Embassy of Equilism





An awards ceremony has recently been conducted by outgoing Chancellor of Defense Tarricoe. In addition to the E-Army's traditional recognitions for long-term service, Tarricoe also unveiled two special campaign stars.
Tarricoe:
I am proud to present The North Pacific Campaign Star for all soldiers who participated in support of the return of the legitimate government of TNP following the October 20 2007 coup... Along with The Rejected Realms Campaign Star for all soldiers who participated during either of the Liberations of The Rejected Realms on Jul 21 or Oct 27 2007.
Congratulations to all of our soldiers for their outstanding service during this term.



Flexion:
Chancellory of Foreign Affairs Update - 10 November 2007

Current Chancellory Posts

Chancellor of Foreign Affairs: Flexion
Deputy Chancellor of Foreign Affairs: Naivetry
Senior Advisor to the Chancellor: Tycholand

Embassy Row
> Official relations have opened with Europeia and 00000 A World Power, with further contacts being investigated.
> Relations with Gatesville have been downgraded to a Consulate, with a corresponding message posted.

Personnel
> A Roll Call has been posted, with about half of all registered ambassadors so far responding.
> Garneska and Wesleism have signed up to become Ambassadors for Equilism.
> The Monkye has been posted to The North Pacific and Europeia, taking his number of postings to three.
> Wesleism has been posted to 00000 A World Power, his first such tasking for Foreign Affairs.
]

Equilism's Internal Affairs Chancellory announces the start of activities gearing up for the holiday season:

* Nation Creation Competition
* Arcade Tournament
* Debating Competition
* Recruitment Competition

Our friends and allies are invited to stop by and join in the fun! Interested nations should contact your local ambassador for more information, or visit the Events section of the Equilism forum. Hope to see you there!

The Chancellory of Internal Affairs Weekly Updates

The Monkye:
Chancellory of Internal Affairs
10/11/07

Chancellor : wagger-tribe
Acting Chancellor:The Monkye

Department of Internal Affairs
- A memorial service is being held for the Chancellor, who is still absent
- An inter-regional recruitment competition is beginning today
- Many nations have expressed interest in joining an Equilism Broadcasting Commision news service.

Department of Immigration
- Regional Population has decreased to 118 (-7)
-A door knock campaign was instigated to increase recruiting.


Elections: SPECIAL REPORT

After last week's reboot of the election cycle, Equilism nations waited for the outcome of new elections with great anticipation. Tarricoe and The Monkye renominated each other, and the race for Lord Chancellor was on. While the numbers were close for some time, in the end Tarricoe pulled ahead to win the post as LC.
Neo-Conservatism:
By a vote of 4-2-2, Tarricoe has been elected as Lord Chancellor, congratulations!
In the coming days, Tarricoe in cooperation with the Monarch will be finalizing the slate of Chancellors for this term, which will then be presented to the College of Equilism for advice and consent.

The unusual course of elections is continuing with regard to the position of Chancellor of the Realm (UN Delegate). Garneska had self-nominated to run for CotR early in the campaign, but after Emergency Powers had been enacted to admit her and others to the College, no new official nominations had been received by the end of the nomination period. As a result, The Triumvirate of Guardians initiated the second emergency action in as many weeks to resolve the situation.
Westwind:
The failure of the election is evidenced here:
http://www.equilism.org/forum/index.php?sh...pid=175626&

Of note, on November 2, 2007, Garneska announced self-nomination of the CoTR office.
http://www.equilism.org/forum/index.php?sh...mp;#entry174025

Also of note, on October 14, 2007, Garneska applied for College membership.
http://www.equilism.org/forum/index.php?s=...st&p=171753

Garneska's application to the College was accepted under the Emergency Action taken to process College applications.

Therefore I seek confirmation to carry out the following Emergency Actions:

1. The self-nomination of Garneska is recognized as valid.
2. As the only recognized candidate for Chancellor of The Realm, the Governor General will proceed to hold a confirmation vote of Garneska's candidacy.
The motion was seconded by Naivetry as Lord High Advocate, and Governor General Neo-Conservatism proceeded to open the polls on Nov. 11. This vote is one of acclamation, and will remain open for 72 hours.

This week also saw the return to activity of Chaucerin, who initiated a motion for review of the Lord High Prosecutor, currently Moo-cows with guns, due to prolonged inactivity.

Chaucerin:
I hereby move;

1. The College of Equilism consider the position of Lord High Prosecutor as vacant.

2. The College of Equilism begin the search for an appropriate replacement.
Tarricoe's first public act as Lord Chancellor has been to open the voting for this review, which is currently underway.

In yet another change of leadership, on Nov. 10, Naivetry informed the region of her resignation from the post of Lord High Advocate and member of the Triumvirate of Guardians. Naivetry had served as LHA since July 13, 2007, after Chaucerin announced his retirement from that same position.
Naivetry:
Over the past few months I've spent serving as Lord High Advocate, I have come to realize some of the privileges, duties, and constraints of acting as a Guardian of the Realm. Before taking the position, I had not thought about the very real limitations it would place upon my activity in other areas. I have enjoyed the access and responsibility, and have been finding ways to serve the region as a Guardian, but at this stage in my career LHA is not my ideal role in Equilism. It has been an incredible honor, but it is one I will nonetheless be glad to put aside.

I have informed the other members of the Triumvirate of my resignation, and discussions about a replacement have already been taking place. I can say with assurance that the Lord High Advocacy will be in very capable hands.

I hereby resign from my post as Lord High Advocate and Guardian of the Realm of Equilism, and look forward to serving the region again wherever I may be needed.
Within 24 hours, a familiar and welcome candidate had been proposed to fill the vacancy in the Triumvirate:

Westwind:
The timing of the resignation of Naivetry as Lord High Advocate has come with a unique synchronicity. The return to activity of Lord Chaucerin, former LHA, leads me to present him to the College, to return to him to his former capacity.

I have spoken with both Lord Chancellor Tarricoe and Governor General Neo-Conservatism, who have giving their support to Lord Chaucerin's return to office, in accordance with the Constitution.

As the previous appointment of LHA was voted upon to gain the consent of The College, as is the process for Advocate Generals, I hereby present Lord Chaucerin to The College for its consent.

Stay tuned for the wrap-up of our election coverage in next week's update!



The resolution Air Pollution Convention was passed 7,100 votes to 2,784, and implemented in all UN member nations. Equilism voted 4-1 in favor of the resolution.



Dramatic encounters with Klingons, tentacled key-jangling monsters, and a heated discussion about the Smurfs has provided plenty of entertainment for the spammers of Equilism this week, and for those who watch them. 5000 bottles of beer on the wall has dipped below 700 bottles and shows no sign of slowing, while Extreme Count to 1000! has, after considerable stalling, made it all the way to 150.



Main Street has recently welcomed a new shop, The Easy Vegan, owned and operated by Garneska. Advertised as 'A compassionate, cruelty-free, vegan market,' The Easy Vegan offers Equilsmers a wide selection of vegetarian, vegan, and all-natural foods and health tips. Meanwhile in the Meteor Madness RP, the leaders of the nation of Grifix have finally noticed the enormous object hurtling towards the planet...



This week on the ODB, 'God doesn't work, faith is a trick' has continued to attract a great deal of attention from the debating population of Equilism. Topics have ranged from the techniques of Richard Dawkins to the Iliad, and discussion is currently centered around two questions: 1) how God's intervention in the world can be reconciled with the existence of evil, and 2) the problem of miracles and textual historicity.



Canada6:
Seriously, the exchange over an interventionist God, will leave at least a couple of atheist neurons shrieking at the back of the brain even of a theist of the strongest conviction.
That, friends, is another week in Equilism. We wish you all the best and we'll be back again next week. Take care!
 



The E-Army participated in the liberation of Arabia this week. All soldiers have been ordered home to assist in the transfer of the delegacy: see election coverage, below.



The Ambassadorial Roll Call is still ongoing, with 8 out of 11 ambassadors reporting in.



Equilism's Internal Affairs Chancellory announces the start of activities gearing up for the holiday season:

* Nation Creation Competition
* Arcade Tournament
* Debating Competition
* Recruitment Competition

Our friends and allies are invited to stop by and join in the fun! Interested nations should contact your local ambassador for more information, or visit the Events section of the Equilism forum. Hope to see you there!

Equilism has joined in the inter-regional recruitment contest sponsored by our friends in Cingeta. Currently, thanks to the efforts of our dedicated recruiters, Equilism's population is up to 148 - a gain of 29 nations since the contest began.



Elections: SPECIAL REPORT
Garneska has been confirmed as Chancellor of the Realm (UN Delegate) by a special forum vote, one of the emergency actions initiated by the Triumvirate during this election cycle. The delegacy transfer is in progress, with the E-Army assisting as Garneska works to swap endorsements.

Canada6, a longtime resident of Equilism and a familiar figure on the Open Debate Board, has been named the new Lord High Prosecutor, replacing Moo-cows with guns. The position, which involves leading the investigation and prosecution of all criminal cases, is for life.

Lord Chancellor Tarricoe has forwarded the new slate of Chancellors to the College for advice and consent:
Chancellory of Foreign Affairs : Flexion
Chancellory of Defence : Felasia
Chancellory of Intrigue : The Monkye
Chancellory of Interior Affairs : Currently vacant



On Nov. 15, the vote of acclamation for Chancellor of the Realm concluded:
Neo-Conservatism:
The voting period is now over. By a margin of 4-0-2, Garneska has been confirmed as CotR.


This week, Equilismers welcomed back Tse Moana to her post as bartender in the E-Bar. Several new drinks have become popular in connection to Tse's return, including the Alaskan Polar Bear Heater proposed by Westwind, the neon green Meltdown, and the Dishwater Deluxe.

Meanwhile, thanks to an abundance of spam, the size of Equilism's games board has continued to mushroom, unchecked by public health warnings and the best advice from dietitians. A thread has been started for the recording of old arcade scores, in preparation for the Great Score Purge scheduled for the near future.



In the Meteor Madness RP, the impressive Empress Sisthria of Hamajahala has been notified of the impending disaster. As she ponders what can be done, the High-Bard of Wartom is narrowly rescued from an assassination attempt, and the Emperor of Grifix receives a phone call...



While 'God doesn't work, faith is a trick' has stalled somewhat this week as Naivetry pleads lack of time, several topical threads have sprung up to fill the gap. Phil's column on gun control garnered a response from Senator Coburn (whom he criticized), and the discussion in Equilism has centered around an evaluation of the Senator's response and the (de)merits of the actual bill under debate. Westwind has shared excerpts of an interview with a 21st century Prohibitionist, The Monkye asks where the line should be drawn with National Sovereignty, and Canada6 contributes an entertaining and thought-provoking video from Hans Rosling at the TED conference.



Twobagger:
*chuckles and starts to sip his drink*
Not bad at all, Tse. What went into it?
Tse Moana:
2B, secret recipe, very secret.

*hides the cleaning chemicals*
That, friends, is another week in Equilism. We wish you all the best and we'll be back again next week. Take care!
 



The transfer of Equilism's UN Delegacy from The Monkye to Garneska was accomplished early in the week with help from the E-Army garrison. Following the delegacy transfer, E-Army soldiers were spotted in the joint operation that liberated France, and showed up in force for the defense of Seattle.



Foreign Affairs has received a renewed embassy application from City in the Sky, and discussions are currently underway.



Equilism's Internal Affairs Chancellory announces the start of activities gearing up for the holiday season:

* Nation Creation Competition
* Arcade Tournament
* Debating Competition
* Recruitment Competition

Our friends and allies are invited to stop by and join in the fun! Interested nations should contact your local ambassador for more information, or visit the Events section of the Equilism forum. Sign-ups for the last few events are closing this week and next, so be sure to stop by soon. Hope to see you there!

Equilism has joined in the inter-regional recruitment contest sponsored by our friends in Cingeta. As of the last update posted by The Monkye, Equilism is tied for the lead with 00000 A World Power, with only one week left in the competition!



A chance to be Chancellor
The College has approved the new slate of Chancellors forwarded by Lord Chancellor Tarricoe:
Chancellory of Foreign Affairs : Flexion
Chancellory of Defence : Felasia
Chancellory of Intrigue : The Monkye
Chancellory of Interior Affairs : Currently vacant

While the post of Chancellor of Interior Affairs remains vacant at time of writing, College members have expressed their confidence that someone will be found soon.

What's in a name?
After being confirmed unanimously by the College, Equilism's new Lord High Prosecutor stated the following:
Canada6/New Eunomia:
In addition to gratefully accepting His Majesty's offer, and the College's confirmation. I have also decided to migrate all of my nations to the Realm of Equilism, leaving Canada definitively... I would like to ask one of the forum administrators if it would be possible to change my board user name from «Canada6» to «New Eunomia».
New Eunomia's request was quickly granted by Westwind:
Westwind:
*raises his Admin Staff and chants softly*
Display name changed to New Eunomia.

And I thank the College for it's Consent.
The name change caused some initial hilarity, as Canada6 was seen to edit one of New Eunomia's posts, but so far no real confusion has been noticed.



Garneska has gone straight to work on her new duties as Chancellor of the Realm, posting three votes in the last week on UN resolutions.

Currently, the voting stands as follows: (Approve - Deny - Abstain)
Ban International Trafficking: 0-8-0
Repeal "Air Pollution Convention": 0-2-1
Repeal "Metric System ": 1-3-1



Spam continues to be the speciality of the boards, served in at least 20 different varieties. This week (well, the end of last) has also seen the return of the ever-popular Caption Contest, with a slate of 6 potential captions suggested so far.



Meteor Madness RP takes another twist as Wartom Pendragon announces the decision to build a lute-shaped rocket to deflect the meteor, eliciting the help of engineers from The Monkye and the criticism of the Emperor of Grifix.



Discussion on the manifesto of a 21st century Prohibitionist has continued, while the debate over National Sovereignty has turned to talk about the EU.



tarricoe:
Moo will be let into the college in roughly 5 minutes, unless somebody wants to scream 'z0mgz t3|-| 3v1l fran(o15t!'
That, friends, is another week in Equilism. We wish you all the best and we'll be back again next week. Take care!
 
Monk's had to take a brief leave of absence, but here's the latest (and the next-to-latest, just to fill you in. ;) )




Chancellory of Defense - 27 November 2007

Members of the Chancellory
Chancellor for Defense - Felasia
Deputy Chancellor for Defense - The Merlion

Public News
- The Merlion have been appointed as a new Deputy Chancellor for Defense.
- There is a plan to sorted out the stack of dust in the E-Army public office.
- Two new recruits have been accepted to the Basic Millitary Science Course.

In addition, since November 27 the E-Army has been busy helping to stabilize Democracy while the natives refound the region. Our soldiers also defended The Southron Confederacy and (briefly) the Soviet Union (before leaving at the request of the then-sitting delegate).



The Foreign Affairs Chancellory has opened a new consulate for City in the Sky. Equilism has also received and is considering an invitation to participate in the Regional Leaders Conference hosted by the United Kingdom.



Equilism's Internal Affairs Chancellory announces the start of activities gearing up for the holiday season:

* Nation Creation Competition
* Arcade Tournament
* Debating Competition
* Recruitment Competition

Our friends and allies are invited to stop by and join in the fun! Interested nations should contact your local ambassador for more information, or visit the Events section of the Equilism forum. Sign-ups for the last few events are closing this week, so be sure to stop by soon. Hope to see you there!

As the last week of the inter-regional recruitment contest wound down, the efforts of our recruiters, encouraged by a simultaneous region-wide recruitment contest (see above) allowed Equilism to finish strong.
Pope Lexus X:
Region.....................Nations at Start....Nations at End.....Difference
Equilism...............................119....................150...................+31
The Last Kingdom.................167....................193...................+26
00000 A World Power............197....................215...................+18
Cingeta.................................51.....................66....................+15
Jethnea.................................39.....................46....................+7
Europeia...............................98.....................97.....................-1
Feudal Japan.........................60.....................[Invaded]

SO there we are! I can now announce the winner of the first Inter-regional Recruitment Contest to be Equilism! Following at a close second is The Last Kingdom, and coming in at third is 00000 A World Power!

Well done to all regions for their partaking in this event, and I now hand over the torch to Equilism who are asked to host the next event, and should they decide to, throw a party for this old drunkard.
Overall, 5/6 of our regions showed a significant increase in population (statistics not calculated for Feudal Japan, due to the recent invasion they have suffered). Over three weeks, participating regions grew by a total of 96 nations, while the average growth was +16. Congratulations to our fellow participants, and our thanks to Cingeta and Pope Lexus X for hosting a very successful competition!



Our esteemed Beef Critter Teh Kow, aka Moo-Cows with guns, was admitted to the College of Equilism early this week. Celebratory munching of grass and (presumably) chewing of cud ensued.
Moo-cows with guns:
z0mgz t3|-| 3v1l fran(o15t! has been let into Teh College!!

Thank you and let me graze a bit on the grass.


Voting is fast and furious in the UN forums, with four polls currently open and several scheduled to close within the next day or two.

Currently, the voting stands as follows: (Approve - Deny - Abstain)
Ban International Trafficking: 0-8-0
Repeal "Air Pollution Convention": 0-7-1
Repeal "Metric System ": 1-4-1
Fairness and Equality Act: 4-0-0



In addition to hosting classics such as Caption Contest, the Bar and Games section of the forum now includes a section on Stupid Laws thanks to Garneska (see also Open Debate Board discussion below) and a PILLOW FIGHT! courtesy of Tycholand. Several members have also (re)discovered Equilism's apparently not-famous-enough Gay Cafay, where there is much rejoicing.



Members of the public in various nations run wild in the Meteor Madness RP, as news of the impending disaster spreads. Meanwhile, Flight AN528 roars back to life as the hijackers at long last issue their demands.

In related news, Equilism welcomed back both Tycholand and Nagabeth this week, completing the happy saga of the Return of the Dutch begun with Tse Moana and Restored Othalla last week. Naga's TeaHouse is also back in business on Main Street, distributing pepernoten, "freshly baked cookies, muffins and pieces of pie... with all sorts of Tea." Stop by and try a sample while they're hot!



Elections in Australia have provided fodder for conversation and political cartooning, while New Eunomia suggests that Chaucerin may possess powers of political prediction in pairing Frakkin' Ron Paul, Yo! with Dennis Kucinich. Our continuing bemusement at that 21st century Prohibitionist has turned to discussion of Prohibition and of idiotic laws more generally. Finally, The Merlion looks for help in answering some Question(s) on the USA connected with his upcoming final exams, and receives an array of responses about the nature of the U.S. Constitution.



Re: Australia
Chaucerin:
It should also be noted that the new Prime Minster was caught, in color, eating his own ear wax while sitting in Parliament.

I take that as a good sign...

That, friends, is another week in Equilism. We wish you all the best and we'll be back again next week. Take care!
 



Felasia:
Chancellory of Defense - 8 December 2007

Members of the Chancellory
Chancellor for Defense - Felasia
Deputy Chancellor for Defense - The Merlion

Public News
- The E-Army soldiers, along with troops from the FRA, have helped stabilize Democracy. (A region not a system :P)
- There is a plan to sort out the stack of dust in the E-Army public office.
- One new recruit has been accepted to the Basic Millitary Science Course.
- E-Army welcomes one new soldier to the E-Army HQ.


This week the Foreign Affairs Chancellory welcomed Lewis and Clark, aka Westwind, as TNP's ambassador to Equilism.



Equilism's Internal Affairs Chancellory announces the start of activities gearing up for the holiday season:

* Nation Creation Competition
* Arcade Tournament
* Debating Competition
* Recruitment Competition

Our friends and allies are invited to stop by and join in the fun! Interested nations should contact your local ambassador for more information, or visit the Events section of the Equilism forum. Hope to see you there!

Thanks to the efforts of our recruiters and to the revival of several older nations, Equilism's population grew to 167 this week, equalling the population of June 2, 2007, after a long trough. Regional population had dwindled to an all-time (recorded) low of 112 in August and was hovering at 118 less than one month ago, before the Interregional Recruitment Contest hosted by Cingeta helped to harness Equilismers' competitive spirit. Congratulations, recruiters - keep it up!



The College has been quiet lately, due no doubt to the seating renovations begun to accommodate Teh Kow.



Ban International Trafficking: 0-8-0
Garneska:
Our official standing was Nay.

With the official tally at 4,706 Aye to 3,724 Nay, the Ban on
International Trafficking was implemented on Thursday, November 29, 2007.
A brief vote was also opened on the Durable Goods Distribution Act. It closed with two responses: 1 Deny and 1 Abstain.



New to the spam boards this week is The Song Game!, an import from Evermoore courtesy of Wartom Pendragon. Meanwhile, 5000 bottles of beer on the wall is at well under 100 bottles and falling. As the end of a game that has lasted over a year approaches, speculation abounds: who will be the one to drink the last bottle? Stay tuned to find out!



Seriphyn returns to pick up the pieces of an old story as Subterfuge resumes after a hiatus of almost 6 months. Seriphyn also suggests a new and unified ranking system for Equilism military forces.

Both Santa Claus and Sinterklaas have made appearances in the E-bar and elsewhere on the forums! Both have been regular visitors of Equilism during the holiday season, and have been greeted enthusiastically by all residents.



The ODB calmed considerably this week, with just Question(s) on the USA under discussion.



With mad props to anyone who actually gets the reference...
Wartom Pendragon:
I think its magical! My hat is octiron by the way.
Hamajahala:
Octiron. I've never heard of that adjective before!
Wesleiesm:
eight sided and made of metal?
That, friends, is another week in Equilism. We wish you all the best and we'll be back again next week. Take care!
 


Special Proclamation of the Monarch!
Westwind:
Citizens and Friends of Equilism,

Once again, I am long overdue in my duties and plans for the Monarchy.  Today, I am pleased to announce an addition to the ranks of titled nobility in The Realm of Equilism, in accordance with the Constitution, Section IV c:

The Monarch may grant and revoke additional titles of nobility as seen fit. Appointed nobles hold no special status within the government, the Guardians, or the Monarchy, but are rather recognized for outstanding service to the region. It is the privilege of such Nobles to serve as advisors-at-large.

Once Adyndril joined Equilism, he quickly became a very active and dynamic figure in the region. His spirit of action lead him along a path that lead him to become one of the E-Army's finest Defense Ministers and one time candidate for President. He worked closely with our allies within and without the Alliance Defense Network (ADN), bringing updaters throughout NationStates together in the grand efforts of Defender Unity to defeat invading and greifing. His contribution to the region lasts even till today, as many of the standards he established remain in place as testimony to his insight and leadership.

I am humbled to grant this title of nobility upon Adyndril. From this time forward, he will be known as Lord Captain Adyndril, Defender of The Realm. Among the great defender leaders of the realm, beside the other NS defenders of the all ages, stands prominently among them, Lord Captain Adynril. He shall also represent the Monarch to the region as an Advisor-At-Large.

Citizens and Friends, I present to you

adyndril.jpg
Lord Captain Adyndril, Defender of The Realm


Felasia:
Chancellory of Defense - 15 December 2007

Members of the Chancellory
Chancellor for Defense - Felasia
Deputy Chancellor for Defense - The Merlion

Public News
- The newly created spaceships of the E-Army have shown up in the defence of Stargate
- There is a discussion between officers to update the Basic Military Science Course.
- One new recruits have been accepted to the Basic Millitary Science Course.
- The E-Army welcomes one new soldier in a traditional way.


Equilism has received and approved an embassy request from Feudal Japan/Tokugawa Japan. An ambassador will be assigned shortly.



Highlights from the week:
The Monkye:
Chancellory of Internal Affairs

All positions still vacant

Department of Internal Affairs
- No new Chancellor
- The inter-regional recruitment competition was completed a while back, with Equilism finishing the victors!
- Naivetry won the recruiting competition with 451 nations. She will be presented an award at a ceremony at a later date.
- The Nation Creation Competition has begun

Department of Immigration
- The Monkye's 22 consecutive weeks of recruiting ended in week 49 due to his lack of internet access.
- Regional Population has increased to 165 (+4)
- The Monkye was recruiter of the week in week 50

As the Nation Creation Competition gets off the ground, eight puppet nations compete against each other in the rankings to see who will be the last one standing:

Nation - Puppet
The Monkye - Abomisnow
Naivetry - Nailand II
Tarricoe - Acid Blue
Felasia - Dragonit
Twobagger - Not Twobagger
Bogans and Boozers - Apathetic Lands
Grifix - Mimis popcorn barn
Wartom - Britishnia
Monk:
The first casualty of the competition is Not Twobagger, the puppet of Twobagger.

Well done to the nations who have survived so far, and good luck, and hope that you aren't at the bottom of the list tomorrow.


After a post-election slump, the College burst back into activity this week, with two important pieces of legislation on the agenda. The first is aimed at streamlining College admission procedures around the time of elections, to avoid the emergency admittance of candidates that occurred during the last election cycle. The second is a proposed Constitutional amendment to allow the Lord High Prosecutor (LHP) voting rights within the College under normal circumstances. Both bills have seen a great deal of support from College members, and final drafts are ready for voting.



Two new issues are up in the UN voting section (Approve-Deny-Abstain):

Repeal "End Slavery": 0-3-2
Freedom of Speech Act: 0-1-3



This week in spam history that has been almost 16 months in the making, 5000 bottles of beer on the wall reached the last bottle... and kept right on going! The Merlion received the coveted honor of taking down and passing around the last bottle; however, only a minute later, Wesleism started the downward spiral of negativity, consuming the -1st bottle of beer on the wall. Commiseration over the end of everyone's favorite drinking party ensued; but less than 15 hours later Hamajahala proposed that the game proceed to -5000 bottles of beer, taking up where Wes left off. This suggestion was met with such enthusiasm that, at the time of writing, the wall is owed over 100 bottles.

Equilism spammers were shocked to discover, however, that some areas of the forum are off limits for frenetic post count pumping, as admin action closed the thread celebrating The Monkye's 1000th post after 82 posts of incoherent screams, emoticons, and non sequiturs.



In response to the insatiable demand for places to spam, Wesleiesm has opened Teh Spamzaar, a spammer's haven on Main Street, where even double posting is allowed... for a price.

In Subterfuge, Tycholandian agents continue on their way across the borderlands, while Seriphyn's ArchSeraph orders an airstrike.



Last week's lull seems to have been the calm before the storm. Frakkin' Ron Paul, Yo! has inspired discussion of what's wrong with and how to fix public education in North America and Australia, after a brief foray into universal health care. Discussion on Australia Changes Government seems to be winding down, while Neo's old essay on The End of Athens has attracted some attention and commentary, comparing the ancient with the modern world, after a 5-month hiatus. By far the greatest attention, however, has been lavished on the religious debate as the arrival of Azrael reignites the argument in 'God doesn't work, faith is a trick', which at one point during the week garnered 20 posts of substantial length in a matter of 7 hours.



tarricoe:
Yes, our medals were made by the same person, but ours are bigger ergo, better.
That, friends, is another week in Equilism. We wish you all the best and we'll be back again next week. Take care!
 
Thank you for the update Monk ! So, what's with that Monarch of yours, handing out nobility titles like candy... :P
 
I don't know, that Monarch of ours, he's a shifty fellow... :P

*steals Monk's job again* :ph34r:




Felasia:
Chancellory of Defense - 22 December 2007

Members of the Chancellory
Chancellor for Defense - Felasia
Deputy Chancellor for Defense - The Merlion

Public News
- The E-Army have been quite busy this week, with the liberations of Austria and Yorkshire along with the defences of Manchester and Scotland.
- The new draft of the Basic Military Science Course written by The Merlion and Felasia have been finished and are now under the discussion and consideration of the officers.


Another roll call is underway in the Foreign Affairs chancellory as part of what Foreign Affairs Deputy Tyrant Chancellor Naivetry has called a 'house cleaning.' The Foreign Affairs 'Useful Links' section has also been updated to reflect the changing political landscape of NS. If you know of other regional forums or organizations that do not appear on this list, please contact your local Equilism Foreign Affairs representative to have the link added to this file.

If you're in the mood for yet more news from Equilism, check out the latest edition of the Enquirer, populated by prominent Equilismers and other NationStates personalities. Samples are available here: The Enquirer. Future editions will appear upon request, or at the whim of your local ambassador.



While the Chancellory is still vacant, several activities have been taken up by volunteers until a Chancellor can be appointed. (See 'The College,' below.)

The Monkye has contributed an article to the Equilism Broadcasting Commission - the weather has never been so entertaining! Read up on it here: News Room.

Under the supervision of The Monkye, the Nation Creation Competition has reached the halfway point:
The Monkye:
Well done to the nations who have survived so far, and good luck. Play will be suspended until the 28th, as I am going on a holiday. This means that the final ejection should occur on New Years Eve.

Hope that you aren't at the bottom of the list on the 28th.

Remaining Nations:
The Monkye - Abomisnow
Tarricoe - Acid Blue
Felasia - Dragonit
Bogans and Boozers - Apathetic Lands

Eliminated Nations:
Twobagger - Not Twobagger
Grifix - Mimis popcorn barn
Wartom - Britishnia
Naivetry - Nailand II
Other nations have volunteered to work on the compilation of an Equilism yearbook, recording notable events and statistics for the year. Others are planning a formal ball for Equilism citizens, friends, and allies to take place in connection with January 4 (Reunification Day) and January 13 (Founding Day). Further details on the festivities will appear once plans have been solidified. Hope to see you there!

Department of Immigration
- The Monkye has recruited 30 nations in week 51.
- Regional population has dropped slightly from week 50, from 169 to 166.



Legislation in the College is awaiting the opening of voting after the completion of the requisite discussion period.

In the mean time, Lord Chancellor Tarricoe has opened discussion and nominations to fill the vacant Internal Affairs Chancellory. Long-standing Equilism citizen MILLITARISM has volunteered to take the position in the absence of other candidates, and his self-nomination has been seconded (and thirded) by Tycholand, wagger-tribe, and Naivetry.



The resolution Repeal "End slavery" was passed 7,324 votes to 2,027. Equilism voted against the repeal (1-3-2).



Spam continued to pile up throughout the week, with the usual suspects keeping the Bar and Games section as active as ever.

Equilism citizens also welcomed back wagger-tribe after a prolonged absence, and threw a birthday party for Bismarcia.



Wesleiesm's Teh Spamzaar has seen a respectable amount of business this week, as Equilismers take the opportunity to post random pictures, rants, and rambling within its sanctuary.

In Flight AN528, Naivetrian officials have finally responded to Tycholandian requests for information, and a glimpse of events on board the aircraft is promised.



'God doesn't work, faith is a trick' has apparently absorbed all other controversy on the ODB, as other threads fell inactive this week. The debate on religion continues strong, however, with Chaucerin, New Eunomia, and Bismarcia arranged against Azrael (with Naivetry offering the occasional comment within Azrael's posts in the guise of 'my sis'). Currently, the discussion deals with objectivity vs. subjectivity, particularly in connection with morality.



In 'Happy Birthday Bis!, poor old thing':
Bismarcia:
Is it bad that I shake my fist at teenagers on my lawn now?
That, friends, is another week in Equilism. We wish you all the best and we'll be back again next week. Take care!
 
Because she is eager to usurp me as ambassador :P

I should resume my post as ambassador this week, I spent Christmas at Norfolk Island.
 



Felasia:
Chancellory of Defense - 29 December 2007

Members of the Chancellory
Chancellor for Defense - Felasia
Deputy Chancellor for Defense - The Merlion

Public News
- The E-Army have participated in the liberation of Wheel of Time and The Southron Confederacy, along with the garrison in Greece to ensure a smooth delegacy transfer back to the native after the invasion.
- The Basic Military Science Course has been updated by The Merlion and Felasia.
- We are pleased to announce the promotion of three of our soldiers: Lieutenant Naivetry, Sergeant Tycholand, and Lance Corporal Flexion. Congratulations!
- We are pleased to announce that the E-Army has participated in a total number of 100 missions this year!!!

E-Army "One Team, One Vision"


The Foreign Affairs Chancellory is pleased to announce the opening of relations with New Liberalia. Equilism held an embassy with Liberalia in 2006, and special clean-up crews have been assigned at the request of the New Liberalians to revamp their old embassy.

The FA roll call has finished. Look for new ambassadors to be assigned within the next week!



The Equilism Internal Affairs Chancellory would like to cordially invite you to join in our second annual

Reunification and Founding Festival!

Activities planned include a grand ball, arcade tournament, and an interregional recruitment competition similar to that hosted by Cingeta in November. We hope to see you there! All regions interested in the recruitment competition should contact Naivetry or their local foreign affairs representative in order to sign up by January 2nd. Spread the word!

The Nation Creation Competition has seen Apathetic Lands (puppet of Bogans and Boozers) and Acid Blue (puppet of Tarricoe) leave since The Monkye's return, bringing us to the final two contestants. Who will win? Stay tuned next week to find out.
The Monkye:
And I just noticed that all of the final four were from the Southern Hemisphere. Boo to you Northerners!
Remaining Nations:
The Monkye - Abomisnow
Felasia - Dragonit

Eliminated Nations:
Twobagger - Not Twobagger
Grifix - Mimis popcorn barn
Wartom - Britishnia
Naivetry - Nailand II
Bogans and Boozers - Apathetic Lands
Tarricoe - Acid Blue

Department of Immigration
The Monkye:
Week 51 saw only 30 nations recruited, solely by The Monkye. The population decreased by 7 to 158 this week, deflated by CTE's and military movements, and the slow week that is Christmas.

Being the only recruiter, The Monkye claimed Recruiter of the Week title 13 for the year, which is 1/4 of all available during a year

Congratulations The Monkye!

Enjoy the break, but remember to recruit!
The Monkye has also begun a compilation of all-time recruitment statistics, stretching back to the creation of the present forum circa December 2004.



MILLITARISM gained the endorsement of The Monarch this week for his appointment as Chancellor of Internal Affairs. The College awaits his official acceptance of the post before the gap in the roster of the Chancellory can finally be filled.

This week also saw the passage of a Constitutional amendment dealing with the powers of the Lord High Prosecutor.
Westwind:
Proposal will change the current part d. of Section V. The College of Equilism of the Constitution:

The part in question:
d. The Monarch, The Lord High Advocate, and the Lord High Prosecutor may not become voting members of the College of Equilism, in order to preserve the separation of authorities. They may, however, give their opinion, or provide information to the College.
The proposed change:
d. The Monarch and The Lord High Advocate may not become voting members of the College of Equilism, in order to preserve the separation of authorities. They may, however, give their opinion, or provide information to the College.

e. The Lord High Prosecutor may vote as a member of the college, but is excluded from voting on legislation concerning The Lord High Prosecutor, or their own impeachment.

I thank The College for its due consideration of this issue, and concur with the passed Amendment. I am pleased to approve and sign this Amendment to The Constitution of The Realm of Equilism.

Signed this 27th day of December, 2007
Westwind, Monarch of The Realm of Equilism
Voting has also begun on election reform legislature.



Voting is currently in progress on the Free Expression Act. (Approve-Deny-Abstain: 4-2-1)



The Bar and Games boards welcomed yet another member, Zaamathi, while Wesleiesm reached his 5000th post since joining on April 30, 2007. Wesleiesm, a noted regular of the spam squad, currently averages over 20 posts/day, 65% of which have been in the Games and Fun forum.



On Main Street, Teh Spamzaar continues in popularity, hosting a number of largely unrelated YouTube videos this week. Zaamathi is investigating Tse Moana's Bibliopoly, and Santa's Toy Shop has been quiet but full of videos of reindeer and other Christmas critters.

Meanwhile, the plot thickens in Role Play as wagger-tribe reveals that the terrorists aboard Flight AN528 have been partially funded by a shadowy member of wagger-tribe's government.



'God doesn't work, faith is a trick' remains active, but is joined this week by contention over the 2008 American Elections and analysis and speculation on events in Pakistan.



New Eunomia:
Chaucerin:
Back in the early 19th century when I was doing my gradate work in philosophy ...
Chaucerin is old.
That, friends, is another week in Equilism. We wish you all the best and we'll be back again next week. Take care!
 
Congratulations to The North Pacific, Lewis and Clark, and everyone elected for this term. I look forward to seeing what is in store. :clap:

Here's to old friends and new beginnings. :toast:
 
In lieu of your regularly scheduled update, Equilism would like to extend to you the invitation to join us at our Reunification and Founding Festival!

Westwind:
The Reunification and Founding Festival

The Realm of Equilism was formed on January 4, 2007, when the region reunified after a schism the previous October.  We remember this January 4,  Reunification Day, as the one-year anniversary of the rebirth of the region.

Equilism was founded on January 13, 2004 by Equility, and was joined by co-founders Westwind and Ostendt soon after.  When the region reunified so close to its 3rd birthday, the Chancellory of Internal Affairs decided to mark the two events with a grand celebration: the Reunification Festival of 2007.

In the spirit of that first festival, and in accordance with the Equilism Civic Holidays Law, the Chancellory presents the Second Annual Reunification and Founding Festival.  We welcome all our friends from other regions, and invite them to join us in this celebration of community.

There are a number of activities planned:
- Arcade Tournament
- Caption Contest
- Equilism Puppet Creation Contest
- Equilism Trivia Contest
- Recruitment Contests
- Scavenger Hunt

And finally, there will also be a Grand Ball, followed by an awards presentation: Best Dancer, Best Dressed, Best Drunk, Worst Dressed, and finally voting for your favorite couple to be the King and Queen of the Ball!  Come enjoy the scenery in our breathtaking ballroom, constructed entirely from ice; there will be a bar, a dance floor (and combination ice-skating rink), and plenty of opportunities to converse, or just relax and enjoy the music.

You are all cordially invited to join in the festivities - and don't forget to bring a date (it's not required, but it's more fun that way).  The festivities this year are being hosted in the The Royal Hall of The Monarch. See you there !

Internal Affairs Chancellory

***BREAKING NEWS***
Westwind, in the guise of Lewis and Clark, has been elected to the delegacy of The North Pacific. Appearing in that dual position in the Grand Ballroom, Westwind has made a sombering, yet hopeful speech. Change may be in the wind for Equilism... and for NationStates. Read more about it here.
 
***Special Double Issue!***



News highlights from 5 January and 14 January updates:
Felasia:
Chancellory of Defense - 14 January 2008

Members of the Chancellory
Chancellor for Defense - Felasia
Deputy Chancellor for Defense - The Merlion
Acting Chancellor for Defence - Naivetry (9-13 Jan)

Public News
- The E-Army have defended Neuropa and Austria (again) from the invaders.
- The E-Army special (food+drink+party) platoon makes a visit to Warzone Sandbox, Warzone Asia, Warzone Africa, Warzone Airspace, and Warzone Europe.
- Due to an absence with prior notice of both the Chancellor and his deputy, Naivetry has been named as an acting chancellor from January 9-13.
- The E-Army has liberated Uberasia and 0000000000 Soviet Union, is ensuring a smooth delegacy transfer in The North Pacific, and supported the delegate in The Pacific.

E-Army "One Team, One Vision"


Current Chancellory Posts

Chancellor of Foreign Affairs: Flexion
Deputy Chancellor of Foreign Affairs: Naivetry
Senior Advisor to the Chancellor: Tycholand

The first week of 2008 saw a great deal of activity in the Foreign Affairs Chancellory.

Equilism's embassies in The Rejected Realms and The South Pacific were reopened this week, and corresponding embassies in Equilism were moved from archives. With the completion of the Roll Call, the following changes in ambassadorial staffing have taken place:

Nagabeth, Neo-Conservatism, The Merlion, and Tse Moana are retiring from active ambassadorial service. Thank you for your dedication to the region!

- Felasia will replace The Merlion as ambassador to the DSA, and Neo-Conservatism as ambassador to Jethnea and The West Pacific.
- Flexion will replace Nagabeth as ambassador to The East Pacific.
- The Monkye is hereby appointed as ambassador to Tokugawa Japan.
- Naivetry is hereby appointed as ambassador to New Liberalia, and will temporarily replace Tycholand as ambassador to Belgium.
- Tarricoe is hereby appointed as ambassador to The Rejected Realms.
- Wesleiesm is hereby appointed as ambassador to The South Pacific, and will replace The Merlion as ambassador to 10000 Islands.

In addition, the Foreign Affairs Chancellory has created the post of Ambassador-General to assist in the distribution of the Weekly Update when regular ambassadors are absent or unavailable. Felasia and Naivetry have been appointed Ambassadors-General and shall assume their responsibilities with the next update.

Equilism has also adopted a new policy regarding consulates, in order to combat a shortage of ambassadors. Effective immediately, regions with which Equilism holds a consulate, as opposed to an embassy, will be assigned to an Ambassador-General whose duties are restricted to posting updates. The FA Chancellory is thrilled to welcome back Tycholand in this new role.

With this change of policy, the following staff changes have taken place:
- Felasia is relieved of his posts in Futaba Aoi and Great Britain & Ireland.
- Naivetry is relieved of her post in Gatesville.
- Tycholand is hereby appointed Ambassador-General, responsible for posting in the following regions: City in the Sky, Futaba Aoi, Gatesville, and Great Britain & Ireland.

Due to their recent invasion of Neuropa, Equilism has been poised to close Europeia's consulate. However, due to recent discussions on Equilism's general policy in both military and foreign affairs, this decision has been postponed. The consulate will remain open in the mean time. See "The College" and the upcoming "Live Report" from the Grand Ballroom of the Reunification Festival for more information.

We in Equilism Foreign Affairs would like to thank our friends and allies for their patience as we finish the restructuring of the Chancellory.



The Equilism Internal Affairs Chancellory would like to cordially invite you to join in our second annual

Reunification and Founding Festival!

Activities kicked off on January 4, Reunification Day, with the opening of the Ballroom by the Monarch, Westwind, newly Delegate-elect of The North Pacific under the name Lewis and Clark. Westwind's speech set a serious tone for the beginning of the celebrations as he called for change and new directions; the full implications of these changes are yet to be felt, but discussions have begun in the College dealing with similar themes. The full speech may be found here. All nations interested in giving their reaction or input are welcome to attend the Festival!

While storms may be gathering on the horizon, that hasn't dampened the spirit of the festival. Sign-up sheets for an arcade tournament, creative puppet competition, and festival trivia contest are still open, and we would invite everyone to participate if interested.

The interregional recruitment competition sign-up sheet and start dates have been extended to allow additional regions to participate. This competition is the follow-up to a similar one run last November by Pope Lexus X of Cingeta, which turned out to be a great success in increasing the population of the regions who participated. Please contact Naivetry, The Monkye, or your local ambassador for more information.

The Nation Creation Competition came to a close late on New Year's Eve, and celebratory fireworks ensured. Placing first in the competition was The Monkye's puppet, Abomisnow. Congratulations to The Monkye, and thanks to everyone who participated!
The Monkye:
The Final Standings in the competition are:

1. The Monkye (Abomisnow)
2. Felasia (Dragonit)
3. Tarricoe (Acid Blue)
4. Bogans and Boozers (Apathetic Lands)
5. Naivetry (Nailand II)
6. Grifix (Mimis popcorn barn)
7. Wartom (Britishnia)
8. Twobagger (Not Twobagger)

Chancellory of Internal Affairs Update
MILLITARISM:
Well, just an update for everyone who pays attention. ;)
I am still getting settled in, but things will be running smoothly very soon.  I have appointed Hamajahala as the Deputy Chancellor of Internal Affairs.  I have given The Monkye charge of immigration.
One of my first projects will be stronger incentives for recruiting.  I will be giving occasional updates of my progress, so keep an eye out.

Department of Immigration
The Monkye:
Internal Affairs/Immigration has been working since the end of 2007 to total all of the recruited nations (by telegrams sent) ever recorded in Equilism, as well as various other recruiting statistics, and it is now ready to publicly unveil the list. This is to allow people to see where they compare to all current and previous nations of Equilism that have recruited, as well as making it easier for people to tell if they are eligible for awards...
Since the move to our current forum in late 2004, and not counting the posts lost during the virus attack of early summer 2006, Equilism recruiters have sent telegrams to an astonishing total of 32,532 nations.

The comprehensive list may be found here. Our thanks to The Monkye for his hard work in compiling these statistics!



The College has seen activity unprecedented since early in the term, with six threads active over the past two weeks.

MILLITARISM has accepted the post of Chancellor of Internal Affairs and has gone right to work on recruitment initiatives and ways to increase activity.

The passage of the Constitutional amendment allowing the Lord High Prosecutor to vote in the College was followed by a discussion about appropriate procedure for displaying and updating passed legislation.

Tycholand asked whether or not dual-citizens would be allowed to vote on UN proposals in Equilism if their UN nation was located elsewhere. The closest precedent, nations that serve in the E-Army, may suggest that voting on UN proprosals is still permitted to dual citizens with a UN residing elsewhere. Naivetry wondered who would be checking, anyway.

Two discussions have begun about ways to deal with inactivity from government members. In one, The Monkye has proposed legislation to cover what happens in case of a lack of candidates for Lord Chancellor (the elected Head of Government) or Chancellor of the Realm (UN Delegate). A parallel topic deals with the inactivity of Chancellors or the LC during a governmental term. The idea of a midterm confirmation/approval vote has gained some support, but opponents point out that such a vote is really just a mechanism to avoid using a vote of no confidence to remove inactive officials from office. The same thread covers the creation of a line of succession for each Chancellory and for the LC.

The most controversy, however, has arisen over a Constitutional issue regarding dual citizens. The outcome of this discussion will substantially impact Equilism's future foreign policy, so large portions of the debate will be outlined below.

Westwind:
For the Consideration of The College -

The Constitution states:

a. Equilism does not recognize dual-citizenships with Invader regions.
Is this still relevent, in the current state of affairs in NationStates ? And I note that "Invader regions" is not defined.

When Equilism was founded as a defender region, the basis of defending was to combat the griefing of regions, and the destruction or hijacking of regional communities. Regulations for defender conduct were created to ensure that we did not commit griefing in the process of defending.

However, with the onset of Influence, all NS rules regarding griefing were dropped. Griefing, no longer officially exists in NationStates.

Defenders won !

Yet invading/raiding continued, and we have continued to defend against those initiated legal actions. That's correct. Invading is 100% gameplay legal.

And defending is just invading to counter invading.

Technically, with gameplay rules and mechanics in play - which are recognized by Equilism - any region that invades another is an invader region. Does that not make Equilism an invader region ? 10k Islands ? Jethnea ? And on it goes.

I would suggest rephrasing this portion of the Constitution to prohibit dual-citizenships with Enemy regions, or perhaps with 'regions-in-conflict'.
...
The lines are becoming increasingly blurred. And I expect that trend to continue, and perhaps accelerate. And in an environment of crashing activity levels, increasing our openness to the wider NS communities is a good thing.
In response, several College members have suggested definitions of invading. Chaucerin has argued instead that the terms Invader and Defender, and the kind of game they worked in, have been dead since Influence was introduced. Naivetry has pointed out that under Equilism's present foreign policy definitions, the region is currently in violation of this segment of the Constitution, having granted dual-citizenship to Korinna, a citizen of Taijitu.

Westwind has now further defined his argument, discussing the way Equilism has perpetuated an Us vs. Them model and "fighting an 'evil' that we already beat." There are differences, Westwind says, between those who raid just for the sake of it and those with a developed culture and community, some of whom "even invest their time and resources to try to help the natives become a community."
Westwind:
We've painted the 'invader' world with a broad brush and condemned them, and it's not a valid view of the NS world.
As Head of State, Westwind bases much of this argument on his concerns about growing inactivity in the region and in the game overall.
Westwind:
We only have maybe five months before the onset of the next slump, and I have grave doubts that we will pull out of it at all this time. We have those months to make something happen. For the benefit of Equilism, the benefit of NationStates, and perhaps even to the benefit of one last hurrah. As Commander-In-Chief of the E-Army, I insist that we focus on the struggle against inactivity, not the 'invader' straw man.

That's the Typhoon Struggle at the End of the World.

And I'm also telling you this - there may well be a great war coming, as all we have known may tear apart at the seams, and we all scramble in the midst of what may be the last gasp.

My advice to The College, is to set aside the patterns of the past, and consider all options.


Voting on the Free Expression Act has concluded. (Approve-Deny-Abstain: 4-2-1) Other recent UN votes closed or in progress:

Abolition of Forced Labour: 3-1-1
Repeal "'RBH' Replacement": 2-0-1



Spam has continued in popularity as always, with the usual assortment of 15-20 threads consistently active on a day-to-day basis. The Bar section alone has just passed the 20,000 replies mark.



Flight AN528 once again stalls as Naivetry works on a different sort of update. She apologizes to all involved, but finds Foreign Affairs work to be a very fulfilling sort of role-play in its own right.

Coming to fill that gap, however, is an RP about the regional Schism that took place in October 2006, followed by the regional Reunification which is the cause for the current celebrations. Taking its name, 'A New Day Begins for Equilism,' from the infamous thread in which Westwind dissolved the Constitution and declared martial law, the RP gives all nations the chance to play or replay the greatest internal conflict in regional history. Already some differences in storyline have appeared, as Tycholand (previously Foreign Affairs Minister and one of three nations kicked by Westwind out of the region during the coup) has declared support for the government of Westwind and begun mobilizing troops.



'God doesn't work, faith is a trick' welcomes Numero Capitan of the FRA to the debate, while discussion heats up over the 2008 American Elections. Frakkin' Ron Paul, Yo! turns to criticism of the American educational system, while Korinn posts an astonishing list of What Could Have Been - the goals that could have been accomplished by expending the money that has been used to finance the Iraq War on other things.



Chaucerin:
While downing his fourth drink and reminding himself why he despises formal functions, Lord Chaucerin notices New Eunomia perform a spot on impersonation of an epileptic man emitting whale song.

The whale is apparently wounded.

An aide then reminds the High Advocate that the Whale Singer is, of course, the Lord High Prosecutor and a public representative of the very Judiciary that Lord Chaucerin himself leads.

The Father of Laws orders a fifth drink while mulling over the option of calling an emergency meeting very early in the morning...
That, friends, is another week in Equilism. We wish you all the best and we'll be back again next week. Take care!
 



Felasia:
Chancellory of Defense - 20 January 2008

Members of the Chancellory
Chancellor for Defense - Felasia
Deputy Chancellor for Defense - The Merlion

Public News
- There is a discussion going on about the possibility of a MLP with the Nederland Army and the North Pacific Army.
- The E-Army have liberated Holland and Uzbekistan.

E-Army "One Team, One Vision"


Chancellory of Foreign Affairs Weekly Update – 20 January 2008

Current Chancellory Posts

Chancellor of Foreign Affairs: Flexion
Acting Chancellor of Foreign Affairs: Naivetry
Senior Advisor to the Chancellor: Tycholand

Discussion has taken place about the possibility of signing a Military Liaison Pact with the Department of Defence and Security of The North Pacific. Response from Equilism Foreign Affairs members has been enthusiastic, and we anticipate officially forwarding the suggestion to The North Pacific within the week.



The Equilism Internal Affairs Chancellory would like to (continue to) cordially invite you to join in our (ongoing) second annual

Reunification and Founding Festival!

Sign-up has continued for the arcade tournament, puppet competition, and trivia contest. By far the main event, however, has been the Reunification Ball. Please see the Live Report soon to follow from the Grand Ballroom for all the latest gossip, the fireworks, the spectacle, the romance, and the excitement Equilism has to offer! We hope you'll join us as the ball, and the festival as a whole, move into the final weeks.


Chancellory of Internal Affairs Update
An enormous number of recruitment initiatives are in the works in Internal Affairs. In addition, MILLITARISM has proposed a visual embellishment of the forum having to do with crests. Keep a lookout for more on this wave of new developments next week, following a sea of increasingly poor puns as your friendly Foreign Affairs deputy, having given up on forum surfing in peace, either drowns in a tidal wave of writing work on the ship of State, or begins foaming at the mouth.*

*We apologize if we have omitted your favorite nautical imagery in the preceding passage. We assure you it was an inadvertent oversight.



Activity in the College continued apace* this week, with four active and occasionally controversial threads. "What are Invaders?" continued with questions of whether military access is or should be tied to citizen status or government positions. Several suggestions for changing election procedures appeared in "Office terms," while "Prevention of Election Cycle Failure" was sidetracked by discussion of ways to stir up controversy to maintain government activity. Finally, Westwind proposed the ratification of the COPS Treaty - The Convention on Off Site Property Security - condemning forum destruction. Support was quick and unanimous, and within 48 hours the College had moved to the stage of drafting legislation to support the Treaty.

* Go look it up. We did.



Voting on Territorial Waters stands at 4-1-1.



While our staff are certain that spam has continued to accumulate, a strange quantum gravity phenomenon* has caused the entire bar and games section to collapse in on itself, sadly prohibiting us from tracking exactly which threads and games remained active. Specialists advise us that this particular collapse could be remedied by the application of cash to the bank accounts of appropriate foreign affairs personnel, and strongly recommend such a remedial course of action before coverage of Attack/Be Nice to the Previous Poster is permanently disrupted.

* Probably caused by the weight of the snow posted in the pictures of JAL's front yard.



Flight AN528 finally launches back into the narrative, The Monkye secedes from Equilism in 'A New Day Begins for Equilism,' and yet more terrorists appear in a new Crisis in Lerna. In happier news, A Latterday Saints State has successfully finished elections, choosing its first female president.



'God doesn't work, faith is a trick' has turned into the atheist reading list as the Christians variously disappear. Explanations suggested for their absence from the debate include school work, Foreign Affairs slavery, and bodily Rapture.



New Eunomia:
For continuity with the humor, I think Tom Brady may force me to reassess my position on God. No mortal is fit to buckle the sandals of his play action pass.
That, friends, is another week in Equilism. We wish you all the best and we'll be back again next week. Take care!
 
ball.png


BREAKING NEWS:
Westwind, Chaucerin, and New Eunomia suddenly and purposefully left the ball on Jan. 23; posts elsewhere soon explained why. A State of Emergency has been declared in Equilism: more information to come with the Weekly Update.
 
*puts on his Westwind hat*

Yes. In an effort to fight the ongoing inactivity across nationstates, as the game-wide nation die-off accelerates, Equilism is essentially performing a "reboot" of the government to ensure that we have an active government. There are too few carrying too much of the load.

The Constitution and Laws of Equilism remain in place and will be respected during the State of Emergency. The Triumvirate of Guardians have broad emergency powers under the Constitution. The Guardians have approved the state of emergency.

I have appointed Chaucerin as Lord High Steward to act in my place, as I tend to my duties as Delegate of The North Pacific. All enquiries should be directed to him, or those he so appoints.
 


State of Emergency in Equilism
Naivetry answers questions

Naivetry:
For some time, the topic of inactivity has been on the minds of our Monarch and other citizens, discussed first at the opening of the Reunification Ball, and then formally in The College with Westwind's State of the Region/State of NS Address.  A consensus had begun to form that further action and change of some kind was needed; Constitutional and electoral reform, ways to ensure political activity, and similiar measures were already under discussion.

As of January 23, Westwind has declared a State of Emergency in Equilism - as a member of the Triumvirate of Guardians, this is actually one of his Constitutional powers, and you can trace the process of enactment in the link above.  The motion was seconded by another Guardian, Chaucerin, as required by law, and took effect immediately.

Westwind then appointed Chaucerin as Lord High Steward, whose powers are enumerated in the notice of appointment.  In brief, the Steward has been granted the authority to act in the name of the Monarch while the Monarch is elsewhere occupied, and has absorbed the functions of the Heir to the Throne (next in line to become Monarch) and Lord Protector (co-guardian of the Founder nation, Equility).  Westwind retains full authority as Commander-in-Chief, while the Steward is responsible for overseeing the regional government, with a broad range of powers.

Just how broad became clear with rapidity.  Chaucerin first suspended his own tenure as Lord High Advocate, in order to retain the separation of executive and judicial authority enshrined in the Constitution.  New Eunomia has been appointed to serve as Advocate of the Realm for the duration of the crisis, in order to ensure continuation of judicial oversight.  Parting from "a skeptic position on the need for a State of Emergency," New Eu has accepted his appointment "with a certain degree of reluctance," and stands ready "to safeguard and secure legality for this transitional period."

The second move was to create a list of citizens willing and able to contribute to the region.  That process is ongoing in the new The Steward's Hall subforum, where all of the new developments will be continuing. 

As his mandate permits, Chaucerin then unmade the government
Chaucerin:
In accordance with the Emergency Declaration by the Monarch and in keeping with the role of the Guardians to protect against sustained inactivity I declare the government of the Realm of Equilism to be struck.
The Constitution is in abeyance, the Judiciary has been vacated (with the exception of the Advocate of the Realm), elections are suspended, the College is vacated and in recess, and all Chancellors' positions, including the Lord Chancellor (Head of Government), have been vacated. This is a temporary measure to be resolved as soon as we can see who is active and willing to participate in the governance of the region. I have been appointed High Chancellor as a temporary legislative head, maintaining the separation of powers in the new Council for the Realm and acting as advisor to the Steward as the Council seeks out active and qualified candidates for the vacated positions. With New Eu, I am also charged with the protection of citizens' rights during the State of Emergency, all of which rights under the law remain in effect unless otherwise mentioned.

Foreign policy, including work for the E-Army, is on the distant horizon at the moment. Our first priority is to fill the vacated positions with the government, including that of the Chancellor of Defense, as soon as possible. Beyond that, I can only say that Equilism will remain true to its founding principles of self-determination, but we will not allow our region to succumb to the general decline. The Council is charged to act on behalf of the Monarch for the preservation of the community, and we will take whatever steps may be needed to ensure that survival.

Chaucerin has given a terrific speech on the exact goals and purposes of this change. I'm afraid we can't be any more specific than that just yet until we know who will be running the government. If you would like to ask additional questions, we would welcome your input. :)

~Naivetry <><
High Chancellor
Realm of Equilism

Foreign Affairs Statement on Relations with Gatesville

The Foreign Affairs Chancellory has noted with approval the normalization of relations between Gatesville and The North Pacific. In light of the official cessation of this troubling period of tension and hostility, Equilism hereby reaffirms our friendship with the region of Gatesville and restores relations to full embassy status. We look forward to greater cooperation and exchange between our two regions in the days to come.

Equilism Foreign Affairs Chancellory
23rd Day of January, 2008


Successful Conclusion to Warzone Mission
Westwind:
Recently, members of the E-Army embarked on an extended promotion tour through the Warzone regions of NationStates.  The participating soldiers marched their way across five Warzones, clearing the RMB's of recruitment AdSpam, taking the delegacy of each,  and noting the presence of the E-Army in the WFE of each region.

The Warzone Mission was a complete success, lead by Sergeant Tycholand.  The full list of Participants in the mission is as follows:

Tycholand
Wagger-tribe
The Monkye
Wesleiesm
Flexion

To commemorate and thank these noble warriors of the E-Army, I Westwind, King of The Realm of Equilism, hereby award the Warzone Mission Ribbon to all five.

warzone.gif

The Warzone Mission Ribbon

Congratulations and Thank You !

Quote of the Week
This week's quote award goes not only to a visitor to Equilism, but to a visitor posting on the RMB! Our thanks to Thoughtful Ideas for submitting it.
The Nomadic Peoples of The Randy Mermaid-:
Avast!
Wait the cannons, Monkyte has plead in the name of His Noodliness, the Flying Spaghetti Monster!
We must treat these lubbers as our brethren, because His Noodly Appendages push on all of us with love. And Starch.
RAmen.

New Issue of the Enquirer Released!
Contact your local ambassador for back issues!
enquire_05.gif





The Equilism Foreign Affairs Chancellory presents the inaugural digest of the NationStates News Wire!
Keep up to date with events as they happen daily on the Equilism forum. Breaking news posts will be collected and sent out once weekly, or as events warrant. Contact General Editor Naivetry to contribute a story or to find out how you can become a reporter for the Wire.


Breaking news: Loop ejected from TEP, provinces return to The Pacific

2008-01-24, 05:09 GMT
Gnidrah, UN Delegate of The East Pacific, has banjected 1 Infinite Loop, who was endorsement swapping there. Sources say Loop was within 10 endos of Gnid before being sent to enjoy Kandy's famous BBQ. For more information, please contact the Delegate's office in TEP.


2008-01-24, 07:58 GMT
Governors and provinces return to The Pacific as UN Delegate Comrade Premier Moo-Cows with Guns institutes regional reforms. First established under Francos Spain, the province system allows any nation that so wishes to take on the responsibility of representing other nations in the region. Potential provinces are determined by pages of nations on the nation list of The Pacific. Moo-Cows with Guns has stated that this is but one of the steps to be taken to ensure the continued vitality of The Pacific. Additional information is available to the public in The Welcome Plaza of Francograd, as well as in the House of the People in the Central Committee.


Breaking news: Blue Wolf testifies to involvement with old Lexicon plot

2008-01-26, GMT 08:44
On January 23, Blue Wolf II, acting Commander-in-Chief of Lone Wolves United (LWU), gave testimony in exchange for immunity from charges in the case of Limitless Events, who has been banned from The North Pacific (TNP) forums. Conflict arose between the Administration and the Government when New Kervoskia, Attorney General of TNP, issued a Writ of Coram Nobis dropping charges against Limitless Events, who had been accused by board adminstrators of breaching the Terms of Service by collecting and redistributing user information (IP addresses, emails) to The Lexicon in late 2005.

Blue Wolf's testimony revealed a new side of the story, including the information that the LWU High Command had planned the takeover of TNP. While Blue Wolf has officially disavowed that Limitless Events obtained the list directly from the forum of TNP, evidence matching the list order and contents to the TNP member list makes it fairly certain that someone did obtain the list from the forum. Speculation and insinuation about the identity of this person further complicates the issue as an elaborate series of events and relationships unfolds. The proceedings are open and visible to the public, and may be viewed in the Attorney General's Office.


Breaking news: REAPERS declares war on FRA, LWU applies to FRA!

2008-01-27, 07:51 GMT
Kharkistania, leader of a new raiding organization, Rapid Exclusion Alliance Promoting Extremely Radical Solutions (REAPERS), has declared war on the Founderless Regions Alliance. Amid speculation that his announcement is no more than a joke meant to earn publicity for the new group, Kharkistania insists that he is in earnest. Read more about it in FRA's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

2008-01-27, 08:17 GMT
Blue Wolf, acting Commander-in-Chief of the noted raider organization Lone Wolves United (LWU), has just applied for membership in the Founderless Regions Alliance (FRA), one of the current leaders in defense activity in the NationStates world. Blue Wolf's unexpected move has already garnered comparisons to The Pacific's application to join the ADN (Alliance Defense Network) back in July 2005, and has attracted a great deal of attention from members of the FRA forum. The topic has been brought before the Independent Assembly for discussion and voting.

The NS News Wire would like to thank Hammer and the FRA for permission to quote the following excerpts from Lone Wolves United's application, which may be viewed in its entirety in the FRA Region Recruitment Office.

Blue Wolf:
3. Is your region willing to use its own member UN nations in the defence of other FRA regions when they come under attack from the organisations which fall under the 'raider' category?

As long as we’re not defending the region against ourselves…that would be awkward.
Blue Wolf:
6. Has your region ever participated in an invasion of another region?

Yes, yesterday.
 


This week's update brought to you by Wagger-tribe of Equilism Today, with editing by Naivetry.

Immigration
• Due to a purge in The Pacific there has been a frenzy of recruitment within Equilism. Equilism Today would like to thank Naivetry for organising this and sending over 1000 telegrams. We would also like to thank Felasia and Wagger-tribe for their help. The recruitment squad finished the night with over 1600 telegrams sent and nearly all records broken.


Military Affairs
Felasia:
Chancellory of Defense - 3 February 2008

Members of the Chancellory
Military Liaison from The Councils for the Realm - Felasia

Public News
- The E-Army helped our friends in FRA's defense of Seattle from invaders.
- Reformations are taking place inside the Chancellory.
- E-Army officers are reviewing the training materials.
- Two new recruits have been accepted to the Basic Millitary Science Course.

E-Army "One Team, One Vision"

The Steward's Hall
Chaucerin:
When the Monarch declared this state of emergency, it was a top priority to get the government back in on its feet. Almost immediately we created a new Chancellery of Immigration with an expanded staff and an expanded mandate. Soon thereafter a special thread was opened to bring business before the Steward during the reboot of the government.

It is my pleasure to announce that we are ready to present the most crucial element in this process: an advisory Council to operate the mechanism of government and represent the full needs of the people of Equilism.

Please allow me to present the Council for the People of Equilism:

Chancellor of Domestic Affairs and Councilor
: Wagger-Tribe
Chancellor of Immigration and Councilor: The Monkye
Military Liaison and Councilor: Felasia
Chancellor for Foreign Affairs and Councilor: To be announced
Councilor at Large: Tycholand
Councilor at Large: Zaamathi

These six serve alongside the Council for the Realm of Equilism, namely:
Steward of the Realm: Chaucerin
High Chancellor: Naivetry
Advocate for the Realm: New Eunomia

The CFR will remain the core of leadership for the region. As High Chancellor, Naivetry will assume control of the government and New Eunomia will represent the full function of the Judiciary. As Steward, I will mirror the role of the Monarch and serve as a guiding voice whose purpose is to advise but not to rule by decree. The CFP will operate both as a legislature and a representative body, much like the Senate, the Assembly and the College have all done.

This roll of nine members will represent the people of the region and work with their good as the primary goal.

Please join me in welcoming this new government of the region!

The agenda and precise role of each member will be announced shortly.

• Naivetry, our High Chancellor, closed the vote on the COPS treaty which had been up for approval in the region for several weeks. Yesterday our King, Westwind, signed the treaty on behalf of Equilism. Talks will be soon underway to complete legislation for the treaty.

• The law regarding newer members to The College at the time of elections was also passed and signed into law by Westwind. It states that no new member may vote in elections if they join The College within 14 days of the election day.


Foreign Affairs
Naivetry:
Chancellory of Foreign Affairs Weekly Update –  3 February 2008

Current Chancellory Posts

Chancellor of Foreign Affairs: vacant
Acting Chancellor of Foreign Affairs: Naivetry
Senior Advisor to the Chancellor: Tycholand

The Foreign Affairs Chancellory was happy to accept a simultaneous ambassador application and application for an embassy from The Hypercubes of Flying Spaghetti Monster.  The Hypercubes will be maintaining Equilism's embassy in FSM, as well as FSM's embassy in Equilism.

In addition, a consulate was officially created for the Democracy of Unified Nations.  Tycholand has been assigned as Ambassador-General to DUN, and the two regions have celebrated the beginning of their relationship with high hopes for the future.

The Foreign Affairs Chancellory has also closed and archived the DSA/ADN embassy, upon receiving word that the organization had been disbanded.  Felasia is hereby relieved of his duties in DSA/ADN as relations with them are now closed.  Thank you for your service to the region!

• Relations were opened with Flying Spaghetti Monster as a result of a small RMB spam invasion carried out by a few of their members. Having become friendly with them, we now have an embassy and a chapel dedicated to His Noodliness.


Equilism Culture
• Debates have resumed their regular format in the “Faith is a trick” argument.
• We are now down to -417 bottles of beer on the wall.
• Will Wes be the person to post next on “Who will post next?” Fel definitely thinks so.
• Wes wants a box. Equilism Today is not quite sure why.
• Fel is now over 5000 posts. Wes is over 6000 and West has overtaken Zel in posting. And Nai is over 4000. Equilism Today congratulates our members on reaching those targets.
• Hama has a new pet sandwich and is also currently winning the infinite amount of Tse points.
Wagger’s, a new restaurant on Main Street, has opened up.
• The Riverton Liberation Army wants the area around Riverton to be under their rule, rather than Tycholand's.


Quote of the Week
Westwind:
[Ivan] played the game his own way, in uncompromising manner. Many considered him the 'most evil' player IC in NS. He enjoyed, and played up that persona. He's one of the few that have made NS most interesting, and NS is diminished with his departure.

New Issue of the Enquirer Released!
Contact your local ambassador for back issues!
enquire_06.gif





The Equilism Foreign Affairs Chancellory presents the 2nd Weekly Digest of the NationStates News Wire!
Keep up to date with events as they happen daily on the Equilism forum. Breaking news posts will be collected and sent out once weekly, or as events warrant. Contact General Editor Naivetry to contribute a story or to find out how you can become a reporter for the Wire.

Corrigenda and addenda: On 2008-01-29, the Wire printed a report on REAPERS, calling them the "Rapid Exclusion Alliance Promoting Extremely Radical Solutions." The correct title is "Rapid Excursion Alliance Promoting Extremely Radical Solutions." We would like to apologize for the misprint, derived from the absence of a consonant in the source post.


Breaking news: DSA dissolved, membership merges with FRA

2008-01-29, 21:59 GMT
Today the Defense Security Alliance (DSA), formerly Alliance Defense Network (ADN) was officially disbanded. The ADN/DSA has been a part of the NationStates military and political experience since 2003, when it was founded by Vazquez and Phoenix. Later, under the Constitution, Pope Hope as Director and Vazquez as President served in a dual executive, until Vazquez resigned after impeachment charges were brought against him by Westwind. Under the new Charter, Pope Hope was elected Director, and Westwind elected the first Deputy Director. Administrator Unistrut then became Deputy director, followed by SWATH, a former invader who then became Director to replace Pope Hope. SWATH led the reorganization of the ADN into the DSA with himself as Guardian and with rotcjagman as Director.

As an organization, the ADN became a focal point in the raider-defender conflict. Created to oppose the Atlantic Alliance (AA)/Atlantic Central Command (ACC), by the time the Constitution was ratified on Feb. 29 2004, the ADN had wrapped up that conflict and soon became embroiled in others. The ADN fought against Francos Spain in The Pacific and declared war on Ireland after Ireland invaded an ADN member region, which led to a world war as alliances and their member states joined the conflict on either side. The history of the ADN is full of these and other episodes; fair treatment would demand a greater history than space permits.

Reactions to the passing of such a storied institution have varied. Quoted below is rotcjagman's statement as posted by Gateborg (some copy-editing by the Wire) in their embassy on the FRA boards; discussion follows:
rotcjagman:
*Suddenly, a Voice from far off is heard.*

Ladies and Gentlemen,

For those that still see this and are on.

My time has ended as you all I'm sure have noticed. I have been off the site for a month now. My time has ended and as such it appers that the DSA has as well.

I believe that everyone that is still on this site, should merge, join, etc. the FRA.

With an inactive Council, the ruling of this Alliance falls to the Director and the Cabinet. Therefore, as my last order as the DSA:ADN Director I state the following:

As muc as it hurts me to do this; a person that has been with this Alliance since 2003, 4 years of working with some of the finest people in NS History. I am closing the DSA:ADN Alliance, disbanding it. There is no longer a need for such an organization to be alive nor is it wanted.

For those who care I thank you. For those that are on the History site, I'll be working on that from time to time until it is finished; anyone that wishes to help you are more than welcome.

So from the longest standing member of the ADN, to you all, I say goodbye.
-'With Strength and Honor'=ADN Motto Since 2003.

Breaking news: The North Pacific for sale - SOLD, The Pacific confronts Imperial spam

2008-01-30, 04:54 GMT
Agamemnon Mustang, former Black Cardinal Lord of The Pacific, purchased a majority share of The North Pacific (TNP) today from TNP Attorney General New Kervoskia. The shares, which sold for a total of 5.5 million TNP dollars, were bought by Taijitu (20%) and Agamemnon Mustang (80%). More information is available in TNP.

The Wire has also received this transcript of an exclusive interview between New Kervoskia and Agamemnon, conducted shortly after the purchase.

NewKervoskia: Ag! Sit down. So, why did you buy TNP?
Agamemnon: It was a spur of the moment decision really. I always had aspirations of taking power within TNP and buying it just put me one step closer.
NewKervoskia: But how did you get the money?
Agamemnon: I ran a few successful companies within the Pacific and eventually the bank decided to buy me out. Their offer was just too good to pass up.
NewKervoskia: Anything you plan to do with TNP?
Agamemnon: I'm still working all of that out. Plans are in the works for a Valentine's day special event. Things go so much faster when you can skip all the TNP red tape, you know?
NewKervoskia: Yerp.
Agamemnon: But once people accept me as the new owner, you should watch for a lot of changes to TNP. All for the better, of course.
NewKervoskia: Thank you for your time, mein Fuhrer.
Agamemnon: No, thank you!

2008-02-01, 06:21 GMT
Imperial Britain's founder Acasia, Prime Minister Osterreich Cascadia, and member Bazariov first appeared on The Pacific's boards to disavow responsibility for the declaration of war on The Pacific issued by a (now former) Imperial Britain member. With the declaration of war dismissed, however, discussion soon turned to the topic of Regional Message Board RMB spam. The Pacific insists upon a 15-line recruitment message limit and no ASCII art; Imperial Britain has responded by calling the feederite hatred of RMB ads "shortsighted and selfish." The discussion has begun to wind down, however, with Imperial Britain's promise that the matter "will be addressed."


Breaking news: New delegate in The Pacific - Pierconium returns!

2008-02-01, 07:00 GMT
At update today, Moo-Cows with Guns was replaced by Pierconium as UN Delegate of The Pacific. Sources attest that the switch was deliberate. An official news statement had not been posted on The Pacific forums by the time of the event; further details to follow as more information becomes available.


Breaking news: Pierconium retires from NS, leaves trail of corpses in his wake

Guest-writer: JAL
JAL:
"Farewell NationStates, I hardly knew ya."

With a quick change of the World Factbook Entry early this morning, perhaps the greatest purge in Nationstates history was underway. At the time of this writing, over 1700 nations had been expelled to the Rejected Realms over the course of several hours.

Pierconium's rise to the delegacy was not met without questions and gossip. After taking over a week to swap endorsements with the UN nations of the Pacific, many were left with the impression that a permanent change of delegate was in store. Ivan Moldavi had no such intentions, however. With the influence level of Auxillery, the nation of Pierconium ascended to the delegacy with one goal in mind: to go out with a bang. And a bang it was.

In perhaps a sign of the times, players throughout the game rallied behind the purge. In the hours prior to the previous night's update, nations poured in from Gatesville, the North and West Pacifics, and elsewhere eager to endorse the newly-elected delegate and see one of the game's biggest spectacles in recent memory. With all this excitement, one wonders what will become of the Pacific once the purge is complete?

One thing is for certain: Behold, Ivan cometh.

***This article was written by Lord Commissioner General and North Pacific Wire Director John Ashcroft Land and may not be disseminated without his expressed written consent.***
2008-02-02, 07:24 GMT
Pierconium began ejecting nations from The Pacific at about 13:30 GMT on February 1. The starting count in The Pacific was 3268; the end count was 1535. Over the course of the ejection spree, The Pacific decreased by 1733 nations (counting 2 who left within moments of the delegate change).

Observers speculate, however, that the actual number may have been higher. Politicians and players from across the NS world had gathered to pay tribute to Pierconium in celebration of his retirement from the game. A number of nations were seen to move to The Pacific expressly in order to endorse or to be ejected by Pierconium. An indeterminate number of nations were also created over the course of the day, and others Ceased To Exist (CTE'd) at update, so that the exact number ejected by Pierconium is unknown. In roughly 16 hours from the beginning of the purge, however, it is estimated that he single-handedly doubled the population of The Rejected Realms.

Pierconium resigned from the UN just before update, returning the delegacy of The Pacific to Moo-Cows with Guns, and retired to his original home region, Sparrow.

The Borogravia Moldavi Empire of Pierconium:
I couldn't think of a more fitting place to let my gaming in NS end.

Farewell.
While information from The Pacific forums was still unavailable at time of writing, posts from the Regional Message Board (RMB) of The Pacific and elsewhere have been recorded for posterity in Equilism.


Finally, the Wire is pleased to present, in cooperation with The Pacific News Network (PNN), The Pacific Post, 9th edition, published by permission of the editor and the Comrade Premier.
Krulltopia:
It's the end of NS as we know it...

exploding-earth.jpg

The inevitable fate of NationStates?
26th January 2008

This is the phrase that is echoing across Nationstates, uttered by pessimists and realists alike. "It's just one big slump!" One prominent player exclaimed, "I mean, the Pacific has less nations than the other feeders, Nations are disappearing every day, in Lazarus the dead are rising from the grave, and, worse, Apathy is on the rise and no one cares!! This madness can only mean one thing: THE END HAS COME!!!"

The recent spat of decline and inactivity has also appeared to worry more sane members of the Nationstates community. High Inquisitor Pierconium declares that "the decline of Nationstates is unfortunately inevitable. Everything must come to an end. All that matters is what you intend to do when the time comes." He then abruptly asks "Could you pass me that thumbscrew? It's next to the red hot poker."

Meanwhile, in The West Pacific, TAO has an intriguing suggestion on the cause of the apparent slump. "Marsupials! Thats right! Those pouchy little mammal rip offs are the cause of all of Nationstates problems! Server Crash? Marsupials in the hard drives! Adspam? Marsupials make them all! Annoying players with bad spelling? THEY ARE ALL MARSUPIALS!!! We should wipe them out!!!"

The Pacific Post invites its many readers to draw its own conclusions from the evidence meticulously gathered. The editing staff is inclined to blame spammers, as they contribute little to NS apart from lessons in "How to annoy feederites".
----
Written by Krulltopia
Writer of The Pacific Post - If We Didn't Write It, It's a Lie!
Copyright 2008, The Pacific Post. All rights reserved

Note that all of this is fabricated and not based on (much) fact
 


So much has gone on in these last two weeks, that our FA slave thought she would write it all up in words of one syllable* to keep things short, for those who don't have time to read our long posts. Our name will be shown as "Eq" to fit with this theme. The quotes and the FAQ on TNP will not be changed; that's too much work. If you don't like short words, please look for the next post, which will be news in quotes from our friends.

*Just not that one - she could not think of a new word or phrase that would make it quite so clear.


FAQ Regarding Equilism and Events in TNP:
Q: WTF?
A: Come again?

Q: What are you guys doing in The North Pacific?
A: The E-Army moved in several weeks ago at the request of the delegate-elect, Lewis and Clark. We had always intended to remain until his position was secure (that is, so that a few casual endorsements for Great Bights Mum would not accidentally oust L&C from his position as the democratically-elected UN Delegate). The current crisis has necessitated a longer stay than originally anticipated.

Q: Dude, like, are you guys raiders now?
A: No. If our military policy changes, we will be sure to tell you (probably in direct quotes and at much greater length than you would like). Please refer to the statements of Westwind and government officials in our updates from the past few weeks for the latest information on Equilism's domestic and interregional policy.

Q: But, aren't you invading The North Pacific?
A: Not at all. Equilism and the E-Army have participated in similar operations before alongside other noted defender organizations, such as during the TAO Maneuver in TWP earlier in 2007. In this case, the decision was made to support Lewis and Clark in his attempts to reform The North Pacific.

Q: Wait, what about regional sovereignty?
A: Regional sovereignty remains intact - Equilism and TNP are autonomous regions. Lewis and Clark is a native delegate instituting internal reforms.

Q: I thought Equilism didn't interfere in other regions' internal affairs, OMG HYPOCRITES!
A: Events in The North Pacific itself provide the best answer. During Dalimbar's stint as "rogue delegate," Equilism officially took no sides, but acknowledged the need for reform in TNP and urged the two factions to come to an agreement. Unfortunately, Dalimbar was unable to institute reforms before leaving the delegate's seat. Perhaps partly as a result, only a few months later the government of The North Pacific experienced a military coup from Emperor Matthuis. In this case, Equilism declared support for Great Bights Mum, the elected delegate of the region, and moved in E-Army troops to support the transfer of the delegacy.

This time around, Equilism has again declared support for the legitimately elected delegate of The North Pacific, Lewis and Clark. Far from departing from it, we reaffirm our statement during Dalimbar's delegacy: "It is our long-held belief that all regions have the right to self-determination without outside interference in their internal affairs. However, it is also true that the events in great regions such as TNP can affect and concern regions throughout NationStates." In 2007, we included that statement in our resolution to remain neutral. In 2008, facing apathy in NationStates, disillusionment from older players, and a state of emergency at home, neutrality is no longer an option. It is now clear that the present situation in TNP is far from an internal affair. Rather, it is rapidly moving towards an all-out war - Equilism's withdrawal at this stage would be clearly out of place.

We in Equilism do not believe in blind adherence to doctrines of foreign policy, but in dedication to the principles upon which that policy is based. From this moment, we formally declare adherence to the lesson learned through our own regional crisis in late 2006: that the growth and health of a community are the foundation for all other political action. It is only in the context of community that sovereignty itself can hold any meaning. On that first principle we shall continue to defend our actions in supporting Lewis and Clark as the legitimate delegate, elected by and for the people of The North Pacific, for the revitalization of community and the renewal of the region.


Eq Troop HQ:
Felasia:
Chancellory of Defense - 17 February 2008

Members of the Chancellory
Military Liaison from the Council for the People of Equilism - Felasia

Public News
- The E-Army enjoys the finest rum in The North Pacific while helping the legitimate government fight the foreign invaders.
- Reformations are taking place inside the army.
- The E-Army welcomes two new soldiers in a traditional E-Army way.

E-Army "One Team, One Vision"

The Hall For Those Who Pass Laws
There have been twelve new threads set up in this hall just in the last week. What with TNP, COPS, and votes and talk on how to fix the State, we've all had our hands full. Look for more news next week on the shape and form of the boards, a plan for things to do for fun, how to get new folks to come and stay, who gets to tell our UN troops what to do, and how to deal with those who raid.


Those Who Go To Strange Lands To Keep Us All Up-To-Date
The Eq-FRA MLP was made void by Chauce. FA greets the rep from Laz as talks start in their new home thread! The rest of the news in FA deals with old friends whom we have not seen post in Eq for some time. If this sounds like it might be you, please come see us ASAP!


Eq Spam
It does not stop.

Plus, a fun Race At Sea!
Tycholand:
equilismbannersail2.jpg

Equilism Ocean Race
SAIL FOR GLORY!

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Equilism Ocean Race! Raise your sails and prepare for challenging journeys ahead! Will you make the finish?

The Equilism Ocean Race is a race with puppet boat-nations which goes through many sea-related regions in NationStates. For each stage covered, a particpant can gather points and the winner is the one with the most points at the end.
There will also be a special bar for this event, where barfights are legal!

Interested? Click here to go to the Equilism Ocean Race!
Rules


News By Links - In Brief
For ease of use, a few words will head up each piece of news. Here's the list:

FRA Says West Melts Down
Moo Wubs Tais, Signs MDP with TSP
Flem Writes Too Much For Us To Post
L&C Starts Show In TNP
Mods Say Cut The Spam (no link - they hate us all)
TAO Left Out To Dry?
TNP To Khark: Loose Lips Sink Ships - Like Yours
Gates and Nev Get Mad, Start War With FRA
TNP Feels Left Out, Starts War With TP
Pope to Cing: This Place Is Now Closed.




The Equilism Foreign Affairs Chancellory presents the 3rd Digest of the NationStates News Wire!
Keep up to date with events as they happen daily on the Equilism forum. Breaking news posts will be collected and sent out once weekly, or as events warrant. Contact General Editor Naivetry to contribute a story or to find out how you can become a reporter for the Wire.

Due to the volume of articles available on the events of the past two weeks, look for syndicated columns to appear shortly in a separate post.


Broken News: Dezzland retires from delegacy in Lazarus, Lewis and Clark dissolves TNP Constitution, TP makes friends with TSP and Taijitu

2008-02-04, 14:55 GMT
After a year in the big chair, Dezzland announced his retirement from the delegacy of Lazarus, passing the Kingship to his former Regent, Northern Chittowa. Northern Chittowa in turn appointed Aisli as Seneschal, while Dezzland took the position of Advocate of Foreign Enticement. More information may be found in The King's Palace and the Lazarene Gazette.

2008-02-10, 07:23 GMT
Lewis and Clark has posted an announcement on the z13 forums for The North Pacific, as well as in Equilism, declaring the dissolution of The North Pacific's government under the recent Constitution. L&C cited the "entrenchment of old bureaucrats," a "renegade" intelligence agency, and lack of government responsiveness as several of the reasons for his changes, which include the move to a new forum. The reaction from TNP citizens has been mixed, ranging from complaints about predictability and outrage to fervent support. Due to thorough, if satirical, coverage of subsequent events from a variety of sources, further details on events in TNP will be obtained via guest writers.

2008-02-11, 07:34 GMT
The Pacific signed two major treaties today. The first was a Mutual Defense Pact with The South Pacific; the second was a wide-ranging accord with Taijitu, billed as an "MOADP." The accords with Taijitu create a firm alliance between the two regions in almost all aspects of military action and intelligence. For more information, please visit The Pacific.


Breaking News: Cingeta closes its doors, TAO's 1k endo day meets 'moderate success', Gatesville declares war on the FRA, TNP declares war on TP

2008-02-16, 20:20 GMT
Today Pope Lexus X pronounced the region of Cingeta dead, following the resignation of its Empress. A regional history to commemorate Cingeta is in the works, and active members have been encouraged to join the Great Green Federation. The region itself will be emptied except for the founder, which will remain to keep the region's forum url available. Read more in Pope Lexus's announcment on Cingeta's boards.

2008-02-16, 23:59 GMT
The West Pacific Sentinel declared TAO's 1000 endorsement day a moderate success, as 396 nations showed up to get their chance at making NationStates history. TAO's project is to obtain 1000 UN endorsements. Upon receiving them, he will eject himself from the region, but not before taking a screenshot to document this unprecedented project. According to the Sentinel, TAO may make one more attempt.

2008-02-17, 04.46 GMT
Gatesville declared war on the FRA today in response to accusations leveled against them over their involvement in The North Pacific. See Gates's welcome thread in the FRA (now closed) to follow the course of events leading up to the declaration.

2008-02-17, 05.18 GMT
Less than an hour after Gatesville declared war on the FRA, The North Pacific High Council (Westwind's forums) declared war on The Pacific, citing the involvement of citizens of The Pacific in the fight against opposition delegate Great Bights Mum. Moo-cows with guns has denied that The Pacific gave any orders to its citizens to enter the conflict and promised that any found to have taken action on their own will be held accountable. Scandinavian Duchies, one of the nations implicated (indirectly, through his involvement as editor of the Pacific News Network), also claims to have acted without the knowledge of The Pacific's delegate, Moo-Cows with guns. This declaration follows shortly upon the High Council's publication of a list of Hostile Entities, for "their involvement in attempts to assault the sovereignty of The North Pacific."
 
thank you for the update, Monkeye, and the tacit support given to the validity of this government and forum by continuing to post in your embassy here.

It is appreciated.
 
The Monarch and Citizens of Equilism hereby recognize the current governing body of The North Pacific, based on http://z13.invisionfree.com/TNP, as the legitimate government of The North Pacific.

Pursuant to this, the Government of Equilism officially requests a dialogue to re-establish and normalize relations between our two fine regions.
 
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