Subject: ackanomic digest V3 #58
From: [email-masked] (ackanomic digest)
To: [email-masked]

ackanomic digest        Friday, March 13 1998        Volume 03 : Number 058

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 03:47:03 -0500 (EST)
From: Uri Bruck <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: acka : MetaMorph togethers

On Thu, 12 Mar 1998, Aaron V. Humphrey wrote:

> > I beg for admittance into MetaMorph...
> > Failing that I plead :)
> 
> Oh, what the heck.  I suggest that maybe we accept this poor wretch known
> as K 2 into MetaMorph.
> 
k
I approve of this suggestion - I guess that's all of us - and so it
happens.

Niccolo Flychuck

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 04:00:49 -0500 (EST)
From: Duncan Richer <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: resignation

On Mon, 9 Mar 1998, Duncan Richer wrote:

> On Sun, 8 Mar 1998, John Frederic Mc Coy wrote:
> I am now opening Nominations for the Office of Common Sense, Redundancy
> and Redundancy.

I received precisely one nomination - The Gingham Wearer.

Congratulations to The Gingham Wearer, our new CSRR!

- -- 
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: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 09:19:24 -0500 (EST)
From: [email-masked] (Aaron V. Humphrey)
Subject: Acka: Departure

Hachiman has asked me to remove em from the game due to a lack of time.
E has been removed from all mailing lists.

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/alfvaen/ )
Song In My Head--Tanita Tikaram:Twist In My Sobriety
Current Book--Robert Charles Wilson:The Harvest
Separate the men from the toys

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 11:12:52 -0500 (EST)
From: David Scheidt <[email-masked]>
Subject: acka: senate election results

Results of the recently concluded senate election are as follows:

voting for Vynd:  /dev/joe, Hubert, Vynd, Vynd's EBS, Robert Sevin,
ThinMan, ThinMan's EBS

for Rex Mundi:  Alfvaen, Slakko, Rex Mundi, Rex Mundi's EBS

TGW:  TGW, else...if, else...if's EBS, Hibert

Illusion:  

So Vynd is our newest senator.  

Rufus 
Count Tabula

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 11:27:02 -0500 (EST)
From: David Scheidt <[email-masked]>
Subject: acka: results of AckaPhysicist election

Teh results of the recently concluded AckaPhysicist election are as
follows:

Voting for /dev/joe:  /dev/joe, Alfvaen, ThinMan, ThinMan's EBS, Guy
Fawkes

TGW: TGW, Hubert

hoover 2300: Slakko, hibert

else...if: else...if, else...if's EBs

so /dev/joe is our new Physicist.  Let's see some translations!

Rufus

Count Tabula

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 11:51:10 -0500 (EST)
From: Duncan Richer <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: acka: senate election results

On Fri, 13 Mar 1998, David Scheidt wrote:

> 
> Results of the recently concluded senate election are as follows:
> 
> voting for Vynd:  /dev/joe, Hubert, Vynd, Vynd's EBS, Robert Sevin,
> ThinMan, ThinMan's EBS
> 
> for Rex Mundi:  Alfvaen, Slakko, Rex Mundi, Rex Mundi's EBS
> 
> TGW:  TGW, else...if, else...if's EBS, Hibert
> 
> Illusion:  
> 
> So Vynd is our newest senator.  

He is an existing senator as well (seat Sinecure 33).
So e cannot hold this seat, as Rule 401 states that no player may hold
more than one seat for a given office.

So this seat is obviously vacant and a new set of nominations must be
held.

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: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 12:34:23 -0500 (EST)
From: David Scheidt <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: acka: senate election results

On Fri, 13 Mar 1998, Duncan Richer wrote:

> He is an existing senator as well (seat Sinecure 33).
> So e cannot hold this seat, as Rule 401 states that no player may hold
> more than one seat for a given office.
> 
> So this seat is obviously vacant and a new set of nominations must be
> held.

ick.  I think that today is out to get me.  I have tried to drink three
cups of coffee, out of three defective -- in three different ways-- coffee
cups.  I didn't really like this shirt, or these pants anyways.

> 
> 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: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 12:41:26 -0500 (EST)
From: David Scheidt <[email-masked]>
Subject: acka: senate

It seems that our newly elected senator was a senator already, and can't
hold two seats.  So I am going to call a new nomination.

Reply to nominate yourself.

rufus
Count Tabula

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 12:48:52 -0500 (EST)
From: "Tom Walmsley" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: resignation

> I received precisely one nomination - The Gingham Wearer.
> 
> Congratulations to The Gingham Wearer, our new CSRR!

Okay then folks. Send me any suggestions you have for CSRs. Oh, an Vynd, can
you send me what you already had.

The Gingham Wearer
Treasure Harfer, Clerk of the Court, Klingon founder and Swinger, Priest of
Banna, and now CSRR.

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 14:02:49 -0500 (EST)
From: [email-masked] (John Bollinger)
Subject: Acka: Random thoughts

I love my work, but sometimes I just need to take a break.  Now is such a
time.  So here are a few random oddities.

Its okay with me that Kansas is a moon of Acka, but Arkansas has no place
in here.

How many Centauri does it take to screw in a light bulb?

Do you know where your towel is?

The island is Cyprus.

The peninsula is Baja.

The lake is Superior.

ThinMan
segmentation fault -- core dumped

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 15:04:27 -0500 (EST)
From: "Tom Walmsley" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Departure

> Hachiman has asked me to remove em from the game due to a lack of time.
> E has been removed from all mailing lists.

Isn't it odd that Harf is now the largest political party (the once mighty
SPAM being reduced from 7 to 3 members and the Razor Boomerangs dropping back
to 3 with the departure of Hachiman) and yet three of its four members are
non voting? That said though Robert Sevin has actually been quite active as
of late (6 messages in the past 5 days and voting in at least one (that I
saw) of the recent elections). Are you going to be rejoining us soon Bob?

TGW.

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 15:33:55 -0500 (EST)
From: David Scheidt <[email-masked]>
Subject: acka: hats

Are we supposed to be submittinjg agenda hats now?

rufus

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 15:52:34 -0500 (EST)
From: "Bollinger, John C." <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Cultural Tour

I go to the Museum.

I donate Inky Bloater Decoy 5 and Little Wooden Ship #9 to the
Museum, then browse through the collection for a while.  Then,
after the time compression inherent in Ackanomic actions and
messaging causes the aforementioned while to in fact be
instantaneous (or nearly so), I leave the Museum and go to the
Library.

En route, I convert the Stick and Stones to cash.  I think they
ended up going to the Frobozz Magic Landscaping Company,
Ackanomic Division.  I'm not sure, though.

I am in a decidedly funny mood.  I feel like walking the edge,
seeking thrills, going for the gusto, pushing the odds (and so
forth).  But I'll settle for a trip to *that* room.  I go to
the Vault of the Book.

ThinMan

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 16:36:00 -0500 (EST)
From: "Tom Walmsley" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: acka: hats

> Are we supposed to be submittinjg agenda hats now?

I don't think we currently know for certain who the Illuminatus is. Alfvaen
and myself both received the same number of votes.

TGW.

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 16:52:55 -0500 (EST)
From: Duncan Richer <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Random thoughts

On Fri, 13 Mar 1998, John Bollinger wrote:

> 
> I love my work, but sometimes I just need to take a break.  Now is such a
> time.  So here are a few random oddities.
> 
> Its okay with me that Kansas is a moon of Acka, but Arkansas has no place
> in here.
> 
> How many Centauri does it take to screw in a light bulb?

Only one - but in the days of the old republic there were hundreds of
servants ready to change hundreds of lightbulbs at your merest whim!

> Do you know where your towel is?

Yes.  Does that make me a hoopy frood?

- -- 
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: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 16:53:43 -0500 (EST)
From: [email-masked] (John Bollinger)
Subject: Acka: Phoebe's Wisdom

As I was waiting in *that* room, twiddling my thumbs until such time as
the urge to read a page of the Ackanomicon should come over me, I noticed
a familiar-looking red-and-blue matchbox on the floor.  Thankful beyond
reason for something to do to pass the time, I snatched it up and opened
it.  As I had expected, Phoebe emerged.

"Phoebe, my old friend!" I exclaimed.

"Older than you can possibly imagine, in fact," she replied.  "Hello
again, ThinMan."

"I am so glad to have something to do while I pass the time," I told
her.  "I always enjoy our conversations."

"I am pleased," she said.  "Of course, you didn't have to wait so long
to find me."

"Huh?" I glibly rejoined.  "How can I control when I find you?"

"Well, there's finding and then there's finding," she illuminated.  No
doubt she saw my puzzled look, for she added "It's a temporal thing.
You actually 'found' me a couple of days ago, but have only now gotten
around to finding me.  In the interim, I have been twiddl -- err --
pondering the secrets of the universe in my matchbox, waiting for you
to come and pick me up."

My head was spinning.  "Let me try to understand.  You have been sitting
there, waiting for me to find you, for the past couple of days since I
found you?  That would put me at Vulcan Headquarters at the time I
found you, right?"

Phoebe adopted a long-suffering look that I think she must practice in
her spare time.  "Yes and no, and yes," she said.  "My location has been
the same as it always is, but that location has not always been _here_,"
she said, pointing four legs at the floor to emphasize her point.

I was at a loss.  In a vain attempt to retain my sanity, I asked what
seemed the next logical question: "Um, what, then, is your location?"

"The Treasury, of course.  Don't you read the Rules?"

"But we're in the Library!"

"Just so."

Everything after that is pretty fuzzy.  I'm not sure exactly where I hid
Phoebe, or how I got there without leaving *that* room.  In fact, I
can't guarantee that this whole episode was not a delusion, perhaps brought
on by prolonged proximity to the Ackanomicon.  Just in case, though, I
figured I should report the conversation; perhaps some other player can
garner something from it.

ThinMan

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 16:54:12 -0500 (EST)
From: David Scheidt <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: acka: hats

On Fri, 13 Mar 1998, Tom Walmsley wrote:
> > Are we supposed to be submittinjg agenda hats now?
> 
> I don't think we currently know for certain who the Illuminatus is. Alfvaen
> and myself both received the same number of votes.

Because you didn't vote for yourself.  Makes those of us who did, wonder a
bit.  The pbm.com dice server picked Alfvaen.  Do I need to anounce him
the winner, or is the dice server enough? or does the speaker need to
announce it.
rufus

> TGW.
> 

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 16:54:33 -0500 (EST)
From: Duncan Richer <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: acka: hats

On Fri, 13 Mar 1998, Tom Walmsley wrote:

> > Are we supposed to be submittinjg agenda hats now?
> 
> I don't think we currently know for certain who the Illuminatus is. Alfvaen
> and myself both received the same number of votes.

Besides, the Illuminatus is allowed to initiate a call for Agenda
Hats if no such call has previously occurred this cycle.  While two-star
forgot to do anything about the hats (not even releasing the results when
e resigned), e still made the call, and hence we must wait for 90 days to
elapse during this cycle, or for a new cycle to begin, before Agenda Hats
can once again be submitted.

- -- 
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: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 16:55:44 -0500 (EST)
From: Hubert <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: *ping*

Today is Friday, the 13th of March, and the Machine That Goes *ping* Has
Gone *ping* today.  Since I have been scholar, the Machine has gone *ping*
2 times. 

In honor of Jason's (or Freddie's, or Michael Myers', I always forget 
which's) birthday, it *ping*ed very eerily today.

Hmmm... I never noticed before... the curious link between "Wayne's World"
and "Halloween"...

- -Hubert

Incoming fire has the right-of-way. 

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 16:58:55 -0500 (EST)
From: Duncan Richer <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Departure

On Fri, 13 Mar 1998, Tom Walmsley wrote:

> > Hachiman has asked me to remove em from the game due to a lack of time.
> > E has been removed from all mailing lists.
> 
> Isn't it odd that Harf is now the largest political party (the once mighty
> SPAM being reduced from 7 to 3 members and the Razor Boomerangs dropping back
> to 3 with the departure of Hachiman) and yet three of its four members are
> non voting? That said though Robert Sevin has actually been quite active as
> of late (6 messages in the past 5 days and voting in at least one (that I
> saw) of the recent elections). Are you going to be rejoining us soon Bob?

Maybe it is time to restructure the incentives so that political parties
of size 3 are not the only type of party structure we have.
What would people say to giving a party (n-2) unity votes if such a number
is positive, whenever all its members vote YES?

- -- 
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: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 17:03:03 -0500 (EST)
From: [email-masked] (John Bollinger)
Subject: Re: Acka: Random thoughts

>> Do you know where your towel is?
>
>Yes.  Does that make me a hoopy frood?

I frood, certainly.  I'll take the hoopiness matter under advisement.

Thinman
:)

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 17:06:36 -0500 (EST)
From: David Scheidt <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: *ping*

On Fri, 13 Mar 1998, Hubert wrote:
> Hmmm... I never noticed before... the curious link between "Wayne's World"
> and "Halloween"...
You never noticed that they were absolutly awful movies?

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 17:08:56 -0500 (EST)
From: Hubert <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: acka: hats

On Fri, 13 Mar 1998, David Scheidt wrote:

> Because you didn't vote for yourself.  Makes those of us who did, wonder a
> bit. 

TGW stated that e would not want to run if there were other nominees.  I
sent a public message after the nominees were announced saying that I
withdrew from the running.  Which I cannot do, of course, but I hoped that
would discourage other players from voting for me, as I didn't think I
could have done as good a job as the other nominees. I thank Slakko and
/dev/joe for eir support nonetheless.

- -Hubert

Incoming fire has the right-of-way. 

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 17:10:13 -0500 (EST)
From: David Scheidt <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: acka: hats

On Fri, 13 Mar 1998, Duncan Richer wrote:

> Besides, the Illuminatus is allowed to initiate a call for Agenda
> Hats if no such call has previously occurred this cycle.  While two-star
> forgot to do anything about the hats (not even releasing the results when
> e resigned), e still made the call, and hence we must wait for 90 days to
> elapse during this cycle, or for a new cycle to begin, before Agenda Hats
> can once again be submitted.
> 

oh.  that a bug or a feature?

rufus, who has now been attacked by four cups of coffee today.  And
obviously not quite in the swing of working during the daytime.  

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 17:10:44 -0500 (EST)
From: Hubert <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Departure

On Fri, 13 Mar 1998, Duncan Richer wrote:

> Maybe it is time to restructure the incentives so that political parties
> of size 3 are not the only type of party structure we have.
> What would people say to giving a party (n-2) unity votes if such a number
> is positive, whenever all its members vote YES?

Ouch.  We've had 7-member parties at times, am I not correct?  How about
n/2 rounded down, as long as n>=3?

- -Hubert

Incoming fire has the right-of-way. 

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 17:13:32 -0500 (EST)
From: Hubert <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: New treasure

On Thu, 12 Mar 1998, **Alexandre Muniz wrote:

> Therefore, the map to Lake Vostok is (something like:)
> 
> On May 15, 1998, Lake Vostok will be found by the player who has sent
> two-star a solution to the problem described above using fewer pieces

Any particular reason for choosing May 15?  It happens to be my birthday.

In any case, I am creating a trinket called "Rhymes With Schubert," with a
value of A$101 and a description of "Abhorrent.  Vile.  Evil.  Totally,
completely, and absolutely unmentionable by any sane person.  Or even
Hoover 2300."

I am burying "Rhymes with Schubert" along with my Otzma Card Grave Robber
(more apropos than not, I guess) and submitting the following four
portions of an ancient map discovered in the wreckage of my house which
might, quite possibly, have something to do with finding the treasure.
The first is as follows:

...shall be found on May 15, 1998 by the player who, in Hubert's 
estimation, has posted the cutest, most creative, or most imaginative
nickname for em (for Hubert, not the posting player) since Hubert's name
change.  Fortunato and /dev/joe are both well on their respective ways...

I am also submitting the following mathematical puzzle, part of the same
map, which might also have something to do with the treasure:

There were three geckos standing, nose to tail, in a perfectly straight
line.  The hindmost gecko suddenly spoke up, saying "Lo!  I see a gecko in
front of me."  Echoed the middle gecko, "Zounds!  I, too, see a gecko in
front of me."  And the frontmost gecko replied, "I, also, see a gecko in
front of me."

How could this be?

The following string of nonsense may also have something to do with this
treasure (I'm not sure if I translated this correctly):

A-boop boop diddam daddam waddam: choo!

The fourth and final clue that I could make out on the map is that at
least two of the clues posted in this message have nothing to do with the
treasure, and that might just include this clue.

Guesses should be posted publically for the first clue (the Nickname Game)
and the third (the Boop Boop Dupe) but privately to me for the second
(Lizard Wizard.)  

If you want to make a guess at the fourth, you've had way too much to
frink.

- -Hubert

The Lottery: a tax for people who can't do the math. 

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 17:32:34 -0500 (EST)
From: Brian Raiter <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: New treasure

> There were three geckos standing, nose to tail, in a perfectly straight
> line.  The hindmost gecko suddenly spoke up, saying "Lo!  I see a gecko in
> front of me."  Echoed the middle gecko, "Zounds!  I, too, see a gecko in
> front of me."  And the frontmost gecko replied, "I, also, see a gecko in
> front of me."
> 
> How could this be?

There was a fourth gecko standing in front of all of them.

(Although one could also argue that the "frontmost" gecko could never
see "a gecko in front of me", otherwise how could it be the frontmost
gecko?)

Unless these are *very* big geckos that are each one-third as long as
the equator of whatever planet they're on. (Presumably they're not on
a really tiny asteroid, since there must be an atmostphere for them to
be able to speak.) Of course, in that case you have to wonder about
whose definition of "a perfectly straight line" is being used.

b

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 17:34:07 -0500 (EST)
From: David Scheidt <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Departure

On Fri, 13 Mar 1998, Hubert wrote:

> > What would people say to giving a party (n-2) unity votes if such a number
> > is positive, whenever all its members vote YES?
> 
> Ouch.  We've had 7-member parties at times, am I not correct?  How about
> n/2 rounded down, as long as n>=3?

yes I like  that better.

rufus

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 17:38:00 -0500 (EST)
From: "Tom Walmsley" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Discovery

I am using one of my scientist for a day otzma cards and paying the required
fee to make the following discovery for a Good Ballot Stuffer:

When created, the Good Ballot Stuffer (GBS) is not broken. 

The Good Ballot Stuffer is not orange and has 2 levers, the harfy lever and
the boring lever. 

The boring lever is used to have the GBS counteract the extra vote cast in
Hearings and Elections by an EBS (Evil Ballot Stuffer). In any election or
hearing the owner of a GBS may announce to the hearing harfer that they are
using this power of their GBS. When results are being tabulated all votes
made by EBSs are ignored. However, if this power is used there is a ten
percent chance that the GBS will start to shake and shimmy uncontrollably. 

The harfy lever is used to create Bonus Votes. The possessor of an GBS may
flip the harfy lever by publicly announcing they are doing so. Upon doing so,
one of the following happens at random and then the GBS then starts to shake
and shimmy uncontrollably:

1. The GBS casts a vote for all harfy proposals currently in the voting
queue.
2. One bonus vote is created in the possession of all current players.
3. The owner of the GBS receives a random boon of the ancients.
4. The game state is changed such that any player who posts a public message
in the next week that does not contain the word "harf" (or a derivative of
it) shall lose one point for every such message.

Upon an GBS starting to shake and shimmy uncontrollably, one of 3 things will
occur, each with an equal probability of occurring as determined as needed by
the Officer in charge of Random Things. An GBS may not be used between the
time it starts to shimmy and shake and the time the this random determination
is publicly knowable: 

1) The thing will sputter and die, and thus become broken. 
2) The thing will explode in its operator's face, and thus be destroyed, but
not before bellowing a raft of annoying laughter ridiculing its user
throughout the land of Acka. 
3) The thing will teleport, and thus change possession to, another random
active player. 

Neither lever may be used if the GBS is broken, and only the player who
possesses an GBS may use it, the previous provisions of this Blueprint
notwithstanding. A broken GBS may only be fixed as described in the rules or
by another Gadget empowered to do so. 

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 17:41:18 -0500 (EST)
From: Duncan Richer <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Departure

On Fri, 13 Mar 1998, David Scheidt wrote:

> On Fri, 13 Mar 1998, Hubert wrote:
> 
> > > What would people say to giving a party (n-2) unity votes if such a number
> > > is positive, whenever all its members vote YES?
> > 
> > Ouch.  We've had 7-member parties at times, am I not correct?  How about
> > n/2 rounded down, as long as n>=3?
> 
> yes I like  that better.

Interesting.  That was part of my more power to parties proposal a while
back (it had a different name though) which got just voted down because
SPAM voted half against giving itself more power.  Mind you, that proposal
only applied n/2 to PRESENT votes - giving unity votes for both YES and NO
at n/3, and PRESENT at n/2.

- -- 
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: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 17:45:48 -0500 (EST)
From: Duncan Richer <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: acka: hats

On Fri, 13 Mar 1998, David Scheidt wrote:

> On Fri, 13 Mar 1998, Duncan Richer wrote:
> 
> > Besides, the Illuminatus is allowed to initiate a call for Agenda
> > Hats if no such call has previously occurred this cycle.  While two-star
> > forgot to do anything about the hats (not even releasing the results when
> > e resigned), e still made the call, and hence we must wait for 90 days to
> > elapse during this cycle, or for a new cycle to begin, before Agenda Hats
> > can once again be submitted.
> > 
> 
> oh.  that a bug or a feature?

A misfeature.  The 90 days was a compromise to ensure we couldn't go too
long without agenda hats.  The lack of two-star's response on the matter
of agenda hats is something we can't do anything about.

Unless the new Caped Crusader wants to prosecute em for it :-)

- -- 
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: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 17:53:40 -0500 (EST)
From: David Scheidt <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: acka: hats

On Fri, 13 Mar 1998, Duncan Richer wrote:
> long without agenda hats.  The lack of two-star's response on the matter
> of agenda hats is something we can't do anything about.

We can do anything we want; this is a nomic isn't it?
> 
> Unless the new Caped Crusader wants to prosecute em for it :-)
> 
> -- 
> 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: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 17:58:27 -0500 (EST)
From: Duncan Richer <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Fromage

TGW currently holds at least 6 distinct offices - I think e is now
entitled to some kind of cheese.

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: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 17:59:00 -0500 (EST)
From: Towsner <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Discovery

>2) The thing will explode in its operator's face, and thus be destroyed, but
>not before bellowing a raft of annoying laughter ridiculing its user
>throughout the land of Acka.
	Can a raft of annoying laughter be used for white water rafting?

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

	<[email-masked]>

	Success is the child of audacity.
		-Benjamin Disraeli

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 18:40:39 -0500 (EST)
From: "Tom Walmsley" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: acka: hats

Rufus wrote:

> > I don't think we currently know for certain who the Illuminatus is.
Alfvaen
> > and myself both received the same number of votes.
> 
> Because you didn't vote for yourself.  Makes those of us who did, wonder a
> bit.  The pbm.com dice server picked Alfvaen.  Do I need to anounce him
> the winner, or is the dice server enough? or does the speaker need to
> announce it.

and then Hubert added:

> TGW stated that e would not want to run if there were other nominees.  I
> sent a public message after the nominees were announced saying that I
> withdrew from the running.  Which I cannot do, of course, but I hoped that
> would discourage other players from voting for me, as I didn't think I
> could have done as good a job as the other nominees. I thank Slakko and
> /dev/joe for eir support nonetheless.

First off, when was the message from the dice server? I don't recall seeing
it, but it seems quite fortunate if it did indeed pick Alfvaen. As Hubert
pointed out, I didn't really want to be Illuminatus but thought I would do it
if no-one else wanted it. Bizarrely enough, I initially voted for Hubert, but
then changed the vote when e announced eir intent to withdraw. If I hadn't
have done so then Alfvaen and Hubert would have tied for votes and I would
have won. But if Hubert had voted for emself then e would have tied with me.
And K 2 who spent time putting up the Illuminatus page didn't even get a look
in. Truly one of the more surreal election results.

TGW.

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 18:47:12 -0500 (EST)
From: David Scheidt <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: acka: hats

On Fri, 13 Mar 1998, Tom Walmsley wrote:

> First off, when was the message from the dice server? I don't recall seeing
about 10  minutes after I posted the voting results.

Hubert
> pointed out, I didn't really want to be Illuminatus but thought I would do it
> if no-one else wanted it.
I missed this.  I wouldn't have voted for you if I had known.  

 Bizarrely enough, I initially voted for Hubert, but
> then changed the vote when e announced eir intent to withdraw. If I hadn't
> have done so then Alfvaen and Hubert would have tied for votes and I would
> have won. But if Hubert had voted for emself then e would have tied with me.
> And K 2 who spent time putting up the Illuminatus page didn't even get a look
> in. Truly one of the more surreal election results.

Indeed very odd.  Perhaps we should make it possible to withdraw from an
election?  I don't see any reason to not allow it;  doesn't take that much
harfing, and you can change your vote if the person you voted for drops
out.  Perphaps a requirment to do it in the first day of voting, so as cut
down on scam potential?  

I will write up a proposal unless there is vigorous opposition.

rufus
Count Tabula

 > 
> TGW.
> 

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 18:58:23 -0500 (EST)
From: "Tom Walmsley" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Fromage

> TGW currently holds at least 6 distinct offices - I think e is now
> entitled to some kind of cheese.

6 offices? How do you work that one out? I only count four at the moment.
Treasure Harfer, Clerk of the Court, CSRR and Swinger for Klingon. I'm also
Harfmeister, but I don't think that counts as an office and I think I lost
the office of boy wonder when else...if was removed from the office of Caped
Crusader. I still think I'm eligible for a cheese though (and had already
pointed this out to Alfvaen :-) though, because I have held five offices
since my last impeachment ('cause I've never been impeached...)

TGW.

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 18:58:25 -0500 (EST)
From: "Tom Walmsley" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Departure

> Interesting.  That was part of my more power to parties proposal a while
> back (it had a different name though) which got just voted down because
> SPAM voted half against giving itself more power.  Mind you, that proposal
> only applied n/2 to PRESENT votes - giving unity votes for both YES and NO
> at n/3, and PRESENT at n/2.

My memory may be going wonky but wasn't that because Fortunato and myself
both messed upon our voting around that time?

TGW.

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 18:58:26 -0500 (EST)
From: "Tom Walmsley" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Proposal 2777

> Proposal 2777
> Flat as a pancake
> else...if (Henry Towsner)

For anyone interested, I am declaring this proposal harfy.

TGW, Harfmeister.

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 18:58:31 -0500 (EST)
From: "Tom Walmsley" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Discovery

> >2) The thing will explode in its operator's face, and thus be destroyed,
but
> >not before bellowing a raft of annoying laughter ridiculing its user
> >throughout the land of Acka.
> 	Can a raft of annoying laughter be used for white water rafting?

Only if you have four people with exploding ballot stuffers agreeing to form
a team...

TGW.

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 19:01:47 -0500 (EST)
From: Hubert <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Gecko Treasure

I have already received a few fallacious guesses at the gecko treasure.
All were perfectly valid for the treasure as posted, but I recently
discovered a few more fragments to the map which clarified the problem
somewhat:

Firstly, there are _exactly_ three geckos in this problem.  No more, no
fewer.  [ In case Wild Card's watching. :-]

Secondly, the three geckos are oriented along a "perfectly straight line"
in three-dimensional space; they're not on a sphere, cylinder, Moebius
strip, or any other nonplanar surface such that the frontmost gecko could
also see the hindmost gecko.  But that was definitely a good guess, and 
evocative of the non-Khan-ness of Ackans.

Kudos, in any case, to /dev/joe and breadbox, two of the Uncapitalized
Five, for each pointing these two possible solutions out within 5 minutes
of each other.

I also wish to post a clarification for the Nickname Game clue:  The name
"Hubert" may also be considered a nickname for myself, but will only be
found to be cute, creative, and/or imaginative if posted by a player who
was theretofore ineligible to find Treasure 200; that is, the post in
question is the first time e has posted a string containing my name since
Alfvaen's announcement of said Treasure.

- -Hubert

2+2=5 for extremely large values of 2.

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 19:06:49 -0500 (EST)
From: "Tom Walmsley" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: acka: hats

From: David Scheidt <[email-masked]>

> On Fri, 13 Mar 1998, Tom Walmsley wrote:
> 
> > First off, when was the message from the dice server? I don't recall
seeing

> about 10  minutes after I posted the voting results.

Are you sure about this? I've been back and looked and I can't find this
anywhere. Is this just me? Did other people see this? Is email to my address
bouncing, breadbox?

TGW.

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 19:09:03 -0500 (EST)
From: "Tom Walmsley" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Gecko Treasure

Is it because there is a mirror in front of the gecko at the front? 

TGW.

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 19:12:15 -0500 (EST)
From: "Tom Walmsley" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Gecko Treasure

> Is it because there is a mirror in front of the gecko at the front? 
> 
> TGW.

D'oh! I can't believe I just did that. It's the second time in about a week
too. Can somebody please call a snowgod's disease hearing on me (to which I
would urge everyone to vote yes :-).

TGW, feeling dumb.

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 19:13:14 -0500 (EST)
From: Hubert <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Fromage

On Fri, 13 Mar 1998, Tom Walmsley wrote:

> Crusader. I still think I'm eligible for a cheese though (and had already
> pointed this out to Alfvaen :-) though, because I have held five offices

I am calling a Bracket Pedantry Hearing against The Gingham Wearer for
the above message.  Although e is tarred and feathered, e has no longer
Learned eir Lesson.  I am Grand High Pedant in Chief for this Hearing;
reply to this message privately to vote.

And I point out, gently, to the curator of the P/E page that, as much as I
appreciate the service which e does Ackanomic in maintaining it, I do
believe I have Learned my Lesson, which fact is not depicted thereon.

And I point out, gently, to myself, that that last sentence was so
convoluted as to confuse even myself, who wrote it.

And I use my powers as DeeJay to play the Gypsy Kings' version of "Volare"
on the Ackanomic Sound System.

- -Hubert

"I drank WHAT??!?" -- Socrates

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 19:15:20 -0500 (EST)
From: Hubert <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Gecko Treasure

On Fri, 13 Mar 1998, Tom Walmsley wrote:

> Is it because there is a mirror in front of the gecko at the front? 

This guess is discounted because I did not receive it privately as was
specified in the map.  I thwap TGW soundly.  Thwapping is not regulated by
the Rules, so this happens.

- -Hubert

I drank WHAT?!!?  -- Socrates

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 19:18:08 -0500 (EST)
From: Hubert <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Discovery

On Fri, 13 Mar 1998, Tom Walmsley wrote:

> 1. The GBS casts a vote for all harfy proposals currently in the voting
> queue.

What kind of vote?  The same as the owner?  The way it's worded here, I'd
almost suspect it casts a random vote.  Which could, in all actuality, be
pretty fun.

> 4. The game state is changed such that any player who posts a public message
> in the next week that does not contain the word "harf" (or a derivative of
> it) shall lose one point for every such message.

I LIKE this.  But how to prove that, for example, "xanthelasmoidea" isn't
a derivative of "harf?"

- -Hubert

I drank WHAT?!?  -- Socrates

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 19:55:36 -0500 (EST)
From: Guy Fawkes <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: New treasure

As for the Lizard treasure:

There was mirror in front of the three geckos.

GF

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 20:02:42 -0500 (EST)
From: Guy Fawkes <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Gecko Treasure

On Fri, 13 Mar 1998, Hubert wrote:

> This guess is discounted because I did not receive it privately as was
> specified in the map.  I thwap TGW soundly.  Thwapping is not regulated by
> the Rules, so this happens.

It is game custom that all messages sent publically are also sent
privately to all subscribed to the list.

GF

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

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 20:04:10 -0500 (EST)
From: Hubert <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: New treasure

On Fri, 13 Mar 1998, Guy Fawkes wrote:

> As for the Lizard treasure:
> 
> There was mirror in front of the three geckos.

I am calling a Public Health Emergency against Guy Fawkes for this 
message; e is obviously infected with snowgod's Disease.

Valid responses, which should go to Count Tabula if I read Rule 1123
correctly, are "Yes, why just yesterday e posted a letter to eir aunt!"
and "No, e, uh, meant to do that."

Hint: Don't reply to this message unless you want one called against you.

- -Hubert

Sex on television can't hurt you unless you fall off. 

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

End of ackanomic digest V3 #58
******************************