Badmonster

I don't mean to pick on Helene, who I suspect is probably a lovely person, but this is what I mean about sensitivity. We have a lot of Muslim players on bbo. I imagine some of them probably read the forums. I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that most of them are not hate-filled xenophobic, terrorists. And so, I worry that perhaps your post might hurt their feelings, the way my feelings would be hurt if someone posted that Jews are money-sucking misers who eat Christian babies at passover.

I am going to say something you don't hear very often around here. I don't know. It's complicated and sad and scary and I don't know. I especially don't know about the Isreali Palestinians. I'm not an Israeli or a Palestinian. From the outside looking in I think both sides there have a lot to be angry about and a lot to be ashamed of. Is there some answer that's going to work?

Absolutely not. I think, and forgive me if I don't phrase this effectively, that while free speech is worth fighting and dying for, there are times when we might be most prudent to chose when and how we exercise that right. The response to the cartoon was disproportionate and sickening. The other side of this is that it must be a very difficult time to be an Arab living in the western world right now. What might have been funny five years ago may be less funny today and funnier again five years from now. There's nothing wrong with chosing to be more sensitive.

I don't think this is entirely true. There are many wonderful tolerant and religious Christians Muslims and Jews. Religion doesn't inspire exclusion and vitriol. It does however make a great cover for those who are hate filled and malicious to hide behind.

sounds good, but how? By not letting them dictate government policy. Like "we publish whatever we want and we don't care if the terrorists get mad". Of course, if their only goal is to kill a bunch of innocent people, my strategy won't work. Your strategy doesn't work. They achieve a great deal. 6 years ago how many people drove to airports wondering if the people they were going to meet would really show up? How many people walked into train statiions wondering if they'd walk back out? How many people knew what it meant to have the last thing they said to someone was pick up the dry cleaning when they sent them off to work, and then never saw them again? Or knew what it was like to go through all the photos they had of someone they loved to pick a picture to put on a flyer and print out 50 or a 100 or a thousand flyers and put them up on every surface that would hold a flyer next to hundreds and thousands of other notices bearing pictures of people who had gone to work one morning and would never come home and it didn't matter which photo they chose or how many flyers they put up because those people who went to work one morning would never be seen anywhere by anyone ever again, except in photos? Terrorism is effective. And maybe the best way to defeat it is with consideration and humanity, because apparently guns, humor and free speech will not defeat or deter it. Maybe sensitivity and decency will work better. And if it doesn't wouldn't we rather go to work and get on planes having been decent and humane?

Robert Mondavi Muscato Pelligrini Finale Bonnie Doon

Yes, in general I've found that New England has some amazing ice cream. Especially at little ice cream stands sort of standing around in the middle of no where.

Coldstone - sweet cream and um... yum Haagendaz used to make honey vanilla and they made carob. Those were so good that you wanted to throw them on the floor and roll around in them.

I agree with the Limey about the religion and politics but disagree about the sex. I voted for shutting down the flame wars. There's nothing that says that people cannot discuss these hot topics in private messages or chat rooms or while playing bridge assuming you set up your table with that goal in mind. I think there is a problem though when the posts make people unhappy. Of course you could argue that if it makes you unhappy you could opt not to read, but you don't always know that what you're going to read is going to be so volitile. Like you'd think favorite conspiracy theories would be pretty light hearted and silly, but it's not really.

I don't understand the point of csdenmark's post. It seems like there's a lot of hurt and misery in the world, which leads to violence and more hurt and misery. If someone decides that something is potentially hurtful maybe we should be glad that they decided not to publish it.

Fig Creme Brulee Equiptment: Knife Cutting Board Measuring cup Measuring spoons Mixing Bowl Wisk Saucepan Sieve 4 Ramekins Blowtorch Ingredients: 5 large egg yolks 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise 2 cups heavy cream 1 1/2 cups diced Mission Figs 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar such as Sugar in the Raw Process: Preheat oven to 325°F. Whisk together yolks, granulated sugar, and salt in a bowl until combined well. Using tip of a knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into cream in a 2-quart saucepan, then add pod. Heat over moderate heat until hot but not boiling. Discard pod and add cream to egg mixture in a slow stream, whisking until combined. Spoon 1/4 cup figs into each ramekin. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then ladle over fig. Arrange ramekins in a roasting pan and bake in a hot water bath in middle of oven until custards are just set, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer custards with tongs to a rack to cool, then chill, uncovered, at least 4 hours. Preheat broiler. Sprinkle turbinado sugar evenly over custards and use blowtorch to carmelize.

I have to post to find out what my food is so I can post what my food is. But what if posting my food means next time I post I'm a different food? Then this will be a wasted post.

Director Team. Producer type. Who's making your favorite films? I like: Spike Lee Percy Aldon Hanif Kureishi Sam Shepherd And less notably Todd Field Richard Lowenstein

Goren

Pass? Can I bid again without lying or doing damage?

Often Robert Cray or Etta James. I can't listen to something I don't love, but I also can't listen to something I love too much. I need something so familiar it kind of fades into the background. Hard to plan the play of the hand when you're across the room grooving and shimmying.

Thanks Ken.

I'm reading that now, which gave rise to my questions about fit bids. I'm afraid to add more conventions, until I feel like I understand basic bidding perfectly. But then I also want to consider what I might add eventually and be sure I'm not missing anything that's totally crucial, or just hot. Still it's nice to read about new things. And I know it helps me fix what I'm reading about to discuss it. So, here we are.

Because? And you give up? But you gain?

Fit bids? Yes? No? YesNoYes?

Maybe in addition to their tourney membership? My mother plays at okb. She pays $99 for a yearly membership. and $99 for a tourney memberhip. She plays two or three tourneys a day, so she finds it less expensive than the pay tourneys on BBO. But BBO is a nicer place to play and I think ultimately I'd rather support BBO, who make a great contribution to bridge than okb whose first contribution is to their pockets. Everyime I spend a dollar to play on BBO I feel like I couldn't have spent that dollar any better.

At first I thought csdenmark was just saying Denmark is great and the US sucks nyneh nyneh nyneh. But that would just be rude and silly, so I think either he would like us to all move to Denmark to live the good life and play bridge with him, or he's offering to come here and help fix all our problems and make the US a true utopia where everyone is well paid, well fed and well rested, even people that drive taxis and work in restaurants. Thank you csdenmark.

If we're being exact can we call a burger dis here burger?

HOW TO TELL IF YOUR PROSTITUTE IS AN EXTRATERRESTRIAL Weekly World News.

Yep. I think here 1♣ was right but my pass wasn't. But more generally, I guess people do just play better minor. And I'm sure there's more to it than just picking the suit that has the highest high card, or is there? Is better minor better? Or is the 3/3 clubs 4/4 diamonds worth holding onto for a while longer?