Note to self: Ice cubes to the neck help with hickeys.

What have I missed? Has there been butthurt?

Since Psy can't write for shit thanks to Britbong education, we're going to be re-running this poll with more clear cut explanations of what each option entails. This will hopefully clear up any confusion that wording in the original poll may have caused.

Again, before you continue: The staff has NO intentions of making all examples of shitposting against the rules. Only certain threads, which are at the lowest tier of shitposting, would be impacted by any changes.

• Shitposting, in it's entirety, would not become against the rules. However, the staff would work to crack down on extreme cases to allow more room for threads with discussion to have a chance.
• Easiest option to implement, as it requires no further coding/changing of the system by Cheat and/or Isara.
• Threads that would likely be locked under this new rule would include "Threads better suited as Private Messages", "Threads that do not have a clearly stated Topic/Discussion", & "Threads that are simply image and video dumps with no set topic

• As suggested by Dustin, this option would put an icon (For example, a skull/crossbones" next threads indicated, either by the OP or staff, as shitposting. Users who would not want to see these threads would have the option to hide them.
• Threads marked as a shitpost would not count towards your post/thread creation total
• Most difficult option to implement, as it requires further coding/changing of the system by Cheat and/or Isara. There is no guarantee this option is even possible at this time.
• Threads marked as "Shitposts" that break more rules would still be subject to further punishments.

• No changes would be made to staff policy regarding shitposting - some threads would be locked if needed, but it would not be a massive change.

On top of the three options above, you may also vote for "Option 4 - Other" if you have another idea for what could be done. Please only use this option if you do have another idea, as we want to get the best indication of how much support the other three options have now that any confusion has been cleared up.

Not sure what this has to do with Budweiser, minus the Clydesdales. But cute.

Story

Not only is she running, but we have a very good idea of what her campaign will look like.

Hillary Clinton is in the final stages of planning a presidential campaign that will most likely be launched in early April and has made decisions on most top posts, according to numerous Democrats in close contact with the Clintons and their aides.

Campaign advisers say the likelihood of a campaign, long at 98 percent (she never really hesitated, according to one person close to her), went to 100 percent right after Christmas, when Clinton approved a preliminary budget and several key hires.

Most of the top slots have been decided, with one notable exception: communications director, a job that is now the subject of intense lobbying and jockeying among some of the biggest names in Democratic politics. One top contender is White House communications director Jennifer Palmieri, who is close to likely campaign chairman John Podesta.

Numerous lessons from Clinton’s failed 2008 campaign are being baked into the 2016 plan, including a determination to improve relations with the news media — or, at the very least, to have a “good cop” role to help her get off on a better foot with the journalists who will help shape her image.

Reflecting other lessons learned, the campaign is being planned with more of a “big-tent mentality,” as one adviser put it. And Bill Clinton is being integrated from the start, after feeling isolated from parts of her campaign against Barack Obama.

One component of Hillary Clinton’s emerging strategy involves quietly but aggressively courting key endorsers from the left, who could help increase progressives’ comfort level and take the wind out of a potential challenge. Two top targets: Robert Reich, the economist and former labor secretary in her husband’s administration, and Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), the civil rights icon. In December, she won public endorsements from former Democratic National Committee Chairman and Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.).

Bill Clinton is already deeply engaged in the campaign, warning that Jeb Bush is a real threat, while New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is probably just a sideshow.

The former president got a heads-up from the camp of President George H.W. Bush a few days before former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush made his surprise Facebook announcement in December that he would “actively explore” a campaign. The two former presidents have developed a friendly bond, partly because of their work together on relief for the 2004 Asian tsunami.

The exact timing of Hillary Clinton’s launch is unknown, but close allies expect her to officially enter the 2016 race shortly after the end of this quarter, so that her first fundraising report will be a blockbuster. On March 4, the Clinton Foundation holds its annual gala in New York, with entertainment by Carole King, and it’s expected to be one of the Clintons’ final major events before the campaign.

Friends and advisers say she is planning this campaign “her way,” without being buffaloed by outside pressure.

“She is taking her time,” one adviser said. “Part of doing something right is … taking the time to balance the advice she is getting with her own thoughts. She’s in no rush. People have been putting a red ‘X’ on the calendar for a long time, but that isn’t necessarily happening internally.”

Clinton will enter the Democratic race with a bang — and virtually no opposition to speak of. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who could mount a serious campaign from the left, has said she won’t run, and is making no behind-the-scenes preparations. Vice President Joe Biden says he might very well run — but mainly wants his name in the mix in case Clinton implodes.

This leaves a trio of long shots with scant money: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and former Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia.

The potential opposition is so weak that Clinton might wind up not even debating during the primaries, which many Democrats view as a mixed blessing.

The Clinton team knows it can’t campaign with the swagger of a presumptive nominee because the air of inevitability was so damaging last time around. That said, some advisers are already privately talking up potential running mates, with Sens. Michael Bennet of Colorado and Tim Kaine of Virginia dominating the early speculation.

Some advisers expect a push for diversity on the ticket. So the shortlist also is expected to include Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, Labor Secretary Tom Perez, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and perhaps California Attorney General Kamala Harris, who is running for U.S. Senate.

Despite the internal confidence, Clinton won’t enter without substantial concerns and obstacles, some of which are self-evident to her top advisers and are a subject of constant conversation among Democrats during the build-up phase.

The Warren wing can be expected to continue pounding her for fat speaking fees and chummy Wall Street relations, and try to pull her to the left in ways that are unnatural for the Clintons. If she were to lurch left, she would risk appearing insincere or baldly political.

These allies also know the past problems of Clinton Inc. that could resurface: the competing Bill and Hillary camps, the questionable donors and backbiting when things get tense or go south. Clinton insiders blame a confused and conflicted ’08 structure for many of her stumbles in that primary race.

The campaign-in-waiting is working to assuage these concerns by creating a coherent leadership structure and bridging the Bill and Hillary worlds. “There’s an enormous amount of coordination and communication that goes on with his office,” an adviser said. “Everybody recognizes that it’s important.”

Here’s the rub: A trio of people with substantial juice will be above campaign manager Robby Mook — with Podesta, who is leaving his West Wing post as counselor next month for a short stay at the Center for American Progress until the campaign formally launches, serving as chairman; longtime family counselor Cheryl Mills serving as a top adviser, regardless of whether she is on the inside or outside (a possible title: co-chair); and longtime close aide Huma Abedin, the most important non-Clinton in her orbit. (When the White House wants to reach Clinton, Abedin gets the call.) Philippe Reines, one of the longest-serving Hillary whisperers, will be another crucial outside adviser.

Toss in Bill and Chelsea, and it’s clear why structure is such a stress point.


Tom Nides, who returned to Morgan Stanley after serving as Hillary Clinton’s deputy secretary of state, will have a top role in the campaign — probably involving high-level fundraising. Dennis Cheng, the Clinton Foundation’s chief development officer, is expected to move over to the campaign in a top finance post.

Advisers know that Clinton neither likes nor trusts the press — and feels that it’s mutual. She remains a voracious consumer of news about herself, occasionally complaining about an article’s tone or omissions.

But she got largely favorable coverage as secretary of state and experienced a press corps that she considered more substantive and less sensational. She visited with reporters in the back of her plane on international trips and discovered they don’t bite. So the campaign plans to include a media-friendly communications official, as a counterweight to the instinctive insularity of Hillaryland.

“You do see what works and address what works the next time around,” an adviser said. “The default isn’t toward the pit-bull mentality.”

In addition to Palmieri, other names that have been in the hopper: Eric Schultz, principal deputy White House press secretary; Brian Fallon, an alumnus of New York Sen. Chuck Schumer’s office who is now the top spokesman for Attorney General Eric Holder; Mo Elleithee, the DNC communications director; Karen Finney, a former MSNBC host and alumna of the Clinton White House; and Kiki McLean, a consultant and strategist who has worked at the top of many national campaigns.

Nick Merrill, who worked with Reines at State and is now Clinton’s spokesman, is trusted and well liked and will remain in the inner circle.

Clinton has recruited two of the top brains of the Obama campaign — pollster Joel Benenson and media strategist Jim Margolis, who worked for her husband’s campaign in 1992. Now that the architecture of the campaign is clear, the two are helping with the next critical task: developing her message.

Well, it's all but official now.

:^)

If you are interested in being interviewed for the Sep7agon Weekly Update, as Desticle was in the inaugural edition, please post in this thread that you are. I'll be going through and picking one (maybe two) people a week to do so.

Interviews will last ~10 minutes or so, and will (primarily) be done on Skype. If you are interested and do not have a Skype account, we can make other arrangements.

But if you do, let me know how Hell is.

He keeps begging and was not calmed down by the shirtless picture he received.

Help.

In this inaugural edition of the Sep7agon Weekly Update..

• The Serious Forum is undergoing a makeover - what you can expect, and how you can contribute to the changes?
• A Mexican, Christian and Canadian get Mod Powers - is this the end of the world as we know it?
• Hot Threads to watch out for!
• Hear directly from TheOneTrueDesticle on Penises, Anarchy, and McDonalds Tea

---

In the same tune as other updates with Sep7agon 2.0, include a change to the UI, staff, and rules, the Serious forum is also beginning to undergo adjustments into what topics will be found within. Currently in a trial phase running for the next couple weeks, the Serious forum will contain topics limited to politics, religion, military & war, medicinal stories that may have national and/or global impact, philosophy, and ethics.

Meanwhile, new stories and conversations related to topics such as sexuality, science, math, or other previously allowed topics will be directed to The Flood, for at least the duration of this trial phase. Sorry PSU, your sports topics aren't serious enough for us


This trial aims to hone what is allowed in Serious after issues regarding topics being posted there, while aiming to try and get more quality threads into The Flood to counteract what some have called "a torrent of shitposting*"
*No one has called it that
Along with the trial phase, resident (unlicensed) psychologist Mr. P is currently running a poll as to whether or not the Serious forum should change to coincide with the policy change. Potential options include "The Senate", "Conference", or the option to create your own. For more information and to vote, head here

For more information on the policy change, and to give your impressions and thoughts, head on over to the Serious forum and weigh in in Mr. Psychologist's stickied thread. The trial is set to run roughly two weeks, and the staff will go over findings and make any final decisions afterwards.

---

As Cheat announced earlier this week, the Sep7agon site staff will be undergoing changes to streamline how it handles incidents and make everyone feel more useful in the grand scheme of things.

The three veteran Ninjas, Flee and DemonicChronic, have been promoted to the role of Master Forum Ninja alongside LC and Mr. P. Congrats to them, don't ban us with your bias.

Meanwhile, the three veteran Monitors, including Yutaka, TBlocks, and Rocketman287, have all been promoted to Forum Ninja for a trial period to assess who, out of those three, will retain moderating privileges. Grab your popcorn folks, it's time for Battle Royale!


During this trial phase, the three Ninjas will have (nearly) every ability allowed, and will be studied by the remainder of the staff, namely Cheat. At the end of the trial period, all or some of the three Ninjas will be retained in the role. Those who do not make the cut will (likely) have the ability to reshuffle into another role on the staff, or will have the option to be a regular member if they wish.

The Monitor role will, tentatively, be retired as changes are made regarding what it will become in the future. Don't expect it to be gone long.

For questions and concerns regarding the staff changes, trial mods, or anything else staff related - feel free to private message a moderator or post a thread in Septagon.

---

• RP Story Thread - An ongoing roleplay thread between several users that anyone is allowed to join. Otherwise, it is simply an interesting read.
• How Successful Do You Think You'll Be - Simple as it Sounds
• Unofficial "What's Wrong with The Flood" - Weigh in on what you dislike about The Flood forum
• Regarding the Trial Mods - #ModBias #ModBias
• Now I'm Hating 343i - You're just hating them? Like 3 years too late

---

Lime = IcyWind
Orange = Interviewee

Welcome to the very first Sep7agon Weekly Update interview section, where we'll be interviewing various community members every single week. Today on the hot seat, we have the infamous TheOneTrueDesticle, or Desticle for short. Desticle, how does it feel to be the live guinea pig?

Eh, I've lived through worse.

Care to tell us about your time on Sep7agon, how you found out about us and such?

So basically the only reason I signed up is because Cheat made it so guests couldn't view post replies right around the time of the AdSense kerfuffle. Latsu had been sending me threads every few days to look at but when it got to that point I finally just signed up This was shortly after the release of Destiny (and the overthrowing of #OffTopic by the desticles) so I wanted a name which would sufficiently piss off a long-time B.net user. I chose TheOneTrueDesticle and nothing was ever the same.

So, what're thoughts on Anarchy? You definitely become one of the more recognized members whenever that opens up for the weekend

Am I? Well, I'd say a majority of the conflicts I bring on are at the time of Anarchy weekend. In fact, I have something really special planned this time around for my good friends.

But let me tell you the story of the first Anarchy weekend

I'd love to hear it.

I had signed up exactly one day before Anarchy first started. I wasn't really sure exactly what it was but Latsu seemed excited for it. It was then that I made my mad dash to get my first 25 posts in to attain the sought-after title of "Member" so I could participate in the shitfest. And it was glorious

Oh, indeed. Speaking of those first rounds of Anarchy, can we expect to see any leaked nudes of you in this round? I'm sure your fans would love a glimpse

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°).  I honestly don't think they could handle it

Quite cocky, eh?

I recall a story about Zeus, the God of Thunder and one of his many lovers. She asked Zeus if she could see his true form and he told her she would be destroyed or something if she did - I can't really remember. Anyway, that's pretty much what would happen. One look and -blam!-. You're dust. Pretty cool stuff. And yes, they will be quite cocky ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Haha. We'll have to test that out after our interview

I'll have to charge you 1600 Microsoft points for that pleasure

Damn! 100 points short.

Aw, shucks

So, what're your thoughts on the state of forums right now? Any changes you'd like to see our lord and savior Cheat make in the future?

Let's rock. Okay, so Cheat, Like, what the fuck? So imagine in your mind's eye this: A sliding scale of autism. On one end in the depths lies the full autism end. On the other is a complete lack of autism/ Right now, The Flood and Serious make up those two extremes. I think we should enact a "shitposting only" rule in Serious and convert The Flood into a "serious bsns only" forum. Definitely a good idea, yeah?

I'm pretty sure Psy and Meta would castrate you on that one.

Yeah, well, In all seriousness, I'd like to be able to post a general discussion thread in Serious. Because going in, you have the expectation of "no anime spam, no derailing, no shitposting" and so on - think there could be some really great potential for Serious to become a wider discussion board

Obesity could be a huge topic of conversation. Very informative to our members.

Absolutely. In fact, there are quite a few members of the forum who suffer from chronic and severe obesity. So I think having more of an open discussion about it could be very helpful

Come now. Let's not bring Slash's mom into this

ayy lmao

Any shout outs you'd like to make before I let you go?

Yeah, I have a few:

- CIS Scum: You're a neckbeard faggot
- ねこ: <3 u bbe
- Psy: Thanks for being not shitty
- Cheat: My admin tools stopped working again. Pls fix
- Elegiac: Nobody gives a shit when you're going to bed. Shut the fuck up
- Latsu: Come play CS:GO with me, fgt

Final question - if you had the chance, would you sleep with a 10/10 femboy?

So I have a story to tell you regarding that last question

I'll grab the popcorn

Anyway, in the 10th grade, I found out that one of my friends was secretly posing as a 10/10 femboy. So, you know how when you're traveling really fast in a spacecraft, stuff like dust and paint chips and shit can tear your aircraft apart? Crazy shit, huh?

Totally

Sorry, that doesn't have anything to do with the story. I just found that interesting. So anyway. I went to McDonald's and this chick put ice in my drink after I specifically told her not to. What a pile of shit. It's like, half the restaurants I go to refuse to bring me a drink without ice. Hot damn

So to answer your question. No, I wouldn't.

Shame. Well, thanks Desticle for being my guinea pig. We'll go bang now. Until next time folks - don't be a cunt! And if you are interested in the full, unedited interview with Desticle, where he lays into several of our prominent members, PM me for more information!

Aaaand now I'm bored.

Ask me anything.

Bunch of threads getting moved out of Serious under the new rules.

Expect some minor, temporary clutter.

Story

SANAA, Yemen — Shiite insurgents stormed Yemen’s presidential palace and besieged the leader’s residence Tuesday in a show of force that threatened to topple a government that has been a key American ally in the fight against al-Qaeda.

The attack by the Houthi rebel faction — believed to be backed by Iran — marked a major setback for President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. While he apparently survived, and was nominally in charge, the rebel leader warned that the offensive “has no ceiling” if the president does not implement plans that include granting more power to the insurgents.

A government collapse could send the country into full-scale civil war, threatening a Syria-like disintegration that many fear could be exploited by radical groups like al-Qaeda. Yemen is home to the terror group’s most powerful branch, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP.

Hadi’s weakened position will likely spell trouble for Washington, which has relied heavily on the 69-year-old former general for cooperation in carrying out drone strikes that have targeted the al-Qaeda group. The Houthis have been vocal critics of the U.S. government. But it was not immediately clear whether the rebels would force the Yemeni president to suspend the strikes – since the Houthis also consider al-Qaeda an enemy.

The Houthis, followers of the Zaydi branch of Shiite Islam, are based in the northern Saada province, but swept into the capital in September. They met little resistance from Yemen’s military, which has had a strained relationship with Hadi.

Tuesday’s assault brought Hadi’s government to the brink of collapse.

Yemen’s information minister, Nadia Sakkaf, wrote in an Arabic tweet that the “Yemeni president is being attacked by armed militias that want to overthrow” the government. She wrote from Sanaa that the presidential palace had been under siege since 3 p.m. “even though political talks are still ongoing.”

A government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of concern for his safety, said that Hadi was pinned down by an assault on his residence, about three miles from the palace.

In recent days, the Houthis have taken control of state-run media outlets and government buildings, including offices of the Yemeni intelligence service.

On Tuesday night, the rebel chief, Abdulmalik Houthi, delivered a long televised statement that stopped short of declaring a change of leadership. He leveled sweeping criticism against Hadi for alleged corruption and for failing to unite a country beset by years of unrest and a growing water shortage.

He demanded talks that could leave Hadi in charge — if barely. “All options are open,” said the rebel leader. He called on the president to implement power-sharing agreements signed by the president and the Houthis in September .

The Houthis have mounted intermittent rebellions against the government since 2004 over what they say is discrimination. Zaydis form nearly a third of Yemen’s population of 24 million, which is majority Sunni Muslim.

Ali Abdullah Saleh, the former president who is also a Zaydi, was able to remain in power for over three decades, in part because of his ability to cultivate ties with Sunni officials and tribal leaders. He was forced out of office in 2012 by a popular uprising inspired by the Arab Spring. His departure led to Hadi winning a single-candidate election for the presidency.

Many in Yemen accuse Saleh of using his ties with the military to undermine the current president. They say he has conspired with the Houthis, who have been steadily advancing southward and now control nine provincial capitals.

In November, the U.N. Security Council imposed sanctions on Saleh and two Houthi leaders for threatening Yemen’s stability.

Hakim Almasmari, a Yemeni journalist, said there was little the Hadi could do to counter the Houthi advances. The president lacks support in the military because of his attempts to remove officers seen as loyal to Saleh, he said.

“Hadi has no loyalty with the army and that’s why you see the Houthis in power today,” Almasmari said, speaking by telephone from Sanaa.

Riad Kahwaji, chief executive of the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, warned that the consequences of the current crisis could be severe.

“The world is very much occupied with what’s going on with Iraq and Syria, but we could find ourselves facing another civil war situation in Yemen, but one where there is a power vacuum for extremists,” he said.

The Houthis are opposed by the Sunni tribes, some of whom sympathize with AQAP. The crisis also risks causing the military to splinter into rival factions. Meanwhile, southern separatists have been agitating for several years to undo a 1990 pact that unified North and South Yemen, and may feel emboldened by the growing chaos.

Although the Houthis have battled with al-Qaeda-linked fighters before, the potential unraveling of central authority could offer breathing room for AQAP that could allow them to plan for attacks outside Yemen.

AQAP claimed responsibility for planning and funding the attack earlier this month at the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, which touched off days of terrorist violence that left 17 people dead.

In Washington, President Obama was monitoring the situation in Yemen, according to his senior adviser, Valerie Jarrett said.

“He obviously is in touch with the folks on the ground, our embassy, he’s getting regular updates from his national security team,” Jarrett told MSNBC.

The Houthi rebels issued seemingly contradictory statements about Tuesday’s violence. Before their leader spoke, a statement on a Houthi-run Web site claimed the group’s fighters took control of the presidential palace to avoid weapons looting amid the chaos. But the move appeared to be far more serious.

Sunni Arab nations, including neighboring Saudi Arabia, accuse the Houthis of being a proxy for Shiite power Iran. The Houthis deny this and say they seek to root out corruption.

Tuesday’s showdown came after days of turbulence. On Saturday, Houthi militants abducted Hadi’s chief of staff, Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, who has been tasked with helping to draft a new constitution. The current version of the document includes measures that are opposed by the Houthis, such as a proposal to make Yemen a federal entity divided into six states.

The conflict intensified with clashes Monday in which at least nine people were killed. A government official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the country’s prime minister, Khaled Bahah, had been trapped inside another palace by the Shiite fighters since Monday.

The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday called an emergency meeting after rebels seized the presidential palace, and issued a statement condemning the violence and calling for a ceasefire.

The statement, approved unanimously by the council’s 15 members, “underlined” that Hadi is “the legitimate authority based on election results.”

The Security Council said Yemenis “must stand with President Hadi” and his government in order to “keep the country on track to stability and security.”

Well....that's not good.

Keeping it short: I'm taking off from Sep7agon for a bit. Got a lot that'll be going on in the next 8 months, and this place is more of a distraction than a benefit. Cheat will be lowering me from Monitor to Member tomorrow (Most likely), and removing the Forum Ninja powers I had this weekend to help with the drama. You're all safe.

Have fun, don't break shit, and be nice to the new staff that's incoming soon. I'll likely check in over the next few days before my move, but afterwards, it'll be rare.

Peace out.

This topic has been moved to The Flood.

http://sep7agon.net/index.php?topic=23956.0