Eternal Sunshine #65

Description: gdalogo June 2012

By Douglas Kent 911 Irene Drive, Mesquite, TX 75149

Email: diplomacyworld@yahoo.com or dougray30@yahoo.com

On the web at http://www.whiningkentpigs.com – or go directly to the Diplomacy section at http://www.whiningkentpigs.com/DW/. Also be sure to visit the official Diplomacy World website which can be found at http://www.diplomacyworld.net.

All Eternal Sunshine readers are encouraged to join the free Eternal Sunshine Yahoo group at http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/eternal_sunshine_diplomacy/ to stay up-to-date on any subzine news or errata. We also have our own Eternal Sunshine Twitter feed at http://www.twitter.com/EternalSunshDip, and a Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/group.php?gid=112223650909

Check out my new Internet radio station, “Music You Should Know,” at www.live365.com/stations/musicyoushouldknow

Quote Of The Month – “It’s going, Clementine. All the crap and hurt and disappointment. It’s all being wiped away.” (Joel in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”)

Welcome to Eternal Sunshine, the only Diplomacy zine published by someone who runs an internet radio station on Live365. You’ll find the link above. It’s a mix of independent singer/songwriters, Celtic, folk, and a few deep cuts. There are also a few occasional special playlists (check the schedule; one is all soundtrack music, the other a focus on artists you should endeavor to hear more of). Most (or all) of the talented musical artists I’ve interviewed here in Eternal Sunshine have music on the station: Raina Rose, Antje Duvekot, Bernice Campbell Hembree of 3 Penny Acre, Rebecca Loebe, and this month’s interview “victim” Grace Pettis. Make sure you check out the interview, and then go to the station and enjoy her music. Her first CD is truly one not to miss, and her second is in production at the moment. We saw her live this month, which reminded me how young she is and how much I’m going to enjoy following her career year after year.

Oh, and when you visit the radio station, help me out by either clicking the “Like” button of tweeting it, and giving it a good rating. The station is free to listen to, but in order to get more exposure and move up in the genre rankings I need more listeners and more ratings.

The interview with Grace Pettis is only one of the special extras this issue. There’s a number of other surprises. First of all, Richard Weiss returns to the Dipzine fold with his new subzine Zero Sum (a rebirth, if you will, or his old zine by the same name which I used to love playing in). For the moment Richard is offering a game of Yahtzee!, which is a simple and fun game to play in a multiplayer format. But he’ll need to get some of you readers to PARTICPATE by sending orders in before he starts including additional material. So don’t let Richard, or myself, down….join in the fun! I already sent my first turn orders in. Why haven’t you? Oh, right, you haven’t gotten that far in the zine yet. Okay, but once you do, send them in. Okay?

Speaking of former Dipzine publishers, Per Westling sent in a terrific occasional column which you are hereby ordered to read and enjoy. Per used to publish the international favorite Lepanto 4-Ever, and I guess my constant whining and complaining drove him to send his contribution in. So make sure you send in some feedback. And remember, there are plenty of other former zine editors I’d like to drag kicking and screaming back into the fold…plus many that never published before. What about YOU? Why haven’t you ever submitted a column? It doesn’t have to be every month…I bet a bunch of you could contribute book reviews, music discussions, movie reviews, personal stories, political thoughts, and countless other topics. Maybe you want to write some fiction, non-fiction, poetry, submit some art? You can offer to run a game, or not, that’s entirely up to you. Write it up and send it in…and then go write something Diplomacy-related for Diplomacy World (www.diplomacyworld.net).

I’m not even finished…there’s also two columns by Richard Walkerdine, including a quiz that I hope you won’t cheat on. And there’s a travelogue of a trip to Cuba by someone VERY special and wonderful, with some photos included (she had tons more which I can give you the link to if you want to see them).

Just remember that when you are reading all this melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness, feedback is very important so the authors know their hard work is being appreciated, and so I can keep a sense of whether Eternal Sunshine is any good or whether I should just delete it entirely and disappear forever. This is one of those instances where your actions can help direct the future. So step up to the plate!

Oh, and by the way, “Where in the World is Kendo Nagasaki?” ended this issue, so a new game starts immediately. Send in your first round guesses! And all the current variant openings are in danger of being yanked. Any opening that does NOT get at least one more player this issue will be pulled. You have been warned!

That’s about it for now…I’m working, trying to enjoy myself when I can, and having fun seeing my Texas Rangers win more than they lose. Now if I could just find a cure for this Texas heat! Oh well…not much to do about that but move, or take a trip. Hmmm, a trip. If I took one, I wonder where I might go? And when?

See you in July!

Playlist: Grace Pettis – Grace Pettis; Kris Delmhorst – Songs for a Hurricane; Gabrielle Aplin – Acoustic EP; Gabrielle Aplin – Never Fade EP; Suzanne Vega – Solitude Standing.

Hypothetical of the Month

Last month, we gave you these two hypotheticals: #1 – Nine dollars in quarters come spilling out of a pay phone. Do you report it? #2 – You and your co-workers on the night shift at the factory can finish your quota in one third of the time allotted. If you do more, you make the day shift look bad. Do you drag your feet and kill time?

Richard Walkerdine - #1 - I would put 8 dollars in my pocket and go report the rest (I can be quite devious at times).

#2 - We drag our feet – the bosses get what they want on time and we take a breather. I have actually done this several times during my career (well, it gave me a chance to get on with some filing). Everyone’s a winner.

Melinda Holley - #1 - Never have before - why should I do it now? (You'd be surprised how much money could be retrieved from an old rotary pay phone if you repeatedly dialed 7-8-9...information courtesy of a misspent youth *g*)

#2 - No. I take the extra time and do an analysis of why we're so fast & the day shift slower. Rather than make them look back I make US look good. Then present it to the supervisors as a way to increase productivity and reduce costs AND make a play for my promotion and raise.

Andy York - #1 - What's a pay phone? OK, presuming that the $9 didn't fall out because the phone had been broken into, I likely wouldn't take any action (though the change would likely be donated). Based on past experience, large companies aren't interested in "small change" or in fixing one-offs (especially, in this case, where most folks use credit cards instead of quarters). However, a mom-and-pop shop's own phone I'd definitely tell them.

#2 - Heck no, I'd work at a measured pace and what got done, got done (and, no, I wouldn't intentionally push to get 'as much done as humanly possible' just to make the day shift look even worse). Basically doing a fair day's work for a fair day's pay. Actually, this did come up while I was in high school. Over summer, I was working to move the high school library from the old rooms to a new extension (including clearing out old materials, refiling, etc). My co-worker and I were moving bins of trash to the dumpsters and I was moving along. His point of view was, we are being paid by the hour and the slower we walked, the more we'd make. I didn't agree at all.

Dave McCrumb - #1 - No

#2 - I thought these were hypothetical questions. This happens all the time, especially with a small 3rd shift. Typically 3rd shift is the most efficient shift because there are no supervisors around and no bureaucracy to slow things up. The 8-hour shift is typically completed in 5-6 hours with longs dinners or something else to occupy the time. When supervision does show up, the work is stretched to fill 8 hours. The question is, would I do this? If I performed hourly work with no chance of advancement, hell yes.

Tom Howell - #1 - What pay phone? We haven't seen one of those for several years. Last month, we needed one and couldn't find one. But, if I did see that happen, I'd report it to my accountant - as miscellaneous income.

#2 - Depends. Do I have friends on the day shift? What's going on with them? Is it a decent company paying us well? If yes, let's give 'em fair labor for fair wages. If, no, maybe we'll spend 2/3 of the shift playing cards...

Jack McHugh - #1 - NO, it’s not enough to be worth it.

#2 – Depends on how I feel about the management...if I trust them not to lay me off or give me more money I'd do it...if not I see no reason to rush.

Richard Weiss - #1 - I take the nine quarters, oh, nine dollars in quarters, still take em all, no biggie. I'd never even think to "report it." I bet no one says yes. Two to one odds.

#2 - Toughie. I once had a summer job with the State of Vermont Highway Department, going into the field weekly to take samples of gravel and sand, so the State would know where future supplies could be found for new paving. One Monday it rained. Had to stay at the facility. I was told to use colored pencils to color in some maps. After I did one, in about 4 minutes, I showed the supervisor to see if it was done correctly. He said, good, but, see Charlie over there (older guy, kind of hunched over, never looked that healthy), he wants to die while still employed. His job is to color the maps. He can only do about two a day. If you do many of these today, he might not have a job this winter. My supe advised me to take a short break. I colored one more map that day. It was hard to stay hidden. My summer job and this situation are not exactly the same. Pretty complex question with lots of possible reasons to do either or something else. If I'm working night shift, I'm probably new and would be one of the first fired. Probably the foreman has been around a while and knows we can work harder. Maybe someone would be out of work if we become more productive. Maybe the company can't compete in the local and global economy if we don't become more productive. I think I'd do more work than the seeming usual and see what everyone else said. If this were the Gulag Archipelago and it was freezing, I'd organize a competition and we'd do more than three times the production.

Per Westling - #1 - Very hypothetical as it is very hard to find any pay phones ;-) but there are other machines that one can put money in. I think I would, if it was not too much effort. If not possible, and I had no other option I would probably just leave it as it is.

Actually did find myself in such a "dilemma" about 40 years ago when I did find a BIG note of money on the pavement. I took it and gave it to the police. After a few months they contacted me and as noone had claimed it I received it back.

#2 - I would probably need to know more to answer this. It depends on many things, e.g. how is the team I am working in? With the work I am doing nowadays I am doing my best to help the customer so I would probably continue to do more. But working a factory, where the team spirit is the main thing, while the tasks might be bad, I think I would try to get a feel how my team / co-workers would react before doing this. I had such a work 20-25 years ago. Being young and enthusiastic I did produce a lot, which the older workers did not appreciate as it would make it harder for them. So I might have learnt that it might be a bad idea to produce max at every single day as there will come days when you will not manage it.

John Biehl - #1 – No.

Heather Taylor - #1 – No, give me a break. I keep the quarters and try to convince myself I should feel guilty. If I really felt that guilty about it, I’d just put them back in the phone.

#2 – I wouldn’t do all that I could, which sounds like it would be 3 times our quota. I’d just do a BIT more than the quota, so we look good AND so we have plenty of screwing around time; the best of both worlds.

For Next Month (For the time being, I am usually selecting questions from the game “A Question of Scruples” which was published in 1984 by High Games Enterprises). Remember you can make your answers as detailed as you wish.: #1 – The clerk at the garage forgets to charge you for the $9 oil filter. You think the labor charge is too high. Do you mention the oil filter? #2 – After dumping you, your lover becomes famous. A magazine offers you $150,000 for your tasteful nude photos of your ex. Do you sell?

The Dining Dead -
The Eternal Sunshine Movie Reviews

Cabin in the Woods – Nobody can hit a home run every time they come up to bat, but Joss Whedon has a knack for taking something tired and making it new and exciting. Teaming here with co-writer and first-time Director Drew Goddard (who worked on Lost and Alias), he attacks the horror genre, deconstructing it and putting a new spin on it while mocking it simultaneously. By basis of comparison, think of Scream but instead of simply listing the “rules” of the horror film, they bring intelligence and cohesion to it.

It’s a bit difficult to give a thorough review to Cabin in the Woods without spoiling the plot, so I will give the early basics. As in almost every other horror film, five college-age self-absorbed dopes drive their camper to a cabin deep on the woods, off a lake, which one of their cousins just bought. They’re going to spend a weekend there, enjoying swimming, drinking, recreational drug use, and physical “activity.” Along the way they stop at a creepy gas station where the attendant delivers the usual ominous warning.

Arriving at the cabin, they find a few small surprises, including a two-way mirror, creepy paintings, and other standard horror fare. But while you’re watching this, you can’t help but realize that something very different is going on in Cabin in the Woods. What other horror film opens with a combination of a sexy young college student dancing around her room in her panties and a halter top cross-cut with two guys in white coats discussing how one’s wife is off buying all sorts of baby things when they don’t even know if the fertility treatments are going to work?

The humor is trademark Whedon: dark, sharp, intelligent, and sprinkled with care so the film doesn’t become a parody of itself. There’s a lot more to the plot than meets the eye, which makes it a treat for both horror fans and moviegoers in general.

The film itself was made in 2009, but not released until now. I haven’t read any reason for the long wait, but perhaps they were just looking for a perfect slot, when the early summer moviegoers might want a break from the mega-movies like The Avengers (which Whedon also wrote and directed, by coincidence). Cabin in the Woods has some scares, a lot of laughs, and even some thoughtful moments. It’s worth seeing, which is much more than you’ll be able to say about many of the summer films on the way.

Seen on DVD – Fingerprints (C-, typical horror fare, not terribly acted but with an utterly humdrum plot). Amusement (C+, actually a rather entertaining horror film, in a way, until the last third). Jeepers Creepers and Jeepers Creepers 2 (B-, the first of the pair is creepier in a “lost in the middle of nowhere” sort of way, while in the second you get more of the monster up close which helps support an otherwise dopey subplot. I think a 3^rd in the series is due out next year). Premonition (C-, confused attempt with no real point and a climax you figure out before you should).

You Don't Know Me

The Eternal Sunshine Interview

This month’s interview is with another amazingly talented independent music artist. Grace Pettis’ 2009 self-titled debut album was a delightful discovery for me, and I can’t tell you how pleased I was when she agreed to be interviewed as she works on her follow-up CD. As you might expect, you can find more information on Grace, her music, and her upcoming appearances at www.gracepettis.com. All photos here are courtesy of the photographer, Chelsie Gordon. Hmmm…haven’t interviewed a photographer yet!

What is Your Name: Grace Pettis

What is Your Astrological sign: Libra (I don't believe in astrology)

What is Your Age (actual or approximate): 24

What is Your Earliest Childhood Memory: I remember being a very little kid in Ohio, playing outside in the snow. I was trying to make a snowball by piling one together on the ground. My hands were too small to make a snowball the way you're supposed to.

Description: pettis-67 Describe your immediate family (present day): My husband Cris Lopez is a Catholic youth minister and booking agent. He started out just booking my shows for fun but now he's got his own agency- Red Crane Promotions- and books a couple different artists. He plays the violin and has a knack for turning the meager contents of our refrigerator into a meal. Cris is the kindest, wisest man I've ever met. He supports me and believes in me more than I do for myself.

My mom, Margaret Mills Harper (Meg) is one of the world's leading Yeats scholars. She's a walking encyclopedia. She speaks a bunch of languages, plays a bunch on instruments, reads a bunch of newspapers every day. She teaches at the University of Limerick in Ireland. She's kind of a big deal.

My dad, Pierce Pettis, is the greatest songwriter I know. I don't understand why he's not famous. But he's done pretty well for a folkie. He makes a living and has managed to hold on to his integrity. That's what I want for my music too. My dad grew up in a small town in northern Alabama and lives there today, in a cabin in the woods.

I'm very close to my stepmom Michele. She teaches the gifted kids at the elementary school in town. She has a plastic rooster on her desk named Mr. Bawck-begawk.

I've got three brothers: Rayvon (26), George (22), and Owen (8). Rayvon's in the army. He writes screenplays and songs and has lately been teaching himself guitar and mandocello.
George is in college at Guilford in North Carolina. He's also in an awesome band called Wower Bowser. He can play any instrument he picks up.

Owen is 8 and is already clearly the coolest of us Pettis kids. He's beaten all of his big brothers' video games. I send him gum in the mail.

What do you do for a living: I'm a self-employed, independent, full time singer-songwriter. I write songs, drive cross country, play shows, and promote my music. I make enough money to keep going. I don't have a day job.

Where were you born: Tallahassee, Florida.

What did you want to be when you were growing up: I've always wanted to be a musician, as far back as I can remember. I also have a secret ambition: to be a truck driver.

Douglas Kent - You received quite a bit of acclaim for your first CD. What did you find was the best way to get publicity for it; to get the word out about your work and your talent?

Grace Pettis - Honestly, I didn't have a plan of action for promoting my first release. I just thought: "I'll make an amazing album, and people will respond to that." I expected a record label to come sweeping in and take over. I was naive- I was 21 and in college and inexperienced. So I ended up self-releasing it on a very small scale. I sold a few copies on my website, but I wasn't able to tour to support it because I was still in school. So I started entering contests. That helped generate a little buzz. And a couple of great press outlets- Arthur Wood at Maverick Magazine and a few other folks- approached me about reviewing the album. We also sent out a handful to radio and got a good response there. I'm surprised we were able to get it heard as much as it was, all things considered.

Douglas Kent - How would you describe the process for making your new CD? What are the major differences between making this one and your first?

Grace Pettis - So many differences. When I made my first album I was a full time college student, working at Office Depot and driving out to record when my shift was over. I'd show up at the studio and start tracking with my Office Depot uniform still on. It was my first real experience in a recording studio. I'd never headlined a show before. So I was very green.

Description: pettis-107 And I had no budget. I was eating ramen, like, two meals a day. But people came out of the woodwork to help me make it happen. Everybody from Billy Crockett (my producer) to the musicians, down to the photographer and graphic designer. It was a labor of love and the culmination of a lot of donated and/or drastically cheap time and talent.

But coming back to Blue Rock Studio this time, I've got two years of touring under my belt. I feel like I've proved myself in a lot of ways and I feel more prepared than I was then. One big difference- I have an actual budget this time, thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign. And more than just money, I've got the confidence that comes with knowing that there are people out there who believe in what I do and are willing to put their money where their mouths are to prove it. That's huge. It's incredibly affirming.

The songs on the first album were mostly confessional and folky. There will be a couple songs like that on this sophomore album. And I think the folk-informed center of me has held true. But the direction my writing's taken over the last few years has been a surprise to me. So I think it will surprise other people too. Hopefully in a good way. I'm very proud of what's taking shape in the studio right now- gifted, committed musicians, insightful choices on the part of my producer, Billy. It's been an incredible experience.

Douglas Kent - What is your general process for songwriting? Do you write lyrics and music together, or one first and then the other? Are they written specifically for guitar and solo voice, or when you write something are you already thinking about how you could enlarge the sound?

Grace Pettis - The lyrics vs. music question is the one I get more than any other. It's quite possibly the most common question for most songwriters. I think that's interesting. But I think it's a little bit of a misconception to think that music and lyrics can even exist apart from each other. Poetry is melodic. And melody is poetic. Do you know what I mean?

The cadence of a voice; the rise and fall of a voice as it speaks a phrase. The tones and accents that we use. All of those things are melodic. And words themselves have that melody programmed in, before we let them out of our mouths. So to think that my job as a songwriter is to give a word a melody seems backwards to me. It already has a melody. My job is to find that melody and sing it.

And it's the same for "finding words for a melody." What I'm really doing as a songwriter is listening to the message already inherent in the melody. So I put my ear to my guitar, or I close my eyes and listen to the way the notes feel when I sing them in the shower. What is the melody saying to me? The words are already written. It's my job to find them and put them on paper.

I first started taking my songwriting seriously as a preteen. My main experience to draw from at that point was singing in children's choirs. So what I mostly heard in my head was harmonies. Every song I wrote came with all harmonies included. Interesting harmonies too. Harmonies that could be their own melodies.

But then in high school, I picked up a guitar for the first time. And I learned those first 5 chords- G, D, C, Em, Am. Then I discovered the capo and realized that with those 5 chords I could play pretty much any song, in pretty much any key. That was a liberating discovery. To me the "1 chord" or "tonic" (I didn't learn those words until later) was the G chord. G major wasn't a relative thing, like it would be to a piano player. It was my home base chord- the sure thing that all the other chords were considered against. Even now when I hear G, I hear a comforting, positive resolution. And D is the question chord. And E minor is the sad answer to the question (as opposed to the positive answer to the question- G major). And so on.

Description: pettis-71 Suddenly I heard those 5 chords in every song I heard on the radio- not just the harmonies I'd been hearing before. And then I started hearing those 5 chords in all the songs in my head. On a basic level, that's still how I hear my songs when they're just starting to take shape, whether I have a guitar in my hands or not.

So yes, I hear guitar in my head when I'm writing songs. But really what I'm hearing is not the guitar but the chords, and the emotions that the chords evoke. If that makes sense. That has ceased to be something that only makes sense on guitar. Now I hear a lot of cello. I don't play the cello. But I hear a lot of it in my head.

Douglas Kent - When you’re on the road, how many shows do you think you do in a normal month? How much touring are you planning to do for the new CD?

Grace Pettis - There really is no normal for me. Last month I did a residency near my home where I played shows and lead a songwriting workshop at a local venue for four straight weekends. But I'm about to be away from home for over a month. So it just varies. By season and availability and my personal life.

Typically, shows happen on weekends. So if Cris- who's my husband and booking agent- knows I'm going to be playing a show in a particular area, he tries to book other gigs in that timeframe and in the general area (not too close by, though, because we can't afford to dilute the audience).

It's a lot like playing monopoly- the trick is to get three or four "properties" (gigs) lined up next to each other, because they each make the others affordable. If I've got my whole weekend full- Thursday through Sunday- I can afford the gas to New England or Florida or wherever.

So I usually do between two and four regions in a month. I try to buffer the time I'm away from home with two week stints of catching up on marital bliss.

Last year I played around 80 or 90 shows. This year I'll play more than that, most likely. I'm going to do everything I can to get my album heard. It makes sense to tour heavily right now.

My ideal situation would be to play somewhere around 100 shows a year. That seems like a magic number from my current vantage point. But the magic number seems to change to accommodate the economy, the music business, and my own life and career. So there is no normal.

Douglas Kent - Do you have a release date planned?

Grace Pettis - I do. But I can't tell you what it is yet. I still want to talk to a few labels. And I do mean a few, that I can see myself working with.

If those labels aren't interested or able to help, I'll release it on my own- hiring out my own promo team. My friends and fans that made this happen with their donations and support deserve to get a copy in their hands as soon as possible. So my main concern is making sure I put them, and this album first.

In all probability, I will have it out and in the world this year.

Douglas Kent - Did you self-fund for this new CD? How hard is it to get some kind of financial backing? Are you impressed with how many independent artists have been able to collect enough funds from fans to fund new projects?

Grace Pettis - I did! (If, by "self-fund" you mean "community-fund.") I still can't believe it worked. Most of the money was raised on Kickstarter and some in outside donations. All in all, the total was around $32,000.

Don't get me wrong- that looks really simple when it's neatly typed in one sentence. But it was a harrowing, nail biting experience. I sent out a lot of personal letters. I made a lot of phone calls. I called in a lot of favors. It was months of not knowing, of seriously doubting, of hoping and then not knowing again. But in the end I decided to go for it, and to ask for what I really wanted, to make the kind of album I'm capable of making. A few close friends and family convinced me that I was worth it, that the songs were worth it. That was hard to believe- It's a lot of money. More than I make in a year. But once I said yes, it was just a matter of sticking to my guns and following through. And praying that everyone else would say yes too, and that everyone else would follow through too. Like I said, I still can't believe it worked.

More than anything, it's a testament to how wonderful the folk music tribe is. Folkies stick together and take care of each other. We come out of the woodwork to protect this music and keep it alive. It's a beautiful thing. I'm a lucky girl to be born into this community of people that care about songs and the people that write and play them.

I am impressed with the willpower and hard work of the musicians I know. There's this definite stubborn streak in today's musician- myself included. There's not the money and support from labels that was there ten years ago. And nobody's buying CDs. So that makes it harder. But on the other hand, there's a lot more control and independence.

And if you're crazy enough to do this for a living, creative enough to do it well, and stubborn enough to not take no for an answer, you just might be able to scrape up enough money a year to make a living and not need a day job. That's liberating. And it's all most artists I know want from life- the ability to make their art.

I've been very lucky so far. Part of it is the Pettis name. Part of it is luck and fortunate acquaintances- Billy at Blue Rock and others. A lot of it is the goodwill and generosity of the people that love the music. Part of it is my own hard work. And I do work really, really hard. I use everything that I'm given.

All those things mean that I'm able to make my art. I make enough money to keep going. It's usually JUST enough to not be in debt. Daily bread.

Douglas Kent - In two sentences, describe your new release:

Grace Pettis - I'm not sure that I'm ready to do that yet. We're still recording.

Douglas Kent - Do you have a CD title yet (and yes, I buy CD’s...I don’t like downloaded versions):

Grace Pettis - I have about three titles. And I like them all. My process is that the recording informs the title. Billy and I are trying to get a feel for the songs and I'll ultimately pick the title that best speaks to that. (Thanks for buying CDs!)

Douglas Kent - Of musicians (living) who you have never performed with, who would be your dream collaborators?

Grace Pettis - Oh man. I think I would be too self-conscious and intimidated to actually collaborate with any of my heroes. Unless by some miracle they thought I was cool. But here's a short list of heroes, in no particular order: Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Patty Griffin, Eliza Gilkyson, The Dixie Chicks, Shawn Colvin, Peter Gabriel, Adele, U2, Joan Baez, Derek Webb, Mumford and Sons, Anais Mitchell, Darrel Scott, Lauryn Hill, Mary Gauthier, Tom Petty, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan. Among others. I'm getting to play shows with my dad. That's a dream come true. (I'm not being cute- I'm serious. I've always wanted to be good enough to play with my dad.)

Douglas Kent - Can you name 5 each of your all-time favorite books and albums:

Grace Pettis - books: Does the bible count? I love the bible. Also: The Princess Bride by William Goldman, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, Gilead by Marilynne Anderson, and Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller.

Albums: Joni Mitchell- Blue; Lauryn Hill- The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill; the Beatles- HELP! and Hard Day's Night. Pierce Pettis- Chase the Buffalo

Douglas Kent - Any last words or thoughts for the readers of Eternal Sunshine?

Grace Pettis - "A word to the wise ain't necessary- it's the stupid ones who need the advice." -Bill Cosby

PS – I had the pleasure of taking Heather to see Grace play at Uncle Calvin’s in Dallas a few days after this interview was completed. She has some fantastic new material for her new album, based on the selections we heard. “Haley’s Comet” was a personal favorite. In some sense her maturing writing is becoming slightly more introspective, but my impression is that is simply the result of experience and insight that comes with each passing year.

Meet Me In Montauk
The Eternal Sunshine Letter Column

Dane Maslen: (regard Richard Walkerdine’s article) There was in fact a program on TV about this raid just a month or so ago. It featured interviews with some of the people responsible for the plan and various members of the crew of both the Vulcan and one of Victors.

11 Victors and 2 Vulcans took off from Ascension Island. One of the Vulcans was a standby in case there were any problems with the prime aircraft. In fact the prime aircraft did have a problem and soon had to turn back, so it was the standby that went on to make the attack.

In the first refueling 6 Victors refueled the other 5 and the Vulcan. In the second refueling 3 Victors refueled the other two and the Vulcan. If I recall correctly, the next step was for one of the two remaining Victors to refuel the other.

Then the final Victor refueled the Vulcan, but things had not gone according to plan and it was apparent that the Vulcan certainly would not enough fuel to get back (the program gave the impression that refueling on the return leg of the journey had not been intended - I think that is just about credible given the Vulcan's range). It

nonetheless pressed on, made the bombing run and headed back towards Ascension Island. In the words of one of crew it was almost out of fuel "when a Victor rolled out in front of us."

[[I don’t remember much about the Falkland conflict. It seemed to me, in my ignorant youth, that Great Britain would just squash Argentina like a bug and take them back. I’ve enjoyed learning more about the details of the whole situation and how it resolved.]]

Andy Lischett: Even though I'm being eaten by Siberian tiger sharks (notoriously slow eaters), can I climb back into the lifeboat in order to toss Heather overboard for forsaking Fiona the Fabulous Falcon Futura from Ford? Phaw! It's like Ellen DeGeneris returning her rescue dog for peeing on the carpet. Or something.

[[She would have loved to keep it, but only to look at it out the window. It simply wasn’t for her. Best to end a relationship right away when you know it isn’t meant to be.]]

Actually older cars are best as weekend cars, to be washed and polished and driven to noplace-in-particular. They do not excel in traffic. Which is weird because in the '60s Falcons and Bonnevilles and Galaxies and Electras WERE traffic. But they sure had neat names, didn't they? Which sounds more exciting, a Civic or a Fury?

Anyway, I started watching ebay to see if Fiona showed up (kind of like reading obituaries) but stopped because it was too dangerous. Too many cool cars, and when I saw a '63 Falcon convertible priced cheap because it has no engine or transmission and I have a the spare engine and transmission sitting in my garage, I quickly exited ebay and instead checked the results for Dancing With The Stars. I have too many cars already, and am not ready for another long term relationship.

[[Fiona did, in fact, sell on our first attempt offering her on eBay. A retired Marine in Wisconsin bought it and had it trucked up there. We’ve asked that he send us a picture of him driving it one of these days.]]

By Popular Demand: My thanks to Mark Firth for picking Arkansas. I guess I go more with sentimental favorites or first instincts than with what I know will be popular. I knew that California would be #1, yet chose Illinois. I wonder why?

[[I do that often in BPD, because it seems I can never win a game anyway.]]

Andy York: Great bit by Richard Walkerdine on the Falklands - I very much enjoyed some of the personal notes. I remember the events (and even have binders with the newspaper articles at the time).

Paul Milewski: I had an interesting experience at the post office. It was sort of the quintessential experience of a USPS customer. I had a box of children’s clothing I wanted to mail to my daughter in Georgia. I asked the clerk where on the box I should put the mailing label, and she said the lid, so I put it on the lid. She then noticed it was a one-piece label with the “from” above the “to” information and she said she preferred the “from” in the upper left corner and the “to” in the middle, so I peeled it off and asked her if she had a pair of scissors. She seemed genuinely surprised that it wasn’t perforated or otherwise made to just divide in two. She got a pair of scissors, cut the label in two, and we put the two parts of the label where she wanted them. I didn’t see the point in arguing with her any more than I can see the point in arguing with a tree. I didn’t think it worth the trouble to show her that the mailing labels they sell in the lobby where she works (a USPS product) is also a one-part label with the “from” directly above the “to” information. It is amazing how an old fossil like her, who has probably worked at the post office her whole life, doesn’t know the basics about mailing things. Inasmuch as we reattached the label to the box, I am just hoping the adhesive was good enough for the label to stay on until the box gets delivered to my daughter in Georgia.

[[Sounds too much like Heather not being able to explain that an LP *is* “media” and there should get the Media Mail rate. Lately she’s been getting this one spaced-out clerk who speaks in a flighty voice, like she’s high on LSD, and messes up every transaction. “Oops, I almost charged you $50,000. I wonder what’s wrong with me. Maybe I had too much coffee? Or not enough?”]]

A QUIZ

by Richard Walkerdine

I warn you, some of this is not easy (though one or two are). How about we try the honor system, and nobody cheats?

Section 1 - Quotations. Who said, or wrote, the following (2 points each)

1: I think that I shall never see a billboard lovely as a tree.

Indeed, unless the billboards fall I’ll never see a tree at all.

2: If you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen.

3: The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds and the pessimist fears this is true.

4: Life’s a bitch, and then you die.

5: They had him thrown out of a club in Bombay for, apart from his mess bills exceeding his pay, he took to pig-sticking in quite the wrong way.

I wonder what happened to him?

Section 2 – Literature. The following are all opening lines of books. Name the author and title of each one (2 points in total, 1 for author and 1 for title).

1: The rue du Coq d’Or, Paris, seven in the morning.

2: Here is Sofka, in a wedding photograph. At least I assume it is a wedding although the bride and groom are absent.

3: He – for there could be no doubt about his sex, though the fashion of the time did something to disguise it – was in the act of slicing at the head of a Moor which swung from the rafters.

4: Father lay on the floor, by the window of a small darkened room, dressed in white and looking terribly long.

5: Francoise raised her eyes.

Section 3 – Natural History. 2 points each

1: There are only two known species of venomous lizard. What are they? (1 point for each).

2: The largest species of cobra is the King Cobra, reaching a length of up to 18ft. What is remarkable about its diet?

3: Name the seven species of Elm that can be found in Britain.

4: Name the six species of Antarctic seals.

5: How much water does an adult African elephant drink in a day?

Section 4 – Aviation. (My favourite subject, of course).

These are actually quite easy, so it’s just 1 point per answer.

German aircraft development before and during World War 2 is generally regarded as being well in advance of their opponents. So the next four comprise notable ‘firsts’ achieved by the German designers (and no, I have no love for the Nazis, I just appreciate the German’s engineering skills).

1: The first flight of a rocket powered aircraft was on June 30^th 1939, what was it?

2: The first flight of a jet powered aircraft was on August 27^th 1939, what was it?

3: The first flight of a jet fighter was on April 2^nd 1941, what was it?

4: The first flight of a jet bomber was on June 15^th 1943, what was it?

5: An even easier one to finish with. In the 1980s the ‘Voyager’ aircraft completed the world’s first non-stop round the world flight without refuelling. Who were the pilots?

Send your answers directly to me (rwalkerdine@yahoo.co.uk) or, if you prefer, send them to Doug who I am sure will forward them on to me. Doug by the way does NOT have the answers and so is very welcome to have a go himself.

The deadline will be the next ES deadline at the end of June and the results will be announced the following month. If I get even a half way decent response I will try to do one every couple of months.

The Twisting Tale

This is a rotating story, with a different author every issue, and a chapter of 500 words. If you’d like to participate, please email me and let me know, and I’ll let you know when your turn comes up. We need more particpants! Email me at dougray30@yahoo.com if you’d like to participate!

WE NEED MORE PARTICIPANTS! ONLY MEANS YOU DO AN ENTRY EVERY 3 OR 4 MONTHS! IF WE DON’T GET MORE PARTICIPANTS, THIS WILL END SOON!

Chapter 12 by Jim Burgess

He then made the biggest mistake of his life. He ignored that little girl. You might think it was bad that he ignored her because of her potty mouth? No, not all, didn't think twice. Don't all 11 year olds around these parts talk that way these days?? You might think it was bad that he ignored her because he stole her bike. You would be wrong, How could this little girl do anything to him, even wobbling down the road he could outrace her.

No, he had neglected to notice that the little girl had dropped her bike next to a bright red pickup truck covered with bad ass NASCAR stickers and two really big burly guys, which ALSO was parked in front of the ice cream store. You got it. One of them was this little girl's older brother. Out of the corner of his eye he saw them taking in the situation and shaking their heads. But no, he didn't know right then how big a mistake he had made, but he was about to find out.

He didn't actually see what happened next but we can surmise that the little girl was comforted by her brother and her friend. It actually took a bit of time, two whole blocks before the red pickup caught up to him, so clearly they didn't hop in the pickup too quickly.

Did he also have time to consider anything about Candidate #9 and the police force or anything about what he was planning to do with his syringe, scalpel, suture, gloves, ether, or anything else in his bag? No, not at all, but it seems like we should remind our gentle reader of the seriousness of his mission. Did he contemplate his veritability or anything else about the rest of his life, which was about to change more dramatically than we or anyone else can possibly imagine? No, he was focusing on how silly he looked on this tiny bike with all the streamers and frilly 11 year old girl accoutrements.

With a red face, made redder by the bright red pickup truck as it pulled along side, he looked up to see the little girl’s older brother staring down at him with loathing and dismissiveness.

“Just what do you think you’re doing?” he said with a sneer.

He didn't yet know that this was the little girl's brother, but he knew the situation didn't look good. How should he respond? It seemed he had three choices, but we already know he chose the most dramatically unhelpful of the choices. He could be contrite, saying, something like, "I don't know what came over me? Can we get this bike back to this little girl, I'm so sorry?" He could have tried to make a joke like "Wasn't that the Bikes-To-Go stand? I think I chose the wrong bike." But no, he decided to try to explain where he was going, what he was doing, and how he could get these two guys in the pickup truck to take over giving him a ride. And that was precisely the wrong choice.

Next up – Paraic Reddington

Description: MC900229981[1] LIFEBOAT!

A game of survival, bad breath, and fish odor…

This is the simple game of Lifeboat. Everyone plays this, whether you participate or not. Each turn everyone still alive in the lifeboat may make a single vote to throw someone off the lifeboat, or a single vote to remove one vote from yourself (a defensive measure). The high vote getter is thrown overboard, as well as any player getting 2 or more net votes (due to the damage caused when Sanka was tossed overboard). In a tie, everyone with that score is thrown over. Last one in the boat wins. I’ll probably give a prize, as usual. Press is encouraged. Note that the votes themselves are NOT revealed. I just simply announce who is thrown overboard. If you’re not listed as in the lifeboat right now but want to be, email me and I will add you next issue. If you are listed and don’t’ want to be…well, too bad. There is no suicide in this game; you just can ignore it if you want to.

Currently in the lifeboat:

Description: MCj03243400000[1] Brain Farts: The Only Subsubzine With It’s Own Fragrance

By Jack “Flapjack” McHugh – jack@diplomacyworld.net

(or just email Doug and he’ll send it to me)

Issue #43

I might have another job, I’ll know in a day or two. The whole approval process is a nightmare. So much paperwork, a urine sample (drug test), verification of just about everything I’ve told them…they probably want a DNA swab, a prostate exam, and one of my teeth too. Oh well, better than unemployment!

As usual, not one of you bastards sent me any encouragement, offered any help, or anything else. So eat it. I hope my column pisses you off so badly you can’t even sleep. Doug forwarded me one complaint from last issue, about the “credit card swipe” photo. I don’t know what this person is so mad about, unless they mean I shouldn’t have covered up the dirty parts with marker. Crybaby, maybe the government will protect you. I think the Bill of Rights has been amended to add “The right never ever ever to be offended by anyone in any way.” Grow up, for fuck’s sake. Don’t worry, next month I’ll add an old “The Timbertoes” from Highlights for Children so you can be happy.

A woman goes into Cabela's to buy a rod and reel for her grandson's birthday. She doesn't know which one to get, so she just grabs one and goes over to the counter.

The clerk was standing behind the counter wearing dark shades. She says to him, "Excuse me, sir. Can you tell me anything about this rod and reel?"

He says, "Ma'am, I'm completely blind; but if you'll drop it on the counter, I can tell you everything from the sound it makes."

She doesn't believe him but drops it on the counter anyway...

He says, "That's a six-foot Shakespeare graphite rod with a Zebco 404 reel and 10-LB. Test line. It's a good all-around combination, and it's on sale this week for only $20.00."

She says, "It's amazing that you can tell all that just by the sound of it dropping on the counter. I'll take it!" As she opens her purse, her credit card drops on the floor.

"Oh, that sounds like a Master Card," he says.

She bends down to pick it up and accidentally farts. At first she is really embarrassed, but then realizes... there is no way the blind clerk could tell it was her who tooted. Being blind, he wouldn't know that she was the only person around?

The man rings up the sale and says, "That'll be $34.50 please."

The woman is totally confused by this and asks, "Didn't you tell me the rod and reel were on sale for $20.00? How did you get $34.50?"

He replies, "Yes, ma'am. The rod and reel is $20.00, but the Duck Call is $11.00, and the Catfish Bait is $3.50."

She paid it and left without saying a word.

Today I received my 2012 Social Security Stimulus Package. It contained two tomato seeds, cornbread mix, a prayer rug, a machine to blow smoke up my ass, 2 discount coupons to KFC, an "Obama Hope & Change" bumper sticker, and a "Blame it on Bush" poster for the front yard.

The directions were in Spanish. The envelope was made in China. Watch for yours soon.

In honor of the 44th President of the United States, Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream has introduced a new flavor: "Barocky Road." Barocky Road is a blend of half vanilla, half chocolate, and surrounded by nuts and flakes.

The vanilla portion of the mix is not openly advertised and usually denied as an ingredient. The nuts and flakes are all very bitter and hard to swallow.

The cost is $92.84 per scoop...so out of a hundred dollar bill you are at least promised some CHANGE..!

When purchased it will be presented to you in a large beautiful cone, but after you pay for it, the ice cream is taken away and given to the person in line behind you at no charge.

You are left with an almost empty wallet, staring at an empty cone, and wondering what just happened.

Then you realize this is what "redistribution of wealth" is all about. Now, aren't you stimulated?

On her wedding night, the young bride approached her new husband and asked for $20.00 for their first lovemaking encounter.

In his highly aroused state, he readily agreed. This scenario was repeated each time they made love, for more than 40 years, with him thinking that it was a cute way for her to afford new clothes and other incidentals that she needed.

Arriving home around noon one day, she was surprised to find her husband in a very drunken state. During the next few minutes, he explained that his employer was going through a process of corporate downsizing, and he had been let go. It was unlikely that, at the age of 59, he would be able to find another position that paid anywhere near what he had been earning, and therefore, they were financially ruined.

Calmly, his wife handed him a bank book which showed more than forty years of steady deposits and interest totaling nearly $1 million. Then she showed him certificates of deposits issued by the bank which were worth over $2 million, and informed him that they were one of the largest depositors in the bank.

She explained that for more than three decades she had 'charged' him for sex, and these holdings had multiplied and these were the results of her savings and investments.

Faced with evidence of cash and investments worth over $3 million, her husband was so astounded that he could barely speak, but finally he found his voice and blurted out:

“If I would have had any idea what you were doing, I would have given you all my business!”

Now, repeat over and over as you look at these photos: “I love my job. I have a good job.” Unless you’re unemployed like I have been, in which case just down a beer and enjoy them.

THE ABYSSINIAN PRINCE #333

May 28, 2012

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

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

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

Some of you are still not on the E-Mail list for this szine, I keep trying to sign you up, please accept the offer! I am being a bit more systematic about that right now. I am going ahead and finishing all the games here, and then we'll see what happens.

This issue continues the szine/subszine inversion. As most of you know, this thing began as a ßubszine" to Terry Tallman's North Sealth, West George, then became its own szine with a host of subszines. The subszines remaining will appear as sub-subszines to our new flipflopped home in Doug Kent's Eternal Sunshine. Doug will keep us on schedule so we will charge forward and finish the remaining games that I have in here. After that, we'll see how it goes and what I do next. I'd like to keep writing and doing some game GMing. You all should see first what I actually do.

For production, in addition to the HTML's of each separate product on the web page, I will also have a PDF that you can print of the entire subszine (including my famous handdrawn maps!). You can just print the maps if you like, but remember maps are for pikers anyway, you don't need no steenkin' maps, keep them up in your head where they belong. I don't think there are very many people I owe money, but if you think I owe you money, just ask and I will pay. ONE GROUP that is definitely owed money is the players with NMR insurance. NMR insurance still continues, I will still call you for it, and when your game ends, I will refund the money.

General information about the mailing list is at: http://www.diplom.org/mailman/listinfo/tap You can sign up from there, or send E-Mails to: Tap-request of diplom.org; with the word `help' in the subject or body (don't include the quotes), and you will get back a message with instructions. You must know your password to change your options (including changing the password, itself) or to unsubscribe.

THE ABYSSINIAN PRINCE LETTERS SECTION

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

((For these and other upcoming cons around the world: http://devel.diplom.org/Face/cons/index.php))

((Umm, do I have any letters, I think I do, but can't locate them, got to get this out the door, I think. Very light on reading this month, hope you all had a great Memorial Day!))

THE ABYSSINIAN PRINCE GAMES SECTION

I am continuing to note cut or failed support orders with a small "s" instead of a capital "S". This will make it easier on the E-Mailed version of the szine to see what happened, since the italics don't show there. The italics DO show on the web page just fine.

Standby lists: Mike Barno, Dick Martin, Brad Wilson, Jack McHugh, Glenn Petroski, Steve Emmert, Mark Kinney, Vince Lutterbie, Eric Brosius, Paul Rauterberg, Bob Osuch, Doug Kent, Sean O'Donnell, Heath Gardner, Paul Kenny, and Jeff O'Donnell stand by for regular Diplomacy. Let me know if you want on or off these lists, especially OFF given the new policies.

GAME OPENING INFORMATION

I'm going to start the game opening list over. Under the new regime, who wants to play?

DIPLOMACY: First off, another regular Diplomacy game is open. Doug Kent and Brad Wilson are in, anyone else?

BREAKING AWAY: Also, a new Breaking Away game is open. Currently Andy York is on board. This is the game I really like running and want to start another one. It's easy, very low maintenance.

THE PHIL REYNOLDS MEMORIAL: 2006B, Regular Diplomacy

THE DUE DATE FOR SPRING 1907 IS JUNE 22ND, 2012

Autumn and Winter 1906

AUSTRIA (Burgess): R f tyh-ROM; rem f tus; has f NAP, a GAL, a PIE, a VIE, a VEN,

f ROM, a SER, a TYO.

ENGLAND (James): bld a lon; has a LON, f NTH, f WES, f NWY, a HOL, f TYH, f SWE.

FRANCE (Williams): bld a par; has a PAR, f NAF, a BUR, f GOL, a MUN.

GERMANY (Ellinger): R a mun-KIE; rem a sil, f den; has a KIE, a BER, a FIN.

ITALY (Crow): has f TUN, a MAR.

RUSSIA (Barno): bld a sev; has a SEV, a WAR, a BOH, a STP, f BUL(EC),

a LVN, f ION, a RUM, f GOB.

Addresses of the Participants

AUSTRIA: David Burgess, 101 Laurel Lane, Queensbury, NY 12804

(518) 761-6687, burgesscd of roadrunner.com or dburgess of glensfallshosp.org

ENGLAND: Drew James, 3644 Whispering Woods Terrace, Baldwinsville, NY 13027

(315) 652-1956, kjames01 of twcny.rr.com or karelanddrew of gmail.com

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

wllmsfmly of earthlink.net or dwilliams of fontana.org ($5)

GERMANY: Marc Ellinger, 751 Turnberry Drive, Jefferson City, MO 65109

mellinger of blitzbardgett.com

ITALY: John Crow, 946 S. Medalist Circle Plano, TX 75023-2851,

(214) 532-1418, johnny.crow of hotmail.com

RUSSIA: Mike Barno, 1071 Warren Road Apt 8 Ithaca, NY 14850, (607) 481-4526

mpbarno of gmail.com

TURKEY: Fred Wiedemeyer, Box 92010-Meadowbrook RPO, Edmonton, ALBERTA

CANADA T6T 1N1, (780) 465-6432, wiedem of telus.net or wiedem of shaw.ca

Game Notes:

1) A bit quiet since we're only building/removing/retreating, but I expect a return to the action next season. We're waiting expectantly for the next installment of Red Kings, and whether the alliance structure really has gone topsy-turvy.

Press:

(BOOB to ALL): None? That just seems WRONG!

SPIRALS OF PARANOIA: 2005A, Regular Diplomacy

THE DUE DATE FOR SPRING 1910 IS JUNE 22ND, 2012

Winter 1909

FRANCE (Jim Tretick for Buddy Tretick): bld f bre; has f BRE, f NTH, a SPA, f WES, a BUR, f TYH,

f TUN, a MAR, f ENG.

GERMANY (Ozog for Tallman): bld f ber, PLAYS ONE SHORT; has f BER, a MUN, f KIE, a TYO,

a PIE, a SER, a BUD, a TRI, a ROM, f SKA, a VEN, a BEL, f NWG.

ITALY (Kent): rem a bul; has a NAP, f ADR, a GRE.

RUSSIA (Sundstrom): bld f stp(nc); has f STP(NC), f BLA, a UKR, f CON, a RUM, a ANK,

a SMY, a ARM.

Addresses of the Participants

AUSTRIA: Paul Rauterberg, 10703 W. Grange Ave Apt. 47, Hales Corners, WI 53130,

(414) 281-2339 (E-Mail) paul.rauterberg of att.net

ENGLAND: Fred Wiedemeyer, Box 92010-Meadowbrook RPO, Edmonton, ALBERTA CANADA T6T 1N1,

(780) 465-6432, wiedem of telus.net or wiedem of shaw.ca

FRANCE: Buddy Tretick, 5023 Sewell's Pointe Way, Fredericksburg, VA 22407

FRANCE: Temporary Standby is Jim Tretick, jtretick of gmail.com

GERMANY: Terry Tallman, PO Box 782, Clinton, WA 98236, (360) 331-5698 ($2)

terryt of whidbey.net

GERMANY: Temporary Standby is Eric Ozog, PO Box 1138, Granite Falls, WA 98252-1138,

(360) 691-4264, ElfEric of Juno.com

ITALY: Doug Kent, 911 Irene Drive, Mesquite, TX 75149

dougray30 of yahoo.com

RUSSIA: Matt Sundstrom, 1760 Robincrest Lane South, Glenview, IL 60025, (847) 729-1882,

Matt.Sundstrom of bbdoch.com or mattandzoe of earthlink.net

TURKEY: Vince Lutterbie, 1021 Stonehaven Ave Marshall, MO 65340-2837,

(660) 886-7354, melvin4852 of sbcglobal.net

Game Notes:

1) The FGR draw proposal was rejected again and the proposals for an Italian concession also was rejected. The FGR is reproposed.

2) We now have two medical replacements, as Buddy's son Jim (who some of us played with many years ago as James Alan) will be playing for Buddy as Eric is playing for Terry.

Press:

FLIP FLOP: 2003G, Regular Diplomacy

THE DUE DATE FOR SUMMER 1914 IS JUNE 22ND, 2012

Spring 1914

ENGLAND (Kent): a lon-NWY, a den-PRU, f nao-MID, f mid-WES, f STP(NC) h, a LVN S a den-pru,

a BER S FRENCH a mun, f NTH C a lon-nwy, f GOB S a lvn, f BAL C a den-pru.

FRANCE (McHugh): a pic-BEL, f NAF s f mid-wes, f MAR s f spa(sc), a MUN h,

a BUR S a mun, f SPA(SC) S f mid-wes, a GAS S f mar.

TURKEY (Levinson): a con-BUL, a rum-GAL, a SEV S a mos, a bul-RUM, f TUN-naf,

a MOS s a war (otm), a TUS-mar, f TYH S f gol, a WAR-pru, f wes-tun (d ann),

a TYO S a sil-mun, f ION-tyh, f GOL C a tus-mar, a BOH S a sil-mun, f PIE S a tus-mar,

a SIL-mun, a VIE h.

Addresses of the Participants

AUSTRIA: Brad Wilson, 713 Tasker St. #1, Philadelphia, PA 19148-1237

bwdolphin146 of yahoo.com

ENGLAND: Doug Kent, 911 Irene Drive, Mesquite, TX 75149

dougray30 of yahoo.com

FRANCE: Jack McHugh, 810 School Lane, Folcroft, PA 19032, (856) 456-5984,

jwmchughjr of gmail.com

GERMANY: Matt Sundstrom, 1760 Robincrest Lane South, Glenview, IL 60025, (847) 729-1882,

Matt.Sundstrom of bbdoch.com or mattandzoe of earthlink.net

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

wllmsfmly of earthlink.net or dwilliams of fontana.org

RUSSIA: Sean O'Donnell, 1044 Wellfleet Drive, Grafton, OH 44044, (440) 926-0230,

sean_o_donnell of hotmail.com

TURKEY: Alexandre Levinson, Beeklaan 504, 2562BP Den Haag THE NETHERLANDS, don't need phone,

al of tolkin.nl ($5)

Game Notes:

1) The EFT draw that is proposed now, which happens to be DIAS, is rejected. We play on. The EFT as well as an FG draw is proposed. Note that FG includes a player currently eliminated and leaves Doug and Al out. Under my house rules, the proposal IS still allowed and CAN be voted on. It can even pass, though like all draw proposals needs to be unanimous. Please vote with your next set of orders.

2) You guys can move on to Fall instead of Summer if you want for the June 22 deadline. Your choice.

CAST NO SHADOWS: Breaking Away, Designer's Rules

Rules at: http://devel.diplom.org/DipPouch/Postal/Zines/TAP/Tinamou/rules/BreakingAway.htm

LAST CALL FOR NEW PLAYERS FROM HERE!!!

LAST WORD: A real short last word this time, COME TO WORLD DIPCON!!!!

Description: Pages from TAP333_Page_2

EVITA (DON’T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA)

by Richard Walkerdine

This is a sort of follow up to the article from last month about the Falklands conflict, though not a militaristic one because I love the country. The scenery is spectacular, the people are very friendly and I greatly regret the need to fight them thirty years ago. But hey, what goes down comes down.

Claire and I have been to Argentina twice on our travels. The first time was some fifteen or twenty years ago when we did the three week grand tour. We landed in Buenos Aires where we were to stay for a couple of days and then took local flights down south along the east coast and then more local flights up north along the west coast to return to the capital. On every local flight we were given a snack, which was a cup of coffee and a roll – and it was always a ham and cheese roll! We got so fed up with ham and cheese, but it was all part of the experience.

The final flight south took us to Tierra del Fuego, the island at the southern tip of Argentina. We flew there in an Argentine Air Force plane, a Fokker twin turboprop aircraft which was equipped with parachute gear and of course we wondered how we would make our landing (and the seats were dreadful – Claire’s was malfunctioning and almost always in the reclined position). But it was all okay and we landed safely.

We met our courier and set out on our trip. She was a local girl and very nice (I even got a kiss at the end of the trip). The next day we all went out on motorised snow sledges to travel over the snow and ice bound countryside. Of course Claire and I veered off the trail and got shouted at – but hey, that’s part of the fun. Eventually we arrived at a Husky breeding centre. The dogs were all chained because, as our courier explained, they had to be kept apart otherwise they would fight each other. As we approached they all got up on their back legs and started barking and snarling. We were a bit concerned but the girl assured us that all would be well. So we went closer, feeling just a bit uneasy. But then as we approached they recognised us as humans and simply rolled over on their backs, obviously saying (in Husky language) ‘love me, love me’. We made a huge fuss of them and it was a wonderful experience, and their fur is as smooth as silk.

But I am getting a bit off track, so I will return to Buenos Aires. Part of the city tour was a visit to the graveyard in the city centre, and it is a big graveyard with not only graves but many mausoleums. One of them is the mausoleum of Eva Peron, the wife of the former Argentine president Juan Peron. It is a concrete building surrounded with metal barricades, but when we saw it the metal structure around it was festooned with flowers as a mark of respect from the people of Argentina for their beloved Evita.

She was born Maria Eva Duarte in 1919 in the small village of Los Toldos. At the age of 15 she moved to Buenos Aires to pursue a career as a stage, radio and film actress, achieving some modest success. But her ambitions were much greater than being simply a minor actress and she had many affairs, mostly with army officers of increasing rank until finally meeting with Juan Peron in 1944. They married the following year and in 1946 Peron was elected President with Eva at his side.

She started doing a lot of work for women’s suffrage (the right of Argentine women to vote in elections) and this was finally granted in 1947. Over the next five years she became more and more powerful politically and ended up running the ministries of Labour and Health.

In 1951 she announced her candidacy for the role of Vice President in the forthcoming elections, which received huge popular support. However the military were greatly opposed to the thought of a woman being only a heartbeat away from becoming President and, with her health worsening rapidly, she withdrew. She died from cervical cancer in 1952 at the age of 33.

This is her official state portrait:

Description: Eva_peron_official_state_portrait_3 Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote about her life as the musical ‘Evita’, which remains popular to this day. There have also been at least two films made based on the musical, one of which stars Madonna in the title role. Although not a huge fan of Madonna I have to admit she plays the part to perfection.

To quote some lines from one of the most famous songs from the musical (and part of the title for this article):

“Don’t cry for me Argentina, the truth is I never left you,

All through my wild days, my mad existence,

I kept my promise, don’t keep your distance.”

They didn’t keep their distance. Although the anniversary of her death is not an official government holiday it is still marked by Argentines to this day. She has even been featured on Argentine coins and at one time a form of currency called ‘Evitas’ was named in her honour.

Our second trip to Argentina was some five years ago when we flew to Buenos Aires for a couple of days before flying down to Tierra del Fuego (a normal commercial flight this time thank goodness) to join our cruise ship which would take us to the Falklands, South Georgia and then on to Antarctica to see the icebergs, a lot of whales and the penguins (and there were 500,000 penguins at one location and oh boy did that guano stink!). But it was a wonderful once-in-a-lifetime experience (though far too expensive to ever think of a repeat).

But at the start of the trip in Buenos Aires we again took the city tour and again visited the city graveyard and again saw Evita’s mausoleum. As before the locals had woven flowers into the metalwork around the building. Even more than fifty years after her death they still love her.

We even bought a fridge magnet in Buenos Aires featuring her picture. It remains on our fridge to this day.

A truly remarkable woman.

Look Out Castro (and Crack Pots) – Barbara’s Travelogue on her Trip to Cuba

By Barbara Kent

First, some quick background on the trip to Cuba. People to People is the name of the license granted by the US State Department for the permitted tours run by Tauck Travel and other travel organizations. According to the US, I was not a tourist. I was part of this "cultural and educational exchange"--important words. The purpose of the tour was to learn about Cuba and see its art and music and meet the people. When I returned to the US and was asked why I went to Cuba, I had to answer that I was part of the People to People cultural and educational exchange.

I was originally thinking of partially taking my cousin Lisa to Paris to celebrate her book publication. But she backed out. I assume because she did not have the rest of the funds needed for the trip. So I was thinking about going myself to Paris, but I was quite hesitant about that. Anyway, two years ago I went on a Tauck Tour to Russia and the Baltics. So up pops an email from Tauck that it has been granted this license for tours to Cuba. I went to Cuba with my mother (my father backed out at the last minute due to work obligations) when I was about 8, when Batista was still in power. So I thought this was the trip for me-- I won't be alone; it will be a remembrance of my mother and to a lesser extent my father; and I would like to see Cuba and make up my own mind about the country. If we can borrow skads of money from Communist China, why can't we deal with Communist Cuba? I figure Paris will always be there, but this opportunity may not come again. So I signed up and went.

Description: 7213607024_2b04e203a6_m Day 1: Travel to Miami and initial reception: Day 2: In Havana:

The Havana hotel is absolutely phenomenal. It was built in 1998, is owned by the government and was dedicated by Fidel Castro himself. Today the main event was hanging around the airport waiting for lost luggage to arrive. My luggage was not lost, but other people were not so lucky and we had to all wait around. But finally we got to the hotel, had a great lunch, went to our great rooms, and then we just spent ninety minutes with a Cuban professor/diplomat talking about Cuba and the US-Cuba relationship. There were three men on the trip who were very antagonistic to the speaker and some of us were very embarrassed. But it was very informative and lively. It is really clear that most of our group has no idea of how bad the Batista regime was and how we supported it and armed it and that it used American weapons to kill 20,000 plain Cubans in the last three years of the Batista regime. They also refuse to believe that there is a 90% plus literacy rate. They practically called the speaker a liar. And they definitely don't want the embargo to be lifted.

Tonight we are learning how to make mojitos.

Day 1 footnote:

The people on the tour are extremely friendly, but I thought it would be a more reasonable crowd going to Cuba. But I was really wrong. These people are not just conservatives--they are I don't know what.....It has been a long time since I heard people talk about "Negroes" and how "lazy" they are and we give them too much and we treated them so well when they were slaves. And this is from really nice people. Another lady who is not so nice is going around bragging that she lives in a gated community in Florida. I am having room service for dinner.

Day 3:

The trip is wonderful. I am having a ball. But I am not putting anyone in their place. I would be kicked off the trip. Today, one of the men started yelling at some boys who were about ten years old that they should get a job. Another woman went around telling everyone that the reason the people are smiling at us and seem happy is that Castro makes them behave that way or they will go to jail. Of course, it had nothing to do with the fact that we were spending money there.

Today, we went to the Catholic cemetery. Walked around in a downpour. Big beautiful vaults for the rich up front. These vaults and surrounding lots are private property. Just magnificent. People are buried five deep. They are only buried for two years. Then the bones are removed and placed in a word I could not catch. This frees the grave up for new burials. There is also a big Chinese cemetery, but we did not go in.

Description: 7213525518_595b6cc708_m

Then we went to the Community Project which is an artist's colony that began 11 years ago. They fix the outside of people's homes, paint murals on the people's homes, hold art classes for the children and sell their work. They get fifty percent of the sales price and fifty percent goes to the community. The artist's studio and showroom is an old water tank from 100 years ago that has not been used in 34 years. There is a medical care for members of the community.

Then on to the Revolutionary Museum which is just what you expect with that name. But one really interesting thing was the tank that Castro used to fight the Bay of Pigs invaders. At the museum are big statues of Marti and Bolivia. The Museum was the President's Palace under Batista. Saw his office, and the staircase he escaped on, the ballroom and a replica of the gold telephone given to him by the National Telephone Company of America.

Che is everywhere in Havana and I mean everywhere. But Castro is only in the museum. It is odd. There are no police anywhere. There was one armed guard in from of the Museum and two unarmed ones inside. There are caricatures of both Bushes and Reagan in the museum by the bathrooms.

The old colorful American cars are everywhere. But there are new cars as well--just not new American cars. These old cars are now considered very valuable and can't leave Cuba. They have modified diesel engines rather than the original engines. Our tour bus is from China.

We toured Old Havana, which is being reconstructed slowly but beautifully. UNESCO has declared the city to be a heritage site and so seed money is provided for reconstruction. There are two schools in Havana which train people in the detailed reconstruction work. We saw Hotel Rachel which has the only kosher hotel restaurant in Cuba and a stone menorah from Jerusalem.

Then we went to a dance and music performance of Santeria at Africa House where we learned about Orecha, the Saints and the meanings of the colors. Santeria is a mixture of the slaves' African religion and Catholicism which the slaves used as a cover. I don't remember the details. Then off to the artisan community market and an a-cappella concert at the Museum of International Fine Arts and dinner.

Very few supermarkets; gas is $5.00 a gallon; Canada is helping Cuba with drilling for gas and/or oil; marriages are few; families only have one or two children; two sayings are "it is as it is" and "there is always a mojito"; Catholicism declined because the priests backed Batista; our guide who is from the government is very frank about inefficiency and feather bedding and that thankfully there will be no more Castros in the government after Raul leaves.

Day 4:

I am having a wonderful time. Today, we had a lecture from a professor on Hemingway. Then we went to where he kept his boat and we had a drink at the bar he used to drink at when boating and fishing. This drink was at 10:30 a.m. We are all, including me, drinking an awful lot on this trip. Then we went to his home. That was some experience. Very large and very beautiful. When he died, he left it to the Cuban government in his will. But there is a private Hemingway Foundation for upkeep. Then we went to a private restaurant which first opened in December. It was just beautiful and the food was delicious. I understand why these private restaurants, if they are all like this one, are bringing a lot of competition to the state owned businesses. But the restaurant last night was also very nice, just not this nice and this good. Behind the restaurant we toured an urban orchid and a bee farm. Then we went to see Hemingway's Room 511 in the hotel he stayed at for seven years when first coming to Cuba before moving to the house. It is preserved as a memorial to him.

In the evening we went to The Tropicana which is owned by the government. This amazes me. One of the big complaints against Batista was the gambling and prostitution and pornography he allowed the mafia to bring to Cuba. While this is none of that, it is similar and I am surprised the government allows it. Money speaks as usual.

Many, many dogs are around. They are so happy and well fed and look well taken care of. Pictures of Che abound. Slogans in favor of socialism and the revolution abound. No mention of Castro except at the Revolutionary Museum. Also no mention of communism. Motor bikes and horse carriage or horse and wagon are somewhat common. Very conservation minded. The AC does not blast. The toilet bowl has a low water level. Bathrooms outside of the hotel are certainly not great--toilet seats (not covers) are certainly not common. People are very friendly. Music and art abound. The roads are good. There is a huge children's amusement part by the Havana Bay. Nonetheless, this is a very poor country. The housing is mostly awful although there are beautiful homes every once in a while and certainly in the neighborhood where our hotel is located. I assume that as everywhere being connected helps. At the rate the homes are being reconstructed, I figure it will take another five hundred years to complete.

Day 5:

Today, we went to another Community Project to see the work of a famous Cuban artist, Jose Fuster. His work was really beautiful and what he did in creating this huge workshop and display area all of tile is magnificent. I bought a small painted tile. Then we went to the Art Institute which is a graduate school for students who went to a specialized art high school and passed an entrance exam. Their work and their studios were also magnificent. The studios are shaped as breasts and the light on the top is shaped as a nipple. The entrance way is a fallopian tube and the center square is vagina square. The artist gives birth to his/her work. Kind of ridiculous in my opinion but the work areas is great and the work done by the students is very impressive. And the students are so gracious. No arrogance and it was OK to take pictures of their work.

Then lunch at the most exclusive club in Cuba. Under Batista it was the Judges Club. Since the revolution it is primarily for diplomats. It was really, really fancy.

After that we had a free afternoon. Most of the people took naps, some shopped or swam. I took a cab to the Patronato which has a Jewish Center and Synagogue. They were so nice to me. It was certainly unique to see the Israeli flag flying next to the Cuban flag. There are about 1200 Jews in Havana and 1500 in all of Cuba. They said there is no repression as is evidenced by the lack of bars and the lack of any security presence. It is a conservative synagogue. It was Orthodox under Batista. They claim it is a vibrant community. I bought a t shirt and made a donation. In addition to this synagogue and community center, there are two other synagogues in Havana. I was so glad that I went. Then I went back to the Old Square in Old Havana and walked around. Then I sat in a somewhat crowded outdoor cafe in the Old Square and had a Mojito. I could not believe I was having this experience in Cuba of all places!!! I was so pleased. Then I returned to the hotel and joined the group for dinner at another wonderful private restaurant.

Anyway, just a few impressions:

1. Very few street lights;
2. Very few if any people with cell phones other than Tauck people.
3. Saw a big multiplex cinema.
4. All street crossings with lights have the second counters. They come from China.
5. Saw a few more police people today and two police cars.
6. Saw my first beggar today--a man with no legs in a wheel chair.

Day 6:

Description: 7213582644_c28eb0ae7b_m Today was another excellent day. The crack pots on the tour continue to be crack pots. But I have developed the Barbara Rule. IF the cats and dogs in a country are well fed, healthy and happy, as they are in Cuba, then the people are not living in dire desperation and poverty and starving. That certainly does not mean they are living as Americans live. But whether we want to believe it or not, the people and the country are getting by and the embargo, while making things difficult, has not destroyed the country. And other countries such as China and Canada are really becoming involved in Cuba's economy. Apparently, there is oil in the water off Cuba in the Gulf of Mexico. We are trying to prevent it from drilling in its water because there may be an oil spill. They are telling us to go fly a kite.

We went to a tobacco factory this morning out in agricultural Cuba. The roads were quite good until we were really in agricultural country where the road was just one lane in each direction with no center median and very winding. We saw the workers, who have nine months of specialized training, blend the leaves, wrap the leaves, cut the tip, do quality control and then the cigars are boxed and have a ring put on the cigar. They use a national tree glue on the tip. I assume this is resin or a related product. It was fascinating. There are 80 such cigar factories in Cuba. There is a machine that makes cigars, but allegedly, they are no good. This particular factory was a prison under Batista for the men involved in the uprising in 1956 (three years ahead of Castro taking over). Before lunch, we made stop and I had my first drink of the day at 10:30 a.m. I am drinking, by my standards, an awful lot this trip. I also sat on top of an oxen. The farming uses oxen, mules and donkeys and much manual labor. Cuba exports Rum, cigars, nickel and bio tech machinery to 60 countries. One member of our tour announced that they were living in the dark ages since they use animals rather than tractors, etc.

Then we went to lunch and there were some Santeria practitioners there. But they only spoke Spanish. So I just took a few pictures. After lunch we went to a tobacco plantation where I almost got kicked by an Oxen. I really jumped out of the way quickly. The man and his family own the plantation, but they only sell the leaves to the national cigar company, i.e., the government. He gets $1500 for a year's worth of crop. We saw his oxen and the shed where the leaves dry. I wanted to buy a cigar for our driver and tour guide, but the owner gave me 12 cigars instead. So I have been giving them away. He seemed like a very nice man and there are religious pictures all over his home. But he engages in cock fighting. I will never understand people. He gives his cock a quarter of a blue pill before the fight. Is that a valium?

Then we went to an elementary school. The school day is from 8 to 4:20. They get lunch from the school. They must wear uniforms which the parents can buy for discounted prices from the school. In the first grade, which we sat in on, they learn math, the world we live in, Spanish, penmanship, sports, and art and music. Since they are young, there is also nap time and games. The average class size is 18 children. The school was brightly painted and cheerful. The teacher must be a college graduate. School is mandatory till age 18. Here at the school, there was a photo of Fidel and a poem about him, along with Snow White and the 7 dwarfs, Robin Hood, Pinocchio, the three little pigs and the big bad wolf, and a clown. The children made a presentation and then we all did the The Itzy Bitsy Spider!

I am continuing to have a ball. At The Tropicana last night it was as follows: from 9-10 was classical music by students of the Music and Art Institute. Then from 10-12 was the same dance over and over again by women in wild head dresses and costumes but just wearing pasties and a G-string. The men were fully clothed. The colors were magnificent. There was a very long sequence of African music and dance. Nothing was risqué. The chandelier was a big chandelier, but nobody danced on it. The dancers were also from the Art Institute. Very different than what went on under Batista.

Day 7:

Description: 7213196796_8848319cdb_m I had another wonderful day yesterday and an absolutely wonderful evening. The first thing we did was go to a model of Havana. That was awful. After a few minutes of the explanation I went and sat down. In a few minutes, half of the group had followed suit. Then we went to Revolution Square where Castro gave his speeches including his 8 hour speech. It was not nearly as glamorous as I thought it would be. And then it was on to our Rhumba demonstration and dancing. I had a really fun time doing that. It is much more sensual than the American rhumba and the dancers are terrific. They have performed in the US and around the world. Then a quick photo opportunity for me for the Sephardic center. Then on to an outdoor food market followed by a stop at the National Club/Hotel built in 1930 where all the mafia big shots and Hollywood stars hung out. It is on the ocean and is absolutely beautiful. The Mafia knew/knows how to live. But the hotel rooms need a lot of restoration. Then on to a lunch at a beautiful restaurant.

After lunch we went to a medical clinic. The healthy system here is quite impressive if you leave out transplants and other extraordinary medical procedures. However, since I may need a liver transplant someday (hopefully not), I don't leave such things out. There are 24 family doctors for each 2 square miles. The next level up is a clinic--there are about 80 in Havana. There are also specialized clinics. Then the next level up is a hospital. There is also ambulance service. One of the crack pots announced to all of us in the room including the doctor and nurse that the Cuban system was just designed to make America look bad. Then when we got onto the question of access to birth control, the discussion turned so nasty that the tour director had to intercede and say that while Cubans are more aware of their sexuality than most Americans, they are not irresponsible.

I can't wait to not see these people ever again.

We returned to the hotel and then after about two hours, we boarded our bus for our farewell dinner. After a minute on the bus, it allegedly breaks down which we all believe. We get off the bus and there is a whole bunch of old taxi convertibles waiting for us to take us to our dinner. Dinner was fantastic with a wonderful piano player just like Sam in Casablanca. We also saw a dance demonstration that left us breathless. Then I came back to the hotel and packed.

P.S. This country is sports crazy and they need a major sidewalk repair job.

Day 8: Travel to Miami and home. End of trip.

Zero Sum by Richard Weiss

richardweiss “of” higherquality.com

Game: Yahtzee. Follows the standard rules for the common game, trademarked by Milton Bradley Co. With some notable exceptions.

As many as want to can play. All play per turn. Press is welcome. I’ll have some personal info next month – if anyone plays. Since I was able to get thrown overboard in my first round on the lifeboat, I doubt that will be a problem. I’m feeling the luv already.

In the parlor game, there are typically thirteen rounds per player. In each round, a player rolls five dice, then selects from zero to five dice to keep, and re-rolls the ones not kept. The player then goes through the same process, selecting from zero to five to keep and re-rolling the ones not kept. When the player selects all five dice or after the third roll of a round, the player must score the dice.

Scoring is as shown on the official Yahtzee score sheet copied and attached.

For Zero Sum, in the first turn, I will roll five dice, as part of Round 1, Roll 1. eg. Dice 1 = 2, Dice 2 = 2, Dice 3 = 3, Dice 4 = 4, and Dice 5 = 4. Each player will send me which to keep and which to roll again.

In the second turn, I will roll a number of dice equal to the highest number to roll again. These will be the dice for Round 1, Roll 2. Each dice will again be in a sequential order. Everyone who tossed at least one die, has the first die re-rolled. Each person who did not keep at least two dice, has to use the second dice for his or her second, etc. Each player ends up with five dice and must select which to keep and which to roll again.

In the second turn, in addition to rolling Round 1, Roll 2; I will roll five dice for Round 2, Roll 1.

In the third turn, I will roll dice for Round 1, Roll 3, Round 2, Roll 2, and Round 3, Roll 1.

In the fourth - thirteenth turns, there will be dice for three rounds.

In the fourteenth turn there will be dice for two rounds.

In the fifteenth, final, turn, there will be dice for one round (Round 13, Roll 3).

Each person has access to exactly the same dice as everyone else. The separation comes in choosing which dice to keep and which combinations to try for.

As an example, Round 1, Roll 1: 2,2,3,4,4

Player A wants to keep 2,3,4

Player B wants to keep 2,2,4,4

Player C wants to keep 4,4

For Round 2, Roll 2, I would roll three dice. In order, they are 3,6,5.

Player A must use the 3 & 6.

Player B must use the 3.

Player C must use all three (3,6,5)

Each player again decides what to keep and how many I re-roll.

Description: yaht

The first game will be named Kim Philby. I will maintain the Zero Sum games nomenclature. This should be simple, but, the games will be named after what characteristic?

Kim Philby might as well start now. The rolls for Round 1, Roll 1 are:

OMG: 2, 2, 3, 3, 4.

Orders go to: richardweiss “of” higherquality.com

Where in the World is Kendo Nagasaki?

Rules in ES #58. Send in your guesses. I’ve played this in Brandon Whyte’s Damn the Consequences a few times and it’s fun, takes only a minute or two each turn, and helps you work your brain! As soon as this one ends, a new one will begin.

ROUND 1

5 players guessed correctly: Marie Curie in Cadiz. I put all the closest guesses from prior rounds in italics. I will likely award a prize to one of the winners, chosen randomly. But, that remains to be seen. In the meantime, here are some comments on the Final Round from players in the game (to help players next time):

Andy Lischett: I figure it's got to be Cadiz or Granada, because Marbella is too obscure. Also, I was picking Marie Curie because she was born closer to 100 years before Brad Pitt and died closer to the start of Fangio's career than Freud was/did, but that was faulty thinking. IF Freud is the mystery man, you were relating Freud to Pitt, Chamberlain and Fangio, not comparing him to Curie. Also, as I said before, Chamberlain is more associated with what happened to Czechoslovakia than with Poland. Probably I'm wrong.

Kevin Wilson: Since I've been very intrigued by this game I'm going to go ahead and get my pick in now. The rest can follow later.

I'm almost certain the person has to be either Sigmund Freud or Marie Curie. They seem to be the only 2 who truly fit some of the clues. It appears others have reached essentially the same conclusion given each was named 3 times this round. If it isn't one of them, then I, and the other 5, missed something big earlier.

So, assuming I'm correct and it is one of them, then I know they aren't in Tangiers. We know some site chosen this time is accurate and the sites chosen for these 2 are:

Granada

Marbella

Tangiers

Marrakesh

Cadiz

Since both SF and MC were picked for Tangiers but no one won, then Tangiers is out, otherwise we'd be done.

It isn't Marbella or I would have been closest having picked the right location.

Someone picked Casablanca in round 4 and I'm pretty sure they weren't the closest based on the clue and their person and Casablanca would have been closer to Marrakesh than other choices so I'm eliminating Marrakesh. That leaves Granada and Cadiz. If it Granada, then it has to be SF, if it is Cadiz then it has to be MC based on no one winning and the clue you gave of "other players" having correctly gotten the person. So, it's whether I think it is MC or SF. Since I convinced myself last time it was MC, then it must be: Marie Curie in Cadiz, Spain.

Tom Howell: How many of us are going to pile up on Marie Curie in Cadiz, Spain?

My guess is five, maybe six.

This one turned out to be really easy. Every player except one abandoned the area of their first guess on turn two. So, as of turn two, I knew we were looking for somewhere in Western Europe or north-western Africa. But then, after several turns, I was seeing so many folks wandering aimlessly, I began to have doubts about my logic.

In round four or five, I went over everything about three times. Half of it didn't make any sense. Eventually, I decided to ignore that half; which proved to be the thing to do.

Of course, from turn three on, I felt as if I were one move behind several other players. I must confess that my move to Casablanca was to rule out (most of ) northwestern Africa. I didn't expect to be closest

that turn, but I had hoped to be farther away from the nearest players in Spain and eliminate Tangier as a possible location. Maybe it was just as well that didn't happen.

Because... When four of us showed up in Gibraltar, with three more wandering about the Spanish countryside, and only one of us knowing who, and Prince Metternich not having any of the right dates, the question boiled down to .... just where exactly?

I'm thinking next game, I'll have to go half-way round the world if I prove to be closest in the first turn; or conversely, stay within my original area if I'm not, as is usually the case. That should add enough confusion factor for the other players.

A New Game Starts Now…Send in Your Guesses For Round 1!!

Deadline for Round 1 is June 26th at 7:00am My Time

Game Openings

Diplomacy (Black Press – Permanent Opening in ES): Signed up: None, need seven to fill.

Youngstown IV (Gray Press): The classic 10-player variant, which seems to have fallen through the cracks lately. Jack McHugh is going to write an article on it for Diplomacy World, but he wants to play again first, so sign up and help out! Signed up: Jack McHugh, Brad Wilson, Geoff Kemp, Martin Burgdorf, Don Williams, Marc Ellinger, need 4 more. Sign up now!!! Just four more!!

Balkan Wars VI (Unknown Press Level): To be Guest GM’d by Brad Wilson: Signed up: Doug Kent (that’s me folks), Jack McHugh, Lance Anderson, Brendan Whyte, needs 2 more. Contact Brad to sign up at bwdolphin146 “of” yahoo.com. Sign up now!!! HURRY!!!

Narnian Wars (Gray Press): A variant based on the C.S. Lewis world of Narnia. I ran this once or twice in Maniac’s Paradise. Rules and map contained in ES #51. I’ve added this back to the openings list by request as I only left it there for two issues last time. Signed up: Martin Burgdorf, needs 7 more to fill.

Aberration V (Gray Press): A nine-player variant with an expanded and altered European map. Rod Walker’s design modified by Nicholas Fitzpatrick. Map and rules in ES #61. Signed up: Martin Burgdorf, Hugh Polley, Steven Cooley, needs 6 more to fill.

Everybody Plays Diplomacy (Black Press): An ongoing everyone-plays variant. Rules are in ES #47. Join in at any time!

Yahtzee!: Richard Weiss is running a game of Yahtzee! in his subzine Zero Sum, returning from a decades (?) long absence. Join in now!

By Popular Demand: Back to the normal format. Join anytime.

Lifeboat: Everybody plays, whether you actually do anything or not.

Movie Photo Contest: 10 Rounds, with a prize to the winner. Join anytime!

Where in the World is Kendo Nagasaki?: Rules in ES #58. New game starts this issue!!!

Kremlin: House rules in ES #59. I’d like to get five players for this, any takers? Jack McHugh and Jim Burgess signed up, need at least 2 more.

Standby List: HELP! I need standby players! – Current standby list: Richard Weiss, Jim Burgess (Dip only), Hank Alme, Martin Burgdorf, Paul Milewski (Dip only), Brad Wilson, Kevin Tighe (Dip only), Chris Babcock, Don Williams, Marc Ellinger, and whoever I beg into it in an emergency.

I’m going to continue to go through my files and seeing what other variants I can offer, until I find one that gets enough interest to fill. When I offer a variant I’ll give it an issue or two, but if nobody signs up I’ll drop the opening and replace it. If somebody wants to guest-GM a game of anything, just get in touch. If you have specific game requests please let me know.

All the listed variant openings are about to get yanked unless at least one person signs up for them this issue. So sign up!

Eternal Sunshine Game Section

Diplomacy “Dulcinea” 2008C, F 18

Austria (Martin Burgdorf – martin_burgdorf “of” hotmail.com): F Adriatic Sea Supports A Venice – Apulia

(*Cut*), A Belgium – Holland, F Brest Supports F North Sea - English Channel (*Void*),

A Budapest - Rumania (*Bounce*), A Burgundy – Belgium, A Finland Supports A Norway,
A Gascony Supports F Brest, A Munich – Bohemia, A Norway Hold, A Paris – Burgundy,

A Picardy Supports A Burgundy – Belgium, A Prussia Supports A Silesia – Warsaw,

A Serbia Supports A Budapest – Rumania, A Silesia – Warsaw, A Sweden – Denmark, A Venice - Apulia.

England (Kevin Tighe – tigheman “of” yahoo.com): NMR! A Liverpool Hold, F North Sea Hold,

A Yorkshire Hold.

Turkey (Jim Burgess – jfburgess “of” gmail.com): A Armenia - Rumania (*Bounce*),

F Black Sea Convoys A Armenia – Rumania, A Bulgaria Supports A Constantinople - Rumania (*Void*),

A Constantinople Supports A Bulgaria, F English Channel - Brest (*Fails*), F Greece Hold,

F Ionian Sea - Adriatic Sea (*Fails*), A Livonia Supports A St Petersburg, F Marseilles Supports F Spain(sc),

F Mid-Atlantic Ocean Supports F English Channel – Brest, F Rome Hold,

A Sevastopol Supports A Armenia – Rumania, F Spain(sc) Supports F Marseilles, A St Petersburg Hold,

F Western Mediterranean - Tyrrhenian Sea.

Would Andy York (wandrew88 “of” gmail.com) standby for England?

W 18/S 19 Deadline is June 26th at 7:00am my time

Supply Center Chart

Austria: Belgium, Berlin, Brest, Budapest, Denmark, Holland, Kiel, Munich, Norway, Paris, Rumania,

Serbia, Sweden, Trieste, Venice, Vienna, Warsaw=17, Build 1

England: Edinburgh, Liverpool, London=3, Even

Turkey: Ankara, Bulgaria, Constantinople, Greece, Marseilles, Moscow, Naples, Portugal, Rome,

Sevastopol, Smyrna, Spain, St Petersburg, Tunis=14, Remove 1

PRESS

Martin to Jimmy: I do not know who Lance is and wh'appened to him, so I don't really know what kinda wishes I should send him.

“Dulcinea” Diplomacy Bourse

Billy Ray Valentine: Probably in his limousine.

Duke of York: Sells 500 Austrian Crowns. Buys 1069 English Pounds.

Smaug the Dragon: Guarding his gold.

Rothschild: Sells 500 Crowns and 500 Piastres. Buys 2151 Pounds.

Baron Wuffet: Ate a bad tuffet, spending a lot of time in the bathroom.

Wooden Nickel Enterprises: Sells 500 Crowns, 500 Piastres. Buys 2152 Pounds.

VAIONT Enterprises: Can’t remember what the initials stand for.

Insider Trading LLC: Facing 3 to 5.

Bourse Master: Accused of false advertising.

Next Bourse Deadline is June 25^th at 7:00pm my time

PRESS

Rothschild to Duke: The Pound will rise again!

Rothschild to Vaiont: Did you read that? http://www.landslideblog.org/2008/12/vaiont-vajont-landslide-of-1963.html

Duke of York to VAIONT: Yes, I know who YOU are, I think. Italy has been out of this game for a long time though.....

Graustark Diplomacy Game 2006A, F 16

Austria (Don Williams – dwilliams “of” fontana.org): A Budapest - Serbia (*Fails*),

F Trieste Supports F Adriatic Sea - Albania.

England (Fred Wiedemeyer – wiedem “of” telus.net): Retreat F Albania - Adriatic Sea..

F Adriatic Sea – Albania, F Belgium Hold, F Ionian Sea - Aegean Sea (*Bounce*),

F Mid-Atlantic Ocean - Western Mediterranean, A Moscow Hold, F Norway Hold, A Paris – Picardy, A Spain Hold,

A St Petersburg Supports A Moscow, F Tunis - Ionian Sea (*Fails*),

F Tyrrhenian Sea Supports F Tunis - Ionian Sea (*Fails*), A Yorkshire Hold.

France (Hank Alme – almehj “of” alumni.rice.edu): No units.

Germany (Harley Jordan – harleyj “of” alum.mit.edu): A Apulia Supports F Tyrrhenian Sea

- Naples (*Void*), F Denmark Hold, A Galicia Supports A Rumania, F Holland Hold, A Marseilles Hold,

A Ruhr – Burgundy, A Rumania Supports A Serbia – Bulgaria, A Serbia – Bulgaria,

A Sevastopol - Armenia (*Fails*), A Silesia – Warsaw, F Sweden Hold, A Tyrolia – Venice,

A Ukraine Supports A Rumania.

Russia (John Biehl – jerbil “of” shaw.ca): Retreat F Ionian Sea - Eastern Mediterranean..

F Aegean Sea – Constantinople, A Albania – Serbia, A Armenia - Sevastopol (*Fails*),

~~A Bulgaria Supports A Albania - Serbia~~ (*Disbanded*), F Eastern Mediterranean - Aegean Sea (*Bounce*),

A Greece Supports A Albania - Serbia.

DIAS proposal fails.

W 16/S 17 Deadline is June 26th at 7:00am my time

Supply Center Chart

Austria: Budapest, Trieste, Vienna=3, Build 1

England: Belgium, Brest, Edinburgh, Liverpool, London, Moscow, Naples, Norway, Paris, Spain,

St Petersburg, Tunis=12, Even

France: Portugal=1, No Room to Build

Germany: Berlin, Bulgaria, Denmark, Holland, Kiel, Marseilles, Munich, Rome, Rumania, Sevastopol,

Sweden, Venice, Warsaw=13, Even

Russia: Ankara, Constantinople, Greece, Serbia, Smyrna=5, Even

PRESS:

(BOOB to DUCK): It is precisely the sense of misdirection... maybe it will confuse Harley.

(GHOST OF TURKEY to GERMANY): Die, die, die!!!

Black Press Gunboat, “Scream” 2010Brb32, W 09/S 10

England: Build A Liverpool.. ~~F Edinburgh Supports A Liverpool - Yorkshire~~ (*Dislodged*, retreat to Clyde

or OTB), A Liverpool – Yorkshire, A London Supports A Liverpool - Yorkshire.

France: F Ionian Sea - Adriatic Sea, A Marseilles - Spain (*Bounce*), F Naples - Tyrrhenian Sea,

A Venice - Rome.

Germany: A Brest – Paris, F English Channel – Brest, F Mid-Atlantic Ocean - Spain(nc) (*Bounce*).

Russia: Build A St Petersburg..A Silesia – Munich (No Such Unit), F Armenia - Black Sea (*Fails*),

A Belgium Supports A Ruhr – Burgundy, F Black Sea - Bulgaria(ec) (*Fails*), A Budapest Supports A Serbia,

A Galicia Unordered, F Holland Supports F North Sea, F North Sea Convoys A Norway – Edinburgh,

A Norway – Edinburgh, F Norwegian Sea Supports A Norway – Edinburgh,

A Picardy Supports A Ruhr – Burgundy, A Ruhr – Burgundy, A Rumania Supports F Black Sea - Bulgaria(ec),

A Serbia Supports F Black Sea - Bulgaria(ec), A Sevastopol Supports A Rumania, A St Petersburg – Norway,

A Trieste – Venice, A Tyrolia Supports A Trieste - Venice.

Turkey: Remove A Albania.. F Aegean Sea Supports A Bulgaria, A Ankara Hold, A Bulgaria Hold,

F Constantinople Supports A Ankara, A Greece Supports A Bulgaria.

Summer/Fall 1910 deadline is June 26th at 7:00am my time

PRESS:

France: Hi I am Italy now!!!

France: This will be one impressive dot count for Russia if he goes for the max. I would.

Diplomacy “Dublin Boys” 2010D, F 08

$Description: C:\Users\Doogie\Documents\stuff\subzine\dublin\f08 2nd.bmp$

Austria (Paul Milewski – paul.milewski “of” hotmail.com): A Bohemia Supports A Munich,

A Budapest – Vienna, A Livonia - St Petersburg, A Moscow Supports A Livonia - St Petersburg,

A Prussia Supports A Berlin, A Silesia Supports A Munich, A Trieste Supports A Tyrolia - Venice,

A Tyrolia - Venice (*Bounce*).

England (Kevin Tighe – tigheman “of” yahoo.com): NMR! F Baltic Sea Hold, F English Channel Hold,

F Helgoland Bight Hold, F Holland Hold, F Kiel Hold, F Mid-Atlantic Ocean Hold, F Norway Hold,

F St Petersburg(nc) Hold (*Dislodged*, retreat to Barents Sea or OTB).

France (Jeff O’Donnell – unclestaush “of” yahoo.com): Retreat F Tyrrhenian Sea - Gulf of Lyon..

A Burgundy – Marseilles, F Gulf of Lyon - Tyrrhenian Sea (*Fails*), A Ruhr - Munich (*Fails*),

F Spain(sc) Supports A Burgundy – Marseilles, A Tuscany Supports A Venice – Rome,

~~A Venice - Rome~~ (*Dislodged*, retreat to Apulia or Piedmont or OTB).

Germany (Melinda Holley – genea5613 “of” aol.com): A Berlin Supports A Munich,

A Munich Supports A Berlin (*Cut*).

Italy (Hank Alme – almehj “of” alumni.rice.edu): ~~F Marseilles - Spain(sc)~~ (*Dislodged*, retreat to Piedmont

or OTB), A Rome - Venice (*Bounce*).

Turkey (Brad Wilson - bwdolphin146 “of”yahoo.com): F Aegean Sea Convoys A Bulgaria – Rome,

A Bulgaria - Rome (*Bounce*), F Greece Supports F Ionian Sea, F Ionian Sea Convoys A Bulgaria – Rome,

F Naples Supports A Bulgaria – Rome, F Tunis Supports F Tyrrhenian Sea,

F Tyrrhenian Sea Convoys A Bulgaria - Rome.

Would Richard Weiss (richardweiss “of” higherquality.com) please standby for England?

A/W 08/S 09 Deadline is June 26th at 7:00am my time

Supply Center Chart

Austria: Budapest, Moscow, Rumania, Serbia, Sevastopol, St Petersburg,

Trieste, Venice, Vienna, Warsaw=10, Build 2

England: Denmark, Edinburgh, Holland, Kiel, Liverpool, London, Norway, Sweden=8, Even or Build 1

France: Belgium, Brest, Marseilles, Paris, Portugal, Spain=6, Even or Build 1

Germany: Berlin, Munich=2, Even

Italy: Rome=1, Even or Remove 1

Turkey: Ankara, Bulgaria, Constantinople, Greece, Naples, Smyrna, Tunis=7, Even

PRESS

Con-Italy: Happy to kee your pirate fleet alive as long as it heads west.

Everybody Plays Diplomacy “Dandelion” 2010Cvj08, W 08/S 09

Player Names or Handles will be shown for any power they commanded each season.

Remember, in some seasons if we get enough players you may not wind up commanding any nations. All press submitted will be printed.

Austria (Dave McCrumb): Build F Trieste, A Vienna.. F Aegean Sea Supports F Ionian Sea –

Eastern Mediterranean, A Bohemia – Silesia, A Budapest Supports A Vienna – Galicia,

A Bulgaria Supports A Rumania, F Ionian Sea - Eastern Mediterranean, A Kiel Supports A Munich (*Cut*),

A Munich Supports A Kiel, A North Africa Hold, A Piedmont – Marseilles, A Rome – Tuscany,

A Rumania Supports A Bulgaria (*Cut*), F Trieste - Adriatic Sea, A Venice – Tyrolia, A Vienna - Galicia.

England (Rick Desper): F Denmark Supports A Kiel, F Irish Sea - Mid-Atlantic Ocean, F Liverpool – Clyde,

F North Atlantic Ocean Supports F Liverpool – Clyde, F North Sea - Edinburgh (*Fails*), A Paris - Picardy.

France (Italy Must Win): A Belgium – Burgundy, ~~F Clyde Hold~~ (*Dislodged*, retreat to Norwegian Sea or OTB),

F Edinburgh Hold, A Holland - Kiel (*Fails*), A Ruhr Supports A Holland – Kiel, F Spain(sc) Hold, A Sweden Hold.

Italy (Brad Wilson): F Constantinople - Black Sea (*Fails*).

Russia (Tom Howell): Remove A Warsaw.. F Black Sea Supports A Galicia - Rumania (*Cut*),

~~A Galicia - Rumania~~ (*Dislodged*, retreat to Bohemia or Ukraine or Warsaw or OTB),

A Norway - Sweden (*Fails*), A Sevastopol Supports A Galicia - Rumania.

Turkey (Jim Biehl): F Ankara - Constantinople (*Fails*), F Syria - Smyrna.

F 09 Deadline is June 26^th at 7:00am my time

PRESS

Italy Must Die -> Turkey: Dude! I gift-wrapped Con for you! Get with the program!!

English In Paris -> French In Sweden: Do you want to do anything useful?

French In Sweden -> English In Paris: Nope.

Turkey to Bad Brad: Leave my fleets out of that Syrian desert!

Moscow: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Vienna: Go go go!!!

Everybody Must Play 'Austria Must Die' Now

(Italy Must Win - Vienna): Well then, you had better go there and decrease the surplus population.

(Italy Must Win - All): No need to hurl insults, we know where our bread is buttered. And sticks and stones may break my bones....

Black Press Gunboat, “Streets of Soho,” 2011Arb32, F 07

Austria: A Apulia – Rome, A Bohemia Supports A Silesia – Munich, A Bulgaria – Rumania,

A Constantinople – Bulgaria, A Galicia – Warsaw, F Ionian Sea - Tunis (*Fails*),

F Naples Supports A Apulia – Rome, A Piedmont - Marseilles (*Fails*), A Prussia - Berlin (*Fails*),

A Sevastopol – Moscow, A Silesia – Munich, A Trieste - Venice (*Bounce*),

A Tyrolia Supports A Silesia – Munich, A Ukraine Supports A Sevastopol - Moscow.

England: F Berlin Supports A Kiel (*Cut*), F English Channel Supports A Picardy – Brest,

A Holland Supports F North Sea – Belgium, F Irish Sea - Mid-Atlantic Ocean (*Bounce*),

A Kiel Supports F Berlin, F Marseilles Hold, F North Sea – Belgium, A Picardy – Brest,

A St Petersburg - Moscow (*Fails*).

France: A Belgium – Burgundy, ~~F Brest - English Channel~~ (*Dislodged*, retreat to Gascony or OTB),

A Burgundy – Paris, F Mid-Atlantic Ocean - North Atlantic Ocean, F Spain(sc) - Mid-Atlantic Ocean (*Bounce*),

F Tunis - Ionian Sea (*Fails*).

Germany: ~~A Moscow Hold~~ (*Dislodged*), ~~A Munich Hold~~ (*Dislodged*).

Italy: ~~A Rome - Venice~~ (*Dislodged*).

A/W 07 and S 08 Deadline is June 26th at 7:00am my time

Supply Center Chart

Austria: Ankara, Budapest, Bulgaria, Constantinople, Greece, Moscow, Munich, Naples, Rome,

Rumania, Serbia, Sevastopol, Smyrna, Trieste, Venice, Vienna, Warsaw=17, Build 3 (Room for 2)

England: Belgium, Berlin, Brest, Denmark, Edinburgh, Holland, Kiel, Liverpool, London, Marseilles,

Norway, St Petersburg, Sweden=13, Build 4 (Room for 3)

France: Paris, Spain, Tunis=3, Remove 2 or 3 depending on retreat

Germany: None=0, OUT!

Italy: None=0, OUT!

Unowned: Portugal.

PRESS

Upper Lowerstan – The Austrian hordes are coming. The West is too busy fiddling away trying to figure out who’ll pay for the Italians….all is lost…ALL HAIL THE ARCHDUKE!!

ITALY to FRANCE/AUSTRIA: My hat is doffed to you both. No hard feelings, unless you have them toward me for degenerate play befitting an Irishman. And you would have to get behind me in line for berating rights. Good luck to you both, and devil take the hindmost!

AUSTRIA - WORLD: Time to admit I want to take over the world! Mwah Hah Haah.

AUSTRIA - GAME: I've never come across a neutral center (Portugal) that was still unclaimed at the end of the game. Has anyone else?

Diplomacy - “Lighthouse” - 2011? – F 04

Austria (Don Williams – dwilliams “of” fontana.org): A Serbia Supports A Budapest (*Cut*).

England (Paul Milewski – paul.milewski “of” hotmail.com): A Edinburgh – Clyde,

F Liverpool - Wales (*Bounce*), F London - Wales (*Bounce*).

France (Kevin Wilson – ckevinw “of” gmail.com): A Belgium Supports A Ruhr – Holland, A Burgundy Hold,

F English Channel - London (*Fails*), F Mid-Atlantic Ocean - Western Mediterranean,

F North Atlantic Ocean - Liverpool (*Fails*), A Ruhr - Holland.

Germany (Brad Wilson – bwdolphin146 “of” yahoo.com): Retreat A Ruhr - Kiel..

F Denmark Supports F Skagerrak - North Sea, F Helgoland Bight - Holland (*Fails*),

A Kiel Supports A Munich – Ruhr, A Munich – Ruhr, F Norwegian Sea Unordered.

Italy (Melinda Holley – genea5613 “of” aol.com): Retreat F Bulgaria(sc) - Greece..

F Aegean Sea Supports F Ionian Sea - Eastern Mediterranean (*Cut*), A Budapest Supports A Vienna – Galicia,

F Greece Supports F Aegean Sea, F Ionian Sea - Eastern Mediterranean (*Fails*), A Trieste Supports A Serbia,

A Tyrolia – Vienna, A Venice – Tyrolia, A Vienna - Galicia.

Russia (Fred Wiedemeyer – wiedem “of” telus.net): A Armenia – Smyrna,

F Black Sea Supports A Rumania - Bulgaria (*Fails*), A Bulgaria - Serbia (*Fails*),

F Constantinople - Aegean Sea (*Fails*), F Eastern Mediterranean Supports F Constantinople –

Aegean Sea (*Cut*), ~~A Galicia - Rumania~~ (*Dislodged*, retreat to Silesia or Bohemia or Ukraine or Warsaw

or OTB), F Norway Supports F Skagerrak - North Sea, A Rumania - Bulgaria (*Fails*), F Skagerrak - North Sea,

A Sweden - Finland.

A/W 04 and S 05 Deadline is June 26^th at 7:00am my time

Supply Center Chart

Austria: Serbia=1, Even

England: Edinburgh, Liverpool, London=3, Even

France: Belgium, Brest, Holland, Marseilles, Paris, Portugal, Spain=7, Build 1

Germany: Berlin, Denmark, Kiel, Munich=4, Remove 1

Italy: Budapest, Greece, Naples, Rome, Trieste, Tunis, Venice, Vienna=8, Even

Russia: Ankara, Bulgaria, Constantinople, Moscow, Norway, Rumania,

Sevastopol, Smyrna, St Petersburg, Sweden, Warsaw=11, Build 1 or 2

PRESS

BERLIN: Screwed again.

SERBIA to GAME: Sitting here in one center, surrounded by the Borgia Queen, my Last Will & Testament freshly minted and mailed to my next of kin … and we don’t even have a BN yet? The shame! The humiliation! The defamation! The lawsuit I intend to file for damages over false representation, lies, and distorted portrayals of honesty.

RADIO FREE AUSTRIA: And now, this week’s Number One hit on the Bohemian Top Forty Playlist …

Borgia Queen*

She’ll stab your back and push on

through your heart without regret.

“Stuck like a pig” she says

“With my favorite bayonet”

Dire extremity

If she is your enemy

It’s a bad situation if

You’re on her mind ...

Never makes an empty threat

(Treachery without regrets)

You rolled snake eyes on the dice!

She’s the Borgia Queen

Deadly fast -- but never mean

The truth from her you’ll never glean

Subterfuge to blow your game

Without blame!

Now’s the time run away

“Just trust me with your dots” she’ll say

“Wanna play?”

To avoid second guesses

She’ll never strike the same way twice.

In conversation

She’ll whisper “Honesty’s a vice.”

Lied to me in oh-one

Her pearly whites she showed ‘em

Then she took Trieste

Saying “This must be mine …”

Armies came naturally through Venice

The stabbing green block menace!

Insidious Queen of Ice!

She’s the Borgia Queen

Blowing dreams to smithereens

Like nitro-fucking-glycerine

Guaranteed to steal your dots

Without thought!

Now’s the time run away

“Please trust me with your dots” she’ll say

“Wanna play?”

After she stabs she’s as willing then

To be your one and only friend

She’ll momentarily show affection

Temporarily spare your ass

Then resolutely take it all! All!

All out war to get you …

She’s the Borgia Queen

Cobra fast and hissing steam

Sinks her fangs in your blood stream

Guaranteed to end your game

What a dame!

Now’s the time run away

“Don’t trust me with your dots” she’ll say

“Wanna play?”

*Sung to the tune “Killer Queen” by Queen

Diplomacy “Jerusalem” 2012?, Spring 1901 Delayed

With the sudden tragic death of Geoff’s son Robert, this game is being held over until next issue. All press and orders already submitted will be used unless I’m told otherwise.

Austria (Melinda Holley – genea5613 “of” aol.com): Has F Tri, A Vie, A Bud.

England (John Biehl – jerbil “of” shaw.ca): Has F Lon, A Lvp, F Edi.

France (Jack McHugh – jwmchughjr “of” gmail.com): Has F Bre, A Par, A Mar.

Germany (Don Williams – dwilliams “of” fontana.org): Has F Kie, A Ber, A Mun.

Italy (Mark Firth - mark.firth “of” bluefingroup.co.uk): Has A Ven, A Rom, F Nap.

Russia (Brad Wilson - bwdolphin146 “of”yahoo.com): Has F StP(sc), A War, A Mos, F Sev.

Turkey (Geoff Kemp - ggeoff510 “of” aol.com): Has F Ank, A Con, A Smy.

Spring 1901 Deadline now is June 26th at 7:00am my time

By Popular Demand

Credit goes to Ryk Downes, I believe, for inventing this. The goal is to pick something that fits the category and will be the "most popular" answer. You score points based on the number of entries that match yours. For example, if the category is "Cats" and the responses were 7 for Persian, 3 for Calico and 1 for Siamese, everyone who said Persian would get 7 points, Calico 3 and the lone Siamese would score 1 point. The cumulative total over 10 rounds will determine the overall winner. Anyone may enter at any point, starting with an equivalent point total of the lowest cumulative score from the previous round. If a person misses a round, they'll receive the minimum score from the round added to their cumulative total. In each round you may specify one of your answers as your Joker answer. Your score for this answer will be doubled. In other words, if you apply your Joker to category 3 on a given turn, and 4 other people give the same answer as you, you get 10 points instead of 5. Players who fail to submit a Joker for any specific turn will have their Joker automatically applied to the first category. And, if you want to submit some commentary with your answers, feel free to. The game will consist of 10 rounds. A prize will be awarded to the winner. Research is permitted!

Note – This is the regular By Popular Demand, not the By ALMOST popular demand we did last time.

Round 2 Categories

Stock	Price	% +/-
AJK - Allison Kent	65	1.6%
ALM - Hank Alme	7	40.0%
AMB - Amber Smith	40	-11.1%
AND - Lance Anderson	37	-11.9%
BAB - Chris Babcock	5	-28.6%
BIE - John Biehl	84	2.4%
BRG - Martin Burgdorf	74	2.8%
BWD - Brad Wilson	78	2.6%
CAK - Andy Lischett	75	2.7%
CAL - Cal White	5	-28.6%
CHC - Chuy Cronin	0.01	0.0%
CIA - Tom Swider	0.01	0.0%
CKW - Kevin Wilson	78	2.6%
CKY - Carol Kay	12	20.0%
DAN - Dane Maslen	76	2.7%
DBG - David Burgess	0.01	0.0%
DTC - Brendan Whyte	72	2.9%
DUK - Don Williams	57	1.8%
FRD - Fred Wiedemeyer	71	2.9%
FRG - Jeremie Lefrancois	0.01	0.0%
FRT - Mark Firth	72	2.9%
GRA - Graham Wilson	3	-40.0%
HDT - Heather Taylor	73	2.8%
HLJ - Harley Jordan	71	2.9%
HPL - Hugh Polley	34	-5.6%
JOD - Jeff O'Donnell	73	2.8%
KMP - Geoff Kemp	71	0.0%
KVT - Kevin Tighe	65	-9.7%
LAT - David Latimer	71	2.9%
LCR - Larry Cronin	0.01	0.0%
MRK - Mark Nelson	29	-9.4%
MCC - David McCrumb	76	2.7%
MCR - Michael Cronin	0.01	0.0%
MIM - Michael Moulton	71	2.9%
MRC - Marc Ellinger	71	2.9%
OTS - Tom Howell	70	2.9%
PER - Per Westling	67	6.3%
PJM - Phil Murphy	21	-16.0%
QUI - Michael Quirk	10	-23.1%
RAC - Robin ap Cynan	55	-5.2%
RDP - Rick Desper	71	2.9%
REB - Melinda Holley	78	2.6%
RED - Paraic Reddington	80	2.6%
RWE - Richard Weiss	66	8.2%
SAK - Jack McHugh	107	5.9%
TAP - Jim Burgess	85	6.3%
VOG - Pat Vogelsang	0.01	-99.0%
WAY - W. Andrew York	74	2.8%
WLK - Richard Walkerdine	126	9.6%
WWW - William Wood	0.01	0.0%
YLP - Paul Milewski	86	2.4%