THE ABYSSINIAN PRINCE #308

December 15, 2006


Produced by Jim Burgess, 664 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02908-4327 USA, (401)351-0287
Accessible through Internet at burgess of world.std.com (all E-Mail addresses are reported in this format, replace the " of " with "@"; if you bounce try sending to me from another account. Some of you have been getting bounced messages from my ISP's spam protection, if that happens to you, USE my backup E-Mail at jfburgess of gmail.com!!! Don't complain that my E-Mail keeps bouncing without forwarding the bounced message to that address. Then I can forward it to the ISP help to get it dealt with.
Web Page Address: http://www.diplom.org/DipPouch/Postal/Zines/TAP/index.html


I expect ALL players to be signed up on the E-Mail notification list for the szine, see below. Some of you have been complaining about this, but it is up to you to get on this list, it's easy, come ask me if you have trouble. We have yet more exciting issues of By the Way, Houdini Blues, Tinamou in this issue. We're making progress on starting new games, help fill things up, see below for more. BREAKING AWAY starts in this issue, send me your cards!!! Since I was late, let's go straight into the Christmas break. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!


The postal sub price is still $1.50 per issue in the US and Canada, with double that for other foreign subbers(or $3.00 per issue sent airmail). Players in current games and standbys will continue to get the issues for free, and future game starts (except for Nuclear Yuppie Evil Empire Diplomacy, which is free) cost $20.00 ($15.00 for a life of the game subscription and $5 for the NMR Insurance. Anyone may play in subszines for free and just jack up the issue page count. See the revised game start announcements below!
Check out the connections in the Diplomatic Pouch with all of the information you need to play Diplomacy on the Internet at: http://www.diplom.org/DipPouch/
I also have taken over the Postal port/DipPouch/Postal
and TAP on the web is there at: http://www.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
Peter Sullivan's subszine is out of stasis, and all the back issues can be accessed via :
http://www.burdonvale.co.uk/octopus/index.html.
Peter now seems to be sliding back into stasis! Rip Gooch and Dave Partridge had been picking up the choo-choo game slack, but Rip also has been missing in action completely for over a year now, I don't have an update but he and Dave Partridge communicate. Contact Rip at xyropedes of canada.com or Dave at rebhuhn of rocketmail.com for more info on getting into choo-choo games. And Andy York has been my most frequent subszine guest lately!!! He's been in every issue, thanks, Andy!!!
The TAP mailing list has moved! It now is even BETTER protected than it was. I even have a bit of trouble posting to it. To post to this list, send your email to: tap of diplom.org. But this is completely moderated, it won't go out to the list unless I approve it. In general, I intend to keep traffic down to just the szine, as we've been doing and I'll put your LOCs in here. I EXPECT all players to be on this list, especially those of you who are from foreign countries!!! You need this to find out when the szine is up on the web to check in on results.
General information about the mailing list is at: http://www.diplom.org/mailman/listinfo/tap
You can sign up from there, or send E-Mails to: Tap-request of diplom.org; with the word `help' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes), and you will get back a message with instructions. You must know your password to change your options (including changing the password, itself) or to unsubscribe. Normally, Mailman will remind you of your diplom.org mailing list passwords once every month, although you can disable this if you prefer. This reminder will also include instructions on how to unsubscribe or change your account options. There is also a button on your options page that will email your current password to you. A big, big thank you for Millis Miller for setting this all up!!


THE SEARCH FOR MARGARET GEMIGNANI
OK, now, why Margaret? Margaret, of course, is one of the most famous personalities in Dipdom, Science Fiction, Star Trek, Comic, etc. fandom. She was a nurse in the DC area, I believe, and then retired to Florida some years ago. Many people had an address for her in Fort Lauderdale (including me), but that address went missing around 1994. If you do Google searching, as I have done off and on, there is a Margaret Gemignani that contributes to the Baltimore and Ohio Historical Railroad Association, along with a husband, Gino (anyone know if that matches.... the B&O matches where she used to live... but don't tell me, use it as info to go looking yourself!!!) Margaret has a couple of mentions in the Diplomacy AtoZ and I first encountered her in the old Bernie Oaklyn Le Front szine. I think it would be fun to find her. You have until issue 310 and then we move on to someone else.


Feel free to spend the time looking for some of the backlog. Let's get Jeff, Derek, Sylvain, Steve, 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 Jeff Key or Steve Heinowski or Ed Henry or Tom Hurst or Bill Quinn or Gregory Stewart or Derek Nelson or Sylvain LaRose or John Smythe is "found" from now on it is worth $25.


Winners will receive credit for Dip hobby activities that I will pay out as requested by the winner. Subscribe to szines here or abroad, run your own contests, publish a szine, finance a web page, GO TO A DIPLOMACY CONVENTION or whatever. Spend it all right away or use me as a bank to cover hobby activities for years. What must you do to win? Get me a letter to the editor for TAP from the person we're searching for.
This is very important, just finding them doesn't do it. They have to write me a letter. The final judge as to the winner of any contest will be the target himself and I reserve the right to investigate the winning entry. When you find someone I'm looking for, you should ask him to send me a letter for print that includes a verification of who "found" him.




INTERNATIONAL SUBSCRIPTION EXCHANGE NEWS
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 closed the European continental branch, as I think most of you had figured out.
And the ISE in Australia hadn't had much real action in recent years, and Brendan Whyte has moved on to Jerusalem!!! Brendan still produces what I find to be the most readable small szine in the worldwide hobby. Did you all realize that? Write to Brendan at his new Jerusalem address and ask him about subscribing, I'm not sure what the new deal will be. Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus, Jerusalem 91905, ISRAEL. His travelogues are wonderful.


WORLDMASTERS04 SECTION
See http://www.worldmasters.net/wm04/ for details on progress on the WORLDMASTERS04, the Semifinals have now begun. Some semifinal notables include: Egg Ferreira, Buffalo Bartalone, Lee Simpson, Joe Janbu, Sebastian Beer, Doug Moore, Jerry Fest, Twerg O'Donnchu, Tim Sweeney, Dave Partridge, Glenn Ledder, Adam Silverman, Toby Harris, and Thomas Franke. This is one of the deepest semifinal fields for this great tournament that I've seen, with representatives from nearly all of the world's hobby communities. Actually, the Semifinal games began in October. I was wondering why I hadn't seen anything on progress in these games, and that's why. More on that next issue!!! Thomas Franke and David Partridge are in a game together that seems on first glance to be the weakest in the rest of the players. So my first thought is that one of those two will have a slot in the finals. I am getting raked over the coals for it, but I just ended a game in a three way draw between me, Thomas, and Ray Setzer that I might have had a chance in ekeing out a win mostly because Thomas asked for it to end so he could focus on this semi-final. Sorry, David, but I had to do it..... Of course, after saying that, David Partridge is in England getting beaten on by Guy Thomas in France, who is allied with Thomas Franke in Italy. But Italy has a Juggernaut bearing down on him from Mike Tombu and Julio Cardoza. And Toby Harris just got crunched in his game where he is Turkey, but I don't count him out yet, he has more lives than a cat!! But never mind, I don't know how ANY of this will turn out!!! Doug Moore is doing pretty well as Russia in his game so far, but Russia can always be crunched after doing well early. Buffalo is doing pretty well in his game as France taking down Germany and now attacking Adam Silverman's England, I think, that part is still developing.
I've joined the Yahoogroup WM04-Chat where some of this discussion is happening. You can join too! However, this forum has been very, very quiet, I hope it picks up with semis, maybe I'll have to start some discussion. I had to go the main Worldmasters site at www.worldmasters.net/wm04/ to find some of these results. The new Tournament rankings for FTF also are out there that supercede the ones that were on 18centres. Go check out:
http://eurodip.nuxit.net/php/ranking/affiche_ranking.php?id_ranking=3&lang=Ang
It ranks 4788 FTF players and is the most complete known compilation of FTF play ever in the hobby. You really want to check it out. Poor Eve Smith ends up 4788th, having been in 33 tournaments in the last ten years, an achievement in itself! And of course Don Del Grande is down near the bottom at 4784th, off of 13 tournaments, two of them in Australia. For having the Don Challenge Cup named after him, he didn't do THAT badly in his tournaments Down Under, better than I'd been led to believe at 54/78 and 34/57 And Frank Johansen is a well deserved #1. And I'm amazingly in the top quarter with a ranking of 1171, accurately reflecting the nine tournaments that I know I've been to (i.e. I don't see any missing). Yann Clouet (if I counted right) has been to 95 tournaments, I'd be surprised if someone surpasses him in number, and he ranks 9th. Guaranteed to be a fun browse....


DIPDOM NEWS SECTION (with letters)
Obscure and not-so-obscure ramblings on the state of the hobby and its publications, custodians, events, and individuals with no guarantee of relevance from the fertile keyboard of Jim-Bob, the E-Mail Dip world, and the rest of the postal hobby. My comments are in italics and ((double quotation marks)) like this. Bold face is used to set off each individual speaker. I should also make a note that I do edit for syntax and spelling on occasion.
The game Diplomacy is a copyrighted product owned by Hasbro and all reproductions or other use of that material in this szine is intended to be personal use and not infringe on those rights in any way. All reproductions are done at a heavy financial loss to the editor and thus are without the remotest possibility of commercial intent, except to promote THE game, the Game of Diplomacy, which you all should purchase from Hasbro or other duly licensed distributors.
Stephen Agar has matched the Hasbro rule lists and more with some of the even older rulebooks. Check these out if you like:
http://www.hasbro.com/default.asp?xcc_gameandtoyinstructions
http://www.hasbro.com/instruct/Diplomacy.PDF
http://www.hasbro.com/instruct/Diplomacy(OlderVers).PDF
Nice of them to make BOTH of these available. And all seven different US rulebooks for Diplomacy can now be found here courtesy of Stephen Agar (relatively new address for this):
http://www.diplomacy-archive.com/diplomacy_rules.htm


Check out current and back issues of Diplomacy World - Yahoogroup diplomacyworld
Also, I need any Hobby Award Nominations NOW (!!!) for the :
The 2005 and 2006 Don Miller Award for Meritorious Service;
The 2005 and 2006 Rod Walker Award for Literature;
The 2005 and 2006 John Koning Award for Player Performance;
The 2005 and 2006 Fred Hyatt Award for GM Performance;
or
A 2005 and 2006 Kathy Byrne Caruso Award for Lifetime Achievement (if warranted).
The Hobby Awards Committee is Jim Burgess (Chair and Treasurer), Fred Davis, Jr., Melinda Holley, Gary Behnen, Jamie Dreier, Paul Kenny, Mark Stretch, and Robert Lesco. I was going to publish the award ballot for this year in this issue, but I realized that I really just had to get this out first and then do that.... and then, well, REAL SOON NOW!!! And when I do, I'm going to give out two sets of awards and get caught up for the missed year, that seems to make the most sense. Committee.... you will be hearing from me soon!


Diplomacy World Issue Deadlines were:
Deadline Spring 2006, Issue #97: March 1, 2006
Deadline Summer 2006, Issue #98: June 1, 2006
Note that Andrew Neumann had taken over the lead editorship from Tim Haffey, but he clearly wasn't up to it. So, I'm officially looking for a lead editor again. As we have had for the last five years or so, the Pouch is back up and running again, and Diplomacy World is dead in the water, it seems that is the way it is. One runs, and the other one stops. This occurs even though there really is no direct connection. If you'd like to do this, let me know, I make it pretty easy, but I CANNOT be lead editor for two szines at once, I just can't.
Editorial Board for Diplomacy World (need a Lead!!!):
Andrew Neumann, andrewneum of gmail.com - Missing Lead Executive Editor!
Tim Haffey, 810 53rd Ave., Oakland, CA 94601 USA; trhaffey of aol.com - Ex-Lead Editor and Archives Editor
Jim Burgess, 664 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02908-4327, USA; burgess of world.std.com - Co-Editor and Publisher
Stephen Agar, 4 Cedars Gardens, Brighton, UNITED KINGDOM BN1 6YD; stephen of stephenagar.com - Webmaster and Non-US Postal
Rick Desper, 5440 Marinelli Road, #204, Rockville, MD 20852, USA; rick_desper of yahoo.com - Demo Games
Dave Partridge, 15 Woodland Drive, Brookline, NH 03033, USA; rebhuhn of rocketmail.com - US Postal


ATTENTION: There is a new company that had been doing a new PC Diplomacy game:
http://www.paradoxplaza.com/news.asp?ArticleID=239&Page=News
You all should read the interview in the Spring 2005 movement issue of the Diplomatic Pouch (and I mean ALL!!!!!!! of you!!!!!) that I think you can find at:
http://www.diplom.org/Zine/S2005M/
I'm not sure what is going to happen now, but basically everywhere except in Russia the game pretty much failed. The AI was not good (not a huge surprise) and it just required too many updates to get it to work. Besides, it really was designed for "real time" play and everyone doesn't want that. To find out more general information on DIPLOMACY please visit www.diplomacy-pcgame.com or contact pr of paradoxplaza.com but I think it is about to wither away and die. In sum, I think that is too bad. But the hobby as a whole is going strong with thousands and thousands of Diplomacy players worldwide. REALLY!!!
The product that tried to do what you are talking about was designed by Paradox, released in Feb. 2005. But by all accounts I've heard, it became very popular in Russia, but hasn't done very well in the English speaking world. You can find out more at:
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=295
The posts in there explain how Paradox tried and basically gave up to do what you're asking. This is because Diplomacy is a deceptively complex game. VERY deceptively complex because it appears to be so simple on a number of levels. Perhaps this is what draws you to the game. If so, I would urge you to dare to play with humans at a slower pace. It really does reward the effort.
I think you can still purchase the Paradox game and play it, and if you read the posts above, you won't have overly high expectations to be dashed. I think one can learn about the game via Paradox's product, but you will quickly become bored with it, especially playing against 6 computer bots, and will come out to play the real thing.


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


23 Tunes Game
Here are the rules for 23 TUNES. You send me three tunes for the first turn, and then two tunes in each of the last ten turns for a total of 23. If you missed the first turn, you can still catch up by sending five tunes next issue, and guess on submitters to this issue. I am also submitting my tunes. After we're done, I'd like to exchange CD's/Tapes for as many of the tunes players as possible, but this is not required. I'll be sending the winner both my LAST 23 tune list and my NEW 23 tune list. The winner is determined by having you guess each issue who submitted what list (I will tell you who the submitters are). For each list you get right, you get a point, you also can win bonus points from me for really cool tune selections. That's it, not complicated. I hope by starting this up, we'll get more to join, five songs required to enter late. Playing this issue (guess who is whom by number, scores are in parentheses) is, in alphabetical order, Jim-Bob Burgess, Rick Desper (1), Dick Martin, Richard Smith (3), Joakim Spangberg, and Brad Wilson (4). The linking theme thing didn't seem to go over too well. No one really figured out the true linking theme. Rick Desper was using Underground tube stops and songs with that as the title, they were things like that. I'll let you guys talk a bit to each other on that with your guesses. I have added some kind of comment on each tune.
WHAT I NEED: two more tunes (seven if you're joining up new, four if you NTRed (NO TUNES RECEIVED!!) and want to get back in), your guesses as to who submitted which lists, and guesses about people's themes if any. Quite a number of you SAID you would join but haven't yet, so we'll get started and put the pressure on you.
Here are your guesses and comments (also alphabetical order):
Rick Desper: Since you wrote comments for all the picks, that means you are faking comments? ((Yessiree, I did it really well the first time, didn't I? This time I fell down a little.)) Well, I have no freakin' idea who picked what. Half the players I don't know at all. And by "half" I mean "everybody but you and Emmert". I'll say Emmert picked #1 (NO) and you picked #3 (YES). ((You score one point, as a mathematician like you should know, you CAN earn points here for guessing.)) For an off-game bonus, do you know Ricky Gervais? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMEdQDUjZEk&mode=related&search= It's for charity. :) ((Of course, but I am not a huge fan. I think both the original and American versions are OK, and there is something about the women playing the secretaries in both "Offices" that you can't take your eyes off, but no, I'm not a big fan.))
Richard Smith: Guesses: 1. Brendan Whyte (YES); 2. Brad Wilson (NO); 3. Jim-Bob Burgess (YES); 4. Rick Desper (NO); 5. Richard Smith (THAT'S YOU no pts.); 6. Doug Kent (NO); 7. Steve Emmert (NO); 8. Dick Martin (YES). ((That gives you three points. Not bad for joining the szine right now to play.))
Brad Wilson: I must have missed the part about themes, because Lord knows I didn't have one. Anyway, my guesses (and theme guess if any): 1) Whyte - choral singing (YES, no real theme, though you're right they were choral); 2) Kent (YES); 3) you (YES); 4) Smith (NO); 5) Desper (NO); 6) Emmert (NO); 8) Dick Martin (YES). I'll be damned if I get any other "themes". I'm kinda dense these days. ((You did hit four points, that's pretty good! You're way ahead with NTR's.))

MYSTERY PERSON #1 for TURN 2:
4) Das Ich - Keimzeit: Weirdest looking act I've ever seen. I've got mental picture of these guys fetching their children from daycare... I'd bet they would would have to go home empty handed most of times. ((OK, I knew it would happen, we would hit a song I just don't know. So you know this isn't me.))
5) Einstürzende Neubauten - Seele Brennt: Usually delivering interesting soundscapes though sometimes being more silly than challenging. ((I actually do know this song, I like it, a bit cutesy, but a bit more interesting than you indicate, compares favorably to the masters of soundscape, Stereolab.))

MYSTERY PERSON #2 for TURN 2:
4) Rammstein - Links 234 (Live): German heavy metal band Rammstein are without doubt one of the best live acts in the world. This track is from the Volkerball DVD which features them in all their glory - pyrotechnics, costumes, blood, sado-masochism, and most of all arsch-kicking rock 'n' roll. They have been accused of many things including homoerotic symbolism and being Nazis. My chosen track is about their repudiation of the latter. The words contain "we sound right but we think left" whilst the music (deliberately) sounds a bit "zieg heil". Works for me, whenever I listen to it I have a strange urge to annex my next-door neighbors :-) ((Ah, heck, everyone's going to know this isn't me either. I really like the next song, but this one leaves me cold, maybe I do need to hear it live. I do find your note about the lyrics intriguing.))
5) Porcupine Tree - Hatesong (Live): British art-rock quartet Porcupine Tree have been getting increasingly popular in America following two successful albums "In Absentia" and "Deadwing". This track is from the "Arriving Somewhere" DVD filmed in Chicago last year. Wow, awesome gig! The track I've chosen is "Hatesong" which is one of the highlights of the show with a total wig-out guitar solo and fantastic drumming. I can't get enough of these guys, they make other bands look like bumbling amateurs! ((Damned straight. To me, much of the last five or six years has been low on invention and sincere energy, but NOT from these guys, possibly the best band around right now who is not the Mekons.... ;-) ))

MYSTERY PERSON #3 for TURN 2:
4) "April in Paris", Count Basie and His Orchestra (Verve, recorded 1955, released 1956): Like listening to liquid chocolate, so velvety and creamy and rich. The post-war Basie band at its absolute swinging, so-tight-it's-loose peak. Thad Jones never sounded better on trumpet. Sizzling arrangement. The best dance music ever written. ((I honestly don't get why this music isn't heard more. I like some headbanging as much as the next bloke, but sometimes you want to glide around the dance floor, well at least dream about gliding around the dance floor to the likes of this.))
5) "The Goodbye Look", Donald Fagen (from "The Nightfly", Warner Brothers, 1982): A nasty little gem, overshadowed on this LP by the title track and the bouncy "I.G.Y.", but still a classic piece of cynicism and detachment from half of the grandly bitter duo known as Steely Dan. Set in somewhere south of Key West, Fagen's troubled resort is anything but Margaritaville. Anyone who likes Steely Dan should have Fagen's solo discs. ((Go listen to Steely Dan again, you might have pooh-poohed it in 1978, pledging your allegiance to Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson, but you would be wrong. It's interesting how this post-Steely Dan material garnered such little attention.))

MYSTERY PERSON #4 for TURN 2:
4) "Mad World" performed by Gary Jules for the Donnie Darko sound track, covering a Tears for Fears song. Donnie Darko is a great film and this tune really captures its spirit of confusion and pain. Also, one of the more inventive SF films of recent years. ((I don't know why this film was so overlooked. I pretty much watch EVERY SF film that comes down the pike, so I can't easily tell, but this one seemed to be overlooked.))
5) "Praise you" by Fatboy Slim. The video is priceless. ((Nuff said. There is no more. I still think in many ways the "first video" ("Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles is the best, but this really IS the best video ever.))

MYSTERY PERSON #5 in TURN 2:
4) "Instrumental Introduction/Don't Look Down", Lindsey Buckingham: The first time I heard this I just kinda shrugged and said, "eh". Second time I thought it maybe wasn't such a weak song after all. Third time...I couldn't take it out of the CD player for a month. It's beautifully played pop music that is just off-center enough to stay fresh no matter how often it's played. ((I used to like skating to this song a huge amount. I'm not sure why, not sure if it ever has been used by a major figure skater, but they should think about it.))
5) "Sweet Marie" (live), Hothouse Flowers: This is about as close as it gets to putting pure emotion into song. It's a gospelly breakup song, sung to the girl that's just left him. He's still in love, but knows that it's not going to work. Mildly irrational, sweetly romantic, wishing the best for the woman he loves but can't have. Time to just carry on and savor the feelings because they're all you have left. I've been there. ((This is another band that is really cool live, and if you've not heard this song live, go take a listen.))

MYSTERY PERSON #6 in TURN 2:
4) "Muddy Waters" from Pere Ubu: This is off the 1998 Pennsylvania CD. The record as a whole is quite frankly still way ahead of its time, nearly ten years after it was recorded. There isn't anything quite yet like David Thomas and Pere Ubu even now. This track is unlike the other tracks on the album, but heck you could say that about almost every track. I'd not listened to this in some time, and it was immensely rewarding to hear it again. As far as this track goes, well, it doesn't sound like Muddy, not really anyway, but Muddy is part of the inspiration that underlies the work here. Reminds me in many ways of Zappa as it salutes Muddy without imitating him. ((This tune is the middle point of the album (7th track), the best two other songs are "Woolie Bullie" that leads off the CD and "Wheelhouse" which ends the disc as the 15th track. Great choice, this is a much overlooked CD, it was reissued last year as I believe the original label for it folded.))
5) "Girls and Boys" from Blur (pet shop boys mix): The two pet shop boys mixes on the single are both much better than the base song (one of them is four minutes, ther other over seven) of this classic 1994 anthem. It anticipates the metrosexual movement (theme here is songs ahead of their times) with the deliciously ambiguous "Girls who are boys, Who like boys to be girls, Who do boys like they're girls, Who do girls like they're boys, Always should be someone you really love!" ((TAP has always been a Blur over Oasis szine, and this was one of the heights of the Blur movement. If you have to ask who Blur and Oasis were, then of course this isn't going to make any sense even were I to explain it to you. Pop music debates are kinda like that, aren't they???))



Diplomacy at TempleCon

Tournament Director: Jim Burgess
Game: Diplomacy
Teaching Session: Friday night, 8 PM to 11PM, Regular Diplomacy and/or Escalation Diplomacy depending on numbers. Escalation Diplomacy II can be found at:
http://www.variantbank.org/results/rules/e/escalation2.htm
We will use the "five minute teaching guide" that I'll have to hand out as well:


Teaching Diplomacy: A 5 minute teaching guide

By Edi Birsan
Players: there are 7 players in the game, one for each of the major powers in Europe in 1901: England, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Russia and Turkey (E-F-G-I-A-R-T)
Turns are divided : Spring and Fall with the game starting in Spring 1901.
You are not bound by anything you say or do with another player.
Players secretly write down their orders for their pieces and then they are revealed and adjudicated simultaneously.
Abbreviations in order writing are listed on the conference map with S for Support and C for Convoy.
There is no discussion when players have to retreat or make adjustments to their positions.
The map is divided into different named spaces. Click here to view a Standard map.
Spaces can be all water, all land or coastal.
There are 34 supply centers on the map (stars/dots) scattered in 60+ named spaces.
To win you need 18 supply centers at the end of a Fall move.
Players start with 3 or 4 supply centers; these are your home centers in one of 7 Great Powers.
Two piece types are: Army and Fleet.
For every supply center you own at the end of the Fall you may have one piece on the board.
If you are short of pieces you build new ones in unoccupied home centers.
If you have more pieces than supply centers you must reduce your pieces to equal the number of supply centers.
Each piece has equal strength so it moves with a force of 1 plus 1 for each of its supports.
An Army may move or give support into an adjacent land or coastal province.
A Fleet may move or give support into an adjacent water or coastal province.
Only one piece may be in a space at any time.
Your piece may only do one thing in any turn:
MOVE to an adjacent space or be convoyed from a coastal province to a coastal province. Fleets in split coasts may only move to adjacent coastal or water spaces.
SUPPORT to defend another adjacent piece in place if you could have moved there and it is not moving.
SUPPORT an attack on another piece's space that your unit could move to; fleets in split coasts may only support moves into a space that they could have moved on.
CONVOY if a fleet, you can assist in convoying an army.
HOLD (also called Stand) in place doing nothing.
A piece moves only one space at a time to an adjacent space unless you are an Army being convoyed.
No switching. Units ordered to each other's space do NOT switch positions unless one is being convoyed.
When giving support you are adding your force to the mover on, or the holder of, a space.
You may support other peoples pieces.
Bounce: if units of equal support try to move to an unoccupied space then they BOUNCE and no one gets in.
Supports are CUT by a piece moving on the supporter from other than the space that the support is directed at.
To force someone out of a space requires that you have greater force than the piece that is holding the space plus all of its supports to Hold. A move with one support and a hold with one support bounce.
Cut supports do not count for the determination of who has the most force.
A convoy is a move of an army in a coastal province to another by a fleet or a chain of fleets in adjacent water spaces.
A fleet in a coastal province may not convoy.
You can not dislodge or cut support of one of your own units. No 'friendly fire'.
Units forced out of their space are dislodged and must RETREAT to an adjacent space.
You may not retreat to a space that was the site of a Bounce.
You may not retreat via a convoy.
If you can not retreat or decide not to retreat, the piece is disbanded.
A piece that is DISLODGED has no effect on the space from which the mover came that dislodged it.
A convoying fleet that is dislodged disrupts the convoy and the convoy does not take place.
Oddities: Kiel and Constantinople have a single coast due to their waterways (Kiel Canal/Bosphorus). Denmark is a coastal province that connects with Sweden so armies can go between them but does not divide itself or the Swedish coast in two. As a coastal province you may not convoy through Denmark, Kiel or Constantinople.


Tournament Schedule:

Round 1: Start 9AM on Saturday, no official stop time, but games should end by about 4PM
Round 2: Start 6PM on Saturday, no official stop time, but games should end by about 1AM
Round 3: Start Noon on Sunday, official Random Stop Time between 4 PM and 5PM, only announced at last Fall turn
Board Assignments: Random to board and country in First Two Saturday rounds, Top Board plus Random for Final Sunday round. In third round, cannot play same country as played in either of first two rounds. Tournament Director will play if necessary to fill out a board and can possibly play positions on two boards simultaneously to fill out boards - tournament director's scores do not count. Otherwise first come/first served, at most, one board may start late if players assemble late.
GAME TURN SCHEDULE: Run games on Central Clock with possible delayed exception of "final board" for each round. 20 minutes per Spring and Fall season with builds and retreats taken out of negotiation time run as quickly as possible.
Voting on Draws/Game Stop: Comes out of negotiation time, Tournament Director discretion can be disallowed or delayed for repeated requests.
Limit on Players: 28 players or four boards (but this could be raised prior to the event if there is indication that more players are coming from the advance Diplomacy hobby publicity)


Scoring System: Detour98f
This is the scoring system used for most New Zealand tournaments and New England tournaments.
- If you survive to 1905 then you get a point (whether you're eliminated later or not).
- If you are in the draw at the end of the game then you get a point.
- You get a point for every supply centre you own.
- If you are in the outright lead then you get a bonus of the difference between you and the next best player.
- If you are first on the board you get 4 bonus points, if you are second you get 3 bonus points, if you are third you get 2 bonus points, if you're fourth you get 1 bonus point. (If there's a tie you get the points for the lower position -ie equal 2nd both get 2 bonus points)
- You add each person's points to get a raw score. The next step is to standardize the game. Divide each person's raw score with the sum of all the raw scores and then multiply by 100. This generate a percentage for everyone. So an entire game is worth 100 points and how much of those points that each person gets is determined points 1-5.
- If you solo you get 110 points and everyone else gets *nothing*.
- Tournament Scoring: Total points across the three rounds will be scored with the last round featuring a Top Board featuring the top seven players playing the last round based on scores in the first two rounds. Scoring on the Top Board will be doubled for Tournament Scoring purposes.
- There also will be Best Country awards for each of the seven countries which can be won by people who play only one round. For purposes of Best Country scoring, scores on the Top Board will not be doubled.
((Yes, I decided to get off my butt and try to expand the FTF offerings in New England. I hope some of you will make it. Let me know ASAP since the pre-registration deadline is January 17th. The Convention Organizers will be providing a large Championship Trophy and we'll have Seven Best Country Plaques. See more details at the web site www.templecon.org. Also, check out the new Face to Face section of the Diplomatic Pouch where you can put in other tournaments if you're a tournament director. I haven't been able to negotiate pre-registration group discounts other than their standard deal, which is:))

Welcome to TempleCon Group Pre-Registration!
If you have a group of friends who you game with and want to take TempleCon by storm with them, then our group registration is made for you. Pre-register with five or more people for the whole weekend to get a discount of each of your crew's memberships, at only $25 per person. Group membership to TempleCon 2007 is by pre-reg only, so register before January 17th.
Best of all, if you register as group, the name of your team/clan/store will appear on your badges to let people know who they are going up against. You'll also be registered for the TempleCon group leaderboards, to see where you and your team stands in TempleCon events. We also have a pretty impressive trophy in the works for the team that stands above all others.

((I'm organizing everyone interested in going to enter as a group. Otherwise the cost is $40 for the weekend. So let me know if you're interested in coming. Also, PrezCon is the next weekend in Virginia, so any long distance travelers should plan a two-fer! Any questions, comments, offers to help, let me know! Tim Richardson is the Tournament Director for PrezCon, which is one of Buz Eddy's Grand Prix events and I'm thinking about making TempleCon a Grand Prix event. See the North American Diplomacy Federation website out at http://www.diplom.org/NADF/index.htm for more on the Grand Prix lineup. You can contact Tim Richardson at timrich of diplom.org and Buz Eddy at buzeddy of aol.com. Mel Nicholson (who is getting married on March 9th back in New Zealand, congrats Mel!!!) brought us the Detour scoring system to us in New England from New Zealand, where she originates obviously. I really like the balance in Detour, it isn't as earthshatteringly stark as my own scoring system which really demands play out to the bitter end, and it rewards Supply Centers, but not TOO much. Plus it's easy to figure. I am doing it with a Top Board on the last day (which depending on attendance may not be THAT much of a Top Board) to minimize the fact that people could easily figure out who was leading. This will put the leaders on the same board on Sunday. So come on, some of you come and play, if you need crash space or the like, talk to me!!!))
THE ABYSSINIAN PRINCE GAMES SECTION
"So I called up George and he called up Jim, I said let's make a deal.
He said he'd talk to him. Gonna start a church where you can save yourself,
You can make some noise, When you've got no choice...
You told me useful things, what people think of me, I guess I should thank you.
It's true, then I agree... I'm all alone, I've got no choice,
I'm all alone, I've got no choice."
From "Got No Choice" by the incomparable Mark Cutler, from the CD Mark Cutler and Useful Things.
If you want to submit orders, press, or letters by E-Mail, you can find me through the Internet system at "burgess of world.std.com". If anyone has an interest in having an E-Mail address listed so people can negotiate with you by computer, just let me know. FAX orders to (401) 277-9904 if you let me know in advance to be sure the fax machine is set up.
I am continuing to note cut or failed support orders with a small "s" instead of a capital "S". This will make it easier on the E-Mailed version of the szine to see what happened, since the italics don't show there. The italics DO show on the web page just fine.
Standby lists:
Mike Barno, Dick Martin, Brad Wilson, Jack McHugh, Glenn Petroski, Steve Emmert, Mark Kinney, Vince Lutterbie, Eric Brosius, Paul Rauterberg, Bob Osuch, Doug Kent, Sean O'Donnell, Vern Parker, Heath Gardner, Paul Kenny, and Jeff O'Donnell stand by for regular Diplomacy.
Let me know if you want on or off these lists, especially OFF. Standbies get the szine for free and receive my personal thanks.


GAME OPENING INFORMATION
We've got lots of openings in the subszines, check them out!!! Contact Rip Gooch directly at xyropedes of canada.com and try to entice him to return. Rip has been a bit missing in action lately, but I am assured that he SHALL return.
Breaking Away starts in this issue!!!
I am willing to open another new game of REGULAR Diplomacy if there is enough interest!!! Fred Wiedemeyer, Brad Wilson, and Sean O'Donnell start the list, who would like to join them???
Also, is there any interest in another game of Nuclear Yuppie Evil Empire 7x7 Dip? I know it may be getting tired, but I really like it. We have Karl Schmit and Sean O'Donnell on the list, let's get seven!! It's FREE!!!
I also am starting a game of the variant I designed, Spy Diplomacy. Signups for that are now open. Bruce Edwards and Eric Ozog are signed up. The rules were published recently, ask to see them if you missed them!!!
John Harrington is offering to guest GM a game of Office Politics. Any interest in that?? Let me or John know! Jody McCullough and Bruce Edwards are interested, anyone else? I think I'm going to drop this one as having no interest.
And since Colonia is over, Harold Reynolds is looking to start something else.
Also, I am going to design some postal rules for Devil Take the Hindmost, and we have an opening here: Bruce Edwards, Mike Barno, and Eoghan Barry are signed up. Postal rules from me will be forthcoming shortly, on my never ending to-do list. I will get them in SOON! I'm more likely to get these things started if I see some interest..... I've GOT to do this now, Eoghan is getting tired of waiting....
Right now, the other thing going is the Modern Diplomacy game with Wings. Sean O'Donnell, Jeff O'Donnell, Steve Koehler, Art Schleinkofer, Bob Holt, Rick Desper, Alexander Woo, and Dave Partridge are signed up for that. I will start it when I get a full complement of players, we only need TWO more!


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


THE PHIL REYNOLDS MEMORIAL: 2006B, Regular Diplomacy
THE DUE DATE FOR WINTER 1901 IS JANUARY 13TH, 2007
Fall 1901
AUSTRIA (Burgess): a SER S RUSSIAN f rum-bul(ec), a BUD-rum, f alb-GRE.
ENGLAND (James): a wal-BRE, f ENG C a wal-bre, f nth-NWY.
FRANCE (Williams): f mid-POR, a BUR S ITALIAN a tyo-mun, a mar-SPA.
GERMANY (Ellinger): a mun-bur (d r:boh,sil,ber,kie,ruh,otb), f hol-BEL, a kie-DEN.
ITALY (Crow): a tyo-MUN, a apu-TUN, f ION C a apu-tun.
RUSSIA (O'Donnell): a UKR-sev, f rum-BUL(EC), a lvn-MOS, f gob-SWE.
TURKEY (Wiedemeyer): f BLA-rum, a bul S f bla-rum (d r:con,otb), a ARM-sev.


Supply Center Chart
AUSTRIA (Burgess): TRI,VIE,BUD,ser,gre (has 3, bld 2)
ENGLAND (James): EDI,LVP,LON,nwy,bre (has 3, bld 2)
FRANCE (Williams): PAR,MAR,spa,por (has 3, bld 1)
GERMANY (Ellinger): KIE,BER,den,bel, (has 2 or 3, bld 2(r:otb) or 1)
ITALY (Crow): ROM,NAP,VEN,tun,mun (has 3, bld 2)
RUSSIA (O'Donnell): WAR,STP,SEV,MOS,bul,swe (has 4, bld 2)
TURKEY (Wiedemeyer): ANK,SMY,CON (has 2 or 3, bld 1(r:otb) or even)
Neutral: hol,rum (Total=34)


Addresses of the Participants
AUSTRIA: David Burgess, 101 Laurel Lane, Queensbury, NY 12804
(518) 761-6687, dburgess of glensfallshosp.org
ENGLAND: Drew James, 3644 Whispering Woods Terrace, Baldwinsville, NY 13027
(315) 652-1956, kjames01 of twcny.rr.com
FRANCE: Don Williams, 27505 Artine Drive, Saugus, CA 91350, (661) 297-3947,
wllmsfmly of earthlink.net or dwilliams of fontana.org ($5)
GERMANY: Marc Ellinger, 751 Turnberry Drive, Jefferson City, MO 65109
ellingermc of aol.com
ITALY: John Crow, 824 Kinwest Parkway #101, Irving, TX 75063, (214) 532-1418
RUSSIA: Jeff O'Donnell, 1345 Simpson Drive, Hurst, TX 76053
(440) 322-2920 or (440) 225-9203 (cell, as late as midnight Eastern)
TURKEY: Fred Wiedemeyer, Box 92010-Meadowbrook RPO, Edmonton, ALBERTA
CANADA T6T 1N1, (780) 465-6432, wiedem of planet.eon.net


Game Notes:
1) You now get the Christmas break to ponder your builds. Lots more press this time. Just a reminder, that press in this szine is "Black", which means anything can come from anywhere. Your imagination is the limit, except that my strategy for stopping feuding (not to say any is going on, as it doesn't seem to be) is that if you abuse other players in the Black Press, you need to abuse ME as much or more than anyone else, so I can join in on the FUN! In other words, keep the abuse coming, we love it, we masochistic Boobishness GMish Jim-Bobs of the world.


Press:
(FRANCE to GERMANY): So you know, I will attempt with my friends (whoever they are and wherever they may appear from) to make you a more attempting target to London than I am. Given his knack for backstabbing, I'm sure it won't take long for him to come around to my way of thinking ... I'm guessing - hoping? - there'll be enough blood in the water this season to convince him to strike you next season with his shiny new units.
(ENGLAND to FRANCE): The silence is deafening. Sorry, but we had no choice. I assume we will be bouncing this season.
(FRANCE to ENGLAND): Obviously, your spies were wrong and I did exactly as promised. I would ask you to have them shot but your lack of correspondence or apology puts lie to comments; it appears you lie as much in the press as you do in your correspondence. En garde, Monsieur ... I'm yours!
(PARIS to ROME): To the uttermost, mon ami! I am yours in spirit and steel!
(PARIS to BREST): Those dreadnaughts in the Channel are bluffing. Trust us - we're from the central government and we're here to help. Now get those militia down to the beaches! Quickly! Quickly! And those bank security guards! And don't forget the school hall pass monitors!
(F MID to F CHA): You ARE bluffing, aren't you?
(SYRACUSE to WORLD): College basketball season has started at last and football is finally over (at least for bad teams like SU). My last and only comment on football is that Rutgers is now SU and SU is now Rutgers.
(LE REPUBLIQUE to SUBLIME PORTE): Nothing against the Tsar, but nicely done. Haven't seen that attack come off so well in years ... or at least not since I did it to Burgess!
(BOOB to TAWNY PORT): Serve me up another, that last one was REAL smooth. I am so smooth that I cannot be surprised like that.
(DON to BOOB): Did too! Did too! Did too!
(DON to MS. CHARLOTTE): When are you going to wise up and trade you-know-who in for a better model?
(BOOB to HANDSOMER MODEL): You know she doesn't read this dreck, ESPECIALLY your dreck.....
(FRANCE to TSAR): Good luck, my friend. For what it's worth, I appear to be about to keep England and Germany occupied for five or six years. You can thank me later. (I'll be looking for you at the bar ... make mine a pale lager ... )
(BOOB to TSAR): I hope you can get something decent down in the wilds of Texas, do they still drink that rattlesnake wine that the French send there?
(FIREBALL XL5 to STAR DRECK PRESS): Oh, c'mon, O'Donnell, not this merde again. Keep it up and you'll outdo Boob for mirthless press, and that *would* be an accomplishment. If you are going to take up space in this press column, make it amusing, interesting, informative, obscure, infamous, or - failing all else - scandalously libelous. Anything else is mindless Burgesspew.
(BOOB LAMENTS): I resemble that remark....
(BACKFIRE to BASE): Maneuvers Acceptable
(FIREBALL XL5 to ABYSSINIAN PRESS MERCHANT): Uh, no offense intended.
(BOOB LIGHTS UP THE FIREBALL): Good, if you're not trying to offend me, then stop bugging my bud Jeff. You know the TAP House Rules! If you are, then let's have at it, FLAME ON!!!
(FIREBALL XL5 to NOSTROMO, BATTLESTAR GALLACTICA, RED FIVE, THUNDERBIRD 4 AND SERENITY): If the Star Dreck press doesn't improve immediately (or sooner) I say we phaser his ass right into the next universe.
(FRANCE to BURGESS the YOUNGER): ... and better looking and smarter. Stay the course. We love you over here in Burgundy. Let's ally and sweep the board!
(PARIS to BASQUE SEPARATISTS): Stay put for a few years, will you? We have a lovely bit of property we're willing to turn over to you in a couple years - good for starting your own little country. (Be quiet and don't tell anyone, but it's that bit east of itain-bray known as ermany-gay. Shhh! Mum's the word!)
(BOOB to MALICEFILLED TAPPITES): What we saw last issue does not seem to be the last we've heard of poor little Malice. You will have to fill yourselves up yet further. If anyone is in danger of exploding from too much Malice..... well, tough, here's more.
(MALICE IN CENTERLAND - Part Two: A Simple Desultory Poem):
Malice eventually decided that being kept by a demon was not as bad as it sounded. First, nothing in his life was different due to his new knowledge of his captivity. There were no chains, cages, bars, fetters, locked doors -� nothing. He still fed Don daily, and they now talked where they had not done so before, but that was the only change. And as the days went by Malice learned many things.
One fall day they followed the dirt road into the local woods to read. The demon brought a favored strategy article while Malice had the latest issue of The Abyssinian Prince. (It had arrived several months late as usual, but Malice didn't mind.) They walked for some time before entering a small clearing where the dappled sunlight and a tiny rippling stream made things pleasant in the waning warmth of the afternoon. Don stopped, noticing where the road split on the other side of the clearing. The demon without thinking began to mutter, as if to himself.
"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood and, sorry I could not travel both and be one traveler, long I stood and looked down the one as far as I could to where it bent in the undergrowth ... ." His voice trailed off. Malice, restless and distracted at the first whiff of anything literary or uplifting, started thumbing the pages of TAP. "I don't like where this is going," said the demon. "It's the wrong poem, Malice, but it surely bears witness. It has meaning... yes, it does. It's about choosing a road or a path or, more correctly, choosing one path over another and considering consequences later. I think this means it's time, Malice."
"Time? Time for what? We just got here," said Malice, not looking up from the szine. But Don did not answer and, instead, stood in uffish thought for a few moments before he started intoning another poem:

`The time has come, the Demon sighed,
to speak of many things:
Of Dots �- and Blocks �- and Powers Great �-
Of Allies -� Foes -� and Kings �-
And whether you should trust at all
In tales a demon sings.'
`In ancient years across the sea
A foolish empire sought
To wield great power, quite arcane,
Against the foe they fought �-
They sent the Maltese Dipcon out
Not knowing what they'd wrought!'
`The galley sailed upon the sea
And in it in a trunk �-
A guardian demon with the bane �-
Unless the legend�s bunk �-
But tempest tossed the galley was
And all aboard were sunk.'
`Or so it's told' �- the Demon said �-
`And yet I surely know
That there, in fact, was one life spared
From a watery grave below.
For he arrived upon the shore
With demon -� me! �- in tow.'
`And Cabal Harem was his name �-
Magus of Malta old.
But other names he had as well �-
Though none of them are told �-
Except in nasty secret rites,
Where souls are bought and sold.'
` "Remove the amulet you wear"
The Magus said to me
"Hand over what I'm asking for �-
And then I'll go �- you'll see.
I want the tablet and the blocks �-
That bane from you I'll free." '
`I guard this ancient artifact
And so I answered "No!"
As quick as lightning did he strike �-
And landed the first blow �-
He stomped real hard with both his feet
And really crushed my toe!'
Our battle then was quickly joined �-
With Fists -� and Feet �- we hit
But Cabal Harem had to win �-
So ass with teeth he bit �-
And while I howled in agony
He snatched the amulet!'
`And then these words he spoke aloud �-
Quote -� "Idiom clop non! �-
Domino cop nil!" he said and
The amulet was gone* �-
And in it's place �- I kid thee not �-
The Diplonomicon!'
`He gazed in awe at the stone blocks
Then grabbed them for to hoard �-
And while he was distracted thus
I likewise grabbed the board!
Then beating hard my mighty wings �-
Above Cabal I soared.
`Enraged! �- Insane! He screamed aloft �-
"I'll see you back in Hell!"
And summoning his fearful gifts
He cast an evil spell
Encasing me in walls of glass �-
A crystal prison cell!'
"And held there fast �- in glass entrapped �-
I plunged into the sea
We grew quite small -� bewitched and all �-
The amulet and me �-
The board remained within my grasp
A partial victory.'
`For reasons that the Author knows �-
Yet will not share his heart �-
Cabal Harem grabbed the stones
And with archaic art
He disappeared from this true Earth �-
The Blocks and Board -� apart!'
`Thus was the Diplonomicon
Ripped in twain -� Asunder! �-
Re-gathered only �- says the Myth �-
By fantastic blunder
Of Hero-Fool in Centerland �-
Who is that, I wonder?'
`So, Malice, there you have the Tale �-
Save one small fact you'll rue �-
Genetically you fall in line
To make the Myth come true �-
From Cabal Harem�s loins did all
Your DNA ensue!
`When first I spoke �- when first I spoke �-
A lie �- a demon�s story?
Or is it not a lie at all,
But just the truth grown hoary?
And will you be the Hero-Fool,
Stumbling into glory?
`Our metre's run �- this poem�s done �-
The Readers I do bore
(For if you listen carefully
I think you'll hear them snore)
But please don't go -� now you should know
It's just three stanzas more.'
`When while you read beneath a tree �-
Brain-dead from Burgess press
A Mutant Butler running by �-
In bright red waistcoat dressed �-
Will stop his run and say "I'm late"
Then run on quite distressed.'
`That's when you'll know it's time to go �-
Awake or deep in dream �-
In either case you could give chase
Or just let seeming seem.
Restore the Diplonomicon �-
Or just read Jim-Boob's szine?'
`Your journey's start is near at hand �-
And it will take some thought
To not too deep or fast become
In paradoxy caught �-
The way to Centerland is down
The North Atlantic Dot.'

(* It didn't really disappear. It was stuck to the underside of the tablet and Monde the Demon found it later. No, really ...trust us on this one ,eh? The Author.)
Don ended his lengthy recital and, pleased with himself, looked over to Malice whose eyes �- alas �- had rolled completely back into his head under the epic onslaught. The demon slapped Malice's cheeks a few times, and momentarily, he came around.
"Merde! You ever do that again and �- demon or not �- I'll kick your horned ass."
"Sorry, Malice," said Don, sheepishly, "but you must understand what's at stake. The Maltese Dipcon �- the Diplonomicon �- is a weapon of immense and catastrophic power. It was forged deep in the volcanic fire of ancient Malta by Archbale All-Man, a Grand Magus and Master of the Tarot. The tablet �- the board, that is �- and blocks are manifestations of the dark forces of the Tarot. They don't just augur the fate and doom of humanity but �- in the wrong hands -� they create it. The 22 starting positions of the stones on the tablet represent the 22 cards of the Major Arcana. They portray by mythic symbol the virtues and defects of Humankind. The 112 stones, 56 of each in two shapes divided into seven colors, represent the 56 cards of the Minor Arcana. They play out man's unfolding doom."
"You done yet?" asked Alex, "Because, apart from boring the piss out of me, you're getting more than a little weird with all this `major' and `minor' Arkansas crap." In response, the demon silently removed from his neck the amulet and, dropping it to the ground, began chanting:

"Imido clop non, lipid mono con
Monic idol plo, nomic nil do po
Domino con lip, omni colon dip!"

Alex felt rather than heard the low, slow thrum as the land beneath his feet began to writhe and change as the demon's chant trailed off. The tiny stream widened to a brook. Inexplicably, he found himself nearly asleep under a nearby tree beside the brook, TAP in his lap, fluttering slightly in the cooling breeze. The landscape had shape-shifted and warped in all directions at once and, suddenly, nothing was the same.
"The time for the Dipcon to be re-gathered is upon us, Malice," spoke Don lowly, almost to himself. "For better or worse, you are the Hero-Fool foretold in legend and this task falls to you, unbidden. It is your quest, and yours alone. Sort of a major `oopsie' if you ask me, but there it is. Good luck, you�re gonna need. We�re all gonna need it." The breeze muffled his words, kept Malice from hearing the last of them.
"It's a good thing," said Don as he slowly vanished, his wings disappearing last.


SPIRALS OF PARANOIA: 2005A, Regular Diplomacy
THE DUE DATE FOR SUMMER 1905 IS JANUARY 13TH, 2007
THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 1905 IS FEBRUARY 3RD, 2007
Spring 1904
AUSTRIA (Rauterberg): a BUD-gal, a VIE S a tri-tyo, a SER-tri, a boh s a tri-tyo (d ann),
a nap-ROM, a TRI-tyo, f ion-TYH.
ENGLAND (Wiedemeyer): f mid-SPA(SC).
FRANCE (Tretick): a par-GAS, f bre-MID, f edi-YOR, a lvp-WAL, f IRI S f bre-mid.
GERMANY (Ozog for Tallman): a kie-BER, a ber-SIL, a sil-BOH,
a HOL h, a MUN S a sil-boh, f NWY h, a mar-PIE, a pic-BUR, f NTH h.
ITALY (O'Donnell): a TYO-tri, a VEN S a tyo-tri, f adr-APU.
RUSSIA (Sundstrom): a ukr-RUM, a SEV S a ukr-rum, a GAL-bud, a LVN h.
TURKEY (Biehl): f con-BLA, f AEG S f gre, f GRE S f eas-ion, f eas-ION.


Addresses of the Participants
AUSTRIA: Paul Rauterberg, 3116 W. American Dr., Greenfield, WI 53221,
(414) 281-2339 (E-Mail) trauterberg of wi.rr.com
ENGLAND: Fred Wiedemeyer, Box 92010-Meadowbrook RPO, Edmonton, ALBERTA CANADA T6T 1N1,
(780) 465-6432, wiedem of planet.eon.net
FRANCE: Buddy Tretick, 5023 Sewell's Pointe Way, Fredericksburg, VA 22407, (540) 898-3386
cell (540) 226-5571 (E-Mail) berniebuddy32 of aol.com
GERMANY: Terry Tallman, PO Box 782, Clinton, WA 98236, (360) 331-5698 ($2)
terryt of whidbey.net
GERMANY: Temporary Standby is Eric Ozog, PO Box 1138, Granite Falls, WA 98252-1138,
(360) 691-4264, ElfEric of Juno.com
ITALY: Jeff O'Donnell, 1345 Simpson Drive, Hurst, TX 76053
(440) 322-2920 or (440) 225-9203 (cell, as late as midnight Eastern)
RUSSIA: Matt Sundstrom, 1760 Robincrest Lane South, Glenview, IL 60025, (847) 729-1882,
Matt.Sundstrom of bbdoch.com or mattandzoe of earthlink.net
TURKEY: John Biehl, #8 - 11530 84th Avenue, Delta, BRITISH COLUMBIA, V4C 2M1 CANADA,
(604) 816-0460 (cell) ($7); jrb of dccnet.com


Game Notes:
1) Terry is still having some medical problems, Eric Ozog is continuing to negotiate and submit orders for Terry. Eric originally brought Terry into the Diplomacy hobby all those many years ago, and so I'm glad he's agreed to do this.
2) Note that Jeff O'Donnell has changed his postal address, at least temporarily. And you should use his cell phone number above if you want to call him, I think.
3) Since we have the long Christmas break deadline coming up and there are no Summer adjustments, if everyone would like to submit Fall orders by January 13th, I can go ahead with that turn at that time. Let me know.


Press:
(FRANCE to ENGLAND): Okay, be a pest. But you will not even slow down my advance. That is the problem with starting the game insisting this and that. I never could bend over for tyrants.
(BOOB SALUTES FRENCH TACTICAL PROWESS): The move for England indeed would have been to move to Gascony. The way for England now is dire.


FLIP FLOP: 2003G, Regular Diplomacy
THE DUE DATE FOR WINTER 1908 IS JANUARY 13TH, 2007
THE DUE DATE FOR SPRING 1909 IS FEBRUARY 3RD, 2007
Fall 1908
AUSTRIA (Wiedemeyer): f adr-VEN, a BUD S a tri, a gal-WAR, a UKR S a sev,
a sev s a ukr (d r:mos,otb), a TRI s a bud.
ENGLAND (Schmit): a BEL h, a kie-HOL, f MID-spa(sc), a RUH-kie,
f NTH s a bel, f NWG S f nth, f HEL S a kie-hol.
FRANCE (Jeff O'Donnell): a BUR-ruh, a PIC-bel, f SPA(SC)-mid, a GAS-spa.
GERMANY (Sundstrom): a ber-KIE, f hol s FRENCH a pic-bel (d ann), f SWE S a den, a DEN S a ber-kie,
a NWY S f swe, a MUN S a ber-kie, f SKA-nth.
TURKEY (Levinson): a arm-SEV, f aeg-ION, a BUL S a rum, f APU S f ion-adr, f tyh-NAP, a ALB-tri,
f ion-ADR, f BLA S a arm-sev, a RUM S a arm-sev, a SER S a alb-tri.


Supply Center Chart
AUSTRIA (Wiedemeyer): TRI,VIE,BUD,ven,mos,war (has 5 or 6, bld 1(r:otb) or even)
ENGLAND (Schmit): EDI,LVP,LON,por,bel,hol (has 7, rem 1)
FRANCE (Jeff O'Donnell): PAR,MAR,BRE,spa (has 4, even)
GERMANY (Sundstrom): KIE,BER,MUN,den,swe,stp,nwy (has 6, bld 1)
TURKEY (Levinson): ANK,SMY,CON,bul,sev,ser,gre, (has 10, bld 1)
tun,rom,rum,nap
Neutral: none (Total=34)


Addresses of the Participants
AUSTRIA: Fred Wiedemeyer, Box 92010-Meadowbrook RPO, Edmonton, ALBERTA CANADA T6T 1N1,
(780) 465-6432, wiedem of planet.eon.net
ENGLAND: Karl Schmit, 1509 O'Keefe Road, DePere, WI 54115, (920) 338-8402,
diplomacy of new.rr.com ($3)
FRANCE: Jeff O'Donnell, 1345 Simpson Drive, Hurst, TX 76053
(440) 322-2920 or (440) 225-9203 (cell, as late as midnight Eastern)
GERMANY: Matt Sundstrom, 1760 Robincrest Lane South, Glenview, IL 60025, (847) 729-1882,
Matt.Sundstrom of bbdoch.com or mattandzoe of earthlink.net
ITALY: Don Williams, 27505 Artine Drive, Saugus, CA 91350, (661) 297-3947,
wllmsfmly of earthlink.net or dwilliams of fontana.org
RUSSIA: Sean O'Donnell, 1044 Wellfleet Drive, Grafton, OH 44044, (440) 926-0230,
sean_o_donnell of hotmail.com
TURKEY: Alexandre Levinson, Beeklaan 504, 2562BP Den Haag THE NETHERLANDS, don't need phone,
levinson7 of hotmail.com ($5)


Game Notes:
1) Note Jeff's new temporary postal address above. You also might want to use the cell phone number, as a result, if you want to call him.


Press:
(SEAN-JEFF): It's midgame for you while it's post game for me. That's right blame it on the country Stosh (as I stick my tongue at you). I thank you for your compliment, but I'd rather have been able to out survive you.
(GERMANY): A fine mess in and around the Bight. I'm really intrigued as to how we guessed.
(SEAN-JEFF): You know Jeff. I would love to be able to get you into the Nucleur Madd Yuppie game or however it's spelled. It is free, and I think that you'd have a blast. ;) ((Thanks, Sean, I'd love to get it started as well. It is free, and easy to play. You don't even have to negotiate if you don't want to, that's what makes it a Yuppie game....))


I CAN'T FIND MY MONEY!: 2001F, Regular Diplomacy
TWO WAY DRAW BETWEEN AUSTRIA AND GERMANY IS DECLARED!


Addresses of the Participants
AUSTRIA: Vern Parker, 337 Winter Hill Place, Powell, OH 43065, (614) 402-5139
VernDip of aol.com is preferred
ENGLAND: Mark Kinney, 4830 Westport Road, Apt D, Louisville KY 40222
alberich of iglou.com
FRANCE: Doug Kent, 11111 Woodmeadow Pkwy #2327, Dallas, TX 75228
dougray30 of yahoo.com
GERMANY: Kevin Wilson, 18623 Santa Maria Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70809, 225-751-3857,
ckevinw1 of cox.net
ITALY: Formerly was Heath Gardner, metaphorman of gmail.com
ITALY: Mike Barno, 634 Dawson Hill Road, Spencer, NY 14883
mpbarno of lightlink.com
RUSSIA: Rick Desper,
rick_desper of yahoo.com
TURKEY: Tim Miller, 258 New Mark Esplanade, Rockville, MD 20850,
tim of webjudge.net
GM: Jim-Bob Burgess, 664 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02908-4327, +1 401-351-0287
burgess of world.std.com


Game Notes:
1) The GA-GA draw is now accepted by everyone, so the game is over with the two way draw. I did have orders in hand from both Germany and Austria codifying the 17-17 split. You can send endgame statements any time now. I have some comments in hand from Kevin Wilson that he wrote three or four months ago which I will use next issue. Thanks to everyone who played!


Press:


SECRETS: 1999D, Regular Diplomacy
THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 1922 IS JANUARY 13TH, 2007
Summer 1922
ENGLAND (Kent): R a ruh-BEL; has f ENG, a GAS, a BEL, f MID, f NTH, f HOL, f POR.
FRANCE (Sasseville): has f MAR, f SPA(SC), a BUR.
GERMANY (Barno): has a SER.
RUSSIA (Parker): has f NWY, f NWG, a WAR, a DEN, a BER, f HEL, a KIE, a LVN.
TURKEY (Linsey): has a SMY, f AEG, a BUL, a BOH, a SIL,
f WES, a GAL, f GOL, a RUH, a TRI, f NAF, a TYO, f PIE, a MUN.


Addresses of the Participants
ENGLAND: Doug Kent, 11111 Woodmeadow Pkwy #2327, Dallas, TX 75228
dougray30 of yahoo.com
FRANCE: Roland Sasseville, Jr., 38 Bucklin Street, Pawtucket, RI 02861, (401) 481-4280 ($0)
roland6 of cox.net
GERMANY: Mike Barno, 634 Dawson Hill Road, Spencer, NY 14883, (607) 589-4906
mpbarno of lightlink.com
RUSSIA: Vern Parker, 337 Winter Hill Place, Powell, OH 43065, (614) 402-5139
VernDip of aol.com is preferred
TURKEY: Bruce Linsey, PO Box 234, Kinderhook, NY 12106
GonzoHQ of aol.com


Game Notes:
1) The concession to Turkey fails.


Press:


CAST NO SHADOWS: Breaking Away, Designer's Rules
NEW GAME START, GET ME YOUR RIDERS AND CARDS!!
Players are: David Partridge, Brendan Whyte, Alexander Woo, Andy York (who is replacing Eric Martin who had to drop), Rick Desper, and Tom Howell. Rules are at:
http://diplom.org/DipPouch/Postal/Zines/TAP/Tinamou/rules/BreakingAway.htm




Game Notes:
1) The rules are on the TAP website in the Tinamou section. Ask if you have any questions. Send in your riders and their starting cards NOW!!! Your A rider can have three or four cards that need to add up to 30, your B rider three cards adding up to 25, your C rider three cards adding up to 20, and your D rider three cards adding up to 16. You also need to name your team, and can have a team captain if you want.
2) The name of this new game is CAST NO SHADOWS, a great name for a pelaton based game. But of course, this is a very excellent Mekons song.


Press:


Personal Note to You:


File translated from TEX by TTH, version 3.30.
On 22 Dec 2006, 13:43.