Subject: Ackanomic Digest V2 #132
From: [email-masked] (Ackanomic Digest)
To: ackanomic-digest

Ackanomic Digest        Thursday, June 12 1997        Volume 02 : Number 132

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

Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 20:08:33 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Joseph W. DeVincentis" <devjoe>
Subject: Re: Acka: Parties

Malenkai wrote:
> I am leaving the (None Yet) Party, with much regrets, and requesting
> membership in Vulcan (which only has two members).

Proposed Vulcan Action: Accept Malenkai as a member.

I approve this action.
It will happen when ThinMan acks it.

/dev/joe
Good thing the aliens didn't take "Organizational Action" :-)

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

Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 21:11:01 -0400
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: IP Results

The IP called by Vynd against Malenkai (Wizard) is rejected.

For (2)
- ---
Vynd
Lunatic Fringe

Against (2)
- -------
ThinMan
/dev/joe

Wearing a Silly Vacation Hat

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

Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 19:11:38 -0600 (MDT)
From: Aaron Humphrey <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka:  Fame Fortune and Glory

> Recently,  I have begun submitting RFC's on subjects that I thought might
> improve Acka play,  or possibly close a prospective loophole,  or even
> create a loophole for some adventurous Player.  So far I have seen no
> responses to those RFC's,  no Proposals dealing with the subjects of
> those RFC's and only one comment that the RFC was even read (with only a
> dismmissive comment on its subject line).

I, at least, have been reading them, with the vague thought in my brain
that I should maybe try to implement that.  Mostly I haven't been, because
I've been getting so many proposal ideas of my own that I haven't needed to
scarf yours.  :-)  But you still wanted some comments, at least, didn't
you?

> I don't know if it's because no one really cared about the RFC's or if
> not everyone was reading the AAcka-Research list where they were posted. 
> I will start posting my RFC's to the main list again and see if they
> excite more comment.  If not,  maybe I'll have to become a Voting Player
> so I can Propose them and see what people think by counting eir votes.

It seems a shame, sometimes, that you can't make up these proposals
yourself...

> In light of the recent discussion about where the game is going,  and
> some of the tie-ins to other games,  I was reminded of a board game I
> used to play years ago,  called Careers.
> 
> In Careers,  each player set their own goals for victory,  choosing a
> unique formula made up of Adulation points (Fame),  dollars (Fortune), 
> and achievement points (Glory).  While Acka does not have directly
> corresponding systems,  we do have some equivelants that may be used. 
> We,  of course,  have Ackadollars (which could be expanded),  and we have
> Points (which require no modification as far as I can see),  and we have
> Trinkets and Gadgets.  Both of these last two would require a lot of
> rework to be used as part of a winning condition formula.

I know what you mean; I think something more general would be in order,
rather than something that would be sort of like a points win on a
different scale.  But it's something I don't know if I'm ready to attempt
putting into proposal form myself.  And given the lackadaisical response to
RFC's...:-)

> Anyone who thinks it's time for a major rework of the scoring system
> please let me know and I'll help drafting a Proposal to integrate the
> above items (or even other areas such as our wonderful subgames and 
> Organizations)  into methods for wuinning a cycle.

Help may be appreciated.  If I get some time(which may not be before this
weekend, especially if I want to work on my oft-touted, long-delayed, and
still only notional AckaPhysicist report...)

> BTW,  as the author of the Crystal Chalice Rule,  I was slightly
> disapointed in the lack of attempts to use this as a win,  I tried to
> make it atainable without requiring a PHD to figure it out.  If I become
> a Voting Player,  my first Proposal will be to repeal the Chalice Rule
> and delete all references to Processing chips.  They seem to be nothing
> but a headache,  and the Keys and their effects are a nuisance.

I should go over that rule once more.  I don't think I tried looking at it
since my initial once-over of the ruleset, when it didn't make much sense
to me, IIRC.  Maybe it will have improved now.

> Voting Gnome
> doesn't somebody have the Trombone,  and weren't we suopposed to have a
> Parade?

I've got the Trombone, but P1976(my first proposal)didn't pass, and we
haven't reached 2076 yet.  So yes, and no.  (I'd be happy to have one,
personally...)

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.terranet.ab.ca/~aaron/)
Song In My Head--Gayle McCormick:It's A Cryin' Shame
Current Book--Sean Stewart:Cloud's End
On cold mornings it was Carl's job to start the animals.  [B. Kliban]

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

Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 20:16:22 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Joseph W. DeVincentis" <devjoe>
Subject: Re: Acka: Thermonuclear Annhilation

Dice Server wrote:
> Dice rolls requested by: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
> Rolls also sent to:
>     [email-masked]
> 
> # I am using the dice server to determine what happens to the Gumball
> # odd is the Thermonuclear Annhilation, even is the QI.
> # Wearing a Silly Vacation Hat
> 
> No. of sides on every die:     20
> No. of dice for every roll:     1
> No. of dice rolls requested:    1
> No. of rolls per line:          1
> 
>      13

BOOM!!!   From the relevant rule:

  Thermonuclear Annhilation: A (REALLY) big explosion occurs.  All 
  trinkets in the player's possession are obliterated (their monetary value 
  goes to the Treasury), along with all eir non-indestructible Gadgets.  In 
  addition, e receives a Victory Eggplant and suffers a -10 point penalty for 
  each player (emself included) in eir current location, and e, along with all 
  other players in the same location, is sent to the Ackanomic Afterlife.  It
  is a Crime to cause Thermonuclear Annhilation where other players are
  present.  In addition, both the Gumball and the Anti-Gumball are blown into
  the Stratosphere and cannot be chewed for the remainder of the day.

All my trinkets (none) and non-indestructible gadgets (none) are destroyed.
I get a victory eggplant and -10 points, but my score is non-negative so
the eggplant is immediately destroyed.  I go to the Ackanomic Afterlife,
where I remain, since it is a nicer place than my house.  The Gumball and
Anti-gumball cannot be chewed the rest of the day, except I think the gumball
still can because the anti-gumball rule doesn't take precedence over the
gumball rule. :-)

/dev/joe
Annhilated [sic]

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

Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 21:15:33 -0400
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Phoebe (Lunatic Fringe)

Lunatic Fringe, while looking for his lost hat, has found Phoebe's
Matchbox :)

Malenkai
heckling the alledged Expert
Wearing a Silly Vacation Hat

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

Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 19:17:21 -0600 (MDT)
From: Aaron Humphrey <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Pending Proposals

Continuing the discussion that Malenkai started on acka-harf(after he
discovered he was somehow subscribed to the list):

> As for the Hidden Adjenda idea, perhaps Alfvaen could work up a
> version and I could go over it.  I haven't the time to do that sort
> of development now.

I'm not sure if I do, either.  But I do think it is an idea worth pursuing.
VG said something about helping me out, too.  Beats writing up more fixes
to the contract/Narfalone/Mad Scientist rules...:-)

To answer one comment, I believe there should
> be a neutral referee, and the Speaker would be a good choice; there is
> a certain amount of neutrality and objectivity implicit in the office.

That is true...but what happens if the Speaker changes during the Cycle?

> Another option is making the RHG holder the referee.

That would be...the last person to win the Cycle, right?  And that would be
the same person during the entire Cycle...that might work.

> BTW, I have never
> played Illumanati, but several people have mentioned that when reading
> the Hidden Adjenda idea.  If the games are similar, please do not simply
> *clone* Illumaniti to implement it.

Oh no.  In Illuminati, each of several different players had their own
built-in goals, and then one(the UFO's)could pick any other player's goal
as their own, and keep it secret.  But this wouldn't be like that.  (Even
if we add the Illuminati system of alignments...:-)

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.terranet.ab.ca/~aaron/)
Current Album--The Carpenters:Reminiscing
Current Book--Sean Stewart:Cloud's End
The door marked "Exit" leads to destruction.  --billbill

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

Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 19:19:12 -0600 (MDT)
From: Aaron Humphrey <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: CFJ 405 (Alfvaen)

> CFJ 405 has been assigned to Alfvaen
 
I accept this CFJ.

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.terranet.ab.ca/~aaron/)
Current Album--The Carpenters:Reminiscing
Current Book--Sean Stewart:Cloud's End
Sorry, a fatal error has occurred.  You're dead.

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

Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 18:42:28 -0700
From: [email-masked] (Dice server)
Subject: Acka: Random Otzma

- -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

Dice rolls requested by: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Rolls also sent to:
    [email-masked]

# I am using the dice server to determine the random otzma card
# delivered for breadox
# schedule:
# 1 - go fish
# 2 - map shard
# 3 - untouch me
# 4 - share my expenses
# 5 - share my income
# 6 - swinging sale
# 7 - tactical retreat
# 8 - paratroop
# 9 - foul fowl
# 10 - truthseeker
# 11 - fix my gadget
# 12 - scientist for a day
# 13 - art thief
# Wearing a Silly Vacation Hat

No. of sides on every die:     13
No. of dice for every roll:     1
No. of dice rolls requested:    1
No. of rolls per line:          1

      3

Information on the dice server:
   DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE!
   Replies to [email-masked] vanish into a seldom-read mailbox.

   For instructions on using the dice server, send a message with
   subject "help" to [email-masked], or see http://www.pbm.com/dice/

   The dice server is provided by:

      Shadow Island Games
      http://www.pbm.com/ds.html

Original message follows:
> From [email-masked]  Wed Jun 11 18:42:20 1997
> Received: (from smtp@localhost) by xkey.com
>       id SAA14832 for <[email-masked]>; Wed, 11 Jun 1997 18:42:20 -0700
> Received: from mail.itw.net(206.138.122.6) by xkey.com via smtp (V1.3)
>       id sma014830; Wed Jun 11 18:42:15 1997
> Received: from ppp108.itw.com (ppp108.itw.com [206.138.122.108]) by mail.itw.net (8.8.0/8.7.3) with SMTP id VAA02471 for <[email-masked]>; Wed, 11 Jun 1997 21:42:09 -0400
> Message-ID: <[email-masked]>
> Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 21:40:51 -0400
> From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
> X-Mailer: Mozilla 2.0 (Win95; I; 16bit)
> MIME-Version: 1.0
> To: [email-masked]
> Subject: Acka:
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
> 
> #P [email-masked]
> #S 13
> #D 1
> #R 1
> #L 1
> #T Acka: Random Otzma
> 
> #C I am using the dice server to determine the random otzma card
> #C delivered for breadox
> #C schedule:
> #C 1 - go fish
> #C 2 - map shard
> #C 3 - untouch me
> #C 4 - share my expenses
> #C 5 - share my income
> #C 6 - swinging sale
> #C 7 - tactical retreat
> #C 8 - paratroop
> #C 9 - foul fowl
> #C 10 - truthseeker
> #C 11 - fix my gadget
> #C 12 - scientist for a day
> #C 13 - art thief
> #C Wearing a Silly Vacation Hat

- -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: 2.7

iQCVAwUBM59UBD8NitsTFjcVAQFStAP+PR0NoE4OkhWkXG5LerO/zwZQ9SWCDFQE
off6am6SsV2EOKRoiEbHDWiIk1GOZ8hnSKaxg+v3u9ZIuVm9wp4UVOgo6j+HK92u
WBmn39LT28OiaYKUc/0V0OEqevw+erYyzFvPHKZu+eqDvOuHxoKViELR8mRYzH3O
PjQcYt3dTRM=
=FCLG
- -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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

Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 19:49:37 -0600 (MDT)
From: Aaron Humphrey <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Shelter

As the Tornado approaches, I notice, from the Map, that most of the towers
in existence right now are haunted.  Those that remain are certainly not
sufficient to Shelter us all, our population being as high as it is.

Therefore, I ask our President to construct a Bomb Shelter to protect us
all.  If we get enough people to make contributions, it won't be that
expensive.  (/dev/joe, our most affluent citizen, is already safe in the
Ackanomic Afterlife, of course...:-)

Failing that, this might be time to go visit...uh...Guy Fawkes, I guess.
:-)  Or maybe build my own tower onto Tamson House.  (I'd rather not join
the hordes that will doubtless be crowding into the Tower of Bandwidth...)

Of course, you'd all like to get my score, wouldn't you?  :-)  Especially
my Evil Twin.  Well, there's still IdiotBoy's, isn't there?

Maybe I should just blow myself up.  But then what to do with my trinkets?
Maybe I could get burned for Heresy!  Hmmm.

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.terranet.ab.ca/~aaron/)
Current Album--Tammy Wynette:Tears of Fire 3
Current Book--Sean Stewart:Cloud's End
Butter wouldn't melt on her knife.

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

Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 22:46:47 -0400
From: [email-masked]
Subject: Re: Acka: YORL 

At 10:23 PM 6/11/97 -0400, you wrote:
>> So THAT'S how you do it! ;v)
>> 
>> #award -A$20 : You can call me Al : YORL Entry Fee
>
>Actually, I wasn't sure if that was how you did it in the case
>of the Brass Pot, and I do not think it takes on acka-games.
>
>Malenkai

Hmm...

#award -A$20 : You can call me Al : YORL Entry Fee

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

Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 23:24:24 -0400 (EDT)
From: John Frederic Mc Coy <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka:  Fame Fortune and Glory

On Wed, 11 Jun 1997 [email-masked] wrote:

> Recently,  I have begun submitting RFC's on subjects that I thought might
> improve Acka play,  or possibly close a prospective loophole,  or even
> create a loophole for some adventurous Player.  So far I have seen no
> responses to those RFC's,  no Proposals dealing with the subjects of
> those RFC's and only one comment that the RFC was even read (with only a
> dismmissive comment on its subject line).
> 
> I don't know if it's because no one really cared about the RFC's or if
> not everyone was reading the AAcka-Research list where they were posted. 
> I will start posting my RFC's to the main list again and see if they
> excite more comment.  If not,  maybe I'll have to become a Voting Player
> so I can Propose them and see what people think by counting eir votes.

Well, I did read them all.  Some of them I found interesting, some I did
not.  I probably would ahve made some kind of response to the busy ones,
but lately I've been so busy, and have simultaneously had so many proposal
ideas of my own, that I just let them go past.

> 
> In light of the recent discussion about where the game is going,  and
> some of the tie-ins to other games,  I was reminded of a board game I
> used to play years ago,  called Careers.

Yes!  someone else played Careers!  We had a truly ancient set of this
game, back when i was 7 or so.  It was my favorite, I'll never forget it.

> 
> In Careers,  each player set their own goals for victory,  choosing a
> unique formula made up of Adulation points (Fame),  dollars (Fortune), 
> and achievement points (Glory).  While Acka does not have directly
> corresponding systems,  we do have some equivelants that may be used. 
> We,  of course,  have Ackadollars (which could be expanded),  and we have
> Points (which require no modification as far as I can see),  and we have
> Trinkets and Gadgets.  Both of these last two would require a lot of
> rework to be used as part of a winning condition formula.
> 
> Anyone who thinks it's time for a major rework of the scoring system
> please let me know and I'll help drafting a Proposal to integrate the
> above items (or even other areas such as our wonderful subgames and 
> Organizations)  into methods for wuinning a cycle.

Well, I'm all for more victory conditions.  one of the (barely
perceptible) themse in my proposals is to provide more, and interesting,
ways to win, or to make winning by some of the harfy rules out there like
mad Scientist a litte more do-able.  I don't know if making gadgets or
(God help us) trinkets, a major part of some victory condition is such a
good idea though.  even I think it's nice to have some stuff around that
isn't directly linked to winning a Cycle, if only to make the "scam" type
wins off of them that more entertaining. =)

> 
> Malenkai once said that winning by points alone was ultimately boring, 
> and even offered a Treasure for the first Non-Point win to be Proposed
> and passed (with eir vote of course).  I won that Treasure,  so far the
> only Treasure Hunt I have felt qualified to attempt.  Maybe it's time for
> even more radical changes to what this game makes possible.
> 
> BTW,  as the author of the Crystal Chalice Rule,  I was slightly
> disapointed in the lack of attempts to use this as a win,  I tried to
> make it atainable without requiring a PHD to figure it out.  If I become
> a Voting Player,  my first Proposal will be to repeal the Chalice Rule
> and delete all references to Processing chips.  They seem to be nothing
> but a headache,  and the Keys and their effects are a nuisance.

Personaly, I wouldn't mind seeing Processing Chips go.  I kind of like the
Crystal Chalice though.  I'd probably cote against removing it, if for no
other reason than the fact that we will never be able to get a rule that
long and complicated passed ever again.  Let me take a moment to address
something malenkai brought up awhile back.  he said that he thought his
Jara treasure hunt was a failure.  I know that there are some peope here
who are avid traesure hunters, and I don't know what their opinions on the
subject are.  Speaking for myself though, that treasure hnt, and indeed
most every treasure hunt I've seen here, is far too complicated for me to
even think of tackling.  I did ok in Calculus back in high school, but I
was smarter then, and I never even pretended to know anything about coding
or crytpography.  When i see a treasure hunt that ends with a bunch of
gibberish, I just delete it and move on.  I don't think malenkai's hunt
realy falls into this category, but I must admit that frankly I don't
really know exactly what that hunt is all about.  I noticed it very early
on after i started, and it took me weeks to even figure out what it was
all about.  In my confusion about treasure hunts, I doubt I am alone in
this game.  I may be more hopelessly lost than most, but I don't think you
guys should be suprised that if you can stump /dev/joe and Thbreadbox and
one or two others, then no one is ever going to solve it.

> 
> Voting Gnome
> doesn't somebody have the Trombone,  and weren't we suopposed to have a
> Parade?
> 

                              - Vynd, thinking maybe he shuld have started
another paragraph back there at some point....

[email-masked]

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

Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 23:30:51 -0400 (EDT)
From: John Frederic Mc Coy <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: CFJ 404 (Bascule)

On Wed, 11 Jun 1997, Malenkai wrote:

> CFJ 404 has been assigned to Bascule
> 
> Clerk of the Courts
> Wearing a Silly Vacation Hat
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Call For Judgment 404
>   Subject: I Am Still Utterly Mad!
> Initiator: Alfvaen
>     Judge: Bascule (selected Jun 11, 1997, 20:17h EDT)
> Judgement:
> 
> Statement:
> 
> Alfvaen will remain Mad Scientist even if Azpiazu is transferred to
> Malenkai and the Cycle ends as a result.
> 
> Alfvaen's Reasoning:
> 
> [This reasoning has been pre-processed by Zee Bad Transylvanian
> Accent-English translator(which, however, is still in beta-testing).]
> 
> I was somehow operating under the assumption that I would lose the office
> of Mad Scientist when I completed a Frankenstein Monster.  However, upon
> rereading zee relefant rules, I have come to the conclusion that there is
> no basis in the rules for this assumption.
> 
> I quote from Rule 596, first:
> 
>    This Office can only be filled or transferred as follows: If the
>    seat is vacant, it is filled by the last Player to take possession
>    of any Frankenstein Monster. If no such player exists, the seat
>    shall be filled by Election for Office.
> 
> Zis quite clearly delineates how the office is to be filled if it becomes
> facant, but how may it become so?  If it were to be vacated when the
> Monster was completed, it would be mentioned at the end of Rule 597, which
> deals with the sequence of efents when the Monster is completed:
> 
>    viii) The Mad Scientist shall exclaim, "It's alive! <name> IS
>    ALIVE!"
> 
>    ix) The <name> Monster is awarded to the last Player other than the
>    Mad Scientist to have dug up and delivered a Part that was
>    successfully attached (i.e. not rejected) to the Monster. This
>    Player then owns the <name> Monster.
> 
>    x) If this Player also submitted the last Part in the case where any
>    additional Parts would have been rejected, that Player shall also
>    win the current cycle, be awarded the honorary title of Angry
>    Villager, and be awarded a Silver Pitchfork (a non-unique ownable
>    entity).
> 
>    xi) The Blueprint is hidden away and may never, ever be used again
>    to create another Monster. If the <name> Monster ever ceases to
>    exist, its Blueprint instantly crumbles into useless dust.
> 
> This regulates the transferrence of the Monster upon its completion, the
> possible end of cycle, etc., but makes no mention of the transfer of the
> office of Mad Scientist.  I am thus forced to conclude that the office of
> Mad Scientist can only be vacated by the normal means--resignation,
> impeachment, etc.
> 
> So I vill get zee chance to create a new Monster!!!
> 

OK, now, no offense Alfvaen, and I mean this with the utmost rspect but...
Duh!!

Heh, I'm tempted to impeach you over your poor knowledge of the
Frankenstein Monster rules, but I'm not that mean.  really.

                           - Vynd

[email-masked]

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

Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 23:37:29 -0400
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka:  Fame Fortune and Glory

> he said that he thought his
> Jara treasure hunt was a failure.  I know that there are some peope here
> who are avid traesure hunters, and I don't know what their opinions on the
> subject are.  Speaking for myself though, that treasure hnt, and indeed
> most every treasure hunt I've seen here, is far too complicated for me to
> even think of tackling.

The RoJ requires much more than the 'technical' skills of treasure
hunting, although they could be useful.  The 'competetive/interactive'
skills are more useful.  It was meant to be a game in itself.

> When i see a treasure hunt that ends with a bunch of
> gibberish, I just delete it and move on.

Treasure 106 requires no 'gibberish translation' or 'cryptography'.
The fact that those who are good at code translation treasures have not
found it indicates that, I suppose.  OTOH, the fact that *no-one* has
found it probably indicates the clues are lame :)

Malenkai
Wearing a Silly Vacation Hat (and wondering when the collapse of the thread
where I have to keep writing this is gonna happen :))

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

Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 23:12:40 -0500 (CDT)
From: Mitchell Harding <[email-masked]>
Subject: RE: Acka: Ambassadorness 

At 05:38 PM 6/11/97 -0500, you wrote:
>>The senate would be one option, another would be to leave it with the
>>discretion of the ambassador.  The third would be to make it possible to
>>change our alliance via hearing.  I am open to all three options.  Anyone
>>have a preference before I submit a proposal?
>
>I am in favor of leaving it at the discretion of the ambassador... to a
>point. The proposal made by Mohammed allows us to keep a leash on the
>Ambassador (if you'll pardon the expression). Should the Ambassador go crazy
>and declare war status when we do not want it, the president can remove that
>ambassador and appoint another. Of course, frivolous removals can be negated
>by the supreme court since it would be a prez action.
>
>Good set of checks and balances imho.

On the other hand, do we need the ability to make the change in Attitude
quickly? The main value of giving the Ambassador free reign in this arena,
IMO, is to allow the decision to be made quickly, without having to wait for
a vote. But this doesn't seem crucial in this case. Where possible, I'd
prefer to have a vote taken, and therefore have the decision be the result
of a consensus of opinions, rather than solely the opinion of the
Ambassador. Sure, the Ambassador's opinion is checked, but this also limits
the number of players in Acka that can actively participate in InterNomic.

Personally, I'm voting Yes for both Mohammed's proposal and my own. They are
in no way incompatable.

Robert Sevin

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

Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 23:27:32 -0500 (CDT)
From: Mitchell Harding <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Request to become an Expert 

I am hereby publicly stating my desire to become an Expert, in the area of
Experts. A vote should be initiated in the Senate to this effect.

The criteria that is most likely to be a source of objections is that such
an area of the rules is too narrow. I disagree, offering two defenses:

1. As Mr Lunatic Fringe once said, considering that Malenkai is an Expert in
"Bandwidth Wasting Gizz" (and that Mr Lunatic Fringe is an Expert in
"Ackanomic Headwear"), one can hardly consider the area of "Experts" to be
narrower than the aforementioned areas.

2. While there is only 1 rule that directly deals with Experts, it is a
fairly large rule, and in particular it lists 6 criteria that Experts are
supposed to follow. As an Expert, I would be obligated to keep track of all
past Senate decisions regarding Expertise, in order to be knowledgable about
precedents that have been set in that area. This area is rather broad as a
result, as it involves more than just the rule, but also the precedents set
in the past Senate votes.

Robert Sevin

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

Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 22:56:22 -0600 (MDT)
From: Aaron Humphrey <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Codex

While I was preparing for my Acid Rain Dance, I examined several passages
in the Codex of Kra.  At the time I just gave them a cursory once-over to
make sure that I had the general idea, without fully translating them.  In
performing the full translation, I found myself distracted by other
sections referenced by the sections on Acid Rain, and I was intrigued by
the intricate interrelationship of Acid Rain and the Amber Banana Tree.  I
realize that the latter falls out of the strict realm of Physics, but my
obligation is simply to translate the Codex, and apparently the Ancients
were not that picky about segregating their sciences.  In any case, I
display here excerpts from the first paper, and hope to have some available
from the second paper shortly(these should be up soon on the new
AckaPhysicist's Web Page, http://www.terranet.ab.ca/~aaron/acka/ackakra.html):

The Phenomenon of Peculiarly Locally-Acidic Precipitation
by doesitmelt, 6VI

The means by which precipitation falls, in the absence of gravity, has been
elsewhere described [1].  This rain is normally a pure substance which is
chemically indistinguishable from normal water.  However, at certain times,
which follow a periodicity which is still in dispute(but see [2]), there
are some impurities which are found in the water.  These impurities
demonstrate, more than any other substance yet found in U2, the slight
chemical differences between the two worlds.

The impurities consist mostly of substances which would be considered
acidic in our world--that is, they are willing electron absorbers, and
increase the hydronium ion concentration in water.  However, there are
puzzling differences--mainly that these acidic substances, dissolved in
high concentrations, have no effect whatsoever on any substance not from
U2.  The effects on U2-native substances are more noticeable, but still
less than would be expected.  It is anticipated that the talenzien
force[3] is sufficient to explain this puzzle.  The exception is on
native life forms.

There are, of course, few life forms native to U2.  Surmises as to why this
is so have been made elsewhere([4], [5]).  However, there can be little
doubt that the so-called Amber Banana Tree(whose taxonomic classification
is still in dispute-see [6])is among the highest indigenous life forms.
Most shocking, then, is the reaction of this tree to the acidic
precipitation.  Upon being contacted by this "acid rain", the Amber Banana
Tree almost instantly starts to wither and is rendered lifeless within
minutes.

If this is the case, then some puzzling perplexities are posed.
[Translator's Note: I have preserved the alliteration from the original,
but am uncertain of the tone it is intended to convey--irony?  emphasis?
puzzlement?]  First of all, if the Acid Rain(as the more popularist
journals have dubbed it)comes periodically, and the Amber Banana Tree is
wiped out thereby, how does it come that there was still an Amber Banana 
Tree in existence?  At least one interesting theory[7] has been proposed
to explain this enigma.

Another possibility is that the periodicity of the Acid Rain may not be
absolute.  The impurities mentioned above are suspended in the air "above"
and "below" the disc of U2, just as the water vapour is that is eventually
pulled down by the talenzien force.  The equilibrium equation that has been
determined[8] for the water-impurity mixture does not necessarily lead to
nucleation.  The effect seems to be nonlinear, sometimes happening
spontaneously, but more often not.

In the case of the recent episode of Acid Rain, it is obvious that
something occurred to upset the equilibrium.  It seems entirely possible
that it was the very observations and measurements of the mixture that
caused it to nucleate and travel torward the disc via the talenzien force,
i.e. "rain".  Light sources in U2 tend to be steady, and a variable influx
of photons doubtless destabilized the equilibrium by raising the energy
levels of some particles and facilitating the talenzien force, until a
"critical mass" was reached and the nucleation became self-sustaining.
Thus care should be taken with future observations.  Perhaps a non-photonic
means of observation can be used.

An alternative is simply to protect the Amber Banana Tree(while the
original found in U2 has been destroyed, some success has come about in
preparing, through genetic techniques, a replica from the remains of its
tissue [9]).  It has been determined [10] that the native substance most
impervious to the Acid Rain is a naturally-occurring(although rare)metal
which resembles bronze.  While it is not available in large quantities,
it is extremely malleable, and the creation of a sheltering device from
this metal should not prove difficult.

In any case, the recent precipitation has drastically reduced the amount of
protoacidic material in the atmosphere, so it will be some time before even
the most powerful photons will cause any problems, and I encourage
researchers to take advantage of this opportunity to redouble their
observations.

[1] "New Sub-Atomic Force", prof talenz et al., 1GI
[2] "A Theory of Numerically-Based Time Periodicity", prof cycloide, 3SI
[3] talenz
[4] "U2 Lifeform Pollution from U1", prof greenie, 9EI
[5] "Diversity Drop In U2", prof gould et al., 1PI
[6] "A Case Against Assignment of The U2 'Tree' To Plantae", prof taxon, 2LI
[7] "The Life Cycle of The Amber Banana Tree", prof woodisgood, prof kangarooney, 1LI
[8] "A Talenzien-Based Equilibrium Cycle", prof abscissas, 4CI
[9] "Some Applications of The Similarity of U2 Genetic Material", dr frameshift, dr viewomb, et al., 1QI
[10] "A Study of U2 Pseudo-Acid Permeability On Native Materials", prof shovelpound, prof surfloop, 8BI

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.terranet.ab.ca/~aaron/)
Song In My Head--Jane Siberry:The Sky Is So Blue
Current Book--Sean Stewart:Clouds End
Heck's Angels: Born to be Mild.

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

End of Ackanomic Digest V2 #132
*******************************