MOO Bash FAQ

Official LambdaMOO Bash Frequently Asked Questions Sheet
Monday, February 08, 1999, Version 3.03.
Author/Owner/Editor: V.Dentata (#89112) on LambdaMOO.

This document was conceived through artificial means and written 
as a way to inform inquirers about the nature and ways of the 
LambdaMOO Bash.

THIS DOCUMENT IS IN PROGRESS AND SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR 
AUTHORITATIVE KNOWLEDGE OR AUTHORITATIVE PUBLICATION. THIS 
DOCUMENT CONTAINS NOTES AND UNVERIFIED INFORMATION. IF THERE IS 
SOME SUBJECT IN THIS DOCUMENT THAT YOU KNOW TO BE FALSE, PLEASE 
CONTACT THE OWNER. THINGS NOTED AND RECORDED HERE WERE NOT DONE SO 
IN ANY SENSE OF MALICIOUSNESS OR AUTHORITATIVE DESPOTISM 
WHATSOEVER.  NOT MUCH, ANYWAY.

NOTE ABOUT GENDER PRONOUNS:
The author uses the LambdaMOO gender, 'Spivak' to refer to the 
author's self as well as to generic participants in the author's 
FAQ. The root pronouns for the gender, 'Spivak', are as follows:

              Spivak        Feminine     Masculine
Subjective:   e             she          he
Objective:    em            her          him
Possessive:   eir           her          his

Other familiar pronouns can be extrapolated: 'emself', et cetera.


TABLE OF CONTENTS:

I. >>OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE TO A NEW BASHER
II. DEFINITIONS
1. What is a FAQ?
2. What are MOOs?
3. >>What's a MOOer?
4. >>What is LambdaMOO?
5. >>What is a LambdaMOO Bash?
6. >>What is RL?
7. What is VR?
8. What is safer sex?
III. HISTORY
1. When did Bashes start?
2. >>What Bashes have happened so far?
3. What other bashlike parties happened in living memory?
IV. MORE INFORMATION
1. >>Where can I get more information (besides this FAQ)?
2. I don't live within walking/driving/flying/etc. distance of the 
next bash. How can I attend bashes?
3. What other MOOing groups meet in RL (from LambdaMOO)?
4. What MOO objects keep track of bashes that are currently being 
planned?
5. How do I keep track of who's throwing bashes in the near or far 
future?
6. Assuming I have a LambdaMOO account, how do I join the 'bash 
channel'?
V. CUSTOMS
1. >>What does "Don't freak the normals" mean?
2. >>Should I bring a camera? I heard there was some debate about 
photography.
3. What's all this I hear about sex-parties and safer sex?
4. Who can I have sex with?
5. Can I bring weapons to a bash?
6. Will I get sex with gorgeous MOO women at bash just by showing 
up?
7. Should I bring my Scottish Bagpipe music CD and my Albanian 
Women's chanting CD?
8. >>Can I bring my non-MOOing friends?
9. >>Besides party, what else do people do at bashes?
10. If I have a smaller than average penis, will I feel 
intimidated at bash?
11. Am I expected to act like my character on the MOO? Do I have 
to come 'in character'?
12. How can I MOO from bash?
VI. WHO ORIGINATED...
1. Flaming Depth Charge!
2. GDFON!
3. "Fuck you, fagboy!"
4. "Moons over My Hammy"
5. >>"How about a nice frosty mug of SHUT THE FUCK UP?"
VII. GAMES
1. "Butt darts!"
2. Asshole
3. Strip Twister.
4. Dutch Oven.
5. Zen Tag.
6. Hour of Power
VIII. ATTENDANCE MECHANICS
1. How do I make hotel reservations?
2. How do I get there?
3. Should I bring a sleeping bag?
4. How old do I need to be?
5. How much money should I bring?
6. Should I bring my own linens?
IX. THEOLOGY
1. Who are the Four Horsemen?
2. Who are the Bash Gods?


Please note that changes from revision to revision are noted with 
>> arrows marking relevant section headings.
Also, if you wish to comment on a particular section of the FAQ 
please be sure to note the heading number (I, II, III, etc.) as 
well as the number of the question (1, 2, 3, etc.) within the 
heading.


Questions and Answers:

I. >>OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE TO A NEW BASHER
   This is a list of potentially interesting and directly 
applicable FAQ questions for the first time basher. Some questions 
are in here more for humor than actual _Bash_On_5_Dollars_a_Day_ 
value.
   Please pay particular attention to:
    IV.1 >>Where can I get more information (besides this FAQ)?
    IV.3 What other MOOing groups meet in RL (from LambdaMOO)?
    IV.4 What MOO objects keep track of bashes that are currently 
being planned?
     V.1 >>What does "Don't freak the normals" mean?
     V.2 >>Should I bring a camera? I heard there was some debate 
about photography.
     V.3 What's all this I hear about sex-parties and safer sex?
     V.5 Can I bring weapons to a bash?
     V.8 Can I bring my non-MOOing friends?
    VIII ATTENDANCE MECHANICS (ALL)

II. DEFINITIONS

1. What is a FAQ?
   FAQ stands for Frequently Asked Questions. FAQs are very 
popular for frequently traveled newsgroups on USENET. They answer 
frequently asked questions and serve as a good introduction for 
certain subcultures. FAQs are usually constantly updated and 
edited by both the author/editor and the community they describe.

2. What are MOOs?
   MOO stands for 'MUD, Object Oriented'. MUD, in turn, stands for 
'Multi-User Dungeon' or 'Multi-User Dimension', depending on whom 
you talk to. MUDs were traditionally (though not wholly) virtual 
text-based realities where people played games like Dungeons and 
Dragons, fighting each other and monsters, and running around 
looting everything in sight. MOOs were traditionally (though 
again, not wholly) virtual text-based realities where people built 
communities and societies and spent a lot of time chatting with 
each other. MOO programming is object oriented, while MUD 
programming isn't necessarily.

3. >>What's a MOOer?
   A MOOer is a person who uses a MOO. A MOOer is only a cow if 
that cow uses a MOO and/or gives milk, particularly choklit.

4. >>What is LambdaMOO?
   LambdaMOO is one of the first-established MOOs (January ??, 
1991), upon which many of its successors are based. LambdaMOO is 
where many people organize bashes to attend. There are several 
other MOOs, but this FAQ is about LambdaMOO bashes. If by some odd 
chance you come upon this FAQ completely out of context and you 
wonder how to get to LambdaMOO, point your telnet client at 
telnet://lambda.moo.mud.org:8888/ and you're there (assuming its 
firewall is not being schizoid).
   LambdaMOO's current population is around 6000, but it's been 
known to get as high as 8500. Fortunately, the bashes don’t 
normally include this many people.  The odor alone precludes it.

5. >>What is a LambdaMOO Bash?
   A bash is a party, and a LambdaMOO bash is a LambdaMOO party. 
Bashes are held off-line, in RL (Real Life). Formerly, computer 
and video games were avoided at bash, but these days Sony 
Playstations are a bash staple. Also, some Bashers choose to bring 
their laptops to bash, though there are severe bash penalties for 
MOOing from a bash.

   Bashes can be wild and noisy with many old virtual friends 
meeting up with each other in RL for the first time; often, "core 
bashers" are already painfully familiar with each other IRL (in 
real life).

   Often, a basher will get so drunk that e forgets where e is and 
will begin some kind of public display of physical affection. This 
is one of the reasons there's usually a lower limit on age of 
attendees to a bash.

   Some of the criteria for defining a bash are:
      - Bashes have more MOOers in attendance than non-MOOers.
      - Bashes are parties where everyone contributes to the cost 
(usually the hosts front the costs and then charge attendees some 
nominal fee for attending - hosts seek to break even, not make a 
profit).
      - Bashes run very late into the night - bashers end up going 
to sleep around 4 a.m. or don’t get to sleep most bash nights.
      - Bashes usually get thrown in hotels or in some unfortunate 
MOOer's private residence.
      - Bashes usually include drinking games (such as Asshole and 
I Never...) and Truth or Dare -- sometimes we also play Butt-Darts 
and Strip Twister.  Other games are welcome. Bring your favorite.
      - Bashers are usually the living dead in the 'mornings' 
(usually until around noon or 1:00 p.m. local time).

6. >>What is RL?
   RL stands for 'Real Life' and refers to the fact that there is 
vast disagreement between MOOers about the state of reality on a 
MOO. Some see it as a game while others see it as a supplemental 
reality with very similar consequences and responsibilities to 
Real Life. Regardless, most MOOers make a distinction between 
'Virtual Reality' (reality on a MOO) and Real Life. Real Life is 
the reality where non-MOO things happen. Face it - you're a 
mutant, and it's up to you to find out how to live and exist in 
normal society while you live your MOO life as well.

7. What is VR?
   VR stands for 'Virtual Reality' and in MOO contexts usually 
refers to the reality of the MOO itself. Sometimes MOOs are called 
text-based virtual realities.

8. What is safer sex?
   Carry and use condoms if you’re screwing around or hope to be 
screwing around! You never know where a basher has been.
   It’s even worse if you do know. Trust me.
   A good URL for safer sex information is 
http://www.safersex.org/.


III. HISTORY

1. When did Bashes start?
   It's hard to tell exactly when this string of LambdaMOO bashes 
erupted, but legend places the first bash in Cincinnati on 
September 28th, 1994. This was the first time mostly MOOers came 
to bash in a hotel suite and broke their brains.

2. >>What Bashes have happened so far?
   Bashes are defined as publicly announced gatherings of MOOers, 
usually more than 10 attendees.
Some Past Bashes:
St. Louis - June 11-13, 1993 - 15 attendees - Host: Wholeflaffer.
Rockville, MD (DC NYE 1994-1995) - December 30, 1994-January 1, 
1995 - MOO Year's Eve - ~30 attendees - Hosts: ArielSpryte and 
JipHipster.
Cleveland, OH - March 10-12, 1995 - 25-30 attendees - Hosts: 
crayon and Gilmore.
Rockville, CT (TWISTbash I)- May 5-7, 1995 - ~20 attendees - Host: 
TWIST.
Chicago - May 26-29, 1995 - Memorial Day Weekend - 10 attendees - 
Host: Jason
Rockville, MD (DC Independence Bash) - July 28-30, 1995 - ~40 
attendees - Hosts: V.Dentata and Amazon_Bitch.
Chapel Hill, NC (NC Bash) - September 1-4, 1995 - ~30 attendees - 
Hosts: Charlotte_Sometimes and MichaelG.
Rockville, CT (Halloween TWISTbash) - October 20-22, 1995 - ~20 
attendees - Host: TWIST.
Cleveland, OH (Turkeybash)- November 24-26, 1995 - ~20 attendees - 
Host: Calico.

Rockville, MD (DC NYE 1995-1996) - December 29-January 1 - ~60 
attendees - Hosts: V.Dentata and Peri.
Rochester, NY (Crotchbash 1996) – March 22 – March 24 - ?? 
attendees – Hosts:  Gilmore and crayon.
Cincinnati, OH (Cincibash 1996) – 3 May – 5 May?
Chicago, OH (Memorial Day Bash 1996) – 24 May – 27 May - ?? 
attendees – Hosts: ?? and Hopita.
Cleveland, OH (Wedding Bash 1996) – 07 June – 9 June 1996 - ?? 
attendees – Hosts:  crayon and Gilmore.
Virginia Beach, VA (BeachBitchBash 1996) – 26 July – 28 July - ?? 
attendees – Host:  Amazon_Bitch.
Rockville, CT (TWISTbash 1996) – 30 August – 02 September? - ?? 
attendees – Host:  TWIST.
Northern VA (Thanksgrieving Bash 1996) – 27 November – 01 December 
- ?? attendees – Hosts: V.Dentata and Peri.

Rockville, MD (DC NYE 1996-1997) – December – January - 95 
attendees – Hosts: V.Dentata and Chapman.
Rockville, CT (TWISTbirthdaybash 1997) – 24 January – 26 January - 
?? attendees – Host:  TWIST.
Rochester, NY (PSXbash 1997) – 14 February – 16 February - ?? 
attendees – Hosts: Gilmore and crayon.
Rockville, CT (TWISTbash 4th of July Bash 1997) – 3 July – 6 July - 
?? attendees – Host:  TWIST.
Seattle, WA (Seattlebash 1997) – 18 July – 20 July - ?? attendees 
– Hosts: Pensette and vix?.
Martinsburg, WV (PSXbash 1997) – 01 August – 03 August - ?? 
attendees – Hosts:  Eclipse and Sick.
Northern VA – (ImpromptuWoobieBash 1997) – 29 August – 31 August - 
?? attendees – Hosts:  V.Dentata and Peri.
Rockville, CT - (Helloween Bash 1997) - 31 October - 2 November - 
20 attendees - 4 Horsemen. - Host: TWIST

Dupont Circle, DC (DC NYE 1997-1998) – December – January - ?? 
attendees – Host: Lizard.
Rockville, CT (TWISTbirthdaybash 1998) – January 30 – February 1 - 
?? attendees – Hosts: TWIST and Roshi.
Rochester, NY (Crotchbash 1998) – March 13 – March 15 - ?? 
attendees – Hosts:  Gilmore and crayon.
Northern VA (Sushibash 1998) – May 22 – May 25 - 15-20 attendees – 
4 horsemen - Host: V.Dentata
Pigeon Forge, TN (Goatlinburgbash 1998) – September 11 – September 
13 - ?? attendees – Hosts: Mugwump and Eos.
Rockville, CT (Helloweenbash 1998) – October 30 – 01 November - ?? 
attendees – Hosts: TWIST and Roshi.

Silver Spring, MD(DC NYE 1998-1999) - December 31-January 4 - ?? 
attendees - Hosts: Bluesy and Lizard.
Washington, DC (SushiBASH II) - May 28-May 31 - about 20 attendees 
 (2 horsemen) – Hosts: V.Dentata and Etoile.

3. What other bashlike parties happened in living memory?
   In mid-late '92, in June or July, there was a gathering in 
Boulder including a dozen MOOers and a few MUDders for an evening 
of drinking, pizza and conversation. They called it a "bash".
   Fort Collins and Boulder college students held regular get-
togethers among MOOers for a while after.
   Eventually the Colorado MOOers decided they had enough cohesion 
that they called themselves an official group and started 
*colorad-MOO to help them track what was going on.
   By that time, people in other areas had started having get-
togethers. This was the first time these things were called "MOO 
bashes", but people were getting together before this, going back 
to the dawn of MOOtime when yduJ and the gang used to get 
together.
   -- Paraphrased from the narrative of a MOOer who shall not be 
named.
   [NOTE: V.Dentata (#89112) will be happy to include more such 
narratives if they come eir way.]


IV. MORE INFORMATION

1. >>Where can I get more information (besides this FAQ)?
You can get more information on LambdaMOO and MOOing in general 
from:

  LambdaMOO Itself:
http://vesta.physics.ucla.edu/~smolin/lambda/
ftp://ftp.lambda.moo.mud.org/pub/MOO/
http://lydia.bradley.edu/las/soc/syl/391/papers/rape_cyb.html
http://lucien.berkeley.edu/MOO/quick-reference.txt
  Bash Pictures:
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Nebula/5644/bashindex.html 
(spivak's archive)
http://welcome.to/moogallery (Falc's Hall of Presidents)
http://idt.net/~everett3/gallery.html (Nim's MOO Gallery)
  MOOing Info:
http://www.vv.com/common/mud/mud_types.html#MOO
http://www.moo.mud.org/moo-faq/
http://lucien.berkeley.edu/moo.html
http://arachnid.cm.cf.ac.uk/User/Andrew.Wilson/VR/
http://arachnid.cm.cf.ac.uk/User/Andrew.Wilson/VR/sites.html
   These references should get you started. If you need more, use 
your favorite browser on the web or other Internet based resource 
and search for keywords: LambdaMOO or MOO.

2. I don't live within walking/driving/flying/etc. distance of the 
next bash. How can I attend bashes?
   If you don't live within walking/driving/flying/etc. distance, 
you should move. Otherwise, you could hop on down to your local 
Radio Shack and have them order the latest MBTB (MOO-Bash 
Transporto Beam) for you. Shouldn't be more than $99.95 if you get 
it on sale.
   Actually, you can also try to share the cost of driving (the 
most popular method so far of attending bashes) with one or more 
people (assuming they all fit in whatever vehicle you're planning 
to take). You can also offer to drive part of the way, pay for or 
share gas and tolls, feed the driver french-fries, or whatever 
turns out to work for you. Just please make plans responsibly and 
live up to whatever you've offered to do.
   Advice from a contributor: "Cajole, flatter, and bribe your way 
into a ride with a local MOOer who is also attending. Expect to 
pay your fair share of gasoline expenses."  (See also VIII.2.)

3. What other MOOing groups meet in RL (from LambdaMOO)?
   If you find other people around you (more common if you live 
near a big city), you can probably have RL friendships with them. 
Mini-bashes are also fairly common, especially in the DC area; 
these are sometimes impromptu parties for people in the area.
   Also, if you're a MOOer from the West Coast, try reading *BAM 
(Bay Area MOOers) - there are some memorable get-togethers in 
living memory that the BAMers set up.

4. What MOO objects keep track of bashes that are currently being 
planned?
   Beyond the mailing lists, *MOO-bash and *bash-announce, bash 
hosts commonly use $notes that they own to keep track of 
directions and hotel information, as well as using the Generic 
Invitation with RSVP (#52225) to keep track of potential 
attendees. If you keep up with the bash mailing lists, you will 
periodically see organizational announcements and updates for 
upcoming bashes, as well as for proposed bashes that don't yet 
have hosts.
   You might also have a look at the bash schedule (#54321). It's 
not all-inclusive nor always up to date, but it often has pointers 
to many of the RSVP objects.

5. How do I keep track of who's throwing bashes in the near or far 
future?
   For now, your best bet is to read and keep up with *bash-
announce and *MOO-bash. At this time, *MOO-bash is more commonly 
used.
   Bash hosts and organizers usually post to these two lists to 
drum up publicity and support for their pursuits, as well as to 
garner important criticism about their organizational efforts.

6. Assuming I have a LambdaMOO account, how do I join the 'bash 
channel'?
   You need to have the Multi-communications feature (#25552), so 
first make sure you have that. If you don't, type '@add-feature 
#25552' to add that feature to your list of feature objects. Next, 
type '@xswitch bash' to join the bash channel. To get a complete 
list of commands for the Multi-communications feature, type 'help 
#25552'.


V. CUSTOMS

1. >>What does "Don't freak the normals" mean?
   We stole this slogan from a small FAQ for another kind of event 
(PhilCON), but it works here just as well. As a basher, long- or 
short-term, you will find that your partying customs do not follow 
the norms of behavior, sleeping patterns, loudness, etc. for those 
who are within one city block of you, whether you are bashing in 
the deep farmlands of Kansas, a hotel, or in someone's home. It's 
prudent for you to avoid 'freaking the normals' so that you can 
continue bashing unhindered and unharassed. That is, do not scare 
anyone who potentially has authority over your (and the rest of 
the bashers’) subsequent actions.  This may include the bash 
hosts, the hotel attendants, security guards, Ociffer Friendly, et 
cetera.
   Bashes have encountered police before (Cleveland Turkeybash), 
and please take our word for it - it isn't fun. It isn't bashable. 
It tends to dampen the celebratory mood quite a bit. Freaking the 
normals and attracting police attention is an extraordinarily bad 
idea. Your fellow bashers will not celebrate your presence if you 
attract police attention to their activities.
   Please also do not take this as an announcement of illegal 
activities at a bash. Bash hosts are extremely careful to make 
sure that underage drinking is not going on, and that other 
illegal activities are not going on (they have a personal stake in 
it - if the law comes in, they will be prosecuted for hosting such 
activities). Don't come to the bash thinking that you can do 
anything you want as long as you don't get caught. Again, be 
careful, don't freak the normals, don't get the police over to the 
bash, and do not come to a bash because you think it's a den of 
iniquity, filled with outlaws where your illegal activities will 
be welcome - because they won't be. If you have any further 
questions, PLEASE CONSULT YOUR BASH HOST.

2. >>Should I bring a camera? I heard there was some debate about 
photography.
   As should be obvious by now, two common themes for bashes in 
this FAQ are:
      1) If you're not sure about what to do at a particular 
upcoming bash or if you're not sure about what to do while at a 
current bash, ASK A HOST
      And
      2) If you're not sure that you have someone's permission 
before doing something that might matter to em, ASK EM FOR 
PERMISSION BEFORE PROCEEDING.
   These two guidelines carry nicely over to the question of 
whether or not photography is acceptable at a bash and whether or 
not you should publish these photos after you have them - on the 
World Wide Web (WWW) or elsewhere.
   Problems have arisen over whether or not bash rooms are 'public 
rooms' and whether or not activities in such 'public rooms' are 
public domain. Some arguments say that because bash rooms are 
'public', it's okay to take pictures and web them without asking. 
Other people say that they should have and will take steps to 
assure that they have full control over who takes pictures of em 
and who sees the pictures afterwards.
   The best way to avoid problems with your hosts and the other 
bashers is to make very sure that it's okay to take pictures 
before you take them. You should also be sure that you have a 
person's permission before showing these pictures to other people, 
including publishing them on the web.
   Obviously, bash hosts are there not to be a police force but to 
have fun, so they're not going to be interested in resolving 
disputes you're involved in, especially when problems are easily 
avoided by taking care to have permission first. It would also be 
a good idea to be willing to take down pictures you might have put 
on the web if the people concerned with them change their minds 
about publicity in the future.
   If you choose to flout these guidelines, be sure you know you 
are doing so at your own risk. Experience has proven that people 
have deeply important personal arguments for wanting to have 
control over the taking and distribution of photos of their 
activities, and irritating em can cause very deep rifts between 
people involved.

3. What's all this I hear about sex-parties and safer sex?
   From V.Dentata (12/27/95): "...If you've never been to a BASH 
before, please be aware that it is NOT, I repeat, NOT a sex party, 
orgy, free-for-all free-love poke-whoever's-lying-there kinda 
thing. It is a social gathering at which some people who happen to 
be lovers or whatever go off to do PRIVATE things. Don't come to 
bash if you're coming to get laid (unless the object of your 
affections already knows and agrees you're gonna get laid, or 
might be persuaded). Hey, you might get lucky, but it is 
definitely NOT a given. Don't touch, hug, or kiss people you don't 
know without asking them first. New bashers are often confused by 
the fact that other bashers may touch each other rather freely, 
but this is based on months of partying and MOOing together. As a 
new basher you may not have permission to contact others in the 
same way. The only way to know is to ask, and adhere to the wishes 
of that person. In sum, if you're showing up because you think 
this is a sex party, DON'T ATTEND. I wouldn't want you to be 
disappointed. Yours, V."
   Many MOO-bash hosts supply safer sex materials because there 
can be a lot of sex and intimacy, especially between long-time 
bashers, and especially if there's drunkenness too, it just seems 
better to have a surplus of condoms and dams about, in case of 
emergencies. Just think of condoms as party favors.

4. Who can I have sex with?
   Again, come prepared - know who you like and who's coming, and 
you may well also want to talk with those people before you show 
up to bash. ASK PERMISSION before doing anything like touching or 
kissing, ESPECIALLY IF YOU AREN'T SURE IT'S ALL RIGHT.

5. Can I bring weapons to a bash?
   NO, DEFINITELY NOT. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, ASK THE BASH 
HOST(S) FOR THE BASH YOU ARE PLANNING ON ATTENDING. Please don't 
assume that what you think will be all right is all right for the 
host(s). These people are busy people who are volunteering time 
and money for your enjoyment - please respect that and make their 
lives a little easier.

6. Will I get sex with gorgeous MOO women at bash just by showing 
up?
   No. Not unless the sex you're expecting is the sex they're 
expecting too. Don't come to a bash all invested in getting sex 
without having discussed and confirmed this with the people you're 
expecting to get it from.
   There are people who come to the bash expecting to make out 
with one another, but that's consensual and pre-planned. Bashes 
are not harems or orgies - the people who attend have their own 
plans for having fun that may well not include you unless they 
specifically tell you so.

7. Should I bring my Scottish Bagpipe music CD and my Albanian 
Women's chanting CD?
   Bring all the music you like. If you manage to slip your CD 
into the player (assuming there is one), be prepared to fight off 
angry bashers if your music is not to their taste. Bashers so far 
like techno, dance and rock. There is occasionally Dream Theater, 
but that usually results in a pitched battle over CD player 
control.

8. >>Can I bring my non-MOOing friends?
   ASK YOUR BASH HOST FIRST. Bashes are usually only open to 
MOOers for attendance.
   If you’re planning to attend a bash, you should RSVP for 
yourself. If you want to bring a non-MOOing friend, you should  
RSVP and ask special permission from the host. Ask your host 
before you commit to being able to bring your friend. Hosts 
understand when your non-MOOing friend is the only person you can 
get a ride from, but they also need to know who you're bringing in 
order to estimate the number of people they're expecting. And so 
that they know they can come to you if there's any problem with 
your friend during the bash.
   "Guests will be evaluated on an individual basis.  If they're
not a MOOer, they're a guest, so please ASK FIRST.  Most hosts
don't have qualms about turning people away at the door, but 
that is icky and not fun -- so save the trouble and check if 
your guest is okay."  -- Etoile

9. >>Besides party, what else do people do at bashes?
   In the mornings (afternoons) when everyone is finally awake, 
usually people will head out for brunch in a group, and those who 
can still walk may arrange a trip to a local attraction such as a 
strip bar.
   Also, traditionally, Sunday morning when people get ready to 
leave to return to their Real Lives, there's a group breakfast at 
some local innocent Denny's, Shoney's or other fine eating 
establishment. Sometimes there is ballistic use of foodstuffs, 
depending on the crowd. Don't dress in velvet!

10. If I have a smaller than average penis, will I feel 
intimidated at bash?
   Yes. You will feel intimidated, then we will string you up 
naked and sever your genitalia.
   NOTE: Never eat anything resembling a Vienna sausage at a bash 
unless you're SURE it's a Vienna sausage.

11. Am I expected to act like my character on the MOO? Do I have 
to come 'in character'?
   Many of us create different personas for the MOO. Some behave 
on MOO the same way they do IRL. With some exceptions, we're all 
human. Scientists are still trying to figure out what some 
attendees are. Behaving as you would on the MOO while at bash is 
entirely up to you as long as you don't do anything to someone 
without getting eir permission first.
   Whatever (nonviolent) personality has decided to possess your 
body that day is fine. Other bashers that have never met you 
before won't know the difference. Bashes are not generally 
considered role-playing events, however.
   Be advised that bashers more often address and remember each 
other by their MOO names than their RL names. Bashers may regard 
you with some suspicion if you refuse to identify yourself with a 
particular MOO character.

12. How can I MOO from bash?
   "Don't. MOOing while at a bash is generally discouraged, since 
it goes against the whole idea of coming to a bash -- socializing 
RL with other MOOers. However, if you feel the need to check your 
mail occasionally, the host will often provide a terminal from 
which this can be done. Bringing a laptop and calling out from the 
bash location would probably be okay ONLY if you were calling a 
number local to the bash." - Gilmore
   "The ability to MOO from a bash is dependent upon a couple of 
things. 1) Is there a computer handy? As we've seen from 
TWISTbashes, his computer is set up and occasionally available. 
Also, if you have a laptop with modem handy, you could MOO from a 
hotel-based bash. The other thing to consider. 2) You're a fucking 
geek. Don't MOO from a bash." - MutantNemesis
   "I MOO from bash all the time - what's the fucking problem?" - 
Peri
   "Get your own hotel room, bring your own laptop, and indulge in 
your solitary activity to your heart's content." -- Black_Widow


VI. WHO ORIGINATED...

1. Flaming Depth Charge!
   A flaming depth charge (or FDC) is a mixed drink, prepared and 
drunk in the following fashion:
      A: Fill a mug/glass/cup with beer
      B: Fill a shot glass with amaretto, and top it with 151 rum
      C: Hold the shot in one hand and the beer in the other
      D: Have your bartender light the shot with a Bic or other 
flame-producing device
      E: Count to three, drop the shot (including the glass, 
idiot!) into the beer, and SLAM IT
   Jason introduced this drink into Bash culture. Current champion 
slamming times hover in the three-to-four-second region (TWIST, 
Gilmore, Vida_Blue, others). Beating or matching these times calls 
for a loud round of applause by the other bashers.
   Currently, the most interesting reinterpretation of FDC 
ingestion goes to Black_Widow who managed to ignite herself at DC 
NYE 1995-1996 bash.

2. GDFON!
   It stands for "God damned freak of nature". If you come to a 
bash, you are probably one of these. Gilmore originated this 
phrase.

3. "Fuck you, fagboy!"
   The catch phrase of a most annoying non-MOOer guest at the 
second Cleveland bash (Turkeybash).

4. "Moons over My Hammy"
   A disgusting dish prepared at Denny's. First popularized as 
morning-after fare by Amazon_Bitch during the traditional Saturday 
morning Denny's run.

5. >>"How about a nice frosty mug of SHUT THE FUCK UP?"
   We have Firesign to thank for this pithy sentiment shared by 
all bashers.


VII. GAMES

1. "Butt darts!"
   Butt darts is a game probably originated by Cognac at the first 
1995 TWISTbash. It involves gripping a quarter between one's 
(usually clothed) buttocks and attempting to drop it into another 
person's mouth. This may or may not become a drinking game.
   Beware chipped teeth, and consider using a jar instead of a 
mouth as the dropping target.

2. Asshole
   Asshole is a playing cards drinking game played at almost every 
bash of note.
   All players must come to the table with a drink (or other 
appropriate intoxication method).
   A first hand is played to determine the rank of players 
thereafter. Rank players from lowest to highest - Asshole, Vice 
Asshole, various members of the board, Vice President, President. 
Anyone with a higher rank can tell anyone with a lower rank what 
to do, including taking a drink for any reason whatsoever (but be 
careful about being power-hungry and abusive - if someone higher 
than you thinks you're being cruel, e can punish you for it, if e 
wants).
   Basic rules:
   An entire deck of cards (52) is dealt out to all the players.
   Play begins with the President leading a card. Players 
thereafter must play a card with equal or higher face value, or if 
they cannot play, they must take a drink. If a player plays a card 
of equal face value to the previous card, the player who would 
normally play afterwards is skipped, and must take a drink. When 
play is passed entirely around the table, or a 2 is played, the 
'trick' is swept (sweeping away finished 'tricks' is usually the 
Asshole's job), and play begins again, with the last player to 
play a card beginning the new 'trick' (leading).
   Card face value is intuitive, except that a card with a face 
value of 2 is the highest rank, and sweeps even tricks played with 
pairs, triples or four of a kind.
   The variation of Asshole most played at bashes insists that no 
pair may be played without pairs being lead. Similarly, triples 
must be played only in tricks where triples were led, and four of 
a kind as well. For example, if a player wished to play triple 
8's, e would have to wait until some other player lead a triplet 
of lower ranking than 8.
   When a player is down to eir last card, e must declare it. When 
a player plays all of eir cards, the order in which e went out 
(relative to the other players) determines eir rank for the next 
hand. The first one out of cards is the President, the second the 
Vice President, and the last player left with cards is the 
Asshole.
   Play may be interrupted at any time by the President (or any 
player with ranking higher than Asshole) when e calls a Board 
Meeting. When a Board Meeting is called, all players lower than 
the caller must begin drinking. Each player may stop drinking only 
when all eir higher-ranked players have stopped. Thus, usually, 
the caller stops drinking, then the player one lower may continue 
the meeting with all the subordinates. The Asshole can quickly get 
enormously drunk (lose) if there are too many board meetings, 
because e can only stop drinking when everyone else has.
   In some variations of Asshole (sometimes played at Bash), a 
player who's been President three times in a row may make a new 
rule. Samples of rules from past Asshole games are: "Anyone using 
the word 'drink' must take a drink." "Anyone who says 'the' must 
take a drink." "At the beginning of every hand, each player must 
make an original toast to the President."
   Cheating, in Asshole, while not officially sanctioned, is easy 
for players, especially higher-ranked players, to get away with. 
Some Bash Asshole players have been known to collaborate with 
other players in order to ensure their continued high-rankings. 
Some Presidents have been known to cheat openly, and punish 
complaining subordinates with orders to drink.
   This game can quickly get you drunk off your ass.

3. Strip Twister.
   Just like Twister, minimum two players.  Whoever falls down 
first removes a piece of clothing.  Socks count as one piece.  
Jewelry does not count.  Play again until victim is nekkid.

4. Dutch Oven.
   Minimum two players.  Players lie down in a bed under the 
covers.  Players are to fart and then shove another player’s head 
under the covers, not letting victim(s) out until the cry for 
mercy and/or oxygen is heard.

5. Zen Tag.
   This game is described at the following URL: 
http://idt.net/~everett3/frames.html. Find the appropriate 
clickable link and have at.

6. Hour of Power
   Another drinking game, this requires participants to drink a 
shot of beer every minute for an hour. Generally Corpse convinces 
the unwary to try this game. Much belching is had by all, and it's 
a deceptive game. The unprepared can quickly fall victim to the 
amount of alcohol involved.
   A non-drinking basher is usually used as the timer, and 
assistance is required to bring pitchers of beer into the Hour of 
Power room from the keg.


VIII. ATTENDANCE MECHANICS

1. How do I make hotel reservations?
   Often the host(s) of the party will assist you in making 
reservations. If the bash is at a hotel then the hosts will 
probably be trying to book rooms at that hotel. If a host can 
reserve a large enough bank of rooms in a hotel, the room costs 
for the group usually drop significantly. If it's at a MOOer's 
house/apt., then hosts usually give out information about what 
hotels are available, with phone numbers/addresses.  It’s up to 
you from there.
   It's best to ask your host(s) before making reservations. You 
can also follow the chatter on *MOO-bash or the announcements on 
*bash-announce.
   Also please note that hotel reservations generally require a 
credit card, which should be your own. Hosts can sometimes make 
exceptions to this, but don't assume they can - ASK.
   FINALLY, PLEASE BE CAREFUL NOT TO FREAK THE NORMALS - IF YOU 
KNOW THAT A HOST IS MAKING RESERVATIONS, PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE 
RESERVATIONS DESK YOURSELF ASKING WHERE THE 'ASS KICKING GOAT-
SHAVING AND SATANIC WORSHIP INTERNET MOO PARTY' IS TO BE HELD AND 
HOW TO MAKE RESERVATIONS. IF YOU MUST MAKE YOUR OWN INQUIRIES, 
_****_ MAKE THEM DISCREETLY.
   Note that commonly, rooms are reserved in blocks under the 
group name of "Graphic Designers For Online Networking". Compare 
this acronym to the one found in Section VI.2.

2. How do I get there?
   Transportation is up to you. Those arriving by airplane can 
usually talk someone into picking em up at the airport. Hosts 
usually publish directions on *MOObash and *bash-announce for a 
variety of different approaching directions. Hosts have also been 
known to arrange for rides to and from airports and to give 
directions for using local public transportation as well.
   Again, your best bet is to ask the host(s) about what 
arrangements are already available, and if those don't meet your 
requirements, work on some that do. (See also IV.2.)

3. Should I bring a sleeping bag?
   If you plan to sleep in the bash rooms, bringing a sleeping bag 
would be a most excellent idea. The beds are usually hotly 
contested items, generally going to whoever crashes first. 
Crashing on a bed and attempting to sleep while partying is still 
in progress will probably not be very successful, but it is cheap.
   Also, note that hosts often make arrangements with the local 
hotels in order to make it 'okay' for hotel room purchasers to 
share a room that doesn't have enough beds for the people stuffed 
in there. This would be a perfect opportunity to bring a sleeping 
bag or two and cram some extra people in your room - which tends 
to make hotels more economical.

4. How old do I need to be?
   This is dependent on the host's ethics and/or caution level, 
but generally 18 is the minimum cutoff age, sometimes 21. If you 
are under either of these ages, it is suggested you discuss your 
attendance with the host of the bash you plan to attend.

5. How much money should I bring?
   How much do you want to spend? Obviously you want to bring 
enough for your room (which you'd have an idea of ahead of time) 
and food. Restaurants destroyed by MOOers are usually inexpensive 
places like Denny's, Perkins and Bob Evans. Being able to 
contribute the liquor fund is only appropriate and being able to 
buy/bring your own is even better. Freeloaders are generally 
regarded as a nuisance.


6. Should I bring my own linens?
   See VIII.3, but yes, especially at bashes thrown at houses, 
_especially_ when you're planning to crash there, bringing extra 
linens and pillows is an extraordinarily _good_idea_. If you've 
got surplus, and a convenient way to get it to bash, you might 
even give some thought to asking the Host(s) if e/they would like 
you to bring more than you'll need personally.
   For all our sakes', do bring changes of underwear.


IX. THEOLOGY

1. Who are the Four Horsemen?
   The original Four Horsemen of Bash are TWIST, Gilmore, Corpse 
and Firesign, though there are rumored to be other viable 
incarnations. There are often stand-in Horsemen to be found if the 
originals are not available.
   The Horsemen are so named because of their amazing abilities to 
keep order and happiness among bashers. They function as 
extraordinarily good bouncers, as legendary yardsticks of the 
alcohol tolerance of others, and are one of the best and truest 
measures of how good you can expect a bash to be. According to 
Corpse, one of the aforementioned Four Horsemen, it's possible to 
gauge how good a Bash will be simply by knowing how many Horsemen 
will be in attendance. Any 'real bash' will have at least one 
Horseman present. Any core basher must attend any bash that all 
Four Horsemen plan to attend, or be ready for ridicule and inquest 
about eir absence.
   If the One True God allowed iconic worship, we'd have little 
figurines of the Four Horsemen all over the world.

2. Who are the Bash Gods?
   At a certain TWISTBash, this subject came under discussion at 
Bugaboo Creek, a restaurant that shall remain famous for the 
talking tree, moose, and fish, as well as for their surly wait-
staff. V.Dentata, Gilmore and TWIST made up the original trinity, 
but others, like Cognac, have been suggested as well. There is 
some speculation about whether Bash Gods will fill out our 
theology and add complexity and subtlety to the art of figuring 
out how 'good' a bash will be by measuring its RSVP list.


Contributors: Vida_Blue, Gilmore, V.Dentata, Black_Widow, crayon, 
hopita, MichaelG, Charlotte_Sometimes, MutantNemesis, Linnea, 
Lizard, Brack, Puff, Dagard, Mlle.Chabrillon, Condor, alizarin, 
TMFKAN64, Nim, Etoile.


Official LambdaMOO Bash Frequently Asked Questions Sheet
Monday, February 08, 1999, Version 3.03.
Author/Owner/Editor: V.Dentata (#89112) on LambdaMOO.
Technical Comments: Etoile (#113614) on LambdaMOO.

FINAL DRAFT -- Copyright 1999.  All Rights Reserved.