Eternal Sunshine #157

June 2022

By Douglas Kent - 911 Irene Drive, Mesquite, TX 75149

On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/270968112943024/ or on the web at http://www.whiningkentpigs.com/DW/. Follow on Twitter at @EternalSunshDip. Also be sure to visit the official Diplomacy World website at http://www.diplomacyworld.net.

Sign up for the Eternal Sunshine Mailing List at https://mailchi.mp/45376bbd05df/eternalsunshine

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Quote of The Month – “You can do nothing against the master. Stop, Holy man! Or he'll cut the boy's throat. Back! Back! Holy man! Back, Shaman. Back, Priest!” - (Straker in “Salem’s Lot”)

Welcome to Eternal Sunshine, the zine for rejects and reprobates. I find myself with absolutely nothing to say this month. Nothing has really happened, nothing to update you on. The world spins and I spin with it. A month older, but I wouldn’t say a month wiser. It really seems like there’s nothing to talk about. Nothing. It’s been hot. Sanka is a whinebag. I still have a job for the moment. That’s all I have.

Well, I could always write about my continued struggles with ulnar nerve issues (and variations of thoracic outlet syndrome) but there’s not much to say. It hurts, for days at a time, and then gets mostly better. Not much can be done to help, and I haven’t found many ways of preventing the bad spells. They just happen when they happen. I do know that sleeping flat on my back, with my arms at my sides, is the best way to sleep when I’m in pain. Occasionally heating pads of ibuprofen alleviate the worst of the pain, but not the tingling in my fingers. Sometimes the problems begin in my upper back, sometimes my shoulder, sometimes by my elbow. And I’m told the pain center is rarely identify the true problem area.

I will mention that the deadline for the next issue of Diplomacy World is July 1. I could really use some help there, so if you have any letters, comments, complaints, columns, articles, suggestions, or anything else please send them in. There are also a number of vacancies in the Diplomacy World Staff section, and have been for quite a long time. If you’re interested, let me know, and if you think you know of good candidates, contact them and ask.

I guess that’s it from me for now. See you in July!

Game Openings

Diplomacy (Black Press): Signed up: Kevin Wilson, Gavin Begbie, Rick Davis, Graham Wilson, need three more to start.

By Almost Popular Demand: Ongoing. Join in and play NOW!

Where in the World is Kendo Nagasaki?: Ongoing. Join in and play NOW!

Also in Andy York’s Subzine – You can find his ongoing “Hangman, By Definition” and Facts in Five, plus openings for Breaking Away and Gunboat.

Standby List: HELP! I need standby players! – Current standby list: Andy York, Andy Lischett, Paul Milewski, Harold Reynolds, Jack McHugh, Brad Wilson, Graham Wilson.

Meet Me in Montauk

The Eternal Sunshine Letter Column

Bob Durf: Glad to hear about your steady progress re: benzos. Seems like you were aware from the start how debilitative they could be despite being forced to take them--too many people I know have gotten on them and it is crazy how dangerous it is to get off them.

[[It’s scary when you look up about long-term usage and see that’s defined as people who take them for longer than three months. I have a friend who had to be hospitalized for supervised withdrawal, and another who nearly died when a new doctor demanded a no-taper cold turkey approach because he didn’t feel comfortable prescribing them.]]

Andy York: If you do Hypotheticals again, I'd likely contribute. But, if you'll remember, you didn't like some of my answers as a given Hypothetical wouldn't apply to me.

[[It wasn’t that I didn’t like them…but hypotheticals are hypotheticals, so they always apply. If I said “if you pregnant with twins, would you [some dumb question that I am too lazy to think of]” we could both answer that despite neither of us ever being pregnant with twins, or likely to be. It just required imagination. You have imagination; I know this because you still imagine this zine is worthy of your subzine! Who knows, I may do them again.]]

The Dining Dead – Eternal Sunshine Movie Reviews

Unearth (DVD) – This is a film I backed on Kickstarter so many years ago, but which I only received my physical DVD a few weeks ago. It was originally billed as a horror film focused on how fracking (a method of extracting oil and gas from rock, which some people believe is especially harmful to the environment) “unearths” a deadly menace in a rural town. In reality, 80% of this film is basically a drama about tensions within and between two neighboring families. One, headed by Kathryn (Adrienne Barbeau), is struggling to keep their small corn farm afloat, and has recently lost Kathryn’s husband. Next door is George (Marc Blucas), who has given up on farming and attempts to support his teenage daughter Heather (Rachel McKeon) and her newborn son through the meager income his garage provides. Kathryn’s family includes her son, his wife, and their adult daughter (Allison McAtee) who is an aspiring photographer.

In short, Kathryn is completely against the idea of fracking, while George sees leasing his land to an exploration company is the only way his family can survive. That disagreement causes great friction between the two families, while the normal interpersonal and financial struggles cause plenty of strife within each one. The photography is quite pretty, and the acting surprisingly effective. The tension slowly builds, within and between the families. It’s a slow dramatic burn, but pressure is building. And then…well, the horror part comes in, late and without any real explanation. And stuff happens. And more stuff. Some of the imagery is interesting, and a couple of the scenes are effective, but as a whole you’re left wondering if this might have been a much better film if they left out the horror altogether. Or, on the other hand, if there were any reasonable explanations for why things played out the way they did other than “it happens like that because that’s what is in the script.” What was a kind of slow but gripping personal drama is tossed aside, and I was left unfulfilled and disappointed. A real shame, as it was a waste of a good build-up. (If you look at online reviews you’ll find a lot of very low ratings, mostly from horror fans who came for the scares alone, and never got them.)

The Stylist (Shudder) - Jill Gevargizian wrote and directed this offbeat horror film which in some ways is reminiscent of the brilliant May, although The Stylist is much less quirky. (Some horror buffs have drawn comparisons with William Lustig’s Maniac but the main character is so different I don’t think it’s 100% accurate). Najarra Townsend stars as Claire, a socially awkward but very talented hair stylist who dislikes herself and envies her clients. Olivia (Brea Grant) is one of her clients, about to be married and desperate for a rescue job on her hair. Claire’s attraction to - and obsession with - Olivia brings them closer as potential friends, but also positions her on the edge of losing control of herself. This is dramatic horror from an intelligent perspective, with a strong female flavor which is something missing from the genre too often. Townsend plays Claire so tightly wound that many of the scenes are cringeworthy, but in a deliberate way; she never goes over the top. It’s easy to empathize with how she feels, and how badly she wants to belong and be accepted. Arrow Video released a nice Blu-Ray of this film, and it’s also available on most streaming services. If you’re looking for something different that will pull you in multiple directions, give it a try. As usual, a lot of male horror fans are passing this one by or looking down on it. That’s probably because it’s much more character and emotion-driven than the popular mainstream slasher films.

Operation Mincemeat (Netflix) – The second major film to detail this British Naval scheme to dump a dead body off the coast of Spain, carrying “secret” British details of the planned invasion of Greece during World War II in an effort to fool the Germans and have them pull troops away from the true target of the southern invasion: Sicily. Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen star as the officers put in charge of the plan and its execution. As a story, the development and implementation of the operation is interesting, but the film drags on far too slowly, and gets involved in lots of melodramatic side stories. At least one of those stories appears to have added despite being entirely made up, which causes me to suspect the same of the rest. Those tangles detract from what could have been a more taut and gripping endeavor. It’s still decent, but the middle third slows the film down badly and reduces it to common fare.

Older Movies Watched (that I’ve seen many times) – Started watching the Tom Baker Dr. Who episodes, at least the ones which I have on DVD and VHS. I don’t have the complete run, but I’ve got the first five or six in order and a nice mix of others. I see a lot of them are available on Blu-Ray, but the reviews suggest the quality is terrible and the packages useless.

NOT TONIGHT, DEAR,

I HAVE A DEADLINE (6)

By Conrad von Metzke

And At The End

And at the end, when you have played your last game and stabbed your last “ally,” you will be assigned a new home: Either the fluffy one in the sky or the rather warmer one in the earth.

And at the end, if you go to the Good Place, you will doubtless discover many – though not all – of your former fellow Dip players. And someone will realize that nobody remembered to bring a Diplomacy board, so one of you will craft one – the board from the cloud, the pieces from bits of the rainbow; and you will have a game. And you will talk and bicker and whisper and chuckle in glee, and then gather ‘round the board to read the orders and move the pieces and add new units (or sometimes remove them, but obviously since you are where you are, it must have been all in fun), and afterward, over tea and crumpets or coffee and chocolates or maybe a great big slosh of Scotch, you’ll relive your former glory days with your Dip mates, and snicker about the ones who are not there but instead went Somewhere Else; and finally you will pick a time in a place where there is no time, and have another game.

And at the end, more and more of your old Dip acquaintances will join you – and more and more won’t – and eventually you’ll be able to have Tournaments, and DipCons, and name Best Russias and Best Turkeys and so forth, and print ‘zines from the stardust you gather as you circle the cosmos. Oh it will be so much fun – and, since all of those bastards who kept stabbing you won’t be there of course, you’ll have a better chance at a high place in the ratings. And maybe someone will start a stardust ‘zine named “Diplomacy Cosmos,” for which you can write articles and see your name in astral lights for which others herald your sharp knowledge and trenchant wit, and beg for more and more to the point where you may actually become Assistant Editor or maybe Chief Mercurian Correspondent or some other flashy title. And all goes just swimmingly...you think…until….

At the end of the “swimmingly” portion of this discourse, there arrives in your new home another person you know from prior days, only not as fondly as the others you’ve met. This is the creep (your word) who was your chief gaming nemesis, pretending to ally over and over and invariably ruining your day with a stab, and for whatever reason you never did learn until afterward….

“How the whatever did HE get in here?” you wonder. Later, you learn the answer: A donation of 500 billion shares of Bitcoin to the appropriate charity, which gained him provisional entry. But if the ‘how’ didn’t really matter, the ‘what’ sure did, because his first act on arrival was to zero in on the Diplomacy group. And once you heard that, had you been able to eat in your non-corporeal state, you’d have thrown up every meal you still had in you.

Well. “Time” – or whatever it was in your new form – passed, and the inevitable came in due course: You got stuck in a game with him. Too bad the usual excuses of old – dental appointment, upset stomach, you name it – were no longer relevant. So you steeled yourself and you showed up and you drew a country and you played. And you also had a little light bulb go off in your ethereal brain: What if I stab him?

So you played three or four turns, until a good opportunity appeared, and you rammed the knife good and proper into the bastard’s equivalent of a rear end, and BOY DID HE HOWL to shake the heavens. And you thought, ‘bout damned time….

But he was of course not amused, and so he immediately resigned and left and went to the Honcho of Honchos and filed a complaint concerning Behavior Unbecoming A Resident Of The Good Place. And to his complaint of course, he attached a photocopy of his receipt for the Bitcoin….

And at the end, the Honcho was reluctantly persuaded (mortgage was due). He upheld the grievance and ruled that the True Bad Guy was right and you – much to the horror of everybody else, but especially you of course, were the unclean one, the one with the fatal flaw, the one who had plunked a mere $20 into a Salvation Army kettle moments before your demise….

And at the end, therefore, he was admitted to full status.

And at the end, guess where YOU got to go….

Out of the WAY #45

by W. Andrew York

(wandrew88 of gmail.com)

Howdy!

Summer is definitely here in Austin. We’re in the midst of a string of 100-degree days, either tying or setting records, with at least another seven to go (Sat/Sun will be 106 with a 109 heat index). This is going to be one heck of a long, hot, dry summer based on the forecasts. Though, I suppose, I can take some wry solace with the predictions that Texas should be hit by more hurricanes than usual – many of those bring rain bands this far inland and, occasionally, the remnants go overhead.

In the zine, I do have a review of a new documentary on Texas and a couple submissions for the lettercol, but little else besides games. And, speaking of games, the first of the Hangman games ends and Kevin Wilson is the clear winner by identifying 4 of the 5 words. So, now’s the time to evaluate the game and get feedback from the players (and observers). What works, what doesn’t, anything to add or subtract and what can be improved. Based on what I receive, I’ll either have a one-issue feedback loop before starting the next game or launch right into it next time. Even a “no changes, it’s perfect” helps (presuming you actually feel that way). For those interested in playing in another Hangman (or joining up!), please let me know so that I’ll have some assurance that folks will join in.

Turning to baseball, the Express have fallen out of first in the PCL. Currently, they are tied for second in the PCL East with El Paso (San Diego), behind Oklahoma City (Dodgers), In the PCL West Las Vegas (Oakland) has a better record (but behind Oklahoma City) and are tied with Reno (Arizona). They are currently playing in Tacoma (Seattle) and will return next Tuesday for a 6-game stand against Sugar Land (Houston).

Have had the chance to catch a few more movies at the AFS Cinema, including a 3-night retrospective of Peter Bogdonavich films hosted by Richard Linklater (local direction and an acquaintance of his). The films included “What’s Up Doc”, “Nickelodeon” and “At Long Last Love”. Richard presented a number of personal memories, a bit of the mindset behind the films and other background. The final night, Bogdonavich’s long time collaborator and partner was on the stage. She had wonderful stories and insight into his process and approaches to taking a film from script to film.

Otherwise, pretty much routine around here.

==================================

Letter Column

(always welcome, send them in!)

(if something shouldn’t be included here, clearly mark it as a personal comment)

[Heath Davis-Gardner] - Just writing to inform you of a new email address I created mostly for Dip games, since I can’t keep

up with my current personal email’s inbox (just on a billion mailing lists, not that I’m super popular or anything).

Please update my address in the zine and your email lists to be hdg83@protonmail.com. If you wouldn’t mind also

keeping this gmail address on anything automated (new issue announcements with a set address list, etc) it would be

much appreciated, too. [WAY] – consider it done (assuming I don’t forget in the months ahead).

[Mark Firth] - I’m writing from the house of Cate’s parents, whilst they visit her brother in Texas. They were supposed to be

heading to his new home in Houston today but Cate’s mother has taken very ill from (it sounds like) mosquito bites, so

we are waiting for news. About ten years ago the same happened to Cate in the forests of Eastern Poland and she needed

emergency medical treatment, so there is clearly a genetic susceptibility. [WAY] – Houston is not the place to go to

avoid mosquitos as it is built on swampy/marshy land. Hope it’s nothing serious.

[MF] - Meanwhile their boiler malfunctioned on Thursday, something I discovered when I heard water dripping from a

light socket. Safety first with me, so I headed to the fuse box… to find water pouring out of there too. We eventually

neutralised the boiler and isolated the dangerous electrics, so are back functioning in most of the house. There’s some

flood damage but hopefully not as bad as feared.

Either side of that incident, Cate took a fall outside our house and then separately I did the same in the twilight at this

one! Cate was coordinating the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in the town of Ilkley on Sunday, so her (mis-)timing could

have been better.

Hopefully a less incident-filled rest of week to come. [WAY] – Definitely an off-week for you and Cate. Hopefully her

work on the Platinum Jubilee celebrations went well – seems like quite the event from here!

[MF – Later Note] - Latest is they hope to be well enough to fly back on the booked flights. [WAY] – good to hear!

[MF] - It’s a good job they are not in Europe. The national news here is full of tales of flight cancellations, caused it

seems by the airlines/tour companies re-opening routes without re-employing the requisite staff post-Covid!

[WAY] – much the same here, trying to ramp up staff, recertify pilots and planes and rebuild ground staffing seems the

like opposite of what they dealt with at the beginning of Covid when they were moving planes with few, if any, staff

while trying to maintain schedules in the uncertainty of how long things would last.

[MF] - I was going to say western Europe but a work colleague was in Lithuania over the weekend and said the

atmosphere was pretty relaxed. Strongly pro-Ukraine but not currently worried about any escalation in their direction.

Let’s hope that’s the case. [WAY] – have only seen a little on Putin’s latest speech referencing Empire and Peter the

Great. From what little I’ve read Ukraine is just the start of his empire building. We could be dealing with this for quite

some time, I’m afraid.

===================================

Random Review

A new documentary on Texas was just released, narrated by Texas native Matthew McConaughey. It delves into the wildlife of the state, with grand backdrops of the wide variety of the lands across the State. It is an impressive effort, visually stunning with a score that is as sweeping as the vistas presented.

It opens with the efforts to preserve the bison within the State. In the late 1800s the Goodnights, in the Texas panhandle, saved the last five bison calves in the state. From those few animals, a bison herd has been reestablished in Texas with a count now roughly 300 and ranged in state parks. From that beginning, the movie features multiple other animals from the Blind Catfish deep in limestone caves to a resurgence of the Ocelot and Brown Bear populations. The Guadeloupe Bass and migratory birds get their spotlight. East Texas is represented by the Alligator Gar, a fish that has been around since prehistoric times.

The documentary does have an underlying purpose, not at all subtly presented. The recovery of various wildlife populations is strongly highlighted through hunting limits/bans, establishing preserves and other conservation efforts. One failure of the Texas government to protect animals, that the filmmakers emphasize, is in allowing the use of “bear” traps, amongst other tools, to control Mountain Lions. But trappers are not required to check the traps (trapped animals could die of starvation/lack of water) and, of course, traps are not species specific – they can trap or injure any animal, including protected or endangered animals.

Overall, it is an excellent movie that grandly showcases the wildlife and landscape of Texas. The heavy eco-handedness that was introduced about halfway in was a bit off putting, but I’d still highly recommend it for someone who wants to experience the breadth and width of what Texas is and the variety of wildlife that shares it with us.

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Mini-Book Reviews

(finished since last issue)

Moving Pictures by Terry Pratchett (1990; 408p).

Hollywood’s mystique (or, as it is called on Discworld, Holy Wood) crosses the dimensional barriers and infects the psyche of the population. Drawn to Holy Wood by a compelling urge, citizens from all areas converge in a scene reminiscent of the American Gold Rush society crossed with the early (1920ish) film period. Meanwhile, the rest eagerly await the next blockbuster produced so they can sit in the theaters with their banged grains to munch (such is Pratchett’s humor!).

Focusing on a few of the characters brought to into the Movie Rush, including a dog that talks, it gives a hilarious take on the whole idea of “Hollywood”, movie production, expectations and stardom. Pratchett continues his masterful use of words, ideas and asides that makes a compelling and humorous story that you don’t want to put down. Don’t get me started on the Discworld version of famous films (I won’t give things away, but the film choices and interpretation make it worth the read by itself) – see banged grains above for the idea.

Highly recommended! [May 2022]

New Mercies by compiled by Guideposts (2013; 124p).

A collection of sayings, bible verses/commentaries and reflections that I read as one per day (most less than a page, a few two pagers). If it’s just to read, not really worth it. However, if you read and reflect on the entries you can draw more from the volume.

Only for the religious. [June 2022]

Sharpe’s Triumph by Bernard Cornwell (1998; 291p).

The second of the India prequels has newly promoted Sharpe leading a troop to an outpost. While there, the camp is overrun with a slaughter of everyone but Sharpe. Afterwards, he seconded to an intelligence officer to capture the British defector who led the attack. Meanwhile his nemesis, Obadiah Hakeswill, tries another plan to take down Sharpe.

The usual intrigues, twists and events have Sharpe interwoven into the British Raj campaigns against the Mahrattas. This was a master campaign by Wellesley (future Duke of Wellington) in his early career. Also highlighted is the reality of desertion by British troops and officers to the potentially more lucrative futures with the higher paying Indian leaders (assuming they survive).

Another masterpiece of the Sharpe series that had me engrossed the whole time. Highly recommended, if only for the historical information related; but, as noted with the previous book, it’s better read as one of the final books of the series rather than in isolation or in a chronological reading of the Sharpe opus. [June 2022]

===================================

Babylon 5 Quote

In “And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place” – Rev Dexter: “I’d rather do something and make a mistake than be frightened

into doing nothing. That’s the problem today back home. Folks’ve been conned into thinking they can’t change the

world, have to accept What Is. I’ll tell you something my friends. The world’s changing every day. Only question is…who’s doing it.”

===================================

Updates/Corrections

When I have updates to previous items, or corrections outside the games, they’ll be here. If there are none, this section won’t appear.

For those that expressed interest in Ann Richards, a new book (sounds like a coffee-table type) is coming out next week (book

release event at the Austin Public Library on June 16 if anyone’s interested and in town). It is titled The One Ann Only:

Wit and Wisdom from Ann Richards and “features 33 memorable Richards one-liners and 75 images of the beloved Texas governor throughout her life.” (excerpt from the June 10, 2022 issue of The Austin Chronicle, page 27).

===================================

Game Section

Everyone Plays Games: Hangman, By Definition; Facts in Five

Game Openings: Breaking Away (Kent, Burgess, Smith; Firth - minimum 6 players needed)

Standard Choice (Smith, Maslen, Firth - minimum 4 players needed)

Grey-Press Gunboat – countries, and their capital cities, restricted to each player (no preference lists) (2 of 7)

Possible Game Openings: Breaking Away Variants; Suggestions accepted for other games to offer.

Standbys: Breaking Away (x1); Gunboat Diplomacy (x2)

Rules for Breaking Away. Breaking Away Variants and Choice available on the Variable Pig website (variablepig.org)

~~+++++++++++++++++++++~~

“Round Rock Express”

(No-Press Gunboat, Game #1)

MN: 2021Crb32

Note – while doing final review of the issue last time, I realized that in reporting just the Autumn and Winter results I didn’t have

a list of existing units in the issue. So, rather than forcing the players to pull up the previous issue for those locations, I quickly typed them in. In doing so, I converted the German A Bel to F Bel. However, it was reported early and all players were duly notified in a timely manner (locations were correct in the previous issue when original orders were submitted).

Spring 1904

Austria: F GRE-aeg, A BUL s a sev-rum, A TRI s ita a ven-tyl (nso), A BUD s a sev-rum, A sev-RUM,

A VIE s ita a ven-tyl (nso)

England: F nwy-NTH, F SPA(NC) s fre a par-gas (nso), F POR s f spa(nc), A edi-YOR, F lon-ENG, A lpl-WAL

France: A MAR-spa, A par-PIC, A GAS s a mar-spa

Germany: F bal-DEN, A bel-BUR, A MUN s a bel-bur, A MOS s a war, F SWE s f bal-den, A WAR s a ber-sil, A kie-RUH,

A ber-SIL

Italy: F EME c a tun-syr, A tun-SYR, A ven-PIE, F ION c a tun-syr

Russia: F BLA-con, A ukr-SEV

Turkey: A SMY hold, F CON s f aeg, F AEG hold

Supply Center Count

Austria: Bud, Tri, Vie, Ser, Gre, Bul, Sev = 7

England: Edi, Lpl, Lon, Nwy, Por, Spa = 6

France: Mar, Par, Bre = 3

Germany: Ber, Kie, Mun, Den, Hol, Swe, War, Bel, Mos = 9

Italy: Nap, Rom, Ven, Tun = 4

Russia: StP, Rum = 2

Turkey: Ank, Con, Smy = 3

Neutral: none

Next Due Fall 1904

Note – Split seasons are granted when 2 or more requests are received if 4+ players; 3 or less requires only 1.

+++++++++++++++++++++

Hangman, By Definition

This is a five round game, with each round consisting of a variable number of turns. The winner will be the person who wins the most rounds, with a tie breaker being fewest total number of turns in those winning rounds. Second tie breaker will be the most number of letters guessed (by total count revealed, not by individual letter).

Each round will consist of identifying a word of at least six letters. Along with each word will be the first definition given. All words and definitions will be identified by blank spaces. Words and definitions are verified in a dictionary that was my high school graduation gift (slight hint to those who might want to find the edition).

The goal is to guess the word in as few turns as possible. Each turn, all players will submit one letter to be revealed. The letter submitted by the most players will be the letter revealed in the next turn. Ties will be broken by a randomized method. Additionally, each player should submit a guess for the word. Once the word is correctly identified (spelling is important), that round will end and a new round will begin. All players who guess the word in the same turn will share in the win for the round. If the word is not guessed by the end of six turns with no letter being revealed, no one will win the round.

Along with revealing letters in the word, letters will be revealed in the definition. There are no bonus points for guessing any part of the definition, it is only there to help players figure out the word. No guesses about parts of the definition will be confirmed or displayed except by the letter revealed in that round. The letters “E” and “S” can never be chosen as the letter to be revealed.

Game 1, Round Five, Turn 4:

Letter Votes: doesn’t matter Revealed: n/a

Words Guessed: (Firth) Harbor; (Kent) Marker; (Lischett) Barter; (Maslen) Barter; (O’Hara) Larder;

(Smith) Parser; (Wilson) Barter

Solution:

Word: BARTER (6)

Definition: TO (2) TRADE (5) GOODS (5) OR (2) SERVICES (8) WITHOUT (7) THE (3)

EXCHANGE (8) OF (2) MONEY (5)

Never Revealed: E, S Already Revealed: A, L, R

Words Previously Guess in this Game: Bamboo, Banger, Banner, Barrow, Dragon, Eatery, Garden, Japery, Letter, Magnet,

Mirror, Patrol, Pencil, Ravish, Sketch, Theory, Veneer, Winter, Wordle

Game Words Correctly Guessed: Infinitesimal (Davis-Gardner, Firth, Kent, Smith, Wilson);

Triclinium (Firth, Maslen, Smith, Wilson)

Chummy (Wilson)

Region (Firth, Kent, Lischett, Maslen, Smith)

Barter (Lischett, Maslen, Wilson)

Which leads to the end of this game (consists of five word rounds). In the final tally of correct guesses, we have:

1 - Heath Davis-Gardner

2 – Doug Kent, Andy Lischett

3 – Mark Firth, Dane Maslen, Richard Smith

4 – Kevin Wilson

Leaving Kevin Wilson at the top of the leaderboard for Game 1 of Hangman

Player Comments:

[Andy Lischett] – To trade goods or services between two turtle doves.

[Dane Maslen] – Could the definition be something like “to trade goods or -R--- --- - exchange of ---"?

Aha! Goggling for “barter trade exchange” gives me a hit that explains bartering as “an act of trading goods or service

between two or more parties without the use of money – or a monetary medium, such as a credit card.” That means I

flesh the definition out to “to trade goods or service without the exchange of money.” Looks pretty convincing to me.

[Kevin Wilson] – I think the first part of the definition is: “To trade goods or services” but I don’t have the rest yet.

[Later] - To trade goods or service without the exchange of money.

Redacted Comments from Previous Rounds -

Turn One

[Dane Maslen] – I suppose it’s quite likely that the first word in the definition is ‘AN’, in which case we’re after a noun again,

but I must remember to revisit this assumption later.

Turn Three:

[Andy Lischett] – My first choice was “catnip” but the first word of the definition is likely TO, which makes this a verb. Maybe not.

[Dane Maslen] – SO, the first word of the definition isn’t AN. Perhaps it’s TO, in which case we’re looking for a verb.

+++++++++++++++++++++

FACTS IN FIVE

Rules: There will be five rounds, the cumulative high score at the end of the fifth round will be the winner. Anyone may join anytime with a starting score matching the lowest total from the previous round. Anyone missing a round will add the lowest score of that round.

Each round will consist of five categories and five letters. Each player submit may an entry for each category which has a key word that starts with each of the letters (twenty-five total entries). Key words are generally the first word; however articles (the, a, etc.) and modifiers (“red” in red bicycle for “R” in “mode of transportation” or “general” in General Lee for “G” in “Military Leaders”) are not key words. A word in the category may not be the key word (“bank” in “Bank of America” for “B” in the category “Banks”). For given names, the last name is the key word, if married it will be their post-marriage last name. However, in the case of commonly used stage names, that name should be used (in a category of female singers, ”Q” could be “Queen Latifa” and “Cher” for “C”). An entry may only be used once per round. Please clearly identify which individual you are using as your answer if there are multiple potential people with a given name. For instance, if the category is American Presidents, answering Washington is fine as there is only one; however, if you decided to use Bush you need to indicate whether you are submitting the father or the son. Unclear answers will be matched to score the least points. Using the Bush example, if one person submitted “Bush” and three people submit “George W. Bush” the latter would score 2 points and the former 1.

One point will be scored for each entry that unarguably meets the letter and category. An additional point will be added if anyone else also uses the same valid entry for the same category. Maximum possible score in a round is 50 with a lowest possible score of 25, presuming an individual submits a valid entry for each category and letter in that round.

Research is allowed, collaboration between players is not.

Game Five, Round Two

Bolded - Scores 2 points for matching another entry; Crossed Out - scores 0 points; otherwise scores 1 point.

REMINDER - Last names are generally the key word, not first names.

Players H I K L S

Large Non-American Manufacturer

Mark Firth Hesteel Ineos ~~SIX5SIX~~ Lactalis SAAB

Doug Kent Huawei Icons Beauty Group Khodro Kaveer Lifan Samsung Electronics

Andy Lischett Honda Iveco Kia LG Samsung

Walt O’Hara Heroux-Devtek Int Poly Group Keymer Tiles Lindstrand Bal Sentinel Waggon Works

Kevin Wilson Huawei Imp Chem Ind Kia Motors LG Electronics Samsung

Celebrated American Singer

Mark Firth Whitney Houston Ice Cube Beyonce Knowles Loretta Lynn Frank Sinatra

Doug Kent Whitney Houston Janis Ian Beyonce Knowles Jennifer Lopez Frank Sinatra

Andy Lischett Lena Horne Julio Iglesias Lenny Kravitz Lady Gaga Frank Sinatra

Walt O’Hara Levon Helm Iggy Pop BB King Patti LeBelle Patti Smith

Kevin Wilson Whitney Houston Ice Cube Alicia Keys John Legend Bruce Springsteen

Living Fiction Writer (Novels)

Mark Firth Mark Haddon Eowyn Ivey Stephen King Penelope Lively Gary Shteyngart

Doug Kent Robin Hobb Kazuo Ishiguro Stephen King Scott Lynch RL Stine

Andy Lischett Anthony Horowitz Glenn Ickler Stephen King John Lescroart John Sandford

Walt O’Hara Barbara Hambly John Irving Stephen King Dennis Lehane Brandon Sanderson

Kevin Wilson Peter F Hamilton John Irving Stephen King Sharon Lee Danielle Steele

Inventor/Discoverer

Mark Firth Fritz Haber Daisuke Inoue M Kalashnikov Otto Lilienthal Adolphe Sax

Doug Kent Fritz Haber Ub Iwerks Mary Kenner Antoine Lewis Thomas Savery

Andy Lischett Walter Hunt Ub Iwerks Dean Kamen* Lewis Latimer* James H Spangler**

Walt O’Hara <> Daisuke Inoue M Kalashnikov Lumiere Brothers Jonas Salk

Kevin Wilson C Huygens Daisuke Inoue Raymond Kurzweil Hedy Lamarr George Stephenson

Crustacean

Mark Firth Hairy Hermit Crab Imperial Shrimp Krill Lobster Spider Crab

Doug Kent Hermit Crab Imperial Shrimp <> Longarm Prawn Spider Crab

Andy Lischett Hooded Shrimp Isopods Krill Lysmata amboinesis Seed Shrimp

Walt O’Hara Hermit Crab Imperial Shrimp King Crab Lesser Blue Crab Southern Rock Lobster

Kevin Wilson Hermit Crab Isopods Krill Lobster Scallop

Note – for allowed and disallowed answers, please feel free to correct me!

Notes on Mark’s Answers: Mark notes – Hesteel (steel, PRC); Incos (chemicals, UK); SIX5SIX (clothing, IND) is disallowed as

it doesn’t start with a “K”; Lactalis (dairy, FRA); SAAB (aerospace, SWE); Fritz Haber (ammonia synthesis); Daisuke

Inoue (karaoke machine); M Kalashnikov is Mikhail Kalashnikov (firearms); Otto Lilienthal (hand-glider); Adolphe Sax (saxophone);

Notes on Walt’s Answers: Walt expands on his entries - Heroux-Devtek, Canada, Aerospace; Int Poly Group is Intertape

Polymer Group, Canada, Packaging Manufacture; Keymer Tiles, England, Roof Tiles; Lindstrand Bal is Lindstrand

Balloons, England, Hot Air Baloons and Aerostats; Sentinel Waggon Works, England, Locomotive Cars; Levon Helm, The Drummer and Voice of “The Band”; Iggy Pop, American Proto-Punk; BB King, lengendary American Blues Singer; Patti LeBelle, American Pop Star, Gospel Singer; Patti Smith, American Poet, Vocalist Artist *and not celebrated nearly enough; Barbara Hambly, Horror/Fantasy novelist, US (WAY: and author of an excellent historical mystery series around Benjamin January) WO: John Irving, US/Canadian Author, wrote World According to Garp; Stephen King, Horror Novelist, US; Dennis Lehane, Crime Novelist, US; Brandon Sanderson, F/SF Novelist, US; Daisuke Inoue (JP), Karaoke Machines; Thomas Jennings (US), dry cleaning; M Kalashnikov is Mikhail Kalashnikov (SU), the AK47 and 74; Lumiere Brothers (FR), Cinematographe Machine; Jonas Salk MD (US)m Polio Vaccine; Hermit Crab (various types); King Crab (we used to fish for these in Alaska…grueling work)

Notes on Kevin’s Answers: Imp Chem Ind is Imperial Chemical Industries; C Huygens is Christiaan Huygens

General Player Comments:

[Mark Firth] – Regarding last issue’s entry of “OOTW Day” as a recognized US holiday, Mark notes – “OOTW Day” was

humorous – or a wish! WAY – Anyone who wishes to create an OOTW Day is welcome to do so; however, I think it’ll be an uphill fight to gain any official recognition by a governmental entity.

[Andy Lischett] – * - these two answers came courtesy of Jeopardy a couple of days ago. ** - I found Spangler while looking up

“Hoover vacuums”, assuming that someone named Hoover invented it. Nope. James Henry Spangler was a janitor who

invented the upright vacuum for work and gave one to his cousin Susan. Susan’s husband – William Henry Hoover –

like it and bought the patent. [WAY] – If I recall correctly, Spangler’s initial version of the vacuum had to be hauled

around in the bed of a truck and the hoses stretched into the building to actually “vacuum”. But, I could be confusing it

with a similar invention.

[AL] - Regarding last issue’s entry of “Oji” for a Royal Title, Andy notes – I couldn’t find Oji either, except in the

Wikipedia list [appended to the end of the Email] where I originally saw it under “Imperial, royal and noble ranks.”

[WAY] - I finally found the page you referenced and it is there; however, I can’t find it anywhere else. As I, personally,

take anything from Wikipedia with a grain of salt and only use material found there if I have something else to

corroborate it, I’m staying with disallowing the term.

[Kevin Wilson] – Once again my lack of a full appreciation of music hurts. I had to just go with pop singers as I really don’t

know much else. [WAY] – doesn’t seem to have worked out that poorly for you. [KW] – Overall, a little more

forgiving subjects than the last couple of turns.

Game Five, Round Three

Letters: A D K U W

Categories: American Mountain Peak; Book of the Old Testament (Christian Bible); Catholic Saint;

Animated Cartoon Character; 21^st Century Noted Military Figure

Current Standings

Scores by Category 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Now Previous Total

Doug Kent 7 8 6 7 7 35 + 36 = 71

Andy Lischett 8 6 6 6 7 33 + 36 = 69

Kevin Wilson 9 7 7 6 9 38 + 26 = 64

Mark Firth 4 9 6 8 10 37 + 24 = 61

Walt O’Hara 5 5 7 6 7 30 + 30 = 60

===================================

Deadline for the Next Issue of Out of the WAY:

July 6, 2022 at noon Central US Time Zone

See You Then!

Game entries, letters of comment and other material can be sent to:

wandrew88 at gmail.com; or by post to: W. Andrew York; POB 201117; Austin TX 78720-1117

Eternal Sunshine Game Section

Diplomacy, “More Than Ever”, 2021A, F 03

Austria: Andy Lischett – andy@lischett.com – F Adriatic Sea – Apulia, A Bulgaria – Constantinople,

F Ionian Sea - Tyrrhenian Sea, A Serbia Hold, F Trieste – Albania, A Tuscany – Rome,

A Venice Supports A Tuscany - Rome.

England: Paul Milewski – paul.milewski@hotmail.com – Retreat F English Channel - Irish Sea..

A Edinburgh – Liverpool, F Irish Sea Supports A Edinburgh – Liverpool, F Wales Supports A Edinburgh - Liverpool.

France: Brad Wilson - fullfathomfive675@gmail.com - F Brest Supports F Spain(sc) - Mid-Atlantic Ocean,

F English Channel - London (*Fails*), A Marseilles - Burgundy (*Fails*), A Picardy – Paris,

F Spain(sc) - Mid-Atlantic Ocean.

Germany: Heath Davis-Gardner – hdg83@protonmail.com – A Belgium – Picardy,

A Burgundy Supports A Belgium - Picardy (*Cut*), A Holland – Belgium,

F North Sea Supports F Yorkshire – London, A Ruhr Supports A Holland – Belgium, F Yorkshire - London.

Italy: John David Galt – jdgalt@att.net - Retreat F Ionian Sea - Tyrrhenian Sea.. ~~A Rome Hold~~ (*Disbanded*),

A Tunis Supports F Ionian Sea - Sargasso Sea (Impossible), F Tyrrhenian Sea - Naples.

Russia: Simon Langley-Evans - slangers1964@gmail.com - A Ankara Supports A Armenia – Smyrna,

A Armenia – Smyrna, F Black Sea Supports A Bulgaria – Constantinople,

A Clyde Supports F Norwegian Sea – Edinburgh, F Norwegian Sea – Edinburgh, F Rumania Hold,

F Skagerrak - Norway.

Turkey: Jack McHugh - jwmchughjr@gmail.com – ~~A Constantinople Supports F Smyrna~~ (*Disbanded*),

~~F Smyrna Supports A Constantinople~~ (*Dislodged*, retreat to Aegean Sea or Eastern Mediterranean or Syria

or OTB).

Please note Heath’s new email address!

Supply Center Chart

Austria: Budapest, Bulgaria, Constantinople, Greece, Rome, Serbia, Trieste,

Venice, Vienna=9 Build 2

England: Liverpool=1 Remove 2

France: Brest, Marseilles, Paris, Portugal, Spain=5 Even

Germany: Belgium, Berlin, Denmark, Holland, Kiel, London, Munich=7 Build 1

Italy: Naples, Tunis=2 Even

Russia: Ankara, Edinburgh, Moscow, Norway, Rumania, Sevastopol, Smyrna,

St Petersburg, Sweden, Warsaw=10 Build 3

Turkey: None=0 OUT!

PRESS

BORDEAUX: A cowering government, relocated here, is going through the city's wine cellars as fast as possible. "Leave nothing for the Germans!" is the cry.

Deadline for W 03/S 04 is July 9^th at 7am My Time

Where in the World is Kendo Nagasaki?

The Rules were in Eternal Sunshine #131, read them if you want a detailed explanation and examples. Basically, this is a guessing game, trying to guess the mystery person and their location (both chosen by me before the game started). Closest guess gets a public clue and notification they were the closest. Everyone else sees the clue but has to figure out on their own who was the closest that turn.

Turn 1