Quote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on Yesterday at 09:32:12 AMWe have that board game! We only tried playing it a couple of times, but maybe we should give it another chance.

Well I can't claim to be a boardgame expert, but it's great fun and pretty simple to pick up! Plenty of expansions you can pick-and-choose to round it out too.

Brief trivia moment: with EVC and MMM winning stages already, they both confirm their record of getting a stagewin in every edition they competed in. GHST is the only other team who may also join them by winning one of the remaining 17 stages. Team in the Wind is not competing in this edition, but they also technically share that record by winning three stages in the one leg they took part in.

With their stagewin on Sunday, Velociposse became the third team to win 20 stages in TCAT; there was a "hidden" small race to be the first to cross that threshold between them, the Mençeis and Cyclohexane, and they indeed all won a stage already, but Cyclohexane initially stood at 18 stagewins (now 19) and the Mençeis at 17 (now 18). The Mençeis also overtook Port Maxhestic for fifth overall in the all-time stagewin ranking. Gonna be interesting to see who among the three will get the most after this leg is completed!

Stage 4  »  Carcassonne  ›  Foix

Yesterday TCAT departed from my favourite boardgame's namesake town, for a medium mountain stage that looked perfect for a breakaway. We did indeed get a large one, with riders from most TCAT teams and plenty of stagehunters, but the win went to Mads Pedersen (EVC/MMM/REX), more of a punchy sprinter, who survived the couple of significant climbs along the way to get an important victory for his point classification aspirations - given he will be at a disadvantage to the pure sprinters in the flatter stages to come.

Other than the Dane, only Mathias Vacek (CHX, 10th) and Vlad van Mechelen (CFA, 13th) got stage finish points, which means we get a pretty low scoring result for everyone but the three Pedersen teams. The stagewin itself goes to Esqipă Velocostă, who moves up three places, as does REX; while MMM, a very close second today, solidifies their grasp on the lead for the time being.

Standings after stage 4:

Pos	±		Team	Pts Ove	Pts Today
1st	(=)		Maritiimi-Maxhestic Mençeis (MMM)	1932	+348
2nd	(+1)		Cyclohexane (CHX)	1715	+192
3rd	(+3)		Els Talossaes Rexhital (REX)	1652	+347
4th	(+3)		Esqipă Velocostă (EVC)	1640	+354
5th	(-3)		Gordon Hiatus Support Team (GHS)	1639	+89
6th	(-2)		Velociposse Florencia (VFL)	1590	+95
7th	(-2)		Cézembre Caçeirs dals Mailintzarăs (BDC)	1409	+71
8th	(+1)		Cézembre Fieschā (CFA)	1259	+106
9th	(-1)		Naziun Cjovani (CJO)	1234	+62

Today, the first bunch sprint finish is almost certainly coming up, with the pure sprinters finally getting a chance at delivering for their teams. Might be a good chance for Velocostă to get two in a row, as the only team with two sprinters (Pedersen and Bittner), or for Velociposse to also try and get a second win thanks to Philipsen, potentially the fastest pure sprinter among those picked in TCAT.

Stage 2 Tarragona -> Barcelona

A stage for puncheurs, on paper, but the final circuit in the hilly Montjuic suburb of Barcelona was too hard for most stagehunters and it ended up being an early affair between GC riders. Our two most popular picks (both on 6/9 teams) got an 1-2, with Isaac del Toro claiming the win ahead of Tadej Pogacar, and the other two final podium favourites Evenepoel and Vingegaard taking 3-4 close behind.

High scoring result for most teams, due to TCAT riders comprising the entirety of the top 10 (and 16 of the top 20). It is however Velociposse taking a closely contested stage win ahead of the Mençeis and GHST, thanks to holding four of the top 6 finishers to the other two teams's three. These same three teams also make up the current overall podium, with the Mençeis still on top.

Standings after stage 2:

Pos	±		Team	Pts Ove	Pts Today
1st	(=)		Maritiimi-Maxhestic Mençeis (MMM)	993	+738
2nd	(+3)		Velociposse Florencia (VFL)	922	+762
3rd	(+3)		Gordon Hiatus Support Team (GHS)	843	+698
4th	(=)		Els Talossaes Rexhitais (REX)	810	+640
5th	(-3)		Esqipă Velocostă (EVC)	792	+582
6th	(+2)		Cyclohexane (CHX)	762	+627
7th	(-4)		Cézembre Caçeirs dals Mailintzarăs (BDC)	667	+462
8th	(-1)		Naziun Cjovani (CJO)	602	+462
9th	(=)		Cézembre Fieschā (CFA)	567	+502

Today's stage is already about to finish!

Extremely happy to see everyone join for another edition! (Despite podcast not getting released yet because of an insanely busy week)

I feel like there's many interesting riders in the 6 credit unclassed category, I hope someone picks them because I could only get one:/

Right. As things stand, MCs affiliated with the URL have contributed 60 of 100 votes currently cast against Confidence, which, according to Lexh.H.4.3, makes Mic'haglh Autófil the Leader of the Opposition again. I will proceed with the necessary Witt and DB title changes.

Quote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on July 01, 2026, 12:23:36 PMI agree that there's no big harm done, but I don't think you should intentionally set a bad precedent to try to force the legislature to make changes. I think you should try your best to interpret the law as it seems to mean, or ask for guidance if you're not sure.

"I shouldn't have to intentionally set a bad precedent to try to force the legislature to make changes" is a sentence I would agree with.

QuoteThat said, I do think you are acting in good faith and you're just trying to do your best in a bad situation. Really, the problem is the 11th hour attempt here, frankly. It's not realistic to expect people to be able to give a full and fair review of something in such a short amount of time.

Oh yeah, I think that problem got buried a little in the simplified writeup I ultimately went with. Sending the bill to committee with less than two days to spare, and then asking me to make a decision that will piss someone off either way I rule, is an ungentlemanly gesture to say the least.

Voting on the July 2026 Clark (the sixth of the 62nd Cosă) is now open, until the 21st of the month, at 19h30 TST.

You can find the Clark at: https://database.talossa.com/ziu/clark (database) or at https://wiki.talossa.com/images/9/90/July2026Clark.pdf (pdf)

MCs and Senators can all vote on the new Database using the credentials you have been sent by email: https://database.talossa.com/ziu/clark/vote

If you wish to vote on Wittenberg, MCs can vote here and Senators can vote here.



Sir Lüc da Schir, UrB
Secretary of State

Senators, you can cast your votes on the Sixth Clark here or on the database: https://database.talossa.com/ziu/clark/vote

You can find the Clark at: https://database.talossa.com/ziu/clark (database) or at https://wiki.talossa.com/images/9/90/July2026Clark.pdf (pdf)

If you vote here on Witt, do not indicate any conditions which may make it sound like this vote isn't final: you can always change your vote later.

Members of the Cosă, you can cast your votes on the Sixth Clark here or on the database: https://database.talossa.com/ziu/clark/vote

You can find the Clark at: https://database.talossa.com/ziu/clark (database) or at https://wiki.talossa.com/images/9/90/July2026Clark.pdf (pdf)

If you vote here on Witt, do not indicate any conditions which may make it sound like this vote isn't final: you can always change your vote later.

Quote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on July 01, 2026, 07:25:49 AMJust for the record, approval has never been taken in this way before in other votes and contexts, which is really going to serve as the operative precedent here absent anything else. Generally, we do not take a body's vote of approval to mean that at least one person voted in favor and no one has yet voted against it.

This would be perfectly applicable if the CRL actually operated as a committee and took votes like a mini-Cosă or mini-Senäts, but it does not. No committee would cast conditional votes, for instance. The 2.1.6 clause, "After the CRL has given its recommendation", is extremely vague either way.

QuoteI don't have any particular objection to this bill passing (although I had asked a question because I had a concern about the form, and I did have a suggested amendment!) But my main concern is just making sure that this does not actually become a precedent.

Setting bad precedents in the case of the CRL is also something I was strongly opposed to in previous instances, but my concerns were generally ignored. One of the comments I wanted to make in the fuller writeup I couldn't complete on time is precisely this - the provisions governing the CRL have been inadequate for a long time, and even if the CRL as a whole is not abolished or replaced, they need to be seriously looked at.

So yeah, I don't like the situation one bit and I loathe intentionally setting a bad precedent, but I'm happy to force the Ziu to take a look at the issue so this same precedent can be made irrelevant soon. And thankfully, the result of my decision here is that the Ziu can still consider the bill as it stands, both on the basis of its form and merit - no big harm done.

Quote from: Mic'haglh Autófil, O.Be on June 30, 2026, 11:54:45 PM@Sir Lüc if you will forgive the 11th-hour request, please Clark the Caretaker Clarification Act. Under Lexh.H.2.1.5, one CRL member has recommended to accept the bill for Clarking, none have voted to reject, and there have been no amendments suggested.

I will grant this request, despite major doubts. I will post a full reasoning later - I worked at it for over two hours, including researching precedents, and I simply must move on now.

But in short - you can argue for either decision, depending on precedent and the extremely vague statutory provisions. I strongly object to the timeline of CRL review, because for a bill that was in the Hopper for a whole month, giving the CRL 1 day and 23 hours to review it is not an attempt at receiving a fair review. But, again, the law is so vague that time isn't a factor at all, and depending on how you look at precedent, one can easily argue that one positive review is enough for Clarking. (A dangerous precedent to set!)

I will therefore accept the bill for Clarking under something akin to Speaker Denison's Rule, ie, that when in doubt, one should allow for debate to continue, which in this instance means letting the bill on the Clark instead of "pocket vetoing" it by having it die in committee.

The law as written means that any instance when operation strays from a clean full approval from a full panel of reviewers is an opportunity for bad precedent and unintended consequences. This is one of those instances.

TANDI QE Moses Emefiele tent compiaçat toct i resquiraziuns lexhitais per l'aðmiçiun àl Regipäts Talossan, es tent comvimçat la naziun es noi da sieu intereçù in la citaxhienità Talossan (la Mhiglhor Cosă Qe L'Erxhent Non Put Comprar), da sieu intenziun es desireu à partiçipar in noastră vidă naziunal, es da sieu leialtà àl Coronă, noi sint rat es þonourat àð aðmiçar perventüră Moses Emefiele àl statüs exaltat d'ün CITAXHIÉN VEITAT DEL REGIPÄTS TALOSSAN, es dal provinçù Belacostă, cün toct i drepts, privilexhuns, es deveirs qi sint iherinds à ça.

Fäts par va mha in la nómină del Regeu Txec es sub sieu Saxhel Rexhital li 30. Gün in l'anneu dal eră comun 2026, in el secund anneu del röin da noastra soveran cortös Regeu Txec, es el 47-l:t dal independençù da Talossa.

---

WHEREAS Moses Emefiele has completed all the legal requirements for admission to the Kingdom of Talossa, and has satisfied the nation and us of his interest in Talossan citizenship (the Best Thing Money Can't Buy), of his intention and desire to participate in our national life, and of his loyalty to the Crown, we are pleased and honoured hereby to admit Moses Emefiele to the exalted status of a NATURALISED CITIZEN OF THE KINGDOM OF TALOSSA, and of the province of Belacostă, with all the rights, privileges, and duties thereunto appertaining.

Done by my hand in the name of King Txec and under his Royal Seal this 30th day of June in the year of the common era 2026, in the second year of the reign of our gracious sovereign King Txec, and of the independence of Talossa the 47th.




Sir Lüc da Schir
Secretar d'Estat / Secretary of State

TANDI QE Owen Bottu tent compiaçat toct i resquiraziuns lexhitais per l'aðmiçiun àl Regipäts Talossan, es tent comvimçat la naziun es noi da sieu intereçù in la citaxhienità Talossan (la Mhiglhor Cosă Qe L'Erxhent Non Put Comprar), da sieu intenziun es desireu à partiçipar in noastră vidă naziunal, es da sieu leialtà àl Coronă, noi sint rat es þonourat àð aðmiçar perventüră Owen Bottu àl statüs exaltat de CITAXHIÉN VEITAT DEL REGIPÄTS TALOSSAN, es dal provinçù Cézembre, cün toct i drepts, privilexhuns, es deveirs qi sint iherinds à ça.

Fäts par va mha in la nómină del Regeu Txec es sub sieu Saxhel Rexhital li 30. Gün in l'anneu dal eră comun 2026, in el secund anneu del röin da noastra soveran cortös Regeu Txec, es el 47-l:t dal independençù da Talossa.

---

WHEREAS Owen Bottu has completed all the legal requirements for admission to the Kingdom of Talossa, and has satisfied the nation and us of his interest in Talossan citizenship (the Best Thing Money Can't Buy), of his intention and desire to participate in our national life, and of his loyalty to the Crown, we are pleased and honoured hereby to admit Owen Bottu to the exalted status of NATURALISED CITIZEN OF THE KINGDOM OF TALOSSA, and of the province of Cézembre, with all the rights, privileges, and duties thereunto appertaining.

Done by my hand in the name of King Txec and under his Royal Seal this 30th day of June in the year of the common era 2026, in the second year of the reign of our gracious sovereign King Txec, and of the independence of Talossa the 47th.




Sir Lüc da Schir
Secretar d'Estat / Secretary of State

Oath sent over.

Oath sent over.

Petition made, so at least I can say I did ONE thing as TalossAssistant :p

WHEREAS it has been more than a fortnight since @Owen Bottu first posted on Wittenberg, following his introduction to the citizens of the Kingdom by officers of the Immigration Ministry, and

WHEREAS as I said in another petition I issued a few months ago, I don't normally write petitions, because I would be addressing them to myself, but

WHEREAS I served as Owen's TalossAssistant, in theory if not in practice, and

WHEREAS Owen has, in that time, demonstrated an active, genuine, and continuing interest in Talossan life, language and culture (and politics, and history), and

WHEREAS Owen desires to obtain citizenship in Talossa, so

THEREFORE I, Sir Lüc da Schir, a citizen of good standing of the province of Belacostă and of the Kingdom of Talossa, do hereby petition the Chancery to issue a grant of citizenship to the said Owen Bottu, as specified by law.

Everything above this comment has been queued up for Clarking - I suspect that's going to be it for this term, so I'm going ahead with numbering in the usual order (amendments, then bills, then nonbinding resolutions) so I can get a head start on preparing the PDF. Anything submitted later will simply get numbered out of order.

Quote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on June 27, 2026, 12:11:41 PMI apologize. You did ask me that before. Actually, I was trying to do it the way you said, but I misremembered and thought that you asked me to do it this way instead, so I did the wrong thing again!

No worries! I'll try to be clearer next time.