Subject: ackanomic digest V2 #363
From: [email-masked] (ackanomic digest)
To: [email-masked]

ackanomic digest      Tuesday, November 11 1997      Volume 02 : Number 363

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Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 23:00:37 -0700 (MST)
From: [email-masked] (Aaron V. Humphrey)
Subject: Acka: Big White Gazette, Special Edition

The Big White Gazette
"Wasting Bandwidth For A While Now"

The following article was acquired by the Gazette in rather an odd fashion.
One morning as the staff arrived at the offices, there was a parrot with
beautiful plumage(but a horrific screech)perched on the editor's desk.  It
was quickly discovered that in a small box(which read "Molly")there was a
very well-folded message, in a typescript which was quickly recognized as
that of President Alfvaen.  We reproduce it here(retyped for your
convenience).

Have become separated from my companions.  Well, to be honest, I never
quite caught up with them in the first place, but I should have, by now.

I'm still not sure if we're heading in the right direction.  Where are
other Nomics located, anyway?  In the Wilds, as Balsamic Dragon evidently
believes?  On the surface of that hemisphere which now forms the top half
of the world?  Or somewhere else altogether, somewhere more like the place
of origin of the writers of the Codex of Kra?

But wait!  What is that I espy in the distance?  In the dense forests and
trackless wastes of the Wilds of Ackanomia, there is a fertile clearing.  A
number of people(clearly not Ackanomians)are engaged in peaceful harvesting
of what look like letters.  There are pumpkins visible as well.  Is this
the Patch?

At my approach(heralded helpfully by Molly Parrot), the harvesters pick up
crude weapons--hoes, shovels(has two-star been here?), rakes, plowshares,
picks, and a lone derringer.  I quickly raise my hands in the universal
gesture of peace.  "I am Alfvaen, President of Ackanomic--" the weapons are
raised in menace--"and leader of the Rebellion."  The weapons lower.  "I
have come to give you the news that the reign of the Evil Overlords of
Ackanomic is ended, and democracy reigns once more."

They look at me uncertainly.  "Then why are they still in the Ruleset?"

I grimace.  "Well, we still haven't figured out what to do about that yet.
But they no longer have their dictatorial powers.  However, some of them
have convinced others that you are still a menace to us.  I came here in
hopes of sorting that out."

Then we settled down to serious negotiations.  Some of the provisions of
the treaty have been sent to the Promoter by separate means, and may
already have arrived by the time you read this.  But it seems to me that
the Orange Menace has, as I thought, been overrated.

There you have it, controversial words from the Ackanomian President, and a
hope for peace.  We here at the Big White Gazette hope that it can be so.

However, the mysterious missives of Balsamic Dragon and Red Barn have yet
to be explained.  Perhaps there is another force at work here?

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/alfvaen/ )
Current Song--The Waterwalk:Colours
Current Book--William Tenn:The Seven Sexes
Apathetics of the world...Ah, screw it.

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

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 08:05:28 +0000 ()
From: Duncan Richer <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Rant II

<MISC NATIONALITY RANT>
What do you think you're playing at?  It certainly doesn't look like Nomic
to me, oh no!  First you criticise me for coming up with a proposal that I
thought might inject some flavour into proceedings, and then, when I have
the temerity to complain about it, you don't give me back as many points
as I should get!  The interpretation of the rules keeps changing, and when
I try to get this point across, it's blocked with claims that my arguments
fall down in technical jargon.  Well it's just not good enough.  Now I'm
getting sick of having these points docked for paltry reasons, so if
nothing happens for me to get them back I'll have to start thinking of
another, more drastic course of action.  Mark my words. 
</RANT>

:-)
I'd like my points back please.
Yours,
Slakko
- --
Duncan C. Richer -- aka Slakko the Lost Warner Brother -- Now Really Lost!
Queens' College  -- PhD, Pure Maths, Graph Theory --  Cambridge University
"Equipment malfunction." "Well, whack it." -- Obscure P&TB Quote
http://dcr24.quns.cam.ac.uk/Nomic/27/Index.html <-- Imperial Nomic Game 27

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Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 07:20:55 -0600
From: AARON KEESLER <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: A Duel!

  It is my purpose in this message to inform one of the members of the
Evil Overlords of Acka(retired), namely one Vynd, that he has been
challenged to a Duel by one Alfvaen.  As Alfvaen's second, I hereby post
the following message:

"I see that the Evil Overlords of Acka(retired) are still persisting in
their efforts to inflame the hearts of Ackanomians against the Orange
Menace.  As the President it may be my Duty to "marshal the forces of
Acka against the Orange Menace at home or abroad", but I can't help but
wonder about who the Orange Menace is really a Menace to... In
retrospect, it seems to me that if Rule 390 is a Duty that I must bear
to be President, perhaps it is time to find another to take up the yoke.
 But I would rather fight the battle on other grounds.  Choose your
weapons, knave!"

I couldn't have said it better myself.

- --
Aaron Keesler
Adtran, Inc.
- --

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Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 09:52:30 -0500
From: "Bollinger, John C." <[email-masked]>
Subject: RE: Acka: Let's go a-diggin'

Aaron Keesler wrote:

> 1)  2-8-3-28-23-8 1 23-8-23-2-8-53 28-11 58-13-8 
> 1-3-21-1-25-28-23-15-3 55-81-2-12-8-25-15-81-55
> 
> 2)  13-1-82-8 1 51-53-28-55-58-13-8-58-15-3 "5-28-2-2-55" 13-8-1-5
> 
> 3)  13-1-82-8 1 55-23-28-21-15-25-12 "11-53-28-51" 51-15-51-8
> 
15 2-53-28-21-8 58-13-8 3-28-5-8 2-8-11-28-53-8 1-22-11-82-1-8-25,
2-81-58 15'23 55-58-81-3-21 28-25 58-13-8 3-1-58 58-13-15-25-12.  15
5-28-25'58 58-13-15-25-21 15 83-15-22-22 83-28-53-21 28-25 15-58
1-25-88 23-28-53-8, 58-13-28-81-12-13 -- 15 11-15-25-5 58-13-8
3-13-81-53-3-13 28-11 58-13-8 55-81-2-12-8-25-15-81-55
5-15-55-58-1-55-58-8-11-81-22, 15-25 1 23-15-22-5-22-88
13-81-23-28-53-28-81-55 55-28-53-58 28-11 83-1-88.

ThinMan

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Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 11:16:50 -0500 (EST)
From: mr cwm <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: INP 351

yes.

- -mr cwm

On Mon, 10 Nov 1997, Malenkai wrote:

>INP 351 was submitted by Agora.  The hearing on whether to vote yes
>or no lasts for one week.  Reply to vote:
>
>--
>Fix a typo in rule 349 by replacing the string "The liaison of any
>member nomic can sent a message to the mailing list" with "The liaison
>of any member nomic can send a message to the mailing list". 
>--
>

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

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 16:37:53 +0000 ()
From: Duncan Richer <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: RFC: Swing Low Sweet Chariot

RFC: How would people feel about making Party Chess more important to the
game?  We currently have only a few Swingpoints awarded each week, yet
they can only be transferred into Points on a 2 for 1 basis.  What would
people feel about a 1-1 exchange?

Duncan C. Richer -- aka Slakko the Lost Warner Brother -- Now Really Lost!
Queens' College  -- PhD, Pure Maths, Graph Theory --  Cambridge University
"Equipment malfunction." "Well, whack it." -- Obscure P&TB Quote
http://dcr24.quns.cam.ac.uk/Nomic/27/Index.html <-- Imperial Nomic Game 27

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

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 11:38:57 -0500
From: "Bollinger, John C." <[email-masked]>
Subject: RE: Acka: *ping* (Ridicule)

mr cwm wrote:

> Anxious!  You'd better be anxious!  I'd be anxious, too, if I'd
> submitted
> such a pathetic, farcical, and irreverent guess at the Truth!  You'll
> be
> lucky if the Ancient Ones don't stop up your external auditory
> appendages
> (pointy or not) so you never hear a *ping* again!  Bah!
> 
Hmph.  I hereby show mr cwm the sticks and stones.  Flaunt it, really.
In fact, I wave it right under his nose.

ThinMan

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

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 11:42:48 -0500 (EST)
From: mr cwm <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: *ping*

Congratulations, "O" /dev/joe, insightful Student of *ping*!  You have
risen above the unwashed masses that would heckle your choice of Magic
Letter, and have verily grasped the Truth of the Machine.  May your house
and the houses of your children be filled with *ping*ing all their days. 

And ... um ... here's this pedestal thingee - you might need it.

- -mr cwm
 ex-Scholar of *ping*

On Mon, 10 Nov 1997, /dev/joe wrote:

>> > "IF AND ONLY IF today ****h* *** ****** *h* ***h*** *h** *o** ****** *o *o
>> > ******, THEN the Machine that goes *ping* shall go *ping." 
>
>breadbox wrote:
>> Wasn't it /dev/joe who RFC'ed an idea to allow students to heckle each
>> other's lousy choice of Magic Letters...?
>
>I laugh at breadbox's heckling as I submit my guess at the machine's truth.
>Is it:
>
>IF AND ONLY IF today truths may permit the Machine that goes *ping*
>to go *ping*, THEN the Machine that goes *ping* shall go *ping*.
>
>?
>
>/dev/joe
>Hoping the *extremely* sloooow net right now doesn't cost him a boon.
>

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

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 11:43:08 -0500
From: "Bollinger, John C." <[email-masked]>
Subject: RE: Acka: RFC: Swing Low Sweet Chariot

> RFC: How would people feel about making Party Chess more important to
> the
> game?  We currently have only a few Swingpoints awarded each week, yet
> they can only be transferred into Points on a 2 for 1 basis.  What
> would
> people feel about a 1-1 exchange?
> 
I wouldn't object to this, but I don't think it would make much
difference.  There would still be few main-game rewards for Party Chess
success.  The whole idea was always to keep Swingers from having an
undue advantage over non-swingers, and in keeping with that approach
I'm not sure we can make Party Chess a whole lot more important than
it already is.  But heck, I might even support changing to a 1-5 basis.

ThinMan

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

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 12:03:21 -0500
From: "Bollinger, John C." <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Suggestion

I suggest that the Matress use its Secret Laboratory to create a Spell
Book of Chorg.

I approve this suggestion; the action is taken.

I suggest that the Matress offer ThinMan its Evil Ballot Stuffer as a
gift.

I approve this suggestion; it happens.

I accept the Matress' offer of an Evil Ballot Stuffer; the trade occurs.

ThinMan

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

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 13:04:55 -0500
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Treasure

Since I am supposed to be burying these automatic scupltures as 
treasures, but have had scant time to design a cool treasure, I
might as well bury them as a lame treasure:

I am burying 2 Automatic Sculptures and an Otzma Card Map Shard as
Treasure.  This Treasure will be found by the player who has the
most points in my 'Guess My Favorite Album Game' as described below
(and as possibly described in non-revealed rules) when the game ends.

Malenkai

- ---------

1) What follows at the end is a list of 27 of my favorite albums
(and a couple of lame ones), in the form band: album name, with all
alphabetic characters converted to lowercase, and then obscured by
'*'s like the machine game.

2) A Magick Character may be guessed providing the player guessing
was not the last to guess, and providing a Magick Character has not
been guessed since the last time the Machine went *ping*.  I will
post the list with the Magick Character filled in (like on wheel
of fortune).  Do not guess uppercase characters, colons, spaces,
or ascii characters lower than space.

3) A list of guesses as to the bands, and albums may be posted, 1 
point for each correct band on the list, 3 points for getting both 
the band and the album.  Spelling and punctuation must be exact as 
on the my list, even if there are typos on my list.

4) The game ends when someone has scored 81 points (27*3) or when 
one player has more points than any other, and a solstice or equinox
occurs.

5) Multiple guesses are permitted (but no more than 3 points can be
scored per album).  All play should be on acka-games.

6) Some bands may be rather obscure.  I'm not sure really.  All are in
Western commercial music (rock, alt-rock, metal, whatever)

6) These rules may be amended by me at any time, in any way.

- ---

******* ******: ******* ******
***** ****: ******* *** ******
****: ********
**** ******: *** *** ***** **** **** ** **
****** ****: ********
**** ******: **********
*********: *** **** *** **** *** ****
**** ******: ****** ******
**** ****: ********
*********: ********* *********
****: ******* *******
****** *: ******** **** ** ********
*** *******: ********
*** ****** *******: ******* ** ******* ** ******** ****
**: **** *** ****** ******
**** *****: *******
*********: *****
*******: *** *********
*** **** *******: ***********
****** *** *********: *** **** ***
********* ******: ******
*** *****: ***********
** *******: ************
** ***: **********
***: *** *** *****
*****: ********* *******
****** *****: ***** ***** *****

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

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 16:47:33 -0800 (PST)
From: Brian Raiter <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: *ping*

> Congratulations, "O" /dev/joe, insightful Student of *ping*!  You
> have risen above the unwashed masses that would heckle your choice
> of Magic Letter, and have verily grasped the Truth of the Machine.
> May your house and the houses of your children be filled with
> *ping*ing all their days.

All right then, /dev/joe - how exactly did that "O" help you?

breadbox

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

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 20:28:18 -0500 (EST)
From: John Frederic Mc Coy <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Grab-a-Donkey

This is the last message I intend to post on the main list about the
current game of GAD.  The first round has ended, results have been
sent to the acka-games list.  Due to the all inclusive nature of the game,
I realize some players may not be on this wonderful list, full of
happiness and light, so I thought I'd post this one little reminder here
as well.  I regret to inform those of you who are not so interested in the
game that it is no longer possible to resign.  So put on your ten gallon
hat and get out there.  From here on out, I hope to keep the game entirely
on the games list, so as to avoid rubbing in the failures of those who
have been ousted.

                                     - Vynd

[email-masked]

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

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 22:04:40 -0600 (CST)
From: "Joseph W. DeVincentis" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: *ping*

> All right then, /dev/joe - how exactly did that "O" help you?

It made me dispose of my silly assumption that the words after
"the machine that goes *ping*" were something like "is in".  
I first saw the result of the ping just as I left work yesterday,
thought about it only briefly on my way home, was reminded of it
when I got logged in from home, and a few minutes later figured
out the beginning.  "****h*" was an unusual letter pattern so there
weren't really that many reasonable options.

I intentionally wanted to pick a common letter that wasn't in
"the machine that goes *ping*" very many times to avoid giving
that part away to people who didn't already know it.

/dev/joe

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

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 20:38:56 -0800
From: **Alexandre Muniz <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: The HTML Standard Volume 1, number 8 (or so)

The second annual play-by-e-mail Lines of Action tournament, organized 
by David Dyer, is underway on the pbem server at [email-masked]. 
Lines of Action is a board game in which each player attempts to move 
eir pieces into a single connected group, while thwarting eir opponents 
efforts to do so. In a first round pairing sure to be of interest here, 
Acka's own two-star and Red Barn are engaged in a gruelling battle of 
wits. Actually, it wasn't that gruelling, and two-star currently is one 
move away from victory, but it was was pretty fun. For more info on 
Lines of Action and the tournament, visit the Lines of Action page at 
http://www.andromeda.com/people/ddyer/loa/loa.html 

Here is the game so far, as reported by a handy "loa show 695" command.

   'o' is dank  "x" is munizao
   aka Red Barn aka two-star

   1 B1-D3      2 A3-D3
   3 D8-D5      4 A2-D5
   5 G8-E6      6 A4-C6
   7 B8-D6      8 H7-F7
   9 C8-F5     10 H5-F3
  11 E1-E4     12 H6-F4
  13 C1-E3     14 H2-E5
  15 E8-C6     16 H4-E4
  17 D1-F3     18 A5-A2
  19 G1-E1     20 A2-E6
  21 E1-F2     22 A7-D4
  23 F8-G7     24 F7-C4
  25 F3-G4     26 H3-E3

      A B C D E F G H

   1  . . . . . o . .  1
   2  . . . . . o . .  2
   3  . . . x X . . .  3   
   4  . . x x x x o .  4
   5  . . . x x o . .  5   
   6  x . o o x . . .  6
   7  . . . . . . o .  7
   8  . . . . . . . .  8

      A B C D E F G H

Our editor intends to write up Lines of Action as an Acka subgame, just 
as soon as he gets that Phoebe post done.

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End of ackanomic digest V2 #363
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