Eternal Sunshine #159

August 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

Check out my eBay store at http://stores.ebay.com/dougsrarebooksandmore

Quote of The Month – “But, come sundown, there's gonna be two things true that ain't true now. One is that the United States Department of Justice is goin' to know what in the good Christ - excuse me, Angie - is goin' on around here. And the other's I'm gonna have somebody's ass in my briefcase.” - (James Wells in “Absence of Malice”)

Welcome to Eternal Sunshine, the zine for those who carry their mistakes around with them the way Ebenezer Scrooge was going to have to carry his chain through eternity, forged by his own misdeeds. Or maybe it’s just the zine published by such a person?

I was looking over some of the earlier issues of Eternal Sunshine, from its heyday (or at least one of them). Back in 2010 and 2011. There were a lot of things I enjoyed doing in the zine during that period. And a lot of participation. Hypothetical Questions routinely got up to ten responses. Jack McHugh was running Adult’s Only By Popular Demand. Movie Quote contests. A bourse. Deviant Diplomacy – the most insane game ever created – was reaching mid-game. Occasional “You Don’t Know Me” interviews. More of my own writing, on a variety of topics. Paul Milewski and Kevin Tighe were submitting occasional columns (to go along with the reliable Andy York). Richard Walkerdine was still with us. Eternal Sunshine would soon start housing The Abyssinian Prince as a subzine (after being born AS a subzine of TAP). BPD had over 25 active players. Everybody Plays Diplomacy and Lifeboat were running, and enjoyed. Variants were frequently offered, and occasionally filled. Dead pools, sports predictions, 23 Tunes, 100 Movies to See Before You Die…all had large levels of participation. There was even the Eternal Sunshine Index, measuring the health and participation of the zine. Those were good times. Sadly, I know they’re long gone. It’s a different hobby, a different world. Too many names in there have left this mortal world.

The way things are now, I seem to consider calling a halt to the zine entirely at least once a month. Not a sudden shutdown, of course. Just a “no more new games, run down to a fold, and finally admit the world has moved on and left the zine behind” kind of announcement. I figure I’m here at least to the end of the new BPD game (which starts this issue). But it’s entirely possible that I make an announcement sooner rather than later. It isn’t that doing the zine is that much work. It’s just that the audience shrinks month after month. As of right now, there are about 17 people who participate in at least one of the things in the zine (games, letters, or subzines). That’s a very small group, and that number drops month after month. I think that illustrated fairly well that the days of doing a zine like this are basically over.

In zine news…well, not sure what’s going to happen with my stuff, but in the meantime, we have the brand-new game of By Popular Demand to contend with. And, fortunately, subzines from Conrad von Metzke and Andy York so you still have a reason to look at this thing! Conrad is undergoing eye surgery, so I’m not sure if he’ll be able to submit a column for next month. (He’s also decided he can’t resist running a choo choo game, so he is starting his own 1-game zine, just a few months after announcing his retirement. I’m just happy he’s still with us).

I guess that’s it from me for now. See you in September! See you…when the summer’s gone…..see you…..in September….(I remember an old commercial for Roy Roger’s advertising their fried chicken, which used that song and showed school cafeteria workers displaying typical school cafeteria fare. Obviously the song didn’t originate there, but that’s what I think of first).

Game Openings

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

By Popular Demand: Starting this issue! 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

Paul Milewski: Colin Bruce wrote that the Easter card I sent him this year didn't arrive until June 1. Of course, he's in Cambridge, England. Even so, that it took so long to get there is still surprising to me.

[[International mail is another thing entirely. It can be fast, or eternally slow. Or nonexistent; I had a small package to send to Brendan Whyte in Australia, and it sat in my table for months because the USPS halted all package deliveries to Australia for a LONG time (unless you sent it overnight). They finally opened it up a few months ago. I used to be a lot more sensitive to international mail speeds and issues when I had to mail copies of Maniac’s Paradise and Diplomacy World overseas, or back when I had my small business selling topical stamps.]]

Andy Lischett: Regarding the type of people who read Eternal Sunshine: I'm not ostracized, just ignored.

[[I’ll grandfather you in anyway.]]

I feel bad about your situation with the Post Office and the federal courthouse. Dealing with TWO government bureaucracies. The Post Office I can sort of understand: if it's lost, it's lost. Weird that it happened twice, but apparently in different locations so you can't even suspect that it's personal.

[[I was kind of thankful for that…my mind searches for explanations when faces with a problem, and if it had bene a single sorting location I would have started to wonder if somehow the government was seizing my mail. After all, I **AM** a danger to society, a frightening felon.]]

The scary part is the Courthouse. They may be conditioned to not believe people, and assume the worst. As you said, if a clerk receives a notice that a missing money order was cancelled, they might just shuffle it to the Deadbeat Tray without caring whether you are up-to-date, and certainly without asking you why it was cancelled. Personally, I would be inclined to take a half-day off each month to deliver it by hand, but that might not work unless they routinely receive payments in person. Anything out of the ordinary might get lost.

[[I’d lose my job – not that I’ll likely have it for much longer anyway – if I did that. They DO routinely receive payments in person, that’s why it takes so long, the lines can be like the DMV. The problem with the courthouse is that’re just an intermediary, and therefore they have no interest. I’m a number, nothing more. A payment comes in, they deposit it. A payment doesn’t come in, they notify the Feds. They’re not against me…they simply don’t care one way or another, any more than a credit card company or electric company looks at a bill payment as a personal transaction.]]

Yes, it is a conspiracy.

[[Everything is. That’s why conspiracy to commit (insert crime here) is tacked on to every criminal charge the Feds throw on somebody (except in my case, because you can’t have a conspiracy of just one person).]]

Brad Wilson: I see Big Fish in your movies. I saw a community theatre production of the musical a couple of weeks ago. It was enjoyable if not especially profound, and as usual in musicals I found the music a bit twee.

However, I did see Albert Finney was in the movie, which got my attention.

Movie any good?

[[It’s a good film, not a great one, although I love it in some ways more for how Finney reminds me of my father than the cohesion of the film itself. It’s a Tim Burton film, but not in the over-the-top way you might be used to. Sort of a fantasy, sort of a comedy, sort of a family drama. As much as I like Ewan McGregor, I think he may have been the wrong choice for the lead. It’s worth watching at least once, if you remember to take the film as it is intended. (It’s also a good book, a quick read). Boiled down to basics, it’s the story of an adult son feeling like he doesn’t know his father at all, and learning that he just hasn’t been listening.]]

Andy York: Sorry for the difficulties with the mail. I've noticed a significant downturn in their quality over the past few years. THe most recent are a failure to put a "pick-up" slip for packages when they arrive in my PO Box. THe first time it happend, the (small) box would have fit in the POB easily, th second sat for nearly a month before I asked after it with no initial or follow-up notes (I didn't have the tracking number). When I pointed this out, one person just shrugged their shoulders and, in another with an apparent supervisor, she just said "good help is hard to find". But, it's what we have..... Hopefully my issues won't progress to the level you are dealing with, my sympathies.

[[I think that’s mostly what it comes down to. Good help is hard to find, strained staffing levels, and poor management. Plus, no competition. At least rates keep going up!]]

As to Dr Who that Mark talked about. I was also a Pertwee inductee and consider him my favourite (correct spelling, for the BBC). Like Mark, I have (or did have, not sure if they've survived multiple moves), VCR tapes of every Pertwee show through the end of the "first" period. Of those, I have to say McCoy was the one I least liked. I also have a couple of the earlier ones - my San Antonio PBS station (KLRN) ran Dr. Who every night in the '80s which helped me with seeing all of those shows.

[[So that matches again: our initial Doctor is our favorite more often than not.]]

As for the Hypotheticals, I think we've both covered our positions and no need to continue it.

[[I kind of doubt I’ll be doing them anyway, since the zine has a very heavy “winding down” kind of feel to it.]]

The Dining Dead – Eternal Sunshine Movie Reviews

Disappearance at Clifton Hill (Netflix) – Abby (Tuppence Middleton) returns to her hometown of Niagara Falls, Canada after her mother has died of a heart attack. While there, she becomes obsessed with memories of a kidnapping she believes she saw when she was seven years old. She does not know who was kidnapped, or why; just that she saw it happen. And now she wants to solve it, even if the police have no interest in helping her.

I think I’ve expressed a number of times in these pages that too many story ideas these days are stretched into four-, six-, or eight-episode miniseries instead of just being more tightly told in a single film. Surprisingly, I found myself thinking this film might have worked better as a four-part miniseries. There are a lot of story threads that need to be pulled together, and there’s plenty in Abby’s part (and present) that could have been explored much more deeply. As things are, this is a decent film but one that left me unsatisfied. The entire last third is a mad dash of trying to fit the solution in before the movie ends. As a result, nobody is fully developed, and the last scene is met with nothing more than a shrug. It’s not a terrible film by any means, but it’s not one I can fully recommend either.

Girl in the Picture (Netflix) – This is one of those Netflix true crime things, but this time around it’s a single film instead of a miniseries. A woman is found at the side of an Oklahoma highway, possibly a hit-and-run. Rushed to the hospital, her husband arrives and tapes a “no visitors” sign on her hospital door. Soon she dies, and here begins the first in a series of mysteries. What actually caused her injuries? And then, who was she really: the married adult dancer she was known as…or someone else entirely? Who is her mysterious husband? And what has happened to her young son? The story here is genuinely fascinating most of the way through, and every time things slow down, a curve ball is thrown and things get even weirder than before. I won’t give anything away, but by the time the film ends nearly every question has been answered in one way or another. If you enjoy true crime, check it out. It’s a cut above must of the Netflix tiresome documentary stuff.

The Wolf of Snow Hollow (Amazon) – More of a dark comedy than any kind of horror film, I decided to watch this werewolf movie for two reasons. The first was that it was the final film (released posthumously) of Robert Forster. And the second is that it was written, directed, and starring Jim Cummings (who made the very good comedy-drama Thunder Road). Cummings plays John Marshall, as officer (or deputy, but he’s frequently referred to as an officer) with the sheriff’s department near Snow Hollow, Utah. The quiet skiing town suffers the murder of one woman, and then another, by what some residents believe is a werewolf. Marshall tries to avoid the werewolf theory while balancing his sobriety, teenage daughter, ex-wife, anger issues, and running the department for his father the Sherriff (Forster) who is dealing with heart trouble. The humor is of a very specific quirky quality which won’t be to everyone’s taste. Within five minutes I could tell what the biggest problem in this film would be: Cummings was simply the wrong choice to play the lead. The things which worked for his character in Thunder Road are out of place here and cause the entire story to be uneven. The quiet laughs still work, but the bigger moments are neither funny nor effectively dramatic. If you want to see a werewolf story told in a much different way than usual you could do much worse than The Wolf of Snow Hollow, and I did ride it until the end, but it doesn’t deliver the way I’d hoped or expected.

Howard’s Mill (Tubi) – A fake documentary film (I don’t want to call is a mockumentary because that term generally seems to refer to comedies). This one deals with a college-age film crew investigating the disappearance of a woman from an abandoned piece of farmland in rural Tennessee. At first their goal is to determine if the woman’s husband was involved in her disappearance. But soon they realize there have been a string of mysterious disappearances on that land through the years. It’s actually a generally entertaining film, until the 2/3 point. There’s a break at that stage, with a song playing over some footage of the husband and wife in happier times. And when that ends, and the story resumes…well, to begin with, the acting suddenly gets much worse. And the facts and evidence become jumbled. Too much “evidence” and too many theories are crammed into too little space. Plus, the two filmmakers become passive participants instead of driving the investigation forward. It was a shame, because it felt like the film might have been building to something more clever, more interesting.

Older Movies Watched (that I’ve seen many times) – Absence of Malice, American Splendor, Twice-Told Tales, The X-Files (season 6), and started The Prisoner again.

NOT TONIGHT, DEAR,

I HAVE A DEADLINE (8)

By Conrad von Metzke

NOT GOOD-BYE

It would seem that I have become at least a semi-regular “columnist” for ETERNAL SUNSHINE, certainly by my own choice if not by anyone else’s; and so I think it might be of use to share with the multitude of you readers a bit about who I am and why I’m not really, technically, a hobby “stalwart” any longer. Promise, I’ll keep it short.

I started playing Dip in 1962 – yep, sixty years ago. And in 1965 I started publishing ‘zines – many of them, beginning with COSTAGUANA and eventually encompassing many others for one purpose or another. Also for some years I was part of a local group that played face-to-face as often as possible, but which in the fullness of time dissolved and went sixty-twelve different directions - far too many of which directions included death, because by now we’d all be Very Old Indeed. (I was one of the younger group members, and I’m now 78.)

But indeed in time the locals spread to the four winds; I kept on publishing postal stuff for decades, but eventually life and reality and, frankly, exhaustion caught up with me, and I faded into a form of self-oblivion from which Doug Kent has sort of rescued me, but only a little: I couldn’t scare up an in-person game today if it meant my life, and I have no desire whatsoever to publish or GM a game ever again. (Nor has anyone indicated they’d want me to.)

But – call it the memories of an old man – I still like to look in, and check on, what has become of the hobby I adored. It’s not as if any of you are my ‘children’ or ‘proteges’ or anything similar; rather, you are my successors, and in many ways I envy you very much, while at the same time I refuse absolutely to preach to you that “it ought to be done this way because it has always been done this way and not any other way at all, ever…. “

I do not have the slightest idea what has become of my old Dip-mates – well, most of them, anyway. Names like Rod Walker and Larry Peery – both locals to me, both gone from my life for a very long time, Larry deceased and Rod, who knows? John Boardman, the founder of the hobby, is alive but long retired. I know Walt Buchanan is still out there, but vanished from this game (and at his age, probably most everything else just as I am). Doug and Marie Beyerlein are still out there as well, but lying low; and we all know where Doug Kent is, long may he wave; but they’re all outliers. And on and on and on...truthfully, I feel like a relic that the rest of you have somehow dug up in a Greek archaeological site. Certainly it’s nice to be a Senior Fellow – but it’s simultaneously sad to have be one of the Last Old Men Standing, if but tenuously.

Summary – my current intention is to soldier on, under the aegis of Doug, for as long as the creaky fingers still sometimes hit the right keys. And I continue to enjoy reading all the other rubbish that Doug stuffs into his efforts, for which kudos and a very long round of applause are in order. As for me – well, I hope you won’t mind if I say “not goodbye” to you, my successors, every now and then….

Out of the WAY #47

by W. Andrew York

(wandrew88 of gmail.com)

Howdy!

This is going to be somewhat brief, with all the game reports, but not much else (likely just the book reviews). I’d hoped for more, but a personal, family, situation in Michigan really took the wind out of the past couple of the weeks. At one point, it looked like I would even have to have a full pass for the month and not put anything out while out of town. But, it resolved itself for now, and the follow-up is being handled. No need to go any further into it.

As I’ve mentioned, it’s a hot summer in Texas. As in previous months, July was the hottest July on record (records go back to around 1880). That was the fourth “all-time-hottest” month in the past 8 months…and August is well on the way to be one also. If I remember correctly, we’re on track for the hottest summer on record, by over ½ a degree, and we’re still well ahead of the pace of 2011, when we had 90 days over 100 degrees, so that record is also likely to be broken. Needless to say my plants are NOT happy.

Rain is also a concern, we’re near 49 days with no measurable amount at the official Austin weather tracking site at Camp Mabry (Texas National Guard base, has an excellent Texas Military Museum if you’re ever visiting the area). Many boat ramps are closed, naturally fed swimming spots shut down as there’s not enough water and our dams (remember, Austin’s water is supplied by surface lakes behind dams built mostly in the ‘30s as part of the Rural Electrification efforts from the time) have curtailed the supply to farmers downstream (many are rice! growers that need plenty of water) as the lakes are many feet below average for this time of year.

In baseball news, the Express have been on the road the past few weeks and return home on Tuesday for a 6-game series. After that, there’s one home 12-game series (over 13 days) and at the end of September a final 3-game home series. So, only 21 more games for me to enjoy before the season wraps up. They are in the middle of the division, 5 games out of first. For the Pacific Coast League, they have the 4^th best overall record, so the East side of the PCL is definitely the tough half.

Enough blathering for now. Hope everyone is having a great summer and that, for those with kids, that your school preparations are going well. Some schools in Texas started in the past week, most start at some point next week. Not having children, never really paid much attention to the start times, but this year seems much earlier. When I was in school, we didn’t start until the end of August or just after Labor Day. So, not sure why things have moved into August (and football/band practices start in late July?).

Be well, be safe and I’ll see you next month.

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

Letter Column

(always welcome, send them in!)

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

[Doug Kent] – (regarding my comment about “chirping” at umpires last issue) I agree, I roll my eyes when I hear crowds moan

about a ball being correctly called, especially when it is obvious while watching TV.

[Robert Lesco] – I was intrigued by your mention in Mr. Kent’s ‘zine of automatically called balls and strikes. Do I recall

correctly that your local team is in the historic Pacific Coast League (PCL)?

[WAY] – Yepper, Express are in the Pacific Coast League. When the team was formed, it hosted a AA team (that later

was moved and became the Corpus Christi Hooks) in the Texas League. When they moved up to AAA they joined the PCL and have been there every year since. Well, with one exception, last year the were technically in “AAA West” as when MLB took over the minors they weren’t immediately able to acquire the rights to the Pacific Coast League moniker. That has since been handled.

[RL] – Locally, Jays fans are flattered that All Star game voters noticed what a fine season Alejandro Kirk is having. He

may not look athletic but he is having some kind of a season. Come to think of it, Mickey Lolich did not look athletic

either but he certainly got the job done.

[WAY] – Not that familiar with Kirk, I’ll look him up. Lolich, on the other hand, was a favorite player growing up.

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

Mini-Book Reviews

(finished since last issue)

Baseball Research Journal (Spring 2022) from SABR (2022; 121p(.

A collection of articles on the general theme of Women in Baseball (with others on analytics and other historical topics). Truly enjoyed the articles on Women, from coverage of women’s baseball between 1865-1915 to highlighting the careers of outstanding women who made a difference in the future of baseball. The other historical bits were decent, one is on Willie Mays ending his baseball career with the Mets, while the analytics were bit outside of my interest level (though for statisticians, probably trove of data to delve into and debate).

Recommended only if you’re a baseball fan or interested in the early years of women’s baseball. [July 2022]

Sunshine & Storms by Susan Lenzkes (2012; 205p).

This is a collected of devotions to “Encourage and Comfort”, which they, by and large, do. I read this at a “one per day” pace, which took some time. However, many of the devotions weren’t applicable to me at the time and others were less than helpful. Now, all of the devotions would be of use to folks in certain situations, but the titles weren’t always clear on what the main topic or focus was. So, things were somewhat hit and miss as my expectations weren’t always aligned with the lesson.

This, coupled with a complete lack of any index, beyond the contents pages, makes the utility of the book for readers uneven. Without knowing which devotionals to read for grief, encouragement, doubt or support the book doesn’t have a strong value as a resource. So, skip one this unless you are looking for a random set of devotionals that may, or may not, be of any use to you at the time you read it. [July 2022]

Together We Will Go by J. Michael Straczynski (2021; 295p).

JMS’s latest book is a bit of a departure, being about a road trip across the United States. Along the way, an assortment of characters are added to the compliment on the tour bus. However, this road trip has an unusual ending planned – to drive off a cliff near San Francisco. All of the participants, except the driver, have chosen to end their lives for a wide variety of reasons and the trip is the opportunity to have one last fling before achieving their intended goal.

JMS has assembled an intriguing cast of characters and motivations. How they interact, seek experiences and reconcile their viewpoints with one another builds the spirit of the story. It was so intriguing and compelling that I finished this in only four sessions.

One interesting addition to the story, considering the main topic of the book, is the inclusion of suicide prevention resources (though the listed number has been replaced by the recently rolled out 988 number). Also, to facilitate interaction and consideration by book clubs, there are discussion questions and ideas included at the back of the book. Even if not part of a book club, the material can enhance your understanding of those experiencing these thoughts.

Recommended, with a caveat on the topic. [July 2022]

Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett (2002; 342).

The next Discworld book hails back to characters that played a part in an earlier volume in a takeoff of the Fairy Tale genre, much as the Hollywood themed book parodied early filming. In short, a witch (who was also a fairy godmother to a princess), suddenly dies – willing her wand, and responsibilities, to another witch. However, the princess is in a realm far away and she is currently relegated to working as a scullery maid, without knowledge of her heritage (due to the machinations of the fairy godmother’s evil counterpart). Her goal, through manipulating the story arcs of several fairy tales, is to eventually marry the princess/scullery maid to her, toady (wink), prince and so fully control the kingdom.

So, hilarity ensues, and thoroughly enjoyable read. I will have to say that the send-up of Hollywood was a tad better, but this one certainly is worth reading. Recommended. [July 2022]

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

Babylon 5 Quote

In “Dust to Dust” – Londo: “We recommended that <Lord Jarno> be sterilized in the best interest of evolution, But, then we

remembered that he was married to Lady Jarno, so really, there was no need”

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

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

Autumn 1904

Turkey: A smy retreats OTB

Winter 1904

Austria builds A TRI

Germany builds A MUN

Italy builds F NAP

Spring 1905

Austria: F GRE-aeg, A bul-CON, A tyl-mun (r-ven/tri/otb), A BUD s a rum, A RUM s a bud, A vie-BOH, A tri-SER

England: F NTH c a pic-bel (imp), F SPA(NC) s f por-mao, F por-MAO, A NWY-swe, F ENG s a pic-bel, A pic-BEL

France: A MAR holds, A BRE s ger a mos-stp (imp), A PAR s a bre

Germany: F DEN s f bot-swe, A BUR-par, A boh-TYL, A MOS s a war-ukr, F bot-SWE, A war-UKR, A bel-pic (r-hol/ruh/otb),

A gal-VIE, A MUN s a boh-tyl

Italy: F EME s f ion-aeg, A SMY s aus a bul-con, A PIE s aus a tyl (nso), F ion-AEG, F nap-TYN

Russia: F BLA c a sev-bul, A sev-BUL

Turkey: F con-ANK, F aeg-con (ann)

Supply Center Count

Austria: Bud, Tri, Vie, Ser, Gre, Bul, Rum

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

France: Mar, Par, Bre

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

Italy: Nap, Rom, Ven, Tun , Smy

Russia: StP, Sev

Turkey: Ank, Con

Neutral: none

Next Due Summer and Fall 1905

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

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

Hangman, By Definition

**See Rule Change in bold below**

See discussion in “WAYWord Thoughts” bit

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 up to three different letters 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 2, Round One, Turn 1:

Letter Votes: A – 2; B – 1; F – 1; I – 1; M - 1; N – 1; O – 4; R – 2; T – 1; U – 2; W – 2

Revealed: O

Words Guessed: Contemplation (Firth); <> (Galt); Viticulturist (Kent); Inconvenience (Lischett);

Dexamethasone (Maslen); Facetiousness (Smith); Anachronistic (Wilson)

**IMPORTANT NOTE**

The underscores for each letter below keep disappearing and reappearing each time I make an adjustment to OOTW. Before I started typing this note they were completely missing for the Word and the second line of the Definition. Part way through typing this they were all there and, just now, only the first line of the Definition is missing them. So, there is some weird hidden formatting code that I have been unable to find and remove. The underscores are all there and you could cut/paste this bit into Notepad, for instance, to see everything (it’ll strip out the imbedded formatting). Alternately you can draw up your own paper version. The revealed “O”s in the Word are in the 6^th and 10^th position. In the Definition’s 2^nd word, they are 7^th and 13^th position. In the second to last word it is the 1^thletter and in the final word it is the 2^nd letter. I will endeavor to figure it out by next time, any ideas to fix this are very welcome. Curiously, as I finalize the column, the underscores are all there…

Solution:

Word: __ __ __ __ __ O __ __ __ O __ __ __ (13)

Definition: __ (1) __ __ __ __ __ __ O __ __ __ __ __ O __ (14) , __ __ (2)

__ __ (2) __ __ __ __ __ (5) O __ (2) __ O __ __ __ __ __ (7)

Never Revealed: E, S Already Revealed: O

Player Comments:

[Kevin Wilson] – I’m not sure if longer words are harder or easier. Once we get a few letters, probably easier but at the start,

that’s different as we don’t see too many words with the many letters very often.

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

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 Four

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 C E S T X

Living Playwright

Mark Firth E Chuprina Jesse Eisenberg Jane Shepard C Tregenna ~~Xu Wei~~

Doug Kent Corble Edson Kelly Stuart Ernest Thompson <>

Andy Lischett R Cameron Jesse Eisenberg Tom Stoppard Judith Thompson <>

Walt O’Hara J I Cortinas Charles Evered ~~Sam Shepard~~ Megan Terry ~~Tang Xianxu~~

Kevin Wilson John Clancy Will Eno Colin Sargent Alice Tuan ~~Professor Xaviar~~

Shakespearean Play

Mark Firth Cymbeline ~~Edward III~~ ~~Span Trag~~ Tam of Shrew ~~XII Night~~

Doug Kent Com of Errors <> <> Tam of Shrew <>

Andy Lischett Com of Errors ~~Edward III~~ <> Twelfth Night <>

Walt O’Hara Corionlanus ~~Com ERRORS~~ ~~Tam of SHREW~~ Tempest ~~Two Xylo in Ath~~

Kevin Wilson Corionlanus ~~Errors, Com~~ ~~Shrew, Tam of~~ Twelfth Night X

Greek Letter

Mark Firth Chi Epsilon Sigma Tau Xi

Doug Kent Chi Epsilon Sigma Tau <>

Andy Lischett Chi Eta Sigma Tau Xi

Walt O’Hara Chi Epsilon Sigma Tau Xi

Kevin Wilson Chi Epsilon Sigma Tau Xi

Gaseous Substance (Room Temperature)

Mark Firth Carbon Dioxide Ethane Sulphur Dioxide Tritium Xenon

Doug Kent Carbon Dioxide Ethane Sulphur Dioxide Trimethylamine Xenon

Andy Lischett Chlorine <> <> <> Xenon

Walt O’Hara Carbon Dioxide Ethane Sulphur Hexa Trimethylamine Xenon

Kevin Wilson Carbon Dioxide Ethane Sulphur Dioxide Trimethylamine Xenon

3-6 Letter Spanish Word

Mark Firth Ceste Ella Sera Tinto Xenon

Doug Kent Casa Esta Silla Taco Xenon

Andy Lischett Casa Esta Siesta Tengo Xochil

Walt O’Hara Correa Escena Solido Toalla Ximena

Kevin Wilson Chile Estoy Senor Tapas Xolos

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

General Notes –

Notes on Mark’s Answers: E Chuprina is Eugenia Chuprina (Ukr); Jesse Eisenberg is from (USA); Jane Shepard is from (USA);

C Tregenna is Catherine Tregenna (Wal); Xu Wei is from (PRC – reborn), but the one I found died in 1593, so it is

disqualified, however if there’s a living one please provide a reference; Edward III is disqualified as it is not currently

accepted as a work by Shakespeare, though apparently recent trends have changed a few minds, and my copy of The

Complete Works of Shakespeare (yes, the one Sir Patrick Stewart once borrowed) does not include the play; Span Trag

is The Spanish Tragedy and is disqualified as, even though Shakespeare may have contributed to it, the author is

considered Thomas Kyd; Tam of Shrew is The Taming of the Shrew; XII Night is disqualified, though inventive, I can

find no reference to it being titled with XII instead of Twelfth; Mark translates Ceste to basket; Ella to she; Sera to will

be; Tinto to red; Xenon to xenon

Notes on Doug’s Answers: Com of Error is The Comedy of Errors; Tam of Shrew is The Taming of the Shrew

Notes on Andy’s Answers: R Cameron is Richard Cameron; Com of Error is The Comedy of Errors; Edward III is disqualified

as it is not currently accepted as a work by Shakespeare, though apparently recent trends have changed a few minds, and

my copy of The Complete Works of Shakespeare (yes, the one Sir Patrick Stewart once borrowed) does not include the

play

Notes on Walt’s Answers: J I Cortinas is Jorge Ignacio Cortinas; Sam Shepard is disqualified as he died in 2017; Tang Xianxu is

disqualified as he died in 1616; Com ERRORS is The Comedy of Errors, however it is disqualified as the play begins

with a “C” not an “E” as the slot in which it was submitted; Tam of SHREW is The Taming of the Shrew, however it is

disqualified as the play begins with a “T” not an “S” as the slot in which it was submitted; Two Xylo in Ath is Two

Xylophonists met in Athens and is disqualified as I can find no record of the play and begins with a “T” not an “X” as

the slot in which it was submitted; Walt clarifies that Carbon Dioxide is (C02); Ethane is (C2H6); Sulphur Hexa is

Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6); Trimethylamine is (C3H9N);

Notes on Kevin’s Answers: Professor Xaviar is disqualified as he was never “living”; Errors, Com is Errors, Comedy of,

however it is disqualified as the play begins with a “C” not an “E” as the slot in which it was submitted; Shrew, Tam of

is Shrew, The Taming of, however it is disqualified as the play begins with a “T” not an “S” as the slot in which it was

submitted; X is X = Henry IV + Henry VI, though an inventive answer, is disqualified as the category specified one

play (singular) not multiple

General Player Comments:

[Andy Lischett] – <Reference last round answers> How come McKinley starts with an M but DeGaulle starts with a G?

[WAY] – the name is generally written as Charles de Gaulle which indicates the de is more honorific than not. The Mc

in McKinley is an integral part of the last name. I welcome any different viewpoint.

[AL] – No argument. I just wondered what the difference was. Thanks.

Game Five, Round Five

Letters: G H I K R

Categories: Famous Painting Title; Title of an Audio Book; Active Professional Golfer; Non-Metric Unit of Measure;

Non-North American Historical Monument or Site

Current Standings

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

Doug Kent 4 4 8 10 8 34 + 106 = 140

Kevin Wilson 4 4 10 10 5 33 + 101 = 134

Andy Lischett 5 4 9 3 7 28 + 99 = 127

Mark Firth 5 3 10 9 6 33 + 93 = 126

Walt O’Hara 3 3 10 9 5 30 + 93 = 123

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

Deadline for the Next Issue of Out of the WAY:

September 7, 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 04

Austria: Andy Lischett – andy@lischett.com - F Apulia - Adriatic Sea, A Budapest Hold,

A Bulgaria Supports A Constantinople, A Constantinople Supports A Bulgaria,

F Ionian Sea Supports F Tyrrhenian Sea – Tunis, A Naples Hold, A Piedmont Supports A Gascony – Marseilles,

F Tyrrhenian Sea - Tunis.

England: Paul Milewski – paul.milewski@hotmail.com – F Irish Sea - Liverpool (*Bounce*).

France: Brad Wilson - fullfathomfive675@gmail.com - Retreat F English Channel - Wales..

F Brest - English Channel, ~~A Burgundy - Munich~~ (*Dislodged*, retreat to Gascony or OTB),

F Mid-Atlantic Ocean - Spain(sc), A Paris - Burgundy (*Fails*), F Wales Supports F Brest - English Channel.

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

~~F English Channel - London~~ (*Dislodged*, retreat to Belgium or Mid-Atlantic Ocean), A Gascony – Marseilles,

A Kiel - Munich (*Bounce*), F North Sea - London (*Bounce*), A Picardy Supports A Belgium – Burgundy,

A Ruhr Supports A Belgium - Burgundy.

Italy: John David Galt – jdgalt@att.net - ~~A Tunis Hold~~ (*Dislodged*, retreat to North Africa or OTB).

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

A Galicia – Moscow (No Such Unit), F Black Sea Supports F Rumania, A Clyde - Liverpool (*Bounce*),

F Edinburgh – Yorkshire, F Norway - Norwegian Sea, F Norwegian Sea - North Atlantic Ocean,

F Rumania Supports F Black Sea, A Smyrna Supports A Ankara, A Ukraine Unordered, A Warsaw Hold.

All Draws Fail

Now Proposed – A/G/R, A/F/G/R

Please vote. NVR=No

Supply Center Chart

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

Trieste, Tunis, Venice, Vienna=11, Build 3 (Room for 2)

England: Liverpool=1 Even

France: Brest, Paris, Portugal, Spain=4 Even or Remove 1

Germany: Belgium, Berlin, Denmark, Holland, Kiel, London, Marseilles,

Munich=8 Build 2 or 3 (Room for 2)

Italy: None=0 OUT!

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

St Petersburg, Sweden, Warsaw=10 Even

PRESS

None.

Deadline for W 04/S 05 is September 10^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