic of Densaner It’s a mid range liberal paper, it was founded in Manchester in the wake of The Peterloo Massacre. Most newspapers in the UK are right wing, almost all of them are garbage. You have snobby right wing papers such as The Times, mid range ones like The Daily Mail and The Daily Express and toilet paper ones like The Sun and The Daily Star. You also have the FT if you’re rich and The Morning Star if you’re a commie. The worst ones by far are The Sun and The Daily Mail. The only major centrist to centre left papers in the UK are The Guardian and The Daily Mirror. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cicunsmUnas https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillsborough_disaster#The_Sun https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peterloo_Massacre https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGscoaUWW2M |
That's interesting. LotF was written to combat the hundreds of stories being churned out at the time of groups of British boys being marooned and keeping the "british stiff upper lip", and trying to imagine what would happen if a group of small schoolboys were actually stuck on an island without any adults for a prolonged period of time. So, nice to know LotF isn't the scenario that would always play out. The Guardian's one of the most reputable ones. We're encouraged to use it as a source for essays etc. |
I feel that 'The Times' is probably one of the most honest British newspapers. I'm not a big fan of others, though, such as 'The Daily Mirror' or 'The Sun'. Densaner, A Down and Dusky Blonde, Johanneslanden, Panther, and 1 otherRivierenland |
Took me a bit to process all of those links. I hadn't heard of the Hillsborough disaster, but that sounds truly awful. I don't think I understand the role of the press and misinformation, however. I gather that the event so badly reported by the Sun that it led to a significant loss of credibility among the public. But I don't understand why they were pushing those lies to begin with. What was everyone hoping to achieve by blaming the fans? Was it just to shift the blame away from the stadium owners? Hadn't heard of the "Peterloo Massacre" either. I am similarly left with so many questions. A massive protest breaks out, and the city calls in the local cavalry who charge in with drawn sabres and trample everyone. And the response is the passage of new acts that aim to crackdown future meetings and reform movements? Well, this is all sounding FAR too similar to recent events over here... Interesting that it led to the creation of "The Guardian," though. That's a noble origin for a paper. I enjoyed, once again, your snippet from another episode of "Yes, Minister." The Daily Mirror is read by people who think they run the country. The Guardian is read by people who think they ought to run the country. The Times is read by the people who actually do run the country. The Daily Mirror is read by the wives of the people who run the country. Financial Times is read by people who own the country. The Morning Star is read by people who think the country ought to be run by another country. The Daily Telegraph is read by people who think it is. ... The Sun readers don't care who runs the country, so long as she's got big tits. Ah, I hadn't heard that motivation for writing the novel. It came out after WWII, though, so quite understandable that pessimism about humanity was on his mind. But yes, the story did give me a little hope...though I wonder how much of it had to do with the culture of the Tongan boys? I wonder how a group of American boys would fare in such a situation... Fixed that for you :P Densaner, A Down and Dusky Blonde, Dashworie aedorse, Johanneslanden, and 1 otherRivierenland |
That's good to know, thanks. How do you feel it compares to The Guardian? |
The Union Republic of Densaner Any paper owned by Murdoch ain’t honest. |