Subject: ackanomic digest V3 #51
From: [email-masked] (ackanomic digest)
To: [email-masked]

ackanomic digest        Saturday, March 7 1998        Volume 03 : Number 051

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

Date: Sat, 07 Mar 1998 01:00:47 -0500 (EST)
From: [email-masked] (Aaron V. Humphrey)
Subject: Acka: Stock Costs

I'm having a bit of trouble figuring out what the prices are when stock
purchases are made.  It would be very nice if the Chair of the Ackan
Reserve could do that for me.  Rule 530 indicates that the positivity
value changes when a Proposal passes, but activity changes at the end of
the Acka day.  The fact that the reports are coming out late in the Acka
day, but _not_ at the end, is confusing.  So what price did the last batch
of stock purchases occur at--the (corrected) price posted on March 6th,
or the price posted near the end of March 5th?

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/alfvaen/ )
Current Album--Club Nouveau:Listen To The Message
Current Book--Zane Grey:Nevada
If you sit around anywhere long enough, you'll die.

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

Date: Sat, 07 Mar 1998 02:04:06 -0500 (EST)
From: [email-masked] (Aaron V. Humphrey)
Subject: Acka: Trinket

I am creating a trinket, valued at A$30, called "Savage Garden", with
the following description:

It truly is a savage garden, filled with savages of all descriptions
(though planted firmly in their beds so all they can do is shout, and
occasionally throw spears at, passersby).  There is a playground in
the middle of it(safely out of spear-throwing range), wherein is a large
book with "Secrets" inscribed on the cover.  There are also other wide
open spaces, and in one of them is a bonfire; this fire can be seen
everywhere in the garden.  Through the garden runs a river, and on the
river is a barge, whereon several chic odes are being sung with grand
passion by gospel artists.  I've never seen anything like it in my
lifetime!

I am giving this trinket to Vynd, in tribute to eir having finished
in the Top 50 in the latest round of what is now called The Billboard
Challenge(and located at http://challenge.billboard.com)with Sonic
Vynd.

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/alfvaen/ )
Current Album--The Smiths:Louder Than Bombs
Current Book--Zane Grey:Nevada
Taking a bath with your toaster.  It's a bad idea.

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

Date: Sat, 07 Mar 1998 03:45:04 -0500 (EST)
From: Duncan Richer <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Game Submission

The following is a Game Submission:

Abstract Crescent

[a. A game for as many players as are interested.  This converts the
original
concept of Mornington Crescent, as developed by Conway, into a purely
mathematical notation so that people not familiar with the London
Underground will not be at a disadvantage.

The aim of the game is to win rounds by picking the smallest number.  But
the score you get in each round depends upon what numbers other players
picked - the ideal situation is when a player wins when someone else is
just about to win (i.e. you pick 7 and they pick 8).]

a. Instances of the game are started as described in 1250.1, section VI.

b.  This. Game needs no General Equipment
c. Minimum Players, 2: Maximum Players, 100.  One referee is also
required.  The referee is the player who started the instance of the game,
and shall receive A$5 reward at the conclusion of the game, provided 5 or
more players are involved at some stage during the game

d. Once the Game has commenced, the referee shall randomly assign each
player a number between 0 and n-1, where n players are starting the game.
E shall then announce the start of the first round.

A round proceeds as follows:

1.  Each player has 3 days to send the referee their play for the given
round.  A player's play is a positive integer congruent to their current
player number modulo n (where n is the current number of players).  For
example, in an 8 player game, player 6 can make plays of 6,14,22,30,etc.

2.  The playing section of the Round is complete after either three days
have passed since the Round was announced, or all players have emailed
their plays to the Referee, whichever comes first.  After the playing
section is complete, the Referee shall post the results of the Round,
including scoring as described below.  

3.  When a player leaves an instance of Abstract Crescent, the Referee
removes them from the list at the end of the round.  The numbering is then
modified so that all players who had a number higher than that of the
leaving player have their number reduced by one.  The referee may also add
players after this has occurred, each new player receiving the smallest
positive integer currently not in use by another player (including any
other new players who were dealt with first).

Each player's number is then increased by one (modulo n), and the next
Round is announced by the Referee, unless at least one player's score
exceeds 5n points, where n is the current number of players.  If the
latter is the case, then all players whose score exceeds 5n and who have
no-one exceeding their score are declared Winners.  Each Winner receives a
Standard Trophy.

3.  Scoring
The winner of a Round is the player who played the lowest number.  They
receive (2n+k-l) points, where n is the current number of players, k is
the number they played, and l is the smallest number played by any other
player that Round.

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

Date: Sat, 07 Mar 1998 04:57:29 -0500 (EST)
From: Duncan Richer <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Ceremony

We are gathered here today to celebrate the excellence of one of our own
in the art of proposing rule changes.  Guy Fawkes, please step forward.

<Guy does so>

Do you honour to uphold the Ackan system up until the point where it no
longer agrees with your philosophy?
<I do>
Do you swear to, at the point where disagreement occurs, attempt to change
the rules to reflect your philosophy?
<I do>
Do you swear to perform this without fear or favour according to whose
rules are being changed
<I do>

Ackans, behold Guy Fawkes, holder of a newly-created Silver Stripe to
accompany his Blue Cross and Gold Stripe.

Hip-Hip Huzzah!

Yours,
Slakko
ceremonial President de la Gumball
- -- 
Duncan C. "" Richer aka
Slakko (Lost) Warner - http://dcr24.quns.cam.ac.uk/ - Queens' College
Cambridge, 1st Yr PhD(PMa) - .Nomic Elector, Frgn Minister, HP(Morpork)
Acka - President "Gumball" Web-Harfer RuneMaker ChessUmpire Map-Harfer

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

Date: Sat, 07 Mar 1998 09:22:35 -0500 (EST)
From: "Tom Walmsley" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Game Submission

> The following is a Game Submission:
> 
> Abstract Crescent

I support this.

TGW.

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

Date: Sat, 07 Mar 1998 09:22:53 -0500 (EST)
From: "Tom Walmsley" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: CFJ 528 (FALSE)

Call For Judgement 528 - February 2, 1998
Subject: Judgment Overturn
Initiator: Slakko
Judge: rufus  (deadbeat)
Second Judge: Alfvaen (deadbeat)
Third Judge: Malenkai (deadbeat)
Fourth Judge: Alfvaen
Judgement: FALSE

Statement:

Some Judgements may not be overturned within 14 days of it being issued.

Reasoning:

Rule 215 says: "All Judgements must be in accordance with all the rules
in effect at the time judgement was invoked, and with respect to the
game state at that time. "

It further states: "A statement verified (or nullified) by judgement
applies retroactively to any past game situation it may concern. "

Therefore, if a judgement is overturned on appeal, in such a way that the
original judge's interpretation of a rule was wrong, then the first
judgement never happened, by Rule 215, provided (as in accordance with
rule 701: "If, however, the illegality or impossibility of a publically
knowable change to the game state goes unreported for at least 14 days,
the action or inaction which caused that change is considered legal, but
it is still a Crime.") that the judgement is overturned within 14 days.

Hence a judgement which is dependent upon the interpretation of a rule
may not be overturned within 14 days of its issue.

Alfvaen's Reasoning:

I was tempted to rule this one INVALID, because the statement above is
less than clear, but maybe it's just the bad match in number between "it"
and its antecedent that is bugging me.

Let me try to rephrase it as I believe Slakko means it:  "It is possible
for a CFJ to be submitted whose Judgement cannot be overturned within 14
days."  That's a bit clearer.

Slakko's reasoning is equally convoluted.  But I think that what it says
is this:  If a rule is considered to be unclear, and a CFJ's judgement
declares it to mean one thing, then its retroactive effect means that
it meant that _when the CFJ was submitted_, and so the judgement cannot
be overturned because the first judgement has already cemented itself in
place.

However, the language of Rule 215 speaks of two different kinds of
things.
At the beginning, it says "All Judgements must be in accordance with all
the rules in effect at the time judgement was invoked, and with respect
to the game state at that time."  That refers to "the rules", and "the
game state".  After that it speaks of "game custom" and "the spirit of
the game".  Rule 216 goes further to state that Judgements do not become
part of the rules.  (Actually, it only says so in the case of a statement
being judged TRUE; to be perfectly consistent it should also say the same
thing about the converse of a statement that has been judged FALSE...)

The question here is whether the _interpretation_ of a rule, as "settled"
by the original judgement of a CFJ, is included under the first sentence
of Rule 215.

For instance, to take a recent example, there's the question of whether a
fractional stock cost means that the cost is rounded up before or after
the multiplication by the number of stocks.  Perhaps a CFJ on the matter
would initially rule that it is rounded up after the multiplication. 
Does
that interpretation become _part of the Rules_?  Would a judgement that
states that the rounding occurred before _not_ be in accordance with
"the rules and the game state", as modified retroactively by the
judgement?

Rule 216 seems to state that "the rules" are exempt from being changed by
CFJ verdicts(or, as I said, TRUE CFJ verdicts, but game custom might hold
this for a FALSE verdict as well), whether the interpretation of them
_is_
changed by the CFJ.  Interpretation of a Rule seems to me to be _game
custom_, and not the rules proper.  The Rules are the text themselves.
And Rule 101 states that game custom is not part of the game state.

Therefore any game custom which is created by the verdict on a CFJ does
not
alter the Rules or game state, and so does not change the initial
combination of Rules and game state on which the verdict is explicitly to
be based.  Thus, it may be possible to overweigh the "game custom" that
is
made explicit by the original verdict with Rules and game state, or even
other game custom, without causing Rule 215 to be violated.

Thus _any_ judgement may in theory be overturned before 14 days have
passed
(assuming that the rules, game state, game custom, spirit of the game,
etc.
favour such an overturn, of course).

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

Date: Sat, 07 Mar 1998 09:22:58 -0500 (EST)
From: "Tom Walmsley" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: CFJ 543 (FALSE)

Call For Judgement 543 - February 23, 1998
Subject: Blackness
Initiator: The Gingham Wearer  (sent February 20, 1998, 10:57 a.m.)
First Judge: Balsamic Dragon  (deadbeat)
Second Judge Alfvaen
Judgement: FALSE

Statement:

Black is not a colour.

Initiator's Reasoning:

Following Guy Fawke's recent butt-head CFJ and the recent goings-on on
the internomic mailing list I thought I'd see what a judge would make of
this one. Personally, I say that it isn't, but that isn't really what's
relevant. What is is the manner in which this CFJ is treated.

Alfvaen's Reasoning:

The first thing to do is to check the Rules to see if there is any statement
one way or the other regarding black.

I find the following interesting entry in, of all places, Rule 1250.5,
"Description of a Standard Deck".  It states, first, "Spades and Clubs
are black. Hearts and Diamonds are red."  Then, in the next paragraph,
it says "Jokers have no suit, rank, or color."  Ranks having been
mentioned before the sentences quoted, it seems to be clear that "having
no color" is meant to _contrast_ with the other cards, which thus must
have "color", in this case either red _or_ black.  (Rule 1250.6 similarly
refers to cards with no color, and other cards which are blue, green,
black or red.)

Rule 1350, "La Luna", includes the phrase "...at least 250 words, none
of which are a colour, except for white, sepia, and black, should black
ever be a colour".  So it is entirely equivocal on the colourness of
black.

Rule 669, "Marks of The Champion", states that "A Champion's Cloak is
a regal garment of the color(s)...of its owner's choice".  I note that
/dev/joe's Champion's Cloak is a "black velvet hooded cloak" when it is
not invisible, ThinMan's is covered with ermine spots(which are probably
black), and Slakko's has a "black and yellow check" lining.  All of these
seem to be references to colours.

There's not many more references to colours, or black, in the rules.
I also have to admit that I personally consider black to be a colour,
if only because I can't think of another word to describe something
with tends to be grouped with colours so often.  In my Random House
Dictionary, it refers to black as "the colour at one end of the scale
of grays, opposite to white, absorbing all light incident on it".
There is no Rule that contradicts the fact that black is a colour, and
much that would tend to corroborate it, since the interpretation of
"colour" in the Rules tends to include black.  Therefore I have no
choice but to rule this CFJ FALSE.  But not cavalierly, and if anyone
has the temerity to appeal this I hope the Supreme Court throws the
book at em.  (If you don't want black to be a colour, try to put it in
the Rules.  But it's been tried before.)

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

Date: Sat, 07 Mar 1998 09:22:59 -0500 (EST)
From: "Tom Walmsley" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Proposal 2759

> Create a new rule as a member of The Ackanomic Sound System Rule Suite
> titled "ASS song: Only the Good Die Young" reading as follows:
> 
> "Title: Only the Good Die Young
<SNIP>
> Explanation: "One by one, only the good die young." [Only the good die
> young, Queen]. Further honouring of the elders.

Oh damn. I've just realised something. This certainly isn't literature and
probably wouldn't do anything at all. I've got the name of the song wrong.
It's actually called "No-one but you (Only the good die young)". I retract
proposal 2759.

TGW.

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

Date: Sat, 07 Mar 1998 09:49:59 -0500 (EST)
From: Duncan Richer <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: The Infrequent Ackan Volume 1 Issue 13

Volume 1, Issue 13
March 7, 1998
In this issue:
1. Editorial
2. Apologies and Retractions.
3. Poll Question #3
4. More Ackanomic News
5. The Party Chess Report
6. Sub-Game Sausages
7. Advertisement
 
Editorial
For once a real bit of editorial opinion this week.  The subject is what
should happen to the Supreme Court.
In recent weeks many Ackans have been concerned about the increasingly
long delays incurred on certain controversial judgements.  While it is
accepted that deciphering the rules is not a trivial task, in the old days
there was a requirement (not always enforced, but mostly) that the Supreme
Court would return its verdict within the week.  Unfortunately, with the
growth in the ruleset and the inherent people dynamics problem of getting
two people to agree, this custom is now honoured more often in the breach
than the observance.
Hence the current call for reform of the Supreme Court, and, to a lesser
extent, all of the CFJ procedures.  The reformers appear to branch into
two separate groups - the mild reformers who are happy with the basics of
the structure, but not with the operation, and the radical reformers who
are unhappy that two people are currently in effect in a position to run
the game.  While the aims of these two groups differ, Guy Fawkes appears,
for now at least, to have steered a course between them to come up with a
proposal capable of producing bipartisan support.
The proposed reformation would see the existing two-member Supreme Court
panel retained as a first appeal stage, with membership of such panels
restricted to Supreme Court Justices.  The expansion of the existing Court
would allow more people to hear appeals, hopefully reducing the severe
workload which has produced the current backlog.  At the same time,
transition problems would be avoided as the existing Justices, breadbox
and ThinMan, who do a very good job within the time limits they have,
retain control over existing appellate CFJs.
Most controversial of the reform's aspects will no doubt be the
introduction of an effective third tier - the Full Court of the Supreme
Court, to hear second appeals.  However, if we are to enlarge the court,
such a body will be necessary.  The only question is how long appeals will
take to filter through such an august body.  Still, given Acka's long
history of experimentation with judicial systems - including the ill-fated
jury attempt which never reached a verdict - hopefully people will be
sufficiently open-minded to give this method a chance.
And now a message from the Editor, Advertising: Letters to the Ackan are
always welcome.  We will publish contributors within reason, because our
aim is to provide Ackans with a comprehensive news and opinions service.
This includes your opinions which contradict with those of the paper, so
feel free to criticise editorial comments you disagree with. If you want
your opinions heard, or your letters published, please send them to
[email-masked]. Last week we didn't receive any advice, or opinions. If
you want, send a stamped self-addressed email to the address listed above,
marked "Acka: Ackan" and we'll do our best to get back to you.
Have another good Ackan week - banna willing we'll be back same Ack time,
same Ack mailing list next week.
Slakko - Editor, The Infrequent Ackan

Apologies and Retractions
Last week The Infrequent Ackan alleged that we were, for legal reasons,
unable to mention Hubert's name.  Having checked again with our legal
department (solicitors hired from the firm of McKenzie, Brackman, and
Warner), we have found that this legal reason was merely an attempt by a
sub-editor to remain eligible for the collection of Treasure 200.  After
pointing out to the sub-editor that e was not a player and therefore not,
in fact, eligible to receive the Treasure regardless of what e said, e
planted a logic bomb in the paper which caused CFJs containing the word
Hubert to be sent, before shooting emself in the cafeteria.
Also last week, The Infrequent Ackan claimed that we were going to include
information about the new Party Chess Swingers in the issue.
Unfortunately, due to lack of space, that particular section of the Party
Chess Report had to be held over until this week   The people responsible
have been shot.
The Ackan heartily apologises for any damage or difficulties caused by
these errors.

Poll Question
As is usual here at the Ackan, it is time for another Poll Question.
Hopefully this time we will receive more than one response - remember
there is an A$5-value trinket on offer to one lucky player selected at
random.  I know it is a cheesy way to get people to read the paper, but
call it a promotional tool and it doesn't sound so bad :-).
This week's Poll Question is:
3. How do you feel about the suggested proposal scoring system
modifications (category 1,2,3 etc.):
(a) It works fine now, and I'm sure the Scorekeeper can keep track of it,
thank you very much.
(b) I don't mind as long as the effect on scores doesn't change too
drastically.
(c) Introduce the Tiny Proposals, but don't bother with the rest of the
revamp.
(d) Don't bother with the Tiny Proposals, just the rest of the revamp.
(e) Change Now! Before we're all crushed like ants! :-)
Let's hope that apathy doesn't win this time.  We only need two responses
from the general public to set a new record for this poll. Remember, it
costs very little of your time to enter, and you could win something.
/dev/joe already has (twice) in the Great Ackan Poll Question Competition!
 
More Ackanomic News
Health Epidemic
While many medical experts had thought that the spores which distribute
snowgod's disease throughout Acka had become dormant, with carriers having
been absent for so long, this week the problem surfaced once again in a
minor epidemic.  First to succumb was the previously stalwart Niccolo
Flychuck, caught copying a Party Chess strategy, aimed apparently at
Slakko, to the public lists when it should have been kept secret with
Alfvaen.  Niccolo displayed all the classic signs of snowgodism, the
message being a clear conspiracy which had to be kept silent to have any
chance of succeeding.  The lab results should be back any day now, and as
soon as someone knows how to interpret them the Chief Medical Examiner
Slakko will be able to make eir diagnosis and, if necessary, recommend a
course of treatment.
Attempts were made to isolate Niccolo, but to little effect, as Hubert was
soon seen to have posted eir attempt at a diagnosis of Niccolo's condition
publicly.  It is well known that such attempts should be kept quiet,
posted only to the Count Tabula Pathology Labs until such time as official
lab tests results become known (usually after only 3 days), so such an
action could only be seen as a sign of the spread of the disease.  Members
of the ACDC (Ackanomic Centre for Disease Control) are hurriedly devising
containment strategies in the case of further outbreaks.  There is no need
to panic.
While writing this report, however, a message was received from
Nostrachaos.  Once again the master of prophecy interpretation has found a
relevant section of the Codex of Haon, which e is convinced applies to
this current matter:
When leaders pass, and play is resumed
And winners of games are declared far too soon
Beware of the centre, the source of all this
For private to public can disrupt the bliss.
Election Week
Hibert has been busy this week in the wake of the unfortunate passing of
Malenkai and Balsamic Dragon.  In addition to the many offices held by
these two fine former Ackazens, circumstances have led to the first ever
election for DeeJay, and the need to fill the office of Non-Aligned Player
Swinger for Party Chess.  We here at the Ackan hope that Hibert gets on
top of the situation soon, so that new officers may take up their posts
and speed play on its way.
Ceremony
Earlier this morning, Guy Fawkes was the centre of attention at a public
ceremony held on the steps of the Senate.  Slakko, the President, awarded
Guy a Silver Stripe to accompany eir Gold Stripe.  Coincidentally, the
last time such a condition was achieved was 3 months ago to the day, when
Alfvaen qualified for eir Silver Stripe after a Gold Stripe.  Such double
metal stripe situations are rare in Acka, with only 5 players ever having
reached the dizzying heights of a Blue Cross Rank of 70.  We can expect to
see more in the future, but given that the two next closest candidates to
this have been dormant on the proposal front (one the august Robert Sevin,
the other now enshrined in the Hall of Elders as Chaos), we may well need
to wait a while yet.

The Party Chess Report
Continuing on from last week, this issue of the Party Chess Report
examines the strategies of the two new players.
Firstly we have The Gingham Wearer, who is Swinging for the Klingon Party.
TGW, as we refer to him down at the Ackan Office, is making a big splash
in his early effects on the board.  E has already earned a Stabber's
Knife, for eir excellent checking of Red Barn, in a complex move which
simultaneously enabled Slakko to pick up a Stabber's Knife.  Such skill in
piece placement no doubt makes TGW a worthy competitor, and indeed eir
Weight has rapidly increased to a point where the leaders are starting to
take notice.  With one piece capable of increasing or decreasing Weight by
25 or more in a single move, The Gingham Wearer is rapidly moving into
range for some large Swingpoint dividends.  Such a worthy opponent can
only increase the challenge and interest the Party Chess game holds for
its many enthusiasts.
Secondly there is Goldenmean, the Swinger for the Razor Boomerangs. As yet
Goldenmean appears uninterested in Weights, preferring to accumulate a few
extra pieces through well timed captures from his guerrilla force of a
small number of pieces.  In such a position, he poses little threat to the
leaders as a group. However, he could well swing the tide of battle one
way or another, were he to intervene in the play to favour one of the
leaders.  It will be interesting to see how Goldenmean acts on future
turns.
A new, but as yet unknown, third Swinger will soon also be joining us, as
the NAP Swinger post is due to be filled.  The new Swinger will either be
Guy Fawkes or Wild Card.  Unfortunately, little is known about either of
eir techniques and strategies, so we will have to wait until their
patterns of play take shape to be certain of what is going on.  Either
way, however, the new Swinger will undoubtedly have to purchase extra
pieces - Red Barn's lacklustre performance in eir last few moves as
Swinger opening the way for eir troops to be slowly eaten away before the
King finally fell.
The current three-way battle for Weight supremacy continues.  Due to some
good timing, Slakko was able to snaffle the top Weight when Swingpoints
were last calculated.  Now, however, e sits once more in third, despite
reaching a Weight of 90, quite an astounding weight for the current
system.  Niccolo has regained the lead on 95, so Slakko has closed the gap
slightly (due to eir placement of a Rook, no doubt), but eir continuing
ability to match Niccolo and Alfvaen is under a cloud.  This is partly due
to the nature of the Tornado's perilous positioning, and partly due to the
now-overt alliance to eliminate it.  Keep watching the board, folks, as
the temperature keeps on rising!
 
Sub Game Sausages
A delectable collection of subgame treats to delight the gourmand.
Fictionary
Alfvaen's home-and-hosed-ness continues to rise slowly, with any other
player winning Game 2 an almost impossible occurrence.  An unbelievable
streak from breadbox or Slakko could still run them home, but Alfvaen
would also need to miss the correct definition practically any time.
There's no conspiracy to unseat Alfvaen, and the sportsmanlike nature of
Acka means that any attempt to get such a conspiracy would no doubt meet
with failure.  However, this didn't prevent The Gingham Wearer sheeping
eir way to a comfortable 4 points in Alfvaen's last round (Round 11).
Just because the battle for first place is over doesn't mean the game is
no longer interesting, so keep watching. 
Grab a Donkey
Grab-a-Donkey results for round 7 were quite exciting, with three players
eliminated, as Fortunato, the Wrangler promised.  The Grab-a-Donkey Active
List is shrinking slowly but surely, as the paranoid and aggressive
survive while the cheerful but apathetic or excessively risky fall.  What
kind of lesson in natural selection this teaches us I'm not game to talk
about.
Mediocrity
rufus' win in Round 14 set the game up for a very close finish.  With
players entering round 16, only two players were in a position for an
immediate win.  With 3 players on 1 point, and 3 on 2 points, only
/dev/joe and Slakko, on three points each, were capable of reaching a
mediocre point score on the next round.  However, for either of them to do
so required the other player to win the round, making 3 the mediocre
number over 4.  Slakko's ducking, playing a 1, enabled /dev/joe to win the
Round, with a score of 10, but handed Slakko overall victory and a very
mediocre Jade Grapefruit.
Single Capture Go
The first Single Capture Go non-Duel game started last week and finished
this week in a very fast game.  Wild Card earned eir first ever Jade
Grapefruit with a stunning move that allowed em to connect eir two
disjoint pieces.  Meanwhile, TGW, stuck in a position where early defeat
seemed inevitable, played for a stunning comeback.  E survived what looked
like eir last round, and then used eir real last round to sink Alfvaen's
attempts with a cunning Single Go trap. 
Single Capture Go tip for the week: Try not to capture a stone by placing
your stone in a place with only one liberty.  It's not like real Go -
captured pieces don't suddenly disappear. Hopefully the next game of SCG
will start real soon - keep a lookout (more players would be a lot more
fun).
Viruses
The battle for dominance in Viruses becomes even more complex.  While
/dev/joe stays in the lead, now with 24 cells, the rest of the pack is
still snapping at his heels.  two-star, else...if and breadbox have all
acquired 20 or more cells, and are therefore all in a reasonable situation
to see /dev/joe unseated.  With /dev/joe on 4 points, compared to 1 point
between his three main chasers, it appears only a matter of time before
collusion or just simple good virus placement sees /dev/joe knocked off
for a while.
Meanwhile, the Gamepoint leader, TGW, has fallen way back to last, while
Slakko, who neglected to move last turn, falls almost as far.  Can these
two get back into scoring position?  Does anyone else care?  Stay tuned
and all will hopefully be answered.
Word Un-Association 
Hubert's skill at un-association appears marvellous.  E has already
achieved a 4 point lead over /dev/joe (and possibly a 5 point lead over
Slakko) within two complete cycles of rounds.  Unfortunately, there's not
much else to say about this game.
YORL
Sam/Romeo has finally made it to the moon, on a second attempt.  However,
e may have trouble getting off, with cheese not exactly the best source of
rocket fuel.  Will we see the return of the Lunatic Finger?  Will anyone
say anything sensible to Kirby 2600?  Will Alfvaen win while most other
people still have more than 5 cards?  (And how could e eliminate 5 loose
ends in 4 plays?) The entire game remains (as always) a riddle, as does
its potential outcome. With so many loose ends, there's so much still to
play for. So if you want to get involved, give the Barkeep a holler - but
be quick. With only one spare bench, it won't last for long.
 
Advertisements
The Infrequent Ackan will soon be bringing you an exclusive interview with
Acka's own Poet Laureate. Listen to breadbox as e tells you about eir life
both in and out of the public eye. The Infrequent Ackan - bringing you the
celebrities you want in the interviews you asked for.
The Ackan is looking for new sub-editors.  Applicants should be extremely
literate, prone to using cheesy captions, and capable of being yelled at
without yelling back.  Possession of bullet-proof vest and/or own firearm
an advantage.  Apply Slakko, kaa L1.

The Infrequent Ackan, first to you with Ackan news.
Copyright  Duncan Richer writing under the pseudonym of "Slakko", 7/3/98.
Check us out on the web, at
http://dcr24.quns.cam.ac.uk/Nomic/Acka/infrequent.html 

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

Date: Sat, 07 Mar 1998 11:00:24 -0500 (EST)
From: Jonathan David Amery <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Proposal 2761

On Sat, 7 Mar 1998, Tom Walmsley wrote:

> This almost certainly won't work as you had it planned. Unless I'm mistaken,
> the new rule you're trying to create would read as
> follows:
> 
> "Upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall" [The
> 
> I've no idea what effect the rest of the proposal would have. If I'm wrong
> about this then someone please correct me but I don't think I am. You might
> want to delimit with a word in capitals in the future (that way there's
> little chance you'll inadvertently use the word in the proposal's text).
> 

 I think your right; i'll stave off any possible problems by RETRACTING
this proposal (2761)

 Wild Card.

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

Date: Sat, 07 Mar 1998 12:01:49 -0500 (EST)
From: Duncan Richer <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Caped Crusader Dereliction of Duty!

The Caped Crusader has not filed a CFCJ in the last 30 days.  Only two
CFCJs were filed in the last 30 days (one by Alfvaen, one by Hubert).
As a result of my pointing this fact out, else...if automatically vacates
the post of Caped Crusader.

It will be Count Tabula's job to organise yet another election.

Sorry, else...if, but I just don't feel that you were sufficiently tough
on crime.

Yours,
Slakko

- -- 
Duncan C. "" Richer aka
Slakko (Lost) Warner - http://dcr24.quns.cam.ac.uk/ - Queens' College
Cambridge, 1st Yr PhD(PMa) - .Nomic Elector, Frgn Minister, HP(Morpork)
Acka - President "Gumball" Web-Harfer RuneMaker ChessUmpire Map-Harfer

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

Date: Sat, 07 Mar 1998 12:25:06 -0500 (EST)
From: [email-masked] (Aaron V. Humphrey)
Subject: Acka: Bereavement

Let us all mourn the passing of Michael Wren, who most of us barely knew
do to eir problems with email access that led to eir never being able to
fully participate in the game.  E joined at close to the same time as 
The Gingham Wearer, and the similarities in their real-life names made some
apprehensive as to the possibility of confusion, but the difference between
the activity levels of the two players made this ultimately a moot point.
Perhaps e will return someday.  In the meantime, frozen after sixty days
of being On Ice, e is lowered into eir grave.

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/alfvaen/ )
Current Album--The Goonies Soundtrack
Current Book--Zane Grey:Nevada
Murphy's law only fails when you try to demonstrate it.

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

Date: Sat, 07 Mar 1998 12:25:42 -0500 (EST)
From: "Tom Walmsley" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: CFJ 545 (Hubert)

Hubert has been selected.

Clerk of the Courts
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Call For Judgement 544 - February 23, 1998
Subject: Shelter
Initiator: The Gingham Wearer (sent March 07, 1998, 17:20)
Judge: Rex Mundi  (selected March 06, 1998, 17:21)
Judgement:

Statement:
The Gingham Wearer is sheltered.

Initiator's Reasoning:
Once more, this is something I'm not sure about. CFJ has established that
there still exists a building called rule 1 is repealed. #1 and The Gingham
Wearer attempted to go there with the following message:

"I am leaving the wilds and going to Rule 1 is repealed. #1 Headquarters."

There are a few possibilities:
1. E didn't succeed in this action because the members of Vulcan didn't let
em in.
2. E got in but isn't sheltered because the building isn't defined in the
rules.
3. E got in and is sheltered because of Rule 1 is repealed. #1 Headquarters.
4. E got in and is sheltered because e is on the same Kaa of land as Vulcan
HQ.

Basically, what I want to know, is how many of its properties R1IR#1HQ
retained after the Vulcan changed their name back to Vulcan. I'm pretty sure
that it will turn out that I'm not sheltered, but I'm not 100% sure. The best
example I can think of is that there still exists The Widget of Yendor but it
doesn't have any of it's old properties. Except entityhood I believe, oddly
enough. This is different though. Not only has entityhood been maintained but
buildingness has too. Why is this? I don't know. And if it's buildingness is
maintained why not all it's other properties. If it turns out that I am
sheltered then I think we need to set about destroying rule 1 is repealed. #1
HQ otherwise Tornadoes might not be quite as interesting.

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

Date: Sat, 07 Mar 1998 12:28:32 -0500 (EST)
From: [email-masked] (Aaron V. Humphrey)
Subject: Re: Acka: Game Submission

> > The following is a Game Submission:

> > Abstract Crescent

> I support this.

As do I.  (I'm trying to remember if I've ever played the original game.
Maybe once...this doesn't look familiar, but it could still be interesting.)

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/alfvaen/ )
Current Album--The Goonies Soundtrack
Current Book--Zane Grey:Nevada
Two hardy boxing kangaroos jet from Sydney to Zanzibar on quicksilver pinions.

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

Date: Sat, 07 Mar 1998 12:30:34 -0500 (EST)
From: [email-masked] (Aaron V. Humphrey)
Subject: Acka: Oars

/dev/joe has found the Great Oars of Ackanomic.

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/alfvaen/ )
Current Album--Drivin' N' Cryin':Whisper Tames The Lion
Current Book--Zane Grey:Nevada
There's too much fire from a perfect match

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

Date: Sat, 07 Mar 1998 12:31:42 -0500 (EST)
From: "Tom Walmsley" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: CFJ 545 (Hubert)

> Hubert has been selected.
> 
> Clerk of the Courts
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Call For Judgement 544 - February 23, 1998
> Subject: Shelter
> Initiator: The Gingham Wearer (sent March 07, 1998, 17:20)
> Judge: Rex Mundi  (selected March 06, 1998, 17:21)
> Judgement:

Oh damn. You can tell 'm new to the office can't you. The Judge is in fact
Hubert, and e was in fact selected on March 07. This is just me forgetting to
change things after cutting and pasting.

Sorry!
TGW.

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

Date: Sat, 07 Mar 1998 12:59:18 -0500 (EST)
From: [email-masked] (Aaron V. Humphrey)
Subject: Acka: I Forgot

Obviously my little note to myself wasn't enough.  If you remember back a
week or two ago when AZTEC GOD decomposed, apparently that was also the
decomposition date of Ace Rimmer and Dread Pirate Roberts.  My apologies
for any inconvenience.

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/alfvaen/ )
Current Album--Drivin' N' Cryin':Whisper Tames The Lion
Current Book--Zane Grey:Nevada
Throw another leg on the fire.

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

Date: Sat, 07 Mar 1998 13:22:18 -0500 (EST)
From: Towsner <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Stock Costs

>I'm having a bit of trouble figuring out what the prices are when stock
>purchases are made.  It would be very nice if the Chair of the Ackan
>Reserve could do that for me.  Rule 530 indicates that the positivity
>value changes when a Proposal passes, but activity changes at the end of
>the Acka day.  The fact that the reports are coming out late in the Acka
>day, but _not_ at the end, is confusing.  So what price did the last batch
>of stock purchases occur at--the (corrected) price posted on March 6th,
>or the price posted near the end of March 5th?
	The things I'm posting almost at the end of the day only apply for
the next day.  I'm sending them on the assumption that neither the CotC or
the promoter/tabulater will send anything else before the next day.  The
price posted on March 6 applies at the beginning of March 7.

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

	<[email-masked]>

	Success is the child of audacity.
		-Benjamin Disraeli

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

Date: Sat, 07 Mar 1998 14:04:08 -0500 (EST)
From: "Tom Walmsley" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: CFJ 546 (Hibert)

Hibert has been selected.

Clerk of the Courts
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Call For Judgement 546 - March 07, 1998
Subject: Balsamic Dragon's Elderhood
Initiator: Alfvaen (sent March 07, 1998, 18:09)
Judge: Hibert (selected March 07, 1998, 18:19)
Judgement:

Statement:
Balsamic Dragon's likeness is in the Hall of Elders.

Initiator's Reasoning:
What this really boils down to is the whole Vacation thing.  February 27th
is "mr cwm's Day", by Rule 843, and this is an Ackanomic Holiday.  It has
been put forward that this means it is also a Holiday by Rule 415.  I know
that game custom has never treated it this way in the many months I have
been in the game, unless all the Ackanomic Holidays are clustered in March
and April and I just never had run across them before.  :-)  (Actually,
there is quite a cluster in April, with "this is not a holiday",
"Brinjal's Day", and "Bascule's Day", not to mention "Mr. Lunatic Fringe's
day on March 31st.)  But what about Wayne's Day, on October 13th?  Habeous
Corpus's Day, July 13th?  (Okay, things were chaotic enough at that time
that we might not have noticed, and anyway HC was an active player at
that time, possibly as Voting Gnome.)  IdiotBoy's Day on August 30th?

The question of whether an "Ackanomic Holiday" is a "Holiday" may or may
not be a subtle one.  If it were a Holiday, why has past game custom
dictated that it is not?  Is this another "military laser" situation,
where what seems to be a straightforward correspondence of types is
nothing of the sort?  Since it affects Balsamic Dragon's Elderhood(but,
luckily, not many other thread-splitting events), I think we should know.

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

End of ackanomic digest V3 #51
******************************