Eternal Sunshine #163

December 2022

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.

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Quote of The Month – “All I'm saying is that, when I'm around you, I find myself showing off, which is the idiot's version of being interesting.” - (Harris in “L.A. Story”)

Welcome to Eternal Sunshine, slowly marching its way to oblivion. But like the band on the Titanic, we may as well try to enjoy ourselves the best we can on the ride down.

It’s been a very trying month for me. It started the weekend before Thanksgiving. Friday evening Sanka hasn’t shown any kind of an appetite, and she threw up a few times. Now, Sanka being a cat and all – and one 15 years if age, at that - this wasn’t completely unusual. It happens from time to time. But Saturday she still had no appetite, and was continuing to throw up. By noon she was throwing up every fifteen minutes or so, with nothing but bile left. Sanka has always been a very healthy cat overall, so I decided to call my vet and see if they could squeeze her in for an appointment. They’re open six days a week, and I didn’t want to let her go through Sunday like this. Besides, I couldn’t remember ever seeing her this ill.

I’ve been going to this vet clinic since Mara and I first moved to Dallas in 1994. While the original vet has long since retired (and passed away), and the next left to start his own practice, they’ve always been of the highest quality. They seem to get a lot of higher income, high maintenance clients, but the vets I have dealt with there appreciate my balance between deep love and caring for my pets and reasonable expectations. I always get their shots, and once my pets reach senior age they go in twice a year for checkups (and full senior blood work at least once a year). Despite being a good 40 minute drive from Mesquite, I still go there. Like a good doctor, a good vet is hard to find, and once you have one you hold on to them.

Sanka hates when I take her to the vet. She knows, of course, and runs and hides. Fortunately I’d just taken her to the vet for her checkup and blood work in October, which is when I discovered her newest hiding place. So I was able to corral her pretty quickly and get her in the carrier. I knew she wasn’t feeling well because she didn’t put up much of a fight, and stopped crying in the car within only a few minutes. Normally she will whine the entire way there (but knows enough not to both on the way home…pets know a lot more than some people think). She also wet the towel in the carrier, which is something she’d never done before.

My vet examined her and came to the conclusion that she was likely suffering a severe case of pancreatitis. I’ve felt she may have had minor flareups here or there in her life, but nothing to this extent. They took some blood to check her pancreas levels, gave her subcutaneous fluids, and a shot for nausea. The directions were pretty simple: let her eat and drink as she pleased, and with luck she’d bounce back quickly. I was also given a daily anti-nausea pill to give her for the next two days, while we waited for the blood test results.

By Monday Sanka seemed to be feeling somewhat better, which was good news, as her blood test showed very high pancreas levels. I picked up some more pills, but was told she didn’t need them as long as she was eating. Through Thanksgiving, Sanka was acting like her normal self, to the point that she whined alllll day long for her share of turkey while it cooked in the oven. (Just dry, plain, white meat for her, but she was happy to gobble it down and whine for more).

The Saturday after Thanksgiving I woke up and saw Sanka had thrown up a bit of dry food overnight. Again, I wasn’t that alarmed. It wasn’t much, and I’d been warned that she might still get some nausea here and there. She still had an appetite and was seemingly happy. That afternoon I gave her a nausea pill, just in case. But within a few hours, the was throwing up again, starting with the remnants of that pill. It was the same as the week prior, only worse. And now it was evening, and I couldn’t even call my vet to see if I would be able to give her another pill. All I could do was wait to see if things got better.

As you might guess, they didn’t. I found myself at the emergency clinic a couple of hours later, where there wasn’t much they could suggest except more subcutaneous fluids and another nausea shot (with follow-up from my own vet on Monday). Sanka spent nearly all of Sunday sleeping on the bed, except to use the little a few times. She ate and drank nothing. Monday I worked from home and called in to my vet. Unfortunately with the post-Thanksgiving crush she had nothing available, but since Sanka had been so sick I was told I could drop her off and the vet would see her in between other appointments. They kept Sanka on fluids, and ran more blood and urine work. They also offered her food, but Sanka had no interest. (I think they gave her an antibiotic shot too, just to be on the safe side). The blood tests showed that now her liver and gall bladder levels were very high, which isn’t that uncommon when pancreatitis hits hard; the inflammation spreads. The vet sat and talked to me for about ten minutes when I came to pick Sanka up. She added a second nausea drug, and some liquid for pain that I just had to squirt into her mouth. Also a gel – an appetite stimulant – which you apply inside the ear. Things were looking kind of grim for Sanka. The problem is that with pancreatitis, a cat doesn’t want to eat. But if they don’t eat, their liver starts to shut down entirely. Even if the inflammation started to drop on its own, without eating, Sanka wasn’t going to make it more than a few more days. There were more aggressive things that could be done, which included a surgical feeding tube inserted to force food into her stomach. But Sanka is a VERY finicky cat. She lives by routine, and is only happy when they’re mostly maintained. Anything like that feeding tube (which isn’t really as bad as it sounds, but is surgical and has many potential problems even after implementation) would simply make her miserable. Quality of life is something I value highly. I was willing to spend money I couldn’t necessarily afford to give Sanka chances to get better (I wasn’t about to just write her off at this stage), but options like the feeding tube were simply off the table for her. We agreed it was important for Sanka to have an abdominal ultrasound to rule out growths or tumors; if she had something terminal that would change our treatment plan and strategy for comfort versus recovery. But for the type Sanka needed, I had to bring her to a different clinic, and my vet hadn’t been able to secure

I left the vet on Monday preparing for the worst. We weren’t giving up hope, but signs pointed to a likely bad end. Rather than leave her at the vet overnight (where they have no dedicated staff), or bringing her to the veterinary hospital where she’d be locked in a little cage all night, it was decided the best move was to just bring her home. At least there she would feel more comfortable and with all the medication she was on she shouldn’t be in any major discomfort; I didn’t even need to give her any pills since she was fully medicated. All I could do was offer her food and water, and wait. I was to bring her back on Tuesday so she could spend her day at the vet again, and she suggested I skip her morning pills and let her “be the bad guy” with Sanka by giving her the pills after she’d arrived.

I don’t want to suggest Sanka had been showing no interest in food at home during this. She had, but clearly she felt too sick to eat. She’d approach her bowl, sniff, and walk away. I’d seen her do that many times in the past (for example, when it was dinner time but she needed to use the litter box first). Imagine my surprise when Monday night Sanka started to eat some of her wet food. Not a lot, but something. That was the first food she’d eaten since Saturday morning, and the first food she’d kept down since Friday. And Tuesday morning she ate some more before I took her to the vet. My vet was overjoyed to hear this. Sanka spent Tuesday at the vet, getting some more slowly-introduced subcutaneous fluids and hiding under a pile of blankets. (Sanka has a heart murmur which has gradually worsened over the years – although it isn’t that bad – so it is important not to overload her with fluids or she could suffer a sudden coronary event). The vet also managed to get Sanka an appointment for the ultrasound on Thursday. I almost didn’t want to bother – you can imagine how expensive it is, and she was slowly improving – but I knew it was best for everyone if my vet had the proper information.

The ultrasound showed no growths or tumors, just moderate swelling around her pancreas, liver, and gall bladder (and in the veterinarian radiologist’s opinion, that swelling was in the process of receding; she felt it had been worse recently). In the days since, Sanka continues to eat and drink, and is now off her nausea and pain medication entirely. I do need to bring her back to have her blood levels checked in a couple of weeks, but it is starting to look like Sanka dodged a bullet and hasn’t gotten tired of me. Hopefully she’ll be around for a while yet.

Meanwhile, it still seems extremely likely that this job I’ve had for over 15 years is finally coming to an end (that is, the company is going to close). I suppose I’ll be starting 2023 by looking for something new, a prospect I am not very thrilled about. I’ve never been a great advocate for myself, and I have no degree or specialized certifications. I just take whatever comes up and find ways to get it done, as I have for most of my adult life. In an age when jobs for receptionists list BA’s as a requirement, it will be a challenge getting past the algorithms and front line screening processes for jobs that pay anything close to what I need. Oh well…nothing I can do about it now, I’ll just face that battle when it arrives in a few weeks. There’s a chance it can be stretched into mid or late January, I think.

In zine news, Kendo Nagasaki has ended, and with only six more issues of the zine locked in (as By Popular Demand has six more rounds), it doesn’t make sense to start a new one. Granted, there may be more issues…it all depends on when the Diplomacy game finishes up, and then if Andy York has anything still running at that time. But six more issues is the number that HAVE to happen. Thanks to everyone who participated in the Kendo games through the years.

I guess that’s it from me for now. See you in 2023!

Game Openings

No game openings, as the zine will fold when the currently-running games are completed.

Standby List: Current standby list who are qualified to standby in More Than Ever: Harold Reynolds, Graham Wilson.

Meet Me in Montauk

The Eternal Sunshine Letter Column

John David Galt: I'll be sorry to see the zine go. And eager if it resurrects again. Please tell us about others still in print that you know about (must be a lot as editor of DW).

[[Below you’ll find descriptions of a few zines I receive or play in, direct from the publishers. Not all run Dip, and Variable Pig is slowly running down to a fold as well. Unlike the old days, with Diplomacy World being download-only, I don’t get a steady flow of trade zines or anything like I once did. In fact DW doesn’t rate me ANY zines in my mailbox as far as I recall.]]

Brendan Whyte – Damn the Consequences: Damn the Consequences (DtC) has been published for 36 years, and from 6 countries on 3 continents, currently from Canberra, Australia. It features up to a dozen games, including Railway Rivals (often on the editor's own published map designs), Robo Rally, and Pandemic, as well as lighter games like Where in the world is Kendo Nagasaki, Choice, and various number and word games. Waiting lists for many other games are also offered (Beatles Diplomacy anyone?). DtC appears every 2 months, with a 6-week deadline, allowing for the vagaries of intercontinental post-pandemic postal systems. The editorial is usually a travelogue of a recent walking/cycling/driving holiday. Contact: Brendan Whyte, obiwonfive@hotmail.com

Jim Reader – Variable Pig: Variable Pig is a long running, UK zine that runs a wide variety of games. The zine is published both as a booklet and also as a pdf that can be downloaded from https://variablepig.org/ . It consists of Polar Pig, the original zine, and three subzines – The Celestial Steam Locomotive by Richard Smith (who also maintains the website and prints the zines), on-the-shelf by Tom Howell and Here be Dragons by John Walker. We publish 6 – 7 issues per year with a deadline of 3 weeks after publication. Most players send in orders via email, although orders sent by post are accepted. Variable Pig is slowly running down to a close.

Andy Lischett – Cheesecake: Cheesecake has run continuously since 1979, with regular Diplomacy games and occasional filler. Cheesecake comes out as a .docx attachment to an email (says my wife, who understands such things) and on real paper every five weeks. Right now there are three games running. When a current game ends I will offer a new game of Diplomacy, but the pool of postal players is shrinking and new games take a while to fill. New players or readers are welcome, and I can be contacted at andy@lischett.com or at Andy Lischett, 1996 Victoria Rd., Mundelein, Illinois 60060.

Robert Lesco – Northern Flame: Northern Flame Volume 2 is published every two months or so. I run regular, Gunboat and a couple of variants. I try to keep things much as they were when I took over from Cal White, which is to say a lot like the 'zines that were around when I joined the hobby. There are maps, a letter column and bits on music books and film. We try to keep things informal and light hearted as best we can. Interested people should contact Robert at rlesco@yahoo.com for further details.

Tom Howell – back-of-the-envelope: Tom Howell, 365 Storm King Road, Port Angeles, WA 98363, USA (E-mail: off-the-shelf@olympus.net ). Latest issue: Volume XX, no. 10 ( October 2022), open page, monthly; page count varies, typically 11 - 20, has been as many as 50; distribution via e-mail, no subscription charge. Circulation: 48. Currently running: Golden Strider, Breaking Away, Machi Koro, Love Letter, Dominion (via e-mail), Railway Rivals (guest GM). Waiting Lists: Diplomacy, Dream Mile, Snakes and Ladders, Fuzzy Borders, Eat Me!, Railway Rivals. Other games available, inquire. If Tom doesn't run it, you'd be welcome to guest GM your game. Tom Howell is still working on the house he built (mostly cabinets to go) on no-longer virgin land. There is a small but friendly letter column and deadlines are roughly one month apart. Although the deadlines and turn-around have slipped a bit lately, the publisher hopes to tighten that up in future.

Mark Nelson: You say that you are running down to a fold. And I believe you. But I also believe that we will see another reincarnation of you as a fanzine publisher in the future. It's like they say of smoking. Running down to a fold is easy, you've done it lots of times.

[[Anything is possible, but I still have Diplomacy World to keep me busy. I just don’t see myself doing another monthly dipzine, and I can’t think of anything else I am passionate enough about to do a fanzine. I could do a blog of movie reviews or something, but why? Does anyone need ANOTHER movie blog?]]

I suppose this means that I'll need to look for another North American dip fanzine to get my fanzine kick. What's the choice?

[[See the list above – below John David Galt’s letter - for some zines that are still out there.]]

My strangest experience with regard to subtitle movies was when I was in Auckland (New Zealand) for a conference and went to see the Ken Lowe movie "My name is Joe" which is set in Glasgow and was subtitled. I haven't seen that movie since then (30th January 2000), but I remember enjoying it. I see that in 1999 it was included in a BFI list of the Top 100 British movies, with the definition that the movies had to be "culturally British".

[[I guess I’m confused, was it subtitled because they thought people wouldn’t understand the accents? I remember seeing it in the theater in Dallas when it came out, but have never seen it since. I don’t even know if I’ve heard it mentioned since. I’ve seen Peter Mullan in a few things after that, and usually remember he was the lead.]]

But in a list like this you wonder to what extent newer releases have an advantage because they are fresh in the memory - I might have seen the movie in 2000, but it was released in 1998. I haven't seen that list before. I will have to take a detailed look at it one day!

[[In general, I find lists like that to be useless clickbait, but when it comes from a more respectable organization – and is 100 instead of 10 or 20 – I imagine this one would be useful.]]

One movie that I caught the last few minutes of earlier in the week is "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp". I know that it's a very well regarded movie but I've never seen it, and in the past I've deliberately not watched it when it's been broadcast. (Don't ask me why, just a vague feeling based upon the title and what I thought the movie was about). I'll make more of an effort to watch this the next time they show it. (Based upon watching the last few minutes and then reading about it). (It's ranked 45th in the list).

[[I believe that’s a film that has been butchered by numerous edits. If you’re going to watch it at all, probably best to restrict yourself to the – okay I just went and looked it up – the 163 minute version is the true one, and the one on the Criterion DVD release. That’s the only version I am interested in watching. That’s primarily the reason I never bothered watching the one the used to show on TV which was sliced down to 90 minutes.]]

I didn't watch "The Sarah Jane Adventures", nor the various other spin offs from Dr Who. (OK, I did watch a couple of episodes of Torchwood and the first episode of the one that was set in the school). What's the reason for this given that I've been watching Dr Who for over 50 years? Well, if I were to put my serious SF hat on then I would say that "Dr Who doesn't make any sense". However, I am able to mostly overlook this when I am watching Dr Who. If I were watching Dr Who for the first time in 2022, I'd dislike the show (because it doesn't make sense). But since I've been watching it before I developed any critical faculties, I am willing to (mostly) overlook this.

Watching the spin-offs just reminds me of everything that I dislike about the premise of Dr Who.

[[I actually found a lot of the Dr. Who premise to make far more sense than most of the science fiction on TV or movies back in the late 70’s or early 80’s when I discovered it. Yes, it still required a suspension of disbelief, but Tom Baker seemed to make that easier.]]

The new version of All Quiet on the Western Front has been shown quite a few times on our free-to-air movie channel. And they have also shown the original a few times. Another classic movie that I've not watched, though I

have dipped into both the original and the remake. (It does seem that I no longer have time to make a commitment to watch a movie from the start to the end). Perhaps one day I will watch it from the start. I was going to concentrate on watching the original, but you suggest the remake is better. (A rare event!)

[[Better? Maybe not better in an artistic film historian sense. Better for modern audiences, certainly. And I know far too many people who won’t even consider watching a black and white movie, so there’s that.]]

I see that (the original version of) Get Carter is ranked 16th on the BFI list. Another movie that I have not watched, nor the remake. (I don't remember the remake getting any positive reviews).

[[I don’t know that the original is for everyone, but I quite enjoyed it the three or four times I saw it. However, I have no interest in the remake.]]

Dane Maslen: Sorry to see that Eternal Sunshine is now definitely going to come to an end, but I can see how frustrating it must be to struggle to get Diplomacy games going in a zine dedicated to running such games. If DG hadn't mysteriously morphed from a zine with zero chat and dedicated to running Outpost games to one with a very active letter column and dedicated to running various multiplayer games, I'm sure I'd now feel the same way about it, given how much of a struggle it is to get Outpost games going these days.

[[If I pushed, I could easily be running two Diplomacy games, but…there would still only be about 15 active readers between all games. Just not enough for me to justify the effort any longer.]]

Richard Smith comments that here in the UK we pay £160 a year for the BBC whether we like it or not. What many people fail to appreciate is that in both the UK and the USA whenever we buy a product that has been advertised on a commercial TV station we are paying an indeterminate amount for that station, even if we can't watch it without also paying a subscription. TANSTAAFL. Or as I once saw it expressed: the definition of 'free' is that you pay for it whether you want it or not.

[[There’s a number of vast differences, beginning with you aren’t forced to buy specific products on a shelf. However, I’m under the impression that as long as you don’t actually WATCH ANY BBC programming whatsoever, you are legally free not to pay, and all they can do is send you letters demanding you pay. The collection people will send letters, perhaps even come to your door, but if you don’t let them in there is nothing more that can be done to you. At least that’s the experience of Kira who I trust. (He does Youtube videos). He’s moving out of the UK now, but as an adult he has never paid, and does not watch their programs.]]

The Dining Dead – Eternal Sunshine Movie Reviews

X (DVD) – I heard some good things about this low (but not micro) budget horror film, but I don’t subscribe to seventeen different streaming services so I wasn’t able to watch it initially. Then I saw a sale on the Blu-Ray for $6 and grabbed a copy (after bidding over $6 including shipping on eBay for a used one, and losing). It must have been a flash sale, because they’re already back to over $20 on Amazon. Anyway, this is sort of a throwback film, with a flavor that in some ways is reminiscent of the original The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. In 1979, a group of folks affiliated with a Houston-area strip club travel to a remote Texas farm where they plan to shoot a porno movie to tap into the emerging home video market. Among the group are Maxine (Mia Goth), her boyfriend and head honcho Wayne (Martin Henderson), two more actors, a cameraman, and his girlfriend who will be doing the sound. Renting a cabin from an old farmer for $30, they set about to create a more artistic porno film that will put them all on the map and help them realize their American dreams. And then…well, things happen. It’s not really easy to go any further into the plot because – as you might expect – a few surprises happen along the way, as well as a minor red herring or two. Ti West wrote, directed, produced, and edited the film. I’ve seen a few of his prior films, with The Sacrament being the best received (a found footage partially based on the Jonestown massacre). I was surprised to see X was filmed in New Zealand, as it truly does have a Texas feel to it. Some of the directing and acting is quite good (Mia Goth in particular has gotten rave reviews), and the plot leaves a lot of possibilities open so nothing is completely obvious, including the ending. If you enjoy X, there’s already a prequel called Pearl released (which I haven’t seen yet but plan to at some point), and there’s a sequel of sorts planned for maybe 2023. If you like horror movies and appreciate something with a little more story than most – or at least a bit more character – X is probably well worth your time.

Mandrake (Shudder) – I’m a big fan of folk horror films, so I figured I’d give this one a go. In Ireland, a probation officer (Deirdre Mullins) gets assigned a new client: “Bloody Mary” Laidlaw (Derbhle Crotty), who is regarded by the locals as a witch, and who has served a long term for murdering her husband. And if local opinion isn’t a big enough problem, the day after Bloody Mary arrives back home, two local youngsters disappear near her home. This film held my interest successfully for the first half, and then….well, I was still interested, but the story and execution got far too bogged down. Ideas the filmmakers wanted to explore weren’t fully fleshed out, the delightful vagueness of some folk horror films was set too high. There wasn’t adequate cohesion. I don’t mind a lack of explicit payoff in the final scene the way some do; it was the thirty minutes leading up to it that failed me. And characters that I had invested something in were sort of discarded in ways that betrayed that investment. I get the feeling the second half suffered from a brutal, length-centric edit. I would have been willing to give back more of my time in exchange for a better third act. If you give Mandrake a chance, be prepared to bail if you lose interest.

The Wonder (Netflix) – There’s this website called Dreadcentral which is supposed to be a kind of news source for horror and related genre films and shows. I seem to get a lot of their Facebook posts on my feed, and it’s become something of a repetitive irritation with me. Every single new Netflix release gets mentioned under the guise of “Twitter is already saying this is the best film/series of the decade” or “I couldn’t look away” or some other overhyped crap. It’s gotten to the point where I am actively avoiding watching new Netflix shows just because I know they can’t possibly live up to the bullshit hype. Anyway, I saw a similar post about this new film The Wonder, but I figured I should give it a try simply because it stars Florence Pugh (from Midsommar). In it, she plays Elizabeth Wright, am English nurse who in 1862 is sent to watch over a nine-year-old girl in Ireland who has supposedly survived healthily for four months without any food. It is arranged that she and a nun will rotate eight-hour shifts for fourteen days, watching the young girl to see if she is truly not eating any food while also monitoring the state of her health. Religion, science, superstition, dark personal secrets, scandal, and faith all come to bear on the characters. It’s a very blow burn, and the last act becomes rather silly. But Sebastian Lelio does a fine job of directing, and Push’s performance is strong throughout; that was the only thing which made me bother hanging on until the bitter end (other than minor curiosity over how they would wrap things up). Actually, all of the cast is – at worst – competent. The problem is more the pace, and the story itself. Overall, it’s decent, even if it is too long, so I leave it up to you to decide if it’s worth two hours of your time.

Older Movies Watched (that I’ve seen many times) – The Exorcist, The Last Broadcast, The Rohl Farms Haunting, Se7en, A Clockwork Orange.

Out of the WAY #51

by W. Andrew York

(wandrew88 of gmail.com)

Howdy!

MillenniumCon was amazing! Lots of gaming, chatting with folks after so long and everyone having fun. I played in all of the games I mentioned last time, with the exception of the D&D RPG. It had a full slate, with enough standby players signed up to fill every slot in a second game. So, I switched to a last minute addition – Escape from Colditz. Had a great time with that, but the D&D only had 3 players show up for the 5 slots unfortunately. Also, I really like the basic concept of the Command and Control game framework (played a WWII Stalingrad skirmish and a Space battle using it).

The two games I GM’d went well, the first (Merchants of Venus) only had one player who was very enthusiastic. So, I sat in to have the game played (generally I don’t play in games I GM to allow me to give advice, keep an eye on things, remind about rules and such). We actually played to a winner, and for the first time, had 5 of the 6 Telegates show up to really mix up the board movement.

The Suburbia game had a full slate of four players, and several others that were interested in playing. It was the first time I ran this, and it went quite well. I do have a page of notes to help out the next time to, hopefully, make things run a bit smoother. I’m thinking it’ll become a Sunday morning standard for my GMing at this con. Merchant of Venus has been my regular offering (switched to a Friday afternoon slot when the convention extended to a full day of Friday). Otherwise, I’d been dabbling with other boardgames without much success.

And, for those who might be interested, OwlCon is going to be back in mid-February. They are cutting the Friday night session and adding at least one additional session on Sunday. I generally run Rail Baron on Saturday afternoon and a multi-board Ticket to Ride offering on Sunday mornings. Details are still a bit sketchy as they just announced their return a bit over a week ago.

The Michigan visit went well, overall. I was able to spending some time with family and a friend’s mother. My father’s Celebration of Life was tastefully done (my step-mother and step-brother’s wife handled the bulk of the arrangements). I saw some folks I hadn’t seen in 12 years, or longer, along with a bevy of relatives on dad’s side of the family, many for the first time.

Interestingly, the day my flight landed it started snowing. The day I left, at the hour I left, it went above freezing in a warming trend. My base hotel was a few miles from the airport, which had over 2 feet of snow while I was there. They even broke a Grand Rapids snowfall record, first time with three consecutive days with 7 or more inches coming down – and, of course, two of those days were the days I was doing the most driving (day trips to Lansing and Holland). Folks told me that there was more snow in those few days than they had all last winter!

Turning to the rundown of Eternal Sunshine, I’ve had an offer to rehouse Out of the WAY (potentially under a different name). I’ve acknowledged the offer and am looking at how things might need to change if, in fact, I do move. I’m guessing it’ll evolve into something similar as ES, notice of a downloadable file with just OOTW (but, I guess, I wouldn’t be a subzine then, but back into full-time publishing).

But, before I spend too much time on that, I figured I should get some feedback from the readership on whether they’d follow that move. Obviously, there’s little sense to continue putting this together after moving if there won’t be many folks to see it. Any feedback, either positive or negative, is very welcome – though note, if you want your feedback to remain between us, please indicate it with your response.

And, as it is the time of year, I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas/Kwanza/Hanukah/etc. with enjoyable time with friends, family and neighbors.

See you in the new year!

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

Letter Column

(always welcome, send them in!)

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

[Richard Smith] – Congratulations on reaching 50 issues. Celebrating 50 as well as the more obvious 100 may come from

cricket where the batsman (or batter as we now say to be gender neutral, rather like actor) is expected to raise their bat

and receive applause from the spectators after scoring 50 runs. My subzine, the Celestial Steam Locomotive (named

after a really good fantasy book by Michael Coney), has only clocked 19 issues so far since the demise of TUIAPBCS.

[WAY] – Thanks for noticing the milestone, it is appreciated. Someday I’m going to have to go back and count the

various incarnations of my publishing history, from Rambling WAY and Pontevedria, subzines in the likes of Lepanto-

4Ever and Maniac’s Paradise, and the flyer games put out with variations of “WAY” in the title, such as WAYwords

and WAY of Life.

Interestingly, as I know little of cricket, as I was walking a Sunday morning a week or two back, and saw a group of

folks playing it in a neighborhood park. Looked like they were having a good time and a fun match.

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

Mini-Book Reviews

(finished since last issue)

Casca: The Eternal Mercenary (Book #1) by Barry Sadler (1979; 246p).

As I’ve run through the Sharpe books, except the one that just came out last year and I picked up today, I decided to reread the Casca series which I first read about 40 years ago. The premise is that the soldier who pierced Christ’s side at Golgotha was destined to unending life as a soldier until Christ’s return.

This book is nominally set during the Vietnam war, with Casca receiving what appeared to be a terminal injury in combat. However, as the doctor overseeing his case sees the wounds mend themselves, Casca opens up about his origins and his years after that day in Jerusalem. This sets up the premise of the whole series and lays the background for the subsequent books.

The book, as I recall, was part of the “men’s adventure” category of books, which apparently isn’t common anymore. Online, it is billed as a historical fantasy book. However, the tone and language harken back to the men’s adventure genre. Of such, the language and descriptions are strong and coarse while putting the male characters very much in the forefront and the female characters background material (at least in this one, I don’t recall any specifics from future volumes).

Conditionally recommended, I know I enjoyed reading this in early ‘80s. However, with today’s sensibilities and mindset, it is a bit off-putting at times. From this one book, I don’t know that I’d acquire the rest if I didn’t already have them. On the plus side, they are easy reading and not too terribly deep that you have difficulty following the flow. [November 2022]

Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett (1993; 420p).

This Discworld book centers on the Night Watch and its members. Orders have come down to diversify the ranks by adding other races and lifestyles (such as the undead). While the crew is absorbing, outfitting and teaching the new recruits, there is a break-in at the Assassin’s Guild where an artifact was stolen (which folks thought had been destroyed).

Suddenly, folks start dying from small metal projectiles with the smell of fireworks nearby. It’s up to the Night Watch to solve the case! However, there are a few obstacles such as the town’s leader absolutely forbidding an investigation into the break-in. Meanwhile the Captain of the Night Watch is being married in a couple days and there’s a race war (Trolls v Dwarves) brewing due to a Dwarf being killed by the stolen item which the Dwarfs are blaming on the Trolls plus the integration of the new recruits is having its difficulties (not the least with the pairing of a Troll cadet with a Dwarf cadet as a team).

The usual hilarity of a Pratchett book is evident throughout. While it can be read as a standalone book, the depth and flavor are enhanced significantly if you’re already aware of the characters’ background and the events leading up to this one. Highly recommended. [November 2022]

Refresh Your Prayers by Lori Hatcher (2022; 278p).

A collection of 60 devotionals focuses on improving an individual’s prayer life while restoring their internal power and praise. Each devotion opens with a short Bible reading (one or two verses) with a body investigating the topic introduced by the Bible reading, The day’s reading concludes with a sentence or two about the “Uncommon Power” that the passage reveals, a prayer example and suggestions on how to incorporate the lesson into your life.

Recommended only for those interested in spending some time with each devotion, thinking about the lesson and deciding how to (or not to) use it to make changes in their prayer life and in relationships. [October 2022]

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

Babylon 5 Quote

In “A Day in the Strife” – Ivanova: “You know, if I get through this job without completely losing my mind, it will be a miracle

of Biblical proportions.”

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

Game Section

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

Game Openings: None currently

Standbys: Gunboat Diplomacy (x1)

~~+++++++++++++++++++++~~

“Round Rock Express”

(No-Press Gunboat, Game #1)

MN: 2021Crb32

Summer 1906

Germany: A bel-PIC

Fall 1906

Austria: F GRE s f ita smy-con, A TRI s a bud-vie, A bud-vie (r-ser/otb), A RUM s a war-gal (nso),

A war holds (uno; r-pru/ukr/lvn/gal/otb), A BUL s ita f smy-con, a sil-gal (nsu)

England: F nth-hol (r-ska/nwg/edi/yor/lon/hel/otb), F GAS-bre, F SPA(SC)-mar, A BEL-pic, F ENG s a bel-pic

France: A BUR-mar, A BRE s eng f eng-pic (nso), A PAR s a bre

Germany: F den-NTH, A PIC-bel, A TYL-tri, A stp-MOS, F NWY s f den-nth, A mos-WAR, A HOL s a pic-bel,

A VIE s a gal-bud, A gal-BUD, A MUN-bur, A RUH s a pic-bel, A SIL s a mos-war

Italy: F smy-CON, A arm-SEV, A VEN-tyl, F ion-AEG, F tus-PIE

Russia: F BLA-bul(ec)

Turkey: F ANK s rus f bla-con (nso)

Supply Center Count

Austria: Tri, Ser, Gre, Bul, Rum, ~~bud~~ = 5 -1, even or +1, depending on retreat

(though no space to build)

England: Edi, Lpl, Lon, Por, Spa, BEL, ~~nwy~~ = 6 +1 or +2, depending on retreat

France: Mar, Par, Bre = 3 Even

Germany: Ber, Kie, Mun, Den, Hol, Swe, War, Mos, Stp, Vie,

BUD, NWY, ~~sev~~, ~~bel~~ = 12 Even

Italy: Nap, Rom, Ven, Tun , Smy, CON, SEV = 7 +2

Russia: ~~con~~ = 0 OUT!

Turkey: Ank = 1 even

Neutral: none

Next Due Autumn 1906, Winter 1906 and Spring 1907

Note – Split seasons are granted when 2 or more requests are received if 4+ players; 3 or less requires only 1.

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

Hangman, By Definition

**See Rule Change in bold below**

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 greatest 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 up to three different letters 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 2, Round Two, Turn 3:

Letter Votes: A – 2; B – 1; D – 1; E – 1; F – 2; G – 1; L – 2; M – 4; O – 1; P – 1; S – 1; T – 1; U – 1; W – 1

Revealed: M

Words Guessed: (Firth) Curvature; (Galt) Direction; (Kent) Meringues; (Lischett) Christmas;

(Maslen) Aerolitic; (Smith) <>; (Wilson) Marsupial

Solution:

Word: __ __ R __ M __ __ __ __ (9)

Definition: __ __ R __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (10) __ __ (2) __ __ __ __ R __ (6) __ R (2)

__ __ __ __ R (5)

Never Revealed: E, S Already Revealed: M, R

Words Previously Guessed in this Game: Articular, Caballero, Frequency, Impatient, Obstinate, Pacemaker, Testament

Game Words Correctly Guessed: Metamorphosis (Firth, Maslen, Smith, Wilson)

Player Comments:

[Andy Lischett] – <regarding his submitted word> I know it is wrong, but it seems appropriate, and if I think of anything better

I’ll change it. [WAY] – in lieu of an actual guess, a seasonal submission is certainly welcome!

[Kevin Wilson] – Still way to early to get a shot at the definition to help identify the word Now is still the time for simply a

letter search.

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

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 Six, 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.

NOTE: My decision regarding Khan last time had some reaction, always welcome. Here they are:

[John David Galt] – For what it’s worth I would have allowed Genghis Khan, Khan is not a surname, it is a title that all

their monarchs used.

[Kevin Wilson] – Khan is a title, which they may have adopted as a name, but a title first.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khagan

[WAY] – I’ll have to look into this, likely after the trip to Michigan. Thanks for the link, what I found was

ambiguous at best, leaning toward how I ruled. I’m more than willing to be convinced otherwise.

[KW] – Don’t worry about it. I thought Khan was a title and it appears it was, initially, but then became the

family name. It’s only 1 point and it’s only a game so no big deal.

[WAY] – But, I’d rather get it right!

So, after reviewing the link and doing additional searching, I’m going to allow the answer and give the point (adjusted below).

Changing up the searches, and terms, comes back with it being a title and being a last name. However, I’m guessing its

use changed much as Kevin noted above – first as a title which, then, morphed into a name. Appreciate the correction!

Players B I N T * (Wildcard)

Men’s Name over 8 letters

Doug Kent ~~Brian~~ ~~Isaac~~ ~~Nicholas~~ ~~Thomas~~ ~~Matthew~~

Andy Lischett Bartholomew <> Nathanial Thelonious Heathcliff

Walt O’Hara Balthazar ~~Islington~~ Nathanial Thaddaeus Wahunsenacawh

Kevin Wilson Bartholomew Iarlaithe Nathanial Theophilus Johnathan

Communicable Disease

Doug Kent Brucellosis Influenza Norovirus Tuberculosis Mumps

Andy Lischett Bubonic Plague Influenza ~~Night Fever~~ Typhus Smallpox

Walt O’Hara Botulism Influenza Norovirus Tuberculosis West Nile Virus

Kevin Wilson Bubonic Plague Influenza N Coronavirus Tuberculosis Cholera

Color

Doug Kent Blue Indigo Navy Blue Tan Magenta

Andy Lischett Black Indigo Navy Blue Tan Yellow

Walt O’Hara Blue Indigo Navy (Blue) Tan Magenta

Kevin Wilson Blue Ivory Navy Blue Turquoise White

Living American Religious Writer

Doug Kent Baugh ~~Ideka~~ ~~Need~~ Daniel Taylor Mayr-Harting

Andy Lischett Timothy K Beal Kent J Ingle Trillia Newbell SM Taylor Francis Chan

Walt O’Hara R Butterfield Kent J Ingle David A Noebel T Tchividjian Jann Aldredge-Clanton

Kevin Wilson Dan Boone Chip Ingram Chuck Norris Amy Tan Sam Harris

Ship Name of a Current American or British Naval Vessel

Doug Kent Boise Illinois Nebraska Toledo Maryland

Andy Lischett Bunker Hill Illinois Nimitz Thunderbolt Wasp

Walt O’Hara Bainbridge Illinois Nevada Texas Argyll

Kevin Wilson USS Bunker Hill USS Illinois USS Nimitz USS T Roosevelt USS Harry S. Truman

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

General Notes –

Notes on Doug’s Answers: All of the entries for Men’s Name were disallowed as none were over 8 letters; Ideka is disallowed as

I can’t find any reference to a person with that name; Need is disallowed as when I search for a person with that name it

returns dozens of people who “need” a religious writer or the needs of a writer, please provide more information;

Notes on Andy’s Answers: Andy notes that Night Fever is an alternate name for HIV, however it is disallowed as I can’t find a

reference that states that, only that it is a symptom; SM Taylor is Sarah McFarland Taylor; Andy notes that all the ships

he submitted were USS

Notes on Walt’s Answers: Islington is disallowed as I can’t find a man with that given name; Walt notes that Wahunsenacawh is

a Powhatan language; R Butterfield is Rosaria Butterfield; T Tchividjian is Tulian Tchividjian; Walt notes that the ships

are USS Bainbridge is DDG-96; USS Illinois is SSN-786; USS Nevada is SSBN-739; USS Texas is SSN-775; HMS Argyll is F231

Notes on Kevin’s Answers: N Coronavirus is Novel Coronavirus (Covid 19); USS T Roosevelt is USS Theodore Roosevelt

Game Six, Round Four

Letters: E G N Q W

Categories: Coastal Country; Astronomer; Subatomic Particle; 2-3 Syllable English Adjective;

Politician currently in Office (as of your submission)

Current Standings

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

Kevin Wilson 7 8 7 5 8 35 + 71 = 106

Walt O’Hara 5 8 10 6 6 35 + 66 = 101

Doug Kent 0 8 10 3 6 27 + 70 = 97

Andy Lischett 6 6 8 6 8 34 + 63 = 97

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

Deadline for the Next Issue of Out of the WAY:

January 11, 2023 at noon Central US Time Zone

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

Diplomacy, “More Than Ever”, 2021A, W 05/S 06

Austria: Andy Lischett – andy@lischett.com – F Aegean Sea - Bulgaria(sc) (*Fails*), A Apulia – Greece,

A Bohemia Supports A Vienna – Galicia, A Budapest Supports A Vienna – Galicia,

F Ionian Sea Convoys A Apulia – Greece, A Piedmont – Venice, A Serbia - Rumania (*Fails*), A Vienna – Galicia,

F Western Mediterranean - Mid-Atlantic Ocean.

France: Brad Wilson - fullfathomfive675@gmail.com - F London Supports F North Sea,

A Marseilles - Piedmont, F Mid-Atlantic Ocean - North Atlantic Ocean, F Wales - Liverpool (*Fails*).

Germany: Andy York – wandrew88@gmail.com - Retreat A Marseilles-OTB..Build F Berlin..F Berlin - Baltic Sea,

F Brest Supports F Western Mediterranean - Mid-Atlantic Ocean, A Denmark – Sweden, A Munich – Berlin,

F North Sea Hold, A Paris - Burgundy, A Ruhr – Munich,

~~A Silesia Supports A Vienna - Galicia~~ (*Dislodged*, retreat to Prussia or OTB).

Russia: Simon Langley-Evans - slangers1964@gmail.com - Build F St Petersburg(sc), A Warsaw, A Moscow..

F Black Sea Convoys A Constantinople – Sevastopol, F Bulgaria(ec) Supports A Rumania (*Cut*),

A Constantinople – Sevastopol, F Edinburgh - North Sea (*Fails*), A Galicia – Silesia,

A Liverpool - Wales (*Fails*), A Moscow – Livonia, F North Atlantic Ocean – Clyde,

F Norway Supports F Edinburgh - North Sea, A Rumania Supports F Bulgaria(ec) (*Cut*), A Smyrna Hold,

F St Petersburg(sc) - Gulf of Bothnia, A Warsaw Supports A Galicia - Silesia.

Now Proposed – A/G/R, A/F/G, A/F/G/R

Please vote. NVR=No

PRESS

CARDIFF: We'd like to attend a match at Goodison Park, please.

NEAR BARCELONA: The French government archives roll south. A new state, perhaps Catalano/Provence, may be founded. With a branch IN England.

Deadline for F 06 is January 14^th 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