The Libertarian – September 2021

No.	Article	Section	Author
1	Team Leader Introduction	Introduction	Eliza4Forever
2	OCS Class 052	Special	Eliza4Forever
3	Where Did Time Go?	Poem	pikasyu
4	I Am Thankful For…	Diary Entry	jesusrey91
5	Lights, Camera, Action!	Review	jesusrey91
6	March On, Soldier!	Sub-Office Spotlight	humania
7	How to Make: Pumpkin Pie	Recipe	pikasyu
8	Autumn, Sweet Autumn	Office Spotlight	humania
9	Labor Day	Informative	J-Naut
10	Life as a Leaf	Creative	Promptis
11	Am I Entitled To It?	Poem	humania
12	A Hint of Fall	Quotes	jesusrey91
13	32nd Ceremonial Parade	Event Recap	claryboy2109
14	A New Direction	Exclusive	jesusrey91
15	The Adventures of a Curious Diplomat – Part 1	Community Submission	warzo00
16	Time Management	Special	Aneha
17	Theme Related Artwork	Exclusive	melisi142

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Team Leader Introduction

by Eliza4Forever

Hello there, and welcome to the September edition of the Libertarian.

As many countries in the northern hemisphere begin to transition into the Autumn season we have decided to reflect this on our theme this month.

Autumn is a highly symbolic season as it signifies maturity, reconnection, and, one of which stood out to me the most, change. We should be reminded that the only constant in this world is the fact that things are always changing, and hence, we should always be grateful for what we have. 

On that note, I would like to express my gratitude to the writers, graphic artists and contributors who not only worked tirelessly to ensure the success of this month’s Libertarian, but also made my very first experience as Team Leader a memorable one.

Without further ado, we hope you enjoy reading this edition of the Libertarian as much as we did creating it.

Lots of love, Eliza and The Libertarian Team.

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ENS AresK2, 2ndLt chiari.cord, 2LT Creta, 2ndLt Valorana and ENS Fortunate_CT.

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Where Did Time Go?

by pikasyu

The amount of time that is really promising
Above all, and above others is that dawn
Dewy, deary and almost inviting 
A dawn – never to forget that auspicious time

The sun sets out into the human race
Caressing the arms that reach out towards the inviting sky
But where did time go after all that rain?
No shine
No rainbow
No birds fluttering by
No clouds
No wind
No love passing by

I saw the melancholic devastation of time,
As the day becomes the hottest
I mourn each sundown even thought the sunsets
Breathe the word beautiful into reality
Into the existence of something so volatile
Because time is what you make of it

But now, I’m just wondering why sundown is sad
The sundowner is a heartbreaking muse
The orchestra of two beating hearts
But do you see how constricted it is – to have you and I
Standing by the edge of our glory
A time that we call youth, a time that we are meant to enjoy
Only to look towards the ground which we can’t see
Covered by the clouds of our responsibilities

But where did time go after all that climb?
The cold night wind makes you shiver
Forcing your arms to wrap around you like
The vines around a tree
Creeping slowly into your skin, taking out your nutrients
Wishing for another hottest time of the day
Yet your eyes seem to lock onto the stars
Painting the night sky light splatters of gold and silver
The peripheral of your eye catches the moon
Inviting the doom of another day

But the day continues, into weeks, into months
The hours tick by eliminating each sparkle splatter in the sky
The clouds rain and the rainbows spout
And when you shiver, you become warm
And when you become warm, you wish for cool air
For that is how your breathe into each day
And eventually into years

The past eight moons phase just like my day
A little hope, and a little idleness
I seek comfort in the dark
And pray for a little shadow in the light
But where did time go after all these days?
Nowhere, as it will come again.

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I Am Thankful For…

by jesusrey91

It has been long, hasn’t it? We haven’t talked in a long time, just the two of us, but I am guessing this is as good a time as any. We are halfway through August 2021, still in lockdown, taking care of a sick family member and still trying to understand it all, and do you want to know something? I slowly understand how thankful I am for my past mistakes and grievances. 

I would have never thought that any of this would be something to be thankful about. But here I am, am I not? After being expelled from school, I learnt a lesson about how passion is a necessity that will drive us towards our dreams and objectives. Without it, we are never going to move forward. I am thankful for my parents’ divorce because I have understood what hurting and being hurt is, what true love should be about. I remember I used to joke about marriage when I was younger but now it is not a joke anymore, now I understand how important it is, how it means more than just opening one’s heart, but trusting our vulnerabilities to someone else and hoping they help us outgrow them. I am thankful for the chance to help my mother in the battle against her sickness. Without it, I probably never would have found out that my passion is medicine, and that not only I care for her, but I care for everyone too. It might seem heartless but truly understanding oneself while a loved one is in peril is a very honest way of finding out who we are. I am thankful for the extra time that has been given to her. I will never know when the time will come but appreciating and treasuring every moment is a lesson that we rarely understand when we are younger, especially concerning our parents. As a kid, mom and dad always seemed to be everlasting, but understanding they are not has made me appreciate better how much love and fun I have had with them. 

Being thankful for what hurts is a difficult lesson to be learnt. A person can only grow so much without looking at its past, without looking inside for a while. It will do us good to remember all of this as we return to med school, as we help people with their sicknesses, as we share precious moments with our family, as we meet new people or as we find love. 

Thank you for making those mistakes, I know you do not understand how important they are yet but soon you will. 

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Lights, Camera, Action!

by jesusrey91

Gather around squad, because Task Force X aka “The Suicide Squad” has arrived in all its gory glory to our screens. 

Disclaimer: This movie is Rated R due to explicit content. If you are not 17 years or older, refrain from watching this movie alone. Let’s continue!

Origin

“The Suicide Squad” is the second film based on the DC comics team of the same name. The original “Suicide Squad” comic book debuted in 1957 but it was not until 1987 that the comic book introduced the concept of a supervillain team called Task Force X, which was in charge of participating in “suicidal” covert operations carried by the government. It was not until 2016 that we got our first live-action version of this team, but sadly it did not live up to the expectations of audiences or critics. 

But 2021 has arrived and now we have got a second movie of Task Force X under the direction of James Gunn, who you might remember for being the director of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1 and 2 as well. 

Enter Task Force X

“The Suicide Squad” is a bombastic movie from start to finish, which at no point slows down or trips on its own feet. As a fan of superheroes and comic books, the films that are based on this media can start to feel derivative, repetitive, or downright boring after some time. However, the duty of the filmmakers is to avoid this and make each iteration feel fresh, and James Gunn masterfully achieves this by respecting the original work and the audience. 

As the film begins, two things become very clear: this film can be watched by anyone, even if there is no prior knowledge of the team’s origin, concept, or team composition. The members of this supervillain team are quickly introduced one after another in what can only be described as an explosive gore fest which serves both as exposition to the team’s job and a clear message of the movie’s rating. 

Not long after the introduction, the central characters of this movie start to get fully fledged. Their motives, personal relations and quirks are quickly shown but not fully developed yet, as this becomes part of the narrative towards the rest of the movie. In a film where a team is the central part of the entire story, Gunn’s experience with the “Guardians of the Galaxy” shines, as no character feels underdeveloped or ignored in the rest of the film. 

Good stories are not told but shown!

The writing of the movie is nothing extremely deep or complex, as the film’s synopsis can be written in a single sentence: Team of supervillains is sent to destroy an experimental laboratory. Yes, that simple. But as simple as the plot is, the cast is a terrific one and their portrayal of each character is very convincing, poignant where it matters, hilarious when it should be and most of all, fun. Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn beautifully portrays the madness of her character, Idris Elba as Bloodsport and John Cena as Peacemaker are both stoic, effective and show decisiveness in their actions, Joel Kinnaman as Colonel Rick Flag serves as the team leader that shows us the differences between a “normal” person and the supervillains. However, out of all the cast members, Viola Davis leaves everyone behind with her acting talent. She portrays Amanda Waller, the person in charge of organizing and overseeing Task Force X, an extremely cold, calculating, uncaring and objective driven individual. You will hate her guts, and when you hate a character so much, you know the actress did a phenomenal job. 

That is music to my ears

As it is James Gunn’s tradition, he uses a diverse list of licensed music, but unlike the 2016 version of the film, it does not feel out of place, shoehorned in or disruptive to the flow of the film. Again, this is all thanks to the director’s experience with “Guardians of the Galaxy”. However, unlike Marvel’s film, the soundtrack has no element on the narrative or character development, which works better for “The Suicide Squad”. 

The eye candy! 

And while the music, character development and narrative are important, every movie needs to be visually attractive in its own way. From mind-bending films like “Inception” to gorgeous films like “Gravity”, the photography of each film is unique and is the biggest tool the filmmakers have at their disposal. In the case of “The Suicide Squad”, James Gunn implements title cards and framed shots where the action is captivating and understandable as well. While films like “Transformers” have scenes where the CGI clutters each shot, or motion pictures like “Batman Begins” that resort to shaky cams during fights, Gunn frames everything so the viewer can easily pinpoint the participants and their movements. Apart from that, many of the title cards used throughout the movie reminisce the media which this is based on. From blood-soaked water showing the initial credits to trees set on fire telling us we are currently watching a flashback; you start to get the feeling you are reading a comic book.

But unfortunately, not everything can be perfect… 

While James Gunn uses well-timed jokes, there are two of them, which I will not disclose to avoid spoilers, that do not land as well. They are not cringey or bad, they just seem to be out of place or unnecessary, especially because they happen during the final act while the action and tension of the narrative are on a boiling point. Another thing that I found a bit frustrating was the constant use of the “X minutes earlier” trope, which usually sets up a flashback. While this is something that is repeatedly used in comic books to establish the time at which the panels are happening, it feels a bit awkward to watch happen more than a couple times during a movie. 

Conclusion

“The Suicide Squad” is a fantastic movie which shows James Gunn’s experience in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as his ability to understand and respect the source material he is working with. While the movie has plenty of bloody or gory scenes, they seem to fit well thanks to the supervillains which participate in the cast, but all these characters are three dimensional, they do have backstories, personalities, and motivations. No movie is perfect, and James Gunn has a couple of mistakes here and there, nonetheless those mistakes are unimportant when so much is accomplished in every other aspect of the film.  

Rating: 4.5 popcorn out of 5 

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March On, Soldier!

by humania

1. How did you hear or know about JDT?

CWO4 Horus: I knew about JDT from a few years back when I used to work in USDF around 2017, but I never really thought of joining because I didn’t think that I’d be able to commit. However when I reenlisted this year I wanted to try something new so here I am!

CW5 chris81258: So I learned about JDT through hosting FEAT {H} and it became something I was easily interested in as I was hosting it time and time again and drilling ended up being something I loved. I then had a few people in JDT at the time influence me into wanting to apply to be a member of JDT so I had submitted my app and luckily was accepted shortly after. Getting the white belt was something I had always wanted to get so luckily I was able to do just that about a month ago.

CWO5 eyeFad: From 2015! I believe that was around May when I first got involved with JDT.

CW4 claryboy2109: I first heard about JDT through FEAT {U}, and from there it just caught my attention. I then decided to look through the careers thread and read more about it!

2. What were your thoughts about JDT the first time you heard it?

CWO4 Horus: It was definitely cool! I have always wondered how drillers were able to be so precise in terms of timing and coordination. It was also a tad bit scary because I didn’t think that I’d be able to do what I have always watched (the performances).

CW5 chris81258: The very first time I heard about it I thought it was impossible to be able to sync with other members on a consistent basis, and I never really thought I was going to be good at it. It took lots and lots of practice and very quickly I was able to get the hang of it and it was never something I had expected. I always knew JDT was known for performances throughout USDF and other militaries/agencies on Habbo, and I thought it would be great to be a part of that.

CWO5 eyeFad: When I first learned about JDT, I thought I couldn’t do it. You know, all the synchronization and memorizing all the moves. But when I saw them perform, I was amazed and thought it was SUPER cool!

CW4 claryboy2109: I remember being in something like that before on Habbo, and have enjoyed it. It was just something that has always piqued my interest.

3. What made you want to join JDT?

CWO4 Horus: One of the reasons why I chose to apply for JDT was to try out something new, but a bigger reason is to join my group of close friends who are also in the same JDT team since we live in roughly the same time zone range.

CW5 chris81258: One of the main reasons I wanted to join JDT was because I really had a passion for hosting FEAT {H} and teaching my fellow personnel to drill and it was something I had always been interested in since joining USDF. Along with that, I always wanted to wear the white belt around HQ, so I was really dedicated to get into JDT and get a performance done. Lastly, you build many friendships and relationships with the other members of your drill team so it’s always a fun time during practices and meetings.

CWO5 eyeFad: It’s a great experience. Not to mention meeting new people with the same interest. I joined because I saw it as a challenge, a big one, and I like challenges

CW4 claryboy2109: For starters, it’s something different to the main offices. It can also be fun, rewarding and we get to work together with others as well. We also get to perform for others after countless hours of hard work. I’ve always loved performing in real life therefore being able to do performances with friends really got me interested

4. Can you tell me what things you get in JDT that makes you different from other office regular members?

CWO4 Horus: Hmm, you gain experience in drilling and performing scripts. It’s interesting because it’s really different from what you learn in FEAT {H}. Another thing is the fun and laughter together during practice sessions, you really get to bond with other fellow members, it’s just a beautiful experience!

CW5 chris81258: The main thing you really get from JDT is being able to wear the white belt inside of HQ after you do a performance whilst being in JDT. You also get to attend practices daily and it’s something you may be able to use as experience for certain positions you are applying for in the future. The last thing you get from being in JDT and after doing a performance is you get to teach FEAT {I}, which allows personnel permission to host FEAT {H}.

CWO5 eyeFad: Hah! This one’s pretty obvious: the white gun belt. Kidding aside, of course the experience, teamwork, and knowledge about drilling. It’s not just about synchronized movement, you also have to work with your team. It’s really great to be in JDT!

CW4 claryboy2109: Well, after performing in a performance, we get to wear the white gun belt! As JDT, we learn a lot of the same things as a regular member of USDF, for example, teamwork, determination, patience etc. But with JDT, we also learn how to be in sync with one another in the team and learn to be creative in different ways for our performances.

5. Have you ever made a mistake in the JDT?

CWO4 Horus: I have actually, both in practice and in performance, but that’s how you learn and get better at it. Every time you make a mistake and correct it, you learn not to do it again and over time you just get more and more familiar with the timing/steps. I have even memorized the entire script for the recent Jumanji performance!

CW5 chris81258: I along with every other personnel in JDT have at once made a mistake, lol. Being able to sync on a consistent basis and knowing exactly when others are going to make their move for a total of about 40-60 moves for a performance is nearly impossible. The main goal is to make it as best as possible for every drill session/performance, knowing that you are going to mess up and make mistakes along the way.

CWO5 eyeFad: I did, a lot. In 2016, I was mostly a sub. I had to memorize all 4-6 scripts made for each performer. There was a performance where I had to sub and the script literally just jumbled in my brain. Luckily the audiences don’t know about it, so I’m good. Haha!

CW4 claryboy2109: We all have made mistakes, but that is what practices are for! We learn from our mistakes, and once it’s time for the performance, we put on the best show we can ever do! Even if someone makes a mistake in a performance, the audience doesn’t know and we just have to run with it as long as it continues! The audience might think that it was actually planned!

6. How do you plan to achieve your career goal(s) with you being a member of JDT?

CWO4 Horus: In terms of my career in JDT, I want to apply for a command position and hopefully become a squad leader myself one day. If we’re talking about in general, I’m able to juggle JDT as a side commitment as it only takes about 2 hours a week if we are preparing for a performance so that isn’t really an issue!

CW5 chris81258: I plan on achieving my career goal while being a member of JDT by using JDT as something in which I can learn many lessons and strengths down the road. An example for this is JDT thus far has really built and developed my communication and focus skills. Being a member of this office, you need to communicate very well with your other drillers, along with having to stay focused at all times to ensure you are doing your very best. I will look to use these traits and strengths that I build from being in this office to use in the near future when I will need them most.

CWO5 eyeFad: Honestly, at this moment, I’m happy with whatever I do in JDT. I do not plan to get a command position at the moment since I have a lot on my plate, but definitely in the future! Experience wise? I’m happy to say that I’ve achieved them long ago.

CW4 claryboy2109: I’m currently a command member of JDT (SL VDT). It has been helping me grow little by little. As the command, I will have to be organized, host practices and ensure that things run as smoothly as possible. Whether I am in command or just a regular member, I feel like it’s helping me learn about what I enjoy at USDF and ways I know I still need to improve on. I will always have something to improve on, but being able to know what they are, and working on it. It will help me in my future USDF career goals.

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How to Make: Pumpkin Pie

by pikasyu

The modern pumpkin pie that we know now was first introduced in 1796 – where the pumpkin pie changed from containing layers of fried pumpkin that are combined with sugar, spices and other fruits like apple into the one we would recognise today. Now, pumpkin pies would be made of stewed and strained pumpkin, eggs, sugar, cream or milk and sometimes these pies would include molasses.

Let’s try to create a pumpkin pie that is not only perfect for the autumn chill but also to warm our hearts a little during these really ‘cold’ times. A pumpkin pie may look simple, but it is a tricky one to master.

Here’s what you’ll need to bake the best pie with tender and gently spiced filling, yet one with a flaky crust so that it won’t crack as it cools! Disclaimer, this recipe serves 8-10, or similar to one 9-inch deep dish pie.

For the crust:

• 1½ cups all purpose flour – Make sure it is spooned into a measuring cup and leveled with a knife to ensure perfect measurements.
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter – Make sure it is cold, and preferably sliced into ¼-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening – Make sure it is cold, and separated into 4 pieces
• 4 tablespoons ice cold water

For the filling:

• 1 can pumpkin (15 oz) – This should be about 1 ¾ cups
• 1 large egg
• 3 large egg yolks
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ light brown sugar – Make sure it is packed if you want it a little more sweet
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1¼ cups evaporated milk

Instructions for the crust:

1. Combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into a food processor. Pulse a few times to make sure all are well-mixed.
2. Add pieces of butter and shortening. Pulse until you have coarse crumbs with lots of pea and chick-pea size clumps.
3. Add half of the water and pulse a few times to incorporate.
4. Slow add water and pulse until the mixture is evenly moistened and very crumbly.
5. Place the crumbly dough out onto a work surface and gather it into a ball.
6. Pat the dough into a 5-inch disc and wrap in plastic. Do not worry if it cracks.
7. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes to rest. However, do not let it go over 3-4 hours.

Upon taking the dough out:

1. Let it sit on the countertop for 10-15 minutes so that it’s malleable enough to roll.
2. Dust the work surface with flour, place the dough on top and sprinkle some flour over the dough.
3. Knead the dough softly into a smooth disc – Ensure that you do not overwork it.
4. Keep repeating steps 1-3 until the dough doesn’t stick and enough into a 13-inch circle.
5. Transfer the circular dough into a 9-inch deep dish pie pan. Make sure the pan is at least 1 – 1½ inches deep.
6. When fitting the dough into the pan, ease it inward instead of stretching it outwards. If it tears, patch it up immediately.
7. Trim the edges or create a rim on the crust.
8. Place the panned crust in the fridge for 30minutes.
9. Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C.
10. Cover the pie crust with a parchment paper and fill it about halfway full with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 20 minutes.
11. Remove the crust from the oven and remove the parchment paper as well as beans/weights as well.
12. If you prefer the edges to be a little dark/burnt, you may skip this step. However, if you wish for it to be golden brown, cover the edges with foil. Bake for another 20 minutes.
13. Remove the crust from the oven, and reduce the temperature to 325°F / 162°C.

Instructions for the filling as well as last steps:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together first.
2. Once well-combined, add all the wet ingredients to the mix.
3. Whisk it all up until it is silky smooth.
4. Pour the filling into the pre-baked crust and bake the pie for 50-60 minutes. Keep a lookout at your oven at around the 40-minute mark to see if the filling is set. If the pie looks dry around the edges and the center should jiggle a little, it is ready.
5. Cool the pie on a rack to room temperature before you serve.

A pumpkin pie is very tedious to prepare, however, it is very delicious due to the amount of time and effort put into making it. When you bake pumpkin pie, you can smell the deliciousness of it and the autumn season dancing in the breeze. Try out this recipe and let us know what you think of it!

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Autumn, Sweet Autumn

by humania

What are your thoughts when you first hear the word “Autumn”? 

CWO2 BetterGarlic381 (OJFD): Probably a maple leaf and just a complete forest with falling leaves, all different shades of brown. 

CW5 chris81258: Fall, trees, leaves, fruits, September to November, and school starting.

CWO5 Intervener12: Hmmm haha, I would say it’s a time where things are changing like the colors on trees. Oh and pumpkin spice! I love pumpkin spice! 😀

CWO5 Doritota: When I first heard the word, I thought how familiar it sounds to me as the word “aunty”. And why aunty? When I was a kid, my aunty baked awesome apple pie. With those juicy apples from our countryside. 

CWO4 Horus: I think of maple leaves, brown leaves falling from trees covering the pavements in a park or the sidewalks along roads.

What do you like about this specific season? 

CWO2 BetterGarlic381: The drop in temp, cold weather is SO much better than hot weather.

CW5 chris81258: It’s getting closer to Christmas, I like the rain in the fall, the leaves falling off the trees, and thanksgiving.

CWO5 Intervener12: Definitely the colors haha. I love red/orange so seeing it on the trees is really beautiful. And then like I said before, I absolutely love pumpkin spice! It’s also a break from the humid heat and weather, so I like that it’s cooler haha.

CWO5 Doritota: In autumn, I feel I begin a new clean chapter in my life. I start studies, come up with new ideas and intentions. I love those sights of colorful forests with leaves falling. That’s it. 

CWO4 Horus: Mostly the cooling temperature compared to Summer, it’s a relaxing period of time for me. On top of that, it also signifies a rebirth for nature and also a harvest season for others.

Do you have any specific tradition during fall?  

CWO2 BetterGarlic381: Not really, my family and I don’t follow many traditions other than things like Christmas and Easter.

CW5 chris81258: Not really, except for meeting up with friends/cousins for Thanksgiving and seeing friends for Halloween.

CWO5 Intervener12: Well Autumn is the time for Thanksgiving in my country, so I always visit my family and have a big Family Thanksgiving 😀

CWO5 Doritota: I love going mushrooming with my granny, that’s a whole another atmosphere I really enjoy. That’s it. Because I am usually busy with my studies during that time. 

CWO4 Horus: Yes! For us Chinese, we have Mid-Autumn Festivals where we will eat mooncakes and light up lanterns. When I was young, my family would bring me to the neighbourhood parks to light up candles too. It’s fun and it’s also a good and needed break away from technology to enjoy the little things in life.

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Labor Day

by J-Naut

“Eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, eight hours for what we will!

Aforementioned are some lines from the anthem for the worker’s, Eight Hours, created by Isaac G. Blanchard and Jesse H. Jones. This was the song the workers, laborers and craftsmen were singing on May 1, 1886 during the first nationwide strike in the USA which had been planned for nearly 2 years by the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions, succeeded by today’s AFL-CIO. 

Since the Civil War ended in 1865 the working conditions for hundreds of thousands of people in the USA as well as the millions around the globe had gone for a toss. The 10-hour work day was the norm and a number of workers used to work 7 days a week, including women. With no laws to prohibit the employers from keeping inhumane standards at the workplace, the workers were agitated and furious. They felt that such a life did not let them pursue goals beyond their work, like spending time with their family, exploring their talents and participating in their community. This common frustration across various sectors of the modern, industrial world led to the creation of labor unions. Some of the biggest unions were – Noble and Holy Order of the Knights of Labor (K of L), Central Labor Union (CLU), American Federation of Labor (AFL) and National Labor Union (NLU). The National Labor Union (NLU) being the first large labor union in the USA, founded in 1866 and dissolved in 1873, set the stage for its successors like the K of L and AFL.  

One of the major reasons for this poor way of living imposed on the lower class population was the Gilded Age in the United States, which was an era which saw a boom in the industrial sector leading to rapid economic growth. This time period, from the 1870s to the 1900s, brought a huge increase in wages of workers. The average annual wage per industrial worker (including men, women, and children) rose from $380 in 1880, to $564 in 1890, a gain of 48%. Hearing about such advances in wages, millions of immigrants from various countries flocked into the country leading to a greater supply of workers than there was a demand. This situation created a considerable disparity in the wealth distribution and consequently the living conditions for many people. Add to this mess two economic disasters – the panics of 1873 and 1893 – which caused conjugative social and political upheavals in society, things were going from bad to worse.

On May 3 one person was killed and several injured as police intervened to protect strikebreakers and intimidate strikers during a union action at the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company that was part of a national campaign to secure an eight-hour workday. To protest police brutality, anarchist labour leaders called a mass meeting the next day in Haymarket Square. That gathering was pronounced peaceful by Chicago Mayor Carter Harrison, who attended as an observer. After Harrison and most of the demonstrators departed, a contingent of police arrived and demanded that the crowd disperse. At that point a bomb was thrown by an individual never positively identified, and police responded with random gunfire. Seven police officers were killed and 60 others wounded before the violence ended; civilian casualties have been estimated at four to eight dead and 30 to 40 injured. This tragedy would forever be marked in the annals of history as the Haymarket Riot, Haymarket Affair or the Haymarket Massacre. 

2 years later, the American Federation of Labor decided to again organize a strike for the demands of an eight-hour work day on May 1, 1890. AFL president, Samuel Gompers, wrote about this decision in a letter to the Second International – an organization of socialist and labour parties, formed on 14 July 1889 at a Paris meeting in which delegations from twenty countries participated. Upon receiving said letter, the organization called for a resolution for a greater, international demonstration so that workers everywhere could voice their demands for an eight hour work day in an organized strike on the same date. This would later become the International Worker’s Day. 

Though America played a vital role in establishing May 1, popularly known as May Day, as the International Worker’s Day; its own Labor Day is not celebrated on this date. The American Labor Day is celebrated on the first Monday of September every year. The credit for this anomaly is shared in parts by the Central Labor Union, Knights of Labor and former president Grover Cleveland. On September 5, 1882, the CLU organized what is known as the first Labor Day celebration in the USA. A year later in 1883 the second Labor Day parade was organized. By 1894 more than 23 states had adopted the holiday. Conservative Democratic President Grover Cleveland was one of those concerned that a labor holiday on May 1 would tend to become a commemoration of the Haymarket affair and would strengthen socialist and anarchist movements that backed the May 1 commemoration around the globe. In 1887, he publicly supported the September Labor Day holiday as a less inflammatory alternative, formally adopting the date as a United States federal holiday through a law that he signed in 1894.

The federal law, however, only made it a holiday for federal workers. As late as the 1930s, unions were encouraging workers to strike to make sure they got the day off. All U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and the United States territories have subsequently made Labor Day a statutory holiday.

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Life as a Leaf

by Promptis

The crunch of fallen leaves under combat boots, the smell of maple-scented pine cones outside of the grocery store. The taste of caramel apples at the town fair, the feeling of wearing a knit sweater and huddling close to your friends.

A little leaf was heard to sigh and cry, as leaves often do when a gentle wind is about. And the twig said, “What’s the matter my child?” and the leaf had responded with “Why do some people leave and some stay? Will they ever come back?”

The twig told the branch who it lay upon as he huddled closer to the branch. The branch looked at the tree who he was attached to and then looked back at the leaf; the tree sighed. The tree said, “Oh little one. Don’t be afraid. Everyone will die at one point. Just hold on tight and you will remain as long as you should.”

And so, the leaf stopped sighing, but went on nestling and singing. Every time the tree shook itself and stirred up all its leaves, the branches shook themselves and the little leaf danced up and down merrily, as if nothing could ever pull it off. And so, it grew all summer long, till October.

And when the bright days of autumn came the little leaf saw all the leaves around becoming very beautiful. Some were yellow and some scarlet, and some striped with both colours. Then it asked the tree what it meant. And the tree said, “All these leaves are getting ready to fly away, and they have put on these beautiful colours because of joy.”

Then the little leaf began to want to go, too, and grew very beautiful in thinking of it, and when it was very happy in colour it saw that the branches of the tree had no bright colour in them, and so the leaf said, “Oh other friends, why am I so dark and dull whilst you are so bright and happy?”

“We must keep on our work-clothes, for our life is not done – but your clothes are for holiday, because your tasks are over,” said the branches.

Just then a little puff of wind came, and the leaf let go, without thinking of it, and the wind took it up and turned it over and over and whirled it like a spark of fire in the air, and then it dropped gently down under the edge of the fence, among hundreds of leaves, and fell into a dream, and it never wakes up to tell what it dreamed about.

The trees looked below and smiled at the kids playing below it and adults digging leaf piles and slowly getting rid of them and making space. The trees nodded towards each other in smiles and hope. Leaves will always come and go and won’t be attached forever, stay strong.

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Am I Entitled To It?

by humania

When everyone doesn’t see what the meaning of a game is.
Harass me, yet I have no shame. 
Because I have found the source of my happiness.
Here, ladies-in-waiting cover the beard, it’s a must.
Everyone I love, more than my own parents.

Everything is like a beautiful dream, but smeared with bitter reality.
Everyone can prostrate, but they can also be pointy.
The coup of my world’s restlessness, became the harmony of our everyday friends.
They’re here and she cheers. 
They are beautiful to me.
They enjoy learning while playing in Miami.
They do good.
Yes, they’re here clean and smooth.
Don’t leave me, friend.
I don’t want this to end. 

There are times when helplessness makes me non-existent.
Sometimes I feel lost in the wilderness, it’s apparent.
Mother and father were shunned and rejected by their neighbors.
Or am I just stranded in the market?
I talk but people don’t hear.
They tear up books and laugh at ideals that I couldn’t bare.
I’m angry, I’m scared, I’m shaking.
But I failed to compose the language I’m thinking of.

Outside of the analysis boxes,
my love for you is there.
You are not beautiful, but beautiful and young.
Definitely not immaculate, but a myth
in my heart.

Until here, I end my contemplation of my love for you.
If you follow it, there will be no end.
I sincerely present to you.
My love for you has timed
This verse will also time.
Still, am I entitled to it?

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A Hint of Fall

by jesusrey91

Autumn is fast approaching, and we can almost start to hear the rustle of the leaves, to feel the colder weather, to taste the delicious hot cup of coffee, tea, or chocolate. But Fall also represents change; it symbolizes our growth and our ability to shed the bitter parts of most of our year as if they were a skin. 

With that in mind, we approached some members of USDF to ask them a little bit more about what they think of this approaching season!

1. We are slowly leaving summer behind and that means Fall is getting closer and closer. What are your thoughts on this coming season, what are the things that excite you the most about Autumn?

TSgt PiersonP: My favorite part of autumn is the sunset-colored leaves falling from the trees. I love the brisk weather that allows me to cuddle up and dress in New York fashion!

CWO5 Merilon: What excites me most about Autumn is that the leaves, trees, and nature are going to change colours. I think it really looks beautiful. Oh! Also don’t forget Halloween is almost here!

CWO4 Horus: Hmm, I don’t really have many plans for this coming season because it’s still quite restrictive over here due to Covid, however I am thankful for the cooling weather compared to Summer and I’m most looking forward to eating mooncakes! Which is something we eat in my country to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festivals!

SrA imkoreangirl: The seasons don’t show in the city, since there’s not a lot of trees, so it will be exciting to go up the mountains or visit lakes to see the colors of the trees and get fresh air. Plus, the temperature outside will be just right.

SGM Manuel.Vazquez4: The thing that I like the most about autumn is the weather, I guess this season will be exciting and full of mini goals that I want to achieve.

2. Is there any event or food you are looking forward to in this coming season? Are there any Fall related celebrations where you live? 

TSgt PiersonP: I’m really looking forward to Thanksgiving and the cranberry sauce there! It’s one of my favorite holidays due to the familial feeling!

CWO5 Merilon: Yeah, I actually like pumpkins so since they are going to become more popular, I can’t wait to try out various recipes! As for fall celebrations, my country has a few actually, but I don’t think I will be attending unfortunately.

CWO4 Horus: Yes! We usually have mooncakes, braised duck, and pomelos. As Chinese, we celebrate Mid-Autumn Festivals, and we would usually eat different kinds of foods as they all have a story or a meaning behind the dish.

SrA imkoreangirl: I guess we will eat warmer food and snacks, something like tteokbokki but the foods won’t change much during fall. Celebrations are going to be things like music festivals where people go on stages at the park to sing, but it’s like locally hosted, there’s no real big one for the whole country.

SGM Manuel.Vazquez4: Of course. In Mexico we have some events that we celebrate during this season, for example my favorite is “El día de los muertos” because we eat a special sweet bread accompanied with chocolate or coffee. We also have “La Revolución Mexicana” which most people celebrate with a delicious roast beef or traditional Mexican dishes.

3. With everything Autumn symbolizes, it can be seen by many as a season representing change or transition. With that in mind, would you share with us a couple of words about what Fall, change and transition mean to you? 

TSgt PiersonP: Fall is a time for new beginnings and to leave old weights behind. Let all that’s holding you back fall away like autumn leaves.

CWO5 Merilon: My favorite quote about fall transition is: ”Autumn whispered to the wind, I’ll fall; but always rise again.”

CWO4 Horus: Here’s a famous saying from where I come from; “There is no flower that will bloom for a hundred days and no one person will have a thousand days of fortune.” What this means to me is that there will always be ups and downs, treat it as a cycle of life just like seasons and learn to embrace changes as they come.

SrA imkoreangirl: I like Fall because it precedes a season of bigger festivities, the winter season, which I prefer since it unites us and brings us closer together. 

SGM Manuel.Vazquez4: In my opinion, I think the Autumn season represents the beginning of the second part of the year, a change of weather, a different type of schedule, etc. I also think that Autumn season represents the beginning of new school and job activities.

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32nd Ceremonial Parade

by claryboy2109

Recently, we had the 32nd Ceremonial Parade on the 1st of August. Congratulations to all personnel who have received an award, promotion or appointment! I got together with 10 personnel to talk to them about their achievements at the parade.

1. Were you expecting to get anything during the 32nd ceremonial parade?

LTC srirachax: I did expect to get a medal at least but I wasn’t expecting to attain those, it was a nice surprise though.

1stLT misteromorg: At most I was expecting to get an Achievement or Commendation medal. Never thought I’d get a legion of merit.

2d Lt Interion: I had a few people tell me to expect a promotion even before the parade, but as the parade got closer, I was half assuming they would just throw my promotion in the parade. I didn’t fully know if I was going to be promoted or not though, because then I would outrank my CO. This did happen, and it was fixed by switching branches from Army to Air Force.

OC2 theducksauce: I was! Going into the parade, I was expecting to get a GCM and hopefully an MSM, but I got an ESM which was amazing.

CWO5 MIsterShine.: Honestly no I wasn’t.

CWO5 ThePugPatrol: Yeah I was expecting a medal of some kind but the LoM was a nice surprise, I expected something a little less in all honesty

CW5 rundealrun: I expect that I will get promoted to W5 only on the ceremonial because I met the RST. ESM medal is one of the things that I never expected to get. I feel blessed because USDF has recognized my hard work, especially the command team in OJFD.

CW2 Xylanneal: To be honest, I did not expect anything at the 32nd ceremonial parade.

SGM TageAQ: I really wasn’t expecting anything but I always had a thought that I hoped I would get at least one thing and not like 3 things so it was a good surprise when I got everything aha

MSG Dendimon.: Ohh I didn’t attend because not at all and I’m not in the office at that time so I never knew that I would get a promotion and when I entered the sentry I was shocked.

2. How did you celebrate your achievements and your friends’ achievements?

LTC srirachax: I think a big part of these ceremonial parades is to celebrate our achievements together as a whole or even within our friend groups and offices. I personally congratulated some of my friends as well as some of my office and branch peers on Discord, it was nice to see everyone’s work pay off.

1stLT misteromorg: I was in OJFD at the time so we sort of had an office celebration echoing the congratulations within our office channels.

2d Lt Interion: I’m often in vc with some of my close friends that I have made, so we did some cheering and do what we do best, go badge hunting!

OC2 theducksauce: I congratulated my friends who achieved something during the parade! As for myself, I didn’t really celebrate much but I was really ecstatic knowing I had gotten a medal too!

CWO5 MIsterShine.: Oh I actually applied for the position I am currently in, because it motivated me even more because it was highly unexpected but appreciated. I took a leave prior to the Ceremony because of demotivation but that helped me to feel appreciated for my efforts. Also, I didn’t really celebrate it per se, it was more like a feeling of appreciation, everyone messaged me in the chat and I felt really good.

CWO5 ThePugPatrol: We had a little office party and took a picture of our fancy new medals, it was good fun.

CW5 rundealrun: We vc together and congratulate each other. I am very proud of my friends, who also received awards during the ceremony. Some of them got two awards, and some got nothing. I help encourage my friend who didn’t receive any award so that they will not feel demotivated.

CW2 Xylanneal: Oh well, you know me, we congratulated each other for the achievement we got and their hard work for the past month, they deserved it!

SGM TageAQ: So I actually didn’t really celebrate it in a way but I did get to congratulate everyone that got their rewards and I got congratulated myself so that is a win for me I would say 🙂

MSG Dendimon.: Oh I celebrated for myself like I applied for OJSIG and hoped E7 is enough but nope and some personnel/friends congratulated me in HQ for getting promoted.

3. Do you have tips/ advice for someone who didn’t receive anything?

LTC srirachax: My tip is not to compare your effort and hard work with someone else’s. It’s easy to pick out names from the medal list and compare, but practice awareness and celebrate your friends’ achievements as well. Everyone will have their time to shine and yours will come sooner or later.

1stLT misteromorg: Don’t let it dishearten you! Speak to your command team and express your concerns, your office and branch command are there to hear the concerns and help you where possible

2d Lt Interion: There’s personally a lot of people that I know that feel like nobody notices their hard work. Sounds annoying but the best answer I can give is to reach out! Know your worth and hard work, and reach out displaying your concern about feeling as if your work went unnoticed! To be honest, when this happens to me, I work extra hard to prove a point, and make sure that I prove myself among USDF!

OC2 theducksauce: Of course! Don’t be discouraged that you didn’t receive anything, there’s always another parade to look forward to! Continue working hard and striving to achieve more, you’ll eventually get what you want. Determination conquers all!

CWO5 MIsterShine.: Actually, I do, I would tell them not to feel down but to give themselves short term goals and work towards achieving them. Also, keep trying and never giving up, as I understand the feeling of disappointment. But it’s not how you fall but how you rise again as a wise person once told me. I would also suggest to them to seek feedback regarding their progress within their office, so they have an understanding on where they can improve on. I would also suggest to them to work on their weak points, look to improve as an individual and continue to seek guidance from their peers.

CWO5 ThePugPatrol: I mean it’s easy to take that kinda thing personally but all it achieves is upsetting yourself. I think speaking to your command team to see how you can improve is a good way to motivate yourself if you go into it with the right mindset. Taking everything in stride and learning wherever you can will always give better results than beating yourself up over everything that doesn’t go right

CW5 rundealrun: In my opinion, to anyone who did not get an award, do not worry because there are also people who see you working hard and are willing to help anyone in need. Keep trying, and don’t give up.

CW2 Xylanneal: Yes, I know some people may be disappointed for not getting any awards, but hey awards are not everything. Great experience and good friends are also the awards of your journey in USDF. But if you want really some awards, let’s say do your best in anything, awards are just a bonus

SGM TageAQ: Don’t get demotivated, do ur best and then one day they can also get a promo/medal, and promos and medals aren’t everything so don’t get demotivated!

MSG Dendimon.: Yes, just keep doing what you can do in HQ even if you don’t have an office or a commissioned officer and it will go back to you. Like what happened to me, by sitting in the front row it all starts there!

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A New Direction

by jesusrey91

In today’s interview segment, we have reached a member of the National Security Council of USDF, the one and only Deputy Secretary of Defense TheRealMatrix, to ask him a couple of questions regarding some very important changes that are being done to how USDF operates as a whole! Without much further ado, here we go!

Good day, sir! Doing the roundabouts in USDF, rumors have been circulating about a certain incoming change to how we do things, and I talk specifically about USDFs new direction where our engagement will be focused primarily in-client. Can you give a general idea of what does this focus on in-client engagement encompass and where will this change be most evident? 

DepSecDef TheRealMatrix: Well, you’ve seen some of it go into effect already and other offices moving towards it by the end of August. The focus isn’t primarily client focused; it’ll be a balance as not everything can be done there. Let’s just say that interaction on client is a lot more fun, encourages people to hang out and simply sets our direction in the right path. OJSIG have done it for example, a lot of their work is now client based and they’re enjoying it too.

That is very interesting, especially because of how particular OJSIG’s work is! I cannot wait to see how this new mindset affects more of our Offices, including OPA of course. What would you say is the next step after reaching this objective? What new projects and goals does the future hold for USDF now that this new direction has been put into 5th gear?

DepSecDef TheRealMatrix: Working with staff to extend the Army Bootcamp line, adding new additions and changes to our HQ. Essentially, we believe there needs to be more collaboration and support between Habbo Staff and Groups such as Militaries and Agencies.

Now that you have mentioned other Militaries and Agencies, are there any more organizations that are participating in this new philosophy where the engagement is balanced towards being primarily in-client? If so, how have they affected USDF’s development into this new strategy?

DepSecDef TheRealMatrix: Not to my knowledge. Unfortunately, agencies are now relying on population clones and alts for visibility on the front page of the navigator (excluding 1 or 2 agencies). It’s disappointing and while we do wish them luck in their communities, we must unite and stand together at some point to fight this negative trend and focus on client-based activities in general.

Before we finish this interview, is there something you want to tell everyone that is reading The Libertarian? The stage is yours! 

DepSecDef TheRealMatrix: Keep reading, be patient with us and watch how USDF will grow more fun by the day. A lot is coming up, but we want to make sure we get things done right.

You heard our Deputy Secretary of Defense TheRealMatrix, a lot is coming up, and everyone at USDF is super excited to be part of it. We hope you enjoyed reading a little bit about USDF’s future and how we fit in into it!

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The Adventures of a Curious Diplomat – Part 1

A Community Submission

By warzo00

THE FAN HUNT

There was once a curious OISA diplomat named Richard and one day… his curiosity got the better of him. It was just another ordinary day, just another ordinary mission to find a FAN, so Richard ventured out into the agency floor. He visited agency after agency, “why can’t I find an FAN”, he thought to himself as he entered the Secret Service HQ for a quick visit… or so he thought it would be. 

As he entered the Secret Service, he noticed there was no one active “No FAN today then I guess” he frustratingly thought to him, as he was about to leave. As Richard turned to leave the SS HQ, he noticed a teleporter in the far side of the lobby, “I wonder where that goes”, he wondered to himself while carefully and cautiously walking towards it. Upon getting close to the tele, Richard noticed a ‘Do Not Enter’ sign near the tele, but he took the risk and entered the tele regardless…

After entering the tele everything went dark… suddenly he landed in a spiralling corridor… “where on earth am I?” he called out. There was no reply, no one around, just a neglected, abandoned spiralling corridor, that he slowly ventured further into. As he ventured further into the corridor he realised that there were teles on both sides of the walls, each carefully labelled with a name of an organisation. As he entered each one, he realised they didn’t actually lead to any of the agency’s headquarters, so he returned to the corridor once again, in a state of pure confusion. He eventually got to the end of the corridor, dazed in a state of confusion, he noticed one final door that he had yet to explore. “Hmm,” he thought to himself, “I can’t stay here forever, I wonder if that’s the way out” he said as he cautiously opened the last door in the corridor. 

As he entered the last room, he noticed it was different from the rest. It was much bigger and had a lot more design, he noticed a vent on the ceiling with a broken cover, “hmm, that’s strange”.The vent was visibly old, rotting in flaky black rust, the cover hanging on by two single screws, it was clear the room hadn’t been maintained properly. Scanning the room, he knew he had to explore the fragile vent, but first, he just needed something to break the remaining screws with. Abandoned in the corner, he noticed an old filing cabinet, it was falling apart, as fragile as a piece of old glass, “that’ll do”. He hurried towards the old cabinet and picked up part of the broken metal, now he just had to build his way up the ceiling vent. Cautiously, Richard placed the old desks and cupboards on top of each other, ensuring each one was steady enough to climb on, before making his way up with his metal bar and approaching the vent. Reaching the vent, he carefully wedged the metal bar under a small gap under one of the screws, it was stiff from the rust but after a few pushes on the bar, the screw finally broke. 

Just one more screw standing between Richard and the mystical adventure through whatever may lay behind the vent cover. After a few minutes of aggressive tugging at the remaining screw, he was able to break off the vent cover; now all that was left was to explore… He carefully heaved his way into the vent and began to crawl his way through until he came to a cross section. There was no clear indication which way to turn, hesitatingly he paused, what way next? After a few silent moments, Richard let out a quiet sigh and slowly decided to turn right. 

After a few long moments of crawling, he suddenly saw a beam of light coming from his left, cautiously he made his way towards it. Eventually, he found the vent letting through the light. Peering down, Richard could see rows and rows of uniforms and berets, “hmm, how strange”. 

Knowing this could be his way out, Richard quickly grabbed the metal bar he had previously used, in the attempt to break open the vent. After several long moments, he finally broke the vent and began to lower himself into the room. Upon entering the room properly, he clarified what he thought he had seen, this was indeed, what appeared to be USDF’s uniform storage room. With piles and piles of uniforms everywhere, Richard stood bewildered for a moment, taking in the room, when he heard the creaking of the door. 

Startled and a little worried, he quickly ducked down, was he allowed here? Who was coming in and was he going to get in trouble? The door opened and Richard could hear the light sound of footsteps entering the room… “Hello?” They called out… they must have noticed the broken vent, Richard thought to himself, conflicted about what to do. “Richard!” called out the voice… Richard looked to the right of him and there in front of him was his mate James… ”James??”. “I’m lost, exit out of here and there’s just a maze of USDF rooms that I didn’t even know existed”, James exclaimed… you could hear the panic in his voice, “I don’t know where we are”. Skeptically Richard followed James out of the door and sure enough there just appeared to be a maze of rooms, some locked, some not. 

After trying a number of doors they finally reached a large room, it looked a similar shape and size to HQ but it was relatively empty; they curiously began to explore it. Several minutes passed of them exploring the room and quietly talking… “Shhh, I hear something” Richard suddenly said and sure enough, there was something to be heard. The sound of footsteps and intense chatter seeped slowly into the room from above, what was going on? As they carefully ventured further into the room, they noticed a small, spiralling staircase that they had never seen before. For a moment they stood staring, the stairs didn’t look that old, still sturdy and well designed, they paused and looked at each other before slowly stepping onto the staircase. 

As they began their ascent up the staircase they noticed it led to a much smaller floor, filled with 2 teles. As they got to the floor they noticed each door had a sticky note above it, one reading ‘DO NOT ENTER’, the other blank… What was behind the ‘do not enter’ door? Inquisitively, both diplomats looked at each other, each knowing what the other one was thinking… they had to explore beyond the bold do not enter warning. As they edged closer and closer to the door, they noticed the handle was frail and the lock was damaged slightly, they pulled the handle and realised the door was, as expected, tightly locked. James unexpectedly pulls out a card from his pocket, “I can pick this lock, don’t worry”, he reassures Richard. “Maybe we shouldn’t, the warning would be there for a reason, maybe it’s dangerous”, but it was too late, the door was already opened now and they stood shocked looking in. 

Inside was a small room, with a desk and several lamps and in the corner, perhaps the most shocking of all, appeared to be a small torture section, they quickly slammed the door closed with a worried expression on their face. What room was that? Had they just found some sort of interrogation room? They were still curious, but they certainly weren’t going in to investigate, their fear was already crippling. 

Still in fear, they looked at the second door, the sticky note was blank, but there was something familiar about the door… they just couldn’t think what. They both looked at each other, should they try it? They were both still scared but the familiarity of the door felt welcoming. Richard slowly, but carefully, tried the handle, it was unlocked so they both ventured in. 

Inside was the warm, familiar feeling they had longed for hours, this was the external R&R room. “FINALLY!” They both exclaimed, relieved to have finally found their way back from the long, terrifying adventure. They quickly brushed the dust off themselves and made their way into HQ, the ASD ISA was sat in R&R. “Where did you boys get to? Yikes, you’ve been gone for hours!”  The ASD ISA asked curiously. Both boys looked at each other, a slight smirk on their face, they both knew this would always remain an unknown story, neither would breath a word of it to anyone, like true best friends, this had been their own secret adventure.

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Time Management

by Aneha

Time management is the process of planning how to carry out tasks and choosing when to do tasks along with how much time is spent on tasks. This conscious choice surrounding time helps to manage and control tasks and activities more effectively with benefits of reducing time wastage, procrastination and promotes prioritization of tasks.

A few hot tips to help manage time:

• Make lists, know what you need to do and how to do it.
• Identify what is more important and prioritize, take into consideration deadlines and your tasks affect on others.
• Plan ahead, know what you need to do, what is coming up and give yourself enough time to complete tasks.
• Use a calendar, do things when you say you will do them, stick to your timeline.
• Always give yourself breaks, everyone deserves a rest and to destress. Breaks between tasks and full day breaks.
• Always ask for help EARLY, trying to figure out things on your own and not getting anywhere is a waste of time.
• Finish when you say you will finish. There will ALWAYS be another task to do, more work, don’t make that your life.
• Don’t give up your hobbies or things you love to do in your spare time, know what is important.
• Be realistic with yourself and others.
• Nutritional foods, sleep and exercise can also boost productivity, energy and concentration.

So I know this article is meant to focus primarily on time management, but everyone always talks about time this and time that with time management being something that’s quite widely explored in offices and branches alike.

But what is so important about time? What even is time?
Well… Time is something I’ve always found quite interesting – so let’s get a little sciencey for a ‘minute’.

Most people perceive time as a linear concept to help understand the physical nature of events as they occur to an observer. It is the quantifiable measurement of the continued existence of something which is irreversible. It is the interval between past and present or the duration of an event, and essentially in terms of physics, it is ‘what a clock reads’. But time is actually much more complex than that.

Most of you would have been taught that time is measured in seconds, minutes, hours. Or that time is a universal measurement in relation to the speed of light calculated by how long it takes for conventional matter, energy or any signal carrying information to travel through a vacuum in space. It takes about 8 minutes and 17 seconds for the sun’s light to travel from the surface of the sun to the average surface of the Earth. However, time and space are actually two separate concepts that go hand in hand – time being one dimensional and space being three dimensional that when combined create a four dimensional spacetime manifold.

This explains why observers see things differently as to where and when they occurred but may actually be looking at the same event of something that happened simultaneously. This reflects Einstein’s theory of relativity and is explained in his parable of how two people see lightening strikes on a train differently affecting their perception of time due to their position in space and speed or motion of something moving at the same time as light. His theory also further explains how people in space age slower than people on Earth and how time can be distorted and dilated especially around blackholes.

Some can argue that time is a known and unknown construct, and has often been a concept explored throughout history, religion, philosophy and science which then poses questions of material reality and conscious experiences. This leads to exploration of time as it is perceived in reality as apposed to time perceived subconsciously for example a dream that may feel like an hour when in reality it was only 10 minutes.

Honestly, if I don’t stop myself there with the concept of time I’ll just keep going on and on. Yes, I did just get a little carried away. We all seem to take time for granted. Many of us live as though time doesn’t matter, or we waste time putting things off to do later. There’s no sense of urgency to get things done in the now, and this mentality can lead to procrastination throughout life. We put off being healthy, or leaving a toxic job or relationship, we put off life goals and use excuses that it’s just not the right time or later will be better. But why do we do this? No one knows what the future holds, when will there ever be a ‘right time’?

On average, a person spends 15 years of their life in education for a standard 8 hours a day. Those who complete further studies past high school, often working and studying at the same time, can spend up to 29 years of their life in education. On average throughout our life we spend 9,490 hours sleeping, which is 26 years of our life spent asleep. We also spend 7 years trying to get to sleep. You’ll then spend 90,000 hours of your life at work and a further 2208 hours of your life time on the toilet.

We all have a limited number of days, some will live longer than others, but in the end, we will all face the one thing that we cannot outrun. We all know that the time will come eventually, and many of us have experienced loss of friends and family always wishing we had more time. Always wishing we did things differently, or spent more time focusing on the things that really matter in life. Time will always be one of our greatest regrets.

Why do we waste so much time when in reality, it’s quite limited? All those times you think, gee where has the time gone? Or wow this year has gone so fast! Well guess what? It’s not going to change. Don’t miss out on more life. Experience all this world has to offer. Time is set, the clock is ticking… What are you going to do with your time?

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Artwork

by melisi142

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Editors	,-Spell Eliza4Forever
Writers	Aneha claryboy2109 Eliza4Forever humania J-Naut jesusrey91 pikasyu Promptis warzo00
Designers	,-Spell (Layout) Aneha (Layout) chiari.cord (Cover)
Artists	chiari.cord Eliza4Forever KyleDillPickle melisi142 partyicon persol TheBeatleDude2