Kucinich on the bailout

HRYK!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaF_MZVWM3E

Outsourcing

The primary driver for the wrecked economy is outsourcing.  A steady drop in US manufacturing jobs has led to massive unemployment and a recentering of the economy around the service center.

If the economy is to be fixed, we need good jobs at home.  That means punishing companies who send jobs overseas.  I'd like to see a law passed that says that any outsourced job must be payed industry median for that position.  If you think the most qualified tech support person you can find is in India, then fine, but you gotta pay them what you'd pay a U.S. employee - $45K.  

Greedy greedy bastards those big companies.

If you want a McJob, vote for McCain.

Bailout

I hate the idea of a bailout for big financial companies.  These companies were well aware of the risks associated with their investments - assessing risk is an integral part of investing.   What if I go to Atlantic City and play a game where I have a 7% edge (without going into how I can accomplish this, which is information I'm not willing to share, it is sufficient here to say that it is possible) and I manage to lose $10K?  I wouldn't expect a government bailout.  

Put another way, if there was no risk in an investment for some people, shouldn't all people be granted that no risk?  We'd've certainly bought a house beyond our means (we were approved for a loan twice as large as the one we took, which is barely affordable).  

People need to take responsibility for their financial decisions.

To put in perspective how much $700 Billion dollars is, you could use that money to provide safe drinking water for every man, woman and child on this earth (a huge problem in underdeveloped nations).  And still have enough money left over to fund the immoral war in Iraq for 20 months.

Another sectional swiss

A few problems (all imps):

NV, 4th seat

ATx, AKJxxx, xxx, K

P - P - P - 1H

P - 2H - 2S - ??

Unfavorable:

P - P - 1D - X

3D - 4S - 5D - ??

Is your auction a force?

A98, JT9, Qxx, KQxx, favorable 4th seat

P - 1C - 1S - 2S

P - 3C - P - ??

Problem 1, I had been planning on making a game try of 2S if RHO had passed.  3D is not really the right game try, as partner will think honor 3rd is good, when it really isn't.  3C is worse for evaluation.  Maybe I should try 2NT - if partner raises, 3NT is probably right.  In reality, I bid 3H, hoping no game was on, since NV.  I caught a total max and favorable breaks: J9, xxx, AKx, Jxxxx, so 3NT and 4H are both trivial makes.

Problem 2, I assumed we weren't in a forcing pass auction and passed with QTx, AKxxxx, x, xxx (by the way, it wasn't really a double, but a 1NT overcall for limited takeout, but for those unfamiliar with the methods, it simplifies the discussion to call it a double.  The reason I bid 1NT rather than 1H with the hand is that 2H would show 4-5 in the majors and I felt that 1NT might bury the opponents 44 spade fit effectively.  I didn't count on partner bidding the 5-level by himself with KJxxx, Qx, x, QJxxx.  I mentioned after the hand that when you and partner are both short in the same suit, the hand doesn't play so well.  Mercifully undoubled for -300, but a phantom save.

Partner also saved in 5D holding Jxxxx, Ax, Qxxxx, J on this auction:  

(1C) 1D (1H) 1S

(2H) P  (4H) ??

Also a phantom save; after a club lead, you can win the HA, cross in diamonds and get a ruff.  You can't take phantoms at imps.

Hand 3 I passed - right, no game makes as the overcaller had SKQJ and an outside ace.

Michael

So active

Walked into her room when she was upset and this is how I saw her:

Joe Biden

We took Sammie to see Biden speak in Media.  It was kind of a zoo getting in and out, probably 5000 people were there and there was just a 2 lane road going in.  Ed Rendel opened, and both spoke about the outright lies that McCain has been spewing.   The picture with Biden and his granddaughter was taken with 12x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom.  The digital zoom really trims the image, but allows for proper focus.  Considering we weren't particularly close to the stage, it is a pretty good picture.  

The wife was saying recently... "how can anyone be undecided when the candidates are so far apart?"

My thought on it is smart people have chosen (in my view between order and chaos and between good and evil) and that the dumb people don't understand what is happening.  They get caught up in symbols and catchphrases and are easily duped.

Problems from a sectional swiss

All at imps:

1)  A, xx, AQT9xx, xxxx; favorable, 3rd seat... P - P to you

2)  QJxx, xxx, --, AKJxxx, Unfavorable:

RHO  YOU  CHO  LHO

1NT*  X**   Pass   2C***   *=14-16; ** = major/minor 2-suiter; *** P/C for minor

2D      ???

If you bid 3C, LHO bids 3D, passed back to you - any further action?

3)  Qxx, xx, Qxxx, Axxx, none vul;  

LHO   CHO  RHO  YOU

Pass   2D*    2NT**  Pass

3NT

* = multi

** = 16-18

What do you lead?

Before the solution, some complaints:

Holding xx, KQT8x, Ax, KJT9 at all vul, RHO opens 1NT (14-16) in 3rd seat.  I pass it around to partner who doubles, showing a major minor 2 suiter.  I pass this to LHO who rescues to 2C.  Partner bids 2D in front of me (with Qxxxx, x, KQxxx, xx).  

Holding xxx, AJ98x, x, AJT8, RHO opens 1NT (15-17) and I make the questionable X to show a major minor.  Partner bids 2C, P/C and I pass this to LHO who bids 2H.  

Partner bids 2S on AQx, x, Kxxxx, xxxx.  I would think partner would either pass or double 2H (surely the X is pass or correct... shouldn't 2S show something like 6-1-3-3 shape?)

Holding:  KQJxx, x, x, QTxxxx unfavorable,  I hear RHO open 1D.  I questoinably overcall 2C, hoping to put some pressure on the auction (the side spade length makes their negative doubles awkward).  LHO bids 2H, partner cuebids 3D and RHO bids 3H.  I try 3S, LHO bids 4H and partner doubles.  I don't like it, but there is no reason to bid again here.  Partner holds xxx, xx, AKJxx, Kxx and leads the DA to see:  A98x, ATxx, Qxx, AJ.  He shifts to a club... I think he forgot the auction during the play.  By the way, LHO bid 2H on T, KQJxxx, xxxx, xx.  Probably right, but not everyone would have done that.

So on hand 1, I opened 3D and everyone passed.  I caught partner with Jxxx, xxxxx, Kx, AQ.  The club finesse was on, but the DJ offside in the crossruff, so I made 10 tricks.  Somehow they bid 3NT at the other table, which rolls home.

Hand 2, you are on for 4S.  Partner holds:  Kxxxx, xx, xxx, Qxx

Hand 3, you should lead a spade.  If partner has a weak 2 in hearts, you just aren't beating them.  Partner held Kxxxx, Qx, J, xxxxx.  since clubs are 2-2, you can beat it with the sneaky club lead too, but who would find that? 

Football

Among the rule changes for this season was that the team winning the cointoss could defer their decision to the second half.  As I understand it, this means they kick the first half and then can optionally kick to start the second half as well.  While this would never happen, one of the articles describing this (I think the NFLs article) highlighted how the winner of the toss gets more options... 

So this begs the question... why?  There should be no advantage randomly assigned in an NFL game.  Compare to MLB.  Batting second is a pretty huge edge.  The home team bats second in all games.  Could you imagine if they tossed a coin to see which team bats first?  

The NFL should use the MLB standard.  The home team should always receive (or kick - it doesn't matter much which model is used) to start the game.  

I guess the only disadvantage is that it gets rid of ceremonial coin tosses.  

Will be posting some bridge stuff this week from the latest sectional.  

September 2008 MSC

I guess this means that I've given up hope of being invited onto the panel.  I asked about 11 years ago and Rubens told me to win a national event first.  Still waiting on it.  

A: Imps, Favorable, KJT92, --, 2, KQ98642.  

You deal:

1C.  4 losers is a mandatory opening.  Once you decide to open, it seems pretty clear to open in the longest suit with a 2 card discrepancy.  No reason to believe there is a specific rush to preempt.

B:  Imps, None, KT52, QT76, J32, A6

(3S) X (P) ??

3NT.  This will usually make and be safer than 4H.  Pass would be more than just tempting vs. some LHOs, since a plus score is near-certain with 300 and 500 being the most likely results.  However, 3NT shows some values and partner is unlimited - should partner hold something akin to --, AKx, KQT9xx, KQxx, +300 will not amuse our teammates.  Not 4H, which neither shows values nor is any more likely to be the right game than 3NT.

C:  Imps, Unfavorable:  KJT, K7, AQT42, T92

1C - (1H) - 2D - (3H)

3S - (Pass) - ???

4C.   4S is tempting until you start constructing hands for partner.  If partner really has a 5-card spade suit, I'll hear about it.  AQxx, xx, x, KQJxxx and 4S will probably require the DK onside (after HA and a diamond switch), but 5C is pretty good.  

D:  MPs, None:  J86, 8, AT2, AT8654

1D - ??

2C.  BWS gives me an out in 3C.  Perhaps this is weak NT training coming through, but the alternatives are terrible:  1NT, an anti-positional underbid; 2D would bury the clubs forever (and could get us to a 6 card fit); 2NT is right on values, but doesn't that heart stopper scare you?

E:  MPs, ALL:  T8762, KT, AT8, J82

(1D) - 1H - (P) - ??

2H.  Anyone who bids 1S nf on this hand deserves themselves as a partner.  1NT would be ok, but why not raise hearts with two trump honors and a side ace.  Partner will not be disappointed.

F:  Imps, none:  K972, A83, T64, AQ3

1C - (1D) - 1S - (3D);

4D - (5D) - ??

6S.  6D is tempting, but does partner know that I know that he is void (and what if he isn't?).  NOT PASS.  In the real world, I'd worry that partner, who may have overextended himself, may have doubts as to whether he has created a force.  I'm having a very hard time constructing a hand for partner consistent with this auction - where I hold 3 key cards, RHO has a 1D overcall and partner can cuebid at the 4-level opposite a potential 5-count.  Partner is probably 4-3-0-6... maybe AQxx, KQx, --, Kxxxxx.  If partner has the SJ, we have a decent grand, but there is no way to find out.  Clubs will play just fine if partner has the HQ, but if that card is the HJ instead, we need to be in spades.  

G:  Imps, Unfavorable:  A, 3, AK62, AK96543

1C - (3S) - P - (P)

??

4D.  This shows longer clubs and a very strong hand.  This might even be best if partner has xxx, Kxxxxx, QTx, x - opposite that 5D might survive a bad club break.  

H: MPs, Unfavorable:  A, T987, KJT42, JT9

(2NT) - (3H)

(3S) - (3NT)

(Pass)

HT.  I'd lead a diamond at imps, but I don't want to risk blowing a trick at MPS.  The CJ would be a little less likely to help declarer, but clubs are also more likely to be declarers long suit, so I might as well try to set up a long suit trick for our side instead.

Problems C, F and H seemed hardest.

Politics

My goals for this blog are not political.  But I do have some observations.  

1)  Why why why why why do the Dems always let the republicans have the last convention.  Remember back in '88 when after the democratic convention Dukakis had a substantial lead and after the republican convention it was gone?  Americans remember best what they heard last.  The dems should fight to have the second convention.  Perhaps they should alternate first vs second from one cycle to another.

2)  Just saw a McCain ad where they were claiming Obama would raise taxes on the middle class.  At the end, it said "I'm John McCain and I approved this message."  Why doesn't it say, "I'm John McCain and I'm a big, fat liar!"  

3)  For that matter, why aren't makers of blatently false political ads sued for liable?  Surely those swiftboaters cost billions in damages.  I'd like to see those who make false advertisements for political gain be held accountable, both financially and criminally.

--0--

Babies mood:  Unusually cranky.  She is starting to climb up everything.  Including the stairs.  Time for more gates.

Cheers

Ratdog

On Aug 23, we saw Ratdog open for the Allman brother's band in Camden. The show was excellent, but the lot was lacking. Food vendors were few and far between, and, as a result, those few that did show up ran out of food early. That old lot scene ain't what it used to be.

We knew the show didn't sell out, so we intended to buy lawn seats at the gate. With the little one it tow, it makes sense to go up to the top of the lawn where it is flat and less loud. There is more space to spread out so that she wouldn't be underfoot of the careless and/or overstoned folk present. When we arrived at the box office, I asked for two lawn seats. The guy working there took our $55 and handed me two tickets: Section 103, row Q. Pretty darn good seats (retail $75 each). Nice gift, but we were unable to use the seats without risking our babies hearing. So the top of the lawn it was. I've been going to shows for years and I can count on one hand the number of times I've had seats that good. Finally get them as a miracle and... oh well. Maybe we'll get a baby sitter the next time we want to go to a show.

incompatible with i.e. 8

I can't read my own blog. This site is incompatible!

IE version 8, Hacienda, Challah

I installed the I.E. 8 beta. What they don't tell you is that it is incompatible with the google toolbar (which, incidentally, has all my useful bookmarks). Best I can tell, that information is lost, perhaps permanently. Also, I.E. gives me an alert every page I visit because some add-ons are disabled. I'd like to be able to turn that off. Maybe there is a way to do so, but they don't make it easy.

For 2-player Hacienda, we found the going to all the markets strategy to be quite dominating, as the triangular scoring means that after about the 5th market, every single one you go to will be on par or better than putting down a large water or hacienda. With only 2 players, there is insufficient competition for real-estate for anyone to get really shut out of more than one market. Since this has lead to monotone games, we have flattened the triangular scoring. We now score the markets, 1,2,3,4,5,5,6,6,6,7,7 which helps. I suspect that 1,2,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7 would be even better. This encourages more land-based strategies, slightly longer games and non-intuitively, overall higher scores. The last game we played, our midgame scoring scores were between 70 and 80; we'd each played a hacienda and two waters by that time.

I've experimenting with baking bread. Made a couple of challahs recently. There is something very primal about kneading dough, and baking bread to feed your family.

1st Post

A number of times I've started - and discarded - journals. Private thoughts that upon review were either too private or dissociative of my current life. These journals were never meant for general consumption. Here I am, starting again. But what I write may be read by some people who I care about. So I'll talk about babies. And bridge. Maybe some marriage and politics and random thoughts.

Here is a recent picture of Sammie. 6 months old:

She is my life, and Leanna's. So I'll talk a lot about her here.