Kalistan

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Empress reportedly "stunned" by latest Gem Vault audit
Empress has called the horde, believed to be worth more than several Dovanian nations combined, "obscene", in the past
Eveari, Grand Duchy of Ananto
December 15, 5676


Her Imperial Majesty tours the Ananto Vault which houses the Crown Jewel Collection

"Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Jennifer Ananto-Connor has begun to look into divestment of some of the collection of precious gemstones and metals stored in the House Vault in Eveari," said Her Imperial Majesty's spokeswoman, Lady Amber Dawson. "She is not sure if the House will in fact divest of some of the collection, amassed over many generations, which has begun to crowd the vault facility in Eveari."

The Empress has privately pushed for divestment of at least a portion of the stored wealth for years. Unnamed sources have reported that the Empress finds the horde "insane" and "obscene," but to date, has only been partially successful in halting further accumulation of precious metals and gems for the collection. The latest audit has brought the value of the collection back to the foreground of the conversation around House Ananto's vast fortune. The most recent audit of the Gem Vault's contents reportedly "stunned" Her Imperial Majesty.

"The recent gem vault audit shows that the collection has grown by an additional 19% over the last 25 years," said Lady Dawson. "Much of this is due to new sources of diamonds and rubies from Xsampa and Kalistan's heavy importation of those stones in particular. But a lot of the accumulation has also been accumulated through royal confiscation of Amethyst, and large scale purchases of primarily silver, but also gold and platinum, from the private sector. The result is growth from about ₭50 Billion Imperial to nearly ₭60 Billion just in precious stones alone. Added to that is another ₭528 million in Silver reserves and ₭432 million in gold reserves, just in the vault alone."

The Empress has stated that the Ananto House's gem vault, which holds the more than the GDP of many Dovani states without oil is completely unnecessary, and could be used to help people. "Her Imperial Majesty is aware that sending a personal fortune to a developing nation is probably not the most prudent use of those funds, especially those that lack any semblance of functioning government or infrastructure necessary to adequately turn largess like this into aid that will actually help people, rather than line the pockets of corrupt officials, but the alternative is to simply let tons and tons of precious stones and metals sit in a vault a dozen stories underground and do nothing."

Her Imperial Majesty, who is not a direct descendant of Empress Carolina I Ananto, has limited say in strictly House Ananto affairs, and has been frustrated by the blood Anantos' reluctance to liquidate the Gem Horde. "It leads to some interesting discussions around the dinner table," said Lady Dawson. "I think it is factually accurate to say that His and Her Imperial Majesties do not see the question in the same light. Lady Helen Ananto has stated that as long as she continues to helm the House, the Gem Vault will remain in tact, and His Imperial Majesty tends to agree with the Princess of the Empire that this collection is the heirloom of future generations and it should only be aggrandized, rather than diminished. So far, my Lady the Empress, is a minority vote."

Lady Dawson was careful to not suggest that Her Imperial Majesty wanted to get rid of the entire Vault. "Her Imperial Majesty may have specific feelings about the size of the collection, but she, like everyone who ever visits, and sees the collection with their own eyes, is in awe at what her family has amassed. One cannot simply walk into a room that is essentially silver bullion by the ton, stacked from floor to 12 foot high ceiling, 5 ingots deep and not be amazed. One cannot simply tour each wing of the Gem vault and see gems in bins stacked one on top of another, knowing that each stone you may lay your eyes on could easily be worth a whole year's salary, or in some cases worth an entire lifetime's salary, and then glance an inch to your left or right and see 10,000 equally valuable stones of all sorts of colors, clarity, and sizes, and not find yourself in awe. Her Imperial Majesty only thinks it should be pared down a bit."

Few people have been permitted to tour the Gem Vault, most of them personal friends of House Ananto, and the occasional photographer who gets the opportunity to take pictures from within the vault. The Gem Vault is also the home of the long coveted Hulanevek Diamond, which was a relic of ancient Beiteynu that made its way to Kalistan via Kundrati during the reign of the Black Empress Pavlina I Ananto, and has been the property of the sitting Monarch ever since. "Whatever happens to the other gems in the vault," said Lady Dawson, "whether they are kept or divested, Her Imperial Majesty was emphatic: Kalistan is never giving back the Hulanevek Diamond. It belongs to Ananto, and will remain in its new home forever." Lady Dawson confirmed that Her Imperial Majesty has indeed held the Diamond, but His Imperial Majesty still refuses to touch it, due to the curse.

@TheRepublic

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Princess Nicolette Announces Engagement
Andy Rohrbach, Director of ODEN-K to join royal family
Luxon, Grand Duchy of Ananto
May 20, 5677


Princess Nicolette Ananto-Collins and Mr. Andrew Rohrbach, seen here earlier this month at Gianni's Istalian restaurant in Luxon, to be married in August

Most of the personal relationships of the Royal Family are kept out of the press until an official statement from House Ananto. That announcement came this week as one of the worst kept secrets in Ananto finally became publicly acknowledged. Her Highness, Princess Nicolette Ananto, 31, and ODEN-K Director Andrew Rohrbach, 35 years old, are engaged to be married. The four year courtship, which has, according to all reports been on-again/off-again is finally moving on to the matrimonial stage.

"Her Highness, the Princess Nicolette Ananto-Collins has decided she is finally ready to settle down and start a family," said the announcement by House Ananto head Lady Helen Ananto-Reynolds. "Mr. Rohrbach, her fiancé, is the Director of ODEN-K. He has attended several family functions in recent years, including the recent Order Day in Eveari, as an invited guest of the Princess, but the relationship has remained private due to varying personal and professional schedules."

According to Crown Watchers and local gossip columnists, Her Highness and Mr. Rohrbach met one another at a surfing competition in 5673, where Rohrbach was representing ODEN. Sources report that initially, the two individuals were friends, but this friendship evolved romantically over the next few months. "They were seen out together one month, and then they were each spotted alone," said Thomas James, a Crown Watcher from Kaliburg who covered the Luxon social scene. "Luxon isn't that huge a town, so the Princess, when she went out, was usually the center of focus, and a lot of time, Rohrbach was nowhere to be seen. So they must have split up at least six times in the past four years that they have been unofficially 'an item.'" James said that he believed the final impetus for engagement came from the Princess' mother, Her Highness, Princess of the Empire Mary Ananto-DeLaurentis.

"Yes, the former Empress played a major role in pushing this relationship toward marriage," said Kathy Rogers, who covered Order Day for La Moda. "During Order Day, she was seen going into a side room with both youngsters. By my count, all three remained behind closed doors for more than an hour, and it even held up the convening of the Conclave by more than 15 minutes. While the Princesses were inside the Conclave, Mr. Rohrbach declined to give a statement, and said that House Ananto would make a public statement first before he could say anything. So it likely happened then and there."

The wedding is set for August 19, 5677 in Eveari, and will be organized by House Ananto. Mr. Rohrbach, who is a Dah native, will be expected to move to Luxon so he and the Princess can live together, but this will make his commute into Kaliburg significantly shorter. Following the announcement, Mr. Rohrbach simply said "Finally." while Her Highness the Princess talked about how she's excited to marry Mr. Rohrbach, but "...He will definitely need to learn how to surf if we're going to be together for the long haul. He doesn't have to change anything else, but surfing is a must, and he said he would at least try it. He claims he can't even swim, but I know he's just making excuses. He'll be fine."

Their Imperial Majesties, through House Ananto, expressed approval of the marriage, and echoed Mr. Rohrbach's sentiments fairly closely. It seems that the consensus from the Princess' family in general is that it is about time that the Princess finally settled down and started a family with Mr. Rohrbach. His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Fredrick IV Ananto said "We at long last welcome Mr. Rohrbach to our family, and look forward to calling him our Brother. Our sister could not have selected a finer partner, and it is our hope that they enrich each others' lives immensely."

@LaModa

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Kaliburg Socialist Club calls for more worker control
State Industries and Growers' syndicates are main targets
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
June 17, 5677


Kaliburg Socialist Club meets to discuss more socialism in Empire

Staying firmly outside of Party politics, the Kaliburg Socialist Club passed several resolutions calling on the National Assembly to consider regulatory measures to increase the power of organized labor in both National Industries and National Growers Syndicates. There is significant labor representation in National Industries, but the farms of Kalistan tend to be dominated by the land owners.

"We would like to see the Assembly change some of the regulations that will allow workers to have greater say in management decisions of the National Industries and the agricultural operations across the country," said Club president Michael Simmons. "The focus has to be on further empowering tenant farmers , who represent 31% of all agriculture workers, and making sure that workers in the Nationalized Industries keep their seats at the table." The Socialists in Kaliburg are part of a larger national "discussion" about socialism under Empire.

"We want to make it clear that first and foremost, we are not attempting to reform the Socialist Party: that would be illegal," said Simmons. "Our platform says that socialism is compatible with the Anantonese Imperial system in all areas but political liberty, but we are far more pragmatic about things, and this Government represents commitment to social services and workers' power everyday, so it is something we can live with. What the Socialist Club wants to point out is that we can be better, but improving the things we can improve while putting off impossible tasks like expansion of democracy to the population for the indefinite future."

The Socialist Club adopted multiple resolutions, that the Club refers to advisory legislation, that they intend to submit to Assembly members in the form of lobbying efforts. "This is a year long effort on the part of small s socialists to call our legislators, to raise attention to these issues around worker's power in both the National Industries and among agricultural workers," said Simmons. "Whether they take these issues up is dependent on how many people across the empire we can get to call them, to tell them that this is important, and to get them to act."

The National Industries advisories call for protection of workers majorities on planning boards within the National Industries. "Those majorities have been eroded over the years, and we would like them to return to the 50%+1 worker representation on the planning boards," said Simmons. "This includes effective worker control over hiring and firing, production and distribution, and the establishment of community demand boards to coordinate with national industries to identify needs and demand within communities. We absolutely think these points are important for workers' democracy which is essential to socialism, and will go a long way to substituting for political democracy. Workers democracy is not only permitted in the Empire, but is historically enshrined. We'd like those traditions enshrined in regulatory law."

As for the Ag workers provisions, the socialists have called for recognitions of organic unions of tenant farmers. "Right now, the Growers' syndicates more or less control every aspect of agriculture," said Simmons. "Granted, most Growers are themselves farmers, but on a lot of the large state ag industries, tenant farmers form the majority of the work force, while the Government hires these farmers as salaried workers. These workers are not organized. We would like their organizations not only recognized, but provided the same sort of protections and powers that our unions in other sectors posses. There is a slate of requests the Socialist Clubs are asking to be considered. They all involve increasing the power of the tenant workers."

Time will tell whether the requests of the Socialist Clubs will make it into law, but the Socialists are cautiously optimistic. "Workers have a partner in the Imperial Seat. The workers protect their rights, but the Anantos have long stood with us, rather than with capital as they do in liberal states. So we are optimistic."

@TheRepublic

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Foreign Minister issues statement on Rildanor
"Autogolpes are unacceptable" said Foreign Minister
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
August1, 5677


Foreign Minister Mr. Henry Greene, on Kaliburg Tonight discussing Rildanor

"Their Imperial Majesties would like it known that autogolpes are unacceptable in Seleya," said Their Imperial Majesties' Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honorable Mr. Henry Greene last night on KRTVN-1's Kaliburg Tonight. "We are continuing to remain observant of the situation and are ready to provide any assistance to the people of Rildanor that they may require, should this stand off between the Military and the dictator of Mainland Rildanor interfere in any significant way with the lives of the people."

The Foreign Minister was clear that relations with Mainland Rildanor have been strained since Kalistan offered official recognition to the breakaway province of Meriath several years ago. "That land is wracked with problems, including an oppressive right wing regime that does not respect the rule of law or the liberties of the people of Mainland Rildanor. And a standoff between the military and the leader of the country, in an attempt to overthrow the regular order, seems to be something that Kalistan ought to steer well clear of. But Their Imperial Majesties believe this sets a dangerous precedent: Order is paramount in our part of the world, and whatever is happening there deviates drastically from normal order. It is something we must warn against: Stability and the status quo is key to orderly society, and without choosing a side in the Rildanor Crisis, this certainly undermines stability."

The Foreign Minister said that his department has significant funds at its disposal to easily dispatch aid at need, but right now, neither the people nor the State has asked for any assistance from Kalistan. "We did put a dent in our own discretionary budget with our efforts to provide humanitarian relief and security to Valruzia following the recent Hurricane Polvo, but we also have other resources on standby should the people need help recovering from the chaos that Rildanor has descended into." The Foreign Minister said his office is also communicating with Egelion in case a coordinated response from Meriath should be needed.

"Right now, the pressure is diplomatic," said Greene. "We want them to resolve their differences, peacefully, and within the rule of law. Unfortunately that means that any attempts by viscious neo-fascists to re-aggrandize their power must be defeated, and peaceful government must be restored in Rildanor. Preferably, Kalistan would like to see Rildanor return itself to a constitutional monarchy, and abandon this republican nonsense once and for all, but we also know that people get the government they will tolerate, and for far too long that has been some neo-fascist government: so even if it means a restoration of the status quo ex ante, this would be a positive outcome from Kalistan's perspective."

The comments came following the issuance of a travel warning from Kalistan to Rildanor, due to the standoff between the military and the Solé regime, following his attempted autogolpe. Because Kalistan does not recognize that government as legitimate, it maintains very few levers to apply diplomatic pressure on that government.

@TheRepublic

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Princess Nicolette is Married in Eveari
Andrew Rohrbach named Viscount of Kublai
Eveari, Grand Duchy of Ananto
August 20, 5677


The Newlywed Couple, Princess Nicolette Ananto-Collins and Lord Andrew Rohrbach at Ananto Estate in Eveari

Her Highness, Princess Nicolette Ananto-Collins and Lord Andrew Rohrbach, Viscount of Kublai have been married in Eveari. The lowkey ceremony took place at Eveari Monthly Meetinghouse, and the reception for family, friends and Brethrenists was held at Ananto Estate in Eveari. The marriage was a traditional Brethrenist marriage, as is typical with the Anantos, and was witnessed by just over 350 members of the Eveari Meeting, all of whom signed the Brethrenist Marriage certificate.

In attendance were His and Her Imperial Majesties, Emperor Fredrick IV Ananto and Empress Jennifer I Ananto, the three Minor Princelings, Her Highness Princess of the Empire Mary I Ananto-DeLaurentis and Lady Companion Victoria Jensen, Her Highness Princess Margaret Ananto-DeLaurentis, Lady Helen Ananto-Reynolds, Grand Duke Craig Alvarez-Suldanor, Count Martin Collins, Chancellor of the Empire Lady Ericka Donahue, and the Hereditary dukes of Kalistan and many dignitaries and political officials from across the Empire. Foreign guests were not present at the ceremony.

Directly after the ceremony, His and Her Imperial Majesty formally created Mr. Rohrbach as the Viscount of Kublai, which is an honorary peerage, due to his marriage to the Princess, who also holds the title of Countess of Luxon. While Rohrbach also receives the Courtesy title of Count, he is technically a now a vassal of his wife. He was also formally inducted as a Stranger Knight Companion of the Ancient Order of the Gray Smoke. These ceremonies were conducted in private, with the Chancellor present at the bestowal of the Peerage, and only the Princess and Empress present at the induction to the Order to act as witness.

Following the induction ceremonies, wedding photos were taken around the Estate, and then the reception and dinner was served. The main course was roast chicken with herbal wild rice, and a garden salad for those who consume meat, and grilled tofu and rice pilaf with spinach for the vegetarians. The cake itself was a vegan semisweet chocolate cake with white frosting, and sorbet was served as a side. After dinner, the Kaliburg Chamber quartet played music for the purpose of dancing, speeches were made and the new couple was toasted widely by members of the royal family and personal friends of both the bride and groom. As it turns out, Mr. Rohrbach is a much finer dancer than one would have initially supposed: One thing guests discovered during the toasts was that he has studied ballet and modern dance as a hobby for years, and impressed the Princess with his footwork on the dance floor.

ODEN-K was also present, of course, given Rohrbach's continue role as Director of the drug export cartel. The ODEN bar was open after dinner was cleared, and various recreational chemicals were enjoyed by all adults throughout the evening. The Royal family retired early, following the first few official dances: the Princess of the Empire and Lady Jensen left at around 7pm and the Emperor and Empress took their leave to get the minor princelings to bed at around 8:30. The Princess and Viscount Rohrbach stayed until 10:30 and enjoyed the performance by Kaliburg's Anne Jean, who was hired to perform an acoustic set for the wedding. When Anne Jean was done playing and the Royals had retired, a DJ was brought in and the doors were opened for the Community to come in and celebrate.

"The Anantos always throw the best community gatherings," said Gary Anderson of Eveari. "They are generous. They make sure anyone who wants can come onto the Estate and eat their fill, drink their fill, and have a great social gathering. A wedding or a coronation by the Royals is always a great community party in Eveari." The late reception allows townspeople to bring in cards of well wishing and support for the Anantos, as well as eat, drink and party on the House Ananto's dime. "There must have been thousands of dollars of food here, and it was all free to us," said Anderson. "Plus, you get to see these guys up close and personally. When I was at the last shindig here, I got to say hello to the Empress herself!"

La Moda joins the entire Empire in congratulating Her Highness Princess Nicolette and Lord Andrew Rohrbach on their marriage. May their lives together be full, and happy and filled with joy and warmth.

@LaModa

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Marquess Anantonia Alvarez-Urquizo named Viceroy of Gaduridos
Her Grace to take position from Lord Javier Treviño
Ciudad de Gadur, Marlingantos, Gaduridos
May 15, 5678


Lady Alvarez-Urquizo takes portrait in Kaliburg after being named Viceroy

Marquess Anantonia Alvarez-Urquizo, a distant relative of His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Fredrick IV Ananto via adoption, and cousin of Grand Duke Craig Alvarez-Suldanor, has been named Viceroy to Gaduridos. The 36 year old Peer, who splits time between Vespiano and Sulari, is the senior member of the Gaduri Alvarez' and the owner of the Alvarez Estate on the main Island. Her appointment returns an Anantonese national back to the position of Viceroy after 26 years.

The Marquess grew up in Gaduridos, and following her education in business administration, went to work to promote the Sindacato Cafeteros. She was, until her appointment, the Head of Marketing for the coffee syndicate, and during her tenure, increased Gaduri coffee's market share in the Anantonese Region by more than 40%. She developed a close working relationship with the previous Viceroy, Lord Treviño, which she leveraged into a virtual monopoly of the Kalistani market for Gaduri coffee while also increasing Gaduri imports of sugar, fruits, and textiles in Kalistan.

She received her title of Marquess as a life peerage following Her Imperial Majesty, Jennifer I Ananto's accession to the throne due to her charitable and humanitarian giving to Gaduri youth in the area of cancer research--The Marquess personally funds the operations and programs of the Centro de Oncología Infantil Vespiano, allowing children without means to seek cancer treatment free of charge. (The Marquess lost her only child to bone marrow cancer when the child was a toddler.) The Empress was on hand in Gaduridos to cut the ribbon for the center, which has helped more than 150 patients since it was opened 4 years ago, and she and the Marquess have since developed a friendship.

Lady Alvarez-Urquizo is one of the more popular public officials in Gaduridos, drawing heavy support from agricultural workers as well as city constituencies, all of whom have seen her advocate for good paying jobs, good work-life balance, promotion of socially progressive programs across society, and a strong sense of Gaduri national identity. She is widely viewed as a status-quo oriented populist who believes in a strong role for the government in the economy.

In her appointment, the Chancellor of the Empire, Lady Ericka Donahue stated, "Their Imperial Majesties thank Lord Treviño for his long service to the Empire, and wish him well as he enters retirement in Ciudad de Gaduri. Lady Alvarez-Urquizo, his replacement, is highly trusted by Their Imperial Majesties, and has the full confidence of the Anantonese Sovereigns to represent her people well, and to serve as the link between Kaliburg and Ciudad de Gaduri. They believe she will perform adequate and just administration of the Nation, always keeping justice and the dual interests of her own Nation and our Empire in her mind and in her heart, and will represent Their Imperial Majesties faithfully and honestly to the Government of the Kingdom of Gaduridos. They wish to welcome her, and make it known that they have complete faith in her."

After her appointment, the Marquess delivered the following statement:

"Deseo agradecer a Sus Majestades Imperiales la confianza depositada en mí para representar Su Voluntad aquí en Gaduridos. Es mi deseo seguir siendo un canal de comunicación entre Gaduridos y la capital, atraer más inversiones a Gaduridos de todos los socios, especialmente de Kalistan, y consolidar nuestro éxito Gaduri. Aún quedan muchos proyectos pendientes, a los que podemos prestar atención.

Tambien, Quiero agradecer a mi predecesor, Lord Javier Treviño, su fiel representación del pueblo de Gaduridos ante la Corona, y no pienso desviarme de esa línea de acción. Gaduridos, como todas las naciones anantonesas, se beneficia de la estabilidad, la fiabilidad y la integridad, y no hay nada más que esto que también busque durante mi administración.

Podemos lograrlo al mismo tiempo que mejoramos la calidad de vida de decenas de millones de ciudadanos de Gaduridos, con escuelas, clínicas médicas y hospitales, carreteras pavimentadas que conectan con el campo, acceso a la electricidad, internet e información, un gobierno honesto y transparente, y programas que promuevan la innovación y la eficiencia. También podemos fortalecer la red de seguridad social de nuestra nación y alimentar a nuestra gente.

Todo esto es posible con la ayuda y asistencia de los vecinos del norte de Gaduridos en Kalistán, y es con ellos con quienes pretendo unir más firmemente a mi nación, para que nuestro vínculo sea inseparable para siempre."

As Lady Alvarez-Urquizo takes up her role at de facto Head of State in Gaduridos, look for warm relations between our two constituent nations.

@TheRepublic

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Carly Kaye inadvertently returns RF to top of Singles Chart
Disco Album In Dreams was nearly dismissed by critics
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
June 28, 5678


Carly Kaye's surprise summer blockbuster features RF deepcut "Love"

Underground Disco singer Carly Kaye has accidentally scored a number one on the Singles Chart with a deepcut from her new album In Dreams. The song, "Love" was top of the Singles Poll for the second week running after club DJs got ahold of early promotional releases of the record in late May, and began spinning both songs on the album's B-Side, "Love" and "Here" back to back. There is no gap on the LP, and neither song was intended to be released as a single, but club goers began requesting Love on KRTVN's flagship Radio 1, usually reserved for alternative. When the album was finally released on June 20th of this year, record stores across the Empire sold out of the LP almost immediately. KMI now reports that a second pressing is on order, and will be in stores tomorrow.

Meanwhile, "Love" the more popular of the two songs, has had more than 1.3 million streams and is in heavy rotation on Radio 1. The song is so new that KMI rushed a grainy fan made film of Kaye performing a version of the song to M7 to capitalize on the song's popularity. Both the singer and the label said they do not intend to make an actual video for the full length song which is 8 minutes and 2 seconds long, or its disco companion "Here", which is 14 minutes and 45 seconds long on the album. "Well, neither of these two songs were supposed to do anything," said Kaye. "The single the label was supposed to market was the disco track on the A Side, 'Last Chance for Romance Tonight', and that is still going to be released, but these other two songs just caught on first. So..."

Fans say they like the live performance video for "Love" and it is helping to propel more demand for the track itself. "Well, this whole album is very retro feeling," said KRM's Gina Hughes. "The thing that really caught on I think with ('Love') is that it's a dance track, but its also extremely synth driven, which takes it completely out of the category of disco and puts it with RF. And played right after 'Here' which is, let's face it, more or less pornography, even if it is definitely more of a RF Funk or Disco track, and you have yourself an RF classic for the modern age."

Most critics, who were not in touch with the bubbling underground at the time of their reviews, dismissed the album for its production techniques. "You could tell first of all that a lot of these guys, who called the record a 'miss' were not in touch with what was going on in the clubs throughout May and June," said Hughes. "They gave the record really mediocre rankings, called 'Last Chance...' the obvious single on the record and then panned it. What is even more painfully obvious is that, if we had say 10 reviewers, nine and a half of them didn't even bother listening to the B-Side of the LP. 'Love' is clearly a far superior track to anything else on the record, and both the DJs in the RF clubs and the fans know it long before the critics do."

Those who discussed "Love" or "Here" called them either prurient or pedestrian, and only began praising them in hindsight. A retroactive re-evaluation of the Album following its release specifically praised "Here." In revising his initial review, critic Daniel Henry Jones said, "It not only stays true to that base line throughout the entire track, which itself is both funky and infectious, but also it incorporates a lot of the baroque instrumentations we are seeing in the Art Rock movement, so it is both retro, like seriously retro, and also avant garde at the same time, which is a major feat on Kaye's part."

Others have praised Kaye's vocals on "Love". "That is not easy to sing," said Lorin White, professional vocal coach. "I don't know much about the music: none of it is analog at all. It is clearly all synthesized. But that means that Kaye just has to work that much harder to carry the melody. She's doing all the work on this song. She's the only one doing work on this song. And its magnificent, it's like a poem or a weird synthetic impressionistic audio masterpiece."

It is impossible really to talk about "Love" isolated from the song which immediately precedes it, the super funky, and admittedly pornographic "Here." "Yeah, well, I faked it all," said Kaye earlier this month when talking about the song and discussing the buzz around it and "Love." "Sorry guys. I think it was kind of a joke. The lyrics are so tame, if you just listen to them. I'm really a good girl, but you know, we had to spice things up a bit. 'When you're laying so close to me, there's no place I'd rather you be than with me, here...' Yeah, that needs a little sauce if people are gonna get their groove on to the B-Side."

As soon as the LP was released, the songs became eligible for hitting the charts, and hit the charts they did. The RF "Love" hit Number 1 in its first week on the countdown, while "Here" did more modestly: Because it is so long, it received far fewer spins, though had almost as many streams across all platforms, and therefore made it to number 18 on the Singles Chart. The LP itself debuted at Number 20 on the far more prestigious Albums Chart, driven almost exclusively by early popularity of "Love" and "Here".

Its unclear whether the popularity of Kaye's Album In Dreams is the harbinger of a new wave of sexually themed electric music, or if it is a one hit wonder, a Capitaline-driven fluke that doesn't translate outside of this particular moment in history into a longer trend. What is sure though is that Carly Kaye is enjoying her moment in the spotlight. "Yeah, it was sort of an accident. This music isn't what others are doing right now, and and we did go pretty far back for a lot of our sounds, but I have always loved the RF stuff, ever since I was a girl and got a copy of the Bounce RF Compilation. I am thrilled that on my first record, I got to make homage to the RF and RF Funk tracks from back in the day, and those happened to be the ones people loved. I am so grateful to be here, now and doing just this, making just this kind of music."

You can check out the audio for "Here" and the video for "Love" right here, and then pick up In Dreams by Carly Kaye, produced at at your local album Store.

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

@KalistanRawkMonthly

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David Romero issues strong condemnation to Valruzia
"Statements threaten to harm relations" between Northern Seleyan States, says Romero
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
August 25, 5678


David Romero, speaking for AYIC, discusses Valruzian Comments in Kaliburg

The most important Yeudi Interests group in Terra has issued a strong statement condemning Valruzian legislator Mieszko Janiszewski's comments on Yeudis in Valruzia. David Romero, who still leads the Anantonese Yeudi Interests Committee loudly voiced his disappointment in the Legislator's comments and declared Kalistan to be welcoming to all Yeudis who should choose to relocate from Valruzia.

"We note that historically, when there is a legislator willing to voice such sentiments, there are probably tens of thousands in the society who also feel that way," said Romero, about Janiszewski's statements that Valruzian Yeudis must "conform or be expelled" earlier this month. "We have never been under any delusion that anti-Yeudi sentiment has been eradicated. It is most convenient for populists and ideologues to use our co-religionists as scapegoats for problems that ail their society. And this kind of comment is no different."

Romero said that the desire for national unity should not spread to what he termed "the Hive Mind. Just because people have a different heritage, or belief than we do does not mean that this person is also not loyal to their own state. A person can support their nation and have a unique identity at the same time: In Kalistan, as in Valruzia, there are millions of patriotic Yeudi citizens, all of whom pay their taxes and do their national service as Mr. Janiszewski does, and none of whom declare allegiance to some foreign state or idea in lieu of their loyalty to their own society."

Romero thanked the Valruzian Communists and the members of Our Homeland for their principled stance on the anti-Yeudi comments. "We also understand that there will be a very clear and unequivocal statement coming from the Triad Republic, who controls the Himmelshtern Nisrad and will of course have an interest in how Valruzia treats its Yeudi Citizens," said Romero. "It takes a little longer for governments than for Non Governmental Organizations like AYIC, but we still appreciate them being willing to take a stand against anti-Yeudi sentiment in Valruzia, as all correct minded organizations and individuals should.

"But, as for Valruzia, as for all of us, I want to stress that it is not enough to simply loudly condemn something," continued Romero. "That condemnation should be paired with action. Janiszewski's ideology of hate and division is not going to change just because he was censured in the Legislature. What we would hope is that the Government of Valruzia ensured that he was not in any position to make decisions that could potentially hurt Yeudi interests or people within Valruzia as well, even if it means disqualifying him from office."

Romero also spoke about Kalistan. "These sort of statements by Valruzia's elected representatives could harm relations among friends," said Romero, alluding to potential diplomatic fallout from Kaliburg toward Valruzia. "Kalistan, as a general rule is an open and safe place for Yeudis around the world, and if any Yeudi citizens from Valruzia feel that their home as become a hostile place to them, their families, their friends, and etc, I would like to personally welcome them to Kalistan. AYIC would work with you and help you resettle in a land where language, and more importantly beliefs like that are not common and are certainly not elevated to any position of power or authority. I would love to meet with you."

Romero is in his last few years serving as director of AYIC but has not stepped down yet. His chosen successor for the organization, Jacob Maxwell of Sulari, continues to serve as Deputy of Operations for the lobbyist organization. More than 1.8 million Kalistani Yeudis have donated to date to AYIC.

@TheRepublic

[Doc]

Kalistani endorsement of AYIC position draws more questions than answers
"There is no impropriety," says Chancellor, before major gaffe
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
October 2, 5678


Chancellor insults Valruzia and Communism during tense impromptu question session earlier this week

"There is no impropriety," said Chancellor of the Empire, Lady Ericka Donahue at an unscheduled press gathering as she left her offices at the Capitol. The Chancellor encountered more than a dozen reporters waiting for her and was made to answer questions on the Government's position on Valruzia, some of which visibly agitated the Chancellor. The line of questioning even forced a gaffe that the Chancellor later had to walk back.

The issue began as the Chancellor spoke from the Floor of the National Assembly on Tuesday. The words she chose suggested that Their Imperial Majesties' Government had been unduly influenced by the Anantonese Yeudi Interest Committee. The Chancellor said, "We welcome the statement from Valruzia guaranteeing the safety of its Yeudi Citizens, and have been taking in the opinions of our partners, including Mr. Romero, to ensure that Kalistan's support for the Yeudi People across Seleya and the Anantonese Region is unwavering, and all Seleyan Yeudis remain safe." The statement suggested that there was coordination between the Government and the non-governmental entity known as AYIC over Kalistani Foreign Policy. The comment drew a firestorm of questions from the floor, where the Chancellor stressed that there was no direct coordination between the Foreign Ministry and Mr. Romero's group.

"That would suggest that the Government of this Nation was doing the business of a private citizen," said the Chancellor as she denied any involvement. "Has the Institutionalist Party spoken with Mr. Romero as a constituent? I can't say one way or another. Was he sitting in the room when this Government concluded its policy? That would be patently illegal, and if any evidence exists that such meetings took place, it would be very damning indeed."

As if on cue, Deputy Daniel Calabasas of Dana produced visitor records that show that Mr. Romero and his deputy Mr. Maxwell had indeed visited the Capitol more than 15 times in the month of August. The Chancellor insisted that she took no meetings with Mr. Romero. "What can I say? He's very well known around here and is very good at what he does, which is to provide information that presents his group's point of view, to help legislators make decisions. There is nothing improper about any of that. Nor is there any evidence that I or any of my government took any appointments with him." She also reminded the Deputies that public records show that House Ananto itself has donated more than 16 million imperial Rubles to AYIC.

Her responses did not calm the Assembly down at all, and instead of answering questions which were, admittedly borderline badgering in nature, she asked the Speaker of the Assembly to gavel the Assembly out of session until early next week. Meanwhile, word of the controversy leaked to the press, who gathered at the Chancellor's stately office in the Capitol the next day. As she was on her way to a meeting, she was stopped by more than a dozen reporters who asked her questions about the connection between AYIC and Their Imperial Majesties' Government.

"I said this before, and I will say it again: There was no impropriety. You people are looking for a story where there is none," she insisted. Though she began the interrogation on a calm note, tensions got heated after Jenny Bratton, of the Sulari Sun asked her if she personally received any money from Mr. Romero. "This is outrageous!" she responded. "You must think I'm some sort of liberal politician. The fact that you would even entertain the notion that I could be bought is just so beyond the realm of credulity that I am left speechless."

The exchange between the Chancellor and reporters grew tenser as she attempted to leave the place where she was ambushed by the free press. As the reporters prevented her from moving toward the door, she signaled to building security, who were slow in responding. This delay gave a frustrated Chancellor the opportunity to level an invective at reporters who switched to asking the Chancellor about the statements of the Valruzian government: "You people are all dupes! They talk about due process and checking to see if hatred of Yeudis is against their law. But you idiots forget, those people are all communists, and I don't give two goddamns what some communist claims--I don't care where they live. As far as I am concerned, communism is a plague and those communists in Valruzia are coddling anti-Yeudi politicians. If they're unsure whether threats from the floor of their legislature by a sitting democrat are illegal, they can all go to hell. Please! Get real!" As she finished her rather candid comments, security appeared to clear a cordon for the Chancellor to escape.

The fallout across Kaliburg was instantaneous. Within a half hour, the Foreign Minister was speaking to reporters declaring that Their Imperial Majesties officially and formally apologized to the Government of Valruzia for any offense the Chancellor's comments may have given, and that FM Henry Greene will be dispatched within 24 Hours to Nowogard to meet with Valruzian counterparts to smooth things over and reassure Valruzian partners of Kalistan's continued friendship. Within two hours, the Chancellor herself appeared at another impromptu news conference, this time in the Press Room of the Capitol, where she issued a personal apology.

"I apologize for my comments concerning the government of Valruzia," she said. "As a word of explanation but not justification, I was frustrated, having been ambushed by the Press as I was trying to make it to an important meeting concerning Kalistan's annual budget, and they persisted in asking questions which I had already answered several times. I got frustrated, I acted unprofessionally, and I apologize for all offense I gave to the people of Valruzia. The Government of Kalistan stands ready to make amends in any way appropriate." When she finished her statement, she took several questions.

Asked if she had met with Mr. Romero in August, she said "No. I was on vacation in August, and did not have any meetings scheduled during the last half of that month. I have made a copy of my full schedule available on the Chancellor's website."

Asked if she had taken any money from AYIC either recently or over the years, the Chancellor said "I personally have not taken any money or favors from Mr. Romero, or from AYIC. My position is appointed by Their Imperial Majesties, and I do not run re-election campaigns. I am adequately compensated, far more than Mr. Romero could ever put together for any kind of improper payment of any kind, as are all members of this Government. Even if he had offered money, there would not be anything we could do about that, as policy is dictated from His and Her Imperial Majesty, and we just enact it."

Asked her position on Communism in Valruzia, the Chancellor took a moment, and said, "I better not answer that one. My mouth has gotten me into trouble recently, and its better if I just leave political philosophy for the Professors. I am in this job to carry out the Imperial Fiat. My opinions on any political ideology notwithstanding."

Asked if her administration retains confidence of the Institutional Party and Their Imperial Majesties, she answered "To the best of my knowledge, I am here until Their Imperial Majesties decide otherwise. I will be meeting with Party leadership later today to find out what they think on the matter, but I have faith that my apology will be acceptable to them and we will be able to move on from this."

Asked what she thinks this gaffe will do for Kalistan-Valruzia relations she answered, "Kalistan remains committed to its friendship with Valruzia, both in bilateral terms and as regional partners. I trust Nowogard will see my comments for what they were: spoken out of frustration. And I am confident that they will be mature enough to accept my sincere and personal apology."

Asked if she would do anything differently in addressing the situation, she said "Well, when I am not being harassed by the Press, who think that this is a liberal nation for some reason, I am actually a pretty affable and genteel Lady. I did lose my cool when dealing with a bunch of reporters who thought that they were entitled to my time. I admit that. I wouldn't respond like that again, for certain. But I would also remind those same reporters who provoked that response that I am the Chancellor of this Empire, I am a Life Peer of Their Imperial Majesties, I am a Lady Companion of Their Imperial Majesties, and I am a Citizen of this Nation. As such I am entitled to a modicum of respect and dignity, and do not deserve to be ambushed by a bunch of journalists as I am on my way to carry out the business of this Empire. It's a two way street. And whatever my feelings are toward foreigners, I will demand my Privileges here in this Empire which are guaranteed by my entitlements and station in this Nation, especially from commoners who for some reason mistake me for their equal. So I would definitely do that differently."

Finally asked if she will resign over the matter, she looked squarely at the reporter, with a look on her face like she could not believe she was asked this questions, and simply said, "No." Lady Donahue then deftly turned off the podium mic and walked off the stage as reporters shouted additional questions toward her. She may have delivered her own mea culpa to Valruzia, likely ordered to do so by Their Imperial Majesties, but she certainly did not do anything to endear herself to the Press Corps in the Empire of Ananto and Kalistan.

@TheRepublic

[Doc]

Catching up with Princess of the Empire Mary Ananto-DeLaurentis
"I spend as much time as possible out of Kaliburg," says retired monarch
Eveari, Grand Duchy of Ananto
November 1, 5678


Princess of the Empire, Mary Ananto-DeLaurentis doing one of her favorite hobbies along Ananto's North Coast

Her Highness, Princess of the Empire, Mary Ananto-DeLaurentis invited La Moda on a hike with her last month over trails that were as familiar to her as the layout of her own house. The 4 mile trek took our reporter and the former Empress along Kalistan's North Coast from Orientation Point in Dulnerstaad County to near the Egelion royal baronetcy at Casa Varestela in Eveari County. During the hour and a half hike, the Lady Princess seemed genuinely happy, spoke about her passions and discussed almost everything but politics. Here is an excerpt of the full interview.

(La Moda's) D(onita) W(eller): Thank you for meeting with mem Your Highness.

(Her Highness, Princess of the Empire) M(ary) A(nanto-DeLaurentis): It is a pleasure, and welcome to the North Coast.

DW: It really is beautiful up here.

MA: Yes, I spend a lot of time along this shoreline. This morning, already, I've hiked more than 20 miles.

DW: Do you do a lot of hiking?

MA: All the time, well, as often as I can. I do like being at home, but I feel most at home when I'm outside, roaming the countryside, seeing all the natural beauty around me.

DW: Does Lady Victoria come with you on your hikes?

MA: Poor Victoria. No, not really... She is less naturally inclined. So I find myself hiking alone regularly. Which for me fits me nicely, but she would much rather do things with others, in what she calls "civilization." We do a lot together but this is one thing we do not share. For her, spending time in the wilderness is a chore, while for me it is refreshing and energizing, and its something I am not going to give up. She's more of a city girl, and she misses Kaliburg, but has her clubs and functions in Eveari that keep her busy. And I do make an effort to do a lot of that sort of thing with her as often as possible.

DW: Do you still relocate each summer to Wood House?

MA: Its more of a vacation spot anymore. The kids don't use Wood House, and We tend to stay much closer to Eveari now a days. But we find ourselves in Athosia far more often than we do at Wood House, so we may just put the house up for sale sooner rather than later. Maintaining it seems like a burden.

DW: So how often do you get back to the Capital.

MA: I spend as much time as possible out of Kaliburg.

DW: Don't you like the capital?

MA: You know, I was kind of thrown into the role of being Empress. I didn't expect to take that role so soon. I never got time to go to college, or to start a family out of the public eye. I am a very private person, and like being left alone, and being Empress obviously did not allow me either of those things for decades. It took a toll on me in ways I would not have expected. I spent a good portion of my administration depressed: It was crippling at times. I never got to fully mourn my father's loss. My mother was very kind and gentle, but she took my father's loss really hard too, and we spent a lot of our time apart. It was kind of a mess. When I think back on that time, and think about all the things that were expected of me, that I have to govern, and that I have to get married to a man who was very sweet, but I mean, I wasn't honest about the lovelessness of our marriage, and that I was the target of everything internationally, I think that as soon as I could end that part of my life, I would.

I was able to accomplish some great things as Empress: In 200 years, when you see vast swaths of territory covered by our Anantonese Red Woods, that will be my legacy. I held things together, and when my time was done, I handed it off, as I was expected to do. I think after I left, I could start talking to people, getting my depression under control, and learn to live with things and be ok with the world as it is. So yeah, if I go back to Kaliburg its always a big deal, and people are bowing and scraping and everything. I much prefer this.

DW: Do you still use opium?

MA: Regularly yes, but I think I have such a tolerance to the stuff now that the little I allow myself in tea doesn't really have an effect anymore. Victoria and I have been trying other psychedelics, now that we have some more time to experience things, and I think that has been pretty important to me feeling more normal as well.

DW: If you don't mind me asking, you don't often hear of powerful people using drugs in the rest of the world. What do you think it is about Kalistan which makes it so you can so freely discuss drug use, while in another country, such a disclosure would create a scandal?

MA: Well, its Kalistan. Putting opium in the tea is a tradition: When you sit down for tea in an informal audience, you can assume you are going to be dosed. It not only gives the tea its expected flavor, but it also takes the edge off of the conversation, so people can speak more freely and not be so guarded. There is a mountain of protocol around the Emperor and Empress. It can be very offputting. So the informal audience, which involves tea service as a mandatory custom, can be truly informal only if the person in the audience is at ease. If you don't use opium, you don't drink the tea. It's not a problem: the tea is served that way as a courtesy for the person or people in the audience. Of course, as empress, I drank a lot of tea, and so its a safe bet to assume I will become at least somewhat dependent upon the opium. But I would say that dependence is no more serious than coffee drinkers' dependence on caffeine, and caffeine use is far more common in the Empire than opium use.

But to answer your question, Kalistan has always been very permissive regarding drug usage. If someone said "Mary Ananto is a drug addict," a normal Kalistani response would likely be "so what?" Because we do not let that stigmatize us here anymore than we let bronchitis stigmatize us. It's normal. The reason its a scandal in another country is because people tie drug usage with moral judgement: A person uses drugs so therefore they must be wicked. But why? Suppose someone is addicted to say cocaine, and goes out and steals for money to purchase more cocaine. That suggests that the way to reduce crime is to lower the price of cocaine. But the crime itself is the moral failing, not the cocaine addiction. Other nations seem to think they can legislate morality, when morality should be the source of the law, not the effect of the law.

DW: Was there any plans to take opium out of the tea for informal audiences?

MA: Not to my knowledge. Not while I was in, certainly. Why would they? My son and daughter-in-law continue that tradition as well. There's no real reason to change it.

DW: Let's switch topics. Have you continued planting trees after your time as Empress was completed?

MA: Yes, we've actually planted an additional 3,000 trees since I have left office. I can't do it as frequently as I used to: I am 68 years old and probably not as spry as I used to be. Luckily I still have my walking legs, but anyhow, I do still work with getting saplings and planting supplies to community groups who often will take a day each summer and go plant trees. It is really just such an amazing effort that the people of Ananto and Kalistan have put in to reforest our north facing slopes and return these beautiful redwoods from the brink of extinction. I'm so proud of all this work everyone has done over the years, and I dream of a future version of me walking in the deep forests that we are planting today.

DW: Will you ever call the effort completed?

MA: Not in my life. I have endowed a fund for continued reforestation. When I die, the legacy fund will continue to work we started during the decades I was alive. I am also proud of really promoting forestry and conservation in the National Service Program, and Their Imperial Majesties have assured me that they will continue those programs within the NSP. There are so many benefits to reforestation: Besides cleaner air, because trees pull so much carbon out of the air and actually help reverse the damage that fossil fuel emissions do to the breathable atmosphere, they also prevent erosion, help filter the ground water and clean out toxins, and contribute to the health and well being of numerous animal and plant species. Our old growth forests are the sources of naturally occurring drugs with a variety of fungus and just other precursors found in any number of forest species. They are so beneficial to our lives, and deserve our protection and promotion. And I am glad I was a part of that effort.

DW: Some would say you were THE effort...

MA: Nonsense: I couldn't have possibly planted all those millions of trees myself. This took all of us.

DW: How is Lady Margaret? Her diagnosis was news a few months ago. How is she doing?

MA: I was just visiting her yesterday as a matter of fact, and did the first half of this hike after talking with her. Yes, my sister is doing as well as can be expected. She still retains a lot of her mobility of course, but it is deteriorating a lot faster than we would like and she is seeing her doctors more, I think than she would like.

DW: ALS is a difficult disease.

MA: Unfortunately, for all of our advancements in medicine, there is still no cure for that disease. The only thing we can do is try to manage her symptoms, and keep working with her. Dulnerstaad is a good place for her: She has a great team around her, her husband is with her every day and helps her stay as active as possible, and I try to visit as much as she will tolerate me there. I love my sister very much and while the prognosis is generally never good, her doctors seem to think she's in the 25% who can make it more than 5 more years. They confirmed the diagnosis early, which means we have a lot of time still with her.

DW: That's very sad. But I am glad your family still gets to have time together.

MA: You should understand, I always believed that Margaret should have been the Empress: She was far more, I would say, intuitive and suited for that job, certainly more educated. She served this Empire even when it was hard for her. She was loyal to a fault and I leaned on her far more often that maybe I should have. I just want to spend as many minutes with her as she will let me. But I can also tell when she is tired or has had enough of people fussing over her: She was always so independent... But she's not gone yet: Its too early to eulogize her. I am glad I still can be a part of her life and her a part of mine.

Hey, don't look now, but just over that hill there is Casa Varestella, the baronetcy seat of the Egelion King and Queen. The trailhead ends just on the edge of the estate.

DW: I suppose that means that our conversation has come to an end.

MA: Unfortunately. But it doesn't have to. Since leaving office, I taught myself how to drive, and can drive you into Eveari if you like. We can keep talking, off the record.

DW: My driver will be meeting me at the trailhead, regretably, or I would definitely take you up on that offer.

MA: Well, perhaps I will invite you to Ananto Estate then, and we can talk further.

DW: Thank you, Your Highness, I think I would like that very much.

The hike continued for the remaining thousand feet to the trailhead, and then Ms. Weller and Her Highness, the Princess of the Empire parted ways.

@LaModa