THE ABYSSINIAN PRINCE #332

April 23, 2012


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


E-MAIL/WEB ONLY ISSUE! PDF will be available on the website. Join the tidal wave of Dippers going to World DipCon in Chicago in August, we can overwhelm Shark Chum with 330 warm bodies!


Web Page Address: http://www.diplom.org/DipPouch/Postal/Zines/TAP/index.html


Some of you are still not on the E-Mail list for this szine, I keep trying to sign you up, please accept the offer! I am being a bit more systematic about that right now. I am going ahead and finishing all the games here, and then we'll see what happens.
This issue continues the szine/subszine inversion. As most of you know, this thing began as a ßubszine" to Terry Tallman's North Sealth, West George, then became its own szine with a host of subszines. The subszines remaining will appear as sub-subszines to our new flipflopped home in Doug Kent's Eternal Sunshine. Doug will keep us on schedule so we will charge forward and finish the remaining games that I have in here. After that, we'll see how it goes and what I do next. I'd like to keep writing and doing some game GMing. You all should see first what I actually do.
For production, in addition to the HTML's of each separate product on the web page, I will also have a PDF that you can print of the entire subszine (including my famous handdrawn maps!). You can just print the maps if you like, but remember maps are for pikers anyway, you don't need no steenkin' maps, keep them up in your head where they belong. I don't think there are very many people I owe money, but if you think I owe you money, just ask and I will pay. ONE GROUP that is definitely owed money is the players with NMR insurance. NMR insurance still continues, I will still call you for it, and when your game ends, I will refund the money.
I have now tried to sign up all the players, some multiple times, but please check. THIS IS A PROBLEM, sign up now if you're playing so you get proper notification!!! 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.


THE ABYSSINIAN PRINCE LETTERS SECTION
((Let's keep talking about FTF tournament diplomacy! World DipCon is fast approaching in August, I'm putting on a real hard full-court press on getting every single one of you reading this to come. Why not? E-Mail me with your excuse and I'll shred it. The convention is in beautiful downtown Chicago and has five rounds beginning first thing Friday morning, August 10th and ending on August 12th. Find more information at: http://windycityweasels.org/wdc or contact Jim O'Kelley (aka Shark Chum) and come meet me and maybe you'll see my "Alice" T-Shirt coming out of the closet... let's especially get some of the old crowd to come join us, there remains a rumor that Pete Gaughan might show up. I have my hotel room and flights.))
((For these and other upcoming cons around the world: http://diplom.org/Face/cons/index.php))


Drew James (Fri, Apr 20, 2012 at 8:44 PM)
Jim,
Too bad about SU in the tournament. It was frustrating that Fab Melo was ruled ineligible right before the start. I think they would have beaten Ohio State with him, but it is doubtful they could have beaten Kentucky. It was also too bad that the reffing was all so awful in the Ohio State game. We didn't lose because of it, but it really killed the flow of the game. There were just so many horrible calls on both teams! The good news is that SU will be good again next year - likely a top 10, but not a top 5 team. We have talent at every position.
Mets are off to a good start, but I can't see how it can last.
Regards, Drew, karelanddrew of gmail.com
((My Giants beat your Mets in a doubleheader today, which I'm just following the end of as I'm typing this... so you may be right before you even know it. Around here, Providence College is trying to find a frontcourt (St. John's won out for the two forwards they were competing for), but you don't care, Syracuse is leaving the Big East... very sad. I wish someone had beaten Kentucky, but I had to pick them, and finished fifth in our TAP league contest on Yahoo.))


Marc Ellinger (Fri, Apr 20, 2012 at 10:05 PM)
Jim,
A few responsive comments on the baseball predictions:
1) The Cardinals once again are in first place in the NL Central (won tonight to go 10-4) and the rest of the division seems to be faltering (and the Cubs are already hitting the golf course in prep. for the 2013 season).
2) Soon the Astros leave the National League to go to the American League... improving both leagues in the process.
3) As far as the current leagues: You American League folks are all messed up, just look at the last 2 World Series winners (Cardinals and Giants); go to the last 4 (add the Yankees and Phillies). I know that facts are difficult for you to handle, but please realize that we’re winning World Series and your junior league is just placing.
4) See you in St. Louis in October for another World Series championship.
Marc, mellinger of bbdlc.com
((I have been a Giants fan for far longer than I was a Red Sox fan, and I really like the Cards too, so you're not riling me up all that much. I admit I do see the American League as "my league" but that's because of the history in my family, since my uncle was an AL umpire. I still follow baseball above all the other sports, but admit that the future of it may be weak.))
THE ABYSSINIAN PRINCE GAMES SECTION
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, 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 given the new policies.


GAME OPENING INFORMATION
I'm going to start the game opening list over. Under the new regime, who wants to play?
DIPLOMACY: First off, another regular Diplomacy game is open. Doug Kent and Brad Wilson are in, anyone else?
BREAKING AWAY: Also, a new Breaking Away game is open. Currently Andy York is on board. This is the game I really like running and want to start another one. It's easy, very low maintenance.


THE PHIL REYNOLDS MEMORIAL: 2006B, Regular Diplomacy
THE DUE DATE FOR WINTER 1906 IS MAY 25TH, 2012
THE DUE DATE FOR SPRING 1907 IS JUNE 22ND, 2012
Fall 1906
AUSTRIA (Burgess): f NAP s f tyh, a GAL-sil, a PIE s FRENCH a gas-mar (nso),
a VIE S RUSSIAN a boh, a VEN S a pie, f TUS s f tyh, a SER-bud, a TYO-mun,
f tyh s FRENCH f naf-tun (d r:rom,otb).
ENGLAND (James): f nwg-NTH, f mid-WES, f NWY-swe, a bel-HOL, f wes-TYH, f SWE-den.
FRANCE (Williams): f NAF S ITALIAN f tun, a gas-BUR, f GOL-tus, a bur-MUN.
GERMANY (Ellinger): a SIL-gal, a mun s a sil-gal (d r:ruh,kie,otb), a BER-pru,
f DEN-bal, a FIN h.
ITALY (Crow): f TUN S ENGLISH f wes-tyh, a MAR-pie.
RUSSIA (Barno): a WAR-sil, a BOH S FRENCH a bur-mun, a STP h, f bla-BUL(EC),
a LVN-pru, f ION-nap, a RUM-bud, f GOB-bal.


Supply Center Chart
AUSTRIA (Burgess): TRI,VIE,BUD,ser,smy,nap, (has 8 or 9, even(r:otb) or rem 1)
rom,ven
ENGLAND (James): EDI,LVP,LON,nwy,bel,swe,hol (has 6, bld 1)
FRANCE (Williams): PAR,BRE,spa,por,mun (has 4, bld 1)
GERMANY (Ellinger): KIE,BER,den (has 4 or 5, rem 1(r:otb) or 2)
ITALY (Crow): tun,mar (has 2, even)
RUSSIA (Barno): WAR,STP,SEV,MOS,rum,con,ank, (has 8, bld 1)
gre,bul
Neutral: none (Total=34)


Addresses of the Participants
AUSTRIA: David Burgess, 101 Laurel Lane, Queensbury, NY 12804
(518) 761-6687, burgesscd of roadrunner.com or dburgess of glensfallshosp.org
ENGLAND: Drew James, 3644 Whispering Woods Terrace, Baldwinsville, NY 13027
(315) 652-1956, kjames01 of twcny.rr.com or karelanddrew of gmail.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
mellinger of blitzbardgett.com
ITALY: John Crow, 946 S. Medalist Circle Plano, TX 75023-2851,
(214) 532-1418, johnny.crow of hotmail.com
RUSSIA: Mike Barno, 1071 Warren Road Apt 8 Ithaca, NY 14850, (607) 481-4526
mpbarno of gmail.com
TURKEY: Fred Wiedemeyer, Box 92010-Meadowbrook RPO, Edmonton, ALBERTA
CANADA T6T 1N1, (780) 465-6432, wiedem of telus.net or wiedem of shaw.ca


Game Notes:
1) Thanks all for getting re-engaged in the game, sounds like there is some action. All over the place, actually.


Press:
(JAMES to WORLD): Well, this should open up the game a bit. I either just made this game more interesting, or handed it over to Russia and AH. Either way is better than the status quo. I've received more communication this season than the rest of the years combined. Feels like it is worth breathing a little life into the game again.
(BOOB to WORLD): I would be surprised if there isn't some more communcation this time, except for Johnny Crow, everyone has Winter adjustments!
(MOSCOW to VIENNA): This is just to show John how the game is supposed to be played.
(GM to MOSCOW): The game is supposed to be played however you decide to play it, but I know us observers appreciate the action!
(ENGLAND to GERMANY): You have been a great ally, but marching slowly to stalemate lines just isn't much fun. Also didn't hear from you this season...
(GM to GERMANY): Whoops, it seems that someone didn't join all the revived communication.
(BRITISH to DUTCH): You are now liberated. Sorry it took so long.
(RED KINGS 14 (Dark Press –- not for attribution)): Who's Zooing Who...
The Zoo seemed desolate, deserted...unpublished. Like it had seen better days, back when people who had read it were still alive, or at least chewed their own food. The trolley pulled off, making it seem somehow a bit more lonely. The ring of its bell seemed smothered against the worn pages, like the last gasps of the elderly millionaire with the new bride that had nice pillows; but not enough patience. Pages that were tattered and coffee stained like some sucker had been putting a lot of think into his final moves before autographing that stamp with the spit on his tongue. Trying to find that lottery ticket move that would get him just one more dot. Trusting a goon to cut support, that he wouldn't have loaned a shoe shine to the day before. That was the nitty gritty of the hobby; where the truth was a hungry baby wailing for its supper, but momma had seven other lies to feed.
"These pages are more dog eared than my beagle," I said, giving the Zine an appraising squint before we went in. That's where you only squint the one eye as you look up, not too far up as to be gawking, but you gotta get the brim of the fedora up enough to see what you're looking at. Then you have the knowing look going in the other eye, the one people can actually see, that has to hint at mystery and unfathomed depths of experience. Then you sell it by having your mouth set pensively around something, if you're a farmer it's a straw of grass, if you're me... I patted my pockets for a smoke, but remembered I was out. Well, that was okay, I didn't need to sell it, the place was definitely remaindered.
I patted my pockets again, it was a nervous tick, like when the guy in the movie checks to see if his gun is loaded after he's already in the warehouse with the bad guys.
"Smack... smack," replied the blonde with her usual pithy repartee. The gum smacked against her luscious red lips and then back into that mouth. That mouth that had grazed a thousand lips. She could burn topless on my Ilium anytime she wanted to.
"Well's, we'se here. Mightaswell take a look-see," she said around the gum, and the lipstick...and my cloying gaze. She hefted the tommy gun and ratcheted back the return to pop a shell plink, plink, plink bouncing into the litter of forgotten plot devices at the bottom of the page...and we weren't even inside yet.
Meanwhile, halfway across the Hobby two figures trudged ploddingly along. Their heads swiveling about as they searched diligently the nooks, crannies and unedited paragraphs of the Hobby for their quarry.
"I'm just sayin' da six way draw is like kissing yer sister, Hewey," opined Louie, he moved his hands for punctuation. "Nothing worse than kissing yer sister."
Dewey's pork pie hat tilted precariously to one side as the opinion entered his head and rattled about.
"Hitler" replied Dewey.
Louie stopped in mid-ramble and looked at his porcine compatriot, "huh?"
"Jus' sayin', Hitler kissing yer sister would be worse," expanded Dewey, "him being a Jew hating Fascist and sidewalk artist and all..."
"It's just a, whadyacallit, a sayin'," said Louie, shaking a hand in negation, "Truth be told I don' even have a sister."
Dewey pursed his lips in thought. "Youse don' have a sister? Well, lying about kissing yer sister would definitely be worse than just kissing her...cause then you got da' kiss...and da' cover-up. That's what gets all dem fancy pants politicos in dutch. It undermines yer validity."
"Yer creditability," corrected Louie.
"My credibility is fine, youse da' one already said yer were lying. It makes you out to be a welsh, and her to be a slut...like that Fluke girl...or from Arkansas."
"Dere is no sister," said Louie, exasperated, "we're past that."
"She's passed," asked Dewey, his eyes widening in surprise. "Jeepers, talking rude about yer dead sister would have to be worse than just kissing her." He pulled his fingers up as he counted, "cuz now you have da' incestuous kiss," one finger. "Da' lie to cover up," the second finger. "AND yer defiling yer poor sister's memory." He waved the three fingers in Louie's face and sadly shook his head.
"That's not what I'm saying," said Louie, getting ready to set things straight. But another idea had crossed Dewey's mind, and his eyebrows shot up his forehead like the sash on a window; though it was a short trip.
"Of course, if you fingered her ass when you kissed her, dat would definitely be worse," said Dewey, nodding to himself that the idea had merit.
"What!? How can you say such a thing?"
"I'm just sayin'...youse asked 'what was worse than kissin' yer sister'. I tink it goes widout sayin' that fingering her ass when you kiss her has got to rank just a little worse."
"I wish it had gone without sayin'!"
"Course," continued Dewey, unphased, "if Hitler fingered yer dead sister's ass when he kissed her... dat would be even worse than that..."
Louie's mouth was open to reply; "screEEEEeecchh, eehhhhh, eehhhhhh."
Dewey looked at Louie puzzled, which was his normal manner, but the screech had come not from Louie, but from a small organ grinder's monkey that jumped up and down in front of them on the sidewalk and berated them with simian eloquence.
"What have we here," asked Louie as he leaned down to the monkey and took the crumpled cardboard box out of its uplifted furry hands. He straightened the red and white box out to see the logo. It was a sultry brunette reclining across the crumpled cigarette pack, her crimson dress hiked up to show her stockings and the hint of garters, and legs that went all the way up. She had a slow, sure smile on her face like she had the only one and smoke curled about her bare shoulders playing against her smoldering eyes. The come hither look made you want to light up; one for you and one for her too. The brand was spelled out on the bottom in strong masculine print; Red Kings.
Just then the trolley pulled up to the curb in a cacophony of noise that attested to the strain the verbs were having moving it on its rails, while the brakes sought to bring it to the end of the sentence; but it was a run on sentence so it sidled to a stuttering, shaky stop a few feet past the bench where the riders, who might have been perturbed, had over the multitude of game years come to accept this as a commonplace occurrence, just another long drawn out, yet pointless part of the Hobby. The monkey bounded emphatically up and down; which is not as easy as it looks, because it requires the extra effort of adding the bound at the end of the jump while waving the arms at the same time. But the monkey had long been working with Italians, and so could pull it off.
Louie looked at the trolley and back at the crumpled pack of smokes. He looked at the monkey, still screeching and jumping, and then back at the Red Kings package. In his head he fumbled a jigsaw puzzle piece; he hovered it over empty holes in the puzzle, he flipped it completely around, paused, and then with a mental nudge turned it a quarter turn clockwise and pushed it into the puzzle...and felt it slip snug into place, neat as a pin. A glimmer of comprehension lit his dark eyes and sallow face, as a slow smile of satisfaction slid across his lips.
"Da Red Car, Hewey, we'se gotta take the Red Car."


SPIRALS OF PARANOIA: 2005A, Regular Diplomacy
THE DUE DATE FOR WINTER 1909 IS MAY 25TH, 2012
THE DUE DATE FOR SPRING 1910 IS JUNE 22ND, 2012
Fall 1909
FRANCE (Jim Tretick for Buddy Tretick): f eng-NTH, a SPA h, f WES-tyh, a BUR h, f TYH-ion,
f naf-TUN, a MAR h, f iri-ENG.
GERMANY (Ozog for Tallman): a MUN h, f KIE h, a TYO-ven, a PIE h, a bud-SER,
a vie-BUD, a TRI S a bud-ser, a ROM-nap, f SKA h, a VEN-rom, a BEL h, f nao-NWG.
ITALY (Kent): f ADR-ion, a NAP h, a BUL s a gre, a GRE S a bul.
RUSSIA (Sundstrom): f sev-BLA, a UKR-rum, f bla-CON, a RUM-bul, a ANK S a bla-con,
a syr-SMY, a ARM S a syr-smy.
TURKEY (Lutterbie): f smy s f con (d r:aeg,eas,otb), f con s f smy (d r:aeg,otb).


Supply Center Chart
FRANCE (Tretick): PAR,BRE,MAR,spa,lvp,edi,lon, (has 8. bld 1)
por,tun
GERMANY (Ozog/Tallman): KIE,BER,MUN,hol,den,bel,swe, (has 12, bld 2)
nwy,vie,rom,bud,ven,tri,ser
ITALY (Kent): NAP,gre,bul (has 4, rem 1)
RUSSIA (Sundstrom): WAR,STP,SEV,MOS,rum,ank,con, (has 7, bld 1)
smy
TURKEY (Lutterbie): none (out)
Neutral: none (Total=34)


Addresses of the Participants
AUSTRIA: Paul Rauterberg, 3116 W. American Dr., Greenfield, WI 53221,
(414) 281-2339 (E-Mail) paul.rauterberg of att.net
ENGLAND: Fred Wiedemeyer, Box 92010-Meadowbrook RPO, Edmonton, ALBERTA CANADA T6T 1N1,
(780) 465-6432, wiedem of telus.net or wiedem of shaw.ca
FRANCE: Buddy Tretick, 5023 Sewell's Pointe Way, Fredericksburg, VA 22407
FRANCE: Temporary Standby is Jim Tretick, jtretick of gmail.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: Doug Kent, 911 Irene Drive, Mesquite, TX 75149
dougray30 of yahoo.com
RUSSIA: Matt Sundstrom, 1760 Robincrest Lane South, Glenview, IL 60025, (847) 729-1882,
Matt.Sundstrom of bbdoch.com or mattandzoe of earthlink.net
TURKEY: Vince Lutterbie, 1021 Stonehaven Ave Marshall, MO 65340-2837,
(660) 886-7354, melvin4852 of sbcglobal.net


Game Notes:
1) The FGR draw proposal was rejected again and is reproposed, please vote with your winter orders. There also is a proposal for an Italian concession. Vote on that as well. Thanks VERY much to Vince Lutterbie for expertly playing out the Turkish position.
2) We now have two medical replacements, as Buddy's son Jim (who some of us played with many years ago as James Alan) will be playing for Buddy as Eric is playing for Terry.
Press:
(BOOB to PARANOIACS): No press from you? I don't think you're paranoid enough! Come on, guys, as long as this game is NOT ending yet, keep voting on those proposals, you might as well write for me!


FLIP FLOP: 2003G, Regular Diplomacy
THE DUE DATE FOR SPRING 1914 IS MAY 25TH, 2012
Winter 1913
ENGLAND (Kent): R A sil-BER; bld a lon; has a LON, a DEN, f NAO, f MID, f STP(NC), a LVN,
a BER, f NTH, f GOB, f BAL.
FRANCE (McHugh): has a PIC, f NAF, f MAR, a MUN, a BUR, f SPA(SC), a GAS.
TURKEY (Levinson): bld a con; has a CON, a RUM, a SEV, a BUL, f TUN, a MOS, a TUS, f TYH,
a WAR, f WES, a TYO, f ION, f GOL, a BOH, f PIE, a SIL, a VIE.


Addresses of the Participants
AUSTRIA: Brad Wilson, 713 Tasker St. #1, Philadelphia, PA 19148-1237
bwdolphin146 of yahoo.com
ENGLAND: Doug Kent, 911 Irene Drive, Mesquite, TX 75149
dougray30 of yahoo.com
FRANCE: Jack McHugh, 810 School Lane, Folcroft, PA 19032, (856) 456-5984,
jwmchughjr of gmail.com
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,
al of tolkin.nl ($5)


Game Notes:
1) The host of draw proposals: FET, FATE, and FAE; all were rejected. Just an EFT draw is proposed now, which happens to be DIAS.


Press:


CAST NO SHADOWS: Breaking Away, Designer's Rules
Rules at: http://diplom.org/DipPouch/Postal/Zines/TAP/Tinamou/rules/BreakingAway.htm
RICK DESPER SQUEAKED OUT THE VICTORY OVER ALEX WOO!!!


Game Notes:
1) The rules are on the TAP website in the Tinamou section. Ask if you have any questions. Up above in parentheses is the card you played to get to where you are in the field. The replenishment card is the last card in your list. Be careful to note that the card you played (the one in parentheses) is not available for you, for next turn. Just for fun, I'm going to keep track of total replenishment, by turn, which is a rough measure of how the teams are doing. Of course, it is lining up to get across the sprint and final lines in the right places that really counts.
2) So far, Andy York is the only one interested in another game of this?? I'd like to get six again. I will note this for one more issue like this, before putting a call just at the front of the subszine.


LAST WORD: For the last word, I was filling up pages with press from the game Iliad that was played in Europa Express near the end of EE's run. This game was distinctive since it had at least one player who at other times published and played under a pseudonym and another publisher who WAS playing under a pseudonym. If you think I'm going to tell you now which is which, you don't see the point of what I'm doing.
This first installment of my story appeared in: http://www.whiningkentpigs.com/DW/oldzines/ee44.pdf you can find other old EE's at Doug's oldzines site.
But I ran out of time and space on this page this time, so you'll have to wait until next issue for more.


File translated from TEX by TTH, version 3.85.
On 25 Apr 2012, 09:04.