Quote from: Miestră Schivă, UrN on September 25, 2022, 03:38:14 PMI can only say that you should watch the outcome of the upcoming FreeDems convention. I will only say at this point that, if this bill was conceived on the assumption that the current SoS was intending to co-hold that position indefinitely with the Presidency of the Free Dems, it was misconceived.

Thankfully the bill was not misconceived then. I am hoping the FreeDems will support the bill now. Is that possible?

Quote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on September 25, 2022, 11:52:46 AMI have joined in this month, as promised :)

Thank you so much, Baron!

I am saddened to report that with financial pressure from the upcoming move I will have to skip my September voluntary taxation payment. I am hopeful others have or will be able to contribute this month. And I will return to normal giving next month once things settle.

Quote from: Mic'haglh Autófil, MC EiP on September 25, 2022, 10:43:21 AMOf course I had a few things keep me from much time at home yesterday, haha.

Anyway -- I suppose I'm a little biased going in, having spent my entire engineering career so far in the automotive industry. When time, weather, and money permit, I do have a few things I enjoy spending any excess cash on:

 
2012 Chevy Sonic (daily driver), also featuring a 1987 VW GTI (not a daily).

   
1982 VW Rabbit Pickup (non-Americans may know it as a Mk1 Caddy), also seen here prior to a replacement of most of the coolant lines

     
1974 VW Karmann Ghia (ok, that's the last of the Volkswagens, I promise), along with a 1980 Honda C70 -- 42 years old and it just hit 3600 miles on Thursday.

 
These two belong to D:na Autófil, at least for now: 1983 Datsun 720 King Cab, and a 1983 Suzuki GS850L.

   
Fledgling license plate collection, featuring (L/R, top/bottom) Finland (pre-1996), Germany (Wiesbaden, expires June 1986), Germany (Wolfsburg, export plate valid until 31 Dec 2021), Pennsylvania (late 1980s), Pennsylvania (Truck, early 1980s), and the plates the DMV gave me with the Ghia, since my custom plate application hadn't gone through yet. The two PA plates are supposed to relate with the two 80s VWs, both of which were manufactured at the Westmoreland Assembly in western PA. Also please enjoy this picture of me getting to sit in my dream car at the auto museum up in Green Bay.

I could go on but it's time to let someone else talk, lmao

Nice, nice. Looks like the excess money has gone to good use.

Quote from: Mic'haglh Autófil, MC EiP on September 25, 2022, 10:56:47 AM

Quote from: Breneir Tzaracomprada on September 25, 2022, 09:35:56 AMI am required to note by my hometown, Bardstown, that bourbon is made here...Alright that is out of the way.

But I am actually more interested in the box of donut holes in the background. Are those timbits??

Now that one I can answer. It's a yes. Have seen that box and boxes like it far too many times, haha.
I've been through Bardstown, at least. My uncle used to live in E-town, and Radcliff before that.

A bit more back on topic: I notice Dragon's Milk does beer barrel-aged bourbon, and bourbon barrel-aged stout. Seems to be a rather handy cycle when you can keep it going yourself.

I see their Dragon's Milk Reserve is "Bourbon barrel-aged stout with stroopwafel cookies, coffee, caramel, and cinnamon". Now, in some regards, I'm a simple man -- I see stroopwafel, I pay closer attention. But I thought @Bråneu Excelsio might be interested as well, not sure if his love of coffee extends to a love of things that have a bit of coffee taste to them :P

Ah yes, very familiar with Radcliff and Elizabethtown. E-town is considered the nearby "big city" for us small-town people.

Tric'hard I am, uh, envious of that box of timbits. Thankfully there will be opportunities for enjoyment in the near future. As for the bourbon, the Kentucky Bourbon Festival just occurred here in town so it is inescapable where I currently live, the Beer Barrel Bourbon sounds interesting. What would you say is your favorite bourbon to enjoy? It has been a while since I last had a drink but 1792 and Basil Hayden are two of my preferences.

I am required to note by my hometown, Bardstown, that bourbon is made here...Alright that is out of the way.

But I am actually more interested in the box of donut holes in the background. Are those timbits??

Hello, I am pleased to clark the SoS Succession Reform Bill and am thankful for your co-sponsorship, Mr. Secretary: https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=1768.0

Quote from: Breneir Tzaracomprada on September 24, 2022, 09:20:13 AM

Quote from: Miestră Schivă, UrN on September 22, 2022, 06:12:12 PMGo into detail on the last section: "If the confirmation referendum described in section 5 should fail to achieve a majority any three times". Does this mean for one particular candidate, i.e. the King gets three goes at trying to impose a successor? Or, the King picks 3 different successors and each one get rejected?

I wonder whether there's merit in an opposite approach. If there's no Crown Princess, the Ziu picks a slate of 3 candidates, and the King chooses one?

These are only personal suggestions for discussion based on Miestra's suggestion:

What if the Ziu picks a slate of three with the King choosing from those three. But the King has the option of rejecting the first slate and sending it back to the Ziu. The Ziu sends a second slate and if the King rejects those again it is reversed. The King makes a selection and sends to the Ziu. In any of these three situations where a candidate is approved. They are to be approved in a public referendum by two-thirds vote.

That is three potential rounds with up to 7 potential candidates being considered. If there is no successful choice then we are in an exceptional situation which is where the Convocation suggested by Ian could be activated.

Would this address your concerns Miestra? Would this allow the King to have a significant say in choosing his successor, Baron?

Ian, as to #1 in your overview, I think the above proposal might be workable.

On point #2, I could support a recall petition along those lines.

Hopefully others will chime in but a proposal blending what I quoted above, Ian's petition proposal, along the lines of the Baron's initial draft might represent a workable way forward.

Fair warning, this video has spoilers from all seasons of the show. But it does provide a stirring tribute to the show's ethos. The Expanse is a show that will age gracefully.

"We make it all this way, so far out into the darkness. Why couldn't we have brought more light?"

Quote from: Miestră Schivă, UrN on September 22, 2022, 06:12:12 PMGo into detail on the last section: "If the confirmation referendum described in section 5 should fail to achieve a majority any three times". Does this mean for one particular candidate, i.e. the King gets three goes at trying to impose a successor? Or, the King picks 3 different successors and each one get rejected?

I wonder whether there's merit in an opposite approach. If there's no Crown Princess, the Ziu picks a slate of 3 candidates, and the King chooses one?

These are only personal suggestions for discussion based on Miestra's suggestion:

What if the Ziu picks a slate of three with the King choosing from those three. But the King has the option of rejecting the first slate and sending it back to the Ziu. The Ziu sends a second slate and if the King rejects those again it is reversed. The King makes a selection and sends to the Ziu. In any of these three situations where a candidate is approved. They are to be approved in a public referendum by two-thirds vote.

That is three potential rounds with up to 7 potential candidates being considered. If there is no successful choice then we are in an exceptional situation which is where the Convocation suggested by Ian could be activated.

Would this address your concerns Miestra? Would this allow the King to have a significant say in choosing his successor, Baron?

23 September 2022

---

Azul Fellow Talossans, this message is presented in a sincere effort to be transparent and continue to demonstrate what the Talossan people can expect from a future government led by the TNC. And because I take my role as His Majesty's Leader of the Opposition seriously I want to update Talossans that I will be away from Wittenberg and Talossa generally during the period of 19 October-2 November 2022.

I will be driving from Kentucky to Vancouver, Canada to relocate and be closer to my husband. The daily driving and then activities related to getting settled will heavily limit the normally large amount of attention I give to Talossan activities so I thought it better to temporarily hand over the reins. Sir X. Pol Briga and Baron Alexandreu Davinescu have agreed to temporarily serve as acting Party Co-Leaders.

Before the commencement of this away period I will assist with the usual questions for the Government along with negotiations around our Monarchy Reform proposal. And seek to complete cultural activities such as the Talossan Book of Cuisine and announcing the El Pretz Per Tomas Poetry Prize winner along with regular Fora Talossa programming.

First, thank you to Sir Briga and Baron Davinescu for agreeing to take on these duties as their invaluable assistance will allow me the time to take care of this personal matter. Second, I hope you are as reassured as I am that in their person the responsibilities of care and judgment to the party and the nation will be well-met.


For the Kingdom,

Breneir Tzaracomprada
Senator for Florencia
TNC Party Leader

Quote from: Miestră Schivă, UrN on September 22, 2022, 08:12:32 PMIt is interesting that the Free Democrats convention starts in a week. If Txec dal Nordselva is no longer part of the FreeDems leadership team after that, does the whole purpose for this legislative initiative - and the other one that was voted down on this Clark - simply vanish?

Wait, is Dr. dal Nordselva considering stepping down as Party President?

Quote from: Dr. Txec dal Nordselvă, GST on September 23, 2022, 07:57:58 AMToday marks my tenth anniversary of becoming a citizen. In those ten years much has happened and I've done so very many things! I've served as Seneschal, a Magistrate, Uppermost Cort Justice, served first as a Fellow, then a Pursuivant, then a Herald, and now The Squirrel Viceroy of Arms, Scribe of Abbavilla (twice), Captain of the Zouaves, Burgermeister, Secretary of State, member of the Privy Council, and maybe a few other things as well. However, none have been more important than the simple title "citizen".

Service and duty compel me, loyalty to Talossa is my heart and soul. For years my profile has had the personal motto "Fraichetz dels punts, es non dels mürs." Build bridges, not walls. I know that speaking in heraldic terms that mottos are reserved for knights and nobles (of which I've not been blessed with), but I use it because that is how I feel about what I've accomplished and how I've conducted myself as a citizen.

Long live Talossa!

Congratulations on a decade, Dr. dal Nordselva. I hope to have the opportunity to build more bridges with you perhaps as a deputy in the future.

Quote from: Miestră Schivă, UrN on September 22, 2022, 10:31:37 PM

Quote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on September 22, 2022, 10:08:38 PMthis represents a pretty careful months-long effort to bring together a number of stakeholders with very different views.

Quote from: Miestră Schivă, UrN on September 22, 2022, 10:31:37 PM

Quote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on September 22, 2022, 10:08:38 PMthis represents a pretty careful months-long effort to bring together a number of stakeholders with very different views.

... not including any Free Democrats or Reformistàes, of course! Seriously - this is a partisan proposal, a Monarchist proposal. It's not the worst one imaginable but let's not pretend it's a new Compromise.

However, if the TNC (and, behind them, the King) were interested in actually taking a step towards compromise, we might want to consider taking the Seneschál's concerns into account by lowering the bar for removing the King as contained in the current II.4.

I must say that the track record of the King, nominating a Regent who was guaranteed to outrage majority opinion, does not give me any confidence that the incumbent could name a successor who wouldn't be bogged down in a series of divisive referenda, under this proposal. I humbly suggest that the idea of allowing the Ziu to pick a slate of possible successor, with the King making final call, would minimise the chance of a literal War of Succession.

However, if the TNC (and, behind them, the King) were interested in actually taking a step towards compromise, we might want to consider taking the Seneschál's concerns into account by lowering the bar for removing the King as contained in the current II.4.

I humbly suggest that the idea of allowing the Ziu to pick a slate of possible successor, with the King making final call, would minimise the chance of a literal War of Succession.

Changes to the removal criteria were not a part of internal discussions so I can't speak for the party. But, personally, as an alternative to the confidence votes, I am open to it. I am also, personally open to the Ziu's involvement with the King making the final call.

Miestra, are these measures which would garner significant FreeDem support?

Quote from: Lüc on September 23, 2022, 04:12:20 AMYou cannot view this attachment.

Congratulations on your appointment Luc  ;)