The Peace & Love Train Accords is a bloc currently led by TFD and Zenith. We have 5 fine protectorates under our wings. Our services range from simple protection to full mentorship.
The benefits are that TFD and Zenith are both highly experienced and the bloc itself is open to further membership of well-established protectors. We have a good degree of military might and excellent foreign relations, having very few enemies and no grudges. Every alliance has a say in the direction of the bloc
I wrote this about 2 years ago. In light of the economic collapse, too bad it came true.
....
An Essay Regarding the Nature of Power and How It Acts In and Through America.
Or,
A Rambling Diatribe of Hogwash
Friends,
Human nature and, indeed, all of nature, follows strikingly similar patterns. It is the accumulation and diffusion of power across the spectrum that I speak of. You can see it oft repeated in a myriad of forms. To make the point simple, in ancient (and modern) times a nation w
"Every author, however modest, keeps a most outrageous vanity chained like a madman in the padded cell of his breast."
"It is the wretchedness of being rich that you have to live with rich people."
"There are few sorrows in which a good income is of no avail."
"What is more mortifying than to feel that you have missed the plum for want of courage to shake the tree?"
"The indefatigable pursuit of an unattainable perfection, even though it consists in nothing more than the pounding of an old
ed. note: This is a reprint from the first step of Greg Haskins' A Practical Guide To Critical Thinking. I encourage everyone to read this.
http://www.skepdic.com/essays/haskins.pdf
Step 1: Adopt the Attitude of a Critical Thinker
The first step to becoming a proficient critical thinker is developing the proper attitude.
Such an attitude embodies the following characteristics:
· Open-mindedness
· Healthy skepticism
· Intellectual humility
· Free thinking
· High motivation
The first tw
On this day, the 23rd day of the 8th month, in the year 2009, I hereby dub Zenith's Publishing House the Electric Quill!
In tribute of this great day, I, with the Electric Quill dip into the well of inspiration to draw forth magnetic ink to pen this celebration of one of our most cherished Virtues:
Wisdom
- - - -- ---o))0---------------O---------------0((o--- -- - - -
Properly nourished within the mind, Wisdom blooms like a great flower. Information is its nutrient, ever a
Over the roar of the crowd, President Mr. Otingocni's voice can be heard as he addresses the people:
"Great citizens, on this glorious date, three hundred and sixty five days ago, we banded together to celebrate an awesome event: the opening of Puking Jim's BBQ Pit, Gentleman's Club, & Tavern. Ah yes, the Greasy Pole we used to call it. Remember that, Frank? Huh? Boy, they had some good bbq, didn't they? Hey, remember had that girl who was serving that one day we had the monkey suits ha ha.
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race” ~ Calvin Coolidge
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
Samuel Smiles:
"Men who are resolved to find a way for themselves will always find opportunities enough; and if they do not find them, they will make them."
Claude M. Bristol:
"It's the constant and determined effort that breaks down all resistance and sweeps away all obstacles."
H. Jackson Brown:
"In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always, wins - not through strength but by perseverance."
William Somerset Maugham:
"It’s a very funny thing about life; if
“You're in the midst of a war: a battle between the limits of a crowd seeking the surrender of your dreams, and the power of your true vision to create and contribute. It is a fight between those who will tell you what you cannot do, and that part of you that knows and has always known that we are more than our environment; and that a dream, backed by an unrelenting will to attain it, is truly a reality with an imminent arrival.” ~ Anthony Robbins
It's a very exciting time to be presiding over a Ministry in Zenith right now.
We are experiencing great advances lately, far better than any time since I've been a member. With new nations streaming in every day, our Ministry of Development is working around the clock to get these new nations trained and prepared. Indeed, our MoDev, JazHayre definitely deserves an award for hardest working member of this term. His efforts along with his staff are having a noticeable and powerful impact on our
Some musings on Civility and Professionalism.
It's important to know your own strengths and weaknesses.
There is a difference between a minister of foreign affairs and a negotiator. The first is just that, a minister, a person who can organize many people and programs, plan for the future, and know how and when to use the people under his or her command effectively. While hopefully the minister does have an understanding of mediation and negotiation, and capable of doing so in a pinch, the jo
One of the things I've enjoyed most about being a diplomat has been the surprising and often impromptu meeting of like minds. Since most of the fun of the game is derived from the social aspects rather than the cold mechanics of nation building, my journey through the halls of diplomacy has been a pleasant one.
As the envoy, or diplomat, is virtually a required function by any sizable alliance, that necessity produces a certain class of people on Planet Bob. By nature of the job, one is forced
* Edit: See the replies to the previous blog entry.
Ferrous, you raise some good points. I'll do my best to reply.
I believe ABC is actually caught in a conflict between ethics and morality. Ethics being the proper conduct in a professional environment as derived from morality. While morality and ethics are used synonymously there is a subtle difference: morals being a general description of right and wrong (good and evil), and ethics is the study of morals as a whole and specifically, the co
As with almost every situation understanding the context is vital for making a judgment of another's actions.
In my mind, what is right or wrong is clearly defined:
First, deserters are scum.
Now, to qualify that particularly harsh statement, here is the justification. Joining an alliance means entering into a pact, a contract if you will, where both parties agree to uphold the tenants of the charter. If one or the other party does not uphold their end of the bargain, the contract is broken.
Reflections on the War.
One soldier’s musings.
As I sit here in the midnight hour, awash in the monitor’s electronic glow, thoughts of the last two weeks surface in my mind. Commitment and betrayal. Foresight and hindsight. Politics and War. Where are we now? And where are we going?
For some of us, the war ended too early, for others, just at the right time. For me, the war was very exciting with passions running hot on all sides. The anxiousness and tension, the thrill, I felt on the eve of
.
Join the Zenith Diplomat Corps and Reach the Stars!
What are the benefits? *Make International Friends! *Learn the Art of Diplomacy and the Intricacies of Alliance Relations! *Earn the Respect and Esteem of Your Peers! *Serve a Greater Calling! Service Is A Reward Unto Itself!
Reach the apex of your ability and beyond by ascribing to this maxim: Warrior, Diplomat, Scholar. We can help you round out your Zenith experience with training, guidance, and a tour of duty in our fine Diplomat
Friedrich Nietzsche
- trans. Walter Kaufmann,
The Will to Power
My idea is that every specific body strives to become master over all space and to extend its force (—its will to power) and to thrust back all that resists its extension. But it continually encounters similar efforts on the part of other bodies and ends by coming to an arrangement ("union") with those of them that are sufficiently related to it: thus they then conspire together for power. And the process goes on.
---
[Anyth
SUN-TZU: THE PRINCIPLES OF WARFARE
"THE ART OF WAR"
Chapter Six: Weakness and Strength
Sun-tzu said:
Generally the one who first occupies the battlefield awaiting the enemy is at ease;
the one who comes later and rushes into battle is fatigued.
Therefore those skilled in warfare move the enemy, and are not moved by the enemy.
Getting the enemy to approach on his own accord is a matter of showing him advantage;
stopping him from approaching is a matter of showing him harm.
There
Marcus Aurelius
Book 2
#17. In the life of a man, his time is but a moment, his being an incessant flux, his senses a dim rushlight, his body a prey of worms, his soul an unquiet eddy, his fortune dark, and his fame doubtful. In short, all that is of the body is as coursing waters, all that is of the soul as dreams and vapors; life a warfare, a brief sojourning in an alien land; and after repute, oblivion. Where, then, can man find the power to guide and guard his steps? In one thing and one a
Miyamoto Musashi once wrote:
The Book of Five Rings
(Translated by Nihon Services Corp.)
The Book of Water
mizu no maki
The Mental Attitude in Heiho*
*Ed. Note, the warrior's path
heiho kokoro mochi no koto
The mental attitude in Heiho is no different from that of the everyday attitude. In both peaceful times and in times of battles, it is exactly the same. Be careful to ascertain the truth from a broad viewpoint. Do not become tense and do not let yourself go. Keep
