Yikes!  11 June, and there is no debate thread up, already.  ESB, I hope you're all-right.

Anyway, I vote thusly:

57RZ1 Për
57RZ2 Contra
57RZ3 Për

GV, Fiova

Reunision saw almost the entire community of the 2004-2012 Republic of Talossa return or emigrate to the Kingdom of Talossa.  I still count this as one of the greatest miracles of Talossan history.

Those of you who were not around do not understand the depth of feeling on both sides of the Vuode Wall, particularly 'down south'.  This depth of feeling and the intense dynamics of personalities, political sensibilities, and what-not in both Kingdom and Republic helped prolong the existence of the Republic of Talossa by far longer than it should have been allowed to be a going concern, imho.

But I am in the minority on that, and always will be.  Make no mistake: on both sides of the Vuode Wall, the 2011-2012 process to bring about Reunision was brought about not because of altruistic considerations on either side. 

Both Kingdom and Republic was stagnant, and the Republic was positively dying.  Both needed the energy and drive the other could bring, and for the communities of Republic and Kingdom, the entrance of both into the commonality of community was a true shot-in-the-arm.  This was why Reunision was allowed to occur and why, I believe, the King and other key political forces allowed it to go ahead.

The political consequences of Reunision for the Kingdom are outside the scope of this discussion, but this I will say: Talossan politics may be vitriolic at times, but they are as healthy as they have ever been.  We have a true 'two-movement' system, and coalition politics seems destined to be our way of political life for years to come. 

When we made our return on the ominous day of 20 April 2012, I honestly thought something would have happened to cause another - and final - mass exodus of the macronationally-liberal side of the Kingdom community.  So far, this has not happened, and I think many people are to be thanked for the political and pragmatic restraint which made this possible.  Another Talossan miracle in a nation the existence of which is itself a continuing miracle.

There is one group of people who had the most to lose from Reunision, and they are represented in the person of C. Carlüs Xheraltescu: those Republic citizens who had never known anything Talossan but the Republic and who had never been citizens of the Kingdom until Reunision with its Kingdom-citizenship-dates-records aspect.

We in the Republic (including yours truly) were united in including these citizens in the discussion.  This is why as Republic PM, I recused myself from the negotiations and let Carlüs, the DPM at the time, take my seat at the table.  Had Carlüs balked, he could have brought down Reunision by himself, and I think he knew that.  He and all those stakeholders he represented in the negotiations had more than a little courage and faith to come along on the journey we took on 20 April 2012.  Talossa owes them its eternal gratitude (not hinting at honours, John).

Talossa also owes John Woolley a debt of gratitude.  We in the Republic gave the Kingdom many hoops to jump through, and at one point, the negotiations came to within a planck-space of imploding for good.  John was very gracious on that point, and he certainly has my eternal thanks regarding that.

As for the eight years the Talossan Cold War lasted, those who helped make it longer than it should have been know who they are.  I've dished on this matter at length before.

But incredibly, and again, no-one has bolted in mass-exodus.  The Kingdom has held it together and has evolved.  Ben Madison's bedroom kingdom of old survives into the present.  May God allow it to survive into the age to come.

Dare Something Worthy.

Gödefrïeu Válcadác'h
one of the Founding Parents of the Republic of Talossa
20 April 2022

Dad and I are (presumably) closing on a lease tomorrow at a new place.  Our current crib is about to be sold by our landlord who, it must be said, could not have been a better person to deal with over the years.  Preparing for a move to our new place (presumed) plus the busiest Holy Week and Easter week I've had in the last ten years have put Talossa out of my mind.

Talossa will remain out of my mind until the first of next month.  I'll put up appropriate verbiage re Reunision later tonight.

GV

And she is ready to lead us into another term.  Votez FREEDEMS!

And defence, too, for that matter...

I started off well last June, but fell off the wagon completely with that most-deadly of words...  'Tomorrow'...  Tomorrow crept up on me.

Moreover and thanks to the absolute tedium of my archives work in 2020 and 2021, I am utterly burned out on 'obligatory Talossa'.  I have made it clear it is easy enough to Senäts, and I am looking forward to serving another term, but I will not serve in Cabinet again for the foreseeable future.

No excuses...just complete dropping of the ball on my part, and to the country and my party, I wholeheartedly apologize and look forward to the younger generation picking up where I should have left off.

GV

I want the country to know when Dame Miestra references 'Culture', she means yours-truly.  I did not do my job as Minister of Culture, and I have no excuses to offer.

That being said, we at least have shown up. 

The Opposition hasn't even done that.

The conservative Opposition has offered no ideas for Talossa's immigration woes save tacit approval for royal vetos of the curtailing of the King's powers - the few times when His Majesty has come out of his royal slumber to feed on democracy.

The conservative Opposition has done as much for Talossan culture as I did in Cabinet this past term.  In other words, nothing.

The conservative Opposition fully supported the most ludicrous 'award' and 'honour' in the history of Talossa.  The only thing AD did that provoked the King to make him a Baron was doing his job well.  Aside from the King's continued slumber, AD as Regent had no other crisis, and he did precious little to awaken His Majesty from hibernation.

We, the Free Democrats and our coalition partners, have asked questions.  We have spoken truth to power.  We have helped to level the playing field in Talossa.

What has the Opposition done? 

GV

My votes are incoming, but I thought I'd at least get the thread started.

https://houstonchamberchoir.org/circlesong

English-language translations of Native American texts set to music by British composer Bob Chilcott...  This is my 24th season with this ensemble, and you can buy a digital or physical copy at the link above.

And to be sure, we vetted this entire project through a Native American poet who gave her blessing to this entire thing.

From time to time, I may post 'research questions' to Witt for Talossans to answer.  This is one of those times and the first of same.  Many thanks for your help in advance!

1. The Clark has always been voted on the 1st through the 21st of the month so specified.
2. Cosa Elections for many years were voted on the 15th of one month, ending on the 14th of the month following.  A few years ago, legislation changed that voting window to the 1st through 14th of a single month. 

Are these things correct, and if 2. is correct, what legislation was it that made that change?

Many thanks!

GV, RArchivist

56RZ9 Për
56RZ10 Për

Attn, SoS: 56RZ10 stipulates Lex. H.21 is to be deleted. 

When I look at http://wiki.talossa.com/Law:El_Lexhatx#H._Legislation I cannot find section 21. 

However, I see that section in your revision from 9 November 2021:
http://wiki.talossa.com/index.php?title=Law:El_Lexhatx&oldid=28212#H._Legislation

There is an element to this I am missing, however.  Thanks for all you do, as always.

GV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiAwDSu4h7Y&ab_channel=LittleWarsTV

LittleWarsTV I discovered today.  It's really quite enchanting.

This video takes us to Geo. Washington's 'Christmas miracle' of 26 December 1776 in which was made the famous crossing of the Delaware River.  Historically, Gen. Washington wins the day, but can he do so again two centuries later?

Just now, I received an inscrutable email, which I add to the end of this post.  That email will explain why I'm making this post now.  Talossans are dying, and we barely know when it happens.

Brook's obituary: https://www.startribune.com/obituaries/detail/0000326482/

I met Brook the once: TalossaFest 2003 at Lytheria in Milwaukee.  He seemed to be a jovial and nice man.  He also was clearly the character TNN et al made him out to be.  The place where he would always stay in Milwaukee was called 'the Brook Motel'.

Brook's flourishing in Talossa was alongside JJ with the latter's Talossan National Party.  No party leader seems to have had a more loyal subordinate, and second only JJ himself, Brook is probably mentioned more times in TNN than anyone else, including even Ben and Davron.

Rest in peace, Brook. 

+ + +

Hello, I would like to count on your collaboration to pay a small tribute to William Holbrook Glaefke (Brook Gläfke), who as you know passed away in 2019.

I am trying to locate the only piece of information that appears about "Yevolkian Free State" that he apparently communicated in 1985 to the King of Talossa.

The information that appears in some publications is so vague that I want to know from the first source, Talossa, if they could provide me with more information about Yevolkian.

Thanks a lot!!
Gabriel Medina Vilchez
[address redacted]
GRANADA
SPAIN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzNJ0-xoNl0&ab_channel=GoodMorningAmerica

Nelson Mandela and he were the twin towers of South Africa.  May he along with Mandela rest in peace and rise in glory.

GV

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UzbMyC8EOgg8J85rIZEY5C44z3Pqbj70dB2UMmZ9OW4/edit?usp=sharing

Near to the end of the above is the Final Report on the Royal Archives' now-concluded three-year overall plan.  In the months to come, a new multi-year plan will come, perhaps.

Then again, so much was done in 2020...

GV, Royal Archivist

Here is sheet music for a draft of an English-language 'Talossan ABCs' song.  I tried to make a proper recording, but it turns out the new mic I had gotten off Amazon is little better than the cheapo 'internet mics' that sell for less than $20.00 and sound like it.

Therefore, I'll be shopping around for a new (and much-better) mic soon.

To that end, what you all think of the 'Yeti'-branded USB mics?  Thanks, all!

GV, MinCulture

Për for the 'fake' bill in question.

I guess the Database System requires at least one bill on a Clark for it to function?

GV, Fiova

Vote in this thread. 

I vote për on everything.

GV, Fiova

Per https://wiki.talossa.com/2012/R3_Standing_Orders_of_the_General_Assembly_(Fiova) voting on 'Revisions to Standing Orders' per https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=990.msg7959#msg7959 begins now and shall conclude Monday 27 September at 1700 Central.

Vote for same on this thread.

GV, Tuischach

I stand by what I said below...with one caveat: I want to be proven wrong.

I want to be proven wrong on all of this, and I will not hear it from an interlocuter.  The country needs to hear this from the King himself.  If he is truly swamped at work, that's fine.  I can wait.

I also want everyone to know I am not making any indictment on the King outside of Talossa.  By all accounts in the sixteen years he has been with us, outside the Talossan nation, I truly believe him to be an upstanding human being I am sorry to have not known better.  It is only his behavior within Talossa I'm concerned with.

Additionally, I never expected John to be buddy-buddy with everyone.  That's not possible with anyone in this world.  Do I currently believe he engaged in 'Machiavellian' actions to gain the Throne?  Within the bounds of legality and propriety, right now the answer is 'yes', but in his defence, We Down South were not around to oppose him, and he truly was the most popular person in Talossa second only to Fritz of blessed memory.

I am still of the opinion had something happened in back-channels, I would have heard about it, even through back-channels.  I never got even a whiff in all the years of the National Schism John had made even one genuine move to woo us back.

Which begs the question: what would that have looked like?  The answer: I don't know, but had it happened, I would have known it.

Kane would have been moved.  There would have been Kingdom people spontaneously showing up on our Witt (AD in 2008 notwithstanding).  There would have been more people than just me (and Ian A., I think) showing up in the Kingdom forum for a sustained period of time.

And certainly, there would have been a movement to forestall John's being made monarch, but that point is definitely gray.

Two things would have happened from this: We Down South would have called the separation permanent, in which case I hope I would have had the sense to return to the Kingdom had the Republic continued to call itself 'Talossa'.  Or there would have been a Reunision-style reunion, but without the new province.

Either way, I was plugged in enough to the movers and shakers in the Republic to where I would have heard something about it, whatever had come. 

Yet, I never heard anyone discuss any overture from John.  Yes, the indictment against us still stood after Ben and Amy left, but I think we can overlook that as an honest oversight.  What is far more disturbing is the mantra of 'Betrayed, Stolen, Kept' never stopped (mostly) until we 'capitulated' in 2011.

Over the years, the mistrust of the Talossan Left toward the House of Lupul has only increased, with that House (and by that, I mean John exclusively) doing nothing to make things better.

Conversely, the Talossa Right sees the Left as a boatload of betrayers, thieves, and losers.  Does the Right really see us that way?  Not individually, of course, but as a group?  Probably yes when no-one else is looking...

What I want is something I will never get in this world: for John Woolley in August 2005 to welcome us home not in deference to us, but as equals with a heartfelt understanding we had no other choice but to commit treason and found the Republic of Talossa.

What this does not include in my world is a forgetting about talossa.com and Wittenberg X.  And I reiterate this point: what we did in those two instances was shameful and did not endear any fence-sitters in the Kingdom to our 'cause'.

Then again, it was so easy to hide behind 'Betrayed, Stolen, Kept...'  (This is very cathartic, folks!)

Quote from: GV on August 25, 2021, 03:06:56 PM

Glad I didn't annoy you!  All is well with me, there.  As I recall, I believe I did call you on a weekday afternoon.

My longstanding gripe with you, @King John , should be known to you, but I'll reiterate somewhat succinctly:

With a single email, a single Witt post, or some other sort of communcation, even through back-channels (which might worked better anyway) during the years 2005-2011, you could have nipped 'Betrayed, Stolen, Kept' in the bud and surgically cut that cancer out of Talossan society.

Such a move on your part would have reveberated a thousand times over in Republic society.

You had the popularity, political power, and influence to singlehandedly bring the two Talossas back together.

You could have made this happen. 

You could have caused Kingdom society to accept the fact what we did in founding the 2004-2012 Republic may have been inorganic and traitorous (which it was), but it was also done under duress and under the most sordid set of circumstances in Talossan history.

You could have caused Talossan society to afford us at least a measure of grace, forgiveness, and 'slack'.

You could have societally and culturally forced the restoration of Wittenberg X and talossa.com to all Talossans.  (a shameful part of our leaving, I grant you).

It is no secret when the opportunity to take the Throne for yourself came about in the cultural and power vacuum that came about when Ben and Amy left in August 2005, you took full advantage as any good Diplomacy player would.  To have had us make our return to the Kingdom at that time, however, would have jeopardized that plan. 

You could have reached out to us in late-August 2005.  You could have reached out to us in 2006.  You could have reached out to us in a way such we would have been compelled to come back in 2007.  I imagine with a little campaign work on your side, John, you could have gotten quite a few of us Down South to actually vote or put pressure on the electors of the time to confirm you as King!

In protecting the way you wanted to do Talossa, you shirked your responsibility as a unifying symbol of the nation.  You failed to be the King you should have been.

John, for fourteen years, you have in your interpersonal dealings with many Talossans both publicly and privately refused to make Talossa whole - not de jure (which you countenanced), but what I call 'Reunision of the heart'. 

GV

The 2020-2021 COVID-19 'quarantine' gave me that which I desperately needed to get a whole bunch of Talossa finished: unfettered gobs of unbroken free hobby-time which I devoted to getting the unparalleledly-tedious list of giant archival projects finished to the point were I to be abducted by aliens, Talossans could 'take up where I left of', so-to-speak and be able to reconstruct some semblance of Talossan history.

The fruits of these labors can be found at www.libraryoftalossa.com - learn about Talossa.  Love Talossa.  Live Talossa.

No small part of this work has been the intricate putting-together of an online-friendly edition of Ben Madison's L'Anuntizia dels Legeux (is it 'dels'?).  That book represents the absolute record of every bill on every Clark from its beginnings through October 1996 at which point Clark records began to be kept online.

Online Clark records were kept by Ián Anglatzara from October 1996 through December 1999, and its those records which have been archived from their Wayback Machine captures to (for now) the Talossan Secret Archives.  Online-friendly editions of those records will be made available in time, but for now, these archived web pages have been sent to the Talossan Secret Archives.

My next project will be the putting together of my extant archives for the Republic of Talossa, with which other Talossans have been most helpful so far.

Additionally, I've discovered a smattering of ancient Witt records on the Wayback Machine, and I will work to get those archived properly in time.  Not much there, however...

My musical life gets going this coming weekend per 'normal', and it is fitting to mark the end of my 'quarantine free-time' with cause for an announcement such as this.

Profound gratitude as always to those in my Royal Archives think-tank group.  You know who you are.

GV, RArchivist