On Saturday I shall be moving to Aberdeen to start my four-year course at the university there. I don't know what internet access will be like there or if I'll be able to feasibly continue moderating. Unlikely, I hope, but there is a possibility that I may have to retire from modding if university life proves to be too full of things to do. I'll probably not be around very much at all over the next few weeks while I settle in and get to grips with this. Having lived in a village all my life I'm not sure what to expect living in a big city like Aberdeen (I know it's not really a big city but I'm drawing from experience). I hope to put some articles up so you can all tell how I'm getting on and any rich buggers reading this will feel moved enough by my plight to send me loadsa money. I've always been optimistic.
In NationStates news, I have to congratulate Katganistan and Frisbeeteria on their promotion to the positions of Senior Game Moderator which they would have got yonks ago if anyone had remembered I'm sure. The position doesn't carry any extra responsibility - it's simply a mark of respect for the hard work these two have done to keep NationStates running. Well done, Kat and Fris!
There's a poll running in the Moderation forum on whether to have a new MaxChat or not. Check it out and have your say.
Courtesy of Rhaomi, we have discovered a weird chat-room type thing called Gabbly that can be applied to any website. Most intriguing. Here's one for you to click for the blog:
http://gabbly.com/siroccothemod.blogspot.com/
Here's a Max Barry one as well for your convenience.
13 September 2006
11 September 2006
Why My Hair Is Greasy Today
Not much in the way of NationStates news right now, so I'll relate the tale of why today my hair is greasy (as you may have surmised from the title).
First things first, I have to explain to you all that I HATE WASPS. I really can't stand them. I hate the way they buzz around you for what seems like an ice age while you stand statue-still, not daring to breathe, lest the little bugger take this as an insult and sting you I've never been stung by a wasp, so who knows? I may be fatally allergic to the things, and I don't want to find out. I get recurring nightmares about wasps trying to crawl into my ears, and I have vivid dreams. Very vivid. It was only recently that I discovered people often don't hear or smell or taste anything in their dreams. Apparently some don't even dream in colour. But that's besides the point, because I HATE WASPS. I remember some lady once remarking how a body-building friend of hers who boxed and wasn't scared of anything ran away screaming like a little girl when wasps came near. Well guess what, lady, but you can't engage wasps in fisticuffs! Because they bloody well STING you! There's no winning against such creatures of unending malice.
Anyway, my story:
I was having a bath last night, ready for a nice relaxing soak, and perhaps another chapter of my novel. I was washing my hair (I have lots of hair. It's quite afro-esque.) when I noticed something crawling on the ceiling. It looked quite big but I was not unduly alarmed. I thought it was an earwig of some sort. But then I heard THAT BUZZING and saw another flying around. There were two wasps in the bathroom. My chances of having a quiet slumber in the tub were destroyed. I couldn't keep my eyes off them. Whenever one of them flew, I'd instinctively retreat further into the water. Possibly I was hoping they would not notice my vulnerable naked body and connive to sting me.
I then noticed another wasp on the curtain above me. Watching. Biding its time. THREE wasps. This was not good. I was getting understandably nervous by now. I'm not one of those who will cheerfully swat at wasps with a rolled up newspaper. I am not one of those who will with wanton good cheer and ludic gaiety tease a tiger or see how close I can stand to a rabid rottweiler on a chain. The only time in recent memory I have of killing a wasp was when I accidentally trod on one while bare-footed. Strangely enough, I didn't get stung, but that's not the point. Once again I have let me distract myself. Where was I? Ah yes.
I was, at this moment, contemplating my escape from this room of wasps when the most appallingly terrible thing happened - the wasp on the curtain fell into the bath with a little plop.
The world. Stopped.
I could not have rocketed out of that tub faster had the wasp been some kind of pirhana that survives by eating penises. I let out an almighty gurgling scream, the shampoo in my hair, quite forgotten, and splashed just about a half of the water onto the floor. When I was up, I noticed even MORE wasps were in the room. I shot out of the room, bollock-naked, tripped, and slammed face-first onto the landing.
And that's where my mum found me.
After that, memories are vague, but there was absolutely no chance I was going back into that iniquitious den of waspy terror so I think I slept the rest of the night as my hair slowly congealed into its present oily morass. My story complete, I shall now adjourn to finish my bath and clean my hair.
After a VERY thorough inspection.
First things first, I have to explain to you all that I HATE WASPS. I really can't stand them. I hate the way they buzz around you for what seems like an ice age while you stand statue-still, not daring to breathe, lest the little bugger take this as an insult and sting you I've never been stung by a wasp, so who knows? I may be fatally allergic to the things, and I don't want to find out. I get recurring nightmares about wasps trying to crawl into my ears, and I have vivid dreams. Very vivid. It was only recently that I discovered people often don't hear or smell or taste anything in their dreams. Apparently some don't even dream in colour. But that's besides the point, because I HATE WASPS. I remember some lady once remarking how a body-building friend of hers who boxed and wasn't scared of anything ran away screaming like a little girl when wasps came near. Well guess what, lady, but you can't engage wasps in fisticuffs! Because they bloody well STING you! There's no winning against such creatures of unending malice.
Anyway, my story:
I was having a bath last night, ready for a nice relaxing soak, and perhaps another chapter of my novel. I was washing my hair (I have lots of hair. It's quite afro-esque.) when I noticed something crawling on the ceiling. It looked quite big but I was not unduly alarmed. I thought it was an earwig of some sort. But then I heard THAT BUZZING and saw another flying around. There were two wasps in the bathroom. My chances of having a quiet slumber in the tub were destroyed. I couldn't keep my eyes off them. Whenever one of them flew, I'd instinctively retreat further into the water. Possibly I was hoping they would not notice my vulnerable naked body and connive to sting me.
I then noticed another wasp on the curtain above me. Watching. Biding its time. THREE wasps. This was not good. I was getting understandably nervous by now. I'm not one of those who will cheerfully swat at wasps with a rolled up newspaper. I am not one of those who will with wanton good cheer and ludic gaiety tease a tiger or see how close I can stand to a rabid rottweiler on a chain. The only time in recent memory I have of killing a wasp was when I accidentally trod on one while bare-footed. Strangely enough, I didn't get stung, but that's not the point. Once again I have let me distract myself. Where was I? Ah yes.
I was, at this moment, contemplating my escape from this room of wasps when the most appallingly terrible thing happened - the wasp on the curtain fell into the bath with a little plop.
The world. Stopped.
I could not have rocketed out of that tub faster had the wasp been some kind of pirhana that survives by eating penises. I let out an almighty gurgling scream, the shampoo in my hair, quite forgotten, and splashed just about a half of the water onto the floor. When I was up, I noticed even MORE wasps were in the room. I shot out of the room, bollock-naked, tripped, and slammed face-first onto the landing.
And that's where my mum found me.
After that, memories are vague, but there was absolutely no chance I was going back into that iniquitious den of waspy terror so I think I slept the rest of the night as my hair slowly congealed into its present oily morass. My story complete, I shall now adjourn to finish my bath and clean my hair.
After a VERY thorough inspection.
06 September 2006
Issue #200 Is In The Game
Yep, we finally made it. NationStates now has 200 issues. If I have to stop being a mod when I move to Aberdeen at least I can rest easy knowing I got NationStates to this level. It's been a while coming... I can still remember back in the day when we only had 31 to keep us busy.
I'd like to thank Scolopendra and GMC Military Arms who helped me craft some of the options in this issue, and I'm crediting them as co-editors of this one. An extra-special thanks to Sal who, despite being very busy, went out of his way to write some code and make this issue just that bit more special.
Enjoy!
I'd like to thank Scolopendra and GMC Military Arms who helped me craft some of the options in this issue, and I'm crediting them as co-editors of this one. An extra-special thanks to Sal who, despite being very busy, went out of his way to write some code and make this issue just that bit more special.
Enjoy!
Tactical Grace Retires
Tactical Grace became a mod just a few hours after I did so I like to think in a whimisical kind of way that we're like 'mod-brothers'. It's the end of an era, certainly, as TG has been quite resolute that this time he isn't coming back. Good luck, TG!
Here's [violet]'s announcement thread on the retirement.
In other news, we've got another Game Mod Olympics. Big applause to the efforts of Frisbeeteria, Katganistan, and Euroslavia! They do a hell of the share of the workload. I'd help, but everytime I check the tasklist it's empty. Damn you, workaholics!
There's a cool thread by Witchcliff in the United Nations forum to check out too.
Oh, and an ultra-cool NationStates webcomic by Toopoxia. It's about time we had one of these, although there aren't enough flightless hippos for my liking.
Here's [violet]'s announcement thread on the retirement.
In other news, we've got another Game Mod Olympics. Big applause to the efforts of Frisbeeteria, Katganistan, and Euroslavia! They do a hell of the share of the workload. I'd help, but everytime I check the tasklist it's empty. Damn you, workaholics!
There's a cool thread by Witchcliff in the United Nations forum to check out too.
Oh, and an ultra-cool NationStates webcomic by Toopoxia. It's about time we had one of these, although there aren't enough flightless hippos for my liking.
04 September 2006
HotRodia
We have a new forum mod! HotRodia will do wonders, I'm sure. He was picked for his outstanding level-headedness and professionalism when provoked and his clear understanding of the forum rules.
Welcome aboard!
In other news:
The Siroc & Newsted Saga has started up again after a very lengthy hiatus. Our heroes are still where we left them - fleeing a cat monster in the region of Venus. Poor sods.
Just a note to all - the 200th issue may show up as being #201 but because of some faulty duplicated issues being taken out of circulation a while back it WILL be the game's big two-zero-zero.
Ciao!
Welcome aboard!
In other news:
The Siroc & Newsted Saga has started up again after a very lengthy hiatus. Our heroes are still where we left them - fleeing a cat monster in the region of Venus. Poor sods.
Just a note to all - the 200th issue may show up as being #201 but because of some faulty duplicated issues being taken out of circulation a while back it WILL be the game's big two-zero-zero.
Ciao!
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