THE ABYSSINIAN PRINCE #382

April 8, 2017


Jim Burgess, 664 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02908-4327 USA, (401)351-0287, jfburgess of gmail.com


Yes, we're late again, I'll say more below, but I've had some energy issues related to losing weight as a side effect. From the beginning of all of this, I've lost 1/4 of my body weight... sigh, on the good side, I am now gaining a bit. But this was late as a result. I'm going to still try to make this a quick turnaround since everyone should be able to deal with that since I sent the Diplomacy retreats out in advance. Let me know if you have problems or questions.


E-MAIL/WEB ONLY ISSUE! PDF will be available on the website when I fix the new website index.html at http://www.diplomatic-pouch.com/Postal/Zines/TAP/index.html, almost there. All the back issues are there in http://www.diplomatic-pouch.com/Postal/Zines/TAP/TAPxxx.pdf or .html. My poor html programming is making the move to diplomatic-pouch.com more problematic since I hardcoded links in. Sigh... We also are being reproduced in Eternal Sunshine which is running down to a fold.


Web Page Address: http://www.diplomatic-pouch.com/Postal/Zines/TAP/index.html


YOU can still join Kendo Nagasaki, hop in!!! But it's ALMOST over... I'll probably get final TotalCon results in next time.
This issue continues the szine/subszine inversion. As most of you know, this thing began as a "subszine" to Terry Tallman's North Sealth, West George in NSWG #16, then became its own szine with a host of subszines. Since Terry's passing, we lose our thirty year fervent hope that someday NSWG would have been resurrected and I could go back and swear my fealty to the Toadfather. The subszines remaining will appear as sub-subszines to our flipflopped home in Doug Kent's Eternal Sunshine. I'm set on continuing my GMing, and I'm starting to write a bit, hope there might be more, especially when I feel better. Feel free to communicate with me about how you want to help or what you want to play, or if anyone else wants TAP subszine status. Especially since after ES's impending fold, we will be independent again.
For production, in addition to the HTML's of each separate product on the web page, I also have a PDF that you can print of the entire subszine (including my famous handdrawn maps!). You can just print the maps if you like, but remember maps are for pikers anyway, you don't need no steenkin' maps, keep them up in your head where they belong. I'm having trouble with the new upload interfaces. I'll get it fixed as soon as I can. I need to stay within the security of the site (which is very important!!!!) while getting access to change the web site's index and files for the szine. It shouldn't be that hard, but my first, second, and third attempts didn't work.
The general website address is now: http://www.diplomatic-pouch.com.
There are currently 77 members of the official TAP subscriber list, which is starting to come back up, I hope. http://lists.asciiking.com/mailman/listinfo/tap is the current list website, but that particular site may not come back in the rebuild. YOU needed to make sure you're on this list, I'll let you know when I'm using it again. I'll add some of the newer subscribers who aren't there when I do that. When this works, there you can check your subscribing options and whether you're registered. Register if you want to get TAP E-Mailed regularly. Some people have had trouble with the attachments, so I have switched to sending the link in the announcements, I see that does help. Please let me know about other issues, but it puts priority on getting the link up again. Apologies for the recent confusions.


THE ABYSSINIAN PRINCE FEATURES SECTION (CONS/LETTERS/MUSIC)
((For upcoming cons around the world, we're now using Alex Lebedev's site: http://diplomacy.world/ while we're getting the new DP site working again: http://www.diplomatic-pouch.com/Face/cons/index.php, which will be back up soon, David Norman is working on it. And there remains lots of interest in the FTF community, and linking E-Mail/Web players to FTF. Also, the Facebook page for European Tournament Diplomacy, https://www.facebook.com/groups/1500292310187264/, Diplomacy in Europe, has been really active and the place to be in the hobby these days. If you're on Facebook, hook up there! The Nor'Easter sequence of four tournaments will be continuing this year, culminating in North American DipCon this November at Carnage in Vermont! It already is late to book hotel rooms, so if you're going, decide now!))


FEATURE: ROCK AND ROLL BANDS AND MOMENTS THAT MATTER
((If anyone from TAP or ES has ideas for more things to talk about here let me know. I do have four or five ideas lined up here already that I just have to write. I have been nudged... comments from any of you also are welcome. Obviously, my fatigue has gotten in the way here...))


THE ABYSSINIAN PRINCE LETTERS SECTION
Warren (Goz) Goesle (Sat, Apr 8, 2017 at 9:29 AM)
Ok Jim-Bob, I'll give it a shot. I'd have written earlier but I got caught up in the rapture last November, and it took a long time for them to realize the mistake, and then a longer time to process the paperwork to send me back. Still, I think it was worth it.
AL: I see 7 teams that won't do much, and 8 that will contend. I think it goes like this...
AL East: Hard to believe that Big Papi is gone and teaching tennis, and still everyone thinks this made the Red Sox somehow better. Tough division, but I see as Blue Jays, Red Sox, Yankees, Rays and Chokeartists.
AL Central: Do the Indians suffer like a Super Bowl loser? I've got a lot of friends in the Cleveland area that fear this a lot. I'll say Tigers, Indians, Royals, White Sox, Twins.
AL West: Looks like Houston is back. I will say Astros, Rangers, Mariners, Angels, A's.
Wild Cards: Tough call here. I think the Rangers, Mariners and Indians just miss, and the Red Sox and the Yankees (with a last minute spending spree and September run) get the spots.
ALCS: Blue Jays over Astros.
NL: I'm not sure anyone other that the 5 playoff teams that made it last year have any hope this year. So...
NL East: Mets, Nats, Marlins, Phillies, Braves. Braves' attendance total for the year is just south of 200,000.
NL Central: Cubs, Pirates, Brewers, Cards, Reds. Despite a showy start, the Cardinals are worse this year than last.
NL West: Dodgers, Giants, Rockies, Diamondbacks, Padres. Anyone picking Arizona to make the playoffs will be forced to share what they've been smoking.
Wild Cards: Giants and Nats. I still don't believe in Washington. Call it the "Dusty Effect".
NLCS: Cubs over Dodgers. Might be the two best teams in baseball.
WS: It has been 109 years since the Cubs repeated as WS Champs. This year they break the curse, and do it at Wrigley.
Goz, warrengoesle of wowway.com
((Thanks, Goz, here's my take. I do think the biggest challenge with baseball is changing the CULTURE of speed of the game. Jim Kaat proved 40 years ago, that if you're committed to pitching when you get the ball, you can get games under two hours. The dumbest idea I've ever heard is starting someone at second base in extra innings... first off, it breaks every tradition of baseball, and no one is worried about extra innings games going long, that's exciting, as we experienced in the early Red Sox extra inning game. But you don't do it with rules, at least in the majors. You create a culture in training and in the minor leagues of quick turnaround of pitches, no stepping out, no adjusting batting gloves (yes, you too, Dustin Pedroia!), and then the games will move faster. But that will take a decade or more. Let's start now. Start in Single A with really draconian rules that affect how young players start their careers, and then slowly move it up the chain. And then you won't even have to change the rules in the majors! My take differs a lot from Goz in some places, and not at all in others. I think the Red Sox will be the AL East team, and Goz thinks it will be the Blue Jays, we agree that is a huge question for the season. The NL is REALLY split between a small group of "haves" and the rest having essentially no chance.
AL East: The Red Sox WILL overcome the loss of Big Papi with the best young outfield in baseball. Red Sox, Blue Jays, Yankees, Orioles, Rays; Blue Jays a wild card.
AL Central: I have much more faith in the Indians, but it is interesting that Dave Dombroski really built both the Tigers and the Red Sox... and I think at least one of the reasons the Red Sox traded Yoan Moncada to the Chicago White Sox was his Twinkie addiction, which keeps him on a sugar high for now, but eventually? The White Sox sent him to AAA and he has had SEVEN hits in the first two games. Will the Red Sox regret it? Not eventually, and Chris Sale is great. Indians, Tigers, Royals, White Sox, Twins; Tigers a wild card.
AL West: Mostly boring teams, don't care much, but let's go with this. Astros, Mariners, Rangers, A's, Angels.
ALCS: Why not have the two best teams play each other. Red Sox beat Blue Jays.
NL East: It looks like they will rebuild that highway in Atlanta where the fire was quickly, but as far as Braves games go, no one will notice any traffic, since no one will come. Mets, Nationals, Marlins, Phillies, Braves; Nationals are a wild card.
NL Central: Yes, the Cubs and then NOTHING. Cubs, Pirates, Reds, Cardinals, Brewers.
NL West: My Giants are going to be really, really good, despite an obnoxious start, and the bad teams in this division are just bad. Giants, Dodgers, Rockies, Diamondbacks, Padres; Dodgers are a wild card.
NLCS: Cubs narrowly edge the Giants. Dodgers aren't as good as Goz thinks they are...
WS: Red Sox sweep the Cubbies and put them in their place!))


THE ABYSSINIAN PRINCE GAMES SECTION
Standby lists: Brad Wilson, Jack McHugh, Drew James, Paul Rauterberg, Doug Kent, Paul Kenny, and Hugh Polley stand by for regular Diplomacy. Just let me know if you want on or off these lists. I would like a few more interested parties, once we get back on the web.


GAME OPENING INFORMATION
I'd love to do another game of Spy Diplomacy, but it requires commitment that seems in short supply. Especially with Doug Kent bowing out, is there some other Variant in which there is interest? Please ask!!!
REGULAR DIPLOMACY: Two games continue. Is there something else we want to start? I have some ideas on how to do "By Popular Demand" differently... Let's see if there is interest in a new regular game. Signups please?
BREAKING AWAY: Game start now. Please get your orders in for this turn!!!
KENDO NAGASAKI: Send in your guesses!!! We almost have it!!!


THE TERRY TALLMAN MEMORIAL: 2016A, Regular Diplomacy
THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 1904 IS APRIL 15TH, 2017
Summer 1904
AUSTRIA (Black): R a gal-BUD; has a VIE, a RUM, f ALB, f GRE, a BUD, a BUL.
ENGLAND (Cohen): has f ENG, f NTH, f NWG.
FRANCE (Rauterberg): has f POR, f BRE, a MAR, a GAS.
GERMANY (Polley): has a LVN, f BAL, a SIL, f HOL, a DEN, a BUR.
ITALY (Ellinger): has f TYH, f WES, f MID, a PIE, a VEN.
RUSSIA (Zarr): has a WAR, f NWY, a FIN, f SWE, a SEV, a GAL.
TURKEY (Wiedemeyer): has f CON, f BLA, a SMY.


E-Mail Addresses of the Participants
AUSTRIA: Thaddeus Black, thaddeus.h.black of gmail.com
ENGLAND: David Cohen, zendip18 of optonline.net
FRANCE: Paul Rauterberg, paul.rauterberg of att.net
GERMANY: Hugh Polley, hapolley of yahoo.ca
ITALY: Marc Ellinger, mellinger of blitzbardgett.com
RUSSIA: Harold Zarr, skip1955 of hotmail.com
TURKEY: Fred Wiedemeyer, wiedem of telus.net


Game Notes:
1) Get orders in quickly.


Press:
None to be spotted...


THE DON WILLIAMS 57 MEMORIAL: 2014A, Regular Diplomacy
THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 1908 IS APRIL 15TH, 2017
Summer 1908
AUSTRIA (Ozog): has a BUD, a SER, a TYO, f TYH, a ROM,
f WES, a PAR, a PIE, a BUL, a BUR, f NAF.
FRANCE (Ellinger): R f spa(sc)-POR; f eng-BEL; has f POR, f BEL, f MID.
GERMANY (Abbott): a LVP h, a BRE h.
ITALY (Wilson): has f GOL, a SPA.
RUSSIA (Rauterberg): has a SIL, f NWY, a YOR, f BLA, a MUN, a EDI, f IRI, f CLY, f ENG, f WAL,
a PIC, f NAO, f NTH, f ION, a RUH, a SEV.


E-Mail Addresses of the Participants
AUSTRIA: Eric Ozog, elferic of juno.com
ENGLAND: Fred Wiedemeyer, wiedem of telus.net
FRANCE: Marc Ellinger, mellinger of blitzbardgett.com
GERMANY: Will Abbott, wjja9 of yahoo.com
ITALY: Brad Wilson, fullfathomfive675 of gmail.com
RUSSIA: Paul Rauterberg, paul.rauterberg of att.net
TURKEY: David Burgess, burgesscd of roadrunner.com


Game Notes:
1) We continue to play things out... but we do have some press! And thus a proposal for Concession to anyone or anything anyone would care to concede to. They do have to be unanimous though...


Press:
(KAISER IN SECURE UNDISCLOSED LOCATION to WORLD): I support a concession, and I don't care who to. Concede to the Tsar, the President, me, the Swiss, the GM, or even the remains of last round's orders. I'm even willing to concede to the shattered hopes and dreams we all had at the beginning of the game.




THE DIPLOMACY GAME II: Breaking Away, Designer's Rules
NEW GAME START IN THIS ISSUE
Turn 0
0 (no replenishment) EVERYONE PACKED UP ON THE STARTING LINE!


DEADLINE FOR TURN 1 IS APRIL 15TH, 2017
Addresses of the Participants - Their Teams and Their Cards
TEAM AUSTRIA II (Andy Bate): andydbate of gmail.com (0 points)
A: Arnold Schwarzenegger 3, 3, 9, 15
B: Billy Wilder 5, 5, 15
C: Christian Doppler 4, 3, 13
D: Daniel Swarovski 3, 3, 10
TEAM ANCIENT ENGLAND (Jim Reader): jim_reader of hotmail.com (0 points)
A: Skara Brae 15, 11, 4
B: Avebury 14, 8, 3
C: Sutton Hoo 13, 5, 2
D: Lindisfarne 12, 3, 1
TEAM FRANCE (Hank Alme): almehj of alumni.rice.edu (0 points)
A: Marquis de Lafayette (Captain): 1, 5, 9, 15
B: Cardinal Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu and Fronsac: 4, 7, 14
C: Jean-Jacques Rousseau: 2, 5, 13
D: Thomas Jefferson: 2, 6, 8
TEAM CLAVELL (Marc Ellinger): mellinger of blitzbardgett.com (0 points)
A: TaiPan 15, 10, 5
B: King Rat 12, 10, 3
C: Gai-Jin 13, 6, 1
D: Noble House 10, 4, 2
TEAM (Rick Desper): rick_desper of yahoo.com (0 points)
Team Name:
Coach:
A: 2, 4, 9, 15
B: 1, 9, 15
C: 2, 5, 13
D: 1, 3, 12
TEAM REPUBLIC OF TEXAS (Andy York): wandrew88 of gmail.com (0 points)
A: Crockett 10, 10, 10
B: Travis 10, 8, 7
C: Houston 10, 5, 5
D: Bowie 8, 4, 4
TEAM DICTATORS (Brendan Whyte): BWHYTE of nla.gov.au (0 points)
A: Hitler 11, 10, 9
B: Mussolini 8,8,9
C: Mao 6,7,7
D: Trump 5,6,5


Game Notes:
1) The rules are on the TAP website in the Tinamou section. Ask if you have any questions. Rules at:
http://www.diplomatic-pouch.com/Postal/Zines/TAP/Tinamou/rules/BreakingAway.htm
2) Some of you, like Rick, don't have fully realized Team and Rider names. You aren't wedded to the Diplomacy countries, though some of you stayed in that domain. Get them to me next time.
3) Note the overcrowding rule for the first turn. First turn only - if at the end of the first turn (only), any square has 5 or more cyclists on it then the square in front is treated as if were blank for card replacement purposes.


WHERE IN THE WORLD IS KENDO NAGASAKI
DEADLINE FOR THE LAST TURN 10 OF THIS GAME IS APRIL 15TH, 2017
Kendo Nagasaki for me comes from the series in Eternal Sunshine... The full rules for Where in the World is Kendo Nagasaki are in: http://www.whiningkentpigs.com/DW/es58.pdf. Send a guess, you have to get it this time!!!


TURN 1
Brendan Whyte: Tom Howell:
Bernie Sanders, on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean No Guess Received

Hank Alme: Marc Ellinger:
Hank Alme in Ellicott City, MD Christian De Castries in Caracas, Venezuela

Rick Desper: Doug Kent:
Wavy Gravy in West Hartford, CT Robert E. Lee in Lhasa, Tibet

Andy York: Peter Sullivan:
Jim Burgess in Portland, ME Joan Collins in Dallas, TX

HINT to the Person with the Closest Geographic Guess: You have my gender correct, but I did most of the things I'm famed for a decade or two before your active period.


TURN 2
Brendan Whyte: Tom Howell:
Eleanor Roosevelt in Baton Rouge, LA No Guess Received

Hank Alme: Marc Ellinger:
Boris Johnson in Moscow, Russia F.D.R. in Lagos, Nigeria

Rick Desper: Doug Kent:
Eleanor Roosevelt in Belize City, Belize Eisenhower in Gettysburg, PA

Andy York: Peter Sullivan:
Al Capone in Rio, Brazil Dwight D. Eisenhower in Culzean Castle, Ayrshire, Scotland

Jim Reader:
Nelson Mandela in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

HINT to the Person with the Closest Geographic Guess: I had a somewhat more formal leadership position than you.


TURN 3
Brendan Whyte: Tom Howell:
Huey Long in Baton Rouge, LA No Guess This Time

Hank Alme: Marc Ellinger:
Eleanor Roosevelt in Los Angeles, CA Herbert Hoover in Santiago, Chile

Rick Desper: Doug Kent:
Simon Bolivar in La Paz, Bolivia Rommel in La Paz, Bolivia

Andy York: Peter Sullivan:
Kenesaw Mountain Landis in Sao Paulo, Brazil Dwight D. Eisenhower in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Jim Reader: Mark Firth:
Donald Trump in the White House Lyndon B. Johnson in Salonika, Greece

HINT to the Person with the Closest Geographic Guess: We knew each other and interacted with each other in our professional lives, but there was a famous meeting I once helped to orchestrate that you were not invited to.






TURN 4
Brendan Whyte: Tom Howell:
No Guess This Time No Guess This Time

Hank Alme: Marc Ellinger:
FDR in Valparaiso, Chile Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov in Ascuncion, Paraguay

Rick Desper: Doug Kent:
Teddy Roosevelt in Brasilia, Brazil. No Guess This Time

Andy York: Peter Sullivan:
George Marshall at Asuncion, Paraguay No Guess This Time

Jim Reader: Mark Firth:
Che Guevara Nazca Desert of Peru looking at lines Winston Churchill in Beverly Hills

HINT to the Person with the Closest Geographic Guess: You were dead before the famous meeting I alluded to last time, but of course I did work with you closely across our careers.


TURN 5
Brendan Whyte: Tom Howell:
Fidel Castro in Santiago, Cuba No Guess This Time

Hank Alme: Marc Ellinger:
Harry Truman in Concepcion, Chile Harry Truman in Cordoba, Argentina

Rick Desper: Doug Kent:
No Guess This Time Winston Churchill in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Andy York: Peter Sullivan:
Harry Hopkins in Concepcion, Chile FDR in Santiago, Chile

Jim Reader: Mark Firth:
Harry S Truman in Mendoza, Argentina FDR in New York City, US

HINT to the Person with the Closest Geographic Guess: Well, you were at that famous meeting... or maybe you weren't. How could it be both? That is a VERY interesting story, certainly you were instrumental in the örchestration" in multiple ways!


TURN 6
Brendan Whyte: Tom Howell:
Rudolf Hess in Caracas, Venezuela No Guess This Time

Hank Alme: Marc Ellinger:
George Marshall in Los Ángeles, Chile Alger Hiss in Punto Arenas, Chile

Rick Desper: Doug Kent:
No Guess This Time No Guess This Time

Andy York: Peter Sullivan:
Joseph Stalin in Port Darwin Harry S Truman in Brasilia, Brazil

Jim Reader: Mark Firth:
Winston Churchill in Belo Horizonte, Brazil Robert Oppenheimer in Iquique, Chile

HINT to the Person with the Closest Geographic Guess: Your guess of my identity is moving in the wrong direction, but someone else has identified me.


TURN 7
Brendan Whyte: Tom Howell:
Alger Hiss at Goose Green, Falkland Islands No Guess This Time

Hank Alme: Marc Ellinger:
George Marshall in Puerto Williams, Chile Clement Attlee in Port Stanley Falkland Islands

Rick Desper: Doug Kent:
No Guess This Time Joseph Stalin on Easter Island

Andy York: Peter Sullivan:
Joseph Stalin in Tierra del Fuego Harry S Truman in Asunción, Paraguay

Jim Reader: Mark Firth:
Alger Hiss in Antofagasta, Chile Erwin Rommel, in the Galapagos

HINT to the Person with the Closest Geographic Guess: You need to cross the water to find me, and you are not correct in identifying who I am.


TURN 8
Brendan Whyte: Tom Howell:
Robert Oppenheimer in Ushuaia, Argentina No Guess This Time

Hank Alme: Marc Ellinger:
Robert Oppenheimer in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego Rudolf Hess in Rio Gallegos, Argentina

Rick Desper: Doug Kent:
No Guess This Time Alger Hiss in Punta Arenas

Andy York: Peter Sullivan:
Richard M. Nixon in Hong Kong Harry S Truman in Tierra del Fuego

Jim Reader: Mark Firth:
Alger Hiss in Ushuaia, Argentina Robert Oppenheimer in Colon

HINT to the Person with the Closest Geographic Guess: A number of you have nailed my location, but while my identity has been identified in the past, NO ONE has identified me this turn.


TURN 9
Brendan Whyte: Tom Howell:
George Marshall in Ushuaia, Argentina No Guess This Time

Hank Alme: Marc Ellinger:
No Guess This Time Winston Churchill at Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina

Rick Desper: Doug Kent:
George Marshall in Ushuaia, Argentina No Guess This Time

Andy York: Peter Sullivan:
No Guess This Time George Marshall in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

Jim Reader: Mark Firth:
Winston Churchill in Ushuaia, Argentina Harry Hopkins, in Punta Arenas

HINT to the Person with the Closest Geographic Guess: The number of you who have identified my location are ALL wrong on who I am. Logically, I can be only ONE other person, and that is?


LAST WORD: So we have a bit of a bad bout going on with the cancer lately, so this is late. My apologies. I'd like to push the next issue out right away, but we'll see. The diplom.org site is moving to diplomatic-pouch.com, but that is causing issues with internal links, especially for me. I hope to get this figured out soon for TAP and somehow I will. We're hunting for a new treatment for me, preferably one in the immunotherapy category, wish me luck, I think I'm going to need it. My general spirits are still good, and dropping this latest chemotherapy that isn't working should take away those side effects, which are particularly annoying. Since I may need to be getting rid of records and szines and hobby history soon, it is good that we're hearing again from the Popular Culture Library at Bowling Green State University. If people have ideas for them about how to make the Diplomacy collection more interesting and accessible, there may be opportunities to make them happen. Let me know. You better all get that final Kendo guess in. If you look closely, it MUST be one person already guessed in Turn 6.


File translated from TEX by TTH, version 3.85.
On 11 Apr 2017, 21:01.