THE ABYSSINIAN PRINCE #273

August 3, 2003

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

Accessible through Internet at burgess of world.std.com (all E-Mail addresses are reported in this format, replace the " of " with "@"; if you bounce try sending to me from another account or FAX to (401) 277-9904. For Faxing, most of the time you have to call me to tell me it's coming so I can set up the FAX.
Web Page Address: http://diplom.org/DipPouch/Postal/Zines/TAP/index.html


Hi all, unfortunately I have to dedicate another issue to Paul and Sandy Kenny as they have been going through a real tough time. See the notes from Paul and Sandy down at the end of the letters section. Their son did not make it through his surgery a few weeks ago. Sandy and Paul did really well at keeping me up on what was happening, so I'll report their notes in order below so you can see how it developed. I'm praying for them and their family as they pick up their lives and move forward.


From Mark Luedi, maluedi of bignetnorth.net, comes the following masthead quote:
"Urban Sprawl is unwanted, unwarranted, and begins with the first guy who built his house after I built mine." - Ormond Danford, Williamsburg, MI
No kidding! We have oodles of subszines in here, something from Rip Gooch, Michael Lowrey, and Dave Partridge for sure and I might have something more from Harold Reynolds too, I've forgotten just this instant. Nah, I'm sure I have another one from him here too. Good, the full complement. Enjoy the meat between the white bread!!! Oh yeah, there's also some kind of sub-sub-subszine hanging around in here somewhere, what is that REALLY Richard Weiss????
I talked about deadline extensions, but was talked out of it. I will try to keep deadlines on track as best I can. I'm behind on a couple of important things that will DEFINITELY be in next time. With my delays and a bit of a pushback, this really doesn't slow the games down too much, I hope, but more feedback would be fine. For most of you, the main message is GET YOUR FALL ORDERS IN NOW!


The postal sub price is still $1.50 per issue in the US and Canada, with double that for other foreign subbers (or $3.00 per issue sent airmail). Players in current games and standbys will continue to get the issues for free, and future game starts (except for Nuclear Yuppie Evil Empire Diplomacy, which is free) cost $20.00 ($15.00 for a life of the game subscription and $5 for the NMR Insurance. Or you can play in subszines for free and just jack up the issue page count. See the revised game start announcements below!
Check out the connections in the Diplomatic Pouch with all of the information you need to play Diplomacy on the Internet at: 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 Wang still has the HIGHLY prized name: www.szine.com!! BUT, the site has not been updated in recent times. If you want to follow me and others in John Caruso's Baseball League, 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. Really, you can. John's E-Mail address also is commishjohn of att.net if you want to send him E-Mail after all that. John still has one opening, you can play RIGHT NOW! Contact him at commishjohn of att.net if you're interested in joining us or ask me for more details, this REALLY IS THE most fun thing I do in the hobby at the moment, find out why!!!
Peter Sullivan's subszine remains "in stasis", although all the back issues can be accessed via :
http://www.burdonvale.co.uk/octopus/index.html.
Peter was saying that he would be unlikely to be starting any new games in the Octopus until "at least the start of 2002." He is now hereby declared to be in official indeterminate stasis and that date is now a "whenever". In the meantime, Rip Gooch and Dave Partridge are picking up the choo-choo game slack in TAP. Contact Rip at xyropedes of canada.com or Dave at rebhuhn of rocketmail.com for more info.
By electronic mail, through the Internet, subs are free and can be obtained automatically by sending the message: subscribe tap
to majordomo of diplom.org and messages can be sent to the entire electronic mailing list by mailing them to tap of diplom.org which will forward your message to all of the people currently on the list. The message:
unsubscribe tap
sent to majordomo of diplom.org gets you off the list. Please make careful note of that as well since you generally can get yourself off the list a lot easier than I can, and NOBODY likes to see unsubscribe messages sent to the entire list. A big, big thank you for David Kovar for setting this all up!!


THE SEARCH FOR STEVE KNIGHT - BUT AL PEARSON FOUND!!!
Find Steve Knight by issue 275 and win the fifty buck prize!! come on, I KNOW Steve must be on the Internet somewhere these days, so he should be able to be found relatively easily. I'm surprised we're getting so little action on Steve, BUT we have found Al Pearson!!! See more below:
Feel free to spend the time looking for some of the backlog. Let's get Ed, Tom, Bill, Gregory, and ESPECIALLY Kevin found too!!! This is a regular continuing feature of the szine and I will be introducing a new "search for" every five issues. Moreover, you can win a $25 prize for finding some previous target who went unfound in the original $50 period. That means that if Ed Henry or Tom Hurst or Bill Quinn or Gregory Stewart or Kevin Tighe 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.


??? (Tue, 22 Jul 2003 11:00:47 EDT)
Please send information on the search for "Al Pearson." Have a recent sighting (he appears to still be "beefy.").
GoodBear of aol.com
((I don't know who this "is" which is probably intentional, but it really is as simple as it seems. If you get him to write me a letter/E-Mail that includes his postal address, I will award you $25 that you can use for a variety of purposes, in which I've been pretty lax lately. Al Pearson would get a lifetime subscription to TAP. What more do you need to know...... clearly you do know Al, as the last time I saw him in person he was, as you say, beefy.))


Al Pearson (Tue, 22 Jul 2003 13:58:09 EDT)
Subject: The Long Lost Al Pearson
Jim-Bob, Of course this is the real Al Pearson, and I was in the Google search list. After changing jobs in the early 80's, I spent ten years working for a university in Florida. Then ten years working for Electronic Data Systems living in North Carolina, Texas, Maryland and then back to North Carolina. I primarily ran projects where cameras took pictures of cars running red lights, and our operation sent our citations to the owners. I am now in Florida as a Vice President of a computer software company which does law enforcement and homeland security work.
I have been out of the hobby since the early 80's as you know. In fact I just ran across your zine while checking on my own name is google (who knows what may have been printed about me in the past ten years). I am very sorry to hear about Kathy Byrne. I look forward to hearing from you in the future.
Al Pearson, GoodBear of aol.com
((WOW, way cool! I'm so pleased to track you down. This really is my FAVORITE feature of the szine and I'm glad that the backlog finally is coming down. I hope I can get you to say a bit more at some point and maybe we'll get you to a face-to-face con someday soon so we can hook up again. I think I last saw you in person at Pudgecon in 1983 or something like that - 20 years ago!!! See? You too could have found Al by reverse Googling what he did to find us. Find some of the other missing guys. I'd really like someone to track down Kevin Tighe.))


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 bwhyte of unimelb.edu.au (note that this is a new E-Mail address for Brendan) or by mail to send checks at: Geography Dept., University of Melbourne, Vic 3010, AUSTRALIA. This should help out my Australian subbers!!


WORLDMASTERS02 SECTION
WorldMasters 2002 Email Diplomacy Tournament First Round has ended and the selections for Round 2 have been made. Here are some of the "players" of interest who have advanced to Round 2, in order of their point score from Round 1: Tim Sweeney (who led tied with Martin Sanders!), Ray Setzer (who soloed the game I GMed), Brian Dennehy, Toby Harris, Kevin Wilson (see below), Lee Simpson, Jack "Trojan Owl" Brawner (yes, really!), Rod Spade, Len Tennant, Brain Sheldon, Mark Wightman, Adam Silverman, Sean "Blue" Cable, Chetan Radia, Egbert "Egg" Ferreira, David Cohen, Steve Cooley, Vincent Carry, Steve Emmert, Eric Grinnell, Chris Martin, Greg Ellis (is that "our" Greg Ellis, I'm really not sure....), Rick Desper, Frank Johansen, and Randy Hudson. Round 2 looks like it will be REALLY hard fought, as the riff-raff has been chaffed out.
See http://www.cat23.com/wm02 for full details. Since I didn't get sufficient interest to get a team in, I am back on the WorldMasters Tournament Management Committee again.


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 (relatively new address for this):
http://www.diplomacy-archive.com/diplomacy_rules.htm


Check out back issues of Diplomacy World - www.diplomacyworld.org
As we tried to get together last Fall's issue, it became clear to all of us that the current editorial structure has failed. The new issue is almost put together, but needs a new lead editor. Stephen is backing away, I'm not at all prepared to go it alone, and certainly Dave Partridge isn't ready to take it over. But the framework is there. Rather than publish a substandard issue of what we have, let's declare failure and see if anyone cares enough to step forward as lead editor. It probably doesn't help that the new lead editor for the Diplomatic Pouch, Edward Hawthorne, has ten times my hobby energy and is running around like a vacuum cleaner scooping up all the writers (even me, I'm writing for him first, he's SO persuasive!) for the expanded and back on schedule Pouch. I do think there is more than enough room for both, especially since the Diplomatic Pouch is ONLY available on the Web, but if someone else doesn't think so, then so be it. I've heard almost nothing on this lately, so it is getting close to going away, but who knows, someone may get frisky.
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! But I realize that most of you will wait for some notice about the future. Nothing new yet.


See last year's 2002 Hobby Awards ballot at:
http://diplom.org/DipPouch/Postal/Zines/TAP/BALLOT02.html
See the results at: http://diplom.org/DipPouch/Postal/Zines/TAP/ANNOUNCE02.html.
The nominations will be finalized NEXT ISSUE FOR SURE, so get any last ones in:
1) People who you think might deserve the Kathy Byrne Caruso Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement to the Hobby. Last year's award went to the late Richard Sharp.
2) People who you think might deserve the Don Miller Memorial Award for Meritorious Service to the Hobby.
3) People who you think might deserve the Rod Walker Award for Literary Achievement (get me an electronic copy of the article!).
4) People who you think might deserve the John Koning Memorial Award for Player Performance (remember it has to be for playing in 2002).
5) People who you think might deserve the Fred Hyatt Memorial Award for GM Performance (again for 2002 GMing).


All szine editors and people wanting to get rid of archival postal hobby material to productive purpose, should think about sending it to:
Richelle Burkey(Diplomacy Hoosier Arch.)
Popular Culture Library
William T. Jerome Library, 4th Floor
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH 43403
where lots of excellent archival material is flowing in.


((There is some question about how able or willing BGSU remains in the archives, I think we need someone to leave them a lot of money to wake them up.... money donations are tax deductible! Otherwise, they don't want to have to sort duplicates. All of you should continue to send your new issues to her, but for past stuff, we're going to need to work out some way of getting their attention.))


Mike Barno (Wed, 04 Jun 2003 20:15:59 -0400)
Meeeekons: "Nixon sucks a dry Martini;" Any lyric bearing the words "Nixon sucks" sequentially is okay with me! I was just reading something in the paper about Lenny Bruce.
((Indeed, I really miss Spiro Agnew.... no one ever even bothered to write song lyrics about him.))
Yay for the Steve Knight search! I hope it works; he was a good guy at a housecon, and a good pubber, and a good GM or Commissioner. He would have enjoyed the Shenandoah part of my Northern Flame Dixiecon report more than some people. I remember when he wrote about cutting off part of his thumb on a camping trip in Minnesota or the UP. Took it back in a baggie of cold water and I think they sewed it back on. His was one of the best zines going.
Mike Barno, mpbarno of lightlink.com
((Yes, that's for darn sure. I really enjoyed your Dixiecon report too, but where has your sense of adventure gone? I always thought you viewed a con road trip as merely an opportunity to pick up a new car quick and cheap. (aside to the newbies: ask Mike to tell you some of his stories about cars that broke down on the way to cons. Mike just abandoned them and traded them in for a new cheap car he found wherever he happened to break down. Worked pretty well....) Robert Lesco's szine Northern Flame is back on track these days and well worth checking out. Let's also pick up Mike's list of Cons out there for you to GO, GO, GO to!!! For Web links to these and more details on other potential and actual events (I've just given you a small sampling), go to http://www.diplomaticcorps.org))


Mike Barno (Tue, 24 Jun 2003 18:54:09 -0400)

World DipCon [the world Diplomacy championship]:
* World DipCon XIV will be held at ManorCon XXII on 16-19 July 2004 at Chamberlain Hall in Birmingham, England, UK. Details can be found at the bid pamphlet site. You can find schedules, directions, and ManorCon's history at the ManorCon website. For more details, UK players should contact Steve Jones or Kath Collman at manorcon at diplom.org. Non-UK players should contact David Norman, also at manorcon at diplom.org.
* The "wdc-l" mailing list is for anyone interested in WDC site selection, rules, and other World DipCon organizational matters (for all WDC's, not just 2004). To join, send an e-mail to majordomo at diplom.org saying "subscribe wdc-l".
* The "wdc2004" mailing list is for announcements about World DipCon XIV (2004) plans, rules, and other matters. To join, send an e-mail to wdc2004-subscribe at yahoogroups.com saying "subscribe wdc2004".
* The "wdc2004chat" mailing list is for public discussion of all sorts of matters arising from World DipCon XIV (2004) plans and other topics. To join, send an e-mail to wdc2004chat-subscribe at yahoogroups.com saying "subscribe wdc2004chat".
((What can I say, I'm going to be going to this one. You need to make plans for it now too. It will be a truly incredible event and I would really like to see more than FOUR Americans, which I believe was the count the last time that ManorCon hosted World DipCon. You can't complain that you don't speak the language.... then again, perhaps you can.))

Australia & New Zealand:
* 25-27 October 2003: New Zealand Diplomacy Championships (Auckland, New Zealand) For more information, contact Will Black, willb at esp.co.nz. ((New Zealanders are the best people anywhere, we all should go, we probably won't, but we should!))
* 29-30 November 2003: GongCon III (Wollongong University, Australia) For more information, contact Shane Cubis, rubikcubis at bigpond.com. ((Ditto for Australia, I've just been reading Bill Bryson's book about visiting Australia which just makes me long to visit even more!))

Brazil:
* CoBraDip-III, the third annual Brazilian Diplomacy Convention, will be held in 2003 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil(dot) For more details, contact egbert at salavip(dot)com(dot)br(dot)
* DiploCamp III, the third annual Diplomacy convention, will held in 2003 at the University of Campinas in S�o Paulo, Brazil(dot) For more details, contact Cristiano Corte Restitutti at cobradip at bestway(dot)com(dot)br(dot)
((The Brazilians are nuts, but good players. Note that Mike doesn't have dates for these, but if you're headed for Brazil, give it a look.))

Canada:
* The annual Can-Con will be held on 15-17 August 2003 at the University of Toronto's branch campus at Scarborough, Ontario, Canada(dot) For details, send E-mail to: Cal White, diplomat at idirect(dot)com(dot) ((Details published last issue))
* The second annual SummerStab Diplomacy event will be held on 24 August 2003 at the Sentry Box in Calgary, Alberta, Canada(dot) For details, see the Stratagem Gaming Society's website(dot) Send questions to host organization Stratagem, stratagem at shaw(dot)ca or chairman Robert Vollman, vollman at shaw(dot)ca(dot) Here is more information about Calgary for visitors(dot) ((Robert Vollman is THE nicest guy you'll ever meet who still can play a mean game of Diplomacy. He's renown as a great host.))

France:
* The XVIIIth annual French National Diplomacy Championship will be held in late November 2003 at the Boulogne Billancourt Town Hall, near Paris, France, hosted by the convention Jeux en Feres(dot) This is part of the 2003 European Grand Prix of Diplomacy(dot) Over one hundred players have attended this event in recent years(dot) For details, see www(dot)18centres(dot)com, or contact tournament director Yann Clouet, yclouet at 9online(dot)fr(dot) ((I think French tournaments are the cat's meow of the trade. Somehow they are the ones that pull off the most TRULY international tournaments. You may not like C-Diplo, but they have it down to a science.))

Germany:
* German DipCon VII will be held on 2-5 October 2003 in Waldkappel-Gehau, Germany(dot) This is part of the European FTF Diplomacy Grand Prix(dot) Information can be found on the German DipCon website or in more detail at www(dot)diplomacy-bund(dot)de/cons/dipcon/index(dot)html(dot) For more details, send e-mail to info at dipcon(dot)de or Andre Ilievics, Andre(dot)Ilievics at GMX(dot)de(dot)

Ireland:
* The Irish National Diplomacy Championship will be held at BoruCon on 22-25 August 2003 in Dublin, Ireland(dot) This is part of the 2003 European FTF Diplomacy Grand Prix(dot) For details, contact Fearghal O'Donnchu, Fearghal(dot)ODonnchu at life(dot)friendsfirst(dot)ie(dot) ((Wow, you can't miss Fearghal, the original dancin' Irishman!))

* [link] The Swedish National Diplomacy Championship will take place on 19-21 September 2003 in Stockholm, Sweden(dot) This is part of the European FTF Diplomacy Grand Prix(dot) For details, see fortassebellum(dot)sverok(dot)net/sm2003/ which is the homepage of the event, or contact sm2003 at unionen(dot)org or Aron Ambrosiani, aron at kth(dot)se(dot)

United States:
* [DC founder Edi Birsan has formed the American Diplomacy Travel Fund to help American players attend their first overseas tournament(dot) Birsan and Larry Peery are donating matching funds to boost donations that will be collected at ten major USA tournaments each year(dot)]
* The Schenectady Wargamers Association is hosting a Game-a-thon on 9 August 2003 in Schenectady, New York, USA, which is including a Diplomacy tournament(dot) For general convention details, see the SWA website, www(dot)swa-gaming(dot)org(dot) Send questions to David Cheng, cheng at io(dot)com(dot) ((This is an organization in my home town that I was loosely affiliated with in its formative years. The group there in the 1970's was famous for playing long games of Youngstown Diplomacy. David's doing a great job of TRYING to bring Dip into the fold of their repertoire. Someone want to help him out?? Bro Dave, Brux, Barno???))
* The next Dragonflight will be held on 15-17 August 2003 at Seattle University in Seattle, Washington, USA(dot) This longtime multi-game convention will include a Diplomacy tournament(dot) For general convention details, see the Dragonflight website, www(dot)dragonflight(dot)org(dot) For more Diplomacy details, contact Buz Eddy, BuzEddy at aol(dot)com(dot)
* [link] The Schenectady Wargamers Association is hosting the Council of Five Nations multi-game convention on 10-12 October 2003 in Schenectady, New York, USA, which may include a Diplomacy tournament(dot) For general convention details, see the SWA website, www(dot)swa-gaming(dot)org(dot) Send questions to David Cheng, cheng at io(dot)com(dot) ((They're having trouble with making a Dip tournament here mostly because of the conflict with the next event below.... again, help David Cheng out, he really is a great guy!))

* DipCon XXXVI: The North American Diplomacy championship DipCon XXXVI will be held on 10-12 October 2003 in downtown Washington, DC, in a LATE location shift, hosted by the Tempest in a Teapot V convention and organized by the Potomac Tea and Knife Society and the DipCon Committee(dot) DipCon/Tempest will be part of the 2003 Eastern Swing(dot) More details can be found at the PTKS website(dot) If you have any questions, send e-mail to Andy Marshall, landruajm at netscape(dot)net of the DipCon Committee organizing the event(dot) ((Note that NEW details of this were published in the last issue.))
* Carnage By The Lake 6 will be held on 24-26 October 2003 at the Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, Vermont, USA(dot) There will be a Diplomacy tournament(dot) For details, see the Carnage website, www(dot)carnagecon(dot)com, or send e-mail to Diplomacy tournament director Jim Yerkey, JimdOzz at aol(dot)com(dot) ((This is a really fun event, from all who've attended it in recent years. Check it out!))


MUSIC AND MOVIES SECTION (WITH COMMENTS ON OTHER ARTS AND SOCIETY)
Tell me anything you like about the year of 2002 or other recent past in music. List a top two, a top ten, or a top 100, I don't care, just tell me something!!


Mike Barno (Sun, 27 Jul 2003 23:00:04 -0400)
Michael, Jim suggested me (in TAP 271) as a reference for your inquiry about United rules. None of the rulesets from the postal leagues I played in are known to be online, but I saw this on slashdot.org today:
"MSWL is one of the most popular PBEM football (soccer for North Americans) game, which is itself a variation of a game of postal soccer invented by Alan Parr in England around 1970. In this game, each manager has to organise his team, manage fatigue, train his players and trade them. Olmec is a game engine written by Alla Sellers. It helps the commissioner (game master) to simulate the games and publish the results. Allan has decided to release the source code of Olmec under the GPL, so that everyone can enhance the program. The actual version of Olmec is written in Visual Basic and uses MS Access as a database. The author suggests Olmec could be rewritten in a multiplatform language, for example Java, using MySQL as the database. This task is made easy because of the rich documentation about the game engine (PDF format)."
The original 27-July message has three links, here they are:
"MSWL" on first line: http://www.mswl.org/;
"source code" in middle: http://www.mswl.org/mswlsoftware.html;
"PDF format" at end: http://www.mswl.org/pdf/12/Rules12-1.pdf.
Good luck! - Mike Barno, website editor, DiplomaticCorps.org, mpbarno of lightlink.com


Mike Barno (Wed, 30 Jul 2003 20:53:51 -0400)
Things are definitely picking up for me musically. On Tuesday July 29, three days after I attended a nine-hour blues festival, a co-worker offered free tickets to that very evening's Blues Traveler concert in Elmira, NY. I snatched one up and got to hear a great concert for the cost of a few gallons of gasoline and a few quarters in a parking meter.
Blues Traveler has been big for close to a decade, so most readers who would care are familiar with the band's music: John Popper's high-energy harmonica and vocals over the lead-guitar / bass-guitar / keyboards / drums of a rock and groove band. On several songs, the bassman swapped for an electric stand-up bass the size and cross-section of an acoustic bass viol, though much thinner. A casual listener might say that all their original songs sound the same, even though they've been writing songs for so long. I'll counter that by citing their performances on four diverse covers: Charlie Daniels' "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" (not sure if this might have been written by Leon Russell or somebody); an early (like maybe Woodstock) Carlos Santana instrumental; the Violent Femmes' punk classic "Blister in the Sun"; and Bob Marley's reggae classic "No Woman No Cry". None of these four tunes merely aped the famous versions, yet they didn't sound alike; they weren't merely mushed together into one constant style. Each was easy to dance to, in different ways.
I couldn't say the same for some of the band's own songs; some are in funky time signatures like a 2 plus 3 beat pattern, and some have time changes or pauses. At times I failed my rhythm-check die-rolls. But other times I seemed to have enough coherent bounce that, even though my co-worker and her friend refused to dance beyond head-bobbing, a teenage girl (under half my age) came over and danced with me a few times. Each time she said "I'll be back" until her boyfriend (whom she flashed) got jealous over her dancing with me in a big ol' armswingin' Tennessee hop.
Not a big Tuesday night crowd, maybe 1500-2000 people in a small hockey arena, the CoachUSA Center, not nearly full. Around half the people were down on the floor, with the proportion increasing through the night, but not many were dancing. Our radio-station-giveaway comp tickets were floor Standing Room (I insisted "Dancing Room") tickets. It was almost like a club atmosphere rather than a big venue. Our view was good from the middle of the front half of the floor, I could have worked my way closer if I'd wanted, and I had fine sound balance except when I circled around the side in front of one bank of speakers. The band played three hours without a break. Somebody was usually soloing while Popper turned his back to the audience and enjoyed the bluesman's traditional muggles.
I had heard Blues Traveler once previously, back in 1996 or '97. I brought a couple of female coworkers to a small auditorium in Bozeman, Montana. But the (seemingly gigawatt or terawatt) sound overwhelmed that small space. It was hard on the girls' ears and they weren't walking around dancing in better-sounding parts of the auditorium, so they went outside. This year in Elmira the sound turned out much better in the arena's bigger space.
I got there late enough to miss at least half of the opening band's set. It's just as well. One guy didn't play anything, just did vocals and seemed to think that we had paid to watch him dance. I came to the conclusion that the band would be improved by losing Hand-Jive Boy, but it turned out that it was the Ted Somebody Band and he was Ted. He pushed their new CD rather aggressively, and made a point to say "If you didn't buy it here, I don't want to sign it here." The cover tunes were lame and the originals were weaker, with half a verse worth of lyrics too many times.
Oh well. The second band more than made up for the first. Overall the night was an excellent time, everyone got home safely, and I'm glad I went. You never know all of what the day holds when you get up each morning!
Mike, mpbarno of lightlink.com
((I find Blues Traveller sort of a guilty pleasure. There's nothing "special" about them, but they are just fun. Yehaaah, you really are filling up the letter col this time, anyone want to challenge Mike for supremacy other than Steve???))


Mike Barno (Wed, 30 Jul 2003 21:26:53 -0400)
Hey, in these times of crisis and endless tribulations, "just fun" is special enough. Since this fun was free-admission for me, which was just about exactly what I could afford, I got excellent value for the invested time and cost. I forgot to mention that after a half-hour drive back home, I walked my dog more than a mile by Marslight. I did the same thing the previous night, the 28th, when the Sun, Earth, and Mars were nearest straight in line. We also walked the 17th-18th overnight, when Mars and the Moon were nearest in the sky.
Mike, mpbarno of lightlink.com
((I keep trying to go look at Mars and haven't really gotten a real clear look at it, either it has been foggy/cloudy or I'm too close to city lights. It is an amazing astronomical summer.))


Mike Barno (Sun, 27 Jul 2003 20:20:44 -0400)
My workload has been normal lately but my funload went up this weekend with ten hours (maybe nine hours of music) at Hickory Smoked Blues III, successor to the festival I reviewed in TAP music lettercol in summer 2001. I'll have a short-to-medium writeup for you soon, unless you'd rather I send it to Richard W.
((Whichever you like, I like how my sub-sub-subszine is taking up more and more space.))
Richard Thompson was at Rochester NY's Water Street Music Hall Saturday night. Maybe I can score a free lifetime subscription by writing a review for you. Hopefully you won't find out that HSB3 was also Saturday and I couldn't have been at Ghod's show.
But Lordy, sir, I had a too-much-fun day of music. I needed one.
If in summers you go to four-week deadlines, will you also make them combined seasons? Honestly, in the Internet Age, eight weeks between moves is too long. In four weeks, most postal-only players will be able to take care of negotiating and ordering without running up their phone bills. On the other hand, switching back and forth between separated and combined seasons might confuse some players each year.
- Mike, mpbarno of lightlink.com
((You've convinced me, so I'm backing off on the four week thing. I had a few other comments too. I made some stray comments that Mike responded to next....))


Mike P. (but NEVER Mykey P.) Barno (Sat, 19 Jul 2003 16:24:31 -0400)
"I just wish people would REALLY get mad instead of get silly."
But most of the sheeple who you'd like to awaken won't listen; they'll just tune out anyone who disturbs their TV serenity by being mad about inconvenient facts. Some social-engineering types say you can only get through to such people by amusing them.
"That is what interests me about that."
Well, who knows whether that author got mad, charged madly around, tried to change the system, tried to alert people by figuratively knocking them over the head, and got in so much trouble that others assumed she might have dangerous ideas. Or if he was just getting his kicks wanking off for the whole Web to see, and has never so much as voted in his life.
- Mike, mpbarno of lightlink.com
((Undoubtedly you are right, but it just ain't the way I think. Maybe I just don't have a sense of humor.... one last one from Mike.))


Mike Barno (Thu, 31 Jul 2003 21:58:26 -0400)
Jim-Boob sir, and Mark sir, have you been following the story on the vulnerability of Diebold's voting software? ((And Rick Desper also has an intense interest....)) Here's some details:
QUICK RECAP: The first-ever public examination of voting machine software, obtained when Diebold left it in the open on an obscure but public web site, revealed stunning flaws. "Our analysis shows that this voting system is far below even the most minimal security standards applicable in other contexts." - Researchers from Johns Hopkins and Rice Universities, (already tagged as the "Hopkins Heroes") in paper just released: "Analysis of an Electronic Voting System" http://avirubin.com/vote.pdf . Remote access has been left unprotected, encryption keys made available to hackers, you can vote more than once. There's more: http://www.blackboxvoting.org/access-diebold.htm - You can overwrite votes. The system is vulnerable to both inside and outside attacks. Intruders can change audit logs. You can assign passwords to all your friends. (A list of links to news articles from last week is available at: http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0307/S00219.htm )
- Mike, mpbarno of lightlink.com
((Turn out the lights, sleep tight America.... this next one got lost because it was an ISE note, this also happens to John Harrington a lot, you see I have a separate file for ISE E-Mail... but now it's found.))


Brendan Whyte (Fri, 23 May 2003 11:26:16)
Film review: Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
A gorgeous film, shot in Hunan in kaarst country. directed by the author of the original book (for once a faithful adaption of a book!), it is a semi-autobiographical tale of two Chinese city boys sent to the countryside of China in 1970 to be re-educated by the peasants. One is the son of a `reactionary' dentist whose crime was to have once filled a cavity in Chiang Kai Chek's teeth. Soon their village is visited by the aged tailor from a neighbouring village, and his beautiful daughter, the little seamstress. Both boys fall in love with her, and discover another boy sen to be re-educated has a cache of `forbidden' foreign literature. To woo the seamstress, they take turns to read to her from Balzac, Hugo, Tolstoy... But what will this sudden education mean to her? The film was not filmed in the village that the author was actually sent to, for reasons that become apparent later in the film. A joint French-Chinese production, I am surprised the Chinese allowed it to be made, though it is less political than a human story of love. visually gorgeous, the film was only lowered in my estimation by the peasants all being too rosy cheeked, and clean. Only the miller and the aged chief really looked like peasants,rather than middle-class actors in a rural setting.

Nowhere in Africa.
Winner of the Oscar for best foreign film, this German feature tells the story of a Jewish man, Walter, who migrates to Kenya and manages to persuade the local Jewish community to sponsor his wife and child out of Germany to him in 1938. But once in Africa, they may be safe, but are they happy? The wife, Jettl, has great difficulty adapting to being the housewife of a farm overseer: in charge of black labourers, but outranked by the British farm owner, who has little sympathy for the refugees. Can she adapt from being a privileged socialite to the new isolated, hash African environment? Her husband gave up a job as a lawyer to get out of Germany, and her culture shock is fueled by her resentment of their lowered status. The young daughter, Regina, slowly grows up, adapting to the German Jewish, British and African languages and cultures she's immersed in. Then war breaks out an the family is interned... the men to a camp, the women to a hotel in Nairobi where lobster features daily on the menu (the hotel refuses to lower its standards, even if requisitioned as a POW camp). Jettl sees a way to obtain her family's release... but at what cost? Then once the war is over, and Walter is offered a job as a judge in Frankfurt, which of the family want to return to the Germany that forced them out? But can they stay in a British African colony? An exotic setting for a Jewish refugee story. sympathetic to the plight of the Jews and Africans. The only downside was the sex scenes which seemed out of place. Regina removing her blouse to climb trees was also an unnecessary scene, included for the director's masturbatory fantasies I felt. But otherwise a pleasant way to spend 2.5 hours in the dark.
Brendan, bwhyte of unimelb.edu.au
((These are two movies that I've heard a lot about and wanted to see, but haven't. I hope they're both out on video now. Now, we have Daddy Goz, who still hasn't forgotten how to be angry at Bud Selig.))


Warren "Goz" Goesle (Fri, 18 Jul 2003 22:39:08 -0400)
Jim-Bob, Ah, we're finally to the point where we can start thinking about baseball. Now that the free agents are finally landing with the rich teams, we can finally figure out who will make the post-season.
Question 1: will the NL Central winner this year have 85 wins? ((Absolutely!))
`Question 2: will the AL Central winner this year have 80 wins? ((Doubly absolutely, and perhaps the new "your" White Sox will be there, though I'm desperately rooting for Tony Pena and his Royals and against Carl Everett and what has become his White Sox.))
What should have been the biggest story of the baseball year: the made-for-TV-we-gotta-make-someone-watch-this All-Star game that no one wants to play in, becomes something that actually counts in the standings. The dumbest idea since interleague play. But it all gets overshadowed a few days earlier, when Randall Simon proves he will swing at anything, even an 8-foot-tall sausage costume. It was only fitting that he did it while wearing the Pirates' mustard-colored throwback uniform. In retrospect, I guess it was inevitable. ((I absolutely agree about both, but the All Star thing wasn't really a fiasco and it became an entertaining game, for whatever reason.))
Question 3: Do you still believe that the Red Sox can win the pennant? ((Absopositivelutely!!! Go Sox! That means PASSING the Yankees.)) How about for last year? ((Sigh, I was on the record as saying they would take the Wild Card and was wrong, but this year's team is just SO much better.))
On another strange topic, let's rewind to something we discussed 4 years ago: state quarters. Does anyone save these anymore? Since the "Old Man of the Mountain" fell down, is the New Hampshire quarter worth more or less? Check with Partridge on this. ((I will.... but the space-time continuum definitely had earthquakes running through it when the Old Man came down. I can't tell you how many strange things I saw..... you wouldn't believe me. Perhaps THAT was what was holding the Red Sox back, go Sox!!!))
The new job in Chicago is pretty good. The only difficulty is the fact that we haven't yet sold the house in Toledo. I've racked up 3 times the miles on my car in the last 2 months than in the previous unemployed 8 months just driving back and forth. Anyone need a very nice house on a lake? Quirky neighbors included at no extra cost...
Take care. Hopefully I'll be able to send you a new address soon.
Goz, wgoesle of core.com
((Red Sox!!! Winners!!!))


Warren "Goz" Goesle (Wed, 23 Jul 2003 22:36:21 -0400)
You may have (accidentally, in all likelyhood) stumbled across something here Jim-Bob. Consider: every team in MLB plays 6 or 7 games a week. Even the worst (ok, maybe not the Tigers, but everyone else) team in baseball wins 2 games a week. Think about that: at least 2 days every week fans feel good about their team. You can't say that about any other sport. So the regular season does matter a lot more in MLB than elsewhere, at least to the fans. So Red Sox fans get more highs per year than, say, Patriots fans (heck, probably more than Patriots, Celtics & Bruins fans put together). Something to think about. ((Yeeeehahahaha!))
Randall Simon update: apparently he used a "porked" bat. Look for reprocussions. Also, PETA has contacted him about being a spokesman.
Goz, wgoesle of core.com
((Say, hey, speak of the devil, here is the other ISE custodian, also with a lost letter.))


John Harrington (Sat, 21 Jun 2003 17:01:27)
Jim, MUSIC Might as well put in a couple of paragraphs here about what I am buying these days which, as ever, is an odd assortment.
For the wife I bought Melanie C's most recent album,""Reason". Your readers might know her better as "Sporty Spice". My wife likes female singers and this usually means she ends up buying dreadful slushy Diana Ross "I'm Still Waiting" tosh so any opportunity to sneak in something with a bit of punch is not to be missed. Mel C. is, of course, massively unfashionable, but she has a strong voice and her songs - whilst not as annoyingly infectious as Avril Lavigne's - are of a decent standard.
The other album I bought for Lin was "Up" by Right Said Fred, to replace the cassette version that went missing about 7 years ago. This purchase was mostly for sentimental reasons as when we first started going out Lin only owned about 4 albums that weren't vinyl and this was one of them (the others were "Best of the Bangles", Diana Ross & The Supremes and some dreadful compilation of American AOR) but, as the name of the album suggests, it is a tremendously upbeat pop album - and yes, it does have "I'm Too Sexy" on it. ((I don't think I ever knew that Right Said Fred ever did anything but a dance single, and you really could do worse than the Supremes and the Bangles. Really, you could.))
For number one son (aged 13) I have been buying the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Linkin Park whilst refusing to buy him Metallica. The Chili Peppers may well be the top band in the world right now though doubtless someone will crawl out of the woodwork to say they were much better 10 years ago.
For my own collection I have been belatedly filling in some gaps in my BritPop collection with albums by Feeder (Polythene) and Dodgy (Homegrown). I have no idea whether either of these bands means a thing in the USA - the latter have long since disbanded and were in any case overshadowed by Oasis and Blur, but if Oasis are the Beatles, Blur are Small Faces/Kinks then Dodgy are The Who. Their album "Three Peace Sweet" is the best Who album since Quadrophenia and features a thinly disguised song about Keith Moon. "Homegrown" has yet to make the same impact on me but I have only listed to it 4 times. It's bouncy, melodic and rocky but if anything is too accessible and undemanding. ((As should be well known, I am a HUGE, HUGE Blur fan and really can't stand even one chord of Oasis. And I do recognize that this is entirely emotional and devoid of reason. It isn't a surprise that I actually also generally don't care for the Beatles and love the Small Faces. The Kinks, well, maybe, depends on my mood. But I've never heard of Dodgy or Feeder! And I've been in a "Tommy" orgy of late since my wife is going to be designing a production of it next spring, so this has all the more appeal. I'll have to look this up. If this connects at all, my favorite "Brit Pop" type group that almost no one knows in the US is the Close Lobsters. Can we now have the obligatory comment from our Close Lobsters expert?? You know who you are....))
The Feeder album is also taking a time to grown on me. I own one of their other albums (Echo Park) and this is warmly recommended to anyone who likes bright, energetic pop-rock with big choruses, but "Polythene" (which I think is their first album) starts off great and then tails off towards the end. This is somewhat surprising to me as normally bands have a stock of tried and tested songs for the first album and it is the third album (or more likely the second album these days, since CDs require a larger number of tracks on them than vinly LPs) which normally reveals whether the songwriters can write on demand.
Just over a week ago I went to see a band called the Cosmic Rough Riders. I am pretty sure hardly anyone has heard of them in the UK, never mind the US, but they are a real oddity - a modern-day folk-rock band in the Byrds mould (for younger readers the Byrds were like REM but with better songs & singers...!). The strangeness is accentuated by the fact that they come from Glasgow, a major Scottish city famed for its rough inner-city districts, and yet they sing songs about harvesting the land, peace and love, dolphins and the countryside. Thanks to the glorious three-part harmonies, the jingly-jangly guitars and the Indian-style percussion they manage to pull it off, but I am still not sure if they are sending themselves up. Their first album is called "Enjoy the Melodic Sunshine", which neatly sums up what they are about and if anyone is intrigued I will happily buy a copy on their behalf (via the ISE) and ship it to the States. More info on the band is available on www.cosmicroughriders.com ((I'd let you do that, as you know you are presently way ahead.))
I am afraid I can't help you with a review of Ghod, but Brian Creese might. I am not sure if you were involved in the British hobby when Brian was editing his excellent zine, NMR!, but he's now online (http://website.lineone.net/~ nmrprods/) and I am pretty sure he is going to be seeing the man himself this year. ((Ah, I shall check it out. No one has come forward and commented on Ghod/the Lady yet.))
We recently upgraded to Cable Digital and so have something called the Hallmark channel which as well as showing re-runs of the peerless Homicide: Life On The Streets, also shows episodes of Providence, a series which was not shown on terrestrial television here in the UK. I haven't actually seen any of the episodes but I have seen the trailers and I have to say the town looks very elegant.
That's all for now. Hope you are keeping well.
Regards, John, johnh of fiendishgames.demon.co.uk
((Just be careful you can tell the difference between the vast majority of scenes filmed in LA disguised as Providence and the real thing. This last year before they cancelled it they stopped coming here for location shoots and that was the end.... actually it wasn't a half bad show some of the time, but it was really, really weird in its sensibilities. Melina is now doing Cabaret on Broadway, I believe.))
((WARNING: The following discussion concerning the Terminator III with Tim Miller contains SPOILERS. I've disguised a couple of things a bit to try to protect you, but don't say we didn't warn you. The movie's been out for awhile already.))


Tim Miller (Sun, 20 Jul 2003 06:46:49 -0500)
Hi Jim-Bob,
Terminator 3 (warning, contains spoilers)
Summary: Turn off your brain and have a lot of fun...
Terminator 3 is a movie that knows when to take itself seriously and when not to. The opening is downright comedic, and the end similarly chilling. Of course, like its predecessors, T3 features an eeevil terminator sent back to kill John Connor (the man who will rally humanity to defeat the machines) and the good terminator (played as always by the ever-reliable Arnold Schwarzenegger) sent to protect him. The chase scene between the two of them, the evil terminator driving a construction crane and Ah-nold taking the wheel of a fire engine fire engine presents us with cartoon violence of the highest order.
The middle of the film dragged a bit, though. It's more or less by-the-numbers terminator vs. terminator action combined with the John Connor and Sarah Brewster fall in love subplot. This is well hashed genre material, to an extent, and it's executed reasonably well, but nothing spectacular.
The end, however, struck me as absolutely chilling. ((ENDING DISGUISED - BUT WARNING, MORE SPOILERS TO COME)) were genuinely compelling. One scene depicted a run-down North Dakota barn in the foreground, and in the background dozens of ICBMs being launched from their silos. The combination of the idyllic pastoral image with the knowledge of the raw destructive power these weapons carried seemed very effective. The final scene showed just enough balance between terror and optimism.
In summary:
The Good - Ah-nold turns in a fine performance. The opening and closing of the movie was quite effective.
The Bad - Weak in the middle. Laughably ludicrous computer science in describing how SkyNet works/is able to turn eeevil and take over the military. ((Yeah, it felt like the writers were stuck in the 1980's))
Nitpicker patrol part 1/2 - Why is it that two bums off the street are allowed to enter a top-secret military base just because they're travelling with the daughter of the commanding general?
Nitpicker patrol part 2/2 - Sarah Brewster's dad tells them the access codes to the facility that supposedly holds the mainframes that control Skynet. We learn later that Mainframes do not control Skynet. You'd think the general in charge of the project would know how Skynet works - either that or he somehow knew the Terminator's plan in advance.
Best, Tim, btmiller of uchicago.edu
((Ohmigod, don't tell me you didn't get what Sarah's father was doing! He gave them the codes and sent them there on a "wild goose chase" on purpose so they would be in a crash shelter and survive the nuclear war. The lie was to get them to go. Did I misread you, or did you misread what was going on? That wasn't a nitpick, that was a key "neat plot device" of the movie. Did you note that the Dad was on the list for the Terminator to kill? That was the reason he was on the list. They WANTED him to be "let loose" so why would they want to kill Dad? Anyone would have let them loose, but only Dad would have saved Sarah and John. PS You're right on about that other nitpick. I worried about that too. WARNING: YET MORE SPOILERS COMING NEXT))


Tim Miller (Sun, 20 Jul 2003 13:44:36 -0500)
Hi Jim-Bob,
I did sort of figure something like that out after awhile (I figured the general knew the world was doomed, so he sent John and Sarah off to where they would be safe), but the exposition in the movie was a bit confusing about it. I mislabeled an exposition problem (I thought it was) as a nitpick. And why didn't he just tell them "Look, there's no stopping it, but you guys had been go hide at this secret facility, here's the access code..." I think that would've worked and been a bit more obvious about what was going on.
Best, Tim, btmiller of uchicago.edu
((But this way the AUDIENCE thought that perhaps the whole world would be saved, until the end. But that's screenwriting, it also make sense for real too. The father didn't think his daughter would give up trying to save the "whole world" so easily. Better to make them desperate to get there because they did think they could stop it.))


Tim Miller (Sun, 20 Jul 2003 22:19:36 -0500)
Hrm ... I suppose so, but it still left me a bit puzzled as to what the real motives were. OK I'll partially withdraw that particular criticism. But one more that I missed:
Why didn't Skynet, with its military control, shoot down the Cessna? Maybe it didn't see it as a threat, but given that the eeevil terminator had more or less taken control of Skynet by interfacing with it, you would think she would've told it "kill these people".
Best, Tim, btmiller of uchicago.edu
((Showing again how action movies have their own logic.... also the lame, "Hey, my Dad taught me how to fly this Cessna, let's go" line was a bit thin itself. Look, I'm not saying it was great, only that I liked that particular plot device the best that bothered you so much at the start. Let's lead off Steve Langley's thoughts with his thoughts about the same movie.))


Steve Langley (Thu, 10 Jul 2003 20:31:58 EDT)
"Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" === a movie
I came away with a "Been there, done that" feeling. There was possibly the most destructive car chase ever filmed, but the destruction was gratuitous. The bad terminator was driving this huge crane vehicle in pursuit of John Conner. For reasons inexplicable to me she swung the crane out to the side and started dragging it through parked cars and small buildings. Of course it gave the good terminator something to grab onto in his own pursuit.
The bad terminator was a woman this time. That is to say, designed to pass as a woman. Like I said, been there, done that, who cares?
Arnold was looking very good for a man his age. Still, he was looking very good for a man his age, and he is really past walking naked into a biker bar. The love handles are a design flaw? I don't know.
The two central humans were actually the best part of the show. John Conner (Nick Stahl) came across as a tough and resilient kid who was really feeling put upon by a universe that refused to stay saved. He'd stopped judgment day when he was 14, it wasn't fair that it was coming again. Kate Brewster (Claire Danes) was excellent as the future Mrs. Conner, who thought she was being kidnapped by him and his terminator, and never gave up trying to outwit and outfight her captors. Once she came to believe the impossible and decided to go along with them, she was still pretty convincing. John Conner may have been the leader of humanity after judgment day, but it was clear from this film that Kate Brewster was the power behind the man.
Steve, Steflan of aol.com
((Yeah, that was probably the best thing in the movie. Throughout everything you identified with Kate Brewster's character the most.))


Steve Langley (Thu, 10 Jul 2003 20:33:47 EDT)
"Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde" === a movie
Have you noticed that there are a whole lot of movies with ":" in the title. It has to do with money of course.
Anyway, let me start by saying that I don't usually go see comedies. There was something about the trailers for "Legally Blonde 2" that drew me in, and despite not being a big Reese Witherspoon fan I loved the movie. So, when the chance to see a sequel came along, I had to give it a try. Could she pull off the incredibly intelligent brainless blonde character again? Could she take on the real world with a totally blonde attitude, and make it work? I don't really accept the premise, but I was laughing a lot. I wasn't alone in that. Really funny movie.
One thing that I did come away with. America is currently getting the haircut it deserves.
Steve, Steflan of aol.com
((Yes, I loved the first movie and I am a Reese fan, where I usually don't like her kind of actress. I haven't seen this one yet, but will.))


Steve Langley (Thu, 10 Jul 2003 20:28:39 EDT)
"Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas" === a movie
This is not your Arabian Nights "Sinbad". "Sinbad" (Brad Pitt voice) is a pirate and good at it. His attempt to steal a magical book from his boyhood friend "Prince Proteus" (Joseph Fiennes voice) is interrupted by the minions of "Eris, Goddess of Discord" (Michelle Pfeiffer voice). The book is a source of protection and peace which annoys Eris. She wants to remove the book from mortal control so she can have more fun tormenting. Proteus wants to take the book to his home, at the heart of the twelve kingdoms, to perpetuate peace for his people. Sinbad wants to sell the book to the highest bidder.
Later, Eris manages to steal the book and frame Sinbad for the job. The pirate is about to lose his head over it when Proteus steps forward (they were childhood friends) and offers himself in Sinbad's place. The council gives Sinbad a time limit to return with the book, or Proteus dies. Sinbad's immediate thought is to sail to Fiji and retire, but Proteus' fiancee, "Marina" (Catherine Zeta-Jones voice) stows away on his ship to make sure he returns with the book.
A cartoon with a real plot, what is the world coming to? Not only plot, but some good dialogue, character development, everything a good story requires. Add in some amazing animation and you have a good movie. This is supposedly a children's film, but I think there were more adult themes than not.
((It's scary when ALL the best plotted films these days are children's films. I think it's pretty much true. There must have been a memo.))
My favorite part of the film was Eris. The computer graphics merged with classical animation was amazing throughout, but between Michelle Pfeiffer's interpretation, and the Goddess swirling in and out of her purple fog to alternately seduce and threaten, Eris was a total delight. We really need a sequel just to give her more scope.
Steve, Steflan of aol.com
((I haven't seen this one yet either, but it does sound enchanting.))


Steve Langley (Fri, 18 Jul 2003 20:32:24 EDT)
"The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" === a movie
In 1998 Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill proposed a comic book idea for a short series to America's Best Comics, one of the smaller independents. The idea was set in England and Europe at the turn of the previous century. It was to gather together some of the Victorian fictional characters and make a sort of Justice League out of them. There were six issues. The first couple gathered the group together. "Miss Wilhemina Murray" was the focal point. She came from the Bram Stoker novel, "Dracula". With the help of "Captain Nemo" she first collected a reluctant drug ridden "Alan Quartermain", and then swung by Paris to meet with "Auguste Dupin" to capture "Mr. Edward Hyde" who was adding to the legend of "Rue Morgue". From there, back to England and a boarding school for wayward young ladies to collect "The Invisible Man" who was passing himself off as the Holy Spirit while having his way with the girls.
Not a truly stellar crew. Still, England was in peril. The mysterious criminal known as "The Doctor" was planning to take over the world from his secret hideout in Soho. Since Marvel Comics owns the rights to "Fu Manchu", America's Best took a risk of being sued depicting "The Doctor" as closely as they did. Luckily Marvel was already having internal legal problems and probably didn't want to confuse those issues.
The movie, by the same name, "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" took the premise and some parts of the plot, and spun a whole new story. A better story from my point of view. They also tossed in some new characters. I don't see why "Dorian Grey" was left out of the comic book version. He seems such a natural addition.
As ever, anymore, incredible computer effects. "The Invisible Man" smears a white cream over his face to give him features while interacting with the others. Occasionally there would be an over the shoulder shot, showing the mask from the inside. Very effective.
Because Sean Connery plays "Alan Quartermain" he was the leader of the film version, while "Mina" was relegated to follower. She picked up a few more vampire powers in the film, with none of the weaknesses. That is, she walked in daylight, and seemed to have a reflection. But she was all vampire when it came to dealing with the bad guys.
I did think the `Nautilus' moving through the canals of Venice was a bit over the top. Hard to believe the canals are deep enough for a ship that size.
Of course, I liked it!
Steve, Steflan of aol.com
((This has gotten some horrible reviews and I was going to skip it, but my wife and I love Victorian costumes and sets, so it has to be worth it.))


Steve Langley (Tue, 22 Jul 2003 20:56:12 EDT)
"Bad Boys II === a movie
No colon in the title. I guess they didn't get the memo. I really liked "Bad Boys". I thought it was fresh and funny. "Bad Boys II" was pretty much the same story but it was lots longer. At least it seemed lots longer. This time the ongoing Martin Lawrence whining about Will Smith was no longer as fresh and not nearly as funny, but there was a whole lot of it. Just to be fair, there were some funny parts, and there was lots of action.
The funniest line in the movie was delivered by one of the bit characters. "You two look like you are about to do something stupid. I'm in!"
There were some holes in the story that really needed to be plugged. The Bad Boys work for Miami Dade Vice which has not been able to put a certain bad guy away because he apparently has a line into the department. When you set up the premise it is customary to follow-up on the story line. I guess it got left on the cutting room floor.
Not as much fun to watch as a certain Cheesy Pirate movie.
Steve, Steflan of aol.com


Steve Langley (Tue, 22 Jul 2003 19:49:08 EDT)
"Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" === a movie
I understand there is a CD out with 90 words in the title. This is the first movie based on a theme park ride. The second is on the way.
All that being said, I was introduced to a new technical term for this type of film. "Cheesy Pirate Movie". I can see that.
This is an Action/Comedy that is longer on the comic than the action. Not that the action was missing. Far from. Some pretty fun stunts, some swashbuckling sword fights, lots of flying through the air with aid of slashed lines, but still, lots funnier than not.
Johnny Depp as "Captain Jack Sparrow" turns out to have a great comic flair.
I really liked this movie, and was not alone. It has been a while since I've been with an audience that applauded when the movie ended as they did with this one.
Steve, Steflan of aol.com
((Wow, I've missed this one too, so far. I've been going to all the rotten movies....))


Steve Langley (Tue, 29 Jul 2003 13:52:53 EDT)
"Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life" === a movie
I was a little let down by the movie. Lara Croft is a super hero. She came across that way in the first TR movie, but in the second she was more a female Indiana Jones than she was a super hero. Part of it was the stunts. Instead of the impressive physical stunting in the first movie this was more technology stunting. Well, except for the incredible pole vault from a roof top to a helicopter. Now that was impressive. But flipping a jet ski, jumping a motor cycle, sky diving, these are not up there with the bungee ballet. While I'm ranting, what was with that motor cycle jump? Stunts should have some reason behind them. What was the story purpose in hauling a motor cycle to the top of the great wall and then jumping it to a road below? None that I could see.
The story was good enough. Lara Croft and the Box of Pandora. They had to rewrite the Pandora myth a bit to make it fit the movie, but then, Lara said that the myth everyone knew was the Sunday School version.
Angelina Jolie is still the only choice for the role. She still makes me want to believe in super heroes.
Lots of action. some very good computer effects, pretty much what you would expect. The box itself wasn't much. But then, it was supposed to be an old box. What should I have expected?
Steve, Steflan of aol.com
((I liked the first Lara Croft movie a whole bunch and have been thinking I don't want to ruin the fun image by going to see this one. I probably will, if I can catch it before it hops quickly to video. I just love to watch Angelina Jolie kicking butt, what can I say?))


Steve Langley (Wed, 30 Jul 2003 20:46:22 EDT)
"Johnny English" === a movie
Rowan Atkinson is truly a comedic genius. I have known this for some time and am still amazed by him.
"English" is a top secret agent ... in his dreams.
In his waking life he manages, through sheer incompetence, to wipe out the entire set of British Secret Agents. That leaves his boss, the man called "Pegasus" with only one recourse. "English" is put on the job.
With his trusty aide "Bough" (pronounced Boff) he manages to incompetently uncover a plot to steal the British Empire. Of course, no one believes him. The villain is even mildly amused.
John Malkovich has a lot of fun as `Pascal Sauvage' the French villain. Matalie Imbruglia is beautiful as `Lorna Campbell' the `Bond Girl' character. She is an Interpol Secret Agent who ends up working with `English'.
Very funny movie.
Steve, Steflan of aol.com
((Yeeehahaha, what a hilarious movie. At least I've seen ONE good one this summer so far.))


Steve Langley
"Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over" === a movie
This is the third "Spy Kids" and the fantasy continues. The story is as always a fantasy for children, where the good guys win and make friends with the bad guys. That is the underlying theme that makes the Spy Kids work, the idea of making friends with your enemies.
In this episode, Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara) has left the OSS to become a private eye. But when he learns that his sister has gone on a mission and failed to return, he rejoins OSS and goes in to rescue her. Goes in means literally going into a video game controlled by the Toymaker (Sly Stallone, who was great in all his split personality roles). This is a 3D movie. Parts of it at least. The real world is normal film, but when Juni goes into the game, he does so by putting on his VR glasses, and the audience follows suit. The 3-D effects are all computer generated with human actors inserted. Very effective technique.
Carmen is prisoner on the fourth level. Juni has to beat each level to get to her. There is a time limit, and he has limited lives. Not only that, but there is a gang of Beta Testers who are afraid that he might beat them to the prize.
Fun story, great effects, what's not to like?
Steve, Steflan of aol.com
((I really, really liked the first Spy Kids and really, really hated the second. I adore Carmen and her character though. Perhaps I should step back in and see this one too.))


Steve Langley (Sat, 2 Aug 2003 21:18:19 EDT)
"Bend It Like Beckham" === a movie
I can not explain why I wanted to see this movie. Normally a movie about sports of any sort repels me. But when I saw the trailer I knew I had to see the film. I'm so happy I give in to such impulses. "Bend it Like Beckham" is this year's "My Big Fat Greek Wedding".
We have culture gap, generation gap, and gender confusion, all wrapped up in some complex relationships that focus on a wedding and football.
`Jesminder Bhamra' (Parminder K. Nagra) is a better soccer player than any of the young men she plays with in the park. Her mother would be horrified by the idea that her daughter would be alone with so many young men, so Jes doesn't tell her.
`Juliette Paxton' (Keira Knightley) wants to be a professional soccer player. Her mother is sure that young men are not interested in girls with muscles. `Jules' father is happy with the idea that his daughter would rather play soccer than hang out with boys.
Jules sees Jes play in the park. Jules is on a girl's team, and she knows that with Jes on the team they would be unbeatable. She's right.
Between the two families, Jes's sister's wedding, soccer, an almost love story, this turns out to be a funny, feel good movie.
Steve, Steflan of aol.com
((Ah, you finally saw this one. This has been the best "story" movie that I've seen this entire year thus far. I think I saw it in March or something and like Wedding it is still hanging around, with expanding word of mouth. You know this movie must be seen to be enjoyed.... speaking of the real Beckham for a minute, he truly is a breed apart as an international superstar of stupendous proportions who is slowly migrating into American consciousness. Of course he plays a game (soccer) that we aren't supposed to care about. And he's a genuinely "regular" guy. That's OK, you know.))


Sandy Kenny (Sat, 19 Jul 2003 07:36:57 EDT)
Jim-Bob, I do not know how else to report this. Sean's surgery did not succeed. He passed away during surgery at around 5:30 pm on Thursday July 17th at St. Christopher's Hospital in Philadelphia. This has been a devastating time for Paul and me, yet we are holding up rather well under the circumstances. You may forward this e-mail and or print it in your next issue. Pray for us and for Sean, although I am confident that he is doing much better than we are.
sandy, KennyShire of aol.com
((I'm so sorry, Sandy, for you and Paul. I'm sure in many ways that last point is correct. I hope and pray for your whole family in this time.))
THE ABYSSINIAN PRINCE GAMES SECTION
"So I called up George and he called up Jim, I said let's make a deal.
He said he'd talk to him. Gonna start a church where you can save yourself,
You can make some noise, When you've got no choice...
You told me useful things, what people think of me, I guess I should thank you.
It's true, then I agree... I'm all alone, I've got no choice,
I'm all alone, I've got no choice."
From "Got No Choice" by the incomparable Mark Cutler, from the CD Mark Cutler and Useful Things.
If you want to submit orders, press, or letters by E-Mail, you can find me through the Internet system at "burgess of world.std.com". If anyone has an interest in having an E-Mail address listed so people can negotiate with you by computer, just let me know. FAX orders to (401) 277-9904 if you let me know in advance to be sure the fax machine is set up.
I am continuing to note cut or failed support orders with a small "s" instead of a capital "S". This will make it easier on the E-Mailed version of the szine to see what happened, since the italics don't show there. The italics DO show on the web page just fine.
Standby lists:
Mike Barno, Dick Martin, Brad Wilson, Jack McHugh, Glenn Petroski, Steve Emmert, Mark Kinney, Vince Lutterbie, Eric Brosius, Paul Rauterberg, Bob Osuch, Doug Kent, Sean O'Donnell, Kevin Wilson, Heath Gardner, Phil Reynolds, Paul Kenny, and Dan Gorham stand by for regular Diplomacy.
Brad Wilson and Jack McHugh stand by for the Modern Diplomacy game.
Let me know if you want on or off these lists, especially OFF. Standbies get the szine for free and receive my personal thanks.


GAME OPENING INFORMATION
We've got lots of openings in the subszines, check them out!!! Especially, contact Rip Gooch for Railway Rivals as the following maps are available. Following each in parenthesis is the suggested number of players: Isle of Wight (3 or 4); Netherlands (3 or 4); Northern Italy Map P (4 to 8); Spain Map SP (4 to 7); China Mk. I (6 to 8); Austria (3 or 4); Belgium and Luxembourg (3 or 4); Southern Italy Map Q (4); South Sweden Map SWE (3 or 4); Switzerland (3 or 4). See Rip's subszine elsewhere in most issues of TAP. Come on, help me out!!! Contact Rip Gooch directly at xyropedes of canada.com.
I also am starting a game of the variant I designed, Spy Diplomacy. Signups for that are now open. I'll publish the rules shortly.
I'll also open another regular Diplomacy game, it's been too long since I've started one. You can sign up NOW! Sean O'Donnell, Jeff O'Donnell, and X are signed up already.
You also can sign up for the next Breaking Away game, which is starting now. Tom Howell currently is signed up, knock off the superstar, come on, you can do it!! So far, Eric Brosius and David Partridge want to challenge Tom.
John Harrington is offering to guest GM a game of Office Politics. Any interest in that?? Let me or John know! Jody McCullough is still interested, anyone else?
Harold Reynolds has started the game of Colonia (see elsewhere in this issue) and is interested in guest-GMing a game of Aberration. Sean O'Donnell and Brendan Whyte are interested in Aberration. Brendan and Sean BOTH need rules from Harold Reynolds.
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, Alexander Woo, Dave Partridge, Eric Ozog, and Kurt Ozog are signed up for that.
Mike Barno and Edi Birsan run a great web site at http://www.diplomaticcorps.org!
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 SPRING 1906 IS AUGUST 16TH, 2003
Autumn and Winter 1905
AUSTRIA (Lockheardt): has a GAL, a TRI, a TYO, a MOS, a SER, a RUM, a WAR, f GRE.
ENGLAND (Kinney): R f pic otb; bld a lon, a edi; has a LON, a EDI,
f ENG, f NTH.
FRANCE (Kent): bld a mar; has a MAR, a PIC, a BRE, f GAS, f MID.
GERMANY (Wilson): bld a kie, a ber, PLAYS ONE SHORT; has a KIE, a BER,
a MUN, f SWE, a RUH, a BUR.
ITALY (Gardner): has a VEN, f ION, f AEG, a APU.
RUSSIA (Desper): R a gal-UKR; rem a ukr, a lvn; has a STP.
TURKEY (Miller): bld f smy; has f SMY, a ARM, a CON, f BUL(SC), a SEV.


Addresses of the Participants
AUSTRIA: Chris Lockheardt, 54 Butler Avenue, Maynard, MA 01754, +1 978-897-1547
clockheardt of yahoo.com
ENGLAND: Mark Kinney, Apt. #6, 4820 Westmar Terrace, Louisville, KY 40222
alberich of iglou.com
FRANCE: Doug Kent, 11111 Woodmeadow #2327, Dallas, TX 75228
dougray30 of yahoo.com or dipworld of ix.netcom.com
GERMANY: Kevin Wilson, 373 Gateford Drive, Ballwin, MO 63021
ckevinw of aol.com
ITALY: Heath Gardner, 3017 Mayview Road, Raleigh, NC 27607, (919) 834-4832
hdgardne of uncg.edu
RUSSIA: Rick Desper, 5440 Marinelli Road, #204, Rockville, MD 20852
(301) 977-7691, rick_desper of yahoo.com
TURKEY: Tim Miller, 5421 S. Ellis Ave. #1-E, 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) The concession to Italy, proposed earnestly, is nonetheless rejected.
2) Note Doug Kent's new addresses, which are good at least for now. I'll keep you updated.


Press:


SOMETHING TO BE SCARED OF: 2001D, Regular Diplomacy
THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 1907 IS AUGUST 16TH, 2003
Summer 1907
ENGLAND (Sundstrom): has f STP(NC), f NTH, f SKA, f BAR, f NAO.
FRANCE (Tretick): has a BUR, a PIC, f ENG, a GAS.
GERMANY (Williams): has a DEN, a MUN, a RUH.
ITALY (Barno): has f NAP, a VEN, f GOL, a MAR, a VIE, f SPA(SC), f MID,
a TRI, f POR.
RUSSIA (McHugh): NMR, BRAD WILSON IS CALLED AS STANDBY; has a FIN,
a WAR h, f SWE h, a BOH h.
TURKEY (O'Donnell): has a BUL, f TYH, a BUD, a SER, f WES, a PRU, f BLA, a UKR.


Addresses of the Participants
AUSTRIA: Doug Kent, 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 earthlink.net
FRANCE: James Alan (Jim) Tretick, 1383 Canterbury Way Potomac, MD 20854, (301) 279-0803 ($4)
JTretickGames of aol.com
GERMANY: Don Williams, 27505 Artine Drive, Saugus, CA 91350, (661) 297-3947 ($3)
wllmsfmly of earthlink.net
ITALY: Replacement is Mike Barno, 634 Dawson Hill Road, Spencer, NY 14883
mpbarno of lightlink.com
RUSSIA: Jack McHugh, P.O. Box 427, Claymont, DE 19703, (302) 792-1998
flapjack of comcast.net or Xatsmann of comcast.net
RUSSIA: Standby is Brad Wilson, PMB-181, 634 York Road, Warminster, PA 18974
dolphin_146 of hotmail.com
TURKEY: Sean O'Donnell, 1044 Wellfleet Drive, Grafton, OH 44044, (440) 926-0230
sean_o_donnell of hotmail.com or seanfodonnell of yahoo.com


Game Notes:
1) Jack is just being Jack again, I hope he returns. Remember, Jack, that you need to get back to me by the SUMMER deadline to keep the position. Calling Brad as a standby for you should be the appropriate spur to return to action. One of you had better get me orders for Fall! Orders by other players may be made conditional on who plays the position. Remember that both NMRing also counts as Jack still playing the position.


Press:
(MIKE BARNO to STOCKHOLDERS): It's okay, folks, things here are under control; the new management team is taking appropriate action to maintain the value of the world-renowned "Italy" franchise. All competitors will be dealt with, through cooperative alliance or otherwise.
(ENGLAND-BOARD): Can't we all just get along.
(ITALY-BOARD): Thanks for welcoming me to this humble game. I thank everyone one of you for giving me a warm welcome into the game.
(TURKEY-JIM): Did you get my orders?
(JIM-BOB to TURKEY): I don't know, did I??
(BLARFO to IRON DUCK): You, "witty writing"?? Oh, I see, you mean "compared to Flapjack".
(TURKEY-ITALY): You're first.


FANTASTIC VOYAGE: 1999K, Regular Diplomacy
THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 1912 IS AUGUST 16TH, 2003
Summer 1912
AUSTRIA (Rauterberg): has a VEN, a APU, a ROM.
ENGLAND (Biehl): has f EDI, f LVP.
GERMANY (Osuch): R a gal-VIE; has f BAL, a SIL, a BER, f SWE, a DEN, a MAR, a BOH, a VIE,
a HOL, f CLY, a PIC, a POR.
RUSSIA (Tretick): has f NWY, a LVN, f NTH, a YOR, a WAR, f NWG, a FIN.
TURKEY (Lutterbie): has a CON, f AEG, f BLA, a GAL, f GOL, a ALB, f MID,
a TRI, a RUM, f NAP.


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, #8 - 11530 84th Avenue, Delta, BRITISH COLUMBIA, V4C 2M1 CANADA,
(604) 591-1832 ($7); jrb of dccnet.com
FRANCE: Rick Davis, 2420 West Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95407, (707) 544-5201,
redavis914 of aol.com
GERMANY: Bob Osuch, 19137 Midland Avenue, Mokena, IL 60448, (708) 478-3885
ROsuch4082 of aol.com
ITALY: Terry Tallman, PO Box 782, Clinton, WA 98236, (360) 710 9613, cell (360) 710-9613 ($2)
terryt of whidbey.net
RUSSIA: Buddy Tretick, 9607 Conaty Circle, Spotsylvania, VA 22553, (540) 582-2356 (E-Mail)
batretick of earthlink.net
TURKEY: Vince Lutterbie, 1021 Stonehaven, Marshall, MO 65340-2837
melvin of cdsinet.net


Game Notes:
1) The RT draw is rejected.


Press:


(Sometimes I Feel Like) FLETCHER CHRISTIAN: 1999Cgh013, Colonia VIIb Diplomacy


Game Notes:
1) The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed draw passed and I still didn't have a chance to do the final Endgame chart. You have until then to do Endgame statements.
2) Harold Reynolds has done a lot of work with the maps and is guest GMing a new game of Colonia (see elsewhere in this issue).


Press:


SECRETS: 1999D, Regular Diplomacy
THE DUE DATE FOR SUMMER 1914 IS AUGUST 16TH, 2003
THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 1914 IS SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2003
Spring 1914
ENGLAND (Brosius): f LON h, a GAS S FRENCH f mar, f NAO S f mid, a KIE S FRENCH a mun,
f MID S FRENCH f spa(sc), f ENG S f mid, f HOL h, 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 ser-GRE.
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): a con-BUL, f tri-ALB, a UKR S a war, a WAR S a sil, f WES h,
a SEV-mos, f GOL h, a SIL S a war, a vie-GAL, f NAF S f wes, f TYH h,
a TYO h, f PIE S f gol, a bud-SER, a BOH S a sil.


Addresses of the Participants
ENGLAND: Eric Brosius, 53 Bird Street, Needham, MA 02492
eric.brosius of comcast.net
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
RUSSIA: Phil Reynolds, 2896 Oak Street, Sarasota, FL 34237, (813) 953-6952
preyno of yahoo.com
TURKEY: Bruce Linsey, PO Box 234, Kinderhook, NY 12106
GonzoHQ of aol.com


Game Notes:
1) The FREGT draw is rejected and then reproposed. I had no complaint, so I've granted a request that we go back to where we were on the voting, which was this: (1) Some of you have "perpetual draw votes on this proposal on file", those are still in force; (2) Some of you do not and have been voting every season, for you if you FAIL to vote it counts as a yes vote for the proposal.
2) Note Eric Brosius' new E-Mail address in the standard hidden format. You just take that " of " out and replace it with the at sign.


Press:
(NEW ENGLAND-EUROPEAN POWERS): Thanks to everyone who wrote. I'm going to try to get my bearings as I enter this game, so I'm going to repeat the orders of my predecessor this season.
(BOOB VENTURES A GUESS): Looks to me like SOME steps are about to happen pretty soon. Maybe not, but there might be some changes in the fall.
(MIKE BARNO): At 2 AM on 17 July 2003, I have clear skies and a great view of Mars right beside the moon. Perfect for walking the dog a mile and seeing nobody else. Almost all lights are off so I can see the planet and moon more clearly than most people do. Nobody on Mars nor even on the moon can force Bruce to cut me out of the draw. The only way the rest of you players can do it is by throwing the win to him.
((Perhaps you need to follow your own advice below and seek out a weapon of mass destruction.... but you're sure....))
If you enter "Weapons of Mass Destruction" in quotes in Google, then click the Ï'm Feeling Lucky" button, you get:
http://www.coxar.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/information.gif
These Weapons of Mass Destruction cannot be displayed. The weapons you are looking for are currently unavailable. The country might be experiencing technical difficulties, or you may need to adjust your weapons inspectors mandate.
Please try the following:
* Click the [refresh.gif (82 bytes)] Regime change button, or try again later.
* If you are George Bush and typed the country's name in the address bar, make sure that it is spelled correctly. (IRAQ).
* To check your weapons inspector settings, click the UN menu, and then click Weapons Inspector Options. On the Security Council tab, click Consensus. The settings should match those provided by your government or NATO.
* If the Security Council has enabled it, The United States of America can examine your country and automatically discover Weapons of Mass Destruction. If you would like to use the CIA to try and discover them, click [Detect Settings] Detect weapons
* Some countries require 128 thousand troops to liberate them. Click the Panic menu and then click About US foreign policy to determine what regime they will install.
* If you are an Old European Country trying to protect your interests, make sure your options are left wide open as long as possible. Click the Tools menu, and then click on League of Nations. On the Advanced tab, scroll to the Head in the Sand section and check settings for your exports to Iraq.
* Click the http://www.coxar.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/bomb.gif Bomb button if you are Donald Rumsfeld.
Cannot find weapons or CIA Error. Iraqi Explorer. Get the WMD 404 T-shirt.


EDWARD TELLER: 2002?rn42, Nuclear Yuppie Evil Empire Diplomacy - Black Hole Variant
THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 1905 IS AUGUST 16TH, 2002
Summer 1905
AUSTRIA (Andruschak): has a VIE, a BUD, f TRI; and 5 nukes in their silos.
ENGLAND (Kendter): has f ENG, f NTH, a EDI; and
nuked The whole frelling game, STP, BRE, KIE, MID.
FRANCE (McHugh): has a PAR, a MAR; and 5 nukes in their silos.
GERMANY (Kenny): has a BER, a MUN; and 5 nukes in their silos.
ITALY (Schultz): has f NAP, a VEN, a ROM; and 5 nukes in their silos.
RUSSIA (Rauterberg): has f FIN, a SEV, f RUM; and nuked BUL, GRE, ARM, SER(2).
TURKEY (Muller): has a CON; and nuked BLA, GAL, MOS, ION, SER(2).


Current Standings
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 TOTAL
JOHN SCHULTZ  3  3  3  3           12
PAUL RAUTERBERG  6  1  6  3           16
KARL MULLER  2  3  3  4           12
HARRY ANDRUSCHAK  4  5  0  3           12
LEE KENDTER, JR.  1  6  2  4           13
JACK MCHUGH  5  0  3  3           11
SANDY KENNY  3  1  3  3           10
Black Holed  8 14  7  1  7        30
Neutral  2  1  7 10           20
Totals(eventually) 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 238
Times GM Nuked  0  1  1  0  0      2
Whole Frelling Game  0  0  1  0  1      1


Addresses of the Participants
John Schultz plays on in our memories....
Paul Rauterberg, 3116 W. American Dr., Greenfield, WI 53221, (414) 281-2339
trauterberg of wi.rr.com
Karl Muller, 3154 East Lydius Street, Schenectady, NY 12303-5035
karlmuller of alumni.lemoyne.edu or pegandkarl of mindspring.com
Harry Andruschak, 734 West 214th Street, Apartment 12-A Torrance, CA 90502-1907
(310) 533-8945, harryandruschak of aol.com
Lee Kendter, Jr., 1503 Pilgrim Lane, Quakertown, PA 18951
lkendter of speakeasy.net
Jack McHugh, P.O. Box 427, Claymont, DE 19703, (302) 792-1998
flapjack of comcast.net
Sandy Kenny, 23 East Coulter Avenue, Collingswood, NJ 08108-1208 (609) 869-3160
KennyShire of aol.com or possibly sakenny of net-gate.com


Game Notes:
1) A couple of adjudication notes.... when you guys nuke the same province more than once, I put in parentheses the number of nukes that hit that spot. Also, if your move to a space succeeds and THEN you are annihilated, I capitalize the first letter of that space where you are annihilated. The reverse happens if your move bounces where I capitalize the first letter of the place you started.
2) The rules I have been using for this game have been that there are no replacements or standbies. Nukes for the positions John has will remain unfired in their silos. None of his units will move or support anything. They can be attacked and dislodged and his centers can be nuked. John could win the game this way, conceivably, but likely would not. But you never know, given how extreme the yuppiedom part of the game has gone.


Press:




FEAR AND WHISKEY: 1998Ers31, Modern Diplomacy
THE DUE DATE FOR SUMMER 2012 IS AUGUST 16TH, 2003
THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 2012 IS SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2003
Spring 2012
BRITAIN (K. Ozog): a SWE S f bhm-den, f LON S f nwg-nth, a EDI h, f nwg-NTH,
f bhm-DEN, a NOR h, f nao-NWG, f gob-BAL.
EGYPT (J. O'Donnell): f cai-EME, f lbs-ALE, f ISR S f cai-eme,
f apu-NAP, a SYR-ada, a lib-TUN, a irk s syr-ada (d r:jor,sau,otb).
GERMANY (Rauterberg): a ber-HAM, a mun-ALS, f pru-BER, f HOL S a ber-ham, f bal-BHM,
f bri-BIS, a mil-PIE, a par s a swi-lyo (d r:pic,otb), f nth-ENG, a SWI-lyo,
f BEL S f nth-eng, a ROM S EGYPTIAN f apu-nap.
SPAIN (S. O'Donnell): a BAR h, a mad-NAV, f sve-SAO, f mor-ALG, f tun-MAL,
a bor-PAR, a AUV S a bor-par, a LYO s a bor-par, f eng-BRI, a nap-rom (d ann), f ion-LBS.
UKRAINE (Partridge): a kie-POD, f ist-IZM, a ank-ADA, a GRE h, a bos-CRO, a GOR h,
a mos-BIE, a STP h, a war-SIL, a bie-KRA, f eme-syr (d r:aeg,otb), f ANA S a ank-ada,
a URA h, a kra-CZE, a gda-PRU, f ALB S f aeg-ion, a ada-IRK, a KAZ h, a hun-AUS,
a LAT S a lit, f aeg-ION, a LIT s a gda (otm), f ADR S a cro-ven,
a IRN S a ada-irk, a cro-VEN.


Addresses of the Participants
BRITAIN: Kurt Ozog, 391 Wilmington Drive, Bartlett, IL 60103, (630) 837-2813
heyday6 of yahoo.com
EGYPT: Jeff O'Donnell, 402 Middle Ave., Elyria, OH 44035-5728, (440) 322-2920
or (440) 225-9203 (cell) ($2)
FRANCE: Harry Andruschak ($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, (440) 926-0230 ($3)
sean_o_donnell of hotmail.com or seanfodonnell of yahoo.com
TURKEY: Kent Pollard, 1541 W. San Jose, Fresno, CA 93711, (209) 225-0957 ($10)
UKRAINE: Dave Partridge, 15 Woodland Drive, Brookline, NH 03033 ($8)
rebhuhn of rocketmail.com


Game Notes:
1) I'm keeping only one list for the new game now up above. This is scary, the game has gone on for six years now, hasn't it.
2) The concession to Ukraine fails.


Press:
(THE MEKONS QUOTE OF THE MONTH): "When we say we've had enough, we know we really want more." From "Hate Is the New Love", from Ooooh!!!. Although, given some of what is below, I should have quoted from Pussy, King of the Pirates.
(A CONVERSATION [KIRK AND SPOCK]):
Spock: Captain, Lt. Uhura just received an ultimatum from the Romulans demanding our unconditional surrender. I understand that the Bajorans, Cardassians, and Klingons are also considering recognizing Romulan "leadership".
Kirk: What a bunch of pussies! Have Uhura send this message on an open uncoded com pick to the Romulans, NUTS!
Spock: NUTS! Captain? Not exactly original!
Kirk: Would you prefer "they can have my Federation when they can pry my Enterprise from my cold dead fingers!"?
Spock: I get your drift, Captain, but we can't win unless we can realign the universe against Romulus.
Kirk: Mr. Spock, the Klingons don't take prisoners! The last time you were captured by the Romulans they locked you up in a small room with Mr. Chekov and induced Pon Farr. Mr. Chekov hasn't been able to wipe the smile off his face since! Do you want to be a Romulan prisoner, Mr. Spock???
Spock: I'll have Lt. Uhura send the message to the Romulans. NUTS!
(GERMANY-SPAIN): Take that.
(JEFF to WORLD): I just had an odd thought. I've been doing Star Trek press longer than the original series. Life is good!
(ANDRUSCHAK-JEFF): I would like to point out that we didn't have any wars at this kind of scale when Clinton was President. Clinton unlike Bush found better ways to send the United States into a (lack of a better word) up roar. I think that Clinton was the best President that the United States could have ever had.
(EVIL COMMANDER WORF-CAPTAIN KIRK): Since 7 of 9 would not cooperate, I've been forced to use psychological torture. I've been forced to have 7 of 9 wear bikini's and skimpy dresses and skirts. I then had her wear a very skin tight uniform. No, Kirk in case you're wondering this is even tighter on her than those that you had her wearing.
(SPOCK AND KIRK II):
Spock: Captain, the Klingons are claiming they have 7 of 9 but they're putting her on trial per Klingon tradition and their prisoner scan does not have a traditional Borg signature. I'm guessing that 7 escaped.
Kirk: Then where is she?
Spock: The more intriguing question is, can she help us???
(EVIL COMMANDER WORF-CAPTAIN KIRK: I have a propaganda victory. I even have the willingness of 7 of 9 to stay with me and together we'll rule over the Federation. She did make one request that you (Kirk) become her unconditional slave, which includes but limited to. shaving her legs and if all else fails kissing her ( .)
(GERMANY-EGYPT): Get your nephew back under control.
(JEFF-SEAN): I may be proud of you, but what did you do wrong?


Personal Note to You:


File translated from TEX by TTH, version 3.30.
On 06 Aug 2003, 22:13.