ABOUT THE POUCH by Mario Huys Dedicated to Pitt Crandlemire, a.k.a. The Big Dipper

Göteborg, site of a historical experiment We have entered a new era. An era in which Diplomacy games are monitored and displayed right on your screen, around the world, live, 24-7. Ok, the last numbers are a tad optimistic, but unrealistic? No! Like you have soccer channels, golf channels, even a 24-7 go channel (in Korea), a Diplomacy channel is only a step away. You need to have the numbers, which goes hand in hand with popularity, which in turn is aided by visibility. If the format is attractive, it will create an audience. And is it attractive? Judge for yourself. The Swedish boys and girls at Levande Video (Living Video), with the assistance from the Swedish Diplomacy community, have done some ground breaking work by organizing the first ever Swedish Diplomacy Invitational and broadcasting it live. But don't worry if you missed it, because it has all been recorded on YouTube and you can access it right here, from the Zine. Watch it, but I'll warn you upfront: It's addictive. Ground breaking is also the massive collage of strategy articles on Italy, bound together by our soon-to-become ex-World Champion, Toby Harris. It's so massive we simply had to break it up in two, with the latter half coming up in the next issue. That's a promise. And to make "ground breaking" the undisputable theme in this edition, Rick Leeds is starting his own newbie section, with the aim of increasing the ranks of the Hobby enthusiasts. He invites you to contribute too, so don't let him down. Moreover Larry is starting a book review section, just in time for the Summer holidays. You will know what to bring along. A new era, but sadly not all of us will live to see it taking shape. One who just left us is no less than Pitt Crandlemire, an ex-World Champion himself and regular contributor to the Pouch. He chose himself to stop the medication and relieve his wife and close friends of his burden. A true champion, an independent mind until the end. Rest in peace. See You all on the Tube. Mario Huys The Editor (editor@diplom.org) If you wish to e-mail feedback on this article to the author, and clicking on the envelope above does not work for you, feel free to use the "Dear DP..." mail interface.