Changes Are Coming...

No, not the wintery kind. 

Besides, winter has already come- haven't you experienced some of that polar vortex stuff yet? Which, by the way, is not a new thing, its just a particularly potent thing this year. Anyway, changes are coming and they have everything to do with the blog and nothing to with winter- and don't challenge me on that by finding some kind of abstract connection, smartasses >_>. Expect a facelift here, some possible format changes among other things. Pretty soon, the blog will be moved as well, but that might not happen for a month or more.

If you come back in a couple weeks and find that we have some dust lying around, you'll have to pardon the mess, we're in the middle of renovating. In order to keep serving you up a fine product, we have to keep tweaking the recipe, making little changes here and there, working towards finding that sweet spot where things work so well, you don't need to make changes. Well, until you do, because life is change and changes are inevitable. I mean, sure, the phrase if it isn't broke, don't fix it certainly has its validity, but sometimes things are not quite broke but will snap clean in half before you know it.

Or something like that.

Anyway, we've come to the part of the introduction where I start babbling and then get snarky- hey, I'm aware of my own blog tropes, thank you very much. I have a formula for success and I'll keep drinking my kool-aid (the cyanide adds a fine, spicy accent) thank you very much. Anyway, before I make a bigger fool out of myself, I better get the blog going. 

What's Happening Valucre?

The Chosen: Round Three Continues- @__________@

Valucre's 2013 Awards!- Hey, if you actually read my blog more regularly than you check for updates on Valucre, you are probably a figment of my imagination and I need to go see someone about that. However, if in such a case you are not one of my ‘pretend people’, then I have some information for you! Well, even if you have been around Valucre, you might appreciate the reader’s digest style explanation of what all is going on here, or just a bit of history on it, no?

Anyway, the Valucre awards started a couple years ago with the 2011 fan favorites and have evolved to include several other awards given out on an annual basis. The idea is to recognize the work and efforts of the members of Valucre, giving props where props are due. Fan favorites originally allowed people to identify who some of their favorite writers were, giving the top five members recognition as having the most ‘serious fans’. The next year, we increased the awards to include other scopes of our RP practices so that people could be recognized for the great things they bring to Valucre’s RP experience. Now, let’s break down what you can vote on and how it is working:

Fan Favorites: This year, you are allowed to pick up to your top –seven- favorites. If you do a lot of reading on the website, you’d be surprised how difficult this can be- so put some thought into it. Those who have the most votes (through 7^th place) will be the 2013 fan favorites. With fan favorites, we are hoping people pick their favorites based on whose writing you most enjoyed in 2013 (be it in RP directly, or written submissions or lore, etc). If they were out producing creative works of some kind, and you just looked forward to reading it- this is probably a good one to mention. ;)

Role-Player of theYear: Ah, this is a coveted one indeed. We have many candidates up for this one and as such, we will need two different poll votes to get us to our finalists. Finalists will have a feature in the blog and will then be put up for a PM vote on who should be the best among the best. Ideally, our winner is someone who posts reliably and with at least reasonable frequency, produces quality writing and awesome characters. The polls let you vote for more than one, so you are advised to pick several favorites.

Best Hero and BestVillain: This contest is for us to identify who did the best, and who did the worst, things in all of Valucre this year. Board leaders held discussions and led up to our final list of names for the site to pick through- one late addition has been added by popular demand. This will be a one-poll vote before taking finalists, with finalists getting a special feature in the blog before determining the best among them.

Best New Role-Player: We have had some real quality come through our site this year, and as such, we are leaving it to you folks to help us figure out whom all that was. We put together a set of criteria that we felt helped qualify a person as a contributing (new) Rper and after having found all who qualified- it comes to you. Finalists shall be featured here on the special update!

Best Role-Play of theYear: With a set of qualifying criteria, we compiled a list of role-plays to begin looking at and then, with gathered input of others, board-leaders broke down what they thought were among the best and most popular role-plays in 2013. Now, we need you to help us pare it down to a list of finalists, which will  be featured here, in the blog!

Most Improved Member: An open ended nominations process, we are gathering names of people you all felt made significant strides in their writing this year, and then a staff discussion will decide the winner from that pool. So far though, it looks like that only one person has garnered votes!

Other Notes: Any poll vote has a write in option, so please use it if you see a name missing you want added in. We will definitely be holding a debriefing when the process is over to get feedback and make changes, so that we can make something that is amendable to as many people as possible. If you see a mistake- please let me know ASAP. When it comes time to debrief the process, please contribute ideas on how to fix things, or specifically what you though did not work, other than just complaining and making statements- ‘constructive criticism’.  And lastly- you don’t have to wait until this time of year to let people know you like their stuff- do it all year long. ;)

Oh, and a vote for the blogger never hurts. Just saying. >>

Federal Investigative Service of Terrenus- Think of this group as the investigative fact gathering resource for the military of Terrenus. Your job is not to go take on the bad guys but to root out their criminal activity, discover plots before they hatch, and make sure that they get brought to justice. Now, nothing stops you from trying to apprehend them, but the Terrenus government won’t foot your medical bills on that one- you’re on your own. Anyway, if you like things such as CSI, you get to take on that role- help find the bad guys, then call in the back up to come take out the trash. ;)

Last Call [Celin City]- Do you like drinking contests- a silly question, of course you do, isn’t becoming an alcoholic one of the requirements to adventuring? Speaking of alcoholism and adventuring, isn’t getting into brawls another great thing about living the life? Well friends, we got a little event going on that is going to be the place for you, right down in Celin city. It’s the last call, and there are free drinks and the promise of violence- are you in?

Threats of Regression- A level two quest, so it comes with an element of danger! A risky quest with greater reward, hear it out if you are looking for a challenge. An ancient artifact resides in Old Palgard and brings pain and ruin to everyone around it. They beseech any who can control its magic to come in and do away with the object. Use of the object entails great risk- it likes to backfire or cause other complications (such as blowing up your surroundings, a highly inconvenient thing). This one is filling decently fast, so if you want a spot, you better get in there!

Calling All Unnaturals- Are you an unnatural? Do you creep and crawl, or perhaps go bump in the night? Do you strike fear into the hearts of lesser men, or wear a grin sure to make children scream of fright? If such is the case, there is a calling for all those who are of this kind, a call to come serve in a bigger, better purpose. Sure, you might die in the process, but it will be for a greater goal. Answer your calling.

Starting From Bare Bones- Do you like to start characters from scratch? Would you want to go out and journey with a likeminded character who also needs growth and development? This could be your opportunity to pick up a longtime ally and build upon your character’s history- so if you want to start up someone new, this would be a good place to start.   

Featured Read of the Month- 

Promised something special for this month, and so it is. It got brought to my attention that there is a role-play that has spanned three threads now (three chapters if you will) with continuous activity between two members over the last three years- they just had their three year anniversary about ten days ago. This is one hell of an achievement- getting a single thread to go from start to finish can be a monumental task at times, especially when you clocking in nine and eleven pages of content between the first two- with only two people going back and forth.

In my opinion, this definitely deserves some recognition, so I would like to extend my congratulations to The Hummingbird and Cordeliane for staying so dedicated to a storyline- it's impressive in my eyes. Everyone give them a quick round. ;)

Strange Magic-->Missions and Misadventures-->Returns and Reports- 
This thread encompasses the adventures of an unlikely duo, two opposites who go from chance meeting to adventures with highs and lows and eventually a politically motivated marriage. Cordeliane is a runaway noblewoman from Nvengaria in search of others with powers like her own. Little does she realize that her blue eyes marks her for being a part of the Arcantian prophesies, a fact that may have saved her life, given that her counterpart is a cold, cynical man who hates everyone and gets along with nobody. Nevertheless, Shawn takes her to his people and agrees to undergo a quest for a rare artifact, all the while, they unaware that her brothers pursue her trail.

The brothers eventually catch them and inform them of the politically arranged marriage. Along the way, two different brushes with death come with the kidnapping of Cordeliane, who suffers greatly at the hands of her captors. Things work out, and now they have come to where they have finally wed- but the adventures go on.    

Lore of the Week!

Lore pages are being overhauled, and this section will likely reflect that as well- stay tuned... 

Newly Awarded!

Got nothing this week (awards are on hold due to no awards mods and the Valucre annual awards going on right now) but expect lots of updating here soon!

Valucre Blog Challenge!

Alright, I can see this is dead in the water. My celtic stubbornness can only carry me on so far and for so long- this section will be retired. :(

New Members and Returns!

Welcome:

~Vaughn~
~Likestarlight~
~NorthernBard~
~Chief Steve~
~Ironyz~
~Cosmo~
~Shade~
~Menthol~
~MaxtheFeral~
~Sindrågosa~

Returns:

~Zotar~

I will all but promise that we will be returning to a more personalized method of greeting people beginning with the new month. I got hammered this month with other things, and thus did not prepare for the blog- everything has been by the seat of my pants. ;-;

Other Highlights?

New Method to Request a Storyteller- Forms are out of commission for the moment, so for a bit of time there, you had no means of requesting a Storyteller- well fret no more, for we have created a solution! Inside the Watercooler you will find a new stickied form called 'Storyteller Requests', where everything you need to know about requesting a storyteller is listed up and ready for your use. Best yet, you drop your request in that very same thread by use of a pre-made format. Not bad, eh?

Did You Know-  The ignore feature received an upgrade of its own when we switched to IPB? You now have the option to choose specific types of data from certain users rather than just having them on a blanket ignore. Want to ignore their posts but still be reachable by PM? You can do that! To learn more, click this word right ---->Here and go to the thread. For more of these little tidbits, dig through the Announcements forum. ;)

Closing Thoughts?

These awards do a little bit to get people thinking. Thinking about who we do like and what we like about their writing and perhaps- thinking about how often we actually express that. A few people have already brought it up, and it my experience I find it is certainly true, that it’s often those post-reps (now likes) and mentions in the Notice of Excellence threads that really make your day. The awards are nice and you love to have the recognition and the knowledge that others enjoy what you do, but really goes much further when you get little bits along the way.

Which brings me to the thought of the day- take the time to tell people. A simple thought, but I think it can be meaningful- take the time to let people every once in a while how much you enjoy what they do. Even the steadiest writer needs a little affirmation now and then- it just helps make things feel worth it. I think that sometimes we only think to mention something when someone puts out that ultimate post- that one that was just unabashedly good and you just have to put that one up in the NOE thread- but what about all those times they post consistently well written stuff?

It is a short thought for the day because I am absolutely drained and I have a feeling I might be coming down with something. I just wanted to share the thought that perhaps we could all make it a goal to mention every now and then- hey, I love the way you write, and I am damn proud to be writing alongside you.

You never know how much of a difference it might make. :)

Alright you fine folks, I will see you at the special updates following awards finalists.

-         -  Acies

"Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world." ~George Bernard Shaw

Middle of the Month Already?

Time is sure going by fast...

Hey, what is it that they say- time flies by when you're having fun? Well, what if you're not having fun so much as just staying really busy? Does that count too- a distraction that causes you to lose sight of just how fast things pass us by? I once heard that the rate in which we perceive the movement of time is related to how many 'novel' (new, interesting) experiences we have- that those who learn new things and try new things feel like their lives go by more slowly than those who learn little and stick to mundane routines. The same thought postulates that this is the reason behind life going by faster as we get older- less to learn and more prior experience makes having novel ones more difficutl.

Is life going by swiftly for you or is it passing by slowly?

Food for thought, but its not very related to getting this blog kicked off- well, other than perhaps I hope it brings you a wealth of new information and novelty so that reading the blog engrosses you and makes you feel as though your time is long and full of quality. Now, more than likely I'm just sitting here patronizing myself, and you're going to get through this thing in no time and then wonder- now what do I do?

Yeah, we can't all produce works on par with the greats.

Well, before I crush my self esteem too much more, why don't we get to the blog!

What's Happening Valucre?

The Chosen: Round Three Continues- It stalled again. Sorry. Really exciting tournament. >>

For Crystal and Country!- Do you hate the unnatural? Abominations that lurk in the night, spreading their influence unchecked- they must be stopped, right? Well, if you an inclination for purging things that go bump in the night (or things that associate with them in general), this thread just might be for you. The Masons are recruiting fine folks to go out and help them rid the world of these foul things in a grand crusade. They are looking to recruit new ‘Justicars’- keepers of the peace and the bloodhounds for the church. You will seek out those unnatural bastards and help remove their scourge. These Justicars are ‘paladins’ of sorts, though you need not necessarily be of good alignment to join- indeed, a bent towards neutrality would probably be even more helpful. As long as you are willing to serve the church in all of its ambitions, you just might find yourself gaining a great deal of success within their ranks. Fulfill your destiny, join the cause.

Temple Run- Are you the kind of person who likes to go through others belongings, especially if you can justify your actions by way of pointing out that the individual is dead? Of course some of you are- I know who my audience is. We’re the site with more bad-guys than good, the sort who go stumbling around ancient tombs in pursuit of treasures without regards to ethics- after all, they’re just guidelines, right? RIGHT? In Adaviel, a thread is going up that entails an audacious empress getting her hands dirty alongside her trusty bodyguard, using a recently purchased map to go off and explore some old ruins in pursuit of adventure. Conflict is sure to arise, so make sure your character is armed and ready. They are looking for up to four others, and so far a couple have nibbled- act now, before this deal ends!

Resurface- A long time member who stays incredibly active is looking to flesh out the background of their main character and would love for some others to participate as characters in the background of the story. Obviously, this will be an RP taking place in the past and it might involve a bit of fighting here and there. It's an opportunity for character development (focus of the RP) and to help out someone who can be a bit shy, though certainly not 'anti-social' as this person has referred to their self- much too nice :P. Lend a hand?

Last Chance City Wide Event- RIOT!!!- The write-up for last week was provided by Carlos, and I think it is does a stellar job of covering what this is about. I am not one to just repeat stuff week to week, but I think the best way to advertise this again is to do just that- you get a replay!  

It's all in your point of view.
---- Are you from Fortuna?
The years-long economic and social divisions in Last Chance have finally come to a head.  La Ultima Fortuna, the CDF and the Watchmen, so recently gifted with updated equipment through a generous donation from Argus Incorporated, have a chance to retake their city from the violent criminals who refuse to vacate La Ultima Opportunidad.  The gangs' death-like grip continues to dash any hope for the city to truly advance into the Terran power it could be- instead, they force it to remain in the shadows- ever attempting to drag its people back to the drug-enslaved, starving, hovel that Last Chance used to be.
---- Or Opportunidad?
The years-long economic and social divisions in Last Chance have finally come to a head.  La Ultima Opportunidad has finally had enough; the loss of Madame Double, the continued oppression, the flight of literally anyone who could live anywhere else and the unending knowledge that half the city is just waiting for you (yes, you) to make a mistake so they can take you out.. it's too much.  Like any cornered animal, La Ultima Opportunidad has had a choice every night - fight, hide or run? 
For years they ran and hid; but no longer.  
No one knows what sparked the riot, but something did, and now the entire city fights along the line of contention which divides Fortuna from Opportunidad.
All new threads starting up in Last Chance at this time need to account for the turmoil and violence in the streets. Various bits of loot shall be up for grabs as well- so pay attention. More information can be found over here- read it, it might save your skin.

Extinction is Forever- A writing experiment found in the alternative section, one position remains open, so if this caught your attention last week, its not too late to go look into the remaining character and decide if you want to try this out. You begin with a premade character who has a limited amount of stuff on them and begin working your way through an apocalyptic setting with nothing more. It will be a challenge, but one that might bear great fruit. Care for the final spot?

Talisman if Jason- This is a quest for an artifact of great power, one that gives the bearer improved charisma, the ability to heal deafness and blindness, and the one time use to create a potion of resurrection. This thread started out back in the summer, but the original participants (other than the thread starter) have bailed and the original poster is looking for replacements- namely, an RP partner and someone who is willing to fulfill a storyteller role. If you are interested in the hunt or someone who has wanted an opportunity to dabble in Storyteller like duties- step on up. 

Denfell--Marine Recon- Bad things have been going on in Adaviel, including multiple assassinations. I bet a curious adventurer such as yourself might leap at the chance to get to the bottom of this. Are you the sort to end crimes? Are you looking to get in on the plot? Or are you the sniveling kind who finds out dirty secrets and uses them for every bit of leverage you can get out of them? Hey, no judgments here, it takes all kinds. Or, you can take to the other side and play the role of those who will try and stop these marines from getting in and getting that information. This thread is open and the roles are varied- if this sounds good to you, make sure you go take a look.

Terrenus Bulletin Board Updated- The Terrenus Bulletin board has had some updating, such as its format, and it is ready for people to come take a look at what is going on and what is available in Terrenus.

Lore of the Week!

Temporily unavailable- waiting for restoration of lore pages (Likely Resume Next Month). 

Newly Awarded!

None this week, check back next week!

Valucre Blog Challenge!

Nothing last week. But I got something new and different for you this week.

I want to overhaul this blog in an aesthetic way- I want to have banners for each of the sections of this blog, something better than text that is constantly trying to ruin its formatting. So, I need a set. I want them to be more or less matching, with the variation being the name- having something uniform keeps things looking  organized and clean.

These are the sections:

1. "The Valucre Blog"
2. "What's Happening Valucre?"
3. Lore of the Week
4. Newly Awarded
5. Valucre Blog Channel
6. New Members and returns 
7. Birthdays of the Week
8. Other Highlights
9. Closing thoughts

Now, you might ask- what's in it for you? Well, so far as I know, almost everyone uses Itunes to some extent or uses Apple Products. I have a $10 Itunes gift card that just might have your name on it- something you can use to get you some music or a couple new games game, or to download other goods. You just have to be comfortable enough to give me some kind of mailing address so I can send the card to you. So, if you think you can make a kick ass banner for the side, better get to it!

The blog is the first place this contest is mentioned- I will announce it at some point over the weekend to the forum as a whole and give people until the next blog update (cause I will announce a winner then). If you read the blog- you got yourself a headstart. :)

New Members and Returns!

Welcome:

~xYaHtzEEx~
~Aqua~
~Detts~
~Ch4tterb8~
~MommaBamboo~
~Carnage~

Returns:

~Olivejuice~
~Secrets~
~TheSRD~

Still not up for writing the personalized greetins, but hopefully I can get back to that next week or at the first update of next month. I noticed this week we had a small pick up- only six new faces and three returns. Slow or now, we're always glad to have new peole here.

Birthdays of the Week?

Don't have a way to track these yet, so delayed! :(

Other Highlights?

Falling asleep as I write tonight (way too much OT) and yet here I am, still providing highlights. Take em and leave me alone. >_>

World Tab- Looking for all the lore and details and information about Valucre? That world tab listed along side forum and portal is what you are looking for.

Did You Know-  That you can now archive your PM conversations- yes, archive them. This means that when you select this, it will bundle all them up and send them to you in an email format. This is handy for people like me who like to keep almost everything. >>. You can read more on it here. Also, you find other Did You Know in the announcements section.

Closing Thoughts?

This closing thought is inspired by something that Praetorian told me (When fruitlessly trying to convince me I should sleep more) about prioritization and planning. I think it serves as a nice supplement to the last blog update of 2013. While the other two were about how to devise a plan and steps to ensure that a plan becomes a routine, this little bit can help us decide what are the most important things I have going on in our lives and then determine which of these things should receive top priority and the majority of our energy.  

It breaks down like this:

Urgent and Important

Urgent, not important

Important, not urgent

Not important or urgent

Urgent and important suggest things that both require quick attention and the focus of our efforts. Breathing is a good example, as it is very important that we breathe and that a person cannot go long without air- thus,  making it both important and urgent. Praetorian keeps trying to tell me this is where sleep goes- I am more inclined to put it in Important, not urgent. Just barely- I often wonder if it is all that important either. ;P

Urgent, not important suggests that something must be done soon if it is to be done at all, but it is not important that you accomplish it. For example, the grocery store has a good meat sale going on. Getting stocked up on cheap meat is not important at this point- you have plenty of food- but getting it on the cheap sure would be nice. The problem is that this sale ends tomorrow.  You have one day to decide if you can squeeze in the time to go pick up some groceries. This decision has urgency due to the short time, but given that you will be fine one way or another, it is not all that important.

Important, not urgent, suggests that something is important, but you need not prioritize getting it done immediately. One could say it is important that you see your dentist at least once a year, but doing so in the immediacy of the situation is not necessary. Yes, it is important that you and your teeth are well maintained, but since they gave you a one-month window to schedule something, things are not that urgent… yet

Not important or urgent means that there is no rush to do this thing and it is not important anyway. Perhaps you want to see a new movie that came out. It is a summer blockbuster whose opening weekend gross was astounding, so you know that this movie will be around for at least six weeks. Seeing the movie would be cool, but it’s not like this movie has importance to you beyond looking entertaining. You can wait until you have a good sized gap in your schedule to get out there and go see the movie- you got plenty of time, and it’s not important anyhow.

Now, what does all of this have to do with all that planning stuff I talked about last month? Well, one part of planning goals and activities is working around a schedule. A schedule might very well contain important things or activities that you just do for fun and pleasure. If you have this new goal in mind, you must find somewhere on your schedule a place to put it so that it is not interfering with anything important and that nothing else will occur at about the same time you decide to dedicate toward working on that goal- we don’t want any distractions now!

Take these four things and look at all the things you do on a regular basis- sure, things like work and eating come up high on the list of things we need, but there often things we can cut away. Take all your regular tasks and activities and put them into these four boxes. Whatever is unimportant and not urgent should be immediately set aside- if you have extra time, slowly add them back in. Next, look at your list of not important but urgent- anything here you can knock out right away? Anything here that by the time someone comes and helps you, that meat sale will already be over. After that, look at the important things that are not on a tight schedule and see what order of priority of them so you can see where your new plans will fall.

Once your schedule is retooled, if you find moments with enough spare time to do those things like go see a movie or old ‘friends’, you can add them back in one at a time. It will require some organization and patience, but I think this could really help.

That’s all I got- so talk to you later!

-          Acies   

"An idea can only become a reality once it is broken down into organized, actionable elements."  ~Scott Belsky

Happy New Years!

Well, sorta, I'm kinda late... again.

Sorry for making the readership wait, but there has been a lot of stuff going on as of late- it seems taking a vacation made things harder for me to get caught up then having my work schedule- go figure. Now that I am back to work, it's back to work on producing that fine Valcure product that you all know and love. Well, at least I assume you do, because some people out there keep reading this thing. Must have a strong affinity for the smell and taste of old cheese...

Now, what else is going on? I'm sure the big difference you'd have to be literally blind to miss is that the forums switched over to a new form of software- that's right, Valucre shed off its Vbulletin coat and put on something a little more spiffy. Pretty soon, you're going to be seeing some updated lore pages with better standardization and access. Other good things are coming too, so make sure you keep your eyes open. Some spectacular shit is on the way. ;)

What's Happening Valucre?

The Chosen: Round Three Continues- Hey, its going on and there has been posting. Bit of a break there due to holidays and other complications, but there is posting movement again. Keep watch!

Extinction is Forever- A writing experiment of sorts, for those who are looking for a bit of a change in pace. This is an alternative based RP, where you will choose one of the available characters and accept them as they are- their strengths, weaknesses, and array of probably useless possessions. The RP is a post apocalyptic RP in which you will only the know the extent of the details that the characters know as well. If this peaks your interest, you just might have what it takes to survive. Check it out.

Last Chance City Wide Event- RIOT!!!-  

It's all in your point of view.

---- Are you from Fortuna?

The years-long economic and social divisions in Last Chance have finally come to a head.  La Ultima Fortuna, the CDF and the Watchmen, so recently gifted with updated equipment through a generous donation from Argus Incorporated, have a chance to retake their city from the violent criminals who refuse to vacate La Ultima Opportunidad.  The gangs' death-like grip continues to dash any hope for the city to truly advance into the Terran power it could be- instead, they force it to remain in the shadows- ever attempting to drag its people back to the drug-enslaved, starving, hovel that Last Chance used to be.

---- Or Opportunidad?

The years-long economic and social divisions in Last Chance have finally come to a head.  La Ultima Opportunidad has finally had enough; the loss of Madame Double, the continued oppression, the flight of literally anyone who could live anywhere else and the unending knowledge that half the city is just waiting for you (yes, you) to make a mistake so they can take you out.. it's too much.  Like any cornered animal, La Ultima Opportunidad has had a choice every night - fight, hide or run? 

For years they ran and hid; but no longer.  

No one knows what sparked the riot, but something did, and now the entire city fights along the line of contention which divides Fortuna from Opportunidad.

All new threads starting up in Last Chance at this time need to account for the turmoil and violence in the streets. Various bits of loot shall be up for grabs as well- so pay attention. More information can be found over here- read it, it might save your skin.

Fuck da Police -- Ruthless Rufus and the Ragtag Renegades [Riot]- The first official Riot thread, this one is a battle between thugs and watchmen. Guarenteed loot comes of this, so if you are looking for some cool items, best you make sure you get involved. This particular one is guarenteed to end with the thugs winning, but future threads will not be defined as such. Get involved in this one, if you're ready. ;)

Cia Style RP- Into that spy genre? Want to be involved in covert ops and reconnaissance? We just might have the developing RP for you then. This person will not be ready for about another four days yet, but they are working on throwing together something interesting and thrilling- check it out.

Nightwalkers Recruitment Thread- Interested in playing some vampires, things that actually go bump in the night and give people (other than hormonal teenage girls) the utter chills? Of course you do, for who doesn't enjoy a bit of good creep now and then. Iselyer has growing vampire families and they need some people round out their numbers. Join the darkside...

Lore of the Week!

Temporily unavailable- waiting for restoration of lore pages. 

Newly Awarded!

None this week, check back next week!

Valucre Blog Challenge!

Still plugging away at this, despite the lack of responses. 

New Challenge of the Week: Give us a hero's tale, something of valor and bravery, something epic and remarkable. Only, there is one catch...

Your hero must be a barnyard animal.

Yep, figure that one out- how do you write a compelling and epic tale that involves something found on farms (EXCLUDING HUMANS). 

Since we've lost the blogs, just PM it to me! :)

New Members and Returns!

Welcome:

~Beedis~
~Elphie~
~TheEyeofNight~
~HeroOfRage~
~Dinky~
~GunnCaliber~
~Noonday Demon~
~Asuras~
~ Machiavellian Charm~
~Levity~
~Shards~
~Confustin~
~Daisers~
~Bandit765~

Returns:

~LauTaun~
~Guardian~
~Eternity~
~Objective~

Normally I write a personalized greeting for every new and returning member. I write them for each person to provide a bit of flavor and a more personable greeting. Unfortunately, I am running behind on the blog and operating on no sleep- yes, no sleep even though I worked 18hrs yesterday and will be doing so again today- so please forgive me this slight. :(

Birthdays of the Week?

Don't have a way to track these yet, so delayed! :(

Other Highlights?

My most dreaded subject, one that now applies more than ever! We have a brand new forum and a ton of stuff shuffled about. We've lost forms! We've lost lore pages! We've lost our underwear- wait, maybe I'm the only one who managed that.

Anyway, yeah, lots of changes means I should have some fodder for this section. Let's see if I am any less confused than the rest of you.

Find New Conent- This baby replaces the previous 'View New Posts' button and comes with much more customization. First, you can choose to look at the portal feed, members, or the forum. The middle section depends on what you chose- if portal, you can look for lore pages, articles, etc. If Forums, you can specify in what time period- from since your last visit to a year ago! Forums also comes with a third set of selections- letting you define what you want to see. Threads you participated in? Threads you have not read? Threads you started? Or the things you want to watch (By forum selection). The last choice is Members, which allows you to look people up either new member registrations (within a selected timeframe) or look at profile feeds- which shows you status updates. Neat, right?

Did You Know-  That our tag system is updated? This new tag system is also how we mark threads open, semi-closed or closed. There is a nice instruction guide by Supernal found here. Also, you find other Did You Know in the announcements section.

Closing Thoughts?

I’m not a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions, so let’s avoid the cliché opening topic this year and focus on something a little different. Yes, only a little different, but enough so to be a cooler idea than talking about some goal you won’t stick to three days after starting (as in, you’ve probably already failed).

A Bucket List.

Yes, a bucket list.

What’s that you say, you aren’t dying yet?

Well, let me tell you something:

1. It is never too early to start one.
2. You are too! From the day we are born, our Telomeres begin to replicate, creating a copy that is just shy of perfect- over and over and over. This is aging, and it is the slow process in which you’re body eventually succumbs to being old- and dies. So, yes, from day one, you’re kind of dying.

 Downer note, right?

Well I don’t mean it to be that way. What I mean to say is that life is short, that from that first day we draw breath, we really do have a limited amount of time- whether that would be because we grow so old that our bodies can no longer sustain us or a car accident claims us early. Assuming that because you are not dying or will not soon be dying is grounds for not doing something like this is just silly. Let’s just skip the arguments against and get to it.

Create a bucket list. Write down a list of things you want to do before you depart this world. Fill it with anything, so long as it is at least remotely possible that you can do it- don’t put something down like meet aliens or discover mermaids- make it something you know has at least the remotest chance of being realized. That includes the things that are costly and out of your reach right now.

Got your list yet? Got your long list of things that you want to see, do, or accomplish before you die? Make sure you put together a pretty decent list of things. Wouldn’t want you to get through this too fast, now would we?

Wait- get through this?

Yes!

Now that you have yourself a nice bucket list, I want you to make it your goal- no, your mission, your quest bequeathed upon you by the most venerable of blogs, and start thinking about at least one item on that list you can do this year.

Will you try parachuting?

Do you want to go horseback riding?

Do you want to ski? Water Ski? See Hawaii?

Go to that favorite sporting event? Travel out of the country?

There could be a lot of things on that list, and while it might seem like a total pipe dream to be able to accomplish any of it, do one thing. Your goal, your ordained task is to cross off one item this year. That is all you have to do- cross off one item off this list.

Now, I never put together a list for myself, but as I got to thinking about things, I realized something that definitely would have landed near the top of such a list would be to make it to a 49ers game at Candlestick Park. True to my nature of running late or waiting until the last minute, I made it to the last regular home season game (and most likely last ever) that will ever be played there- next year, new stadium opens. I found a way to scrounge the money and make it work, and went out and got to see something that was very important to me (Though perhaps silly to others).

That was my crossed off item for 2013. Guess I need to start brainstorming what I will do in 2014.

And that is my closing thoughts for today- a bit on the shorter side, but hey- it makes them more bearable and easier to get through in one sitting, right? No indigestion or nausea, just one light and easy reading and then you are back on your way.

Going along with encouraged comments- let us know in the comments what a few of your bucket list items are and perhaps one or a few you might want to try and cross of this year. I can tell you one thing- there is a gentleman out there who I need  to take down a peg in air hockey. Might be a 2014 item, might be another year, but that is certainly near the top of my list.

Take care folks. 

-          Acies   

"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today"  ~ James Dean