The Libertarian – February 2022

Cover by :alyss
No.ArticleSectionAuthor
1Team Leader IntroductionIntroductioneunbi
2Love Is In The AirPoemhakateach
3Our Inspirations InterviewUHaileyroseU
4The Perfect GiftGuidehakateach
5Of All TimeArticleLadyVoldie
6The Season Of LoveInterviewLadyVoldie
7Office SpotlightInterviewUHaileyroseU
8IntertwinedStoryDinsky
9Valentine TraditionsArticleToxic_silverx2
10The Best Spot In ValentineArticleYodar
11Loving YourselfStorymidgetbella
12Valentine Picture CompetitionExclusiveeunbi

Team Leader Introduction

By eunbi

Cover by :alyss

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the Libertarian for February 2022! We chose the topic of Valentine for this issue as it matches the month of February so perfectly. Who doesn’t love the smell of flowers, chocolates, and love? February and Valentine’s are personally my favourite month and holiday due to Valentine’s being one day before my birthday, so it brings me a lot of joy and memories! 

We featured exclusive interviews with several of our USDF coworkers for the February edition of the Libertarian, detailing their ideal dates and how they would want to spend Valentine’s Day with their cherished partners. Whether it’s a romantic date or watching your favourite love-filled flicks. This edition also includes a number of Valentine-related stories and articles, so I do hope you enjoy it! Happy Valentine’s & Black History Month

Before we begin, I’d like to take a moment to thank the participants on this issue. The writers and graphic artists worked incredibly hard to ensure the success of this month’s Libertarian, and I couldn’t be more grateful to them for making my first experience as Team Leader unforgettable.


Love Is In The Air

By hakateach

Cover by Katelyn853

Love You Forever

In summertime, our love is delicate, like tulips floating in the breeze.

In wintertime, our love is warm — it runs from face to toes.

If the skies are blue, our love is joyful — two people dancing in the sun.

If thunder rolls our love is calm, a refuge from the sleeping rain.

When spring flowers bloom, our love is bold, like yellow petals on the peonies.

When autumn leaves fall, our love is gold, shining bright like a harvest beach.

From Easter till Christmas our love will continue to shine.

From season to season I’ll love you forever as you are sweet as sweet.

Sweeter than honey.


Our Inspirations

By UHaileyRoseU

Cover by bluebell1994

Who inspires you at USDF and why?

Col Kerfuffle: COL sugarnoah is an incredibly attentive, supportive officer in HQ and OMP. He has never failed to impress me with his always positive attitude and honesty. I really aspire to his level of consistency and good attitude. I know in his office he is incredibly well regarded and he has a really positive future in senior command someday soon.

Former Maj misteromorg: Mr. Fotoshop because he’s consistently innovating the branch with his ideas, helping to push the branch forwards whilst ensuring that the personnel are supported and given all the opportunities possible to develop themselves further.

1LT warzo00: Mr. LuxuryZ… inspires me the most here because for several months he has dedicated heaps of time to guiding, teaching, and supporting me and many others. Without his guidance, I definitely would not have achieved everything that I have so far and would have left a while ago. I hope to pass on my guidance, knowledge, and support to others like he did to me, and that’s what inspires me the most here.

CWO5 Im__Batman: Probably 1LT UHaileyroseU, if I’m honest. Most of what I’ve learned, especially JDT Command wise came from her LOL.

SMA PiersonP: Col sugarnoah. He works so incredibly hard and is really good at what he does, but he also makes time to stay personal and go out of his way to check on you. #BestADEver

OC1 Femae: One person who’s inspired me a lot is our DepSecDef, Mr. TheRealMatrix. He leads USDF in ways that go above and beyond, ensuring personnel feel safe and welcome in this community. For me personally, he has given me a lot of useful and helpful advice when I needed it and made me feel like he actually cared to do so 

MCPO BLaZiiN-VeNiiM: Ms. cagliore inspires me at USDF because of how she came to be and achieved all the goals she had set. She is dedicated, hardworking, inspiring, and a great leader. She taught me a lot of things and for that, I will never forget her in my USDF career. She was always very helpful and I aspire to become like the leader and great individual she is today.


The Perfect Gift

By hakateach

Cover by Katelyn853

The Perfect Gift

Homemade Date Night Jar

There are so many varieties of homemade Valentine’s gifts to give to your partner. They range anywhere from a homemade card and baked goods, a poem, or even a scrapbook of all the happy moments you share together. The homemade Valentine’s gift we are going to go over today is super easy, time efficient, and will be sure to make your partner smile!

What is a date night jar, exactly? Well, it’s exactly what it sounds like… a jar of date night ideas written on paper or popsicle craft sticks. The idea is to randomly draw a date idea out of the jar for a fun surprise date, and it’s a great way to break out of your normal dinner and movie date ideas!

Materials Needed:

  • Craft sticks or small pieces of paper
  • Wide mouth Mason jar
  • Fine-tip Sharpie marker
  • Stickers to decorate jar
  • Scraps of paper for a sign
  • Washi tape (if desired)

Directions:
– Decorate the outside of your jar with anything of your choice (buttons, sharpies, stickers, paint, gems, etc.)
– Take your popsicle sticks or slips of paper and a jar of your choice.
– On each piece of paper or stick, write down a date night idea.
– You can use Washi Tape or color one tip of the popsicle stick to categorise each item. You could use different colored sticky notes if you’re using paper.
– Put them into your jar
– Present the jar in anyway to your partner (my personal favourite is to wrap it in tissue paper and put it in a little gift bag)

Depending on the activities you and your partner like to do, you are able to customize the jar to fit your needs! Other jars can be: Movie Date Night, Picnic Date Night, Let Our Love Grow, and Sculpture Date Nightjars!

There are a few different ways you can choose to organize your date nights. You could organize them by price, length of time, or at-home versus getaway dates. Some date night ideas that you can use include: Have a picnic, take a walk on the beach, visit a museum, play a round of mini-golf, go to the movies, sit out in your backyard and go stargazing, take a dance class together, get some ice cream, play a board game, go bowling, splurge for a couple’s massage, or go for a hike.

Submission Appreciation Post

HeyItsAllenArc & eunbi

Of All Time

By LadyVoldie

Cover by chiari.cord

Valentine is about love, for the most part, and here are five movies with that theme in mind. Whether you are young or old, male or female, love is an important part of life and it’s what gives life that little extra. It is fully possible to stay single and be content with life, but for some, that is just not enough and with that, I do hope you enjoy these reviews


 About Time

This movie came out in 2013 and stars Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, and Bill Nighy. It’s about a man who can time travel and he does so to try and change his past. However, time travel does not solve everything, and after he loses his first daughter due to time travel, he realises that he can not go back to before his daughter was born, or she would stop existing. It’s a great movie about how to live each day to the fullest and appreciate the things we can not change.

The Kissing Booth

You have probably heard of this movie, which came out in 2018 and is starring Joey King, Jacob Elordi, and Joel Courtney. Joey King plays the role of Elle Evans, who is best friends with Lee (Joel Courtney) and they come up with a great idea to raise money for the school, a Kissing Booth. However, they have a bit of trouble finding people to attend the booth, and Elle turns to Noah, Lee’s older brother, who is quite popular. Of course, he turns them down but not before they manage to score three of the most popular girls in school to join. As a prank, the popular girls trick Elle into attending the kissing booth right as a gross kid wants to take part in the “game”, but Noah, being himself, skips the line and ends up kissing Elle instead. From there, it’s a whirlwind of romance and trouble, because Elle and Lee made a rule about dating each other’s siblings when they were kids. What is Elle gonna do now?

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before

Starring Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish, Anna Cathcart, Madeleine Arthur, Emilija Baranac, Israel Broussard, and John Corbett, based on the novel with the same name. Lara Jean finds herself in a load of trouble after someone sent out the five love letters she wrote to boys she had a crush on and is forced to enter a fake relationship with someone to make it seem like the letters were just a joke. However, real feelings start to surface as the months go by and Lara Jean must make a choice.

A Walk to Remember

Get your tissues ready, because this is a sad one. The film stars Shane West, Mandy Moore, Peter Coyote, and Daryl Hanna, and is set in a small town high school. After a prank gone really wrong, the popular Landon (Shane West) must choose to either be expelled from school or participate in some service projects, including a musical. He chooses the latter, and when he begins to struggle with the musical, he turns to the Baptist minister’s daughter, Jaime. She agrees to help, on one condition. He can NOT fall in love with her. Finding the idea silly, Landon agrees and they begin forming a friendship over time. Their relationship turns romantic and on a date, Jaime reveals the truth, she has leukaemia and is not responding to treatment. With little time left, Landon does what he can to make life the best for Jaime, but is that enough?

10 Things I Hate About You

Starring Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Larisa Oleynik, this movie is a modernization of William Shakespeare’s work “The Taming of the Shrew”. New student Cameron is smitten by the beautiful Bianca but is stopped by Bianca’s father and his rules about dating. That, however, won’t stop Cameron and he tricks the bad boy Patrick into helping him by getting Patrick to date Bianca’s older sister, Kat. Kat is a strong headed girl and it takes a lot from Patrick to break down her walls. If he is successful, Cameron can take Bianca to the prom, but will it be all for nothing?


The Season Of Love

By LadyVoldie

Cover by karencita994

Love, hearts, the color red, and CHOCOLATE! What more is there to Valentine than these things? Well, today we have five exclusive interviews to read about what a few of our personnel have to say about this adored holiday!


Are you currently in a relationship?

CWO5 Beckooo: I am indeed. Will be 3 years on the 12th of January.

Col sugarnoah: Yes, for almost 14 months.

CMSgt imizzyg: No, I am not in a relationship.

CWO5 RusticPenguin: Yes, we’ve been together for a little over 2 and a half years.

SCPO LookatThis1256: Yes, I am hehe! For a few months now.

How are you going to spend this Valentine’s Day?

CWO5 Beckooo: I’m working on valentines day, so we’re going to go out for a meal on the weekend after 🙂

Col sugarnoah: I am going to give my girlfriend a gift and we will probably go out to dinner, then watch a movie.

CMSgt imizzyg: I will probably spend Valentine’s Day with friends who are also single so we can keep one another company. Probably calling it “Galentines”.

CWO5 RusticPenguin: Me and her are long distance, so we will most likely spend it apart. She will most likely have to work. We sent each other presents in the mail in the past, so we will most likely do that again.

SCPO LookatThis1256: Hopefully in someplace warm, and with my partner.

What would be a perfect date according to you?

CWO5 Beckooo: Well, we’re both super chill so we never go over the top and spend lots of money. Just a lovely night with lovely company is all I need!

Col sugarnoah: I like adventures, going somewhere and exploring something we have never done but is fun!

CMSgt imizzyg: The perfect date for me would be just being able to be outside on a nice day, maybe have a picnic, and just talk about whatever for hours.

CWO5 RusticPenguin: Anything to do with us being together. Some of our favourite pastimes are just hanging out at home. But if we go out, we go to the arcade, or out to dinner.

SCPO LookatThis1256: Maybe a nice restaurant or picnic, with lots of chocolates.

What does Valentine mean to you?

CWO5 Beckooo: I’ll admit, it’s never meant an awful lot to me, but it’s nice to have that day to spend with someone you care about.

Col sugarnoah: It means give someone you love extra love, gifts, and appreciation that they already deserve.

CMSgt imizzyg: Honestly, the word Valentine has little to no meaning to me. The first thing I think of is all the handwritten Valentine’s Day cards my first graders gave me a few years back.

CWO5 RusticPenguin: Express love to those you care about.

SCPO LookatThis1256: Spreading love of course! 🙂

Submission Appreciation Post 

Doritota & Common.Sense

  Office Spotlight

By UHaileyroseU

Cover by :alyss

This month’s office spotlight focused on the one and only…… Office of Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities! We had an opportunity to talk to the entire 4 members of this small, yet prestigious office to see what they are all about. Let’s see what they had to say!


How long have you been in OSP&C?

ENS Intervener12: Oh gosh, let me think for a second…. I think it’ll actually be 8 months tomorrow, 1/6!!!

2LT Creta: I’ve been with OSP&C for almost 3 weeks, just a few more days to hit my first month with the team!

Captain .Melioo.: I have been in OSP&C probably over 6 months, I do not count it to be honest. I joined as XO and worked my way up to ASD SP&C.

CWO5 AppleLogic: I’ve been in OSP&C since 29th November 2021 as the XO SP&C. Previously I was DASD SP&C in May before my R2. 

What has made you stay so long?

ENS Intervener12: Honestly, there’s a lot of reasons, but it all boils down to my deep passion to continuously improve USDF. I’m very motivated to help improve our military, and Regulations/Law is something I’m passionate about in real life as well. When I originally saw the open XO SP&C position, I instantly knew that the position was exactly what I was looking for here. Additionally, I’ve been so lucky to have an AMAZING leadership team within OSP&C MajGen IonDABeast and Mr. .Melioo. have supported me and helped me so much with my career here, and I can’t thank them enough. I would not be here without them.

2LT Creta: Well, quite frankly a few reasons actually. That said, I’ll just share 2 that really made the biggest impact on me. Firstly, and definitely most importantly, the people. Our team is quite small and as a result, we are very closely knitted. The communication within our team is tight and fluent, and I guess we are all pretty similar in terms of personalities. We are chill most of the time, but definitely on the ball when we need something to happen. Secondly, the nature of the work! I love any work that has to do with regulations, and in my current role, I deal with that on a daily basis. Clarifying people’s doubts on our RTPs, reviewing our RTPs for improvement opportunities, and most importantly, witnessing and at times partaking in debates surrounding suggestions either on the forums or on the Policy Discussion Group (PDG). It’s great to feel that I am involved in some of USDF’s big changes, that I have a part to play in shaping its future.

Captain .Melioo.: The amazing atmosphere in the office. As we are only 4 in the office, we create very strong bonds and we enjoy every challenge the USDF puts ahead of us. OSP&C offers great satisfaction from completing the projects which help USDF grow into a stronger and better military. Therefore there is no boredom in place. You feel special when you have the power to change USDF. 

CWO5 AppleLogic: OSP&C was always a very interesting office for me, the office is very powerful in terms of suggestions but they also have some strong programs for example the not-so-recently returned Future Officer Leadership Program and the Policy Discussion Group, both allowing personnel to get experience and develop themselves.

What’s your favourite thing about OSP&C?

ENS Intervener12: The fact that we get to work on a LOT of cool projects!! Apart from FOLP and PDG, we’re always working on something super secret!

2LT Creta: I love that we’re an office focused on policies and improving our regulations that affect the lives of our personnel on a daily basis. It is such a huge responsibility, but at the same time meaningful to be entrusted with this. For instance, the main initiative that I am in charge of, the Future Officer Leadership Program (FOLP), is personal and significant to me. I am always a huge fan of career development and mentorship. Hence, this program also allows our mentees (W3+) and mentors (O1+) an opportunity to make new friends on top of gaining the mentorship from this experience. This is unlike any mentorship opportunity – admission is competitive, and the program really seeks to develop mentees in the best manner that it can.

Captain .Melioo.: Favourite thing? I would say the satisfaction from completing the projects and close bonds with other members.

CWO5 AppleLogic: My favourite thing about OSP&C are the various projects, for example when I was appointed to DASD in May I got a chance to work on the FOLP program. Most of the phases are still in use today.

If you could choose another office to be in, what would it be and why?

ENS Intervener12: Hmmm…. probably OOT&E. So the other passion that I have, aside from what I already mentioned, is educating and developing others. To be active in the progression and development of so many personnel is surely an amazing thing to be a part of, and that’s probably the other office I would want to be in.

2LT Creta: Well, like I mentioned, I love to do anything that has got to do with our policies and regulations. The next closest office that does this on a daily basis is OJSIG. I was once in OJSIG, and I stayed there for a few months. To be honest with you, I never really stayed in any office longer than I did in OJSIG. Based on my personal experiences, my stint in OJSIG truly honed my skill sets the most and placed me for success in a lot of the endeavors I have embarked on since. This is truly because of the office culture on intellectual discussions, and therefore our emphasis is not just on punishments, but also on educating our personnel on our judicial systems. So, to answer your question, if I am not in OSP&C: I hope to be in OJSIG or SOCOM since that is what I would like to further experience and also achieve in my time here.

Captain .Melioo.: That is quite a tricky question. My answer would probably be OOT&E as I was in the office a very long time during my previous service. I would join OOT&E back just because of the similar feel as OSP&C have. The command team is very friendly and helpful, and with only 10 members in the PE department, 3 in the ED department, and 5 in OCS department, makes it very closely bonded as well. In OOT&E you pursue the education of new personnel as well as getting Warrant Officers ready for the peak of their performance, commissioning. For me, any department of OOT&E would work, hehe.

CWO5 AppleLogic: I would love to be in another WO office one day like OOT&E or even considering joining OJAG once I become an officer. 

Was OSP&C your first choice? Why was it? If not, what was your first choice and what made you choose OSP&C?

ENS Intervener12: Well, I will say that I tried out a lot of offices before OSP&C, but that was due to a number of things, mainly there was no opening that I was eligible for until one opened and I got the position, if that makes sense. I’ve been in OMP, OISA, and OJSIG. They were all offices that I liked and learned a lot in, but I’ve always been interested in OSP&C, and that was always my goal to get into OSP&C!

2LT Creta: Since my recent return from almost a 3-months hiatus on R2, it has always been my intention to return home to OJSIG. That’s what I did the first instant I came back to Active Duty. OJSIG was my first choice. However, while considering my options, I also thought about experiencing something different but similar at the same time. I also recalled a quote by an officer that one’s career path is almost linear and it’s totally fine to experience different offices. That changed my mindset. After all, Habbo is a game, and if it is fun for you to experience different things then you should go for it. Do not let common perceptions affect what you enjoy doing. Thus, since I really love regulations work, and the DASD SP&C was open, I thought to myself it would actually be a good opportunity to expand my horizons furthermore while aligning with my interests. It was honestly a match made in heaven now that I am with the team, and I cannot wait to see what we can achieve further together.

Captain .Melioo.: The very first command position after reinstatement? Yes! Because I had the experience from OOT&E and due to the full roster, I just tried applying to a similar office.

CWO5 AppleLogic: Back in the day it was always my first choice to join OSP&C but simply couldn’t because of rank restrictions. But I still love it no matter what.

If you could change anything in the regulation, which regulation would that be? 

ENS Intervener12: I understand the reasoning, but Reg 2. I want my male jumper back.

2LT Creta: Interesting question! I actually never thought about this before. I’m afraid I really don’t have an answer for this because I love hearing what others have to say about our RTPs, and my strength lies in the ability to weave people’s understanding altogether and form meaningful conclusions thereafter to suggest possible changes. If I have to suggest based on a personal thought, I had always thought our uniforms were getting a bit stale over the years and personnel get super excited about non-uniform hours. I get that we definitely have to adhere to dress codes since we’re a military, but I always wondered whether we could further expand our military wear more. Hence, I was really excited when a uniform contest for a new PTP was being shared a few weeks ago.

Captain .Melioo.: That is, for sure, quite a hard question to answer. I change regulations, procedures, and the training board every day, so my answer would probably be “Anything what moves USDF forward or has a positive impact on enjoyment.”

CWO5 AppleLogic: If I could change anything in the RTPs, I would merge Regulation 12 and 14 probably and make it one regulation dedicated to USDF platforms in general.


Intertwined

By dinsky

Cover by midgetbella

On the eve of her wedding, Miranda couldn’t sleep. She was staring at her soon-to-be-husband Julian’s sleeping figure, feeling as though the past five years of her life were all a part of a glorious dream. When the two first met, Miranda worked as a waitress in LA, while Julian was a hotshot broker on Wall Street. They led such different lives, it was hard to believe they crossed paths all those years ago and even harder to believe that he stuck around for so long. Before Julian, Miranda’s love life was…quiet to say the least. She had always been a hopeless romantic, but no guy she liked ever seemed to reciprocate the feeling. Miranda started thinking about how she met Julian, everything that led to their relationship, and all the small little coincidences that kept tying them together.

The day before she met Julian, she had been sitting on the grass at Griffith Park with her friends eating lunch, silently admiring all of the couples on dates and wishing she were one of them. She learned a couple of years later that while she was daydreaming at Griffith Park, her future partner was sitting at an airport gate waiting for his flight to LA, also staring at couples and wishing longingly that he was going to the City of Angels with someone he loved, rather than simply flying over for an important finance convention. After the first day of the convention, Julian was feeling tired and instead of joining a few of his colleagues at some random bar, he decided to walk down to a small diner called The Wooden Spoon. He immediately started looking at the menu after sitting down, but when the waitress called out to get his attention, he looked up. Time seemed to stand still as his heart skipped a beat. She was gorgeous, with long brown hair, fair skin, and golden eyes. Even after he gave his order, Julian continued to stare at her as she worked. Miranda didn’t notice because she was so busy thinking about him as well. There was something charming about his playful eyes, dark skin, and bright smile. As she filled other orders and brought food out to all the customers, Miranda kept trying to think of something funny or cute to say in hopes of getting his attraction. Little did she know that Julian was thinking the same thing. Throughout the evening, they kept sneaking glances at each other while the other wasn’t looking until Julian had finally finished his meal. With a deep breath for encouragement, Miranda approached his table for the final time, determined to charm him and write her number on his receipt. She was beaten to the punch when Julian requested it first and asked her on a date. Julian quickly paid for his meal, returning the check with not only the cost of the meal and a generous tip but also a business card with his personal number on the back.

Both parties went to bed that night with the other in mind, excited at the prospect of their date. The next day crawled on slowly, neither being able to focus on their work for a long period of time. When 8 o’clock finally rolled around, Miranda excitedly went to the backroom to clock out and grab her jacket. When she returned, Julian was standing by the entrance with his signature grin on his face. They met up and quickly joined hands before Julian led Miranda to the Cheesecake Factory down the street. After sitting down, Miranda and Julian nervously glanced at each other while looking at their menus. Once their order was put in and the pair got through the “Hello’s” and “How are you’s?” They quickly fell into conversation with ease. Julian told her his job and admitted that he was only in town for a week, but that he could not resist asking her out. Miranda blushed and they continued to charm each other throughout the entire dinner, finding weird coincidences relating the two. Both Miranda’s father and Julian were born and raised in New York, with a penchant for baseball and the Yankees. Miranda’s favorite song was “Water Under The Bridge” by Adele, which happened to be playing on the radio in Julian’s Uber from the airport to his hotel two nights before. Both almost majored in Marine Biology before ultimately deciding on their respective majors. There were many more similarities, but the most important one was that neither could explain the weird pull they felt towards each other. The night ended with the two sharing an Uber to Miranda’s apartment, a kiss goodbye, and a promise to see each other again before Julian left.

Julian ended up going to The Wooden Spoon every day after the conference to see Miranda, and when the time came for the end of his trip, he canceled his flight and took a two week break off of work so they could spend more time together. Once that break was over, the two continued their relationship long distance, traveling back and forth between each other whenever possible. A year later, Julian was offered a job in LA and eagerly took the offer. The two moved in together and on their fourth anniversary, Julian brought Miranda to the old diner one more time. Though Miranda had long since quit after finally getting a job as a teacher, the restaurant still held a special place in their hearts. When Julian got down on one knee at the very table he first laid eyes on Miranda, he tearfully recalled that night and thanked whatever god above who told him to go to this diner alone instead of going to that bar with his colleagues all those years ago.

All those memories since that fateful night lulled Miranda into a peaceful sleep, and when the couple awoke, she was still thinking about them. As the celebration carried on, Miranda basked in the joy of her relationship, ecstatic for what the future held. In her vows, she recounted all the strange coincidences in their lives, concluding with the notion that she knew they were meant to be together. After all, these coincidences proved that their fates were intertwined.

Submission Appreciation Post

Xaviahxx & LookatThis1256

Valentine Traditions

By Toxic_silverx2

Cover by midgetbella

Valentine’s Day originated in ancient Rome, as a Christian holiday to commemorate Saint Valentine. It was meant to replace the pagan celebration of Lupercalia, a festival sacrificing a goat and a dog for fertility and purification. English poet Geoffrey Chaucer was the first to record the day as a romantic celebration in his 1375 poem. Eros, the Greek counterpart of Cupid, was considered as a handsome immortal by Greek Archaic poets until the Hellenistic period that portrayed him as a cherub. Now there are only remnants of Christian and ancient Roman traditions.

As with most other holidays, the way we celebrate Valentine’s Day today has moved away from the original intention of the day. Merchandisers have capitalized on the commercialism of this holiday. Millions of dollars worth of chocolates, flowers, greeting cards, stuffed animals, and jewelry are sold to commemorate the holiday each year, and countries often have their own, unique ways of celebrating.

In Japan, China, and South Korea, the spirit of Valentine’s Day is celebrated twice. On Valentine’s Day, women give chocolates to the special men in their lives. One month later, on White Day, all the men who received gifts return the favor. The gifts given on this day are primarily white: marshmallows, white chocolate, cakes, and even expensive pearl jewelry. The custom is only about forty years old, but it has become a huge money-spending event. 

South Korea has a day separate from Valentine’s Day called Black Day or Singles Day. On April 14th, the tradition of eating black food in black clothes and celebrating with friends. A common dish to eat on this day is jajangmyeon, a noodle dish topped with black bean sauce, pork, and vegetables. Like Valentine’s Day and White Day, South Korea’s Black Day was not popular until its counterparts grew in popularity. Merchandisers have also capitalized on the commercialism of this day by marketing goodies in all black. Restaurants can double or triple their usual sales on this day. The commercialism of this day even extends to match-making, using the day to get singles to use websites to find love.

In Denmark, loved ones exchange handmade cards with pressed white flowers that are called snowdrops. Estonia celebrates with a festival that includes everyone: couples, family members, and friends all exchange gifts to commemorate their love for one another. Italians celebrate with gifts and romantic dinners. 

Even countries that don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day seem to have a holiday that mirrors the sentiment.  In Valencia, Spain, on October 9th, the feast of Saint Dionysus, men give their female companions marzipan figurines. Czechs celebrate on May 1st when couples travel to the statue of the poet Karol Hynek Macha and kiss under the cherry trees for good luck. On February 24, young Romanian men and women go into the forest to gather colorful flowers and wash their faces with snow to bring good luck. 

Argentinians celebrate “the week of sweetness” in July, with lovers exchanging kisses, chocolates, and other sweets. Unlike celebrations in other countries, this holiday actually began as a commercial invention but later adopted Valentine’s traditions. 

Whether it’s celebrated on February 14th or another day, the need to devote a special day to the spirit of love is something that most countries and cultures have in common. No matter when or how we demonstrate it – with field-pick flowers or expensive diamonds – love and the need to celebrate it is important to us all.


The Best Spot In Valentine

By Yodar

Cover by karencita994

Valentine’s Day is coming around the corner, and everyone is doing something nice with their significant other. This day is about spending time with the person you love and making them feel special, so here are a few ideas that are unique and special for both of you.

The best spot on Valentine’s Day can be at our home where we can cook together to make a wonderful meal. It is a great way to spend time together and make food that you both are in the mood for.  You could make a traditional Italian pasta meal from scratch, a delicious steak that is paired with lobster, or some other seafood that you both like.  If there is something that you both want to learn how to make, then you could sign up for a virtual cooking class so you both can develop your cooking skills together. If you feel competitive, why don’t you have a friendly competition in the kitchen to see who can make the best Valentine’s Day Dessert, and then enjoy it together? You could make a Charcuterie Board together and munch on it throughout the day.

If you don’t have anything special planned and want to keep it simple, then why not work on a jigsaw puzzle together, play some board games, or even play some video games together. You can even just stay in your PJ’s all day, do crafts together, read some love poems out loud, and maybe even start a scrapbook on your special days together that you want to remember.

For those who are more into adventures, then why don’t you both take a drive to somewhere that you both want to visit, maybe a day trip to a botanical garden, and enjoy some freshly brewed tea. There are many places to go, so if you are feeling adventurous, hop in the car, load up a playlist of music that you both like and just enjoy the adventure together.  You could even spend some time hiking, and enjoying the scenery and you can even rent a cozy cabin in the woods to spend a few days away from your hectic life together. You can even wrap up an amazing day together by watching a sunset or spending a few hours under the starry night.

If you feel like you want to help the community out, that’s great as you both can make a difference.  You could volunteer at your local food bank and assemble packages, or deliver meals to senior citizens, clean up trash at a local beach, feed the homeless at a soup kitchen, or even write a letter to your military pen pal to boost their spirit knowing that someone cares about them. There are lots of organizations that are local near you or online that give back to the community.  

There are many things that you can do with your significant other as the day is about spending time with someone that you love. If you really love your significant other and want to spend the rest of your life with them, then you could propose which is guaranteed to give them something to remember!


Loving Yourself

By midgetbella

Cover by UHaileyRoseU

Valentine’s Day, a day filled with love and passion. A day where roses shower from the sky and doves flutter around the streets. Although for many, it’s a day of heartache, loneliness, and sorrow. Humans crave attention, they want to believe there is a perfect someone out there for them in the 7.9 billion people that we have on this earth. Some people find ‘their person’ when they are in their youth, others when they’re old while others find themselves constantly searching. It’s easy to get lost in the midst of it all, but remember it’s okay to be alone, just not lonely. 
This is why it’s okay to be alone on Valentine’s Day:

Self-love comes first

Many people rush into relationships before they’ve fully learned to love themselves and all of their flaws, but this isn’t always the best cause of action. You need to practise your own self-love before you can expect anyone else to love you, and if you have already mastered this, be patient, the right person will find you when the time is right. For example, instead of writing a love letter to your crush this valentine, you could write one to yourself. Note the things you love about yourself whether it’s appearance or personality based!

You don’t need someone else to treat you

Valentines Day excites many due to it being a day where couples can spend time together and exchange gifts. If you’re alone this Valentine you can treat yourself. Buy yourself some chocolates, order a pizza and run yourself a hot candlelit bath. You don’t need to be in a relationship to do all of these things, so kick your feet up and spend money on yourself to celebrate your singleness (because being single can be totally awesome too!).

Food before dudes, pals before gals

Organise a Gal/Palentines Day instead. The notion that Valentine’s Day is just for those in a romantic relationship is a toxic one. You are allowed to celebrate the love that you share between yourself and your friends, or even your family – these relationships are just as important as any other. 

So remember, if you are feeling blue about being alone this Valentine, don’t be. Self and platonic love are just as worthy of being celebrated as romantic love. Own the day and practise activities that are going to make yourself feel good.


Valentine Picture Competition

The moment we’ve all been waiting for…. The Valentine Picture Competition! 

We encouraged personnel to send us a photo of themselves with their Habbo partner using a cute background. It was difficult to pick a winner as they were all so adorable! But we’ve selected who we think the winners of this competition should be…

Third PlaceFirst PlaceSecond Place 
Midgetbella & Toxic_silver2xTheLightHouseOne & KraziiKendiiSiluc & LunaLoaf
3rd Place
2nd Place
1st Place

We would like to thank all of the amazing personnel who submitted their adorable photos! Don’t forget to claim your prize from CWO5 StrongTiger!


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Thank you for reading the Libertarian!
We hope you enjoyed this issue, and we’re looking forward to seeing you next month!