[MR] Uri Geller's New Micronation

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

It's been a slow newsweek, history-wise, so I decided to comment on a
modern story which might be of interest to Scadians who have long dreamed
of being sovereign in their own country.

Noted psychic and serial spoon-bender Uri Geller owns a small islet about
the size of a football field in Scotland's Firth of Forth called Lamb
Island. The island cannot be inhabited, with treacherous currents and rocks
making even landing there extremely dangerous. Recently Geller announced
the formation of the Republic of Lamb, with plans to give the Island an
anthem and flag, and to offer citizenship (for a price apparently). All
proceeds are to go to an Israeli charity, Save a Child's Heart, that pays
for cardiac treatment to children around the world:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-62150163 .

Micronations are not new. John Ryan's 2006 book MICRONATIONS, THE LONELY
PLANET GUIDE TO HOME-MADE NATIONS detailed the histories of several of the
cheekiest, or the most nefarious. They have been "founded" as jokes,
ego-boosters, political statements, or sometimes for less than savory
reasons (one is said to host a huge dark web server farm). Ryan's book
appears to be out of print, but is summarized on a Wikipedia page
(including further links to stories about many of the micronations) at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micronations:_The_Lonely_Planet_Guide_to_Home-Made_Nations
. Wikipedia also offers another page defining micronations at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micronation .

Even I have not been immune to the charm, or protest value, of founding my
own micronation. After a fruitless fight with the city over the trash
collectors not replacing the can lids on rainy days (and apparently leaving
them open ONLY on rainy days, yecch!), I proposed declaring Mallard Lodge
an independent freehold. I hoped a story in a local weekly newspaper that
specialized in quirky stories might embarrass the city to action. There was
a hefty dose of egotism in there too. The plan was nixed by my spouse, who
claimed she would be "mortified". O.K, though the dream is "not dead, but
sleepeth", as the saying goes.

Yours Aye,


Lord Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆
(But only in the SCA, at least for now).