THE ABYSSINIAN PRINCE #312

June 27, 2007

Produced by Jim Burgess, 664 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02908-4327 USA, (401)351-0287

Accessible through Internet at burgess of world.std.com (all E-Mail addresses are reported in this format, replace the " of " with "@"; if you bounce try sending to me from another account. Some of you have been getting bounced messages from my ISP's spam protection, if that happens to you, USE my backup E-Mail at jfburgess of gmail.com!!! Don't complain that my E-Mail keeps bouncing without forwarding the bounced message to that address. Then I can forward it to the ISP help to get it dealt with.

Web Page Address: /Postal/Zines/TAP/index.html

I expect ALL players to be signed up on the E-Mail notification list for the szine, see below. Some of you have been complaining about this, but it is up to you to get on this list, it's easy, come ask me if you have trouble. THIS IS A PROBLEM, sign up now if you're playing!!!

I'm a bit late again, but mostly with the postal issues of this. I have to cut this down from the 140 subber list we have here, both for the financial reasons and the practical ones. So, I will now take volunteers for people who no longer want to receive the postal version of this. BUT, I do want to keep you people of the past on this list, so don't take me up on this request unless YOU just want off.

I will take a few of you and ask you off at this point, especially the ones who are hanging around as ex-players that I should have dropped long ago. All players STAY on the postal list.

I hope that's clear and ask questions if it isn't.

On the GOOD side, I helped Doug Kent get one issue of Diplomacy World out, and we are well on the way to a dynamite second one, so I think we will reach the century mark very shortly. I helped do the testing so that we move to the next step so the new Diplomacy National World Cup is recruiting players, interested? See below. And, I've been having fun actually playing Dip again. So I have been busy, just the szine hasn't gotten to the top of the list.

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. Anyone may play in subszines for free and just jack up the issue page count. 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 port/DipPouch/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.

Peter Sullivan's subszine is out of stasis, and all the back issues can be accessed via :

http://www.burdonvale.co.uk/octopus/index.html.

Peter is now back. Rip Gooch is probably permanently missing. Dave Partridge had been picking up the choo-choo game slack. Contact Dave at rebhuhn of rocketmail.com for more info on getting into choo-choo games. And Andy York has been my most frequent subszine guest lately!!! He's been in every issue, thanks, Andy!!! And so has Doug Kent, so we have a full stable of subszines. And Michael Lowrey gets his in every few issues too!

The TAP mailing list has moved! It now is even BETTER protected than it was. I even have a bit of trouble posting to it. To post to this list, send your email to: tap of diplom.org. But this is completely moderated, it won't go out to the list unless I approve it. In general, I intend to keep traffic down to just the szine, as we've been doing and I'll put your LOCs in here. I EXPECT all players to be on this list, especially those of you who are from foreign countries!!! You need this to find out when the szine is up on the web to check in on results.

General information about the mailing list is at: /mailman/listinfo/tap

You can sign up from there, or send E-Mails to: Tap-request of diplom.org; with the word `help' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes), and you will get back a message with instructions. You must know your password to change your options (including changing the password, itself) or to unsubscribe. Normally, Mailman will remind you of your diplom.org mailing list passwords once every month, although you can disable this if you prefer. This reminder will also include instructions on how to unsubscribe or change your account options. There is also a button on your options page that will email your current password to you. A big, big thank you for Millis Miller for setting this all up!!

THE SEARCH FOR ERIC JUST - HE'S FOUND TOO!!!

As I should have known, Jeff Key knew how to find Eric Just, so Jeff wins the fifty dollar prize. Jeff, anything you want to do with that that I can help you with? Or you can follow Edi's lead and donate to my travel fund, which NO ONE has claimed yet!!!

Feel free to spend the time looking for some of the backlog. Let's get Margaret, Derek, Sylvain, Steve, Ed, Tom, Gregory, and ESPECIALLY Kevin found too!!! 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 Margaret Gemignani or Steve Heinowski or Ed Henry or Tom Hurst or Gregory Stewart or Derek Nelson or Sylvain LaRose or John Smythe 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

John Harrington and I have agreed to close the ISE. In this age of PayPal, the traffic on the ISE had fallen almost to zero, and what was left almost entirely was me facilitating orders of Breaking Away and John's other Fiendish Games. So, I'm still going to help John out with that, but there will be no ISE. If anyone still needs assistance with this, though, since I'm helping John out, like if you're in a foreign country and need to send dollars for dipping things to someone in the US, I may be able to help you out.

WORLDMASTERS04 SECTION

See http://www.worldmasters.net/wm04/ for details on progress on the WORLDMASTERS04, the Finals are now nearly set to start. I'll report in detail on that next issue.

I've joined the Yahoogroup WM04-Chat where some of this discussion is happening. You can join too! However, this forum has been very, very quiet, I hope it picks up with finals, since it was dead for the semis, maybe I'll have to start some discussion. I had to go the main Worldmasters site at www.worldmasters.net/wm04/ to find some of the results. The new Tournament rankings for FTF also are out there that supercede the ones that were on 18centres. Go check out:

http://eurodip.nuxit.net/php/ranking/index.php?lang=Ang

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.

Stephen Agar has matched the Hasbro rule lists and more with some of the even older rulebooks. Check these out if you like:

http://www.hasbro.com/default.asp?xcc_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 (relatively new address for this):

http://www.diplomacy-archive.com/diplomacy_rules.htm

Check out current and back issues of Diplomacy World - Yahoogroup diplomacyworld

and at Doug Kent's new Diplomacy World web site at:

http://www.whiningkentpigs.com/DW/

Also, I need any Hobby Award Nominations NOW (!!!) for the :

The 2005 and 2006 Don Miller Award for Meritorious Service;

The 2005 and 2006 Rod Walker Award for Literature;

The 2005 and 2006 John Koning Award for Player Performance;

The 2005 and 2006 Fred Hyatt Award for GM Performance;

A 2005 and 2006 Kathy Byrne Caruso Award for Lifetime Achievement (if warranted).

The Hobby Awards Committee is Jim Burgess (Chair and Treasurer), Fred Davis, Jr., Melinda Holley, Gary Behnen, Jamie Dreier, Paul Kenny, Mark Stretch, and Robert Lesco. I was going to publish the award ballot for this year in this issue, but I realized that I really just had to get this out first and then do that.... and then, well, REAL SOON NOW!!! And when I do, I'm going to give out two sets of awards and get caught up for the missed year, that seems to make the most sense. Committee.... you will be hearing from me soon! This also fell apart with my move, but I will get this out NEXT issue come hell or high water. I want voting to be able to happen by World DipCon.

Diplomacy World Issue Deadline is now:

Deadline Summer 2007, Issue #98: July 15, 2007

I'm really pleased that former editor Doug Kent has agreed to come back and get this back on track and get us to #100. Thanks, Doug! We're putting things together for the next issue and it looks good, but if any of you want to write anything there's always more room, contact Doug!

See http://www.whiningkentpigs.com/DW/ for some exciting back issue material being posted as well as the new Issue #97.

Editorial Board for Diplomacy World:

Doug Kent, NEW Lead Executive Editor!, 11111 Woodmeadow Pkwy #2327, Dallas, TX 75228, dougray30 of yahoo.com

Tim Haffey, 810 53rd Ave., Oakland, CA 94601 USA; trhaffey of aol.com - Ex-Lead Editor and Archives Editor

Jim Burgess, 664 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02908-4327, USA; burgess of world.std.com - Co-Editor and Publisher

Rick Desper, 5440 Marinelli Road, #204, Rockville, MD 20852, USA; rick_desper of yahoo.com - Demo Games

Dave Partridge, 15 Woodland Drive, Brookline, NH 03033, USA; rebhuhn of rocketmail.com - US Postal

MUSIC AND MOVIES SECTION (WITH COMMENTS ON OTHER ARTS AND SOCIETY)

We're running a "23 tunes" contest here (stolen blatantly from Mark Wightman and the late lamented The Sprouts of Wrath. If anyone would like to send me a tape or CD of their 23 (which was the original point) that would be great, but I don't intend to require that. I will be playing in the sense that I'll be putting 23 tunes in, and you have to guess me, but I obviously won't score points. Send commentary with your choices, and we'll see if people can guess who you are!!! And already there is a LOT of diversity in defining tunes and styles, so BE CREATIVE!!!

23 Tunes Game

Here are the rules for 23 TUNES. You send me three tunes for the first turn, and then two tunes in each of the last ten turns for a total of 23. If you missed the first turn, you can still catch up by sending five tunes next issue, and guess on submitters to this issue. I am also submitting my tunes. After we're done, I'd like to exchange CD's/Tapes for as many of the tunes players as possible, but this is not required. I'll be sending the winner both my LAST 23 tune list and my NEW 23 tune list. The winner is determined by having you guess each issue who submitted what list (I will tell you who the submitters are). For each list you get right, you get a point, you also can win bonus points from me for really cool tune selections. That's it, not complicated. I hope by starting this up, we'll get more to join, five songs required to enter late. Playing this issue (guess who is whom by number, scores are in parentheses) is, in alphabetical order, Jim-Bob Burgess, Rick Desper (1), Dick Martin, Richard Smith (3), Joakim Spangberg, and Brad Wilson (4). The linking theme thing didn't seem to go over too well. No one really figured out the true linking theme. Rick Desper was using Underground tube stops and songs with that as the title, they were things like that. I'll let you guys talk a bit to each other on that with your guesses. I have added some kind of comment on each tune.

WHAT I NEED: two more tunes (seven if you're joining up new, four if you NTRed (NO TUNES Quite a number of you SAID you would join but haven't yet, so we'll get started and put the pressure on you. This part is still a MESS and I'm getting this issue out and then will catch up next time. I think I'm going to simplify the rules to get it back on track.

Warren Goesle (Wed, 13 Jun 2007 06:37:58 -0500)

Jim-Bob, I'm on the road again these last two weeks, but did finally see it TAP #311 on-line. It appears that you lost not just my email of 5 April with my take on the 2007 baseball season (I'll send it below in hopes of getting it into your szine before Labor Day) but also my email of 14 April with my take on steroids, Hugo Chavez and Thomas the Tank Engine.

((Correct, this was entirely my fault....))

Don't you love me or my ramblings anymore? ((Of course, I do, I'm just having some organizational problems at the moment.))

The good news is that my new company got a huge order to sell Mine-Resistant, Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles to the Marines & Army. The bad news is that I get to spend more than half my time in Mississippi and less than half playing trains with Nathan. I guess it beats unemployment. ((Usually, that's the case.))

See my two previous emails below. Do what you will with them. Their dreams are shattered anyway. ((I'm going to print them, of course....))

From a very hot Columbus, MS, Goz, wgoesle of comcast.net

Warren Goesle (Thursday, April 05, 2007 11:20 PM)

Gentlemen (well, in theory anyway),

Sorry for the delay. I have acquired new gainful employment, which has necessitated my being gone for 2 of the first 3 weeks of it, with a repeat in the next 3 weeks. Someplace fun? Uh, no. West Point, MS, if you want to look it up (took me 10 hours to get home today). I did get to stay at a condo at the Old Waverly Golf Course, where the Women's US Open was played in '98. Had I actually been there when the sun was up I'd probably have told you it was pretty.

On to more important matters, even if it's too late for the current TAP.

First off, let's just agree that every team has a flaw. More and more, as with the NFL, it's just better to pick the teams that have the most going for them and ignore the warts. Ok, maybe it isn't, but that's what I'm going with.

AL East: Rick, consider yourself laughed at for your deluded optimism, just not as hard as you might think. It looks to me like the balance of power has shifted dramatically to this division for the league, and the AL is the better league. I think it's Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, Blue Jays, Devil Rays, and the Blue Jays might be .500. Boston gets the WC with 96 wins.

AL Central: This division is either really good or really mediocre. Detroit's young arms won't bounce back this year...count on it. They'll be good, but it's a 4-team race, and all 4 might be in the 81-88 win range. But I'll pick Indians, Tigers, White Sox, Twins, Royals. White Sox go 81-81, 7 games back.

AL West: I think the Angles and A's took a big dive. Rangers, Angels, A's, Mariners, and the Angels don't make .500.

NL East: Once again, the balance has shifted here, but not quite as much as in the AL. As Atlanta did NOT win the division last year I am no longer contractually obligated to pick them to win it this year. However, I still think they're pretty good, and good enough for the WC. Mets, Braves, Phillies, Marlins, Nats. Phillies win 85 games, Marlins 79.

NL Central: This division got worse on paper and in reality, but the Cards will have a better record than last year, which means little. Cards, Cubs, Astros, Reds, Brewers, Pirates. Cubs go 76-86, 11 games back. Anyone found picking the Brewers for this division will be drug tested. Ain't happening.

NL West: Toughest call here. First, let me predict that Barry Bonds will cause a controversy sometime this season. Then I'll say Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Giants, Padres, Rockies. Giants might be within 5 games. Arizona goes 88-74.

Playoffs:

Red Sox over Rangers

Yankees over Indians

Mets over Cards

Braves over Diamondbacks

LCS:

Yankees over Red Sox

Mets over Braves

WS:

Mets over Yankees

Better read that again. I've been working on an email on a lot of topics, some baseball related, for about 4 months now. I'll try and get it out in time for the next TAP.

- - -

As promised, here's my take on life, liberty, and the pursuit of sports. This email is likely to be written in several shifts and will probably seem a bit disorganized and disconnected. Try to read it and NOT think of the name, "Scott Morris".

Topic #1: Ok, I've been a little slow to respond to something that you mentioned last October. Maybe I'll use that to start with this analogy: there's a bigger penalty for driving without a driver's license than there is for driving over the speed limit. This is probably because it's a lot harder to catch someone driving without a legal right than there is to catch someone speeding. So it is with baseball and their penalties (bet you wondered where THIS was going). For things that the umps OUGHT to be able to catch you at, like having pine tar on your hand, or Vaseline in your glove, there isn't the penalty that there is for steroids, which is a lot harder to catch at game time. I think this is correct. Same too with Hall of Fame induction. Yeah, we've got more than a few pitchers that have, shall we say, gotten around the rules as written DURING the game and haven't gotten caught and yet still have a bust in Cooperstown. But it's the times where you CAN'T catch them that concerns me, and apparently concerns MLB as well.

This does not mean that MLB hasn't been complicit in their approach to chemical cheating over the years. But the union is going to have to cave in on testing for steroids, HGH, illegal supplements and subscriptions to TAP (mind-altering...and nearly impossible to detect in the dugout) if I want to be able to tell my kid "don't do this, it won't get you anywhere" with a straight face.

Topic Shift: Speaking of Hall of Fame, it's a shame that the whole steroid cloud took away from the election of Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripkin, Jr., and that McGwire got more publicity than both of them combined. Both guys had, obviously, great careers, and I think that Gwynn's will be looked at as even greater as the years go by. It's actually a curse to be just a West Coast player during your career, as you won't ever get a fair shake by the national media.

Topic shift: Hugo Chavez has proclaimed a "21st century Socialist Revolution" in Venezuela. I predict that they will have an oil shortage there by 2012.

Topic shift: There are times when you look at your TV and remember why you became a sports' fan. Sometimes these times take mere seconds, such as when Argentina scored against Mexico in last year's World Cup on a great cross-field pass where the forward bounced the ball off his chest, then left-footed it to the far upper corner without it hitting the ground. Sometimes these times last a couple of minutes. The Dodgers/Padres game last year where the Dodgers hit 4 straight homers to tie it in the bottom of the 9th and then win in extra innings, or the last 4 laps of the 2006 Indy 500, where the lead changed twice from an Andretti to an Andretti to another damn Penske driver (side note: think of Andretti vs. Penske at Indy as Red Sox vs. Yankees...1 win for an Andretti in 1969, 15 wins for Penske since, so Mario V is due in 2055). Sometimes the times you're glad to be a sports' fan last the entire event. Such a time recently was the Fiesta Bowl the night of 1 January 2007 between Oklahoma and Boise St. Throw away the Hollywood-style ending, where the Boise St. running back takes the handoff on a Statue-of-Liberty play to score the winning 2-point conversion in overtime (43-42), then proposes to his cheerleader girlfriend on the sideline. This was a game where the little guy looked across the line at the big guy for the whole game and didn't blink, and one that will hopefully bring College Football to its senses and gives them a rational playoff system where the deserving get a shot at the national title. I would have liked to have likened this to George Mason's run through the 2006 basketball tourney, but as we've seen that did nothing to get the little guys into the 2007 basketball tourney.

Topic shift: Having a 4-year-old son gives you a new perspective on life. I certainly watch less sports than I used to (although I see this changing), and I have to learn to take children's television with a grain of salt. One of Nathan's favorites is "Thomas the Tank Engine" which, if you've never seen it, is about a railway on a mythical Island of Sodor, which has a distinct British accent. Having watched dozens of episodes I can conclude without fear of contradiction that the Island of Sodor has no effective National Transportation Safety Board (phrase most often heard on the show: "luckily no one was hurt").

Topic shift: Nathan has hit the lottery. We live in a new subdivision on a street with 15 houses, 2 of which are not yet occupied. Of the remaining 13 houses there are a total of 27 kids including Nathan. 5 of the other 26 are boys his age (plus one girl his age who is a twin of one of the boys). If all the fathers start now (and a referendum for a new high school passes) we can probably have the starting lineup of St. Charles West's high school's basketball team residing on the block in 2019. Nathan will probably be the shooting guard, as he's not going to be big enough to be inside and has little inclination to play defense.

Topic shift: Having written in to TAP for 10 years now I felt it time to re-evaluate where I stand on things that I write, since for some reason you actually feel them important enough to print. So I thought about the whole concept of "team sports". I don't get enough time to memorize the entire rosters of too many teams any more, as some of the things that I have acquired in the last 10 years include a wife, son and mortgage. So I get down on team sports because the faces change too often. Nonetheless, I found myself coming up with a list of the top 5 teams that I actually root for.

#1: Chicago Cubs. Fan since 1967. Last WS title 1908. Last NL title 1945. And they won't win another one any time soon. Piniella can infuse new life into them to make a run at the NL Central, which is awful, but realistically they're 2 pitchers, 2 infielders and an outfielder from being a legitimate threat. But I have hopes.

#2: Chicago Blackhawks. Fan since 1967. Last title 1960. No chance for one any time soon, as the owner won't put any money into them (you can't even see the home games on TV). They actually gave me a little hope for their first playoff spot in 10 years until they lost 10 in a row in December though.

#3: University of Illinois football. Fan since 1976. Last Big 10 title, 2001, before that 1984. This is how it should be. They win titles about as often as the statistics say they should.

#4: Indianapolis Colts. Fan since 1984. Last title, February 2007. This item would have come off better had I written the note before the playoffs started, as I'd planned. But they were fun to watch, even though I'm not in Indy any more. It also shows that small markets can win in the NFL, and they really don't have to be managed all that well.

#5: Jack Roush Racing. Fan since 1993. Titles in 2003 & 2004. Ok, it's tough to root for a NASCAR team that doesn't go back to the 50s. But Jack Roush is a pretty cool guy, and is one of the best "hands-on" owners in sports. The only downside is that this year he merged with John Henry and the other owners of the Boston Red Sox to become "Roush-Fenway Racing", so he won't win another title until 2090.

Of those five, the only one I really care about is the Cubs. There is something still charming about them. Maybe it's the ballpark with the Ivy and the Scoreboard. Maybe it's the "loveable loser" concept. Maybe I'm just old. But now even Nathan will make sure we're watching to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in the 7th. It makes baseball worthwhile in April when it's cold, and August when they're out of contention.

One curious note is that White Sox fans (my wife, for example) often ask me how bad I feel that their team won in 2005. I really don't care that they won in 2005. The White Sox are NOT the Cubs' rivals. The Cardinals are. So 2006 was a real bummer.

With team sports just not being what it has been for me, I find myself rooting for & against individuals. This is a lot easier in racing or golf, as you get to see them interviewed a lot more often than other athletes, so you get a handle on their personalities better than you can when you only see A-Rod/Tom Brady/T-Mac/Sidney Crosby get 5 seconds on Sportscenter. In thinking on it, racers and golfers usually have an incentive to be interviewed, as they're walking billboards. Maybe baseball players would be a little more fan-friendly if their contract included wearing something they had to peddle. Hmmm...

In the last 48 hours I became a fan of one David Moss. For those of you who haven't heard of him (and that's ALL of you) he plays center on the 4th line of the Calgary Flames. I have just started a new job, and Mr. Moss is the nephew of one of my new coworkers. As we've all been on travel in the middle of nowhere (West Point, MS) for the last few weeks we had a bonding session in one of our rooms with a few pizzas, some beers, and Game 1 of the Calgary-Detroit series. The Red Wings won 4-1, and the highlight of the game was when the camera panned to David Moss on the bench, then to his parents and brother in the stands, as my coworker said, "That's my wife's brother in the ugly hat".

As I said above, I've acquired new gainful employment (as of 19 March), trying to get armored vehicles to the military so they can send them someplace. I'm learning how to build trucks, and I'm teaching my employers how to build military trucks. I think that's all I'm allowed to say about it other than it's pretty cool, it pays the bills pretty well, and it has put me in West Point, MS for 4 of the last 5 weeks. I'll probably have more time to write in to you as I'm spending a lot less time pounding the pavement, even though I'm usually someplace I can't get a wireless connection.

There's probably a few things that I've forgotten here but it's taken me a week to get this far, so I'll sign off so I can send this tonight, and promise that I'll send things more often. Really. Would I lie to you? Heck, I'll even support you into Rumania.

Goz

PS What was the best thing BEFORE sliced bread?

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:

Mike Barno, Dick Martin, Brad Wilson, Jack McHugh, Glenn Petroski, Steve Emmert, Mark Kinney, Vince Lutterbie, Eric Brosius, Paul Rauterberg, Bob Osuch, Doug Kent, Sean O'Donnell, Vern Parker, Heath Gardner, Paul Kenny, and Jeff O'Donnell stand by for regular Diplomacy.

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!!! Contact Rip Gooch directly at xyropedes of canada.com and try to entice him to return. Rip has been a bit missing in action lately, but I am assured that he SHALL return.

Breaking Away starts in this issue!!!

I am willing to open another new game of REGULAR Diplomacy if there is enough interest!!! Doug Kent, Fred Wiedemeyer, Brad Wilson, and Shaun Thompson start the list, who would like to join them???

Also, is there any interest in another game of Nuclear Yuppie Evil Empire 7x7 Dip? I know it may be getting tired, but I really like it. We have Karl Schmit on the list, let's get seven!! It's FREE!!! I may drop this one shortly if we still have no interest.

I also am starting a game of the variant I designed, Spy Diplomacy. Signups for that are now open. Bruce Edwards and Eric Ozog are signed up. The rules were published recently, ask to see them if you missed them!!!

John Harrington is offering to guest GM a game of Office Politics. Any interest in that?? Let me or John know! Jody McCullough and Bruce Edwards are interested, anyone else? I think I'm going to drop this one as having no interest.

And since Colonia is over, Harold Reynolds is looking to start something else.

Also, I am going to design some postal rules for Devil Take the Hindmost, and we have an opening here: Bruce Edwards, Mike Barno, and Eoghan Barry are 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..... I've GOT to do this now, Eoghan is getting tired of waiting....

Right now, the other thing going is the Modern Diplomacy game with Wings. Sean O'Donnell, Jeff O'Donnell, Steve Koehler, Art Schleinkofer, Bob Holt, Rick Desper, Alexander Woo, and Dave Partridge are signed up for that. I will start it when I get a full complement of players, we only need TWO more!

TAKING OVER ISHKIBIBBLE'S REGULAR DIPLOMACY GAMES ((NOT))

Last chance for anyone who was a subber to Ishkibibble to join any new game for free, but this is a ONE TIME only offer, get your request in now. It is going to expire VERY shortly. Marc Ellinger and Fred Wiedemeyer already have taken us up on this request. Come on, let me call by name who qualifies for this deal..... Karl Schmit, John Power, Tim Snyder, Dave Partridge, Graham Wilson, and Kevin Wilson. I especially would like to fill the Modern Diplomacy game that Dave Partridge already is in. As soon as one more game fills (I'm not counting the new Breaking Away game), I'm going to pull this offer.

THE PHIL REYNOLDS MEMORIAL: 2006B, Regular Diplomacy

THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 1902 IS JULY 21ST, 2007

Summer 1902

AUSTRIA (Burgess): has a TRI, f ALB, a GRE, a SER, f AEG.

ENGLAND (James): has f ENG, f NAO, a BRE, f IRI, f NTH.

FRANCE (Williams): has a PAR, f MID, a BUR, a GAS.

GERMANY (Ellinger): has a KIE, a BER, f HOL, a DEN.

ITALY (Crow): has a TYO, f TYH, a MUN, a APU, f ION.

RUSSIA (O'Donnell): has f SEV, a LVN, a UKR, f RUM, a MOS, f GOB.

TURKEY (Wiedemeyer): has f BUL(EC), a CON, a ARM.

Addresses of the Participants

AUSTRIA: David Burgess, 101 Laurel Lane, Queensbury, NY 12804

(518) 761-6687, burgesscd of roadrunner.com or dburgess of glensfallshosp.org

ENGLAND: Drew James, 3644 Whispering Woods Terrace, Baldwinsville, NY 13027

(315) 652-1956, kjames01 of twcny.rr.com

FRANCE: Don Williams, 27505 Artine Drive, Saugus, CA 91350, (661) 297-3947,

wllmsfmly of earthlink.net or dwilliams of fontana.org ($5)

GERMANY: Marc Ellinger, 751 Turnberry Drive, Jefferson City, MO 65109

ellingermc of aol.com

ITALY: John Crow, 824 Kinwest Parkway #101, Irving, TX 75063,

(214) 532-1418, johnny.crow of hotmail.com

RUSSIA: Jeff O'Donnell, 1345 Simpson Drive, Hurst, TX 76053

(440) 322-2920 or (440) 225-9203 (cell, as late as midnight Eastern), unclestaush of yahoo.com

TURKEY: Fred Wiedemeyer, Box 92010-Meadowbrook RPO, Edmonton, ALBERTA

CANADA T6T 1N1, (780) 465-6432, wiedem of planet.eon.net

Game Notes:

Press:

SPIRALS OF PARANOIA: 2005A, Regular Diplomacy

THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 1906 IS JULY 21ST, 2007

Summer 1906

AUSTRIA (Rauterberg): R a tri-ALB; has a RUM, a SER, a NAP, a ALB, f TYH.

ENGLAND (Wiedemeyer): has f POR.

FRANCE (Tretick): has f BRE, a GAS, f SPA(SC), f LON, a MAR, f IRI.

GERMANY (Ozog for Tallman): has a MUN, a GAL, a BOH, a RUH,

a TYO, f SKA, a PIE, a BUR, f ENG.

ITALY (O'Donnell): has a VIE, f VEN.

RUSSIA (Sundstrom): has a UKR, a SEV, a ARM, a TRI, a MOS.

TURKEY (Biehl): has a ANK, f SMY, f BUL(EC), f TUN, f ION, f WES.

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: Fred Wiedemeyer, Box 92010-Meadowbrook RPO, Edmonton, ALBERTA CANADA T6T 1N1,

(780) 465-6432, wiedem of planet.eon.net

FRANCE: Buddy Tretick, 5023 Sewell's Pointe Way, Fredericksburg, VA 22407, (540) 898-3386

cell (540) 226-5571 (E-Mail) berniebuddy32 of aol.com

GERMANY: Terry Tallman, PO Box 782, Clinton, WA 98236, (360) 331-5698 ($2)

terryt of whidbey.net

GERMANY: Temporary Standby is Eric Ozog, PO Box 1138, Granite Falls, WA 98252-1138,

(360) 691-4264, ElfEric of Juno.com

ITALY: Jeff O'Donnell, 1345 Simpson Drive, Hurst, TX 76053

(440) 322-2920 or (440) 225-9203 (cell, as late as midnight Eastern), unclestaush of yahoo.com

RUSSIA: Matt Sundstrom, 1760 Robincrest Lane South, Glenview, IL 60025, (847) 729-1882,

Matt.Sundstrom of bbdoch.com or mattandzoe of earthlink.net

TURKEY: John Biehl, #8 - 11530 84th Avenue, Delta, BRITISH COLUMBIA, V4C 2M1 CANADA,

(604) 816-0460 (cell) ($7); jrb of dccnet.com

Game Notes:

1) Terry is still having some medical problems, Eric Ozog is continuing to negotiate and submit orders for Terry. Eric originally brought Terry into the Diplomacy hobby all those many years ago, and so I'm glad he's agreed to do this.

2) As someone asked, in this particular game EVERYONE now has E-Mail access, see the addresses above. I think they are all up to date, aren't they??

Press:

(STAR TREK PRESS, 7 OF 9'S LOG): "I'm confused! Things are looking up for the beleaguered Federation. With the help of our Andorian and Ferengi allies we have conquered all 3 of the Cardassian home worlds, including Cardassia Prime, and we are in position to take space station Tarok Floore. Cardassia still controls Earth and Mars and that's where the confusing part comes in. Gul Dukat in his infinite wisdom has moved his remaining forces away from Vulcan, our last Federation home world. Since we don't have to defend it we can concentrate on our Cardassian campaign and then we can start our plans to retake the Federation. I'm also worried about our Packlett allies. Having conquered the Romulans with the help of the Ferengi they had the Romulans completely surrounded at their last deep space base. Instead of finishing them off they withdrew and now are in no position to take the base. No offense to idiot Federation morality but we are at war. The only good Romulan is a dead Romulan. I have to ask myself whether the Packlett commander is the care bear of the century or if he has an ulterior motive in keeping the Romulan empire still afloat. I'm suggesting that my Ferengi allies watch their back. 7 out".

FLIP FLOP: 2003G, Regular Diplomacy

THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 1909 IS JULY 21ST, 2007

Summer 1909

AUSTRIA (Wiedemeyer): R a tri-VIE; has a BUD, a GAL, a UKR, a MOS, a VIE.

ENGLAND (Schmit): has a DEN, a HOL, a RUH, f NTH, f NWG, f HEL.

FRANCE (Jeff O'Donnell): has a BEL, a PIC, f MID, a SPA.

GERMANY (Sundstrom): has f BER, a KIE, f SWE, a STP, a MUN, f SKA.

TURKEY (Levinson): has f SMY, a SEV, f TUN, a BUL, f VEN, f TYH,

a TRI, f ADR, f BLA, a RUM, a SER.

Addresses of the Participants

AUSTRIA: Fred Wiedemeyer, Box 92010-Meadowbrook RPO, Edmonton, ALBERTA CANADA T6T 1N1,

(780) 465-6432, wiedem of planet.eon.net

ENGLAND: Karl Schmit, 1509 O'Keefe Road, DePere, WI 54115, (920) 338-8402,

diplomacy of new.rr.com ($3)

FRANCE: Jeff O'Donnell, 1345 Simpson Drive, Hurst, TX 76053

(440) 322-2920 or (440) 225-9203 (cell, as late as midnight Eastern), unclestaush of yahoo.com

GERMANY: Matt Sundstrom, 1760 Robincrest Lane South, Glenview, IL 60025, (847) 729-1882,

Matt.Sundstrom of bbdoch.com or mattandzoe of earthlink.net

ITALY: Don Williams, 27505 Artine Drive, Saugus, CA 91350, (661) 297-3947,

wllmsfmly of earthlink.net or dwilliams of fontana.org

RUSSIA: Sean O'Donnell, 1044 Wellfleet Drive, Grafton, OH 44044, (440) 926-0230,

sean_o_donnell of hotmail.com

TURKEY: Alexandre Levinson, Beeklaan 504, 2562BP Den Haag THE NETHERLANDS, don't need phone,

levinson7 of hotmail.com ($5)

Game Notes:

Press:

(STAR TREK PRESS, CAPTAIN'S LOG): "I think I am going to go completely insane. WE HAD EM! The Romulans were completely surrounded. We attacked and the Romulans saw it coming. They used a multiphasic shield to withdraw a troop transport then they used a Galaxy Class Bird of Prey to transport them to Andorian Deep Space 2. Their attack destroyed an Andorian troop transport killing everyone on board. The Romulans are now in position to do serious damage to Andorian forces. To make matters worse our long range sensors have detected 2 Tomari star ships heading this way. We cannot allow the Romulans and the Tomarians to link up. We can still win this war, but we and our allies are running out of time, Kirk out."

(JEFF to CARL): Nice move! [bastard!]

(FRANCE to ENGLAND): Why won't you just DIE!

I CAN'T FIND MY MONEY!: 2001F, Regular Diplomacy

TWO WAY DRAW BETWEEN AUSTRIA AND GERMANY WAS DECLARED!

This one is done now, except I need to do the endgame chart for Tom Howell, as he knows, I'm usually really slow with these, but I'll try to do it next issue.

SECRETS: 1999D, Regular Diplomacy

THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 1923 IS JULY 21ST, 2007

Summer 1923

ENGLAND (Kent): R a bel-pic; has f ENG, a GAS, a PIC, f MID, f POR.

FRANCE (Sasseville): has f MAR, f SPA(SC), a BUR.

GERMANY (Barno): has a SER.

RUSSIA (Parker): has f NWY, a STP, f NWG, f CLY, a WAR,

a DEN, a KIE, f NTH, a HOL, a PRU.

TURKEY (Linsey): has a ARM, a BUL, f TYH, a RUM, a MUN,

a SIL, f WES, a BOH, f GOL, a BEL, a TRI, f NAF, a VEN, f PIE, a RUH.

Addresses of the Participants

ENGLAND: Doug Kent, 11111 Woodmeadow Pkwy #2327, Dallas, TX 75228

dougray30 of yahoo.com

FRANCE: Roland Sasseville, Jr., 38 Bucklin Street, Pawtucket, RI 02861, (401) 481-4280 ($0)

roland6 of cox.net

GERMANY: Mike Barno, 634 Dawson Hill Road, Spencer, NY 14883, (607) 589-4906

mpbarno of lightlink.com

RUSSIA: Vern Parker, 337 Winter Hill Place, Powell, OH 43065, (614) 402-5139

VernDip of aol.com is preferred

TURKEY: Bruce Linsey, PO Box 234, Kinderhook, NY 12106

GonzoHQ of aol.com

Game Notes:

1) The RT Juggernaut draw and the concession to Turkey are rejected.

Press:

CAST NO SHADOWS: Breaking Away, Designer's Rules

Rules are at:

/Postal/Zines/TAP/Tinamou/rules/BreakingAway.htm

Note the special rules for replenishments on the first turn, and I'm glad the math was double checked, we did have a card error, which is now corrected and we have the first turn below.

DUE DATE FOR TURN 3 IS JULY 21ST, 2007

Turn 2

16 (replenish with a 3)

Sanctus

15 (no replenishment)

Empty

14 (no replenishment)

Empty

13 (replenish with a 3)

Bonham

12 (no replenishment)

Empty

11 (no replenishment)

Empty

10 (replenish with a 3)

Bowie, Travis, Crockett

9 (no replenishment)

Empty

8 (no replenishment)

Empty

7 (replenish with a 3)

Kyoto, Vidic

6 (replenish with a 5)

Mideast, Gavrancic, Wally, Xavier, Yorick, Kyrie

5 (replenish with a 11)

Granny, Carrot, Drugs, Dragutinovic, Zorro

4 (replenish with a 16)

Rincewind, Water, Gloria, Krstajic

3 (replenish with a 20)

Death, Agnus

Addresses of the Participants - Their Team and Their Cards

TEAM 1 (Rick Desper): rick_desper of yahoo.com (0 points)

Team Name: The Turtle Moves; Captained by Cut-My-Own-Throat Dibbler

A: Rincewind the Wizzard

14 12 3 16 (1)

B: Granny Weatherwax

12 11 11 (3)

C: Captain Carrot

15 3 11 (3)

D: Death

13 3 20 (2)

(note, Rincewind is accompanied by the Luggage, Granny is on Her Broom, Carrot is of the City Watch, and Death is just DEATH!)

Total Replenishments: 12+58 = 70

TEAM 2 (Tom Howell): off-the-shelf of olympus.net (0 points)

Team Name: Never Ending Worry Source; Manager: Rumour; Team Captain: Ye Olde Manager

A: Water

15 11 3 16 (3)

B: Kyoto

14 7 3 (3)

C: Mideast

11 6 5 (3)

D: Drugs

9 5 11 (3)

Total Replenishments: 12+35 = 47

TEAM 3 ((David Partridge): rebhuhn of rocketmail.com (0 points)

Team Name: Famous Four

A: Krstajic

6 8 15 16 (3)

B: Vidic

8 13 3 (3)

C: Gavrancic

8 9 5 (3)

D: Dragutinovic

6 8 11 (3)

Total Replenishments: 12+35 = 47

TEAM 4 (Brendan Whyte): obiwonfive of hotmail.com (0 points)

Team Name: The Reverse Alphabeticists

A: Zorro

3 10 15 11 (3)

B: Yorick

10 12 5 (3)

C: Xavier

7 10 5 (3)

D: Wally

3 10 5 (3)

Total Replenishments: 12+26 = 38

TEAM 5 (Alexander Woo): aswoo of yahoo.com (0 points)

Team Name: Just Ordinary; Manager: Credo

A: Agnus

15 12 3 20 (2)

B: Sanctus

8 4 3 (3)

C: Kyrie

10 7 5 (3)

D: Gloria

12 3 16 (3)

Total Replenishments: 12+44 = 56

TEAM 6 (Andy York): wandrew of compuserve.com (0 points)

Team Name: Alamo

A: Crockett

15 5 3 3 (3)

B: Travis

15 3 3 (3)

C: Bowie

10 3 3 (3)

D: Bonham

3 3 3 (3)

Total Replenishments: 12+12 = 24

Game Notes:

1) The rules are on the TAP website in the Tinamou section. Ask if you have any questions. Up above in parentheses is the card you played to get to where you are in the field. The replenishment card is the last card in your list. Be careful to note that the card you played (the one in parentheses) is not available for you, for next turn. Just for fun, I'm going to keep track of total replenishment, by turn, which is a rough measure of how the teams are doing. Of course, it is lining up to get across the sprint and final lines in the right places that really counts. We can calculate an "efficiency score" later, which will be the ratio of scoring points per replenishment. If I'm predicting how the future of this will come out, a 10% score will be really tremendous for this measure.

2) And those of you who didn't have any lower card, played a three..... everyone played lowest card, big surprise!

Press:

(A SELF-DEFEATING PROPHESY): Next game, Rick will try the first turn break, and Tom and Dave will both stop him.

Personal Note to You:

File translated from T_EX by T_TH, version 3.35.
On 05 Jul 2007, 12:47.