[FrancesHinden]

gnasher, on Jun 17 2010, 03:51 PM, said:

This is really the fault of the L&E committee from the 1990s. If they'd had the foresight to number the levels 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50, it would have been simple to create a new level 45. Or they could have used colours; if, for example, the top two levels were "green" and "blue", we could have inserted a "turquoise" level.

That's the trouble with having bridge run by committees of amateurs - they spend so much time trying to screw the maximum out of the expenses system and making up rules to suit themselves that they don't have time to think of elementary precautions like this.

I realise that this post was (probably) intended as humour, but since I've been on the L&E committee
(i) the most I would have claimed for expenses for attending committee meetings would be two zone 1 oyster card bus fares per meeting
(ii) as it happens I have never made an expense claim for attending the L&E meetings

I have in my life made one expense claim to the EBU, for travel expenses (second class train travel) for being an on-site referee at the ladies' trials.

[gnasher]

Only "probably"? I won't give up the day job then.

[pooltuna]

FrancesHinden, on Jun 18 2010, 02:10 PM, said:

gnasher, on Jun 17 2010, 03:51 PM, said:

This is really the fault of the L&E committee from the 1990s.  If they'd had the foresight to number the levels 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50, it would have been simple to create a new level 45.  Or they could have used colours; if, for example, the top two levels were "green" and "blue", we could have inserted a "turquoise" level.

That's the trouble with having bridge run by committees of amateurs - they spend so much time trying to screw the maximum out of the expenses system and making up rules to suit themselves that they don't have time to think of elementary precautions like this.

I realise that this post was (probably) intended as humour, but since I've been on the L&E committee
(i) the most I would have claimed for expenses for attending committee meetings would be two zone 1 oyster card bus fares per meeting
(ii) as it happens I have never made an expense claim for attending the L&E meetings

I have in my life made one expense claim to the EBU, for travel expenses (second class train travel) for being an on-site referee at the ladies' trials.

You accepted expense money!!!!! When you could have walked!!!

[jeremy69]

Quote

the most I would have claimed for expenses for attending committee meetings would be two zone 1 oyster card bus fares per meeting

The aim is that you're on the committee long enough to give up the Oyster and pick up the Freedom pass but at least 5 years to go I think

[wank]

the ebu seems to be pandering to the lowest common denominator at the moment. luckily we've got a long way to go until we get as bad as the acbl with all this stratificated rubbish and the conventionphobia, but the organisational changes are very muppet-friendly.

[jeremy69]

Quote

the ebu seems to be pandering to the lowest common denominator at the moment

I expect you mean the mass of its market. Not allowing a 1♠ to show ♥ in short rounds and lower level congresses is hardly pandering by my definition.

[paulg]

jeremy69, on Jun 19 2010, 08:46 AM, said:

I expect you mean the mass of its market. Not allowing a 1♠ to show ♥ in short rounds and lower level congresses is hardly pandering by my definition.

Popular, not lower level.

[paulg]

It appears that Scotland, that currently requires 1♥ and 1♠ openers to be natural in all competitions, is going the other way and it will soon be the wild, wild North up here.

[gnasher]

I understand and accept the argument that weaker players are entitled to be protected from the more exotic methods, but that doesn't explain why this restriction has been applied to the top flight of the small number of flighted events that we have, like the Swiss Teams at Easter and Christmas.

It suggests that a portion of the masses want to have their cake and eat it: they don't want to play against exotic methods, but they do want to play against the players who espouse these methods. That doesn't seem particularly fair.

[gerry]

Hopefully this will increase migration of intelligent people down here to Australia or New Zealand.

We don't jump every time wankers and wowsers complain in this part of the world. Ignore the complaints and people will learn to adjust.