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CONTRACT BRIDGE
HOW TO MANUFACTURE TRICKS
In some hands, you start with a ready-made number of tricks and finish with exactly that number because there is nothing you can do to increase the total. In other hands, the number of tricks you can take is far from certain at the start.
The outcome might depend on how the opponents’ cards are situated, or on the particular approach you adopt. Such deals are naturally more interesting to play than the so-called pat ones.
Take this case where the defenders cash two hearts and shift to a club. Superficially, it seems declarer must lose two club tricks and go down one, but actually he has a chance to make the contract if he can establish dummy’s fifth diamond as his 10th trick. To that end, he should start by winning the club return with the ace, then lead a diamond to the ace and ruff a diamond.
To utilize the extra diamond trick he is trying to establish, declarer will require three further entries to dummy, so he next leads a low trump and finesses the seven! When the finesse succeeds, South ruffs another diamond high and leads a trump to the jack to ruff the fourth round of diamonds.
Declarer’s efforts are rewarded when the diamonds prove to be divided 4-3. The nine of diamonds is now a trick, and the nine of spades is the entry to dummy to collect it.
Note the importance of the trump finesse, without which the contract cannot be made. Percentagewise, it is much better to finesse against the ten than to try to drop the singleton ten in the East hand. This is because West will be dealt the 10-5-2, 10-5 or 10-2 of spades far more often than he will be dealt specifically the 5-2 of the suit.
NOW HERE'S A TIP
BYLINE: By JoAnn Derson
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* “My best friend recently had her first child. For her shower, we decided to get together and cook her several meals that could be frozen and go right from the freezer to the oven. This way, she has many meals to grab in the first few sleepless weeks.” — E.S. in Mississippi
* Need to save money grocery shopping? Studies show that if you shop when the store is least busy, you’ll make smarter decisions. Try shopping at off-peak hours, such as later in the evening or early in the morning. Or try your store on Wednesday, traditionally the least busy day of the week.
* “I was making cookies last week and needed to roll out the dough. I couldn’t find my rolling pin anywhere. In a pinch, I pulled a bottle of wine off my wine rack and wrapped it tightly in plastic. It did the trick. I’m thinking I might just save the next empty bottle and clean the label off of it to use. I can store it right there in my rack!” — O.V. in Oregon
* Add shredded veggies to tomato sauce to up the veggie quotient. Many vegetables can be added without adding many calories and will not change the taste that much. Try carrots, squash or sweet potatoes. You can even add a tablespoon or two of canned, pureed pumpkin.
* “I like the smaller size of kids’ meals at the drive-thru. I save the toys in a box, then I drop them off with a teacher friend to use as rewards in her classroom.” — via email
* “I found a bunch of guttering at a garage sale super cheap, and was inspired to bring it INSIDE my house. I purchased end pieces at my local hardware store and cut the gutters to fit inside my closet. They line the wall all the way up in horizontal rows. I use them to keep shoes, purses, even small baskets of accessories. It’s wonderful. — T. in Tennessee
Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.
THE RICH LOWRY COLUMN
Nothing good comes from Columbia University radicalism
BYLINE: By Rich Lowry
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Columbia University is once again the center of the radical universe.
More than 50 years after anti-Vietnam War demonstrators roiled the Columbia campus in 1968, anti-Israel agitators are disrupting the school’s operations, and inspiring similar actions at other universities around the country.
In their open support for a terror group, today’s demonstrators are more virulent than their 1960s forebears, but they are still the ideological heirs of the New Left — grandchildren in the spirit of the first Morningside Heights revolutionaries.
It’s Columbia 1968 — the antisemitic version.
The protests back then were, to be sure, a larger and more violent event. Demonstrators seized buildings and briefly took a dean hostage. The campus shut down. When the police came to re-take the occupied buildings in the early-morning hours of April 30, 1968, they arrested more than 700 people and roughed some of them up.
The situation at Columbia today, noxious though it is, would have to get much worse to match 1968’s mayhem. The protestors have set up an encampment rather than seizing buildings. When police moved in last week to briefly break up the illegal gathering, they arrested about a hundred people. Although the protest has generated national attention (and a well-deserved condemnation from the White House), it’s not the cause celebre of 1968, when famous journalists and poets joined the demonstrators in their barricaded buildings.
Yet, the director of the college’s Jewish Learning Initiative has urged Jewish students to stay home for fear for their safety, and classes have gone remote.
The argot of both sets of demonstrators is largely the same. In 1968, the protestors inveighed against the “complicity” of the University in the Vietnam War and its “institutional racism” for wanting to expand a gym in the neighborhood. Decades later, those are still the popular catchphrases.
Israel is to today’s radicals what the Pentagon was to 1968’s. Just as the protestors back then demanded that the university cut ties with a Department of Defense outfit doing research for the Vietnam War, today’s radicals want the university to divest from Israel. The essential argument is the same — that Columbia bears moral responsibility for crimes against humanity committed in an imperialist war.
Yesteryear’s agitators might have been surprised to learn that student demonstrators acting in the tradition of 1968 have been discomfiting and harassing Jews and expressing support for a horrific terrorist assault. Here too, though, there are connections to 1968, at least its more extreme elements.
The famed Columbia protest leader Mark Rudd went on to become part of the violent Weather Underground. The group’s manifesto is a bilious attack on America’s influence in the world.
It contends that “the main struggle going on in the world today is between U.S. imperialism and the national liberation struggles against it.” The fact is, according to the manifesto, that “every other empire and petty dictator is in the long run dependent on U.S. imperialism, which has unified, allied with, and defended all of the reactionary forces of the whole world.” That’s why “we determine who are our friends and who are our enemies according to whether they help U.S. imperialism or fight to defeat it.”
The same logic animates today’s radicals. Hamas is their equivalent of Che Guevara or the Viet Cong, and Israel an expression of Western imperialism that must be opposed at all costs. (The Weather Underground statement does briefly mention “Israeli imperialism.”)
A key difference between 1968 and today is that protestors then were revolting against an institution dominated by traditional liberals, whereas the radicals have steadily taken over the universities since. Today’s protestors are only crudely expressing the attitudes and tropes that they hear in many of their classrooms. A large contingent of Columbia faculty walked out to protest the arrests of the agitators.
Columbia 1968 is widely seen as a hugely influential event in the direction of academia. It will be a calamity if Columbia 2024 is eventually viewed the same way.
Rich Lowry is editor of the National Review.
ARIES (March 21 to April 19) You might need to do a bit more investigating before making a career move. You do best when you come armed with the facts. Meanwhile, a personal matter still needs tending to.
TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Your creativity plus your good business sense once more combine to give you an important advantage in a difficult workplace situation. Also, an ally proves their loyalty.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Avoid rushing into something just because it offers a break from your usual routine. Take things a step at a time to be sure that you’re moving in the right direction.
CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Bouncing back from a disappointing incident isn’t easy, but you should find a welcome turn of events emerging by midweek. Spend the weekend with someone special.
LEO (July 23 to August 22) An incomplete project needs your attention before someone else takes it over and uses it to their advantage. There’ll be lots of time for fun and games once you get it done.
VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Doubts involving a potential career change need to be resolved quickly so that they don’t get in the way when you feel like you’re finally ready to make the big move.
LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Looking to blame someone for a workplace problem could backfire if it turns out that you’ve got the wrong “culprit.” Best to get more facts before acting on your assumptions.
SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Patience might still be called for until you’re sure that you finally have the full story, which could have eluded you up until now. Also, a trusted associate could offer valuable guidance.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Reflect on your recent behavior to see if you could have caused the coolness that you might now be sensing from a loved one. If so, apologize and set things straight.
CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Easing up on your social activities allows you to focus more of your energies on a long-neglected personal matter. You can get back into party mode by the weekend.
AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) A dispute with a colleague can be resolved peacefully once you both agree to be more flexible about the positions you’ve taken and allow the space for more open-minded discussions.
PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Volunteering to take on added responsibilities could be a risky way to impress the powers that be. Only do it if you’re sure that you won’t be swept away by the extra workload.
BORN THIS WEEK: Your sense of self-awareness allows you to make bold moves with confidence and security.
HOLLYWOOD
HOLLYWOOD
BYLINE: By Tony Rizzo
PHOTO CREDIT: Depositphotos
PHOTO CAPTION: Jeremy Allen White (“The Bear”)
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HOLLYWOOD — The 5-foot-10-inch Jeremy Allen White will become the 5-foot-10-inch Bruce Springsteen for a film adaptation of the 2023 book “Deliver Me From Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Nebraska.'” “Nebraska” was the follow-up solo album to Springsteen’s hit LP “The River.” Springsteen and his manager, Jon Landau, are involved in the making of the film.
White is the star of “The Bear,” the FX on Hulu series that won him a Critics’ Choice Award, a Golden Globe, a Screen Actor’s Guild Award and an Emmy this past award season. He recently starred with Zac Efron in “The Iron Claw,” which cost $16 million and grossed $44.2 million. He’s also completed “You Can’t Win,” which depicts the experiences of adventurer Jack Black in the hobo underworld.
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Bet you didn’t know that in 1966, when they were casting the first James Bond film, “Dr. No,” they considered Susan Hayward for Bond … Jane Bond! But Ian Fleming thought they were nuts and instead suggested Richard Burton, who promptly turned it down. Then Fleming wanted Peter Finch, Cary Grant, Dirk Bogarde, Trevor Howard, Rex Harrison, Richard Todd, Michael Redgrave, Patrick McGoohan, Richard Johnson and Roger Moore, who eventually became Bond for seven films.
But when they decided on Sean Connery for “Dr. No,” Fleming was shocked because when he met Connery, in his estimation, Connery “couldn’t speak the Queen’s English!” He said, “He’s not my idea of Bond at all. I just want an elegant man, not this roughneck.” Luckily, they proved him wrong, and Connery made seven 007 films.
Fleming would have appreciated the fact that 33-year-old Aaron Taylor-Johnson of High Wycombe, England, will become the next 007!
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“Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” will be the fourth film in the “Bridget Jones” franchise. Two-time Oscar winner Renée Zellweger will return to play Bridget, as will Hugh Grant and Emma Thompson. No word yet on whether Colin Firth will be back, but they’ve added Chiwetel Ejiofor (“12 Years a Slave”) and Leo Woodall (of “The White Lotus”).
Firth, meanwhile, will star in “Kingsman: The Blue Blood” with Taron Egerton.
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“Titanic” producer James Cameron is still prepping “Avatar 3” for 2025 and “Avatar 4” for 2029, but he’s pursuing his dream to remake the 1966 classic film “Fantastic Voyage” with Stephen Boyd and Raquel Welch. The sci-fi film follows scientists who are shrunk to a microscopic size in order to enter the body of an injured scientist via a tiny submarine and repair his brain damage. Cameron admits, “We’ve been developing it for a number of years and plan to go ahead with it very soon.”
Welch was the top Hollywood sex symbol at the time. (She passed away in February 2023.) The film was built around her sex appeal, and despite her unavailability, Cameron says, “We think we can make a pretty good movie.” There just aren’t any sex symbols like Raquel Welch around today, but still, they could sell tickets to that casting session!
Tuscan Women Cook Shares a Favorite Wild Plum Tart Recipe to Add a Touch of Italian Charm to Your Holiday Table
FoodTrients Says Unlock Timeless Beauty: Elevate Your Wellness Journey with Nutrient-Rich Recipes
Gone are the days when achieving radiant beauty was reserved for Hollywood elites like Margot Robbie, famously known for her role as Barbie. Beauty transcends mere appearances; it’s an embodiment of vitality, health, and confidence that radiates from within.
Enter the realm of wellness through the lens of nutrition. It’s a journey where every meal is an opportunity to nourish not just the body, but the very essence of your being. Ginger Hultin, FoodTrients’ nutritionist and dietitian, illuminates the profound impact of a wholesome diet on our long-term beauty. She suggests embarking on a culinary adventure that promises to enhance your inner glow and outward allure. By eating a healthy diet can play a role in long-term beauty in the following ways:
Skin elasticity, vibrancy, and color
Hair and skin quality, fostering growth and resilience
Energizing the body for an active lifestyle and maintaining optimal muscle mass
Fueling vitality and zest for life, ensuring each day is brimming with potential
Which Foods Are Best for Aging Beautifully? Grace O, founder of FoodTrients, has identified the following ‘superfoods’ as the path to staying beautiful and vibrant as you age. Choose these food categories to get access to the complex carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fat as well as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can support your beauty.
● Vitamin A foods: carrots, tomatoes, red peppers, melon, fish, eggs
● Vitamin C foods: sweet potatoes, red peppers, citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes
● Vitamin E foods: almonds, peanut butter, pumpkin, wheat germ oil, sunflower seeds
● Biotin foods: nuts, egg yolks, oats
● Selenium foods: Brazil nuts, seafood, broccoli, soybeans
With each bite, you rewrite the narrative of aging, embracing a future where beauty and wellness dance in harmonious tandem. It’s time to savor the flavors of nourishment, paving the way for a more vibrant, age-defying you. These ‘superfoods’ are the ingredients for aging well, as well as creating delicious, irresistible dishes.
Grace O has provided two easy and delicious recipes for health and beauty. To see the full article and more recipes, click here:
Radish Salad SERVES 2-4
1 cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
2 chopped hard-boiled eggs
6-8 sliced grape tomatoes
2. To make the dressing, mix together the rice vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Let stand and allow the flavors to blend for up to 1 hour.
3. Toss the radishes with dressing.
4. To assemble, arrange the sliced radishes on salad plates. Top with the chopped eggs, carrots and tomato slices, evenly divided.
Stir-Fried Korean Glass Noodles SERVES 4
1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
¼ cup low-sodium soy or tamari sauce
¼ cup water
1 Tbs. sesame oil
1 cup thinly sliced beef tenderloin
1 Tbs. raw or turbinado sugar
2 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce or tamari sauce
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 Tbs. sesame oil
¼ cup julienned white onion
2 Tbs. sesame oil
2 tsp. chopped garlic
1 tsp. peeled and chopped ginger
½ cup julienned shiitake mushrooms
½ cup julienned carrots
½ cup firmly packed whole baby spinach leaves, without stems
¼ cup julienned green onion
Salt or salt substitute and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp. olive oil
1 egg (organic, free-range, or Omega-3-enriched), beaten
Salt or salt substitute and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Make the noodles: Cook according to package directions and drain; place in a serving bowl, and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds. Boil the noodle seasoning ingredients in a saucepan for 5 minutes. Pour over the noodles, toss, and set aside.
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