The Writers' Block

[Australian rePublic]

Are there any issues about hot/cold cultures?

[Verdant Haven]

-snip-

Our loss, and a big one, but completely understandable Jutsa! Thank you tremendously for everything you've done for us here. Without your posts providing a searchable look-up for issues so I could see examples and check what's already done, I don't think I would ever have gotten in to writing here.

[Bears Armed]

AIright, I think it's time to address that I'm probabIy, unfortuanteIy, not going to be an active writer here anymore.

SimpIy put, I started working, and on top of that I have so much irI that I can't even work on my most desired projects, much Iess projects-I-do-for-fun-but-stiII-take-a-Iot-of-time-and-isn't-the-same-as-pIaying-a-game (#GI), much Iess other NS reIated stuff (as of now I'm mostIy a shadow of what I used to be, over in my region).

And on top of that, this means I'm extremeIy unabIe to work on NSI rn. I'd stiII Iike to get some things finished, and I stiII want to do a Iot,
but I know I won't have time for any of it, at Ieast not for another few months.

This aIso means I won't be reaIIy keeping updated my issues Iist, unfortunateIy; again, it's aImost miracuIousIy faIIen to a very Iow spot on my priorities Iist.

It sucks, cause I honestIy didn't think I'd ever type something Iike this, but aIas, it's time I announce that I'II be on a hiatus.
Forever? Eh, not sure; again I'd honestIy Iove to stick around and do more here, it's just I don't have the time.
But it'II at Ieast be a few months before I start up a draft, get my issues Iist finished, or update NSI for reaI. Just a heads up, more than anything.

edit: accidentaIIy used discord formatting

Sorry to see you go, and hope that things work out okay for you.

[Chan Island]

So I'm considering an issue on outsourcing, specifically making it similar to the Port Talbot steel mill closure. Are there any issues that are very close to that? The outsourcing ones I've spotted are more general but fear I may have missed one.

[Altmer Dominion]

AIright, I think it's time to address that I'm probabIy, unfortuanteIy, not going to be an active writer here anymore.

SimpIy put, I started working, and on top of that I have so much irI that I can't even work on my most desired projects, much Iess projects-I-do-for-fun-but-stiII-take-a-Iot-of-time-and-isn't-the-same-as-pIaying-a-game (#GI), much Iess other NS reIated stuff (as of now I'm mostIy a shadow of what I used to be, over in my region).

And on top of that, this means I'm extremeIy unabIe to work on NSI rn. I'd stiII Iike to get some things finished, and I stiII want to do a Iot,
but I know I won't have time for any of it, at Ieast not for another few months.

This aIso means I won't be reaIIy keeping updated my issues Iist, unfortunateIy; again, it's aImost miracuIousIy faIIen to a very Iow spot on my priorities Iist.

It sucks, cause I honestIy didn't think I'd ever type something Iike this, but aIas, it's time I announce that I'II be on a hiatus.
Forever? Eh, not sure; again I'd honestIy Iove to stick around and do more here, it's just I don't have the time.
But it'II at Ieast be a few months before I start up a draft, get my issues Iist finished, or update NSI for reaI. Just a heads up, more than anything.

edit: accidentaIIy used discord formatting

Your lists, from the Issue Megathread to your NS Nation and Religion thread, have been staples of the GI experience. Thanks for everything you've done; take all the time you need out there. RL is always the priority.

[Jutsa]

I thank you all for your kind words

I'll check up on things once in a while, and if I get a huge megaburst of motivation to do this and nothing else,
and I don't have other things I have to do, I'll be here; and if things quiet down, I'll be back

[USS Monitor]

I have a couple of issue ideas rattling around on the theme of being too high:

Mining towns in very high elevations have unusually high infant mortality. Option 1: relocating people to lower elevations, even though it might mean a longer trip to haul ore and supplies to and from the mines, longer commutes, and miners spending more time away from their families. Option 2: Improving healthcare. Option 3: Closing the mines. Option 4: Eugenicist option saying this is great for natural selection and people should be encouraged to live in inhospitable places to toughen them up. Possible option 5: an indigenous tribal elder saying it's proof that @@DEMONYM@@ don't belong in those mountains and you should leave the land to the indigenous people.

The inspiration for that one is a Peruvian mining town I heard about on a documentary.

My other idea was an issue for nations with high drug use where parents are too high to take care of their kids and the issue is about preventing child neglect.

But I feel like the 2nd one is obvious enough it might already be done...

[Australian rePublic]

I have a couple of issue ideas rattling around on the theme of being too high:

Mining towns in very high elevations have unusually high infant mortality. Option 1: relocating people to lower elevations, even though it might mean a longer trip to haul ore and supplies to and from the mines, longer commutes, and miners spending more time away from their families. Option 2: Improving healthcare. Option 3: Closing the mines. Option 4: Eugenicist option saying this is great for natural selection and people should be encouraged to live in inhospitable places to toughen them up. Possible option 5: an indigenous tribal elder saying it's proof that @@DEMONYM@@ don't belong in those mountains and you should leave the land to the indigenous people.

The inspiration for that one is a Peruvian mining town I heard about on a documentary.

My other idea was an issue for nations with high drug use where parents are too high to take care of their kids and the issue is about preventing child neglect.

But I feel like the 2nd one is obvious enough it might already be done...

RE: I think it's a very interesting concept. Apparently, there's a tribe of people in the Himalayas who can survive at extreme alptitudes, higher than the average person. You might wanna look into that

[Autonomous Cleaner Bot Cleaners]

I have a couple of issue ideas rattling around on the theme of being too high:

Mining towns in very high elevations have unusually high infant mortality. Option 1: relocating people to lower elevations, even though it might mean a longer trip to haul ore and supplies to and from the mines, longer commutes, and miners spending more time away from their families. Option 2: Improving healthcare. Option 3: Closing the mines. Option 4: Eugenicist option saying this is great for natural selection and people should be encouraged to live in inhospitable places to toughen them up. Possible option 5: an indigenous tribal elder saying it's proof that @@DEMONYM@@ don't belong in those mountains and you should leave the land to the indigenous people.

Some googling suggests that infants (< 1-3 years) should avoid air travel or high elevations, since their lungs are not sufficiently strong. But "mining town," or some other population established enough to be having children, would seem like a group of people that would be accustomed to high elevation. Presumably, given how long they've lived in their respective environments, Peruvians and Nepalese know not to take the 1-week old on certain trips.

An issue about restricting infants aboard aircraft/commercial flights might be interesting, though. Smells, noise, potential lung damage; lots of options.

[Trotterdam]

Mining towns in very high elevations have unusually high infant mortality.

The inspiration for that one is a Peruvian mining town I heard about on a documentary.

Does that actually happen? I've never read about anything like that before - sure, climbing to high altitude too quickly without taking time to acclimate is hazardous, but lots of people live at high altitudes (for one, all of Tibet) and it seems to be working okay for them.

I don't know what Peruvian town you might be talking about, so I looked up the highest permanent settlement in the world, which, yes, does happen to be in Peru. The Wikipedia article doesn't mention anything about child mortality or the lack thereof, but it does mention that:

The town lacks plumbing and sanitation systems. There is also significant contamination by mercury, due to the mining practices.

I rather suspect that's a bigger factor in any health issues they might be having than the thin air.

My other idea was an issue for nations with high drug use where parents are too high to take care of their kids and the issue is about preventing child neglect.

But I feel like the 2nd one is obvious enough it might already be done...

I'm pretty sure that exact premise has never been used in issues. Of course, I have to wonder why this would be different from any other stupid thing parents can do to mistreat their children, or any other negative consequence of using drugs.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

I've never read about anything like that before - sure, climbing to high altitude too quickly without taking time to acclimate is hazardous, but lots of people live at high altitudes (for one, all of Tibet) and it seems to be working okay for them.

Got it - it's all about adaptation.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7943187

Being born in a high altitude does seem to raise infant mortality if you're not from a population that has been at high altitude for a long time, but not so much if you are part of a population that has selected for high altitude neonatal survival over sufficient generations.

Like all evolution it's not about "fittest" but rather "fittest to survive in a given environment".

[Trotterdam]

Okay, I'll accept that as a reliable source that this is a legitimate issue.

[Australian rePublic]

I have a couple of issue ideas rattling around on the theme of being too high:

Mining towns in very high elevations have unusually high infant mortality. Option 1: relocating people to lower elevations, even though it might mean a longer trip to haul ore and supplies to and from the mines, longer commutes, and miners spending more time away from their families. Option 2: Improving healthcare. Option 3: Closing the mines. Option 4: Eugenicist option saying this is great for natural selection and people should be encouraged to live in inhospitable places to toughen them up. Possible option 5: an indigenous tribal elder saying it's proof that @@DEMONYM@@ don't belong in those mountains and you should leave the land to the indigenous people.

Some googling suggests that infants (< 1-3 years) should avoid air travel or high elevations, since their lungs are not sufficiently strong. But "mining town," or some other population established enough to be having children, would seem like a group of people that would be accustomed to high elevation. Presumably, given how long they've lived in their respective environments, Peruvians and Nepalese know not to take the 1-week old on certain trips.

An issue about restricting infants aboard aircraft/commercial flights might be interesting, though. Smells, noise, potential lung damage; lots of options.

Infants shouldn't fly? I wish more people would heed that. I long for that long haul international flight that doesn't have a screaming baby. Or that short haul domestic flight. Or just any flight, really

[Krogon]

AIright, I think it's time to address that I'm probabIy, unfortuanteIy, not going to be an active writer here anymore.[/size]

ah shite. I finally have time to get back on NS cause work was taking up pretty much all of my time and this is what I find. sad to see you go, Jutsa. You were kinda my idol on here, and I aspired to be like you.

PS: we never got to do that collab issue we talked about like 5 months ago...RIP

[Krogon]

Any issues about an election taking place in a democratic nation where @@LEADER@@ is almost passed by another opponent? Is that even allowed, cause it might enroach on player autonomy? Also, any issues relating to Unintelligent Design? AKA Flying Spaghetti Monster, Invisible Unicorn, etc. I would love to see something like that.

[Australian rePublic]

Have we progressed too far into the 21st Century for for an issue about leaded petrol to be relevant?

Any issues about an election taking place in a democratic nation where @@LEADER@@ is almost passed by another opponent? Is that even allowed, cause it might enroach on player autonomy? Also, any issues relating to Unintelligent Design? AKA Flying Spaghetti Monster, Invisible Unicorn, etc. I would love to see something like that.

Such an issue exists, where they have to ask the best way to determine the results of an election
Also, there is an issue "Evolution- Truth or Witchcraft"

[Chan Island]

Any issues about an election taking place in a democratic nation where @@LEADER@@ is almost passed by another opponent? Is that even allowed, cause it might enroach on player autonomy? Also, any issues relating to Unintelligent Design? AKA Flying Spaghetti Monster, Invisible Unicorn, etc. I would love to see something like that.

There's both an issue about a hung parliament and an issue about choosing a coalition partner. There are also several issues that have @@LEADER@@ be very close to losing an election or up against a strong opponent. That's probably as close as it would get without encroaching on player autonomy.

And yes, there is. There's the one with the creationism vs evolution debate.

[Trotterdam]

Have we progressed too far into the 21st Century for for an issue about leaded petrol to be relevant?

Looks that way. According to Wikipedia, only three countries in the world (Algeria, Yemen, Iraq) still make common use of it, none do so exclusively, and it's been that way since at least June 2016.

EDIT: That's cars, though. Apparently lead is still used in aviation gasoline for small planes (but not the jumbo jets that major airlines operate, which use different fuel).

[Bears Armed]

And in NS, although admittedly issues & the WA are considered separate from each other, there's a GA resolution giving any WA members who still use this a deadline to phase it out...

[Krogon]

Are there any issues about a revolution taking place in @@NAME@@? I'm not talking the riots or protests we regularly see in issues, I'm talking French/Russian Revolution style. This would only be for nations that have a lot of milliStalins or are very corrupt. Though that type of issue might go into the territory of enroachment...

Still throwing out ideas here, I'd love to write more relating to the Mars issue I was working on something like 6 months ago. I submitted it, but looking back, the options riffing on Elon Musk were pretty terribly written. Don't know the rules in GI too well, though, so I don't know if you can submit an issue twice even if they're rewritten.

A few days back I got a toe injury while hiking in Cretan Ruins, and I took out a sliver of my toe. Gave me a bit of inspiration on the possibility of an issue about better safety in places like national parks. This would probably require good environment, bad death rates, and lots of getting lost in the wilderness in the "People" section.

[Krogon]

I have a couple of issue ideas rattling around on the theme of being too high:

I have no other input in this conversation other than the fact that I would love to see an option where a hippie thinks you're talking about a different kind of too high.

[Trotterdam]

Are there any issues about a revolution taking place in @@NAME@@? I'm not talking the riots or protests we regularly see in issues, I'm talking French/Russian Revolution style.

#192 Coup d'Etat In @@NAME@@!

[Krogon]

Are there any issues about a revolution taking place in @@NAME@@? I'm not talking the riots or protests we regularly see in issues, I'm talking French/Russian Revolution style.

[url=http://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=88#192]#192 Coup d'Etat In @@NAME@@!

[/quote]
Alright, thanks. Any other overlappers with the other ideas I presented?

[Autonomous Cleaner Bot Cleaners]

Today I was looking at crime statistics on Neighborhood Scout. Apparently, my town is super unsafe compared to our neighbor to the north. This is despite the fact that the murder rate, per 1000, is six times higher in our neighbor. You see, we've got a lot more property crime, and are thus way less safe. Murder, apparently, is bad, but just don't touch my car stereo...

Anyway, got me thinking about a potential issue for vat-grown nations, where in @@LEADER@@ might increase production in order to artificially lower the violent crime rate. See, even if 100 people are murdered daily, as long as we're pouring new people out at a sufficient rate, well, the over all violent crime rate remains static, or might even decrease. Something like in my national motto:

http://smbc-comics.com/comic/autonomous

We'll call it Operation Body Counting, or something similar.

Seems viable? I know we cannot directly alter a nation's population, since it really tallies age and not actual population, but I figure a narrative can make it so people are being decanted-murdered at a rate sufficient to just happen to lower the crime rate and maintain @@NATION@@'s nominal population.

(I found Happy! on Netflix, and might be channeling something there too.)

[Trotterdam]

See, even if 100 people are murdered daily, as long as we're pouring new people out at a sufficient rate, well, the over all violent crime rate remains static, or might even decrease.

That's unlikely to work. Crime rates are generally a percentage of the population, so if you double the population, you'll also (approximately) double the number of murderers and murder victims. Possibly more, since overpopulation is one factor that can lead to increased crime rates.

I guess in the short term you might be able to handwave an apparent decrease in crime rates because the new people would all be babies, a demographic not known to contain a large number of hardened criminals. However, breaking down crime rates by age group would pretty easily expose the lie, and it wouldn't last long anyway because such a high population growth is unsustainable.