So what would you have me do instead?

1. Complain to Chessgames.com about apparent racism, when I appear to be representing a minority view here? That's why I tolerate the puns.

2. Join in with the jokes about Johnny Foreigner, knowing that some people may find it offensive? That's why I don't use similar puns myself.

I prefer to stick up for my principles whatever happens. Even if that means I get called "an absolute wuss" or worse.

Do you really think that my stance is the most cowardly of all the options open to me? I don't.

But as I said earlier, I have raised this in the past. Few agreed with me then, so I've stopped complaining about it. Just wanted to agree with <kingfu> that I don't like it either, but am prepared to tolerate it.

I guess it's all about seeing the other person's point of view. I have a normal run-of-the-mill English name - "Reeve" - a norman french word meaning a sherriff. But if chessgames continually made fun of my name, I don't expect that I would be too happy about it. And that is why I don't like jokes focussed on apparently strange-sounding foreign names.

In the end, we all need to find where our own personal balance is. For example, I can't get too excited about the "he"/"she" debate and those who get hot under the collar when we talk about words like "mankind" or "humanity".

I am a mathematics professor and had an immigrant student, apparently (by physical appearances) from the subcontinent. His last name was "Thengone". I routinely come across names I cannot accurately pronounce and have to ask for help - so I said is that like "First here - then gone-baby-gone?" (lousy film reference). This was done in front of a class full of 20 year olds. He could have become angry with me, but I am glad he did not. He laughed and said I was correct. We are now friends and I am trying to help him get in to a bioengineering grad program.

These things are way too often a clash of sensitivity levels - which reflect our vastly different backgrounds. Sounds like <Once> is in a setting where homogeneity makes <Johnny Foreigner> feel particularly excluded...

So perhaps we are approaching this from a different cultural point of view.

Like you, I have several friends with non-anglo saxon names. Heck, the Mem had a Polish maiden name. And I have long since learned (as I suspect you have) that it doesn't do the friendship much good if you make fun of their names.

If ever you get to meet the president, will you call him "Mr President" or "sir", or will you make up a <humorous> play on his name? And if you did, do you think he would be impressed?

<Jim Bartle> <kingfu>'s handle doesn't bother me. I didn't choose to side with him - it just so happened that we share the same point of view.

Wow, that's almost as bad as wearing Nazi uniforms.

I picked the name kingfu because of my admiration for Bruce Lee and David Carradine and Asia! And I play for mate in Chess.

Unfortunate that they both died under mysterious circumstances. Best left for X-Files after Bobby's post-mortem paternity test. I believe Fischer is not dead. He is playing checkers with Elvis on The Grassy Knoll.

I wonder if Bruce Lee played chess? There is Chinese Chess where there is no Queen! There are pieces like rooks that are the weapons. I watched and tried to understand when two of my Vietnamese friends were playing a game. Control of the middle of that board is important as well. It is called The River.

I am very happy to see Asia produce many great Chess players.

I just wish that the game of the day at ChessGames would be based on something other than names. That is all.

Here is a good pun:

Life is OVA before it begins!

A fun pun! And especially poignant now that I am 60 years old.

A fun pun on a bun like Nathan's hot dogs in Coney Island. Riverbeast, where are the good hot dogs in Manhattan?

My memories grow longer as my days grow shorter.

Is that a pun as well? Or just observation?

When you were children, do you remember the odd smell of your Grandparent's house? What was that kind of bad smell?