Kalistani Major History

[Doc]

4 Day Long GanJam to be held in Sulari
ODEN-K expects a crowd of 75,000
Sulari, Duchy of Suldanor
October 1, 5512


Sulari Stadium, Home of the Peace Concert will Host GanJam 5513

The Newest GanJam International Arts and Music Festival will held on from March 26-30 5513, says ODEN-H officials. The newest edition of the long running concert series will be a 4 Night Event, and will be hosted at the Sulari Stadium, home of the Peace Concert and the Sulari Buccaneers Football Team.

"We look forward to celebrating International Arts and Music," said ODEN-K Promoter Allison Monroe. "ODEN will of course be on hand. We hope to have not only Kalistani bands and artists, but musicians and artists from the world. Making the GanJam truly international event has long been an aim of the planning committee." Monroe added that the Kalistani Indie Rock band The Rogue Meteor Cult will co-headline with RF Duo Infrared from Kaliburg.

"We want to bring the 4-Night Format back," said Monroe. "We want to Kick the Festival off with Reggae and Dub, then the Second Night we are gonna do the psychedelic show with L-Night and RF over night. On the 3rd Night we're gonna showcase Hip Hop and then the 4th Night will be the Rock show. If we do get any international acts signing up, I'd like to mix them in with the Kalistani Acts so we get a nice mix." During the day, Monroe said, there will be the regular art and food pavilions which will showcase visual arts in various mediums, including film, painting, photography, and sculpture.

Monroe announced that a number of VIPs will be in attendance. "We're expecting both Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress and His Highness the Prince Consort, who have agreed to open the show, and are planning to attend all four nights." Monroe also hinted that Hutorian Nobility will be in town for the festival. "Hutori's music scene has long had a close association with Kalistan's. If the Hutorians visit during late March, I have no doubt that they will be Her Imperial Majesty's guests at the show. It would be a major draw for fans for royal families of two nations to be in attendance."

Tickets will go on sale internationally in January: They will be sold at ₭65 per night, or ₭150 for the entire 4 Night Festival. The Concert will also be broadcast in total on M7, both domestically and internationally.

[Doc]

La Reina Promises to bring RF back to GanJam
Debut Pop&B album No Sleep til Sulari Hits Number 1 on Albums Poll
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
January 8, 5513


La Reina lives up to her name as the New Queen of Pop Ascends the Album Chart

Ahead of GanJam 5513, the new reigning Hot 100 Album Chart Queen is the Kaliburg breakout artist La Reina. Her debut album No Sleep til Sulari, anchored by lead single "Crazy Right Now", released by KMI, is "a masterful blend of hip hop tinted R&B and edgy pop music," according to music critic Dionne Francisco. "La Reina has a lot of natural talent, but what she has way more of is charisma. She takes what, in anyone else's hands would be a pretty run of the mill pop tune and just adds an excitement, like electricity, that makes every song a banger. Its got the swagger and stacatto of hip hop, but its also melodic. It's like a record of hooks."

La Reina, whose real name is Regina Cervantes-Durand, was raised in Kaliburg, and was signed after her agent got her an audition with KMI hitmaker Brit Lathrop, who has produced 14 albums for KMI in recent years. La Reina and Lathrop produced the EP Chemical Attraction which hit number 1 on the Radio 5 Pop Bubblers poll. This success led to KMI putting some real money into La Reina's full LP No Sleep til Sulai, which features 12 pop&B tunes, mostly about love, partying, and dancing. "La Reina dips a couple toes into RF on this record in rather unexpected ways," wrote Francisco. "While the music sticks to some solid pop with R&B vocals, she also draws a lot of her instrumentation from electronica influences too. The lyrics are loaded with entendre: its not a G rated record. But its also fun. La Reina is having a lot of fun on this record, and she and Lathrop play off each other with a bunch of little touches, like doubling vocals, synthesizing massive horn sections, and keeping the four on the floor which are meant to keep everyone on the dancefloor all night long, and then, maybe move off to do Goodness knows what."

Following her selection to the top of the Album chart, La Reina signed with ODEN to play RF Night. "Its been too long since there was a GanJam, and it's been too long since we had RF at the show," said La Reina to the Press. "I'm signing to do an RF set, and there might be some surprises there. I want the people to f--kin get down!" La Reina's camp gave no clues as to what the surprises could be, but moving in a more RF direction would be both quite exciting and a natural progression for the singer. "I think RF as a style can take me a lot farther in where I want to go. Now that I've put down my mark, and people know my music, its time to blow up!" When asked what the wildest thing she hopes to see at GanJam, she said "I want the Empress to meet The Queen."

Check out La Reina's massive lead single "Crazy Right Now" featuring Addisjah Rapper Mad Zeppelin, from her Debut LP No Sleep til Sulari, released by KMI, and then come see La Reina on Night 2 of GanJam in March.

[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViwtNLUqkMY]

[Doc]

As Kalistan reorients its Foreign Policy, Baltusian Moves raise Alarm
Army Group South and the 3rd Navy receive Alert, will be reinforced
Yoshimi Station, Yoshimi, Duchy of Suldanor
February 27, 5513


Corvette Commander LtJG Brigette Connor stands watch with her crew onbord KRS-39 patroling the Southern Limit

Her Imperial Majesty's Minister of Defense, Naval Captain Guillermo Davis announced today that the 3rd Navy, whose job it is to patrol the Southern Limit of the Ananto Strait will be placed on 48 hour alert following news from Baltusia of a dramatic increase in military procurement. In addition, Army Group South will also be placed on alert and forward elements of the Army Group will begin training in southern Suldanor.

"We aren't really sure what they are doing, but their dramatic and inexplicable increase in military procurement obviously raises all kinds of red flags in Kaliburg," the Captain said. "Her Imperial Majesty is obviously concerned by radical shifts in policy, especially in nations close to Kalistan, especially in military policy, especially when they are claiming to protect neutrality while there is no significant threat to neutrality anywhere in the Continent, especially when the procurement includes attempts to acquire advanced weapon systems. Kalistani military doctrine dictates that our strength be directed at deterrence, to make any cost-benefit analysis so heavy on the 'cost side' that it negates the value of any 'benefits', so, an inexplicable and sudden multiplication, by geometric levels, of the military budget in a nation that could use that military weaponry to threaten or influence Kalistan is obviously going to provoke a reaction."

The Minister stated that Her Imperial Majesty will seek comment from Baltusian Embassy officials in Kaliburg, but has reportedly "heard nothing to date about what the purpose of this military spending is, or why Baltusia, a nation with an tiny shoreline needs an aircraft carrier, other than to perhaps threaten its neighbors with forward projection." Until the Empress hears otherwise, Kalistan will remain on alert, and will continue to prepare defense in depth.

"We have asked the Institutionalists to step up their training of the militia," said Captain Davis. "To date, they have acquired more than 350 pieces of artillery from KMC, whether it be surplus or new weaponry, and small arms procurement is on pace with their schedule. But we need to do more training to coordinate our efforts. In any invasion or incursion in the Straits, the Militia will play a pivotal role in the irregular war that will run in tandem with the movements of the Regular Force, and history has demonstrated that coordinated action between the Militia and the Regular Forces is a winning strategy."

The Institutionalist Militia has recently put an order in to KMC for between 400 and 500 mortar batteries, as well as a stockpile of munitions to support those batteries. They are beginning to cycle units through the Mountain Warfare Training Center in Lhasa Neveras where they have started training with the Nordic Corps. The IBSI has also stepped up its border surveillance operations. "We aren't at the point of building bunkers and laying barricades in Suldanor yet," said the Defense Minister, "But, let's just say we are checking our stockpiles of sandbags and M2s. We will need more if Baltusia decides to listen to the bad angel on its shoulder rather than the good one, as they occasionally, and for some unknown reason, do."

Kalistan is looking into sending out calls to others in the region to consider participating in Naval training in the Strait, but the Minister said these plans were in place before the Baltusian procurement was announced. "We did not have any advanced warning of that action by the Baltusians," said Captain Clark. "They haven't really been talking to the Kalistani Government recently. About anything."

[Doc]

GanJam 5513 fires on all cylinders
Total Attendance tops 95,000 over 4 days
Sulari, Duchy of Suldanor
March 31, 5513


Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Nicolette II Ananto, as a fan, meets La Reina backstage at GanJam 5513

GanJam 5513 will go down in history as the Most International program to date. Not only were Kalistani headliners is full spectacle, but the show also featured an extensive collaboration with Aldegar's music establishment, and well received participation from Gaduridos, Hutori, and other nations. This year's art exhibition was also one of the most extensive visual arts displays ever held at the Festival, and featured art work in more than half a dozen media.

ODEN-K was the primary sponsor but this year ODEN-H was Co-Host. The Show also featured institutional support through round the clock coverage on M7 and both Radio 1 and Radio 7. Both Kalistani and Hutorian royalty was on hand for the entire program--GanJam 5513 was the first to feature an Imperial Pavillion. Early in the show, GanJam 5513 was nicknamed in the Press as the "Imperial Jam" and that name was quickly snatched up by both the domestic and international press. In all, the show was among the most diverse and most widely celebrated festivals in the long storied history of the GanJam. Final crowd totals top out at 95,736 tickets sold for the first three days, between day passes and Festival tickets, with the 4th day holding tradition as a free concert. More than 1800 tickets were sold to Aldegarian visitors, by far the largest international contingent at the festival.

GanJam featured 4 full nights of music, including the Dusk Til Dawn Night 2. The program allowed as many various styles to be on demonstration as possible. During Day 1, the show was opened with Reggae and Funk music. At 6:25 pm, the MC and primary festival organizer, Allison Monroe took to the stage to welcome the crowd of more than 65,000 to the GanJam, and to announce the arrival in the stadium of both Her Imperial Majesty Empress Nicolette II Ananto with His Highness the Prince Consort Bjorn, and Her Majesty, Queen Victoria II and Prince Consort Henri of Hutori. After both royals were situated in the Imperial Box with a perfect view of the stage, the Dancehall Reggae Artist Max Templeton. The Night featured Aldegarian Blues performer Meysam Keramati, who thrilled the crowd with a set of blues and reggae fusion tracks, including the breakout single "No Hopes in the Land of Dreams."

Night 1 Headliner Mimms Fatone starts his set by passing out Joints to the crowd

The crowd enthusiastically took to the Aldegarian contribution to the show. "We listen to so much really loud music here in Kalistan," said Brad Furst, a 24 year old attendee. "But you'd be really surprised at the music from the rest of the world that is played on Radio 7. I primarily listen to that, and we've been getting a lot more Aldegarian tunes up here lately. It was good to hear from one of my own favs!" The night's closing musician, Marcus Martin Maxwell (Mimms) Fatone brought the house down by starting off his set by throwing thousands of pre-rolled cannabis cigarettes out into the crowd, claiming he was not going to play until everyone within 50 feet of the stage had "sparked up they spliff..." Following a 3 minute delay while he waited, Mimms launched into his set, which consisted of hardcore dancehall and Reggae en Egelian (REE). He was confidently backed up by the Vrassan Reggae Symphony Orchestra, and was joined at one point by Dana Ska punks Checkerboard Mods to perform their recent number 1 single "Fi Unity". The Night's music lasted until about 4 am local.

Night 1 in the books, the program moved during Night 2 to RF, Psychedlica, Electronica and Jazz. The Aldegarians once again were out in force focusing mostly on Aldegarian Jazz, which tends to feature more strings and woodwind instruments than Kalistani Jazz (which focuses primarily on electronic synthesizers, and explores in terms of genre rather than virtuosity on instruments), with the bandleader Sirvan Mashayekhi opening the night. His band played an extended jam of 15 minutes and then finished with Aldegarian reinterpretations of classic Kalistani and Aldegarian pop and rock tunes. Later in the night, Zahra Najafi returned to Aldegarian Jazz and debuted an original, "Zohra" during their set. The crowd really mellowed out to the Aldegarian Jazz, and ODEN-K reports that hashish sales were up by 52% during the Aldegarian sets. The Aldegarians were followed by Kaliburg RF duo Infrared, who treated the crowd to experimental sequencer programming and songs about alienation under industrialization.

The most anticipated sets of the concert came later in the night, however, as Hutorian Electronic Pop artist Baroness took the stage. The Highly stylized and choreographed performance featured at least 7 costume changes, and leaned very heavily into sexuality and alien motifs, marking it as a fierce return to RF in the Kalistani Music Scene. Baroness' set lasted more than 35 minutes and was capped by a performance of what can only be described as a science fiction pro drag queen epic saga/progressive Electro-Pop opus called "Right Track". By the end of the hard pop set, the crowd was at a fever pitch, and demanded an encore from Baroness.

[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udajoddAWLY]

Still in a very skimpy bikini and covered in highly reflective glitter, Baroness returned to the stage with a harp, and as the spotlight light narrowed, she began playing a very light motif on the instrument. The crowd was quiet as she started singing a song about people who don't leave her alone while she is trying to have fun at the club. As soon as the beat dropped and the song switched into a full RF banger about techno terror and the annoyance of instant access via cellphone, the crowd lost their minds. The roar of approval for the performance was like a shockwave from the stadium. But it was topped when recently crowned Kalistani Pop queen La Reina took the stage to join Baroness with a rapped verse backed by a dubstep breakdown, and then the two finished the World Premier of "My Cell Phone" together. According to Baroness, this is the first time this song has ever been heard outside the studio, making it a world premier jam.

Kalistan's La Reina and Hutori's Baroness, out of costume partying during the late night DJ sets on L Night

As both ladies finished the duet, bowing and waving, Baroness handed her mic to La Reina who immediately broke into her her Number 1 single "Crazy Right Now." She then played a full set featuring not only songs from her current album No Sleep til Sulari including "Another Chick on your Arm" but also new ones including the heavy bass RF anthem to PDAs and amateur cinematography called "Hit you back". La Reina's bass was still blasting when 2 AM rolled around and as the crowd gave her a face melting ovation, she announced from the stage: "Oh, we ain't done yet. You've heard the Baroness. You've Heard the Queen. And Now, please join me in welcoming The Goddess!"

[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa14VNsdSYM]
Megapipe at GanJam

With this announcement, the stage went completely dark for 10 second. The restless crowd was still yelling for La Reina, when a single spotlight lit from the rig above the stage and shone down on Kalistani Music Legend and FOMAT Winner Megapipe, who, despite another deafening roar from the crowd when they realized who was on stage, started her set a capella. She began with a stripped down rendition of her hit "Lovefix". After her first verse, which was accompanied by a soft viola, the lights came up to reveal a stunningly dressed singer arrayed in a massive white gown with feathers and sequins, and then the entire backing band kicked in. Following that song, she immediately stripped out of the gown into a dress made of mirrors that shot beams of light across the entire stadium, turning herself into a human disco ball, and launched into a new track called "Only Woman in the World."

FOMAT Reigning Champion Megapipe returns to Kalistani Music at GanJam 5513

Megapipe finally left the stage at around 3am, and then the GanJam turned into a rave, with three DJ sets, including a set from Miguel Blanco from Gaduri, who spun electronic cumbia house mixes for about 90 minutes. Most of the field was filled with drugged ravers who brought out the glow paint and danced until the sun appeared over the rim of the stadium around 8 am. "Oh my god, I am so exhausted," said party goer Sandy Townes. "The Baroness-La Reina-Megapipe sets... back to back to back, and then the EDM and RF DJs? I'm sorry I can't even right now. Too many drugs, I gotta get back to the Hotel..."

Compared to the megawattage of the performers on Night 2, Night 3, which focused heavily on Hip Hop and Funk was relatively subdued. "We had to give people a day to recover," said Concert Organizer Allison Monroe. "After a night of heavy intoxication with chemicals like LSD and MDMA, bringing folks down with some more mellow substances. We sold a lot of marijuana and hashish, but we also sold a LOT of booze tonight. Beer, wine and Hutorian Whiskey were on tap this evening. We sold enough beer to fill the hull of a cargo ship--there are 73,000 people here and 2/3rds of them bought at least one beer."

The intoxication of much of the crowd did not dim the enthusiasm for the music on Night 3 however. Opening the Night, from Gaduridos, was the Cumbia band Sonida de Sonora, including the single "Go From Me." The band got the crowd pumped up. Cumbia and other music from Gaduridos is a fan favorite in Kalistan, and there was strong support for the band during their 40 minute, 7 song set. "Esta es la primera vez que estamos en Kalistán," said Lead singer Luz Guttierez. "Tocar frente a una multitud de este tamaño ha sido una experiencia verdaderamente memorable y la recordaré para siempre." Following their set, Sonida de Sonora was asked by reps from LTD who offered them the opportunity to tour Kalistan and record in Sulari. The band responded that they were flattered, and would get their manager to give LTD a call.

The Gaduris were followed by boom bap impresario RON, from Yoshimi, who did a 42 minute set including his single "Jackie Q." Also featured during the evening were Funk band Altaliens who played primarily space funk and female MC Allie, who flew into Sulari from Eshar where she is on tour, to play the GanJam and arrived by helicopter.

Vrassan MC Allie hit the stage at 9 pm, and played for 37 minutes.

Also featured on Night 3 were Aldegarian musicians Moein Tajik & Roya Hayat who brought a full set of rap and R&B to the Jam, including the single "Moonlight" from their forthcoming LP and then later in the evening, Aldegarian Pop sensation Bahar Loolaii came on stage to perform, singing a total of 6 songs including the dream pop banger "Fierce". "Adding the Aldegarians in on Night 3 really expanded the offerings of the Kalistani bands," said Monroe. "We were lucky to have them joining the concert, because while Kalistani Hip Hop tends to edge toward the harder edge, the international bands featured the softer, more romantic aspects of the genre, and really highlighted the R&B aspects which are so often blended in with the more popular Hip Hop acts, most of whom wouldn't tend to accept invitations from ODEN. I enjoy and appreciate what the foreigners brought into the festival and next time we hold a Jam, I hope more nations take us up on the invitation to be a part of it."

The Night's Headliner was Son of Yeshua, a huge Addisjah Hip Hop artist and poet who, unlike his name suggests, is not very religious. "I mostly sing about sex, drugs, and shooting people," said Son of Yeshua from the stage, "so if yall thought this was gonna be like church, then get the f--k up outta here!" Son then broke into a full hardcore hip hop set which included the single "Mafioso", Son of Yeshua's biggest selling single to date, from 5511. Son of Yeshua rapped over a live band for 50 minutes, making the set the longest (non DJ) set of the entire concert. Night 3 ended in a hangover at around 2am.

The Final Night of the Concert was opened by Aldegarian Alternative artist Leyli Fallah, who brought a downtempo bedroom sound to the Stage, singing in Aldegarian. "There was something interesting about Fallah's performance," said concertgoer Walt Martino. "I started taking acid that afternoon to be ready for the evening, but there were some psychadelic, music concret aspects to it, which, like you thought it was gonna be this straight forward thing, but when I listened to it, I could swear I could hear these weird spectral horns. It was quite strange. I was fully into it, and I am a huge fan now. It's wild."

Other rock and alternative Acts that played the first half of the evening were the Luxon based progressive metal band Motorish, two tone ska band Mike and the Disasters from Dana, and Alt Folk songstress Mindi Kalani, from Vrassa City. the last Aldegarian band Dreamy Poets, brought dream alternative to the concert, and demonstrated, on a few songs, the genre known as shoegaze. Their song Niā could be considered Alternative Pop, but it involves way more electronic elements, as well as a non-standard song structure that places it firmly into the Alternative category.

Show closers Rogue Meteor Cult, from Sulari, play a grand finale of GanJam 5513 underneath a sky filled with fireworks

Night 4 was Headlined by the Rogue Meteor Cult from Sulari. This Noise Alternative Band was recommended by Mondo Phillips from the band Hypoderma, who were asked but couldn't play due to Phillips' most recent attempts to quit using drugs. "When we were asked to play," said singer and guitarist Kiera Jameson, "we were like 'Man who has ever heard of us?' But that chick from ODEN (Organizer Allison Monroe) was all like 'Oh, let me name off some of your songs, I like this song, and I really dig what you did with the bass tone on that song, and when you play this other song backwards was it really the Devil, like why is that sound in there...' And I though wow, maybe like one person has heard of us. And then it turns out that there's this whole thing, where we're selling records all over the place and didn't even know about it! We fired our manager that day." Rogue Meteor Cult does indeed have a nationwide following: their record has sat in the number 2 spot now for two weeks, being blocked by a Remix LP of "No Sleep Til Sulari" which has been at number one since it knocked the original out of the top spot in late February. The band played their last two songs underneath a massive fireworks display organized by ODEN to celebrate the conclusion of the 5513 GanJam, which ended right around 2:15 am local time on the morning of March 31.

The Art Pavilions on the Grounds of the Sulari Stadium were chock full of psychedelic and drug inspired art. Most of the Art came from visual artists, photographers, painters, cinematographers and collage artists around the Empire. One Pavillion also featured performance art, while another featured short and medium featured documentaries. A small film festival was also held during the day, where a jury, including Her Imperial Majesty viewed and judged 8 short films. The winner was by Neveras City film maker Don Hardwick, whose film titled "Canoe" details a canoe ride through the site of the Lhasa Narrows as the Narrows Dam, now nearing completion, was just beginning to be built in 5506. "The White Water will disappear when the Dam is completed" said Hardwick in narration. "I know it will help so many to have a resevior here, but for me, the natural state of this river is beautiful, and progress involves sacrifice."

Here are some highlights of the Visual Arts Pavilions which were visited by 63,000 visitors over 4 days.

"The Hole" by Miley Velasco, an optical illusion simulating depth on a 2D surface

"Heavens and Terra" by Bib Zimmerman, Muralist in Pavillion 1

On the Burden of Being Upright" by Terrance Winthrop and Emily Montana, Performance Art

"La Empreza" by Marian Richards, Pastels and photocollage

"Over all, GanJam raised ₭5,765,962 in ticket sales and another ₭48,358,750," said Allison Monroe. "Much of that went to the artists themselves. But we profited well in excess of ₭3 million from the concert. It was such a treat to have all of the acts we had, and to welcome all of the artists and visitors from other nations. This was definitely a successful concert event." When asked if there will be a follow up concert next year, Monroe said "No, I think that Kalistan needs to start thinking about FOMAT next. But Ideally we'd like to see one sooner than this one is from the last one."

[Doc]

The opposition compares watches after a landslide IPoK victory
Discussion on the verge of a foul

From left to right: Trevor Parkinson, Anna Hope, Theresa Armstrong, Bob Anderson, Juan Murphy.
At some point I felt like I was in the epicenter of a political caricature. It all started when I got to the venue of the event with the pompous name "Coordinating Council of the Opposition" in a cramped trolleybus. A caring editor of the newspaper I work for advised me to take an umbrella to avoid getting wet in the chilly rain of Vraska. I obeyed without doubt. There was no free seat, so I stood with my cheek against the handrail, looking out the window for any sights of political ads or a slightest hint of the election that happened a couple weeks ago. Nothing.

The sense of surrealism was heightened when the people who got off with me at the bus stop walked in the opposite direction. I glanced at my watch to see if I was late, but the event was still 15 minutes away. With a quick step I reached a shabby office building, the only sign on which was a photo studio and a hostel. The smell of dampness and mold hit my nose as I ran up the stairs and opened the door. There was almost no one in the spacious white-walled room, aside from the bored interns and a couple of journalists.
That's when I got really scared. Has the opposition lured me into a trap? Were they bloodthirsty maniacs hiding behind the talks about journalistic freedom? I gripped the handle of my umbrella tighter, ready to defend myself at any opportunity. I huddled on a creaky plastic chair, holding my wait-and-see attitude.

It was only when people began to sit down one by one at a table as white as the walls that I finally relaxed. They were the self-proclaimed mastodons of the Kalistanian opposition, each and every as out of a 4990's sitcom: a technocrat financier with round glasses, a short-cropped nationalist, a red-faced farmer with vague political views. The de-facto leader of the group, famous republican politician Trevor Parkinson, was leaning away from his colleagues, sitting somehow on ths side. All these people had one thing in common: during the last election cycle, they were knocking on doors and handing out leaflets from hand to hand due to the lack of legal political advertisement opportunities. They represented rather narrow political groups from all across Kalistan.
"The election, which took place with a record low turnout of 15.72% shows that there is a public demand for an alternative political force" – explains Trevor Parkinson –, "people, essentially, have no voice. There is no opportunity to influence governmental policy which is entirely determined by the balance of power between liberal and conservative wings in the ruling party. We, the leaders of the opposition, are ready to give our fellow countrymen a voice."
His speech was continued by Anna Hope, a popular online anti-establishment blogger who ran for local office for the first time in Odufaray:
"Yes, that's right. The lack of any opportunity for political advertising has essentially killed pluralism in our country. The government is lying when it says that our current system is a vaccine from the radical left or radical right. This is not true. If more than 80% of residents don't vote, there is bound to be discontent. This is no longer a republic when even Brethrenist pastors can't talk about pacifism. Secularism isn't about shutting churches up, is it? It's about letting them speak freely and not being dependent on the state." After some more ranting on the subject of civil liberties, she turned the floor over to Theresa Armstrong, an economist with rumored left-wing sympathies.
"Our country ... Can't stay afloat that long if-- I mean, I wanted to say that the music industry, which is an important sector of our economy, is pretty unsustainable. Bringing investment and foreign capital into our critically important sectors, coupled with higher taxes on corporations, leads to a monopoly of foreign companies in the long run - at worst, and economic stagnation at best. Also, gross domestic pro-" She didn't have time to finish before her neighbor, Nationalist Bob Anderson, interrupted her:
"Excuse me, but there is a natural policy of economic substitution, and I'd rather say, replacement of our domestic producers for foreign ones. Opening up the flow of finance and strangling corporations, the backbone of our economy, is sheer malice. And immigrants? And don't tell me that we are a country of immigrants. Look at our young people! In a couple of years if we continue our open borders policy, our country will be full of fanatics and criminals. What about this concert that even the royal couple attended? Debauchery, drugs, and, to be honest with you, terrible foreign music."
The journalists who had already started to fall asleep, became active, but soon started to snooze again. At some point, the conversation on political topics turned into ranting, reminiscing about the life of each of the participants, and savoring historical details, during which the oppositioners tried to avoid sensitive topics. Finally, the meeting reached its climax.
"Today we, a broad coalition of republican forces, announce the formation of the political party Renew Kalistan." – Trevor Parkinson glowed with pride. – "Please note that we are not liberals," – he hastened to correct as he spoke the last word in rapid succession – "As you can see, our coalition is made up of forces from across the political spectrum. Do you think we could sit at the same table if we lived in Baltusia? Definitely not. Our main objectives at the moment are to soften certain aspects of our policies. More political freedom wouldn't hurt anyone, right? I'm asking anyone interested to sign a petition to help get our Let People Speak Act to the Parliament." Mr. Parkinson was obviously addressing an online audience watching at home, as there were more journalists in the audience than the usual gawkers. "Election campaigns are a gimmick in our nation after all!" – I think, heading for the box in the corner of the room, where a dark-skinned volunteer greets me. She points to a box above which hangs a paper, summarizing the Act the newly minted party wants to introduce into Parliament. I pick up a pen and freeze for a second: should I sign or not? Crossing my fingers behind my back, I leave my signature. Why not? Maybe in a few years the gray buildings of Vrassa will be covered with yellow banners of the opposition.
The author's opinion may not coincide with the opinion of the editors.

[Doc]

Chancellor Wilkes addresses New Liberal Party in Kalistan
"Not sure what they are even talking about," said Wilkes
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
April 14, 5514


Chancellor of the Empire Wilkes, Right, discusses radical charges made by leaders of New opposition Party

Chancellor of the Empire, Lord Stephen Wilkes Count Vrassa was invited to Vrassa University in Vrassa City to discuss the implications of the rise of a new Political Party in Kalistan. The occasion was a Q&A following a lecture on the importance of conserving the institutions of Kalistan. "Well," said Chancellor Wilkes, "What would you have me say? Of all the Parties in Kalistan, Renew is one of them." While the remarks drew nervous laughter, the Chancellor was pressed to respond in a more satisfying way.

"You want me to say more?" the Chancellor asked rhetorically. "Well, the existence of Renew kind of puts to bed the claim that their leadership makes that there is no democracy in Kalistan." This time, the answer provoked more questions. "They claimed in their founding meeting that the previous election results, where 15 percent of the population turned out to vote, demonstrated that there is a demand for an alternative political force. Maybe there is, but is that Renew? They were on the ballot in all five districts, and yet, I never even heard of their organization until the actual election. Perhaps if they had a record to run on, they would attract more people to the polls. I don't know, but hitting Her Imperial Majesty's government for this is hardly fair. And neither is the characterization of ruling policy as being a balance between liberal and conservative forces. The policy of our government is and has been a reflection of the will of our Empress. The very idea that liberals can or should make policy in this Empire is quite a radical demand in and of itself!"

Chancellor Wilkes continued. "But I read also that one of their Candidates from Odufaray said 'this is no longer a republic.' Yes that is correct. Kalistan is an Empire and an absolute monarchy. It hasn't been a republic for more than fifty years. I am not sure where members of ReNew grew up, but if they don't even know this very simple fact of basic Kalistani Civics, I am not sure how they even found their way to the National Assembly to place a bill on the floor for us to vote on, let alone expect us to support it."

The Chancellor went on to discuss Renew's accusations that the Dual System doesn't allow the Kalistani Economy to stay afloat, with the comment, "Look. I just can't even dignify this. Kalistan is a growing economy, one of the most important economies in the region. It is the center of a strong free trade network which stretches across several continents. We have even made changes in the economy to increase the openness to foreign investment, both from and to Kaliatan. This Party is absolutely out of touch with both reality in Kalistan, as well as our History, and its really unfortunate that this is the best the opposition can organize."

The Chancellor then apologized for turning the entire Q&A into a response to an article in the Paper. "Look: If Renew is really planning to work for Kalistanis rather than simply seeking to destroy, Her Imperial Majesty would like to work with them. If they have solid, credible proposals for reform, she would consider entertaining them. And if she believes that they will help Kalistan, her Government will enact them in the National Assembly." While holding out the olive branch, the Chancellor was also careful to add caveats: "But if the proposals touch the Monarchy as an institution, or undermine economic stability in Kalistan by introducing the uncertainty of markets, or reduce the ability of Kalistan to defend itself from foreign threats, the Empress has made it very clear to me, that this is to be prevented in our National Assembly. Her Imperial Majesty is tolerant, but only just so. And she certainly made it clear that Revolution will not be countenanced in Kalistan. We have worked too hard to build a bulwark against the menace of radical change that other countries are plagued by, and will not accept the return of republicanism. Certainly not in the National Assembly."

When asked if the Institutionalists would welcome the incorporation of Renew into the Governing Institutionalist Party, Chancellor Wilkes said "Absolutely. We have long had factions, even some with deep disagreements in the Party. There are a few pillars we are committed to, namely the maintenance of the Crown as an antidote to political turmoil, and continuation of Kalistan's institutions. But there is room for disagreement under that rubric, and I for one would welcome a discussion along those lines, if Renew had any real desire for stability and political reform in Kalistan."

The Chancellor finished his remarks with a question: "Why is it that our Comrades from Renew have made reference to Baltusia at the end of their statement? What does anything they are talking about have to do with Baltusia?" The Chancellor left that question in the air and then moved on to other topics.

[Doc]

New KPO Dams begin Operations
4 of 8 new High Dams begin operation between 4 and 6 months ahead of Schedule
Lhasa Narrows, Duchy of Neveras
October 19, 5514


Lhasa Narrows Dam, North of Lhasa, Neveras has filled and is now generating power

Four of the eight dams in the nearly decade and a half old Civil Infrastructure Program being run by KPO have been completed and are beginning to generate power. The Lhasa Narrows Dam was the first to get underway, and is generating power that will ultimately yield more than 1100 GWh annually. The other 3 dams, The Bong High Dam, the Upper Gran Dam and the Platte Narrows Dam near Harlond Vrassa, are also beginning operation and will slowly ramp up to capacity of a total of 2900 GWh between the three. The Chancellor of the Empire was on hand at Lhasa Narrows to inaugurate the Dam operation.

"It is a feat of civil engineering and effort on the part of the National Service Program that built this dam and this resevoir," said Lord Wilkes. "This dam is 645 Feet tall, is half a mile long, and limits a resevoir that is close to 5000 acres in size. Not only will this dam produce enough energy to light this district and a good portion of Suldanor and Odufaray, but it will also provide flood control lower on the Neveras River and a regular source of water for hundreds of thousands of the Central Valley's Residents and farmers via aqueduct. The dams that we have completed so far and will complete will provide a reliable and abundant source of green energy for Kalistan Proper for generations to come, and through energy connections, will permit Kalistan to sell inexpensive electricity abroad to out neighbors. Most of all, it will once more dramatically reduce our dependence on hydrocarobons to fuel out power plants."

The remaining four dams are continuing on schedule, with the first dam above Littleton, Vrassa being completed late next year and the Yoshimi, Kluptoon and Lucid Rivers Dams being completed in 5516. Additional geothermal energy facilities in the Green Mountains of Ananto are also nearing completion, and civil Engineers are looking at the possibility of extending the Dam Construction project to either the Zappa or Davon Rivers above Kaliburg. "We are in the preliminary stages of that project at the moment," said Lord Wilkes. "There are a lot of variables to consider, and some of them are political. Sadly..."

The completion of the Lhasa Narrows Dam and the other three projects frees resources up to be directed toward the remaining 4 dams, and may even bring one or more of those to completion ahead of schedule.

[Doc]

KMC Representatives travel to Kazulia and Kundrati to discuss purchases
Military air assets on Agenda; also Proposal for Strait Exercises
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
October 17, 5514


Reps from KALMILINCO fly to Kazulia and Kundrati to discuss purchases

Representatives from Kalistan's Nationalized Military Industrial Complex, KalMilInCo, were dispatched over the last month to both Kazulia and Kundrati to discuss acquisition of air defensive assets. "KMC is interested in procuring a specific number of aircraft and air defense Missile batteries that can neutralize any threat coming over our border from any of our neighbors who should decide that it might be worth it to try to attack Kalistan," said KalMilInCo spokesperson Greta Andress. "We first flew to Kazulia to discuss acquisition with Asvald Gruppen. We were looking into their willingness to sell Kalistan about 3 dozen Vaab JAS.39C Gripen, along with munitions and trainers to help our Regular Air Force operate them."

The Multirole fighter, developed in Kazulia around 5400, is viewed as the most modern multi-role aircraft in the Kazulian arsenal, and if added to Kalistan's Regular Airforce, would allow Kalistan to adequately counter similar aircraft rumored to exist in other Northern Seleyan Nations. "We'd ultimately like to conclude an ongoing agreement with Asvald," said Andress, "to regularly take reciept of lots of 3 dozen, to replace old fighters as they wear out or end servicability. If secured, the Gripen will be a cornerstone of our Regular Air Force, which sadly, has to date been mostly neglected." Kazulian manufacturers are reportedly researching the terms of the deal.

Following the visit to Kazulia, KMC reps next travelled to Kundrati, where several items were discussed. "Like the offer we made in Kazulia, we also offered to purchase surplusses of the Kundrati multirole fighter known as The Lasaitasuna. "For centuries, Kalistan has lagged in the acquisition of modern aviation," said Andress. "It seemed like whenever Kalistan attempted to purchase, or design their own multirole fighter, some completely unforseen but not entirely unexpected force would stand in the way of completion of the deal, and Kalistan would specifically be denied the opportunity to acquire the same level of Jet fighter technology that other similarly situated states would be able to dream into existence. But it is clear that not only does Kalistan need these weapons to create a modern air deterrent, but we now seem to have partners who are willing to sell us them. So it is in our interest to attempt to acquire them for the defense of our Empire."

Andress emphasized that KMC would like to acquire both the Lasaitasuna AND the Gripen. "Both have their benefits, and their weaknesses, and in the interest of versatility, Kalistan would seek to deploy these systems to prevent any lunatic regime from considering Kalistan to be a legitimate target for their militarism. Adding modern air assets like the Lasaitasuna and the Gripen to our flight systems will increase our perparedness in case some bizzaro regime decides to test Kalistan." But Andress noted that plans to discuss rocket defense systems with Kundrati were cancelled at the last minute due to the Kundrati offerings being inappropriate for Kalistani needs. "We were looking for moder SAM batteries from Kundrati. They may excell in anti ballistic technology, and long range rocket artillery, but we already have surface to ship batteries, LAFAs and rocket artillery. What we were asking about was more in line of batteries to increase our anti-air response, and specifically better radar with early warning capabilities. We would like to know when enemy planes take off so we can track them. Even planes with stealth capabilities are not invisible: they produce a signature that can be found if you know where to look. KMC was looking for batteries that could shoot those down, rather than anti-missile missiles, as ICBMs do not pose a threat to Kalistan."

Though they were not able to discuss modern anti-air weaponry, they did also discuss Kalistan producing new Indica Class Submarines to sell back to Kundrati. "These are our most modern submarine and possess many modern features that still mark them as among the most modern non-nuclear submarines in Terra. They have been in production in Kalistan for a very long time, and, as Kundrati approached Kalistan to discuss submarines initially, we are prepared to offer submarines, munitions and schematics to Kundrati in exchange for the aircraft we desire. Our hope is that they will reciprocate in full, and we are able to learn how to produce a variant of their multirole fighter in Kalistan to serve our needs."

At either rate, the meeting between KMC and Kundrati Defense Contractors ended very positively, and a deal is now in the works. Meanwhile, KMC representatives also stopped in and offered a letter from Her Imperial Majesty's Defense Minister Naval Captain Guillermo Davis to his counterpart in the Kundrati Government to officially invite the Kundrati Naval forces to Kalistan to hold wargames during the summer and early Fall of 5515. "We delivered Captain Davis' request at the Kundrati Ministry of Defense. Her Imperial Majesty wanted to be very public about the invitation, and let it be known that these drills will be designed to demonstrate Kalistani capacities, and to get our Navy some practice in combat operations."

The 3rd Regular Navy remains on alert on the Southern Limit, though no official word has been heard from Baltusia regarding news of their acquisition of advanced armaments. "Her Imperial Majesty's Defense Minister informed me personally that silence is of little consequence: Kalistan's defensive doctrine dictates this response even with full information. But the door remains open, and meanwhile, Kalistan and Kundrati can and should help one another shake off the rust, so to speak." Andress said to her understanding, drills would insist in combat patrols, anti-sub and anti-surface operations, search and destroy operations, deployment of and countering irregular tactics (with the Militia, who is currently standing up, and the Marines, who can practice seizure of a hostile vessel) and coordinated fires with land based air units, shore based artillery, and Militia Irregulars. "We look forward to both Kazulai and Kundrati's responses to these proposals."

[Doc]

Nørrehus Nationalt: Asvald Gruppen and Ministry of Defence confirm Kalistan agreement for Grippen
September 19 5514

Representatives from the Ministry of Defence and major Kazulian arms manufacturer Asvald Gruppen convened a press conference today to announce that terms had been reached with Kalistan for the export of several dozen Grippen multirole fighters. Kalistan's KalMilInCo was reported by Kalistani press in October to be interested in the Grippen as part of a broader effort to modernize Kalistan's air forces in the midst of a changing geopolitical landscape in northern Seleya.

The specific contract terms were not released by the MoD, but Kalistan was rumored to be interested in procurement of the jet in sets of 3 dozen, which appears to have been agreed to by Asvald Gruppen and the MoD, which by law must approve all arms sales in Kazulia. The MoD confirmed that the services of Kazulian logistical and pilot training crews were also purchased as part of the arrangement.

[Doc]

The Puritans strike back
Dr. Benjamin Whitehouse calls the Government to protect children from drugs
Viibin, Duchy of Neveras
17 December 5514

Dr Whitehouse speaks to teachers and parents about the impact of tobacco, alcohol and cannabis on the younger generation. | Photos by Steve Kowalski/KR
When Dr. Whitehouse's monograph "Opium of the People" was published, he faced alienation on the one hand, and overwhelming support on the other. "I lost many friends who called me a liar, a bigot and a crazy one." — says Dr. Whitehouse at the presentation of his book “Common Ethics. Textbook for High School." — "I received letters threatening my family and my children. My phone was blowing up with calls and messages with curses. This was some kind of mass insanity, pure hatred and anger. Insanity fueled by tobacco sniffing, alcohol drinking and hashish smoking. But at the same time, I found many Friends: pure, bright, freedom-loving Friends." «Friends» are the fans of Whitehouse's books and teachings, devout Hosians at the intersection of Brethrenism and Aurorianism. Many of them consider the current educational system to be rotten and dangerous to children's minds; and government policies in the field of alcohol and tobacco distribution to be harmful. They take long «sick-days» for children and teach them religious morals at home. "Common Ethics" is expected to be a best-seller among them for it contains theological teachings about Biology, Sociology, Philosophy and Art. Without passing the inspection of regulatory authorities, this book is neither a certified textbook nor a scientific work. Yet Dr. Whitehouse claims the opposite: "It is surely a textbook. There are full paragraphs and assignments for them, there are methodological recommendations for studying the book. And this is not some kind of government-order-like school textbooks, no, this is a free but truthful presentation of information that will help to raise up a generation of New Kalistanians. My goal is to create a full line of textbooks, starting from the middle school until the very end of high school. Look at those gathered here. These are all Friends, many of whom have children. Some of them have a diploma in education. We could organize a private, home school for children and teach them what's right and what's wrong, but the current laws don't let us to do so."
"On top of that, any kid now can go and buy alcohol and cigarettes without presenting a proof of adulthood. What is this, Friends? Stupidity or treason? I'd like to believe that this dangerous misunderstanding will soon be corrected by my colleagues from Renew party. We must renew our education system and renew our nation to take care of our children. You know, promote sports, not alcohol. Get weed out of our kids. And let people like us determine how we want to teach our children."

We asked the Renew party leader Trevor Parkinson to share his opinion:

Yes, we are indeed in close contact with Dr. Whitehouse. He did us a great service by writing an explanatory note to the bill. Yes, we have already prepared a bill introducing restrictions on the sale of alcohol and tobacco to minors, as well as the legalization of homeschooling. Anticipating comments of Mr. Chancellor, I hasten to note that such proposals are not in any way radical or subversive to our core values. The changes we want to implement are just common sense. Talking about Doctor's comments about cannabis... Look, there is obviously no discussion of any cannabis restrictions or violation of any provisions of the ODEN agreement in our party. No, not discussable now. We are looking for constructive and productive cooperation with Institutionalists, who we hope will support our proposals.