Subject: Ackanomic Digest V2 #174
From: [email-masked] (Ackanomic Digest)
To: ackanomic-digest

Ackanomic Digest        Wednesday, July 2 1997        Volume 02 : Number 174

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

Date: Tue, 1 Jul 1997 22:03:26 -0700 (PDT)
From: Brian Raiter <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: response to Rant

> At any rate, the point is that a proposal's Quorum failure often has
> little to do with its content, but rather with the failure of the other
> players to fulfill their voting responsibility.

Precisely why a proposal that fails quorum should fail. Its content
has not been sufficiently considered by the people it potentially
affects.

Your points on pragmatism are good ones, but nonetheless I feel
strongly that proposals for which less than half the voters have even
been heard simply cannot be enacted.

breadbox

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

Date: Tue, 1 Jul 1997 22:09:17 -0700 (PDT)
From: Brian Raiter <[email-masked]>
Subject: RE: Acka: Default Votes

> Well, I do see one useful thing behind the system we have now, that
> would be lost if we made the changes you suggest.  By changing all
> the abstaining player's statuses, we ensure that the next proposal
> doesn't fail do to lack of quorum as well (unless something weird
> like the Aliens are interfering).

I agree, it's annoying when it happens. But still, if the next
proposal would otherwise fail due to quorum, then it has the same
problem that the first one has - half the people affected by it
haven't voted. Why should it pass any more than the one before it?

breadbox

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 08:29:14 +0300 (EET DST)
From: Uri Bruck <[email-masked]>
Subject: acka : Let me be your proxy.

Hello Ackazen,
You may have heard of this of possibility, in fact, I'm sure you have, but
perhaps you didn't quite take the time yet to think about it. The rules
now allow you to vote without voting. You don't need to worry about making
that voting deadline, you don't need to lost sleep over worrying that a
proposal might not meet Quorum. You can designate me as your Proxy Voter.

Niccolo Flychuck, an upright ackazen with an excellent voting record.

Let me be your proxy!

Niccolo Flychuck

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 02:27:18 -0500 (CDT)
From: Jason Orendorff <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: (None Yet)

> I would like to request membership in (none yet). It seems a shame that 
> such a historicly important party should fall below the minimum required 
> for a unity vote. This sentence demonstrates my support for 
> self-referential rules and other structures.
	What is this (none yet) you speak of?

- -- 
Mohammed
proud member of Munchkin Haven
well, proud as the name allows

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

Date: Tue, 1 Jul 1997 23:17:00 -0900
From: Phil Ackley <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Farewell 

Bascule,

We will miss you.

Mr. Lunatic Fringe
Sad

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

Date: Tue, 1 Jul 1997 23:21:51 -0900
From: Phil Ackley <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Farewell 

>>With much sadness, I am leaving Ackanomic.
>
>You should stay. You will be missed. I agree that the game has moved away
>from it's harfy origins, and your leaving can only serve to exacerbate that
>problem. I hope someday, through the efforts of the Harf party (and others),
>that we can make Acka a fun place for you to return to.
>
>I hereby nominate Bascule for the hall of elders.
>
>Robert Sevin

Here here!  I second this.

Mr. Fringe

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

Date: Tue, 1 Jul 1997 23:15:16 -0900
From: Phil Ackley <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Treasure and Other Things 

Ackanomians,

There is one treasure toga left.  Be the first on your block to claim it.
Going, going, gone.  Inother news, I have some registrarness to attend to,
but my net connection is shaky tonight, and I can't stay online lng eough
to check what I need to check.l  Apologies to anyone who is inconvenienced.
I'll get it out tommorow.

Mr. Lunatic Fringe

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

Date: Tue, 1 Jul 1997 23:33:29 -0900
From: Phil Ackley <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Registrarness 

We have a returning player in Ackanomic.  Some of you may remember
Clairence, no?  Well, he's back and he's chosen Darth Vader as his
Ackanomic name this time around.  His email adress is [email-masked] and
his real name is Clair Anthony Vigilone.  Please join his undead in
welcoming him back to the game.

Also, we havbe a new player, a man who made a surprise appearance in
Ackanomic tonight by making his splash even before he was subscribed to the
lists.  Everyone, I would like you to meet Benjamin Good, Ackanomic name
Ben until he changes it, email adress [email-masked]. Ben found out
about Ackanomic through a link on the chess variants page.  Alfvaen has
been chosen as his mentor.

Please welcome them to Ackanomic.

Mr. Lunatic Fringe

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 03:09:11 -0500 (CDT)
From: Jason Orendorff <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Default Votes & Prop 2185

My esteemed colleague Robert Sevin wrote:
> The default vote system can allow someone to blindly vote, but that can be
> done already. I urge you all to vote no on Proposal 2185, or I urge the
> author to retract it.
	There's no way I'm retracting P2185; you're all just going to
have to vote it down.  :o)
	Basically, you're using default votes to dodge quorum.  Why
not just lower the quorum threshhold?
	("easily automated" is a relative term.  Lowering the quorum
threshhold is easy.  I go in, edit one number, and I am done.)

- -- 
Mohammed
Jolly Americans.  Enough said.

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 11:34:50 +0300 (EET DST)
From: Uri Bruck <[email-masked]>
Subject: acka : Ad Hoc Committees

When I voted for the latest ammendment of the Ad Hoc Committee rule I
commented that it will need a rewrite. I intend to propose such an
ammendment soon, I'd first like to point out some of the things which are
wrong with the way this rule is currently phrased.

This section is not necessary. The default should be the opposite,
otherwise there would little point of having them at all.

1.d. The decision of any Committee has no effect on the game state except
where the rules say it does. 

Sections 3 and 4 are two strict. They make the 7 member Committee
obligatory. The original phrasing, which selected intially 7 players, but
allowed for less was much more workable. Furthermore, I'd give some
freedom to specific Ad Hoc Committees rules in specifying the number of
members, within bounds, and re-introduce the provision that allows to
specify creiteria for up to two of them (I've mentioned that before)

Section 5 is very poorly implemented. It allows for cases to be dragged
on for weeks.  

rfc
Niccolo Flychuck

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 11:59:32 +0300 (EET DST)
From: Uri Bruck <[email-masked]>
Subject: acka : Prayers 

Oh gods of nomic hear my plea
Floods are a bit too much for tea
Preserve us from the rehydrifications
That shall follow our ruminimination
And kees us dry for another moon
Although floods are agathokakologically used
hipkha mistabra ipso facto
and Rickety Rickety tin

Niccolo Flychuck
Founder of the Church of Odo on the Wormhole

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 12:26:06 +0300 (EET DST)
From: Uri Bruck <[email-masked]>
Subject: acka : Buyin PFJoon

I'm offering to buy 10 PFJoon for A$20

Niccolo Flychuck

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 12:27:42 +0300 (EET DST)
From: Uri Bruck <[email-masked]>
Subject: acka : buyin PFAztec God

I'm offering 20A$ for 5 PFAztec God

Niccolo Flychuck

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 03:27:24 -0700 (PDT)
From: Brian Raiter <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Farewell

> With much sadness, I am leaving Ackanomic. 

With much sadness, I bid you farewell. I hope you come back someday.

I add my vote to the support of Bascule's nomination into the Hall of
Elders.

breadbox

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 13:46:01 +0300 (EET DST)
From: Uri Bruck <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Farewell

I support this nomination as well.

Niccolo Flychuck

On Tue, 1 Jul 1997, Joseph W. DeVincentis wrote:

> Various people wrote and/or agreed with:
> 
> > I hereby nominate Bascule for the hall of elders.
> 
> I second the nomination.
> 
> /dev/joe
> 
> ------------------------------
> 

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

Date: Wed, 02 Jul 1997 08:55:53 -0400
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: acka : Ad Hoc Committees

> members, within bounds, and re-introduce the provision that allows to
> specify creiteria for up to two of them (I've mentioned that before)

> rfc

The whole point of my rewrite was to cut down on the work that has to
be done to select an AHC.  If you add criteria, you will increase the 
work again, with a poor work/fun ratio.  If you must increase the work,
create an Ad hoc comittee harfer.  I would argue against this though,
because my argument is based on total acka work capacity, and if someone
has time to harf these small details of little consequence, they should
harf web pages or volunteer to be scorekeeper or something.  To be
perfectly frank, it is my opinion that an AHC is little more than a
hearing with more complexity for little added value.  I voted against
the original concept for this reason, but now that we do have another
way to decide a matter that hearings for whatever reason were not
acceptable, lets keep it simple :)

Hearings are fairly straightforward to harf.  I am not sure of what 
added benefit AHC gives over hearings that justifies the hassle on both
the participants and the harfers, and I certainly see no reason to make
it more cumbersome.

I have been writing alot of proposals lately to *remove* these sorts of
trivial details from the rules that require work but don't add much to
the game.  If we don't continue with this idealology, the game will
collapse under the weight of its complexity when no one volunteers to
harf it anymore.

Malenkai

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 08:19:08 -0500
From: "Bollinger, John C." <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Elder

I support Bascule's nomination to the Hall of Elders.

ThinMan

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 08:28:08 -0500
From: "Bollinger, John C." <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Proxies

Our highly esteemed Ackanomic colleague Niccolo Flychuck recently
lobbied to be chosen as your voting Proxy.  Lest you select him for
such a responsability for lack of an alternative, I put myself
forward as another choice for your voting Proxy.  My Ackanomic
experience is as great as Niccolo's, and my voting record equally
strong.  More to the point, I am certain that I have voted the same
way as each of you at least once, except perhaps for the newest
players.  Can Niccolo say that?  He didn't, and perhaps that says it
all :-)

ThinMan

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 10:46:28 -0400 (EDT)
From: mr cwm <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka:  Proposal 2200

On Tue, 1 Jul 1997, Malenkai wrote:

>> Proposal 2200
>> Foolishly Foolish
>
>> Amend rule 207.3 "Foolishness" by replacing the sentence,
>
>> "Whenever a Foolish Proposal is accepted or rejected, all scoring
>> effects from rules 207 and 207.3 related to its acceptance or rejection
>> shall be doubled."
>
>This of course will lead to Hubert race to submit the Paradox Win
>CFJ, and guess who is CotC :)

OK, I must have missed the whole Hubert thing, and since it's clearly
become shorthand for something that appears quite interesting, could
someone either point me in the right direction to find out, or provide a
thumbnail sketch, of what "Hubert" means?

- -mr cwm

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 10:52:11 -0400 (EDT)
From: mr cwm <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Farewell

On Tue, 1 Jul 1997, Robert Sevin wrote:

>I hereby nominate Bascule for the hall of elders.

By this message I most emphatically do whatever I need to do to help this
along.  

- -mr cwm

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 11:21:02 -0500
From: "Bollinger, John C." <[email-masked]>
Subject: RE: Acka:  Proposal 2200

mr cwm wrote:

> OK, I must have missed the whole Hubert thing, and since it's clearly
> become shorthand for something that appears quite interesting, could
> someone either point me in the right direction to find out, or provide
> a
> thumbnail sketch, of what "Hubert" means?
> 
The terminology is related to a treasure map months ago which required
that a player post "Hubert" to the public forum on three consecutive
days.  Three players, myself, /dev/joe, and (I think) Guy Fawkes all
attempted to find the treasure.  On the first two days, each of us
posted a message at an unremarkable time, but on the third day we each
attempted to post a message as close to midnight as possible.  The
result was a great deal of confusion about which message was actually
"first."

Nowadays, a "Hubert situation" synonymous with a race, particularly
one in which the condition to be satisfied is widely known or easilly
determined, and in which only the first player to satisfy the
conditions receives a reward.  What Malenkai meant in the comments that
mr cwm responded to [and I deleted] was that there was an obvious
paradox inherent in P2200, so that if it passes, multiple players will
attempt to submit paradox win CFJs as quickly as possible.

ThinMan

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 10:20:12 -0600 (MDT)
From: Aaron Humphrey <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: acka : Ad Hoc Committees

> This section is not necessary. The default should be the opposite,
> otherwise there would little point of having them at all.
> 
> 1.d. The decision of any Committee has no effect on the game state except
> where the rules say it does. 

I think the intention of this is that a CPPIA would not be able to also
decide to change the voting rules so that only they would become Voting
players, and everybody else would be on enforced nine-month vacations, or
anything.  :-)  In other words, they would have only the powers that they
were given by the specific rule that called the Ad Hoc Committee into
being.  Of course, this may work already, but you can never be too careful.
:-)

> Sections 3 and 4 are two strict. They make the 7 member Committee
> obligatory. The original phrasing, which selected intially 7 players, but
> allowed for less was much more workable. Furthermore, I'd give some
> freedom to specific Ad Hoc Committees rules in specifying the number of
> members, within bounds, and re-introduce the provision that allows to
> specify creiteria for up to two of them (I've mentioned that before)
 
Sounds reasonable to me.
 
> Section 5 is very poorly implemented. It allows for cases to be dragged
> on for weeks.  

Certainly does, and will, in this case.

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.terranet.ab.ca/~aaron/)
Song In My Head--REM:Fireplace
Current Book--Tanith Lee:East of Midnight
He couldn't pour water out of a boot with instructions on the heel.

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 10:23:41 -0600 (MDT)
From: Aaron Humphrey <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka:  Proposal 2200

> OK, I must have missed the whole Hubert thing, and since it's clearly
> become shorthand for something that appears quite interesting, could
> someone either point me in the right direction to find out, or provide a
> thumbnail sketch, of what "Hubert" means?

From the contexts it's occurred/been mentioned in so far, I'd gather that
a "Hubert" is a situation which depends entirely on who executes a given
task first, and is prone to require disentanglings of relative system clock
timings and other such complicated things.

Whether this came before(and was the source of)or after(and was derived
from)Mr. Lunatic Fringe's "Hubert" treasure, I haven't been able to
discern.

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.terranet.ab.ca/~aaron/)
Song In My Head--REM:Fireplace
Current Book--Tanith Lee:East of Midnight
The room was lit by the soft glow of featherlight.

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 10:31:51 -0600 (MDT)
From: Aaron Humphrey <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Ackanomicon Determination

> # Ackanomicon determination for Alfvaen
> # based on the following (using a 46 sided die):
> # 1 -15: arcane trivia

>       9

The book, it talked about--well, it--there was--no.  It had something to do
with--but that was a dream, surely?  Surely no one would--no, of course
not.  And yet, some of the pictures, they--could it have been real?  They
wouldn't have been able to--not the Ancients, surely, from all we have
learned about them--with a melon?

<shaking his head feverishly>  I am going to the Tower of Bandwidth, to
gaze on something a bit more...banal for a while.

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.terranet.ab.ca/~aaron/)
Song In My Head--REM:Fireplace
Current Book--Tanith Lee:East of Midnight
Of all the people I know, you're one of them.

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 11:37:06 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Joseph W. DeVincentis" <devjoe>
Subject: Re: Acka:  Proposal 2200

> Whether this came before(and was the source of)or after(and was derived
> from)Mr. Lunatic Fringe's "Hubert" treasure, I haven't been able to
> discern.

(The player formerly known as) snowgod introduced the term "Hubert" to
acka with that treasure.  The next time something like that happened,
somebody called it "another Hubert", and now the term is being used to
refer to such situations in general, real or hypothetical.

/dev/joe

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

Date: Wed, 02 Jul 1997 21:35:03 -0700
From: **Alexandre Muniz <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Krykec in gaol?

Should being selected as Krykec be added to the list of things that 
cannot be done to you while you are in gaol? I think it ought to, but it 
isn't as clear cut a case as finding phoebe's Matchbox. If it occurs 
during a short gaol sentence it wouldn't make much difference, but in a 
longer gaol sentence, one could be obligated to post a W-files report 
while still in gaol, which shouldn't happen. If nobody objects, I will 
propose this as soon as I get out of gaol myself. (that doesn't 
constitute my acceptance of the gaol option in the contempt case. 
They'll have to drag me kicking and screaming.)

**two-star
happy birthday to me.

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 11:30:21 -0600 (MDT)
From: Aaron Humphrey <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Titon

In case the Mad Scientist _does_ turn out to be a Scientist...

"Not It!" 

(Hmmm...surely we can come up with a more interesting phrase than
that...:-)

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.terranet.ab.ca/~aaron/)
Song In My Head--Mike Myers:D'ya Think I'm Sexy
Current Book--Tanith Lee:East of Midnight
"MEOW"...SPLAT..."RUFF"...SPLAT... (Raining cats & dogs)

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 12:37:31 -0500 (CDT)
From: Jason Orendorff <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: acka : Ad Hoc Committees

> To be
> perfectly frank, it is my opinion that an AHC is little more than a
> hearing with more complexity for little added value.  I voted against
> the original concept for this reason,
	Ditto.

- -- 
Mohammed
A farmer from West Virginia ate a transparent Martian in Canada.

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 12:38:47 -0500 (CDT)
From: Jason Orendorff <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka:  Hubert

Hubert

- -- 
Mohammed
Have you ever seen five violent blind Martians with that kind of
plumage?

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 10:48:16 -0600 (MDT)
From: Aaron Humphrey <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Krykec in gaol?

> Should being selected as Krykec be added to the list of things that 
> cannot be done to you while you are in gaol? I think it ought to, but it 
> isn't as clear cut a case as finding phoebe's Matchbox. If it occurs 
> during a short gaol sentence it wouldn't make much difference, but in a 
> longer gaol sentence, one could be obligated to post a W-files report 
> while still in gaol, which shouldn't happen. If nobody objects, I will 
> propose this as soon as I get out of gaol myself. (that doesn't 
> constitute my acceptance of the gaol option in the contempt case. 
> They'll have to drag me kicking and screaming.)

This relates to another thing I've wondered about--is the Mad Scientist
considered a Scientist for being among those people who has to bash a
W-File Report?  I'd rather not fall afoul of that one right now...

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.terranet.ab.ca/~aaron/)
Song In My Head--Human League:Rock & Roll/Nightclubbing
Current Book--Tanith Lee:East of Midnight
I _tried_ to read it, but my cereal box was too gripping.

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

Date: Wed, 02 Jul 1997 22:45:00 -0700
From: **Alexandre Muniz <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: (None Yet)

Jason Orendorff wrote:
> 
> > I would like to request membership in (none yet). It seems a shame that
> > such a historicly important party should fall below the minimum required
> > for a unity vote. This sentence demonstrates my support for
> > self-referential rules and other structures.
>         What is this (none yet) you speak of?
> Never mind.

**two-star

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 14:24:53 -0400 (EDT)
From: mr cwm <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Purple Key to Guy Fawkes

To:   Ackanomians
From: mr cwm, goosekateer

It has been brought to my attention that the Purple Key must be
distributed.  With each active, voting, non-vacationing player who has not
already possesed it being equally eligible, I find, through a random
determination, that the Purple Key is distributed to Guy Fawkes.

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 12:54:49 -0600 (MDT)
From: Aaron Humphrey <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Monopole

Mr. Sevin, may I have my Gravitational Monopole back, please?  Just in case
we happen to need some houses reattached this month...

Oh, yes, and I'm hereby offering A$25 each for anyone who may want to sell
me a Prosthetic Forehead.  I'm not talking about buying one from the
Treasury or a Rock from a Vending Machine; I want one made by somebody
else.  Two, ideally.

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.terranet.ab.ca/~aaron/)
Song In My Head--Neil Diamond:Mr. Bojangles
Current Book--Tanith Lee:East of Midnight
We've got four big clocks, and they're all ticking.

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

Date: Wed, 02 Jul 1997 23:51:14 -0700
From: **Alexandre Muniz <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Retract 2200

I am retracting proposal 2200.

I am retracting the landing gear.

**two-star

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 13:20:27 -0600 (MDT)
From: Aaron Humphrey <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: BWG

I am announcing the creation of a new newspaper, the Big White Gazette.

#award Alfvaen: -20 A$: newspaper startup costs

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.terranet.ab.ca/~aaron/)
Song In My Head--Frank Mills:The Poet & I
Current Book--Tanith Lee:East of Midnight
Monsters don't live in dark lakes; they like to see their prey.

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 11:46:47 -0900
From: Phil Ackley <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: The unofficial, yet moderately amusing, hat issue of SFG 

In this months issue of the Steal Flea Gazette we bring you Hats, lots of
them.  This was a rule who's time came and went all to quickly.  Several
players submited wonderful hat designs but in this editors official
capacity as Registrar, he was never able to release them.  Now, in the SFG,
you can read all about Ackanomic hats.

SFG Volume 2 Issue 7
In Which we bring you hats

Mohammed's Hat:

My hat is a white cloth hat similar to the khaki ones you see on
British explorers and army types in movies about Africa.  The hat is
suitable for wearing in the desert.  There is nothing else
extraordinary about it.  The reason I chose this hat is because it is
suitable for wearing in the desert, and it gets very hot where I live.
Also, wearing it prevents people from seeing that I have pulled out
gobs of my hair in frustration that in the middle of everything else
that is going on I have to sit here and describe my hat to everyone.
It's a modest hat and is probably very embarrassed at all this
excitement.
	Actually I don't mind describing it because it brings things
to my mind that I've always liked about this hat but have never really
sat and thought about-- like the way I can tip it down over my eyes
easily, lay back in my chair and snooze.
	The other day two peculiar people stopped by my Oasis while I
was dozing thus and grilled me at length about my hat.  I was
irritated about the interruption but didn't think anything of it until
this Sunday when I saw a familiar face on the cover of Parade (the
weekly pseudo-magazine delivered with one of the Newspapers, I forget
which).  Seems she earned $1.2 million last year.  I don't think the
name that appeared on the cover of Parade is the same as the name she
gave me that afternoon when she and her associate claimed to be from
some investigatory agency or other.  So, perhaps my hat has some other
sort of ability or charactaristic of which I am unaware.  Or perhaps
I'm just babbling, trying to fill 25 lines.

Red Barn's Hat:

 My hat was once infinitely tall, but is now infinitely small, having been
stepped on by the Big Wide-Footed Giant.  It has finite width, however; and
that width is one-half of an average cat-height.  It now appears to be a
perfectly round disc, which stays easily balanced on top of my swelled
head.  It must not be perfectly round, however, as the ratio of its
circumference to diameter is "about three".
  Be that as it may, it has broad stripes in primary and secondary colors,
which originally ran around the sides of the hat and now are collapsed,
sharing space.  Which stripes are visible at what times is indeterminate,
and frequently varies as the wave function breaks on the shore.  The emblem
on the top of the hat was once indeterminate, but as the top now exists, is
merely a small emblem reading "My spire reached infinitely high, and I'm
not even a stupid t-shirt."

Vynd's Hat:

My hat is a slab of concrete, about
seven inches thick in most places.
It is rather jagged and uneven around
the edges, but at it's widest points
must be about 15 feet by 10 feet.  The
bottom is quite smooth, except for an
indentation near the center where my head
goes when I am wearing.  The top is also
pretty regular, except for a large sign
sticking out about 10 feet out of the top,
which reads: "NO TURN ON RED."  There are
some pretty yellow dashes painted on the top,
near one of the edges.

I choose this for my hat because of something
a friend of mine said once.  In a moment of
Zen like sagacity during an English class
with me, expounded: "A man with a brick on his
head, shall grow no taller."

Clearly, this is sound advice.  As it happens,
I am quite tall myself.  This has on occassion
caused me problems, trying to squeze into seats
tha are to small, having to look down on almost
everyone I meet, stuff like that.

Thus I decided to get a large brick.  This one
was the first one I ran across.  I haven't actually
put it on yet, I think I could stand to get maybe
one more inch first, and it's kinda hard to fit
through doors.  I've gotten some nice purple yarn
to tie it on with though, and I've made a sign
to hang from the bottom, down in front of my face,
with the quote from above on it.

[Editors note: Vynds hat is particularly lovely]

Malenkai's Hat:

I want my hat to look like a hat.  I chose that design beause it was
the first thing I thought of, and the rules required me to choose
something, and write this sentence saying why I chose that something.
My hat has about 22 or so more lines of Bandwidth-Wasting Gizz in its
description, to comply with the rule, which is being made up on the
fly.  Originally I wanted to include treasure clues in the description
of my hat, but I realised that with all the BWG in the forum, no one
would have time to read it.  Moreover, this game is so much work for
me that I do not have the time to do the things I like the best, such
as solve and bury treasures.  It seems that others, for some reason, do
not have this problem, but I do.  Am I at 25 yet.  I have to count,
wait ... only 12 oh well stream of conscientness writing was never
my long suit but I'm gonna try to make this sentence run on for the
rest of the description except that I will probably have to stop and
count again and lose my train of thought which is admittedly not very
interesting and will not be read because it is lumped in with every
one elses 25 line description which will add to 625 lines if everyone
complies which may kill sendmail on wilma when sent out, who knows, but
now I must stop and count again only at 19 and I have nothing left in my
stream of conscientness queue and do not want to stop and look up how to
spell that word because it will make this take longer than it needs to
and since it is in a pile of 625 lines of text no one will read it anyway
so what is the point time to count again only 23 two more lines and I
can get back to some more acka work I hope those that are reading this are
getting enjoyment from it 25 done!

Techno's Hat:

My hat is a simple black beret with a bright red button in the center.

Alfvaen's Hat:

There are so many different designs for hats, it's hard to know which one
to pick.  For instance, should it fit over a Prosthetic Forehead with a
huge rack of antlers coming out of the front?  But I believe putting hats
over Prosthetic Foreheads is still illegal.  (And R2099 says nothing about
having to wear it...)  So.  Well, I'm sure that top hats will be overused,
so in this case I'm just going to go for a fedora.  One of those drab brown
things.  But very soft to the touch(and never requiring brushing), so that
it's a pleasure to put on and take off.  It will, of course, fit my head
exactly(when I have no Prosthetic Forehead on), and, most miraculously,
will not endow me with "hat hair" when I remove it.  (Inside it will have a
remarkable nanotech setup of combs etc. which will return my hair to its
original state when I'm about to take it off.)  The brim will be just wide
enough to shield my eyes from the sun when it's in my eyes, and will extend
itself(unobtrusively)as necessary to perform this.  Same deal for keeping
rain off of me--the brim will maneuver itself so as to guide any rain
falling on it off to one side in a totally harmless stream.  The hat will,
of course, be bulletproof(marvelous what they can do with nanotech
nowadays), rigid as a hard hat against other impacts(in fact, better,
because it will dissipate the force so I feel none of it), and also
resistant to the effects of lasers, whether Military or Pulse, due to a
thin reflective layer in the middle.  (Any burns on the outside will be
mended by the nanobots in less than a second.)  Finally, it will possess
little invisible mirrors, so that I can see at any angle around or behind
me with my mental command, and little magnifying/telescopic lenses for
viewing up close or far away.

/dev/joe's Hat:

My
new
tour
hat
looks
like
a
tall
aspen
tree
atop
my
head.
I
chose
this
design
because
of
my
upcoming
job
at
Aspen
Technology.

Robert Sevin's Hat:

My Ackanomic hat is a life-sized replica of the Ackanomic Gaol, complete
with infinite cells, being held aloft by a small robotic replica of Elder
Wayne in true Atlas style. Elder Wayne is garbed in a bright white toga, and
is wearing a belt. Hanging off the belt like Christmas tree ornaments are
Agora Nomic, Ackanomic and InterNomic (the actual nomics themselves, in
their entirety, not replicas). Tattooed on Elder Wayne's chest is the most
recently distributed proposal in Ackanomic. This updates automatically, with
the help of a cadre of tiny robotic fairy tattooists. These fairies fly out
of the underside of the hat's Gaol, quickly update the tattoo, perform a
small light show for anyone who happens to be within visual range of the
hat, and then return to where they came from. The hat's Gaol has the special
feature that it keeps track of who is in the real Gaol, generates small
robotic replicas of whoever is currently in Gaol, and projects them into the
appropriate place in the Gaol that is on my hat. On the roof of the Gaol
that is on my hat, there is a large, circular stage erected. It has the
special property of appearing the same (both in sound and vision) from all
directions. On this stage is a small robotic replica of Elvis Presley, who
repeatedly plays the song Jailhouse Rock. Elvis is wearing a white jumpsuit,
and is wearing a hat that is identical to my Ackanomic hat. Occasionally
(with no detectable pattern) instead of Elvis singing Jailhouse Rock, small
robotic replicas of the Blues Brothers will appear on stage and perform
Jailhouse Rock, while Elvis stands aside and watches the show. Very rarely
will Elvis and the Blues Brothers perform it together. When this occurs, all
of the robotic occupants of the Gaol that is on my hat are taken to the roof
to witness the concert. Once the dual performance is complete, the occupants
are returned to their appropriate locations in the Gaol that is on my hat.
The hat is held to my head by extensive use of duct tape on Elder Wayne's
feet. Since this causes Elder Wayne's feet to itch occasionally, the same
group of fairies that maintains the tattoo on his back also periodically
apply a magical and mysterious balm to his feet (through the duct tape,
somehow) that has the effect of alleviating the itching and making his feet
turn bright blue. Since his feet are covered with duct tape, the latter
effect cannot be witnessed.

I chose this design for my hat because I was in a particularly harfy mood
when I decided to sit down and write the description. I felt that the
instances of recursion would please the party formerly known as (None Yet),
and that having Agora Nomic on my hat could only be good.

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 11:58:40 -0900
From: Phil Ackley <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Preistlyness 

Alfvaen has been appointed Priest in the Church oof the Markovian Dream.

MR. Lunatic Fringe
let us pray

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 12:01:50 -0900
From: Phil Ackley <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Proxies 

Niccolo and ThinMan both want to be you Ackanomic Proxy Voter, and perhaps
they shouldd, if you are sane and responsible, but please take a moment to
consider the alternative.

Mr. Lunatic Fringe will cast your votes for you in a haphazard manner that
defies explanation.  He will vote for proposals that are fun, and
excitingly complex.  He will vote against repealing hisotric rules.  He
will vote against stuff that he finds boring.  He will vote to cause
trouble, sometimes.  In generally, he will cast your votes for you in the
froodiest of ways.  Who else among the proxy candidates can say that, I ask
you.

Mr. Lunatic Fringe

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 12:06:57 -0900
From: Phil Ackley <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Gaol Cells 

I have five Gaol Cells prepared and ready for those who do not wish to post
the A$100 fine (when I was writing contempt, why ddn't I make the fine go
to the gaoler?).  Each cell is a donut, one cell in each of the following
variaties:

Bismark
Rasberry filled
Chocolate
Little Chocolate
Crueller (sp?)

and they are number cells d1-d6 (with d4 being reservered for new flavors)

Mr. Lunatic Fringe
Gaoler

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

Date: 2 Jul 1997 15:56:38 CST/CDT
From: [email-masked]
Subject: Acka: Purple Key to Guy Fawkes 

AC>To:   Ackanomians
AC>From: mr cwm, goosekateer

AC>It has been brought to my attention that the Purple Key must be
AC>distributed.  With each active, voting, non-vacationing player who has not
AC>already possesed it being equally eligible, I find, through a random
AC>determination, that the Purple Key is distributed to Guy Fawkes.

I thank mr cwm for his most generous random selection, though it seems
that this key is not exactly purple but more of a mauve.  This
coloration explains why the Chartreuse Goose insists its owner
distribute it as quickly as possible.

Guy Fawkes

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 16:18:05 -0500 (CDT)
From: Mitchell Harding <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Monopole 

>Mr. Sevin, may I have my Gravitational Monopole back, please?  Just in case
>we happen to need some houses reattached this month...

#transfer Robert Sevin, Alfvaen: Gravitational Monopole : returning

Robert Sevin

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 14:24:33 -0700 (PDT)
From: Brian Raiter <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Gaol Cells

> I have five Gaol Cells prepared and ready for those who do not wish to post
> the A$100 fine (when I was writing contempt, why ddn't I make the fine go
> to the gaoler?).  Each cell is a donut, one cell in each of the following
> variaties:
> 
> Bismark
> Rasberry filled
> Chocolate
> Little Chocolate
> Crueller (sp?)
> 
> and they are number cells d1-d6 (with d4 being reservered for new flavors)

Oh, that d6 cell is particularly unusual punishment.

breadbox
couldn't resist

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

Date: Thu, 3 Jul 1997 00:28:55 +0300 (EET DST)
From: Uri Bruck <[email-masked]>
Subject: acka : HArf Swinger and Party Chess

Now that Bascule has left, I'd like to remind the Harf party that its
Swinger Office is vacant, and it is the Harf Swinger's turn in Party
Chess. The turn deadline is less tha 24 hours away, if the Party members
want an extension, they should ask for it _before_ the turn deadline.

Niccolo Flychuck
Chess-Umpire

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 16:37:33 -0500 (CDT)
From: Jason Orendorff <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: The unofficial, yet moderately amusing, hat issue of SFG

> My Ackanomic hat is a life-sized replica of the Ackanomic Gaol,
	[...]
> I chose this design for my hat because I was in a particularly harfy
> mood when I decided to sit down and write the description. I felt
> that the instances of recursion would please the party formerly
> known as (None Yet), and that having Agora Nomic on my hat could
> only be good.

	*applause*
	I think Malenkai and I must be getting old.
	Maybe I should speak for myself.

- -- 
Mohammed
Just when things were looking up wandering Americans from Duluth ran over
stop signs.

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

Date: Wed, 02 Jul 1997 17:44:57 -0400
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: NAP Swinger

Antimatter has been randomly selected, and thus I appoint him, NAP
swinger in Red Barn's stead.

Malenkai
Speaker

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

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 16:48:35 -0500 (CDT)
From: Mitchell Harding <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: acka : HArf Swinger and Party Chess

At 12:28 AM 7/3/97 +0300, you wrote:
>
>Now that Bascule has left, I'd like to remind the Harf party that its
>Swinger Office is vacant, and it is the Harf Swinger's turn in Party
>Chess. The turn deadline is less tha 24 hours away, if the Party members
>want an extension, they should ask for it _before_ the turn deadline.
>
>Niccolo Flychuck
>Chess-Umpire

The Harf party formally requests a deadline extension.

Robert Sevin

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

End of Ackanomic Digest V2 #174
*******************************