From S.R.E.Turner@statslab.cam.ac.ukFri Feb 24 22:50:32 1995 Date: Fri, 24 Feb 95 21:45:05 GMT From: Stephen Turner To: frc@nvg.unit.no Subject: Round 31 summary FRC round 31 ------------ Start of round: Mo-06-Feb-95 09:00 (all times GMT) End of round: Fr-24-Feb-95 21:07 Theme: Haiku Judge: Stephen (Ronald won round 30 but was unable to judge round 31) The Wizard: Stephen Rules judged so far: 27 (20 valid, 7 invalid) Style points awarded: +8.5 (+0.315 per rule) Summary of eligibilities and style points: Eligible until or Player (rules) ineligible since Style points -------------- ------------------ ------------ Stein (6 + 0) Mo-27-Feb-95 14:15 +7.5 NEW WIZARD JUDGE -------------- ------------------ ------------ Mike (5 + 3) Fr-24-Feb-95 21:07 -6 Jeremy (5 + 1) We-22-Feb-95 21:50 +6.5 Vanyel (1 + 1) Tu-14-Feb-95 15:56 -1 Bruce (1 + 0) Mo-13-Feb-95 22:30 +2 Waggie (1 + 0) Mo-13-Feb-95 20:03 -1 Ronald (1 + 1) Mo-13-Feb-95 08:29 +0.5 Gareth (0 + 1) Su-12-Feb-95 09:00 0 Everyone else (0 + 0) Mo-13-Feb-95 09:00 0 =========================================================================== FRC round 31 -- a personal view ------------------------------- In the late winter The Fantasy Committee Prepared for "haiku" The battle was long -- The contest hard and well fought -- 'Til the early spring. ---------------------------------------- This round was, I think, The best since round 21 With the same reason Many recent rounds Have been under-restricted -- but not so this one. ---------------------------------------- Restrictions were forced To have a certain fixed length, To sound like haiku Jeremy asked for Alliteration; also Sequential seasons Waggie then wanted Japanese 'jaagon' to be In all valid rules ---------------------------------------- Mike managed the most Fantastic first rule ever He said (and I quote): kotira kara yukkuri jiji mitai nihongo de mo ("All in Japanese"). The Wizard Judge was relieved When it had no force! ---------------------------------------- Japanese moras (or syllables) seemed somewhat difficult to count; So the Wizard Judge reluctantly had to rule And redefine them! ---------------------------------------- Eventually Three players battled it out; Jeremy, Mike, Stein. Ever more constraints In an ever smaller space Care paramount, please! Stein won (and became deservedly the Wizard). Congratulations! ---------------------------------------- Good folks, I hope you Enjoyed playing or watching As much as I did. And now I hand you To the new Wizard Judge, Stein. Thank you; and good night. =========================================================================== Rule 31:1 (Ronald) Mo-06-Feb-95 10:30 VALID (+1 SP) >>>>> Each restriction to Five, seven, five syllables shall be restricted! >>>>>> Judgement: No problem. Style points: Right on theme. =========================================================================== Rule 31:2 (Stein) Mo-06-Feb-95 10:38 VALID (-0.5 SP) >>>>> Each F. R. C. rule shall contain one restriction and *only* one, too! >>>>> Judgement: Had you said "shall contain exactly one single restriction" or something, I would have had no trouble. As it is, you seem to have placed TWO restrictions on rules. Nevertheless, after some thought, I have judged this rule valid, because it is really a single restriction expressed in a compound sort of way. If you see what I mean. Style points: The right idea, but sailing rather too close to the wind. =========================================================================== Rule 31:3 (Jeremy) Mo-06-Feb-95 14:40 VALID (+1.5 SP) >>>>> Winter, Spring, Summer; Logic requires Autumn. Seasons must flow so. >>>>> Judgement: Requires can be 3 syllables (though my dictionary thinks it's 2) so the metre is OK. Does this rule contain a restriction? I think so, or at least it can be credibly interpreted to mean that the next rule must talk about autumn, which is enough. (I accept that the demands of the metre and style may force authors to be less precise in defining their conditions than usual). Style points: Much easier to judge stylistically. Very haiku-ish. =========================================================================== Rule 31:4 (Jeremy) Mo-06-Feb-95 16:29 VALID (+1 SP) >>>>> Alliteration; All future fantasy rules Must make use of it. >>>>>> Judgement: I'm prepared to consider other explanations of 31:3, e.g. that the next haiku that mentions a season must mention autumn (or winter perhaps). The restriction there isn't explicit enough to claim that this rule violates it. Style points: It's about time we had another angle on this round. This is an appropriate one because alliteration is primarily a device used in verse. =========================================================================== Rule 31:5 (Waggie) Mo-06-Feb-95 20:03 VALID (-1 SP) >>>>> Japanese jargon must be used in your haiku. Subarashi desu! >>>>> Supplied translation: "Subarashi desu!" means "It's wonderful!" Judgement: No problem. Style points: The Wizard does not know Japanese, and is now going to have to rely on the honesty of the players in translating for him. This makes him somewhat uncomfortable. Only the fact that using Japanese is indubitably haikuish (and the merciful example of the previous Wizard Judge at 30:7) prevented him from going lower. =========================================================================== Rule 31:6 (Stein) Mo-06-Feb-95 20:31 VALID (+2 SP) >>>>> hereon imageless rules will freeze to death in a silent seppuku >>>>> Supplied translation: "seppuku" is the same as "hara-kiri", viz. ritual suicide. Judgement: No problem. Style points: High credit here for responding so promptly to Waggie's challenge as well as being stylistically accurate (so far as I can tell). =========================================================================== Rule 31:7 (Mike) Mo-06-Feb-95 22:21 VALID (0 SP) >>>>> kotira kara yukkuri jiji mitai nihongo de mo >>>>> Supplied translation: >From this point on, like an old man, all (will be) in Japanese. Judgement: I suppose it's OK. I don't know enough Japanese to know. Style points: This rule deserves at once high positive points for being the "most spectacular debut rule ever" (as Stein said) and high negative points for attempting (albeit inadvertently) to make the round nigh on unjudgeable, at least by me. So I've settled on zero :) You might have got negative if it wasn't at least partly Waggie's fault. =========================================================================== Rule 31:8 (Bruce) Mo-06-Feb-95 22:30 VALID (+2 SP) >>>>> As the unfolding of budding bonsai leaves, must always come seasons. >>>>> Judgement: Mike has assured me in a 'talk' conversation that 31:7 doesn't have to mean exactly what he said in his translation. The force of it could just be that all rules have to have some Japanese in them, in which case it says little more than 31:5. "Bonsai" is enough to satisfy this. Style points: Well done for imposing the traditional seasonal images, and for using a Japanese jargon word that is now also an English word. =========================================================================== Rule 31:9 (Stein) Tu-07-Feb-95 08:39 VALID (+0.5 SP) >>>>> a warm gentle wind truth speaks to nanbitomo: speak of the real world >>>>> Supplied translation: "nanbitomo" means "all" or "everyone". Judgement: No problem. Style points: A cunning way round 31:7, though whether it would have been successful or not is doubtful. Other than that, it says little more than 31:8. =========================================================================== Rule 31:10 (Mike) Tu-07-Feb-95 09:48 INVALID (-1 SP) >>>>> Hontoo ni, huyu kagi kaketa. Eego kaki kinjiru. >>>>> Supplied translation: Truly, winter has locked the key(lock). English writing is forbidden. Judgement: 31:3 says "Seasons must flow so". I take this to mean that the seasonal allusions must occur in the correct order of the seasons. It's not time for winter yet. Style points: Good alliteration, but another attempt to give The Wizard Judge extra work. =========================================================================== Rule 31:11 (Jeremy) Tu-07-Feb-95 16:16 VALID (+1 SP) >>>>> ODE ON THE 1994 SEASON When the brown leaves fell There stood, on empty infield, Silent samurai. Where is our yakyu? Where is his bokutuo? Communication: Its absence has brought this chill. Why can't compromise win out? Each player may post No greater than two haiku All in Japanese. >>>>> Supplied translation: "yakyu" means, literally, "field-ball", i.e. "baseball"; "bokutuo" means "wooden sword", i.e. "baseball bat". Judgement: No problems. Style points: A good poem. I'm beginning to feel I'm the only one that doesn't know Japanese here! The only problems I have stylistically are that the restriction is rather weak (though thankyou for trying!) and that it doesn't seem to have much to do with the rest of the poem. =========================================================================== Rule 31:12 (Mike) Tu-07-Feb-95 18:13 VALID (-1 SP) >>>>> In truth,Winter's born; atarashii akachan, you must end with "please!" >>>>> Supplied translation: "Atarashii akachan" means "new infant". Judgement: No problems. Style points: Another one where the imagery doesn't appear to have much to do with the restriction. Also rather a strange constaint. =========================================================================== The Wizard Judge's ruling on syllables: The number of syllables in a Japanese word will be considered to be equal to the number of vowels. Extra consonant syllables/characters/modifiers/ whatever-they-ares will not count, and neither will vowels be silent or elided, or form diphthongs. Note that this is slightly different from correct Japanese usage, in which consonants not followed by a vowel have length equal to a syllable and should properly be considered syllables: for example, the word Nippon really has 4 syllables: Ni/p/po/n, whereas for the purpose of this round it will be considered to have 2. Nevertheless, rules 31:5 and 31:12 will stand. 31:5 is past the time for challenge anyway, but I think to be fair to 31:12, the lenience I showed to 31:3 and (unwittingly) 31:5 should be applied to it. One more exception. Words which occur in Chambers dictionary (1988), i.e. Japanese words that have been imported into English, can have the number of syllables that they would have in English. So Samurai can have three, and bonsai two. Now that I have sent this message, I shall apply it strictly (unless someone persuades me to change my mind...), and I may be inclined to be stricter on English syllables than I was at 31:3 as well. =========================================================================== Rule 31:13 (Vanyel) We-08-Feb-95 07:35 VALID (-2 SP) >>>>> All are growing as Honourable Samourai. Address with honour. Please! >>>>> Judgement: The only problem I have with this is whether "growing" is enough to symbolise spring if it's people growing, but I think I have to give it the benefit of the doubt. Style points: This rule squeezes through so many of the constraints in such a contrived way (as Vanyel admitted in his post). Also the restriction is rather strange (and why did he not realise it was easy to satisfy, having success- fully made 31:12 look ridiculous?). =========================================================================== Rule 31:14 (Gareth) Th-09-Feb-95 17:00 INVALID (0 SP) >>>>> To "speak of the real world" is hard For such an inadequate bard When the verse-form I need Has only, I read, So few syllables. Be on your guard! as a go master surrounds stones subtly to win, frame haiku with verse If limerick-cum-haiku seems strange, Reflect that at least I arrange To give rest to your mind; Perhaps then you'll find That it's quite an agreeable change. (I aim to please.) >>>>> Judgement: It's doubtful whether this obeys 31:13. (Does comparing the players to go masters count as addressing them with honour? I don't know). Also, I'm not In any case, I'm not convinced it 'end[s] with "please!"' (31:12): look carefully at the position of the quote marks. In any case, it violates 31:8, because no seasons are mentioned or alluded to. Style points: A reasonable, if not terribly exacting, constraint, but rather spoilt by the points referred to above. =========================================================================== Rule 31:15 (Mike) Th-09-Feb-95 17:02 INVALID (-0.5 SP) >>>>> Drugs intoxicate Summer-sama, so seasons must name spirits, please. >>>>> Supplied translation: "-sama" is an honorific sorta like saying "Lord" or "Sir" or something. Judgement: Doesn't obey 31:12 (see previous judgement). Also, doesn't appear to obey itself, unless I've misunderstood "-sama". Style points: I appreciate the attempt to make it more like haiku, but I don't fancy having to judge Buddhist spirits I haven't heard of. A selfish reason for deducting half a point, maybe, but there it is. =========================================================================== Rule 31:16 (Stein) Fr-10-Feb-95 09:01 VALID (+1.5 SP) >>>>> Lazy days like in summer will make this round a bummer Might we be ants and never rest untill we have done our very best a zen excersize: new restrictions must restrict rules' sole restriction Esteemed members (so you must be named) I know my haiku didn't have to be framed in verse, yet I did so anyway, but to end my rule I have to say: /----+ ____|___ / +-+ | /\ /\ '| | | | ' `' ` | |-| | ----+--- | _J | which of course should mean: please! >>>>> Judgement: No problem (I assume the characters really do mean "please"!) Style points: Once again Stein comes up with something unforeseen and yet entirely appropriate. And Japanese characters to boot! Just half a point off for satisfying most of the other rules outside the haiku rather than within it. =========================================================================== Rule 31:17 (Jeremy) Fr-10-Feb-95 14:50 VALID (+0.5 SP) >>>>> Honorable players, we all agree That autumn precedes the snow, That dusk doth follow day, Which leads me thus to say: Alphabetical Be the lines of your haiku, Consecutively Do I hear you calling uncle? How about: Pretty please! >>>>> Judgement: I'm not sure that this is quite what Stein meant with 31:16, but I think it's good enough, as by 31:1 the restriction is a haiku, so this rule restricts the (form of, if not the content of) restriction. Style points: Nice to see a new restriction on the haiku itself rather than on the whole rule. The last couplet is a bit weak, however. =========================================================================== Rule 31:18 (Mike) Fr-10-Feb-95 18:59 VALID (-2 SP) >>>>> Zen monks have gone mad deep in their temples Spending countless winters dreaming of something so simple: Japanese jargon; Kotira kara, haiku Lines contain none new To wit: I have set a further restriction But our wizard must see that this new constriction Only applies to haiku. Kind sirs,ye have sent me nay, to damnation For using a different interpretation. They may translate the end as "nasai!, But I would use a more comforting "kudasai!" Since I must heed my own silly decrees, I say it again, but not to displease! >>>>> Supplied translation: "kotira kara" means "from this point on" "nasai" means "please" "kudasai" also means "please", only less commanding. Judgement: Seems to be ok, just about. Style points: Squeezes through some of the rules, particularly 31:6 and 31:9. Also the verse is weak. =========================================================================== Rule 31:19 (Mike) Fr-10-Feb-95 23:30 INVALID (-1.5 SP) >>>>> Again may I have reason to despair! What season is to be alluded with care? Spring, season of growth? Then summer yielded yakyu, Use only these though! What next shall we do to disrupt season's flow? A new rule, it seems, whose verse I don't know. Esteemed Samurai: we all are at odds, it gives me dis-ease I beg of you: do not let this fight leave me gone, please! >>>>> Supplied translation: "yakyu" means "baseball". Judgement: There's always a problem with rules that do the following: 1) All rules must use the number 5. 2) 5 cats sat on mats. The next rule may not use a 5. My opinion is that rule 2) is inconsistent with rule 1) and thus invalid. Now this rule does the same in a slightly more subtle way, viz. 31: 3) Seasons must always come in order. 31: 8) All rules must include a season. 31:19) Spring. Summer. You can't use autumn. Style points: 31:16 says that new restrictions must restrict rules' sole restriction. This aims to restrict them, but only by restricting everything (there is no reason why the season should be part of the haiku (restriction)). So it's a bit heavy-handed. And the verse is still weak. =========================================================================== Rule 31:20 (Ronald) Mo-13-Feb-95 08:29 INVALID (-0.5 SP) >>>>> Wise and Honourable Fantasy Committee Players! Dry days oppressing Even every haiku must Faithfully copy Dry days oppressing Even every haiku must Faithfully copy Hence do so, please! >>>>> Judgement: Sorry, summer's not the right season (and wouldn't have been so even if 31:19 had been valid). Also I don't think the copy restriction is a restriction on the haiku: certainly not on the restriction within the haiku, as 31:16 demands. Style points: Wouldn't have been a very difficult constraint to obey. =========================================================================== Rule 31:21 (Vanyel) Tu-14-Feb-95 15:56 INVALID (+1 SP) >>>>> Though only restricted to three lines of image-laced haiku are we, it now seems the custom that we have encompassed 'em with lines of verse so pointlessly. Xeric soil in spring yearly kills the bonsai, so zealously keep flow. Of course, since you're mighty with these you must "keep flow" with or without ease; since sentences break up the rhythm, the haikus must have but one with 'em To ensure this, I only ask: please! >>>>> Judgement: Violates 31:1. The restriction is not only in the haiku, but has spilled over into the subsequent limerick. Sorry, Vanyel, your game is over. Style points: It's a fair enough restriction, if not all that clearly stated, and using X, Y, Z is definitely stylish. =========================================================================== Rule 31:22 (Stein) Th-16-Feb-95 08:06 VALID (+2.5 SP) >>>>> Dear great spring, you grew elms of truth - told haiku to fulfill *all* rules - please! >>>>> Judgement: I have already said that I am of the school that believes that fantasy rules don't exist any more if they have been declared invalid, so fulfil- ling all rules means fulfilling all valid fantasy rules and R.O.s. Other than that, everything seems fine. Style points: Stein comes up with the goods again. =========================================================================== Rule 31:23 (Mike) Th-16-Feb-95 15:28 VALID (+1 SP) >>>>> Sun strokes kind sirs! With three times' alliteration, use up haiku, please! >>>>> Judgement: I was worried for a while about the phrase "use up haiku". For a while I thought it must mean that the alliterations must fill up the whole haiku, i.e. that all words in the haiku must alliterate in one of the three alliter- ations (wow, that would be one tough constraint to obey!). But I think it's OK just to fill up some of the space in the haiku with alliterations: consider the phrase "he's using up his petrol [Americans read gas] driving at that speed". Style points: The verse isn't as bad as you think, although the first sentence doesn't have much to do with the rest, and the phrase "use up" doesn't quite sound right. The constraint is reasonable, and extra kudos for responding to Stein's challenge so promptly. =========================================================================== Rule 31:24 (Jeremy) Th-16-Feb-95 21:50 VALID (+2 SP) >>>>> Fall; fungi flower, Great green garden grows gaunt, grey: Have hued haiku, please! >>>>> Judgement: Seems fine. Style points: I had a hunch someone would respond to the challenge! =========================================================================== Rule 31:25 (Mike) Fr-17-Feb-95 21:07 VALID (-1 SP) >>>>> Fireplace fire's red; chill's grasp gone. Sirs, with just my words, harness haiku, please! >>>>> Judgement: Since it doesn't make any difference to the game (he could just repost) I allow Mike's correction. Other than that the rule seems OK. Style comments: The two sentences don't seem related. Furthermore, it's not quite clear what the constraint means (any players who wish to make suggestions are welcome to). And I take half a mark off for having to repost. =========================================================================== Rule 31:26 (Stein) Mo-20-Feb-95 14:15 VALID (+1.5 SP) >>>>> Fire red new sun; chill's grasp gone. Sirs, with just my words, harness haiku, please! >>>>> Judgement: Fine. Style points: Good play. There's nothing wrong with being derivative if it gives a new twist to the game: cf 26:16 and the Wizard Judge's comment then: "Turnabout is fair play!" =========================================================================== Rule 31:27 (Jeremy) We-22-Feb-95 16:40 INVALID (+0.5 SP) >>>>> Ra of red sun fire, Sir, restrict haiku only To pleas to you, please! >>>>>> Judgement: I have two problems with this. First, does it use just Mike and Stein's words? I don't think "Ra" and "pleas" ARE their words. They may be sequences of letters from their rules that make words, but they are not actually their words: "grasp" and "please" were their words. Secondly, does it contain a restriction? It's a plea to Ra to do something, not for the players to do it. If the players ignore it, have they really disobeyed this rule, or has Ra done so? I think the latter; in which case there are no restrictions on future haikus. I accept that these are both fine points, but judging is permanently about making such difficult decisions as players try to stretch the bounds of legality! I have to judge this rule invalid. Sorry, Jeremy. Style comments: Had a good go at obeying all the tricky constraints now in force, albeit that the constraint it tried to make is a bit odd. =========================================================================== -- Stephen R. E. Turner (Wizard Judge emeritus), Stochastic Networks Group, Statistical Laboratory, University of Cambridge e-mail: sret1@cam.ac.uk WWW: http://www.statslab.cam.ac.uk/~sret1/home.html "Never go to sea with two chronometers; take one or three." (Anon.)