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