Nick Leghorn

Beginnings in Micronationalism

There is no better description of how Foghorn discovered micronationalism than the description provided in Foghorn's novella, "Of Men and Micronationalism": On days when X=2, Nick had gym class. He despised gym, arguing that it was a waste of time and space, not to mention money. And it was just his luck that his class was the first to use the pool. The pool itself was a large hole in the ground filled with water and chlorine, surrounded by curved white walls that reflected every sound uttered in the room. The ceiling was a good 30 feet from the surface of the water. Why? No one really knows. While swimming would, during the warmer months, seem like the perfect way to end the day, during the winter it was a hellish situation. One needed to change out of his swimsuit, shower, dry off and change back into civvies within 10 minutes. It was generally accepted that the completion of these tasks within the allotted time frame would result in the end of the world, so no one has ever attempted it all.
And so it came to pass that Nick forgot to bring his swimsuit one day, and the punishment for such a crime was banishment to the bleachers that overlooked the pool. Sitting somewhat next to him were Chris and Fego, intently conversing over some heated issue. Having nothing better to do, Nick decided to listen in.
“If we just let them go, we’d look like wimps!”
“But what are we going to do? If they want to leave, they’ll find one way or another to do it”
“But I mean, why not attack them first?”
“Because we’d be attacking our own country”
“But it’s only Madland!”
Nick couldn’t stand it any longer. He had to interject. “Hey, from what it sounds like, this Madland place is going to leave whether you like it or not. Why not let them go peacefully, then attack them on some trumped up charge later?”
Both Chris and Fego stared at Nick like two deer in the headlights of a rather large truck. Fego beckoned to Chris. “Is he in?”
“I don’t know, Mr. AMI. Why don’t you ask?”
They turned to Nick “If I were to mention Antica, would it ring a bell?”
“No” replied Nick, slightly confused.
“How about Babkha?”
“No, still nothing.”
“Chris, give me a piece of paper”
Chris handed Fego a pad and pen, and Fego quickly jotted something down. “Visit this site tonight. See what you think. We could use someone like you.”

Needless to say, Nick logged on and liked what he saw. Once in Antica, he took the name "Foghorn".

Dinarchy of Antica

Dinarchial Website After Foghorn joined Antica, he started on a war path to improve Antica.

Legislation

Here is a short list of all bills passed that were authored by Foghorn:
Armed Forces Augmentation Act
Antican Cultural Amplification Act of 2004
General Merchandising Act
Committee Behavior Act
Military Command Bill
Debate Insurance Act
Voting Assurance Act
Provisional Government Act
Provincial Government Act of 2005
Cabinet Information Act

Political Parties and Theory

From the moment Foghorn arrived in Antica, he has crusaded for elected Dinarchs. Using the theory pioneered by Voltaire that the Government rules by consent of the Governed, and Monty Python's assessment that "Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not some farcical aquatic ceremony", he has campaigned consistently for a more socialist form of government,

In order to promote this agenda, Foghorn and Gemini-DC founded the NWP. Translated from Lenni Lenappe, it means the "Happy People Party". The party was dissolved with the passage of the "End of Political Parties Act", the circumstances surrounding which will be examined later.

Dinarchial Offices

During his time in Antica, Foghorn has held a smattering of offices.

Chancellor

Foghorn served one term as Chancellor in early 2005, ending the totalitarian reign of Olorix and initiating the first changing of chancellors in Antica. During his "reign of terror", he succedded in failing the most bills on record, thus making him the least productive Chancellor in history.

During said reign of terror, two situations arose. First, the End of Political Parties act, which would eliminate all parties forever, was about to pass. At the last minute, after two extensions of the voting period, Foghorn attempted to veto it. The end of Political Parties debate was one of the most heated in Antican history. On one side were Olorix and Steven and on the other was Gemini. The issue revolved around the idea that political parties were injurious and detrimental to the nation. However, the Dinarchs overruled the veto, the bill passed, but was archived by the Dinarchs soon afterwards.

The second event is slightly more well known. Xon and his nation Avalonia, which had caused a few problems already, stirred up Antica enough to warrant the release of a weapon of mass destruction. The order, agreed upon by Delphi, Octavius and Foghorn as justified, was carried out with precision. However, Delphi perpetrated a second extra-order attack of his own will. When the news of the attacks became well known, the first attack was adknowledged, but the second attack denied by Delphi. Almost 6 months later, that act would come back to bite him in the ass.

Archon of Foreign Affairs

Foghorn is the second person to hold this position after Olorix, and held this position for two consecutive terms. His major accomplishments in this area have been the creation of SPEAR and the Treaty Of BBC.

At the end of the Veliken War, it became increasingly obvious that there was about to be a polarization of the micronational world into factions for the mutual defense of the member nations. The first faction to emerge was the Grand Commonwealth, also known as "The Great Satan", which was predominantly Babkhan. The second faction was SPEAR, which was spearheaded by Scott Alexander and the Anticans. However, due to the tensions in Shireroth at the time, there was a considerable debacle about which faction to join. Thankfully cooler heads prevailed, and so did Spear.

The Treaty Of BBC was created after Danny Wallace decided to declare his flat a soverign nation and broadcast the entire thing on the BBC. Seeing a way to promote Antica and other nations, Foghorn gathered a committee of micronationalists and had Graius present a joint treaty to Danny. It was ratified by all parties involved.

Treasurer

Foghorn started, funded and is the sole overseer of the Antican Treasury. The initial infusion, made by the sale of candy in and around New Rochelle, NY, ammounted to about $120. Additional funds come from the entrance fee to AntiCons (see below).

The treasury moved from the Dinarchy to the Republic after the Antican Revolution.

Convention Host

Over the few years that Antica has existed, Anticans have always been known as the "party people". And as such, they congregate often in a ceremony known as an "AntiCon". Foghorn has hosted these gatherings at his house more than any other Antican, earning him the unofficial title of Convention Master. Admission is usually $10, which goes directly to the treasury.

Dinarchy of Antica: Military Record

Foghorn has served in the Antican Navy almost from the day he arrived. Here's a quick rundown of the ranks and positions he's held, as well as which battles and when.

Vice Admiral

Vice Admiral Foghorn served only one war as such before the ranking system changed and a new rank was assigned. Vice Admiral is three steps below the Commander in Chief of the navy, Commandant.

The only major war served as Vice Admiral is also the one which Foghorn is best known for. At the end of 2004, Babkha was still an ally of Antica. And so, when the Red Antilles and the "Commintern" (a group reminiscent of the USSR) threatened to invade, Antica took action. The day before the ultimatum for Babkha to disarm and capitulate expired, Foghorn dropped 500 Naval Infantrymen onto a small, unclaimed portion of the northern Red Antillean island to establish a foothold. Two days later, the main force of the Naval Infantry (24,500 men), two corps of Army regulars, and the first armada arrived to reenforce the stranded soldiers. Foghorn went on to capture the entirety of the main island, fight off five different nations, and level four cities before the Red Antilles surrendured.

Commodore

After the ranks were fiddled with for a while by Octavius, and with some ideas taken from the popular TV series "Battlestar Galactica", Foghorn was awarded the rank of Commodore, and given command of the entire Naval Infantry. However, he consolidated the 25,000 man force into one 2,000 man regiment. However, the reduction in numbers also meant that the unit was better trained. Commodore is second in command to the Commander in Chief, the Admiral.

This new unit participated in two battles. First is the Veliken War, where not much resistance was met, and therefore ended rather shortly. The second is the Jaris War, where they managed to enter the undefended city of Miska, but failed to in their primary objective, which was to join the Siege of Acre (see Battle of Miska. Most of the Jaris War was spent attempting to probe Babkha's vulnerable and exposed flank in Palestina. However the prompt intervention of the Army of Terre des Riches prevented the Antican Naval Infantry from routing Babkha from the approaches to Acre which proved vital to the ultimate outcome of the war. Nonetheless in the face of adversity the Naval Infantry under Commodore Foghorn served with distinction.

Resignation from Antica, the Move, and the New Republic

On August 24, 2005, Foghorn resigned from Antica. As his reason, he cited the increased hostility of the nation, as well as the (what he and many other ex-Anticans believe to be) abominable rule of Delphi Augustus.

A few seconds later, he submitted an application to Shireroth requesting citizenship. After a conversation with Kaiser Los III, Foghorn was accepted as the newest Yardistani citizen. He was subsequently (within 48 hours) appointed Assistant Minister of Information (AssMInfo).

While in Shireroth, he helped create the Republic of Antica, a nation made up of the refugees from Delphi's tyrannical rule. He held citizenship in both Shireroth and the Republic at the same time.

Shireroth

Shirerithian Website

Shireroth: Positions and Internal Improvements

Assistant Minister of Information

The first assignment Foghorn recieved as a Shirerithian. His primary function in this role was to create PHP scripts for improving the census page of the Shirerithian website. He held this position even after being appointed to (see below).

Projects worked on:
1. Attempting to identify a system to alert Shirerithians of new posts on the fora.
2. PHP script to improve the Census page.

Minister of Immigration, Naturalization and Tourism

Foghorn, having nothing better to do, accepted this position at the request of the Steward.

The position quickly became one of the most active in Shireroth. Following a gigantic advertising campaign, the Immigration forum was packed full of applicants. While most of these applicants never stayed very long, the process of approving each an every one of them became slightly annoying.

Minister of Information

After a long stint as MinImNaT, one that covered the reign of three Kaisers, Foghorn decided it was time to move to a position he was more suited for. This happened to be it.

When Foghorn resigned to try for a term as Speaker of the Republic, he lost this position to Delphi Augustus and has not since regained it.

Steward

After the resignation of Kaiseress Semisa I and the ascention of Kaiser Letifer II, Nick was named the Steward of Shireroth. The naming of Foghorn, a dual citizen with the Republic, to be the second most (overtly) powerful man in Shireroth, was a suprise to all involed, especially Foghorn himself.

Shireroth: Noble Status

Baron of Netopalis

10/17/05 to 11/15/05
Performed the first gay marriage in Shireroth, helped pass the first Shirerithian treaty with the Republic of Antica.

Count of Norfolk

12/1/05 to 12/27/05, 1/16/06 to 2/10/06, and 11/22/07 onwards.

Shireroth: Military Record

Commander of the Naval Infantry in Yardistan

War of Vengeance The Naval Infantry was tasked with holding Musica, a yardistani port city on mainland Shireroth, and holding it until reenforcements from Antica could arrive to march on Brookshire. During the campaign, the Naval Infantry withstood attacks from flying dragons and derranged old men. The campaign ended when the belligerent nations became war weary and decided that it was best to simply drop the whole matter and go out for tea.

The Tgaoth Affair

On Feb. 5, 2006, a mysterious stranger named Tgaoth made a post within Shireroth claiming to posess proof of Foghorn's espionage against Shireroth. After five days of flaming, accusations, backpeddling, Foghorn decided to resign from Shireroth, believing that the Government was using him as a Scapegoat in the affair, taking the attention away from Delphi Augustus' illegal activities (the discovery of which was made shortly after the affair began).

The Republic of Antica

Republican Website

Republican Politics

Reformation of the NWP

Sensing the increasing Federalist leanings of the Republic as a whole, Foghorn re-founded the Nihillalatschik Wulatenamen Party, based on it's origional anti-Dinarchial, pro-socialist roots.

Republican Positions and Internal Improvements

Quick list and overview of positions held in the Republic of Antica

Chief Defense Officer

As chief defense officer, Foghorn declared that the military would be entirely based on the Navy, and that there would be no official standing army. All ranks were to be given out as Navy ranks.

This office was phased out with the "Demilitarization Act".

Intelligence Officer

Foghorn was the primary contact and major contributor to the Jellodude Affair, thus making him one of the first counter-intelligence agents in the Republic.

Steward of the Republic

This position may seem pretty awesome, but it's nothing more than a glorified Site Administrator. Foghorn held this position from the time it was created onwards.

After the terrorist acts of Tgaoth were committeed, Foghorn struggled to get the forums back up and running without the use of a full backup of the database. Using the partial backup that he had downloaded, and splicing it with other files, he was able to create a patchwork database that worked and looked just like the one before Tgaoth attacked. For his actions, the Republic has issued him the first Republican Star award.

Treasurer

Upon his resignation, Foghorn took the Antican treasury with him. And so, it was logical that he be the treasurer in the new Republic.

Speaker of the Assembly

After 6 unsucessful bids for Speaker, Foghorn finally won in October 2006, becoming the Antican head of state.

Republican Military Record

Commander of the Republican Forces

The Republican Defense Office under which this position fell was phased out before it could see any action, and thus no records of it's existence remain, beyond those in the Republican Archives.

War of Vengeance

A civil war conducted within Shireroth between Yardistan and Ardashir. The Antican Naval Infantry treked through Shirerithian lands only to have nothing to do in the end, as the war ended before a decision could be reached. The Naval infantry supported Yardistan as an expeditionary force.

War of Mondesian Liberation

The Republic of Antica proceeded to attempt a land grab early in its history, ending in a decisive victory for the Anticans. Foghorn established an offshore base, recruited an army of Mondesians, and defeated Ardashir in a sword fight to ensure victory.

The Circum-Raynor War

The Antican Naval Infantry was mobilized for the CR War, but the conflict ended before the troops saw combat.

The Taylor Bay War

The Antican Naval Infantry was called upon in October 2006 to help the NAM movement keep the peace in a conflict known as the Taylor Bay War. The Naval Infantry dropped into the theatre of war on October 9, 2006, and started liberating the islands one by one, securing them for the NAM movement.

Awards and Recognition

Republican Star

File:RepStarBar.jpg
Foghorn was the first recipient of the Republican Star, an award given via resolution by the Assembly of Antica in recognition of his actions during the Tgaoth affair.

Speaker's Award

Feeling that Foghorn didn't get as much credit as he deserved, Olorix awarded Foghorn the Speaker's Award for the heroic efforts made to restore normalcy after the Tgaoth attacks.

Retirement

After meeting with Ardashir and others in London on Spring Break in 2007, Foghorn decided that his heart was no longer in the hobby and retired from Antica shortly after producing the 65th episode of Radio Nafticon.

He returned in the winter of that same year to be a citizen of Shireroth while Antica was being rebuilt.

Shireroth, part II

Foghorn returned to Micronationalism after a break that lasted well into Winter of 2007, becoming a citizen of Shireroth once again. He was granted nobility over his old County of Norfolk once again upon his return.

Shireroth: Noble Status

Count of Norfolk

11/22/07 Onwards Improvements include providing the first fixed naval base outside Musica, raising a militia, and setting the War of the Sightseers into action.

Shireroth: Military Record

War of the Sightseers

Commanded the newly raised Naval Infantry militia in an attack on Shirekeep to retaliate against the Kaiser who had invaded the Barony. Successfully penetrated Shirekeep's defences, but was unable to locate the Kaiser before he escaped.

Intermicronational Accomplishments

In addition to improvements to Antica, Foghorn has also done some pretty neat stuff to help the hobby along.

Zulu 5 Oscar, Inc

Foghorn is the founder, current CEO and head broadcaster of Zulu 5 Oscar Inc. based in Aquilaria, Antica. See seperate entry for more.

KZFO Radio Nafticon

Foghorn began publishing the hobby's first Podcast, modeled after Scott Alexander's KIRS. The Podcast began as a simple regurgitation of the day's news, but quickly morphed into a talk show with Creative Commons music thrown in every now and again. It is, by far, the most popular way to recieve the week's news, with coverage from Antica, Shireroth, Lovely and Treithar.

KZFO is a callsign derived from the east coast USA prefix (K) and the first letters of Zulu 5 (Five) Oscar (the corporate name).

KZFO went silent just before Foghorn retired from micronationalism in the spring of 2007, after the broadcast of its 65th episode over its 2 year lifespan.

Definitive Micronational Index

Sensing the need for a complete, cros referenced and serchable index of all micronations, Foghorn built one himself. The Definitive Micronational Index is searchable by the country's name, type of government, language, and a plain old keyword search. During iuts brief time in existence, the index was updated manually by Foghorn every night.

The site was taken offline on 10/21/05 because of the emergence of a better index.

DMI: 1/31/05 - 10/21/05 (RIP)

Of Men and Micronationalism

"Of Men and Micronationalism" is the poorly titled novella written by Foghorn about Antica. While it's mostly fiction (or was at the time it was written), some of the events portrayed within have come to pass.

Real Life

Nick Leghorn is currently a sophomore at Penn State University as an Information and Computer Security major, plays the violin, viola and fiddle, and races sailboats in his spare time. Nick has a 15 year old sister named Julie who has also been involved in micronationalism, but more in the social aspect.