Oh I didn't see this post before I just posted.

OK I'm with you.

By "you" I mean my friends- <Niels>, <Dom>, <Twinlark>, <Howard>, <Brankat>.

That is, I will join in any endeavours you guys come up with to solve this problem.

Just give me instructions as to how to help, publicly or by email.

Sometimes you got to choose apparently. Which is too bad in most respects.

But I'm with you guys- all the way.

<<To sum up ...> As most of us already know, there are many different ways of using this site -- daily puzzles, database games, player page-fandom, live games, squatting in a forum trying to look smart, and so on.>

The above is simply to mask this post from view on the recent kibitizing board.

I've deleted the information from your player page for the duration. Tell me if and when you want it back: I've saved it in a Word document. Hope that helps you breathe a trifle easier.

i already did. as long as the norwegian police assumes that the responsible person is situated in a different country, they consider that i'm fairly safe here in norway. but like i wrote on the carlsen page: i'm not sure whether i feel safe going to holland to play a chess tournament.

anyway, the threats i described are nearly a year old, but the kibitzer in question is still active on cg.com. i mostly wanted to give an example of really serious and <real> (in the sense occuring outside the boundaries of cg.com) threats being put forward as a consequence of "disagreements" on cg.com. mostly as a kind of perspective on the current so-fans versus tpstar/brankat/others clashes.

In any case, I'm suddenly very busy out here in RL. Deadlines, stuff to write, and at least 24 hours before I'll be able to focus on anything here.

Of course the underlying problems haven't gone away.

Niels - a very special EMU is on the way! :D

Best Always, Your friend, - Mal

<Dom: As <twinlark>, one of the certifiably sane among us, said.>

Anyway, I've survived movie directors who didn't like my reviews. One offered to hit me with a handbag, but that's about as dangerous as it got.

OK, maybe I have a habit of *misunderestimating* stuff ... but I reckon it's safe to return the biog.

<Dom: Yep, I must have done. Even Homer Simpson nods, and all that. It should read <one of the incertifiably sane among us>>

At least now I know what a *barangay* is. I've written stuff in the past about <Gutenberg Ghetto> where the book-people live, and <Barrio Mercator>, where the map folk dwell. If I ever need to devise a third such location, barangay should fit the bill.

Or maybe the Irish 'townland' - which is rarely near a town and only marginally qualifies as land. But I'm prattling on again... quite a good sign, come to think of it.

Once again, gang, thanks for gathering round in time of crisis. The superhero costumes can be returned to the closets. Maybe somebody could let <Niels> know that 'thermonuclear heck' - to quote Harry Truman - was averted.

The *tribal* problem won't go away, of course, but it seems to take a rare set of circumstances to trigger it -- a player whose fans have formed a cultlike in-group, with strange dashes of religiosity and psycho-nationalism; plus a 'challenge' of some kind on that player's page; and then a gang of overhyped crazies duelling with a perceived enemy, who flits around humming 'I won't back down'.

So mote it be.

I hope you all return from time to time when normal service resumes. I'd actually like to analyze this phenomenon and its implications.

That includes <frogbert> who previously thought he wasn't welcome, and <Annie K.> who had somehow neglected to drop by in the past.

<Dom> - I'll be more than glad to do it. :) Unless <hms123> is all set with an EMU all ready to shoot out of the e-mail basket. Figure that Jess won't be back till later today (using the benchmark <CG.com> time it's now just passed 4 PM EDT).

Thanks for all of your input (always) -- well beyond the call of duty. :D

Here's one from Asimov (I'm not a fan - I prefer my sci-fi more cyber-pomo and gibsonesque ... but I've been dipping back into the prehistory of the genre). Where I found this:

<Reason alone wouldn't do. What was needed was a rare type of intuition; the same faculty of mind (only much more intensified) that made a Grand Master at chess. A mind was needed of the sort that could see through the quadrillions of chess patterns to find the one best move ...>

- Isaac Asimov, Jokester

Done, and you're welcome as always.

And hope Niels rides back into town soon.

heh

Well, good thing I did check out my mail and immediately rushed to <Forum Central>.

I'm quite moved by all of your encouraging words; they really do, and have done, me a world of good... Here's why:

Over the last few weeks I've had two TIA's, "mini-strokes", which gave me quite a scare and has me now on a super healthy diet, also after having to undergo some tests... Because I am craving quality sleep at the moment, to get my body ready for repair activities, I decided to speak my mind and then take, ensure of, plenty of quality rest, no stress, and try and get back to full strength as soon as possible. I was extremely tired and needed to refuel, and still do.

Not only have I already received emails from <Mal> and <Howard>, immediately <crawfb5>, aka "Big Crawdaddy" sent a wondeful upbeat Emu, and <Boomie> supplied the accompanying music! Thanks!!!

Actually I want to thank you all from the far corners of my cardiac muscle; it even fibrillated in excitement at some point, well that's my personal plausible interpretation... heh

I'll reply to all the emus when I have some time to sit down and appreciate and answer all the encouraging messages.

OK - thanks, <Dom>, for, apparently, doing nothing, but meanwhile being the invaluable CG-friend-with-first-class-forum, that you are. You and twinlark make a cute couple, thank you both. You *did* form a posse - heh

I'll reopen (hi Bureau!) the Euwe Center du moment I am not sounding as much like the 87 y/o that I appear now, or at least felt, which will be quite soon, going by the first, very promising signs.