Header Courtesy of Lynxi 

April 2019  

On Sinkerism Expanded
By Lynxi

In Issue 6 of the Oracle Syberis wrote an article titled On Sinkerism. It was a well thought out, if somewhat controversial, examination of what
it means to live in a Sinker. He outlines the differences in new and revived nations, the precarious lack of population and thus endorsements, and the
trials that face any Sinkerite’s goal of increasing community activity. But the constraints on a publication such as an Oracle led to a short article, and I
think that it can be expanded. Hopefully he won’t mind, but that’s what I aim to do here.

I differ from Syberis in that I do include The Rejected Realms as a Sinker. They have different mechanics, and because of that a somewhat
different nature, but largely they face the same issues his article laid out as defining characteristics of Sinkerdom. Nations don’t begin in The Rejected
Realms, and new players do not start their journey out within its borders. Instead they are populated with “second contact” nations which have already
been in a region before winding up there. This is, what I think, is the main characteristic of sinkerdom that lends to sinker qualities.

If one spends enough time within a Sinker the impact this characteristic has becomes evident. There is an uphill battle for activity both on the
RMB and the offsite community. Unless you’re The Rejected Realms, in which case you have fascists and racists ejected into your region every day.
There are less endorsements because only a small fraction of the population care enough to join the WA, and the largest fraction are revived or banned
puppets. This compounds into security issues, the damage that time can have on any region without a hardened and dedicated community, and a
community that can only grow in proportion to the work and skill of regional integration entities.

So what does it mean to be an inhabitant of a Sinker? It means democracy can be lethal to communities, as its ever shifting cast of characters
erode with inconsistency the perseverance of the region. It means that you might work as hard as you can on some initiative to gain activity or
endorsements only to be met with weeks without movement. Unfortunately in both the cases of Osiris and Lazarus it means their history is pockmarked
with instability and subversion. Ultimately it means effort that can be taken away easier than in the Feeders, and it’s characterized the inhabitants of
Sinkers for years.

Those of us who choose this life and make something of it are glad to work for our home regions. That’s not a quality exclusive to Sinkers, but
it’s something you notice in every sincere member of our communities. Sinkerism isn’t just the mechanical constraints, but the actions taken to rise
above said constraints and do what’s right by the region. I’m proud of Osiris, and I’m adamant that we continue to pursue what works for us. I hope our
sisters feel the same way about their communities and their regions. Hail!
 Proscribed to Princess
Interview by Rachael

As of April 1st, the Osiris Fraternal Order got a new Pharaoh. Lynxi has had a past of defending, raiding, and co-founding a UCR called Caer Sidi. She joined Osiris
June 11th, 2018, becoming Pharaoh less than a year later.

-> ​For those who don't know your history on NationStates, can you give a brief summary of your time on NationStates? Such as where you got your start
and when, regions you helped found, etc

Yes! I actually started Nationstates a little over two years ago, though I've a long list of regions anyways. I had a bit of a tumultuous start since I first showed up in
The Allied States right before they had the whole World Fair hosting incident. Needless to say I left the region because of that and ended up in Equinox. There I met
most of the people I would eventually call my best friends in the game, including Aynia (who I pretty much spent an entire year working with), except that exploded
because of a few incidents involving a secret society made to get Satya banned and some election fraud nonsense. From there I went to Arda en' Estel which also
kinda exploded.... I'm sure you can see the pattern. After Hellenic Empire died and Satya left the game, I took a break and then dived right into cofounding Caer Sidi.
I joined TWP once I became friends with everyone there, moonlighted with SPSF a bit, and focused hard on CS. I sort've fell in love with defending, so once I left
CS I joined TGW to really learn as best as I could. Which was a plus and a minus, because I had started to really enjoy Osiris as a visitor and wanted to join the
region to help out Altino with, really anything. Eventually Osiris lifted the TGW proscription and I ended up in what I have considered for a while my NS Home.
Currently I have one citizenship only: Osiris. I also realize that my answer may give some people whiplash, but it's sort've a symptom of me not really knowing what
I wanted to do in the game for a long time.

In your summary, you say you were starting to really enjoy Osiris as a visitor. What was your favorite part about the Osiran community as a visitor?

How relaxed it seemed, compared to every other region I'd been a part of. I wasn't around for our, erm, "tumultuous" past and Koth makes a good point when he says
we should appreciate that. A lot of regions stay in a constant drama fest and after some time it can wear you down. But when I joined the Osiris discord it was
particularly welcoming, had a lot of snarky-but-friendly banter (#BullyCulture ftw!), and it didn't feel like it was going to self destruct at any minute. As I continued
to exist in my proscribed state, the desire to help make the region better by serving it in the government grew. I think that not being allowed to gain citizenship for a
while made it all the more gratifying when I was allowed in. And I tried to show my gratitude by getting to work immediately.

-> You’ve played NationStates on both sides of the raiding and defending game. Do you feel that your experience on both sides will help you in decision
making when it comes to the Osiris Sehkmet Legion?

I think that understanding both sides of r/d is important when making decisions with any military. Knowing what the opposition does to oppose you is a valuable
asset when strategizing. But also, an important part of a GCR military is about acting according to the nature of your region and the people you are serving as
Delegate. So that will likely be my focus with Sekhmet- continuing to build the military up in terms of good leaders with a good overall knowledge of both sides of
r/d, and considering the will of the Osiran people as we plan operations. Not that I'm going to have them defend, mind you. Osiris is proud to be the only raiding
GCR and the only GCR that isn't some flavor of independent. Even if "Turning Sekhmet Blue" would be pretty, it wouldn't be Osiris.

In terms of NSGP, who has taught you the most about leadership in Gameplay? Who has inspired you the most in Gameplay? (if the answer is the same we
can throw the question as “Who has taught you and inspired you the most in NSGP?”)

Altino, hands down. And it's not even just helping to teach me leadership in GP, she's taught me loads of stuff that applies to real life as well. I am a very strong
believer in meritocracy, the need to train people to ensure the future of the region, and working with the people on what is needed rather than trying to force
something onto them. These are all signs of Altino's mentorship, and anyone who is under her "wing" can tell you how successful her way of doing tings is. But I
think a really important part of it all has been her refusal to just let me blindly follow her. She encourages people to use their own thoughts and form their own
opinions, to build their own foundation and put their own plans into place. From the moment she told me I was going to be her Heiress Apparent she's been very
vocal about that. And it is important that any leader in any region learn to make their own steps, regardless of who taught them how to walk. It's made me stronger.

-> ​When you first joined Osiris, where did you get your start? What advice would you give to new Osirans about getting involved?

I got my start by pestering Altino about being a part of Gameside. I then pestered Sygian about being his subviz and I landed Subvizier of World Assembly Affairs. I
literally had no clue about anything with the WA. It was something I ignored unless a lib was going through or someone I'd heard of was getting C/C'd. But the cool
thing about Nationstates is that these jobs don't need a degree, just a bit of research and the motivation to take what you have and make it into something.
Government work has like 2 objectives: keeping your region stable and secure and promoting activity. Both of those are abstract, but once you start really thinking
about those goals and how to pursue them you'll do fine in any area of the game. Except military, which requires know how and reflexes.

My advice to new Osirans is to pick one department, learn who your Subviz and Viz are of that department and ask them what you can do to make their life easier.
Get good at that one thing, then ask for another. Grind hard and you'll get it, cos that's how meritocracies work. Hopefully.

What do you think is going to be your biggest challenge as Pharaoh?

Probably branching out into the parts of NS I haven't dived into while simultaneously trying to manage a group of people who will, at times be demotivated to do any
of the work NS requires while also simultaneously trying to make sure Osiris both holds its ground but also doesn't make huge mistakes on the GP stage while also
giving advice and training people up to eventually take my spot while simultaneously being adorable as heck.

You know, the whole ting. I don't think any of it is going to be easy but that's not why I stepped up.

Why did you step up?

Ponysiris.
 Ask Someone Else
Ask Someone Else is Osiris’ monthly advice column from our
darling contributor Someone Elsa.
Hi there, it’s Elsa. Typically advice columnists have this little heartfelt
intro that gives vague motivation or some sort of anecdote that ends in a
cutesy meaning. That’s lame. Instead I’m going to say thanks to all of you
who have sent in questions this week because you’re the light of my life.
The one thing I cannot live without. Literally, Lynxi would kill me.
So, yeah. Questions.
Do you have any advice for raising an effective gummy bear army to take
over the world? - Skies
Ah, gummy bears. Small bear shaped pieces of gelatin in assorted flavors
in colors. The person who came up with this idea was obviously a genius so
I think the best bet would be to build off of their genius. They’re sweet,
colorful, and kid friendly. So obviously you use this into tricking parents
into letting them into their homes all around the world, and bam you have
sleeper agents in every house. Except for vegans and people who can’t eat
gelatin for religious reasons and whatnot. They’re safe.
Lazsiris Sleepover Party
By Bowzin
In order to show all of NationStates that sinkers really know
how to throw down, Lazarus and Osiris got together and hosted a
slumber party. The 3 day event spanning from March 8th to March 10th
was a real blast, including activities such as art submissions, trivia, a
pajama contest, a pillow fight tournament, and overall fun. While all the
separate activities were enjoyed thoroughly, perhaps the most popular
one was trivia, which seemed to be going on non-stop from the day the
festival started until its eventual close. Cormac and Benja both took
home gold medals in the day and night time trivia, respectively, proving
their wits and representing Osiris.
In the pajama contest, Ham showed their fashion and won with
the best looking pair of PJ depicting an adorable pig dressed in some
flowery pjs.
In the pillow fight tournament, teams from countries all over the
two sinker regions showed up to prove they are the best. In the end, the
Bad Bunnies from Aynia In Winged Eyeliner took home the medal as
the pillow fight champions.

Whenever I make cookies they never come out right. I try to measure, I
follow directions, but sometimes they just morph into a giant super cookie
o.o What could I be doing wrong? - Aynia

I mean, is one giant super cookie really a problem though? If I recall

correctly, they specifically make giant cookies and sell them in the store.
With frosting. Buy frosting for your inevitable cookie failures? Buy those
cookies you only have to heat up in the oven. Don’t even heat them up, just
eat the raw dough out of the package. Be an America-

Oh you’re not American. Uh, space them out a bit on the cookie sheet.

How do I get myself back into NS? - James

Well, considering most people fight like hell to get out of NS I don’t know
if you have a problem. But it’s always greener, I suppose. If I were you I’d
examine my life, find the things that make me happy and busy in real life,
and I would stop those things. Obviously, Nationstates is a selfish deity that
demands your undivided attention so you have to give it everything. That’s
why the rest of us can’t get out. Good luck?
What's the magic word? - Kawaii
Brum·ma·gem
/ˈbrəməjəm/
adjective
cheap, showy, or counterfeit.
"a vile Brummagem substitute for the genuine article"
The art room generated many amazing submissions, based off a
few themes provided by the event coordinators, including: something
that reminds you of your Sinker experience, the ultimate pillow for a
pillowfight, and shipping Osiris and Lazarus as a cute couple.
Participants from both regions had a blast as the voice channels
in the event discord were filled up almost every time I took a look, and
conversation was constantly popping throughout the event, it was hard
to even keep up with all the activity. All in all, the festival was a blast
for everyone involved, and really showed what it means to be part of a
sinker.

Can I ask two questions? - Kawaii

Only if you give me money to buy these cute socks from the internet with.

How do I deal with all the benches in my life? - Bowzin

Well I can only surmise that you are some sort of janitor or park worker. Or
a serial bench sitter? In any case, I believe you need to approach each
bench with respect. Maybe stop using the word bench? Use something like
“seating apparatus” or “chair that has not been optimized for personal
seating requirements.” If your job is to clean them, be gentle! Using harsh
chemicals can really wear down the wood, plastic, or metal of the seating
apparatus. If you’re just looking for a seat, remember to use your manners
in requesting its assent. Assent is key to any seating relationship. I hope
that helps.
 Sekhmet News
By Drin

Osiris’ Sekhmet Legion has had a pretty laid back month. The largest operation of the month is the ongoing occupation of Westphalia lead by
The Black Hawks. With over 70 participants and lasting for several weeks, it is a truly massive occupation.

In addition to military operations, participants have been having fun interacting with natives on the RMB. Remember to keep it classy!

Hopefully TBH and their allies will be able to claim victory in the upcoming weeks. Moshir Benjababoria lead a 50 target raid, hitting 43
targets successfully. Sekhmet has also undertaken anti-NPO missions in the Warzones as part of Osiris’ ongoing war the New Pacific Order.

Currently, the Legion is assisting in Osiris’ delegate transition as Lynxi prepares to take the throne. The Legion is always looking for more
recruits. Citizens can apply on the forums for service in the Legion. The Legion is an excellent place to help Osiris and meet new friends. Some
leadership changes are expected in the near future, which will give recruits an opportunity to distinguish themselves.

 
 
 
 
 
Gameside Affairs Announces: 
 
 

Congratulations to Stone Age Electricians for becoming RMB Contributor of the month for March 2019! We appreciate your activity and consider it
one of the most important aspects of our community.

Each month Gameside Affairs celebrates 1 consistently active and quality contributor to the RMB. So get to posting and you can be our next RMB
Contributor of the Month!