Sounds good.. If there are puckings going on on the
weekend, I'd like to attend as well.. Let me know
which day and what time..






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i may be going to atlantic city to play one of the new york players
(mike rosen) on saturday.  i am not certain though...  either way, i'd
like to play this weekend at some point.  saturday night is out though
as i will be at the mmw concert.
jsb


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

in general, on the weekend since i work on weekdays.
michael

--- "jsbritton@..." <jsbritton@...>
wrote:

> cool.  you are right near most of us.  when can you
> play?
> james
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>





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cool.  you are right near most of us.  when can you play?
james


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Thanks for your suggestions. Those are the websites
are started glancing through. I am 20 years old, live
somewhat close to the intersection between Welsh Road
and Roosevelt Boulevard

--- "jsbritton@..." <jsbritton@...>
wrote:

> the weeklie tournaments aren't happening right now
> in philly, but we'd
> like to get them going again.  no duties or fees
> except maybe a small
> entry fee for the tournaments that basically ends up
> as prize money in
> a handicapped tournament.  i'd love to get you up to
> par as far as
> technique etc.  i'm glad you found those tips...
> they are all helpful
> and helped me as well.  keep digging...
> www.airhockey.com
> www.airhockeyworld.com
> www.airhockeynews.com (a bit outdated, but still
> great)
>
> the forums where we talk on a world scale is at
> www.airhockeyforums.com
> get there with a dozen hours to spare :)  how old
> are you and what part
> of town do you live in?
> jsb
>
>
> Please note: message attached
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>





________________________________________________________________________________\
____
Want to start your own business?
Learn how on Yahoo! Small Business.
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Hows it going and welcome! (or should that be a
question mark..? err..)

  Anyways, yeah it's been difficult for me to play
during the week lately since I work nights now.. But I
am still interested in playing.. Though I usually am
only able to play on weekends (or days off!)

   take care, and once again welcome!





________________________________________________________________________________\
____
We have the perfect Group for you. Check out the handy changes to Yahoo! Groups
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the weeklie tournaments aren't happening right now in philly, but we'd
like to get them going again.  no duties or fees except maybe a small
entry fee for the tournaments that basically ends up as prize money in
a handicapped tournament.  i'd love to get you up to par as far as
technique etc.  i'm glad you found those tips...  they are all helpful
and helped me as well.  keep digging...
www.airhockey.com
www.airhockeyworld.com
www.airhockeynews.com (a bit outdated, but still great)

the forums where we talk on a world scale is at
www.airhockeyforums.com
get there with a dozen hours to spare :)  how old are you and what part
of town do you live in?
jsb


Please note: message attached




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Yesterday I played at the Dave & Buster's but I dont
really know too much places.

--- "jsbritton@..." <jsbritton@...>
wrote:

> we haven't had any weeklies in a while...  but we
> are trying to change
> that...  a few more people that are consistent...
> and of course we are
> on our way.  where do you normally play?  we play at
> a billiards place
> in willow grove and at the hollywood bistro in the
> NE (when the table is
> not too nasty)  and of course...  many of us travel
> to the state
> tournaments and to vegas for the world
> championships.  i am currently
> 21st in the world and would love to meet you and
> play.  good to have
> you on board...
> james
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>




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James,

Thanks for your response. I am a just a beginner, I
played only a small number of people against other
people who practically never played. I only played
with my hand on top of the mallet so far, until
reading some of the good tips from a couple of air
hockey websites yesterday. But I would be interested
in playing better.
What exactly are weeklies and what day and time do
they generally happend? Are there any kind of
duties/fees to be part of this?

Thanks

--- "jsbritton@..." <jsbritton@...>
wrote:

> we haven't had any weeklies in a while...  but we
> are trying to change
> that...  a few more people that are consistent...
> and of course we are
> on our way.  where do you normally play?  we play at
> a billiards place
> in willow grove and at the hollywood bistro in the
> NE (when the table is
> not too nasty)  and of course...  many of us travel
> to the state
> tournaments and to vegas for the world
> championships.  i am currently
> 21st in the world and would love to meet you and
> play.  good to have
> you on board...
> james
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>




________________________________________________________________________________\
____
We have the perfect Group for you. Check out the handy changes to Yahoo! Groups
(http://groups.yahoo.com)

we haven't had any weeklies in a while...  but we are trying to change
that...  a few more people that are consistent... and of course we are
on our way.  where do you normally play?  we play at a billiards place
in willow grove and at the hollywood bistro in the NE (when the table is
not too nasty)  and of course...  many of us travel to the state
tournaments and to vegas for the world championships.  i am currently
21st in the world and would love to meet you and play.  good to have
you on board...
james

Hi, I just joined the forum. I was wondering where and when in Philly
are there any kind of competitions or anything of the like where you
can play a lot and learn how to play much betteR? thanks

http://www.ict.csiro.au/page.php?did=222

we will be playing tonight about 8pm in willow grove at a place that is
at the corner of 611 and easton rd. across the street from the burger
king.  it is a billiards place with no name on the sign.  give me a call...
215.200.672 zero.
james

Welcome home, guys! How was GA?

  I'm definitely ready to start playing again.. Maybe
sometime this weekend? Give me a holler, lemme know
whats up!

  Steve



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Hey Guys, hope you haven't forget me already!

I'm sorry for my late response: the Wharton School of Business has
not been an easy thing, so it has kept me very busy.

I Wanted to tell you that i'm willing to play some puck.
Unfortunately, I think i'm going to be very busy while I'm in the
course but it only lasts until august the 13th and I leave on august
31st.

I don't think i'm going to be able to play until then, but who knows,
maybe i'll be free sometime around. So, if you go some time, please
(if it possible)tell me to see if I could join you.

Obviously I don't have a car here (one of the things I miss from my
country..lol) but this is my 3rd time in Philly (I'm staying at the
campus of the University of Pennsylvania) and I know some places.
Thus, I think I could be able to go anyplace you play at.

Mr  James, here's my personal phone 727-244-2976; Feel fre to call me
anytime you want. I really desire to get some puck some day and learn
from you guys, and just be better day after day.

So, I guess there's not nothing else to say. Thanks for Everything!
Looking forward to meet you all!

Antonio Baez

i am back into town and very ready to get back into practice...  let's
play.

james

Hola Tony and Andrew!
Como estan?
Me llama Pauline.
Yo juego air hockey, vivo en Philadelphia con James Britton, y hablo un
poco de espanol.
Bienvenido a Estados Unidos.
Hasta pronto en LA MESA!







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Definitely!

  James, hope you're having a great time in GA! Tell
Blade, Mitchell, et al I said HEY. And look me up when
ya get back so we can start practicing again! ;-)

  Steve

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it is very good to hear from you.  indeed, we shall play.  i just
arrived in atlanta last night after a fourteen hour motorcycle ride to
play some guys that are in town from new york and chicago...  so i will
not be back in philly until about a week from thursday or friday.
other players here, may be able to meet you before that.  did you guys
play with pedro otero and jose mora down in venezuala?  be sure to
check in at www.airhockeyforums.com as well...
james

Awesome, dude! Whats going on?

  I'm in Philly and look forward to meeting you.. Maybe
we can all hang and play some puck!

  Stephen Porreca
  Philadelphia Air Hockey



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Greetings James!

Let me introduce myself. I'm Antonio Baez (please call me Tony) and
I'm from Caracas, Venezuela.

In the next couple of Weeks I'll be traveling to Philadelphia for
about 1 month and a half, because i'm doing a bussines course in the
Wharton School, at the University of Pennsylvania. I wanted to tell
you that I share the same passion for Air Hockey as you do.

Me and my best friend (Andrew) will travel, as I said, to Philly
this saturday, and we both play a lot of air hockey. We both love it
and play it every chance we get. I have even dowloaded the official
rules from the USAA and played with them. I think that my friend and
I have a very good level (we play it as sport really) and to make a
long story short, I'd like to know that if there's possible that we
could get in contact to see if we can play toghether sometime, to
share ideas, tactics.

I could even give you my cel phone, so we can get in touch. My msn
is tonybaez87@.... Trust me in this one James (I hope i can
get your confidence) I REALLY love air hockey and I'm willing to
learn from other players. If it weren't so, i wouldn't be writing
this and looking for air hockey webpages in Philly.

Don't want to take any more time from you. I look forward for your
response. Add me to the MSN with no problems at all.

My best regards...
Tony

it has come to my attention that next week atlanta will be invaded by
two yankees.  sir goran mitic and sir michael rosen will be positioned
in two key points of the city.  mitic, from chicago, and currently
ranked 14th in the world...  will be invading kennesaw mountain, a key
vantage point in the ongoing civil war.  rosen, at 23rd, will likely be
stationed barely north of the capital, in the lenox/sidney marcus
quadrant.

to intercept these darth invaders from our great land of georgia, i
will position myself in roswell, to keep an eye in both directions.
informally, all are challenged to either challenge or defend, both rank
and territory.  due to this unsettling threat, i will arrive late
tuesday via the steel horse, and will be on guard until the following
monday.  i summon all troops to heed the call of the almighty table, in
this most unanticipated gathering of northern cavaliers, and obvious
territorial challenge.  i call out don james, blade, and john mitchell,
to meet me at the forefront of battle, in this time of grave
territorial instability.  what i have learned in the north, will be
used with great force.  there will be no survivors.  by the puck, we
shall live and die.

james scott britton

who wants to hit some puck today or tomorrow or both...  my house, willow grove,
the poconos...  wherever.

james

this price very likely will gone in a matter of hours or a day.

Please note: forwarded message attached




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

wednesday night.... willow grove... 8:14pm.

this is the place at 611 and easton rd...  in willow grove.

sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeT


  James,

Sorry I haven't gotten back to you sooner.  The table is ready for you guys
to use.  It is in the back room and there was a light put up, once again i
am sorry i hacent written you sooner

Jackie
SuperStroke Billards


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

they guy has been deleted.  on another note, i am back in practice and
looking to practice a few times a week.  anyone who wants to start preparing
for vegas please contact me ...  or even if you just want to play...
jsb


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Air Hockey Variants
contributed by Tim Weissman
The following games are all new and different ways to play Air Hockey. The
majority of them are excellent when there are many players and only one table.
Also, many of them are team oriented. They add excitement to your practice
sessions and encourage people to show up. They can be used on their own or as
part of a competition. Enjoy them!



AUSTRALIAN DOUBLES

This is the traditional doubles in Air Hockey. It involves two teams of two
players. The lower ranked (or less skilled) players from each team begin the
match. Traditionally, each game of the match is also begun with a face-off. If a
player is scored upon, he/she leaves the table, and their partner takes over. As
long as you are not scored upon, you stay on the table. This rotation of players
continues from game to game throughout the match. Therefore, if John and Kim are
playing and John is scored on, and that was the seventh point for their
opponent's, then Kim starts on the table in the next game. However, if John was
on the table and scored the winning point of a game, then he starts the next
game on the table.

Either player may call time-out for the team. And either player may cast a serve
from the goal (though this maneuver is rather difficult to perfect). Also, this
game may be played with larger team sizes. Triples and Quadruples can be quite
competitive and fun.

A variant on this is TURKISH DOUBLES. In this version, if a player scores, they
leave the table and their partner takes over. This is fun, but tends to make it
difficult for a weaker player to get his/her partner on the table. They don't
score, so they can't get off. It is tradition that any player who gets scored on
at least three times in a row must "gobble" like a turkey and carry some token
of humiliation around with him/her until another player receives the dubious
distinction.

Other variations which could include a doubles format, or simply be singles are:
MAKE IT/TAKE IT - If you score, you get the puck back.
TENNIS SETS - Play according to the tennis scoring system, including the serving
format. A player serves the puck after each goal for an entire game.
VOLLEYBALL SCORING - Play using the volleyball scoring system, including serving
format. Remember, to score, you must have served, and to serve, you must break
your opponent's serve. Also, you must win by 2 points.
TABLE TENNIS SCORING - Play using table tennis scoring format, including serving
format. A player serves 5 points, then the opponent serves 5 points.

Or, combine different rules variants. Try Turkish Doubles, make it/take it. This
can be very cruel for a less skilled player. Not only does he/she have a hard
time getting off the table (because they must score), but the opponent gets to
start with the puck after they score each time. Another fun one is to play
doubles tennis sets.



AIR HOCKEY BASEBALL

Each team must designate a starting pitcher and a catcher at the beginning of
the game. These must be different people, unless the team consists of only one
person. Each team must then be designated as either home or visitor. The number
of people on each team may be different and it doesn't even have to be the same.
The visitor bats in the top half of each of the 9 innings; the home team in the
bottom half. Each team then submits a line-up for batting. This is followed
throughout the game. A starting pitcher may be relieved during the game by any
player on the team, but then the relieved pitcher may never pitch again in the
game. The catcher may be changed at the start of any inning.

BATTING

When a batter records a hit or an out, the next batter is up.


HIT:                                                    RESULT:

Any scoring shot                                        Single
1-2's, chase shots, forehands, hand-switching           Double
Off speeds, double-banks, blade shots                   Triple
Any combination of these seven                          Home Run
(except blade/forehand combo)
Any four off-goals hit to the same area                 Walk
and of the same kind (straight or bank)
without any other shots in between

Sacrifice Bunt:
If a hitter wishes to attempt a bunt, he announces it, then the defense holds
his mallet in the middle of the goal. The hitter then gets one shot. If it
scores, then the bunt is successful, all runners move up one base and the hitter
is out. If he doesn't score, the lead runner is out, and the pitcher gets one
shot back at the hitter (with the hitter's mallet in the middle of the goal) to
attempt a double-play. Suicide squeezes (scoring a 3rd base runner with a bunt),
requires three consecutive scores by the hitter against the pitcher (the mallet
being in the middle of the goal). Trail runners always move up one base,
regardless of whether the bunt was successful or not.

PITCHING

-Defender (pitcher) gaining possession is an out
-A stuff is a double play
-Offensive player scoring on himself is a double play
-If the defense scores a double-play when no player is on base, then the current
batter is out and the next batter is skipped, also having an out. If there is a
double-play when runners are on base, then the lead runner and batter are out.
-Defender committing a foul of knocking the puck off the table counts as a balk
(all runners move up a base)
-Pitcher has the option of intentionally walking a new hitter before the batter
takes the plate.
CATCHING

At any time during an offensive possession, a runner on base may make an attempt
to steal a legal base by taking the table against the catcher. The catcher then
takes the table for the pitcher and makes an attempt to throw the runner(s) out.
This is done by having the catcher try to score against the stealing runner.
More attempts are allowed for higher bases:


1st to 2nd                                      One possession
2nd to 3rd                                      Two possessions
3rd to Home                                     Three possessions

If the runner gains X possessions, the steal is successful. If the catcher
scores on himself, or is stuffed, then the runner not only steals the base, but
all runners advance one more. If the runner commits a foul or is scored on by
the catcher, he is out. Runners on 1st and 2nd may attempt a double steal, and
the catcher may only choose one to throw out.


PRESS YOUR LUCK

This game involves seven rounds of play and the object is to be the player with
the most points in their bank at the end of the seventh round. Any number can
play, but the best is somewhere between 6 and 10 players. This is an excellent
game for new players because they generally play more often (a result of how
each round is seeded). Also, because they will have many opportunities to play
crucial points against tougher players.

The first round is seeded with the lowest ranked (least skilled) player at the
top (this being the highest seed as the number 1 position), followed by the next
lowest player, and so on, until the highest ranked player is seeded at the
bottom.

The player in the number 1 position then begins with their turn at "holding the
table." The first player to "defend the table" is the highest seeded player, not
taking into account whoever is "holding the table" (in this case, number 1
position). Therefore, the player in the number 2 position is the first defender.

The player "holding the table" (position 1 player in this case) starts with the
puck. If he/she scores, then he/she has attained 1 point and the "defender"
leaves the table. The player "holding the table" may continue on, pressing their
luck, and go up against the next defender. The next defender is simply the next
lowest seeded player on the list (not taking into account the player "holding
the table"). If the player "holding the table" continues, they again start with
the puck. In fact, the player "holding the table" always begins with the puck,
and therefore has the extra temptation to Press their Luck. If the player
"holding the table" scores on the next defender, then they have attained a total
of 3 points. For each score on a defender in a round, the value of the goal
increase by one. Therefore, the stakes get higher and higher as the player
"holding the table" continues forward, pressing and pressing. For the first
score, they get 1 point, for the second, they get 2 points (and therefore a
running total of 3), for the third, they get 3 points (and a total of 6); and so
on. Below is a quick list of point totals for number of consecutive goals
scored:



Goals       Point total
1           1
2           3
3           6
4           10
5           15
6           21
7           28
8           36
9           45


At any point when the player "holding the table" has possession of the puck,
they may "relinquish the table." This means that they wish to keep their running
total of points for that round and let the next player in the seeding have their
turn at "holding the table." The points they have earned go to their bank. If a
player "holding the table" gets scored on, they lose all points for that round
and get a negative 1 point put toward their bank. For example, John scored on
three opponents in round 1, then "relinquished," taking his score of 6 points
and putting it in his bank. In round two, John goes on a great run, scoring on 5
opponents. He has a running total of 15 for the round, but he has gotten cocky
and presses his luck. The sixth defender scores on him and the crowd hoops and
hollers as John leaves the table. John loses all points for that round and gets
a negative one put in his bank. His bank, after round two, is at a total of 5.
That is a result of his 6 points from the first round, followed by his negative
1 for the second round. Note: A player can relinquish the table without even
trying for a score at all. They just walk up to the table when it is their turn
to "hold," then declare "relinquish." They get a 0 for the round. This becomes
very important after you have played a few games and understand the strategy
more, particularly the seeding.
And that brings us to the final piece of the puzzle for this game, seeding.
After the first round (which is seeded according to ranking or skill level),
each additional round is seeded according to the total points in each player's
bank. The player with the least points is seeded first, followed by the player
with the next lowest points, and so on. If two players have the same amount of
points, then they are put in the same order as they were in the previous round.
The re-seeding of each round generally keeps the lower ranked players at the
top, and therefore the "keepers of the door" in each round. It also adds
enormous levels of strategy, which become apparent after just a few games.

Hope you like it.



CONTRACT AIR HOCKEY

Contract Air Hockey is a group game, scored individually, ideal for 7 players. A
scorepad and a deck of playing cards are required. The object of the game is to
be the first player to win a set. To win a set a player must win between 1 and 4
games (depending on the match length desired). A player wins a game by earning 7
or more points. A player earns points by fulfilling contracts and by terminating
the contracts of his opponents.

The point breakdown is as follows:



                 * Fullfilling a Priority Contract:           +2 Points
                 * Fullfilling a Purchased Contract:          +2 Points
                 * Terminating an Opponent's Contract:        +1 Point
                 * Failing to meet a Priority Contract:       -1 Point
                 * Failing to meet a Purchased Contract:      -2 Points

When a player achieves 7+ points, that game is immediately awarded to the player
and all scores are reset to zero (for the next game if necessary). Games are
made up of rounds, and there is no set number of rounds each game. New rounds
are started until a player gets to 7+ points and ends a game. The following
steps take place each game:
1. All players draw a random card to determine the order of play for the round.
(Note: this step is modified after the first game of a match).

2. The 1st player chooses a card at random to determine the "Contract Type" for
the entire round. This card is removed from the deck until the matche's
completion. The contract types and the card which represents them are listed at
the end of this document.

3. Each player in order then chooses their opponent for the current round, and
the choices are recorded. Every player must be choosen as an opponent in every
round. Once an opponent has been selected, he cannot be picked again by another
player for that round. Also, you cannot make a selection that would force
someone to pick themselves. (EX: In a 7 player game, the 6th player, Mike and
the 7th player, John are next to choose their opponents. Only John and the 3rd
player Scott remain as choices. Therefore, Mike must pick John and John must
pick Scott, if Mike picked Scott, John’s only choice would be himself.)

4. The first contract is then bid on. The opponent for the first match may not
bid. The player whose turn it is, (whoever choose this opponent) is said to have
"priority" for this round of bidding. The players are bidding on how many times
in a row they can sucessfully complete the contract. The player with priority
may match any bid to win the contract while the other players must increase the
current bid by at least 1. If the non- priority player wins the right to attempt
to fulfill a contract, he is said to have "purchased" that contract, and the
scoring is changed as such. A player may purchase one contract per round. A
player wishing to purchase an additional contract in a round may do so by paying
1 point from his score. This point is lost when he is declared high bidder
whether or not he fulfills the contract. A player with zero or negative points
for the current game may not purchase or even bid on more than one contract a
round (not including his priority contract).

5. The current contract is played and points are awarded immediately. If the
opponent prevents the contract from being fulfilled, they are said to have
"terminated" the contract.

6. Steps 4 and 5 are repeated for all the opponents

7. Instead of redrawing for position, each player moves down one in priority
order. (EX: Player 1 goes to 2, 2 goes to 3, the last player goes to 1, etc.).
(Note: this step is modified after the first game of a match).

8. Steps 2-6 are repeated until a player acheives 7+ points to end the game.

Repeat the game steps until one player reaches the desired amount of games. The
only difference is that players who have won a game may never be priority seeded
above someone who has won fewer games. Players draw for random order within
their own group (players who have won the smallest amount of games) and are
reordered within this group in step 7.


Contract Types


Ace - Starting with a free-shot(opponent must hold his mallet in direct middle
of goal for one shot), score before being scored on
Two - Winning a face-off
Three - Starting with puck, score before being scored upon
Four - Starting without the puck and gaining possession before being scored upon
Five - Starting with a face-off, score before being scored upon
Six - Starting with puck, score on 1st possession
Seven - Starting without puck, score before being scored upon
Eight - Starting with a face-off, score on your 1st possession before being
scored upon
Nine - Starting without puck, score on your 1st possession before being scored
upon
Ten - Starting with puck, score with a forehand before being scored upon
Jack - Starting with puck, score with a bank shot before being scored upon
Queen - Starting with puck, use off-hand and score before being scored upon
King - Starting





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this came from our beloved founder of the usaa...  phil arnold...

                                                                       The
Jewish Samurai

There once was a powerful Japanese emperor who needed a new chief Samurai to
train his elite Air-Hockey team.  So he sent out a declaration throughout
the entire known world that he was searching for a chief. A year passed, and
only three people applied for the very demanding position: a Japanese
samurai, a Chinese samurai, and a Jewish samurai.
  The emperor asked the Japanese samurai to come in and demonstrate why he
should be the chief AH samurai. The Japanese samurai opened a matchbox, and
out popped a bumblebee. Whoosh! went his AH mallet. The bumblebee dropped
dead, chopped in half. The emperor exclaimed, "That is very impressive!"

The emperor then issued the same challenge to the Chinese samurai, to come
in and demonstrate why he should be chosen. The Chinese samurai also opened
a matchbox and out buzzed a fly. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! The fly
dropped dead, chopped into four small pieces. The emperor exclaimed, "That
is very impressive!"

  Now the emperor turned to the Jewish samurai, and asked him to demonstrate
why he should be the chief samurai. The Jewish Samurai opened a matchbox,
and out flew a gnat. His flashing AH mallet went Whoosh! But the gnat was
still alive and flying around. The emperor, obviously disappointed, said,
"Very ambitious, but why is that gnat not dead?" The Jewish Samurai just
smiled and said, "Circumcision is not meant to kill."



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