news feed; Sunday, November 20th, 2011
Sunday, November 20th, 2011
Weather Periodically cloudy, with a slight chance of flurries or showers. Southeast winds rising to 30 - 50 km/h overnight. High 3°C and a low of 1°C (37deg;F/34°F)
Current Moon Phase:Waning Crescent
Morning sirens go off at 8:35 am, and evening sirens are at 5:21 pm.
[Newcomers in the Starter Tower Apartments will be visited by yet another lobby recruiter, this time a SERO representative in Marketing and Product Testing, offering a free month’s supply of exclusive trial-size toiletry and bathing products, not yet available on the market. For signing up to participate, you will receive a weekly assortment of samples, and fill out a corresponding survey about each product.
Some of these untested products may still have a few unsuspecting problems to iron out- plot freely with these! Toothpaste that makes your gums so tingly it stings, shower gel that attracts dirt, moisturizers that leave your skin greasy- or even odder effects! Have fun with that. ]
Horoscopes
Aries
March 21 - April 19
Curb a need to be possessive and difficult. A friend could be quite threatening and touchy, in some form. You might wonder what is the best way to handle this tension. Know your limits. A direct but positive approach really will be appreciated. Stick to your plan, or at least to your original intent. Don't allow another person's opinion to deter you.
Taurus
April 20 - May 20
You'll learn about yourself because you're not afraid to ask the deeper questions, such as "what am I really feeling?" Immediately, you'll feel your energy. Finally, you'll start the day off on the right foot. You have many reasons to smile. Honor your priorities first. Express your caring only when you are sure you understand where the other person is coming from. Someone else may have the same issues as you, but you will require very different solutions.
Gemini
May 21 - June 20
Honor your feelings, but play them low-keyed. You might be better holding off your concerns to yourself. A partner might try to be helpful, but unfortunately "try" is the operative world. Take time to rethink your position. You might come to a new decisions. You'll think about how to solve a problem and help others who have the same issue.
Cancer
June 21 - July 22
Zero in on what might be important for the moment. Understand what this happening within a set group of friends. You could be taken aback by their priorities. You'll seek only loving and balanced relationships, and learn that someone has strong feelings for you. You'll notice the unhealthy way people around your bond, and choose not to be a part of it, but remember to do more understanding than judging.
Leo
July 23 - August 22
Take a stand while you can, You come to a new understanding and realization when you determine whom you can count on, and you'll prevent a predicament because you depended on the right person. Understand where someone is coming from. Finally, a meeting of the minds becomes possible. You discover the power of two, together stepping forward into the limelight.
Virgo
August 23 - September 22
Break through mental restrictions. If you want a certain outcome, you will need to rid yourself of any idea that prevents you from being what you desire. A possible day trip or the chance of taking a class or two open your doors. Be imaginative. You'll put your money where your heart is, only buying that which contributes to the happiness and health of your family and yourself. Your dollar is your vote.
Libra
September 23 - October 23
Togetherness seems to be the best way to go, and working individually with one person you'll get strong, positive results. If you defer and talk to several people at once, however, you could be easily overwhelmed. You really don't need others to reinforce your self-esteem, but it's always nice when they do give your ego a boost.
Scorpio
October 24 - November 21
Others appear to be challenging and exciting. A personal matter could take you down a new path. You'll take on a role, and the real work in playing this part will be internal, but you can'r completely deny the influence of external factors, either. You have the ability to move through a sticky situation with unexpected ease in this manner. Bond over a good, long meal. Fortune is sure to follow the dessert course.
Sagittarius
November 22 - December 21
Be aware of what you need to accomplish, Your financial situation is transforming for the long run, and not for the worse! Stay upbeat and be ready to indulge a little this week, pressing your luck into the wee hours of the morning. A special friendship will bring out your best moods and qualities, giving you the chance to share in a social arena you dared not enter before.
Capricorn
December 22 - January 19
You do what you do for good reason. It's the best you can come up with at the time. And if it's not idea, simply come up with a different response. You have a greater ability to change gears and adjust than you give yourself credit for. Your ingenuity comes up with a great idea after a fun midweek break, which could also increase gains in a financial or emotional situation.
Aquarius
January 20 - February 18
You are building your own security and allowing greater give and take among those you live with. A home office or home-based business might be more to your liking than you realize. You really are bored by other people's self loathing and do not find this to be a suitable topic of conversation. But you'll have to steer the social discourse to something more uplifting yourself.
Pisces
February 19 - March 20
You'll suddenly feel that making your life better is a remarkably simple process. It begins when you smile at yourself in the mirror. Then you'll set a goal and solve a problem. Once more, you reveal much more of what is on your mind. You could push very hard to get your way. Listen to what someone is saying, integrate his or her thinking into your own. Set aside some time to hang out this week.
[OOC Note: The horoscopes are considered by most in the City to be very accurate, since a lady with an ability for this sort of thing provides them. Use them as you will - accurate or not.]
A Letter to the Editor:
It seems likely that we're going to have a change in the law designed to address costumed vigilantes, and possibly also bounty hunters and other people who use force without being members of the police. I would implore anyone proposing changes to the law to consider the following cases and if they should remain legal:
* someone walking home alone who is attacked by a mugger, and uses force to hold his or her attacker for the police.
* someone walking home who sees someone down the block being attacked, and uses force to hold the attacker for the police.
* someone with super-senses who senses someone being attacked some distance away, and stops the attack, or stops the attack and holds the attacker for police.
* someone who patrols around looking for people under attack; someone who does the same after Sirens with an emphasis on monsters.
* a security guard collects a salary to wait in an area, or patrol an area, looking for trouble in that area, and if trouble is found to end it and bring troublemakers to the police.
* a bounty hunter is paid to find and collect a known person; does it make a difference if this person is a convicted criminal? Or a wanted suspect handed over to the police?
* a private detective is paid to figure out who committed a crime and supply proof; does it change matters if s/he also apprehends the criminal(s)?
* someone who figures out who committed a crime and supplies proof without being paid; does it change matters if s/he also apprehends the criminal(s)? Does it matter how much proof is supplied? If the accused confesses?
* someone who finds and hurts criminals without regard for what specific crimes they have committed.
And in all of the above cases, does it make a difference how much force is used? Will guns and similar items remain legal to carry? To use against human attackers, or only Darkness monsters? Combat powers? Martial arts? Hand-to-hand weapons? Less than lethal weaponry?
I have intentionally omitted the word "vigilante" both because it is emotionally loaded and because it's unclear exactly what the definition encompasses: if I'm walking directly home from a club minding my own business until I see hear of my neighbors being mugged, would intervening make me a vigilante? Is Superman a vigilante if he hears someone being mugged half a city away and intervenes? Is a bounty hunter a vigilante? A private detective? A security guard? Someone who does those jobs on their own initiative?
I'm fully aware that I'm from a different world with a different history, and people from this city aren't going to have the same answers to these questions that I do. But I would implore everyone to think about these questions, and answer them deliberately. Someone who wished to remain anonymous was quoted in yesterday's paper as saying "The Port is no place for Citizen's Arrest" and this has implications far beyond costumed vigilantes. Changes to citizen's arrest are likely to affect security guards and simple self-defense.
To put this in personal terms: if the law is to be changed so as to remove my legal option to hold a would-be rapist until the cops arrive, let it be a deliberate change, not an accidental one.
-Anonymous
Other News
Police Speak Out About Missing Persons Remains
Since the last report about the dismembered remains of last month's missing persons, quite a number of corpses have been cropping up around the island, sources say. Siren's Port Police Department has been keeping tight lipped about the situation, refusing to reveal any details until now.
There has been no set pattern in where and how the bodies have been scattered around the island. There is also very little to identify the victims by; only DNA testing has been able to successfully confirm that these bodies belong to the same individuals that were reported missing last month. Police refuse to state the exact condition the bodies were found in, stating that it is, "too graphic and too disturbing for the general public." One thing they will reveal is that it is clear this was all done by the same individual.
Police are urging citizens not to panic, but to also take precautions. They do not wish for anyone, no matter what abilities they may have, to go out at night, or travel alone in deserted areas, and make sure your NVs are on and within easy reach at all times. Stay safe, Siren's Port.
Newcomer Arrives Near Death
A newcomer was reported entering the hospital just hours away from death not long after arriving in Siren's Port.
The newcomer, a young man that goes by the name of Ion, apparently was in the last stages of tuberculosis on his home world before he was brought here by the Core. Thanks to a quick thinking passerby, he was rushed to the hospital, where doctors were able to save the boy's life. He remains there in stable condition, hooked up to machines that are breathing for him as he awaits a compatible lung donor.
Police question how this boy had been missed by Greeters, some stating that the man that rescued him took him away too fast for anyone to to anything. Actions are being taken to assure that this does not occur again, and that emergency services will be on hand every time newcomers begin to arrive.
Ion himself writes to us, "I am thankful to those that have saved my life. I look forward to the day where I can use my voice to thank them for their kindness."
-----------------------------
[ News Notification Thread]
Weather Periodically cloudy, with a slight chance of flurries or showers. Southeast winds rising to 30 - 50 km/h overnight. High 3°C and a low of 1°C (37deg;F/34°F)
Current Moon Phase:Waning Crescent
Morning sirens go off at 8:35 am, and evening sirens are at 5:21 pm.
[Newcomers in the Starter Tower Apartments will be visited by yet another lobby recruiter, this time a SERO representative in Marketing and Product Testing, offering a free month’s supply of exclusive trial-size toiletry and bathing products, not yet available on the market. For signing up to participate, you will receive a weekly assortment of samples, and fill out a corresponding survey about each product.
Some of these untested products may still have a few unsuspecting problems to iron out- plot freely with these! Toothpaste that makes your gums so tingly it stings, shower gel that attracts dirt, moisturizers that leave your skin greasy- or even odder effects! Have fun with that. ]
Horoscopes
Aries
March 21 - April 19
Curb a need to be possessive and difficult. A friend could be quite threatening and touchy, in some form. You might wonder what is the best way to handle this tension. Know your limits. A direct but positive approach really will be appreciated. Stick to your plan, or at least to your original intent. Don't allow another person's opinion to deter you.
Taurus
April 20 - May 20
You'll learn about yourself because you're not afraid to ask the deeper questions, such as "what am I really feeling?" Immediately, you'll feel your energy. Finally, you'll start the day off on the right foot. You have many reasons to smile. Honor your priorities first. Express your caring only when you are sure you understand where the other person is coming from. Someone else may have the same issues as you, but you will require very different solutions.
Gemini
May 21 - June 20
Honor your feelings, but play them low-keyed. You might be better holding off your concerns to yourself. A partner might try to be helpful, but unfortunately "try" is the operative world. Take time to rethink your position. You might come to a new decisions. You'll think about how to solve a problem and help others who have the same issue.
Cancer
June 21 - July 22
Zero in on what might be important for the moment. Understand what this happening within a set group of friends. You could be taken aback by their priorities. You'll seek only loving and balanced relationships, and learn that someone has strong feelings for you. You'll notice the unhealthy way people around your bond, and choose not to be a part of it, but remember to do more understanding than judging.
Leo
July 23 - August 22
Take a stand while you can, You come to a new understanding and realization when you determine whom you can count on, and you'll prevent a predicament because you depended on the right person. Understand where someone is coming from. Finally, a meeting of the minds becomes possible. You discover the power of two, together stepping forward into the limelight.
Virgo
August 23 - September 22
Break through mental restrictions. If you want a certain outcome, you will need to rid yourself of any idea that prevents you from being what you desire. A possible day trip or the chance of taking a class or two open your doors. Be imaginative. You'll put your money where your heart is, only buying that which contributes to the happiness and health of your family and yourself. Your dollar is your vote.
Libra
September 23 - October 23
Togetherness seems to be the best way to go, and working individually with one person you'll get strong, positive results. If you defer and talk to several people at once, however, you could be easily overwhelmed. You really don't need others to reinforce your self-esteem, but it's always nice when they do give your ego a boost.
Scorpio
October 24 - November 21
Others appear to be challenging and exciting. A personal matter could take you down a new path. You'll take on a role, and the real work in playing this part will be internal, but you can'r completely deny the influence of external factors, either. You have the ability to move through a sticky situation with unexpected ease in this manner. Bond over a good, long meal. Fortune is sure to follow the dessert course.
Sagittarius
November 22 - December 21
Be aware of what you need to accomplish, Your financial situation is transforming for the long run, and not for the worse! Stay upbeat and be ready to indulge a little this week, pressing your luck into the wee hours of the morning. A special friendship will bring out your best moods and qualities, giving you the chance to share in a social arena you dared not enter before.
Capricorn
December 22 - January 19
You do what you do for good reason. It's the best you can come up with at the time. And if it's not idea, simply come up with a different response. You have a greater ability to change gears and adjust than you give yourself credit for. Your ingenuity comes up with a great idea after a fun midweek break, which could also increase gains in a financial or emotional situation.
Aquarius
January 20 - February 18
You are building your own security and allowing greater give and take among those you live with. A home office or home-based business might be more to your liking than you realize. You really are bored by other people's self loathing and do not find this to be a suitable topic of conversation. But you'll have to steer the social discourse to something more uplifting yourself.
Pisces
February 19 - March 20
You'll suddenly feel that making your life better is a remarkably simple process. It begins when you smile at yourself in the mirror. Then you'll set a goal and solve a problem. Once more, you reveal much more of what is on your mind. You could push very hard to get your way. Listen to what someone is saying, integrate his or her thinking into your own. Set aside some time to hang out this week.
[OOC Note: The horoscopes are considered by most in the City to be very accurate, since a lady with an ability for this sort of thing provides them. Use them as you will - accurate or not.]
A Letter to the Editor:
It seems likely that we're going to have a change in the law designed to address costumed vigilantes, and possibly also bounty hunters and other people who use force without being members of the police. I would implore anyone proposing changes to the law to consider the following cases and if they should remain legal:
* someone walking home alone who is attacked by a mugger, and uses force to hold his or her attacker for the police.
* someone walking home who sees someone down the block being attacked, and uses force to hold the attacker for the police.
* someone with super-senses who senses someone being attacked some distance away, and stops the attack, or stops the attack and holds the attacker for police.
* someone who patrols around looking for people under attack; someone who does the same after Sirens with an emphasis on monsters.
* a security guard collects a salary to wait in an area, or patrol an area, looking for trouble in that area, and if trouble is found to end it and bring troublemakers to the police.
* a bounty hunter is paid to find and collect a known person; does it make a difference if this person is a convicted criminal? Or a wanted suspect handed over to the police?
* a private detective is paid to figure out who committed a crime and supply proof; does it change matters if s/he also apprehends the criminal(s)?
* someone who figures out who committed a crime and supplies proof without being paid; does it change matters if s/he also apprehends the criminal(s)? Does it matter how much proof is supplied? If the accused confesses?
* someone who finds and hurts criminals without regard for what specific crimes they have committed.
And in all of the above cases, does it make a difference how much force is used? Will guns and similar items remain legal to carry? To use against human attackers, or only Darkness monsters? Combat powers? Martial arts? Hand-to-hand weapons? Less than lethal weaponry?
I have intentionally omitted the word "vigilante" both because it is emotionally loaded and because it's unclear exactly what the definition encompasses: if I'm walking directly home from a club minding my own business until I see hear of my neighbors being mugged, would intervening make me a vigilante? Is Superman a vigilante if he hears someone being mugged half a city away and intervenes? Is a bounty hunter a vigilante? A private detective? A security guard? Someone who does those jobs on their own initiative?
I'm fully aware that I'm from a different world with a different history, and people from this city aren't going to have the same answers to these questions that I do. But I would implore everyone to think about these questions, and answer them deliberately. Someone who wished to remain anonymous was quoted in yesterday's paper as saying "The Port is no place for Citizen's Arrest" and this has implications far beyond costumed vigilantes. Changes to citizen's arrest are likely to affect security guards and simple self-defense.
To put this in personal terms: if the law is to be changed so as to remove my legal option to hold a would-be rapist until the cops arrive, let it be a deliberate change, not an accidental one.
-Anonymous
Other News
Police Speak Out About Missing Persons Remains
Since the last report about the dismembered remains of last month's missing persons, quite a number of corpses have been cropping up around the island, sources say. Siren's Port Police Department has been keeping tight lipped about the situation, refusing to reveal any details until now.
There has been no set pattern in where and how the bodies have been scattered around the island. There is also very little to identify the victims by; only DNA testing has been able to successfully confirm that these bodies belong to the same individuals that were reported missing last month. Police refuse to state the exact condition the bodies were found in, stating that it is, "too graphic and too disturbing for the general public." One thing they will reveal is that it is clear this was all done by the same individual.
Police are urging citizens not to panic, but to also take precautions. They do not wish for anyone, no matter what abilities they may have, to go out at night, or travel alone in deserted areas, and make sure your NVs are on and within easy reach at all times. Stay safe, Siren's Port.
Newcomer Arrives Near Death
A newcomer was reported entering the hospital just hours away from death not long after arriving in Siren's Port.
The newcomer, a young man that goes by the name of Ion, apparently was in the last stages of tuberculosis on his home world before he was brought here by the Core. Thanks to a quick thinking passerby, he was rushed to the hospital, where doctors were able to save the boy's life. He remains there in stable condition, hooked up to machines that are breathing for him as he awaits a compatible lung donor.
Police question how this boy had been missed by Greeters, some stating that the man that rescued him took him away too fast for anyone to to anything. Actions are being taken to assure that this does not occur again, and that emergency services will be on hand every time newcomers begin to arrive.
Ion himself writes to us, "I am thankful to those that have saved my life. I look forward to the day where I can use my voice to thank them for their kindness."
-----------------------------
[ News Notification Thread]