Eternal Sunshine #164

January 2023

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 – “Come with uncle and hear all proper. Hear angel trumpets and devil trombones. You are invited!” - (Alex in “A Clockwork Orange”)

Welcome to Eternal Sunshine, the zine for quickly-aging abject failures and reliable disappointments!

Not much to say. Sanka is doing pretty well, and is probably at 90% now. That means she whines constantly and refuses to recognize that weekends should include sleeping past 5am.

Work? There’s still an argument being made that a company-saving deal is “right around the corner” but I’m in the midst of looking for a new job. If I find one, I won’t be going back even if they manage a Hail Mary. And if I don’t go back, there is no way they can stay open. That’s not bragging, it’s a very sad fact of life; I’m the only one who actually understands our few remaining products or how to calculate them. So I’m just sort of in limbo, with assurances that big things are happening but incredulous looks when I express concern about being paid (and health insurance continuing, etc.).

I’m TRYING to be optimistic about finding employment – under the assumption I need to find it - but I also need to be realistic. And realism says it won’t be easy.

Oh, see the last page of the zine for news about a new Dipzine coming from Stephen Agar. Stephen is a long-time hobby member, publisher, and is currently updating his website filled with the UK Zine Bank and Variant Bank. THAT can be found here - www.diplomacyzines.co.uk but see the flyer at the end of the issue for info on his NEW zine. Meanwhile, I’ll keep chugging along. And of course, Andy York is here with his subzine, so there’s actual a reason to read this issue!

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

Game Openings

No game openings, as the zine will fold when the currently-running games are completed.

Standby List: Current standby list who are qualified to standby in More Than Ever: Harold Reynolds, Graham Wilson.

Meet Me in Montauk

The Eternal Sunshine Letter Column

Andy Lischett: I hope Sanka continues to do well. Pets would be easier to diagnose if they could talk, but one of my dogs would never shut up.

[[True. Ironically, in her later years, Sanka is a very vocal cat. It was only when she was very sick that she STOPPED meowing and whining all the time. Now that she’s feeling better, she is meow meow meowing as much or more than ever…about everything. Feed me. Play with me. I pooped. Feed me more. Play with me more. I peed. Feed me more. Play with me more. My joints ache. I’m bored. Pet me. Feed me.]]

You've probably said sometime, but what kind of work do you do? I have no contacts, but am curious. As for job prospects, experience counts for a lot and some articles I've read say that in the current market degrees are not as important as they once were.

[[I do IT work for a small firm that develops and markets custom commodity strategies. Although “IT work” sounds more glamorous than it is. I do a lot more, and a lot less. And I’m the only one who does it. I also do a lot of bookkeeping, accounting, office manager stuff, editing, presentations, blah blah. Just a lot of a lot of stuff. But not in a particularly needed package. I could probably be a very effective office manager or Tech Support person somewhere, but my varied skill sets make finding a match difficult.]]

[Regarding Kendo Nagasaki] Do I get 1/8th of a trophy?

[[Only after I have received payment from each player for the trophy. At which point, like the Stanley Cup, you’ll each get one week with the trophy before passing it on to the next winner.]]

This [Kendo Nagasaki] game was confusing. Until the last turn I guessed the closest player just once and then got lost again. I incorrectly decided that Brad was closest on Turn 6, so by accident I correctly headed to Greece on Turn 7. But the 108.69 miles between Salonika and Patras threw off my calculations with a ruler and colored pencils, so on Turn 8 I was baffled. I only guessed correctly on Turn 9 - probably like everyone else - because Erpingham was the only contender that fit previous descriptions, and only Brad and Jack had the wrong person... but one of them was in the right place! I'd ruled out Bulgaria earlier, so I picked Rhodes. Colossal, eh?

[[I know Rhodes isn’t a population center but I was surprised nobody had tried it before, seeing how well-known it is.]]

Mark Nelson: I think it would be handy if there were a web page that provided the PDF/.docx file for recent issues of all currently running dip fanzines (provided that the respective editors agreed). That might make it easier for people to find out about "postal" diplomacy. I was thinking about suggesting this when I read Stephen's article in the current issue of DW, and reading your listing of current dip zines actually gave me the push I needed to suggest the idea to you.

[[I suppose that would be helpful in a sense, but it would be effort for whoever did it, as the site would have to be updated multiple times a month, maintain the last three or four issues of every zine, etc. Someone else suggested I should do a new Zine Register. I’ve thought about that many times over the years, maybe I will in the near future.]]

I think you should do a fanzine without the games. Have you ever thought about joining an APA?

[[What’s an APA? I don’t remember if I am familiar with the term?]]

Regarding "My Name is Joe", I think it's a good bet that the distributors thought that a non-native audience would find it difficult to understand the Glaswegian accents.

[[I can understand that.]]

I agree that most lists along the lines of "top 100" are worthless, but they can be an interesting read if they are produced by a reasonably reputable organization. I recently read a list of the top 15 science fiction TV series of all time... I'd love to know how they came up with their rankings as they had Babylon 5 at 14, Quantum Leap ranked higher than Dr Who, i.e. it had a lower number, and the "new" Battlestar Galactica at second place. Such listings used to provoke good discussions in the pub...good discussion in the pub several decades ago when I went out to drink and had friends to discuss such listings with!

[[That’s basically the whole point, but in this case it’s to get you to share it to friends on social media either to discuss, or to complain.]]

Back to the Top 15 science fiction series of all time. Since Blakes 7 was not inthe top 15... I'll be polite and call it a very parochial list!

People... won't consider... watching a black and white movie. Here are these people?

[[Many people under 35 have never tried one. I suppose they’d rather watch a Marvel movie than a proper film.]]

Two old movies that I caught recently. Firstly, I watched the last few minutes of "Please Turn Over" (1959). I only watched this because the late Leslie Phillips was listed in the cast. Probably not known to most of your readers... except in the role of the Sorting Hat in the Harry Potter movies. The next movie was "My Brother Jonathan" (1948), which is one of those movies where you can predict all the major turns in the plot ahead of time. I started watching this because James Robertson Justice had a small role. (He was in some well-known 1950s movies that made Leslie Phillips' name).

[[I don’t recall if I’ve ever seen Please Turn Over, although I think I’ve seen a U.S. film that may have “borrowed” the plot. I notice it was directed by Gerald Thomas, who did the “Carry On..” movies. My Brother Jonathan was remade with Daniel Day Lewis in the 80’s, as a television mini-series.]]

Andy York: Glad Sanka made it through her scare. Hopefully she's back to herself by now.

[[I’ve come to realize she has had occasional mild bouts with pancreatitis numerous times before this major one. And she may have had one or two since, but only lasting a day or so each time. She pretty much is back to her normal whiny, needy self. I’m good with that!]]

David Burgess: Sorry to hear about Sanka's medical issues. That stinks when pets get older. You put so much into them and they are SO much a part of your life....it is tough. We lost our dog at the start of the pandemic. It was so tough on the family, we haven't gotten another dog. We don't think we can handle the loss again. We let my son who is living with us get a cat. She is the most annoying cat EVER. Her name is Shiki. She just cries and whines a lot and just looks at you. She has food, her litter box is clean...what does she want??? She really likes doing at 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 in the morning. She is not happy until the entire family gets up with her. She will not shut up until you get up with her and she knows that she has annoyed you. Even this annoying cat...which I call Princess Annoying or PA for short....is a beloved member of the family. My son would be lost without her!

[[That sounds a lot like Sanka. She has SLIGHTLY different cries for each thing, but translation can be difficult. Her two most exasperating ones are “I just pooped” and “my body aches.” Because in both cases she just sits there and whines. If you offer her food or try to play with her, she’ll generally accept, but just go back to whining again wen you’re done. I don’t know WHY she’s developed this need for me to scoop her poop as soon as she goes, but she has. The body ache one can be frustrating because even when I figure it out – such as Wednesday night when a big weather front moved through and temperatures dropped quickly – there’s nothing I can DO about it. So she’ll keep whining on and off, looking at me to solve the problem. Apparently I’m magic or something. Bucky Katt in the “Get Fuzzy” comic strip series once told Rob – his owner – that the reason he would wake him up at night was “I like to be seen.” ]]

The Dining Dead – Eternal Sunshine Movie Reviews

The Black Phone (Amazon) – I’ve been excited to see this film, mostly because it was directed by Scott Derrickson who co-wrote and directed Sinister, one of my favorite horror films from the last 20 years. It even reunited him with Ethan Hawke, who starred in Sinister. This time around Hawke plays “The Grabber,” a child abductor in the late 1970’s-era Denver. His fifth, and most recent victim is Finney (Mason Thames) a 13-year-old boy still trying to figure out who he is and where he belongs. Finney and his sister Gwen (Madeline McGraw) live with their alcoholic and physically volatile father. He spends his time passed out, or berating Gwen about her possible psychic powers (powers her mother may have had but which drove her mad). Finney is abducted and locked in a basement room, where he begins to get calls from the prior victims on a disconnected phone on the wall. The plot in some ways feels like a Stephen King story (which it isn’t; it was based on a story by Joe Hill). It has its moments, and overall, I enjoyed it, but it has nowhere near the creepiness factor of Sinister. It’s just not as creepy, and not as scary. The younger actors do terrific jobs all around, but I felt Ethan Hawke was never menacing enough nor weird enough. In fact, all the adult roles felt a bit stale (despite my delight and seeing James Ransome – “Deputy So-and-So” from Sinister – also make an appearance. Still, it was a decent film and I’m not sorry I watched it. I’m just sorry I was mentally comparing my enjoyment to the prior triumph. Maybe that was unfair. It’s certainly worth watching if you like suspense and creepy-style horror.

Emily the Criminal (Netflix) – A friend is a huge fan if this film, so I decided to give it a go. Plus, I like Aubrey Plaza (Emily), she’s usually weird and quirky but she can also act. Emily works as a gig worker in Los Angeles, delivering food for a catering company. She’s struggling to get by and drowning in student debt. And her employment options are limited because she has a felony on her record, despite being intelligent and a terrific artist. One afternoon a coworker asks if she’ll take his evening shift, which he grudgingly agrees to do. As a reward, he gives her a number to text where she can make $200 in an hour as a “dummy shopper.” Feigning knowledge of what that is, she eventually texts the number and is given the opportunity to make $200 “doing something illegal.” And from here, she enters the world of using stolen credit card numbers to purchase goods at brick-and-mortar stores. There are some tense moments now and then, and the movie really flies by (especially the first half). By the third act the plot grows more and more complicated, but it mostly works and it never truly drags. I’d recommend it for a fairly quick and mostly realistic ride.

Older Movies Watched (that I’ve seen many times) – Defending Your Life, The Wizard of Oz, Scrooge, The Ninth Gate, Dial M for Murder, Ghost Story (1981), A Dog Named Gucci.

Out of the WAY #52

by W. Andrew York

(wandrew88 of gmail.com)

Howdy!

I trust everyone made safely it through an enjoyable and relaxing holiday season. For me, it was quiet as usual – staying home by myself, relaxing and cooking a tasty meal (braised lamb shoulder with a red wine/onion reduction). But, now, it is the new year and new challenges ahead!

I mentioned last time that OwlCon is returning to Rice University in Houston mid-February. Things are still being put together, but you can sign up for games already. I’m running the Rail Baron game Saturday morning and Ticket to Ride Sunday, and playing games in the other slots. It isn’t as robust a slate of games as pre-Pandemic cons, but it is a good restart to what is an enjoyable and fun weekend.

Baseball will be ramping up soon, and my local SABR Chapter had their annual “Winter Meeting” in January. Well attended, speakers included member provided bits (including a background on the origins of baseball statistics by the chapter’s youngest member), authors speaking on their books (including Charley Findlay’s niece who worked for her uncle in the A’s management) and folks from the Round Rock Express talking about the upcoming season and potential changes in AAA baseball.

And, things seem to be looking up for the Rangers based on their off-season moves. I’ll know more after their Caravan swings by Dell Diamond next week with a handful of players and other staffers. Should be a fun event!

Turning to the zine, I appreciate the feedback so far on whether to continue this subzine after Eternal Sunshine finally folds. The ideas and comments were well thought out and encouraging, some of which are in the Letter Column. However, I’m still on the fence. If anyone else wants to chime in, please do.

The three games march on, with a season separation in the Gunboat game. In the Facts in Five, a new player stepped up and did quite well. The current game ends after the next round, but I’m pretty sure that I’ll run at least one more (presuming this effort folds). In Hangman, the word is guessed again – by three of the players! A new round will start next issue.

That’s about it from Austin for this time. I hope everyone has an excellent 2023!

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

Letter Column

(always welcome, send them in!)

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

[Richard Smith] – I can’t really advise you about the choice of being a subzine elsewhere or founding a new standalone

publication. Being a subzine you are the bonus content so there is less pressure and more freedom to experiment.

However, Tom Howell successfully launched back-of-the-envelope in its own right following the demise of WiMM? and

he has already picked up two guest GMs and has nearly 50 subbers. [WAY] – and is recommended for anyone to

sample, and hopefully subscribe and, maybe, join in a game.

[RS] – What happens when The Pig croaks [WAY] – should that be oinks? [RS] - has not yet been decided, but John

Walker (Here Be Dragons) and I (The Celestial Steam Locomotive) are hoping to continue in some guise, and we may

be able to rope in Howard Bishop (The Tangerine Terror) too in which case we could have a portmanteau title such as

The Terror of the Celestial Dragon :-) )

[WAY] – The Pig will be missed, but hope to follow y’all along to your new location.

[Mark Nelson] – I hope you will continue publishing once Doug folds Eternal Sunshine. I don’t think I’m up to play any games,

but like to read your writing. I don’t recall there being any recipes recently? Or is it just that I’ve not noticed them?

[WAY] – thank for the feedback on continuing with this. As for my writing, well, ahem, ah, there hasn’t been much of

it lately due to a variety of factors. I always submit my column to Doug with a mental note – need to write something

for next issue…only to have my time taken by other things. Soon, I hope, I’ll be able to include more non-game

material.

[Paul Milewski] – In answer to your question about whether your readers would follow OOTW if it’s rehoused, count me in.

[WAY] – appreciate the vote of confidence!

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

Mini-Book Reviews

(finished since last issue)

The Father Christmas Letters by J.R.R. Tolkien (1976; 48p).

My annual read of this holiday treat, below is the review from last year. December 2022]

This is a collection of letters ostensibly written by Father Christmas (Santa Claus in America) to Tolkien’s children between 1925 and 1938 (with the last letter undated being probably later). Written, and illustrated, by Tolkien he starts out simply with just Father Christmas and North Polar Bear (NPB). Later letters add additional characters including the evil Goblins, the helpful Red Elves, an elf secretary named Ilbereth and the two nephews of NPB – Paksu and Valkotukka.

Many antics and doings are described, from NPB overflowing a bathtub and getting presents wet to a Goblin attack. NPB is a bumbling, but well-meaning, bear that generally comes through in the end (sometimes unexpectedly).

The illustrations are all well done and very much enhance the letters, it is unfortunate that all of them weren’t reproduced in the book. For the letters, they were written in different handwriting depending on if it was old, shakily, written text by Father Christmas, elegant script by Ilbereth or NPB (well, presumably, as I didn’t notice any of his text in the reproductions). A Goblin alphabet was created and a letter was sent using it, along with the key.

This is an annual joy, usually reading one letter per day leading up to the holiday. As I rarely decorate (why? it’s just me), this helps give me a bit of Christmas cheer and smile. Pick it up and make it a tradition in your house! [December 2020] [

Fully Human by In Touch Ministries (2022; 130p).

This is a workbook that is subtitled “21 Days to a Flourishing Relationships”. It is a Biblical inquiry into an individual’s perspective on relationships (including close, casual and transitory ones) and how to improve attitudes towards them. As it is a workbook, it is not something to just pick up on a whim. It’s a thoughtful read that you should set aside a regular daily time during the three weeks to read, ponder, respond to questions and decide how to incorporate the lessons into your life.

I found it very helpful in focusing some of my thoughts, clarifying feelings and approaches, as well as improving how I interact with others. As a tip, I typed the questions/answers into the computer and printed out the sheets to insert rather than writing in the workbook. This allows another to use it, or in a future year, I could reread it without having my previous thoughts distracting me while providing the opportunity to compare things afterwards.

Recommended if this is an area that you feel you should improve in, regardless of the Biblical basis of the text. It still would provide valuable insight into relationships without deep diving into the recommended passages. [December 2022]

Seek Find: The Bible for All People (2006; 1725p).

This Bible, the translation being the Contemporary English Version, is the one I chose to reread for 2022, I last read it in 2009. That year’s review is next. [December 2022]

The 2009 version of the Bible. I found some of the word choice a bit odd, with the rare typo. However, it was a worthy read. [December 2009]

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

Babylon 5 Quote

In “No Compromises” – Byron: “Where is it written that all our dreams must be small ones?”

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

Game Section

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

Game Openings: None currently

Standbys: Gunboat Diplomacy (x1)

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

“Round Rock Express”

(No-Press Gunboat, Game #1)

MN: 2021Crb32

Season Separation Requests were received from sufficient players

Spring 1907 will be played next time, orders on file for all players unless superseded

Autumn 1906

Austria: A bud-SER; A war-otb

England: f nth-HEL

Winter 1906

England builds F Edi

Italy builds A Rom, F Nap

Supply Center Count

Austria: Tri, Ser, Gre, Bul, Rum

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

France: Mar, Par, Bre

Germany: Ber, Kie, Mun, Den, Hol, Swe, War, Mos, Stp, Vie, Bud, Nwy

Italy: Nap, Rom, Ven, Tun , Smy, Con, Sev

Turkey: Ank

Neutral: none

Next Spring 1907

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**

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 greatest 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 Two, Turn 3:

Word Revealed!

Words Guessed: Chromatic (Firth); <> (Galt); Scrimshaw (Kent); Thrombosis (Lischett);

Chromatic (Maslen); Chromatic (Smith); Scrambled (Wilson)

Solution:

Word: CHROMATIC (9)

Definition: Pertaining (10) to (2) Colors (6) or (2) Color (5)

Never Revealed: E, S Already Revealed: M, R

Words Previously Guessed in this Game: Aerolitic, Articular, Caballero, Christmas, Curvature, Direction, Frequency, Impatient,

Marsupial, Meringues, Obstinate, Pacemaker, Testament

Game Words Correctly Guessed: Metamorphosis (Firth, Maslen, Smith, Wilson); Chromatic (Firth, Maslen, Smith)

Player Comments:

[Mark Firth] – ?? as before or after

[Andy Lischett] – Probably wrong [his word guess] since the definition doesn’t contain the word “blood”.

[Richard Smith] – last word could be color

[Kevin Wilson] – At least the universe of possible words is down but the definition still escapes me, so, another shot in the dark.

Redacted Comments from Previous Rounds -

Turn One

[Mark Firth] – Preventing an Action or Cause – note the guess and the definition are not associated at this time!

Turn Two

[Mark Firth] –Definition FORMATIONS OF OTTERS OR RIVER. Note the guess and the definition are still not associated this time!

[Dane Maslen] – I suspect we’re looking for an adjective with meaning “pertaining to X or Y”. If I could think of a suitable adjective that meant “pertaining to empire or power”, I’d try that, but no doubt there are other possible X,Y pairings.

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

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 Six, 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 E G N Q W

Coastal Country

Doug Kent England Germany Netherlands Qatar ~~Russia~~

Andy Lischett England Greece Norway Qatar Wales

Paul Milewski Ecuador Germany Nicaragua Qatar Wales

Walt O’Hara Egypt Germany ~~Niger~~ Qatar Western Samoa

Kevin Wilson Ecuador Ghana Netherlands Qatar Wales

Astronomer

Doug Kent Eggen Galileo Naburimannu Quetelet ~~Reinhold~~

Andy Lischett Larry W Esposito Galileo I Newton Adolphe Quetelet Robert Wilson

Paul Milewski Eddington Galileo I Newton ~~JF Encke~~ Gordan Walker

Walt O’Hara Olin Eggen Galileo Galilei David Naylor Adolphe Quetelet Arno Arthur Wachmann

Kevin Wilson Albert Einstein Galileo Galilei Isaac Newton Ali Quishji Fred Lawrence Whipple

Subatomic Particle

Doug Kent Electron Graviton Neutron Quark <>

Andy Lischett Electron Gluon Neutron Quark W Boson

Paul Milewski Electron Gluon Neutron Quark W Boson

Walt O’Hara Electron Gluon Neutralino Quark WIMP

Kevin Wilson Electron Gluon Neutron Quark Weak Gauge Boson

2-3 Syllable English Adjective

Doug Kent Evil Greedy Nasty Queasy ~~Rising~~

Andy Lischett Elegant Graceful Noxious Qualified Winsome

Paul Milewski Elegant Glamorous Nasty Quiet Wonderful

Walt O’Hara Evasive Georgian Neutral Quiet Weary

Kevin Wilson Expensive Global Numerous ~~Unique~~ Wonderful

Politician currently in Office (as of submission)

Doug Kent Veronica Escobar Bob Gibbs Richard Neal Mike Quigley ~~Mitt Romney~~

Andy Lischett Joni Ernst Lindsay Graham Gavin Newsom Mike Quigley Rafael Warnock

Paul Milewski Joni Ernst MT Greene ~~Devin Nunes~~ Jeremy Quin Rafael Warnock

Walt O’Hara V Escobar Matt Gaetz G Napolitano Mike Quigley Ann Wagner

Kevin Wilson Joni Ernst Lindsay Graham EH Norton Mike Quigley Elizabeth Warren

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

General Notes –

Notes on Doug’s Answers: Russia is disallowed as it doesn’t begin with an ‘W’; Reinhold is disallowed as it doesn’t begin with

an ‘W’; Rising is disallowed as it doesn’t begin with an ‘W’; Mitt Romney is disallowed as it doesn’t begin with an ‘W’

Notes on Paul’s Answers: JF Encke is Johann Franz Encke and is disallowed as it doesn’t begin with a “Q”; MT Greene is

Margorie Taylor Greene; Devin Nunes is disallowed as he is no longer in office, resigning in January 2022

Notes on Walt’s Answers: Niger is disallowed as it is not a coastal country (being inland); Western Samoa is allowed as it was

an independent coastal country from 1962 to 1997 when it dropped the “western” to become just Samoa; WIMP is

Weakly Interacting Massive Particle; <following includes Walt’s reference on who they represent> V Escobar is Veronica Escobar (Dem, Texas, District 16); Matt Gaetz (Rep, Florida District 1); G Napolitano is Grace Napolitano (Dem, California, District 31); Mike Quigley (Den, Illinois, District 5); Ann Wagner (Rep, Missouri, District 2)

Notes on Kevin’s Answers: Unique is disallowed as it doesn’t begin with a “Q”; <following includes Kevin’s reference on who

they represent> Joni Ernst (Sen, R-IA); Lindsay Graham (Sen, R-SC); EH Norton is Eleanor Holmes Norton (Rep, D-

DC); Mike Quigley (Rep, D-IL); Elizabeth Warren (Sen, D-MA)

General Player Comments:

[Kevin Wilson] – While Einstein is more famously a theoretical physicist he’s also credited as an astronomer because of the

applicability of his theories to astronomy. [WAY] – q uite correct, besides being a theoretical physicist he’s also deemed

a theoretical astronomer based on what you’ve described.

Game Six, Round Five

Letters: A C F K Y

Categories: Name of Island Chain; US State Capitols; Horror/Detective Story/Novel Writer; Asian Food Dish;

Latin Word, 2-5 Letters

Current Standings

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

Kevin Wilson 9 7 10 5 8 39 + 106 = 145

Andy Lischett 8 8 10 6 9 41 + 97 = 138

Paul Milewski 9 6 10 9 6 40 + 97* = 137

Walt O’Hara 6 8 8 6 7 35 + 101 = 136

Doug Kent 8 7 7 5 6 33 + 97 = 130

*New player, lowest score from previous round

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

Deadline for the Next Issue of Out of the WAY:

February 8, 2023 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 06

Austria: Andy Lischett – andy@lischett.com – F Aegean Sea Supports A Greece – Bulgaria,

A Bohemia Supports A Berlin - Silesia (*Cut*), A Budapest Supports A Galicia – Rumania,

A Galicia - Rumania (*Fails*), A Greece – Bulgaria, F Ionian Sea - Eastern Mediterranean,

F Mid-Atlantic Ocean - Irish Sea, A Serbia Supports A Galicia – Rumania, A Venice - Trieste.

France: Brad Wilson - fullfathomfive675@gmail.com - F London Supports F North Sea,

F North Atlantic Ocean Supports F Wales – Liverpool, A Piedmont – Venice, F Wales - Liverpool (*Fails*).

Germany: Andy York – wandrew88@gmail.com - Retreat A Silesia - Prussia..F Baltic Sea Supports A Sweden,

A Berlin - Silesia (*Fails*), F Brest - English Channel, A Burgundy – Ruhr, A Munich - Bohemia (*Fails*),

F North Sea Hold, A Prussia - Warsaw (*Fails*), A Sweden Hold.

Russia: Simon Langley-Evans - slangers1964@gmail.com – F Black Sea Supports A Rumania,

~~F Bulgaria(ec) Supports A Rumania~~ (*Disbanded*), F Clyde Supports A Liverpool,

F Edinburgh - North Sea (*Fails*), F Gulf of Bothnia - Sweden (*Fails*), A Liverpool Hold,

A Livonia Supports A Warsaw, F Norway Supports F Edinburgh - North Sea,

A Rumania Supports F Bulgaria(ec) (*Cut*), A Sevastopol Supports A Rumania, A Silesia - Galicia (*Fails*),

A Smyrna – Constantinople, A Warsaw Supports A Silesia - Galicia (*Cut*).

All Draw Proposals Fail

Supply Center Chart

Austria: Budapest, Bulgaria, Greece, Naples, Rome, Serbia, Trieste, Tunis, Vienna=9 Even

France: London, Marseilles, Portugal, Spain, Venice=5 Build 1

Germany: Belgium, Berlin, Brest, Denmark, Holland, Kiel, Munich, Paris, Sweden=9 Build 1

Russia: Ankara, Constantinople, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Moscow, Norway, Rumania,

Sevastopol, Smyrna, St Petersburg, Warsaw=11 Remove 1

PRESS

Russia- Infamy! Infamy! They’ve all got it infamy!

THE LIDO: Frogs, frogs everywhere!!!!

Russia-all: This is a draw and I’m not sure why we’re playing on...

Deadline for W 06/S 07 is February 11^th at 7am My Time

By Popular Demand

The goal is to pick something that fits the category and will be the "most popular" answer. You score points based on the number of entries that match yours. For example, if the category is "Cats" and the responses were 7 for Persian, 3 for Calico and 1 for Siamese, everyone who said Persian would get 7 points, Calico 3 and the lone Siamese would score 1 point. The cumulative total over 10 rounds will determine the overall winner. Anyone may enter at any point, starting with an equivalent point total of the lowest cumulative score from the previous round. If a person misses a round, they'll receive the minimum score from the round added to their cumulative total. In each round you may specify one of your answers as your Joker answer. Your score for this answer will be doubled. In other words, if you apply your Joker to category 3 on a given turn, and 4 other people give the same answer as you, you get 10 points instead of 5. Players who fail to submit a Joker for any specific turn will have their Joker automatically applied to the first category. And, if you want to submit some commentary with your answers, feel free to. The game will consist of 10 rounds. The score for Round 10 is doubled.

Turn 5 Categories:

1. A cocktail.

2. A song by the Doobie Brothers.

3. One of the seven deadly sins.

4. Something that stains your clothes.

5. A Jane Fonda film.

Joker category shown in BOLD. Most popular answer shown in the bottom row.

Brad Wilson and Jack McHugh get the top score of 26 this round (out of a possible 29). Walt O’Hara gets the low score of 8.

Comments by Category:

A cocktail: Kevin Wilson – “Finally, for the cocktail, my go-to. Bourbon Old Fashioned. Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon with a splash of bourbon barrel aged maple syrup instead of sugar or simple syrup, an orange twist and a dash of Blanton’s bitters.” Richard Smith – “I don't expect much agreement on #1 so I'll go with one I sampled in my misspent youth only because of the smutty name https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/1833/slow-comfortable-screw-against-the-wall “ Mark Firth – “Don’t know much about cocktails (too sweet to have interested me).”

A song by the Doobie Brothers: Kevin Wilson – “So, so many good songs for the Doobie Bros. Listen to the Music, China Grove and Rockin’ Down the Highway are 3 of my favorites.” Richard Smith – “I can only think of two (without an internet search) for #2 - Long Train Running and Listen To The Music, so my joker goes there.” Andy Lischett – “I had to verify that China Grove is a Doobie Bros. song, as they were never one of my favorites.” Mark Firth – “Didn’t know any Doobie Brothers songs but see they’ve not charted too much here – but did learn what Doobie means!”

One of the seven deadly sins: Andy Lischett – “Sloth is the only Deadly Sin that I'm any good at.”

Something that stains your clothes: Andy Lischett – “Blueberry juice may be the worst answer of all players in all categories. I should wallop Carol on this category.

A Jane Fonda film: Kevin Wilson – “I almost chose Barbarella for the Jane Fonda film. I was flipping through the channels the other night and it was on. I didn’t watch it and I don’t quite remember if I’ve ever watched it but at last On Golden Pond is one I know I’ve seen. I’ve watched a few episodes of Grace & Frankie and have enjoyed those but you wanted a film.” Andy Lischett – “For a Jane Fonda movie my first thought was Klute, but Barbarella might get more votes.” Andy York – “Just saw this on the big screen this month.” Brad Wilson – “I thought she was great in On Golden Pond, but no one thinks of that as a Jane Fonda movie. Henry, yes.”

General Comments: Kevin Wilson – “Tough this round to pick a joker. Each has so many options so I went with the sin. At least there is a 1 in 7 chance of hitting it. More likely 1 in 3 or 4 since some of the 7 won’t get picked much.” Mark Firth – “These were all first choices, except #4 where I had ‘coal’?!”

By Popular Demand

Turn 6 Categories – Remember to Specify a Joker Category

1. Something you buy at a hardware store.

2. A flavor of milkshake.

3. A former male U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

4. A bank.

5. A Frank Sinatra film.

Deadline for Turn 6 is February 11^th at 7am My Time

Deadline for the next issue of Eternal Sunshine is: Saturday February 11, 2023 at 7am My Time (U.S. central time) – some games and subzines earlier