Subject: acka-research-digest V3 #252
From: [email-masked] (acka-research-digest)
To: [email-masked]

acka-research-digest     Sunday, February 8 1998     Volume 03 : Number 252

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Date: Sun, 08 Feb 1998 05:44:52 -0500 (EST)
From: K 2 <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Proposal 2700

> > On this track sits a huge spotlight, pointing directly at the earth.  The
> > spotlight slowly moves along the track, taking exactly one Ackanomian day to
> > return to it's initial position.  The spotlight has never stopped moving.
>
> Actually, the track must have a fairly complex path to account for the
> seasons and such.  (Surely we have seasons?  Or are the only markers the
> quarterly Tornadoes?  And yet, how would they be generated without something
> seasonal?  They can't rely on the same mechanism as Acid Rain...)

I imagine that seasons are managed by fluctuations in the current sent to the
spotlight by the Ackanomic Harfro-electric power plant :)

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Date: Sun, 08 Feb 1998 12:56:47 -0500 (EST)
From: Thierry Joffrain <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Proposal 2698

>The problem with this is that it does not seem to resolve the issue of
>what would happen if two players both made correct predictions.

No player may make the same list of predictions as one that has already been
made (first come first serve). So there won't be two players with the same
list of predictions. So only one player can be right.    : )

I suppose we could have some interesting problems if we have to change the
results of a proposal at a later date because an error is found (like an
illegal player). But that's a mess for anything and the "limit of statute"
rule that expires errors that are not caught after a while would hopefully
kick in.

CnH

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Date: Sun, 08 Feb 1998 14:26:59 -0500 (EST)
From: Duncan Richer <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Proposal 2706

On Sun, 8 Feb 1998, Brian Raiter wrote:

> Proposal 2706
> Free For All can be Cool For All
> Niccolo Flychuck (Uri Bruck)
> 
> Append to subsection C the following text:
> "Capturing a King is an illegal Play.
> A player who is checked needs to wait for only two days after eir most
> recent play in order to play again."

About the only place in the game where King Capture is at all likely is
during a Free For All.  It may be possible to have a capture occur in
another situation, but it would require three players checked
simultaneously under the current rules. 

1. I would rather have seen this particular part in a separate proposal.

2. If King Capture is to be restricted in Free For Alls, then why not
restrict it completely, and then eliminate the King Capture text from all
the relevant rules?  It would simplify the Chess Rules.

Yours,
Slakko
just making my POV known - apologies if my objections earlier were too
muted.
- -- 
Duncan C. "" Richer aka
Slakko the Really Lost Warner Brother - http://dcr24.quns.cam.ac.uk/
Queens', Cambridge, 1st Yr PhD(PMa), Graph Theory - CU SFS/RS/STS/Dip
Acka - RuneMaker ChessUmpire Senator Map-Harfer .Nomic - HP(Morpork)

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Date: Sun, 08 Feb 1998 16:02:08 -0500 (EST)
From: [email-masked] (Aaron V. Humphrey)
Subject: Re: Acka: Game Submission

Moved to acka-research since there's no Submissions in this post that one
might need to respond to as an action or anything...

> > > I thought it was "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon", as started on Mad About
> > > You.  Actually, it is designed to illustrate the interconnectedness of all
> > > actrons, not just KB.  The Australian version is One Degree of Bill
> > > Hunter.  Now he's ubiquitous.

> > It's definitely Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.  I first played the game many
> > years ago, at least 5 or 6.  I was never under the impression that it was
> > started by Mad About You.  I assume it was at least inspired by "Six
> > Degrees of Seperation", which puts forward the idea that not just every
> > actor, but every person on earth, is only six acquaintance links away from
> > knowing everyone else.

I never watch "Mad About You"; I heard it as "Seven Steps To Kevin Bacon",
presumably because "Seven" and "Kevin" rhyme.  But then, there _is_ "Six
Degrees of Separation"...  I can't remember what the name of the book I
saw was.

> I know that the Kevin Bacon bit was at least popularised by Mad About You.
> It had probably been circulating in Hollywood, at least, before that time.
> The six degrees urban legend has been circulating for some time.  It all
> depends, of course, on what you consider to be an acquaintance.

> For example, even I believe I can claim 5 degrees to Bill Clinton.  (Not
> that too many people want to do that this week as far as I can see).
> There's only one stretchy link - I was invited out to lunch by a
> particular MP back home (who was Deputy Premier at the time), and that's
> my first link.

I can link to a few actors because I have a friend who went to school with
Robert Hays(from "Airplane", you know...).  So I'm three links from William
Shatner!  Scary thought.

> This is why I'm glad television links weren't suggested as part of the
> game.  It would have led to the age old question: Does a guest appearance
> count?  And if not, when does an occasional character become a recurring
> character?

Yeah, my wife and I play this one a lot and we never use TV either.

By the way, I should note that my posting of "Bacon" was an RFC, but the
Equipment addition was a Submission.  So don't bother endorsing the former,
yet.  I want to see if anyone has any good suggestions about it.  We'll
probably have to wait until it's been playtested to figure that out,
though.

Another thing that occurred to me recently was the possibility of
Submitting some classic games, like Hangman, for Duelling purposes.

Hey, and while I'm at it, how about an Auxiliary Dictionary, a document
which can be modified by adding or removing words by Proposal, which is
part of the Official Dictionary, for those cases when a word just ain't
in the OD and it darned well should be?

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/alfvaen/ )
Song In My Head--Timbuk 3:Cheap Black & White
Current Book--Amanda Quick:Ravished
A hat is wasted on a man with no head.  --C. Smith

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Date: Sun, 08 Feb 1998 16:39:41 -0500 (EST)
From: "The Gingham Wearer" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Game Submission

> > For example, even I believe I can claim 5 degrees to Bill Clinton. 
(Not
> > that too many people want to do that this week as far as I can see).
> > There's only one stretchy link - I was invited out to lunch by a
> > particular MP back home (who was Deputy Premier at the time), and
that's
> > my first link.
> 
> I can link to a few actors because I have a friend who went to school
with
> Robert Hays(from "Airplane", you know...).  So I'm three links from
William
> Shatner!  Scary thought.

I too could probably claim links to both politicians and actors. My
grandfather used to be a local politician and one of my friend's relatives
was Colin from the Brittas empire. Oh yeah, and another of my friends is
related to Alan Ball. And we do, of course, realise that we're all linked
to each other making us all six degrees to Bill Clinton and four to William
Shatner. Very scary thought.

> Another thing that occurred to me recently was the possibility of
> Submitting some classic games, like Hangman, for Duelling purposes.
> 
> Hey, and while I'm at it, how about an Auxiliary Dictionary, a document
> which can be modified by adding or removing words by Proposal, which is
> part of the Official Dictionary, for those cases when a word just ain't
> in the OD and it darned well should be?

I like both these ideas. If you go ahead and propose them then I'll back
them.

The Gingham Wearer.

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Date: Sun, 08 Feb 1998 16:42:50 -0500 (EST)
From: Rico <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Game Submission

> I never watch "Mad About You"; I heard it as "Seven Steps To Kevin Bacon",
> presumably because "Seven" and "Kevin" rhyme.  But then, there _is_ "Six

I heard it as the same name.  I've only played it as a drinking game,
though.  (Now THERE's a concept we need to introduce for Duels...)

> Degrees of Separation"...  I can't remember what the name of the book I
> saw was.

Interestingly enough, I know a guy who has claimed to be the son of Sidney
Poitier.

> > For example, even I believe I can claim 5 degrees to Bill Clinton.  (Not

3 - my friend's roommate at Stanford is (or, at least, claims to be) a
childhood friend of Chelsea's.  He is from Arkansas, which is good enough
for me.

> > that too many people want to do that this week as far as I can see).

What, you don't want to see my dress with... I thought not.

> Another thing that occurred to me recently was the possibility of
> Submitting some classic games, like Hangman, for Duelling purposes.

Roadkill Bingo, anyone?

Seriously, though, good idea.  I was thinking of submitting some classic
card games (Hearts, Poker, etc.) but it seems a lot of the games on the
list don't get played too often.  Besides, neither of those make good Duel
games, and I can't see people starting up an impromptu game of Hearts.
Poker, maybe.  Go Fish, no.  Ones that do make for a good two (or four)
person game would be better.

Now that I think about it, YORL is the only ante game around so far.
Maybe Poker would be an idea for those looking to increase their wages.
Anyone else?

- -rico

I tried sniffing coke once, but the ice cubes got stuck in my nose. 

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Date: Sun, 08 Feb 1998 17:42:58 -0500 (EST)
From: Duncan Richer <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Game Submission

On Sun, 8 Feb 1998, Rico wrote:

> Seriously, though, good idea.  I was thinking of submitting some classic
> card games (Hearts, Poker, etc.) but it seems a lot of the games on the
> list don't get played too often.  Besides, neither of those make good Duel
> games, and I can't see people starting up an impromptu game of Hearts.
> Poker, maybe.  Go Fish, no.  Ones that do make for a good two (or four)
> person game would be better.
> 
> Now that I think about it, YORL is the only ante game around so far.
> Maybe Poker would be an idea for those looking to increase their wages.
> Anyone else?

Of course, any of these card games need to be organised with the referee
randomly distributing the cards a la YORL.  If we got a lot of these, then
I would suggest a dedicated salaried position, perhaps called 
The Card Sharp.

Yours,
Slakko
- -- 
Duncan C. "" Richer aka
Slakko the Really Lost Warner Brother - http://dcr24.quns.cam.ac.uk/
Queens', Cambridge, 1st Yr PhD(PMa), Graph Theory - CU SFS/RS/STS/Dip
Acka - RuneMaker ChessUmpire Senator Map-Harfer .Nomic - HP(Morpork)

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 08 Feb 1998 18:23:23 -0500 (EST)
From: David Scheidt <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Game Submission

On Sun, 8 Feb 1998, The Gingham Wearer wrote:

> related to Alan Ball. And we do, of course, realise that we're all linked
> to each other making us all six degrees to Bill Clinton and four to William
> Shatner. Very scary thought.

Four to Bill Clinton.  My mother went to school with some policy wonk with
a white house pass.

> 
> > Another thing that occurred to me recently was the possibility of
> > Submitting some classic games, like Hangman, for Duelling purposes.
> > 
> > Hey, and while I'm at it, how about an Auxiliary Dictionary, a document
> > which can be modified by adding or removing words by Proposal, which is
> > part of the Official Dictionary, for those cases when a word just ain't
> > in the OD and it darned well should be?
> 
> I like both these ideas. If you go ahead and propose them then I'll back
> them.
> 
> 
> The Gingham Wearer.
> 

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End of acka-research-digest V3 #252
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