Eternal Sunshine #145

June 2021

By Douglas Kent - 911 Irene Drive, Mesquite, TX 75149

On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/270968112943024/ or on the web at http://www.whiningkentpigs.com/DW/. Follow on Twitter at @EternalSunshDip. Also be sure to visit the official Diplomacy World website at http://www.diplomacyworld.net.

Sign up for the Eternal Sunshine Mailing List at https://mailchi.mp/45376bbd05df/eternalsunshine

Check out my eBay store at http://stores.ebay.com/dougsrarebooksandmore

Quote of The Month – “Everybody needs money. That’s why they call it money.” - (Bergman in “Heist”)

Welcome to Eternal Sunshine, as we plod along through another month. There’s been a ton of rain here lately, which reminds me of the old Dad joke: if April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring? (I won’t give you the answer; look it up or email me). In this case, April showers bring May showers. And June showers too. I’m not complaining though. It fills the reservoirs, and also keeps the temperatures at a much more manageable level. Considering how unbearably hot it gets in Texas during the summer, I try to appreciate every extra day of cooler air. Well, not as “cool” as Dallas experienced in February, but you get the idea.

As I mentioned last issue, you can read about my Carnage escapades in the next issue of Diplomacy World (due out around July 1). But there’s nothing for me to tell you about how I did in DixieCon, since I would up not playing. As the Memorial Day Weekend approached, I realized I had far too much end-of-the-month work I’d need to be doing instead. Plus, I just didn’t have the motivation. I suppose I’ve been in a funk lately, on numerous fronts, so I may not have tried playing at least one round even if work hadn’t gotten in the way. As things happened, I simply didn’t have that kind of free time to commit. But if you missed me, just pretend Don Del Grande’s “no builds as England in 1901” performance was mine…they’re probably interchangeable.

I’m trying to think if there is anything of interest going on for me to tell you about. At the moment, nothing comes to mind. I have started watching the X-Files again, beginning with the pilot episode. Some of the early episodes don’t hold up very well, and there’s a lot more corny dialogue than I remember. But as a nostalgic exercise, I’m enjoying it. I’ve gotten through the first season and a bit of the second. I’m in no hurry, so if I stop an episode in the middle and don’t get around to continuing for a few days it hasn’t caused any problem. An episode before I go to bed is a pleasant way to wind down at the end of the day.

In zine news, the latest game of Kendo Nagasaki has ended with the mystery being solved in Turn 6. A new game will begin immediately, provided enough players send in a guess before the next deadline. It’s an easy game to play (but a difficult game to master, which probably explains why I do so badly in any of the games I’ve played). Give it a try!

The Gunboat game in Andy York’s subzine may be filled, he tells me. If you signed up for that keep an eye out for a message from Andy. Octopus’s Garden returns as well (although the game is held over due to an NMR). I’ve thought about doing a new participation list like we did a few times in the past, movies or books or movies kinda thing. Probably books. Would anyone participate?

I guess that’s it from me for now. See you in July!

Game Openings

Diplomacy (Black Press): Signed up: Brad Wilson, Paul Milewski, needs five more.

Gunboat (No Press): Check out the opening in Andy York’s subzine. Filled?

By Popular Demand: Ongoing. Join in the fun! You can join at any time.

Where in the World is Kendo Nagasaki?: Ongoing, new game starts this issue. Join in and play NOW!

Also in Andy York’s Subzine – You can find his ongoing “Hangman, By Definition” and Facts in Five, plus an opening for Breaking Away.

Standby List: HELP! I need standby players! – Current standby list: Andy York, Andy Lischett, Paul Milewski, Harold Reynolds, Jack McHugh, Brad Wilson.

Meet Me in Montauk

The Eternal Sunshine Letter Column

Andy York: Three home stands for the Express behind us. They are neck and neck with Sugarland (Astros) for lead in Triple-A West, East Division (wish they had come up with a better name). Both teams have better records than the West/West leader. So, the coming up series in Sugarland is key for the Express.

[[I’ve been following along. Because, after all, the Rangers’ season is over already, in terms of wins and losses. I still watch most games anyway, to see how the kids perform, and to consider the future.]]

AFS Cinema is opening mid-July, certainly looking forward to that. Most other theaters are open in the area with a mix of the few new films and older films, especially those that look better on the big screen (2001: A Space Odyssey is one).

[[I’ve been a bit irritated that some older films came around when things were still not at a state to allow me to go. Like when The Maltese Falcon showed at the Angelika. Yes, I’ve seen it 100 times and own it, but never watched it on the big screen.]]

Hope things are going well with you and the summer heat is slowly ramping up.

[[If we could just cut the rain to every few days? Today was the first day that seemed seasonal, in the high 80’s. For a while I was able to fool myself into believing that maybe we’d stay in the 70’s until the fall.]]

The Dining Dead – Eternal Sunshine Movie Reviews

Stowaway (Netflix) – Toni Collette and Anna Kendrick star as Commander Marina Barnett and Dr. Zoe Levenson in this sci-fi suspense film. As two of the three-person crew for a two-year mission to Mars, they (along with researcher David Kim, played by Daniel Dae Kim) successfully launch from Earth and hook up with the main hull of their ship, already in orbit. Once there, they discover that a fourth person, Michael Adams (Shamier Anderson), was accidentally left on board the launch ship and locked behind a panel. When removing his unconscious body, part of the life support system is inadvertently damaged and carbon dioxide – the favorite nemesis of modern space flight films – is building in the ship. The voyage simply was not made to support four lives. Now the only question that remains is what to do about it?

The performances are adequate, but the plot drags most of the way through. I never felt like the characters grew beyond their two-dimensional roles, despite attempts in the script to build some humanity. As is often the case with sci-fi, I think the direction by Joe Penna (who also wrote the screenplay) was well-suited for the visuals, but not so much for the dialogue and character interaction. It’s not a bad film, and in some ways the first 45 minutes sort of zip by. Still, it didn’t manage to climb the mountain enough for a full recommendation. Even the ending seemed a little obvious to me; not the specific way the film got there, no, but the final result.

Predestination (Roku) – I found this film on one of those “ten films you’ve never heard of” lists. Out of the ten, I’d seen two, and wasn’t interested in five. But three sounded like there might be some promise, and Predestination was one of them. Ethan Hawke stars as a “temporal agent” in this film based mostly on the Robert Heinlein short story “All You Zombies.” His job is mostly to travel around in time to stop crimes before they are committed, and he and the agency are on the trail of the Fizzle Bomber, who has been blowing things up in the 1970’s. Sent to a few months before the bomber’s largest attack, he meets a writer, played by Sarah Snook, who he clearly knows about. And things happen. It’s the sort of movie I can’t tell you much about without ruining it. There are some hints dropped early on that will make you think you know what’s going on. And you do, but you don’t. And then you do again, and you do. But it doesn’t really matter. Or maybe you don’t. It’s not a terrific film. It didn’t grab me as much as Twelve Monkeys (which, yes, I know that wasn’t a fully original concept either in its day). Ethan Hawke is only okay here, although Sarah Snook is quite good. And that’s the film. It’s good. An interesting ride, which doesn’t move too slowly and doesn’t get bogged down trying to explain itself. If you have a Roku you can watch it for free.

Sator (Shudder) – This film, a passion project of Jordan Graham, took something like seven years to complete. Graham wrote it, directed it, did the music, edited it, and even build the cabin which serves as the main setting. Michael Daniel stars as Pete, a troubled man who is living in a cabin once owned by his grandfather. Both his grandmother and his mother claimed to be in touch with – and instructed by – an entity known as Sator, and Pete spends much of his time listening to rambling cassettes his mother made about Sator, and searching to woods for him. His brother Adam (Gabriel Nicholson) occasionally stops by too, but mostly Pete’s life is one of isolation and strained sanity. The film carries a decent eerie atmosphere most of the time, but it isn’t fully successful. The film doesn’t truly go anywhere, and after about two-thirds it becomes really repetitive. I also didn’t find myself frightened by anything that seemingly was meant to be threatening. I appreciate all the work Graham put into finishing the film, but I don’t feel I can recommend it fully.

Bigfoot: Path of the Beast (Tubi) – A very low budget film by Justin Snyder. I “know” Justin because he did a $500 horror film called Black Eyed Children: Let Me In that I backed on Kickstarter years ago. This time around he spent more than $50, and it shows. The Bigfoot monsters are a bit silly, but there were a few moments when the suspense and anxiety in this film was actually working pretty well. And it’s not a standard monster movie. Justin takes the lead role again, playing John Brandon. John’s girlfriend disappeared in the woods three years ago after they broke up, and despite the police’s insistence that she likely committed suicide because of her ongoing depression, John is convinced Bigfoot is the culprit. He’s spent the three years since her death drinking and “researching” the likelihood of a Bigfoot in the area. So which part is fantasy, which part reality, and which part insanity? There’s a nice little secondary story with a Private Investigator (Matthew Pulling) who eventually ties into the main storyline. Overall, especially given the small budget, this was decent. And I applaud the decision to make it more than just a monster movie. Clearly Justin has taken some sasquatch-sized steps forward from his earlier film days. This may be available on Prime as well.

American Mary (Shudder) – I heard about this film about seven or eight years ago, when it started gaining a cult following in the horror community. So, I was pleased to find it added to the available films on Shudder. It stars Katherine Isabelle as Mary, a medical student studying to be a surgeon. In debt and about to have her cell phone shut off, Mary goes to a strip club run by Billy (Antonio Cupo) to apply for a job as a dancer and massage girl. While there, Billy – who learned of her medical schooling on her resume – has an emergency situation develop, and offers Mary $5,000 if she will perform surgery on a man that he and his people have been torturing, in order to keep him alive. Desperate for the money, she agrees. One of the dancers at the club picks up Mary’s resume and tracks her down, offering her $10,000 more if she’ll perform body modification surgery on a friend. And this is Mary’s introduction to the underground world of body modification.

It’s normal to watch a movie and feel sad about how bad it is. American Mary gave me a different kind of sad; it started out so strong, between odd plot twists and black humor, that I was really enjoying myself and looking forward to seeing where it went. But it couldn’t maintain the pace, and after a third of the film was over it started to lose direction, getting bogged down in multiple plotlines. The dark humor disappeared, replaced by a kind of maudlin darkness. And the originality of the story became obscured and watered-down. It was still generally entertaining, but what I thought might rise to the level of quirky genius films like May became unsatisfying and unable to deliver on the promise it once held. If you’re a fan of cult films and horror-comedies it might be worth a watch (especially as I’ve heard others say how much they love the movie), just to see what might have been.

These Streets We Haunt (Amazon) – Found this under the Art House Film section, and decided to give it a try. Marcus (Matt Williams) is an artist for a small pharmaceutical firm. He decides to rent out the spare room in his house, and Mia (Lauren Perez) answers his ad. Her odd behavior and nocturnal habits raise his suspicion, eventually causing his to wonder if she is dealing drugs, a prostitute, or even if she is a member of a strange group of villains found in a comic book. It has its moments, and the acting is much better than a lot of these low budget independent films, but the story drags at times. Most of the humor misses the mark, too. And the last quarter of the film is a combination of confusion and silliness. I was still interested in finding out how the story ended, so it had that going for it. I think it would have been better if it clung to its quirky side and abandoned the mainstream parts of the plot. And certain aspects needed a better explanation. This was Writer/Director Jason Cunningham’s first feature-length film, and he did a much better job directing than others might have. It was more the script that needed some tightening.

Caveat (Shudder) – Damian McCarthy wrote and directed this 2020 film. Barret (Ben Caplan) hires his friend Isaac (Jonathan French) to go stay as a remote house where his niece Olga (Leila Sykes) is spending time…the same house where Olga’s mother and father died. But, as usual, nothing is ever as simple as it first appears. This was a slow burn but suspenseful film for the first hour. Sadly, like so many other films before it, the pacing and the payoff couldn’t sustain. The ending is a bit of a mess, attempting to be clever but being more confusing and unsatisfying than anything else. The originality of a few plot devices is enough to give it a shot if you stumble across it, as long as you keep your expectations kind of low.

Incidentally, I see Time Lapse is on Shudder now, so it may be available elsewhere. That’s a very interesting independent movie about friends who discover a camera that shows you 24 hours into the future. Well-crafted and thought-provoking, it reminded me of a combination of the time travel aspects of 12 Monkeys and the friendship side of Shallow Grave. Worth a watch.

Older Movies Watched (that I’ve seen many times) – The Prophecy, Heist, An American Werewolf in London.

Octopus's Garden

Issue Ninety-Eight

11^th June 2021

Sub-editorial

HELLO, good evening and welcome to Octopus's Garden, the subzeen with its very own Railway Rivals game. It is a subzeen to Douglas Kent's Eternal Sunshine. It's produced by Peter Sullivan peter@burdonvale.co.uk. It's also available on the web at: http://www.burdonvale.co.uk/octopus/.

Not Round 5 (RR 2473 B) — "Garrett Hobart" — Railway Rivals Map "B" (Lon&Lpl)

Despite chasing up several times over the last few days, I am still missing orders from one player. I am therefor holding the game over, and will appoint a replacement player if I still have no orders from them by the next deadline. Others players' orders are all safely on file, and will be used unless changed. Orders to me, Peter Sullivan, at peter@burdonvale.co.uk by WEDNESDAY, 7th JULY, 2021.

EDITORIAL

I went to virtual Dixiecon over the Memorial Day weekend, helping to g.m. a couple of boards of Diplomacy on both the Saturday and Sunday rounds. I started with an almighty blunder whilst trying to adjust the Spring 1901 deadline (Backstabbr only allows you to set it in 2 hour increments), which led to the turn adjudicating itself about 8 minutes early. Happily, all players had provisional orders in that they were happy to stick with. Although we could technically have rolled back the turn, they'd all seen each others' orders, so it was agreed to just carry on. After that, things ran fairly smoothly - the Backstabbr platform handles most of the manual grift of time-keeping and adjudicating, so my interventions was mainly limited to conducting draw votes - and having the occasion al friendly chat with the poor player left at the board when all the other players paired off to go talk in their private negotiating rooms...

One interesting innovation at virtual Dixiecon this year was a 'Speedboat' tournament - Gunboat with 5 minute deadlines. This was held on the Thursday and Friday, determining qualification for the final top board on the Saturday night. This was a successful and popular innovation - so much so that David Hood is considering running it again, even if (as we all fervently hope) next year's Dixiecon can safely revert to being primarily an in-person event. The idea is that the Speedboat would still be run on Backstabbr, and thus open to people playing remotely as well as those at the convention venue. I think this is an excellent idea - it offers a taste of Dixiecon to those who otherwise can't attend, as well as potentially providing an entry route to in-person play for players who only play over the internet at the moment.

That was Octopus's Garden #98, Startling Press production number 394.

Out of the WAY #34

by W. Andrew York

(wandrew88 of gmail.com)

Howdy!

It’s been a busy month for me, as things start opening up, my vaccine is fully activated and the weather is improving. Well, with the latter, it’s been a wet month so I haven’t been able to do as much walking as I’d hoped. However, spring is usually the wettest part of the year so it appears dryer days are ahead (and much hotter!).

It’s been nice to get back to seeing baseball in person. The team is doing quite well, just behind the AAA-West, East Division leader (Sugarland/Astros). Both teams have nip and tuck records with the AAA-West, West Division leader (Reno/Diamondbacks). Side thought - I wish Major League Baseball had spent some time in naming the AAA Divisions, they seem to have used the working titles.

I did have a short visit to Fredericksburg to have lunch with a friend and another day-trip to San Angelo to meet another friend to bring him back to Austin for a visit. I’ve also been to a few restaurants around here to meet friends. Next week my local Mensa group will have its first in-person gathering in over a year – the monthly Hungry, Hungry Hump Day lunch meet-up. Plus, the Austin Film Society’s AFS Cinema is opening mid-July. It’ll be nice to get back to that venue to see independent and arts films/documentaries on the big screen.

The overall column is a bit light, therefore, on non-gaming commentary. The recipe, book reviews, lettercol are all here. Also, two Ann Richards quotes as I completely forgot one last month after announcing the year’s focus in April (basically I came up with the idea after I’d copied the template over for the May issue and forgot to update it after).

And, by the next issue, I hope to have the initial turn of the No-Press Gunboat game to report. A couple days ago I received a seventh player request; however, as the list has been around for quite some time, I want to poll all the sign-ups to ensure they still are on-board with joining the game. If so, I’ll send out country assignments and request Spring 1901 orders in time for the July issue. Standbys still wanted and, if there’s some interest, I’ll open another Gunboat game probably with Grey Press.

==================================

Texas Talk

ANN RICHARDS QUOTE for May:

Speaking at the 1988 Democratic Convention regarding George H.W. Bush: “Poor George, he can’t help it.

He was born with a silver foot in his mouth.”

Source: www.biography.com/political-figure/ann-richards

ANN RICHARDS QUOTE for June:

“We’re not going to have the America that we want until we elect leaders who are going to tell the truth –

not most days, but every day.”

Source: www.inspiringquotes.us/author/3002-ann-richards

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Letter Column

(always welcome, send them in!)

(if something shouldn’t be included here, clearly mark it as a personal comment)

[Richard Smith] – Not much from me this time, just to ask was “Chummy” just a guess from Kevin for Hangman or did he

show some working? (sic) [WAY] – I generally print any game comments about the process, if submitted and not

marked private, once the word is revealed. Kevin care to enlighten the rest of the readership?

[Mark Nelson] - Your mentioning of "101 Garlic Recipes" prompts me to mention one of my favourite book series. This is "The

Edible Series" published by Reaktion Books. The titles in the series are "XXX: A Global History". I actually have

"Onions and Garlic A Global History".

The books are typically around 140 pages - the dimensions of the book are akin to a novel. They are *not* a recipe

collection, but a history of how an ingredient has been used and where it came from. There is always a small selection

of recipes at the back, usually split into "Modern" and "Historical". The chapter headings in the "Onion and Garlic"

books are: (1) The Ancient Allium, (2) The Medieval Onion, (3) Travel, Trade and Folklore, (4) The Onion Improves,

(5) The Modern Allium.
The titles that I have are: Apple, Brandy, Cake, Chilies, Lemon, Mushroom, Onion and Garlic, Potato, Salmon, and

Shrimp. I intend buying more as I've found the series to be really interesting, and they've all been well written - they are

not academic tomes. I've tried recipes from most of the ones I have, just for some reason not from the "Onions and

Garlic" book!

[WAY] – A quick check of several titles through BookPeople, my local independent, bookstore, shows that you can order them, but none are on the shelf (itself is not a guarantee that they’d be available as sometimes the stock at the supplier might be exhausted). They are listed as hardcover and had price tags between $19 and $20. Next time I order books from them I’ll likely add it to the list – they sound like they’d be of great interest to me!
[MN] - When I moved to Australia my collection of Discworld novels did not come with me... I did buy the last few of the series when they were published (Unseen Academicals onwards). It often seemed to be the case that I saw them

when I was hanging out in an international airport looking for something to read during a flight.

As you pointed out, they are mostly independent of each other so it didn't matter that that I'd missed about twenty of

them. At some stage in the future I will have to get back into them and start collecting them again. MORT is a

particularly good one - they can be a bit and hit miss. One that I didn't find that enjoyable was "Pyramids", though I see

that it won the British Science Fiction Award in 1989, so what do I know? Well, I know what I like...

[WAY] – in any lengthy series, there are always a few that don’t hold up as well as others. I’ll get to Pyramids shortly, I have one DiscWorld book in queue ahead of it (I’ll get back to swapping between the Sharpe and the DiscWorld series once I catch up two of Christopher Brown’s American near future dystopian novels). And, yes, Mort was a pleasure to read!

[MN] - For most of my time in Australia I've had to manage without a grill. When I lived in Canberra (nearly three years) the oven did not come with a grill. When I lived in Wollongong (twelve years) the oven did have a grill but the oven was very old and the grill no good. When we moved into our house (five years ago) there was a new oven. There isn't a separate grill compartment, but the elements at the top of the oven can be used as a grill. Works pretty well.

[WAY] – In Austin, open-flame grills are prohibited in multi-family dwellings, though the complex itself can have some installed as long as they are a certain distance from any occupied dwelling (ordinance from memory). So, my complex has gas grills at the pools and, on my side of the complex, has a charcoal grill in the middle of the courtyard. However, that doesn’t stop some folks from dragging a personal grill out into the parking lot from their garages. As a substitute, I have a rectangular cast-iron comal that covers two electric stovetop elements which I can use (assuming windows are open, fans running, so smoke alarms don’t activate).

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Mini-Book Reviews

(finished since last issue)

The Master Plan by Heather Pringle (2006; 463p).

This is a recent look into a Himmler created, SS sponsored, Research Institute on Racial Studies – the Ahnenerbe. However, it was a Research Institute in name only, working to establish the basis of the Master Race, Aryan history and the Nazi’s skewed theories of racial superiority and inferiority.

The book covers a number of their pre-war expeditions to Asia, Scandinavia, the Middle East and planned ones to South America and Iceland. All of these seeking to find proto-German influences that were the catalysts of those societies and the Germanic racial legacy present in the current inhabitants. However, they did this by misappropriation of cultural artifacts and legacies, seeing evidence that didn’t exist while excluding anything that didn’t fit their pre-conceived theories.

During the war, they were involved in looting artifacts, museum collections and libraries to outfit their museums, exhibits and schools. They assisted the EinsatzGruppen in identifying racial traits and groups for extermination, carried out gruesome experiments in the concentration camps and laboratories and otherwise sought to “confirm” their theories and promote those beliefs.

The end of the book follows that post-war reckoning with the staff and what they had done, including the relevant Nuremburg trials. What happened to many of the surviving key staff is also reported.

An interesting book on a little known corner of the Nazi behemoth. However, it isn’t a page turner, but more of a scholarly work. Also, it isn’t for mainstream as the details of some of the experiments is a bit graphic for the casual readers.

Recommended only if this is a topic that interests you. [June 2021]

The Mysterious Stranger and Other Stories by Mark Twain (1992; 121p).

This collection of four short stories, including the “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”, is a very enjoyable read and a thought-provoking look into human motivations and morality. They can be read for pure pleasure, but Twain’s tales show the nuances of human interactions and internal drives. I found those insights spot on, though a bit broad from my experience. However, it didn’t take anything away from his skill in weaving a tale.

Highly recommended. [June 2021]

Sharpe’s Revenge by Bernard Cornwell (1989; 348p).

[Note – the Sharpe book immediately following this review happens before this one]

The British army moves into the interior of France, converging on Toulouse. The city falls just after Napoleon surrenders creating chaos across the country as the French army is demobilized leaving a large body of unemployed individuals.

To add to the chaos, Sharpe’s long-time nemesis works to steal a significant portion of Napoleon’s personal treasure while leaving evidence that it was actually Sharpe who took it. So, Sharpe is under investigation and goes on the lam to prove his innocence and identify the true culprit while traipsing across post-Napoleon Europe.

As always, fun, enjoyable and a darned good read! [May 2021]

Sharpe’s Siege by Bernard Cornwell (1987; 319p).

The British/Spanish army have entered southern France, and Sharpe is back from England. Tasked with working with the navy, he leads a small, combined, troop to land on a portion of the backwater coast, seize an unmanned fort, and interdict/disrupt the French army’s main supply line.

As can be expected, things don’t go as planned, an American privateer is in the area (pro-French, as can be expected) complicating things, a French spy is close to the British command staff and Sharpe’s wife is ailing, which weighs on his mind. Added to that, one of his long-term enemies is in the invasion area.

Another fine installment of the series, adding background and information on some aspects of the British navy, and marines, some backstory on the French Monarchists (anti-Napoleon) and the usual combat scenes. Recommended if you are enjoying the series; however, it is better at this point not to start with this as having the full backstory from the previous books will add layers to your enjoyment. [May 2021]

Sourcery by Terry Pratchett (1988; 326p).

This book brings back a previous location and characters, so my characterization last time that each was stand-alone doesn’t hold true in, at least, this case. You can read this without reading the previous books, but it adds some familiarity to your enjoyment.

In this volume, a unique event occurs – the eighth son of an eighth son (a wizard) has eight sons with the last being a wizard squared – a sourcerer. Left an orphan, though having his father’s staff, he seeks to learn magic and take his place as the leading magic user on the DiscWorld. Of course, this doesn’t go well.

A fun, enjoyable, romp with Pratchett’s usual sprinkling of humor, puns and right turns. [May 2021]

Totally Garlic Cookbook by Helene Siegel and Karen Gillingham (1994; 95p).

As I read the big Garlic book last time, I picked my other garlic focused book to read next. It is divided into six sections, looking into Pantry Staples, Soups and Salads, Bread, Main Courses, Sides and a few Desserts! For the most part, the recipes are very approachable and versatile (one is the monthly Recipe below). As an added bonus, a number of pages have garlic asides giving history of the bulbs, tips for use and side thoughts.

A neat little book, recommended if you like garlic. [May 2021]

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Babylon 5 Quote

In “Confessions and Lamentations” –Delenn: “We honor the memory of those who are no longer with us by using what we have

learned to save others. To exercise faith, and patience, and charity. To reach out to those who are afraid. If we can do

that, then their passing will have had meaning and we will grow from it.”

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Recipe of the Month

Recipe Philosophy: Except for baking, recipes are only suggestions. I rarely precisely measure, eyeballing most everything. The

listed measurements, for the most part, are estimates from the last time I made the recipe. Feel free to adjust to meet

your personal tastes – and remember, it is easier to add “more” of something than to compensate when “too much” has

been added.

For ingredients, if you don’t like raw onions, omit them or replace with celery to retain the crunchiness. If you like food with

more spice, add an extra jalapeno or use habaneros instead. On the other hand, if you don’t like spicy food, replace the

jalapeno with a bell pepper. Optional items are used when I’m looking for a variation or making it for individuals

with specific preferences or allergies.

NOTE: For background, see Book Review. Also, back when I was getting weekly CSA box, I had an abundance of okra for many weeks in late summer and needed some way to use it up. This was my “go to” recipe.

Aioli Monstre

Here’s the recipe:

8 Garlic Cloves, peeled

2 Egg Yolks

Juice of 1 Lemon

¾ cup Olive Oil

¾ cup Vegetable Oil

Salt and Black Pepper

Mince garlic in food processor. Add egg yolks and lemon juice and process to combine. With drip tube in place and

processor on, pour in the oils in a slow, steady stream. Process until thick and creamy. Season to taste with salt

and pepper and store in refrigerator up to a week.

Serve as a cold dip with hard-boiled eggs, crudités, or blanched or steamed vegetables such as baby new potatoes or

green beans.

Notes (from Andy):

- I haven’t used this specific recipe; however, I have made a similar garlic aioli to use as a dip, slather on bread for a sandwich and as a dressing for cold pasta salads. Nice change from store-bought products.

- I would only use about ½ the lemon juice to start (unless a small lemon) and add more with the salt and pepper to adjust it to your taste.

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Game Section

Everyone Plays Games: Hangman, By Definition; Facts in Five

Game Openings: Breaking Away (Kent, Burgess, Smith; Firth, minimum 6 players needed)

No-Press Gunboat Diplomacy, sans preference lists (6 Players) – May be Full, see intro

Standard Choice (Smith, minimum 4 players needed)

Possible Game Openings: Breaking Away Variants

Suggestions accepted for other games to offer.

Standbys: Breaking Away (x1); Gunboat Diplomacy (x1)

Rules for Breaking Away. Breaking Away Variants and Choice available on the Variable Pig website (variablepig.org)

+++++++++++++++++++++

Hangman, By Definition

This is a five round game, with each round consisting of a variable number of turns. The winner will be the person who wins the most rounds, with a tie breaker being fewest total number of turns in those winning rounds. Second tie breaker will be the most number of letters guessed (by total count revealed, not by individual letter).

Each round will consist of identifying a word of at least six letters. Along with each word will be the first definition given. All words and definitions will be identified by blank spaces. Words and definitions are verified in a dictionary that was my high school graduation gift (slight hint to those who might want to find the edition).

The goal is to guess the word in as few turns as possible. Each turn, all players will submit one letter to be revealed. The letter submitted by the most players will be the letter revealed in the next turn. Ties will be broken by a randomized method. Additionally, each player should submit a guess for the word. Once the word is correctly identified (spelling is important), that round will end and a new round will begin. All players who guess the word in the same turn will share in the win for the round. If the word is not guessed by the end of six turns with no letter being revealed, no one will win the round.

Along with revealing letters in the word, letters will be revealed in the definition. There are no bonus points for guessing any part of the definition, it is only there to help players figure out the word. No guesses about parts of the definition will be confirmed or displayed except by the letter revealed in that round. The letters “E” and “S” can never be chosen as the letter to be revealed.

Game 1, Round Four, Turn 1:

Solution:

Word: __ __ __ __ __ __ (6)

Definition: __ __ __ (3) __ __ __ __ __ (5), __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (7)

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (10) __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (7)

__ __ (2) _ (1) __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (7) __ __ (2) __ __ __ __ __ (5);

__ __ (2) __ __ __ __ (4)

Never Revealed: E, S Already Revealed: tbd

Game Words Correctly Guessed: Infinitesimal (David-Gardner, Firth, Kent, Smith, Wilson);

Triclinium (Firth, Maslen, Smith, Wilson)

Chummy (Wilson)

+++++++++++++++++++++

FACTS IN FIVE

Rules: There will be five rounds, the cumulative high score at the end of the fifth round will be the winner. Anyone may join anytime with a starting score matching the lowest total from the previous round. Anyone missing a round will add the lowest score of that round.

Each round will consist of five categories and five letters. Each player submit may an entry for each category which has a key word that starts with each of the letters (twenty-five total entries). Key words are generally the first word; however articles (the, a, etc.) and modifiers (“red” in red bicycle for “R” in “mode of transportation” or “general” in General Lee for “G” in “Military Leaders”) are not key words. A word in the category may not be the key word (“bank” in “Bank of America” for “B” in the category “Banks”). For given names, the last name is the key word, if married it will be their post-marriage last name. However, in the case of commonly used stage names, that name should be used (in a category of female singers, ”Q” could be “Queen Latifa” and “Cher” for “C”). An entry may only be used once per round. Please clearly identify which individual you are using as your answer if there are multiple potential people with a given name. For instance, if the category is American Presidents, answering Washington is fine as there is only one; however, if you decided to use Bush you need to indicate whether you are submitting the father or the son. Unclear answers will be matched to score the least points. Using the Bush example, if one person submitted “Bush” and three people submit “George W. Bush” the latter would score 2 points and the former 1.

One point will be scored for each entry that unarguably meets the letter and category. An additional point will be added if anyone else also uses the same valid entry for the same category. Maximum possible score in a round is 50 with a lowest possible score of 25, presuming an individual submits a valid entry for each category and letter in that round.

Research is allowed, collaboration between players is not.

Game Three, Round Two

Bolded - Scores 2 points for matching another entry; Crossed Out - scores 0 points; otherwise scores 1 point.

REMINDER - Last names are generally the key word, not first names.

Players A B I O Z

Communicable Diseases

Mark Firth Anthrax Botulism Influenza Oral Herpes Zika

John David Galt Avian Flu <> Influenza <> Zika

Doug Kent AIDS Bird Flu Influenza Orf Zika

Andy Lischett Anthrax Bubonic Plague Influenza Otitis <>

Walt O’Hara AIDS Botulism Influenza Omsk Hem Fever Zika Virus

Kevin Wilson Anthrax Botulism Influenza O Neontorum Zika

English Proper Noun, 2-3 Syllables

Mark Firth Andrew Barbados Iliad Olympics ZZ Top

John David Galt Albert Beatrice Iain Oscar Zoe

Doug Kent Asia Berlin Iceland Oracle Zenith

Andy Lischett Austria Belgium India Oslo Zimbabwe

Walt O’Hara Abraham Bjkowski ~~Indiana~~ Oliver Zimmerman

Kevin Wilson Austin Boston India Orlando Zelma

Gaming Focused Websites

Mark Firth Ad Gamers BoardGameGeek IGN Origin Zapak

John David Galt Asmodee.net BoardGameGeek Ironcrown.com <> <>

Doug Kent Allgame Big Fish Ique Origin Zynga

Andy Lischett Addict Games Big Fish Games IGN Origin Zynga

Walt O’Hara Addict Games BoardGameGeek IGN Network ONRPG Zylom Have Fun

Kevin Wilson Armor Games Big Fish Games IGN.com Origin Zapak

Opera Aria Title

Mark Firth Acerba Volutta B Nuit O… I Know a Bank O Mio Babbino Caro ~~Zaira’s Aria~~

John David Galt <> <> <> <> <>

Doug Kent Ah Mes Amis B Nuit O… Il Mio Tesoro O Mio Babbino Caro <>

Andy Lischett Ach Ich Fuhl… B Nuit O… IATVMOAMMG O Mio Babbino Caro <>

Walt O’Hara ~~Agrippina~~ B Nuit O… ~~Iolanta~~ Ombra Mai Fu ~~Die Zauberflot~~

Kevin Wilson Ah! Mes Amis B Nuit O… In Questa Reggia O Mio Babbino Caro ZLBIA

Print Business Magazine

Mark Firth ~~Analog~~ Business News Info Technology Outlook ~~Zen and the Art…~~

John David Galt Amer Business Bloom Bus Wk INC <> <>

Doug Kent Adweek Bloom Bus Wk INC Oil and Gas Investor <>

Andy Lischett Av Wk & Sp Tec Business Week INC Optimize <>

Walt O’Hara Adweek Business Week INC Magazine Optimize ~~Zeppelin Magazine~~

Kevin Wilson Adweek Bloom Bus Wk INC O! ~~Zeppelin~~

Note – for allowed and disallowed answers, please feel free to correct me!

Notes on Mark’s Answers: Ad Gamers is Adventure Gamers; B Nuit O… is Belle Nuit O Nuit d’Amour; Zaira’s Aria is

disallowed as Zaira appears to be an opera that has arias rather than the title of an aria in an opera; Analog is disallowed

as I can’t find a business magazine under that title; Info Technology is Information Technology; Zen and the Art… is

Zen and the Art of the Print Business and is disallowed as I can’t find anything under that title

Notes on John’s Answers: Amer Business is American Business; Bloom Bus Wk is Bloomberg Businessweek

Notes on Doug’s Answers: B Nuit O… is Belle Nuit O Nuit d’Amour; Bloom Bus Wk is Bloomberg Businessweek

Notes on Andy’s Answers: Addict Games is Addicting Games; Ach Ich Fuhl… is Ach Ich Fuhl Es Ist Verschwunden; B Nuit

O… is Belle Nuit O Nuit d’Amour; IATVMOAMMG is I am the Very Model of a Modern Major General; Av Wk &

Sp Tec is Aviation Week & Space Technology

Notes on Walt’s Answers: Omsk Hem Fever is Omsk Hemorrhagic Fever (OHF); Indiana is disallowed as it is four syllables;

Addict Games is Addicting Games; Agrippina is disallowed as it is the title of an opera, not an aria in an opera; B Nuit

O… is Belle Nuit O Nuit d’Amour; Iolanta is disallowed as it is the title of an opera, not an aria in an opera; Die

Zauberflot is disallowed as it is the title of an opera, not an aria in an opera; Zeppelin Magazine is disallowed as I can’t

find the indicated “German” magazine while one (in Romanian and English) is about architectural styles, not an

architectural business

Notes on Kevin’s Answers: O Neontorum is Ophthalmia Neontorum; B Nuit O… is Belle Nuit O Nuit d’Amour; ZLBIA is Zum

Leiden bin Ich Auserkoren; Bloom Bus Wk is Bloomberg Businessweek; O! is disallowed as it was a lifestyle

magazine, not a business magazine; Zeppelin is disallowed as the magazine found was on architectural styles not an

architectural business

General Player Comments:

[Mark Firth] – Hard one this time. I knew one for C3, none for C4 and I’m afraid I couldn’t find out what C5 is, even with the

Internet!

[Andy Lischett] – Las time was easy, this time is horrible. The BOLD answers are the ones I know and I’m giving up early and

going to DuckDuckGo.

[Walt O’Hara] – I admit I have an unfair advantage. Print business magazines was a category of round 3 in the game we just

ran.

[Kevin Wilson] – I know absolutely nothing about opera so had to google for arias. I didn’t even know what an aria was!

Nothing I could find for O and Z for bus-mags so I’m sure you’ll disallow those two.

Game Three, Round Three

Letters: C N P V W

Categories: UN Member Nation; Jazz Musician; Vegetable; Deceased US Supreme Court Justice; African River

Current Standings

Scores by Category 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Now Previous Total

Kevin Wilson 9 6 9 8 6 38 + 43 = 81

Doug Kent 8 5 8 7 7 35 + 42 = 77

Andy Lischett 6 6 10 6 7 35 + 41 = 76

Walt O’Hara 9 4 8 3 8 32 + 42 = 74

Mark Firth 9 5 9 6 3 32 + 36 = 68

John David Galt 5 5 4 -- 5 19 + 32 = 51

===================================

Deadline for the Next Issue of Out of the WAY:

July 7, 2021 at noon – See You Then!

Game entries, letters of comment and other material can be sent to:

wandrew88 at gmail.com; or by post to: W. Andrew York; POB 201117; Austin TX 78720-1117

Eternal Sunshine Game Section

Acquire – “Blind”

Players:

Kevin Wilson – ckevinw@gmail.com; John David Galt – jdgalt@att.net; Mark Firth – mogcate@aol.com; Andy Lischett – andy@lischett.com; Tom Howell – off-the-shelf@olympus.net

Turn Eight

Tom Howell bought two Luxor for $300 each and one American for $600 last turn. That left him with $1,200. I notified everyone by email, but I like to include it here too.

Turn Nine

Lischett: Plays 6-G. Buys one Continental for $600, one Worldwide for $300, and one Luxor for $300.

Howell: Plays 5-G. Tower is merged into Imperial. Kevin Wilson receives a $6,000 bonus, and Andy Lischett receives $3,000. Kevin sells his Tower shares for $600 each. Andy sells one share of Tower for $600 and trades four shares of Tower for two shares of Imperial. Tom buys three Worldwide for $300 each.

Wilson: Plays 9-E. Buys one Continental for $600.

Galt: Plays 7-H. Forms Tower and gets one free share. Buys nothing.

Firth: Plays 10-H. Luxor is merged into Festival. Mark gets a $3,000 bonus, and Andy gets a $1,500 bonus. Mark sells three Luxor for $300 each, keeps one Luxor, and trades two Luxor for one Festival. Andy sells one Luxor for $300 and trades two Luxor for one Festival. Tom trades two Luxor for one Festival. John sells one Luxor for $300. Mark buys three Worldwide for $300 each.

Lischett: Plays 1-D. Worldwide is merged into American. Mark and Tom each get a bonus of $2,250. Andy keeps his Worldwide share. Tom sells one Worldwide for $300 and trades two Worldwide for one American. John sells one Worldwide for $300. Mark sells three Worldwide for $300 each. Andy buys three American for $700 each.

Order for Turn Ten:

Howell, Wilson, Galt, Firth, Lischett, Howell

Deadline for Turn 10 is Friday July 9^th at 7pm My Time (12 hours earlier than the standard zine deadline)

Diplomacy, “Indestructible Machine”, 2020A, W 07/S 08

Austria: Rick Davis – redavis914@aol.com - A Budapest Supports A Rumania,

A Bulgaria Supports F Greece (*Cut*), F Greece Supports A Bulgaria, A Rumania Supports A Ukraine – Sevastopol,

A Ukraine - Sevastopol.

England: Mark Firth – mogcate@aol.com - F Spain(sc) - Portugal.

France: John David Galt – jdgalt@att.net - Retreat F Brest-OTB..A Burgundy - Ruhr (*Fails*),

F Tunis - Tyrrhenian Sea, A Venice Supports F Trieste (*Cut*).

Germany: Andy Lischett – andy@lischett.com – Build A Munich, A Kiel..F Belgium Hold,

A Brest Supports A Picardy – Paris, F English Channel - North Sea, A Kiel – Ruhr, A Munich Supports A Kiel – Ruhr,

A Picardy – Paris, A Silesia – Warsaw, A Tyrolia - Venice (*Bounce*), A Vienna Supports A Galicia.

Italy: Toby Harris – toby@responsiva.biz - Retreat F Mid-Atlantic Ocean - North Atlantic Ocean..

A Marseilles - Burgundy (*Fails*), F Naples - Ionian Sea (*Fails*), F North Atlantic Ocean - Norwegian Sea,

A Rome - Venice (*Bounce*).

Russia: Bob Durf – playdiplomacymoderator@gmail.com – NRR, retreat A Ukraine-OTB..Plays 2 short..NMR!

F Black Sea Unordered, A Galicia Unordered, F Irish Sea Unordered, F Mid-Atlantic Ocean Unordered,

A Norway Unordered, ~~A Sevastopol Unordered~~ (*Dislodged*, retreat to Armenia or Moscow or OTB).

Turkey: Jack McHugh - jwmchughjr@gmail.com – F Aegean Sea Supports F Constantinople - Bulgaria(sc),

F Constantinople - Bulgaria(sc) (*Fails*), F Ionian Sea Supports F Aegean Sea (*Cut*),

F Trieste Supports A Venice.

Would Paul Milewski (paul.milewski@hotmail.com) please standby for Russia?

PRESS:

None.

Deadline for F 08 is: July 10^th at 7am My Time

Diplomacy, “Wine Lips”, 2020B, F 05

Austria: Harold Reynolds – hjreynolds2@rogers.com - F Aegean Sea Hold, A Berlin Supports A Munich – Kiel,

A Bohemia – Munich, A Budapest Hold, A Munich – Kiel, A Serbia Hold, A Silesia Supports A Berlin,

A Vienna - Bohemia.

England: David Cohen – zendip18@optonline.net – F English Channel - London (*Bounce*),

F North Sea – Edinburgh, A Picardy - Belgium.

France: David Burgess – burgesscd@roadrunner.com – F Brest Supports A Marseilles - Gascony (*Void*),

A Liverpool – Yorkshire, F North Atlantic Ocean – Clyde, A Paris Supports F Brest, F Wales - London (*Bounce*).

Germany: Mark Firth – mogcate@aol.com - F Baltic Sea Convoys A Livonia – Denmark,

A Kiel Supports A Ruhr (*Dislodged*, retreat to Holland or OTB), A Livonia – Denmark,

A Ruhr Supports A Kiel (*Cut*).

Italy: George Atkins - GeorgeWrites@outlook.com – A Greece Hold, F Ionian Sea Supports A Greece,

A Marseilles Hold, F Mid-Atlantic Ocean Supports F Brest, A Portugal Hold,

F Spain(sc) Supports F Mid-Atlantic Ocean, A Venice Hold.

Russia: Heath Davis-Gardner – heathdavisgardner@gmail.com – A Burgundy - Ruhr (*Fails*),

A Norway - Sweden (*Fails*), A Rumania Hold, A St Petersburg - Moscow (*Bounce*),

F Sweden - Baltic Sea (*Fails*), A Ukraine Supports A Rumania, A Warsaw - Moscow (*Bounce*).

Now Proposed – A/I/R Draw. Please vote. NVR=No.

Supply Center Chart

Austria: Berlin, Budapest, Bulgaria, Constantinople, Kiel, Munich, Serbia,

Trieste, Vienna=9 Build 1

England: Belgium, Edinburgh, London=3 Even

France: Brest, Liverpool, Paris=3 Remove 2

Germany: Denmark, Holland=2 Remove 1 or 2

Italy: Greece, Marseilles, Naples, Portugal, Rome, Smyrna, Spain, Tunis,

Venice=9 Build 2

Russia: Ankara, Moscow, Norway, Rumania, Sevastopol, St Petersburg, Sweden,

Warsaw=8 Build 1

PRESS

Travelling Mann: Well, that was a jolly jaunt to Riga. You won’t get that kind of trip in 2021 or 2341.

Deadline for W 05/S 06 is July 10^th at 7am My Time

Balkan Wars VI, “Bad Way to Go”, 2020Apb08, S 17

Albania: Mark Firth – mogcate@aol.com – F Croatia – Bosnia, F Cyclades Supports F Aegean Sea,

F Montenegro Supports F North Adriatic Sea (*Cut*), A Mt Tara Supports F Montenegro,

F North Adriatic Sea Supports F Croatia – Bosnia, A Skopje Supports A Salonika,

F South Adriatic Sea Supports F Montenegro, A Tirana Supports A Skopje, A Valona Supports A Skopje.

Bulgaria: Jack McHugh - jwmchughjr@gmail.com - A Athens Supports A Salonika,

F North Black Sea - Constantsa (*Fails*), A Salonika Supports A Thrace, A Thrace Supports A Salonika (*Cut*).

Serbia: Andy York – wandrew88@gmail.com – A Arda Supports A Plovdiv – Thrace,

A Belgrade Supports A Nish – Montenegro, ~~F Bosnia - North Adriatic Sea~~ (*Disbanded*),

A Bucharest - Nish (*Fails*), A Constantsa Hold, A Dubruja - Varna (*Bounce*),

A Hercegovina Supports A Nish – Montenegro, A Macedonia Supports A Plovdiv – Thrace,

A Nish - Montenegro (*Fails*), A Plovdiv - Thrace (*Fails*), A Sofia - Varna (*Bounce*).

Turkey: Heath Davis-Gardner – heathdavisgardner@gmail.com – F Aegean Sea Supports A Thrace,

A Constantinople Hold, F Izmit Supports A Constantinople.

A/B/S/T Draw Fails

Now Proposed – A/S, A/B/S/T. Please vote. NVR=No

PRESS

None.

Deadline for F 17 is July 10th at 7am My Time

Where in the World is Kendo Nagasaki?

The Rules were in Eternal Sunshine #131, read them if you want a detailed explanation and examples. Basically, this is a guessing game, trying to guess the mystery person and their location (both chosen by me before the game started). Closest guess gets a public clue and notification they were the closest. Everyone else sees the clue but has to figure out on their own who was the closest that turn.

Turn 1