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Anyone who believes this stuff is beyond psychiatric help. Why do loonies like this think Obama and other democrats are 'leftist'. In New Zealand they would be regarded as a party of the right. Personally I have come to believe that the Republican party is as close to - for want of a better word - evil as one can find in main stream politics. Knife-fighting is the least we need to do. "Teach the children quietly and someday our sons and daughters will rise up while we stood still" Gerry

How could you indeed? A decent person would at least have the grace to be ashamed by now.

You say you probably will not reply, I understand. This is indeed no hope whatsoever that we would ever see things even partially the same way. ` From your quote "The Left has been engaged in a war against America since the rise of the Children of the ‘60s." Well, I haven't been. But I will not be debating that, just as I won't be debating whether I am, as occasionally gets suggested, a racist or a sexist. I am not, but if someone starts with the assertion that I am I have never found it profitable to discuss such matters. Is Ken berg waging a war on America? I think I will just skip that discussion, as you have announced you intend to do. Some people think Flannery is the invention of the Devil. Discussion with them is not profitable either. The End

He did not, and only a liar or an idiot would make that claim. You can open your own copy to check. You might want to reread the book: Perhaps some politicians look to Lucifer for inspiration, but those are not the politicians who want to extend health care to everyone.

He was wrong. The WBFLC and its members can explain the meaning of the Laws, but they can't change the meaning except by publishing new Laws. 73A1 reads "Communication between partners during the auction and play shall be effected only by means of calls and plays, except as specifically authorized by these laws." There is nothing elsewhere in the Laws that specifically authorises this type of communication, so it's illegal.

When it comes to certain 2/1 sequences, there is broad disagreement on best methods. This thread is simply an attempt to quantify the arguments for 3: The sequences: 1. Major suit rebid after a 2/1 response 2. Minor suit raise after major opening and 2/1 response 3. 2N rebid after major opening and 2/1 response My personal view is that 2/1 was designed for IMP play is therefore loaded for game/slam bidding and is less valuable for ideal part-score bidding. To that end, the question is what is best usage for the above sequences. On 1, the major choices are to show a 6-card or longer suit or a "catchall" bid that denies other holdings. What makes best sense? On 2, there are more questions: does a raise show 4-card support or can it be made on 3-card support?, does it show extra values? does a raise deny a 6-card major? how do you handles 6-4 hands? On 3, the questions are about bidding shape verses suits stopped. What do you think? What is the best method for each choice and how do those choices affect other bidding?

Actually I don't quite understand why a novice should bother about an escape system from 1NT doubled. IMO you should just play naturally (run into a long suit otherwise stay); LHO might also have a problem with 1NT doubled. Against strong opposition you will remain underdog even with expert tools and against players of your level you may as well let playing skills decide. Work on those! An escape system is good to get used to weak 43-Fits, but not really needed for better results. And if playing a weak NT doubled scares you, it would make sense IMO to switch to the strong NT. (I have played the weak NT for years without a conventional escape method - now I have one for the strong NT for playing on expert level). That said, you may well choose one of the structures proposed here. But don't think new conventions make you a better player.

I am assuming that you would agree that it depends on the businessman, and for that matter on the career politician. A lifetime in academia has shown me that mathematicians often make surprisingly good administrators. I would be terrible at it. My social views include the idea that people are responsible for themselves, but society and government can help, and this can work to everyone's advantage. Oddly, I think just about everyone agrees wit this, the question is how to go about this in the best manner. The citation n the opening post so completely distorts progressive ideas that it makes any meaningful dialogue impossible. With Trump, his tweets are a problem, but I think they are a problem in the same way that coughing up blood is a problem. The blood is a problem but it is a symptom of a much larger problem. As for politicians having courage, balls if you like, we shall see. I think we are entering difficult times so I hope we see it. David Brooks noted that two senators who have displayed significant levels of testosterone are named Susan and Lisa.

give me a break, being old doesn't give you carte blanche

In order to annoy some people; perhaps to entertain some. And it seems to work. Actually it does amuse me that so many people seem to get their hackles raised by the actions of a mythical person who is a combination of various obnoxious people in the bridge world.

Anyway, the ruling seems easy. North's question was an irregularity which damaged EW, and he could have known that it would do so. I adjust the score back to what it would have been without the irregularity, which is some combination of NS -500 and NS -1100.

Set 3: broze 30 - phil 16 Set 4: broze 53 - phil 14 Thanks for the game phil. I'd say I was pretty lucky overall particularly board 11 on that last set where my misclick of 3D resulted in 3Hx= (I meant to bid 3C). Board 8 on the other hand was a psyche.

Everyone will stop posting on the Trump thread and the trolls will apologize to winstonm then disappear forever unless their apologies are sincere.

For 4-suit transfers, in the minors consider reversing the responses by opener. So over 1N-2S, 2N DISCOURAGES, and 3C encourages (same over 1N-2N. Reversing these responses became popular in NYC in the '70's. There are more advantages to using the reverse responses. First and foremost is right-siding the contract when partner has a fit/maximum and responder has no bid. This is the more likely scenario depending on what you call a fit/maximum. At IMPS, it may be more important to show a fit with a minimum so responder can bid 3N w/ xxx Ax xx KQxxxx. Additionally, it allow you to "transfer" to diamonds when responder has x-x-5-5 in the minors. With 3+ diamonds he would bid 3D. If he bids 3C, you can PASS knowing you have found an 8-card fit! So now you can use the direct 1N-3M more constructively (such as 6-card minor, any side 4+ card suit, GF).

Another big problem with the method is the inability to play 1NTx.