Today is officially PANIC DAY. Ack! What are we going to do?!

"Worship me, and all will be well."
That's my country's official motto in NationStates, an online game recommended to me a few weeks ago by Carl. I thought I didn't have time to try it out till today, but it turns out you don't need to spend more than five minutes getting started, and then you can choose to participate as actively or passively as you like.


The schtick is, you get to create and run your very own nation. You choose the name of your country, its flag, its political system, its national animal, its currency, the works. (Not nearly as complicated as it sounds; you just answer a few questions and the game works it all out for you.) Then you get to decide on issues of national importance once or twice a day (or not, if you prefer-- but where's the fun in that?), which are then turned into legislation, which then affects your nation's profile and U.N. designation. You can also join the U.N. and help decide on larger issues which affect the virtual 'world'. Issues range from the abolishment of slavery to the outlawing of DVD regional barriers. In short, Seriously Significant Stuff.


It's fun! Give it a whirl at Jennifer Government: NationStates. (It's inspired by and named for this novel I've been wanting to get my hands on.) My country is The Theocracy of the Supreme Nikita, a mostly-benevolent dictatorship dedicated to the well-being of-- Who else?-- me!


in the news today
Nazi raccoons are taking over Europe! In 1934, Hitler's designated successor Hermann Goering released a number of North American raccoons in Germany, with the intent of "enriching the Reich's fauna". Evidently, the effort has been so successful that, in the German city of Kassel, there are now 100 raccoons per square kilometer. The infestation is so extreme that residential homes in the area resemble fortresses, with mesh wire covering all openings, spikes defending drainpipes and gutters, and rubbish bins secured with bungee cords or padlocks. Kassel has hired an animal control officer whose sole duty is to patrol the streets and answer residents' appeals for help; and the city has even paid zoologists from a nearby university to tag and study the raccoons in a bid to determine the scope of the problem.


Now we know where they put Hitler's brain...

TRIVIA QUIZ
What is the proper way to eat with chopsticks?


answer to yesterday's question
'L.A. Cigar-- too tragical' is a palidrome: a word or phrase that reads the same when read right to left as it does left to right. In certain circles, it's believed that palindromes exert a certain mystical power over spirits. Supposedly, they can become trapped by the circular nature of palindromes, and thus be captured or rendered helpless. This is probably related to the Filipino belief that you must place a broken rosary in the coffin of a deceased loved one, to prevent them from roaming the material world in circles.


Able ere Elba: Dean. I think this is the first time ever that only one person has gotten the answer, so yay, Dean! I'm giving a bonus Trivia point to Alex, though, for contributing a palindrome I'd never encountered before; and the Smartypants go to Gabby and Vin.


And thanks to everybody for reading the rest of my posts, after all! What a relief.