| June 9, 2002 |
Web Page Address: http://diplom.org/DipPouch/Postal/Zines/TAP/index.html
All of our subszines (Tinamou, Deny Everything, and Houdini Blues) are now accessible via the above web page. I believe all three are appearing in this monster issue, along with the announcement for Rip Gooch's new subszine. I think Houdini Blues is the smallest at present, but he is picking up the game that Mark Kinney orphaned plus a new game shortly. Don has another gripping press edition of Deny Everything out in this issue, but his game of newbies remains TOTALLY silent. What's wrong with these people, if they want silent press games, they should be playing by E-Mail!!! At least one of them has gone there. And David is going strong with Tinamou and for the record (see the web hack of TAP #258 on the web page) Dave ALSO has a Railway Rivals opening, they'll surely be working off of different maps. Now, the one, the only, THE Rip Gooch....
Rip Gooch (28 May 2002 15:14:35 -0700)
| Armtwister! |
Jim-Bob: Since you persist in mentioning my name within the pages of the Prince, I guess it's time I responded ...
I've started Diversions in Armistice Day - you'll probably have seen it. ((Of course I have, but I want MORE Rip Gooch!!! Dave Partridge and Stephen Agar apologies a given...)) If not, you know where to find it, no doubt. ((Everything can be connected to from http://www.diplomacy-archive.com/))
I can now start a couple of games (that's absolutely, definitely, strictly NOT more than a dozen) in your szine. But no more than simple game reports for now. Although I now have a home computer, my time is mainly taken up with jobsearch. Diversions swallows a chunk of spare time too. ((Understood, whatever you want to do is fine!))
I have the following maps 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)
I suggest you ask prospective players to identify their preferred map(s). ((Please do so in writing to Rip!)) If there is a particular favourite not on the list, then the proposer will have to supply copies of the map to me.
If some kind soul will send me the postal rules and a copy of the board, I can also run a game or two of Maneater. I was going to get in touch with Derek Wilson, but I have to choose the right time as he has recently suffered a tragic event and probably isn't in the mood to offer assistance. ((So sorry to hear, I hope Derek gets through his difficulties!))
Would you prefer that I put a little piece together in the form of a rudimentary subszine, or are you prepared to transcribe or paste in my game reports? You choose. I guess I could come up with the beginnings of a ((Ripping Yarns Mk III)) if pressed.
| Cheers, Rip G, xyropedes of canada.com |
((I would prefer a subszine in Word that I can convert to the Web and put in the way I do the other subszines, if that is OK. And anything special about the way you plan to run Railway Rivals??))
Rip Gooch (29 May 2002 11:24:01 -0700)
| RR Rules |
Jim: Ripping Yarns Mk III will take the form of a tiny subszine in Word then. The first editorial will explain why it's Mk. III, and subsequent issues will no doubt consist of responses to complaints about my GMing ... !
My return to the postal hobby through Diversions is renewing old interests. It's good to be back.
Rules are pretty standard, so unless we turn up some total novices there should be no problem. I shall be raising such questions as the merits of Bus Boss scoring, the technicalities of Leapfrog rules and the criteria governing ERP formats in forthcoming issues. But these will not have an effect on people joining waiting lists. Clear as mud? Good ... !
There are a few websites to which I can direct people if they are totally new to Railway Rivals. Stay tuned. I might be able to send something for inclusion with the announcement.
We all screamed ``Go Leafs Go!" - so they did ... Fun while it lasted, though. Almost as exciting as winning the Olympic golds - and I'm no hockey fan.
| Cheers, Rip G, xyropedes of canada.com |
((Yeah, it was fun for one of the games that was on at the same time as the Red Sox were in Skydome to play the Blue Jays. I was watching the Red Sox game, of course. And listening to the fans OBVIOUSLY paying way more attention to the hockey game on their radios and cheering events in the hockey game more than they were cheering events in the baseball game was great fun. Of course, Carolina moves on, it looks like finally to get mowed down after having their OT winning streak snapped Saturday night. Oh well, it was a fun dream to have Carolina win while it lasted. We'll expect to see you next issue here. Anyone interested in playing Railway Rivals under Rip should E-Mail him at the address above!!!))
The postal sub price is now
$1.50 per issue in the US and Canada,
STILL a bargain at twice the price.... but
you can 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!
When the Postal rate increase goes into effect, I'm probably
going to raise that to two bucks, so get renewals in now!
Check out the connections in the Diplomatic Pouch with all of the information you need to play Diplomacy on the Internet at: http://diplom.org/DipPouch/
I also have taken over the Postal portion of the Pouch: http://diplom.org/DipPouch/Postal/
and TAP on the web is there at: http://diplom.org/DipPouch/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 hearby 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 TOM HURST - AND MARK BERCH IS ``FOUND'' |
Last chance to find Tom for fifty bucks!!! No action on this at all, but I found one Tom Hurst who is the WRONG one who is at a California university, why don't YOU find the right one?? Gentle ``are you the Tom Hurst who played Diplomacy'' notes can't get people angry, can they? But, DING, DING, DING!!! Bruce Linsey wins twenty five bucks for finding Mark Berch and actually getting him to write to me. It really wasn't difficult since he hadn't moved!!! Mark needs to know what life has done to the hobby since he left, feel free to enlighten him.
Feel free to spend the time looking for some of the backlog. Let's get 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 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.
Mark Berch (Fri, 24 May 2002 13:42:48 -0400)
..of course, since I'm at the same place I've been since 1987, this is not an impressive feat at all, but Bruce always was one for grasping at anything. I'm not involved in the hobby, but who knows, I might want to sell off some of my stuff some day.
| Mark L. Berch, mark.berch of uspto.gov, 11713 Stonington Place, Silver Spring, MD 20902 |
((Bruce wins $ 25 and you win a free lifetime subscription to The Abyssinian Prince, whether you want it or not ;-) I pretty much knew that you still lived at the same place, but Bruce is the one who got you to write. A huge amount of your stuff has already been appropriated by various parties and put on the Internet (your fame precedes you), you may feel free to sue Mark Nelson and Stephen Agar, who mostly are responsible for evading your copyrights. A Mark Berch PLUS Diplomacy search on google.com yields 99 articles and documents, for example, most of the important ones on Stephen Agar's www.diplomacy-archive.com. And Mark Nelson copied most of them in (including your ``Diplomacy A to Z" with extensive updating) back in the early 1990's.))
Bruce Linsey (Fri, 24 May 2002 14:30:06 EDT)
Hee hee...if he REALLY doesn't want it, I'll take it!!!!!!!!!! I'll let you know sometime later how I want my winnings disbursed.
| Bruce, GonzoHQ of aol.com |
((Thanks, Bruce!! One more off the list. I'd like to keep the backlog down to a reasonable number. I'm going to start another person next issue and I don't have anyone immediately in mind. Anyone YOU or anyone else wants us to search for???))
| 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!! The Norwegians ARE leading!!! This is popping out about how I might have predicted. The dark horses and the Eggs are suffering early.
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 has 5 centers at the end of 1903.
ENGLAND: Mike Weinzimer - Find Mike at mweinzimer of yahoo.com, and he has 5 centers at the end of 1903.
FRANCE: Erlend ``Joe'' Janbu - Find Joe at janbu of online.no, and he has 6 centers at the end of 1903.
GERMANY: Douglas Vaughan - Find Douglas at vaughan4 of mindspring.com, and he has 5 centers at the end of 1903.
ITALY: Egbert ``Egg'' Ferreira - You can find Egg at egbert of salavip.com.br, and he has 3 centers at the end of 1903.
RUSSIA: Darren Koch - You can find the Aussie Darren at koch_family of bigpond.com, and he has 4 centers at the end of 1903.
TURKEY: Frank Johansen - Find Frank at frank.johansen of diplomacy.no, and he has 6 centers at the end of 1903.
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 play is starting to sharpen up now as France is attacking Italy and Turkey is attacking Russia. 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. That's one thing you can say about Egg, he always works HARD on the game, yet he is presently ``losing''. I know lots of you can't stand C-Diplo, but that's the way it works.... now a commentary (others are welcome!):
Steve Hutton (Wed, 22 May 2002 19:10:19 -0400)
RE: misrepresentations about Mr. Vaughan
Sir,
Mr. Douglas Vaughan is not dark, is not a horse, has never played on cat23, and is a member of The Seven Most Evil Men in the World (what some have called ``the most successful team in the history of team Diplomacy").
| Yours, Steve, stevehutton of rogers.com |
((Indeed, well, one of his tournament games appears as a cat23 game then. I wasn't able to find him anywhere else in Dipdom, and I looked pretty hard. I laugh in the face of evil....))
Douglas Vaughan (Thu, 23 May 2002 21:27:00 -0400)
Mr. Vaughan replies: Well now, that's strange. Perhaps there's an impostor with the same/similar name? Or maybe one of the WM99 or WM00 games appeared as a ``cat-23 game"? I know one was conducted on the DP judge, at least until the judge started doing funny things. Or I could be losing my mind.
In any event, I have no explanation.
I would describe my ``history" as FTF games in the dim past (the '70s, when I was student), then a few undistinguished games on the judges, and finally a blossoming in the two e-mail championships, with a brilliant corps of advisers beside me.
| Douglas, vaughan4 of mindspring.com |
((Ah, so even worse, you are a CREATION of your team! See Mr. Hutton's general commentary on the team at: http://www.diplomacyworld.org/issues/issue87/87team_diplomacy.htm and I know Joshua Randall is another member of the team. To be honest, I can't recall the others, so not only are the Evil, but they are SNEAKY!))
| 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 new Spring issue is now 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 out.
If you are reading this on the Internet, then go to the ballot at:
http://diplom.org/DipPouch/Postal/Zines/TAP/BALLOT02.html
and if you're seeing it postally and missed it last issue, ask
me for another one.
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.
Next up, some miscellaneous notes, beginning with DipCon/DixieCon.
Mike Barno (Thu, 30 May 2002 02:00:33 -0400)
Among the other folks you know who were in Chapel Hill, Adam Silverman is probably the geographically closest. Conrad and Graham Woodring and Chris Martin were among the NYC contingent, and I think Hunter Davis said he was from Long Island. Former PILOT LIGHT pubber Kevin Brown got a pure zero, but was ineligible as he played in only one round. Justin Thompson won the Brick for pure zeroes in all three rounds he played. (And he lost the DipCon bid on PrezCon's behalf, so he had a harsh weekend.)
| Mike, mpbarno of lightlink.com |
((Yes, I was glad to see that Chris Martin did really well too. I really like Chris' style of play and he's been getting slammed around more than he deserves lately just because he had that meteoric FTF rise in the hobby a few years ago.))
David Norman (Tue, 28 May 2002 12:47:17)
ManorCon - update
The correct dates are 19-22 July 2002. The correct address for Games Web is http://www.games-web.co.uk.
| David. david of ellought.demon.co.uk |
((I made it to ManorCon in Birmingham, England last year. I won't make it this year, but I DEFINITELY will be going for 2004, when it will be hosting World DipCon, if I've counted right. Everyone should be making their plans now for the HUGE World DipCon in Denver next February, 2003. I shall be there and you will be too. It will almost surely have the greatest worldwide international field of any Diplomacy tournament ever, if current indications are any sign.))
| 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 out, and first listenings say: stunning! More on that to come.
Will Abbott (Tue, 04 Jun 2002 19:25:11 -0400)
Jim,
As I mentioned on RGD, I've been browsing through back issues of TAP. I've also looked through back issues of other (s)zines (there is no `s' in magazine, which is what I've always guessed was the root of ``zine" or ``szine", but I really never looked into it). There have been some dearthly serious ones, and even ones that were more of a mixed bag; yours is the most entertaining, even if I haven't heard of some of the things you talk about. ((Join the club, sometimes ***I*** can't figure it out either.))
Anyway, in homage to some of the silly press, I'm starting a < gasp > judge game of Slightly Silly Diplomacy, with the intent that people NOT be serious. If something ever possesses you to try to run a game here in TAP, I wouldn't mind. I would be intrigued by a gamestart of NYEED, though I certainly wouldn't promise a victory.
At any rate, I've toyed with the idea of some sort of e-zine or something, just as a forum for my own well-reasoned opinions and the rants of those who wish to send me e-mail; but frankly I just can't justify the effort these days. I certainly do appreciate that you put the effort into TAP that makes it such an outstanding piece of contemporary literature.
Okay, now that my tongue has been pulled out of my cheek, I noticed your talk about your two jobs. Sounds like you could just give yourself money and save the hassle, but I'm sure some sort of fair play requirements would ruin that.
As a newcomer to the Hobby, I have to say that while the searches are probably worthwhile, I don't believe that I could contribute to them. I mean, what if I find the wrong one or something? Besides, I have a hard enough time trying to find myself from time to time.
Obligatory music notes: Anymore, I really don't get into the new releases. The thing that makes that notable is that I'm still in my 20's- so, at least in theory, I should be strongly attracted to much of the muck on top 40. Frankly, though, it's mostly disposable stuff that doesn't have the impact on either 1) reality or 2) me. (I do not claim any relationship between the two.) Having said that, the recent release by U2 proves to me at least that there ARE still some people able to write meaningful songs and actually make money at it. Still, hearing that Bono was touring Africa with Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill was a bit surreal.
I could continue, but then I'd just be spewing forth meaningless opinions, so I'll stop now.
| Will J. Abbott, wabbott of LearnLink.Emory.Edu |
((The szine is a pronunciation spelling. There are TWO ways to pronounce the abbreviation ``zine". One uses a hard ``Z" as in zylophone and a long ``i" as in hi or hind, so it sort of rhymes with hind. The other uses a slightly softer ``Z" sound, as in zebra, perhaps, and a short ``i" sound sort of like zebra as well, or like you actually pronounce the end of ``magazine". The harder first pronunciation tends to be used in the East, so I lived in xyn country (which is how they spelled it to distinguish themselves) and needed something distinctive to show that I pronounced it the softer magazine way. Terry Tallman, the Toadfather, came up with ``szine" and it stuck. It actually technically is illegal to call TAP a zine in at least three states.
As far as finding people, just do it! I don't know anyone who minds a short E-Mail like: ``Hi, are you the Kevin Tighe who used to play Diplomacy and knows Jim Burgess? If so, he is looking for you. Will Abbott PS I'll bet you get asked more often if you are the Kevin Tighe who was a TV actor, but no, I'm looking for the one who was a Diplomacy player!''
If you weren't the one we're looking for, they would just send you a note or ignore it. I can't imagine anyone getting upset. I get these sorts of notes looking for ``another Jim Burgess" about 2-3 times a year, at least, since I'm easy to find on the web. Currently, a ``Jim Burgess'' search on Google yields 3810 hits and TAP is number 1. I wish I was ``the trained tenor who turned into one of the world's greatest Disco DJ's and remixers ruling the dancefloors of New York City'' but I'm not.
And lastly, if you put together a ``Slightly Silly Diplomacy" game and wanted to run it here, who am I to say no? I'd want to see that you have players who really want to play and I'd want you to run it to TAP deadlines.))
Mike Barno (Sun, 19 May 2002 15:24:45 -0400)
Since you've been carrying all these movie reviews, you came to mind when I read this comment on a story about Transmeta's new supercomputing cluster:
`` `...the unveiling of the supercomputer, a Beowolf cluster called Green Destiny...'
Computing legends Bell and Torvalds looked on in envy as the Green Destiny blade cluster was unveiled, knowing only the great Li Mu Bai was worthy of wielding the blade cluster's power. Upon plugging the Green Destiny in, they were appalled to find it had been ``r00t3d" by some Chinese hacker calling himself Yu Jen..."
| - Mike, mpbarno of lightlink.com |
((I laughed and laughed and laughed.... perhaps we should ask the computer the question why all ``bomb countdowns'' always are aborted or solved with only a few seconds to go?? Perhaps Bell and Torvalds don't have the right equipment??))
Mark Luedi (Tue, 4 Jun 2002 09:04:28 -0400)
Jim, Just so the post office doesn't shoot me (a new variation of ``going postal"?), please revert my address to P.O. Box 1005, Traverse City, MI 49685.
| Thanks, Mark, maluedi of bignetnorth.net |
P.S.: What's my account standing at this point??!
((Thought it would be a good idea to do a ``here's where Mark Luedi is" note as well as an update to the comp list. Mark, you are officially on my comp list (so I don't have to do a search on you if I want to find you). Being on my comp list is fun for me and essentially includes most of the ex-Diplomacy szine publishers whom I am still aware of and where I participated in their szines. I haven't done an exact count, but there are probably 20-30 of you, depending on how I count. Total circulation fluctuates a lot but presently is about 140 by postal mail. If you ever feel called to send me money, feel free to do so, but you're gonna keep getting this as long as I keep publishing it and I can find you otherwise. I also like getting more substantial short notes for publication once in awhile. Like, you could tell me about some good music you're listening to? But that's OK. I think I might stop this and just go completely E-Mail without all of you. I intend to keep movin' on for the foreseeable future. Your ranks have just increased by one, as Conrad von Metzke has been added to the permanent comp list and has folded Costaguana again. One thinks that this time might really be for good. I still think that the Hobby is vibrant and growing, but I think one must have a web presence for long term viability these days. See Will Abbott's note. He thinks this is cool and neat (even if he does suck up WAY, WAY too much) but he never would have found an old style postal szine all by itself. Thanks for letting me rant on, write again some time!))
Rick Desper (Thu, 30 May 2002 14:05:10 -0700 and then follow ons)
((I started off a conversation with Rick Desper with: ``Did you see my final comments on Survivor..... damn, I had this feeling that Vecepia would win from the Final Four, but back before the thing even started I had her pegged as least likely to win, so I couldn't trust myself on that change. Maybe I'll use reverse logic to my advantage next time!!!))
Yes, I saw that. About all I can say for myself is that I had it pegged that Vee would easily beat Neleh in a final. Apparently she was switching sides through the finish? Well, I think Kathy would have been foolish to think otherwise. At the point she offered a ``deal" to Vee, she wasn't giving anything to her. And then she was the first person to drop out of the final IC.
((Celtics in the hole. They have a chance, but they need to start playing these games in the first quarter instead of the second.))
Ugh. I saw the first half last night. It was repulsive. The C's are horribly inconsistent these days. They were playing without any concentration or planning in the first 6 minutes. This after falling way behind in the prior two games! It's hard to watch. If they don't make major adjustments before game 6, they will simply lose it and be gone.
((I watched more of it and I agree. I do think that they are capable of the adjustments and I hope that I see them. I am cautiously optimistic, but I'm always cautiously optimistic, so what else is new!!??))
Well, I didn't see any adjustments tonight. At crunch time, the Celtics could not figure out how to run their offense through Pierce and Walker. Their only adjustment from the prior games was to unleash Erick Strickland. And the officiating was horrendous, but that's not why the Celtics lost.
((No kidding, oh well.... the Nets were better, no question. I do think that was because the NETS improved as the series went along and the Celtics couldn't do said adjustments. I expect LA to win Game 7 and get very, very surprised by the Nets. The Nets may not win, but LA won't win easily.))
Yes, ultimately the Nets were better. All those high draft picks are paying off: Kenyon Martin, Keith Van Horn, Kerry Kittles make for a strong supporting cast. I know a good defense always makes the offense look weak, but the C's looked particularly so against the zone.
| Rick, rick_desper of yahoo.com |
((Let's embarrass each other by going out on the wrong limb. As of this writing, the ``centers win out'' rule seems to be still dominant over everything else.))
Rick Desper (Mon, 3 Jun 2002 12:38:24 -0700)
| NBA finals preview |
I think the Nets will surprise some people. Let's look at the particulars:
Center: Shaq will not be stopped here. There is nobody in the NBA right now who can stop Shaq. The best you can hope for is that he is held to less than 30/10 per game. The Nets center, Todd Maculloch, is no great thing - certainly less of a presence than Mutombo was last year. But the difference from last year is that the Nets are allowed to play zone, and as we saw in their series vs. the Celtics, they can do that very well. I look for a lot of double-teaming here. Shaq will still get 30 ppg, but he won't have the kind of 40/20 game which would simply kill the Nets. Advantage: Lakers.
Point guard: Jason Kidd is playing the best point since Magic was in his prime. He easily outclasses Derek Fisher. Advantage: Nets.
Shooting guard: Kobe Bryant vs. Kerry Kittles. Kittles had a nice second half of the series vs. the C's, but he's not at Kobe's level. Kobe needs to have a great series for the Lakers to win. He looked weak at times against the Kings. It will be interesting to see what Byron Scott cooks up to slow Kobe down. Still, advantage: Lakers.
((These three are the obvious givens. To me the series will be won or lost based on the rest of the players.))
Small forward: Rick Fox vs. Keith Van Horn. Fox plays with a lot of energy, but Van Horn has more tools, including an outside shot and some ability to rebound and play under the basket. Advantage: Nets.
((Agreed, also Fox is starting to slow down a bit and Van Horn really seemed to grow into a mature clutch player against the C's.))
Power forward: Robert Horry vs. Kenyon Martin. Oooh - this is tough. Horry is such a killer clutch shooter it's frightening. K-Mart is a strong upcoming power forward who plays hard all the time and also has a reasonable jumper. A definite future all-star. But Horry has more playoff savvy than anybody else on the court. Advantage: push.
Bench: the Lakers have no bench to speak of. The Nets are deep, with Lucious Harris, Richard Jefferson, and Aaron Williams all playing quality minutes. Advantage: Nets.
((I think that's just right, so that it comes down to that young Nets bench and Van Horn. They will determine the series, I think. And right now, I am confident in them to do what it will take and catch a weaker Laker team napping. Winning Game 1 is key!))
Coach: Phil Jackson has eight rings. Byron Scott has a few of his own, and has shown in the past (as a player) the ability to shut down any offensive weapon thrown his way.
The real key in my mind is whether the Lakers will be able to shut down the Nets' offense. Because I think the Nets will be able to keep the Lakers shut down to a reasonable extent.
I think the Nets will steal one of the first two in LA, but they will not be able to sweep the middle three at home. (The NBA finals with the 2-3-2 setup gives a much greater home court advantage than the typical 2-2-1-1-1 setup.) The series will go at least six, probably seven games. The Nets are mentally tougher than the Kings, but would have to win a clinching game in LA. Are they up to that?
I'll say yes. Going out on a limb. ((Me too.))
| Rick, rick_desper of yahoo.com |
((But, it looks like we were wrong... and I was wrong about the Hockey playoffs too. They appear to be over as well. Oh well, now the Red Sox.... no strike, no strike, no strike. But, my son, there MUST be a strike, there MUST be a strike!!))
Steve Langley (Sun, 26 May 2002 20:04:41 EDT)
``Enough" - a movie
``Enough" with Jennifer Lopez as `Slim', a woman raised by a single mother, not terribly trusting of men, meets her prince charming. They marry, she has his child, and then one night she finds out that `Prince Charming' is just a mask that a very driven manipulative man wears. Just one of many masks. Another is abuser. So long as everything goes his way and she follows his rules she will be fine. His rules allow him to have women on the side and to control her every move, but then, he is the man. Bill Campbell plays `Mitch', the man who decides that he has to kill his wife to keep her in line.
Tessa Allen plays `Gracie' their daughter. I mention her because she was very believable in a complex role. I think she might be all of five years old.
Noah Wiley late of `ER' plays `Robbie', Mitch's cop friend. He was evil in a sleazy way. Good acting.
Slim takes Gracie and runs. Mitch follows. He has lots of money so he can hire people to trace Slim. He has an in with the police. All she has is her own innate sense of self and, when it comes right down to it, even more driven than Mitch.
Michael Apted deserves kudos for directing the film in such a way as to make the tension and suspense intense with very simple devices of lighting and sound. My heart was pounding more than once.
There was a very satisfactory fight scene along towards the end of the film. The audience burst into spontaneous applause. I liked it.
| Steve, Steflan of aol.com |
((Haven't seen this one yet, but want to. Sounds like what I was hoping it would be.))
Steve Langley (Mon, 27 May 2002 18:30:36 EDT)
``Insomnia" - a movie
I love a good story and this one is better than that.
``Detective Will Dormer" (Al Pacino) and his partner ``Detective Hap Eckhart" (Martin Donovan) were sent to northern Alaska to investigate the brutal murder of a young girl. They were not sent because they had jurisdiction, they were sent to get them out of the way of a politically motivated Internal Affairs investigation.
((I liked this story too, much more than I was expecting. This whole part of the story, not even hinted at in the repeated previews of this movie that I've been seeing over the last 6-8 months, really helped get greater depth quickly to the story.))
``Eckhart" made a few mistakes as a cop and was about to make a deal. The deal would might have opened up an old case that ``Dormer" closed by planting evidence. In ``Dormer's" mind the end justified the means. His fear wasn't about getting caught but about releasing a sick monster back into society.
A trap is set up. The killer falls into the trap but manages to run into the fog. A gun fight ensues, and ``Dormer" shoots ``Eckhart". The killer witnesses the shooting. And the story twists and turns on from there.
``Dormer" sees the shooting of his partner as a mixed blessing and curse. When he finds the killer's gun he falls to temptation. In his story it was the killer who shot his partner. His judgment may have been a little skewed in that it hadn't gotten dark since he came to Alaska and he hadn't slept in a couple of days.
``Detective Ellie Burr" (Hilary Swank) is a fresh young policewoman a bit more than a little in awe of ``Dormer" who has been her hero since she wanted to be a cop. He encourages her to keep looking at the evidence, to look past what she thinks she sees. He's just being a good teacher, part of what he does. She feels honored that he would take the time to instruct her, so she keeps digging.
((I thought Swank was very, very good too. She had a lot of nuances to work into the role and she did it much better than just being a puppy dog to ``Dormer''. There are lots of other smaller characters developed really well in the story as it twists. Again, I really thought this was one that the previews [or you might think Steve's review] ruins with too much information. Completely wrong. Wow on story, which is rare to say about Hollywood these days.))
``Walter Finch" (Robin Williams) is a small time mystery writer who doesn't take criticism well. In his mind he and ``Will" are linked. They are both misunderstood. ``Will" shot his partner accidentally, just as ``Walter" accidentally beat the girl to death. He's as twisted as the plot.
((And this was the biggest surprise, not at ALL what I was expecting. Plus, they had the ``he'll kill again" thing thinking I was going to see a serial killer and then find something, well, more complex. This was the similar trick as in Murder by Numbers, but this is a much better movie than that one.))
At no point is this a mystery story. Everything is presented to the audience. But the story is so well told and so complex that I still found myself waiting to find out what was going to happen next. By the way, I have only told you the beginnings.
((Indeed. The other thing I thought was interesting was that this was a remake of a Norwegian movie where the remote locale was in Lapland. The insomnia was very, very well presented. Charlotte as a make up designer said it wasn't Pacino acting, but all just good make up. I think a lot of it was Pacino.))
I never underestimate makeup, but Pacino is a great actor. I think he deserves the credit more than his makeup does.
| Steve, Steflan of aol.com |
((And Charlotte is a make up and costume designer and thinks actors (much of the time) are less competent than you would think and not too swift. It depends where you come at it from. Myself, I agree with you, Pacino was great!))
Steve Langley (Sun, 9 Jun 2002 21:23:06 EDT)
``The Sum of All Fears" - a movie
Time gets shoved around a bit but then, that's Hollywood. ``The Sum of All Fears" was one of the early Tom Clancy books about ``Jack Ryan" CIA analyst/hero. So the brought in a younger man, ``Ben Affleck" to play the role. He might not have the intensity of Harrison Ford, but then (outside of Harrison Ford) who does? They also set the time of the events in the recent past, which means the movie took place later in time than some of the movies with the older ``Jack Ryan". Hollywood magic.
Ben Affleck did a creditable job. Morgan Freeman made his role, head of the CIA, look easy, but then, he always does. Bridget Moynahan is drop dead beautiful and seems to be intelligent, which is all that is required for the future ``Mrs. Ryan".
It isn't the acting that makes this movie. It is the story. Tom Clancy told the story in a bit over 800 pages. Somehow Hollywood boiled that down to a script that left out many of the technological details, but left in the important parts. Tension mounts, and it looks very much like the end of the world. Luckily we have ``Jack Ryan" to save the day.
Maybe not the best movie around, but well worth a look.
| Steve, Steflan of aol.com |
((I agree with most of that, but I found the biggest problem with James Cromwell's President character. I think he was supposed to be a bit more ``nuts'' than he actually brought across on the screen. I didn't buy all of his actions (knowing they were telescoping helped, but not completely). And I say that generally having LIKED Cromwell's performance. Cromwell's ``cronies'' weren't sufficiently differentiated and they did something weird with an illness with one of them that I think was handled much better in the book (not having read it, but understanding from someone who did). Also, the Jack Ryan as a young guy works best if you take this movie how this movie is presenting him, without thinking of it against the other actors or books.))
Steve Langley (Sun, 9 Jun 2002 21:30:10 EDT)
``Bad Company" - a movie
This is the other CIA movie that's currently out. Where ``Sum of All Fears" was intelligent this was not. This was less analysis and much more `cloak and dagger' derring do, with Chris Rock and Anthony Hopkins as the action heroes. Chris Rock was given all of the punch lines. Whoever wrote this would have done better to let him ad lib.
Lots of car chases, gunshots, a stray atomic bomb, I think the kitchen sink was in there somewhere, too.
Before this I was not able to say that Anthony Hopkins disappointed me. Action hero he is not. Culp and Cosby did it better back in the ``I Spy" days.
| Steve, Steflan of aol.com |
((Yeah, the bit in the field with Anthony Hopkins punching the guy on the roof and falling out the door was incredibly far fetched and just silly. I didn't ``love" Sum of All Fears though either. On the whole, I ranked them each as fun entertainment not that much differentiated from each other (this one obviously was played for more laughs though). And you are ABSOLUTELY right that Chris Rock should have been able to ad lib more. He is working TOO hard on his acting (I saw too much method there).))
| LAWYERS: THE AMATEUR DIVISION - 2000G - GUEST GM: RUSS RUSNAK |
2000G, No Lawyers Welcome, Summer 1911
Austria Bob Osuch ROsuch4082 of aol.com Has A Bohemia, A Budapest, A Tyrolia, A Smyrna, A Bulgaria, A Serbia A Greece, A Vienna, A Trieste, F Constantinople
France Paul Rauterberg trauterberg of wi.rr.com Retreat A Tyrolia - Piedmont Has F Belgium, F English Channel, A Burgundy, F Wales, F North Atlantic Ocean, A Piedmont
Italy Jim Burgess burgess of TheWorld.com Has F Aegean sea, F Ionian Sea, A Venice, F Adriatic Sea, A Spain, F Albania
Russia Brendan Mooney bkmooney of comcast.net Retreat F Wales - Irish Sea Has A Munich, A Syria, A Holland, A Silisia, F North Sea, F Edinburgh A Kiel, A Berlin, F Yorkshire, F Norway, F Irish Sea
Fall 1911 orders are due Wednesday, June 12
Winter 1910 supply center chart
Austria 11 Smyrna, Contantinople, Vienna, Budapest, Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ankara, Trieste, Rumania, Munich
France 6 Brest, Paris, London, Belgium, Marseilles, Holland
Italy 6 even Rome, Naples, Venice, Tunis, Spain, Portugal
Russia 11 Berlin, St. Petersburg, Sevastopol, Sweden, Denmark, Warsaw, Norway, Liverpool, Moscow, Edinburgh, Kiel
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. I have been getting complaints and suggestions for doing underlines. Underlines are really hard to do and I've become attached to italics but I am considering this as carefully as I can. I tried an experiment last issue but got no comments on it, so I'm going back to what I did before. In the experiment, you CAN'T tell on the html web page version or in the E-Mailed version what supports were cut and moves fail. I admit it looks a bit better in the printed version, but there you can see the italics pretty well too, can't you?
Standby lists:
Bruce Linsey, Mike Barno, Dick Martin, Brad Wilson, Jack McHugh, Glenn Petroski, Steve Emmert, Mark Kinney, Vince Lutterbie, Eric Brosius, Paul Rauterberg, Heath Gardner, Phil Reynolds, Paul Kenny, Dan Gorham, and John Schultz stand by for regular Diplomacy.
Brad Wilson, Jack McHugh, Phil Reynolds, Jim Sayers, and Kurt Ozog stand by for the Modern Diplomacy game.
Harold Reynolds was my standby for Colonia and I have had to put him into the game. Help, more are needed for this game, maps are provided for free by me.... I really need another person here!!!
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!!! I'll get serious about starting something else here as other games end. I plan to start a game of the variant I designed, Spy Diplomacy, as soon as the Colonia game ends. Early signups for that are allowed. I know Mike Barno was in the first one I ran here many, many years ago. Who else was in that game who is still around?? You also can sign up early for the next Breaking Away game, I'll start another of those as this one ends very soon.
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?
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 WINTER 1902 IS JUNE 22ND, 2002
THE DUE DATE FOR SPRING 1903 IS JULY 13TH, 2002
Fall 1902
AUSTRIA (Lockheardt): a RUM S a ser-bul, a tri-SER, a ser-BUL, a gal-WAR, f alb-GRE.
ENGLAND (Heikkinen): f IRI S f nao-mid, f lon-NTH, f ENG-bre, f nao-MID, a swe-NWY.
FRANCE (Mitchell): a PIC S a bur-bel, f BRE s f mid, f mid s f bre (d r:por,spa,wes,naf,otb),
a GAS h, a bur-BEL.
GERMANY (Sayers): a ber-kie (d r:sil,otb), f DEN-kie,
a bel s a ruh-bur (d r:ruh,hol,otb), a ruh-BUR.
ITALY (Méhkeri): a TYO S a mun, f nap-ION, f ion-EAS,
a MUN S RUSSIAN f bal-ber, a TUN h.
RUSSIA (Desper): f bal-BER, a ukr-MOS, a PRU S f bal-ber.
TURKEY (Miller): f smy-AEG, f bla-CON, a bul h (d ann), a SEV h.
Supply Center Chart
| AUSTRIA (Lockheardt): | TRI,BUD,VIE,ser,gre,rum,bul,war | (has 5, bld 3) |
| ENGLAND (Heikkinen): | LON,LVP,EDI,nwy | (has 5, rem 1) |
| FRANCE (Mitchell): | BRE,PAR,MAR,spa,por,bel | (has 4 or 5, bld 2(r:otb) or 1) |
| GERMANY (Sayers): | KIE,swe,hol,den | (has 2 or 3 or 4, bld 1(r:otb) or even) |
| ITALY (Méhkeri): | ROM,VEN,NAP,tun,mun | (has 5, even) |
| RUSSIA (Desper): | MOS,STP,ber | (has 3, even) |
| TURKEY (Miller): | ANK,SMY,CON,sev | (has 3, bld 1) |
| Neutral: | none | (Total=34) |
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)
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) Note the CHANGE in Daniel's postal address, very subtle... note that Chris Lockheardt moved slightly farther, but both are still in the same postal code.
Press:
(BARON to THE ARCHBISHOP'S CARTOGRAPHER): From the latest issue of TAP, I can only conclude that there is a vindictive quid pro quo in action: no press, no map. But since Pope Fool and Sultan Tim did submit press, it seems there should have been at least a subway grid for Constantinople and a ``Home of the Stars" map for Rome included.
(BIGGEST BOOB OF ALL to THE BARON): Perhaps, given my Russian centered proclivities, I should have provided a map just with the Russian units on it?
(BARON to THE ARCHBISHOP'S STENOGRAPHER): I may be presuming, but when the Archbishop absent-mindedly interrupts his dictation of the unit positions to read aloud a newly arrived set of Russian orders, such as perhaps ``Pru S Bal - Ber Bal - Ber Ukr - Mos," I believe you are supposed to stop typing.
(EVEN BIGGER BOOB to THE BARON): Did you try sucking on this??? ;-) OK, so I suck too.... you and the Fool are really going to rub it in, aren't you??? Remember, you are scoring up big points from the House Rules on abusing the GM at least as much as you abuse any other player.
(BARON to TSAR'S FLORIST): If the Tsar did not notice that his orders were nailed to the church door, please send him my regrets and a wreath of lilies to lay at the gates of Warsaw. If the Tsar did notice and ordered his troops to about-face, then a dozen red roses to hide the stench of my opportunism.
(BOOB to THE BARON): Sure, sure, you dot grabbing fiend.
(BOOB to RICK): Sorry, and not just about the loss of the Poles. What's this about proxies?
(FOOL to RICK) Did Boob ever answer you on that proxy thing? In any case, I just ordered some of your units around. I used the orders accidentally/on purpose published in the summer issue. Sometimes it's nice having a busy GM.
(FOOLISH BOOB to BOOBISH FOOL): Sure, sometimes it is. I don't allow Proxy orders. Anybody can promise anything and change anything, any time.
(SILENT TURK to the LOQUACIOUS BARON): Sing a song of sixpence, pocket full of rye, let's go get the Russian, then bake FOOL a pie.
(BOOB to SILENT TURK): Methinks you might have been a BIT too silent. The Baron appears to have done some slightly more Austrian centered moves. Let's see, is the Fool in a gift giving mood too?
(FOOL to FOOL) Happy birthday to you!
(SERIOUS BOOB to FUN LOVING FOOL): Great, hope you had a wonderful one! And I guess that means you were more into gift receiving. Too bad no one but you was listening!
(FOOL to FOOL) Why thanks!
(BOOB to FOOL): If you weren't so busy partying, you would keep your appointments!
(BARON to POPE'S SECRETARY): If the Pope is complaining that his appointment with me keeps falling though, feel free to blame it on me. I told you last season I would meet him in the Aegean, but then I changed my mind at the last minute and decided to meet him closer to his office. But he wasn't there, so I informed you I would be at my office this season if he wanted me. But then I realized there was no pressing business back at my office, so I decided again at the last minute to head back to the Aegean to see if I might catch him there. I just really hope he didn't try to meet me at my office this season, or else this appointment might have to be cancelled.
(BOOB to THE BARON): Well, I'm thoroughly confused, but let's let the Fool tell you and me how to reach him....
(FOOL to BOOB and BARON and anyone else who might take a notion to real-mail me): Please note the ever so subtle change in my postal address: 24 is now 26. I got evicted from 24 when the landlady decided to put the place up for sale (and got a really ridiculous sum for it after only a week or so on the market). But the next door was up for rent, so that saves me renting a truck, getting to know the neighbours, or the like. Packing and unpacking was still annoying.
(FOOL to everyone other than BOOB and BARON and anyone else who might take a notion to real-mail me): Phone and email still the same.
(BARON to THE KAISER'S TOURIST BOARD): Your promotions are proving a little too effective, especially the ``Feel at Home in Munich and Berlin!" campaign.
(BOOB to THE BARON): Are Munich and Berlin the places to be visiting next year, or do we need to go somewhere farther away?
(BARON to LE PRESIDENTE'S TRAVEL AGENT): Trust me, don't suggest a tour of Sydney anytime soon.
(SILENT TURK to FOOL): I suppose I should talk to you about not knocking heads with our fleets. Then again, look at my moniker.
(FOOL to TIM): Do exams ever end? You seem to have joined the ranks of those not speaking to me.
(TURKEY to BOARD): Did you know, at some educational institutions (names not being named) it is possible to take a final before you have completed all your midterms for the term. I didn't, until yesterday...
(BARON to SULTAN'S PROFESSORS): Please slip the following telegraph into the Sultan's Blue Book: ``Still waiting for letter. Stop. Fear you cannot afford the postage. Stop. Will relocate to Bulgaria in hopes of lowering the rate. Stop."
(BOOB to THE BARON): I think you might have gotten his attention, but sent him further into the dream worlds....
(SILENT TURK to THE STATISTICAL RUSSIAN and/or BOOB): You got a deal, do my stat homework, and I'll put my nukes away ... woops, wrong variant.
(BOOB to WAYLAID TURK): I'll really bet you DID have them now.
(BARON to THE KING'S FIRST FIVE DEGREES OF SEPARATION): Do any of you know Marcus Hellyer? He is my new neighbor and he is Australian. I thought I could give Marcus a letter for the King and he might pass it on through you guys. Let me describe Marcus in case one of you does: He is a History of Science professor at Brandeis University; he has appalling affinities for weak beer ((An Australian who likes weak American beer?? Say it ain't so!!)) and the Red Sox; ((At least he has SOME taste.)) he never played a game of catch in his life until I talked him into buying a glove, now he is waking me up at eight in the morning and dragging me out at eight at night because he can't get enough of the sound of horsehide on leather; he is obsessed with Playmobil, a German-made version of Lego that thrives on the toy marketing formula: very expensive + hard to get = obscenely profitable collector's item; and he bears me some small prejudice because I dared relocate from the ``blue recycling bin" part of town to their ``gray recycling bin" neighborhood, a class transgression he discovered when I put my recycling out on the wrong week. So, does he sound familiar?
(BOOB to AUSTRALIANS): I think we need to talk. Do you have decent musical taste?
(FOOL to BOOB): I will write you that review for Musical Box eventually.
(BOOB to FOOL): I quake in my boots waiting for THAT one!
(BAD PRESS MAESTRO to BOARD): so sue me, it's 3 am...
(BOOB to BAD PRESS MAESTRO): Well, double sue me back, it's 5 am as I am typing my replies.... it probably was around then that I was setting up this game last time, serious apologies to Rick!! I'm really, really, really sorry, Rick!! Aside to everyone else: Has he figured out why yet?? But, at least we DID have some decent press and some back and forth this time. Perhaps I should make mistakes more often.... with the Baron's orders this time. ;-)
| SOMETHING TO BE SCARED OF: 2001D, Regular Diplomacy |
THE DUE DATE FOR WINTER 1904 IS JUNE 22ND, 2002
THE DUE DATE FOR SPRING 1905 IS JULY 13TH, 2002
Fall 1904
AUSTRIA (Kent): NMR; a GAL h, a vie h (d ann).
ENGLAND (Sundstrom): f nth-HOL, f ENG-bre, f HEL-kie, a BEL S f nth-hol,
f ska-NWY, f MID-spa(sc).
FRANCE (Tretick): f GOL s f spa(sc)-wes, a SIL S a bur-mun, a BUR-mun, f SPA(SC)-wes, a PAR-bre.
GERMANY (Williams): a KIE s a mun, a BER S a mun, a MUN s a ber, a hol-RUH.
ITALY (McCullough): a tyo-VIE, f TYH-gol, f NAF S f wes, a TRI S a tyo-vie, f WES s f tyh-gol.
RUSSIA (McHugh): a stp-FIN, a pru-WAR, f DEN h, a BUD h, a BOH S ITALIAN a tyo-vie, f RUM h.
TURKEY (Goesle): a GRE h, a BUL h, f ION h, a SER S RUSSIAN f rum, f CON h, a ALB S a ser.
Supply Center Chart
| AUSTRIA (Kent): | none | (out) |
| ENGLAND (Sundstrom): | EDI,LVP,LON,nwy,bre,bel,hol | (has 6, bld 1) |
| FRANCE (Tretick): | PAR,MAR,spa,por | (has 5, rem 1) |
| GERMANY (Williams): | BER,KIE,MUN,den | (has 4, even) |
| ITALY (McCullough): | ROM,VEN,NAP,tun,tri,vie | (has 5, bld 1) |
| RUSSIA (McHugh): | MOS,STP,SEV,WAR,rum,swe,bud | (has 6, bld 1) |
| TURKEY (Goesle): | ANK,SMY,CON,bul,gre,ser | (has 6, even) |
| Neutral: | none | (Total=34) |
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, 3907 Cedar Ridge, #1B, Indianapolis, IN 46235
gozcorp of iquest.net
Game Notes:
1) Damn, if there aren't more ``hold'' orders this turn than I've ever seen in a game in 1904, at least in the southeastern part of the board! Well, that shows the way that certain diplomatic aspects of the game are sorting out at present, doesn't it?
2) Note Matt Sundstrom's second E-Mail address.
3) Not that it much mattered, and I'm sure Doug saw the handwriting on the wall, but I didn't get Austrian orders. Thanks, Doug, for being here. Hope all is going better for you!
Press:
(SUNDSTROM-WORLD): Hey...new home email. mattandzoe of directvinternet.com. Can't wait to see what happens once my wife happens across dip email. Any pointers? bbdoch address still works too.
(TURKEY to ITALY): You need to talk a lot more. Was I supposed to do something this season?
(BERLIN to ANKARA): Prepare the jihad, please.
(TURKEY to ENGLAND): We need to talk a lot more. We both see this the same way. We should figure out what to do about it.
(EDINBURGH CASTLE-MOSQUE HIGH ATOP CONSTANTINOPLE): Maybe not the whole nine yards, but one small step?
(BOOB to PATIENT OBSERVERS): I know this game looks like nothing is happening, but if you JUST read these next four notes, what would YOU guess is happening? You would be wrong, at least I think you would be wrong. Nobody tells me anything, so what would I know??
(EDINBURGH-MOSCOW): any love from Russia? happy fall
(MUNICH to ROME, CONSTANTINOPLE): I have a very bad feeling about the Tsar, my friends. If his blade found my back, it will be over soon for the three of us. I urge you to consider acts of self-preservation immediately if sliced and diced me.
(EDINBURGH-PARIS): No news is bad news. I hope it's my change of email that's thrown things off. My move is intended to neuter a stab but hopefully keep options open.
(TURKEY to RUSSIA): If you have attacked Germany this turn then you and I have issues and England wins.
(BOOB to TURKEY): How the three messages from Turkey make sense in total is beyond me, except for the prevailing sentiment that you feel ignored in your corner. Have you thought about a breath mint?
(GERMANY to ENGLAND, FRANCE): Gentlemen, is this any way to achieve peace in our time? The euro is so going to collapse over this.
(HEARTBROKEN SCOT-WORLD): ...As his fair French maiden sailed away, she promised, ``I'll be back before you know it". He cried, ``write me as soon as you get there". And he checked in every day at the post. But alas, there was no letter. He always worried about what might happen on Ibiza during the summer. Could his worst fears have come true?
(BOOB to EVERYONE): I've got it, this is ALL black press and NONE of you are who you really think you are, or something like that. Let's get back to baseball, where I'm sure who I'm talking to and about!!
(CHICAGO CALLING): Yet again I'm submitting orders and proceeding to the best bar in Chicago, aka Wrigley Field. Last time, the Cubs got drubbed. Oh wait, that's every time.
(GOZ to BOOB): The Royals are going places? Where? Northern Virginia seems to be the Expos' destination. Surely you don't think the Royals can compete anytime this century? Even money bet: Wells will not be a Pirate at the end of this season. He's too good to stay off of a contender.
(BOOB to GOZ): Well, not this year, but their new manager is really great. I admit that there are only six real contenders for four playoff slots in each league. I'm still rooting for the Oakland comeback, but only one of them Seattle and Anaheim makes it. I think THIS year, the Twins run away with the Central. And the AL East race essentially is irrelevant, except in fighting for playoff opponent and home field advantage. But it's OK, the Red Sox don't care. They beat the Yankees anywhere, but can't beat anyone else at home anyway. They'd rather go on the road! In the NL, Cinci is the surprise. We'll see if they can stay in it. My guess would be no and the Braves and Cards will be in easily. The fun race will be the three West Coast teams likely fighting for two slots. Everyone knows that I love Barry Bonds and the Giants, so that's where my choice still is. And the Diamondbacks are a REALLY mature, classy team. Sorry, Dodgers, I've always disliked you intensely....
| FANTASTIC VOYAGE: 1999K, Regular Diplomacy |
THE DUE DATE FOR SPRING 1909 IS JUNE 22ND, 2002
Winter 1908
AUSTRIA (Rauterberg): has a TRI, a VEN, a TUS, a BUD.
ENGLAND (Biehl): bld f lon; has f LON, f ENG, f GOL, f TUN, f TYH, a HOL.
GERMANY (Shreve): RESIGNS, REPLACED BY STEVE EMMERT; has a SIL, a MUN, a GAL, a BOH,
a VIE, a BER, f MID, a POR, a BUR.
RUSSIA (Tretick): bld f stp(nc); has f STP(NC), a NWY, a MOS, a UKR, f SPA(SC),
a LVN.
TURKEY (Lutterbie): bld f smy; has f SMY, f BLA, a ARM, f ION, a ROM,
f NAP, a SEV, a RUM, f GRE.
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: New Standby is Steve Emmert, 3317 Hershridge Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
steve.emmert of cox.net
ITALY: Terry Tallman, c/o PO Box 113, Clinton, WA 98367, cell (360) 710-9613 ($2)
terryt of sinclair.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) Thanks for the phone number, Vince, and for taking over with such enthusiasm!
2) Dwayne Shreve resigns with these orders because ``summer is here'' and he wants to spend more time outside. I certainly can understand THAT! I'm sorry to see you go, you'll keep getting the szine until the game ends. The new standby is Steve Emmert, who I hope will step in and get this game onto some plane of normality. I know it isn't any fun to replace players every turn!
3) There was an attempt to pass TREG or GRE draws, but both proposals failed. There are no remaining proposals on the table and seek your hiding map WAY up above in the szine!
Press:
(BOOB to BERNIE): I think you got TOO close to Shreevy's crotch, he has run screaming into the woods and is lost to us.
(JIM-BOB to WORLD): But Vince Lutterbie returns to the hobby....
(VINCE to JIM): I will be more than happy to help out as Turkey.... my first position in over 5 years, even face to face. I am glad you told me about Bob, I did not know about the cancer, and I am truly sorry to hear about it. I'll be rooting him on from here. Thanks for the mention of my book....it is listed at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble as coming in August, but in actuality, it ought to be ready to go by mid June.
| (Sometimes I Feel Like) FLETCHER CHRISTIAN: 1999Cgh013, Colonia VIIb Diplomacy |
THE DUE DATE FOR WINTER 1759 IS JUNE 22ND, 2002
THE DUE DATE FOR SPRING 1760 IS JULY 13TH, 2002
Fall 1759
AUSTRIA (Prosnitz): a BURGUNDY S a savoy-toulon, f bismarck sea-NEW ZEALAND, f western
mediterranean sea h (d r:papal states,naples,otb), a PARIS S a savoy-toulon,
a BULGARIA S a istanbul, a ecuador-peru (d ann), a ISTANBUL S a izmir, f coral sea-FIJI,
f IONIAN SEA S f western mediterranean sea, a PERU-bolivia, a ANTWERP h,
a IZMIR S RUSSIAN a armenia-baghdad, f SAMOA-coral sea, a RHINE S a antwerp,
f EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN SEA-jerusalem, f TASMAN SEA S f bismarck sea-new zealand,
a savoy-TOULON, f LIGURIAN SEA S a savoy-toulon,
f TAHITI s RUSSIAN f east pacific ocean-south pacific ocean (nso).
CHINA (Reynolds): f yellow sea-EAST CHINA SEA, f east china sea-SEA OF JAPAN,
f korea-VLADIVOSTOK, f taiwan-SUBIC BAY, a chinghai-SINKIANG,
a sinkiang-AFGHANISTAN, f SOUTH CHINA SEA S f taiwan-subic bay, f subic bay-GULF OF SIAM,
f MALAYA S f subic bay-gulf of siam, a MAHRATTA S a bengal-circars,
a KASMIR S a sinkiang-afghanistan, f vladivostok-SIBERIA, a siam-BURMA,
f west pacific ocean-IWO JIMA, a burma-BENGAL, a borneo-WESTERN DESERT,
a bengal-CIRCARS, a OMSK s f vladivostok-siberia, f JAPAN S f east china sea-sea of japan.
ENGLAND (Power): a brazil-MATTO GROSSO, f NORTH SEA S f norwegian sea-norway,
f norwegian sea-NORWAY, a manaus-AMAZON, a SUMATRA h, f GULF OF GUINEA C
a ghana-angola, a togo-NIGERIA, f mid-atlantic ocean-SE ATLANTIC OCEAN,
f ANDAMAN SEA-east indian ocean, f central atlantic ocean-MID-ATLANTIC OCEAN,
f VENEZUELA h, f yukon-ALASKA, f new zealand-coral sea (d ann),
a ifni-MOROCCO, a GABON S a ghana-angola, a ricefe-BAHIA, f HUDSON BAY S f yukon-alaska,
f bahia-BRAZIL, f NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN-norwegian sea, f SW ATLANTIC OCEAN S
f mid-atlantic ocean-se atlantic ocean, a UGANDA S SPANISH a kenya-tanganyika,
a ARGENTINA-bolivia, a ghana-ANGOLA, f MALAY SEA-andaman sea, f HELGOLAND S
f norwegian sea-norway, f belem-RICEFE.
OTTOMAN (Schleinkofer): a baghdad-izmir (d r:arabia,otb), f persian gulf-YEMEN,
a JERUSALEM s a baghdad-izmir, a persia-kazakstan (d r:uzbek,otb).
RUSSIA (Rauterberg): f west indian ocean-EAST INDIAN OCEAN, a natal-MOZAMBIQUE,
a angola-KATANGA, f BAY OF BENGAL-andaman sea, f south indian ocean-MALAGASY,
f BARENTS SEA-norwegian sea, f BLACK SEA C a crimea-armenia, a URAL-omsk,
f EAST PACIFIC OCEAN C a hawaii-wake, f khandesh-NIZAM, a armenia-BAGHDAD,
a hawaii-WAKE, f arabian sea-PERSIAN GULF, f se atlantic ocean-SOUTH INDIAN OCEAN,
f oregon-NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN, a crimea-ARMENIA, a ROMANIA h, a DENMARK-sweden,
f JAVA S f west indian ocean-east indian ocean, f VANCOUVER s f alaska,
f PUNJAB S a afghanistan-persia, f norway-sweden (d r:finland(nc),otb),
a KAZAKSTAN s a ural-omsk, a afghanistan-PERSIA, a HANOVER S a hague,
a HAGUE S a hanover, a tanganyika s a angola-katanga (d r:zambia,otb),
f alaska s f vancouver (d r:bering strait,gulf of alaska,otb).
SPAIN (Partridge): f manila-PHILIPPINE SEA, f california-OREGON,
f somalia-KENYA, f GULF OF CALIFORNIA-east pacific ocean, f north pacific ocean-HAWAII,
f sargasso sea-WEST ATLANTIC OCEAN, f toulon-ligurian sea (d r:aragon,otb),
f philippine sea-NEW GUINEA, a HUELVA h, a MANITOBA-vancouver,
a panama-ECUADOR, f GIBRALTAR S f valencia-western mediterranean sea, a TUNIS h,
f sea of japan-east china sea (d r:korea,sea of okhotsk,otb), f CARIBBEAN SEA h,
f gulf of aden-ARABIAN SEA, a aragon-BORDEAUX, a bordeaux-BRITTANY,
f SOMALI SEA S f gulf of aden-arabian sea, f SOLOMON SEA-coral sea, a NUMIDIA S a tunis,
f GULF OF PANAMA C a panama-ecuador, a egypt-SUEZ, f POLYNESIA S f north pacific
ocean-hawaii, f SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN-peru, a LEON S a aragon-bordeaux, f ALGERIA S
f valencia-western mediterranean sea, f ARAFURA SEA C CHINESE a borneo-western desert,
a kenya-TANGANYIKA, a COLOMBIA S a panama-ecuador, a CONGO S ENGLISH a ghana-angola,
a LIBYA S a sudan-egypt, a MISSOURI S f california-oregon, a sudan-EGYPT,
f valencia-WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN SEA, f central pacific ocean-TARAWA.
Supply Center Chart
| AUSTRIA (Prosnitz): | BUD,VIE,TRI,TAH,pps,sav, | (has 18, bld 3) |
| peru,gre,sam,bol,bul,par,MEL,NAP, |
| fij,ist,bav,nwz,ant,izm,tou |
| CHINA (Reynolds): | PEK,WUH,XIA,AMO,tib,NAN, | (has 19, bld 3) |
| 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 25, bld 3) |
| uga,arg,togo,SUR,QUE,gha,bel,vol, |
| bah,BRA,DAK,vza,ric,ont,ifn,azo, |
| mor,nwy,ven,ALA,ANG |
| OTTOMAN (Schleinkofer): | jer,yem | (has 2 or 3 or 4, rem # not r:otb) |
| RUSSIA (Rauterberg): | MOS,KIE,CAP,STP,CRI,pol,moz, | (has 25 or 26 or 27 or 28, rem # not r:otb) |
| 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 34 or 35 or 36, bld 4 or 3 or 2) |
| 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: Gene Prosnitz, 2600 Netherland Ave., Apt. 1116, Riverdale, NY 10463, (718) 601-8131 ($5)
ProsnitzE of aol.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 home.com 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
PORTUGAL: Robert Stimmel, unfortunately deceased, we're sorry to lose Robert!
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) Mega-mucho-magnified-stupendous thanks to Harold Reynolds for the new map. Let us know if you see any errors in the map, but I think the observers of the game should really be able to follow it now, ever though the dimensions of the continents are much more distorted in this version.
Press:
(BEIJING, SEPT 5, 1759): After the early retirement of Emperor Gordo Acheswang due to illness, his successor Harro Reynowong has successfully installed himself and his new administration in the Forbidden Palace. At a press conference today, the Emperor was asked about changes in foreign policy that have become evident over the past couple of weeks.
``Emperor Acheswang was known for his anti-English and anti-Spanish sentiments, as his direction our our military forces, economic embargos, etc, in the current global war have shown,'' said Emperor Reynowong. ``My military advisors and I have been studying the current situation very carefully, and believe that the writing is on the wall for the Russian/Austrian alliance. Their possessions in North and South America and Africa appear to be doomed, and there's nothing that we can do about it. Although we have had cooperative relations with them in the past, a continued alliance will not be in the best interests of Greater China, as the Anglo-Spanish alliance will control the world outside of Eurasia and would, in the end, be able to overwhelm us by sheer weight of numbers.''
In a bizarre incident, a reporter asked ``Is it true that Confucious says that `man with hole in pocket feel cocky all day'? Or that `man standing on toilet is high on pot'?" The man was quickly hustled out of the room by security personnel, cursing in Russian the whole way. The Russian Embassy had no comment on this incident, but was ßtudying the situation closely''.
| SECRETS: 1999D, Regular Diplomacy |
THE DUE DATE FOR WINTER 1910 IS JUNE 22ND, 2002
THE DUE DATE FOR SPRING 1911 IS JULY 13TH, 2002
Fall 1910
ENGLAND (Sayers): a GAS S FRENCH f mar, f NAO S f mid, a KIE S FRENCH a mun, f MID h,
f ENG S f mid, f hel-HOL, f POR S FRENCH f spa(sc).
FRANCE (Sasseville): f MAR S f spa(sc), f SPA(SC) s f mar, a MUN S a bur, a BUR S a mun.
GERMANY (Barno): a VIE S TURKISH a tri-tyo.
RUSSIA (Reynolds): a MOS h, a LVN S a mos, a BER S FRENCH a mun, f BAL S a pru,
a STP S a mos, a PRU S a ber.
TURKEY (Linsey): f ION h, a bud-RUM, a WAR S a sev-mos, f WES S f gol-spa(sc), a SEV-mos,
f TYH S f tus-gol, a SIL-mun, a tri-TYO, f NAF-mid, f TUN S f wes,
f TUS-gol, a PIE-mar, f GOL-spa(sc), a GAL S a war, a BOH S a sil-mun.
Supply Center Chart
| ENGLAND (Sayers): | LON,LVP,EDI,bre,por,bel,kie,hol | (has 7, bld 1) |
| FRANCE (Sasseville): | PAR,MAR,spa,mun | (has 4, even) |
| GERMANY (Barno): | vie | (has 1, even) |
| RUSSIA (Reynolds): | MOS,STP,nwy,swe,den,ber | (has 6, even) |
| TURKEY (Linsey): | ANK,SMY,CON,gre,rum,bul,ser, | (has 15, even) |
| bud,nap,tri,ven,tun,sev,war,rom |
| Neutral: | none | (Total=34) |
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, 120 Pine Drive, Unit H, Porter, IN 46304, (219) 614-1406
probo of earthlink.net
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) FRET and FREGT draws are proposed. Please vote with your Winter orders. Failure to vote vetoes both draws and the game will go on. If anyone has any questions about the way this works, or what your vote on file is, just ask.
Press:
(RUSSIA TO ENGLAND): The point was to possibly buy you and Roland more time to move into a proper stalemate position! But given your continuing thanklessness for my thoughts and actions, I'm now just going to sit back, hold my part of the stalemate line and watch you two buffoons give this game to Turkey!
(RUSSIA TO TURKEY): Strange, but I'm kind of cheering you on, Bruce. Do your damnedest!
(RUSSIA TO GERMANY): You're a buffoon, too, Mike! (Didn't want you to feel neglected!)
(RUSSIA TO ALL): I will not vote for a draw including Germany! Crush that stray army, Bruce!
| EDWARD TELLER: 2002?rn42, Nuclear Yuppie Evil Empire Diplomacy - Black Hole Variant |
THE DUE DATE FOR SPRING 1902 IS JUNE 22ND, 2002
Winter 1901
AUSTRIA (Kenny): has f TRI, a VIE, a BUD; and 5 nukes.
ENGLAND (Schultz): has f EDI, f LON, a LVP; and 5 nukes.
FRANCE (Rauterberg): has f BRE, a PAR, a MAR; and 5 nukes.
GERMANY (Muller): has f KIE, a BER, a MUN; and 5 nukes.
ITALY (Andruschak): has f NAP, a ROM, a VEN; and 5 nukes.
RUSSIA (Kendter): has f STP(SC), a WAR, a MOS, f SEV; and 4 nukes.
TURKEY (McHugh): has f ANK, a CON, a SMY; and 5 nukes.
| Current Standings |
| 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | TOTAL |
| JOHN SCHULTZ | 3 | 3 |
| PAUL RAUTERBERG | 6 | 6 |
| KARL MULLER | 2 | 2 |
| HARRY ANDRUSCHAK | 4 | 4 |
| LEE KENDTER, JR. | 1 | 1 |
| JACK MCHUGH | 5 | 5 |
| SANDY KENNY | 3 | 3 |
| Black Holed | 8 | 8 |
| Neutral | 2 | 2 |
| Totals(eventually) | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 238 |
Addresses of the Participants
John Schultz, 120 Pine Drive, Unit H, Porter, IN 46304, (219) 614-1406
probo of earthlink.net
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, 20805 Margaret, Carson, CA 90745-1224, (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
pdkenny of net-gate.com
Game Notes:
1) I'll let you guys figure out who the press below is from or to. Then again, some of you are very clear about who you are in the press. This ``crossover'' between countries Winter season is confusing, isn't it. I hope all of you have figured out the rules by now. I don't think of them as hard, but I guess they are if you weren't paying attention to the last game.
Press:
(HARRY ANDRUSCHAK-WORLD): On the one hand, my 15 year old adopted cat, Pearly, is doing well. In fact, she probably eats better then I do. On the other hand, I am still having hot flashes. On the gripping hand, I am filing for bankruptcy. It's been an interesting few months and the next few promise to be more of the same. Now, who can I take out my frustrations on? Come to think of it...
(JIM-BOB to HARRY): Hope it works out for you, sounds like you're getting some good bankruptcy advice from your follow up note. And good to see one cat working out.
(DISGRUNTLED POSTAL WORKER - KARL MULLER): First you nuke my traditional SC of Holland, then you bounce me from my traditional SC of Denmark? Please e-mail me pronto, we have some things to discuss.
(LONDON to CONSTANTINOPLE): Did I forget to write to you? Um, sorry. I guess you had to be content that I didn't throw nukes anywhere near you.
| EMBRACING THE CONSTRAINTS: Breaking Away, Designer's Rules |
THE DUE DATE FOR TURN 12 IS JUNE 22ND, 2002
Turn 11
-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 2): | Alice (Breaking Away!) |
| 117 (no replenishment): | None |
| 116 (replenish with a 3): | Christie |
| 115 (no replenishment): | None |
| 114 (no replenishment): | None |
| 113 (no replenishment): | None |
| 112 (no replenishment): | None |
| 111 (no replenishment): | None |
| 110 (no replenishment): | None |
| 109 (no replenishment): | None |
| 108 (no replenishment): | None |
| 107 (no replenishment): | None |
| 106 (no replenishment): | None |
| 105 (no replenishment): | None |
| 104 (no replenishment): | None |
| 103 (no replenishment): | None |
| 102 (no replenishment): | None |
| 101 (no replenishment): | None |
| 100 (no replenishment): | None |
| 99 (no replenishment): | None |
| 98 (no replenishment): | None |
| 97 (no replenishment): | None |
| 96 (no replenishment): | None |
| 95 (no replenishment): | None |
| 94 (replenish with a 3): | Enfield |
| 93 (replenish with a 4): | Prescott, Rhombus |
| 92 (replenish with a 6): | Beaver, Dana, Diamond |
| 91 (replenish with a 9): | Square, Greenwich |
| 90 (replenish with a 11): | Rectangle |
| 89 (replenish with a 12): | Alfred the Great |
| 88 (replenish with a 13): | Dennis the Menace |
| 87 (replenish with a 14): | Sir Isaac Newton |
| 86 (replenish with a 15): | William Shakespeare |
| 85 (replenish with a 16): | Alfalfa, Halbert |
| 84 (replenish with a 18): | I.K. Brunel |
| 83 (replenish with a 19): | Brandon the Kiwi, Charlie Brown |
| 82 (no replenishment): | None |
| 81 (replenish with a 3): | Edi the Emu, Peery the Peacock, Dave the Tinamou |
-S-P-R-I-N-T- -F-I-N-I-S-H- -L-I-N-E-
| 80 (replenish with a 6): | Boniface |
Addresses of the Participants - Their Team and Their Cards
TEAM 1 (The Quabbin Reservoirs): Eric Brosius, 53 Bird Street, Needham MA 02492
(5 points) 72060.1540 of CompuServe.COM
| A: Dana | 16 14 6 6 (16) |
| B: Enfield | 18 7 3 (7) |
| C: Greenwich | 5 10 9 (14) |
| D: Prescott | 3 6 4 (3) |
TEAM 2 (The Flightless Birds): Rick Desper, 319 West Side Dr., #102 Gaithersburg, MD 20878
(18 points) (301) 977-7691, rick_desper of yahoo.com
| Coached by Petey the Penguin |
| A: Edi the Emu | 3 3 6 3 (3) |
| B: Dave the Tinamou | 3 6 3 (3) |
| C: Brandon the Kiwi | 12 7 19 (4) |
| D: Peery the Peacock | 10 6 3 (3) |
TEAM 3 (The Brit Pack): John Harrington, 1 Churchbury Close, Enfield, Middlesex, EN1 3UW UK
(19 points) fiendish of operamail.com, John.Harrington of tfeurope.com
| A: Alfred the Great | 8 10 10 12 (12) |
| B: William Shakespeare | 6 4 15 (7) |
| C: Sir Isaac Newton | 3 3 14 (10) |
| D: Isambard Kingdom Brunel | 5 4 18 (6) |
TEAM 4 (The Border Riders): Tom Howell, 365 Storm King Road, Port Angeles, WA 98363
(16 points) off-the-shelf of olympus.net
| Manager: the White Maid |
| A: Alice of Avenel | 4 3 3 2 (14) |
| B: abbot Boniface | 14 10 6 (3) |
| C: Christie of Clint-hill | 5 3 3 (6) |
| D: Halbert Glendinning | 22 10 16 (8) |
TEAM 5 (The Quadrilaterals): David Partridge, 15 Woodland Drive, Brookline, NH 03033
(17 points) rebhuhn of rocketmail.com
| A: Rhombus | 9 5 5 4 (3) |
| B: Square | 6 6 9 (3) |
| C: Rectangle | 3 7 11 (3) |
| D: Diamond | 4 3 6 (17) |
TEAM 6 (The Bad Boys): Jim Tretick, 13267 Coppermill Drive, Herndon, VA 20171, (703) 713-1328
(3 points) JTretickGames of aol.com
| A: Alfalfa: | 8 10 16 (8) |
| B: Beaver: | 5 5 6 (3) |
| C: Charlie Brown: | 3 3 19 (3) |
| D: Dennis the Menace: | 3 6 13 (3) |
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) The number in parentheses is what you played, the last card in your list is the one you replenished with. We wouldn't have thought that pack would form, would we? Looks like Coach Petey the Penguin could be summarily dismissed from his duties for this tactical error.
Press:
(ALICE - BOOB): How about more press without the controversy?
(BOOB to ALICE): Fine by me, looks like two riders are going to check in at the finish line next turn, eh?
(TOM - JIM): Speaking of press, check out Quinault River in off-the-shelf. First item on page 6 should be good for an hobby awards literature nomination.
(JIM-BOB to TOM): Remind of that again next Winter/Spring. I know I won't remember all the way to then. Too much press to remember.
(PRESCOTT to GREENWICH): The way this game is going, any kind of ``pressing" is welcome!
(ALICE to CHRISTIE): I smell the barn! Meet you at home!
(BOOB to ALICE): Shouldn't that be that the barn smells you?
(ENFIELD to BOOB): Do we have to protest against the draft again??
(BRUNEL to ALICE): Please send some advice on tactics!
(THE BRIT PACK): I hope the Border Riders are tested for drugs at the end of this race. I suspect that, unlike the rest of us, they've not been using them!
(DANA to DIAMOND): Are you a girl's best friend?
(BOOB to DANA AND DIAMOND): You both ended up on the same square and not too hot in the grand pack reformation. You tell me who your best friend is.
(GREENWICH to BOOB): I inadvertantly NMRed last round and it turned out better than the orders I would have written had I written 'em.
(BOOB to GREENWICH): No kidding! You didn't quite do so well this time, but those might have been about your best orders.
(GREENWICH to BOOB): Okay; I'll try not to press my luck.
(WHITE MAID to BOOB): I bet octopi would make wonderful economisery.
(BOOB to WHITE MAID): Am I supposed to understand that?
(TOM - JOHN): If I understand you correctly, any rider at the head of the pack, not sharing his space with another rider, is `breaking away' with a 1 replacement? A rider with a single empty space between him and the second place rider has broken away with a 2 replacement, correct?
((I'm not sure I understood it that way, can I ask for clarification??))
From my running days, I know - intimately - the psychological advantage (to the leader) and disadvantage (to the followers) gained by grabbing a big lead not too far from the finish. And the reverse situation of going for one only to find it wasn't gained. I understand the two replacement situation - it's realistic. However, I don't agree with a 1 replacement when he's leading the pack - provided the pack is (mostly) right there on his heels. In the situation where he DID try to breakaway, and one or two riders anticipated it (or were trying the same stunt) and came right along with him - provided they left the main pack behind - then perhaps the penalty of a one replacement would be appropriate. It's a natural consequence of the situation.
Or, are we both trying to say the same thing?
((I'm not sure...))
I am beginning to get more of an appreciation of holding a small (one or two value) card. They can come in handy. But I still don't think it should be `awarded' to a single rider leading a consolidated pack... :)
| FEAR AND WHISKEY: 1998Ers31, Modern Diplomacy |
THE DUE DATE FOR SPRING 2009 IS JUNE 22ND, 2002
Winter 2008
BRITAIN (Schultz): has a SWE, f NTH, a MUR, f DEN,
f BAL, a STP, f BRN, f GOB, f SKA.
EGYPT (J. O'Donnell): has f ALG, f LBS, f ION, a SYR, a APU, a IRK, f AEG.
GERMANY (Rauterberg): has a SAX, a MUN, f PRU, f HAM, f GDA, f BOR,
a AUS, a LYO, f BEL, a CZE, a SIL, a MIL, f HOL, a PIE.
SPAIN (S. O'Donnell): bld f sve, PLAYS ONE SHORT; has f SVE, f POR, a BAR,
a MAD, a AUV, f MAO, f MAR, a TUS, f GOL, a MON.
UKRAINE (Partridge): bld a kie, a ode, a kha; has a KIE, a ODE, a KHA,
a GOR, a MOS, a KRA, a POD, f WBS, f IST, a LAT, a SLO, a WAR, f ALB, a VEN,
a ADA, a URA, a HUN, a BIE, f GRE, a LIT, f ADR, a IRN, a CRO.
Addresses of the Participants
BRITAIN: John Schultz, 120 Pine Drive, Unit H, Porter, IN 46304, (219) 614-1406
probo of earthlink.net
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 ($5)
sean_o_donnell of hotmail.com, sfo25 of netscape.net
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) The Modern Dip web page at: http://www.modernhof.webprovider.com/ currently is on hiatus. I'll try to remember to let you know when it returns.
2) 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''.
3) Sean asked me for an explanation about ``playing one short''. Sean could have built two units this turn, but Seville (Sve) was the only home supply center of his that was open, so he only built one unit. Thus, he is playing one unit short.
Press:
(THE MEKONS QUOTE OF THE MONTH): Since there is NO press this time, we'll take a quote break as well.
Personal Note to You: