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

SAVE THIS ISSUE - LOTS OF RULES THAT I MAY NOT PRINT AGAIN

THE NEXT TINAMOU DEADLINE WILL BE AUGUST 16TH, 1999

I don't think I have much else to say, but to call attention to the various game openings. I'm stretching myself a bit so you can be SURE that this rash of game openings will drop to ZERO shortly.

The postal sub price is a flat $1.00 per issue in the US and Canada, a bargain at twice the price.... but you can double that for other foreign subbers (or $2.00 per issue sent airmail). Players in current games and standbys will continue to get the issues for free, and future game starts (except for Nuclear Yuppie Evil Empire Diplomacy, which is free) cost $20.00 ($15.00 for a life of the game subscription and $5 for the NMR Insurance). Note the price increases for games, with the rates for subbing to the szine holding fixed for the moment. After the current series of games, I probably won't start another until the Modern game ends. The new game at that point probably will be another Modern game with the ``Wing'' rule.

Check out the connections in the Diplomatic Pouch with all of the information you need to play Diplomacy on the Internet at:

http://devel.diplom.org/DipPouch

Through Stephen Agar's (who for the time being is still in charge here, though he's folded his szine) Postal portion of the Pouch:

http://devel.diplom.org/DipPouch/Postal/Zines/TAP/index.html

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 in the near future. Also, check out Stephen's new ``all electronic format for Spring Offensive at:

http://www.spoff.demon.co.uk

The most recent issue also can be accessed through David Wang's and Pete Sullivan's web pages:

1) David has grabbed and reserved the HIGHLY prized name: www.szine.com!! His ``version'' of this szine is somewhat more html.friendly than the one I created, so please check it out. David Wang's site also allows you to follow John Caruso's postal baseball league that I am in.

2) For the most recent issue of Pete Sullivan's subszine check out:

http://www.manorcon.demon.co.uk/octopus/index.html

Sign up for one of Pete's Railway Rivals games.

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!!

Alan Stewart was the editor of Praxis, possibly one of the hobby's most literate szines ever. Alan was from Toronto, Ontario and his szine enjoyed about three glorious, trailblazing years in the hobby from November 1985 until early 1989. I have a feeling there might be people out there who are still in touch with Alan, but he also might be eminently findable on the Internet. Go find him. Isn't the $50 worth it??

I finally have letters from Bernie and his son Jim below and I have decided to start another regular Diplomacy game since Bernie wants to play as Buddy Tretick. Join him, some of you old pals of his?? More on that in the game opening list below.

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 Kevin Tighe or Garret Schenck or Jerry Lucas or Al Pearson is ``found'' from now on it is worth $25. Plus, Steve Emmert will throw in another ten spot for Garret Schenck if you can get Garret to write to him. Go for these guys again. Perhaps some of them now can be located via the Internet where they weren't when you looked before.

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, 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.

Jim Tretick (Mon, 12 Jul 1999 11:09:36 EDT)

Greetings Jim: It was good to get your sample zine.

My current address is: 12925 Circle Drive, Rockville, MD 20850.

I will contact my Dad and see if he wants to be found. You understand how that is. I will definitely send him The Search for Bernie Oaklyn page. That was a blast. Thanks for those kind words. You really did understand the man. He will love it. ((Well, almost.... see below.))

Now, this in no way implies that Bernie Oaklyn is my Dad. That's not what my Birth Certificate says. ((Indeed.))

Also. I don't believe I ever played in The Front du Lib du Dip as James Alan. I played in others zines. ((All that is from memory, so you may well be correct. I know you played in Eric Ozog's szine.))

Are Boardman and Walker still around? The above-mentioned parental unit will probably not want to be associated with them at all. And, I've been trying to get Mr. Tretick to come back and play for years. ((Undoubtedly. I expect to get trashed again in a Graustark editorial about this and the likelihood of me getting a comment out of Rod Walker any more is really low, approaching infinitesmal; however, without ``whoever he is'' I wouldn't be in this hobby today. PERIOD. That's worth a lot of slack in my book....))

Dad is away right now so hasn't seen your zine. I wanted to wait for his impression before I wrote back to you. However, I would be interested in playing myself, so I will look over the zine for openings. ((I'm opening a game with Buddy Tretick in it. At one point, Boardman Number rules had games with relatives in them dubbed ``irregular''. This is no longer the case. Recently, I did a game with brothers Randy and Jeff Ellis in it, they even played adjacent countries. So, feel free to join that new game, or something else.))

Dad and I are working on a new game. He the rules and me the map. Maybe we'll be able to hawk it through you. We'll discuss this later. ((Absolutely! We'll work something out.))

((I ``understand" completely. If your father hasn't moved from the Conaty Circle address, then he has received in the mail the last couple of issues. It's good to hear from you too as I recall lots of fun games we were in together way back when. Though Walker and Boardman are still around (John Boardman did write a little editorial about my search), life in the hobby is VERY relaxed these days. I don't think returning (from either of you) would be any problem at all. I'm printing lots of rules in the upcoming issue from variants that I and my subszine editors are running, so I hope you can find something that interests you. Now, for the man named Bernard ``Buddy" Tretick.....))

Buddy Tretick (Tue, 13 Jul 1999 17:04:46 EDT)

Why, Jim, I was not even hiding. After all, I did register with AOL, and I found myself on several search engines. That has got to be a first for me, finding myself, that is.

Thank you for the kind statements you made about me, I guess. The problem is those statements you made that are not, and were not, true.

You must remember that, as a beginning Gamesmaster, pushed into the hobby by ... what was his name ... he lived in Wheaton, Maryland ... oh, Don Miller ... was it not.

This stuff about me changing players orders was sure false. I kept all of those letters all of these years and can disprove any such statement. I also saved at least one copy of all of my zines. Documented proof that will stand up in any court in the land. ((I have no intention of fighting any old battles about any of those types of issues. Apologies from me for saying that and, no, we ain't goin' to court about this or anything else.))

Yes, my brother in law was a guest GM in my zine. He would lay incoming mail on the stairs going up to his room and his mother would move that mail. She would lay his mail on a table in the living room, where he usually did not go, and promptly cover that mail up with a magazine or the newspaper. So, Ray lost a lot of mail, and a lot of players missed their moves. Why I should be blamed for something his mother did in his name is beyond me. ((Well, I get blamed for everything Pete Gaughan does in his subszine, so why not???))

I started playing these games [after a few games of stab, stab, stab], to win ... to take first place, usually without other survivors. I thought that was too easy, so I decided to play a much harder game, to bring my allies to victory with the understanding that I would survive the game. Now that took skill. I am still practicing that to this day in the many [more private] email games.

You were not the first to find me. Several others sent mail to my house addressed to a Bernie Oaklyn. I finally had to notify the Post Awful that I would be accepting mail for Bernie Oaklyn. After all, the intent of the mail was for me. You guys have been trying to ``prove" that Buddy Tretick is Bernie Oaklyn. ((Not especially, I just wanted to find you again, just like I refound Dan Stafford, Mike Mills, John Michalski, and others during this series....))

I even read an article in some gamezine telling about an airline pilot, a Captain no less, named Bassett. He reportedly visited Bernie Oaklyn in his home. The story told of how Bassett took liberties and moved through that house and looked at all papers, only to find papers with the name Bernie Oaklyn thereon. Hey, I have a passport with the name Bernard A. Tretick, huh! Won't stand up in court either, Jim.

Nice article, nonetheless.

Okay, sign me up for a game of regular diplomacy and then please recommend similar games to me for my review and possible play. Order of preferences are: women, Russia, England, Turkey, France, Germany, Austria, & Italy.

((Well, you certainly get the women.... we have a new star female player playing here in the szine named Sara Reichert. Kathy Byrne Caruso recently was beaten up by us big bad males in that Arsenic and Old Farts game in Pete Gaughan's subszine. We also have Sandy Kenny playing in the NYEED game below. See the various games mentioned in various parts of the szine below. You might want to check out that Global Diplomacy variant. I'd also be interested in the new game you and Jim are designing at whatever point that's appropriate.))

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 (johnh of fiendishgames.demon.co.uk or JHarrington of DatastreamICV.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.

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.

A VERY light discussion is taking place that will address what stance we (the hobby) should take (proactive in some way for sure) toward Hasbro, the new owners of the rights to Diplomacy. More on this will be forthcoming, but it looks like Hasbro might have its version of Diplomacy on the market for the Christmas season and they actually will be employing ``play-testers''. No word on precisely what this means yet, could it mean that they will offer a series of ``official'' variants? Stay tuned.... If you want to be part of the discussion, send the MESSAGE:

subscribe hasbro

to majordomo of diplom.org, it works just like the tap mailing list described below. Sending messages to hasbro of devel.diplom.org sends the mail to the whole list. The big news this time is the beginning of the breakout of Hasbro into official contact with the hobby. See the two messages below.

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.

Ray Setzer (Sat, 10 Jul 99 06:02:57 GMT)

Just another bit of news on the 99 Masters Email Tournament. We have finalized a FAQ concerning what we envision when we speak about Cross Gaming. It is posted on the Tournament Site at http://worldmasters99.diplomacy.org.uk

In a nutshell, it indicates that the obvious and rightly despised ``You throw this game, I'll throw that" are not within the scope of approved tactics. Neither is the ``get six bums to take a dive for you" method.

Metagame get the leader campaigns, character assassination, all are tried and true Diplomacy tactics. Spreading them around to a large group of boards we hope will add a new wrinkle.

Also, while we stand by our position that we feel making rules against cross gaming to be tilting at windmills, we do make it clear that the overall value position of the Diplomacy community will likely punish players and teams that use less than acceptable cross gaming tactics. In other words, fair warning that teams that wish to experiment with lowball tactics will likely find themselves pigpiled so fast they won't know what hit them.

Also, Stephan Degremont is in charge of putting together the matrix that will distribute players to boards and he informs me that if we do indeed have upwards of 40 or more teams, it will be likely that no team will meet another team more than once, which makes it quite a bit more difficult to organize any effective game throwing tactics that would help a team. I mention also that in no event will any two teammates be on the same board.

While we are still learning as we go along, there are two principles that I often turn to when trying to decide whether such and such a format, or rule or such will add to the enjoyment of this tournament. First, I am always aware that like any free market, people will vote with their feet. Second, one must always consider carefully what one might add or subtract from a Diplomacy game, because in Diplomacy, unlike no other game I know of, everything counts.

We're looking forward to a very big and very enjoyable tournament. Everyone is welcome.

((Let's get our teams together.... here is another announcement, plus the beginning of a long series of notes on last issue's editorial.))

Richard Weiss (Tue, 29 Jun 1999 13:59:53 PDT)

Jim:

1. I would like to organize another TAP team for the CAT23 Tournament. I would hope that Charles Jones would join me in the endeavor, and then whomever volunteers. I think there are many good players with high energy levels in TAP who do not fit into the Arsenic and Old Farts category. If someone else has responded as interested in organizing such a team, then fold me into that. If there is enough interest for two or three additional TAP teams, great, let me be part of the fun!

As a bit of a promo, my ``election speech" would be: I have lots of energy for this. I have lots of experience in Dip, pubbing, playing over 100 games, being formerly highly ranked in FTF with a ``Top Board" finish in a DipCon, etc.

Thank you for publicizing the tournament. Information is powerful.

2. The first point segues so totally into this point. I agree with each and every point you make about the Hobby Awards. The time has truly come to recognize ``The Hobby" is not a small group of North Americans in Snail Mail.

Appreciation for the game of ``Diplomacy" is at an all-time high and going higher. Either the Hobby Awards Committee will become ever more insular and represent less and less until it signifies nothing, or it can attempt to represent more and more, joining forces with others throughout the world and however the game is played.

I speak from the experience of having been a long-time member of the Hobby Awards Committee who resigned only a short while ago, when I folded my zine (ok, for you, ``szine.") and felt that since I was neither playing as much nor trading with everyone, that I was unable to be informed enough to be on the committee. Maybe I should have stayed a member, since the committee is basically unchanged.

With the demise of the PDORA auction, there is no funding for plaques. Good. I will vote this year, but not send a contribution. However, I offer to contribute $100 to the formation of an expanded committee along the lines you suggest Jim, with true international representation and representation from the three methods to play of the Hobby (snail, e, FTF). This money can be used to either organize the committee or to award appropriate commemoratives (i.e., plaques).

Further, I hope that you, Jim, will either be the Chair or the ex-officio chair of the new Committee.

Melinda, I applaud your honesty in asking the questions Jim has broadcast through his greater readership. It's been a long time since I played in your 7 X 7 tournaments - jewels each and every one!

Gary, it's been a long time since I asked you to be the Ombudsman to settle a question, and even then you were not an active player as far as most of us could figure out.

Fred, there sure are a lot of zines dropping out, as you mentioned.

Paul, I see your name the most as actively participating. Hope all is well.

Robert, I do not know you personally.

Committee, I hope that you each accept the reorganization of the Committee along the lines Jim has suggested, work to create a greater force and purpose for the game we love and recognize that there may be little true appreciation from those who you will benefit, but that your acts will meet the ``rocking chair" criteria which motivates many of our behaviors in life. The ``rocking chair" criteria being that when we are old enough to be retired/sitting on our porches, rocking in our rocking chairs, watching the gathering twilight, we will smile, knowing that our earlier actions contributed to a slight improvement in the world.

((Right, Will (as in Rogers....). Boy, ***GREAT*** letter. I had forgotten that you were a previous member of the Committee. It is good to get that kind of comment from you. People keep telling me that no one is writing ``Walker award" material any more, but they clearly don't ``get out much". I got a comment from someone else that said that perhaps the Committee just didn't do a good enough job at the ``nomination" solicitation stage. This is a good idea too. What else do you have to say....))

Richard Weiss (Thu, 01 Jul 1999 09:25:40 PDT)

Jim: The Hobby Awards Committee (how pretentious) used to do a very good job soliciting nominations for each category, especially the writing. When I was a member, I always wanted to include other forums for the writing, but was denied. So, this, and the merger into the rest of the Hobby and the rest of the modes of play has been something I've been pushing for a long time. Remember my nominating you for the grandest Award of all based upon your connections to the snail, the world snail and the e-hobbies? If it weren't for you, I think the ``Hobby" would either be dead now or so insular that being dead would be a synonym.

Gary Behnen (05 Jul 1999 22:21:55 GMT)

To the Greater Diplomacy Hobby: I speak here as a resigning committee member and for myself, but believe my thoughts mirror my peers and friends from my ``old fart" postal hobby.

The only reason that YOU are not represented here is because YOU and NO ONE ELSE nominated you. It is a gross misunderstanding on your part if you believe that somehow you have by design not been included! The general APATHY that our requests for hobby involvement received led Melinda and the committee to seriously question the need to continue the awards and more importantly, did anyone care? Are we ``postal centric?" Yes, I think it is obvious, but that is because no one who crosses over and that means you, too, Jim, has ever come forward to my knowledge requesting to be on the committee or heaven forbid willing to give ANY time to it! If reading between the backhanded compliments and the criticisms there is an offer to be a committee member, I'm positive Ms. Holley will welcome you with open arms.

Alas, my ``retirement" is NOT exaggerated. I held on here merely to help in any meager way I could because no one was willing to take the time to join the committee. I am leaving after this last vote, my love of this hobby notwithstanding. If you are not aware, the committee simply culls the top 5 nominations for each award. They can not vote in a category that they are nominated in. Unfortunately, apathy has been SO insidious, I don't believe we've had to vote on very many categories the past 2-3 years. So, as a proud ``Golden Ager" harkening back over 27 years of play and service to 1972, I challenge you to get up off your computer and flood Ms. Holley at Rebel8954 of aol.com and let her know how much you want to do for YOUR hobby. Oh, and as this old troll has learned, FLAME AWAY......;-)

((Hi Gary! I have ``gently" commented on my feelings that the hobby awards needed to incorporate the E-Mail world in the past. This year I don't even recall seeing a request for nominations. Perhaps I received one, but I don't remember it. All I got was the list out of the blue, with many typographical errors, and a request for comments. I ``nominally" am still a part of the PDORA committee and thus felt that I was ineligible for actually volunteering to participate on the Awards Committee (at least that's how I read it). I had been waiting for Doug Kent to revive some other important things by passing them on (i.e. Diplomacy World) before asking about the status of the PDORA treasury. Then if I do something in this area, I am more inclined to work at reviving PDORA so we can do some publicity the way that the British hobby currently is doing.))

((I welcome your comments and I tried to emphasize that I didn't see your role as a problem in itself, only in conjunction with a Committee that appeared to be too small. If you had five people who were really, really active in the hobby, that would be fine. If others are to be there (and I think it is important for the experience and continuity) then I think the Committee needs to be bigger. That's all.))

((Thanks for responding. I think this discussion needs to take place. My szine will feature at least a dozen other comments (some who agree with me and some who don't) in my next issue.))

Rick Desper (Thu, 01 Jul 1999 14:18:21 GMT)

I basically agree with everything said above. For a long time I've felt that the ``Hobby Awards" had no interest in email Diplomacy. In spite of the fantastic performances in email Diplomacy by people such as Dan Shoham, Jamie Dreier, and Conrad Minshall, I've never seen any of these people even considered for a hobby award.

Considering the possibility that the interest in this game will grow greatly based upon Hasbro's marketing skills, it would be nice to get things like the Hobby Awards to be modernized. Email Dip is here to stay (well, at least until we all start playing Dip in the Matrix.) This doesn't mean ``postal is dead" or anything like that. But it would be nice if the different communities in Diplomacy interacted a bit more with each other. We've made progress along these lines, getting some email players to subscribe to postal 'zines, while getting some ``Old Farts" to play (godforbid!) Judge games. We've also gotten emailers of the Judge and non-Judge types to start testing their mettle at major FTF cons. These are all Good Things(tm).

In conclusion, I encourage everybody to vote for the Hobby Awards and include some comments as you feel appropriate.

Also, while you're at it, drop in an All-Star ballot where you don't check off any Cleveland Indians. (Omar Vizquel ahead of Nomar and A-Rod? Have these people no shame?)

((Well, as we all now know, Nomar got the lion's share of Internet votes and started at shortstop. Us Boston people even got to see Dan Duquette's ``Problem Three" all miss the game for various reasons (Roger Clemens, Mo Vaughn, and Jose Canseco) and thus the game [going on as I type this - five K's for Pedro!!] was a Win, Win, Win for the Red Sox brass....))

Melinda Holley (Tue, 6 Jul 1999 00:38:41 EDT)

Jim, After having read the messages posted, I'd like to encourage everyone not only to vote but to forward their criticism/suggestions. However, I'd like to point out in echoing Gary Behnen that like any other group, the Hobby Awards Committee and the Hobby Awards exists ONLY with the support of the Hobby (postal, electronic, etc.). Therefore, I STRONGLY urge members of the electronic diplomacy to become involved. In other words, put up your hands, contact us, and get involved. For the individual who wanted the Awards to be modernized, get on board! If you're ignored, get involved. I truly believe that members of the electronic hobby also get some postal zines, etc. I don't think you guys exist in a vacuum, right? The electronic hobby has a representative on the Committee. Use him & join him. Thanks for your support.

Gary Behnen (Tue, 6 Jul 1999 02:08:38 EDT)

Jim, Yes, requests did go out but as has been the trend, response was very poor. The committee was about twice this large, but Melinda cut dead weight this past year if the members didn't bother to respond in a timely fashion. A move I wholeheartedly agreed with, but one which left us woefully short in members. Now is the perfect time and you are a perfect candidate to help bridge the various segments of the hobby. This is one vehicle to do it with and one that I feel is worth the effort.

Anyway, I peruse the zine from time to time when I go to check baseball rosters, etc., and I still get the occasional stray issue or so. I'm glad to hear DW will be coming back, I think I have a number of issues left. Do you know if the BN still produces E? I had a sub until like 2005, but haven't received anything in quite awhile. ((I think that Conrad von Metzke has been pretty quiet about this. Any plans, Conrad??))

Lastly, my annual homage to my gaming past is coming the weekend of 7/16 in Marshall, MO... POOLCON! I'll say hi to Vince and Mel and the assorted MadLads (Peters, Rusnak, Johnston, Becker et al) and Mr. Bergmann for you!!!

Drop me a note from time to time and let me know what is going on. If I can help in some way, let me know! Hey, how can I be sure of not missing this discussion in your zine? Subscribe?? Tell me how...

((Send me bucks.... lots of them.... Doesn't anyone ever read the first page???))

Jody McCullough (Tue, 06 Jul 1999 12:42:13 -0700)

I guess it's true that SOME judge players, and other PBEM players, also get postal zines. I'm one of those people. But most judge players (I'm pretty sure) do not. I think that many people may start out on the judges and then later branch out into other modes. So I think many people DO exist ``in a vacuum" by your definition. Of course, they may not realize or care that they're in a vacuum ;-)

You say the electronic hobby has a representative on the committee. I don't know who it is. And I don't think I've ever seen anything posted to r.g.d. before. If Jim Burgess hadn't posted his original message, I think a lot of people would have never even seen the nominations. And now there's a call to ``get involved", but it's hard to get involved in something you don't even know about!

As for me, I'm certainly willing to think about this as something I'd like to be a part of in the future. But right now my plate's pretty full.

Gary, This is the first time I've ever seen a notice about this posted to r.g.d. Seems that recruitment of PBEM players isn't exactly a top priority, and then when we finally do get some sort of an attempt, it's a bitter sounding ``challenge" rather than a polite request. Oh well, whatever. Maybe someone will take up the challenge.

Chris Martin (Tue, 6 Jul 1999 00:13:43 -0400)

Ditto. I play alot of f2f tournament and on-line dip, and I haven't heard hide nor hair of this sort of thing. As I have said before in this forum, I think its a great game, and I'll do what I can to help. Sorry to hear that you are embittered, Gary. I think its people like you that have kept the game around for people like me to come along and learn to love it.

Gary Behnen (06 Jul 1999 05:50:49 GMT)

Chris, Thank you for your thoughts. Embittered, no, but a little frustrated with some of the criticism. I guess I see it as incumbent on those of you who are in the pbem hobby that crossover to pbm and ftf to help bridge the gap between those traditional hobby ``services" and the apparently ever expanding Diplomacy Hobby at large. I believe Manus was a committee member at one time, but unfortunately as has been pointed out, your segment doesn't feel represented.

Let me join Jim and Melinda in exhorting your pbem community to reach out to the ``old" segments of our hobby. I think you will find most will welcome your enthusiasm and involvement. It was a goal discussed in seminars at past Dipcons in the early '90s. I'd like nothing better than to see it come to fruition now. Better late than never!!!

Phil Reynolds (Wed, 14 Jul 1999 07:06:15 -0700 (PDT))

Jim - Read your comments on expanding the scope of our hobby in TAP #220. Very interesting thoughts. I kind of agree with you, kind of don't agree with you.

Let me address this from a different tack. As the new Zine Register editor and publisher, I need to decide what place, if any, non-North American zines and e-mail zines have in it.

I have been wrestling with this a little and haven't come to a definite conclusion, but I am leaning toward doing something much like Michael Lowrey did: Focusing on North American zines, with some mention of non-North American zines. What the latter will look like, I haven't decided.

Traditional writeups on a handful of foreign zines like Michael did? Maybe so, or even less than that (i.e., just the basic facts). I'm only getting one non-NA zine now (Berry Renken's Bluesmobile, via e-mail). ((And it ONLY is distributed via E-Mail and has mostly US subbers, as I've mentioned. Berry is precisely one part of a ``new way'' that must be nurtured and supported, in my view.)) Clearly, the only way I could include such zines in the ZR would be if I receive them or someone else tells me about them. ((Of course, in any case, no one is forcing you to make your volunteer job really hard or impossible, least of all me.))

I think, though, that successfully broadening the ZR's scope to be extremely international-friendly would make it both unwieldy and more expensive. Just focusing on North American zines is something I can get a good grip on. It's easier to get ahold of them and more people see them (in case I need information about the status of a zine I don't receive). They are of the greatest interest for North American hobbyists, who are the ones most likely to want the ZR.

As for e-mail only NA zines, I think they deserve attention. But we need to consider ``What is a zine?" and ``What qualifies a zine as being part of our hobby?" ((The Brits [for a variety of reasons] are discussing this continually, but in North America, we seldom have done so. What you say below has even more examples in that country.)) Forget e-mail for the moment - how about a recognized zine that does not run Diplomacy of any sort? This originally was the postal DIPLOMACY hobby, right? So, for example, does Eric Brosius' ark, which runs only railroad games, merit listing in the ZR? Is it by virtue of previous things he might have done as a Diplomacy player or GM? What about Chris Hassler's S.O.B.? He doesn't run anything Diplomacy (unless you count Machiavelli, which is an unofficial Diplomacy variant to me), but you will find a lot of Dip players (including me) playing various Avalon Hill and other games in his zine.

Re: the Judge games you mention: Are these individual games at different sites, or are these really zines (a term which suggests more than the separate dispensing of different game results)? Obviously, I am not very familiar with the Judge games. If they aren't what I would call zines, I can't see including them in the ZR. ((I would agree with that point of view. There are ``clubs'' of players within the Judge community and outside of it that have a lot of the characteristics of a szine, but they really are clubs, not szines. The ``by hand'' GMs in that crowd should be eligible for the GM award, most of them GM far more games than any of us do; and the players should be eligible for the playing award.))

Finally, re: Hobby Awards: For the 1999 nominees, with as many zines as I play in, I've played for (this past year) only one of the GMs listed and have played against (this past year) only one of the players listed. You want to make things worse for me by including a bunch of e-mail only or international players whom I have next to no chance of knowing? ((In a word, yes.))

In conclusion, my gut feeling is that, although we should recognize in some way the efforts of non-North American zines and e-mail only zines, we North Americans hobbyists should focus the greater part of our attention and effort on North American Diplomacy(-related)zines. Maybe I'm being too much of an isolationist, though. I'm not 100% sure. I'm hoping for some feedback on the points I've raised here.

((We've got lots of it.... only about half way through it...))

Manus Hand (06 Jul 1999 22:50:29 PDT)

As a former member of the Hobby Awards committee myself (Melinda: I believe I *am* former, not current, yes? I haven't received anything in a while, I don't think), I thought I'd poke my head in here with a little bit of my hazy memory.

There was a discussion among the committee members a couple years back which raised these very questions - shouldn't the awards be expanded from the Postal community? The results of that discussion were concrete, though I betcha I'll misremember them.

I believe it was decided that CERTAIN of the awards (such as literature, etc.) would be open to e-zines in addition to postal zines. Others, such as best GM, were deemed Postal-specific, with responsibility for creating any PBEM-equivalent left for other parties. The Don Miller Award is open to all forums - FTF, PBM, PBEM. That's my memory.

The problem is that to receive an award, one must be nominated. And PBM has had a monopoly on the nominations, most recently due to the simple fact that the nomination process is not publicized among the PBEM community the way it is in the PBM 'zines. I stand as guilty as anyone on this count.

I have raised the possibility more than once of creating a set of PBEM Diplomacy awards to supplement the current Hobby Awards. This proposition didn't receive enough response. I won't use the word apathy - oops, just did, so I better end this sentence.

Perhaps the mood has changed, and with Hasbro now behind the game and with the promise of a great many new players learning about us by the end of the current calendar year, perhaps now is the time that organizational efforts can progress.

Stephen Agar (Wed, 7 Jul 1999 21:34:38 GMT)

Could I just make the point that the Hobby Awards we are talking about are for North America - though I have had a few nominations over the years for bits I published in Diplomacy World - we should be trying to bring in not just PBEM but also the Diplomacy hobby outside North America as well!

((Stephen, If you read my original editorial here you would note that I suggested just that. Peter Sullivan reminds me that this issue was raised once before in the 1970's and generated a real nasty feud, but I think the world is different now. I agree with you.))

Stephen Agar (Wed, 7 Jul 1999 23:16:26)

Err, 1974 (from memory). The problem was that the IDA Awards could be voted for by members in America and the UK - however, the latter organised themselves so that despite being about one fifth of the size of the US membership, UK nominees won 8 out of the 10 categories (because few Americans bothered to vote). All the IDA did was to change the rules to exclude people outside US and Canada voting so it couldn't happen again - not a good advert for having an international hobby!

Although PBM Dip is in decline in the UK, I'd guess our hobby is at least twice the size of the US hobby now - partly because we have a better postal service and partly because Internet penetration is less. ((Yeah, as I keep saying, I get better service to and from the UK on the post than between here and California.))

Rather than perpetrate awards all named after heroes of the North American Dip scene (Miller, Walker, Hyatt etc.) I would rather we had global award without the baggage - or failing that (and a poor second best in my opinion), name a few awards after people from our hobby as well - in the UK there is at least two awards named after sadly deceased hobby figures (Kendrick and Pimley - the latter award having been going for 23 years).

I'd say we are a new community now - let's create our own sense of identity from scratch, that could be relevant for everyone.

Gary Behnen (08 Jul 1999 03:10:06 GMT)

Stephen, Out of the ashes...I think your idea has merit! Why not make this committee look like the ``Diplomacy Hobby?" Given the level of involvement at this time, I can't imagine anyone would be too upset if active committee members created new awards and/or made them easily accessible to all facets of the hobby! No use in re-inventing the wheel, just drop Melinda an e-mail.

Bob Acheson (Sun, 11 Jul 1999 21:57:46 -0500)

Jim, interesting comments re. the hobby awards. I used to be on the committee but a couple of years ago felt that I was very close to departing the hobby. I liked the fact that I was on the committee because it gave me the chance to `promote' Canadian players/content that I felt didn't get the larger exposure. Before stepping down I recommended that another Canadian take my place (there was another reason, as a committee member I could never vote for myself as `best' player. So why wasn't I nominated this year?). ((Gee, I don't know, Bob. It is an unfathomable mystery to me!!))

I suspect that a couple of the existing names are there because no one else wanted to. If there is a present interest in getting on the awards committee maybe your article will bring it to the forefront. With my ballot this year I suggested that these awards run every second year instead of annually.

Jody McCullough (Thu, 01 Jul 1999 09:46:54 -0700)

Jim, When I scanned it the first time it looked like there was a Hypocrisy Award!!

I agree these need to go all-medium. I'm now playing more games in zines than I'm playing on the judges (that may surprise some people as I have always been [and always will be] a staunch supporter of the judges), but I haven't even heard of half those people. No insult intended... I'm sure they're all good players and committed people and do a lot for The Hobby, but I just haven't heard of 'em.

Paul Kenny (Tue, 29 Jun 1999 23:59:15 -0400 (EDT))

Hi Jim, I read your comments in TAP issue 220 on the awards committee. While I want to thank you for your kind comments being on the awards committee, it is really Melinda and Fred doing the lion's share of the work. I myself have mixed feelings about the awards. I'm concerned that some of the categories could be self defeating, promoting one to put all their energy into writing rather than into enjoying a GAME. Same goes for worrying about their win loss record. If it means so much, why don't we have Money games, with a pot of $100 per person. Every player puts up $100. If there is a sole winner, they get $700. ((Money games like this have been done as experiments. My recollection is that they weren't as ``different'' or ``special'' as everyone expected them to be, but someone should please refresh my memory.)) You could adjust this so that the GM gets like $20 per player for starting this game, or $140. If there is a tie with two players, they each get $280, three would get $186 each, etc. (Of course, the GM gets to keep all fractions of a dollar!)

And are people who vote just voting for their friends? These votes tend to be an excluding clique, where new people find it very difficult to break into the inside crowd. Then again, not everyone gets to see the articles in question, so how do you get to make a judgement on who played the best, who GMed the best, who wrote the best. I think the one thing that most of the hobby has a chance to witness is the Miller award for meritorious service.

I looked at the Hyatt Award. I have already voted, and when it came to that category, I had to write ``No choice." I don't get any of the zines listed that those people put out. I have never seen most of them. I played in Cheesecake before and I know that one has a very good rep, but I haven't seen anything in the last 9 years. I do get some zines, but not those.

I think it would help if Conrad von Metzke and Lee Kendter got around to releasing some simple stats on how players did during the year. But they both probably feel compelled to take do all kind of weird statistician things like figuring the mean of how many supply center each power had on each turn and which power won how many times - all which is the reason that I haven't seen a Everything, the stats zine for regular Diplomacy nor Alpha and Omega the stats zine for variant diplomacy games in well over five years, maybe even longer. Who really knows how successful all of the players named in the best player category were, especially compared to each other?

But the one suggestion you had for merging the postal hobby with the e-mail hobby, I didn't like. I think there is a place for both, a postal hobby and a e-mail hobby. I simply do not have the time to do the e-mail hobby, it runs way to fast for me. I would much prefer the slower pace of the snail mail. Nor do I want to merge it with any hobby over seas. I think this would be a non issue with the e-mail crowd, but the postal hobby it would be a big pain. Lately, the U.S. postal service has been very challenged to deliver ordinary domestic mail. They are much too busy giving postal rate discounts to the bulk junk mail customers to be concerned with delivering ordinary mail.

Jim, your zine has done very well in using the Internet. You load your zine on the Internet. But you are the only zine to do so. ((On that you are very, very wrong and this is moving as it really is trivial to load ANY szine onto the Internet (by scanning it if nothing else).)) Of my players in my zine, I have somewhere between 15% and 25% still using U.S. mail, with a few who you know are going to be solely using U.S. mail with no other methods available. I think I have been on the Diplomatic Pouch to check it out. The Diplomatic Pouch is a e-zine on the Internet. I checked out the postal section and my link is the only one that still works with a postal zine web site (and an e-mail link).

I think that if you tried to merge the two hobbies, the e-mail hobby would squeeze out the postal hobby. The e-mail hobby has a faster pace that would swamp the slower postal hobby. But I think the postal hobby is in a low point right now. For the postal hobby, things will pick up when Hasbro gets around to re-releasing Diplomacy again. When Diplomacy hits stores like TOYS-R-US and what have you, people will stumble into the game and it will start to bring in new blood. ((The only way I see what you say as making any sense is if no one shares our preferences for reading paper and slower games and that simply is NOT the case. Hasbro is going to be STRONGLY pushing the game as a computer/E-Mail game. Read more on that below....))

I simply don't think merging awards for Pbm and Pbem will help the pbm hobby at all. It's like playing Rap music on a boom box next to a similar boom box playing some classical flute music, (an guess which I might be inclined to listen to). ((So, I completely disagree with your conclusions and think you will see an added level to this continuum when Hasbro gets its real time web site games going. You will be able to sit down whenever you like and join a game with other players from around the world for the next three to eight hours.))

I think the Hasbro web site will be cool, but as something different. OK, so we have agreed to disagree. But I really believe that there should be separate hobby awards got PBM and PBeM. The internet doesn't do a very good job at promoting the PBM hobby now, just giving it minor lip service, while you have done a wonderful job at bringing the e-mail side of the hobby to the postal side. I believe if you merge the awards, it will become an all e-mail thing anyway.

Fred C. Davis, Jr. (July 6, 1999)

Dear Jim: Thank you for your comments and suggestions about the Hobby Awards procedures and voting for 1999. I agree with you that there has been an insufficient inclusion of those ``Diplomats'' whose participation has been mainly via the electronic games and e-zines. However, I wish to point out that one of the reasons for this has been because, in the past, there apparently has been little response to ``traditional'' hobby activities by those whose sole interests were in the electronic side. ((As someone who has been right in the middle of this for a decade or more now, I would assert that the world is ``changing'' as the electronic hobby matures.))

Some of the e-mail players were reportedly only interested in their games, with no interest in writing press or in participating in other hobby activities, which many of we old timers felt was just as important as the game itself. In fact, I went so far in some of my writings as to say that the game of Diplomacy was only an excuse on which to hang our hats, as we made friends and socialized in the Postal hobby. ((No question, those last two statements are absolutely true and I am right by your side in what ***I*** am doing here... what is beginning to change is that there is a huge growing interest in more competitive play of the game (both in FTF and E-Mail tournaments) and this is taking place on a world wide basis. As Hasbro starts marketing around the world, this will explode even more. And, while SOME e-mail players are only interested in playing games, there is a large and growing cadre of ``others'' who have a broader interest. Now is the time to start building on that.))

I also agree that the Awards Committee ought to be expanded, to include participants from the electronic side. The problem is how do we go about recruiting them? ((I think it is obvious that you must go where they are to recruit them. Stephen Agar has made his szine into primarily an E-Mail szine. He picked up 100 subbers (without trying that hard) in just a week. It will be increasingly difficult to operate in szinedom without being E-Mail connected. Offhand, I can't think of anyone who is attempting it. And MOST of the postal szines now have some sort of Web or E-Mail presence. That's where you recruit people. I can't imagine trying to run the Walker Award in the future without putting the nominees on a Hobby Awards Web Page, so everyone as equal access to all of them. I could go on....))

I disagree with your suggestion that the North American Hobby Awards be extended to a world-wide jurisdiction. There are separate Award programs in operation in the U.K. and in Europe, and we should not be stepping on their toes. Overseas players are invited to vote in our Awards program if they wish. Ballots are sent out to some of them, and I believe there have always been a few Overseas voters over the years. ((Eventually, it is crystal clear to me, there will be no essential difference between regional hobbies and everyone will cross over freely. Already, the UK post is better than twice as fast at delivering my szine than the USPS is to California (2-3 days vs. 5-7 days), though admittedly the cost advantage is still to the USPS. I might concede that day is not here yet, but it is coming VERY fast. Hasbro will accelerate this trend with their worldwide uniform marketing efforts.))

The first step ought to be to rebuild the strength of the Awards Committee. When the Awards began, we tried to have at least one member in each of the four Zones into which the DipCons were held, plus insuring that at least one committee member was from Canada. There was never any set maximum size, but the Commitee has often had about 7 members. There has been a preponderance of members from the Mid-Atlantic area and from California, because those were the two areas which had the most Diplomacy players, as shown in the various Censuses over the years. In 1999, there are only five members, consisting of two from the Mid-Atlantic (Davis and Kenny), one from the Central (Behnen), one from the Midwest (Holley) and one Canadian (Lesco). We are sorely in need of at least one member from the Far West, one from the South, and one from somewhere in the Chicago-Milwaukee-Detroit area, which always used to be a center of Dip activity. Of course, we'd be glad to get new members from wherever we can find them!

The second step would be to try to include some of the e-mail zines, and electronic game GM's and players, on the Committee. I'll defer to others on what methods can be used to achieve this. I, myself, do not have e-mail service. But, I still receive about 16 print zines regularly, so I'd like to remain on the Committee. What I miss the most is the lack of the Diplomacy World ``flagship'' zine, which more or less brought all of us together. (The best articles were always in D.W.). ((I, too, look forward to the DW revival, which should occur shortly. I think we agree on far more than you might think....))

I strongly urge Jim Burgess to become a member of the Hobby Awards Committee, since he has excellent knowledge of the electronic part of the hobby. He can also suggest other possible members who could be invited to join the Committee. ((As I say elsewhere, I was hoping to lead a revival of PDORA, which historically has precluded being part of the Awards Committee. I'll listen to input and certainly see your point. In any case, I can guide good people toward the Committee.))

Another problem we have is the disappearance of the Runestone Zine Poll, which gave us some idea of the status and quality of the various Dipzines. It's difficult to know the rankings of the various zines without that information. I'm sure some of the newer zines and GM's have been overlooked without that information. Again, some people with familiarity with the electronic side of the hobby can help us to include these people. ((As you probably know, I actually am pleased to see that this Poll has disappeared. The Zine Register performs a large chunk of what you are talking about and is much more effective at promoting szines, rather than building up a small cadre and tearing others down. I think Phil Reynolds will be attacking this project with GREAT energy.))

I hope that Melinda Holley will stay on as Chairperson, and will be willing to coordinate these needed changes. ((Until just now, I hadn't realized that Melinda could use E-Mail too! I agree enthusiastically.)) I know that one of the five current committeemen has announced that this is his last year to serve on the Committee, so the need to infuse ``new blood'' is rather urgent. I will stay on as long as I'm needed, and will do what I can. If there is a feeling that everyone on the Committee MUST be on line, then I'll gracefully retire. ((I don't see any reason for that....)) Until that time comes, I'll be glad to go on serving as Treasurer, and as the unofficial Historian of the Awards Committee. ((Thus, I am sending you the $50 check described just two letters down below that stems from Glenn Petroski tracking down John Michalski.))

Peter Sullivan (Tue, 29 Jun 1999 08:06:16)

The main reason that the membership of the Awards committee is an issue is that they provide the nominations. I'm not sure whether this is de jure (i.e. the rules state that the committee should select the nominees) or just de facto (i.e. the rules say that anyone can nominate, with the committee just weeding out obvious ``joke" nominations. However, in practice, only committee members actually submit nominations). If the first, then I would suggest switching to the second immediately. If the second, then the nominations process needs to be opened up and better publicised. This is something that the committee cannot do by themselves - it is up to editors to spread the word as well.

I would suggest switching to one of two possible scenarios :

1) Have a two stage process. Firstly, call for nominations, trying to ensure that it gets publicised in as many places as possible. Ideally you want a 2-3 month lead time for this. The committee weeds out any sillies, then you have a 2-3 month voting phase (as currently).

2) Have no nominations at all, and make it a completely open ballot.

It is possible that a mix of these might be appropriate - I am not sure I would prefer 2) for the Miller Award, for instance, but I would have no objection to it for the Player Award.

Finally, for the Walker Award, it used to be possible to get copies of the articles from the Awards committee. I see no formal mention of this this year, although I am sure they would help if asked. But how about getting the text of the articles up on a web site somewhere? (There may have been a copyright problem in previous years when we had articles from The General etc, but not these days I would hope.) ((This needs to be on a Web Page somewhere. I think I can safely suggest that Manus Hand would allow this to be on the Diplomatic Pouch. And if there were any copyright problems, there probably could be a link to the original location. Scanners could be used, at worst, for purely postal articles.))

WORLD WIDE HOBBY - Hobby history warning: The Calhamer Awards ``scandal" from the mid- 1970s. ((Since I wasn't really around then [I was, but not involved in this] I don't know the details, but surely I don't want to raise any problems.))

They don't call it ``Information Technology" for nothing. Information technology, like any technology, is neutral. It's how you use it that matters. Computers can, if we want, kill the hobby, because all the potential audience for mutli-player strategy games are off playing Tomb Raider or Quake instead (``Imminent Death of the Hobby predicted, Film at 11"). However, the ease of communication, both one-to-one and one-to- many, is the best tool the Hobby has ever had to grow and expand.

When I was 17, it was a very good year I had to type on an old IBM golfball typewriter, including all the letters and press that had already been typed up by the players. This went onto a mimeo wax stencil, and then had to be printed, collated, enveloped and posted. By contrast, putting the latest version of the Octopus on my web page takes about 2 minutes. This allows people like me to have a minimal but still worthwhile hobby presence, without either burning out completely or having to find time to do it the old fashioned way.

((I said: I claim the prize myself for finding Bernie Oaklyn Tretick.)) Ah yes, but first of all you've got to: ``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.''

((I have done this, see above. Once I found Jim and Bernie, I was sure I could get them to write. Apparently, some other people sent Bernie letters. Anyone want to own up to doing that?? But you didn't convince Bernie to move into action. Remember that I am more than willing to send sample issues to people at your request (that still keeps you in line for the prize). Anyway, I gotta get these ``The Hobby Is Dead" people out of their funk.))

Hyork, hyork. Reminds me of the old piece of graffiti - ``Punk is not dead. It just smells that way."

Glenn Petroski (Sat, 10 Jul 1999 10:56:36 EDT)

Jim,

I read your comments about the hobby awards with interest. Well written, and I couldn't agree more.

I never collected my $50 reward for finding John Michalski. So how about we donate it to the Hobby Awards fund? That leaves both of us putting our money where our mouth is!

((I am pleased to do so. I am sending that amount to Melinda with this issue. I also took advantage of you popping up by calling you as a standby this issue! Now, look at this next one from Pitt, soon to be the new Diplomacy World editor, very carefully.))

Pitt Crandlemire (Tue, 06 Jul 1999 20:07:36 GMT)

As many of you know from postings to r.g.d., Hasbro recently began a focus group study of its AH Diplomacy software program. I was fortunate enough to be selected to participate. While the software is still under development and all participants were asked to maintain confidentiality with regard to the software and the focus group process, I thought that the members of the hobby community might appreciate some information as to the current status of the program. I ran the idea by Bill Levay, the Project Leader, and he concurred. Given the reasonable security and development concerns that Hasbro might have, I offered to let Bill vet this message before posting but he demurred. He asked only that I not discuss specifics of the focus group discussion, in order to protect the privacy and confidentiality of that process and the participants. The contents of this message are my own and represent only my personal opinions and observations. Moreover, I think it is important to point out that this is a product still very much under development. At best, my comments should be viewed as a preview of the work in progress rather than a review of the final product.

The game provides a number of playing options:

- single player vs. AI

- multi-player ``hot-seat" using one PC

- multi-player via the Internet (The Gaming Zone)

- multi-player via the Internet (direct IP connection)

- 2-player direct connect via modem

Multi-player games can be up to 7 players. Hasbro's plan to use The Gaming Zone is intended to give players a single ``gathering point" to find other players. The direct IP connection allows players to bypass the Zone, however, if desired. The ``hot seat" feature, allows players to use the game in lieu of a board for F2F games.

4 different styles of maps are available. I'm not very good at describing this sort of thing but I think that it's safe to say that they are distinct enough that just about everyone will find one that suits them. One neat feature associated with each map is an ``overlay" option for displaying which power owns which provinces. When selected, the overlay option shades each province with the color of the controlling power. This will be particularly useful for newbies.

Negotiation occurs in a couple of ways. First, with the AI, you negotiate by clicking on icons which indicate what you want the AI to do, e.g. ALLY with me, ATTACK PARIS, etc. The AI considers your request/offer and tells you what it will do. It also makes similar requests/offers to you. Second, with another human player, you negotiate in a chat room fashion. There is one public room where all players can see and hear what is said and multiple private rooms where you can go to speak privately to one or more players. While in the private rooms, you can still hear what's being said in the public room (sort of like keeping an ear to the door).

Entering orders is easy and intuitive. All of your units are displayed on the map. When you click on one a pop-up window displays the possible orders. When you click on an order, all legal provinces for that order are highlighted (e.g. if you clicked on Army Wales, then clicked on Move, Liverpool, London, and Yorkshire would be highlighted). You click on the province you want and the order is entered. A text display at the bottom of the screen lists all your units and is updated as you issue orders. Orders for Convoys and Supports are slightly more complex but not much.

Once all orders are entered and the phase begins to process, a scrolling text window displays the orders and resolution. At the same time, the map display shows a graphic representation of the orders and their resolution, similar to the way units are moved during resolution in face-to-face games. This will, I think, also be very helpful to newbies and it's enjoyable to watch.

Though not part of game play, the period graphics, text, and tone, as well as the introductory and intra-game video clips are very attractive. They add noticeably to the look and feel of the game. Within the game, the main screen displays diplomats from all powers who gesture, make faces, and, generally, interact with the players and each other. Not crucial to game play but a nice touch. ((I'm glad it doesn't sound like they have those wild exploding bomb graphics like Risk has to go along with attacks?? I hope, I hope, I hope.... at least they probably will be able to be turned off.))

A fully functional game editor is included. With it, you can set up any board situation you like, trying ``what-if" scenarios or setting up games from other sources. You can use the editor simply to move pieces around as you would on a board or you can use it to set up a game in any manner you like and then play it from that point. A *very* useful feature and indicative of the full-featured approach Hasbro is taking toward the game.

Though not yet implemented, Hasbro has indicated that the final version will work with the Internet judges. That is, it will accept judge output, allow you to display the game and enter moves, and then output orders. It's not clear at the moment whether order output will be direct to email or to a text file that you will cut and paste into your email to the judge. FYI, Edi Birsan pushed very hard for this feature and was instrumental in getting it included. Kudos to Edi for pushing it and Bill for adding it.

The game will support a wide variety of ``unit/rules" variants which work on the standard map, e.g. 1898. This feature was not implemented during the focus group test but the menu is already built-in and implementation is assured for the final release.

As we all know, the best way to learn Diplomacy is to play with someone who already knows how to play. However, if this game is successful in the marketplace, it will reach many players who will be experiencing Diplomacy for the first time. I think that is a very, very good thing, as it can only help the hobby grow. To that end, I volunteered to help write the tutorial and I'm currently in the process of doing so. I won't be doing any coding, of course, but I'm hoping that the final result will be an interactive introduction to game mechanics and strategy that will be simple and complete. If you have any suggestions or ideas along these lines, please let me know. I'll be glad to share my compensation with you (part of nothing is still nothing... ;-)

Current plans call for an expected ship date of late 4th quarter '99. The general consensus in the focus group I attended (experienced Diplomacy players) was generally quite positive. We all recognized that the software was still in development and understood that there were still bugs to be worked out and features to be implemented. Not all of the features above worked all the time or always exactly as described. Additionally, there were a number of cosmetic interface issues which needed to be improved. Of course, the purpose of the focus group was to help Hasbro identify those issues. There are still some significant obstacles to overcome, developing and improving the AI chief among them. It's not surprising to me that this task is still ongoing. Frankly, I have doubts about *anyone's* ability to code an AI that can play competitively against an experienced player. To me, Diplomacy does not seem to be the kind of game that lends itself to that type of process. I think Hasbro will do well simply to code an AI that can play adequately against beginning level players, making reasonable moves, not being too repetitive, and not making obvious mistakes. They're still working on that, however, and I know they're committed to the best result possible.

There were requests for some additional features which I won't delineate here because I'm not sure if Hasbro can (or wishes) to implement them prior to the planned ship date. Suffice it to say that I'm convinced that they want the best for the game both as a revenue generating product *and* as a tool to support and develop the hobby. As planned right now, I see the Diplomacy software as being designed to meet 3 basic needs. One, single-player play - mostly there but dependent on a functional AI. Two, true real-time multi-player play via the net - virtually done now, just requiring some bug fixes and interface re-design. Three, a judge front-end - not yet implemented but under development and not likely to be very difficult to achieve.

All in all, I'm impressed by the potential of what I've seen and, more importantly, by the attitude with which Hasbro, particularly Bill Levay, is approaching the project. Here's hoping they continue in that fashion and are able to realize the full potential of the product.

David Partridge (Fri, 9 Jul 1999 12:45:07 -0700 (PDT))

Hi Jim, Not much to add to Pitt's message (and no time to do so (<:). In general I think that what Hasbro is coming out with will fill a new niche in the hobby. It is an attempt to supply a way of playing face to face over the internet and it is certainly a good effort in this direction. It also provides a means for playing solo, although I doubt it will ever provide an interesting game for anyone except a newcomer. I see it complementing the judges and the postal hobby rather than replacing either. Hasbro's attitude is a very positive one and I think this will only be good for the hobby.

Mark Stretch (Mon, 5 Jul 1999 22:45:20)

Further details of the MSO diplomacy tournament, as promised. Please can you pass this on to anybody who may be interested, and could editors please publicise this in their zines.

The 3rd Mind Sports Olympiad takes place at the Olympia Conference Centre in London from August 21st-29th 1999, with a prize fund of 100,000 pounds. There are 96 tournaments encompassing more than 35 different games and mental skills, including Chess, Bridge, Backgammon, Scrabble, Othello, Intelligence, Creative Thinking, Memory Skills, Mental Calculations, ..... etc.

A one-day Diplomacy tournament will be held on Saturday August 21st, from 10am to 9:30pm with breaks as appropriate.

Tournament director and organizer of the Diplomacy event is Mark Stretch (Tel: 01235 519720, e-mail: mark of 34dartdrive.freeserve.co.uk).

The entry fee is 13 pounds for adults, 5 pounds for juniors (under 18 on August 21st). There will be three prizes: 1st 300 pounds, 2nd 150 pounds, 3rd 50 pounds. Gold, Silver and Bronze medals will be awarded to the three leading places.

Extra entry forms may be obtained from: Mind Sports Olympiad, PO Box 13388, London NW3 5FB. Or visit our web site at www.mindsports.co.UK/

Russ Roe (Tue, 13 Jul 1999 16:37:45 EDT)

Or, in these days of plug and play, should that be plug and pun?

Jim, a friend told me about your zine. Send me your own write-up advertisement and I will plug your zine with four GM's.

I am asking you to give me a plug for a 12 man global diplomacy game ... a good board for playing. This uses the regular diplomacy map superimposed on the world. The powers added are: USA, Brazil, Ethiopia, Japan, and India.

I played the last game [still up and running] under John Armstrong, the game designer. I offered to GM a game for him so that he could finally play in his own game, so he is a player in this game, named Russ-ian Roulette.

I have 8 players now, and need 4 more. Also, another game will be GM'd following this game in the near future. You can view the game rules at:

http://www.armstronglab.com/GDRules.htm

Who is this guy you wrote about ... Bernly ... or ... Bernie? If he was so good, I would have liked to play in a game or two with him. Maybe he will play in my game.

((Maybe he will. He can read this, check out the Web site and decide for himself.))

((As a final plug, let me remind everyone that lucky Vertigo Games XIII is coming up Labor Day weekend (September 4-6) at Chez Wilson, Paoli, PA. I went last year and had a bang-up time - even learning that Robert Sacks is a fine human being! Brad Wilson had a big write up in Vertigo #122 and I'd be pleased to send detailed info to anyone who asks. This is probably the largest and best of the famous Diplomacy hobby housecons remaining in existence. Check it out!!))

It is still time to send in your ``best of 1998'' lists. Give it to me anyway you want to - a top 10, a couple of favorites, a list, an essay, whatever - the classic is to tell me your top singles, top albums, and best concerts of the year, but you are the boss. Don't wait too long though because I want to move into the party tape issues pretty quickly. I'm going to have to delay Part III of the lists with the large outpouring of material for this issue.

This section is developing a list of the great party singles of the century. You'll get a definite sense of quirky before we're done. You'll also get a sense of timelessness. I'll assume that I'll also get some comments from some of you. I'm going to set a slate of only 10 - that's just ONE more from what is below and then DEMAND votes from you out there to fill the rest of the slots. The Bullpen voting system I am envisioning will work like this: you each get ten votes which you can allocate across as few as two songs (5 votes apiece) or as many as ten songs (1 vote for each). You can allocate your ten votes any way you want, but you can't put any more than five votes on any one song. You also get ONE B-52 song vote (although you can add votes from your main allotment if desired) and THREE Drug Song votes which will be held in a separate category. The other ``special'' bullpens must be voted on from your main allotment of votes. I decided that I WILL print running totals and print the names of the people who have voted. Also, you guys wrote some great stuff about the songs, so I've printed that too! Write-ins will be permitted, but are unlikely to win. I know I have lost some suggestions that aren't in the bullpen lists below, so feel free to mention 'em again! Everything that started in the bullpen started with one vote.

To encourage voting early, five voters at random will receive five US dollars from me (either in cash or paid to someone for Dip stuff). I will take these voters at random every other issue, starting with this issue, and draw one randomly, so early voters get FIVE chances to win, but no one will be allowed to win twice. I'm also giving the round one voters below five chances in said drawing, those in the second round four, and so on, to more heavily penalize the chances of those last minute voters and reward these pioneers! That should do it!! Since this issue is monstrous, I am pushing back my voters to next issue and my prize awards likewise. Prizes will be awarded in issues 222 and 224. Get your Round 4 votes in now if you don't see your name below!!! You each will receive two chances in the drawing for the next five dollar prize. Voters in Round 1 were Mike Barno($5), Rick Desper ($5), Tony Dickinson, Drew James, Heath Gardner, and John Harrington. Round 2 postal voters are John Schultz ($5) Ian Moore, and Stan Johnson. In future drawings these people will have five chances, just as the Round 1 voters. Round 2 E-Mail voters get four chances and are Scott Morris, Warren Goesle, Peter Sullivan, and Michael Lowrey. Round 3 voters are Dick Martin, Richard Weiss, and Rip Gooch; they get three chances to win. There are 60 chances up for grabs.... and Rick Desper wins this issue's prize. Since he is in Germany, he may find it useful. Let me know if you want me to send any money to someone here in the US!! I'll pay out all of the awards at the end, but if you need me to send anyone money, just speak up.

We'll end up with a monster party tape at the end of it that I plan to segue and sequence and copy for distribution. The result will be a great New Millenium party tape. I've also been thinking that I should put this out on CD as truly emblematic of the new millenium. I don't have the capability to do that quite yet, but I think I might by then. Any suggestions (or especially volunteers) on this front will be cheerfully accepted and could receive monetary payments!

So far, we have ``I Melt With You'' by Modern English; George Gershwin's ``I got Plenty O' Nuttin' '' from Porgy and Bess in the 1957 concert recording with Ella Fitzgerald finishing off the vocals after Louis Armstrong blows and sings through the tune; Duke Ellington performing Billy Strayhorn's ``Take the A Train''; Frank Sinatra's ``New York, New York''; something from the B-52's; the original Van Morrison and Them version of ``Gloria''; The (English) Beat's 12 inch version of ``Save It for Later'' ratchets things up to the next level (wherever you put it!); Buster Poindexter's ``Hot, Hot, Hot'' keeps you there; ``Atomic Dog'' by George Clinton blows the doors off, and Koko Taylor cleans up singing Willie Dixon's ``Wang Dang Doodle''.

EXTRA SPECIAL B-52'S BULLPEN: (6) ``Love Shack''. (5) ``Rock Lobster". (3) ``Planet Claire''. (2)``Give Me Back My Man"; NONE. (1) ``Dance This Mess Around"; ``Private Idaho''; ``Deadbeat Club''; ``52 Girls''.

BULLPEN: (9) Nirvana - ``Smells Like Teen Spirit". (8) ``Mannish Boy" - Muddy Waters; ``Proud Mary'' - Ike and Tina Turner. (7) ``Cumberland Blues'' - the Grateful Dead; ``Twist & Shout" - Beatles. (6) ``Twistin the Night Away" - Sam Cooke; ``Shake, Rattle, & Roll" - Big Joe Turner; ``Magic Carpet Ride" - Steppenwolf; ``Crossroads'' - Eric Clapton; ``Play That Funky Music'' - Wild Cherry; ``Radar Love'' - Golden Earring; ``In Between Days'' - The Cure; Devo - ``Whip It". (4) Lou Reed - ``Sweet Jane''; ``Jambalaya" - Hank Williams; Public Enemy - ``Bring Tha Noize"; ``I Feel Good" - James Brown; ``Brick House" - The Commodores; Peter Frampton - ``Do you feel like we do". (3) ``Dancing With Myself'' - Billy Idol's Gen X; ``Tweedle Dee'' by Lavern Baker; B Movie - ``Nowhere Girl"; ``Add It Up'' - Violent Femmes; ``I Wanna Be Sedated" - Ramones; ``Locomotion" - Little Eva; Ini Kamoze - ``Here Comes the Hotstepper"; Squeeze - ``If I Didn't Love You"; ``party at ground zero'' by fishbone; ``Rocking the Casbah'' - The Clash; ``The Butterfly Collector" - The Jam; ``Roadrunner'' - Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers; Hot Chocolate -``You Sexy Thing"; Go-Go's - ``Our Lips are Sealed"; ``In the Mood" - Glenn Miller; ``Louie, Louie'' - The Kingsmen. (2) ``Fire on the Mountain'' - the Grateful Dead; Violent Femmes - ``Blister in the Sun"; ``Want Ad Blues" - John Lee Hooker; ``Suffragette City'' - David Bowie; Green Day - ``Basket Case''; Susan Tedeschi - ``It Hurt So Bad''; ``Debaser'' - The Pixies; ``What I Like About You" - Romantics; ``Train In Vain'' - The Clash; ``Revolution" - the Beatles; Little Richard - ``Rock Island Line''; ``Magic Mountain" - the Animals; ``Pass the Dutchie" - Peter Tosh; ``What Time is Love'' - KLF; ``One Love" - Bob Marley; Doors - ``Roadhouse Blues"; Strunz and Farrah - ``Americas''; ``Ebeneezer Goode'' - The Shamen; ``Lithium'' - Nirvana. (1) ``Walk This Way'' - Run-DMC; ``How Soon Is Now?'' - The Smiths; ``Last of the Famous International Playboys'' - Morrissey; ``Brass in Pocket'' - The Pretenders; ``Machine Gun'' - The Commodores; ``Roadrunner'' - the Animals; ``I'm Coming Out'' - Diana Ross; Clarence ``Gatemouth'' Brown - ``Up Jumped the Devil''; David Bowie - ``Fame''; ``Been Caught Stealing'' - Jane's Addiction; ``Hard to Handle'' - Black Crowes; ``Birth-day'' - Suzanne Vega; Bangles - ``Hazy Shade of Winter"; Led Zeppelin - ``Hey, Hey what can I do"; Three Dog Night - ``Shambala"; ``Party Train'' - Gap Band; Concrete Blonde - ``Still in Hollywood"; ``The Pusher" - Steppenwolf; ``Give the Dog a Bone" - AC/DC; ``Chain of Fools" - Aretha Franklin; ``Ballroom Blitz'' - The Sweet; ``Hi Ho Silver Lining'' - Jeff Beck; ``And We Danced" - Hooters; ``Particle Man" - They Might Be Giants; Erasure - ``River Deep, Mountain High"; ``All Along the Watchtower" - Jimi Hendrix's KISS THE SKY version of Bob Dylan's song); ``I Wanna Be a Lifeguard'' - Blotto; ``Hollywood Handsome" - Tuscadero; ``Connection" - Elsatica; ``Happiness is a Warm Gun" - The Breeders; ``Why do you Drink?" - Hank Williams, Jr.; ``Freshly" - Dillinger; ``Fool's Gold'' - Stone Roses; ``Wannabe'' - Spice Girls; ``All Right Now'' - Free.

SPECIAL GEORGE CLINTON BULLPEN: (2) ``I Just Wanna Testify''; ``Flash Light''. (1) Prince - ``Bob & George"; ``Let's Take It to the Stage'', ``The Pinocchio Theory''.

SPECIAL MILLENNIUM BULLPEN: ``1999'' - Prince; ``Disco 2000'' - Pulp. These songs are officially INELIGIBLE FOR THE TAPE!!!

SPECIAL ROLLING STONES BULLPEN: (6) ``Paint It Black''. (3) ``Sympathy for the Devil''; ``Satisfaction". (2) ``Jumpin' Jack Flash"; ``Honky Tonk Woman''; ``Brown Sugar''. (1) ``Get Off of My Cloud''; ``Gimme Shelter''; ``Street Fighting Man''; ``Bitch''; ``I met a ginsoaked bar-room queen in Memphis".

SPECIAL TALKING HEADS BULLPEN: (9) ``Take me to the River". (2) ``Life During Wartime''; ``Psycho Killer''. (1) ``The Great Curve''; the entire Speaking in Tongues record.

SPECIAL ALPHABET SONG BULLPEN: (6) ``YMCA" - Village People. (1) ``MTA" - Kingston Trio.

SPECIAL DRUG MUSIC BULLPEN: (8) ``Red, Red Wine'' - UB40. (6) ``Don't Bogart that Joint'' - Fraternity of Man; ``The Old Dope Peddler'' - Tom Lehrer. (5) ``Casey Jones'' - the Grateful Dead. (4) ``Cocaine'' - Eric Clapton's version. (3) The Toys - ``Smoke Two Joints''; ``White Rabbit'' - Jefferson Airplane; ``Bush Doctor'' - Peter Tosh; ``Love Is the Drug'' - Roxy Music. (2) ``Easy Skanking" - Bob Marley; ``Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll'' - Ian Dury and the Blockheads; ``The Needle and the Damage Done'' - Neil Young; Pink Floyd - ``Obscured by Clouds''; ``I'm an Okie from Muskogee'' - Merle Haggard; Stranglers - ``Golden Brown''; entire Animals album - Pink Floyd; ``Panama Red'' - New Riders; Thin Lizzy - ``Whisky in the Jar''. (1) ``Smoke, Smoke, Smoke (That Cigarette)'' - Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen; ``Legalize It'' - Peter Tosh; ``Heroin'' - Lou Reed and Velvet Underground; ``The Drugs Don't Work" - The Verve; ``Old Red Eyes is Back" - Beautiful South; ``Hemp, for Victory'' - Ramon Renedge; ``Revolution'' - Spacemen 3; ``Halcyon'' - Orbital; ``Sinsemilla" - Black Uhuru; Hawkwind - ``LSD''; ``Hassan I Sahba''(Hashish) - Hawkwind; Sisters Of Mercy - ``Amphetamine Logic''; ``More Songs about Chocolate and Girls'' - The Undertones; ``Cars Hiss By My Window'' from LA Woman - The Doors; Levellers - ``Just the One''; New Model Army - ``Heroin''.

Don Williams (Wed, 30 Jun 1999 11:14 -0700)

First off, I second Rich Gooch's complaint of no Queen on your list ... how could you?!?! (As you know, I had a small zine named Flick of the Wrist, once upon a decade.) And no Thorogood or ZZTop either?!? No Blondie?!?!?! (Rip Her to Shreds, Atomic, Heart of Glass, Call Me, and the almighty Rapture (arguably the first rap/hip-hop song) ... do these mean nothing do you, O Heartless Wretch of Calculated Cruelty?) Ahem ... there are some biases to your list ... nature of the beast and all that, but the bias is there all the same. I danced both rock and disco party music, Jimbo. Well it is, after all, your list and you can do as you want. Confining (almost) myself to the choices allowed, I vote as follows ... ((Yeah, well this is pretty much of an impossible task....))

Special B-52's Vote: Love Shack (The video's overplayed? Don't watch - song's a classic.)

Drug Music Vote: (1) Obscured by Clouds; (1) Cocaine/Clapton (1) Red, Red Wine/UB40 - Rescued from the hideous Diamond version

Bullpen Vote: (1) Twist & Shout/Beatles; (1) Louis, Louis/The Kingsmen; (2) You Sexy Thing/Hot Chocolate; (3) Brick House/The Commodores (special mention, ``MachineGun"); (1) Sympathy for the Devil/Stones (special mention ``Honky-Tonk Woman"); (1) Our Lips are Sealed/Go-Go's; (1) In The Mood / Glenn Miller; (5) Play That Funky Music/Wild Cherry*

* I demand, as ... well, I demand, an extra five votes for this song to make up for the fact that you didn't list it in the first place. You seem pretty fast and loose (read: manipulative) with the vote allocations anyway, so I may as well get in on the action. ((I'll give you one extra, just like I gave everyone else. You will recall that I gave you about five issues (maybe more) to get in nominations to get things on the list.))

I enjoyed your offensive screed ... er, thoughtful editorial, regarding the awards. I concur that they've become cocooned. I don't vote anymore - and I religiously used to for years - because I don't have a basis of meaningful comparison. I think the world of you and your services, but how do I vote for you over four others whose work I know only by indirect reputation? Didn't read anything of the Walker Award nominees, so how do I vote on that? (Maybe the stuff is on a webpage somewhere for the reading and I'm just a solid lead dolt.) ((They ***should*** be and this MUST be fixed in the future.)) Ditto Hyatt and Koning awards ... there's no basis anymore. Throwing votes around based on ignorance is a dishonor to the awards, the process, the nominees ... and to my sense of what's fair. ((You can always do write-ins.... I wrote in people where necessary to offer my opinions.))

And I have the same questions you raised about the committee ... I'm very glad to see Gary Behnen, Dipper Honorarius Emeritus, included, but I didn't know he was active at all in any way-shape-form. Cool that he is. Expansion to the PBEM (and that hybrid, e-snail**, play) gets my vote.

** - Just made it up. E-snail play would be the regular PBM-style play augmented with (but not entirely dependant on) e-mail and internet communication. It combines the more leisurely pace of PBM deadlines and monthly turn-arounds with the rapidity and ease of e-mail-ular communication. A hybrid form that ``Arsenic" is a good example of ... the one player not on the e-mail went down first. Maybe a coincidence, maybe not. ((I actually think it was a combination of circumstances where that was in the running, but not the number one reason. The main reason was that you coordinated Kathy's elimination, you dog, you. I'm sure she'll never forgive you, but she's forgiven me.... ;-) Hyork, hyork, hyork...))

Andy York (Thu, 1 Jul 1999 21:59:54 -0400)

Hi,

Quickie note - I agree with you vis a vis the hobby. I don't believe the folks that feel it is in decline, it is growing. However, the postal side of the hobby IS fading (though it seems to have stabilized) as the electronic side is growing by leaps and bounds. However, this is an aspect of the world's move towards a global society connected by wire rather than by post.

I know I much prefer the feel of paper in my hand - and I don't think it will completely disappear any time soon - but the world and technology continues to grow and change. The Web and the ``e" lifestyle is where we are heading. We, as a hobby, need to bridge the two mediums (and you're doing a fine job of it!) - and along with it the Hobby Awards/Committee need to evolve.

On another tack, I'm quite enjoying the City of Austin. The live music available is absolutely amazing. Take any weekend night and there will be 75-100+ different live bands playing and, even on a weeknight, you can find 40-50 or more. Just about all types of music are offered, from ska to punk, from blues to swing and Sunday mornings, gospel shows at the local BBQ spot.

Quick Voting: B-52s - Rock Lobster; Drug Songs - 3 for write-in ``White Rabbit"; Other Votes: Whip It, Magic Carpet Ride (3 votes), YMCA, Proud Mary (5 votes)

Richard Weiss (Tue Jun 29 17:05:59 1999)

Music: I don't remember much about parties and the Beatles. At that age of my life we played post office more than dance music, and Bobby Vinton for the slow dances more than the Beatles for the wiggling stuff.

I saw Willie Nelson play at the San Joaquin County Fair last week. I was in the minority of first timers. Got into the fair when it opened, waited in the first group of about 30 people waiting for the music venue to open, and after 150 minutes, walked in and grabbed a 5th row center seat, but about 30 feet from the stage and maybe 50 from him. He played almost two hours, most every song I knew and lots of others.

The most amazing thing was not how ``cute" he was when he smiled, nor how good a time he was obviously having, but, that, before it got dark, he made eye contact AND personally gave a small wave to at least 500 people who waved at him. OK, maybe 250, but a lot. That and the wearing hats and bandanas that people threw up at him were what made the show so special to me. A good time by all for all.

Kurt Ozog (Sun, 04 Jul 1999 16:03:15 -0500)

Jim: here's something you may include in the music section of a later issue.

Any Porcupine Tree fans out there? Probably very few if any. Who are they? They are a sonic, modern-day progressive rock band out of England who have just released their 5th album titled Stupid Dream. In addition, they have just completed their first ``official" tour of the States, and are already planning a second tour this fall. I managed to see back-to-back shows last month in Milwaukee and Chicago. After following them and their music for four years, mere words cannot describe how awesome and powerful the live shows were.

The band itself began in '88 as a concept by Steven Wilson-lead guitar and vocalist. It has since grown to a full quartet with each member contributing to the music and song writing. The definitive Porcupine Tree sound incorporates psychedelia, soaring guitars, thundering drums, and surreal keyboards. They have been branded in the past as a Pink Floyd sound-a-like outfit. This is true to the extent of Steven's guitar work is very similar to Dave Gilmour's on many songs. However, Porcupine Tree's overall approach is more to the point.

My good music buddy and brother Eric originally got me into this fantastic band back in '95. That was the year of what can be called their `American break-through' with the release of the stellar The Sky Moves Sideways. An instant classic which vaguely resembles Pink Floyd with its guitar work, keyboards, and song-structure-the title track is made up of five astonishing movements which leaves you breathless by the conclusion. Other incredible tracks include `Stars Die', `Moonloop', and `The Moon Touches Your Shoulder.' The concept of the album is based on space travel-yeah, I know; it's been done before. ((Yeah, but I love it.... the all time best such album is the classic Intergalactic Touring Band release back in the 1970's.)) But try this space-rock album out, and listen to it a few times. It is too cool and out of this world.

Other releases by Porcupine Tree include On the Sunday of Life ('88), Up the Downstair ('93), and Signify ('96). I had managed to pick all three up on import in the fall of '97 as I had never heard of these albums except the then newer Signify. This new fan became an instant devoted follower at the psychedelic, chaotic, awe-inspiring opening tracks on Up the Downstair. Absolutely amazing record which begins with a mysterious instrumental track...``What you are listening to, are musicians... playing psychedelic music... under the influence of a mind-altering chemical called...." And WHAM! The album fully launches into the crashing sounds of `Synesthesia', a track full of psychedelia, piercing guitar, droning keyboards, and Steven Wilson's distant and eerie vocals. It sets the tone for the rest of the album-win or lose, life or death, chaos or tranquility, etc. The final struggle happens near the end of the album with the intense, chaotic instrumental overture `Burning Sky'-hurling you towards the inevitable, only allowing a brief quiet moment to barely catch your breath at the sound of the clock ticking away. The song finishes in a series of loud, disturbing crashes on the drums, guitar and keyboards.....only the clock remains ticking as it fades away into the unbelievable `Fadeaway.' The final track leaves you reassured that you have survived the chaos-but whether you lived, or died and went to another world seems to be the real question.....``Hit heaven far too high...."

Signify was the first album where all four band members contributed to the music and song writing. What else can I say other than another fantastic record? Another mysterious opening track `Bornlivedie' with the vague sound of a telephone conversation which suddenly gives way to the monsterous title track. ``Signify" wreaks havoc with a powerful head-banging drum beat, accented by the Steven Wilson's now trademark guitar. The album as a whole is more textured with sporadic fits of rock assaults. And like preceding albums, it ends with a reassurance to be continued. On the Sunday of Life is a great record, however bizarre. It captures Porcupine Tree's raw beginning of experimentation and exploration-hmm, drug influence here? A classic song here on this record is `Radioactive Toy' - a song seemingly about the Saddam Hussein's in the world today: ``Give me... the freedom to destroy... Give me.... radioactive toy...."

The new album Stupid Dream follows a more pop-driven path than all previous releases by the Tree. However all the remaining elements are there. The first track, `Even Less' begins with a subtle keyboard intro that slowly grows. Steven Wilson's definitive guitar rises and once again sets the theme of the track and the rest of the album; when suddenly the drums come crashing down.

WOW!! This is the sound of a band fully in charge of their music and perhaps their own destiny-more than ever before. The new album reeks full of catchy choruses, melodies and harmonies-very contagious material. The track `Piano Lessons' is the most catchy song the band have ever done. All you will want to do is keep playing this song over and over and over again. As with all previous albums, this one ends with a reassurance following all the loud, chaotic rock music in its content. This album finishes rather quietly, but it's a fitting ending.

The concerts-beyond belief. Intoxicatingly magnificent. Mesmerizing, and out-of-this-world amazing. They are similer to Pink Floyd when they hit the stage for the first few times-the psychedelic slide shows projecting onto the band, crazy lights, etc. Both shows in Milwaukee and Chicago were in small clubs packed with about 200 - 300 people. Meager numbers to say the least, but they aren't very renown over here in the States-yet. They DO NOT get the credit they deserve. Both shows were well received by an awe-struck and highly appreciative crowd. I can't rave enough about them.

For brand new listeners, I would recommend getting the new album Stupid Dream for starters. Porcupine Tree is highly recommended for progressive/space rock fans. Fantastic music here. They'll blow you away.

((Thanks VERY much for the extended review, Kurt! I'm going to go pick up this record for sure...))

Mark D Lew (Wed, 30 Jun 1999 16:26:38 -0700)

Speaking of ``it ain't over", I managed to get a free ticket to SFO's final Walküre, from a guy whose girlfriend canceled at the last minute. Fortunately the saying is not true: otherwise, with Jane Eaglen and Deborah Voigt sharing the stage, it would have been a very short opera indeed! (In case you print this, your opera-impaired readers will want to know that Ms. Eaglen and Ms. Voigt are two leading sopranos who - along with a third, Sharon Sweet - are best known to the general public for their immense girth. Ms Voigt, I think, is slightly less large than she has been in the past, but I don't doubt that the two of them together still add up to 600 lbs.) La Eaglen was disappointing. She sounded lovely but not thrilling, and her characterization of Brünnhilde was unconvincing. La Voigt, in contrast, was to die for. I had seen her on a PBS special way back when and was unimpressed, but as Sieglinde she was everything an opera queen could hope for - gorgeous voice, delicious crisp diction, passionate and graceful, every ounce of her divine. I normally don't much care for sopranos, but I loved her.

((Good, this will fit in with a ``classical" bent to the next issue music discussion. I'm always on the look out for sopranos who sound good to soprano challenged ears!))

Mark D Lew (Fri, 2 Jul 1999 18:27:39 -0700)

Hm. La Voigt probably does not fall into that category. I loved her because she was so good, but it was definitely in that ``operatic" way that doesn't appeal to everyone. (My lengthier review of the Walküre can be found on rec.music.opera, by the way.) I would perhaps recommend Sumi Jo, who has a lovely sound which is high and pure and crystal-like. Some die-hard opera fans find her to be too squeaky and lightweight, but she's reasonably well-respected. Incidentally, there is a theory in the opera community that it is among Asian singers, and specifically Koreans, that the traditional Italian style of bel canto singing is being best preserved. Surprising, considering that just 10 years ago Asian opera singers were about as common as Asian baseball players, but I can definitely see the evidence.

The biggest brouhaha among opera fans these days is over Charlotte Church, whose billing as a ``12-year-old soprano" drives some opera snobs apoplectic. I've never actually heard Miss Church, but from what I gather she's the latest in a long line of singers (eg, Andrea Bocelli) who lack a solid vocal technique but make up for it with a certain charm which appeals to the classical-lite crowd. (One can't help wondering if it somehow helps to have a gimmick like blindness or pre-pubescence.) Opera fans, accustomed to hearing the sound vocal technique necessary for non-miked live performance, genuinely don't care for the sound of Miss Church et al. When they see the wider public buying her CDs by the millions and hailing her as a talented ``opera singer", many of the more discriminating opera fans become offended almost to the point of hysteria.

((I've heard a very small amount of Charlotte Church and you have it just about right. I do not get apoplectic (however you spell that....) about such trivialities, but it simply is impossible for a 12 year old to have a fully developed adult voice, and she doesn't. If I were inclined to tweak, I would suggest why the anglophile crowd gushes over boy sopranos in church music and why girls can't sing too.))

((If I were to compare Charlotte Church to some class of singers it would be boy sopranos. I like some of that music too, I try to take everything on its own terms without getting too hung up on labels.))

((I didn't get to my classical music review or something I want to print from Conrad, but it will allow me to toss out now that if anyone has something interesting to say on that front, now would be a good time... now, how 'bout that Al Gore....))

Richard Gooch (Mon, 12 Jul 1999 15:34:28 -0700 (PDT))

Jim, How many issues out of date can I be? Maybe I'll try for the record (which is ... ?). ((Oh, with the past issues up on the WWW, lots. I've had people comment back a dozen issues or more. Sometime, I have to get around to putting another hundred or more issues up there for people to surf back through. Most of this occurs when people use search engines. Since the DipPouch page gets hit a lot, most search engines pull up obscure stuff from past TAP issues fairly readily.))

The latest arrived today - two days after the deadline. I really must work a regular visit to your web page into my daily surfing routine! I skimmed the issue on the computer, but decided to wait until the arrival of the dead tree version before responding. Perhaps not the best idea. ((But, the common idea, as I've been arguing to Stephen Agar, asking him to watch how people respond to Spring Offensive now that it is almost totally E-Mail. It is getting reprinted as a subszine later.))

So. You mentioned The Nice. Now there was a band! I saw them a number of times, most notably on Hendrix's first tour. Always in Newcastle upon Tyne which is where British tours traditionally used to start. The audience is the most responsive and most critical, so it was always seen as a proving ground. Keith Emerson used to stab his Hammond, then ride it like a rodeo performer. The sounds he got out of that thing were other-worldly. I swear nobody's played the instrument so dramatically before or since. Towards the end of their reign and just before ELP launched the supergroup era, their party piece was America. On record it is spectacular - especially the little drum break near the end. On stage it was enormous. One of the major memories of my extensive sixties/seventies concert visits. The sheer tempo of the piece really got the heart pounding. Then it all fell away a little with the uninspired Five Bridges. Not before time, The Nice broke up. I saw ELP on their debut performance at the Isle of Wight festival in 1970, complete with real cannons either side of the stage. Stadium rock arrived to herald in the seventies!

For my money, Jethro Tull was the ultimate band of that era. The showmanship and artistry of Ian Anderson was unbelievable. I followed the band around the country on their second Chrysalis tour when Blodwyn Pig and Led Zeppelin supported them. Ah, memories ...

Someone had the temerity to suggest that few of your readers would have been aware of the start of the Beatles era. I remember clearly the very first time I heard ``She Loves You''. It was a Saturday, and all the angelic little choristers (not!) were in the vestry enrobing in readiness for two weddings. Amid a great swell of excitement (the choirboys were to receive an unheard-of a crown for their work and I, as head chorister, would take home three half-crowns (look it up!)), we were half-listening to the radio. Family Forces Favourites was playing on the Light Programme. A request show for forces personnel to send messages abroad, it was one of the few places where rock and roll and the new ``pop" music could be heard on the strait-laced BBC. A raucous sound issued forth which refused to settle into any sense of true harmony (I was a music scholar at the time!), and I grimaced. The rest of the boys berated me for expressing my dislike for the song. Even in those days, the views of the many outweighed considered musical appreciation. The song was certainly different, but to my ears it was too raw and under-produced. It was another six months before the Lennon-McCartney team started to discover how to write consistently. When With The Beatles appeared, I was hooked. Today, as a devoted fan of Brian Wilson and all things surf, I make no bones about placing Revolver alongside Pet Sounds as my all-time favourite albums.

More British sexual euphemisms. The latest television commercial campaign for something called Power Bar employs the slogan ``Don't Bonk". I take this to mean ``Don't Hit The Wall". Needless to say, in England it means ``Don't Engage In Sweaty Sex". I've informed the producers of the item. I shall report on their reply. I suggested that they test the market fully before venturing into Europe!!

((I don't think I've ever actually talked to someone who SAW the Nice in person. I have all of the great Nice records (even Five Bridges, the bad one) plus a bunch of P.P. Arnold records (they were originally her backing band). While ``America" is fantastic, I've always been nutty over ``Happy Freuds", ``Thoughts of EmerList DavJack", and ``Ars Longa Vita Brevis". We'll have to share more thoughts at some point and drive my subbers crazy who hate it when I discuss what they think is obscure music.))

Rip Gooch (Tue, 13 Jul 1999 15:10:19 -0700 (PDT))

Jim, Another massive missive demonstrating my almost daily delight in discovering further evidence of three nations divided by a common language.

Re: The Nice. I'm game if you are! ``Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack'' (Emerson, O'List, Davison, Jackson - showing off (from memory)!). Maybe next time ...

Enduring a Murder She Wrote marathon on A&E, I was amused to learn of a new word which I had not previously encountered. The case under consideration hinged on the improper application of what my ears told me (but my brain refused to believe) was `solder'. ``An innocent little word" is the thought which no doubt crosses the minds of readers both British and American alike, but the conversation which ensued will enlighten one and all.

Rip: ``Solder? Did he say solder?" Pat: ``Yes, solder. It's the stuff you use to ... " Me: ``Yes, I know what it is. But why `solder'? Is that how you pronounce it?" Pat: ``Of course. `Solder'!" Me: ``All right, no need to swear!" Pat: ``What? Oh. It's another of those words, isn't it?" (Actually she said ``Eh?" - but not in a Canadian way, you understand ... ) ``Everybody around here pronounces it that way. I promise you. Why? Is there another way to pronounce it?" Me: ``You know, I've always pronounced it `solder', as in - oh, I dunno - bolder, colder, folder, holder, older, polder ... " Pat: ``Really? How strange. That certainly doesn't sound right to me. I've always pronounced it `solder', as in ... er ... " Me: ``Fodder?" Pat: ``Er ... yes" At this juncture, Pat suggested I look it up in the Canadian dictionary and, in passing, called me pedantic, nit- picking (I resisted the temptation to point out ... oh yes, I see what she means), British (I take great exception to the latter. The way she says it makes me sound SO dirty!).

I looked it up. Sure enough, in both American and Canadian dictionaries it is shown as `sodder'. In the British-English dictionary it is listed as `solder'. The curious thing is that not one of the authorities acknowledges the existence of an alternative pronunciation. How very strange. I recall seeing the episode of Murder She Wrote way back when in England (I lied when I said I ``endured" the marathon!), and I an certain I would have remembered the curious word. It must have been overdubbed to save the blushes of English audiences at the double-entendre. Significantly the estimable Ms Fletcher does not utter the word at all. It would have been incongruous indeed issuing from such prim and proper lips. ((Interesting.... from the pronunciation of the word, I would have sworn that WE got it from the Brits.))

I am struck by an apparent penchant for Americans to adopt the most awkward pronunciation of a word when it enters the language. Skimming over the delightful case of the herb garden wherein the `h' is dropped but no attempt is made to use the French form, ending up as the ugly ``Urb", I refer in the main to the car firms (or ve-hickle manufacturers) most recently arriving on these shores. Hyundai is now, and shall evermore be Hoonday. Nissan is Neesarn, and Daewoo (which an extensive advertising campaign in the UK taught us to pronounce Dey-oo) is, of course, Daywoo. On the other side of the coin, of course, when our German friends took over Chrysler (what, they didn't? Oh) it was the original German Dime-ler which was adopted. Now, far be it from me to pass judgement (judgment!) one way or the other. I am an amateur scholar of living language. I simply delight in seeing this evolution in progress. Living in Canada I am afforded the opportunity to take a step back from most of the differences, but I must comment that the publication of the most recent Canadian dictionary does concern me somewhat. Whereas before, both British and Canadian varieties of a word were given equal strength, now there is a tendency to relegate the former to no more than a mention under ``archaic" or ``Br var", despite the fact that everyday usage has not changed. I wonder how long it will be before American English has swept across Canada in the same way as it threatens to do across the UK. I enjoy the differences, the anacronisms, the colloquialisms. Is it really all Bill Gates' fault? My spell-checker would imply that this is so. I shall continue to use such words as ``whilst" and ``wherefore" and ``wherein" in everyday speech - and damn the consequences! ((I've actually picked up ``whilst'' as I find it a very useful word. Please don't tell me what American English word I ``should'' use instead. I don't want to know....))

I just checked my pulse. It's racing. Must stop. Disengage editaureole mode.

((Russ Rusnak has asked me a question about Canada and knowing you, this is the right place to put it....))

((He asks if it is true that the Canadian Human Rights Commission has called for a major review to determine if social condition or poverty should be listed nationally as a ``protected class''. This presumably would outlaw Rush Limbaugh's radio program from being syndicated in Canada since ``truth'' is not a defense under your human-rights laws.))

Mark D Lew (Wed, 14 Jul 1999 15:52:41 -0700)

Was it in TAP where I read this theory of baseball? That due to the way the money works there are three types of teams in baseball:

1. teams that can afford to be good all the time;

2. teams that can make a run at it every few years, but then have to sell off their players the following year; and

3. teams that have no money and will always be bad.

I mentioned this theory to my sister, who is a long-time Mariners fan (season tickets for about eight years, I think), suggesting that perhaps the Mariners are in category 2. Her response was that they ought to be, but their management is too stupid to accept financial reality and play it that way. They didn't put up the now-traditional fire sale following '95, but neither will they spend the money to make a serious attempt at a championship team. Instead, year after year they put up a half-ass team that can't quite make it.

She told me she thinks Junior ought to leave the team so he can get into a World Series before it's too late. (That, comment, in fact, is what prompted me to inquire about the prospect of the Ms' future.) The exact sentence - which for me required a follow-up explanation but presumably makes sense to baseball fans more attentive than I am - was, ``Junior's a great guy, but he's no Kirby Puckett."

``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.

Standby lists:

Mike Barno, Dick Martin, Brad Wilson, Jack McHugh, Glenn Petroski, Steve Emmert, Mark Kinney, Vince Lutterbie, Eric Brosius, Paul Rauterberg, Stan Johnson, Randy Ellis, Heath Gardner, Phil Reynolds, Paul Kenny, Dan Gorham, and John Schultz stand by for regular Diplomacy.

Kurt Ozog, Mike Barno, Phil Reynolds, Jim Sayers, Troy Mooney, and Harry Andruschak stand by for the Colonial Diplomacy game.

Brad Wilson, Jack McHugh, Phil Reynolds, Jim Sayers, Randy Ellis, and Kurt Ozog stand by for the Modern Diplomacy game.

I desperately need standbys for the Colonia game as I have called my one and only!

Let me know if you want on or off these lists. Standbies get the szine for free and receive my personal thanks.

The next Breaking Away is filling that will appear here. See details under the Breaking Away game below. The other game is starting in Tinamou. See the subszine for more details.

I am starting one more regular Diplomacy game. In the game so far is Buddy Tretick. See Buddy's letter above in the ``Search For'' section of the szine. Although this has to be considered something of a ``feature'' game, I won't name it after him since the previous such games I've done like that have had the featured person be eliminated quickly. I think I'll find an appropriate Mekons song for the game name. I expect this to fill quickly and will give preference to any of the old Le Front crowd should they want to play. Send $20 for the game start, which gives you a subscription for however long the game lasts and $5 in refundable NMR insurance.

The only other Diplomacy oriented opening left is an opening for a game of Star Trek Diplomacy! These will be the last Diplomacy game openings until more games end. Even though there has been no interest yet, perhaps some will develop with a little more publicity. See Stephen Agar's rules on his web page at:

http://www.spoff.demon.co.uk/variants/startrek.htm

I'm also printing the rules in this ``rules blowout'' issue. There are two changes I am looking at when I start the game. First, I really want to name all the star systems after Star Trek locations. I have begun to do this already, but if someone wants to contribute significantly, or even volunteer to do it all, I will offer a free game start in the game. Second, after naming all of the systems, I think I want to nix the ``revolving rings'' rule. I am open to suggestions on the latter, though I want to print maps and ***I*** don't know how to make the rings rotate easily. The game start is open now, and since I want to STRONGLY encourage press, you can sign up and ``claim'' a race. Stephen Agar claims the Borg and Russell Roe claims the Federation. I'm expanding my net and hope to fill this soon. This game also has the $20 game fee ($5 of it refundable for NMR insurance).

I suppose I have to admit that no one is requesting Pontevedria, the North American game opening flyer, from Conrad von Metzke any more. You can contact Conrad by E-Mail at metzke of san.rr.com if you want to ask him about it. I'd be pleased to help anyone find other game openings on a personal basis too. The longer run solution might come out of the efforts of the Brits, on which we might be able to piggyback. If you are interested, contact Stephen Agar at stephen of spoff.demon.co.uk who still heads up The Diplomatic Pouch postal section or or join the Brit hobby mailing list at: http://www.spoff.demon.co.uk/ukpbmlist.htm

THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 1751 IS JULY 31ST, 1999

Summer 1751 - note corrections

AUSTRIA (Prosnitz): has a VIENNA, a BAVARIA, a BELEM, f ADRIATIC, f SOUTH PACIFIC.

CHINA (Acheson): has a WUHAN, a TIBET, a CHINGHAI, f EAST CHINA SEA.

ENGLAND (Power): f MALAYA-siam (no coast specified); has a PERU, a KAMERON,

f MALAYA, f NORTH SEA, f IRISH SEA.

FRANCE (Gamble): has a TOULON, f LIGURIAN SEA, a SAHARA, a MASSACHUSETTS, a LEON.

NETHERLANDS (Schuetz): MORRIS RESIGNS, KARL SCHUETZ CALLED AS REPLACEMENT;

a ANTWERP-helgoland (imp); has a ANTWERP, a LOUISIANA, a GABON,

f HANOVER(WC) ((not HAMBURG)), f CORAL SEA.

OTTOMAN (Johnson): has a BAGHDAD, a SUEZ, a PERSIA, f BULGARIA(SC),

f CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN.

PORTUGAL (Stimmel): has a LISBON, a VANCOUVER, a NIZAM, a ARGENTINA,

f CANARIES.

RUSSIA (Rauterberg): has a KIEV, a LITHUANIA, a MONGOLIA, a NATAL,

f BALTIC SEA, f KOREA.

SPAIN (Gardner): has a VALENCIA, a TEXAS, a ETHIOPIA, f WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN SEA,

f PHILIPPINE SEA.

Addresses of the Participants

AUSTRIA: Gene Prosnitz, 2600 Netherland Ave., Apt. 1116, Riverdale, NY 10463, (718) 601-8131 ($5)

CHINA: Bob Acheson, 304-556 Laurier Ave., Ottawa, ONTARIO K1R 7X2, CANADA ($5)

racheson of intranet.ca

ENGLAND: John Power, 2021 Westcreek Lane, #20, Houston, TX 77027 ($5)

jrpower of bechtel.com

FRANCE: Terry Gamble, 201 Kenney Ave., Barksdale AFB, LA 71110 ($5)

velobus of shreve.net

NETHERLANDS: Standby is Karl Schuetz, 20 Toledo Lane, Willingboro, NJ 08046

OTTOMAN: Stan Johnson, 12036 S. Potomac St., Phoenix, AZ 85044, (602) 589-0034 ($5)

PORTUGAL: Robert Stimmel, Apt. #57, Casa de Sherry Apts., 2462 North Sycamore Blvd.,

Tucson, AZ 85712-2541, (520) 326-8369 ($5)

RUSSIA: Paul Rauterberg, 3116 W. American Dr., Greenfield, WI 53221, (414) 281-2339 (E-Mail)

prosit of execpc.com

SPAIN: Heath Gardner, 3017 Mayview Road, Raleigh, NC 27607 (919)-834-4832 ($5)

Plumtuckrd of aol.com or dweezil of hempseed.com or bassoon of mindspring.com

Game Notes:

1) Note that I tried to allow an army to move into the water and a fleet to move without specifying the coast where there were two possibilities. More comments in the press below.

2) I hope it isn't because he couldn't read the map (although he said his dog was ripping the map off the wall....) but Scott Morris has decided to resign now, rather than let his position fall apart. Veteran Colonia player Karl Schuetz is appointed in his place. I'd really like to run the Fall turn on time. If a delay is demanded, it is going to have to be a six week delay because I need to keep the game seasons in the szine balanced. Still, if Karl insists, we shall have a delay (i.e. to September 11th).

3) Use the first E-Mail address for Heath Gardner as the other two have been giving him problems lately.

Press:

(OSLO): Scandinavian anti-submarine forces were placed on emergency alert, after hearing rumors that a Dutch underwater demolition team had sailed from Antwerp and was conducting maneuvers in the area.

(OTTO to WHOM IT MAY CONCERN): If I wrote you and you did not reply; you will not hear from me again, until you do reply.

(ANTWERP to VIENNA): Dutch diplomats reassured the Austrian embassy today that their two great nations are getting along swimmingly.

(GM QUESTIONS):

1) Do I allow Black Press? A: Yes, absolutely. I think it makes the game more fun. If you want to negotiate, write letters, but write press for fun.

2) Shouldn't the move to Helgoland fail because Helgoland is a sea space? A: Yes, mea culpa, mea culpa.

3) Did the English move specify a coast in moving to Siam? If that is how the player wrote it, it should fail. A: And it does, it does.

4) Shouldn't Fleet Hague have gone to Hanover(WC) as there is no Hamburg? A: Right you are. The three or four of you who hit on each of these are going to help me a lot, I think. I have decided that I am going to print one page maps with spring and fall movement seasons. It seems that last check is the only way I am going to minimize errors on a map that I don't know very well.

THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 1901 IS JULY 31ST, 1999

Summer 1901

AUSTRIA (Zarr): has f ALB, a BUD, a SER.

ENGLAND (Sayers): has a EDI, f NTH, f NWG.

FRANCE (Sasseville): has f MID, a PIC, a SPA.

GERMANY (Pinelli): has f DEN, a RUH, a KIE.

ITALY (Dwyer): NMR, JOHN SCHULTZ CALLED AS STANDBY; has f ION, a APU, a TYO.

RUSSIA (Trent): has f GOB, a STP, a UKR, f RUM.

TURKEY (Munson): has f BLA, a ARM, a BUL.

Addresses of the Participants

AUSTRIA: Harold Zarr, 215 Glen Drive, Iowa Falls, IA 50126-1957, (515) 648-2821 ($5)

hdzarr of dmacc.cc.ia.us

ENGLAND: Jim Sayers, 15 Holdsworth Street, Woollahra 2025, AUSTRALIA ($10)

100233.513 of compuserve.com

FRANCE: Roland Sasseville, Jr., 38 Bucklin Street, Pawtucket, RI 02861, (401) 722-4029 ($5)

roland6 of home.com

GERMANY: Richard Pinelli, 3042 Cherry Lane, Northbrook, IL 60062, (847) 291-7520 ($5)

drahcir of AmeriTech.net

ITALY: Luke Dwyer, 49 Middlesex Drive, Slingerlands, NY 12159, (518) 439-5796 ($4)

Ldwyer of mail.colgate.edu

ITALY: Standby is John Schultz, #19390, W-M11L, Indiana Department of Correction,

Plainfield Correctional Facility, 727 Moon Road, Plainfield, IN 46168-9400

RUSSIA: Chris Trent, 8553 Banff Vista Dr., Elk Grove, CA 95624, (916) 685-7772 ($5)

ChrisT98 of aol.com

TURKEY: Scott Munson, PO Box 1042, Gardiner, MT 59030, (406) 848-2102 ($5)

samunson71 of hotmail.com

Game Notes:

1) Jim Sayers will be away from Sydney between 19th August and 26th September. His Email addresses in Los Angeles and New York will be:

LOS ANGELES: 19th August-25th August jrespondek of aol.com

NEW YORK: 25th August-4th September FSpringfie of aol.com

Jim will not be available at all between the 4th and the 26th. I'm going to try to help him stay in this game, so keep your eye on these dates and the deadlines.

2) Though Summer orders weren't due, you may notice that Luke Dwyer NMRed elsewhere in the szine. As a precaution, I have called John Schultz as a standby for the Italian position since Fall 1901 NMR's are so disasterous. As explicitly stated in my house rules, you MAY make orders conditional on who is playing the Italian position. This means you can send in two sets of orders, one to be used if Luke submits orders and one to be used if Luke fails to submit orders and use orders from John.

Press:

(MOSCOW - BERLIN): I applaud your well-designed front! I'm ready to help when and where I can.

(TSAR - ARCHDUKE): The plot is thickening quickly. I have a stealthy threat to the North and an abrasive - albeit mentally unstable - threat from the South. I hope you've got the good King's ear in Rome.

(TSAR KRISTOF RONALDOVICH - TURKISH SCUMSUCKERS): The Tsar will not stand for such a VIOLATION of Russia and her peoples! I enjoy vacationing in Crimea during the summer months (I tan quite well!) and raping and pillaging and enslavement usually means work. I hate taking work with me on vacation. Nonetheless I do appreciate your predicament. I've been to Constantinople and after visiting that hapless little burg I can see why you'd be interested in some pretty young Russians instead. Your harem must be wearing thin! My sincerest consolations.

(INFORMANT - WORLD): Beware the Anglo-French Beast!

THE DUE DATE FOR WINTER 1902 IS JULY 31ST, 1999

THE DUE DATE FOR SPRING 1903 IS AUGUST 21ST, 1999

Fall 1902

AUSTRIA (Barno): f TRI S a boh-gre, a boh-GRE, a SER S f tri, and nuked GM, Kurt Ozog,

BUL, TYO, VEN; owns TRI, VIE, BUD, gre, ser (5).

ENGLAND (S. Kenny): f WAL-tun, f nwg-NWY, a YOR-lon, and nuked ENG, MID, IRI, BRE(2), SKA;

owns LON, EDI, nwy (3).

FRANCE (McCullough): f gas-LVP, a BUR-lon, and nuked RUH, HOL, HEL, DEN, BAL;

owns lvp (1).

GERMANY (Weiss): a pru-NAP and nuked BRE(2), PAR, MAR, SPA, POR; owns nap (1).

ITALY (Reichert): f APU S a tus-tun, a tus-TUN, and nuked ANK, SMY, CON, SYR, ARM;

owns ROM, tun (2).

RUSSIA (Schultz): f gob-SWE, a lvn-WAR, a ukr-RUM, f SEV S a ukr-rum, and nuked

BER, MUN, KIE, one very small nuke on Beale St., San Francisco;

owns STP, MOS, WAR, SEV, swe, rum (6).

TURKEY (Gardner): nuked EME, AEG, ION, ADR, WME; owns none (0).

Addresses of the Participants

Sandy Kenny, 23 East Coulter Avenue, Collingswood, NJ 08108-1208

Jody McCullough, 1071 Brown Avenue, Lafayette, CA 94549-3153

jodym of sprintmail.com

Richard Weiss, Richard Weiss, 500 Beale St. # 104, San Francisco, CA 94105, (415) 512-7221

rcw of sirius.com (preferred) or rcw23 of hotmail.com

Sara Reichert, 20805 Margaret, Carson, CA 90745-1224

John Schultz, #19390, W-M11L, Indiana Department of Correction,

Plainfield Correctional Facility, 727 Moon Road, Plainfield, IN 46168-9400

Heath Gardner, 3017 Mayview Road, Raleigh, NC 27607

Plumtuckrd of aol.com or dweezil of hempseed.com or bassoon of mindspring.com

Mike Barno, 634 Dawson Hill Road, Spencer, NY 14883

mpbarno of lightlink.com

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

TOTAL

SANDY KENNY

4

3

7

JODY MCCULLOUGH

3

1

4

RICHARD WEISS

4

1

5

SARA REICHERT

1

2

3

JOHN SCHULTZ

0

6

6

HEATH GARDNER

5

0

5

MIKE BARNO

0

5

5

Black Holed

15

15

30

Neutral

2

1

3

Total

34

34

68

Times GM Nuked

1

1

2

Greenland

1

0

1

Iceland

1

0

1

Kurt Ozog

0

1

1

Beale St., SF

0

1

1

Game Notes:

1) I'm not printing your new country starting positionss until next time, but note that Spring 1903 deadline where Heath Gardner will be Austria, Mike Barno England, Sandy Kenny France, Jody McCullough Germany, Richard Weiss Italy, Sara Reichert Russia, and John Schultz Turkey.

2) Note Heath's new preferred E-Mail address.

Press:

(MIKE to JIM): You live at latitude 41.837413 degrees north, longitude 71.433754 degrees west, in block 44007002300402. (That's state 44, county 007 in that state, tract 0023.00 in that county, block group 4 in that tract, block 02 in that block group.)

(JIM-BOB to MIKE): I was told that my long/lat was N 41 degrees 50.220 minutes and W 71 degrees 25.976 minutes. This translates to 41.837000 and 71.432933 by my calculator. By placing me a little north and a little east of the center of my yard, I believe your program is zeroing in on the tree in my front yard. An understandable error..... you have my census block and tract correct.

(MIKE to JIM): Was the pointcode you quoted based on the NAD27 or NAD83 datum? The marketing industry's geocoding segment has been still on the 1927 standards for years; Claritas is just switching its default to NAD83 with the 1999 updates of its many products. I don't remember which datum I was using for this inquiry. ((Beats me, I was using DeLorme's Street Atlas product.))

(MIKE to JIM): Besides Street Atlas, DeLorme also produces MapExpert. Others in my group use them to identify points, build polygons to define study areas, and in a couple of people's cases, to actually produce maps for clients. I don't use any software of these types (except a couple of jobs I loaded files into MapInfo but didn't do much except SQL Queries). Odds are Street Atlas has both NAD's.

(ENGLAND to ALL): Hope you all had a nice Fourth of July...But remember, the fireworks won't end just yet..there's still a lot of nuking to do!!

(FRANCE to BRITS): In retaliation for your entirely unprovoked attack on Brest and all surrounding areas.

(MIKE to SIR KENTLEYBOROUGHFORDSON):

Forest

dark green

a ponderosa pine

a nesting falcon

a family of squirrels

an interdependent community

each one indispensable to all.

(MIKE to DOC MUNSON): The planet was dark green. Many things were born on the planet. Yellow-and-black bees, orange and lime trees, pink panthers, red dogs, average white teams, poisonous plants called blue devils. There was even a brief time in the Cretaceous era when one-eyed one-horned flying purple people eaters roamed the land. (They died out because there were no people to eat during the Cretaceous.) Each plant and animal eventually sank back into the dark green swamp or the dark green moss. No creature lived forever, yet the planet lives on. The dark green shall win in the end. ((Not in this here szine it won't!!!))

(MIKE to SARA): That was absolutely the most genteel, tactful, delicate, subtle, ``ladylike" ultimatum of nuclear blackmail ever directed at me.

(SARA REICHERT to MIKE BARNO): Excuse me, sir, but I have bone to pick with you about your statement that I work for ``check-cashing loan sharks''. Loan sharks?? You obviously do not know what is going on in southern California with the banks. Two blocks west and two blocks south of my Mother's house (where I prefer to have my mail sent) is a shopping center. This shopping center has a Bank of America doing business about 25 yards from a check-cashing service! Or maybe it is the other way around. This is true all over southern California.

Why? Because we have had a wave of bank mergers, with the big getting bigger by eliminating the smaller. The big banks will not cash checks for lower income people without excessive fees. Set up fees, account fees, minimum balance fees, per-check fees, fees for using the ATM, fees for not using the ATM, fees for teller service, and so forth. The check cashing businesses cash checks at a lower rate than what Bank of America and the other big banks would. Also, in many neighborhoods there are no banks, so what would the people do without the check cashing services?

I am awaiting an apology.

(GERMANY - GM): Free abuse points for good press of bad puns! Thou knowest not what thou encourages, but such dumbness is why you are endearing. That and your love of pussies. Come, come Sara, read the interesting comments about ``Shag" and ``buggerer" elsewhere in TAP 220 before you tell the Boobie that he is a sweet man because he likes pussies! ((And you know, of course, that Arthur Schnitzler would have defined a sweet man as ``an attractive young man intent on sexual escapades without exacting financial rewards or, for that matter, fidelity.'' Schnitzler is gaining current fame for providing the story that inspires Stanley Kubrick's last film Eyes Wide Shut.)) And Charlotte has claws. ((Let there be no doubts... thank you for setting me up so well.))

(GERMANY - ITALY): How about nuking a hero sandwich next time.

(SARA-GM): A true friend is one you don't have to talk to anymore once the food is on the table. My 22nd birthday was on 16 June. I have plenty of practice if I ever do get married, since cats teach us girls how to live with creatures who are basically useless and lie around the house doing nothing, just like future husbands. OK, I understand now... if I abuse you first I can abuse the other players second, right? ((Right.)) But why would I want to abuse the other players? This is only a game, after all. ((Snicker, snicker, snicker....))

(JOHN BOY-BOOB): 5 or 6! Is my feminine side showing? Everyone left me alone.

(GERMANY): I took my 12 yo son, Alexander, on a rafting trip Sunday. Foothills of the Sierra (So. Fork of the American River). Mostly riffles and some Class 2 rapids over 11 miles. I think there were 4 class 3 rapids. One family was from Missouri. He fixed turbines in power generating plants. Recently had to go to a nuclear reactor to work on one. They made him change out of the regular nylon work clothes to cotton, telling him that the nylon collected too much of the natural radiation in the background and would set the meters off when he exited. He insisted that they do swab tests of the turbines before working on them - they were ``cool" and he worked about 10 hours. When he left, his nylon briefcase set the meters haywire. He had to take each piece of paper out and pass them through the meter separately to enable them to get out. He tossed the briefcase, not wanting to become hot.

While undergoing the process of getting out, he learned that there were two other generators going, both had steam leaks which were radioactive, the meters were always going off and the workers had been told nothing out of the ordinary except that they had to wear cotton clothes. The man I was rafting with was strongly opposed to nuclear energy now! As we all should be. He felt that the regulations and safety requirements for nuclear were below those of other means of generating electricity. He also didn't believe in the value of building further hydroelectric systems in the US.

Moral to the story - boycott nuclear. Boycott nuclear dip games even. ((I presume you HAVE heard of Karen Silkwood, haven't you? This was no surprise to me, unfortunate, but not surprising.))

(JOHN BOY - RICHARD): You do a damn good job of faking my press style. You got the tempo.

(LONGEST TRAVERSABLE BLACK HOLE ROUTE - BOARD): Great, let's do it!!!

(LABCON REPORT): July 4th weekend saw four days of very enjoyable gaming at the Hudson River estate of Bruce and Krissi Linsey. About thirty people and five dawgs attended and all played games. In fact, when this reporter left Monday afternoon, there were 106 games logged and two more in progress. Those games included over seventy different titles. Your humble correspondent learned six new games out of fourteen boardgaming/cardgaming sessions: Empire Builder, Ra (twice), Die Siedler von Catan (with the simple expansion for five players), McMulti (twice), El Caballero, Titan, Lowenherz, Durch die Wuste (``Through the Desert" or ``Through the Sausage" because the German set box looks like ``...Wurst"), Crazy Race, WizWar, Wrott & Swindlers, and Suppenkasper. Won three games, almost won three others, and came in so far last I couldn't see next-to-last-place in three other games. I also played a bit of hackysack - too hot to do much outside but swim - but the bouncehound Mary Jane won that by biting the sack open so it lost its beans. The primary non-FTF activity was discussion of Gonzo Football and Gonzo Baseball fantasy leagues run by Bruce and Krissi. Baseball was at the All-Star break, football has drafted in real life and we're trading holdover players and Gonzo draft picks before the Gonzo draft. Everyone had a blast. I ended up buying El Caballero at a friend's game store on the way home because it's a better game for $20 than many of the $40-55 games (such as its sister game, past Game of the Year winner El Grande).

(PLAINFIELD-MOTORCYCLE MANIA): I have a 1969 Swivelhead, a 1946 Flathead and enough parts to piece together a Panhead. Honda heads? There is no motorcycle but Harley!

THE DUE DATE FOR WINTER 1902 IS JULY 31ST, 1999

Fall 1902

AUSTRIA (Pollard): a BOH S ITALIAN a tyo-mun, a SER S f gre-bul(sc), f gre-BUL(SC),

a WAR-mos, a RUM S f gre-bul(sc).

ENGLAND (Tallman): f lon-NTH, f nth-SKA, f nwg-BAR, a edi-YOR.

FRANCE (Morris): a BUR-mar, f mid-POR, a mar-SPA, a PIC-bur.

GERMANY (Sayers): f hel-DEN, a mun h (d r:ber,sil,ruh,otb), f HOL S a bel,

a den-KIE, a BEL h.

ITALY (Munson): f tyh-GOL, f wes-MID, a PIE-mar, a tyo-MUN.

RUSSIA (Dwyer): NMR, PHIL REYNOLDS CALLED AS STANDBY; f NWY h, f SWE h, a UKR h,

a FIN h.

TURKEY (Barno): a CON-sev, a SMY-con, f BLA C a con-sev, a SEV-mos,

a bul h (d ann).

Supply Center Chart

AUSTRIA (Pollard):

vie,bud,tri,rum,gre,ser,war,bul

(has 5, bld 3)

ENGLAND (Tallman):

lon,lvp,edi

(has 4, rem 1)

FRANCE (Morris):

bre,par,mar,spa,por

(has 4, bld 1)

GERMANY (Sayers):

ber,kie,den,hol,bel

(has 4 or 5, bld 1(r:otb) or even)

ITALY (Munson):

rom,ven,nap,tun,mun

(has 4, bld 1)

RUSSIA (Dwyer):

mos,stp,swe,nwy

(has 4, even)

TURKEY (Barno):

ank,smy,con,sev

(has 4, even)

Neutral:

none

(Total=34)

Addresses of the Participants

AUSTRIA: Kent Pollard, 1541 W. San Jose, Fresno, CA 93711 ($4)

ENGLAND: Terry Tallman, 3805 SW Lake Flora Road, Port Orchard, WA 98367, (360) 874-0386 ($4)

terryt of sinclair.net

FRANCE: Scott Morris, 12110 Shelbyville Rd., Louisville, KY 40243, (502) 893-8260 ($5)

Scottm221 of aol.com

GERMANY: Jim Sayers, 15 Holdsworth Street, Woollahra 2025, AUSTRALIA ($10)

100233.513 of compuserve.com

ITALY: Scott Munson, PO Box 1042, Gardiner, MT 59030, (406) 848-2102 ($5)

samunson71 of hotmail.com

RUSSIA: Luke Dwyer, 49 Middlesex Drive, Slingerlands, NY 12159, (518) 439-5796

Ldwyer of mail.colgate.edu

RUSSIA: Standby is Phil Reynolds, 2896 Oak Street, Sarasota, FL 34237, (813) 953-6952

preyno of yahoo.com

TURKEY: Mike Barno, 634 Dawson Hill Road, Spencer, NY 14883 ($5)

mpbarno of lightlink.com

Game Notes:

1) Phil Reynolds is called as a standby for Russia. You may make your builds and retreats conditional on who ends up playing the Russian position. Again, following my house rules, even though Russia has no adjustments, he needs to send Spring file orders by the Winter deadline in order to keep the position.

Press:

(ADMIRAL KIRK VON AUSTIN to THE TURKISH HIGH COMMAND): The Magyars have requested Austrian aid. Bulgaria must be brought into the Empire! Let the sky be filled with the rumble of our guns!!! It is our Destiny....

(SCOTT to GERMANY): My apologies.

(I to F): I guess this means no christmas card this year?

(MUNSON to DWYER): Will you ever speak again, good sir? ((We're going to see, aren't we???))

(AMBASSADOR KENT POLLÄRD to ZA WORLD): Zis is madness! I leave for a few months vacation in za Alps and vhen I return all Hell breaks loose! It is out of my hands. ((Sure, sure.... perhaps you'd like to vacation on your very own bridge from Manhattan to Brooklyn next? I've got one to sell....)) Za High Command is out of control. Damn. Now I vill have to start drawing up Declarations of Var against everyone....

(I to A-H[CUTE LITTLE RINGS TOUCHING]): Wonder-twin powers...... ACTIVATE!!!! Form of...A BUCKET OF SHIT!!!! Shape of..... A TWO-FACED BASTARD!!!!

(VIENNA CHEESE COMPANY to THE PRESS): ``We are quite saddened upon hearing of the Death of Pope Pervert II. We hope his large frame fits his casket well and that all who loved him seek counsel and peace. Let it be known that we serve and ship only the finest variety of cheese products and we accept no blame for his demise. Our motto has always been, eat heartily and well...''

(MUNSON to BARNO): Yes, the earthquakes have been causing havoc with the boiling river. It's actually getting hotter! Makes you wonder about the ``plumbing" to the Terraces. Perhaps they ``sprung a leak" that is now feeding the favored bathing thermals of the boiling river. One of these days the whole area is going to go sky high. It will end up being called ``Mammoth Crater" or perhaps ``Gardiner Lake" in some future history book, no doubt. I can see it now. Tour guides explaining that there used to be a ``picturesque little community" that was here, before the largest thermal explosion in U.S. history created this beautiful mountain lake...

(MIKE to SARA, a team cheer):

If you're getting tired of the daily work routine,

if you need a little break from that same old job scene,

don't sit alone and grumble 'til you blow your spleen,

grab a partner, dance for joy like we do on Mean Green!

(MIKE to TERRY, on building positive cooperation instead of degenerating into squabbling opposition): All around, chaos. Crowds. The e-mail server's gonna crash. Boasting, bragging, feuding, threats. The color war brings madness here. What if you need teamwork, guiding partners through the clash? Find your haven with MEAN GREEN and make your journey without fear!

(FIELD MARSHAL JON RHODEHAMEL to THE KÄISER): It takes a good Austrian to rule over the German People. Our sabres are out of their sheaths! Let the Battle commence!

(-NEWS FROM THE FLEETS-): Father Quido, M.O.P. (Mail Order Pope), has spent the last week visiting Admiral Flashman's flagship, and has found the entertainment ``quite favourable." He especially enjoyed the diverse forms of alcohol to be found aboard and the fact that Pinochle partners were plentiful. He showed concern about the fact that the men didn't appear ready for war, the whoring and general debauchery of Tunis still fresh upon them. Admiral Flashman comforted our beloved M.O.P. by assuring him ``morale was high" and that men fight better ``when they can enjoy the spoils of victory." The fact that there was no fight to gain Tunis didn't seem to matter.

(PORTUGUESE LANDOWNER to GM): Damn you, for not giving us our own forces! We need to be defended!! We call upon the fair and just forces of...Russia! Help us in our time of need!

(BOOB to PORTUGUESE SQUATTERS): Bet you were wishing you decided to let them keep their freedom awhile longer, eh?? Calling on Russia right now was exceptionally poor timing.

(PORTUGUESE LANDOWNER to FAT DEGO): Can an idiot live past '04? I don't think so. You cut your own throat.

(MUNSON to TALLMAN): Are you an opportunist?

(FROM SOMEWHERE): Two men upon arriving in Warsaw could not believe their eyes. Austrian soldiers everywhere! Both of the Russian forward observers were exhausted. ((Exhausted is not a popular name for Russian mothers anymore then, is it?)) ``Now where?'' His comrade looks to the East. ``Perhaps Moscow will be safe.'' On they trudge. In the distance a faint song follows them... ``Sit on my face...''

(PALACE OF LIGHT AND GLORY): Though many objectives have been attained and few casualties suffered in recent Ottoman military activities, there was a lack of new directives from the Sublime Porte. Field commanders ascribed the silence to the traditional post-victory celebration and its inevitable aftereffects. Indefatigable, they carried on, repeating the orders that guided the previous campaign. Perseverance must provide what leadership temporarily could not.

(REYKJAVIK, ICELAND): Here at the International Geothermohydrodynamics Institute, it was announced that researchers have discovered the reason for the recent changes in the eruption cycles of most of Yellowstone Park's geysers. It has been determined that Scott Munson, a religious fanatic linked to Elizabeth Clare Prophet's doomsday cult, moved from a hotel with a septic system to a trailer with an outhouse. Now whenever Mr. Munson's bowels move, the resulting forceful blast of hot, noxious, pressurized gasses and expelled semisolids puts a major charge into the subterranean network of fissures. Pockets of water get superheated and blown up out of the ground at previously unknown places and frequencies.

(HANS THE NEER MAKER): Vhy? O vhy? O vhy?

(BIG BAD BADGER to LITTLE WHISTLE-PIGS): It's dinner time...

THE DUE DATE FOR SUMMER 1903 IS JULY 31ST, 1999

THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 1903 IS AUGUST 21ST, 1999

Spring 1903

AUSTRIA (K. Ozog): a VIE-bud, f gre-AEG, a TRI S a vie-bud, a BUD-rum.

ENGLAND (James): f lvp-NAO, f NWY S f swe, f iri-MID, f ENG S f iri-mid,

f SWE S f nwy, a PIC h.

FRANCE (Dwyer): NMR, GLENN PETROSKI CALLED AS STANDBY; a SPA h, a POR h,

f mid h (d r:wes,naf,otb).

GERMANY (Goesle): a mun-BOH, a BER-mun, f KIE-bal, f DEN-bal,

a BRE-gas, a MAR-gas.

ITALY (Rauterberg): a VEN-tyo, f ION S AUSTRIAN f gre-aeg, a TYO-mun, a alb-GRE.

RUSSIA (Rusnak): a war-UKR, a stp-LVN, f GOB-swe, f BLA-con,

a RUM S AUSTRIAN f gre-bul(sc) (nso).

TURKEY (Emmert): a smy-ARM, f aeg-gre (d r:smy,eas,otb), f CON-bla,

a SER S ITALIAN a alb-tri (nso), a BUL S a ser.

Addresses of the Participants

AUSTRIA: Kurt Ozog, 391 Wilmington Drive, Bartlett, IL 60103, 630-837-2813

kozog of cpiconf.com

ENGLAND: Drew James, 8356 Radian Path, Baldwinsville, NY 13027-9357, (315) 652-1956 ($5)

dkbn of msn.com

FRANCE: Luke Dwyer, 49 Middlesex Drive, Slingerlands, NY 12159, (518) 439-5796 ($4)

Ldwyer of mail.colgate.edu

FRANCE: Standby is Glenn Petroski, 6829 23rd Ave., Kenosha, WI 53143-1233, (414) 654-5044

gelp of juno.com

GERMANY: Warren Goesle, 3907 Cedar Ridge, #1B, Indianapolis, IN 46235 ($5)

ITALY: Paul Rauterberg, 3116 W. American Dr., Greenfield, WI 53221, (414) 281-2339 ($5)

prosit of execpc.com

RUSSIA: Russ Rusnak, 1551 Highridge Avenue, Westchester, IL 60154-3428 ($5)

RRRRRUSNAK of aol.com

TURKEY: Steve Emmert, 1752 Grey Friars Chase, Virginia Beach, VA 23456-5436, (757) 471-1842 ($4)

Lse of SykesCarnes.com or semmert of mindspring.com

Game Notes:

1) I have called Glenn E. L. Petroski (GELP) as a standby for the vacant French position.

Press:

(GERMANY to BOARD): Sorry about the lack of diploming this turn guys. I'll get better about that soon.

(DAVE P to GOZ): Got to watch it when you start using statistics son. A 59% win ratio for the higher paid team isn't that big of a deal when you figure that random chance gives you 50%. Add in the fact that that 41% worth of losses can be distributed in many different ways and about all you are saying is that maybe the two highest pad teams are very likely to make it into the playoffs, and that really shouldn't be a big surprise. And when you get to the Series, a 59% chance to win each game in a 7 game series isn't exactly what I'd call a sure thing!

(EM-MERT to GO-EL): Nice timing, leaving for a week and a half before the deadline. I suppose you wouldn't want to hear what we were all saying about you anyway.

(STEVE to DREW): ``Stumbled"? ``STUMBLED"? Indeed you did not stumble into eighteen, unless you consider that you äccidentally" stabbed the bejeebies out of me. No matter; I have determined not to show you my back in this game, you treacherous rascal.

(VIRGINIA BEACH): I stand by my preseason foolish prediction of Manny Ramirez for AL MVP. Lookin' pretty good right now (eighty-something RBI's at the halfway point), but I know better then to go filling out a deposit slip based on half a season. As for my own particular rooting interest, the Dodgers finished the first half at eleven games under .500. They're cooked; they'd have to play about .725 ball in the second half just to win the wildcard. All those millions . . . maybe I'll become a Pirates fan or something. Bring on hockey season! ((They just announced the schedule and training camp will be opening soon for hockey.... gee, this stuff never stops. In the realm of foolish predictions, one element of why the Women's World Cup Soccer tournament was popular, in my view, is that there were a lot of scoring chances in generally exciting games. I almost started to believe that Women's Soccer would pick up where Men's won't in this country because of all that exciting scoring! Then came the ``FINAL DAY": both the runner up game and the championship game decided on shootouts from 0-0 scoring during the regular game. All that open field stuff that marked earlier games in the tournament was mostly gone as strategies ``shifted''. Since we won the Women's World Cup, we have the right to demand changes where we don't on the male side and I think someone should think up ways to force that attacking style we saw early on in the Cup. We can enact it just for the women and watch that sport take off. I am no expert, but the fact that the women are physically smaller, so that the goalie can't cover the entire goal as well suggests VERY strongly that the solution is a larger goal mouth - perhaps much larger. I think it would be neat if the women were smaller in stature defending a larger goal than the men. Take that and smoke it!!))

(VIRGINIA BEACH to PROVIDENCE): I really hope you can come up with some easier names for this ``The Search for . . ." thingie. Why, I've never even heard of most of these guys. How 'bout somebody we all know - like, say, Don Williams? I think I might be able to find him for you. ((But why would you want to?? We gotta search for people we want to find!! You still haven't found Garret, you know. Offer me some other suggestions. I found my copy of Jim Meinel's old Encyclopedia of Zines, so I have lots of reminders of old szine editors I'd like to find, but please feel free to send me in another direction.))

(JEAN PAUL SARTRE to LUKE): Hello? Are you there?

(LUKE to SARTRE): That depends. Are YOU there?

(TURKEY to AUSTRIA): I've got your Slobodan guy here; will trade for Rusnak's carcass.

(ROME to VIENNA): So you'd rather fight than switch? Okay by us, but it'll cost you.

(NAPLES to MOSCOW): You've been in a bodacious mood for somebody who's getting nowhere fast. And now you've opened the floodgates in the North: we can hear you now-``blub, blub, blub."

THE DUE DATE FOR TURN 11 IS JULY 31ST, 1999

98 (replenish with a 14):

Kenny McCormick(Increasing His Break!)

97 (no replenishment):

Empty

96 (no replenishment):

Empty

95 (no replenishment):

Empty

94 (no replenishment):

Empty

93 (no replenishment):

Empty

92 (no replenishment):

Empty

91 (no replenishment):

Empty

90 (no replenishment):

Empty

89 (no replenishment):

Empty

88 (no replenishment):

Empty

87 (no replenishment):

Empty

86 (no replenishment):

Empty

85 (no replenishment):

Empty

84 (replenish with a 3):

Peter (6)

83 (replenish with a 4):

Alfred the Great (8)

82 (replenish with a 5):

Shane the Chain (4)

81 (replenish with a 6):

John Logie-Baird (5)

- S - P - R - I - N - T - - F - I - N - I - S - H - - L - I - N - E -

80 (no replenishment):

Empty

79 (replenish with a 3):

Stan Marsh

78 (no replenishment):

Empty

77 (no replenishment):

Empty

76 (no replenishment):

Empty

75 (no replenishment):

Empty

74 (no replenishment):

Empty

73 (no replenishment):

Empty

72 (no replenishment):

Empty

71 (replenish with a 3):

Chasin' Jason, Flopsy

70 (replenish with a 5):

Broke Leg Meg

69 (no replenishment):

Empty

68 (replenish with a 3):

Curly, Larry, Bernard Spoke

67 (replenish with a 6):

Shemp, Mopsy

66 (replenish with a 8):

Eric Cartman

65 (replenish with a 9):

Christoph Wheelhub

64 (replenish with a 10):

Kyle Broslofski

63 (replenish with a 11):

Alessandro Cyclotron

62 (replenish with a 12):

Cottontail

61 (replenish with a 13):

Sir Isaac Newton

60 (replenish with a 14):

Moe

57 (replenish with a 3):

Barkin' Larkin'

56 (replenish with a 4):

Damon Velodrome

45 (replenish with a 3):

Will Shakespeare

Addresses of the Participants - Their Team and Their Cards

TEAM 1 (Farmer McGregor's Dinner): Eric Brosius, 53 Bird Street, Needham MA 02492

(6 points) 72060.1540 of CompuServe.COM

A: Flopsy

7 3 6 10

B: Mopsy

18 3 6

C: Cottontail

12 15 7

D: Peter

4 3 3

TEAM 2 (Chef's Crackers): Rick Desper, Bergheimer Strasse 114, 69115 Heidelberg, GERMANY

(14 points) rick_desper of yahoo.com or desper of math.rutgers.edu

Coach is, of course, Chef

A: Stan Marsh (aka the Star Quarterback)

6 7 3 3

B: Kyle Broslofski (aka the Lonely Jew)

3 12 10

C: Kenny McCormick (aka the Pov)

14 4 3

D: Eric Cartman (aka the FatAss)

12 8 5

TEAM 3 (Goz Transportation Co.): Warren Goesle, 3907 Cedar Ridge, #1B, Indianapolis, IN 46235

(8 points) gozcorp of iquest.net

A: Alessandro Cyclotron

3 3 11 15

B: Bernard Spoke

5 3 4

C: Christoph Wheelhub

9 12 9

D: Damon Velodrome

3 4 4

TEAM 4 (Brit Pack): John Harrington, 1 Churchbury Close, Enfield, Middlesex, EN1 3UW UK

(17 points) johnh of fiendishgames.demon.co.uk

A: Alfred the Great

4 4 7 3

B: Sir Isaac Newton

18 4 13

C: Will Shakespeare

3 3 3

D: John Logie-Baird

3 6 9

TEAM 5 (The Stoogecycles): David Partridge, 15 Elmer Drive, Nashua, NH 03062-1722

(23 points) rebhuhn of rocketmail.com

A: Curly

3 4 4

B: Larry

3 5 3

C: Moe

15 5 14

D: Shemp

3 6 5

TEAM 6 (The Flat Wheel Society): John Schultz, #19390, W-M11L, Indiana Department of Correction,

(4 points) Plainfield Correctional Facility, 727 Moon Road, Plainfield, IN 46168-9400

A: Broke Leg Meg

5 3 3

B: Shane the Chain

4 5 3

C: Barkin' Larkin'

3 3 3

D: Chasin' Jason

3 3 5

Game Notes:

1) See David Partridge's new game start in Tinamou and note the Version 2.3 rules published in this issue. The next game, with Version 2.3 rules, will include David Partridge, John Schultz, Tom Howell, Harry Andruschak and John Harrington, as they all have expressed interest in this game. That means I need only ONE more player.

2) No one fills in the 69 to earn the guys at the back of the main pack the really big points.... three more sprint scoring places left to claim, betting would be on Stan Marsh, Flopsy, and Mopsy to take them, but choices abound. Barkin' Larkin' helps Damon Velodrome accumulate the ``big'' points at the trailing back of the pack. GM rejects Will Shakespeare's request to turn the race around and race for the starting line instead of the finish. That would be an interesting addition..... roll a six sided die every turn, when it comes up a one, everyone switches direction.... well, not really, of course, but a passing thought.

Press:

(BUNNIES): We like the multiple breakaway bonus too. It adds some danger to the game. Someone can go hop-hop-hopping along at the front.

Analysis from Vegas:

Farmer McGregor's Dinner: these four bunnies all have moderately good cards or positions. Presuming they get at least two scorers in this sprint, the bunnies could steal the race if they can get three good finishes in the last sprint. Position has really improved recently.

Chef's Crackers: OK, getting Kenny to the front is really nice. Still, after winning the sprint, the Crackers are 9 points behind the Stooges. Will need more than just Kenny to win the race. Too many unclaimed points out there.

Goz & Co. Should avoid embarrassment of not scoring in this round when Wheelhub limps across in 8th place. Damon is already dropped, and on the whole, the cards are not good. A very long shot.

Brit Pack: If Shakespeare were still in race, might be considered a frontrunner. Alfred has great position but lousy cards. Will be in better shape when Logie-Baird joins him. Really needs Newton to score some big cards. Could win with two or three strong finishes. Has to avoid Stooges' fate of getting shut out after racing ahead of pack.

Stooges: Points in the hand are always great. Stooges' first sprint leaves them still in the frontrunner position. However, they cannot get shut out in the final sprint like they did in the second. The good news for them is that they are leading, and they have all four riders. The bad news is that they have 12 cards, and 11 of them are 5 or lower.

Flat Wheelers: Shane will score, but not much. Meg has lost her good cards and is in big trouble. Jason is in slightly better shape. Beyond long shot.

(TFWS - VEGAS): Thank you! No one has ever Mea-ed my culpa before. Didn't even know I had one.

(FARMER-VEGAS): But, alas, the carrots were scarce last turn!

(JOHN BOY - > DAVE): If I haven't said so already, and you still can use another, sign me up. ((He's full, but you're in for the next game start here.))

(DAMON to BARKIN'): If we're even, I'll play my 4 and you fall behind me to pick up a 4, then draft past. Otherwise I'll play a 3 next time and I'll draft past. Won't THEY ALL be surprised when we win this thing?

(JOHN BOY - > BOOB): You called good money. I was truly expecting a better card for Shane last turn but no one did anything I anticipated and the field got busted up something fierce. Now it's just ``let's save face best we can.''

(STOOGES - CHEF): In regards to the breakaway rule, I think the single term bonus better simultates a real race, and I'd also add that I think it will add to the excitement more. In a real race, a group of riders cooperating SHOULD be able to catch a rider in the lead. It will not be quick, but it will happen. In the current scenario, this is virtually impossible. If you give the break away rider one good card to stay out there, then the pack behind is going to gain, but only slowly and only if they cooperate. Three or four riders working together are not going to gain ground very quickly, and by the stage of the game where you have a break away, the odds are against having a large pack that can quickly coordinate catching up. That means a well timed break away should guarantee crossing the next point line first, but it won't guarantee staying out in front until the next one, which is as it should be IMHO.

(THE DESIGNER SPEAKS): About that multiple breakaway bonus - I presume you mean that you are in favour of the leader getting the breaking away bonus on every turn (as per the rule we are using in this game). I agree that ``in a real race, you cannot just sit in the pack and wait for the leader to come back to you" but in a real race the leader would be working all by himself with no one to take their turn as a mobile wind-break. In these circumstances why should the leader receive a bonus? Of course, one might argue that the leader should not receive any sort of breaking away bonus at all, even on the first turn he breaks away, and that's a valid viewpoint but then I'd have to change the name of the game!

(GOZ TRANSPORTATION CO., QUARTERLY REPORT TO THE PARENT COMPANY, GOZ & CO., INC.): Profits up $3M last quarter, a disappointing showing considering. We expected that the CEO would have a winning bet in Vegas, and came up snake-eyes. He has been sacked, along with the entire team. The team won't find out until (unless?) they reach the finish line.

(TFWS-VEGAS): I didn't say you weren't right. I just said I took offense. Never tell an ugly person they're ugly. It's not nice.

(BRIT PACK - STOOGECYCLES): If our two teams merge scores we might just have a chance of beating Chef's Crackers.

(TFWS-WHOEVER): British comedy makes American comedy shows look pathetic, in general. Monty Python, of course; Faulty Towers may have been the funniest show ever produced; ((Aided by the fact that relatively few were made....)) and Dave Allen told the best straight joke of anyone I've ever seen - just to name a few.

(RICK RESPONDS TO GO-EL'S INCESSANT WHINING): ((Heading written by a meddling GM...)) It's ridiculous for Cubs fans to complain about money. Hello! Chicago is the 3rd largest city in the U.S. The Cubs are on WGN, which gives them more cable exposure than anybody but the Braves (and perhaps the Yankees). The Indians have done a lot more with a lot less in terms of fundamental resources. Just when did Cleveland become a big market and Chicago a small market? The problem here is that the Cubs management is incompetent. The above opinion is largely stolen from Rob Neyer of ESPN.com, who writes the best baseball column I've encountered.

(BRITS SCREAM): Someone kill Kenny!

THE DUE DATE FOR FALL 1999 IS JULY 31ST, 1999

Summer 1999

BRITAIN (Schultz): has f ENG, f BRN, a SWE, f LAP, a BOR,

f GOB, f SAO, f BIS, f MAO.

EGYPT (J. O'Donnell): R a geo-ARM; has a ESA, f TUN, a MAC, a ANA, f MOR,

a ARM, f EME.

GERMANY (Rauterberg): has f BHM, a SWI, a MUN, a DEN, a LIT, a CZE,

a WAR, a KRA, a LYO, a PIE, f GDA, a PAR, f BAL, a POD.

ITALY (Ozog): has a NAP, a CRO, f WME, a AUS, f ION, a MON, f GOL, a SER, f ALB.

POLAND (Sasseville): R a lit-LAT; has a BIE, a LAT.

RUSSIA (Ellis): has f MUR, a MOS, a STP, a FIN h.

SPAIN (S. O'Donnell): R f sao-GIB; has a SVE, a POR, f GIB, a BAR, a MAD.

TURKEY (Pollard): has a SIB, a ANK, a IST, a AZE, f AEG, a GRE.

UKRAINE (Partridge): has f EBS, a ROS, a KIE, f WBS, a GEO, a RUM, a BUL.

Addresses of the Participants

BRITAIN: John Schultz, #19390, W-M11L, Indiana Department of Correction,

Plainfield Correctional Facility, 727 Moon Road, Plainfield, IN 46168-9400

EGYPT: Jeff O'Donnell, 402 Middle Ave., Elyria, OH 44035-5728, (440) 322-2920 ($4)

FRANCE: Harry Andruschak, PO Box 5309, Torrance, CA 90510-5309, (310) 835-9202 ($5)

GERMANY: Paul Rauterberg, 3116 W. American Dr., Greenfield, WI 53221, (414) 281-2339 (E-Mail)

prosit of execpc.com

ITALY: Eric Ozog, PO Box 1138, Granite Falls, WA 98252-1138, (360) 691-4264 ($4)

ElfEric of Juno.com.

POLAND: Roland Sasseville, Jr., 38 Bucklin Street, Pawtucket, RI 02861, (401) 722-4029 ($5)

roland6 of home.com

RUSSIA: Randy Ellis, 1041 Kentucky #2, Lawrence, KS 66044

Randy1964 of aol.com

SPAIN: Sean O'Donnell, 126 S. Park, Oberlin, OH 44074, (440) 774-2928 ($5)

TURKEY: Kent Pollard, 1541 W. San Jose, Fresno, CA 93711, (209) 225-0957 ($10)

UKRAINE: Dave Partridge, 15 Elmer Drive, Nashua, NH 03062-1722, (603) 882-3523 ($8)

rebhuhn of rocketmail.com

Game Notes:

1) Check out the Modern Dip web page at: http://www.dragonfire.net/~ Cyberia/modern.htm

2) Randy Ellis takes over the Russian position as he has orders on file and I didn't hear from Rich.

Press:

(THE MEKONS QUOTE OF THE MONTH): ``His pleasures were a mystery to us all; You'd never see him out after dawn. In a German sea-port town; He takes coffee in the red-light; And now he is the Prince of Darkness.'' From the song ``Prince of Darkness'', on the album Honky Tonkin'. Now, who could that be referring to???

(UKRAINE to GREATER GERMAN REICH): Close, but the effects are about the same.

(ELLIS to POLLARD): If I get this rather modest little position in this game, I trust you will send your forces in Siberia back to Turkey where they belong. How goes it in California? Gardiner, MT, is no doubt the same without you (or me, for that matter). ((You got it, so have at it!))

(JEFF to DAVE): I disagree with your analogy of me hitting a bees' nest with a stick. Most of my political printed opinions were in response to Harry's just slightly to the left of Jane Fonda's Liberal view of the world. It is understandable that my slightly to the right of the Sheriff of Nottingham views conflict with his, but in my opinion he is the one who stirs up the bees' nest. He drew ``First Blood'', not me.

(GREATER REICH WORLD PRESS): Folks, the nation over are bent in laughter at the latest antics of the Turkish buffoons. Their great explorers have successfully found Siberia, the only area besides the Arctic Sea which doesn't border a single supply center! ``At least we were able to move somewhere," pouted the Sultan. Indeed. With no opposition!

(BIE): But what about us? We don't border on a single supply center...that isn't already occupied!

(BRITAIN - > SPAIN): The only move which fooled me was the order to Auv. I'm still trying to reckon that one.

(P-W): Come on, I am not dead yet. I will bite you in the ankle. I will never say die.

(VENICE): And what about us? We could be reduced to our core of home dots, if we don't put some effort (that we hardly have) into this struggle....

(JEFF to THE WORLD): I think it is completely disrespectful to refer to me as Uncle Jeffy. I'm more used to Uncle Jeffy Pooh, of if you're uncomfortable with that how about ``oh, great one''! Speaking of which, I believe the Uncle Jeffy just helped Spain by liberating it from its Colonial English occupation.

(THE GHOST OF FRANCE DEPARTED): And as for us...who border upon not a single center whatsoever! Well, we have a postal concession stand in China to brag about!

(BRITAIN - > EGYPT): Noble gesture on your part.

(EGYPT to POLLARD): Watch out for British/German convoys.

(BERLIN to FRENCH POLTERGEIST): If you had it to do over again, would you STILL urge the Poles to build that second fleet?

(P-G): Again I apologize to Ukr for previous acts of aggression. It was those bad Germans I needed to be wary of. O well.

(PRAIRIE PRINCE to ELF): Hi Eric. I'm still alive, trying to reintegrate into consensus society. I hope all is well with you, Cathy, and the kids.

(NEW RUSSIAN PLAYER to WORLD): If I have taken over this position, you will all be hearing from me soon. Being a toady or puppet of a major power is not beneath my dignity. The name of the game here is SURVIVE!

(JEFF to WHOEVER): Today's rhetorical question. If a young couple in West Virginia get married and then get divorced 3 years later, are they still legally brother and sister?

THE DUE DATE FOR WINTER 1906 IS JULY 31ST, 1999

THE DUE DATE FOR SPRING 1907 IS AUGUST 21ST, 1999

Fall 1906

BRITAIN (York): a luc-BEN, f ara.s-GOA, a KAG S a tib-sik, a KAR h, f RS h,

f HK S a nan-can, f sin-MAL, a tib-SIK, f PG S a kar, f BOB-ran, a KAM S a kag,

f NAN-can, f mal-BAN(EC).

FRANCE (Sasseville): f ANN S f for-scs, a YUN S a can, f GOS S f ban(ec)-mal,

f ban(ec)-mal (d r:cam,otb), f TON S f for-scs, a CAN S a yun, a RAN h,

a ben-HYD, a ASS S BRITISH a sik-tib (nso), f FOR-scs.

HOLLAND (Desper): f cs-SUL.S, f AS S BRITISH f mal-ban(ec), f SCS-for,

f JS S BRITISH f sin-mal, f MP S f scs-for, a SUM h, f SUN.S-gos, f LS S f scs-for.

JAPAN (Dwyer): NMR, HARRY ANDRUSCHAK CALLED AS STANDBY; a KYO h, a MAC h,

a VLA h, f ECS h, f SHA h, a P.ART h, f UP h, f YS h, f SOJ h, a SEO h.

RUSSIA (Williams): a IRK S a mon, a tas-AFG, a afg-PUN, a MON S a irk, a PER S a tas-afg,

f MED S f syr-egy, a BAG h, a LAN S a pek, a SHI S a per, a PEK S a lan,

a sik-kag (d r:uru,otb), a CHU-nan, f syr-EGY.

TURKEY (Tallman): a ADEN h, f SUD h.

Supply Center Chart

BRITAIN (York):

DEL,BOM,MAD,HK,SIN,mal,cey,

(has 13, bld 1)

kar,tas,kag,ben,ban,sik,kam

FRANCE (Sasseville):

TON,COC,ANN,can,may,ran,

(has 9 or 10, even(r:otb) or rem 1)

for,u.bur,ass

HOLLAND (Desper):

BOR,SUM,JAVA,SAR,new,dav,

(has 8, even)

mna,cebu

JAPAN (Dwyer):

TOK,KYU,OTA,KYO,vla,fus,sak,

(has 10, bld 1)

p.art,seo,sha,mac

RUSSIA (Williams):

MOS,OMSK,ODE,rum,mon,ang,

(has 12 or 13, bld 2(r:otb) or 1)

tab,pek,con,bag,chu,shi,egy,per

TURKEY (Tallman):

sud,aden

(has 2, even)

Neutral:

none

(Total=58)

Addresses of the Participants

BRITAIN: Andy York, PO Box 201117, Austin, TX 78720-1117

wandrew of compuserve.com

CHINA: Rich Goranson, 4351 Chestnut Ridge Road, #7 Amherst, NY, 14228-3227 ($5)

ForlornH of aol.com

FRANCE: Roland Sasseville, Jr., 38 Bucklin Street, Pawtucket, RI 02861, (401) 722-4029 ($7)

roland6 of home.com

HOLLAND: Rick Desper, Bergheimer Strasse 114, 69115 Heidelberg, GERMANY (E-Mail)

rick_desper of yahoo.com or desper of math.rutgers.edu

JAPAN: Luke Dwyer, 49 Middlesex Drive, Slingerlands, NY 12159, (518) 439-5796 ($3)

Ldwyer of mail.colgate.edu

JAPAN: Standby is Harry Andruschak, PO Box 5309, Torrance, CA 90510-5309, (310) 835-9202

RUSSIA: Don Williams, 27505 Artine Drive, Saugus, CA 91350, (661) 297-3947 ($5)

wllmsfmly of earthlink.net

TURKEY: Terry Tallman, 3805 SW Lake Flora Road, Port Orchard, WA 98367, (360) 874-0386 ($0)

ttallman of linknet.kitsap.lib.wa.us

GM: Jim-Bob Burgess, 664 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02908-4327, (401) 351-0287

Game Notes:

1) The BFJHR draw is rejected yet again. The BFJHR is reproposed, even though the GM hates it, since it doesn't say or spell ANYTHING! Working in the right direction, a BH draw is proposed too. That we shall call.... the BlackHole draw!! Please vote with your Winter orders. Failure to vote vetoes everything as usual.

2) Harry is called to replace Luke. I just got late word that Luke is resigning from all his games so all standbys should take note that they are taking over the positions.

Press:

(HOLLAND): The Dutch government celebrated the 4th of July by lobbing fireworks into the Celebes Sea. Aides tried to inform President Reagan that the 4th of July was not actually a Dutch holiday, but rather an American holiday, but he would hear none of it. Dissenters were called Communists and thrown into prison.

(F-BH): Gee, you both smell like fresh cut flowers! ((No, no, no, the BlackHole will not let even fragrance escape!))

(H - J): When Jim says you're at your summer address, does this mean that you're not reading email? We need to talk.

(F-J): Do you get email in summer I have had no response to a couple of messages. I will actually write letters and use the post if need be.

(BOOB to FRANCE AND HOLLAND): His E-Mail does work, but....

(F-HB): Non semper erit sestas!

(DUTCH BASEBALL): So, Red Sox fans, which of you predicted at the beginning of the year that Mo Vaughn would not make the All-Star team, but Jose Offerman would? Let's hope the Orioles give up on '99 soon and look to deal either B.J. Surhoff or Harold Baines. ((How's ya wanna bet that they make another useless run, just like last year, just enough so that they don't break up the most dysfunctional team in baseball.))

CHARLES JONES WON THE GAME AS GERMANY!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Addresses of the Participants

AUSTRIA: Rick Davis, 1130 Hevrin Cr., Soledad, CA. 93960, (831) 678-2132 days, (831) 678-4470 eve.

redavis914 of aol.com

FRANCE: Harold Zarr, 215 Glen Drive, Iowa Falls, IA 50126-1957, (515) 648-2821

GERMANY: Charles Jones, 1722 Quail Circle, Corona, CA 91720-4155, (909) 735-8981

RUSSIA: Eric Schlegel, 314 Fords Lane, Aberdeen, MD 21001, (410) 272-3314

TURKEY: Richard Weiss, 500 Beale St. # 104, San Francisco, CA 94105, (415) 512-7221

rcw of sirius.com or rcw23 of hotmail.com

GM: Jim-Bob Burgess, 664 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02908-4327, (401) 351-0287

Game Notes:

1) With the large issue above, I didn't have time to get the EndGame Chart together for this game. It will have to wait, but in the meantime.... more press!!

Press:

(TURKEY-GERMANY): Congratulations. I've said all I can say and must shut my mouth to the victor.

(BOOB to WEISS MAN): Ummmm, then what have we here?? I suppose your mouth may be shut, but your fingers aren't....

(WEISS - JONES): I hope we are on the same team for the CAT23 championships. Bigtime congratulations for the long battled win.

(WEISS - ZARR): And if this was one of your worst games, then how about you join in this team also. Please?

(WEISS - FRANCE): I recognize that my entry into the game as a standby altered a lot of the dynamics. I recognize that my early attempts at stirring the game up only alienated you from me and created my ultimate demise. That is, after Austria and I blew our three chances for a win.

(WEISS - DAVIS): I accept total accountability for blowing the last free chance to win. For that, I am so happy that you survived to the end.

(WEISS - ALL): I am very happy that this game was not ended by a draw vote. I'm much happier being a survivor under these circumstances and learning a lesson about early press, then to have been part of a 3-way draw. I did find each of the years enjoyable, the press, the expressions, etc.

(WEISS - GM): Thank you for your house rules that allow such games to occur.

(BOOB to WEISS MAN): No problem at all, it really IS my pleasure, you know.

Personal Note to You: