Subject: ackanomic digest V2 #464
From: [email-masked] (ackanomic digest)
To: [email-masked]

ackanomic digest      Wednesday, January 14 1998      Volume 02 : Number 464

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Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 14:51:44 -0700 (MST)
From: [email-masked] (Aaron V. Humphrey)
Subject: Acka: Venting

I am creating a trinket, worth A$137, called "I Finally Finished _Infinite
Jest_!!!", with the following description(delimited by INCANDENZA):

[possible spoilers for breadbox and anyone who has a few months to devote
to wading through this book]

INCANDENZA
Okay, so there's this tennis academy near Boston, and a halfway house
for recovering addicts down the hill from it, and an incredibly addictive
film made by the deceased tennis academy's founder, starring this woman who
wears a veil either because she's incredibly beautiful or used to be so
until having a horrific accident, who also used to sleep with the founder's
son, and this is in a future where years are named after products that
sponsors pay incredible amounts of money to the American government for,
and most of New England and some of Quebec and New Brunswick is unliveable
due to toxic waste and other stuff too complicate to go into, and has been
"gifted" to Canada, in possible response to which a legion of Quebecois
Wheelchair Assassins are trying to track down this film to take revenge on
the Organization of North American Nations(basically sorta like NAFTA, but
with a more humorous acronym), except that one of them has a wife who's
dying and so elects to quadruple-agent for the American Office of
Unspecified Services instead, and he and an agent who's cross-dressing to
pose as an interviewer to try to find the tape as well have this
interminable conversation on a clifftop just over Tucson, and there's
lengthy footnotes including the entire founder's filmography, several
scenes for which there is no reason they couldn't be in the main book, and
descriptions of every single addictive substance mentioned anytime, and
despite being close to 1000 pages(just over, with the footnotes), it still
feels like it ends 200 pages before the ending, sorta like the guy's
previous book, _The Broom of The System_, except that wasn't _quite_ as
bad, and while I have to say that I enjoyed large sections of it, and I can
sympathize with the philosophical desire to tell a story that can be just
as confusing and disconnected as anything we really encounter in real life,
that we never quite get to know the ending of, but this can be taken to
extremes, as it was in this case.  So take this as a recommendation or as a
warning, depending.
INCANDENZA

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/alfvaen/ )
Current Album--Captain Tractor:Bought The Farm
Current Book--Charles Dickens:Great Expectations
"Joey, do you want to put _Little Women_ in the freezer?"

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

Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 17:22:43 -0500
From: Towsner <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Phoebe

	In the thread(s) in which Alvaen is acting speaker, I reveal the
following:
	As I was walking down the secret passage way in my house, planning
to stamp a few more people with the ENEMY stamp, half of me discovered a
red matchbox.  At first I thought "Aha!  I have found Phoebe."  Then I
examined the rules more closely and discovered that Phoebe's matchbox is
red and blue, Wondering what it could be, I opened it.  To my surprise,
Phoebe popped out.  "Phoebe!  Have you chosen a different matchbox?"
	"No," she replied, "but you've only half-found me.  In one thread
you have indeed found me, but in another you have not."  It was at this
point I noticed that my heads were becoming confused.  It seemed that only
one of them could see her, confusing both of them a great deal.  "You must
cease being petty.  Stop enemy stamping people just because the mildly
annoyed you."
	"Do you think I should apologize to Vynd and call that off?"
	"No, he deserved it.  But forgive the rest of them.  You must do
something far more important.  You must cross the river, and learn more
about the lands beyond Ackanomic.  Only in this way will Ackanomic become a
better place."
	And with this, Phoebe and the matchbox half-vanished, leaving me
horribly confused.  I realized that my heads had been caught in the thread
split, and been irrevocably severed.  I had two distinct personalities,
else and if, who would fight over the control of my body.  I, else, the
left head, charged by Phoebe to explore the lands beyond Ackanomic, will
fly across the Ackanomic River.  If, the foolish right head, will be
dragged along too.
	-else, the left head of else...if

As else...if's left head, I protest else's lies.  I am else...if's left
head, and that rediculous series of events is just else's attempt to
justify his tyrranical actions.  In any thread in which else...if found
Phoebe, I challenge the authenticity of that message.
	-if, the left head of else...if

- --
- -Henry Towsner, AKA else...if, The Fearless Alibi Posesser, Laefu, and Yilran

	<[email-masked]>

Ne dubita, cum magna petes, impendere parva
Do not hesitate to sacrifice the little things when your goal is great
	-Cato

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

Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 23:18:05 -0000
From: "Gavin M. Doig" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: In Contempt

> 4) I am hereby gifting Balsamic Dragon, K 2, Rex Mundi, Crackfoo,
> Alfvaen, and Niccolo Flychuck with A$100 each. I suggest that they pay
> this money to the Treasury ASAP if they don't want to go to Gaol for
> three days.
> 
> breadbox
> 

I pay the A$100 to escape Gaol on this.

Rex Mundi.

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

Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 16:13:11 -0700 (MST)
From: [email-masked] (Aaron V. Humphrey)
Subject: Re: Acka: Otzma! (2)

> I announce that an Otzma Day will start at 5pm Acka time (10pm GMT) on
> this coming Saturday, January 17th.

> Please note this is 10 days and approximately 25 minutes after the last
> Otzma day finished.

I'd tend to think this is too close together, personally, but you are
the RuneMaker...though only by random chance.  Also, shouldn't you make
sure that the Proposal to fix the Auction thing goes through first?

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/alfvaen/ )
Current Album--Mozart:Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Current Book--Charles Dickens:Great Expectations
Delays created while you wait.

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

Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 19:16:57 -0500 (EST)
From: John Frederic Mc Coy <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Common Sense Report (fwd)

On Wed, 14 Jan 1998, Duncan Richer wrote:

> 
> I sent this to Vynd assuming e would distribute it.  At least that's what
> I thought his job description as CSRR officer meant.  In case he isn't
> responsible for distributing CSRs made by other officers entitled to make
> them, I am submitting this one publicly.
> 

Ohhhhhh!  Sorry about that.  No, actually you can make the CSRs yourself,
or at least I assume the new rule about that allows you to.  Until very
recently, the CSSR was the ONLY player that could issue CSRs.  The Speaker
recently gained the ability to issue limited CSRs, and now the Chess
Umpire has the ability to as well.  At least, I assume that the Chess
Umpire has this ability, I'm pretty sure you wrote the proposal howver,
and if you think that I'm supposed to distribute them for you then maybe I
am...  Oh bother.  Anyone know what Rule is involved here, I can't claim
much knowledge of the Party Chess Rule Suite.  In any event, I have and
continue to encourage people to send me things they think would be
appropriate for a CSR, for me to include along with any changes I think
need to be made.  When I recieved your submission I thought it was just
another one of those.  By the way, to all of you have sent me stuff
recently, I was working on a CSR last week when I decided that the
problems I had encountered needed more than a few tweaks in the language.
I was actually working on a nice big proposal when the whole Malenkai
maybe not quiting business came up...  In any event, don't be too mad at
me, I will be patching Rules again in the near future.

                                 - Vynd

[email-masked]

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

Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 20:02:42 -0500
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: returning

I return in the thread in which I am not a player.  That
should make it easier.  I imagine that this doesn't happen
until Alfvaen acks it.

Also, if there is time left, I will try to claim my offices
back, so the sooner this happens, the better.  That should
collapse the threads totally, but I may have to re-vote
on some proposals.  Therefore, if I can, I volunteer for
all offices open except senator.

Then, when things are unified, I will resign from the offices
in an orderly manner.  This is what I should have done the
first time around.

This seems to make more sense than me resigning my offices
in the other thread, which will cause more confusion.

If past history is a guide, it will take forever to judge the
CFJ :-), so this seems to be the best for now.  I mean, I have
to deal with the thread split too...

Also, don't let the fact that it is forcing me to remain in the
game against my will color a judgement.  I had already decided
to stay in that thread, and not stay (rejoin) in this thread (not
like I had a choice).

Besides, how could I possibly appeal one of these verdicts ... :)

Also, not to beat a dead horse, but the comment I saw about
presuming the verdict will go to the supreme court underscores
my opinion that, to increase fun, the justice system needs to
be democratized; the current system feels to me like others must
have felt during that vulcan overlord business.  Last word on the
issue, I promise :-) :-) (it really is pretty substantial 
control of the game state -- at least our view of it -- one
has to admit).

Malenkai
trying to be helpful

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

Date: Thu, 15 Jan 1998 02:24:31 -0000
From: "Gavin M. Doig" <[email-masked]>
Subject: acka: grave robber

I once again smack myself on the head with Rex's golden shovel of
stupidity.

Then, I play a Grave Robber card on Chaos.

Rex Mundi.

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

Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 21:33:39 -0500
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: CFJ 512 (two-star)

CFJ 512?

two-star has been selected.  I presume this
is CFJ 512.  I also apologize for not knowing
the initiator's acka name, and I cannot get to
the web pages due to 'document contains no data'.

Fortunately the format of CFJs is not official.  

Also, can I make a suggestion?  It seems that these
CFJs basically say the same thing.  Perhaps one or
the other could be retracted, imagine the possible
hairball ;-)

- ----------
From:  aaron shapiro
Sent:  Tuesday, January 13, 1998 2:10 AM
To:  'ak registrar'
Subject:  acka:CFJ

Statement:
Malenkai was unable to leave the game.

Reasoning:
Rule one states that "Those players who were members of Vulcan on August 
28, 1997 [/dev/joe, Malenkai, ThinMan, andVynd] are Evil Overlords of 
Ackanomic (retired)"
This I take as meaning they are always the only members of the Evil Overlords
Of Ackanomic (retired)(hereafter EOA).
The rule also states "No other players and no non-players are EvilOverlords of 
Ackanomic (retired). "
So malenkai must be a member of EOA, but as a non player cannot be a 
member of EOA.

So either malenkai was unable to leave, or the customary interpretation of rule
one must change.  As rule one states "The game state may not be altered in 
such a way as to cause the customary interpretation of this rule to be 
changed." The customary interpretation may not be changed and so malenkai was
unable to leave the game.

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

Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 21:34:55 -0500
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Phoebe

rufus has found phoebe in my reality.

Malenkai
reality harfer

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

Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 21:37:25 -0500
From: Malenkai <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: CFJ 499 Verdict

CFJ 499 has been judged FALSE.

Clerk of the Courts
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Call For Judgment 499
  Subject: Chrome streaks
Initiator: Alfvaen
Submitted: 97-12-18 18:58
    Judge: two-star (deadbeat)
2nd Judge: Malenkai (declined)
3rd Judge: Supreme Court
Judgement: FALSE

Statement:

Malenkai received 15 points for the Chrome Streak which included
Proposal 2388.

Alfvaen's Reasoning:

As originally harfed, the Chrome Streak stretched from 2379 to 2390.
Malenkai had three Proposals in the Streak: 2380, 2381, and 2390,
and thus received 15 bonus points upon the announcement of the
Streak.

Slakko's allegation is that since Proposal 2389 was Null, that Malenkai
could not have received bonus points from Proposal 2390.  His argument
goes something like this(apologies for any misconstrual):

Rule 207, Section VII, states:

   VII. Null Proposals
   
   The above provisions notwithstanding, if an accepted proposal does not
   become a new rule or generate at least one valid effect under Rule
   103, no points are scored by any player as a result of that proposal
   being accepted, the preceding provisions of this rule notwithstanding.
   Such proposals, and only such proposals, are "Null Proposals".

Proposal 2390 is only in the Chrome Streak as a result of Proposal 2389
being accepted.  Therefore, Malenkai should not get any bonus points
from Proposal 2390's presence in the Streak.

I hold that this reasoning is absurd, and could be carried to ridiculous
lengths if _any_ points from _any_ result of a Null Proposal being
accepted were nullified.  Of course, absurdity is not necessary a
compelling counterargument...

Supreme Court's Comments:

Rule 207 concerns itself almost entirely with score changes that occur
as a direct result of a proposal's voting results being reported.
After four sections that describe such score changes, section VII
states that, in the case of a Null Proposal, "no points are scored by
any player as a result of that proposal being accepted, the preceding
provisions of this rule notwithstanding".

The Court agrees that a natural interpretation of this sentence would
be that it refers only to the score changes that are outlined in the
"preceding provisions". This would indicate a verdict of True.

An alternate interpretation would have to be that this sentence
prevents all score changes from occuring that any rule describes as
resulting from "that proposal being accepted". This would indicate a
verdict of False.

The alternate interpretation is certainly more difficult to adhere to;
however, both interpretations are perfectly valid readings of the
sentence, taken on their own. Therefore the Court must look, first to
game custom, and then to the spirit of the game, to determine which is
actually more appropriate.

The only prior instance of a Null Proposal is Proposal 1641, authored
by Niccolo Flychuck. If we examine the game state, it will be seen
that Niccolo Flychuck happened to possess the Great Tuba at that
time. And, despite this fact, Niccolo Flychuck was awarded no points
from the acceptance of Proposal 1641.

The Court agrees with the initiator that this is not the preferable
interpretation, and that spirit of the game would likely deny it on
the grounds that it could put an excessive burden on the Scorekeeper.
However, game custom cannot be flouted without due process, and so the
Court must return a verdict of False.

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

Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 22:51:09 -0500 (EST)
From: David Scheidt <[email-masked]>
Subject: akca: phoebe

In those threads in which Malenkai is Speaker, the following occurs:

I was rumaging around rufus's house of bits, discount junk, and coffee
looking for a diode pack for a Lucas 18ACR alternator, when  I found an
odd match box.  It was part blue, and part without color.  Not black,
because black is a color, but just colorless.  I had never seen anything
like it.  I, overwhelmed with fear, rushed to call the Ackanomic bomb
squad.  I then relized that I had neither a phone nor does Acka have a
bomb squad.  I overcame the fear, and opened it up.  There was a small
flea inside.  "oh" I thought, "it must be Phoebe."  the flea looked up at
me, and said "I do wish that you people would be content living in one
reality at a time."  With that she closed the matchbox.  I put the
matchbox in a safe space.  I went to look for it later, and found not the
blue and colorless matchbox, but a sign made of spaghetti and valued at
A$1.  It reads: "Memo to myself:  do the dumb things I got to do.  resign
fromm my offices before I wuit the game."

[ I create the trinket described about, named "thread spaghetti", and give
it to Malenkai.]

rufus

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End of ackanomic digest V2 #464
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