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After being visted twice by Ultrametric, a robot from the planet SpinDizzy is now a part of, an expedition is being planned in response to the automaton's invitation to visit its home.

Kulan, local wallaby, is asking interested parties to meet with him Wednesday, 11/17/2004 at 20:00 muck time, at the Beach just east of the Rose Garden.

When asked, Kulan said, "The plan is to explore where Ultrametric came from, As it invited us and all. It will take at least an hour to look around. You never know what's there."

One and all are invited to join the exploration party. With little knowlege of Ultrametric's home, all sorts of abilities and skills may be required, so everyone is being urged to join.

Kulan says to keep an eye on the bulletin board and the event list for additional information.

With the recent increase in the circulation of @Action News, Argon, local centaur and editor is calling a staff meeting.

"I'm asking everyone who has contributed to the paper, or would like to, or has thought about it, or even those who just read it, to meet with me at the paper's offices at Centaur Square (Enter CS then enter paper). With the paper becoming more popular, and with advertising revenues up, I'm hoping to attract additional permanent staff, and get the publication of the paper more organised." The centaur said.

Argon went on to explain that he is looking for freelance reporters, stringers, artists, writers, and circulation staff. Individuals with proofreading skills and spell checkers are especially needed. He said he hopes those who already contribute will attend too.

"This is of course, and IC / OOC thing. The paper really does need reporters, artists and other staff, and OOC, I'm hoping folks will write about and draw the everyday things and events that happen here. IC, there's no reason the SED, or Neo Republic couldn't be the subject of an investigative report."

So plan to be at the offices (CS then paper) of @Action News Friday, 11/19/2004, at 21:00 muck time (Midnight Eastern, 9:00 pm Pacific,) and help make @Action News an even better publication and a fun source of RP.

Adara and Elissa are working on a tour guide 'booklet' for SpinDizzy. It will include well known, and obscure places of interest on the muck.

They are asking folks to suggest interesting places that both long time residents and visitors would enjoy seeing. Feel free to suggest not only places you have built, but places other folks have put together.

Hopefully, with the help of everyone, this project will be finished soon, and we'll have a guide to use to show new folks around the muck.

Morticon, local wallaby, made mention of Bohdi, a character who was featured in an earlier edition of @Action News. The following exchange took place:

Morticon says, "Do I need to bring Bodhi back again?"
Darius says, "What is Bodhi?"
Argon sings, o/~ "I ain't got no Bohdi!" o/~
Morticon says, "Umms.. nothing at all!"
Morticon covers his mouth.
Gilead chirps, "o/~ If I said you had a beautiful Bodhi, would you hold it against me? o/~"
Morticon shakes his head.
Gilead chirps, "o/~ If you want my Bodhi, and you think I'm sexy, come on sugar, let me know... o/~"
Morticon hops off. "no more ! No more!"
Morticon leaves for Beach.
Morticon has left.
PatchO'Black a-hems...

Local clockwork Inca tern, Kern, and his imaginary friend Ing, a clockwork raven, told Argon, local centaur that SpinDizzy was in good condition as everything was woumd up.

The centaur was curious about this statement, as he knew only a few things on the muck that ran on clockwork. But the bird insisted that everything, including "biological" life forms needed winding from time to time.

Star-Sight, local pegasus my little pony, expressed concern at having the bird wind him up, but Kern insisted that Ing did so when Star-Sight was distracted.

Kern then discussed surplus parts, and produced a pile of screws washers and butterfly bolts from a nearby tree which he offered to sell. Argon asked, "How much?" and the bird replied, "All of them?" The centaur then asked, "How much for all the parts?" to which Kern answered, "Two percent!" Argon offered Kern two cents, but it is unclear if Argon now owns the pile of parts.

Kern shuffled the parts around, and asked what the "..angle bone is connected to," to which Argon replied, "The isosceles bone." Kern then finished putting the parts together into a rough, small mechanical centaur with a big key stuck out its back. The tern then twisted the clockwork-centaur key a couple twists, and when released it jolted around a couple times. Kern said, "'Course it's only just hatched so it's not good yet."

Argon was quite pleased with the little mechanical centaur and thanked Kern for the effort. Kern replied, Yup, yup, but Ing has the real talent."

Argon mentioned that he would have to make some assumtions and paraphrases to make sense of his interaction with the birds to which Kern replied, "Oh we have parts for that."

Kern and Ing then took off to wind up something else.

There are those who would say that what Hollywood deposits in the theaters nowadays is difficult to distinguish from what is dropped and left behind by theatergoers. It is not the place of this reporter to say otherwise.. mm… naaah. I’ll say it. Lately, what has been the average quality of product that’s been spewing out over the past few years is awful, horrible, and various other strong negative pejoratives. Garbage is one of them. If this reporter may use slang, the film, ‘The Incredibles’ ain’t garbage.

Pixar is becoming synonymous with the word, ‘quality’, for they know how to produce a film that can appeal to both young and old, both in visuals as well as dialog. Heck, it even discusses the very concept of ‘fandom’ in a most illuminating and humorous way. It pretty much discusses, in a joking manner, a whole gamut of topics, ranging from super-heroics and ‘The Law’ to raising a family and getting older. Oh, and there’s a nice part involving fighting the system.

The best part of all of this is that while it completes the story set up in the film, it leaves plenty of room leftover to grow into a potential franchise, one that this reporter wouldn’t mind seeing more of.

Spindizzy's weekly Bardic Circle (Poetry/Filk gather) met Friday, November 12, at 7:00pm Spindizzy time, in a Quiet Garden, moderated by Ray. In attendance at varying times were: Elizabeth, K'purra, Chanspot, and Laura.

Ray opened the session with an original filk, titled, "SpinDizzy Fields Forever" (Original music and lyrics by Lennon/McCartney). Chanspot read a poem by Jack Kerouac, "Mexico_City_Blues, 64th Chorus." K'purra followed with "Homework," by Jack Prelutsky. Ray then read another original poem, titled, "Black," immediately following that with another titled, "Gun Thesis," and, finally, an original "Dirty Harry Haiku."

Elizabeth then read an original "Rain Haiku." K'purra followed with ''A Narrow fellow in the grass," by Emily Dickinson. Ray continued by reading another original poem, titled, "Abode," and then an original "Curiosity Haiku." K'purra then offered the imagery of Longfellow's "Day is Done." Ray followed that with another original poem, titled, "Life's Least View." He continued with his poem titled, simply, "Home," as well as "Home: A Haiku." Elizabeth continued the Theme, reading, "Roofs," by Joyce Kilmer.

Elizabeth changed the mood, reading, "My November Guest," by Robert Frost. K'purra then read Longfellow's, "The Children's Hour." Ray returned to November, reading another original poem, titled, "November Moon," and, finally his "November Haiku."

With that, the Gathering ended.

The next session will be Friday, November 19, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm Spindizzy time (luge N5 W4, [B]asalt [P]illars, [E]nter [P]ortal). All are welcome, either to read or just to listen. Check the eventlist for more details.

In other Duma Mountain news...

This week, following the journals of 1950s adventurer Nathaniel Alexander, intrepid explorers Elizabeth and Ray discovered a Hidden Valley on Duma Mountain. They encountered a lost tribe of Maned Wolves and learned the secret of their sacred Temple. The experience was marred both by the tribe's Priestess-Chief and her top Warrior's nefarious plans for the explorers, and by an untimely geologic disturbance, both of which precipitated a hasty retreat from the Valley by Elizabeth and Ray.

Those who wish to explore this newly-revealed area can get there this way: Luge N5 W4, am, cl, cm, ba, do, wp. Please note that anything in <carets> can be looked at; there is a <RP Note> when you first reach the Valley, so please read it to ensure your enjoyment of your own explorations. For answers to any further questions, please pmail Ray.

Notes from the SpinDizzy Live Journal Community

• From Tarka - Chanspot asked me if I would post something about events, RPs, and projects that I have done in the past. Ones that both worked and failed as well as some talk about 'why' they worked or didn't work. So.... just so people can gleen some ideas from my own experience. Here are some of the things that I have tried that worked and didn't work.

  1. Poetry Reading. This both worked and didn't work. I found that the three times I have tried it there would be success at the start for a while, but after a bit I would run out of really good poetry to read. So what happens here is that if you don't get a larger crowd the poetry gets read more then once. So it looses its vibrant edge. The other thing I tried to do was read original poetry. Stuff that you write yourself... and comment on how well it was done. That tended to scare people away that came for the first time.
  2. Story Circle. Fuzzy Yarns. Even though it isn't run now I consider that event to be wildly successful. I have more then 85 stories in my archive that were done in the circles that I have hosted. Some of them came out to be really good. Making for working stories. Why did this odd event work? I mostly atribute that to the three or four people that became regulers to the event. They came almost every time and we becamre very good at working with one another. This is also probably the hardest event to run as it takes a lot of creativity and dedication.
  3. The SED. Started this up with Moriarty... who is now gone. It began kind of as an idea for a 'rent-a-villian' group. People that 'liked' to play evil could then be the villians for other peoples' RPs. It was only run half assidly until Morticon, the evil wallaby took it over. So the original idea of the overblown evilness survived but the whole silly idea about 'rent-a-villion' faded though. I would give Morticon most of the credit for really getting the SED going though. I just created the name and got the original RPs rolling.
  4. The Ferret. AKA The Spindizzy Newspaper. This was a bit of a group effort at the start with some other people. I think we only ever did 8 original issues... but I did the design for the cute ferret at the top... lots of writing for it... though I think that I lost most of the beginnings of this. It was a fit and start style thing and a project that I thought failed horribly... but it is one of the ideas that seeded others with the same idea (Read Argon) who took it over and actually made it into a successful project! (I always find this really amazing myself.) Now it has gained a life of its own and I read it ever Saturday night to find out what has happened over the last week. Why did it work? Ask Argon... I think he has put far more work into it then I at this point.
  5. Short short story night. I introed this a couple of times on the muck and it always does well for the first three or four times... but people loose interest. Well... I do after a while because of the time. But I think I have run it at least 30 times. You basicly write a story in one very short little bit. It has to begin... hold together... and come to an ending in like six sentances. It is a project that I could see taking off and doing well if someone was interested in running such an event.
  6. Argonization. Hehe... this was more Argon then me... but I helped him with it. You take insperation from the Eye of Argon... and then write just like that. "His crimson life fluid lightly sprinkled over the ground like a garden hose." You try and make it the most convoluted horrid sentence in the world. As an event it worked... but it's one that over time failed.
  7. Punning. This is something that I have done... and other people have done... you do an event and try to do as many puns as you can. I think Findra is the best punning bunny ever. I otter never do that again.
  8. Livejournal. I have always thought that spindizzy needed a livejournal community when I saw some people talking about it online. So I just made one since I have a paid for acount and use livejournal all the time. Also makes it easy for me to take part in something as I don't have time most nights for more standered events.
  9. Lets see.... there was the OYPOD (The Otter Yiff Pit of Doom).... the attemped Red Light area... The halloween scary story time.... I kind of dropped that for a few years... some RP things... and I forget what else.

  I hope that helps people out... or gives them some ideas about what to do...anything with text works....
   

• From Austin - I've been trying to push for a "reporting gang" for ages. I think it would, hopefully, combine to serve several needs -- for one, allowing more people to feel responsibility for some aspect or other of the muck; for another, encouraging people to add a bit more introspection to why they do the things they do (and how they might be done better); for another, relieving me of the Saturday night worry of "is there going to be enough for a paper this week, and can I think of anything to write about just to be sure?" (Editor's note: Austin is a regular contributor to @Action News, but will only rarely allow me to credit his work.)

  I don't take many bylines, but it's not rare something of mine is in the paper, and I honestly do want to let other people take on more of the muck responsibilities. One of Spindizzy's best traits is the number of people who do, or do want to, take on responsibility for making the place work.
   

• From Chanspot- New Thematic RP Area
  The Inn features more role-play secrets than it cares to tell about. Besides offering a place for RP, especially table-top-style RP, group narrative, and impromptu, a directory of players, characters, and their RP interests, and playable dice games, it also offers a variety of player-created themes (mini-worlds with custom rules), in its basement. Currently, the Inn hosts three specific themes down there amid the murk and chaos, waiting for adventurers to step foot into the dark and try their chances against fate. The newest addition is Tribal Lands, a primitive RP setting concerning swamp-dwelling natives.

  Tribal Lands is an open RP setting, boasting a comprehensive map and small, but thematic and detailed landscape. Rhubian Flights is the other theme in use, but it's a 'closed' theme by request of its creators and folks who run their adventures there, although it can still be visited and poked at for ideas, such as a global weather command, group-editable rp board, and other delicious tidbits.

  Note anyone can create a theme, and invite folks to use it, making their own concepts for play. All we ask is that the theme follow SpinDizzy's AUP. Otherwise, there are alot of booths for sitting down, gaming, and chatting within the Inn, and players are always swept to a room in the Inn, so you'll never wake up in a strange place. ;)

  Care to visit? Drop on a luge and head to: luge s1 e6, enter

@Action News, SpinDizzy's weekly paper, apparently has a fairly healthy circulation, so we figured we'd show just how healthy it is.

Each week, as long as there's room. I'll show the 'hit graph' for the @Action News website.

Welcome to the latest edition of Bearing up, the advice column where Ba'ar (That's me!) has answers to your most challenging questions.

Dear Bearing Up,
Which is better, football or baseball?
- S. Kofax

Dear S. Kofax:
Neither-Video games!

Dear Bearing Up,
Does the light in my refrigerator really go off when I close the door?
- C. Willie

Dear C. Willie:
It goes off so as not to blind the eyes of the potatoes.

Dear Bearing Up:
Who is the 'Biggest Loser' from the show of the same name?
- Sierra

Dear Sierra:
The biggest losers from that show are the viewers from The Father of the Pride show that were gypped when their show was cancelled.

Dear Bearing Up,
Giant aphids are eating my roses! Help!
- Not Flutterz

Dear Not Flutterz:
Get a giant anteater to chase after the giant aphids.

Dear Bearing Up,
I usually take the same path when I go out for a gallop. But there's a place where the ground is getting soggy. I've tried putting dirt and gravel there to keep the water out, but it's always soaked. What should I do to fix this problem?
- Argon

Dear Argon:
Coat the area with cement. That will take care of things.

Dear Bearing Up,
What should I change my password to?
- A. Wiz

Dear A. Wiz:
Something easy for users to guess.

Dear Bearing Up:
I'm busy making a clone army but am encountering resistance! What do I do?
- M.S.

Dear M.S.
Use an ALL ORIGINAL army to do the job.

Remember possums (to steal a term from Dame Edna ;-D), if you have any questions, please page mail me (Ba'ar) online or send mail to big_bear@operamail.com . Thanks.

This week, Argon asked, "I'm doing a survey for @Action News. The question this week is, 'Other than the Rose Garden, what place on SpinDizzy do you feel is a 'must see' for visitors?'

• PatchO'Black mews, "Then I would say the Mellow Marsh and the whole of Jellicle Fields."
• Gilead chirps, "Jellicle Fields Forever."
• Mavra says, "Why, Centaur Square, of course!"
• Terry meeps, "I have to say Squirrel Park. It's required by law."
• Laura churrrs, "The eastern spindizzy! The nice shiny one."
• Mouser hisses, "SED HQ, if you can find it..."
• Cye -- My head.
• Baxter ponders,"Ahh... anyplace with something going on? ain't wandered a much myself."
• Gilead chirps, "I'd have to say Patchy's fields. They're very tasty."
• Brenda would suggest Cougar Canyon, but she'd like SOME privacy there.
• K'purra purrs, "I guess I'll just recommend everyone sample a little piece of Heck."
• Geist says, "The Balloon field"
• Star-Sight whinnies, "The sky above SpinDizzy."
• Tami says, "I think the Dimension of Surreality will be when I finish it. If people can find the hidden entrance."
• Knighteyes -- "Wulphe is the must-see on Spindizzy"
• Terra twirls her tail. "Everybody must see Squirrel City!"
• Scandal sighs, "That wood shop place that Butterfluff showed me when I first got here was neat but I don't remember how to get there."
• Lost_Fox has no idea of any place else.
• Morticon -- Charter Park is required viewing, in my opinion. But besides that, there's so many good choices... Squirrel City, the southern forest, the Spire, Duma Mountain, K'Purra's mountain, the list goes on! And of course, the SED labs. Because I need new guinea pigs.
• Ray -- The one 'must see' on SpinDizzy is a place I found by accident: Charter Park. It represents not only the origins of our current world, but also the fellowship and camraderie of those who contributed to its rebirth.

Submitting a story or artwork for @Action News is easy! Just send it tnewspaper@spindizzy.org or qmail or page @Action or sdnews about it.
@Action News is published weekly on or after 12:01 AM Eastern Time on Sunday. Most any type of story or article will be accepted. Generally, we'd prefer things that aren" t out and out lies or flames about other folks, and have a basis in the reality of SpinDizzy. Things that occur in public areas are fair game. The things reported dont have thave actually happened, (any more than anything that happens here does) but make sure you don't overstep the social boundaries and rules of interaction that we have. These are pretty broad guidelines, but we expect good sense tapply.

Thanks! Argon, Editor @Action News