Subject: Ackanomic Digest V1 #462
From: [email-masked] (Ackanomic Digest)
To: ackanomic-digest

Ackanomic Digest      Saturday, January 18 1997      Volume 01 : Number 462

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 00:05:02 -0600
From: "Joseph W. DeVincentis" <devjoe>
Subject: Acka: *ping* 

Today is Saturday, the 18th day of January, in the Year of Our Lord 1997, 
and the Machine That Goes *ping* Has Gone *ping* today. 
Since I have been scholar, the Machine has gone *ping* 6 times. 

/dev/joe
Scholar of *ping*

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 01:09:11 -0500
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: *ping*

Joseph W. DeVincentis wrote:
> 
> Today is Saturday, the 18th day of January, in the Year of Our Lord 1997,
> and the Machine That Goes *ping* Has Gone *ping* today.
> Since I have been scholar, the Machine has gone *ping* 6 times.

I'd like to buy an 'r' please.

Malenkai -15 magic letter

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 00:23:03 -0600
From: Eric Freeman <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Yet Another witchhunt

i can't keep track of all the WH's, so i say

"BURN ALL THE WITCHES"

AirHead

- -- 

       \\\|///
     \\  - -  //
      (  @ @  )
+---oOOo-(_)-oOOo--------------------------------------------+
|                                                            |
|      http://www.visioncom.net/users/ericfree/home.html     |
|                                                            |
|   oooO                                                     |
|  (   )    Oooo                                             |
|   \ (     (   )                                            |
+----\_)-----) / --------------------------------------------+
            (_/

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 01:25:39 -0500
From: [email-masked] (Adam Gesher)
Subject: Re: Acka: *ping*

he's not all our lord, how 'bout just the common era, eh? 

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 00:38:00 -0600 (CST)
From: "Joseph W. DeVincentis" <devjoe>
Subject: Re: Acka: *ping*

Malenkai wrote:
> I'd like to buy an 'r' please.

I think there were a few r's in there:

IF AND ONLY IF today *** * **** **** **r* ** *** *****r*** *r*** *****r*,
THEN the Machine That Goes *ping* shall go *ping*.

BTW, to the new player, sorry I forgot your name, about "our Lord" in
the *ping* message:  It's in the rule; I have to say it that way.
See rule 1209 on the web page.

/dev/joe
The Scholar of *ping* who has ridiculed more players than any other

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 01:54:59 -0500
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: *ping*

Joseph W. DeVincentis wrote:

> BTW, to the new player, sorry I forgot your name, about "our Lord" in
> the *ping* message:  It's in the rule; I have to say it that way.
> See rule 1209 on the web page.

As a non-Christian (or where ever that comes from), I've also been bothered
by that, and have thought of amending it from time to time.  I guess
I'm more personally tired, however, of gender-neutral, culturally-neutral,
politically correct, vanilla culture, etc, so I've never bothered.  

I figured if it bothered anyone else, they would attempt to amend it,
and I would just vote YES.  The preceeding is not meant to be offensive;
being a non-Christian in a basically Christian country, I can emphathize,
but given my background as a traveller, differences in culture and 
religious expression don't bother me so much, and I have personally 
believed that more is lost in reducing everthing to neutral.  Just my
own narrow minded opinion.

Perhaps the CSRR officer should just change that part of the message,
if people find it offensive or inappropriate.  It has no effect on the
subgame, unless, perhaps, if the change is made in the middle of an
instance of the subgame.

Malenkai

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 00:59:54 -6:00
From: [email-masked]
Subject: Re: Acka: CFJ 328 (Techno)

> Techno has been chosen.
> 
> Clerk of the Courts
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> Call For Judgement 328
>   Subject: Cult Paradox
> Initiator: Niccolo Flychuck
>     Judge: Techno (selected Jan 17, 1997, 13:20h EST)
> Judgement: 
> 

I accept judgeship on this cfj and will render my verdict within the 
specified amount of time.

Techno
thinking of creating a trinket for Red Barn.  Anyone remember the 
crying towel that failed?

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 02:36:35 -0500
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: 'Round the Earth

'Round the Earth, Issue 4 (18-Jan-97):
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
SNOWGOD'S PLAGUE RAVAGES ACKA
bruce goose, medical correspondant

snowgod's disease, originally just confined to the Wilds of
Ackanomia, has been loosed on the general population, and there
is no cure!  Initially quarantined to snowgod's beach house, the
plague escaped when snowgod failed to follow his simple 17 syllable
prescription.  Now, it is spreading through the senate and the
presidential mansion.  Experts agree that if snowgod does in fact 
produce the haiku, it will be stopped, but how many victims will it
claim in the mean time?  We can only wait and see...

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
ACKA THE FIRST TELEVISED NOMIC ?
malenkai, managing editor

Nomic has finally hit the small screen, and we have unconfirmed reports
that Ackanomic was the first ever televised game of nomic.  Given the
recent registration of players from the webtv.net domain, we can only
imagine the Acka web pages being piped into the family room, somewhere
between 'Seinfeld' and 'Friends'.

Ratings numbers could not be obtained, but we learned that if we added a
soundtrack to the web pages, NBC might reshuffle its Thursday lineup to
make room for us.

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
MONOPOLE OWNERS FIDDLE WHILE LANDMARKS DANGLE
bruce goose, political correspondant

The crime of the century!  The majestic Hall of Elders dangles, while 
those with the power to fix it simply hoard their Monopoles.  Homeowners
beg and plea from across the land to have their homes restored, grovelling
before those who contol the precious technology, but to no avail.

We have learned that this is part of a sinister international plot to
smuggle the Monopoles to Agora, run by the same ring that is smuggling
trinkets to Pumpkin Patch.  We can only hope that the greedy smugglers
restore a building or two before selling out our precious technology
to evil international syndicates.

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
ALL TIME RECORD PRICE FETCHED FOR PFBONDS
bruce goose, financial correspondant

A record price of A$20 per PFsnowgod was just paid on the Acka bond 
exchange.  This breaks the previous record of A$19 per PFMalenkai,
achieved during the great Underworld Party bull market.  Based on
yields and this price, it is projected that higher yielding issues, such
as PFHabeous and PFMalenkai could fetch upwards of A$50 per bond.

Also, based on the most recent yield of A$.68 per PFsnowgod, it will take
about 59 weeks for the purchaser to break even.  Based on historical
yields of PFsnowgod, it will take about 3 times that long, or over
3 years.  Long live Ackanomia!

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
ACKA IS ACCEPTING THE TRUTH!
malenkai, chiefcheese

As you know, 'Round the Earth is the first, foremost, and only newspaper
who has been bold enough to objectively report the Truth of the Earth's
roundness.

We are proud to report that the masses of acka are finally becoming
Enlightened.  While other publishers of other papers, perhaps with their
heads in the proverbial sand, hoping in vain to poke through to the
other side, are offering bounties and incentives to remove Enlightenment,
to hide the Truth, we have seen a record number of Ackazens declare that
in fact the earth is ROUND!, a Truth that we have been reporting all
along.  It will be interesting to see how the other rags report on this
event.  

Its easy being right, and always reporting the Truth.  Now that Acka
accepts the roundess of the earth, perhaps we should change or charter.
Do they have 'cult' status for those other papers?

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
IN OTHER NEWS
reporter bot

Acka, Internomic's youngest nomic, has won Internomic.  Cool.  Acka's
1st birthday is in a few days.  We're also having a record e-mail
blizzard; I'm at about 120 a day here.  The Prez is also facing a
potential Crime scandal with only a few hours to comply with the
new Unanimious rule. 

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
BARENAKED LADIES TO REPLACE TMBG AS OFFICIAL BAND?
enid, musicial correspondant

Stay tuned to this space!  Rumour has it that such a plot is afoot.
What is the BNL equivelant of a Prosthetic Forehead?

...afraid of change, afraid of staying the same...

- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
RUNESTONE OF JUKKASJARVI DISCOVERED!
bruce goose, archaelogical correspondant

An ancient relic, related somehow to the Treasures of Jara, has recently
been discovered.  It is a Runestone, that when translated properly,
is rumored to hold the map to the most valuable Treasure Acka has ever
seen.  Excavation has been difficult, unfortunately, various pieces of
the Runestone have been broken off and lost.  When we get more details
on this fantastic Treasure, we will report them before any other paper,
of course.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The following rather unusual missive was received recently in our
editorial offices:

- ---
Dear Editor,

I take exception to several comments in the latest issue of your alleged
newspaper, one of which I will take specific exception to in this letter.

In your article entitled "'ROUND THE EARTH FORCED TO PUBLISH WITH NO NEW
NEWS" you state that "the shape of the earth has not changed from the last
time we reported it."  Who's fault is that?  The rules now provide those
who claim to be "enlightened" (ha!) with a way to put their money where
their mouth is and CHANGE THE SHAPE OF THE EARTH! But do I see anyone doing
it? No.

That's right, since the possibility of the earths roundness, or at the very
least it hemisphericalness, became a reality NOT ONE PLAYER has stepped
forward to support this goal?  And why is that?  Becuase even those that
claim to be enlightened know in their hearts the one and only true shape of
the earth. FLAT! Were I not already dueling you, I believe that I would
feel compelled to challange this obvious lack of resolve in your "beliefs".

Of course, it could just be that no one wants to step forward and be the
first to donate, which would force them to accept the added responsibilty
of becoming treasurer of the round earth restoration society, but I do not
believe that to be the case.  After all, who among the enlightened whould
shirk a such a duty simply to avoid a little extra work?

So editor, I ask you to print a statement defining the true shape of the
earth, or failing that, take a position of leadership among the round
earthers and donate to it's reconstruction.

Either way, I'll be waiting to see what you do in my beach cottage on the
bottom side of the earth, which of course is flat.
- ----

All we have to say to this prattle is common sense.  If the earth is
already round, why would we pay to restore it?

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 11:44:10 +0200 (EET)
From: Uri Bruck <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: *ping*

On Sat, 18 Jan 1997, Malenkai wrote:

> Joseph W. DeVincentis wrote:
> 
> > BTW, to the new player, sorry I forgot your name, about "our Lord" in
> > the *ping* message:  It's in the rule; I have to say it that way.
> > See rule 1209 on the web page.
> 
> As a non-Christian (or where ever that comes from), I've also been bothered
> by that, and have thought of amending it from time to time.  I guess
> I'm more personally tired, however, of gender-neutral, culturally-neutral,
> politically correct, vanilla culture, etc, so I've never bothered.  
> 

How about something along the lines of "The year  1997 according to our
Date function" ?

I always found the use of Common Era a bit confusing, and it just as as
inaccurate as Anno Domino, because the so called Common Era is common only
to a small portion of the wolrd's population.

Niccolo Flychuck

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 12:08:06 +0200 (EET)
From: Uri Bruck <[email-masked]>
Subject: acka: P1618 accepted Unanimously - Presidential Address

Citizens of Ackanomic, 
Every once in a while a situation a rule which requires that we perform a
duty that we can no happier to perform.  This is such an occasion.
P1618, a proposal written by Speaker Malenkai, part of a series of
proposals to organize our rule set into something more comprehensible was
accepted by a unanimous vote.
To demonstrate the magnitude of the effects of such a proposal, I'll
attmept a metaphore, if you will. Speaker Malenkai had to juggle different
trends, do battle, so to speak, on two different fronts, while honing the
very tools of battle that he used. The unanimous vote is a credit to
Malenkai, and no less a credit to the citizens of Ackanomic, who
individually made a decision to vote in a responsible manner, and overcome
the the temptation to get thos '3 extra points' from voting against a Sure
Thing.
I congratulate Malenkai on his accomplishment, and let us all remember
this points when Ackanomic proved that even while diverse, it is unified
in spirit, and in letter.

Surak teaches us that nobility lies in action, not in name. I say today
to Speaker Malenkai - nobility lies in this your action, and does honor to
your name.

Niccolo Flychuck
President

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 04:29:24 -0600 (CST)
From: "Joseph W. DeVincentis" <devjoe>
Subject: Re: Acka: *ping*

Niccolo Flychuck wrote:
> On Sat, 18 Jan 1997, Malenkai wrote:
> > Joseph W. DeVincentis wrote:
> > > BTW, to the new player, sorry I forgot your name, about "our Lord" in
> > > the *ping* message:  It's in the rule; I have to say it that way.
> > > See rule 1209 on the web page.

> > As a non-Christian (or where ever that comes from), I've also been bothered
> > by that, and have thought of amending it from time to time.  I guess
> > I'm more personally tired, however, of gender-neutral, culturally-neutral,
> > politically correct, vanilla culture, etc, so I've never bothered.  

> How about something along the lines of "The year  1997 according to our
> Date function" ?

Ugh.  I would prefer not qualifying the year at all to putting
something like that in there.

> I always found the use of Common Era a bit confusing, and it just as as
> inaccurate as Anno Domino, because the so called Common Era is common only
> to a small portion of the wolrd's population.

Would Christian Era then be preferable to you, since it is at least correct?

/dev/joe

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 05:00:40 -0600
From: Jason Orendorff <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka:  Proposal 1637

Proposal 1637
Changing Changing Player Names
ThinMan

This is a modest proposal.

Rule 251 "Player Names" shall be amended in the following ways:
1) The second sentence of the second paragraph shall be changed to:
   "The Registrar shall record and acknowledge each legal name change;
   a legal name change takes effect at the time of the Registrar's
acknowledgement."
2) The last sentence shall be changed to: "It is a duty of the Registrar
   to notify any player who attempts to illegally change his name."

{{ [ This clarifies the effective time of name changes, and revises
the somewhat confusing duty/right bit at the end of the rule.  I
wouldn't have thought it necessary if not for the recent bruhaha
among Red Barn, fnord, and myself. ] }}

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 05:00:39 -0600
From: Jason Orendorff <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka:  Proposal 1635

Proposal 1635
Minor Cleaning
ThinMan

This is a modest proposal.

Amend Rule 219 to read, in full:

A call for judgement whose statement alleges that further play is
impossible, that rule changes are impossible, or that a player action
which would affect the game state appears equally legal and illegal is
a "Paradox Win CFJ."  Only those CFJs so specified by the rules are
Paradox Win CFJs.  When it ceases to be legal to appeal a particular 
Paradox Win CFJ, if the final verdict is true then the initiator wins
the cycle.

{{ [ This is a minor maintenance proposal.  The part of R 219 that
explicitly permits the filing of these specific CFJs is removed,
as it is redundant.  The requirement that the initiator specify a
paradox win claim in his reasoning is eliminated as unnecessary,
though I imagine that the practice will continue.  The language
covering when and whether the initiator wins the cycle is simplified,
and the wording "is declared winner" is changed to "wins," which
is much more robust.  The resulting text is somewhat shorter than
the original.] }}

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 05:00:39 -0600
From: Jason Orendorff <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka:  Proposal 1636

Proposal 1636
Removing Dangerous Redundancy Dangerous Redundancy
ThinMan

This is a modest proposal.

The first sentence of the last paragraph of rule 211 "Invoking
Judgement" shall be amended to read, in whole:

If the statements of two unresolved Paradox Win CFJs are substantially
similar, in the opinion of the judge of the higher-numbered one, then
the higher-numbered one shall be judged Invalid.

{{ [ Aside from simplifying the language, this removes the specific
reference to R 219 (which could be renumbered) and removes a
redundant definition of "Paradox Win CFJ" from the rules.  (The term
is also defined in R219, which is more appropriate anyway.)  I think
it imperative that official terms be defined only once.  This also
fixes a loophole by which one could attempt to torpedo any pending
CFJ win attempt by submitting a substantially similar attempt.  (The
current rule doesn't specify that only the more recent would be
judged Invalid, and my reading has either one or both being so
judged.) ] }}

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 05:00:42 -0600
From: Jason Orendorff <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka:  Proposal 1638

Proposal 1638
Removing the nasty side effects of R 1315
Malenkai

The is a Modest proposal

Amend R 1315, "Church Sanctuary", in the following ways:

I. replace

"
      If a player is declared a Heretic or otherwise threatened to be
burned, then any priest can grant the player a "Sanctuary Of Salvation",
even if the priest is the player herself, by making a public statement
to that effect. 
"

with:

"
      If a player is alledged a Heretic or otherwise threatened to be
burned, via the specific application of another rule pertaining to
Heresy or burning, then any priest can grant the player a "Sanctuary
Of Salvation" (SOS), even if the priest is the player herself, by making
a public statement to that effect, and provided the player receiving
the SOS consents to it. 
"

II.  In the third paragraph of the rule, replace "can resume" with
"resume as if they had not been cancelled".

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 05:25:09 -0600 (CST)
From: Jason Orendorff <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Phoebe (Techno) & ( Robert Sevin)

> This epidemic needs stamping out.
> 
> I believe Niccolo Flychuck has snowgod's disease, and I am calling 
> for a hearing to that effect.
>
> Bascule

I call a withhunt on Bascule for making this obviously heretical statement.

- --Mohammed
trying to see how many hearings we can get going at the same time.

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 05:34:40 -0600 (CST)
From: Jason Orendorff <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Ridiculous!

On Fri, 17 Jan 1997, Dan Knapp wrote:
>   Wupth.  Did I send that to you?  I meant to send it to Mohammed.  Do I
> have to re-post it now?
	You sent it to me, with carbon copy to Ackanomic.  This means I 
received it twice.  (Does that mean it's two proposals?  I guess the 
second one is invalid.)
	In any case, the best way to send proposals is to use Acrobot.

	For more about Acrobot, send mail to me with "Acrobot" in the 
subject line and

#help 

somewhere in the message itself.

I'll distribute the message as soon as I finish reading my 228 messages.  
Maybe.  Anyway, you can retract it as soon as it comes out, which'll be 
another 2 points.  Good luck, but I think your 24 hours will expire.  :o(

- --Mohammed

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 05:44:47 -0600 (CST)
From: Jason Orendorff <[email-masked]>
Subject: RE: Acka: Yet Another witchhunt (Jammer)

On Fri, 17 Jan 1997, Bollinger, John C. wrote:
> >No! E said the earth is flat.
	Ear save us.

- --Mohammed

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 06:06:38 -0600 (CST)
From: Jason Orendorff <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: CFJ 328 (Techno)

> Statement:
> 
> Is impossible to determine with finality whether or not a cult has
> official status in Ackanomic.

Absurd.  This is a matter of interpretation; therefore a simple CFJ would 
determine this with finality (or some semblance thereof).

Enjoy your goose.

- --Mohammed

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 06:32:54 -0600 (CST)
From: Jason Orendorff <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Proposal 1634

> > I just needed the title in the proposal archive for future use.
> It's statements like this that make me worry.
	I thought maybe Malenkai was going for a Palindrome win?.... but 
Saaramaa seems useless toward that end...

- --Mohammed

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 06:56:16 -0600 (CST)
From: Jason Orendorff <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: 'Round the Earth

> We have learned that this is part of a sinister international plot to
> smuggle the Monopoles to Agora, run by the same ring that is smuggling
> trinkets to Pumpkin Patch.
	This is untrue.  I demand a correction.

- --Mohammed
sincerely hoping he doesn't get it

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 07:05:00 -0600 (CST)
From: Jason Orendorff <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: *ping*

> > I always found the use of Common Era a bit confusing, and it just as as
> > inaccurate as Anno Domino, because the so called Common Era is common only
> > to a small portion of the wolrd's population.
> Would Christian Era then be preferable to you, since it is at least correct?
	Not I.

	I would prefer "The Year of Our* Lord" with a footnote at the 
bottom saying "*This use of Our specifically excludes the following 
players:  " and an extra rule allowing any player to add eir name to the end 
just by posting a message to that effect.
	(It's easy for *me*, since I'm utterly nonreligious; I can go 
along with any religious atmosphere anyone cares to provide.  Not so 
others.  I certainly mean no disrespect here.)

	Failing that, I want to see something like:
	"It has been 853592345.909 seconds since the Unix epoch, and the 
machine that goes *ping* has gone *ping*. ..."

	But seriously, what we should do is:  "The Year of Our Nomic 2" ...

- --Mohammed
Heckler of *ping*

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 08:17:09 -0500
From: [email-masked] (Dan Knapp (A.K.A. TheWiz))
Subject: Re: Acka: *ping* 

> > BTW, to the new player, sorry I forgot your name, about "our Lord" in
> > the *ping* message:  It's in the rule; I have to say it that way.
> > See rule 1209 on the web page.
>
> As a non-Christian (or where ever that comes from), I've also been bothered
> by that, and have thought of amending it from time to time.  I guess
> I'm more personally tired, however, of gender-neutral, culturally-neutral,
> politically correct, vanilla culture, etc, so I've never bothered.

  I agree.  I think that this sort of flavor is not offensive to anyone,
and should be kept in the game.  (Oh, me?  I'm a Jewish athiest. :)

- -Red Barn

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 06:01:17 -0800 (PST)
From: Brian Raiter <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: *ping*

> But seriously, what we should do is:  "The Year of Our Nomic 2" ...

I would definitely support that.

b

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 06:01:45 -0800
From: [email-masked] (John Martin Lotz)
Subject: Acka:  I'm back v2.0

I do want it noted that I did meet the 
required 27 hour period of silence and
meditation,  I believe that all WH's 
against me are now a null issue.

John-Martin Lotz
[email-masked]

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 08:45:52 -0600
From: john duncan <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: *ping*

>         But seriously, what we should do is:  "The Year of Our Nomic 2" ...
> 
I like this better than anything else I have seen. I am not religious,
but I like the somewhat pompous sounding current phrase.

Lestrade

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 08:53:54 -0600
From: john duncan <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Yet Another witchhunt

E
> 
> "BURN ALL THE WITCHES"
> 
> AirHead
> 
Neither can I, but at the very least it seems that we will have a (Red)
Barn burning.

"Burn all the Witches"

Lestrade

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 09:59:10 -0500
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: 'Round the Earth

Jason Orendorff wrote:
> 
> > We have learned that this is part of a sinister international plot to
> > smuggle the Monopoles to Agora, run by the same ring that is smuggling
> > trinkets to Pumpkin Patch.
>         This is untrue.  I demand a correction.

No correction is necessary.  We are only asserting the truth of the fact
that we learned of the plot, not the actual truth of the plot, and
we have indeed learned of the plot.

malenkai
editor, 'Round the Earth

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 17:03:37 +0200 (EET)
From: Uri Bruck <[email-masked]>
Subject: acka: Presidential Address - Shape of the Earth

Citizens of Ackanomic - Hark,

Even as I write these lines several Hearing are in progress, some Hearings
have been suspended. Most of those Hearings concern a subject that has
been controversial for a long time in Ackanomic, the subject of Heresy,
specifically as it pertains to the shape of the earth.
As President of Ackanomic, I see myself as President of all the people of
Ackanomic, round-earthers and flat earthers alike. Alleged Heretics,
Enlightened folk, and those whose faith in one shape or the other has
never wavered.

I am not here today to debate that issue, there are large portions of the
Codex of Kra yet to be translated, there are some old Vulcan texts which
may shed further light on our origins, and we are still to address the
issue of the wonder of instant communication. We have many things to
learn. Surak taught that there is no other wisdom and no other hope for us
but that we grow wiser. 

Many nights ago, I ascended to mount Seleya in the company of my fellow
Vulcan and friend /dev/joe. At that time he intended to found a Church,
this did not come to be, I hope he has not given up those intentions
entirely.   There he showed me the great telescope, and pointed out the
Earth to me. While I cannot speak for /dev/joe, or for Thinman, who also
visited that place, I can tell you my own perception of reality. The vista
I have seen that night was a fascinating one indeed.

I don't think there have ever been doubts about the shape of the
PartyBoard. The PartyBoard is obviously flat and bounded. Some of us see
the link between the PartyBoard and acka, and cannot but conclude that it
is an accurate representation of the world. This view is understandable,
but flawed. For analogy, by its very nature, must be inaccurate, or it
would be completely useless. For if one were to explain a complex system
by a perfect analogy, then the analogy would have same complexity as the
original and the purpose of the analogy as a simplification would lost.
Thus, when we accept analoy, we must also accept that even thought it is a
valuable tool, it is also a tool by which we deliberately introduce a
falsehood. Yet this falsehood is not a form of deception, and should not
be seen as a lie, as it is a useful tool in the process of gaining further
knowledge and understanding, and through this understanding we also
uncover the temporary decpetion.

The perceived shape of the Earth may be such a form of analogy. It is a
voluntary deception we have chosen to accept, and it has served us well,
but it is time to shed that deception. An analogy taken too far, ceases to
be a useful tool of learning when it attempts to replace the thing which
it is intended to explain.  

In a few days Ackanomic will have existed for one year. We have over many
crises during this year. Let us use this opportunity to throw down the
shackles of our infancy, embrace the ancient wisdom and let every ackazen
open the doors and windows of eir houses, chateaus, castles, and
residences and declare in one great voice:

As walk on ahead around the earth, I return home wiser knowing that the
Earth is round.

Niccolo Flychuck
President

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 17:05:26 +0200 (EET)
From: Uri Bruck <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: *ping*

On Sat, 18 Jan 1997, john duncan wrote:

> >         But seriously, what we should do is:  "The Year of Our Nomic 2" ...
> > 
> I like this better than anything else I have seen. I am not religious,
> but I like the somewhat pompous sounding current phrase.
> 
> Lestrade
> 
How does that go in Esperanto?
:)
Niccolo Flychuck

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 10:05:12 -0500
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Phoebe (Techno) & ( Robert Sevin)

Jason Orendorff wrote:

> I call a withhunt on Bascule for making this obviously heretical statement.

As hard as it is to believe, another witchhunt has been called.  Even 
harder to believe, I still receive, even this morning, ambiguous votes.
Just so you know, I delele them straightaway.  I guess we need a rule,
the votes must not be ambiguous. I remember trying to codify common sense
before; if we try to specify everything, the ruleset will become even more
bloated.

With all due respect, can this PLEASE be the final witchhunt.  It was
clear, at least to some players, that they were in questionable taste
awhile ago.

BURN THE WITCH!
No! E said the earth is flat.

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 10:13:44 -0500
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Witchhunt

The witchhunt against Jammer and the first witchhunt against
Bascule have been cancelled.

Malenkai

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 17:15:38 +0200 (EET)
From: Uri Bruck <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: CFJ 328 (Techno)

I was considering retracting this, but I'd really like to see the
verdictt, so I won't.

Niccolo Flychuck

 
On Sat, 18 Jan 1997 [email-masked] wrote:

> > Techno has been chosen.
> > 
> > Clerk of the Courts
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------
> > Call For Judgement 328
> >   Subject: Cult Paradox
> > Initiator: Niccolo Flychuck
> >     Judge: Techno (selected Jan 17, 1997, 13:20hEST)
> > Judgement: 
> > 
> 
> I accept judgeship on this cfj and will render my verdict within the 
> specified amount of time.
> 
> 
> Techno
> thinking of creating a trinket for Red Barn.  Anyone remember the 
> crying towel that failed?
> 

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 10:16:21 -0500
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: CFJ 328 (Techno)

Uri Bruck wrote:
> 
> I was considering retracting this, but I'd really like to see the
> verdictt, so I won't.

The verdict is actually already in.  I will get to it sometime today,
hopefully within the next hour or two.

Clerk of the Courts

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 16:34:41 +0000
From: "Matt" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: *ping*

> >         But seriously, what we should do is:  "The Year of Our Nomic 2" ...
> > 
> I like this better than anything else I have seen. I am not religious,
> but I like the somewhat pompous sounding current phrase.

In RL I too am areligious, and I too like the pomposity of "in the 
year of our Lord". I don't see, however, that it has to refer to some 
RL God. Perhaps it is referring to the Golden Frog, seeing as the 
rule's author is a devout member of the Markovian Church. Or would 
this upset and offend non-Markovians :-) ?

Bascule

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 11:39:50 -0500
From: Dan Knapp (A.K.A. TheWiz) <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: *ping* 

> In RL I too am areligious, and I too like the pomposity of "in the
> year of our Lord". I don't see, however, that it has to refer to some
> RL God. Perhaps it is referring to the Golden Frog, seeing as the
> rule's author is a devout member of the Markovian Church. Or would
> this upset and offend non-Markovians :-) ?

  If that is the case, then apparantly the date as reckoned by the
Markovian Church is the same as the date as reckoned by the Christian
Church.  I don't have a problem with that - it's simple and convenient for
us all.
  I should comment that using "The Year of Our Nomic" would mean that the
"ancients" must have had their own calendar.

- -Red Barn

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 10:49:15 -0800
From: Stephen McCulley <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Phoebe (Techno) & ( Robert Sevin)

Malenkai wrote:
> 
> Jason Orendorff wrote:
> 
> > I call a withhunt on Bascule for making this obviously heretical statement.
> 
> As hard as it is to believe, another witchhunt has been called.  Even
> harder to believe, I still receive, even this morning, ambiguous votes.
> Just so you know, I delele them straightaway.  I guess we need a rule,
> the votes must not be ambiguous. I remember trying to codify common sense
> before; if we try to specify everything, the ruleset will become even more
> bloated.
> 
> With all due respect, can this PLEASE be the final witchhunt.  It was
> clear, at least to some players, that they were in questionable taste
> awhile ago.
> 
> BURN THE WITCH!
> No! E said the earth is flat.
Salutations!!
		
		Well, now that I'm almost caught up and can find the hearing I'm
voting on; I wish to register my vote in the latest of (too) many
hearings.  No! E said the earth is flat.

			Regards,
				Strider

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 11:10:31 -0800
From: Stephen McCulley <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka:Apology

Salutations!!
	
		I wish to apologize for wasting bandwidth by posting my hearing vote
rather than sending it to Malenkai.  I don't have snowgod's disease!:) 
I just screwed up the address.

			Regards,
				Strider

(who finds it amusing that he is apologizing for wasting bandwidth by
wasting bandwidth)

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 13:49:34 -0600
From: Eric Freeman <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: CFCJ 120 (Bascule)

Phil Ackley wrote:

> 
> Okay, I'll make it official.  I am denying Red Barns first attempt to
> change his name, as the requested name was not legal.
> 
> snowgod

Does this mean that CFCJ 119 is called off?

AirHead

- -- 

       \\\|///
     \\  - -  //
      (  @ @  )
+---oOOo-(_)-oOOo--------------------------------------------+
|                                                            |
|      http://www.visioncom.net/users/ericfree/home.html     |
|                                                            |
|   oooO                                                     |
|  (   )    Oooo                                             |
|   \ (     (   )                                            |
+----\_)-----) / --------------------------------------------+
            (_/

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 13:54:44 -0600 (CST)
From: Jason Orendorff <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: *ping*

On Sat, 18 Jan 1997, Dan Knapp wrote:
>   I agree.  I think that this sort of flavor is not offensive to anyone,
> and should be kept in the game.  (Oh, me?  I'm a Jewish athiest. :)
	Fascinating.  I'm a Catholic atheist.

	Unfortunately, one never knows (beforehand) what might be
offensive to whom.  Do aesthetic concerns ever outweigh the possibility 
of an unintentional personal affront to someone?
	I think they sort of do.  I also think that being offended 
represents a huge, very serious responsibility.  To explain that, here's 
something off my web page (I honestly don't know if it'll clarify my 
views perfectly or muddy the waters further.)

        I used to think that peanuts were too
        disgusting to share a planet with us intelligent
        Things.

        So, I led a crusade to destroy them all.  My army
        took off across the wilderness into
        the peanut jungles of South Far and burned
        acres and acres of peanut fields.  The fires
        later got out of control and destroyed most
        of the continent.  Even Paba City itself had to
        fight fiercely to save itself.  Thousands of brave
        men lost their lives in the struggle.

        The moral of that story is:  no price is too
        high when personal taste is involved.

Here is yet another possibility for a solution.  Add a clause to the Rule
of *ping* that allows a player to omit the "of Our Lord" bit from the
recitation if e wishes to do so.  "Our" does not implicitly cover everyone
in the game; therefore those who are of the Christian faith (and those
like me, who don't care) can continue saying it, and those who don't like
it don't have to.
	The "Ackanomic Era" idea would probably be more satisfying.  
Certainly it's more fun.  Would last year be 1 A.E. or 0 A.E.?  Do the 
numbers change on January 1 or on the Anniversary?

- --Mohammed

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 14:05:43 -0600 (CST)
From: Jason Orendorff <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Phoebe (Techno) & ( Robert Sevin)

On Sat, 18 Jan 1997, Malenkai wrote:

> Jason Orendorff wrote:
> 
> > I call a withhunt on Bascule for making this obviously heretical statement.
> 
> As hard as it is to believe, another witchhunt has been called.  Even 
> harder to believe, I still receive, even this morning, ambiguous votes.
> Just so you know, I delele them straightaway.  I guess we need a rule,
> the votes must not be ambiguous. I remember trying to codify common sense
> before; if we try to specify everything, the ruleset will become even more
> bloated.
> 
> With all due respect, can this PLEASE be the final witchhunt.  It was
> clear, at least to some players, that they were in questionable taste
> awhile ago.

my response is
> BURN THE WITCH!

- --Mohammed
sorry

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

Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 14:11:57 -0600 (CST)
From: "Joseph W. DeVincentis" <devjoe>
Subject: Acka: Duel (snowgod-Red Barn)

snowgod

Red Barn accepts your challenge; I, /dev/joe, shall be his second.
This duel will determine once and for all who is the Foremest
Bandwidth Waster of All Ackanomic Time.  Red Barn has also informed
me that he accepts full responsibility for the outbreak of snowgod's
disease which has occurred recently.

Red Barn has chosen the contest of Dueling Limericks for this Duel.

/dev/joe
second to Red Barn

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

End of Ackanomic Digest V1 #462
*******************************