pbleighton

"A call is purely destructive if no reasonable attempt is being made to obtain a good score on the board, either by reaching a makeable contract or finding a reasonable sacrifice. These calls exist primarily to randomize the result. Purely destructive calls are generally disallowed. Examples include a "random" 3NT opening (open 3NT on virtually any hand) or an agreement to "always open" in 3rd seat regardless of hand. " How would you categorize an aggressive player's weak 2s and preempts at favorable in the third seat? Peter

"This reminds me....the USA is in a war, a real war...What does the other side want and why do we not just give it to them......" Remind me again, which countries are we at war against? Peter

http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/060710fa_fact Great article. Peter

"If 2♠ is game forcing then some people may play that the raise to 3♠ shows at least some extras ( with an unsuitable rock minimum bid 4♠), in which case it is clear to bid 6NT." Yes, if 3S shows extras, which was my thought. Pd's subsequent bidding tends to deny this. It is close, but I pass. Peter

"Under these circumstances, when your basic right to exist is denied (and as a race you have seen what happened), peaceful negotiation is not going to lead to anything except your extermination." This is a nonsensical statement. You are equating ongoing negotiation with laying down your arms, which I have never advocated. "As for the "Right of Return" and compensation: ignoring for the moment the arguments about the basis and reason that many left (the arab armies sweeping all before them and the desire not to be in the way for some, yes discrimination against others...) it seems strange that the same arab states which scream for a right of return exercised all kinds of expropriation against Jews living in those states following variously 1948, 1956 & 1967 and there has never been any suggestion of compensation.....he who seeks equity, must first do equity." You are completely missing the point. I hold no brief for the corrupt (largely U.S. installed and/or supported) Arab regimes. It is the Palestianians Israel must negotiate with. The rest of the Arab world is relevant because, in the absence of a solution to the Palestinian problem, Israel will be subject to a nuclear attack. This will most likely come from a terrorist group, since if a country did it, it would be subject to horrible reprisal (of course Israel will seek revenge in this case anyway). This attack is possible even with a generally accepted solution. It is nearly certain without one. It is interesting that neither you nor any of the other anti-Palestinian posters address either the above scenario or the historical injustice against the Palestinians in this situation. The Palestinians didn't deserve to pay for Christian (culminating in Nazi) atrocities agains the Jews. Now they (and the Israelis) are paying for this injustice. If they don't work it out between them they will both likely perish. Peter

"When we took land from the native americans we could support 50 persons on the same land that supported one indian. " Huh? The best current estimates are that there were between 50 and 100 million Native Americans in the U.S. before European colonization. By the end of the 19th century there were about 2 million. Peter

"If I understand you correctly, you think it would be a great idea if President Bush sits down and negotiates with Osama bin Laden." No, but I think it would be a great idea if Bush was able to distinguish one Muslim from another and not invade a country which had absolutely NOTHING to do with 9/11. "jaw-jaw is better than war-war" - Winston Churchill I the same vein, I I think it would be a great idea if Israel realized that many Palestinians want peace, and stopped their "only on our terms, m*********s" attititude toward negotiation. I think the same of the Palestinians. This would take a while, but it is their ONLY chance for long-term survival. BTW, Israelis have murdered far more Palestinians than Palestinians have murdered Israelis. This is a tragedy of an occupation and a civil war, and your demonization of the entire Palestinian people and willful historical ignorance contributes nothing to the discussion. Peter

"Israel is no different from the United States on this issue." True, alas. Peter

"The Israeli's are learning a very basic lesson..." I don't think either the Israelis or the Palestinians have learned much since the British robbed the Palestinians of a chunk of their land and gave it to the Jews, one of the worst-considered pieces of racist social engineering in world history. The Palestinians will have to accept historical injustice, and recognize Israel's right to exist. It is not going away, and the Israelis have acquired the right to live there by longetivity. Israel should never have been established, but it was (actually, it should have been established in Germany after WWII, but that is another story...). They can look to Native Americans for grief counselling. The Israelis have to make peace, something they haven't ever sincerely tried to do (nor have the Palestinians, for that matter). Oslo fell apart, and it took two sides to fail to tango.. the Israeli peremptory dismissal of a Palestinian Right Of Return doomed whatever chance the agreement had. If they don't, well, Tom Friedman of the New York Times, who generally takes the Israeli side, said it best: if the Israelis don't make peace, someone will detonate a nuclear bomb in Tel Aviv within the next thirty years. They can kill as many Palestinians as they wish, and turn Gaza into a free-range concentration camp, but there is no final solution to their problem without peace.

I overcall with 4 cards, but I am not as choosy as Miles :lol: Peter

I am too old for concerts, and no longer participate in the common attendant activities :) Peter

6H. Pd probably has 5+ for his jump, and he will probably need to establish hearts in order to make 6NT anyway. Note 2 probablys :) Peter

"Constructive means the opposite of destructive; if there's only one weak meaning it's not destructive." And how did Alice respond to this? B) Peter

I would have overcalled 1NT on this hand, playing systems are on after the NT overcall. Double is OK, though. 2C and 2D rebids are fine. 2C is not forcing, but limits your hand nicely. I would have passed 2C as West. Some hands are tough. Peter

Something like 1H-2C-Whatever-5C. In the unlikely event that pd rebids 3C, it is tough to see how to investigate slam (though I'm sure someone will point it out). Hearts wouldn't be seen a a cubid. Peter

Oops - ignore.

The standard meaning is that it isn't forcing. I prefer to play it as forcing. Peter

I interpret 3H as a minimum hand, and sign off in 4H. If I thought it was strong (which would imply that 3D showed at least a pretty good hand), I would cue bid 4C. Peter

"I think you're forgetting something here. South passed in first seat. " Yup. Peter

1. I overcall with my primary pd. We overcall with mediocre 4 card suits, why not a bad 5 card suit? With most people I don't overcall, but I do balance. We aren't vulnerable, after all. Vul, I would overcall but not balance. 2. If we weren't vulnerable 2H would be automatic. Vulnerable, it's close, but I still bid 2H. Peter

"1H-1N-2H looks about right." Agree, but 2C isn't totally out of line. I would have rebid 2H after 2C. I don't think the North hand is good enough to insist on game opposite what may be (and is) a bad 10 count without a little heart support. I don't think 2S shows 17, but it should show 15/good 14. After 1H-2C-2S, 3NT is inevitable. After 1H-2C-2H, in true SAYC responder must bid again. Yuck! Horrible clubs for 3C, 3D is GF. So I would bid 2NT. :rolleyes: North would probably pass, or maybe sign off in 3H BTW, I believe that a 3C rebid is technically undefined in SAYC as to strength, forcing/nonforcing. Does anyone have an authority which says if it is forcing? Peter

The Grateful Dead - 1980 - Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA The Who - Oakland Coliseum - 1981 The Pretenders - San Francisco Civic Center - 1983 The dates are a little "hazy" :rolleyes: Peter

I open 1D, but wouldn't object to 2C. If pd passes you are probably looking at a spade overcall. I like 1D better in a partnerships where a 1 level response can be less than 6 hcp. Peter

Well, somebody's lying :angry: I presume it's not my pd, and double. Peter

I win the first trick and lead a low spade. I expect to go down, along with the field. Peter