Sentimental Journey

[Jay Carlson]

> Lest we forget:
> 
> "Odd Ogg, Odd Ogg,
> Half turtle and half frog!"

I must be too young for that.  I hear "ogg" and think something
different---from the Hackers' Dictionary:

:ogg: /og/ /v./  [CMU] 1. In the multi-player space combat
   game Netrek, to execute kamikaze attacks against enemy ships which
   are carrying armies or occupying strategic positions.  Named during
   a game in which one of the players repeatedly used the tactic while
   playing Orion ship G, showing up in the player list as "Og".
   This trick has been roundly denounced by those who would return to
   the good old days when the tactic of dogfighting was dominant, but
   as Sun Tzu wrote, "What is of supreme importance in war is to
   attack the enemy's strategy."  However, the traditional answer to
   the newbie question "What does ogg mean?" is just "Pick up some
   armies and I'll show you."  2. In other games, to forcefully
   attack an opponent with the expectation that the resources expended
   will be renewed faster than the opponent will be able to regain his
   previous advantage.  Taken more seriously as a tactic since it has
   gained a simple name.  3. To do anything forcefully, possibly
   without consideration of the drain on future resources.  "I guess
   I'd better go ogg the problem set that's due tomorrow."  "Whoops!
   I looked down at the map for a sec and almost ogged that oncoming
   car."

Of course, there are more subtle implications than are indicated in
this, but what the hell do you expect from a dictionary anyway?  (Sun
Tzu quotes?  Uh.)

At least one netrek player had a license plate "OGG THIS" for a while;
nobody knows if the car is still in one piece....
-- 
Jay Carlson    nop at nop.com    nop at kagoona.mitre.org

Flat text is just *never* what you want.   ---stephen p spackman