Hint to the Person
in the Closest Geographical Guess: Wrong country of birth, but I did spend a
large chunk of my life in yours.
PRESS
Anon: Marc, If
Constantine was so Great, couldn't you have called
Istanbul by its other name, Constantinople?
Deadline
for Turn 4 is: July 29th at 7am my time
Brain Farts: The Only
Subsubzine With It’s Own Fragrance
By Jack “Flapjack” McHugh – jwmchughjr@gmail.com
(or just email Doug and
he’ll send it to me)
Issue #68
I have been busy working and avoiding my
job as Variant Editor for Diplomacy World.
Sack doesn’t even bug me for articles anymore because he has no faith in
me at all. Mission accomplished. Flyers suck, Phillies suck, but there’s
always the Eagles. I don’t want to
declare that they suck until they lose a few games.
Go choke on diesel fumes.
Quintus
Arrius: “Your eyes are full of hate, forty-one.”
by Paul
Milewski
Having finished reading Simon
Winchester’s The Map that Changed the World, which is basically about
William Smith, one of the founders of the science of geology, I thought I might
share with you something that Winchester wrote about himself. (Winchester studied geology at Oxford and so
may be forgiven injecting himself into the narrative.) These excerpts are from chapter 11, A
Jurassic Interlude:
On early summer Saturdays in the 1950s when the
weather was fine, the sisters of the Blessed Order of the Visitation liked
nothing more than to take their little convent boys swimming in the sea. To keep us more biddable they tried to tire
us out by walking the entire way… And
although my own memories of those long, long walks have been more than a little
colored by the harshness of the boarding school regime (I was six and a half;
and the punishment for my frequent dawdling on Saturday walks was six strokes
on the hand with a bamboo cane, and a big wooden spoonful of castor oil forced
down my throat by an unusually ugly sister who sported a luxuriant blond moustache),
there are delights about it that linger yet.
I seem to remember that by this point in the weekly
expedition the dozen or so of us—all called by numbers, since the convent’s
peculiar regime forbade the use of names; I was simply 46—were well beyond
caring what the nuns might think…
I gazed closely at it [a fossil of an ammonite],
enraptured by its strange delicacy… A
few of the other boys seemed interested—I remember still that numbers 6 and 25
in particular had shared my fascination and had asked to have a closer look.
The beast evidently left as much of an impression on
them. Many years later I came across
number 25—by then he had a name and was a senior partner in a private banking
firm—while walking along Connaught Road in Hong Kong. It was during an evening of reminiscence some
while later that he asked me if I still had the pretty little ammonite? But no, I
said shamefacedly, I didn’t, and neither of us could remember much more about
the day it was found, nor, to our greater shame, could we remember what number
6, the other boy who had liked it, was really called.
[on
Arrius' orders, Judah is left unlocked for the upcoming battle; Judah touches
his unchained ankle, bewildered]
Rower No. 42: “Forty-one, why did he do that?”
Not Lepanto 4-ever
LXII #5
by
Per Westling (LHCper AT gmail.com)
Time for another sporadic contribution.
As always reactions are welcome, to Doug or to me
at the address above.
Right now we are in the middle of FIFA World Cup, which is
probably the greatest sports event in the world. Maybe you are not interested
in Football (or Soccer, for Americans) but in Brazil it is sure number one.
Football, and especially the World Cup, has a lot of interesting stories, with
the story of how Brazil lost the world cup final on Maracanã in 1950, which was
the last time that Brazil hosted the tournament.
Another story that is intersting is the effect of World Cup on the
nation of Bosnia Hercegovina. It had potential of being a good unifier for the
three ethnic groups, but as they lost their two first games they have to go
home after the group play. Of course, they felt heavily mistreated by the
judges but that is part of the big conspiracy theory that seem
to flourish in the Balcans.
But for the main piece I will give you a text by probably the best
Swedish sport writer, Erik Niva. He writes about Colombia and I have tried to
translate it below. The text was written after the first game, and after that
Colombia won their second game and qualified for the round of 16.
A national team to make
peace around
By Erik
Niva, published in Aftonbladet, 2014-06-14
For 20 years, the world has paired the Colombian football with
gunfire.
It is time to change course now, to let a new future take over.
This time, a Colombian
national team actually getting the guns to fall silent.
In conjunction with the kickoff television cameras zoomed in an
enthusiastic supporter with a special message printed on its flag:
"Colombia, te amo. Paz, paz ". Colombia, I love you. Peace, peace.
It was not enough that it was 5833 days since the last time
Colombia played in the World Cup. It was by obvious that this match would be
played this very day.
During the past week, the notorious FARC guerrilla released two
communiqués. First, they announced a month truce. Then they wished the
Colombian national team good luck in the World Cup.
- We will support the team through thick and thin, following them to the end
and hope they represent the only Colombia we want to see. We believe that
football can help us to move towards reconciliation.
All times are fateful times in Colombia, but the next few days may
prove to be historically decisive.
Today was the World Cup opening night, tomorrow is the
presidential election. And anyone who imagines that those things do not have to
do with each misunderstands the country in a profound and fundamental way.
A budding optimism is growing in Colombia, a feeling that there
actually is a slight chance that things can be improved for real this time.
Thinking about the consequences
The analysis is of course not shared by all, but many believe that
an election victory for the incumbent president Juan Manuel Santos would
increase the chances of a peace treaty and that the success of the Colombian
soccer team would benefit Santos.
So of course, I also appreciated the coordinated dance that
followed Pablo Armeros early goal - but above all I thought about the
consequences.
Everyone knows what happened 20 years ago,
when that unfortunate own goal directly or indirectly led to Andrés Escobar
lost his life.
Afterwards, it was like the gates of hell opened and the entire
country plunged deeper into an eternity long spiral of violence that never
seemed to end.
- For the first time in my life I am ashamed to be colombian, wrote the influential journalist Enrique
Santos Calderón in El Tiempo.
Today I promise you that the national feeling is another. 35 000
supporters dress in yellow danced and sang in Mineirao in Belo Horizonte, 47
million others did certainly at home.
"Los Cafeteros" had its difficult moments in the match
against Greece, but even though their defense game is porous, I argue that they
were the clearly better team over the whole match.
More than anything, I appreciate how dynamic the team are, how
they can switch between patient ball retention and slightly insane tempo
increases.
Stunning arts
Ibarbo, Armero, Zúñiga and Cuadrado belongs to the whole
tournament's most running players, and the latter also endure in doing somewhat
amazing ball tricks on the fly.
James Rodríguez is spotted a formidable carver, and although
Falcão is greatly missed, the sly old Argentinian José Pekerman choose between
striker Téo Gutierrez, Jackson Martinez, Adrian Ramos and Carlos Bacca to
replace him.
They all differ among themselves in the style of play, but
everyone is of the highest international quality.
Tempo, tunnels, skips, heels, goals and
an overabundance of offensive options. I suspect that those who had no favorite
team in the tournament before kickoff probably have found one now.
It will be so incredibly exciting to see this country through the
next few weeks and this team through the championship.
So far Colombia has never reached the quarterfinals of a World
Cup. I think it may well be time for it now. I think that this team has the potential
to succeed where the revalued 90s teams collapsed.
It is a national team to enjoy, to rally behind and to feel proud
of. Perhaps it is even a national team to make peace around.
So, that was all for today.
Acquire Game #2 -
“Juliet” – Eternal Sunshine
Players: Tom Howell,
Mark Firth, Andy Bate, Richard Weiss, Hank Alme
Turn 1
Tom
plays 6-H and starts Continental. He
gets one free share and buys 3 more.
Mark
plays 7-G and buys 3 Continental.
Andy
plays 7-F and starts Festival. He gets
one free share and buys 3 more.
Richard
plays 6-A and starts Worldwide. He gets one free share and buys 3 more.
Hank
plays 2-D and found Imperial. He gets
one free share and buys 3 more.
Turn 2 next, Tom is up!
Diplomacy
“Dulcinea” 2008C, F 29
Austria (Martin
Burgdorf – martin_burgdorf “of” hotmail.com): No units.
England (Hank Alme –
almehj “of” alumni.rice.edu): F
Barents Sea Convoys A St Petersburg – Smyrna,
A
Belgium Hold, A Brest Hold, A Burgundy Hold, F Edinburgh
Hold, F Kiel Hold,
F
North Atlantic Ocean Convoys A St Petersburg – Smyrna,
F North Sea Hold,
F
Norwegian Sea Convoys A St Petersburg – Smyrna, A Paris Hold, A Picardy Hold, A
Ruhr Hold,
A St
Petersburg – Smyrna, A Vienna Hold, A Warsaw Hold.
Turkey (Jim Burgess
– jfburgess “of” gmail.com): F Aegean Sea Convoys A
St Petersburg – Smyrna,
A
Bohemia Supports A Silesia – Munich, A Budapest Hold,
F
Eastern Mediterranean Supports A St Petersburg –
Smyrna, F English Channel Hold, F Gascony Hold,
F
Ionian Sea Convoys A St Petersburg – Smyrna, F
Marseilles Hold,
F
Mid-Atlantic Ocean Convoys A St Petersburg – Smyrna, A
Piedmont Hold, F Prussia Hold, A Rumania Hold,
A
Silesia – Munich, A Spain Hold, A Tyrolia Supports A
Silesia – Munich,
F
Tyrrhenian Sea Convoys A St Petersburg – Smyrna,
F
Western Mediterranean Convoys A St Petersburg - Smyrna.
Now
Proposed – E/T Draw.
Please vote. NVR=No.
W 29/S 30 Deadline is July 29th at
7:00am my time
Supply
Center Chart
Austria: None=0,
OUT!!
England:
Belgium, Berlin, Brest,
Denmark, Edinburgh, Holland, Kiel, Liverpool, London, Moscow, Norway,
Paris, Smyrna, St
Petersburg, Sweden, Vienna, Warsaw=17, Build 2
Turkey:
Ankara, Budapest, Bulgaria,
Constantinople, Greece, Marseilles, Munich, Naples, Portugal, Rome,
Rumania, Serbia,
Sevastopol, Spain, Trieste, Tunis, Venice=17, Even
PRESS
None.
“Dulcinea”
Diplomacy Bourse
Billy Ray Valentine: Nothing.
Duke of York: Sells 486
Pounds. Buys 383
Piastres.
Smaug the Dragon: Nothing.
Rothschild: Sells 500
Pounds. Buys 332
Piastres.
Baron Wuffet: Nothing.
Wooden Nickel
Enterprises:
VAIONT Enterprises: Nothing.
Insider Trading LLC:
Nothing.
Bourse Master: Stands pat.
Austrian
Crowns drop to a value of Zero.
PRESS
Bourse
Master: With the fall of Vie Bourse
Master predicts a Turkish Win!
DUKE OF
YORK to ROTHSCHILD: Naughty, naughty, I would
PREFER to end the game with the most of both currencies. But never mind, I hope you churn back the
other way.
Next Bourse Deadline is July 28th at 7:00pm my time
Diplomacy
“Jerusalem” 2012A, F 10
Austria (Melinda
Holley – genea5613 “of” aol.com): A
Tyrolia Supports A Munich.
England (John Biehl
– jerbil “of” shaw.ca): F Baltic Sea - Sweden
(*Bounce*),
A
Belgium Supports A Burgundy, A Burgundy Supports A Berlin - Munich (*Void*),
F
English Channel - North Sea, A Gascony Supports F Portugal - Spain(sc),
A
Kiel Supports A Berlin - Munich (*Void*), F Mid-Atlantic Ocean - North
Africa (*Bounce*),
F
North Atlantic Ocean - Mid-Atlantic Ocean (*Fails*), A Paris Supports A
Gascony,
F
Portugal - Spain(sc) (*Fails*), A Ruhr Supports A
Kiel, F St Petersburg(nc) - Norway.
Germany (Paul
Milewski - paul.milewski “of” hotmail.com): A Berlin - Kiel (*Disbanded*).
Italy (Mark Firth – mark.r.firth
“of” capita.co.uk): F Gulf of Lyon Supports A Spain,
A
Spain Supports A Marseilles (*Cut*), F Tunis - North Africa
(*Bounce*), F Venice - Trieste (*Fails*),
F
Western Mediterranean Supports A Spain.
Russia (Richard
Weiss – richardweiss “of” higherquality.com): A
Finland - Sweden (*Bounce*),
A
Livonia - St Petersburg, A Moscow Supports A Livonia - St Petersburg, A Prussia
- Berlin.
Turkey (Geoff Kemp -
ggeoff510 “of” aol.com): A Bohemia Supports A Munich, A Budapest – Trieste,
A
Bulgaria – Serbia, A Constantinople – Bulgaria, A
Marseilles Supports A Spain,
A
Munich Supports A Prussia – Berlin, F Piedmont Supports A Marseilles, F Rumania
- Black Sea,
A Silesia Supports A Prussia – Berlin, F
Tyrrhenian Sea – Naples, A Vienna Supports A Budapest - Trieste.
Now proposed: E/T Draw, Concession to Turkey. Please vote. NVR=No.
W 10/S 11 Deadline is July 29th at 7:00am my time
Supply Center Chart
Austria: None=0,
OUT!
England:
Belgium, Brest, Denmark,
Edinburgh, Holland, Kiel, Liverpool, London, Norway,
Paris, Portugal, Sweden=12, Even
Germany: None=0,
OUT!
Italy:
Rome, Spain, Tunis,
Venice=4, Remove 1
Russia:
Berlin, Moscow,
Sevastopol, St Petersburg, Warsaw=5, Build 1
Turkey:
Ankara, Budapest, Bulgaria,
Constantinople, Greece, Marseilles, Munich, Naples,
Rumania, Serbia, Smyrna, Trieste, Vienna=13, Build 2
PRESS
None.
Diplomacy
“Walkerdine” 2012D, F 06
Austria
(paul.milewski “of” hotmail.com): A
Rumania - Serbia.
England
(Marc Ellinger - mellinger “of” bbdlc.com): NMR!
Disband A Moscow..F Finland Hold,
F
Norway Hold (*Disbanded* - could retreat to Ska but would have no effect on
elimination),
A
St Petersburg Hold (*Disbanded*).
France
(Jim Burgess – jfburgess “of” gmail.com): F Apulia Supports A Tyrolia – Venice,
A Belgium
– London, F Clyde – Edinburgh, F English Channel Convoys A
Belgium – London,
F
Ionian Sea - Eastern Mediterranean, F Naples - Ionian Sea, F North Atlantic
Ocean - Norwegian Sea,
F Spain(sc) - Western Mediterranean, A Tyrolia – Venice, F
Tyrrhenian Sea Supports F Naples - Ionian Sea.
Germany
(Steve Cooley – tmssteve “of” gmail.com): Retreat
F St Petersburg(nc) - Barents Sea..
F
Barents Sea Supports A Sweden – Norway, A Galicia - Budapest (*Fails*),
F Gulf of Bothnia – Sweden,
F
Helgoland Bight - North Sea, A Livonia - St
Petersburg, A Moscow Supports A Livonia - St Petersburg,
A
Sweden – Norway, A Trieste Supports A Tyrolia –
Venice, A Vienna Supports A Trieste,
A
Warsaw Supports A Moscow.
Russia
(Hank Alme – almehj “of” alumni.rice.edu): F Adriatic Sea - Ionian Sea
(*Fails*),
A
Budapest Unordered, A Vienna-Rumania (No Such Unit), A Sevastopol
Supports A Vienna - Rumania (*Void*).
Turkey (Chris
Babcock - cbabcock “of” asciiking.com): A Albania
Supports F Venice – Trieste,
A
Armenia Supports A Sevastopol, F Constantinople - Aegean Sea (*Bounce*),
F
Greece - Aegean Sea (*Bounce*), F Venice - Trieste (*Disbanded*).
Deadline
for W 06/S 07 is July 29th at 7am my time
Supply Center Chart
Austria:
Serbia=1, Even
England: None=0,
OUT!
France:
Belgium, Brest, Edinburgh,
Liverpool, London, Marseilles, Naples,
Paris, Portugal, Rome,
Spain, Tunis, Venice=13, Build 3
Germany:
Berlin, Denmark, Holland,
Kiel, Moscow, Munich, Norway, St
Petersburg, Sweden,
Trieste, Vienna, Warsaw=12, Build 2
Russia:
Budapest, Rumania,
Sevastopol=3, Even
Turkey:
Ankara, Bulgaria,
Constantinople, Greece, Smyrna=5, Build 1
PRESS
(Hank
to Turkey):
I don't blame you.
(Hank to Game): I remember Don as an
awesome guy. He was Italy to my Germany in my first ever PBM Diplomacy game (in
TAP!) and I got to meet him at the WDC held in Denver in 2003. I have no
problem with any
action on this game there is a consensus for.
(JIM-BOB to GAME): I'm not sure what Richard and
Don would have me do here, but this is what I'm doing right now....
Black
Press Gunboat, “Fred Noonan”, 2013Arb32, F 08
France: A Burgundy Supports A Ruhr – Belgium, F
Clyde - North Atlantic Ocean,
F
Edinburgh Supports F Norwegian Sea - North Sea, F Norwegian Sea - North Sea
(*Bounce*),
A Picardy
Supports A Ruhr – Belgium, A Ruhr – Belgium, F Yorkshire - London.
Germany:
A Belgium Supports A Kiel - Ruhr (*Disbanded*), F Helgoland Bight - North Sea (*Bounce*),
A
Holland Supports A Belgium, A Kiel – Ruhr, A Munich
Supports A Kiel – Ruhr, F North Sea - English Channel,
F
Norway Supports F Helgoland Bight - North Sea, A Silesia Supports A Munich.
Italy: A Albania – Serbia, A Budapest Supports
A Albania – Serbia,
F
Eastern Mediterranean - Ionian Sea (*Fails*) , A
Galicia - Rumania (*Dislodged*, retreat to Bohemia
or Vienna or OTB)), F Ionian Sea – Naples, A Trieste
Supports A Albania - Serbia.
Russia: A Livonia - St Petersburg, A Warsaw Supports A Ukraine -
Galicia.
Turkey: F Aegean Sea - Ionian Sea, F Greece Supports F Aegean Sea -
Ionian Sea,
A
Moscow Supports F Norway - St Petersburg(nc) (*Void*),
F Naples – Rome,
A
Rumania Supports A Serbia - Budapest (*Cut*), A Serbia - Budapest
(*Dislodged*, retreat to Bulgaria
or OTB), A Sevastopol Supports A Moscow, F Smyrna -
Eastern Mediterranean (*Fails*), A Ukraine - Galicia.
All Draw
Proposals Fail
Now Proposed – G/T, F/I. Please vote, NVR=No.
Deadline
for W 08/S 09 Will Be July 29th at 7am My Time
Supply Center Chart
France:
Belgium, Brest, Edinburgh,
Liverpool, London, Marseilles, Paris, Portugal, Spain=9, Build 2
Germany:
Berlin, Denmark, Holland,
Kiel, Munich, Norway, Sweden=7, Even
Italy:
Budapest, Naples,
Serbia, Trieste, Tunis, Venice, Vienna=7, Build 1 or 2 (Only room for 1)
Russia:
St Petersburg, Warsaw=2,
Even
Turkey:
Ankara, Bulgaria,
Constantinople, Greece, Moscow, Rome, Rumania, Sevastopol,
Smyrna=9, Even or Build 1
PRESS
T
=> F:
Then you have a long way to go!
T
=> all:
The previous press "F => I" should have been labeled "T => I". Ceterum censeo Italiam
esse delendam...
Fra-Ger: My friend. I once again offer the hand of friendship to
you in the sincere hope that you may come see that I
truly do have your best interests at heart.
War between us helps no one but the Turk, who will shortly stab you in
the back. I will help you to drive the
Russian from territory that by right must belong to you. Look to east, where the true danger lies,
while my arms extend in friendship to enfold you in the embrace of true brotherhood.
Russia
- France:
Doesn't matter what you say anymore, everyone can see through you.
Russia
- Turkey:
OK! And I'll repeat my helpful move to aid peace.
Diplomacy “Sweet Spot” 2013A, F 07
England
(Harold Zarr - skip1955 “of” hotmail.com): A
Edinburgh - Yorkshire (*Dislodged*, retreat to
Clyde
or Liverpool), F Liverpool - North Atlantic Ocean, A London - Yorkshire
(*Bounce*).
France (Melinda Holley – genea5613 “of” aol.com): A Burgundy - Belgium
(*Bounce*),
F
English Channel Supports A Denmark - London (*Void*), F Holland - Belgium
(*Bounce*),
A
Kiel Supports A Munich, A Marseilles Hold,
F
Mid-Atlantic Ocean Supports F Norwegian Sea - North Atlantic Ocean (*Void*), A
Munich Supports A Kiel.
Italy (Hank
Alme - almehj “of” alumni.rice.edu): F
North Africa - Western Mediterranean,
A
Portugal Supports F Spain(sc), F Spain(sc) Supports A
Portugal, A Trieste Supports A Vienna,
A
Tyrolia Supports A Trieste, F Tyrrhenian Sea Supports
F Western Mediterranean - Gulf of Lyon,
A
Vienna Supports A Trieste, F Western Mediterranean - Gulf of Lyon.
Russia
(Chris Babcock –
cbabcock “of” asciiking.com ): A Berlin Hold, A Denmark – Edinburgh,
F
North Sea Convoys A Denmark – Edinburgh, F Norway –
Skagerrak,
F
Norwegian Sea Supports A Denmark – Edinburgh, A Silesia
Supports A Berlin, F Skagerrak – Denmark,
A St
Petersburg – Norway, A Warsaw Supports A Silesia.
Turkey
(Larry Peery – peery “of” ix.netcom.com): F
Aegean Sea Supports A Greece,
A
Albania Supports A Serbia, A Budapest Supports A
Galicia, A Galicia Supports A Budapest,
A
Greece Supports A Albania, A Serbia Supports A
Budapest, A Syria Hold.
All
Proposed Draws Fail
Now
Proposed – E/F/I/R/T, E/I/R/T, F/I/R/T. Please vote.
NVR=No.
Deadline
for W 07/S 08 Will Be July 29th at 7am My Time
Supply Center Chart
England:
Liverpool, London=2, Even of
Remove 1
France:
Belgium, Brest, Holland,
Kiel, Marseilles, Munich, Paris=7, Even
Italy:
Naples, Portugal, Rome,
Spain, Trieste, Tunis, Venice, Vienna=8, Even
Russia:
Berlin, Denmark, Edinburgh,
Moscow, Norway, Rumania, Sevastopol, St Petersburg,
Sweden, Warsaw=10, Build 1
Turkey:
Ankara, Budapest, Bulgaria,
Constantinople, Greece, Serbia, Smyrna=7, Even
PRESS
Eng – Europe: Shall we bring this contest to an end before more blood is
needlessly spilled? I pray the answer is
yes.
Russia - England: Thank
you for building a fleet, but you could have just accepted the FIRT draw.
Istanbul 12 June 2014 - True Story: At a time when it seems all the news out of the Near East
is bad I did come across one story that may give us hope or there again,
depending on your taste in music it may not.
TURKEY'S 'ROCKIN' IMAM' GETS GREEN
LIGHT FROM RELIGIOUS AUTHORITIES, By Jacob Resneck (Religious News Service);
Turkey's religious authorities have
given the go-ahead for the country's controversial "Rockin' Iman" to
keep on rocking.
Ahmet Muhsin Tuzer, a Muslim prayer
leader from the coastal town of Kas, raised eyebrows last year after he formed
the band FiRock and performed as its frontman.
His case - as far as anyone can tell -
is unprecedented. There have not been any - to date - public cases of Turkish
imans forming rock bands.
A YouTube video of the group's first
single, Mevlaya Gel (Come to God), received more than 50,000 hits since July.
After a concert in August drew more
than a thousand people in Kas, Turkey's religious authority, which supervises
the country's more than 80,000 state-run mosques (You may recall that last year
the Turkish government built more than 5,000 news mosques in Turkey but not one
new public school.), opened an investigation to see if a rocking inman was
espousing a brand of counterculture that violates Turkish religious values.
Nine months later, after having
reprimanded him for critical statements he'd made about the investigation,
Tuzer's bosses say the show can go on.
The decision comes as the
Islamic-rooted government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan - now in its
11th year of power - continues to impose a conservative religious agenda.
Erdogan has courted controversay for
passing stringent rules on the sale of and advertising of alcohol, counseled
women to marry and bear at least three children, likened legal abortion to a
massacre and has even called for a ban on mixed-sex accommodations for
university students.
"If I make a mistake, they will
definitely punish me," Tuzer said. "But right now it's OK and there's
no problem."
Tuzer has already gathered attention
from his superiors when he wed his wife, Mara, an Orthodox Christian from
Romania. She's since converted to Sufi Islam, and the two have a teenage son.
International
attention on the clean-shaven, 43-year-old iman, whose strong singing voice
once led the call to prayer in Istanbul's historic Sultanahmet neighborhood,
has been intense. In April, he traveled to New York and
performed in Brooklyn as part of a larger ensemble.
Tuzer and his bandmates who form FiRock
- a psychedelic mixture of acid rock and Sufi-infused mystical lyrics - have
their second major Turkish show planned next month in the nearby town of
Finike.
"It will be a very, very big
concert. We are expecting at least 20,000 people," he said. "We have
many surprises for the people."
Tuzer said he plans to return to New
York in October for an interfaith concert with Christian and Jewish musicians.
He said he's trying to carve out a new niche: Islamic rock that shows the
tolerant side of his faith.
"This decision is very
historic," he said. "It shows we are not radical Islam. This is
peaceful Islam because, you know, I love all people."
On a different musical note, fans of
Rodgers and Hammerstein and skinheads from everywhere will be flocking to Paris
for this.
Paris: 19 June 2014:
IN PARIS, A REVIVAL OF 'THE KING AND I' by George Loomis (INYT)
If there is a theater outside the
English-speaking world where productions of American musical comedies equal or
surpass those of Broadway, the Theatre du Chatelet is it. Its latest
achievement is a grand new staging of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The King
and I" by Lee Blakesley that has set French critics searching for
superlatives.
(Editor's Note: "The King and
I" has always been one of my favorite musicals as demonstrated by a
souvenir I have from the original, original production in Bangkok in the 1850s
done by King Mongkok and Anna Leonowens. Mind the picture.)
A trailer video can be seen on YouTube.
Show runs through the end of this week.
If you're now sure where to stay in
Paris while you're there to see "The King and I" try out the new
hotel down the street.
THE PENINSULA HOTEL TAKES PARIS by Finn-Olaf Jones (18 June
2014); After decades of neglect, one of the
city's magnificent belle epoque buildings will reopen as the first European
outpost of the Hong Kong-based hotel group according to the WSJ.
I've already reviewed the new hotel elsewhere
but I'll remind Dippers that it was the site of the first European Diplomacy
Convention some years ago while it was conference center for the French Foreign
Ministry. What a difference a five year, $580 million facelift makes. That's on
top of the $550 million the new owners (Arab money and HK management) spent to
buy the property. Total cost of the project will run over $1.2 billion. In
comparison, just to buy the building cost $2.75 million per room while the
second most expensive hotel property ever, The Plaza in New York City, went for
$1.5 million per room. What did they get for the additional $580 million? Well,
two examples: 20 master masons worked a year on the building's exterior and
2,100 square feet of
gold gilding was used in the interior. How do the owners plan to
recoup their investment? With room rates starting at $1,800 a night, the least
expensive suite at $3,000, and dinner for two with a modest bottle of wine at
$1,000 it shouldn't take too long.
On all things Chinese: During
an average week I read perhaps several hundred news stories headlines about
China and perhaps another hundred or so stories in detail. Even with that
there's an awful lot going on in China that I'm missing. Oh well, here's two
stories about two of my favorite subjects, Zheng He and Hong Kong.
ZHENG HE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SO
ADVENTUROUS, no author indicated (from asiasentinel.com, 18 June 2014)
(At a time when Chinese interests have
led it to the far corners of the world, Zheng He has served as the country's combined Christopher Columbus and Henry Kissinger,
with a touch of Commodore Perry tossed in for good measure. Editor's
note.)
Others may have got there first, and
his boats weren't as big as the propaganda says.
One of the many aspects of the current
surge in officially-guided Chinese nationalism is a focus on the seafaring
achievements during the Ming dynasty. Top of the list are the voyages of the
early Ming envoy Zheng He around the Indian Ocean and to the coasts of Arabia
and east Africa. (And perhaps beyond that, at least according
to Gavin Menzies in his books 1421 and 1434.)
...
Former director of the Hong Kong
Maritime Museum, Stephen Davies, was recently heckled at a symposium on Ming
era maritime issues for daring to suggest that though the Chinese had an early
understanding of the magnetic compass, the instrument only became useful for
navigational purposes as a result of a series of technical improvements made
mainly in Europe, over several hundred years.
(Neither Davies or the article make
much of the fact Zheng He was a Muslim eunuch from Yunnan which caused him
considerable grief in his career.)
(The interesting thing about the
article is the insights it shows into the attitude of PLAN (Chinese Navy)
academics and naval leaders toward foreigners, especially what they regard as
criticism even if its about something that happened
five hundred years ago. You can see the same attitude almost daily if you read
the writings and speeches of Chinese navy leaders about the current situation
in the China Seas.)
On
"Unstuffing the Ballot Box!"
Stuffing ballot boxes is as old as voting itself but "unstuffing the
ballot box" is a new one on me. Only in Hong Kong, Asia's crown jewel of
democracy, would it be possible, let alone attempted.
OVER 200,000 VOTE AS HONG KONG
DEMOCRACY 'REFERENDUM' KICKS OFF by Emily Chung and Nikki Sun (Reuters, 20 June
2014)
More than 200,000 peole voted for full
democracy in Hong Kong within the first hours of an unofficial online
referendum on Friday in a civil campaign that has sparked warnings from China's
Communist Party leaders.
(No surprise there, of course, but keep
in mind that all three options on the ballot offered some "full democracy
((e.g. popularly elected leaders)) option." Nor was it a surprise that the
Chinese government used every cyber technique and tool they had to prevent the
online voting system from working, but the organizers were prepared and shifted
to alternative systems, including the old-fashioned ballot box complete with
finger-dipping dyes to prevent multiple voting. What was a surprise is that by
the end of the weekend over 600,000 people had voted --- and voting has been
extended through the week. Stay tuned for further unhappiness in Beijing.)
Centennials only come around once in a
century and perhaps that's a good thing. The anniversary of the beginning of
WWI has around inspired some very good reflective writing in the media and if
you're interested you might want to set up one of those daily alerts on the
subject using Google. Here's four of the latest
stories I've seen:
HOW A CENTURY-OLD WAR AFFECTS YOU by
Ruth Ben-Ghiat (from CNN.com)
WWI began a hundred years ago this
summer, but for many of us it might as well be a thousand. We know it, if we
know it at all, as a dimly remembered chapter in high school history, or as
scenes from old black-and-white movies of soldiers hunkered in trenches doing
battle with Germans in pointy helments. It was all too real for more than 65
million men from some 30 nations who were plunged into carnage the likes of
which the world had never before seen.
SARAJEVO: THE SLAYING THAT SET OFF WWI
no author indicated (from AP, 19 June 2014)
Sarajevo: Bosnia-Herzegovina: A century
after Gavrilo Princip ignited WWI with a shot from his handgun,
the baby-faced Serb teenager who assassinated the Austro-Hungarian crown prince
in Sarajevo in 1914 still provokes controversy.
His legacy has been molded time and
again to meet political agendas in the Balkans, which remains a smoldering
patchwork of ethnic and religious rivalries.
WWI: THE WAR THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
WWI began 100 years ago this month, and
in many ways, writes historian Margaret MacMillan, it remains the defining
conflict of the modern era.
By Margaret MacMillan (from the BBC, 20
June 2014)
A hundred years ago next week, in the
small Balkan city of Sarajevo, Serbian nationalists murdered the heir to the
throne of Austria-Hungary and his wife. People were shocked but not
particularly worried. Sadly, there had been many political assassinations in
previous years --- the king of Italy, two Spanish prime ministers, the Russian
czar, President William McKinley. None had led to a major crisis. Yet just as a
pebble can start a landslide, this killing set off a series of events that, in
five weeks, led Europe into a general war.
So much for the platitudes but how do
we see WWI today. Consider this article which appeared
in the International New York Times/Europe/International Education section:
WWI CONFERENCE IN SARAJEVO DIVIDES
SCHOLARS by Paul Hockenos (from The Chronicle of
Higher Education, 22 June 2014)
Berlin - Scholars from the United
States and 25 other countries gathered in Sarajevo last week to mark the
centennial of WWI.
Titled "The Great War: Regional
Approaches and Global Contexts," the conference was meant to expand and
elevate the historical discussion about the war and its outbreak 100 years ago.
But rather than a respectful salutation of Europe's triumph over parochial
nationalism, the conference set off an ethnic firestorm in the Balkans that
reached the highest political circles. The controversy speaks to how the
scholarly interpretation of a crucial turning point like the Great War remains
disputed and entangled in present-day politics.
I was originally going to conclude this
with some thoughts on the current situation in the Near East, especially in
Iraq, Syria and Egypt but the more I thought about it the more depressed I got
so I decided to put it off until later. I'm sure the fighting won't go away
while I mull over the situation.
Enjoy your summer.
Oh, I almost forgot one thing :-)
Please read over the invitation to the
July meet of The San Diego Diplomacy Players group which is being held as part
of PEERICON 2014 over Bastille Day weekend. If you can join us you'll be more
than welcome.
PEERICON 2014:
COME CELEBRATE 50 YEARS OF DIP WITH ME AND A FEW OF MY
FRIENDS…
The girls from Hooters, the monks from
Mission San Luis Rey, and the jarheads from USMC Camp Pendleton all promise you
more dots than you can handle!
By Larry Peery
As anyone who knows me will tell you,
two of my passions in life are Diplomacy and Food, and not necessarily in that
order. One lesson that I’ve learned from both is that good things cannot be
hurried. From that peerispective it makes perfect sense that the most recent
PEERICON was held a quarter of a century ago, give or take a few years. But
when Diplomacy has been a part of your life for nearly a half-century, a
quarter of a century doesn’t really seem that long.
HISTORY: Rod Walker and I hosted my
first DipCon (IV) event in 1971 in San Diego. In those early years DipCon just
finding its way after several years of missed events, no Diplomacy tournament,
etc. That first San Diego event was held in a WWII era Quonset hut on what
would later become the UCSD Library site. Most of those attending slept on the
floor of my small one bedroom apartment. Walt Buchanan, as the oldest player
present got to sleep in the only available bed. There was no formal tournament,
just a lot of casual Diplomacy playing and a keen desire to move the event
upscale. That happened the following year in Chicago and DipCon has never
looked back.
In 1982 I had moved into a larger two bedroom
apartment and my revitalized interest in all things Dip led to the first
PEERICON; which followed the tradition of the early years of having small,
home-based events for local friends and the occasional out of town Dipper.
Again, the enthusiasm of those early players led to bigger and better things.
By 1984 we were ready to piggy-back PEERICON
on the Summer Olympics being held in Los Angeles. Mike Maston and I drove up to Los Angeles to
watch the Gold Medal game between France and Brasil --- 106,000 people saw the
French win the gold, much to the sorrow of the 85% of the crowd that was
cheering for Brasil! Later we returned
to Dodger Stadium and watched the USA lose the baseball Gold Medal to Japan in
a double-header than lasted 22 innings. But before that we set up a Diplomacy
game in the stadium parking lot and played some Dip, getting quite a bit of
attention from fans pouring into the stadium. FYI, in just two years the
original 14 player, two board PEERICON had grown to 54 players on seven
simultaneous boards, and out of the apartment into the local community
recreation center. Keep that in mind, Adam
In 1989, after the first successful
WORLD DIPCON in Birmingham, England and several years as publisher of the
hobby’s flagship publication DIPLOMACY WORLD, I was ready for a new challenge
and hosting my second DIPCON/PEERICON (XXII) proved to be that. Still thinking
of the 1984 Olympics I rattled the hobby’s establishment by proclaiming the
DIPCON Champion to be the winner of a variety of Dip related events, not just
the individual Diplomacy Championship. Hohn Cho was proclaimed DIPCON CHAMPION
and Edi Birsan proclaimed himself “North American Champion” based on his
tournament score. Interestingly, Hohn Cho came back in 1993 and once again took
the DIPCON championship; while Edi has yet to win another championship. Still, we had a good turnout of over a
hundred and many of those attending were now at the age when they had families
and some of them brought them along to take advantage of San Diego’s many
attractions and the resort’s three pools. Ironically, after the success of the
1989 DIPCON/PEERICON I cannot recall hosting another PEERICON. Perhaps it
continued or perhaps I just felt that there was no way to top the 1989 event.
In 2000 at the Hunt Valley, MD DIPCON I
proposed holding a DIPCON event on board a cruise ship instead of in just another
chain hotel that was like the one we’d used the year before. It took a while
for the idea to catch hold but the wives and families quickly got behind it,
and in 2004 by a one-half vote margin the Portland DIPCON accepted my formal
proposal to host the 2005 DIPCON aboard a cruise ship on a weeklong cruise in
the Caribbean. By then awards and prizes
had become a big part of DIPCON tradition and the winners’ usually took home a
trophy, plaque, etc. Again, I decided to do something different and much to his
surprise Rick Desper, who came in last in the Portland tournament, won the
booby prize, a free cruise the following year. Even now, ten years later when I
go to a Diplomacy event I am always asked, “When are you going to do another
Dip cruise?” Ironically, although the
cruise DIPCON (XXXVIII) was my idea I didn’t make the boat because of a
horrible car accident just a week or so before sailing. The accident, to put it
bluntly, took the wind out of my sails for nearly a decade, and it was only
after the 2013 DIPCON in Silver Spring, the 2013 WORLD DIPCON in Paris, and the
2014 DIPCON in Seattle that I realized how much I missed hosting DipCon events.
I also realized that my years of hosting big events were behind me. But perhaps
there was one last con left in the old fart?
So, why another
PEERICON and why such a rush to hold it now? Because I want to, not because I need to, and because I
still can.
With that bit of background for those
of you who haven’t been around long enough to experience a PEERICON or DIPCON
hosted by me, I’d like to invite you to:
WHAT: PEERICON 2014, SAN DIEGO
DIPLOMACY PLAYERS (3RD MEET), BASTILLE DAY 2014
WHO: Host, Larry Peery; Tournament
Director, Adam Silverman; Members of the San Diego Diplomacy Players, Alumni of
past PEERICONS and DIPCONS, and others interested in the game of Diplomacy.
Because of the limited time between now
and the event dates I don’t expect a lot of participants from out of the area.
However, they are more than welcome; as are local volunteers who are willing to
help with transportation, housing or generally hosting visitors and guests.
Also, if anybody has any folding chairs we can borrow for the weekend I’d
appreciate it.
WHEN: As the title suggests this three
day event is really three consecutive events. Naturally, I hope you’ll want to
participate in all three, but if that’s impossible feel free to attend just one
or two. In your response please give me an idea of which events you’re
interested in:
PEERICON 2014 (12 July, Saturday, 1000 ?): Specifically intended for beginners and newbies, the focus
on Saturday will be on teaching, demonstrating, and practicing the basics of
the game; not on a competitive game. If you have a copy of the game, please
bring it. If not, please find a copy of the rules of the game online, print it,
and bring it. Feel free to read it before we begin and write down any questions
you have about the rules.
SAN DIEGO DIPLOMACY PLAYERS (3RD MEET) (13 July, Sunday, 1000 ?): If you haven’t
signed up please check the San Diego Diplomacy Players site on meetup.com. That
will tell you what you need to know and provide the latest information and
details on the event. There will be one game played on Sunday, and I’m hoping
it will produce our first real winner! I hope for at least two boards and will
divide players by their ability to play to the conclusion of the game, so if
you have to leave early please tell us. Since there will be only one game
played the best player overall wins. There will be prizes for the winners, but
no cruise tickets for the loser (Sorry.) My place can handle two boards with no
problem and three in a pinch. If I see the number of players exceeding that
I’ll make other arrangements. Best advice, register early to make sure you have
a spot. Snacks and drinks will be available, but feel free to bring something
if you like. I plan to order pizza on Sunday as that seems to work. There will
be a designated area outside for smoking if you must. On Sunday the first two boards will be played
on my patio.
BASTILLE DAY (14 July, Monday, 1000 - ?) Bastille Day is one of my two personal holidays each year
(Beethoven’s Birthday is the other.) and as my neighbors have learned I tend to
go a bit over-board with the flags, music, and cannons, depending on what the
gunnery range at Camp Pendleton has planned for the day. For those who are
making this a holiday break I’ll be glad to make suggestions on things to do
locally. Oceanside in the summertime is what most Americans dream about in the
wintertime.
WHERE: 3275 Navigator Circle,
Oceanside, CA 92056 (Google it for a map and directions). This is just off the
Highway 78 and College Ave. off ramp. You can access the 78 from I-15 or I 5.
Allow a half hour from central San Diego, twenty minutes from the RB to DM
corridor. I live on a cul de sac so parking is limited. I encourage carpooling
and ride sharing, and if you want to do that be sure
to post it on meetup. For non-drivers from out of the area you have two
options: 1) Rail: AMTRAK , the Coaster, and the light
rail system all stop at Oceanside and the light rail goes from the station to
about 2 miles from here; 2) Air: Carlsbad Airport (United Airlines to LAX only)
is about 8 miles from here, and San Diego’s Airport is about 35 miles away. If
you need housing there are lots of options but remember this is peak season
here, so don’t wait to make a reservation or ask for advice. There’s a major
shopping area just down the road and, sigh, no less than 3 Wal-Marts within a
couple of miles. If you want to play tourist let me know and I’ll be glad to
make suggestions.
WHY: Why not?
If you have questions please check out
the web site at http://www.meetup.com/San-Diego-Diplomacy-Players/ or email me at
peery@ix.netcom.com
Woolworth
II-D “Coney Island” 2013Bcb19, S 06
Austria
(Secret): A Mar-Swi (Disbanded).
Balkans
(Secret): A Tyr-Pie, A Vie-Tyr, A Tri S A
Vie-Tyr, F Alb S F Ion (OTM), A Gre S F Alb.
England
(Secret): F Lon-Ech, A
Yor-Lon.
France
(Brad Wilson - fullfathomfive675 “of” gmail.com): F Ech-Nth (Dis, ret Wal, Iri,
Bre, Pic),
A Bur S A Gas-Mar, F
Tun-Ion.
Germany
(Marc Ellinger - mellinger “of” bbdlc.com): A Ruh-Hol, A Kie S A Ruh-Hol (Disbanded).
Italy
(Secret):
F Mor-Mao, F Tus-Gol, A Swi S A Mar(OTM), A Nap H, A Ven S A Tyr-Pie, F
Rom-Tyn.
Russia
(Jim Burgess - jfburgess “of”
gmail.com): F Stp(sc)-GOB, F Bal-Kie, A Ber S F Bal-Kie,
A Sil S A Boh-Mun, A
Boh-Mun, A Sev S A Rum.
Scandinavia
(Geoff Kemp - ggeoff510 “of” aol.com): F Nwg-Ice, F Edi S F Nth, F Nth
S F Lon-Ech, A Den H.
Spain (Secret): F Mad S A Gas-Mar, A Gas-Mar, F Wms-Mor, A
Bel S F Hol, F Hol S F Ech-Nth.
Turkey
(Hugh Polley – hapolley “of” yahoo.ca): F Aeg-Ion, A Rum
H, A Mac H, F Tys-Wms, F Ion-Tun.
Deadline
for Fall 06 is July 29th at 7am My Time
PRESS
(RUSSIAN BOOB to
BOARD):
I salute my mysterious friend in Italy, may he take a support to Munich in
gratitude! The little secrets shall lead.
(RUSSIA to
SCANDINAVIA):
I know we don't talk much, but I'm glad our agreement continues to hold.
We must kill the wandering Spaniards!!!
Unknown Player - Is this a gunboat
game without press or email? No one
wants to make a deal? In such a game
Germany is not the power you want to play.
(RUSSIA REMAINS
CONFUSED BY THIS GAME): What??? Where
did Munich go?
Madrid - The Spanish
Netherlands is united! Philip ll and the Duke of Alba would be so proud!
(BOOB to BWAD): I presume you are
now in, since Heath has had even a more less connected
month this month than last month. I'm
sorry, but I think you're still one of my enemies in this game as the plan
continues forth for Mother Russia. In
Woolworth, of course, anything can happen.
(BOOB to GEOFF): And we're still cool
too, but I hope Spain isn't your secret power....
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, with the
10th round being worth double points. A prize will be awarded to the winner. Research is permitted, but cooperation or
collusion between players is not!
Round 7 Categories
1. Something you buy in
a bottle.
2. A brand of cough
drop.
3. A bird that
migrates.
4. A chemical with a
strong odor.
5. An NHL hockey team.
Kalvin Miller pulled a sweet 50, while Andy
York was at the bottom with 15.
Selected Comments By
Category
General
Comments – Hugh Polley “Wonder why this one was so easy, no thought required
for one to five. Most likely this will
mean a poor score.”
Bottle –
Kalvin Miller “I've also been known to buy wine in a box.” Jim Burgess “It has to be wine as the best
answer, but I'm not quite sure enough to make it my Joker. People could say "Alcohol" or
"Booze" or something more generic.”
Cough
Drop – Robin ap Cynan “Halls is probably the
popular answer- but hell, I'll go with Fishermans Friend. I actually wanted to refer to Grethers
Pastilles, which used to be the UK's Allenburys Pastilles from the 1860s until
1974 when they were bought out by the Swiss firm of Grether.”
Bird – Per
Westling “Swallow: Of course, after seeing that Monthy Python Movie...”
NHL – Richard
Weiss “Anyone who doesn't name one of the original six, throw them out.” Jim Burgess “Choosing the Stanley Cup
Champion is good business, so I'll make it my Joker.” Per Westling “Kings might be the popular
choice, but I think Rangers might be more well known.”
Round 8 Categories
1. A noise you hear at
night.
2. A golf club other
than a putter.
3. A Nobel prize category other than Peace.
4. A sexually
transmitted disease.
5. The best month of
the year.
Deadline for Round 8 is July 29th at 7:00am
my time
