| August 9, 2002 |
Web Page Address: /Postal/Zines/TAP/index.html
Deny Everything did end up making it into last issue of course. In this issue find another ballot for the 2002 Hobby Awards, please vote by September 1!! I really want to get Rip Gooch's subszine going, but he needs to hear from some Railway Rivals players!!! Contact Rip Gooch directly at xyropedes of canada.com.
Yes, we have another hobby obituary to report.
This issue it is another of our Colonia players, Gene Prosnitz.
Gene passed away peacefully in his sleep recently, after struggling
against brain cancer for most of this year.
Gene kept hoping against hope that he would be able to return to the
Colonia game, talking about it often, but of course in the end that
didn't really matter.
The players have called a draw and ended the game here.
This was not my most pleasant game in terms of mortality, with three
players dying in the last year.
Gene and his wife Sandy were avid game players of all types and they
were excellent bridge partners.
I've offered Sandy my condolences.
I'll miss Gene a lot.
I hope that's it and that all of you are EXCEEDINGLY healthy and happy!
Other than all this, I am.
I decided to can the sub price increase, the postal rate increase
really is peanuts, or it seems so at the 3-5 ounce level that I live it.
So, no problem, let's keep selling subs when I can at this price.
You all know that I'm an incredible softie anyway.
The postal sub price is still
$1.50 per issue in the US and Canada,
with double that for other foreign subbers (or $3.00 per
issue sent airmail).
Players in current games and standbys will
continue to get the issues for free, and future game starts
(except for Nuclear Yuppie Evil Empire Diplomacy, which is free) cost
$20.00 ($15.00 for a life of the
game subscription and $5 for the NMR Insurance).
NOTE: See the revised game start announcements below!
Check out the connections in the Diplomatic Pouch with all of the information you need to play Diplomacy on the Internet at: /
I also have taken over the Postal portion of the Pouch: /Postal/
and TAP on the web is there at: /Postal/Zines/TAP/index.html
where the szine resides in html format. Presently, issues from #190 to the current issue are there, and I will be updating the back issues gradually someday. Also, check out Stephen Agar's more extensive efforts at: http://www.diplomacy-archive.com and http://www.diplomacy.co.uk
David has grabbed and reserved the HIGHLY prized name: www.szine.com!! David Wang's site used to be the best place to follow John Caruso's postal baseball league that I am in. BUT, the site has not been updated as well in recent times. THE place to follow the league now is DICKIE-POO Martin's website: http://www.phantomempire.com where in the ``files'' section, ``baseball'' sub-section, you can see all of the individual and team level stats. Use the Telnet button in the upper left corner, that's the easiest way to do it these days. You need to sign up as a ``member'' to see all of the files. You, too, can chat with John Caruso there, especially on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Peter Sullivan's subszine is currently ``in stasis", although all the back issues can be accessed via :
http://www.manorcon.demon.co.uk/octopus/index.html
Peter was saying that he would be unlikely to be starting any new games in the Octopus until ``at least the start of 2002." He is now hereby declared to be in official indeterminate stasis and that date is now a ``whenever''. In the meantime, Rip Gooch and Dave Partridge are picking up the choo-choo game slack in TAP. Contact Rip at xyropedes of canada.com or Dave at rebhuhn of rocketmail.com for more info.
By electronic mail, through the Internet, subs are free and can be obtained automatically by sending the message: subscribe tap
to majordomo of diplom.org and messages can be sent to the entire electronic mailing list by mailing them to tap of diplom.org which will forward your message to all of the people currently on the list. The message:
unsubscribe tap
sent to majordomo of diplom.org gets you off the list. Please make careful note of that as well since you generally can get yourself off the list a lot easier than I can, and NOBODY likes to see unsubscribe messages sent to the entire list. A big, big thank you for David Kovar for setting this all up!!
| THE SEARCH FOR BERRY RENKEN |
Find him and win the fifty buck prize!! You have until Issue number 265.
Feel free to spend the time looking for some of the backlog. Let's get Tom, Bill, Gregory, Kevin, Al, and Jerry found too!!! Note that Brenton Ver Ploeg would love to find Leslie Obata, the woman that Jerry Lucas used as his front too. This could be an easy way toward finding Jerry, though as Brenton notes, who is to say she has the same name now. This is a regular continuing feature of the szine and I will be introducing a new ``search for'' every five issues. Moreover, you can win a $25 prize for finding some previous target who went unfound in the original $50 period. That means that if Tom Hurst or Bill Quinn or Gregory Stewart or Kevin Tighe or Jerry Lucas or Al Pearson is ``found'' from now on it is worth $25.
Winners will receive credit for Dip hobby activities that I will pay out as requested by the winner. Subscribe to szines here or abroad, run your own contests, publish a szine, finance a web page, GO TO A DIPLOMACY CONVENTION or whatever. Spend it all right away or use me as a bank to cover hobby activities for years. What must you do to win? Get me a letter to the editor for TAP from the person we're searching for.
This is very important, just finding them doesn't do it. They have to write me a letter. The final judge as to the winner of any contest will be the target himself and I reserve the right to investigate the winning entry. When you find someone I'm looking for, you should ask him to send me a letter for print that includes a verification of who ``found'' him.
| INTERNATIONAL SUBSCRIPTION EXCHANGE NEWS |
The British representative is the editor of Mission From God, John Harrington. John may be contacted at 1 Churchbury Close, Enfield, Middlesex EN1 3UW, UK.
E-Mail: fiendish of operamail.com, John.Harrington of tfeurope.com
Please include the full name and address of the foreign publisher with your order, if possible, as well as the szine title. Make your check in US dollars out to me personally or in GBP to John if you're doing things from that end. I will conduct business for Canadians as well, if I can, but prefer to deal in US dollars with them if possible, or Canadian dollars cash. To subscribe to American szines, the system works in reverse.
We have added a European continental representative, most of this traffic likely will occur between Ronald Camstra (in the Netherlands) and John Harrington, but if anyone here in the US wants to get money into Euros, we'll try to help you out. Ronald Camstra can be contacted at siedler of zonnet.nl and his home address is: Wielingenplein 48, 3522 PE Utrecht, the Netherlands. But in Holland it is most common not to send checks but to transfer money by bank. Dutch people can pay directly to Postbankaccount 4652247 of Ronald Camstra in Utrecht. Since he can see the name and address of the sender in his bankreceipt, people only have to mention the name of the zine and the editorial address along with their bank order. Ronald is obviously a huge Settlers of Catan fan. If you're interested in playing that game internationally by mail, I think Ronald can help you out.
We also have reopened a branch office of the International Subscription Exchange in Australia!! Brendan Whyte, the publisher of the excellent szine Damn the Consequences will be doing the honors, taking over in some sense from John Cain, who was the Australian rep for many years. You can contact Brendan to sub to Australian szines from the US or to sub to US szines from Australia, converting Australian dollars into American ones. We are now maneuvering deals to Europe from the other reps as well. You can find Brendan Whyte at b.whyte of pgrad.unimelb.edu.au (same university where John Cain works!) or by mail to send checks at: Geography Dept., University of Melbourne, Vic 3010, AUSTRALIA. This should help out my Australian subbers!!
| WORLDMASTERS00 SECTION (with other Tournament Info) |
Worldmasters 2000 Email Diplomacy Tournament Finals Underway!!
This is possibly the most prestigious and hard fought E-Mail tournament around (only challenged by Doug Massey's Vermont Group Tournaments or the Australian E-Mail Tournament), now with FOUR full rounds. The final players (with current SC standing, which is what counts in a C-Diplo based tournament) are:
AUSTRIA: Jack Brawner - Find Jack at TrojanOwl of aol.com, and he back down to 5 centers at the end of 1906, after Turkey stormed back into the game.
ENGLAND: Mike Weinzimer - Find Mike at mweinzimer of yahoo.com, and he is down to 2 home centers at the end of 1906, losing London, and is in even more trouble.
FRANCE: Erlend ``Joe'' Janbu - Find Joe at janbu of online.no, and he is now up to 8 centers at the end of 1906, and is still laying low, but is starting to crunch England.
GERMANY: Douglas Vaughan - Find Douglas at vaughan4 of mindspring.com, and he is holding at 6 centers at the end of 1906, and I'm not entirely sure what he is up to.
ITALY: Egbert ``Egg'' Ferreira - You can find Egg at egbert of salavip.com.br, and he is continuing to get crunched with only 1 center left at the end of 1906, congratulations to the Brazilian World Cup team for its victory, perhaps that will make Egg feel better as he heads toward elimination.
RUSSIA: Darren Koch - You can find the Aussie Darren at koch_family of bigpond.com, and he is storming up to 7 centers at the end of 1906, after a slow start, but he just has ONE fleet in the Norwegian Sea and it isn't clear what he is going to be able to do with that.
TURKEY: Frank Johansen - Find Frank at frank.johansen of diplomacy.no, and he is back up to 5 centers at the end of 1906, following his disasterous NMR with a big comeback.
The wondrous Peter Richardson pjrich of ntlworld.com is the GM. If you want to follow the game, send an E-Mail to mailserver of cat23.com with the following message:
subscribe wm00-results
The history of the WorldMasters tournament is that it is not necessarily THE best player who wins, but the format and style seem to reward effort. The player who works the hardest likely will win. Jack, Joe, and Douglas all look good at this point, with Egg and Mike struggling to survive. I know lots of you can't stand C-Diplo, but that's the way it works.... I think the game goes until 1912, so there is lots more play in it, though France looks quite strong.
| DIPDOM NEWS SECTION (with letters) |
Obscure and not-so-obscure ramblings on the state of the hobby and its publications, custodians, events, and individuals with no guarantee of relevance from the fertile keyboard of Jim-Bob, the E-Mail Dip world, and the rest of the postal hobby. My comments are in italics and ((double quotation marks)) like this. Bold face is used to set off each individual speaker. I should also make a note that I do edit for syntax and spelling on occasion.
The game Diplomacy is a copyrighted product owned by Hasbro and all reproductions or other use of that material in this szine is intended to be personal use and not infringe on those rights in any way. All reproductions are done at a heavy financial loss to the editor and thus are without the remotest possibility of commercial intent, except to promote THE game, the Game of Diplomacy, which you all should purchase from Hasbro or other duly licensed distributors.
In what I believe is a RECENT change, Hasbro also has been putting the rules to Diplomacy up on their web page along with rules for most of their other games. Not only that, but they have the ``current'' as well as an older version of the rules there. Stephen Agar has matched that and more with some of the even older rulebooks. Check these out if you like:
http://www.hasbro.com/default.asp?x=cc_gameandtoyinstructions
http://www.hasbro.com/instruct/Diplomacy.PDF
http://www.hasbro.com/instruct/Diplomacy(OlderVers).PDF
Nice of them to make BOTH of these available. And all seven different US rulebooks for Diplomacy can now be found here courtesy of Stephen Agar:
http://www.diplomacy-archive.com/old_rulebooks.htm
| Check out the new Diplomacy World - www.diplomacyworld.org |
The Spring issue is out!!! For future issues, I'm also still looking for WRITERS!!! Please!!! You don't want me to turn into Larry Peery, do you?? But thanks to Larry for an article that appears in this latest issue.
If you want to subscribe in paper form at $3 per issue, North American subs should be sent to David Partridge, 15 Woodland Drive, Brookline, NH 03033, USA. Stephen Agar is handling international postal subscriptions and you can write to him at: 47 Preston Drove, Brighton, BN1 6LA, UK. Issues from Stephen will cost you 2 GBP in the UK and 3 GBP for the rest of the world. Or subscribe electronically at diplomacyworld at Yahoo Groups!
The 2002 Hobby Awards Ballot is reprinted in this issue again.
If you are reading this on the Internet, then go to the ballot at:
/Postal/Zines/TAP/BALLOT02.html
and if you're seeing it postally and missed it before, this
is your last chance!
Please send me your votes by the Sept. 1 deadline.
This is a great ballot and take advantage of the web links to look
at some of the nominees.
Nick Parish (Wed, 24 Jul 2002 17:14:24)
Subject: Manorcon Team Diplomacy
Hi Jim, Can't resist on updating you on the results of the Team Diplomacy at Manorcon, just in case Toby Harris ``forgot" to. I notice when looking at the favourites he didn't mention last year's runners-up, those seven no-hopers from Oxford, comprising no stars or anyone you would have heard of (with the honourable exception of Mark Stretch), just seven players who all attended the Oxford University Diplomacy Society at one time or another, who were licked into to shape, put through their paces and allocated countries by their non-playing captain (me). Well, blow me if we didn't go and WIN the damn thing - and win it by a very substantial margin, what's more. I wish I'd played now!
Toby, the team will be changing its name next year to ``Last Year's Winner"...
((Well, you might have seen (if you looked at the web version of TAP) that Toby was bragging a bit prior to the event. I remember the Oxford group well from last year. In fact, you might recall that until the ``seventh'' showed up at the last minute I almost was the ``extra player" for that team. It WAS of course easier with the stupendous ``battle" going on between Toby's team and Vic Hall's team for someone to walk off with the crown..... Good for the team, did you win at Croquet again?))
I did see Toby's gloat in TAP, hence my reply. Yup, I also retained the croquet trophy and so will be going for 3 in a row next year. It's just as well I did OK in the Dip and the croquet as I played another 14 games and maanged just 2 wins and one joint win!
| Nick, nick_parish of hotmail.com |
((Let's see what Toby himself has to say about this.... In fact, we might have more of Toby than you might have bargained for!))
Toby Harris (Sat, 27 Jul 2002 16:01:19 -0500)
Subject: Manorcon Briefings
Dear Jimminy, Many thanks for another humble offering of the Abysmal Prince. Princely as ever, and not quite so abysmal ;-)
So, Manorcon, no doubt you've heard the results? Niclas Perez won for the second year running and was greeted with many a ``wow, second year running Niclas, must be a record". Of course, one only need check the past results of Manorcon to see it was done before ('90 and '91). But you know me, not one to gloat about things like that .... much. ((But congratulations to Niclas, too, he is an excellent player too, if a bit less boastful....))
Convention write-ups are always a biased affair. Biased towards the author's experiences no less. But if folk want to say their own piece then that's where the hobby's pretty good - you just pipe up and say it !
Manorcon started a little early for me, picking Niclus (I always thought this spelling of his name was better) up from Birmingham International on the Thursday. As our captain, he was after a pre-tournament beer and a chat about where to find our 7th player for what I have always believed is the best f.t.f. team tournament in the world. For my own sins, I hadn't planned to be there and it was my first Dip convention since WDC '01 - some 12 months prior. Niclas had his 7 players already sorted out in March - in the shape of Leif, Thomas Sebeyran, Twerg, Brian ((Dennehy)), Cyrille ((Sevin)) and Yann ((Clouet)). But with Thomas off to Peru to grab the Peruvian Diplomacy Championship trophies (phoo ... shows he can't hack the pace in the big game ;-) ) and Leif in hibernation, Niclas was two short and my previous ``reserve" status won a promotion.
Three days prior to the tournament, the six of us that comprised our team had been badgering Vic, who became sorely tempted. but in the end he just could not face stabbing the mighty Simon `Button' and jumping ship. We knew he'd whimp out ;-) Rather than taking ``any old rubbish", my advice to Niclas was ``wait - and select carefully". I cannot disclose some of the team's pre-tournament discussions for fear of insulting some folk more than they deserve, but to give the gist of it: several names were banded about and to each one, one of the other team members would give a very blunt (and sometimes amusingly rude) reason why we wouldn't want him on side. It was getting to the extremes like ``Nah, can't ask Emeric ... his dandruff might encourage his neighbours to stab him". And that was one of the more polite comments which I've only repeated because, to my surprise at the tournament, he has obviously started using PH-balance Vosene ;-)
Anyways, Niclas did wait for our 7th, and it proved to be a good move.
On the friday we picked up the two Irish boys ((Brian and Twerg)) from the airport and made our way to .... to .... to .... to the pub of course !!! There are some hip bars by the canal in Brindley Place (centre of birmingham) where we were later joined by two more Irish guys and the Guinness started to fly.
And then on to the convention itself, where we were greeted by the usual array of crumb-filled beards, sweaty armpits, beer-bellies (peeking out from below an undersized T-shirt) and, of course, the scantily covered arse-cleavages which where in their usual high abundance this year: visible as their owners lean over their gaming tables to take their turns at whatever game they're playing. ((I love it!!!))
Yup, it was another Manorcon, another weekend in the `trendiest' place around (sigh).
Whilst registering, I offered Niclas the best tip any Manorcon captain could ever get (when they are a player or two short) .... ``look at the registration desk". For there, for all to see, were well in excess of 50 name badges of folk yet to arrive. Sure, it contained known 18XX players, non-dippers and total patsies. But, if you play the numbers game, you would think that from 50 or so names, you might be able to find one piece of wheat amongst the rather low quality chaff. Niclas watched as I picked each badge up and tossed it aside in turn, muttering ``chaff, chaff, chaff, chaff, chaff, chaff, chaff, ....". Steam train Toby, I thought! But eventually ... ``ahhhh, WHEEEEEEEEAT !!!". In fact, the only darned bit of wheat in the whole pile! It read: ``Paul Cook".
Paul Cook? Who's he? You well might ask. ((Yes, who's he??)) To most he is completely unknown. In fact, to most English players he is completely unknown!!! Paul used to play in the mid-late eighties for the Ode team, and only ever played Dip at manorcon (as opposed to the various other tournaments going) and then only played the one round - the team round. So he never won a tournament. But year after year he got 14 centres with reliability like clockwork. Having been there to see it (though I never actually played him), I had a favourable eye on him as a team member for many years afterwards. But he retired from Dip in 1991, along with his close friend Pete Mason (slightly better known because he was UK National Champion in 1990).
It all changed in 1997 when I finally persuaded Pete to join our team after 6 years out of the frey and, with him, followed Paul Cook for his one and only Dip game between 1991 and, well, Manorcon 2002. At that tournament ('97), Vic and I had formed our own teams and we made up our 7th by each picking one of the two star frenchies to play at Manorcon that year: Vic plumped for Cyrille (well, he had just been crowned world champ ... for the first of his two times !) whilst I was more than happy with '94 WDC winner Pascal. Vic's Cyrille played Germany to my Paul's Turkey and it was one hell of a game to watch. the pair of them rocketed ahead and, one year from game-end, it was clear they would equally top the board well ahead of the other five lame horses on that board. As captain I gave Paul some advice (as is perfectly within the rules of this tournament ... foreign players please note). ``Sacrifice a centre to France, the Oxford player. Oxford are doing really badly. In so doing you can ensure he uses it to build correctly and will end up taking two centres from Cyrille". Paul complied. the net result that instead of equal 1st, Paul came (as planned) 2nd. The Oxford player topped the board and Cyrille came 3rd. At first this sounds a bit silly, but in respect to the team tournament it widened our gap on our closest rivals and we went on to win the team tournament for the third consecutive year ... a record for which no other team has ever managed to successfully defend a title, let alone go on for a third year. Cyrille was miffed but later understood.
So, imagine Cyrille's delight when we announced our 7th team member ;-) Yup, after just `that' one game in 11 years, Paul Cook was our man. ``A most worthy 7th player", Cyrille smirked. Once Cyrille had explained his last experience of Paul to the rest of the team, they too offered him their welcome and lost their nerves over the initial thoughts of ``has Toby gone mad ... who the hell is this guy?"
After agreeing to meet us at 8.30 the next morning for the team round, Paul went off to play other ganmes whilst the rest of us signed up for the Friday night individual game - the first of the tournament.
`` .... .... ..... .... Board X .... Toby Harris Austria .... Simon Bouton Italy ...."
Awe, bloody hell ! Now don't get me wrong, I aint scared of some previous WDC-winning numpty: they're ten a penny ;-) It's not that at all. It's just that, well, every game that Simon and I have played in for the last 13 years has had him lie to me pretty much every season. ((Yeah, and why might that be??)) The pinnacle of his ``anti-Toby" campaign came in Sweden where he was Turkey and I was England. Each season he spent every moment available in the Dip period grabbing Russia, Germany and France together telling them their best course of action against me. Simon ain't happy unless I'm out of every game he plays in. So Germany (bless the folly of this numpty - I'm sure one day he'll learn the game) opens to Tyr and then supports Simon into Trieste. ((Hasn't he ever heard of the importance of Austria/Germany Anschluss alliances?? I know you know this, but allow me to quote from the Diplomacy AtoZ on the Anschluss....Richard Sharp's strategic notion that Germany should, in the early game, strive to keep Austria strong to reduce both powers' vulnerability as central (and surrounded) powers. Although they take their name from the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in March 1938, Anschluss alliances are generally regarded as essentially pro-Austrian, with Germany using diplomatic leverage to discourage other powers - in particular Russia (with the threat of standing him out of Sweden in 1901) - from attacking his ally. Tactically it entails F(Kie)-Den and A(Mun)H or standoff in Bur or Tyr, or even entering Tyr, and Italy is told that this unit will aid Austria if Italy attacks. The advantage for Germany is that it is statistically provable that the latter power is far less likely to win if Austria is eliminated early in the game.))
Of course, Germany was eliminated by F/E around the same time as I bit the dust, but that don't matter to him. ``Hurrah, I beat Toby Harris", I believe was his view of the game. Er, yes, um, well, I think any player can ``beat" another player if you put it like that. It don't take too much to screw someone over if you're their neighbour, but I guess the skill comes when you go on to win yourself.
A bit miffed, I grabbed a couple of other eliminees (it was about 10pm) - Brian Dennehy and Cyrille (how the mighty fall ;-) ) and took them to a nightclub in town. Not some rave joint with teenage busty blondes bouncing their wares up and down, but just some laid back, armchair place with soft jazz music to accompany Brian's choice of a round for all .... .... ... Vodka Jellies! Nice one Brian ;-)
Getting back to the con and picking up Yann and Niclas after the round had finished, we headed back to mine with the two frenchies sound asleep in the back of the car and sleeping like babies. ``ZZZZZzzzzzzznails, ZZZZZZZzzzzzznails ...." came from one and ``ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzentres, ZZZZZZZzzzzzentres ....." from the other as they were both obviously each having a favourite dream.
Next morning we were there bright and sharp for the team round. And, as is customary, half the teams there were ``great" / ``strong" / ``in with a shout" / ``keep an eye our for them" / ``one of the favourites" etc, whilst half of the teams were ``no hopers" / ``full o' chaff" / ``duff" / ``6 numpties and another numpty" ((Hahahahah!)) / ``about as impressive as stumpy O'leg McNoleg's personal best in the Market Harborough marathon" etc. You get the gist.
You'll probably find these comments all the more amusing when you get to the results, but they were a genuine flavour of the time. The so-called top teams were, aside from Niclas' team of course:
Superzeroes (Simon Bouton, Demis Hassabis, Chetan, Gihan, John Colledge, Vic and one of their friends from the Magic club)
Fat Bastards (Mark Wightman, James Hardy, Simon Hornby, Dave Wreathall, Emeric, and two other fat sods)
The Cunning plan (Neil Duncan, Pete Mason, Andrew Greco, Richard Williams, Ivan Woodward and a couple of other folk of similar talent - s'cuse my memory)
The rest of the rabble comprised teams like Keith and Eve Smith's motley crew (usually last), a bunch of trophyless foreign players from various corners of Europe and of course, what Manorcon team tournament would be without them .... The Oxford Team. Ah yes, Mark Stretch, Nicholas Parish, Dan Lester, Mark Sheiham, James Pinnion, Stephen Othen (absent this year) etc etc etc. These are the teenage boys who would, years ago, have been my favourite jibe as total no-hopers. In 1994 OxCon was born - a one-round dip tournament which appears at the end of January each year. And it's still going today. Usually gets 4-6 boards. 1998 was my first outing to Oxcon and, on the way down in the car, I asked Vic ``so, you've been before, what's it like? Is there a bar?" ``Well, says Vic" (getting ready for a first-rate piss-take) they serve free drinks all day! But there's no beer - you get these little infant-school sized cups of lemon barley water". From that day forth, OxCon became well recognised as the tournament that had no beer but plenty of lemon barley water and the ``tough guy image" associated with the tournament followed the Oxford players at Manorcon ... and their results, typically lapping it up in 2nd or 3rd place each year. Second or third place from the BOTTOM that is ;-)
The team round started. Niclas was eliminated faster than, well, faster than you lost your home centres in WM9925 Jim ;-) ((As fast as that, eh?? How could it be??)) And from that moment on he did a superb job of playing captain and keeping us all posted.
Manorcon scoring is not easy to calculate and the only real way to do it is to list the top 3 or 4 teams (by player and country) on a bit of paper and, against each name, put the current centre count and table position. It's pretty much gut-feel from there.
By mid afternoon, the tournament had two clear leaders (though the other favourites were not a million miles behind); our team and The Fat Bastards. I got elimiated for the second time in two games (never done that before at a con!) but we did have some other great table-topping results. Paul Cook only ended on 6 centres but when you consider Vic tried to shaft him right from the start, Paul did a superb job to get back into it and teach that cheeky little pixie a lesson by relieving him of his last centre! Poor Vic ... I guess he just wasn't mighty enough on this occasion ;-)
All results totted up (but results not yet announced) we figured that we should just pip the Fat Bastards and were way in front of the Superzeros and The Cunning Plan. Yippeee, the team trophies were mine, mine, mine, mine, mine all mine. Oups sorry, nearly got carried away there ... the trophies were ours, ours, ours, ours ours, all ours.
And then the results were posted (team results are not ``announced" as such until the end of the Sunday round - they just get posted on the board on the Saturday evening). So, starting from the bottom: shock horror, not Keith and Eve's team. Indeed, Eve achieved her first ever table topping result over the weekend. ((Way to go, Eve, I knew she had it in her!!)) All be it an equal top, but a top all the same. Nice one. Nope, the hobour went to some other bunch of losers. Reading up the list. Well well well, Superzeroes well down the stack. Nice one. The Cunning plan a bit further up - no real surprise, then the Fat Bastards. No shock there either - we were pretty confident. But then the surprises started to flood in. In third place was the team of foreign players (Michael Gutsen, Erland Janbu, William Attia etc). ((Joe and William are excellent players, I assure you, don't know who else they had, but that wouldn't have surprised me! William is one of the best board analysts I have ever seen.)) Oups, we hadn't really considered them in our calculations, but what the hell, we beat 'em. In second place .... oups, that was us. We thought we'd done it. Who else could have possibly beaten us? And then it hit us .... the Oxford Team! ``There was one on my board and he did quite well" were the comments from the team. Indeed, Mark Sheiham came second on my board too. And, from memory, Vic Hall's nemesis, Mark Stretch, topped that board with our Paul Cook on it. Bloody hell, the barley-water-guzzling boys with bumfluff for beards from Oxford had done it !!! Indeed, they're not kids anymore. most are late twenties / 30-ish.
It was hard to hold back the laughter. Y'know, I was absolutely thrilled for them Jim. Honest. Everyone likes surprises and I genuinely felt (and still do feel) that they deserved it and am pleased they each got a prize. Mark Wightman summed up the mood of the moment when Mark Stretch collected his trophy and was walking back the crowd, staring down at it with admiration. ``Yes, it's a TROPHY Mark!!!" Possibly Mark Stretch's first ever, I don't know. Even so, it was great to see it. Vic was laughing afterwards about getting a good working-over from Stretchy too. And, in my game, Mark Sheiham was very pleasant throughout and made an enjoyable opponent. I think Dan Lester was a bit of a sour grape in his game - he seemed to be edging on the side of losing his temper a couple of times, but other than that they all played, well, like a nice bunch of guys. ((See, it can get you somewhere in this game.... sometimes!!))
Yeah, I gots no prob with them taking the silverware back home. They deserved it. And very high entertainment value too, to see them win it.
And that was that for my Manorcon this year. No Sunday game for me .... way too busy nursing a hangover from the night before where half the convention piled back to Sital and my new house to party. Sital has banned me from smoking in the house, except for my study .... so at one point, half the party was in that room having a cigarette. All I can say is that it was a good thing that Mark Wightman and Emeric were the only two of the seven ``Fat Bastards" to attend because the room is quite small!
But, popping back to the con late Sunday afternoon to watch the results come in, I brought in a bag of left-over beers for those that were there the night before. They all seemed quite thirsty after a solid day's diploming ;-)
And that's that Jim. Another Manorcon, told in a way that you almost certainly won't hear elsewhere. Possibly even innaccurate in places but what the hell. ((No, indeed, but much appreciated. It makes me chomp at the bit to get back there for World DipCon in 2004! I'll be there, count on it!))
So, onto other things. The EDC in Malmo this weekend and the Denver WDC next year. Can't go to EDC for what is now the fourth year running. ((Results on that follow below shortly...)) Last time was '98 ... and I've still got the winners crown as a keepsake ;-) And Denver is now a no-go either. Sorry mate, can't do it. Sital and I were planning to come but we've recently learned that she's now in a delicate way and due to give birth early next year. Came sooner than we'd planned: she only came off the pill what could have only been a week or two before she conceived! (he says, shaking pelvis in a manner suggestive of high fertility ;-) ) ((We didn't even have to give you any encouragement, did we??))
In fact, by my reckoning, that rules me out of the Dip scene now for the next two years. Manorcon 2004 and their 3rd WDC will be my next surefire tournament. And this time I'll not be going for two eliminations. Nope, I want the silverware for Best Italy, Germany and France, Captain of the Winning Team, Best Diplomat, Biggest Stabber, Golden Blade, Biggest Piss-head, Best 'Harris', The Tournament Directors Discretional Award for anything he deems worthy, and of course the big one ... Individual World Diplomacy Champ of 2004. ((I'll have to join Eve and Keith Smith's team and wipe up the floor with you!! Watch out!!))
Ok, I'll start packing .... toothbrush, changes of clothes, mints, 10 packs of fags, a sneaky bottle of spirit for when the bar's closed, a couple of spare pens, sunglasses and a great big sack to carry the prizes home in ;-)
See you then but not before. In the meantime, if you don't hear from me it's coz I'm focusing on family, work and life in general.
| Cheers mate, Toby, tobyh of mail.com |
((Thank you VERY much, Toby. No problem, I appreciate these last couple of letters a lot and congratulations on all the good things happening to you. It couldn't happen to a nicer guy.... hehehehe, I'll soften you yet! See you in 2004! Now let's have those EuroDipCon results....))
| EuroDipCon Results! |
1 Frank Johansen, NWY: Yay, Frank! I really love how Frank plays the game and this tournament win is VERY well deserved!!
2 Yann Clouet, FRA: Yann is very, very crafty. Don't look at his eyes!
3 Mark Wightman, ENG: Ah, and glad to see his backpain has cleared enough so that he can start playing that mean Wightman style again! Yeah!!
4 William Attia, FRA: As I said above, a brilliant analyst and board tactician. Very quiet, but very, very good.
5 Christian Ziethin, SWE: I always get the Ziethin's mixed up, but yay Christian!
6 Doug Massie, ENG: The BEST Massie.... Doug is really starting to cement this ``bottom of the top board" placing in tournaments. He just needs to get a hint of that Toby Harris swagger to make the final leap!
7 Simon Magnasson, SWE
8 Niclas Perez, SWE: We have a bunch of Swedes here, all great gregarious guys, I know Niclas the best. They have a tremendous amount of depth.
9 Vidar Ambrosinni, SWE
10 Aron Ambrossini, SWE
11 Per Larsson, SWE
12 Bjorn von Knorring, SWE
13 Shlomi Yaakobovitch, ISR: Shlomi always gets his woman to come with him to tournaments. What, why can't the rest of us do that?? Could it be that we don't want to??
14 Ronald Lokers, HOL: Wow, what a deep tournament. Ronald is the best Dutch FTFer that I've met.
15 Patrik Carlsson, SWE: Patrik is a young up and comer. A little more experience and he'll hit top 10 in these things!
16 Fearghal O'Donnchu (Twerg), IRE: Twerg must have been drinking too much beer. Where's that fire, Twerg???
17 Geoff Bache, ENG
18 Jens Persson, SWE
19 Andreas Ziethin, SWE: The other Ziethin brother....
20 Uffe Chistensen, DEN
21 Tage Bengtsson, SWE
22 Emily Bache, ENG
23 David Norman, ENG: David is coming to Boston in October after his visit to the Pitkissers. We will welcome him with a game, details to follow!
24 Jimmy Mehlstrand, SWE
25 Karl Johan Gvransson, SWE
26 Eve Smith, ENG: Go Eve, you can take these guys!
27 Keith Smith, ENG: And so can you, Keith!!
28 Christian Dreyer, SWE: Ummm, and what is Christian doing way down here? Methinks his fellow Swedes must have sandbagged him!!
Everyone else was tied for 29th; Best E Niclas Perez, SWE; Best A Sigurd Eskeland, NWY; Best F Frank Johansen, NWY; Best G Bjorn von Stabbing, SWE; Best R Yann Clouet, FRA; Best I Emily Bache, ENG; Best T Mark Wightman, ENG; Best Dip Niclas Pirez Pirez, SWE; Best Tact Doug Massie, ENG.
Pictures can be found at: http://www.student.lu.se/~ lit95pcd/edc2002/EDC.html
((Thanks to Christian Dreyer and Shlomi for the info! It makes me lick my chops to get back to another European tournament. To give some fair balance, I'll print DixieCon results in the postal version of the szine, OK? OK. Sorry, but I love our European hobby members so I'm going to keep giving them space! Go to a tournament over there yourself, you'll be hooked. Let's also do some west coast coverage....))
Jerry Fest (Sat, 03 Aug 2002 08:10:52 -0700)
Please feel free to help us get the word out by distributing this note to any and all Diplomacy email lists.
Effective immediately, the Portland PiggyBack Society has accepted the resignation of founder and President Jeff Dwornicki. Piggyback is grateful to Jeff for his excellent leadership and contribution to the hobby in founding and growing our club.
As of your receipt of this announcement, Jerry (JT) Fest has been appointed to serve as the new leader of the Portland PiggyBack Society, along with a management team consisting of Edward Hawthorne and Matt Shields. Any information or business that formerly would have been directed to Jeff should now be directed to JT at jtfest of piggybackdip.org. The first order of business is to formalize the structure of the club with a written charter, and to continue planning for our Dress Rehearsal Con in January 2003 ((For World DipCon in Denver!)), Piggyback 2003, and positioning our club to bid on a future DipCon and/or World DipCon.
Once again we would like to thank Jeff for all of his hard work, and we all look forward to the opportunity to game with him at future PiggyBack events and Diplomacy tournaments.
| Thank you, Jerry Fest, Edward Hawthorne, Matt Shields; jtfest of easystreet.com |
((Thanks, Jerry, I appreciate your efforts. I will publish your note in TAP and urge people to think about going to your January Convention (I won't be able to make it but will finally get to meet you in Denver!).))
PS You're welcome, Jim. I also look forward to meeting you in Denver. One request about any 'urging' for our January con. It is intended to be a `dress rehearsal' for players attending the WDC in Denver later. While we welcome traveling players from outside of the Pacific Northwest, we are also asking folks not to attend the con in January if it means that they wouldn't be able to attend our regular PiggyBack con in April. They may, of course, attend both - but if it's a choice between one or the other, we'd rather see them at our big con in April. Andy Marshall and the Pitkissers are also going to run a DR con on the same weekend as ours, though theirs will probably be more of a large house con than a small Con-con. You might want to let people know about that option as well, and if you are anywhere near the Pitkissers, you might want to talk to Andy about attending.
((I'll make that emphasis, I did understand what you were doing. In fact, I'll just reprint it!! Hell, as someone who's never played Manus' system, but only studied it for the past few years, I really NEED to go to your Piggy Pre-Lim. But I simply can't. I don't have the detailed results from the World Boardgaming Championships (i. e. DonCon) in Baltimore Hunt Valley from recently, but I do want to announce that Andy Marshall, Pitkisser extraordinarire, won and Boston's own (by way of New Zealand) Melissa ``Pox" Nicholson pulled off SECOND. Congratulations, Mel! We will be having a series of games in Boston this fall at various times. join MADip-L on Yahoogroups if you want to be kept up-to-date on all of the happenings! It looks like the week after the Pitkissers tournament (with guest David Norman) and the regular Diplomatic Incident the second weekend in November look like good bets!! Join us sometime to play!!! There's been a lot of discussion of scoring systems on various forums lately, but let me go to Buz so he can advertise the ONLY FTF event where you can regularly match wits with a ToadFather and an Elf!!!))
Buz Eddy (Tue, 6 Aug 2002 12:24:34 EDT)
I think I have the purest ``Kill more people get more points" system around at Dragonflight. Divide 60 points among the winners and that is it. I want play to be focused on that sole objective, so I have no awards for best country, no center counts, no survival, nothing that can be negotiated.
I do have lots of prizes (actually a few classy plaques and trophies, and large box of Dollar store items that everyone get to pick from in order of finish. ) I do add class awards for best performance in NADF Rating groups, but those groupings are based on rating before the tournament so they too are (win, draw, or die) based awards.
Tie-breaking is also ot of control of players. (other than kill, kill, kill, control). I assign countries, and those achieving the same score are placed in order by having achieved it with the statistically more difficult countries. (From lastest NADF records).
Melissa ((Nicholson, see above)) wrote she wanted to play in more US tournaments, so I jumped at the chance to extend her a special invitation. The non-northwest players so far are Edi Birsan (CA), Manus Hand (CO), Andy Bartalone (MD), AND your former New England NADF policy committee person Adam Silverman (CA). Here's the current ad and who's coming list. Let me know if you want any more specific information.
| Buz Eddy, BuzEddy of aol.com |
((I trimmed some of the details, so ask Buz if you want it all. I just found it impossible to understand all of his little ad notes.))
| DRAGONFLIGHT DIPLOMACY |
Seattle, WA - Seattle Univ. - August 23 - 25
4 Rounds: Fri. Aug. 23 - 7 PM; Sat.Aug.24 - 9am, 4:30pm; Sunday Aug. 25 - 9 AM.
Scoring-60 pts for winners; Board assignments progress to like scores. There are four classes based on Certificates and Prizes for all. Winner-Plaque and Dragon Trophy - http://www.dragonflight.org
Already registered are: Jeff Dwornicki; Nathan Barnes ; Ken LeMere; Manus Hand; Jay Jensen; Jerry Fest; Edi Birsan; Kevin Kacmarynski; Adam Silverman; Andy Bartalone; Fred Sutherland; Edward Hawthorne; Bruce Knight; Trindon Wilkerson; Jake Mannix; Buz Eddy; Matt Shields; Kate Adams; John Alley; Mike Hall; Rob Biggar; Ben Ferguson; Chris Cramer; Eric Ozog; Mary Kuhner; Mike Snively; Eric Yarnell; Eric Mead; Steve Maurich; Mike Noble; Jack Wells; Dennis Murray.
((Next up, some publicity for my buds Brian Dennehy and Twerg for the Dublin drinking and Dipping event of the year....))
Brian Dennehy (Wed, 7 Aug 2002 10:29:21)
All - this is to let you all know that the BoruCon III will take place in Dublin this year. The competition will take place on December 6th, 7th and 8th. Thats Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The scoring system will be C-Diplo modified, however we are thinking of tinkering with it a good bit. There will be four rounds - 3 and then a top board The top three places will be reserved for the top board The winner will be crowned Irish National Diplomacy Champion 2002 (make sure it's not Twerg)
For more information join the yahoo group BoruConIII of yahoogroups.com do this by either 1. send an email to the following address mailto:BoruConIII-subscribe of yahoogroups.com
2. Go to the following website and join http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BoruConIII
If you want to unsubscribe later then simply mail mailto:BoruConIII-unsubscribe of yahoogroups.com
This will just keep you all updated on any goings on. If you want to register - then send either (or both of) myself and Twerg to let us know you are either thinking of coming, or are definitely coming.
my address is mailto:denno88 of yahoo.com
Twergs is mailto:twerg_85 of yahoo.com
So let's hear from you all !!!!!!
| Brian Dennehy, denno88 of yahoo.com |
((Go, Denno!!! This next one really should have been in last issue, but I forgot to put it in at the last minute.))
Jack McHugh (Wed, 17 Jul 2002 22:46:22 -0400)
Jim Bob, I just wanted to drop you a note saying that I had no idea Bob Acheson was that sick, but mostly to say how much fun I had with him the few times I was with him. His 18 hour drive to Vertigo games in the early 90's was classic. I asked him why he came and he said ``For the beer". How can you not like a guy like that? Plus his zine was a great read as Bob had his viewpoint on just about everything. Anyone who refers to himself as ``The Canadian Dip Deity" is going to be a great read and Bob was. I will miss his sense of humor and his Canadian nationalism. I think we should all have beer in his memory as I am sure Bob would have appreciated that, although I'm sure he would complain it doesn't do him any good now.
I did go and see ``The Sum of All Fears" and it was a decent movie but somewhat predictable in the end. Overall it was well done since the movie didn't drag at all until near the very end. I liked the editing and the direct, the acting was decent if a bit pedantic.
My Phillies are again in last place, hopefully this will mean we'll finally clean house. We need some serious power hitting. Unfortunately I think there will be a strike this year since the players won't have a contract and this is their best time to strke. What do you think and how are the Red Soxes doing?
| Flapjack, flapjack of comcast.net |
((Finally getting rid of that whiner, Scott Rolen, seems to me to be a step in the right direction. I think Sammy Sosa is getting frustrated by the no-winning Cubs attitude. I'm still extremely hopeful about the Sox. Pedro has reinvented himself as a finesse strikeout pitcher, Derek Lowe is brilliant, and we got ourselves a pretty decent new hitter in Cliff Floyd. If we can hold our own for the rest of the month, there is no strike, and they can beat up on the patsies they play in September, they'll be there. Most likely as the wildcard with the AL West teams beating each other up, but they'll be there. And last year showed that the two great starters can win it all. I'm not predicting it, but I'm hopeful. Thank you very much for the words about Bob Acheson, I was at that MadCon too and he just wanted the beer.))
| MUSIC AND MOVIES SECTION (WITH COMMENTS ON OTHER ARTS AND SOCIETY) |
Tell me anything you like about the year of 2000 or 2001 in music. List a top two, a top ten, or a top 100, I don't care, just tell me something!! Mine will continue soon!!! Really, it will. And it will continue to be a joint 2000 and 2001 issue. More recently, there is a new Cornershop CD and I can't wait any longer to talk about it....
First off, I've been threatening for the last couple of issues to review
the stunning new Cornershop CD and it's time to make good on at least one promise.
Where we last picked up on this group, we were talking about four years ago
about the sad news that Cornershop had split.
For such an anticommercial bunch of musicians, the stress generated
by the worldwide success of the album When I
Was Born For The 7th Time, and in particular the stupendous smash hit, ``Brimful
Of Asha", practically ensured that frontman Tjinder Singh would decide to
pack it in.
But this would not last forever, as the media rush died down, Cornershop began jammin' together again and I wouldn't have believed it, but they have outdone themselves! Handcream For a Generation (a spot rock on title) gives you a 60's soul rock mixed with a bit of acid rock landing square in the middle of 2002. Tjinder Singh draws favorable comparisons to Lou Reed (listen to ``Wogs Will Walk'' and yes that is REALLY the title of the song!) and Bob Marley (listen to ``Motion the 11'') and amazingly enough, the comparisons are apt. The audacious ambitions of this record are hard to place but you know you're hearing something completely new that still celebrates the old.
It begins and ends with something called ``Heavy Soup", that I could hear three or four times interspersed on the record. I haven't even come close to losing the spontaneity in the grooves - even after many repeated listenings - but it sounds like it could collapse in ruins at any moment. The reggaeish ``Motion The 11" has these false starts that just enrapture you, reminds me of the best of Throwing Muses! The musicianship capabilities of the band also are finally matching their subtle songwriting. The amateurish crap that sullied Hold On It Hurts (and believe me, that record sometimes does HURT!) is completely gone! They even have a hard rockin' single with the scary title of ``Lessons Learned from Rocky I to Rocky III". It isn't the point of the song, but it reminded me of the roommate I had in 1980 or so who used to get up every morning about 6AM blasting the Rocky theme in his room to psych himself up to go out for a run. I soon began running early in the morning too - never with him though, and usually striving to be out on the road before he awakened.... they currently are touring in Europe, darn it.
If I wrote a political album like this one is, I'd probably make it all sorts of cynical and not just a little bit whiny.... hey you guys know, you read the crap I write! But Cornershop have a deep seated warmth and an amazing sense of humor. Charlotte hates the discoish ``The London Radar'' (and she is screaming about it right now as I type) but hey it has a great beat and I can dance to it! And then it passes into the ``Asha'' like bounciness of ``Spectral Mornings'', perhaps my favorite song on the record. But they still are releasing their music on their own Willja label, so they are completely uninhibited by any desire to fit into any music industry marketing niche.
Sonically, the reach of the band's influences stretches for miles and miles and miles, with an infectious cheekiness about it all that just makes you smile. But there's one big problem. If there's any justice, this album is going to be totally huge - worldwide. So, will Tjinder Singh and Cornershop run away and hide or will they keep making more music? I don't know but until then, this is the best record I've heard this century so far..... a few more pithy comments on each track, just to show you a tiny bit of that range and how great each track is....
1. ``Heavy Soup'' (The Intro): this is the soundcheck that also is the essential beginning. So, start off with some soul, why not grab the legendary Otis Clay, recorded specially in New York City, with some scratches by the ubiquitous (on this record) Rob Swift. I just don't get it... ``Daddy, that crew swings like a gate". The gate gives you slices of the melodies that you will soon be hearing on this album. It's so obvious, but I've never heard anything like it before.
2. ``Staging The Plaguing Of The Raised Platform'': Great pop song!!! It sails in with a completely joyous ``Brimful of Asha'' type of rhythm, but it is a better dance tune. If justice has anything to say, this will be one of the top radio hits of the year, justice is silent more than it speaks these days, so that probably won't happen, but it should. The chorus, that repeats the song title, brings in a mini-chorus of children (six of them listed on the CD) that is just delightful. I love JUST the right amount of cello in a great pop song, and Penny Holt delivers just that amount, without falling over into the saccharine.
3. ``Music Plus 1'': I think the ``one'' might be God. This is a deeply spiritual song which I find it difficult to find appropriate words to describe. So I won't. This starts out underwater, then adds a serious monster beat, but that's just form and describing the function admittedly eludes me here. This is one of the songs with strong house influences and is related to ``Motion the 11'' a few songs following.
4. ``Lessons Learned From Rocky I To Rocky III'': Yet another classic dance number. There is the damnedest sense of groundedness while you sail with ``chicks with dicks''. It's only been out a few months and it's already a classic. Too allegorical for me to completely have figured out yet, I'll let you know after a few hundred more listenings. When the Motown chorus pops in toward the end, you'll think you're somewhere entirely different, but you're not, you're trapped in the Cornershop. This forms a bit of a bridge to the cultural stew in the next song....
5. ``Wogs Will Walk'': Whoa, here's Rob Swift again, co-producing this hip hop street song, but is it from Tokyo, Berlin, New York City, or is it really just floating on the web as the song suggests?? Damned if I know. Obviously, again, a panoply of words in the soundscape. No, we've been taken prisoner by the X-Men!!
6. ``Motion The 11'': we're already up and dancing, but then we are slayed. This is a a dance movement extravaganza. Hands are thrust firmly up in the air as demonstrated by the album cover. Cornershop has never made a dance song like this one, by way of Jamaica. Take off.... no BLAST OFF! The lyric ``handcream for a generation" appears in this song and a couple of the others, like ``Music Plus 1". This music is good for you, as it is not shy about telling you. Supposedly this was initially released in the summer of 2001 as a limited-edition white label, but I missed it. This had the critics buzzing that this was the song of the year even before the whole album came out. I can see why, but it isn't even the fourth best song on the album!
7. ``People Power'': on anyone else's record this would be a great dance song. Here it is merely another excellent track. Now TAP people, arrest yourselves.
8. ``Sounds Super Recordings'': Anoint the sacred beat, bring in just the right amount of soul music, and commemorate the passing of Supa - an Indian songwriter. Perhaps the most Indian song on the record, and its most essential.
9. ``The London Radar'': Fly out of India back to London via Genoa! This song takes place on a plane with all sorts of wacky soundeffects. ``You won't find all that you do here easy'', well that's for gosh darn sure. This will be played in the rave houses around the world for sure! ``Is there anything wrong with the passport YOU are carrying?" After you've checked out others, you had better check yourself!
10. ``Spectral Mornings'': Let's see what else can we do to make this record special?? Bring in an electronic sitar for Tjinder to play and ask Noel Gallagher to guest on guitar. But don't just ask him to play, ask him to layer himself on top of himself - about 20 layers of it. This may also make the pop charts (probably just because of Gallagher, but it really is a great song beyond that). Supposedly this track was streamed over the world for a full day straight back in February to become the longest track ever to have been aired. The version on the CD is over fourteen minutes long. Noel himself is said to love it and play it back to himself all the time, but I don't know if I believe that. I can't understand all the lyrics completely, but it seems to be saying something like, ``if we all just keep playing this over and over, we can't kill each other, we can be one as a people.'' or some similar sentiment to that. It's just fun to listen to.
11. ``Slip The Drummer One'': what, a Mickey Finn? So we can bring back Rob Swift on the dip switch again. Call the ambulances to take away the dancers after this one!! I love the electronica and vocoded sound of this ethereally deceptive dance song. This might be my favorite song on the entire record, competing equally with all of the others.
12. ``Heavy Soup'' (The Outro): Unfortunately, Mr. Otis Clay has left the building, but we're still swinging with the gate. This crew has done yeoman work, so let's remind ourselves of one of those killer melodies we've just heard and let the crew free jam a bit in the background.
Plus Bonus Track: Let's just hear Tjinder and some of the others fooling around at a celebration party after the recording sessions. Why? Why not?? This record reminds me why music matters. You can hear Stéphane Sudrot ``working the room'' while the sounds play on over him. Why? Why not?? Perfect ending to a perfect record.
Mike Barno (Fri, 02 Aug 2002 17:20:26 -0400)
Well, Jim (and a couple of friends copied), I have my first live concert notes of the year for you... but not for the event that I had planned! After last year's Hickory Smoked Blues festival was such a kick that I reviewed it in TAP, I was set to go Saturday, but stayed out Friday night until five AM and didn't awaken until hours past showtime. Instead I attended a concert by the current bands of two former Grateful Dead members.
Bob Weir's band Ratdog and Bill Kreutzmann's band the Trichromes played a concert at Binghamton University. I went down to Bingo, dropped Mary Jane at my mom's, and hiked some of the nature preserve trails behind the university. But the sound didn't carry up there well enough, even when I went up the hill so campus would block it less; so I came down and sat outside the fence for free.
Bill's band played ``Sugaree", ``Black Peter", and new Trichromes tunes after I got down near the Anderson Center and its outdoor portion with bleachers. They played less than an hour. Ratdog, however, played for two hours without a break. They just came back from touring Europe; they had the Stars and Stripes hung but didn't play ``US Blues". Highlights were 10 to 12 minutes of ``Eyes of the World", and a free jam that went on about that same length. It was a gentle show, not much loud or fast material, but never lifeless, just calm. ``Shakedown Street", ``Ramble On Rose", ``Brown-Eyed Women (and Red Grenadine)", and ``Eyes of the World" were among the `classic' Grateful Dead songs that expressed the feeling of this show. They played a few newer tunes these people had composed together, and played a few out-and-out jams. In some cases I'm not sure which category applied. For an encore, Bob donned a gray beard and played ``Touch of Grey" in memoriam.
Not much dancing and I was surprised to see no hackysack circles. I wanted to kick it (like I did in Yellowstone the night Jerry G died, with coworkers playing live guitars/bass/drumset/congo on Dead songs) but hadn't brought my own hackysack and saw none. Crowd was a mix of old Deadheads, BU students, and assorted locals. They weren't very lively but they were happy enough. I didn't see anyone I knew until after the show when I sought out my 6'5" blond bearded buddy among the spilled crowd. That succeeded except it helped keep me out all night in the middle of my workweek. All in all, I had plenty of fun and enjoyed the music and the mile of woods hiking.
It was the best live music I've heard all year, notwithstanding the fact that it's the FIRST live music (other than friends' practices) I've heard all stinkin' year.
| - Mike, mpbarno of lightlink.com |
((Thanks, Mike, I know you're one of the ones who doesn't get excited about our movie reviews, but I think Steve and I come after it from near similar perspectives. I watch virtually no TV (which actually hurts me of course watching some movies and figuring out the context) and on a Friday night after working hard all week, usually I'm looking for a relatively mindless movie to laugh at or get scared at or get excited about a bit. It is true that a large number of movies are ``products'' and most of them have very, very limited emotional palettes, but I find most of the art movies made these days extremely pretentious and are products on a different level. I actually wonder what the future of audio/video entertainment is? Don't you?? Well, we'll see, for now let's talk about some mindless movies. Let's start with a fluffy piece of pure delight....))
Steve Langley (Mon, 22 Jul 2002 21:52:15 EDT)
``Stuart Little 2" === a movie
The rule that a sequel is the same story with more car chases and a bigger body count does not apply. This is more a case of the same story picking up a few years later and continuing on. Stuart has settled in to family life. The Littles have a new baby, the littlest Little and Stuart has moved up to his position as the middle Little. He's the only kid in the third grade who drives a convertible to school. ((The story is MUCH better too. Stuart's ``brother'' is a much better actor this time around, and there is a whole subplot where he tries to help Stuart that is just warm and winning. Yes, perhaps this is a bit treacly, but the treacle is quite yummy.))
His only problem is that he has no friends. He is size challenged. There isn't anyone his size in his class. None of the other kids want to play with him out of fear that they might accidently step on him. It is a problem.
Then Margalo falls (literally) into his life. She is a canary escaping from Falcon. She has a sore wing and a dream of flying south for the winter. For Margalo every day is an adventure. She makes a great friend for Stuart.
Then the story really takes off and indeed becomes an adventure. I loved it.
| Steve, Steflan of aol.com |
((Wow, one of those sequels that is better than the original, I liked the original, but loved this! I agree completely. Some of the twisty plot devices you can see coming a mile away, but in the end they don't really matter. You are left with a classic story of the little guy with a heart of gold who won't quit. And Stuart's mom and dad are well drawn too. Lots of fun, but everyone grows and learns in the end, Stuart, Margalo, Stuart's brother, the parents, Stuart's friend, and EVEN the littlest Little - in what is sort of a joke, but still funny.))
Steve Langley (Sun, 28 Jul 2002 15:45:06 EDT)
``K-19: The Widowmaker" === a movie
Based on an incident in the early sixties, the age of Mutually Assured Destruction. The United States had developed a supremecy in delivery systems, nuclear submarines that could launch missiles with a range that included Moscow. Many in the Soviet High Command were sure that with such an advantage the United States would deliver a first strike. They had to forestall that by showing the United States that the Soviet Union too had a submarine missile delivery system.
The K-19 was such a system, the first nuclear powered Soviet submarine. Unfortunately it was still a work in progress. It was in the shipyard being fitted out. The crew was training. There were lots of problems. High Command wishful thinking swept them all aside.
Liam Neeson plays the captain who was demoted to executive officer because he thought first for the safety of his men. He was only allowed to remain on the boat because he was the closest to an expert that the Soviet Union had.
Harrison Ford plays the captain who replaces Neeson. He is an experienced submariner, and he understands that the mission will succeed. There is no other option.
The boat is launched, and the bottle fails to break. The ship's doctor is killed (the tenth to die and they haven't even left the docks) trying to stop the truck that had delivered the wrong drugs. Just one of many such deliveries. Instead of radiation suits they had chemical hazmat suits. Backup systems either didn't exist or didn't fit.
Ford puts the crew through simulated emergency drills non-stop. The upside was that the crew did gain experience. The downside was that the drills were destroying the boat and the crew's moral.
I never really got to know any of the characters. There were too many of them to deliver more than vignettes. The final character growth from Ford was hard to believe. He went from Captain Queeg to Jean Luc Picard in a matter of minutes. Tough sell.
But despite that it was a fascinating movie.
| Steve, Steflan of aol.com |
((Lots of the movies I've been seeing this summer (and that Steve and I have been describing) have been kids or adventure movies. I found it quite a lot of fun to have a movie with adults. I'd respectfully disagree with Steve on the characterizations, I really grabbed character from the radio operator, the party apparatchik, the Christian sailor, the kid nuclear engineer, the chief petty officer, the bridge officer with the moustache (I'm not sure what his rank was). I did miss all those Russian names, but I did grab character. The movie had a lot of momentum shifts and lots of surprises for me, even though I knew the original story and had seen innumerable previews. In the end, the screenwriters pushed a little too hard (Harrison Ford was one of the Executive Producers and no one reigned him in) and the director Kathryn Bigelow did a brilliant job with the color palette of a mostly drab set. Without trying to be sexist, I was shocked that a woman directed this very, very male movie, but that it was Kathryn Bigelow is not totally unexpected. She has perfectly captured with framing and movement a whole lot of subtext. And I quickly reminded myself that she also directed another interesting little film that you can probably rent from 5-10 years ago called ``Strange Days'' working with James Cameron (who I think was her husband for awhile) and starring Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett and a gripping Juliette Lewis performance (she's one of my favorite actresses). Strange Days is sort of a police scifi thriller with people vicariously pumping into other people's lives via technology. It has the equivalent of a ``snuff film'' at its center (which it shares with a Nicolas Cage movie that I also like), which should get inside your head. Hmm, I'm impressed. More women like Kathryn should be making movies. I realize I wandered away from Widowmaker, but this movie succeeded for me even if Harrison Ford didn't.))
Steve Langley (Sun, 4 Aug 2002 12:31:51 EDT)
``Signs" === a movie
M. Night Shyamalan really blows me away. He tells a story! On the surface this is a film about aliens coming to Earth for evil purpose. That makes it a `B' rated flic by convention. Underneath is revealed the story of loss and redemption that lifts it into the or maybe above the `A' flic label.
It would not be fair to say much more about the story than I have. This is nearly a play. There is almost no cast at all. There is only a small set. The story is unfolded (or perhaps peeled away would be a better metaphor) in interaction between the characters about what is taking place, or in flashback.
The acting was brilliant. The two kids were especially effective. However this is not a movie for kids. Yeah, blown away pretty much describes it.
| Steve, Steflan of aol.com |
((I will see this one, but haven't yet.))
Steve Langley (Sun, 4 Aug 2002 12:19:25 EDT)
``Master of Disguise" === a movie
Once I saw the `Turtle Disguise' in the trailers I knew I had to see the rest. The story (amazingly there actually is a story) isn't very complicated. A young man, Pistachio Disguisey (Dana Carvey), is denied his heritage by a protective parent, Fabbrizio Disguisey (James Brolin). He was born into a long line of super-hero Masters of Disguise who use their amazing powers to secretly fight evil and support good. He feels the urge to disguise but never got the training. Instead he got nonstop discouragement and training in the arts of being a waiter in his fathers Italian Restaurant.
Then the evil villain (Brent Spiner) kidnaps his parents. The villain used threats against the mother to force the father to use his powers of disguise to steal national treasures. Pistachio, the last in the Disguisey line, receives last minute training from his long lost grandfather and he saves the day through the use of some of the funniest disguises attempted by a Master of Disguise.
Remarkably this seemed to be a date film for young teens. At least that was the majority of the audience that I observed leaving the theater. Maybe they were the only ones left by the time I left. The ending credits alone were worth the price of admission.
| Steve, Steflan of aol.com |
((Another one that I want to see! Sounds like fun, I just worry that I've seen the preview too many times....))
Steve Langley (Sun, 11 Aug 2002 18:40:52 EDT)
``Spy Kids 2" - a movie
``Spy Kids" was a truly innovative exciting work. ``Spy Kids 2" takes off from there and has even more fun. Being a super secret agent is a kid's fantasy.
These kids dance and sing and still manage to play with really slick technology. After all ``A spy is only as good as his gizmos" or so says the bad kid spy. Yes, there are both good and bad spies. Although by the end the differences between them are a little difficult to define.
That's part of what makes the ``Spy Kids" genre so good, even the worst of the villains really are not bad. Just strange.
The villain in this one is planning to take over the world. He's brought to his knees begging for mercy when his daughter says she is going to tell her mother, his wife, that he was trying to take over the world again.
I really like ``Spy Kids" whatever the number might be.
But the kids are getting older. Maybe the next one will be ``Spy Young Adults". ((I just read that they will only make ONE more. The main girl, Alexa (I forget her last name) got a lot older, a lot taller, and a lot more busty since the last movie. She's probably just 13, but you know what 13 year old girls look like these days. I also thought the gadget thing went a bit overboard. They make a big deal about a rubber band, that clearly will be marketed for over a buck when it will cost three cents to make that they use in a horribly stupid way.))
You have a point about the rubber band. That was a bit lame. But mostly what I like about Spy Kids is that it is essentially about nice people, not terribly bright nice people, but nice just the same. But you are right, I do love the ridiculous gadgets.
((OK, but I liked Stuart Little as a kids movie a LOT better. I didn't hate Spy Kids 2, but after I liked the first one SO much, I was expecting better!))
I found myself smiling all the way through both movies. Come to think on it, I smiled a lot in `xXx' too.
| Steve, Steflan of aol.com |
Steve Langley (Sun, 11 Aug 2002 18:30:39 EDT)
``Blood Work" - a movie
Disappointing. I think this might have worked as a book. Not as a movie though. This was supposed to be a suspense mystery sort of story except there was no suspense and not much mystery. I've seen Clint Eastwood do lots better.
| Steve, Steflan of aol.com |
Steve Langley (Sun, 11 Aug 2002 18:28:12 EDT)
``xXx" - a movie
This was fun. The premise as demonstrated was that the secret agent who slips out of his jump gear wearing a tuxedo doesn't cut it in a world where everyone wears tattoos.
`xXx' (Vin Diesel) is an X-treme Sports political activist who steals a Corvette from a right wing Senator and stunt jumps it off a bridge to make a political point. I think the point was ``Kids just want to have fun".
He gets busted at the celebration party by men in black SWAT with automatic weapons and wakes up in a diner. Things get stranger from there.
Lots of great action stunts. Bike jumps over and through explosions. Vin Diesel is a skateboarding, snowbaording, parachuting, parasailing, motorbiking, fast driving, rock climbing super hero. If he isn't doing most of his own stunts he has a stunt double that must be a clone.
His one-liners are not quite as limp as the usual fare delivered by all of the `Bonds'. I especially liked his telling one of the cops who was pinned down by a sniper. ``Stop thinking Prague police and start thinking Playstation. Blow things up!" He follows by sending a heat seeking missile at the sniper.
There is plenty of room for serials if this makes money. The story only needs a villain who wants to rule and/or destroy the world. No shortage of them.
| Steve, Steflan of aol.com |
| LAWYERS: THE AMATEUR DIVISION - 2000G - GUEST GM: RUSS RUSNAK |
2000G, No Lawyers Welcome, Fall 1912
Austrian/Russian draw defeated
Austria Bob Osuch ROsuch4082 of aol.com A SMYRNA hold, A Munich - BURGUNDY, A TRIESTE - venice A GREECE hold A TYROLIA support A trieste - venice, A BOHEMIA - munich, A ALBANIA - trieste A SERBIA support A albania - trieste, F AEGEAN support A greece, A Bulgaria - RUMANIA
France Paul Rauterberg trauterberg of wi.rr.com F PICARY - brest, A burgundy (dislodged) - belgium, F LIVERPOOL hold F ENGLISH CHANNEL support A burgundy - belgium , F NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN - mid atlantic ocean
Italy Jim Burgess burgess of TheWorld.com F TYRRHENIAN - western mediterranean, F WEST MED. - mid atlantic F ADRIATIC SEA support A Venice, A SPAIN hold, A VENICE hold F IONIAN SEA hold
Russia Brendan Mooney bkmooney of comcast.net F Yorkshire - LONDON, F NORTH SEA Support F Yorkshire - London, A Norway - EDINBURGH F NORWEGIAN SEA Convoy A Norway-Edinburgh, A BELGIUM Support Austrian a Munich - Burgundy, A Kiel - MUNICH A HOLLAND support A Belgium, A BERLIN support A Kiel - Munich A SILISIA support A Kiel - Munich, A syria - ARMENIA, F CLYDE - liverpool F MID ATLANTIC OCEAN - brest
Winter 1912 orders and draw votes due on Thursday, August 8
Spring 1913 orders are due on Wednesday, August 29
Winter 1912 supply center chart
Austria 10 even, lost Munich Smyrna, Contantinople, Vienna, Budapest, Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ankara, Trieste, Rumania,
France 4 - 1, lost Belgium and London, gained Liverpool Brest, Paris, Marseilles, LIVERPOOL
Italy 6 even Rome, Naples, Venice, Tunis, Spain, Portugal
Russia 14 + 2 Lost Liverpool, Gained Belgium, Munich, Rome Berlin, St. Petersburg, Sevastopol, Sweden, Denmark, Warsaw, Norway, Moscow, Edinburgh, Kiel, Holland, BELGIUM, MUNICH, LONDON
2000G, No Lawyers Welcome, Winter 1912
Austrian/ Russian draw defeated / reproposed
Austria Bob Osuch ROsuch4082 of aol.com Has A Smyrna, A Burgundy, A Trieste, A Greece, A Tyrolia, A Bohemia, A Albania, A Serbia, F Aegean Sea, A Rumania
France Paul Rauterberg trauterberg of wi.rr.com Retreat A Bur-Par. Remove F Lpl. Has F Picardy, A Paris, F English Channel, F North Atlantic Ocean
Italy Jim Burgess burgess of TheWorld.com Has F Tyrrhenian Sea, F Western Mediterranean Sea, F Adriatic Sea, A Spain A Venice, F Ionian Sea
Russia Brendan Mooney bkmooney of comcast.net Build F Sevastopal and A Warsaw Has F Sevastopol, A Warsaw, F London, F North Sea, A Edinburgh, F Norwegian Sea, A Belgium, A Munich, A Holland, A Berlin, A Silisia A Armenia, F Clyde, F Mid Atlantic Ocean
Spring 1913 orders are due on Wednesday, August 29
Winter 1912 supply center chart
Austria 10 Smyrna, Contantinople, Vienna, Budapest, Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ankara, Trieste, Rumania,
France 4 Brest, Paris, Marseilles, Liverpool
Italy 6 even Rome, Naples, Venice, Tunis, Spain, Portugal
Russia 14 Berlin, St. Petersburg, Sevastopol, Sweden, Denmark, Warsaw, Norway, Moscow, Edinburgh, Kiel, Holland, Belgium, Munich, Rome
Russ Rusnak 1551 High Ridge Parkway Westchester, Il 60154
GM 708 409-0718 RRRRRUSNAK of AOL.com
Bob Osuch 19137 Midland Ave. Mokena, Il. 60448 AUSTRIA 708 478-3885 ROsuch4082 of aol.com
Bruce Linsey PO Box 234 Kinderhook, NY 12106 ENGLAND GonzoHQ of aol.com
Paul Rauterberg 3116 W. Amer. Dr. Greenfield, WI 53221 FRANCE 414-691-4264 trauterberg of wi.rr.com
Mike Barno 634 Dawson Hill Road Spencer, NY 14883 GERMANY 607 589-4906 mpbarno of lightlink.com
Jim Burgess 664 Smith Street Providence, RI 02908 ITALY 401 351-0287 burgess of world.std.com
Brendan Mooney bkmooney of comcast.net RUSSIA
| THE ABYSSINIAN PRINCE GAMES SECTION |
``So I called up George and he called up Jim, I said let's make a deal.
He said he'd talk to him. Gonna start a church where you can save yourself,
You can make some noise, When you've got no choice...
You told me useful things, what people think of me, I guess I should thank you.
It's true, then I agree... I'm all alone, I've got no choice,
I'm all alone, I've got no choice."
From ``Got No Choice" by the incomparable Mark Cutler, from the CD Mark Cutler and Useful Things.
If you want to submit orders, press, or letters by E-Mail, you can find me through the Internet system at ``burgess of world.std.com''. If anyone has an interest in having an E-Mail address listed so people can negotiate with you by computer, just let me know. FAX orders to (401) 277-9904 if you let me know in advance to be sure the fax machine is set up.
I am continuing to note cut or failed support orders with a small ``s'' instead of a capital ``S''. This will make it easier on the E-Mailed version of the szine to see what happened, since the italics don't show there. The italics DO show on the web page just fine.
Standby lists:
Bruce Linsey, Mike Barno, Dick Martin, Brad Wilson, Jack McHugh, Glenn Petroski, Steve Emmert, Mark Kinney, Vince Lutterbie, Eric Brosius, Paul Rauterberg, Bob Osuch, Doug Kent, Heath Gardner, Phil Reynolds, Paul Kenny, Dan Gorham, and John Schultz stand by for regular Diplomacy.
Brad Wilson, Jack McHugh, Jim Sayers, and Kurt Ozog stand by for the Modern Diplomacy game.
Let me know if you want on or off these lists, especially OFF. Standbies get the szine for free and receive my personal thanks.
| GAME OPENING INFORMATION |
We've got lots of openings in the subszines, check them out!!! Especially, contact Rip Gooch for Railway Rivals as the following maps are available. Following each in parenthesis is the suggested number of players: Isle of Wight (3 or 4); Netherlands (3 or 4); Northern Italy Map P (4 to 8); Spain Map SP (4 to 7); China Mk. I (6 to 8); Austria (3 or 4); Belgium and Luxembourg (3 or 4); Southern Italy Map Q (4); South Sweden Map SWE (3 or 4); Switzerland (3 or 4). Ripping Yarns Mk III will take the form of a tiny subszine in Word as soon as Rip gets some people interested. Come on, help me out!!! Contact Rip Gooch directly at xyropedes of canada.com.
I also am starting a game of the variant I designed, Spy Diplomacy. Signups for that are now open. I'll publish the rules shortly. You also can sign up for the next Breaking Away game, which is starting now. Tom Howell currently is signed up, knock off the superstar, come on, you can do it!! So far, Eric Brosius wants to challenge Tom.
John Harrington is offering to guest GM a game of Office Politics. Any interest in that?? Let me or John know! Jody McCullough is still interested, anyone else?
Harold Reynolds is willing to start a game of Colonia and one of Aberration. I am presently the only one signed up for the Colonia game.
Also, I am going to design some postal rules for Devil Take the Hindmost, and Chris Lockheardt is pulling out of that opening too, so I need three players. Eoghan Barry is signed up. Postal rules from me will be forthcoming shortly, on my never ending to-do list. I will get them in SOON! I'm more likely to get these things started if I see some interest..... Eoghan is getting tired of waiting....
Right now, the other thing I am contemplating getting going is the Modern Diplomacy game with Wings. Rick Desper is the only one signed up for that.
Stephen Agar runs a British Diplomacy mailing list at: http://www.diplomacy.co.uk
and if you are interested, contact Stephen Agar at stephen of meurglys.com or join the Brit hobby mailing list at (aw, you guessed it, another new address): http://www.diplomacy-archive.com/
| I CAN'T FIND MY MONEY!: 2001F, Regular Diplomacy |
THE DUE DATE FOR SUMMER 1903 IS AUGUST 24TH, 2002
THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 1903 IS SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2002
Spring 1903
AUSTRIA (Lockheardt): a TRI-alb, a vie-BOH, a bud-GAL,
a RUM S a war-ukr, a SER S a bul, a BUL S f gre, a war-UKR, f GRE-alb.
ENGLAND (Heikkinen): f iri-MID, f NTH-hol, f ENG S f iri-mid, f mid-GAS.
FRANCE (Mitchell): NMR, DOUG KENT CALLED AS STANDBY; a MAR h, a PIC h, f BRE h,
f POR h, a gas h (d r:par,spa,otb), a BEL h.
GERMANY (Sayers): a KIE-mun, f DEN S a hol-kie, a HOL-kie, a BUR S ENGLISH f mid-gas.
ITALY (Méhkeri): a tyo-VEN, f ION S f eas-aeg, f EAS-aeg, a MUN h, a TUN h.
RUSSIA (Desper): f BER-kie, a MOS S a pru-war, a pru-WAR.
TURKEY (Miller): a SMY h, f AEG h, f CON S f aeg, a SEV h.
Addresses of the Participants
AUSTRIA: Chris Lockheardt, 54 Butler Avenue, Maynard, MA 01754, +1 978-897-1547
clockheardt of yahoo.com
ENGLAND: Allan Heikkinen, c/o S.HELEY, 7 / 77 Phillip Street, Waterloo, NSW 2017, AUSTRALIA
aheikkin of ram.net.au
FRANCE: Adam Mitchell, 19 Hollin Park Place, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS8 2NS, GREAT BRITAIN,
044 113 2650752 or + 01144 from US, heather.taylor of virgin.net (yes, that's really his)
FRANCE: Standby is Doug Kent, 1404 E. Lamar Blvd #106, Arlington, TX 76011
dipworld of ix.netcom.com
GERMANY: Jim Sayers, 15 Holdsworth Street, Woollahra 2025, AUSTRALIA
jimp of magna.com.au
ITALY: Dan Méhkeri, 26 DeQuincy Blvd, North York, Ontario, M3H 1Y5, CANADA, +1 416-631-0492
fool of kvack.org
RUSSIA: Rick Desper, 319 West Side Dr., #102 Gaithersburg, MD 20878
(301) 977-7691, rick_desper of yahoo.com
TURKEY: Tim Miller, 5454 South Shore Drive, Apt. 222, Chicago, IL 60615, +1 773-834-4597
btmiller of uchicago.edu
GM: Jim-Bob Burgess, 664 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02908-4327, +1 401-351-0287
burgess of world.std.com
Game Notes:
1) I think we just hit Adam's summer vacation and he forgot to tell me, but we'll see. I'm calling Doug Kent to submit orders. You may make Summer retreats conditional on who is playing France and I must hear from Adam by the Summer deadline, or Doug replaces him. Whoops, but France has the only retreat, so of course France can make its order conditional on who makes it....
Press:
(BARON to MRS. HEDJUK'S THIRD-GRADE READING CLASS):
The Ghastly Dumb Tinies, or After the Stabbing by Dead N. Gorey
A is for Austria, whose neighbors it attacked,
B is for the Baron, who will give it all back,
C is for Controversy, spurred by the Bishop,
D is for Desper, shot from his stirrups,
E is for England, as quiet as Death,
F is for France, who may send him there yet,
G is for Germany, as charming as Hyde,
H is for Heikkinen, the Jekyll by his side,
I is for Italy, a Fool's Paradise,
J is for Judges, an impatient man's vice,
K is for Killing, a topic of mirth,
L is for Lepanto, abandoned at birth,
M is for Mekons, quoted ad naseum,
N is for ``No Such Address," a Sultan's asylum,
O is for ``Off the Board," my fleet's destination,
P is for Paul, with his Aussie accusation,
Q is for Quid Pro Quo, the Motto of Alliance,
R is Rationalization, a habitual reliance,
S is for Show-off, parading his builds,
T is for Trieste, which he should never have filled,
U is for ``Uncle!", the Sultan's war cry,
V is for Venice, which remains high and dry,
W is for Words, which won't seem to rhyme,
X is for ``Xanadu," a waste of Olivia's time,
Y is for Yearning, for this exercise to cease,
Z is for Zoloft, which I pray cures this disease.
(DESPER ON SPORTS): So...you're in favor of the Vin Baker trade? Thus far I hate it. The C's were almost finally out from under the last of the massive useless contracts from the Pitino era, and they have to go out and basically put all their money on Vin Baker, who's been a non-entity for three years? It's just way too much of a risk. Which isn't to say that it won't work (even though I think it's very unlikely), but that they would have been much better off keeping the players they had and then trying to get a real start next seaon, when Kenny Anderson's contract ran out. Chris Wallace does not impress me as a GM. The Celtics continue to consistently draft the wrong people, and the latest trade ties up most of their cap space for the next four years. Well, Vin Baker had better start riding the bike two hours a day.
((We'll see, I like Chris Wallace, and I like this trade. Go, Vin! I like it even more after New Jersey's trade for Mutombo. I think New Jersey and Boston run away from the rest of the East in the NBA this year and meet in the Conference Finals again next year. I like the Celtics chances better with this trade, I do.))
| SOMETHING TO BE SCARED OF: 2001D, Regular Diplomacy |
THE DUE DATE FOR SUMMER 1905 IS AUGUST 24TH, 2002
THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 1905 IS SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2002
Spring 1905
ENGLAND (Sundstrom): f edi-NWG, f HOL S f eng-nth, f eng-NTH, f HEL-den, a BEL-ruh,
f NWY-stp(nc), f mid h (d r:por,nao,iri,eng,gas,otb).
FRANCE (Tretick): f gol-SPA(SC), a BUR S ENGLISH a bel-ruh, f spa(sc)-MID, a par-BRE.
GERMANY (Williams): a KIE S a mun-ruh, a BER S a kie, a MUN-ruh.
ITALY (McCullough): a ven-PIE, a VIE S a tri, f tyh-GOL, f NAF S FRENCH f spa(sc)-mid,
a TRI S a vie, f WES S f tyh-gol.
RUSSIA (McHugh): f STP(NC) h, a fin-SWE, a war-GAL, f DEN h, a BUD S a war-gal,
a BOH S a war-gal, f RUM h.
TURKEY (Goesle): a GRE S a ser, a BUL h, f ion-TYH, a SER h, f CON h, a ALB S a ser.
Addresses of the Participants
AUSTRIA: Doug Kent, 1404 E. Lamar Blvd #106, Arlington, TX 76011
dipworld of ix.netcom.com
ENGLAND: Matt Sundstrom, 1760 Robincrest Lane South, Glenview, IL 60025, (847) 729-1882 ($5)
Matt.Sundstrom of bbdoch.com or mattandzoe of directvinternet.com
FRANCE: James Alan (Jim) Tretick, 13267 Coppermill Drive, Herndon, VA 20171, (703) 713-1328 ($4)
JTretickGames of aol.com
GERMANY: Don Williams, 27505 Artine Drive, Saugus, CA 91350, (661) 297-3947 ($3)
wllmsfmly of earthlink.net
ITALY: Jody McCullough, 1071 Brown Avenue, Lafayette, CA 94549-3153
jodymc of telocity.com
RUSSIA: Jack McHugh, P.O. Box 427, Claymont, DE 19703, (302) 792-1998
flapjack of comcast.net
TURKEY: Warren Goesle, 623 Scenic Circle, Holland, OH 43528,
wgoesle of core.com3
Game Notes:
1) Note the long awaited Goz change of address!
Press:
(GOZ to ALL): Note that I have a new mailing and emailing address: 623 Scenic Circle, Holland, OH 43528. wgoesle of core.com
(TSAR JACK-SULTAN GOESLE): Hey, I know you're married now and working on an aire an all...but how about a letter every now and then. We miss you at poker night guy.
(TURKEY to ALL): I'm slowly getting back into it here. You can help by writing first this season. It doesn't happen often.
(TSAR JACK-KING MATT): Dude, where's my fleet? Just kiddin' buddy, yes I still care for you but I'm not going to be your bitch like France. I want a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T. No open home centers for you, not until we go exclusive.
(ENGLAND): News Blackout in Edinburgh!
(TSAR JACK-KING JODY): Today Gal, tomorrow Tyrolia.
(TSAR JACK-KAISER KENT): You can have Goesle's place at poker and you me can go out and paint the town red on Saturdays...just a couple of bachelor monarchs. I passed a new law that chicks have to find me sexy or I can have them watch several hours of ``The Man Show" or ``The Three Stooges"
(TSAR JACK-KAISER DUCKY): See how nice I am. Solidarity bro, Eastern Europe for East Europeans!
(TURKEY to HIMSELF): Is there a way out of this box?
| FANTASTIC VOYAGE: 1999K, Regular Diplomacy |
THE DUE DATE FOR WINTER 1909 IS AUGUST 24TH, 2002
THE DUE DATE FOR SPRING 1910 IS SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2002
Fall 1909
AUSTRIA (Rauterberg): a TRI S a bud, a VEN S a tus-rom, a tus-ROM, a BUD h.
ENGLAND (Biehl): f NTH s GERMAN f nao-nwg (nso), f ENG C a bel-lon, f gol-WES,
f tun-NAF, f TYH-nap, a bel-LON.
GERMANY (Emmert): a BOH S a vie, a mun-BUR, a GAL-bud, a TYO S a vie,
a VIE S a gal-bud, a kie-HOL, f nao-LVP, a SPA h, a MAR S a mun-bur.
RUSSIA (Tretick): f NWY h, a swe-DEN, a mos-WAR, a ukr-SEV, f mid-NAO, a stp-FIN.
TURKEY (Lutterbie): f EAS-ion, f BLA S a sev-rum, a sev-RUM, f ION-tyh,
a rom S f nap (d r:apu,otb), f NAP s a rom, a rum-SER, a BUL S a rum-ser, f GRE S f eas-ion.
Supply Center Chart
| AUSTRIA (Rauterberg): | BUD,TRI,ven,rom | (has 4, even) |
| ENGLAND (Biehl): | LON,EDI,bel,tun | (has 6, rem 2) |
| GERMANY (Emmert): | BER,KIE,MUN,par,mar, | (has 9, bld 2) |
| bre,vie,por,lvp,hol,spa |
| RUSSIA (Tretick): | MOS,STP,WAR,SEV,nwy,swe,den | (has 6, bld 1) |
| TURKEY (Lutterbie): | ANK,SMY,CON,bul,rum, | (has 8 or 9, even(r:otb) or rem 1) |
| gre,nap,ser |
| Neutral: | none | (Total=34) |
Addresses of the Participants
AUSTRIA: Paul Rauterberg, 3116 W. American Dr., Greenfield, WI 53221, (414) 281-2339 (E-Mail)
trauterberg of wi.rr.com
ENGLAND: John Biehl, 8809 Delwood Drive, Delta, BRITISH COLUMBIA, V4C 4A1 CANADA,
(604) 589-9124 ($8); jeen of telus.net
FRANCE: Rick Davis, 2420 West Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95407, (707) 544-5201,
redavis914 of aol.com
GERMANY: Steve Emmert, 3317 Hershridge Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
steve.emmert of cox.net
ITALY: Terry Tallman, PO Box 782, Clinton, WA 98236, (360) 710 9613, cell (360) 710-9613 ($2)
terryt of whidbey.net
RUSSIA: Buddy Tretick, 9607 Conaty Circle, Spotsylvania, VA 22553, (540) 582-2356 (E-Mail)
bernietretick of earthlink.net
TURKEY: Vince Lutterbie, 1021 Stonehaven, Marshall, MO 65340-2837
melvin of cdsinet.net
Game Notes:
1) No press but lots of centers change hands!!
Press:
| (Sometimes I Feel Like) FLETCHER CHRISTIAN: 1999Cgh013, Colonia VIIb Diplomacy |
A CHINA/ENGLAND/SPAIN DRAW IS DECLARED!
THE DUE DATE FOR ENDGAME STATEMENTS IS AUGUST 24TH, 2002
Supply Center Chart
| AUSTRIA (Prosnitz): | BUD,VIE,TRI,TAH,pps,sav,peru | (has 22) |
| gre,sam,bol,bul,par,MEL,NAP,ven, |
| fij,ist,bav,nwz,ant,izm,tou |
| CHINA (Reynolds): | PEK,WUH,XIA,AMO,tib,NAN, | (has 22) |
| sin,jap,manch,mon,nep,mah,sia, |
| bur,cam,ben,vla,MLA,bor,afg,iwo, |
| oms |
| ENGLAND (Power): | NIG,EDI,LON,kam,ire,gab,sum, | (has 27) |
| uga,arg,togo,SUR,QUE,gha,bel,vol, |
| bah,BRA,DAK,vza,ric,ont,ifn,azo, |
| mor,nwy,ALA,ANG |
| OTTOMAN (Schleinkofer): | jer,yem | (has 2) |
| RUSSIA (Rauterberg): | MOS,KIE,CAP,STP,CRI,pol,moz, | (has 25) |
| swe,mal,zam,den,rom,han,die,GOA, |
| nat,niz,hag,cey,kha,van,jav |
| bag,persia,wak |
| SPAIN (Partridge): | MAD,MEX,SOM,VAL,MANILA, | (has 38) |
| cal,tun,rab,eth,hon,tex,nwg,ken, |
| lis,lag,FLO,lou,num,tau,ohi,vir, |
| gua,tar,tim,cub,tai,bdx,sud,mas, |
| manit,fez,egy,kor,col,ore,HAW,ecu,con |
| Neutral: | none | (Total=136) |
Addresses of the Participants
AUSTRIA: Would have called Doug Kent, 1404 E. Lamar Blvd #106, Arlington, TX 76011
dipworld of ix.netcom.com
CHINA: Harold Reynolds, 3025 Bridletowne Circle, Scarborough, Ontario, M1W 2C9, (416) 773-0943
hjreynolds1 of rogers.com
ENGLAND: John Power, 18 Tilton Court, Baltimore, MD 21236, (410) 933-8827 ($4)
natjohn2 of comcast.net or jrpower of bechtel.com
FRANCE: Hank Alme, 506 Paige Loop, Los Alamos, NM 87544
almehj of swcp.com
OTTOMAN: Art Schleinkofer, 3120 Holly Road, Philadelphia, PA 19154-1708
Krolart of aol.com
RUSSIA: Paul Rauterberg, 3116 W. American Dr., Greenfield, WI 53221, (414) 281-2339 (E-Mail)
trauterberg of wi.rr.com
SPAIN: Dave Partridge, 15 Woodland Drive, Brookline, NH 03033
rebhuhn of rocketmail.com
Game Notes:
1) The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed draw passes and the concession to Spain does not. This passes under the 102 centers or 3/4 of all centers to get the draw to pass. This ending is VERY definitely affected by the passing of Gene Prosnitz. I thank Doug Kent for being willing to walk into the difficult situation. It turns out that is not necessary and Gene will be credited with the survival in the SEC draw.
2) Harold Reynolds has done a lot of work with the maps and would like to volunteer to guest GM a new game of Colonia. This fits with my desire to have Spy Diplomacy be my next ``big'' game to GM, so I accept his offer. I also volunteer to get it started by signing up to play. There are nine players in the variant, so we need eight more to get it going.
Press:
| SECRETS: 1999D, Regular Diplomacy |
THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 1911 IS AUGUST 24TH, 2002
Summer 1911
ENGLAND (Sayers): has f LON, a GAS, f NAO, a KIE, f MID,
f ENG, f HOL, f POR.
FRANCE (Sasseville): has f MAR, f SPA(SC), a MUN, a BUR.
GERMANY (Barno): has a VIE.
RUSSIA (Reynolds): has a MOS, a LVN, a BER, f BAL, a STP, a PRU.
TURKEY (Linsey): has f ION, a UKR, a WAR, f WES, a SEV, f TYH, a SIL, a TYO, f NAF,
f TUN, f TUS, a PIE, f GOL, a GAL, a BOH.
Addresses of the Participants
ENGLAND: Jim Sayers, 15 Holdsworth Street, Woollahra 2025, AUSTRALIA ($10)
jimp of magna.com.au
FRANCE: Roland Sasseville, Jr., 38 Bucklin Street, Pawtucket, RI 02861, (401) 481-4280 ($0)
roland6 of cox.net and ICQ: 40565030
GERMANY: Mike Barno, 634 Dawson Hill Road, Spencer, NY 14883
mpbarno of lightlink.com or mbarno of claritas.com
ITALY: John Schultz, 692 Crest Dr., Valparaiso, IN 46383, (219) 614-1406
probo of 695online.com
RUSSIA: Phil Reynolds, 2896 Oak Street, Sarasota, FL 34237, (813) 953-6952
preyno of yahoo.com
TURKEY: Bruce Linsey, PO Box 234, Kinderhook, NY 12106
GonzoHQ of aol.com
Game Notes:
1) The FRET and FREGT draws are rejected but only the FRET is reproposed. Please vote again with your Fall orders. Generally you need to vote again unless you insist to me that a vote you have made wants to be perpetual. Any failure to vote vetoes the draws. I should note that I don't have a specific rule about calling a draw with no movement. You just play on, BUT what I am doing is calling on my rule for allowing failure to vote on the draws counting as a ``yes''. This is done with warning. Starting with the Winter orders, you have to vote EVERY season or your no vote or failure to vote becomes a ``yes''. This is the ``fair warning'' before I do that. Initially this will NOT count those of you who have given me perpetual draw votes, but after another period of no movement, everyone will have to vote on the draws every season.
2) I've had requests about ``speeding up'' the game. This is certainly possible, but it only can be done (i. e. making this deadline Fall instead of the quiet summer) with the permission of all players. Thus, I'm not sure it matters in this situation, but feel free to tell me that your orders for future seasons are good for a quicker run of seasons. We could sail through a game year every other issue if you want. If there are no Winter adjustments, be sure to tell me if you are submitting Spring 1912 orders that can be used right away.
Press:
(VIENNA to LIVONIA): I'm still unimpressed, and your press (in lieu of letters or e-mails) doesn't raise my opinion at all.
(TURKEY to WORLD): Sultan BRUX hereby announces the ADIG policy: All Draws Include Germany. Those that don't will be mercilessly vetoed!
(FAR SOUTH GERMANIC LAND): ADIG! All Draws Include Germany! Yeah! Prove otherwise, muhfugguh!
| EDWARD TELLER: 2002?rn42, Nuclear Yuppie Evil Empire Diplomacy - Black Hole Variant |
THE DUE DATE FOR WINTER 1902 IS AUGUST 24TH, 2002
THE DUE DATE FOR SPRING 1903 IS SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2002
Fall 1902
AUSTRIA (Kenny): f TRI h; nuked AEG(2), WES, ION, BLA, MID; and owns tri(1).
ENGLAND (Schultz): f nwg-NWY; nuked CON, SMY(2), ANK, AEG(2), BUL; and owns edi,lvp,nwy(3).
FRANCE (Rauterberg): f pic-LON; nuked ENG, WAL, MUN(2), SIL, GAL(2); and owns lon(1).
GERMANY (Muller): f hel-DEN, a pru-GRE, a boh-HOL; nuked MAR, SMY(2), LVN, TYO, GAL(2);
and owns den,gre,hol(3).
ITALY (Andruschak): f tyh-POR, a tus-VEN, a pie-SPA; nuked BER, MUN(2), KIE, BRE, GM!;
and owns ven,rom,nap,por,spa(5).
RUSSIA (Kendter): f fin-SWE, a ukr-RUM; nuked PAR, VIE, SER, BUD;
and owns stp,war,mos,sev,swe,rum(6).
TURKEY (McHugh): has none; nukes withheld; and owns none.
| Current Standings |
| 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | TOTAL |
| JOHN SCHULTZ | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| PAUL RAUTERBERG | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| KARL MULLER | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| HARRY ANDRUSCHAK | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| LEE KENDTER, JR. | 1 | 6 | 7 |
| JACK MCHUGH | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| SANDY KENNY | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Black Holed | 8 | 14 | 22 |
| Neutral | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Totals(eventually) | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 238 |
| Times GM Nuked | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Addresses of the Participants
John Schultz, 692 Crest Dr., Valparaiso, IN 46383, (219) 614-1406
probo of 695online.com
Paul Rauterberg, 3116 W. American Dr., Greenfield, WI 53221, (414) 281-2339
trauterberg of wi.rr.com
Karl Muller, 75-17 60 Place, Glendale, NY 11385-6044, (718) 416-1103
karlmuller of alumni.lemoyne.edu or pegandkarl of mindspring.com
Harry Andruschak, PO Box 5309, Torrance, CA 90510-5309, (310) 835-9202
harryandruschak of aol.com
Lee Kendter, Jr., 1503 Pilgrim Lane, Quakertown, PA 18951
lkendter of speakeasy.net
Jack McHugh, P.O. Box 427, Claymont, DE 19703, (302) 792-1998
flapjack of comcast.net
Sandy Kenny, 23 East Coulter Avenue, Collingswood, NJ 08108-1208 (609) 869-3160
KennyShire of aol.com
Game Notes:
1) A couple of adjudication notes.... when you guys nuke the same province more than once, I put in parentheses the number of nukes that hit that spot. Also, if your move to a space succeeds and THEN you are annihilated, I capitalize the first letter of that space where you are annihilated. The reverse happens if your move bounces where I capitalize the first letter of the place you started.
2) Reminder that Sandy wants to be E-Mailed at her address above, not at husband Paul's. Thanks! And John Schultz has a new E-Mail address too. Also note Harry's change of postal address. Got all that??
3) Lots of changes in the rankings after the second year, eh? Next time I'll set up the new map and we'll get you ready for the third year. Jack moves up to take Austria and the rest of you all move ``down'' a country. Note that nuke deadline of September 14th, it will pop up quickly, so get to negotiating!
Press:
(ANDRUSCHAK-GM): I will be moving in a month or two, exact address not yet known, so revert to sending mail to PO Box 5309, Torrance, CA 90510-5309 which should be good for another few months. The bankruptcy court will not allow a PO Box as part of my budget. My Chapter 13 Bankruptcy starts formally with what is called a 341(a) meeting with creditors on 26 August. By the way, I had a visit from a REAL (gosh! wow!) FBI agent concerning the investment fraud that landed me in this situation. Several of the ringleaders have been arrested. I turned over all my documents in the case to him, of course. Details at http://www.rdi-receivership.com/
(PAUL to SANDY): You're asking for a good nuking (next season). I can oblige.
(BOOB to PAUL): And who held this turn and who tried to move into a home center?
(RUSSIA to GERMANY): Did you take any home centers? May decide future enemies.
(GERMANY - ITALY): I could have waltzed into Naples or Tunis, but didn't. I hope that satisfies you. Of course, you'll be up near the lead, so why wouldn't the board again choose to "bomb the leader"? Seemed like a reasonable course last time, right?
(RUSSIA to ITALY): Be glad you aren't on the pissed me off list, or I would have tried for Naples. The black hole paths get really weird.
(GERMANY - RUSSIA): So many unguarded centers, and they're still yours. Us low men on the totem pole have got to stick together. Of course, you're probably way above me now.
(RUSSIA to TURKEY): I know how it feels. Sucks, doesn't it.
(BOOB to NYEEDITES): Yeah, it does suck not to be able to participate in the Fall fun, but your example goes to show you that missing one year isn't all bad...
(HARRY-PLAYERS): Paul Rauterberg (France) has assured me that he did not write that insulting black press to me that appeared in TAP-260, and I believe him. Last issue's ``Andruschak to Kendter" press was also black. The Sara Reichert press was black. What's the point?
(ENGLAND SAYS): I sure wish I HAD written the Royal Queen press. Very creative and witty. As was all the other black press. ((Some people disagree, I have implemented the TAP house rule that the Black Presser must abuse the GM (i. e. me) at least as much as any of the players, but he NPR'ed this season.))
(BOOB to NYEEDITES): Not much very bloody happening this fall.... no bounces at all. Saving up your bile for the future, eh??
| EMBRACING THE CONSTRAINTS: Breaking Away, Designer's Rules |
THE DUE DATE FOR END GAME STATEMENTS IS AUGUST 24TH, 2002
Turn 14 and FINISHED
| 122 (no replenishment): | Enfield(8) |
| 121 (no replenishment): | Brandon the Kiwi(6), Alfred the Great(4), Alfalfa(2) |
-F-I-N-A-L- -F-I-N-I-S-H- -L-I-N-E-
| 120 (no replenishment): | None |
| 119 (no replenishment): | None |
| 118 (replenish with a 3): | Dennis the Menace(would finish Ninth!) |
| 117 (no replenishment): | None |
| 116 (no replenishment): | None |
| 115 (replenish with a 3): | Beaver, Diamond |
| 114 (replenish with a 5): | Greenwich, Boniface |
| 113 (no replenishment): | None |
| 112 (replenish with a 3): | Rectangle, Rhombus, Square, Charlie Brown |
| 111 (replenish with a 7): | William Shakespeare, I.K. Brunel |
| 110 (no replenishment): | None |
| 109 (no replenish with a 3): | Sir Isaac Newton |
| 108 (no replenishment): | None |
| 107 (no replenishment): | None |
| 106 (replenish with a 3): | Prescott |
| 105 (no replenishment): | None |
| 104 (no replenishment): | None |
| 103 (no replenishment): | None |
| 102 (no replenishment): | None |
| 101 (no replenishment): | None |
| 100 (replenish with a 3): | Peery the Peacock |
| 99 (no replenishment): | None |
| 98 (no replenishment): | None |
| 97 (no replenishment): | None |
| 96 (no replenishment): | None |
| 95 (no replenishment): | None |
| 94 (no replenishment): | None |
| 93 (replenish with a 3): | Edi the Emu, Dave the Tinamou |
Addresses of the Participants - Their Team and Their Cards
TEAM 1 (The Quabbin Reservoirs): Eric Brosius, 53 Bird Street, Needham MA 02492
(25 points) 72060.1540 of CompuServe.COM
| A: Dana | Finished Third! |
| B: Enfield | Finished Fifth! (3) |
| C: Greenwich | 10 9 5 (10) |
| D: Prescott | 4 3 3 (6) |
TEAM 2 (The Flightless Birds): Rick Desper, 319 West Side Dr., #102 Gaithersburg, MD 20878
(24 points) (301) 977-7691, rick_desper of yahoo.com
| Coached by Petey the Penguin |
| A: Edi the Emu | 3 3 3 3 (3) |
| B: Dave the Tinamou | 3 3 3 (3) |
| C: Brandon the Kiwi | Finished Sixth! (7) |
| D: Peery the Peacock | 4 4 3 (3) |
TEAM 3 (The Brit Pack): John Harrington, 1 Churchbury Close, Enfield, Middlesex, EN1 3UW UK
(23 points) fiendish of operamail.com, John.Harrington of tfeurope.com
| A: Alfred the Great | Finished Seventh! (10) |
| B: William Shakespeare | 4 3 7 (4) |
| C: Sir Isaac Newton | 3 3 3 (14) |
| D: Isambard Kingdom Brunel | 7 5 7 (18) |
TEAM 4 (The Border Riders): Tom Howell, 365 Storm King Road, Port Angeles, WA 98363
(62 points) off-the-shelf of olympus.net
| Manager: the White Maid |
| A: Alice of Avenel | Finished First! |
| B: abbot Boniface | 6 5 5 (10) |
| C: Christie of Clint-hill | Finished Second! |
| D: Halbert Glendinning | Finished Fourth! (16) |
TEAM 5 (The Quadrilaterals): David Partridge, 15 Woodland Drive, Brookline, NH 03033
(17 points) rebhuhn of rocketmail.com
| A: Rhombus | 4 3 4 3 (5) |
| B: Square | 6 4 3 (6) |
| C: Rectangle | 3 3 3 (4) |
| D: Diamond | 3 8 3 (13) |
TEAM 6 (The Bad Boys): Jim Tretick, 13267 Coppermill Drive, Herndon, VA 20171, (703) 713-1328
(5 points) JTretickGames of aol.com
| A: Alfalfa: | Finished Eighth! (16) |
| B: Beaver: | 5 4 3 (12) |
| C: Charlie Brown: | 3 3 3 (7) |
| D: Dennis the Menace: | 3 7 3 (13) |
Game Notes:
1) I am going BACK to the designer rules for Breaking Away that allow cards of greater than 15 to be replenished. The Breaking Away bonus is earned only on the FIRST turn that you break away from the pack. I printed the original postal rules in Issue #239, if you need a copy and don't have that issue, just ask.
2) Congratulations, Tom, for running away with the victory here!!! The battle for second place was extremely tight, and when David made a bit of a mistake a few turns ago he was just barely knocked out of that running. But Eric takes second with 25 points, Rick takes third with 24 points, and John takes fourth with 23 points. It can't get closer than that, nor could Tom have won by more with those 62 points meaning a 37 point margin, WAY more than the 29 points someone could get by taking the top four places in a sprint! Thanks to everyone for playing, I really enjoyed GMing it, think about joining the next one!!
Press:
(ABBOT BUMBLEFACE to BOOB): Only if shouting distance is second or better at the finish line. Otherwise, I'd have had to get second or better at BOTH sprint lines. I'm just not up to it.
(ERIC): Dana sips his lemonade and buys beers for Halbert in an attempt to learn Tom Howell's zen secrets to playing this game.
(BOOB to ERIC): Tom says he is writing a very detailed endgame statement for next issue that might say more of what you're looking for than you might expect. By the way, about three turns ago Tom told me precisely what the finishing order of the riders would be (through scoring number 8), but he didn't tell me who would finish ninth.... ;-) Yes, I know that doesn't matter a bit!
(PETEY - > WORLD): I think I speak for everyone when I say...we got our butts kicked badly.
(BOOB to WORLD): Come and get Tom in the next game!
(QUABS to BOOB): Sure; sign me up for the next game. Tom's four consecutive wins must mean he's due for some bad luck soon¼
(TOM to ALL): I sent Jim an outline on Breaking Away strategy and tactics, but asked him to hold it for the endgame statements. I might want to add some more to it.
| FEAR AND WHISKEY: 1998Ers31, Modern Diplomacy |
THE DUE DATE FOR WINTER 2009 IS AUGUST 24TH, 2002
THE DUE DATE FOR SPRING 2010 IS SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2002
Fall 2009
BRITAIN (Schultz): a fin-STP, f NTH-eng, a mur s a fin-stp (d r:fin,lap,otb),
f DEN-nth, f BAL-lit, a EST S a fin-stp, f BRN S a mur, f GOB S a fin-stp, f SKA-nth.
EGYPT (J. O'Donnell): f MOR h, f MAL C a nap-tun, f APU S GERMAN a aus-ven,
a SYR S a irk, a nap-TUN, a IRK S a syr, f IZM-ist.
GERMANY (Rauterberg): a SAX S a cze-aus, a MUN S a cze-aus, f PRU s f gda, f HAM h,
f GDA S BRITISH f bal-lit, f bri-BOR, a aus-VEN, a par-LYO, f BEL-eng, a cze-AUS,
a sil-CZE, a MIL S a aus-ven, f HOL h, a pie-TUS.
SPAIN (S. O'Donnell): NMR, KURT OZOG CALLED AS STANDBY; f GIB h, f SAO h, a BAR h,
a NAV h, a AUV h, f MAO h, f MAR h, a ROM h, f GOL h, a MON h.
UKRAINE (Partridge): a ode-BUL, a rum-SER, a vol-MOS, a GOR S a stp-mur, a mos-LAT,
a KRA S a war, a POD S a slo, f WBS C a ode-bul, f IST-aeg, a stp-MUR, a SLO S a hun-aus,
a WAR S a kra, f ION-mal, a ven-rom (d ann), a ADA S a irn, a URA S a stp-mur, a HUN-aus,
a BIE S a lit, f GRE-aeg, a LIT s a mos-lat, f ADR-ven, a IRN S a ada, a CRO S f adr-ven.
Supply Center Chart
| BRITAIN (Schultz): | EDI,LIV,LON,ire,nor, | (has 8 or 9, even(r:otb) or rem 1) |
| swe,den,stp |
| EGYPT (J. O'Donnell): | ALE,ASW,CAI,isr,sau,lib,izm, | (has 7, bld 2) |
| tun,mor |
| GERMANY (Rauterberg): | BER,FRA,HAM,MUN,hol,cze | (has 14, bld 1) |
| swi,par,lyo,gda,bel,aus,bor,mil,ven |
| SPAIN (S. O'Donnell): | SVE,MAD,BAR,gib,por, | (has 10, rem 1) |
| nap,mar,rom,mon |
| UKRAINE (Partridge): | KHA,KIE,ODE,SEV,ros,rum,bul, | (has 22, bld 1) |
| geo,ank,mos,bie,gre,gor,ada,irn, |
| ser,hun,war,cro,ist,kra,lit,mur |
| Neutral: | none | (Total=64) |
Addresses of the Participants
BRITAIN: John Schultz, 692 Crest Dr., Valparaiso, IN 46383, (219) 614-1406
probo of 695online.com
EGYPT: Jeff O'Donnell, 402 Middle Ave., Elyria, OH 44035-5728, (440) 322-2920
or (440) 225-9203 (cell) ($2)
FRANCE: Harry Andruschak, PO Box 5309, Torrance, CA 90510-5309, (310) 835-9202 ($5)
Tapmdfrance of aol.com
GERMANY: Paul Rauterberg, 3116 W. American Dr., Greenfield, WI 53221, (414) 281-2339 (E-Mail)
trauterberg of wi.rr.com
ITALY: Eric Ozog, PO Box 1138, Granite Falls, WA 98252-1138, (360) 691-4264 ($3)
ElfEric of Juno.com
POLAND: Roland Sasseville, Jr., 38 Bucklin Street, Pawtucket, RI 02861, (401) 481-4280 ($5)
roland6 of home.com and ICQ: 40565030
RUSSIA: Randy Ellis
SPAIN: Sean O'Donnell, 1044 Wellfleet Drive, Grafton, OH 44044 ($4)
sean_o_donnell of hotmail.com, sfo25 of netscape.net
SPAIN: Standby is Kurt Ozog, 391 Wilmington Drive, Bartlett, IL 60103, (630) 837-2813
heyday6 of yahoo.com
TURKEY: Kent Pollard, 1541 W. San Jose, Fresno, CA 93711, (209) 225-0957 ($10)
UKRAINE: Dave Partridge, 15 Woodland Drive, Brookline, NH 03033 ($8)
rebhuhn of rocketmail.com
Game Notes:
1) I'm going to start a quiet interest list down here in the next Modern game. I don't want to start it until this game is done or nearly done, but with ten players it may take awhile, so I'll start now. Rick Desper is in to be one of the players. Any more??? We are going to do it with ``wings''.
2) Note that John Schultz has a new E-Mail address.
3) I don't know what happened to Sean, I've been E-Mailing him repeatedly to both of his E-Mail addresses above, and I don't have a phone number. Sean, you need to give me a phone number if you want me to follow up. I'm assuming Sean will return, but just in case, we'll call Kurt as a standby. Builds and removals, but NOT retreats (there's just the one for John) may be made conditional on who is playing Spain.
4) I'm holding some press on Ted Williams from Jeff O'Donnell, partly due to time and my ability to respond to it at the moment. I hope to get it in next time. One quick answer, no, Ted Williams was basically an AWFUL fielder, but OK in the small Fenway leftfield, like others we could name such as Mike Greenwell and Jim Rice.
Press:
(THE MEKONS QUOTE OF THE MONTH): ``The old glass eye has had its day by Christmas; And there's talk of death in soft familiar lies; A monopoly on faded hope; Illnesses and pain; The wet behind the ears just cannot fill the shoes that size.'' One of the verses in ``Keep On Hoppin','' a not entirely politically correct song from one of Eric Ozog's favorite Mekons records, Honky Tonkin'.
(BRITAIN): I must not manage my time well. It would have taken me about three years to write the Kirk/Spock dialogue.
(JEFF to DAVE): At least the game is no longer boring.....
(VOICE OF THE POLISH FRONTIER): Getting bored yet, Dave?
(UPN TALKS TO RODDENBERRY AGAIN):
UPN: We want the Federation to attack the Romulans.
GR: NO way, I just had them attack the Klingons.
UPN: You've got to. If the entire universe doesn't unite against the Romulans pretty soon they will occupy all of space. And besides, do you have any idea how expensive those ears are to put on all those actors?
GR: This is nuts, I've developed a good working relationship between Kirk and the Romulan Commander and besides, aren't those Klingon foreheads kind of pricey too???
UPN: We have surplus Klingon outfits from Star Trek VI and Next Generation.
GR: So you want a Federation-Klingon-Cardassian and Bajoran alliance to wipe out the Romulans???
UPN: The Romulans did try to invade the Federation earlier in the series.
GR: Yeah, but that was because the evil Captain Kirk from the Mirror Universe was really stupid.
UPN: You mean you WROTE him stupid.
GR: O yeah, these guys aren't really real, are they?
UPN: Not really.
GR: Is it possible that in the next series Kirk and the Romulan Commander could form a better alliance.
UPN: I suppose that would be up to the Romulan Commander.
GR: Whatever....
UPN: By the way, are you still dead?
GR: Why yes, how could you tell?
UPN: Can you tell me if Bin Laden is up there?
((Which one, there are oodles and oodles of Bin Laden's.....))
GR: Rumor has it that his accomodations are ``much warmer'' but I can't confirm it.
((Much warmer than Roddenberry's??? What do you know about his personal life, UPN, I'd be careful....))
UPN: Whatever....
Personal Note to You: