NationStates

The Articles of Pan-Asia
Miscellaneous Worldbuilding and Lore Maintainance Thread

About

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This is a lore maintenance thread, and that simply means that this thread will be used to give contextual basis for facets of society, culture, history, technology and works of industry.

Transcripts from documents, stories of everyday life, voices of the common man, aspects of news reporting beyond the traditional news thread, and other miscellaneous in-character works will be posted on this thread. Some might be referenced in future roleplays.

It is important to note that this will not only be restricted to traditional third-person storytelling, and that the contexts and emotional weight of features may vary greatly depending on the topic addressed and the way that it is approached.

All posters are my own original content.

Table of Contents

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PROPAGANDA ART

1. Miscellaneous Pan-Asiatic States Armed Forces (PASAF) Recruitment Posters (No. 1)
2. Miscellaneous Pan-Asiatic States Armed Forces (PASAF) Recruitment Posters (No. 2)
3. Miscellaneous International Socialist Volunteer Corps (ISVC) Recruitment Posters (No. 1)
4. Miscellaneous International Socialist Volunteer Corps (ISVC) Recruitment Posters (No. 2)
5. Miscellaneous Pan-Asiatic States Social Posters (Anti-Americae Roma Edition)(No. 1)
6. Miscellaneous Pan-Asiatic States Social Posters (No. 2)
7. Miscellaneous Pan-Asiatic States Social Posters (Anti-Reorganisieren Reichregierung Edition)(No. 3)

MEMOIRS OF THE PEOPLE

1. Memoirs of the People, Part I - Narrations of the Lives of the Citizens of the Pan-Asiatic States
2. Memoirs of the People, Part II - Narrations of the Lives of the Citizens of the Pan-Asiatic States

MISCELLANEOUS

1. "Can I Tell Her?" - A Ministry of State and Public Security Memorandum for New Employees
2. Jaraguptans, Your Liberation Is Near! - A Propaganda Leaflet From the International Socialist Congress' Forces Advocating Revolution In Jaragupta
3. Status Report: Research Project CIPHER - Confidential Communique Regarding the Development of Resistance Communications Arrays
4. The Motherland Calls Replica, Neo-Manila - Monumental Sculpture for Heroes of the Third Pacific War
5. Pan-Asiatic States' Standing On the International Index of Corruption - A Report by NGOs From Drongonia On Corruption In the Pan-Asiatic States
6. School Uniforms In the Pan-Asiatic States - A Report On the Standards for Uniforms In Pan-Asiatic Schools, From a Survey By Great Nortend
7. Sign-Off in the Pan-Asiatic States - Standardized End-of-the Day Programme For TV and Radio Stations in the Pan-Asiatic States

"Can I Tell Her?"
A Ministry of State and Public Security Memorandum for New Employees

As a member of the one big family that is the Pan-Asiatic States government, it will be natural for you to become enthusiastic about the incredible endeavors you'll be undertaking with us, and to want to tell others. But just a second there, my good man! Let's take a minute to consider what could happen if company information fell into the wrong hands, and whose hands those might be.

"Can I tell my wife?" Well, let's say you do. You tell her not to tell anyone. Your bond is sacred. But a woman's idle tongue is the devil's plaything. No sooner do you leave for work the next day than she's on the phone telling her best friend Lia. Then Lia tells Angie, Angie tells Maxine, Maxine tells Lulu, and while Lulu is telling Jiah, a dirty American agent posing as an Asian operator listens in, and the next thing she's on the line with Washington, singing like a treasonous canary. The following day you and your wife are bound in shackles and the United Snakes of America is sitting at the controls of our entire arsenal.

"Can I tell my children?" What father wouldn't want to his kids to look up to him? Don't be that father. One day at school, Allen Bullyson will get more than lunch money out of your kids. He'll have national secrets! And while Donald Trump is pinning a medal on him as an American hero, your children will be working in Alabama cotton fields, right next to you and your beautiful young wife, who's now wrinkled and homely since the make-up industry has been monopolized by greedy American capitalists.

"Can I tell my drinking comrades?" Surely if there's somewhere safe a man can place his trust, it's with his other male friends. But how much do you really know about them? Are they comrades... or *KULAKS*? Don't be too sure. Even the most transparent window can hide secrets when it's lined with U.S dollars.

Always remember: you are a member of two families now. And you have obligations to both. But your obligations to the People's Federation is greater, because while your children may misbehave and your friends may change and your wife may nag and cheat on you, your beloved Pan-Asiatic States will always be marching for and protecting your way of life. Don't tell anybody about anything about the projects of the Ministry of State and Public Security. When pressed, tell them that your job is repetitive and not worth discussing, but the Ministry is nurturing, gives good benefits and is always looking for new talent.

Jaraguptans, Your Liberation Is Near!
A Propaganda Leaflet From the International Socialist Congress' Forces Advocating Revolution In Jaragupta

The islands of the Wishton Sea were the lands of paradise built for and by the working-class, ordained to us by Kartā Purakh. During the last two or three centuries, however these lands turned into an area of misery and suffering by the aggressive exploitation of the capitalist: our leaders have sold our resources, homes, futures, and very lives to the benefit of the European and Western powers! Those foreign exploiters return the favor today, sending their soldiers of fortune who fight for nothing but ill-gotten money.

The good natured people then did not know how to defend themselves from the burglar with weapons. There was no other way left for those people who were dreaming in their paradise, but to let the exploiters do what they please.

THIS ENDS TODAY!

The world is rising-up against imperialism and capitalism! The International Socialist Congress (ISC) has organized the independent nations of the world into a compact and solid alliance of free liberty-loving peoples! The Committee for the Liberation of Jaragupta (CLJ), led by our Asian brothers in the Pan-Asiatic States, has dedicated itself fully to exposing the lies of our traitorous monarchs!

Let us march together, comrades! Join the revolutionary resistance of the Pradhaan Soviet by contacting your local Signal Officer! Jaragupta today, tommorrow - forever!

Status Report: Research Project CIPHER
Confidential Communique Regarding the Development of Resistance Communications Arrays

AMC Northern Mission Control, Harbin (China)

FROM: Dr. Robert Shen, State Security Confidential Communication Division
TO: Ministress of State Security Haimi Louangrath-Lorenzana
RE: Status Report - Research Project CIPHER (#100192)

[ DATE REDACTED ]

Dear Ministress,

We know there are isolated pockets of resistance around the world just waiting for someone to reach out and organize them. To unite the resistance and forge a global movement, we'll need a means of communicating that is both secure and discreet.

Although conceptually the idea of establishing a radio-based communications system for the purpose of organizing a resistance movement is nothing new, harkening back to any number of previous revolutions, what we hope to accomplish here is still no small task. The Americans are particularly adept at detecting our signals, with a vast array of technology and resources at their disposal.

However, we've begun to salvage some of the Western bloc's own communications equipment from various conflict zones across the Middle East. From studying the surviving log files, we've discovered an astounding number of simultaneous communications being distributed through their military networks at any given time. This has proven to be the key to our proposed solution; with so much traffic flowing through their network, it should be relatively easy for us to disguise our own transmissions among theirs. Using research blacksites as hubs, we can establish a communications network linking resistance outposts from insurgents around the globe. Every new contact we establish should organize and strengthen the Orientalist movement as a whole.

Currently, the encryption technology we have on hand serves our purposes adequately in terms of coordinating our communications network, but if we hope to increase our range and reach every possible outlet we will have to do more. A series of carefully-positioned relay towers would suffice, assuming we can miniaturize the technology we've adapted from the West's own communications equipment. It may be difficult to balance the requisite power levels versus the increased chances of detection, but this is our best chance to expand on our capabilities. With the increased coverage we can expect the efficiency of local resistance operations to improve, strengthening the groups working within range of our forward operating bases.

I'm going to be meeting with the Secretary-General today along with several members of my research task force. I'm hoping that he'll consider our plan to include setting-up several research blacksites in his worldwide trade initiative. The blacksites will act as relays to continue hijacking the West's networks and ensure the integrity of our encryption systems. Perhaps a few in Khataiy to act as a hub for Middle Eastern conflicts, and one in Skyhooked to remain in range of Latin America and U.S soil?

Sincerely,
Dr. Robert Shen

The Motherland Calls Replica, Neo-Manila
Monumental Sculpture for Heroes of World War 2

The Motherland Calls (Russian: Родина-мать зовёт!, tr. Rodina-mat' zovyot!, lit. 'Homeland-Mother Is Calling!') was originally the compositional centre of a monument-ensemble on Mamayev Kurgan in Stalingrad, USSR. It was designed by sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich and structural engineer Nikolai Nikitin, and declared the tallest statue in the world in 1967. At 85 m (279 ft), it is the tallest statue in Europe and the tallest statue (excluding pedestals) of a woman in the world.

In 1998, a replica of the famous memorial was constructed in Neo-Manila, the capital of the Pan-Asiatic States. Standing at 60 m (196.85 ft), the replica was constructed under the leadership of engineer Shao Xiuying, a famous Chinese memorial artist from Yuanyang County, Yunnan in the Chinese Confederation. The statue stands across a hallowed veteran's burial ground, and the dome-shaped Museum of Asian Independence. Today, it is one of Neo-Manila's most famous tourist attractions.

A plaque, beneath the sculpture's feet, written in English, reads the following:

"This monument commemorates the many shared sacrifices of the brave men and women of the Pan-Asiatic States Armed Forces and the Soviet Red Army. From the Long March of Jiangxi to Shaanxi, from the Volga River to the Black Sea, from Lingayen Gulf to the Pacific Ocean - Communist Revolutionaries have fought and died through the ages to secure our nation’s unity and independence. May their sacrifices remind us all that freedom is a privilege afforded to the many, yet hard won by a noble few."

Memoirs of the People, Part I
Narrations of the Lives of the Citizens of the Pan-Asiatic States

CALL TRANSCRIPT
LOGGED BY MSPS APRIL 20, 2020
NEO-MANILA, TAGALOG SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLIC

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CHALINA BALBUTIN: "Iho, do you know why toys are important? They help children dream. They let them imagine a better future - I know it helped me escape the war when I was a child. Toys give children hope. Thirty years ago, I met a man who understood that. Your father and I built Balbutin Atomatoys on that hope. He poured his life into that hope. And now? You've thrown it all away. Sold our family's company in search of a quick profit. It's still not too late."

If you won't do it for me, for your father, for the company, then... please, do it for the children."

VICTORIANO BALBUTIN JR.: "You're wrong. It is too late. The world is changing, mother. Our nation does not need ragdolls nor remote-controlled cars. The war never ended - and while some of our countrymen are busy building playthings our enemies are building bombs and tanks.

Our manufactories will make firearms, bullets - tools to further our Revolution. And if you can't accept that, then perhaps you should have never given me this position of immense power and opportunity."

VICTORIANO BALBUTIN SR.: "You're right son. Maybe we never should have."

CITIZEN JOURNAL ENTRY
LOGGED BY MSPS JANUARY 12, 2020
CITY 112, JAPANESE SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLIC

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"Her eyes were perfect - her hair was flawless. City 112 would pause, and the Sakura, blooming, were carried away by her feminine fragrance.

But I didn't love her. That's what the Bureau told me. I don't.

My trodding's call was faint, devoured by the cement below. The leather hit those weary slabs again and again, to the orchestra of identical, perfect beings; going about their everyday life. To the symphony of the five-minute-train, the mist danced around me. Many faces, all exhausted, passed by me like a spectre. I sat by the bench.

It felt so surreal. Back when the sun had not hid behind the pastures, as it was now, the Happiness Directors confronted me, and I was pulled out of my daily classes. They told me hurtful things. They told me that the euphoria was meaningless, that she wasn't - she didn't, she would never fill my soul.

I just have to wonder sometimes. What price does happiness entail?

I lived in New York when I was younger, when Broadway was my calling, and the Party wanted to broaden my horizons. The Americans laugh, and they cry, and they make mistakes. They indulge their desires so steadfast, like dogs. They hurt themselves and they move on. They never learn, but they always seem so.. blissful about it. Their love is the love of the masochist- never sated, never resting. They seek self-actualization through the affirmation of others.

I want to become learned. I know I want to, and I try. Citizen Advancement turned me down for being too emotional. The Youth League hated my hunger for curiosity. My academics are exceptional, but I'm indecisive, indifferent, and just too plain to be accepted by anyone - not even myself. I keep thinking just maybe her affection will save me from my anxiety but...

Huh. Maybe I've become an American myself. I fall in love too easily."

OBSERVATION REPORT
LOGGED BY MSPS NOVEMBER 7, 2019
ORAGRAD CITY, CHINESE CONFEDERATION

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15-year-old Cory Fang-Buenavides of Oragrad City was finally free from school. Her brown eyes glistened despite gloomy skies, through the street-lights of mid-October. It was a fairly chill day at P.S 991. Her High School electives demanded from her a later dismissal schedule, but she was content with that. She'd always wanted to pursue the Fine Arts, and the year was going well for her. She walked home to her flat, a fifteen-minute walk away from school. Every block had a school, a store, and some flats; neatly compartmentalized by the State for convenience. If she so chose, she could visit the Revolutionary Art Museum by cheap, MagLev train and be home by dinner. The Southern Quarter looked windy, though, and she didn't want to risk getting wet should the sky choose to rain.

Speaking of the Fine Arts, a parade celebrating the October Revolution blasted propaganda on full-volume across the street. There were some Red Guard Militiamen, People's Police, and Armed Forces personnel enjoying the festivities by waving small and large flags of their home-states.

Her 20-year-old Holotablet vibrated, and she felt it from her bag. Bringing it out, she realized it was a text message. A text from her Assigned Husband. His picture on her phone was that of a handsome, young man with fit features. Black strands of hair constituted a suave, irresistible styling.

Apparently, her man was bringing home dinner tonight. She was slightly disappointed she wouldn't be able to cook, but relieved that she could take the rest of the day off. Their apartment was nothing extravagant. It was the same flat assigned to them when they were first paired together by the Bureau.

The mailbox was disturbed. She opened it to check the contents. A letter rested there.

She'd been accepted to the Eastern Visayas University of Fine Arts. An acceleration from high school to college was common, but to study at such an intelligentsia-inhabited school was a miracle. She rang the doorbell. Her man, welcoming her with open arms, embraced her skinny body with haste. They really were in love by now. A love conjugal to the State. He gave her a kiss on the forehead, and they proceeded to the dining room, where they'd watch Season 19 of Ang Probinsyano while eating cheap steak from a downtown restaurant.

"It's a good day to be Asian", she thought to herself.

Memoirs of the People, Part II
Narrations of the Lives of the Citizens of the Pan-Asiatic States

LOCAL P.A TRANSCRIPT
LOGGED BY MSPS JANUARY 25-29, 2020
VLADIMIR ILYICH ULYANOV PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
NEO-MANILA, TAGALOG SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLIC

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TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE

These three recordings were intercepted by the department's new experimental surveillance technology between January the 25th and 29th, 2020. In case anybody from the NAPP finds them useful in the future, I have archived them on this database.

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SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENT #1
JANUARY 25, 2020
09:56:53

ZHAO CHINEN: "Good morning teachers and students!

It is another great week here at Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov Elementary. I hope everyone is getting their costumes together for the annual Manila Rebellion re-enactment. I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that no outside food is to be brought on campus as of this week. This goes for faculty as well as students. You will instead receive packets of thick pink paste for recess and lunch. Please do not be alarmed by this.

We have received these generous donations from the National Health Commission for our implementation of the Nutrition Alternative Paste Program, as part of their ongoing social trial. We owe our benefactors strict adherence to the rules they have set forth.

Thank you for your attention. This is Principal Zhao, signing off."

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SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENT #2
JANUARY 27, 2020
09:00:28

ZHAO CHINEN: "Good morning teachers and students!

It is a fabulous morning here at Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov Elementary. The Glee Club is having their seasonal bake sale today, so stop by and show your support so we can send our team to the Regionals! Remember, actual baked goods are forbidden on school grounds, so they will be selling colorful cups for your food paste.

Also, we will be having a school assembly during second period tomorrow regarding the dangers of strangers by Pilandok the Mouse-Deer himself! Once again we would like to thank our benefactors from the NAPP for allowing us to have such a big star come and speak to you kids, and of course all the other very generous donations they've made to support our humble school's infrastructure - such as, as you will notice when you all set for your respective classes, our new plaza benches and cafeteria tables.

Thus, we owe our benefactors strict adherence to the rules they have set forth.

This is principal Zhao, signing off. Have a great day!"

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SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENT #3
JANUARY 29, 2020
10:30:01

ZHAO CHINEN: "Good morning, all!

The NAPP launched several days ago with success, but not without problems. I hate to have to throw away your mothers' carefully packed lunches, but I am afraid we must put our foot down on this issue. I am assured all of you will get used to the flavor of the paste. Also, I have been informed that flavor varieties will be on their way pending continued success of the program. How exciting!

To those complaining, I will repeat: There are absolutely no psychological or physical side effects from participation in the NAPP. Any observed effect is assuredly psychosomatic and possibly related to a lack of trust in our glorious Pan-Asiatic government. Remember, our participation in the NAPP not only helps our school, but in the long run, benefits our nation.

Thank you for your attention. This is principa- *cough* Zhao... s- *intense coughing* signing... signing off..."

*audible sound of a loud thud, possibly a book or a head, hitting a much harder surface, like a desk or a floor*

Pan-Asiatic States' Standing On the International Index of Corruption
A Report by NGOs From Drongonia On Corruption In the Pan-Asiatic States

The Drongonian Government, partnered with several NGOs and private research institutes, has compiled a questionnaire which seeks to establish the amount of corruption within any given country: nations are given a trustworthiness score from 0 - 100, with zero being most corrupt and 100 being a perfect score, indicating no corruption being present.

The scale below is wide and variable, e.g, a nation which scores 74.9 is not as corrupt as a nation with a score of 50, but they share a bracket and therefore a classification.

The People's Federation of Pan-Asiatic States
Estados Pan-Asyatiko
泛亚洲国家联合会

92.0
Corruption Prevalence: 22.4/25
Corruption Prevention: 21.1/25
Corruption Monitoring and Reporting: 24.5/25
Corruption Punishment: 24.0/25

NOT CORRUPT
"Nations scoring in this range are simply not corrupt. Robust processes are in place to prevent and punish any potential corruption. Corruption cases are few and far between, with public officials and members of law enforcement being held to very high standards with regards to their integrity."

Corruption Prevalence
How many corruption-related arrests are made every year? 29,035~ cases when a sum total of local, military, State, and Federal arrests is procured, based on 2020 statistics from the Ministry of Justice. It is worth noting that, for the last two years, as part of a massive anti-corruption campaign, over 120 high-ranking officials, including about a dozen high-ranking military officers, several senior executives of state-owned companies, and five national leaders have been arrested. Furthermore, greater than 100,000 people have been indicted for corruption between 2015 and 2020.
How many acts of corruption are estimated to go unchecked every year? 50,800~ cases go unchecked every year, based on a 2010 study conducted by Peking University. However, the age of the study is worth noting, and should be assumed to have decreased significantly in 2020.
Do citizens complain about corruption via social media or other channels? Yes. The courts of the Pan-Asiatic States begin at the lowest level in the form of both residential and industrial councils. Courts for reporting one's employer and one's local village head to one's workers' council are governed separately.
Have you (the official participating in this survey) seen corruption in the past year? Yes.
Did your leader come to power via transparent, trusted and legal means? Yes.

Corruption Prevention
Are there specific laws prohibiting individuals from participating in corrupt acts? Yes, it is enshrined in the constitution. In addition, 4 Federal codes dictating the guidelines constituting corrupt activities exist in public law.
Are elections for national, state and local government free, fair, open and subject to inspection? Yes, but only by NGOs approved by an executive commission of the Ministry of Justice. The World Assembly is regularly prohibited from making thorough inspections of Federal expenditure for reasons involving military and political confidentiality.
Are individuals standing for public office required to adhere to an oath or other agreement regarding corruption? Yes.
Is there a framework for preventing corruption in all public sectors, including health, education, police and military? Yes, in the form of yearly fiscal auditing.
Is reporting of corruption able to be done anonymously and discretely? No. Allegations of corruption are filed into the public domain the moment the accusation is officiated by an accuser. It is up to the Ministry of State and Public Security's leadership whether or not to consider an individual worthy of witness protection, but even if they are entered into a witness protection program, their name is not censored by court proceedings.

Corruption Monitoring and Reporting
Is there a government body in place to monitor and report incidences of corruption? Legally speaking, there is no official committee whose primary task is to regularly investigate corrupt activities. However, the National Audit Office (NAO) must ensure that funds are being allocated correctly every time a new year's fiscal budget is proposed.
If so, how much authority does this body have? Can it make arrests? No. Arrests can only be made once due process is fulfilled and a standing order to do so is approved by a judge.
Are there non-government bodies who investigate and report corruption? Yes. Several democratic preservation committees investigate corruption as NGOs throughout the Pan-Asiatic States.
If so, are they given freedom to report on confirmed and possible cases of corruption? Yes, but an individual accuser must be held accountable for the accusation.
Are journalists and members of the public free to express their concerns regarding corruption in your nation? Yes. This is enshrined in the constitution as well.

Corruption Punishment
What is the maximum sentence for committing financial fraud via government means? Death penalty.
What is the maximum sentence for committing electoral fraud? Death penalty.
What is the maximum sentence for misleading voters in an election? There is no official law dictating that misleading voters in an election can be grounds for impeachment.
What is the maximum sentence for committing a conflict of interest crime? 20 years incarceration, with 5 years of community service to a local government agency or state-owned company.
Are those suspected of corruption-related crimes stood down from office while the investigation takes place? No.

School Uniforms In the Pan-Asiatic States
A Report On the Standards for Uniforms In Pan-Asiatic Schools, From a Survey By Great Nortend

Do schools in this country mandate a uniform or dress code? Yes; uniforms are a common part of the schools in the Pan-Asiatic States. Almost all secondary schools as well as some elementary schools require students to wear uniforms.

What kind of uniform or dress code is considered normal or standard at state schools?

• Uniforms in the Pan-Asiatic States usually consist of five sets: 2 formal sets and 3 everyday sets. A formal set is worn on Mondays or special occasions (school anniversaries, school ceremonies, etc.) There is one formal set for summer and one set for winter. Everyday uniforms in the winter usually consist of a zippered sweater and trousers and a collared shirt (usually white).
• Students also usually have a special uniform for events held by the Asian Communist Party's youth league, with a light blue collared shirt and khaki bottom variation for elementary students, a black-and-white jacket variation for high school students, and an olive green suit for university students.
• Thinner materials are worn in the spring and fall and short or long trousers may be worn in the summer.
• It is relatively common for there to be some kind of state-sponsored advertisement for government offices on some non-formal school uniform shirts, though this trend has fluctuated in recent years.

Do girls and boys have different uniforms or dress codes in state schools? No. The general consensus of state schools in relation to the adoption of uniform is to remain gender neutral in all types of attire. Both male and female students are therefore typically found wearing similar attire, an example of this being khaki pants and short-sleeved polos.

Are hats, bags and accessories a part of the uniform or dress code in state schools? Some ceremonial outfits of the youth league involve a red scarf and/or olive cap. Bags are not usually controlled, however a plain black or brown leather satchel is de rigeur. Other accessories for miscellaneous school attire such as gloves, scarfs, watches or handkerchiefs may or may not be required or regulated.

Are hair, facial hair, hair products, tattoos, makeup or jewellery controlled in state schools? Yes. State schools usually require simple, smart hair styles. For boys, this often requires hair to be not too long, off the collar and not covering the eyes or ears, sideburns not too long, and no facial hair. Girls normally have much less strict restrictions, with requirements that the hair be tied back if too long with ribbons standard. Hair product may generally be used, as long as it is reasonable. Tattoos are nearly always banned, and extremely socially unacceptable, whilst makeup is prohibited in nearly all schools, as are most types of jewellery. Religious items such as crosses and scapulars, are also banned.

Is the standard different in private or independent schools, if they exist? Private and independent schools no longer exist in Asia.

Sign-Off in the Pan-Asiatic States
Standardized End-of-the Day Programme For TV and Radio Stations in the Pan-Asiatic States

Before the advent of twenty-four-hour television, channels would shut off broadcasts at a given time each night and show a "sign-off" to tell viewers to turn off the TV. Most late 20th century channels all around the world showed the national anthem accompanied by patriotic images or videos; others (Like RTÉ in Ireland) would broadcast a prayer or religious song.

The practice of "signing-off" has largely grown out of fashion around much of the world because TV channels either show programming through the night or fill the late hours with advertising. However, a few local stations in the USA have reintroduced the practice as a means to instil patriotism and Radio 4 in the UK also still plays "God Save the Queen" daily. For all channels funded in part or in full by the Pan-Asiatic States Federal News Agency and Official State Media (PAFNA-OSM), this tradition has not stopped at all due to a lack of content to show during late hours and Federal law's forbiddance of broadcasting paid programming on state-owned channels. PAFNA-OSM's standardized sign-off, the national anthem, is played across both radio and TV stations owned by the Pan-Asiatic States government when the scheduled programme has officially come to a close.

On the radio, an announcer is compelled to first recite the following script before the sign-off anthem is played:

Ladies and gentlemen, we now conclude another day of broadcasting activities. This station is a [commercial/government] radio station owned and operated by (name of operating state-company), as authorized by the Pan-Asiatic States Federal News Agency and Official State Media and licensed by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), with license number ___-___-___. This radio station is now signing off. Please do not forget to turn-off your radio. Ladies and gentlemen, the State-Anthem of the People's Federation of Pan-Asiatic States. *ANTHEM PLAYS*

Similarly, on the TV, the following script is usually displayed in text form for around 30 seconds before the sign-off anthem is played:

This is (name of station), a [commercial/government] television station. Authorized to operate until December 31, ????. (Name of station) is now signing on/off. *ANTHEM PLAYS*

THE ICONIC "BEEP" AT THE END OF THE SIGN-OFF

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In the 90s, the end-of-day sign-off also consisted of a warning sign accompanied by a loud buzzer, with text advising citizens to turn-off their television sets to protect the light-emitting components of the televisions from burn out. The buzzer, a sharp, annoying tone, is meant to wake-up anyone who had happened to have fallen asleep while watching the programme. Legend has it that this was included because the Soviet-made TVs exported to the Pan-Asiatic States at that time had a nasty habit of exploding and starting house fires when they were left on overnight.

However, it is generally agreed-upon that this myth became widespread because of how the "beep" sound resembled that of a bomb and thus became the centerpiece of a running joke about age-old Communist-made TVs exploding - with others easily catching-on to it because it fits the age old myth that Communist technology was so backwards it had to be comically broken.

There were no screen savers back in the day and even if there were, it made no sense to keep all that broadcasting equipment powered on just to prevent someone's left-on TV from developing burn spots. This screen usually only lasted a few dozen minutes before the network was shut down entirely.

It is also worth mentioning that the aforementioned burn-out does not entail the set catching fire. Cathode-ray tubes, or CRTs, are coated with a special substance that emits light when hit by the CRT's ray gun - it is the method by which they "draw" an image displayed on the television. When a television is left open, that coating eventually will start wearing off in the most bombarded areas, displaying images, usually text, of its most displayed scenes.