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You wizards can't keep your names straight...it's that pipeweed, ya know...ya can't keep doing the 'wacky tobaccy' and not suffer.... 
          
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The usual apologies for my latest long absence. Being lazy, manic depressive (except for the manic part), hyper-shy, British, borderline autistic, disdainful towards the idea of repetitive computer-gaming, unemployed, and generally paralysed by fear of everything, I am fairly unreliable when it comes to corresponding with the outside world. In fact, I’m unreliable at everything. I’m even unreliable at being unreliable, which leads to frequent bouts of reliability.
But, chastened by the departure of Theoden, I thought I’d make one final attempt to rekindle my active participation in the Fellowship. Here’s a song I’m about to write:
The bravest band in all the land
Were called the Fellowship.
Bold and true, tough through and through
And really cool and hip!
But the firmest hand within that band,
That epiphany of men,
The hero real with strength and steel
Was the one called Théoden!
With arcane lore he’d fight the Yor
Or slay orcs in their den.
Whose name do we cry when we don’t want to die?
Who else but Théoden?
As tall as a tree that was six foot three,
Mighty with both sword and pen,
He plied us with news and also with booze,
How we cheered for Théoden!
He wrote his Review with words that were true
Of censorship he had no fear.
A journalist whom none could twist
Or bribe for less than a six-pack of beer!
When Ray stood down, tired of his crown,
Who stood in his stead?
Who boldy fought and held the fort
While others stayed in bed?
Who could drink ale like a balrog hale
Or save you from a mess?
I’ve named him twice, I’ve named him thrice
So can’t you have a guess?
Now years went by in the blink of an eye
And times began to change.
Theo mused like an elf and said to himself,
“I feel a little strange,
“I’ve eaten meatballs in the Fellowship Halls
And battled beasts from myth
And supped Minestrone in the Prancing Pony
In the siege of Minas Tirith.
“I can barely stand straight from my medals’ weight.
I’ve risen up in rank.
I’ve flown like an ace fighting pirates in space
And made them walk the plank.
“But the wars we now fight don’t fill my appetite.
It’s time to take my leave.”
A tear in one eye? But real men don’t cry.
Not even when they grieve.
So let’s sing of his name and drink to his fame
Celebrate what was then
And hope against hope we’ll learn how to cope
Without our Théoden.
Theo, good luck in your new home. A name like Theoden is going to be less of an asset in a non-Tolkienesque alliance, but don’t feel you should change it.
Now, back to internal matters. Greldon, as our most active member, I consider you to be the de facto leader of the alliance at present. I hereby place my sword at your service, or would do if I weren’t using it for propping up an uneven table-leg at the moment.
As an alliance-building measure, I make the following two offers:
(1) I will write songs or stories on the subject of choice of any player in the alliance.
(2) I will send any alliance member who requests it The Downie Maso GalCiv Guide. This is a document designed to teach any player, no matter how incompetent, to win games on huge or gigantic maps at Masochistic difficulty in a few hours by any one of a variety of techniques. I am not publishing this on the strategy thread, partly because it’s unreasonably long, but mostly because I want to give it a sense of inflated importance by keeping it secret from the unenlightened masses. Post your email address if you want it, unless you can think of a better way I can send you information in secret.
   
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Son of Frogboy! 
| Here’s a song I’m about to write |
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And if that's one you're 'about to write', think what the real one will be like!
| I want to give it a sense of inflated importance by keeping it secret from the unenlightened masses |
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Inflated importance....mmmm..... [insert Home Simpson drool]
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Downie,
Outstanding song! I'm almost at a loss for words on that...well, almost. Thank you for the good thoughts. I appreciate my time in the Fellowship and wish nothing but the best for all of you. And it's great to see the new recruits! 
Greldon: You've got mail. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I had a really good weekend. 
  
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Please Terl send it to me too
at  Email
My masso games are all trashed by the AI's 
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| And if that's one you're 'about to write', think what the real one will be like! |
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At the time I wrote that part of the post, I hadn't yet written the song. Therefore saying "Here's a song I've written:" would have been inaccurate and misleading, and thus unacceptable. I'd have thought that much was obvious to the meanest intelligence.
| Please Terl send it to me too |
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Sorry, no copies to outsiders unless they are willing to go through a lengthy and needlessly sadistic initiation ritual.
[Message Edited]
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I agree, I like sadistic rituals, count me on, I already experimented the needles and pain of the clonning process and the mutations of my cell into a liquid aldeid form, so bring it on.
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You know nothing of pain. But don't worry. You'll learn.
Your first task is to compose a villanelle on the subject of why the Fellowship is the greatest alliance of all time. If you don't know what a villanelle is, do an internet search.
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My first try
The FOTR is the best and the greatest alliance in the whole entire galaxy of all the times, because they are nice, seewt and kind people, they don't kill the Torians Slaves they trade them for wine for the Prancing Pony witht he Drengins that way they (The Drengins) can keep those furnaces going meanwhile the FOTR defeats the SF.
Eons ago they use to be the top empire on the galaxy but the invasion of the clones crippled their machine of war. After some very sad losses they are regrouping again thank to the new blood that have inundated the glorious halls of the FOTR palace.
So be aware those who oppose the majesty of the FOTR, you could be the next log in the Drengin furnace. 
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I enjoy learning, my half Vulcan/ half Klingon loves pain no matter that I find it illogical.
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A very nice try, admirably toadying, but alas you failed to spot that it was a trick question. A villanelle is an archaic form of poetry, which uses repeated lines in a set pattern, such as Do Not Go Gently Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas. ( Link)
It's a good thing you enjoy learning, eh?
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#219
by Citizen Hurley - 2/9/2004 5:40:21 PM
Interesting haven't seen this for years!
[Hurls Mode ON]
The form is originally French and didn't appear in English until the later 1800's. It is 19 lines long, but only uses two rhymes, while also repeating two lines throughout the poem. The first five stanzas are triplets, and the last stanza is a quatrain such that the rhyme scheme is as follows: "aba aba aba aba aba abaa." The tricky part is that the 1st and 3rd lines from the first stanza are alternately repeated such that the 1st line becomes the last line in the second stanza, and the 3rd line becomes the last line in the third stanza. The last two lines of the poem are lines 1 and 3 respectively, making a rhymed couplet. Confused? A villanelle needs no particulary meter or line length, so feel free to experiment with the form. It is terribly obsessive and can bring out the emotions of any neurotic writer.
This is Dylan Thomas' "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night." It is one of the most famous villanelles and, while Thomas does not experiment much with the form, the poem is a great example of how villanelle repetition works.
The terzanelle is a modified villanelle. It uses the terza rima's interlocked rhyme pattern, but fits the villanelle form of five triplets and a quatrain. In addition, the middle line of the 1st stanza becomes the third line of the next stanza, and so on, such that the terzanelle is a huge pain, but worth the effort and determination to finish.
Because the repeated line changes and the rhyme sounds change (according to terza rima structure) the terzanelle is a less obsessive poem than the villanelle whose repetetion can be overpowering. A terzanelle's repetetion is more subtle and can give the poem a lush texture that a harsh repeater-poem cannot do. Terzanelle's are difficult to write, but fun to play with. For an example, Lewis Turco's "Terzanelle in Thunderweather".
[Hurls Mode OFF]
 
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| It's a good thing you enjoy learning, eh |
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Well you have to forgive a good old cuban redneck that enjoys country music and playing games, I write poetry but it is more spiritual, Christian poetry, if you are interested I can send you a copy of my booklet. Just drop me an e-mail at Email with your address and I will send you one.
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i THOUG THAT VILLAINELLE WAS THE WIFE OF THE VILLAIN 
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Wow! I'm gone only 5 months and look at all the changes!
Sorry to see you leaving Theoden. You've gone above and beyond the call of duty. Enjoy yourself in your new empire.
  
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Welcome back Lothmorg the Red. Nice game. 5 months is nearly forever in "Gal Civ time".
OK, I just started a gig maso but only have 3 planets. Sol is a 20 and the other two are 16's. It's still early in the game but if I don't get squashed, I will try to have something by the end of the week. .
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| Wow! I'm gone only 5 months and look at all the changes! |
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You think you're finally free, but they always drag you back...
| Sol is a 20 and the other two are 16's. |
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Should be possible, especially if those are pre-soil-enhancement numbers. I'd want to increase my manufacturing/research capacity by colonising a few PQ 13+ planets, or find a nearby minor to attack before too long. Hey, according to your profile, you're still playing on v1.11 - what's the matter, afraid of a few bugs?
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We're currently trying to claw our way back to 4 million. 
Guess I'll drop by the Pony.... 
