Taken from the Boston Globe, Wednesday December 15:

		Dear Miss Manners:
			When we had Baked potatoes at
		dinner, my brother and I started to
		argue about what is proper - poking
		holes in your potato to let the steam
		out, or cutting it in half.

		Gentle Reader:
			Miss Manners is afraid that nei-
		ther of you has it quite right.  The 
		correct method is to break open the 
		potato with the fingers.  This has the
		desireable effect of burning the fin-
		gers and thus distracting people
		from arguing about their food at the
		table.



			       * * *

		Dear Miss Manners:
			My partner and I occasionally
		dine out with another couple, one of 
		whom has certain rules concerning
		what she will or will not eat.  We re-
		spect her preferences - whether
		based on politics or on taste - but we
		resent her comments about what we 
		eat: "Yuck, how can you eat veal?"
		(Or lamb, or fish with the head still
		on).  The list of taboo food is growing
		longer, while our patience is growing
		shorter.

		Gentle Reader:
			Miss Manners offers you the new
		First Rule of the table:  Never break 
		bread with people who use the word
		"yuck" at the table.


			       * * *