Seneschal's Address to the Nation 10/2/10

Citizens:

There are some species of sea stars that can reproduce by fragmenting themselves. A piece or whole arm of the star is torn away by malice or accident, and is swept away in the currents. But sometimes the piece spends its remaining resources to grow a new stomach and digestive system, in a budding pouch-like body, and continues life. Eventually the piece regrows the rest of its body, duplicating the flesh it had once been a part of. The old starfish continues, while a new one has sprung up from just a scattered piece of flesh. It's a brilliant system: a tiny investment in resources for a potentially large return to the species.

According to legend, a group of fishermen - unhappy with some starfishs' impact on their mollusk catch - would wake early and trap starfish. They'd take their thick knives and cut the starfish into pieces, tossing the pieces away. But unbeknownst to them, they were really just helping the starfish, whose population swelled in response.

We can learn from the starfish in several ways.

First: have you told a friend about Talossa? Maybe not. Maybe you're afraid they'll think it's weird or think you're weird. Maybe they'll mock you?

Let me assure you that any mocking will be dwarfed by their interest. It's a fascinating, cool life we lead - one that not a lot of people ever get to experience. In all the world, we are unique. And since there are so very many people, that's often a hard claim to make. But it's true: there are only a handful of Talossans, and you are among their proud ranks. If you bear that pride with you and show it when speaking of your country, people will respond accordingly. And even if they don't decide to join Talossa, you will have spread knowledge about it. It's a small investment of your time, scattering out a little piece of yourself into the oceans. But it may repay you in a big way, with a brand-new Talossan someday coming into being. You can be a part of that. Try telling a friend, today.

Second: there has been fear over the efforts of Robert Madison, our deposed first monarch and founder. It's only a little fear and not very widespread (many new citizens know him only by the whispers and histories) but it has been heard. I say to you now that we should not fear. Conflict has always helped Talossa. The Cone War became a glorious legend. The riotous arguments of the departure of the Penguineans/Republicans spurred vast growth and brought the country out of Robert I's direct mastery. And the demands of Robert I for the membership rolls of the CLP eventually forced his abdication. We as a nation have only grown when challenged. We have the plain, unvarnished, glorious truth on our side. We have nothing to fear now except an opportunity to rise to the challenge.

Third, and finally: my father often told me a story about starfish, one that can serve us. In a low voice and with a half smile, he would speak:

Once there was a young boy who lived by the sea, in a narrow harbor. He was a quiet but happy boy, who loved the play on the shore. But he noticed that whenever there was a storm, starfish would wash up on the shore by the thousands. They'd be caught in the currents and deposited by the waves, and the next day they would die.

The boy began rising very early in the morning, every day after a storm, and going down to the shore. His breath steaming in the morning chill, he'd pick up starfish and throw them back in the water, to give them another chance. Bend down, pick one up, walk to the water, throw it in, walk back, and do it again. Over the course of a morning before school, he'd managed to throw in perhaps fifty or a hundred starfish.

An old sailor had seen him do this, many times, as he brought his boat in after a night trawling the depths with a net. It was frustrating to watch the boy's futile efforts, and even a little annoying. What was the point, after all? One day, the old sailor hurled aside his net and stalked up to the boy, demanding, "Boy, I see you do this every morning after a storm! Look at all these starfish! You could do this all day and never get them all. Nearly every one will die! What difference does it make?"

The boy threw a starfish into the water, and replied, "Made a difference to him."

Remember that you are Talossan. You are part of something very special. When you spread the word about Talossa, you are helping make the lives of others a little more special, too. It might not make a difference to everyone, but it will make a difference to some.

Long live the King, and long live Talossa!

Alexander Davis
Seneschal del Regipäts Talossan

Seneschal's Address to the Nation 9/2/10

Citizens:

Imagine, if you will, the following conversation taking place on an elevator, somewhere in the world.

"Oh, hello. Hey, that pretzel looks great. Where did you get it?"
	"Over at the stand on the third floor. It's pretty good."
"Cool. Hey, what's that?"
	"Oh, that's a pin for Talossa. It's a real country that has an army, and I'm the Seneschal which is like the leader of our real government! And we do limericks in our language and stuff. Talossa... no, with a long "o." No, we don't have a bunker or guns. We have a King though. No, I don't really live there, but in my heart I do."
"....I have to go now."
	"But we do heraldry! LOOK AT MY COAT OF ARMS!"

Despite my eagerness and obvious love for my country, Cindi Lauper thinks I am crazy.  And she is perhaps not unjustified in thinking so.  When asked about Talossa - a thing that is unusual and new to most strangers - all I can do is give a rambling and semi-coherent spiel of nonsense.  If this is what you heard, you probably wouldn't want to join, either.

But that's not the way it should be.  I am calling for two initiatives that I will personally be the first to engage in.

Firstly, I want some display of Talossanity.  We're getting flags and bumper-stickers and shirts and pins back on the market this term with the relaunch of TalossaWare, and ideally we'll be getting a lot of orders.  But even if you can't do that, then you can still show your adopted country off.  If you belong to a social network like Facebook, then broadcast about Talossa a few times.  If you have a blog, write a post about it.  If you belong to a message board, put up a thread about it.  The bottom line is that I urge every citizen to take the time to show off Talossa in their life.

I have my "I ♥ Talossa" button from TalossaWare, and I will be wearing it on my backpack and on my jacket.

Secondly, let's all develop "elevator speeches" to go with our newfound display.  This is a succinct and compelling summary of Talossa, so called because it's short enough to give during the length of an elevator ride.  It should be low-key but intriguing, so as to get their attention without seeming too bizarre.

So when someone asks me about my button, I'll be ready to reply with something that won't scare them off.  Everyone should have their own version - depending on where you are and what inspires you about your country - but mine will go something like this:

"Oh, 'Talossa' is the name of a country of which I'm a citizen.  It's just like bigger countries with a flag and government, but it's small enough so that everyone can participate.  It even has its own language and stuff.  It has several books published about it and it's been around since 1979, which is also cool.  It's a lot of fun!  If you want to know more, I can give you the website."

I'd love to hear some other examples from participating citizens, and to know people will be helping out Talossa.  But I will still be content even if it's only me and my button and my few words.

As mentioned, we're going to be rolling out more gear to get this going, along with the immediately-impending stamp issuance.  Talossans may be slow to wake up out of this summer, but we're going to have some serious alarm clocks ringing soon!

Long live the King, and long live Talossa!

Alexander Davis
Seneschal del Regipäts Talossan

A Few Words from the Ministry of Finance

The fine words of our Seneschal were more than a call to arms to Talossans near and far. They were a reminder that even as summer takes its traditionally-slowing toll on Witt, your Government continues to work behind the scenes.

I recently spiffed-up the Ministry of Finance webpage. Though the update was largely cosmetic, it is also meant to serve as a reminder that Project Insufficient Postage is near completion! Despite taking a bit longer than we had hoped, I am pleased to say we are tantalizingly near the production of official Kingdom postage stamps.

You will also note the announcement of the new Project Easy Money, by which we will create a much easier method for the Kingdom to collect money, for party registration fees as well as for ordering stamps, currency, and commemoratives. I hope to see this system ready for use before the end of September.

As always, I welcome your input, suggestions, and questions, and I can be reached at FinanceMinister@KingdomOfTalossa.net.

Danihel Forestal
Minister of Finance
Chairman, Royal Bank & Post

Seneschal's Address to the Nation 8/2/10

Citizens:

I want you to come out of the closet.

Let me explain. It is summer. Humidity and temperatures are high in our fair nation of Talossa and for many citizens-in-exile around the world. And as frequently happens, activity in our country has dipped in response to vacations and activities. We shouldn't let this disappoint us or surprise us - it's a change as regular as the shifts in the seasons themselves. But we must not let ourselves get into the habit.

When an email arrives, sometimes we read it and set it aside. "I'll reply in the morning," we say.

Or we stop checking Wittenberg for a while. "It'll still be there next week and it's quiet now anyway."

Or we get a voicemail and never bother to reply. "It's Talossa, it can't be that important."

Now, there's no requirement to "do Talossa" in order to be Talossan. We are proud to support your right to just be a citizen, requiring no more effort or thought than a "present" vote every other year. Just like in every country, you get to choose how involved you are.

But remember why you joined Talossa. You probably didn't do it because you wanted to just list it on your curriculum vitae. You were probably fascinated by the language, interested in the astonishing history, or amused by the citizenry. In short, you liked doing Talossa.

But even things we like can require effort. So we ignore that email, that message board, that call. Just like a pair of skis can sit in the attic or the chessboard can gather dust in a drawer, so can Talossa be in your mental closet. You love the language, but why bother translating a Dickinson poem into Talossan? Something good might be on television. Or you like politics, but reading the debates on issues just takes too long, and you want to finish your book. Better to just leave the whole Talossa thing up on that shelf in the closet.

No! Get Talossa out of that closet!

Make some Talossan puns!
How did Iusti rise to the head of the party? By typing in all cäps!

Jump-start your province!
I propose that we eliminate the legislature and invest all provincial power in me.

Or just be silly!
Yes, I would like to join the DPD/PDP.

Get Talossa out of your mental closet, and back into your life! You'll remember why you love it so much.

Upcoming Events

Let me state in brief the momentous things we look to: this month we will see the finalization of stamps and the relaunch of the TalossaWare line. Stamps have been a long time coming, and frozen due to legal uncertainties. But the work is done, so we're going to pull the trigger. TalossaWare has also lingered in obscurity, but I for one love my Talossa buttons and want to see a flag available for purchase. We're getting that done, too.

On an unrelated note, I also look forward to the work of the Electoral Investigative Committee, which is scheduled to report in three days on the feasibility of new methods of voting such as IRV. Our voting methods have long been an important issue in Talossa, and some study of how they might be reformed is a valuable thing.

Long live the King, and long live Talossa!

Alexander Davis
Seneschal del Regipäts Talossan

Seneschal's Address to the Nation 7/2/10

Citizens:

Our history has much to teach us about our present.

In 1990/X, Wes Erni was selected as the Progressive Conservative Prime Minister, backed by King Robert I. It was Erni's selection that established as unofficial law the pattern of Talossan politics before the Great Abdication: Robert I's party always wins, eventually.

Prior to Erni, of course, there had been many PC victories. Right back to the first Seneschal, the PC had always been the single most potent force in Talossan politics. But it was with Erni that we see this grey law come into its own. The King was omnipresent, remorseless, and in his view embodied the whole of Talossan culture and history - how could anyone really oppose him? Moreover, he had longevity and consistency - Robert I presented a figure that voters associated with stability. And most effectively, the King used his clout with the heaviest hand he could manage.

After Erni, the record becomes dire. Read the successive parties voted into office: PC, PC, Un-named, PC, PC, PC, PC, PC, PC, PC, PaF, PC, PC, and PC. When at this point in history, Robert I began backing Manus Nigrum instead, the record shifted slightly: MN, PC, MN, I, MN, and (in the last election under Robert I) CLP. Opposition and rival parties were temporary and soon collapsed, [i]never once[/i] succeeding to a second term in office. The Royal party - be it PC or MN - was the only continuity known to the Talossan citizens.

In our current era, this grey law is a thing of the past. The King endorses no political party and has a light hand, taking care to be apart from the squabbles of politics. And while the RUMP has won the past few elections, the Progressive Party of Talossa has emerged as a rival, combining several opposition parties into one main thrust whose continuity is a valuable thing. Margins have been narrow, and while I'm not urging a toppling of the RUMP just yet, I think all know it won't be too far away (perhaps in as soon as twenty years, when I leave power and retire to my mountain stronghold).

In preparation for this day and out of recognition of a new world of Talossan politics, my Government has been taking steps to institutionalize our institutions. Rather than vesting the keys to our Kingdom with individuals, we intend to craft viable ways to hand over power in the future. Let's review some of them.

• Disclosures - The Government has created a blog, Notiçieir del Regipäts Talossan, whose administration can be easily handed over to an incoming government. This will maintain continuity of governance, so citizens can still look at past efforts and our record, while also eliminating a lot of the busy-work of setting such things up. Further, the Government has established a calendar of events and projects in a simple format that is easily copied. A new administration (be it RUMP or PPT) won't have to worry about how things are done, because they'll have examples laid out. And citizens won't have to worry about keeping track of a bunch of new things, because the institutions will carry over to a new government.
• Policy - By creating a central (although still on the simple side) policy bank, this Government is allowing people to find a quick place to reference some of the trickier or more disputed elements of our public policies. What is the nature of our country? What is our policy towards the Republic? These questions (and more future ones) can be found on this page. And a future administration can change them or add new ones - or maintain them, without having to work through and write them again.
• Symbols - Our Minister of Stuff, Dréu Gavártgic'h, has been working with the inestimable College of Arms to create numerous new coats of arms for each Ministry. By the end of the term, this endeavour will be complete (it's already ahead of schedule!) When combined with letterheads and templates, these symbols will give Talossans a feeling of security and remind them that they're not just dealing with Jahn Q. Talossan: they're dealing with a Talossan official.

This Government is forward-thinking, and working to make sure that our democracy remains strong. Support us and your country by getting involved in language, culture, or government.

Long live the King, and long live Talossa!

Alexander Davis
Seneschal del Regipäts Talossan

Secretary of State Iustì Canun calls for bills for the 2nd Clark, 41st Cosa

Secretary of State Iustì Canun has called for legislators to submit bills for the 2nd Clark of this Cosa, now that the no-business month has ended.

You want it in, post it here.

Name of Act AND final draft, please.

MiniStuff Announcement

Announcement from the Ministry of Stuff

The Ministry of Stuff hereby (and happily) delegates the role of TalossaWest Coordinator to Senator Brad Holmes.

Thank you, Brad, for giving me one less thing to do!

Dréu Gavártgic'h
Minister of Stuff

Appointment of the Secretary of State

Article IX: The Secretary of State, the Hopper, and the Clark

Section 1. The Seneschál shall appoint a Secretary of State to an indefinite term.

Today, I am given both a burden and a pleasure.

My burden is that I must fill the post of Secretary of State.  There is scarcely a weightier responsibility in the Kingdom.  The Secretary of State must be swift in action, cautious in judgment, keen of eye, learned in law.  He runs our elections and is pivotal in the creation of our governing apparatus.  And the people who have risen to that challenge - well, they are inevitably among the best our nation has to offer.  The Secretary of State has been the founder of Talossa, Robert I, as well as the architect of principled opposition to his tyranny, Sir Fritz.  And need the name of Woolley even be mentioned?

But despite this burden, I also have a pleasure in it.  It is indeed good to be able to say that we have another person equal to the challenge, and I know him.

It is my distinct joy to appoint the Right Honourable Iustì Carlüs Canun, speaker of the tongue and my invaluable Distain, to the position of Secretary of State.  You all know S:reu Canun, who serves as Senator for Maricopa and laboured as Seneschal last term to good effect.  I have no doubt he will prove measured to this challenge as well, and I ask him to serve his country in this new capacity.

Alexander Davis
Seneschal del Regipäts Talossan

Seneschal's Remarks on the Resignation of Secretary of State Mick Preston

Mick Preston is an amazing man, and has been a great Secretary of State. I am proud to call him an exemplary statesperson, a fine Talossan, and my good friend.

Being Secretary of State is one of the most demanding jobs in our great nation. Rather than the periodic bursts of activity that so frequently flash in Talossa, burning fiercely before guttering out like a snuffed star, the job of Secretary of State requires continuous diligence and long devotion. While each house of the Ziu has its own ceremonial leader, it is the Secretary of State in many cases who runs both chambers, working to make the efforts of our legislators into a workable reality. He is given discretion to decide what is unworkable and inorganic, and carries through the voting on each bill, each month. He sorts through confusing or confused votes. And our national elections are one of the biggest burdens a statesperson can shoulder.

On behalf of a grateful nation, I would like to thank Mick Preston for his years of service to the crown and his country. S:reu Preston has been scrupulously just and cautious in fulfilling his duty. Always careful to examine a piece of legislation, ferreting out those items that he could not accept or that came to him unready to be considered, he nonetheless stinted no bill in his treatment, regardless of his personal opinion. And in collecting votes and tabulating them, he was swift and capable. S:reu Preston says truly that he has stood on the shoulders of giants, but I think it is no exaggeration to say that future Secretary of States will sigh to themselves and say, "That Preston leaves some big shoes to fill."


Alexander Davis
Seneschal del Regipäts Talossan

Culture Moment: Our Berber Heritage

“[T]he Talossan people are inexplicably and inextricably connected somehow to Berbers,” reads Talossan law (RC37, “The You Are What You Talk About, and You Talk About Berbers Act”).  And inexplicably and inextricably, it’s true. While it was once simply a blatant attempt at mythmaking by Robert I, in an attempt to distinguish Talossan history from that of the United States of America, it can’t be denied that most Talossans think the Berber people – a light-skinned North African group – are interesting and cool. And in Talossa, that’s how traditions become fact.

As the old Talossan proverb says, "It is highly possible, and therefore true."

Thus, in some mysterious sense, the ancient Berber tribes are the ancestors of the modern Talossan people, and every Talossan should study them in at least some small way to understand an ancient heritage.

The ancient Berber people occupied much of North Africa, and their direct descendents populate much of the countries of Morocco and Algeria. They spoke the Berber language, written with a variety of alphabets over the years. As a predominantly coastal people they absorbed much of the influences of seafarers such as the Phoenicians and Greeks. They were especially prominent in history at such times as the Second Punic War of the third century B.C., when their powerful cavalry performed outstandingly well when allied with Carthage against Rome, and during the Islamization and empire building in Africa the seventh to tenth centuries A.D. that set up powerful Berber caliphates.

Importantly for Talossa, the Berbers were also great travelers. It is widely believed by historians that they had cultural and genetic influence upon most of the peoples of Europe until well into the Renaissance. And because Talossa is located in an area settled predominantly by European peoples, this means that there is at least one verifiable link between Berbers and Talossa.

While this might be a solid connection, rather bolder and more tenuous was Robert I’s further claim in his 1996 The Berber Project (which you can read in its entirety here) that the Berber people later became the Beaker people of ancient Europe, and then navigated the Atlantic Ocean five thousand years ago, populating North America and transforming into the indigenous Mound-Builders of the Talossan area. He argued that “around 3000 B.C., North America was indeed treated to a large and substantial wave of Berber immigrants who brought their culture with them when they settled around the copper mines of Lake Superior and northern Wisconsin.”

Robert I also pointed out that “Talossa” resembles the word “talayot,” the ancient Beaker civilization’s name for their hutlike dwellings. Robert I claimed that this connection was evidence for a link between the ancient Beaker culture and Talossa. He also listed a whole host of indigenous North American words that sound similar to either “Talossa” or “talayot” (“tuy,” “talo,” “tell”) and indicated that this was also strong evidence for substantial Berber influence.

If you want to find out more about the Berber people, you can listen to the British Broadcasting Company's radio program, "The Berbers of North Africa," or visit your local library.


Mick Preston is an amazing man, and has been a great Secretary of State.  I am proud to call him an exemplary statesperson, a fine Talossan, and my good friend.

Being Secretary of State is one of the most demanding jobs in our great nation.   Rather than the periodic bursts of activity that so frequently flash in Talossa, burning fiercely before guttering out like a snuffed star, the job of Secretary of State requires continuous diligence and long devotion.  While each house of the Ziu has its own ceremonial leader, it is the Secretary of State in many cases who runs both chambers, working to make the efforts of our legislators into a workable reality.  He is given discretion to decide what is unworkable and inorganic, and carries through the voting on each bill, each month.  He sorts through confusing or confused votes.  And our national elections are one of the biggest burdens a statesperson can shoulder.

On behalf of a grateful nation, I would like to thank Mick Preston for his years of service to the crown and his country.  S:reu Preston has been scrupulously just and cautious in fulfilling his duty.  Always careful to examine a piece of legislation, ferreting out those items that he could not accept or that came to him unready to be considered, he nonetheless stinted no bill in his treatment, regardless of his personal opinion.  And in collecting votes and tabulating them, he was swift and capable.   S:reu Preston says truly that he has stood on the shoulders of giants, but I think it is no exaggeration to say that future Secretary of States will sigh to themselves and say, "That Preston leaves some big shoes to fill."

Alexander Davis
Seneschal del Regipäts Talossan

Notiçieir dal Regipäts Talossan

Notiçieir dal Regipäts Talossan





Your hardworking government has set up yet another way for you to keep updated about Talossa. While Wittenberg is certainly invaluable, all too often the appearance is that our internet message board is the whole of our community. This is not just sad, it is blatantly false. To help forestall this illusion, the Government has created a brand new blog (supplanting previous iterations) to keep Talossans updated on the workings of their government.

You can read the brand new here, or if you have an RSS reader like Google Reader you can subscribe to the feed here.

Alexander Davis

Seneschal del Regipäts Talossan

Seneschal's Address to the Nation 6/2/10

Citizens:

Much hubbub has been raised recently over the status of micronations - the Republic in particular. There was a tense moment where a Senator stood ready to defy the law, and a sad moment as a provincial leader departed in recognition of the law. These were combined with an impassioned jeremiad delivered by a former citizen of this nation, imploring for an end to this government's obstructionism when it comes to the Republic.

Most of us have followed the ongoing debate and discussions precipitated by these events. Immediately, I took action as Seneschal, submitting an amendment to our Organic Law that would make it easier and less humbling to rejoin Talossa after an absence, while also calling for the elimination of the abhorrent "Schiva Doctrine" of the Republic that stands starkly in any path to their repatriation. In another quarter, we are debating the very nature and virtue of the long-standing Semi-Permeable Wall that separates Talossa from micronations. And in another, the possibility of pledging allegiance both to his Majesty and Talossa as well as to the Republic is being examined.

I would like at this time to especially urge our legislature to vote against the "First Matchstick Act," currently under consideration. Regardless of the status of the Semi-Permeable Wall Act, we should not at this time make special exception to permit our citizens to join a group that lays claim to the whole of our own territory and who specifically denounce our King and our laws. Such attitudes and stances are incompatible with any whitelist as it stands, although they may work within some future of the law.

These are all good and worthy questions, and I am glad to participate in them. But let us remember some things.

Here in Talossa, we have a thriving language. A new blog was recently launched to report on Talossan news - check it out - and an amazing course is finishing at our university, courtesy of Lord Hooligan. The Government has planned (and is already carrying out!) a vast number of activities and initiatives, available for citizens to keep track of here. Our political debates, current ones included, run for pages of detailed and erudite discussion. We have published books on our language, still available for the asking. We have a vibrant and thriving College of Arms, which allows our citizenry - all of whom are considered noble - to craft a set of symbols for themselves to touch on ancient tradition. Our provinces are truly taking off when it comes to activity, with several of them deeply enthralled by working out their paths to the future and amending their governing laws.

We are a rich and busy nation, and all of these things are important. Remember them and remember our worth, as we engage in these weighty debates. We flourish year-round with many varied opportunities to be Talossan, rather than sinking into sullen silence most of the time - as could easily be the case in a less potent people.

Long live the King, and long live Talossa!

Alexander Davis

Seneschal del Regipäts Talossan

Juneau Day Message from the Government

In the first ten years of its existence, there were really two Milwaukees -- Juneautown on the east side of the Milwaukee River and Kilbourntown on the west. By the 1840s, the rivalry between the east side (Juneautown) and the west side (Kilbourntown) had grown intense. Much of this was due to Byron Kilbourn who was trying to isolate the east making it more or less a satellite of Kilbourntown. In 1840, the Wisconsin Legislature required Milwaukee to build a drawbridge to replace an inadequate ferry system. Kilbourn and the west siders saw the bridge as a blow to their independence. It all came to a head in May of 1845 when Kilbourn decided to drop the west end of the bridge into the river. An east side mob gathered at the river. Violence was averted for at least two more weeks when an east side vigilante group destroyed two smaller bridges in an attempt to cut the west side off from the south and the east. A skirmish broke out between the west and east. Several people were seriously injured but there were no deaths. After the smoke cleared, Milwaukeeans on both sides realized that they would have to learn how to cooperate and live as one community. The following year, west and east joined to become the City of Milwaukee.The 25th Cosa forever sealed its fate in our great history with the enactment of the following bill:

25 RZ67 - The Juneau Day Act


WHEREAS the Kingdom does not have an official holiday to honor the William Penn of Talossa, the Roger Williams of Talossa, the Thomas Hooker of Talossa; and


WHEREAS the Venerable Solomon Juneau is recognized to be the ultimate antecedent of the Talossan national consciousness, with his firm yet kind leadership of the East Side from 1819 to 1852; and


WHEREAS the Ziu now sees it incredibly fit to honor the great Juneau with a annual holiday;


THEREFORE the Ziu sets aside 28 May as Juneau Day, to commemorate the day where a few battalions of Juneaumen bravely fought against the evil Kilbournites on the two bridges.


Uréu q'estadra så: Matt Dabrowski - (PC-Vuode)


And so my friends and fellow talossens we celebrate bridges burning. And honor a great man in the history of our home soil and a reflection of a unity in a city that later came to be a central hub of beer making and enjoyment, in 1843, housing 138 taverns in Milwaukee, an average of one per forty residents. And some people wonder about us…

The minister of culture wanders off duty done for the day..

Projects of the 41st Government of Talossa

Projects of the 41st Government of Talossa

Now available online, listed for all citizens to view.

At the moment, the page is relatively sparse, with only two or three things per month. While that might exceed expectations, it is below where we are aiming. But as time goes by, new things will enter the calendar and new projects will be conceived. In the future, as well, an extra field will be added to the table to provide a description of those items that are not self-explanatory.

These are early days yet, but even so I want to get our deadlines laid out. This administration will not hide behind obscurity, but instead is taking this step and others to lay out who is doing what, and when. If a deadline passes for an important project, citizens can write me or address the appropriate Ministry, and seek answers. Or if you want to help, now you can see when and with what you could lend a hand! And at the end of the year, citizens and officials will be able to look back and say, "We did this."

Check out what your government is doing for you, at the Projects of the 41st Government of Talossa!

Alexander Davis
Seneschal del Regipäts Talossan

Culture Moment: Our Chinese Heritage

Chinese character support is required to fully view this post. Please PM me if you need help.

When we look at the various arms of our nation, we see a recurring symbol. It appears on our Lesser State Seal (above), as well as in the Greater State Arms, Lesser State Arms, and the arms of his Majesty the King.To many, it's just a strange bit of Chinese that found its way into our country. But a closer examination of the Chinese symbol "賁" reveals that it is analogous to the story of Talossa as a whole.

In Ár Päts (2005), the former King Robert I recounts in a strangely brief fashion the selection of this central symbol of his new country:"Ben had also discovered a Chinese character pronounced 'Ben,' which means 'energetic, strenuous, brave,' etc. For obvious reasons, this character, 'the Ben Symbol,' became our coat of arms."

If you think this glossing over is a strange choice, considering the importance of this symbol, then you're not alone. While a historian and language buff, the young Ben Madison never had much of an interest in Asian studies, eventually preferring to concentrate on early American and Mormon histories above all, and seldom including any tastes of Asian languages in his creation and evolution of Talossan. This is not surprising - Talossan is a predominantly romance language - but it makes it even stranger he would make a Chinese symbol his primary representation.

Many Westerners are fascinated with Chinese symbols, whose pictograms can represent complex and beautiful sentiments in a way that seems more like art than language. Indeed, some people's enthusiasm for characters that they do not actually understand has led them to get terribly mistaken tattoos (such as those described on this blog). So it's not hard to imagine young Ben as a similar dilettante, sitting in a library looking at language books (as he so frequently did) and delighting when he found a phonetic resemblance between his name and one of these magical characters. And like so many others, he seized upon it immediately in his delight.

Chinese characters (or sinographs) are the oldest form of writing still used today, and are employed in various forms by such cultures as China, Japan, and Korea. Originating in small part as pictograms (simplified visual representations of the word) or in the larger measure as ideograms (representations of abstractions) and associated compound words, Chinese characters have an extremely rich and elaborate history that makes it dangerous for the uninitiated to dabble. And so it would not have been a surprise if young Ben had picked a character that meant "annoying brat" or had the double meaning of "tyrant" or something similarly embarrassing. Indeed, with a symbol that can have a half-dozen different meanings, one might almost expect at least one strange use.

But as happened so often in Talossan history, a flight of whimsy proved to be a stroke of brilliant luck, and became indelibly traced on the face of the country.

Ben used the traditional script version of 賁. Made larger, it looks like this: 賁 The symbol is Unicode "U+8CC1," and is rendered in simplified Mandarin as the more stylized "贲." In Chinese, it does indeed mean "energetic," and additionally means "to forge ahead [through adversity]." It has also been used as a surname, most notably by as the pre-enthronement first emperor of Vietnam, Lý Nam Đế (李南帝), who was born Lý Bôn (李賁) and is remembered for his unification of the Vietnamese armies and repelling of the invading Chinese Liang dynasty. Very little to be embarrassed about!

Interestingly, this symbol is also the title for one of the hexagrams (or chapters) of the I Ching. This ancient book used for divination in China can have a wide variety of disastrous results, especially for such a random character. But again, Talossa's luck holds. Hexagram 22, 賁, is translated as "Grace" or "Luxuriance;" as translated by Wilhelm, it predicts for the divinator:
"Grace has success.
In small matters
It is favorable to undertake something."

Favorable to undertake something, indeed!

How many times have we seen a flight of fancy become a solemn tradition in our great nation? The convenient availability of fountain drinks led to the declaration of the importance of Taco Bell and Talossan tradition. The discovery of an old coin became a landmark of "evidence" for the Berber Hypothesis, itself the product of a whim. And the "Ben" symbol, chosen almost certainly with the briefest touch of knowledge by a boy, but becoming the heart of a vibrant nation and her cultural traditions!



This Culture Moment has been brought to you by the Government of Talossa.

Alexander Davis

Seneschal del Regipäts Talossan

Shiny Objects Act: 1/3 of the Way There!

The Shiny Objects Act, 38RZ3, states in part:

WHEREAS it is in keeping with the dignities of office that holders of those offices possess items signatory of their position, marking them with the dignity and power therein, and ...
WHEREAS some of our most important offices have no such item associated with them, entirely out of keeping with their status and dignity, and ...

WHEREAS the office of Secretary of State is responsible for the sacred task of safeguarding democracy itself within Talossa, certifying and carrying out general elections and legislative action, and this office is so important yet so difficult that it is not at all envied, and ...

THEREFORE be it here established that the office of Seneschal, Secretary of State, and Chief Justice shall henceforth be symbolized by totem items of rank. These items will be provided as speedily as possible by the government, with care for their quality and the economics of the matter. Designs and the nature of the items are the responsibility of the government, through whatever channels it deems appropriate.

1. The Seneschal shall wear a chain of office of sufficient ostentation as befits the leader of Talossa, representing the burden of being shackled to the nation's welfare.

2. The Secretary of State shall wield a stamp embossed with the logo of his office, being both an effective and appropriate totem that can be used henceforth.

3. The Chief Justice shall bear a silver-haired wig of reasonable quality, indicating a traditional role as a judge and the flowing locks of Lady Justice herself.

Each bearer of these items shall be required, if they lose their office, to mail them to the King within two weeks, from whom the items shall be passed on to the next holder of the office.

In keeping with this direction, and with the promise of real and immediate activity this term, this Government has ordered a stamp embossed with the seal of the Secretary of State. It should reach him within nine or ten days, and shall be indicative of his office. I thought it only proper to first honour one of the hardest-working and longest-suffering citizens and officials, our Secretary of State Mick Preston.

Alexander Davis

Seneschal del Regipäts Talossan

Seneschal's Address to the Nation 5/2/10

Citizens of Talossa:

As we embark on this term of office, it seems wise to examine the state of Talossa as she is today. It must be said, that the situation is perilous but promising. We are faced with two challenges that are really opportunities.

The Activity Dilemma
We have very many positions, jobs, and agencies within Talossa, both governmental and nongovernmental. This is the result of years of accumulation from a variety of sources.

It has often happened that as each person becomes interested in some unusual quirk, they shape out a new entity to suit them. This often goes over in a big way if the nature of that new office or agency seems to have that unusual and unique "Talossan" quality. Wargaming is a good example: enthusiastically endorsed by a couple of prominent Talossans but received tepidly by a majority of Talossans, it has now become mostly redundant within the government.

Other times, a well-meaning legislator or executive will try to start up interest in something by creating an initiative or office. If someone wishes to invigorate Talossan music, they might create a subministry of Musical Endeavours, for example. But all too often these initiatives fail, and leave behind a stagnant agency.

When we combine this accruing offices with the careful separation of powers found within our Orglaw, as in so many other national constitutions, we discover that many active Talossans are pigeonholed in restrictive positions or snatched up for positions that are unneeded. This saps them of that most precious resource of enthusiasm that is required to keep our country flourishing.

Now, we might approach this by stripping away all of these offices or the separation of powers. And this is indeed a tempting thing, especially for a Seneschal like myself, who has declined to even fill some cabinet positions. But this is only a temporary solution, and doesn't address the fact that Talossa as a creation is in serious growing pains, where new enthusiasm is needed. The better solution is to grow Talossa - in the right way.

This is easier said than done, of course. We cannot simply throw open the floodgates and let in all the cranks who seek political immunity or the angry ones who want to reshape it in their own image. While that would be satisfying as the numbers swelled, it would also yield a Talossa that was not recognizably the real Talossa as it has evolved today. But we cannot be too restrictive, either, or else we could end up a nation of four or five embittered souls, suckling petty vengeances. We need real growth, the right way.

Accordingly, this year we are going to make a determined effort to bring in more Cestours from the GTA. One planned initiative is purchased advertising in the area, which will dovetail with our financial plans to raise more money this year than ever before - and safeguard it once we have it. Further, we are going to reach out hands of friendship and solidarity with other nations, in a way that is both realistic and effective (rather than just passing another resolution).

The Legality Quandary

Another problem is just as pressing, but in a much different way - our ability to prove our legitimacy as a nation.

When several Talossans left to form the Republic, there was little doubt as to the legitimacy of the Kingdom of Talossa. In every way, including legality, Talossa remained intact and continuous - if a bit demoralized. But a few years later, King Ben got into a climactic conflict with the Clippers, and resigned in a huff. The issue became more complicated.

There is little doubt that by Talossan law, the Kingdom remains the legitimate and real Talossa. King Robert I resigned in accordance with the law, with no wiggle room in the matter. Even he acknowledged this for a time, later deciding to declare Talossa "dead" unilaterally. Now, of course, he has decided that he didn't really leave Talossa and didn't really try to declare it dead. But while this holds no water with those aware of Talossan law (or in possession of any sense), nonetheless King Ben retains patent rights on the term "Talossa" within the United States. Lacking comparable size or pull, we must unfortunately endure American patent law for the time being in such public forums as the social networking site Facebook - which has allowed the former King to suddenly start trying to eliminate our presence as best he can.

King Robert I is the villain of this story. Enraged that his creation had outgrown him and its citizens defied him, he fled in a fury, only to later try to rewrite history in his own favour. But he did agree to abide by certain rules, both of our country and of his own - the United States - and we have here an opportunity to seize our destiny in another way, and fight back. And I assure you, we will do it.


The Davis Regime

I have been honoured with the position of Seneschal by my party. And I will do everything I can to take the two issues above and turn them from problems into opportunities. Within the week, things will be done. Within the month, concrete plans and schedules will be posted. Within the term, Talossa will have launched itself into a vibrant era.

Long live the King, and long live Talossa!

Alexander Davis

Seneschal del Regipäts Talossan