I love Asterix! The English translations are wonderful - and all the better when you read the (original) French, which contains just as many puns and wordplays as the English. I giggle at both versions - excellent.
Come on, US - read Asterix!  :)

Quote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on April 29, 2024, 09:03:31 AMI think you misunderstand.  In that quote, "inactive" refers to a lack of activity generally in Talossa, not the level of power assigned to the role.  His Majesty has not been able to devote much time to the country, regardless of what form that time takes.

Thus, in this context, "inactive" refers, at base, to meaning A: " taking no action whatsoever".  The cause of that lack of action is a separate question.

Our function - as now presented to us - is to ensure that any future monarch's activity be judged against his/her then given powers:  i.e. to the powers given to any new monarch, be they be the same as or different from the powers now believed to be held by our current monarch, and to those previous to him.

So we must at this time, in resolution of potential ambiguity, also carefully consider what we mean by "inactive".

Quote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on April 28, 2024, 09:04:00 PM...the major point of contention was that republicans were generally in favor of an entirely inactive monarchy rather than an invigorated one, since an inactive monarchy would continue to lead to a decline in support for monarchy in general.  Likewise, monarchists were generally in favor of supporting the king, since lending any support to change meant helping destroy one of Talossa's oldest and most valuable traditions..... 

I suspect this very much depends upon the meaning given to the word "inactive".

There are at least two different meanings:
A) taking no action whatsoever, neither symbolic nor political, or
B) taking no political power (including vetos upon legislation), but still retaining symbolic significance.

It is my (personal) opinion that symbolic power is exactly what a monarch should retain and exhibit.  A monarch should be an essential part of the Kingdom's symbolic unity, and the formal source of its internal symbolic levels of recognition.  But the Monarchy should not, in any way, be a source of or instrumental in the Kingdom's political actions.  As an example I cite some other kingdoms, such as The United Kingdom, and the Kingdoms of the Netherlands, and Norway and Sweden.

We, in Talossa, can remain a Monarchy, and still be fully - totally - democratic.  All persons with political power must retain that power for only a pre-stated finite period of time, and also be freely elected by the citizenry.  And the time in office should be limited to at most five years (or such other period as we prescribe beforehand).

For any one person Royal Authority is temporary.  Each person's calling is for that time, and that time alone. 
Part of the organisation of a monarchy must incude an agreed method of passing on this authority – where such methods do not exist or are not agreed upon then history has taught us that dissent arises, whence comes discontent and division.

We now in Talossa must select our method of determining the heir, and agreeing (as far as we may) upon that method. 
And we are called upon to sustain the Fun to which this nation was, near its founding, directed.

We thus must not now declare "let battle commence" but instead we must declare:

Let peaceful agreement be reached.

An irrevocable determination to Renounce the Throne has been declared by our Monarch.
We the citizens and friends of Talossa wish upon him in our full sincerity bountious blessings, and pray that life for him shall be peaceful and rewarding.
Live Long and Prosper.

Quote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on April 13, 2024, 09:30:38 AMWe should fix the succession so that it will continue working for the future in a permanent way that has consensus support.  Once the institution is assured to continue existing in a legitimate manner, we can address other problems.  Doing it backwards is risky and bizarre.

We could (possibly) "fix the succession" merely by changing the stated order of choice.  For example, we could replace "eldest offspring of current monarch (etc. etc.)" with "list of citizens arranged in such-and-such an order".  In other words, create a different rule of precedence.

Such a rule would have to be explicit and unambiguous; it would have to allow for the choice of monarch to be denied by super-majority of the citizens; and (I would suggest - though perhaps this is not the place to discuss this) would be re-applied every seven years or when the monarch resigned (abdicated) or died or ceased to be a citizen.

It is up to this current tranche of citizens to make, and largely agree upon, the succession rule.  Future "generations of citizens" could also do what we are now (in our freedom) talking about doing.

"Talossa is free" is not the same as "Talossa is unchangeable" - Freedom is stability: Fettered Stasis is not.

((sound of tumbleweed blowing past))

A TalossaCézembre would be great for us Europeans... though Cézembre itself is a little inaccessible (and expensive). London (or its environs) would be a good alternative? And I would be there (provided an 85 year old can get there!).

Quote from: Tric'hard Lenxheir on April 11, 2024, 09:17:54 PMI'll be lucky if I'm still alive in 2029 LOL

Join the club!!! (age 78)

There is another definition of seniority: the order could be in descending order of *physical* age (which you cannot change and cannot cheat!) for all who have been citizens *continuously* for at least X years. (X might be five or ten or seven or whatever is decided to be best).

I, personally, have to be a bit cautious in suggesting this as (I think) I am the *physically* oldest still here in Talossa... I was born in 1945... perhaps I would be the zeroth, not first, choice <grin>

Links to novel and photographs from Novel Cezembre

To those who celebrate the Equinoctial New year - Happy Nowruz!!

Actually - Happy Nowruz to all of you!

Quote from: xpb on March 18, 2024, 07:17:53 PM....

For the dead tree version, which I prefer...
Do you receive a higher royalty if purchased from Lulu?  It is at a lower price on Amazon.

I suspect both Amazon and Waterstones have the wrong link - I think they have a link to a slightly earlier draft. And I do get a larger royalty if you get it (them!) direct from Lulu. The dead tree version's cover has  two photographs taken by me (... not that that's any reason for getting it!).

I have just published a novel - fiction, sort-of-science-fiction, surreal, abstract - and (I hope) rather funny.
If you want to look at it, it's available at (paperback): Unremembered Future   
ebook at: Unremembered Future (ebook)

Other works include:

A children's novel (paperback): Emerald Pie (ebook): Emerald Pie (ebook)
Teaching stories (for children) (paperback) The Carpenter's Carpet
Pantomime "Aladdin" (paperback) A Lad in Knaphill. and his Magic Lamp
Pantomime: "Cinderella" (paperback) Cinderella - and her Bearded Sisters
Poetry (Talossan and other) (paperback): Poesie

Enjoy!

I am slightly disappointed at the "maximum age 75" suggestion - I am 78. I know that there is no maximum age for being Pope, nor (I believe) for the President of the USA... The (late lamented) Queen Elizabeth II was 96 years old, and still actively performing her royal duties up to the week she died. Surely Talossa should not be so much more restrictive than these important posts elsewhere?