Pat Hartman has left the building

[The_Doc_Man]

The sweetest feelings were finessing tricks and setting opponents, usually done when the non-dummy is void of a suit

I'm going to DM you with a bridge story that might make you laugh - or gasp in shock. It would be of limited interest to the forum as a whole.

 

[Isaac]

Some years ago - on the order of 55-60 - I actually taught bridge at UNO as part of their adult community interests program. I even represented UNO in a regional bridge tournament. My partner in that tournament was one of my students. He was new to the game and made a few minor errors, but we still scored in the upper middle of the four-session competition.

During my college days, my best friend and I were bridge partners, playing in various sanctioned "club" games sponsored by local organizations and community centers. She and I were decent on offense (a.k.a. "declarer" play) but on defense, we were considered to be "sharks." When I graduated with my PhD, we drifted apart for political reasons. I was conservative, she was more liberal. Our lives went in different directions. Once the world of real work started, I stopped paying my dues to the American Contract Bridge League, the primary USA sponsoring organization. ACBL had some really great publications and I subscribed to the magazine for a little while until my mother's health turned for the worse. I decided I did not need any more distractions.

If you want to learn about bridge, there are many excellent books describing several styles of play. Not every book will have the approval, but if it is "ACBL approved" then it should be at least decent. I used the "Standard American" style, which is the most common style used by beginners. Although for me, sometimes it was "Stranded American" when I got stuck in the wrong contract.

To play bridge well, you need the ability to count to 13 several times per hand, you need to be able to reasonably deduce what cards your opponents hold based on their actions and bidding, and you need to be able to laugh when it all goes to - which sometimes it does, despite your best efforts. The strategies change depending on which variant you are playing - "party" bridge or one of several tournament variations. The "party" variation is most likely to be Standard American. In tournaments? Some of the variants will be hard to recognize as even being a part of the game of bridge.

Mechanically, the game is relatively simple. Strategically, not so simple. Programmers who can think logically during code debugging should be capable of the level of analysis required for bridge.

Thank you for that explanation. I'm soaking it up and may get a book or watch some videos to start me out (I prefer the book method or being taught in person).

 

[Isaac]

I used to play Bridge. I preferred not to brag about it.
Col

Don't be shy, tell us more. It's OK to talk about playing bridge, I'm pretty sure that's not a restricted subject.

 

[Uncle Gizmo]

Don't be shy, tell us more. It's OK to talk about playing bridge, I'm pretty sure that's not a restricted subject.

An excellent response to the forum troll!

Colin is missing Pat, as he no longer has someone to bait and troll!

Looks like he might be setting his sights on another American to badger!

 

[Thales750]

I used to play Bridge. I preferred not to brag about it.
Col

LOL, but's it's ok to brag about not bragging.

 

[Isaac]

I'm damn proud of my humility!

 

[Isaac]

An excellent response to the forum troll!

Colin is missing Pat, as he no longer has someone to bait and troll!

Looks like he might be setting his sights on another American to badger!

Who, me? I'm impervious to being badgered, I've a wall of steel around my personality that's called "I don't care what other people think of me", and it's real and you can't penetrate it with anything, so let him try LOL - I'm fine with it. I really , really don't care.

 

[KitaYama]

I've a wall of steel around my personality that's called "I don't care what other people think of me"

I try to be nice because I care about how people see my personality.
I try to be polite because I don’t want others to think I’m rude.
I wake up every morning 30 minutes earlier to take a shower, shave, and brush my teeth, so that others feel comfortable when talking to me.
I wear decent, sometimes even fancy clothes, to make a good impression and show respect for the people around me.
I have a million things to say and post here, but I don't. Because I don't want others think I'm insensitive or classless.

Of course, I could do whatever I want without caring what others think.
I could ignore my manners and act purely on impulse.
But I don’t. Because I care. All of these are out of respect for others, and I expect others respect me in the same way.

More than 90% of what we do every day is influenced by how we want to be seen by others. That’s not a sign of weakness, That’s part of being human. Caring how others see us doesn’t mean we lack confidence.
I think kindness, manners, and self-respect all begin with caring. If we don't care about how others see us, all of that will be gone.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

There are many old adages relating to this concept, but interpersonal relationships ALWAYS depend on reflections. You are generally treated as you treat. Every relationship older than a couple of days old is a mirror.

We have many sayings relating to this concept:
What goes around comes around.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Karma's a b**ch.

 

[amorosik]

... I would have told the asker to go pound sand, ....

I imagine this is a typical saying
"...do whatever you want, I'll get on with my work..."
Is that correct?
(It would be interesting to compile these "sayings" because they're not always easy for non-native English speakers to understand)

 

[DickyP]

No to mention my favourite from Tom Lehrer - 'what you get out a sewer depend on what you put in'!

 

[NauticalGent]

One of my favorites when I livwd abroad:
“Hai voluto la bicicletta? Adesso pedala!” ("You wanted a bicycle? Now peddle!")

 

[arnelgp]

there is an old Chinese story:

a Chinese man complains to the court:
"me no come"
"wife no come"
"baby come, how come?"

 

[The_Doc_Man]

@amorosik - You asked about "go pound sand." The phrase originated in the mid-to-late 20th century as a shortened version of "go pound sand down a rat hole" - essentially a suggestion that someone should go engage in a pointless task. It is highly dismissive but not totally vulgar. It is implicitly rude because it implies that the person using the phrase would be better off if the target of his phrase would go away and do something else, even if that something else was totally useless.

Note that there are alternative interpretations. I have also heard "pound sand" as a suggestion of "let's go do something totally useless but fun" often implying spending some time sunbathing on a beach. Therefore, inflection and expression contribute to which interpretation is intended. When spoken in an angry or disdainful manner, it is NOT a friendly statement.

 

[AccessBlaster]

I recently spent nine days in Boston, walking the Freedom Trail and visiting historic landmarks such as the USS Constitution and the Paul Revere House. Experiencing these places firsthand reminded me how vital it is for every school aged child to understand the foundations of our freedom. In light of today’s climate, I can’t help but wonder what our ancestors would think perhaps they’d be shocked at how far we’ve strayed from the principles of free speech they fought so hard to secure.

 

[AccessBlaster]

Halloween is a good time to go if you get a chance. Especially Salem, what a spectacle.

 

[Isaac]

I imagine this is a typical saying
"...do whatever you want, I'll get on with my work..."
Is that correct?
(It would be interesting to compile these "sayings" because they're not always easy for non-native English speakers to understand)

It means, I don't care what you think, go away, or something like that

 

[Isaac]

I recently spent nine days in Boston, walking the Freedom Trail and visiting historic landmarks such as the USS Constitution and the Paul Revere House. Experiencing these places firsthand reminded me how vital it is for every school aged child to understand the foundations of our freedom. In light of today’s climate, I can’t help but wonder what our ancestors would think perhaps they’d be shocked at how far we’ve strayed from the principles of free speech they fought so hard to secure.

The other day I was thinking of something interesting.
About back in those days.
Those were days when there were plenty of Englishmen who admired the United States.
And now?

 

[Isaac]

I try to be nice because I care about how people see my personality.
I try to be polite because I don’t want others to think I’m rude.
I wake up every morning 30 minutes earlier to take a shower, shave, and brush my teeth, so that others feel comfortable when talking to me.
I wear decent, sometimes even fancy clothes, to make a good impression and show respect for the people around me.
I have a million things to say and post here, but I don't. Because I don't want others think I'm insensitive or classless.

Of course, I could do whatever I want without caring what others think.
I could ignore my manners and act purely on impulse.
But I don’t. Because I care. All of these are out of respect for others, and I expect others respect me in the same way.

More than 90% of what we do every day is influenced by how we want to be seen by others. That’s not a sign of weakness, That’s part of being human. Caring how others see us doesn’t mean we lack confidence.
I think kindness, manners, and self-respect all begin with caring. If we don't care about how others see us, all of that will be gone.

We're talking about two different things. It's good to know how you are seen in the sense of behaving well, but to me it's a freedom to do what's right and then not worry what others think of you. Worrying abouto what everyone else's opinion is, is a bondage that you'll never be free of, because you can't control it nor is it any of your business what others think of you. I've become free of beinga people pleaser. do I want to do what's right? YES. But to make other people think well of me? Nope. That's a slavery that will oppress you mentally your whole life.

Caring how your behavior affects others, and trying to be thoughtful and not rude? Of course, that's the way to live.
But caring beyond that what people's opinions of you are? A slavery you'll never escape if you give it a second thought. Not only is it a slavery, but it will convince you to do wrong things, since sometimes other people want you to do or be something wrong (quite common in today's society). For example, in today's society, it is quite common for women to post pictures of themselves in their underwear on the internet for all to see. Celebrities especially enjoy doing this. Everyone might expect it, but not caring about their opinions will keep you grounded in what you know is right (not doing it).
Thankfully, nobody wants me to do that

 

[AccessBlaster]

The other day I was thinking of something interesting.
About back in those days.
Those were days when there were plenty of Englishmen who admired the United States.
And now?

I really don't care what the English think of us, they have their own issues when it comes to speech.