I've recently finished reading an interesting book about Sealand ("Sealand: The True Story of the World's Most Stubborn Micronation and Its Eccentric Royal Family", by Dylan Taylor-Lehman). I highly recommend it.
There's a chapter about MicroCon 2019 that mentions other micronations (the ones who attended MicroCon), like Molossia and Slabovia. (I was interested to learn about the Kingdom of Pibocip, which apparently is located in my area (it's in Youngstown, Ohio.)) (I know Ian Plastisch attended a MicroCon on behalf of Talossa...was it the one in 2019? I can't remember.)
Anyhow, reading this book made me wish someone, an outsider, would write an unbiased popular history of our Kingdom. While it may not be as exciting as some of the events that occurred with Sealand (they fired guns and threw Molotov cocktails at British navy ships!), we nonetheless have an interesting history. What's more, we have our own language. I dunno. Just a thought. A few years ago, I joined some Micronational group on Facebook, and when I told the members I was a Talossan, several people reacted like "Talossa? You mean that's still around?"
The big problem with writing a history of Talossa would be the same with all mainstream media coverage of Talossa to date - that King Robert I would be the primary source. He's personally charming, tells a great story, keeps obsessive records and he's not afraid to lie, lie, lie, smear and lie some more. Worse, the victims of those lies would mostly not be available to comment, because they don't want to retread bad memories. Any outsider would take a "benefit of the doubt/both sides" approach, not actually knowing the people involved. Which meant any outsider writing would reproduce a narrative about "poor old Ben got his toy kingdom taken off him by perverts and violent criminals, look how funny he looks in this photo with the flag and the funny hat".
No, a history of Talossa which meant something would have to be written by Talossans, who would know the extent to which the "best sources" are habitual liars with a political agenda. And that probably includes me, lol. As to the broader micronational community, every single Government I've been in in the last few years has had a Foreign Ministry agenda to get us back into the broader micronational social circles. None have succeeded.
You're probably right. And they (the unbiased outsider) would probably make much use of Är Päts for details, Ben's version of Talossan history. (I admit, I've never been able to get all the way through that book.)
Lately there seems to be a lot of "oral history" books. You know, books that largely consist of the testimony of the participants. (I have a few in my library...two that pop into mind is Rudolph Gray's biography of Ed Wood, the other is Stephen Blush's history of American hardcore punk. Both books are primarily snippets of interviews from the participants in these events. And, not everyone always agrees with each other. Maybe that would be a way to document Talossan history. Interview everybody, and throw it all out there. Ben says this, but then other Talossans tell their viewpoints. I dunno.(But, like you said, not everybody would want to be interviewed. Maybe Ben will have to die before we can get a book done.) (I'm glad I came to Talossa after he was already long gone.)
I'd be willing to help get us into micronational social circles, but...a lot of those circles are...ugh. Thirteen year olds with a bathtub nation that was started last year and has changed its name five times already and has declared war on other nations...(at least this Pibocip has an elderly "king" and a few years of existence under its belt. But still. We may have to pay a visit to this dude. Pibocip is in Cjovani turf...)
Quote from: Iason Taiwos on October 13, 2022, 04:09:53 PMI'd be willing to help get us into micronational social circles, but...a lot of those circles are...ugh. Thirteen year olds with a bathtub nation that was started last year and has changed its name five times already and has declared war on other nations...(at least this Pibocip has an elderly "king" and a few years of existence under its belt. But still. We may have to pay a visit to this dude. Pibocip is in Cjovani turf...)
Iason, it sounds like you would be a wonderful potential Talossan Ambassador to Pibocip.
Dien and I attended MicroCon in 2017.
Quote from: Ian Plätschisch on October 13, 2022, 07:19:37 PMDien and I attended MicroCon in 2017.
You missed getting us mentioned in this Sealand book by two years!
(And, Ian, I apologize for spelling your name wrong in my original post. Too many sch's. (We call you Ian Plastics where I come from.)
Quote from: Iason Taiwos on October 13, 2022, 07:34:06 PM(We call you Ian Plastics where I come from.)
Yes, I distinctly remember you calling me that during my stint as Interior Minister when, in your capacity as Admiral of the Navy, you threatened to shoot at me with a cannon ;D
https://talossa.proboards.com/thread/12537/naval-recruitment-thread
Quote from: Iason Taiwos on October 13, 2022, 04:09:53 PMI'd be willing to help get us into micronational social circles, but...a lot of those circles are...ugh. Thirteen year olds with a bathtub nation that was started last year and has changed its name five times already and has declared war on other nations...(at least this Pibocip has an elderly "king" and a few years of existence under its belt. But still. We may have to pay a visit to this dude. Pibocip is in Cjovani turf...)
Yeah, I understand that, which is why the current Foreign Minister has been given the brief to only approach the non-bathtubs.
Quote from: Iason Taiwos on October 13, 2022, 04:03:04 PMLately there seems to be a lot of "oral history" books. You know, books that largely consist of the testimony of the participants.
We already did a small version of that 15 years ago. (https://wiki.talossa.com/File:The_History_Project.pdf) RIP Bill Cooper. But there would be nothing stopping us doing a newer, bigger one, and I'd happily sit for it.
Quote from: Miestră Schivă, UrN on October 14, 2022, 02:28:43 AMQuote from: Iason Taiwos on October 13, 2022, 04:09:53 PMI'd be willing to help get us into micronational social circles, but...a lot of those circles are...ugh. Thirteen year olds with a bathtub nation that was started last year and has changed its name five times already and has declared war on other nations...(at least this Pibocip has an elderly "king" and a few years of existence under its belt. But still. We may have to pay a visit to this dude. Pibocip is in Cjovani turf...)
Yeah, I understand that, which is why the current Foreign Minister has been given the brief to only approach the non-bathtubs.
Correct. I can state, by the way, I've added Flandrensis to that list. The Flandrensian MOFA and the Ladonian MOFA are on good terms with each other, so I'm trying to sort of parlay this into a triangular sort of discussion.
Iason, let's see if they'd like to hit up Birdfish or Modern Methods with us!
Quote from: Iason Taiwos on October 13, 2022, 03:11:42 PMI've recently finished reading an interesting book about Sealand ("Sealand: The True Story of the World's Most Stubborn Micronation and Its Eccentric Royal Family", by Dylan Taylor-Lehman). I highly recommend it.
There's a chapter about MicroCon 2019 that mentions other micronations (the ones who attended MicroCon), like Molossia and Slabovia. (I was interested to learn about the Kingdom of Pibocip, which apparently is located in my area (it's in Youngstown, Ohio.)) (I know Ian Plastisch attended a MicroCon on behalf of Talossa...was it the one in 2019? I can't remember.)
Anyhow, reading this book made me wish someone, an outsider, would write an unbiased popular history of our Kingdom. While it may not be as exciting as some of the events that occurred with Sealand (they fired guns and threw Molotov cocktails at British navy ships!), we nonetheless have an interesting history. What's more, we have our own language. I dunno. Just a thought. A few years ago, I joined some Micronational group on Facebook, and when I told the members I was a Talossan, several people reacted like "Talossa? You mean that's still around?"
I think it would be cool if we had a book made specifically on how to speak Talossan
Quote from: stymphalides on November 22, 2022, 09:56:06 PMI think it would be cool if we had a book made specifically on how to speak Talossan
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Talossan-Language-English/dp/1453777296
Quote from: Danihel Txechescu on November 22, 2022, 10:01:08 PMQuote from: stymphalides on November 22, 2022, 09:56:06 PMI think it would be cool if we had a book made specifically on how to speak Talossan
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Talossan-Language-English/dp/1453777296
oh wow thank you!
@Iason Taiwos any news on the Pibocip front? From the last update it sounded like you were making major diplomatic progress.
Quote from: stymphalides on November 23, 2022, 09:54:05 AMQuote from: Danihel Txechescu on November 22, 2022, 10:01:08 PMQuote from: stymphalides on November 22, 2022, 09:56:06 PMI think it would be cool if we had a book made specifically on how to speak Talossan
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Talossan-Language-English/dp/1453777296
oh wow thank you!
That book is excellent, though somewhat outdated. Here is an even older, more outdated, but free book. (https://wiki.talossa.com/images/0/0e/La_Sc%C3%BArzni%C3%A2_Gram%C3%A1tic%C3%A2_Del_Glhetg_Taloss%C3%A1n%2C_Second_Edition.pdf)
Quote from: Breneir Tzaracomprada on November 23, 2022, 10:08:19 AM@Iason Taiwos any news on the Pibocip front? From the last update it sounded like you were making major diplomatic progress.
We discussed (via Facebook Messenger) having a meet up with the King of Pibocip...he's fully ready to create a document of mutual recognition between Pibocip and Talossa, and the plan was for us to all meet up at a local restaurant and discuss diplomatic relations over dinner...however, Eiric, Vitxalmour, and I have all been currently too busy with other matters to be able to settle on an exact date where we all would be able to attend such a meeting. Also, Eiric informed me that arranging such formal relations with another micronation falls outside of our powers. (Anyhow, the King of Pibocip comes across as a decent fellow.) (Plus, this isn't a good time for such things. This is Ohio, and the weathers starting to get crappy. Hopefully we can arrange something when the weather gets better.)
Quote from: Iason Taiwos on November 23, 2022, 03:36:21 PMQuote from: Breneir Tzaracomprada on November 23, 2022, 10:08:19 AM@Iason Taiwos any news on the Pibocip front? From the last update it sounded like you were making major diplomatic progress.
We discussed (via Facebook Messenger) having a meet up with the King of Pibocip...he's fully ready to create a document of mutual recognition between Pibocip and Talossa, and the plan was for us to all meet up at a local restaurant and discuss diplomatic relations over dinner...however, Eiric, Vitxalmour, and I have all been currently too busy with other matters to be able to settle on an exact date where we all would be able to attend such a meeting. Also, Eiric informed me that arranging such formal relations with another micronation falls outside of our powers. (Anyhow, the King of Pibocip comes across as a decent fellow.) (Plus, this isn't a good time for such things. This is Ohio, and the weathers starting to get crappy. Hopefully we can arrange something when the weather gets better.)
I hope that weather conditions improve in Benito/Cjovani and am so excited by these developments! Hopefully, the next Government can formally build on the work you, Eiric, and Vitx have done.
60 Minutes did a feature story on Sealand
https://youtu.be/UeTgAwkbP5E?si=N2gCCuX7XBTYXelX