V.3

== If you believe this card can be improved, please submit suggestions. Periodically, the game will be updated to reflect changes in the real-life game. Each side can be read in about 30 seconds (the length of an average commercial--and attention span). The goal is to provide insights to people you play with. Does the card accurately summarize the problem in 80 words or less? Is the solution reasonable even if difficult to enact in the near future? Is the solution the right thing to do regardless of political Party positions (which are often influenced by money)? Though issues are complicated by 1% excuses and distractions designed to protect their interests and power, politicians are employed by us, to serve us -- the 99%. Anything is possible if the will of a fully informed public is behind it. [Note: The focus is optimizing the game card. The larger political debate belongs in the main forum]

== If you believe this card can be improved, please submit suggestions. Periodically, the game will be updated to reflect changes in the real-life game. Each side can be read in about 30 seconds (the length of an average commercial--and attention span). The goal is to provide insights to people you play with. Does the card accurately summarize the problem in 80 words or less? Is the solution reasonable even if difficult to enact in the near future? Is the solution the right thing to do regardless of political Party positions (which are often influenced by money)? Though issues are complicated by 1% excuses and distractions designed to protect their interests and power, politicians are employed by us, to serve us -- the 99%. Anything is possible if the will of a fully informed public is behind it. [Note: The focus is optimizing the game card. The larger political debate belongs in the main forum]

== If you believe this card can be improved, please submit suggestions. Periodically, the game will be updated to reflect changes in the real-life game. Each side can be read in about 30 seconds (the length of an average commercial--and attention span). The goal is to provide insights to people you play with. Does the card accurately summarize the problem in 80 words or less? Is the solution reasonable even if difficult to enact in the near future? Is the solution the right thing to do regardless of political Party positions (which are often influenced by money)? Though issues are complicated by 1% excuses and distractions designed to protect their interests and power, politicians are employed by us, to serve us -- the 99%. Anything is possible if the will of a fully informed public is behind it. [Note: The focus is optimizing the game card. The larger political debate belongs in the main forum]

== If you believe this card can be improved, please submit suggestions. Periodically, the game will be updated to reflect changes in the real-life game. Each side can be read in about 30 seconds (the length of an average commercial--and attention span). The goal is to provide insights to people you play with. Does the card accurately summarize the problem in 80 words or less? Is the solution reasonable even if difficult to enact in the near future? Is the solution the right thing to do regardless of political Party positions (which are often influenced by money)? Though issues are complicated by 1% excuses and distractions designed to protect their interests and power, politicians are employed by us, to serve us -- the 99%. Anything is possible if the will of a fully informed public is behind it. [Note: The focus is optimizing the game card. The larger political debate belongs in the main forum]

== If you feel this card can be improved, please submit suggestions. Periodically, the game will be updated to reflect changes in the real-life game. Each side can be read in about 30 seconds (the length of an average commercial--and attention span). The goal is to provide insights to people you play with. Does the card accurately summarize the problem in 80 words or less? Is the solution reasonable even if difficult to enact in the near future? Is the solution the right thing to do regardless of political Party positions (which are often influenced by money)? Though issues are complicated by 1% excuses and distractions designed to protect their interests and power, politicians are employed by us, to serve us -- the 99%. Anything is possible if the will of a fully informed public is behind it. [Note: The focus is optimizing the game card. The larger political debate belongs in the main forum]

The current OCCUPY Energy game card -- Front and Back: == If you feel this card can be improved, please submit suggestions. Periodically, the game will be updated to reflect changes in the real-life game. Each side can be read in about 30 seconds (the length of an average commercial--and attention span). The goal is to provide insights to people you play with. Does the card accurately summarize the problem in 80 words or less? Is the solution reasonable even if difficult to enact in the near future? Is the solution the right thing to do regardless of political Party positions (often influenced by money)? Though issues are complicated by 1% excuses and distractions designed to protect their interests and power, politicians are employed by us, to serve us -- the 99%. Just about anything is possible if the will of a fully informed public is behind it. [Note: The focus is optimizing the game card. The larger political debate belongs in the main forum]

The current OCCUPY Education card -- Front and Back: == If you feel this card can be improved, please submit suggestions. Periodically, the game will be updated to reflect changes in the real-life game. Each side can be read in about 30 seconds (the length of an average commercial--and attention span). The goal is to provide insights to people you play with. Does the card accurately summarize the problem in 80 words or less? Is the solution reasonable even if difficult to enact in the near future? Is the solution the right thing to do regardless of political Party positions (which are often influenced by money)? Though issues are complicated by 1% excuses and distractions designed to protect their interests and power, politicians are employed by us, to serve us -- the 99%. Just about anything is possible if the will of a fully informed public is behind it. [Note: The focus is optimizing the game card. The larger political debate belongs in the main forum]

The current OCCUPY Banking card -- Front and Back: == If you feel this card can be improved, please submit suggestions. Periodically, the game will be updated to reflect changes in the real-life game. Each side can be read in about 30 seconds (the length of an average commercial--and attention span). The goal is to provide insights to people you play with. Does the card accurately summarize the problem in 80 words or less? Is the solution reasonable even if difficult to enact in the near future? Is the solution the right thing to do regardless of political Party positions (which are often influenced by money)? Though issues are complicated by 1% excuses and distractions designed to protect their interests and power, politicians are employed by us, to serve us -- the 99%. Just about anything is possible if the will of a fully informed public is behind it. [Note: The focus is optimizing the game card. The larger political debate belongs in the main forum]

Q: Is the board game anti-business? A: No. It is just anti corporate rule. It plays out the philosophy that: The priority should be big business serving the interests of society rather than the opposite. People, not corporations should have majority control of government. Q: Does the game imply that corporations are evil? A: No. But it does suggest that it is immoral for corporations to prioritize their profits over the best interests of society. It suggests that good people leave their ethics at the door when they walk into the corporate board room, and driven by greed and pressures to raise their stock prices, they do evil deeds.

Q: Are you really non-partisan or are you just playing to both sides? A: I am playing to both sides -- and you should be too! The reality is that the Right and Left have to work together for their mutual best interest and keep their "eye on the prize" -- restoring Democracy! Every issue raised in the board game reflects the very real conflict of interests between the 1% and 99%, regardless of what talking points agents of the 1% successfully circulate as a smokescreen. Some politicians still talk like true liberals and conservatives but they ALL perform their jobs like corporate employees commissioned to advance the interests of big business. It took me too long to pull the plug on cable news and accept that I was duped. The only sides that are relevant to what's happening now are the rich on one and everyone else on the other -- and neither Party in the 2 Party system represents me/us adequately. The 1% exploits differences of opinion on Issues like the separation of church and state, but their #1 priority is money and power, and you can't credibly worship Money and God at the same time. The word for what has been taking place is CLASS WARFARE! It has little to do with the age-old differences between liberals and conservatives. For example: Age-old differences of opinion on taxation are one thing. But corporate taxes are at their lowest and profits are at all-time highs while the middle-class works longer per week for all-time low comparative wages and will retire at an older age with less benefits. And the 1% is still pushing for less tax for them and more "austerity" measures on you. That's a whole new level of greed! Age-old differences of opinion on business regulation is one thing. But spreading misinformation about "global warming" despite the preponderance of scientific evidence just to protect your profit margin? That's environmental treason!

Q: Is this a money-making venture? A: No. Like this site, the goal is non-profit. The game would be available at the cost of manufacturing it, without any profit markup, printed on demand in Wisconsin. Due to the political nature of the project, however, it would not qualify for non-profit tax exemption. The development was self-financed with no funding or affiliation with any political Party or group. My personal priority is working on things I believe in and I will continue to develop the game and run this forum as long as I can afford to. If you believe this is a worthy project, you can support it by participating. If there is interest and support for it, I'd like to release a 1v99 World edition of the game with this community. Bigger spaces, even more injustice.

Q: Do you really think a board game can influence people? A: I don't know, but, surely, there aren't enough voices for real change reaching political "civilians" in traditional ways. The media speaks to audiences who tune into their partisan sources. Change requires that you bring new players to the table. A board game is an opportunity to sit people down at your table for some fun that they can get something more out of at the same time. To substitute a challenging, provocative, interactive experience for one Netflix movie. The best way to engage is face-to-face.

Q: What is the game's aim? A: The game is intended to be a stimulating tool to raise awareness of how government doesn't work, but should. It's intended to be part of a larger, collective, focused action to reform our election system. Ideally, someone who knows the game would oversee a group playing it. Q: When was it made? A: I started researching & developing the game, full-time, when Occupy Wall Street started in 2011. The next year, I tested it's release, but by that time the movement had ended, and the game still needed fine tuning. I submitted it to a Menza Society gaming event and feedback included one person drawing a Communist symbol on the review card. Another said it was too rooted in the moment. I laughed to myself, knowing it would be a looong time before anything changed. Now, 13 years later, and the problems have only gotten worse. Q. WHAT NOW? A: As time permits, I'd welcome further development of this project with the community's help. Q: Is the Occupy Movement an appropriate subject for a board game? A: Movies, shows, and other forms of entertainment have always conveyed social messages and games have as well -- most often, however, the wrong kind of messages -- ruthless competition, monopolizing, exploiting, killing and conquering. But games can have social value and be fun at the same time. An excellent example is a computer game that inspired me in 1985 called Ultima: Quest of the Avatar. Players advance in the game by studying a set of virtues, and through ethical achievements -- as well as swinging a sword at monsters and evil-doers.

An Interactive Newbl Novella Ch.1 | Ch.2 | Ch.3 | Ch.4 | Bonus Endings By the year 3000, it is confirmed that black holes are portals where spacetime folds like a cosmic colon. Since energy can neither be created or destroyed, what goes in is passed through and dumped somewhere else. Usually, in a day or two. The nearest black hole is discovered within reach. So begins this experiment to boldly go where few men have gone before. To explore the inner reaches of his deepest, darkest regions. To probe. To illuminate. Perhaps, to come out tainted, but learned. Purged of dangerous ideas spreading like cancerous polyps within. The mission must avoid man's past, indelicate bumblings. So, maybe the thrust of the thing is to go where a modern woman might dare go. Co-piloting the flotilla of starships on this one-year mission will be a selection of women and artificial intelligence models --participating in debate and polls. Destination: a New Blue Planet (NewBl) The year is 3001. Like countless other planets over eons, the technical evolution of earth's most advanced life-forms outpaced their ethical evolution. Instead of caring for mother earth, we plundered her. Human extinction appears inevitable. A dozen spaceships are being loaded for the journey to NEWBL, the galaxy's nearest life-sustainable, blue water, blue skied planet. to be continued--unfolded. For as long as it takes for the new colony to be stabilized... STORY KEY White text = a regular forum discussion post or reply BLUE TEXT= the story narrative Polls that shape the mission are linked to. Each page (of 12 posts) = a story chapter LEXICON NewBluePlanet = our destination (aka Newbl o nBP) Newb or newbling = citizens shaping our evolution. newblian = philosophy of a people-powered society.

something is the unnamed longing -- the desire -- the dream -- the missing piece soon is the timing -- the hope -- pursuit something soon studio is the workshop because: - we all want something - we all want it soon - and the system is full of 💩 and worse slogans also, because my name is Salvator Soon and the somethings are my projects. the mission is to explore the space between what is, and what could be. Initially, this site was a discussion forum. But after a decade of debate, i realized that opinions are cemented by emotions. So i purged most of the posts and focused on stories and music with a message -- often with humor and (inspired by Rod Serling) almost always with a twist at the end -- even the songs. Because nothing conveys something better! about me: i grew up in Queens, NY. Everywhere i looked there was a smart-ass -- including, regrettably, in the mirror. Otherwise, it was a diverse community that helped shape my world-view, as did the 1970s counter-culture movement, and a particularly bold and profound era of music and cinema. i worked a variety of jobs including: record store manager; college teacher; programmer; and entrepreneur. Writing was my preference, though never my job. Even now, my aim is not to profit from writing -- just to spread it as far and wide as possible. but enough about me, I believe i've got more interesting stories to tell. if you share my vision i'd love to hear your comments. And if you're tired of just waiting for the world to get it's act together, let's collaborate on a project. -- Salvator V Soon (aka Captain V.3, site admin)

Americans will look back one bright blue day and say, "I can't believe we used to let money control our elections and politicians!" As is, the corruption continues because: the politicians in office won the money game and won't bite the hand that feeds them. mainstream media won't call it out. They sell ad airtime to big spenders--us, trying to compete with big biz money. too many of us accept the misconception that the interests of big biz and us are compatible. Because we have a shot to move from the have-not column to the have-more-than-I'd-ever-need column, it's all good. Even those knowing, willing, and able to fight for what society really needs, too often take their eye off the prize -- to recognize, what in mathematical terms, is called -- THE ORDER OF OPERATIONS: The horse that is needed to carry all the other needs in the cart is ELECTION REFORM -- public financing, increased voting opportunities, secure verifiable voting, etc.. It doesn't matter which candidates or what legislation the public piles into the cart because there is nothing to carry it over the money barriers. Big Business money power fuels elections and re-elections. It buys the politicians and legislation they want. We're left holding the empty bag. The result is the economy we have today. Big Biz profits and the deficit are at an all-time high, real wages are at an all-time low, and public services are being cut. Not fixing the election system and trying to get what you want out of government is like PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE!