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Fireside Chat
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FIRESIDE CHAT FEBRUARY 2005
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome and Announcements
Believer's FireSide Kindling
Bidding with Bridgboy
Hand of the Month
Bridge For the Club Player
Moogal's FireSide Log
Treble's Table Talk
And Finally Kaltica
=======================================
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Welcome to the February, 2005 issue of FireSide
Chat, our monthly newsletter written for and about
our FireSide friends and events.
We hope you enjoy all of this month's articles and
features. Please feel free to write to us with any
comments, questions, ideas, or whatever, that you may
wish to share. This newsletter is for and about you,
and we want you to feel welcome to participate. Just
email Believer at sarastobbe@aol.com or Moogal
at moocake@bellsouth.net.
A special thanks to all of you who have been sending
us contributions for our "giggle breaks". We appreciate
everything you send, and use as many as we can. Keep
'em coming, please! :-)
You can find current and past issues of this "FireSide
Chat" newsletter posted at our FireSide web site:
http://www.firesides.net/thechat.htm
If, for any reason, you do not wish to receive
these mailings, please write to Believer at
sarastobbe@aol.com to be removed from our mailing
list.
===========================================
CURRENT FIRESIDE SCHEDULE
Day Pacific Time Commentator
MON 11:00 A.M. POOKA
MON 5:00 P.M.* BRIDGBOY
TUE 11:00 A.M. BRIDGBOY
TUE 5:30 P.M. KALTICA
WED 11:00 A.M. FREDW3
WED 5:30 P.M. DIANEW
THU 11:00 A.M. POOKA
THU 5:30 P.M. WISHTRIK/FIFEE
FRI 11:00 A.M. BLUEBEE
FRI 5:30 P.M. WINTAKA
Commentators may change without notice,
according to their availability.
(*starts 1/2 hour earlier on Monday night)
*******************
Although there is no set fee for participating in
these "open to all" sessions, please note that FireSide
Bidding Practice Sessions operate with the support of
those who attend. For information about how to
become a supporting member, please contact Kaltica at
kaltica@mts.net, Moogal at moocake@bellsouth.net,
or Believer at sarastobbe@aol.com.
Thanks to all of you for supporting the FireSide sessions
in all the many different ways you have of doing so.
We want to thank our commentators for their dedication
and caring. Please, think of them when you are thinking
of taking private lessons, paying a professional to play
tourneys with you, getting involved in a group session
mentoring program... most, if not all, of our commentators
and contributors to this newsletter are available for those
services. Just think how much easier it is to learn
from someone who's already a friend!
*******************
All articles herein (c) 2005 by FireSide Chat.
All rights reserved.
===============================================
BELIEVER'S FIRESIDE KINDLING
============================
Hi all :) Wow, February already. Always nice when January
goes by fast -- at least in Michigan! Cold month here, lots
of snow and always gotta keep a sweater nearby cause it's
hard to stay warm even indoors. February's not much better,
but at least it's a short month :)
Congratulations to Ulrika, our book winner this month! She will
be receiving "Better Bridge for the Advancing Player", by Frank
Stewart. Thanks so much for supporting our Fireside sessions,
Irmgard :)
I only have a couple of books left to give away, so get your
checks in to me or Colin if you'd like to be included in these
drawings! Or go to www.firesides.net/support.htm if you'd like
to use PayPal or your charge card.
There will be a change in our FireSide schedule for a few months,
so be sure to read Moogal's column so you know who's going to be
doing which sessions, and when! Plus a great testimonial to one
of our commentators -- and well deserved! It's so nice to see
folks take the time to let someone know that their efforts are
appreciated :)
********************
You can write to Believer (Sara Stobbe) at:
sarastobbe@aol.com
===============================================
GIGGLE BREAK
Thanks to Luc for this giggle:
WHY IT IS SO HARD TO LEARN ENGLISH
1. A bandage is wound around the wound.
2. A farm is used to produce produce.
3. The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4. He could lead if he would get the lead out.
5. The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
6. Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was
time to present the present.
7. A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
8. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
9. I did not object to the object.
10. There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
11. They were too close to the door to close it.
12. The buck does funny things when the does are present.
13. A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
14. The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
15. After a number of injections my jaw got number.
16. Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
17. I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
18. How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend who
wears intimates?
===============================================================
BIDDING WITH BRIDGBOY
=====================
Last month we began a discussion on pairs (MP) vs. team (IMP)
events. As we mentioned, the overall object in pairs events is
to outscore the other people playing at the other tables. We
don't care if we defeat them by 10 points or 1000 points. We
receive one matchpoint for every pair we beat. In team play
our stated desire is to score as many points as possible on
every hand (while safely making our contract or defeating
theirs). So, at pairs we only want to beat the others in our
direction but it does not matter how big a score we earn. In
team play the aggregate score can be and usually is crucial.
Now we come to the concept of PAR. On any bridge hand there
will be a par result or average best result for both
directions. For example:
S AQ1083
H 75
D A4
C QJ62
Across from this dummy:
S KJ6
H 104
D QJ6
C AK954
In a contract of 4S, with normal best defense I would expect
to lose 2 hearts, making 5. Now, if they fail to lead the
hearts I might make more if the diamond finesse works. If I
get a diamond lead I would have beaten or done better than the
par result because I made 6! When I play matchpoints I always
want to beat the par score because then I know I will get a
better than average score. You never have to play like a
genius to win matchpoint events -- all you need to do is avoid
disaster and stay near par. Let the opponents make their
mistakes and eliminate yours. That is the secret to success!
In a team game one hand could be the difference between
victory and defeat -- that will not usually be the case at a
matchpoint event. While a cold zero does not help your side,
you can still recover because each hand is worth the same
amount. But at teams, if they double my partner (never me:) )
and he goes for minus 1400, we might have just lost the event
on this one hand because of the size of the penalty.
Scoring type definitely does enter into our thinking when we
consider alternate contracts. Consider:
S AQ10
H 64
D AQ84
C AJ103
Across from:
S KJ73
H 8
D K107632
C 75
We have 10 diamonds between the two hands and find that 5D is
ice cold. But the matchpoint contract I would most like to
play is 4S, in my 7 card fit! If spades split reasonably I
would expect to take 11 tricks and score plus 450 vs. the plus
400 I will earn in 5D. Playing teams, I'll opt for 5 of a
minor but at matchpoints I need to play 4S even if I am going
down because of a wild distributional split. Percentages tell
me I will earn more matchpoints over time with this thinking.
Next month we will look at safety as it applies to our
thinking process.
********************
You can find Bridgboy (Bob Lavin) doing his FireSide
sessions on Monday evenings at 5:00 p.m., and Tuesdays
at 11:00 a.m. OKbridge time.
Anyone interested in one-on-one lessons on any topic of
the game may contact Bob at bridgboy@charter.net
============================================================
GIGGLE BREAK
Thanks to Benson for this piece of history:
Next time you are washing your hands and complain because the
water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how
things used to be.... Here are some facts about the 1500s:
Most people got married in June because they took their yearly
bath in May and still smelled pretty good by June. However,
they were starting to smell so brides carried a bouquet of
flowers to hide the body odor.
Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of
the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all
the other sons and men, then the women and finally the
children-last of all the babies. By then the water was so
dirty you could actually lose someone in it-hence the saying,
"Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."
Houses had thatched roofs - thick straw - piled high, with no
wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get
warm, so all the dogs, cats and other small animals (mice,
bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and
sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof - hence
the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."
There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house.
This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other
droppings could really mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a
bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some
protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.
The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than
dirt, hence the saying "dirt poor." The wealthy had slate
floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they
spread thresh (straw) on the floor to help keep their footing.
As the winter wore on, they kept adding more thresh until when
you opened the door it would all start slipping outside. A
piece of wood was placed in the entranceway - hence, a "thresh
hold."
In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big
kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the
fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables
and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner,
leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then
start over the next day. Sometimes the stew had food in it
that had been there for quite a while - hence the rhyme, "peas
porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot
nine days old." Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made
them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would
hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that
a man could "bring home the bacon." They would cut off a
little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew
the fat."
Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with a high
acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food,
causing lead poisoning and death. This happened most often
with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were
considered poisonous. Most people did not have pewter plates,
but had trenchers, a piece of wood with the middle scooped out
like a bowl. Often trenchers were made from stale bread which
was so old and hard that they could be used for quite some
time. Trenchers were never washed and a lot of times worms and
mold got into the wood and old bread. After eating off wormy,
moldy trenchers, one would get "trench mouth."
Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt
bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got
the top, or "upper crust."
Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The combination
would sometimes knock them out for a couple of days. Someone
walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare
them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a
couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and
drink and wait and see if they would wake up -hence the custom
of holding a "wake."
England is old and small and the local folks started running
out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and
would take the bones to a "bone-house" and reuse the grave.
When re-opening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found
to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had
been burying people alive. So they thought they would tie a
string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin
and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would
have to sit out in the graveyard all night the "graveyard
shift" to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be saved by
the bell" or was considered a "dead ringer".
And that's the truth... (and whoever said that History was
boring?!)
===========================================================
HAND OF THE MONTH
=================
This month we are thrilled to present our 'Hand of the Month'
feature, with a big "thank you" to Gail Wix for formatting it
for us.
From The 2005 Daily Bridge Calendar. For more information
call 1-888-453-1976, or email: calendar@interlog.com.
********************
Vul: N/S North
Dlr: S S 743
H 6532
D K2
C AJ43
South
S AKQ
H AJ9
D AQ653
C KQ
West North East South
2C*
P 2D** P 3NT
P 6NT All pass
Opening Lead SJ
This is the worst start to an auction, the responder
having no room to maneuver. Here, though, North took
a quantitative shot at slam.
Luckily, West doesn't find a heart lead. But can you
cash in on your good fortune?
****************************************
S 743
H 6532
D K2
C AJ43
S JT982 S 65
H JT74 H Q8
D 74 D JT98
C 96 C T8752
S AKQ
H AJ9
D AQ653
C KQ
Contract: 6NT Lead: SJ
********************
It looks so easy: win trick one, unblock the CKQ, cross to
dummy with a diamond, discard the HJ9 on the CAJ, and
revert to diamonds. If they split 3-3, you collect an
overtrick; if they are 4-2, you concede a trick and claim.
However, with this layout, East takes his DJ and cashes
the CT to defeat you.
Unlucky, it is true, but you have a line of play that
guarantees the contract against any break except 5-1 or
6-0 diamonds -- and the above line fails then too. After
the SA and the CKQ, duck a diamond, playing a low one from
each hand.
Suppose East returns a spade. Win, cross to dummy's DK, take
those heart discards on the clubs, and claim.
Keep this lose-the-first-round-to-maintain-control trick up
your sleeve.
[Formatter's note: I failed to remember this trick, waited
too long, didn't maintain control and went down in a cold 3NT
contract! My expert opponent pointed that out to me after the
hand was over. If you must lose a trick, do it early while
you still have control of all the suits.]
********************
Hand and analysis by Phillip Alder, courtesy of the Daily
Bridge Calendar, published by Ashlar House Inc., Brampton, ON,
Canada. Reprinted with permission. (Special thanks to Lee
Daugherty and Dann Kramer.)
===========================================================
GIGGLE BREAK
Thanks to BobW for this one:
Definitions and Quotes
What's the difference between the Pope and your boss? The
Pope only expects you to kiss his ring.
My mind works like lightning: one brilliant flash and it's
gone.
It used to be only death and taxes were inevitable. Now, of
course, there's shipping and handling, too.
A husband is someone who takes out the trash and gives the
impression that he just cleaned the whole house.
My next house will have no kitchen - just vending machines.
The only thing wrong with a perfect drive to work is that you
end up at work.
Americans are getting stronger. Twenty years ago, it took two
people to carry a hundred dollars' worth of groceries. Today,
a five-year-old can do it.
Children ... You spend the first 2 years of their life
teaching them to walk and talk. Then you spend the next 16
telling them to sit down and shut-up.
Grandchildren are God's reward for not killing your children.
Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like
nailing Jell-O to a tree.
There is only one pretty child in the world and every mother
has it.
Chinese Proverb: Mothers of teens know why animals eat their
young.
I asked Mom if I was a gifted child ... she said they
certainly wouldn't have paid for me.
Children are natural mimics, who act like their parents
despite every effort to teach them good manners.
Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat
word for word what you shouldn't have said.
The main purpose of holding children's parties is to remind
yourself that there are children more awful than your own.
============================================================
BRIDGE FOR THE CLUB PLAYER
==========================
Three Questions to ask yourself during the bidding
(Part One...)
As the bidding begins and proceeds, you make decisions. While
there are a finite number of bids and sequences for a
virtually infinite number of hands, it often boils down to
this: know the proper bid, and make it. For many club
players, the challenge is to know what the "proper" bid is.
For an equal number of players, the challenge is to avoid the
temptation of making a bid they KNOW they probably shouldn't.
Sometimes it's a combination. There are three questions I
have trained myself to ask during the bidding. They each help
me to make good bidding decisions. I am sharing them with
you.
Question 1) Will partner understand my bid?
Stop and ask yourself: will this be the hand partner expects?
If not, keep thinking. It is tempting to try and be _______
during the bidding. ((Fill in the blank:
creative/brilliant/ingenious/fancy /clever/scientific))
Remember, straightforward is almost always better. Maxim: YOUR
bid should describe YOUR hand to YOUR partner, who is on YOUR
side.
For example, recently I was playing against a decent club pair
-- both are involved in mini-McKenney races -- and we had this
auction. 1S by RHO, 2C by me, 2D by LHO, 4C (weak) by partner,
double by RHO. LHO had 3 spades, six diamonds, and about 9
high-card points. Her comment later was "My 2D bid was
supporting your spades, but I had to pass your double, as I
did not know we could make game." (We were down one, game by
them was cold.) The problem, of course, was that RHO had NO
idea about the spade fit. LHO had a straightforward cue-bid
of 3C to show the limit raise with spade support (a jump to 3S
in some systems), but went for the "club player two-step"
instead.
Two thoughts here from me...
1) Raising your partner's major ALWAYS has priority; when a
fit is found, let them know. Don't cloud the issue. As
Bob, my favorite partner, is fond of saying: "support with
support".
2) Remember that partner's subsequent bidding will be based
on the hand they EXPECT you to have from your bidding.
If you were LHO's partner, what would you expect them to have
after the 2D bid? I would expect 10+ points with a diamond
suit, less than three spades (no raise), and less than four
hearts (no negative double). For the curious among you, RHO
had 14 HCP with 5s, 4h, 1d, and 3c. Based on the bidding, I
agree with his double. He expected a misfit hand where his
side had the majority of the points.
So, avoid making bids that look right at the time, but where
partner will have little or no idea what your hand is. If you
find yourself saying ANY of these all-too-common phrases, it
may be time to "simplify" your bid.
"I'll show this suit first, THEN raise my partner."
...and of course the opponents are quiet, and your partner
will understand the difference between a delayed raise and a
simple preference on a misfit. Right? Right?
"Maybe 3NT on this hand is better than the major suit fit, so
I'll hunt for that first."
... partner reads minds, of course.
"We haven't discussed this, but surely it will be obvious."
... "SURELY", this is the kiss of death.
"I know my shape is wrong, but I want to reverse to show my
points."
... or: "How to reverse your way into the wrong suit",
Chapter One.
"I know the points are wrong, but I want to reverse to show my
shape."
... or: "How to get too high", Chapter Two.
"Maybe this will confuse the opponents."
... including your partner?
"I was trying to find out what YOU had."
... this is a HUGELY common error -- your bid should describe
YOUR hand. Mike Lawrence once wrote that "bidding should be
a dialog, not an inquisition." Great advice.
"I just bid it for the lead."
... "and I was SO shocked when you raised me and they
doubled! Hey, wait! Didn't that happen last time?"
"I was hoping you would bid such-and-so, so then I could bid
______" (Fill in the blank -- 3NT, Blackwood, etc., etc.)
... try to endplay the opponents during the hand, not your
partner during the bidding -- grin.
"I hoped _______"
... if you were "hoping" rather than "EXPECTING", this is not
a good sign.
"But you were third hand..."
"But I was third hand..."
... I think I see more poor results from third-hand-
distortion bidding than from any other situation. Truly,
most club players would be better off if they NEVER opened
third-hand-light. They see the "good" players do it, so they
think it is a good idea, and they don't realize the
discipline the "good" players use when they do it.
This is too broad a subject to cover here, but let me
just say this: if you must open light in third seat,
then I suggest you learn Drury. Otherwise bid normally.
Let OPENER be the one who makes adjustments for "third-
hand-light".
This section of the article has gotten rather long, so I will
continue with the other two questions in the next issue. But,
just for the curious, the other two questions are:
Question 2) Is this normal?
Question 3) If not now, when?
These are the three questions that have helped me tremendously
during my bidding. See you next issue, when I discuss the
other two.
Happy Bidding!
Jack Brawner
TrojanOwl@AOL.com
********************
Jack welcomes students of all levels for lessons.
Contact him for information at trojanowl@aol.com
============================================================
GIGGLE BREAK
Thanks again to BobW for this giggle:
Political quotes
Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey
and car keys to teenage boys. --P.J. O'Rourke
Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep
voting on what to have for dinner. --James Bovard (1994)
A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on
the support of Paul. --George Bernard Shaw
A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man,
which debt he proposes to pay off with your money. --
Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer from poor people in
rich countries to rich people in poor countries. --Douglas
Casey (1992)
Government is the great fiction, through which everybody
endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else. --Frederic
Bastiat
Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few
short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving,
regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it. -- Ronald
Reagan (1986)
I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report
the acts. --Will Rogers
If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see
what it costs when it's free. --P.J. O'Rourke
In general, the art of government consists in taking as much
money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to
the other. --Voltaire (1764)
Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't
mean politics won't take an interest in you. --Pericles (430
B.C.)
No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the
legislature is in session. --Mark Twain (1866)
Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of
Congress. But I repeat myself. --Mark Twain
Talk is cheap-except when Congress does it. The government is
like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one
end and no responsibility at the other. --Ronald Reagan
The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the
blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal
sharing of misery. --Winston Churchill
The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is
that the taxidermist leaves the skin. --Mark Twain
The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly
is to fill the world with fools. --Herbert Spencer (1891)
There is no distinctly Native American criminal class save
congress. --Mark Twain
There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you
damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human
duty, the duty to take the consequences. --P.J. O'Rourke
(1993)
We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into
prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to
lift himself up by the handle. --Winston Churchill
What this country needs are more unemployed politicians. --
Edward Langley
When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the
first things to be bought and sold are legislators. --P.J.
O'Rourke
If you want government to intervene domestically, you're a
liberal. If you want government to intervene overseas, you're
a conservative. If you want government to intervene
everywhere, you're a moderate. If you don't want government
to intervene anywhere, you're an extremist. --Joseph Sobran
(1995)
===========================================================
MOOGAL'S FIRESIDE LOG
=====================
OKB Tourneys
Well done to all our Fireside friends who excelled in
the tourneys this past month!!
Sat Jan 1 12:30 PM
Rank Team Score
1 robertlh/todd 63.42
Tue Jan 4 04:00 PM
Rank Team Score
1 alan524/bridgboy 3.32
Fri Jan 7 12:30 PM
Rank Team Score
1 Kaltica/ulrika 62.31
Sat Jan 8 05:00 PM
Rank Team Score
1 jack55/tommy 2.67
Wed Jan 26 12:30 PM
Rank Team Score
1 Kaltica/moogal 3.67
Sun Jan 30 07:00 PM
Rank Team Score
1 peter-1/sam143 3.25
Our Flights B and C tourney stars:
MARLYSE, NEOPHYTE, MACAVITY, ARROW, JUDYDEE, ASK1, FRANK-1,
DESIREE, RIGGIN, WILSE, ELVEE, TODD, JULIE, POTTS, LSSCOTT,
MARYS, ELVEE, LEE-1, DLOYE, BELIEVER
We encourage you to change your flight to B or C so that you
are competing on an appropriate level -- you can do this on
the OKB website home page. Look for "Change my flight" in the
box where your icon appears. This is OKB's way of letting
everyone have a chance to get some pond points. And, as more
and more of you change your flights, the flighted results will
be more realistic. And, remember, if you do place in the
overalls, you are still eligible for the higher awards!
I know I must have missed a few of your names here. I can't
check every result -- believe it or not I do have a day job
:)) Please email me and let me know about your good results.
We want everyone's name up here in lights!
**********************************************************
FIRESIDE'S TEAM GAME
Our January winners are:
01-09-2005 TEAM DLOYE: Dloye, Hawes, Rasputin & Oink
01-23-2005 TEAM GAUS271: Gaus271, Mbar, Judydee & Woohoo
NOTE: The next game will be February 13th (not the 6th) as
"someone" refuses to be available during the Super Bowl.:)
Visit our website at www.firesides.net/mtc.htm for info and
lists of all our top placing stars. To get on the email
reminder list for these games, contact us at firesider@aol.com
- all welcome!
**********************************************************
NOVICE MENTOR TOURNEY
Well done to all our top finishers:
Thu Jan 13 06:00 PM
Rank Team Score
1 BadBoy/Taxlady 69.70
2 frank-1/macavity 56.95
3 andyedw/eudora 56.94
4 believer/de 51.39
Be sure to show up on the second Thursday each month (Feb 11th
this month) for your chance to play in this fun, easy-going
session of an OKB mini. You may be encouraged to try the daily
ones!
**********************************************************
FIRESIDE NEWS
Starting this month, we have a switch on Tuesday and Friday
evenings-- Bill (WINTAKA) will move from Tuesday to Friday,
and Colin (KALTICA) will slip into the Tuesday evening slot.
Be sure to visit our Winnipeg contingent on their new nights!
**********************************************************
From the January "SPECTATOR", Tuna writes :
Each January there is a little twist to the Angelfish award.
It is an opportunity to honor the cherished ones we have lost
during the previous year who are now truly Angels looking down
upon us. If you would like to include someone for next year's
list, please inform me. I will even organize a memorial
tourney for them upon request.
Gone but not forgotten fellow OKb'ers of 2004 are: alvo,
andrews, anja, arild, as1, bigdug3, borg3, ceil, fellows,
hahaha, jmus, ltt2000, lush, njpapas,rafa, route66, spieg,
suka, thecount & vcdoc.
Rest in peace knowing that your many friends miss you.
====
I had the pleasure of playing against many of the above in the
daily tourneys. I hope their loved ones realize how much they
are missed.
And I'd like to take this opportunity to remember our own
Angel, Nina (PSYCHE). We will always miss you, Nina.
**********************************************************
OKScript
If you have bookmarked Mike Mardesich's (MIKEZZZ) site for
OKScript, it has moved to:
www.mjmx.com
You can also access it from our own web site at
www.firesides.ne/okscript.htm
OKScript is an add-on program that works within OKB to
automate many of the keystrokes you make playing on-line
bridge, such as detailed alerts and greetings. If you haven't
tried it yet, and would like to, let Colin know and we can set
up an online seminar to get you going. You'll wonder how you
lived without it!
**********************************************************
The February ACBL Bridge Bulletin has a letter to the editor
praising our own Lynn Deas (WISHTRIK).
A woman writes that she goes to the same Schenectady club
where Lynn plays, and that playing against her is always
exciting and not as intimidating as one would expect. [No
surprise to us at Fireside!]
She goes on to relate the story of venturing out to a
regional, and winning her first gold. Lynn came over to her
and congratulated her -- a moment she and her sister will
never forget! She called it a positive act by a championship
player -- that it is, and I am also sure it was a natural
gesture for a player with Lynn's heart.
P.S. This made it into my column in time this month, because
a Firesider saw this and pointed it out to me, figuring I
would want to use it. Please, if you see something that
should be in here, let me know! Thanks again to our alert
Firesider.
**********************************************************
Mission: Implausible by Richard Pavlicek
Good morning, Mr. Phelps. Your mission, should you choose to
accept it, is to stop Barry Crane from winning the Open Pairs.
Join the fun by choosing your play on these six problems.
Warning! This contest will self-destruct on February 28, 2005
at midnight GMT.
http://www.rpbridge.net/8x17.htm
Results of the January bidding poll "Tales of the Wild West"
will be posted February 4, 2005 at 21:00 GMT. For these, and
everything else related to the monthly events, go to:
http://www.rpbridge.net/rppc.htm
And how about another fun hand from Richard's site:
Intergalactic Bridge
The following deal was played in Sector 9 of the Intergalactic
Team Trials, aboard the starship Remulus. I was able to
download the bidding and play records over the Extranet last
week, which indicates the deal occurred 1.3 million years ago
(if my light-speed arithmetic is correct). I'll be sure to
upload a copy of this article so in another 1.3 million years
they can appreciate their press coverage on earth; and in 2.6
million years I might even get a thank-you note. Talk about
distant pen pals!
The bidding was standard. West's 2S opening bid showed any
suit but spades, and North's double was Octavian (a simple
variation of Septurian). South bid his highest ranking suit,
and North's jump to 6H was Koplatnik, asking South to choose
between 6S and 7S, with 6 NT also a possibility. South used
excellent judgment to choose the small slam in spades.
6S by South
None Vul S A K 9 8
H A J
D A K 5 4
C A K 5
S 2 S J 10 4 3
H Q 10 8 7 6 5 H 9
D Q 2 D 10 9 8 7 6
C Q 10 9 8 C 4 3 2
S Q 7 6 5
H K 4 3 2
D J 3
Lead: S 2 C J 7 6
West North East South
2S Dbl Pass 3S
Pass 6H Pass 6S
All Pass
West led his singleton trump. This would not be the choice of
most terrestrial experts, but we must respect their advanced
civilization. A footnote in the play records explained that
leading a singleton trump is 2.7 percent better than leading
from a queen. So be it.
Put yourself in the South seat and see if you can make this
slam looking at all four hands. It is unlikely you will,
however, since our knowledge is so limited in comparison to
the universal norm. But, give it a try.
Solution
Declarer began with a routine holdup play -- North played the
S 8, and East was allowed to win the trick with his 10. This
may seem unusual to us, but it was ordinary technique by their
standards. Indeed, it was the only way to make the contract.
If you win the first spade trick, you cannot succeed.
At trick two East shifted to his singleton heart; low, low,
ace. Many of us would have won the trick cheaply with jack,
but we have to learn that the finesse is only a primitive tool
in card play. *Real* card players scoff at the maneuver. Ask
any Galactic Master how to play A-Q opposite x-x and the
answer would be, "What's the problem? Low to the ace."
Declarer next won a second trump with the queen, then cashed
both top diamonds and ruffed a diamond. Dummy was entered with
a club, and the last diamond was ruffed in hand. A club to
dummy left the following ending with North to lead:
S A K
H J
D --
C 5
S -- S J 4
H Q 10 8 H --
D -- D 10
C Q C 4
S --
H K 4 3
D --
C J
As the remaining trumps were drawn, South pitched a heart and
a club. West was squeezed! He could not protect both hearts
and clubs. Note that the C 5 would be good if West threw the
C Q.
Key Pointers
You, too, can be a Galactic Master! Boost your game into the
next millennium with these key pointers:
Always use the holdup play.
Never take a finesse.
If you should ever fail in a contract when a finesse would
have worked, just be prepared with the line, "Unlucky,
partner! The king was onside."
Copyright (c) 2000 Richard Pavlicek. All rights reserved.
**********************************************************
Hope our northern friends are getting dug out from the recent
storms...at least if you were stuck in I hope your internet
connection held!
See you next month....and please remember to send me your
news, there is no column without it!
Hugs...Janice
********************************************************
While we list the lessons offered by the commentators who
write for The Chat, we want to note that some of our other
commentators and newsletter contributors also give lessons
in most shapes and sizes....mentoring games, tourney play,
partnership coaching, just about whatever type of lesson
you could envision.
Please feel free to contact any of them for lessons:
Colin/Kaltica kaltica@mts.net
Bill/Wintaka btreble@shaw.ca
Lynn/Wishtrik lynn@lynndeas.com
Dann/Pooka pspeard@telusplanet.net
Bob/Bridgboy bridgboy@charter.net
Diane/DianeW diane@walkersweb.org
Bernard/Bluebee Bernardh@btinternet.com
Fred/FredW3 Please msg on OKB
Patricia/Fifee andersonscorner@atlanticbb.net
Nightowl/Jack trojanowl@aol.com
The lessons can be more affordable than you might
think, especially mentoring games. We think our
commentators give you your money's worth when you
choose private lessons, and they really value your
business. Maybe you can hint to a loved one what
you would like for your next birthday!
***********************************************************
Rainbow and Spectrum Series Online!
The popular Rainbow (SAYC and play) and Spectrum (2/1-GF)
series have been automated for your convenience. You can take
any of the lessons at your leisure simply by clicking on either
of these links:
http://www.firesides.net/rainbows.htm
http://www.firesides.net/spectrums.htm
Enjoy!
***********************************************************
Have a comment you'd like to make about the FireSide program? An
event or announcement you'd like to share with the rest of us? A
question you'd like answered? Here's a great place for us to
visit every day and keep up with each other:
http://www.firesides.net/chatline.htm
********************
Can't remember if this is a Mentor Cup week or when the next
Fireside session is? Get the complete schedule of events at:
www.firesides.net/whatsup.htm
Bookmark this page, and check back often. You don't want to
miss anything!
For those of you who use a credit card to support Fireside,
it's easy now with PAYPAL! Go to:
www.firesides.net/support.htm
*********************
FIRESIDE UTILITY SITES
http://www.firesides.net/checker.htm
http://www.firesides.net/dealhand.htm
********************
And if you haven't had a chance to check them out yet,
here are some links to some of the quizzes that Colin has
developed to enlighten us:
www.firesides.net/staymantest.htm
www.firesides.net/sayctest.htm
www.firesides.net/sarctest.htm
www.firesides.net/spectrumtest.htm
www.firesides.net/bidstest.htm
www.firesides/net/IGITSAP.htm
(Note that IGITSAP must be in CAPS.)
Give them a try! They are fun and instructive.
*****************************************************
February Events: (All times Pacific)
===============================
NOVICE/MENTOR TOURNEY:
Thursday, February 10, at 6:00 PM, OKb time. A low-key
introduction to the tourney experience, sponsored
by Fifth Chair...see www.fifthchair.org for more info
on this and their other services, including getting a
mentor.
FIRESIDE MENTOR CUP TEAM GAME:
Sundays, 5:00 P.M. February 13 and 27.
See www.firesides.net/mtc.htm for info and lists
of past winners. To get on the mailing list for
this game, email me at firesider@aol.com.
OKSCRIPT SEMINAR:
OKScript seminars are held as demand warrants.
Email Kaltica to schedule a session, usually available
on the same Sunday as the Mentor Cup Game, at 2:30 p.m.
OKScript is an add-on program that saves you many
keystrokes while playing on OKB by sending
prepared text to the table, opps, or lobby at the
push of a button. Try to download the program BEFORE
the seminar by going to www.firesides.net/okscript.htm.
For more information, email Colin at kaltica@mts.net.
FIFTH CHAIR INSTRUCTIONAL EVENTS:
=================================
Interested in getting a mentor to play with you periodically
in your learning of this wonderful game? Please contact
tarsh1@mindspring.com and ask for a mentor.
SAYC Novice Team Game:
Saturdays, at 8:00 a.m. PACIFIC. Newcomers very
welcome! In addition to the team game, there will be
an open table for those waiting to join the team game.
This table will also have a commentator.
2/1 Team Game for intermediate players:
Saturdays, 1:30 p.m. Pacific. Novices are welcome in
spectator mode.
Look for the words FIFTH CHAIR beside the server's name,
in the table notes, to attend either of these sessions
You can also go to the Fifth Chair Foundation webpage:
www.fifthchair.org if you have any bidding questions. After
clicking on the webpage, find the Ask Anything section. Write
an email to Lucy, and she will be most happy to answer your
questions.
OKbridge offers us an email discussion opportunity,
the Discuss List. You can join that list by emailing them
at Discuss-Request@okbridge.com and put the word 'subscribe'
in the subject line. You can also participate in the
discussions via the OKbridge web site now, just go to the
members area at www.okbridge.com and you'll find the Discuss
List there at the bottom of your opening page.
********************
Moogal (Janice Kofman) stays busy collecting all sorts
of news about our FireSide family members to share with us.
Please help her out by emailing her any news or stories you
are willing to share with the group.
Janice's email address is moocake@bellsouth.net
=====================================================
GIGGLE BREAK
Thanks to De for these:
Gems of Wisdom
1. It's always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to
steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.
2. Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't
be promoted.
3. No one is listening until you fart.
4. Always remember you're unique. Just like everyone else.
5. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.
6. If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a
couple of car payments.
7. If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.
8. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how
to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.
9. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it
was probably worth it.
10. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember
anything.
11. Good judgment comes from bad experience, and a lot of that
comes from bad judgment.
12. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in
half and put it back in your pocket.
13. A closed mouth gathers no foot.
14. Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side and a
dark side, and it holds the universe together.
15. There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one
works.
16. Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your
lips are moving.
17. Experience is something you don't get until just after you
need it.
18. Never miss a good chance to shut up.
19. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a
laxative on the same night.
20. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.
THE DAY MOST WASTED IS ONE IN WHICH WE HAVE NOT LAUGHED
============================================================
TREBLE'S TABLE TALK
===================
The Wide World of Doubles
If you notice the current format of the ACBL convention card,
there is a fairly extensive area that deals with "special
doubles". Unlike the days of yore, where there were penalty
doubles, takeout doubles and negative doubles, there are a number
of other types of doubles that are currently in use. Some have
more value than others, so in the course of this presentation,
I'll explain the principle behind each of them and then offer
an opinion on their value by assigning a grade.
The first of the special doubles is the maximal double, also
referred to as the "game-try double". It happens in competitive
auctions and is used by the opening bidder or overcaller. Two
conditions have to be met for it to apply. The first is that both
sides have bid and raised a suit, and the second is that there is
no room to make a game try below three of the agreed suit.
a) 1S (2H) 2S b (3H)
dbl
b) (1H) 1S (2H) 2S
(3H) dbl
c) 1S (2C) 2S (3C)
dbl
In auctions a) and b) we have a maximal double situation since
there is no room for the bidder to distinguish between an actual
game try and a hand where he merely wants to compete. Auction c),
on the other hand, is a penalty double since opener has room to
bid 3D or 3H as game tries, whereas 3S would just be an attempt
to buy the contract. Let's deal with auction a) and give opener
these two hands for his 1S opening:
S- AQJxx H- xx D- AQ10x C- Jx
S- AKJxx H- xx D- AJ10x C- Kx
On the first hand, opener has barely enough shape to want to
compete to 3S, which could be a good score in matchpoints
if it comes home or if they can make 3H their way. However, that
leaves him in a quandary with the second hand, where he doesn't
want to bid game and catch partner with a 6-7 point hand for the
2S raise, but certainly has game interest. So here we can use
double as a game try, and 3S as an attempt to buy the contract
with no ambitions beyond the partscore level. You do lose a
penalty double, of 3H, but it's a relatively small pricetag. For
one thing, the penalty double hand would be quite rare when both
sides have an eight-card or longer fit, and besides, even if you
did have one, it most likely would cost a trick or more to
advertise the bad split when you are sitting in front of the long
suit.
Overall grade: B+. In terms of value, it gets an A, but I have to
dock it marks for a misleading name. They should be called "game
try" doubles as "maximal" is rather nebulous and not easily
grasped.
Support doubles (and redoubles) have been in use for about 10-15
years, and are growing noticeably in popularity. They are used by
opener when partner has responded in a major suit and RHO has
overcalled. The intent of the support double is to show hands
with three-card support, freeing up the direct raise to promise
four of partner's suit.
Let's say the auction proceeds:
North East South West
1D pass 1H 1S
?
and you have:
S- xx H- AJxx D- AQxx C- Kx
S- xx H- AQx D- AKxxx C-Jxx
Hand 1) is a comfortable 2H raise for opener, but hand 2) is a
hand where it feels right to take some action as it's a pretty
fair hand for play in hearts. If we pass and LHO raises, now the
partnership might get frozen out of the auction or be forced to
shoot craps at the three-level. In support doubles, a double of a
low-level overcall by opener would show three-card support and a
decent hand for offense, freeing up the raise to promise
four-card support. The loss here is a penalty double, but for
that action opener would need considerable extra values with a
very good holding in the enemy suit. This isn't unheard of, but
again has a lesser frequency than hands where you want to
"support" partner without him assuming you have a four-card
raise. So far, so good, but the proponents of the support double
also advocate it's use with this hand:
S- K10x H- Jxx D- AQxx C- QJx
This hand is a pile of junk that's barely an opener and is
defensive in nature. Pass is clear whether you are using support
doubles or not, as we shouldn't be going anywhere unless
responder can take further action. Yet some advocates of support
doubles argue that we should also use our new toy with this
glittering collection.
Overall grade: B if we agree to use support doubles only with
three-card raises that are offensive in nature. C- if a
partnership is allowed to make support doubles on hand 3) as
well, since in the words of my esteemed colleague Sekhar, that is
"not bridge".
Card-showing doubles are a tool used by responder when there has
been an overcall on the left and the auction has been passed
around to us in balancing seat. Last year, a hand came up that
illustrates the value of this convention:
West South East North
1C pass 1S 2H
pass pass ?
East held:
S- AJxxx H- Qx D- K10xx C- 10x
Responder has the values to compete, but we'd like a sixth spade
for 2S and don't have club support. 3D is out because that would
be game-forcing, bidding a new suit at the three-level. The
principle of the card-showing double is that it's made by
responder in passout seat, shows generally around 9-11 points,
better than minimum but not quite game forcing. It is typically
a balanced or semi-balanced hand with no clear direction.
The player with this hand bid 2S, with less than the optimum
result:
West: S- xx H- A108x D- Axx C- KQ9x
2H was going to be a bloodbath for the opponents, three or four
down on a hand that would have a mundane partscore had North not
overcalled on his ratty five-card suit at the two-level.
Card-showing doubles are a good tool, but take some experience in
using them before we achieve a degree of comfort. Opener is
allowed to convert for penalty but needs at least one sure trump
trick to do so, otherwise he should be removing the double in
some way, to a suit already bid by the partnership or a new suit
if it can be shown conveniently.
Overall grade: B with a qualifier. Once a partnership decides to
use card-showing doubles, the acclimatization process takes a
while before they feel completely at home with them. They are
extremely valuable, but must be fully understood and used in a
disciplined manner.
Lead-directing doubles are another convention that can be handy
tool but are trotted out far too often and routinely abused. I'll
deal specifically with the double of a Stayman 2C response in a
1NT auction:
(1NT) pass (2C) dbl
In a game I was kibitzing some months ago, I saw a player double
2C on:
S- Kxx H- Jx D- Qxx C- Q9xxx
The end result was a 3NT contract by the opponents and a trusting
club lead from partner who had A9xxx of spades and Jx of the suit
you so fervently wanted led. Oh, and by the way, -630 instead of
an easy defeat of their contract if you'd just kept your trap
zipped.
Here is a what a double of 2C is supposed to look like:
S- xx H- Axx D- xxx C- KQ109x, or
S- xx H- Qxx D- xx C- AQJ10xx
Do not make a lead-directing double to show length with a tepid
high-card holding. They should convey an overwhelming desire for
partner to lead the bid suit, and a loathing for anything else.
That's why the double on the first hand was so atrocious, as with
an honour in every suit you don't want to steer partner away from
his natural opening lead.
Anyway, that wraps it up for this month, we'll venture further
into the territory of conventional doubles in a future issue.
********************
You will find Bill doing his FireSide sessions on Fridays
at 5:30 P.M. OKbridge time.
Bill is available for private/group lessons and/or
supervised play sessions. Email Bill at (btreble@shaw.ca)
for more information.
================================================
GIGGLE BREAK
Thanks to Pringle for these:
DID I READ THE SIGN RIGHT?
In an office:
TOILET OUT OF ORDER...... PLEASE USE FLOOR BELOW
In a Laundromat:
AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES: PLEASE REMOVE ALL YOUR CLOTHES
WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT
In a London department store:
BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS
In an office:
WOULD THE PERSON WHO TOOK THE STEP LADDER YESTERDAY PLEASE
BRING IT BACK OR FURTHER STEPS WILL BE TAKEN
In an office:
AFTER TEA BREAK STAFF SHOULD EMPTY THE TEAPOT AND STAND UPSIDE
DOWN ON THE DRAINING BOARD
Outside a secondhand shop:
WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING - BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES, ETC. WHY
NOT BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN?
Notice in health food shop window:
CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS
Spotted in a safari park:
ELEPHANTS PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR
Seen during a conference:
FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN'T KNOW IT, THERE IS A
DAY CARE ON THE 1ST FLOOR
Notice in a farmer's field:
THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR FREE, BUT THE
BULL CHARGES.
On a repair shop door:
WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING. (PLEASE KNOCK HARD ON THE DOOR - THE
BELL DOESN'T WORK)
===================================================
AND FINALLY KALTICA
===================
How To Stage An Upset
We and our novice mates have just been matched against
one of the strongest teams in the field. What approach will
give our side the best chance of registering an upset?
Cardplay is a science. If it comes down to a battle of
such technique we are going to lose. It's that simple. The
best we can do is follow the three basics:
1. Lead small towards big.
2. Attack your length.
3. Keep winners, toss losers.
In addition, we must take the time to count everything:
count the tricks, count our partner's HCPs (based on the
bidding) when we see dummy and count the distribution.
Bidding is more of an art form. It is here that we have
our best hope of effecting an upset.
First, let's look at things from our opponents' point of
view. Pitted against weaker players they will tend to overbid
to games, expecting sloppy defence, but will not stretch
towards slams, expecting us not to venture that high either.
They will be delighted to be in the same contracts as us since
they can then outperform us in cardplay.
To win, then, we must devise a strategy to counter this.
Then we have to hope that the cards favour our approach rather
than our opposition's. Let's begin with a paradox:
"50-50 is a gain."
This makes no sense! A 50-50 chance is, by definition,
neither a gain nor a loss; it is a break-even position. True,
but surely if we have gone from a 1-in-a-thousand chance of
beating a world class team to a 50-50 chance we have profited,
right? Immensely! A "paper profit", yes, but a huge one.
Thus, if we bid a slam that requires a finesse we may
have boiled the match down to a simple coin flip. Typically,
this will involve us being in the slam while our opponents
stop in game.
The contrary is true of games, where it will be the
adversaries stretching. Do not press for thin games; play
in the part score and hope that the close games fail. Knowing
that the opponents are bidding aggressively here we might
double (especially if they are vulnerable and we are strong
in RHO's suit, thin in LHO's) and lead trumps more than we
usually do. Even a paltry +200 can make up for many of those
hands where the opponents overtricked us with superior play.
Experts psyche and falsecard more against each other than
against novices, but they won't be shy about engaging in such
shenanigans against us where warranted. To counter this we
must be willing to reply in kind and to know how to deal with
"baby psyches", at least. Towards this end, bear in mind that
1H-Dble-1S-Dble, 2S-3C-Dble and 2S-Pass-3C-Dble are all
penalty doubles (often exposing psyches) in standard praxis.
Pre-empt aggressively when you have little defence. If
really weak with a long suit bid to the level just below game
(since these bids are harder to double for penalty than game
pre-empts). With H-QJ109xx and nothing else, white versus red,
consider 3H rather than 2H. Pre-empts work. Yes, even against
world calibre players.
I remember the time I taught a class to a local group of
novices. After the ensuing club game Kenny "KSired" Sired rushed
up to me and demanded to know what I was teaching these people.
"Why are you asking?" I wondered.
It turned out that one of my students had eliminated Kenny
and his partner from first place by bidding a slam that no one
else reached. I asked him to tell me the auction and to show
me the hand of the person who made the slam decision. I glanced
at the hand and took Kenny through the steps of the 4 Point
Principle. Partner of the slam bidder had opened 1NT. That is
(16 / 4 =) 4 goodies. Which 4 cards would we choose for Opener
to hold? Kenny mentioned the four cards that Opener actually
possessed. Six was cold. So what was the problem?
The "problem" is that most experts have never heard of
the 4 Point Principle! By applying it on every hand a novice
player can succeed--as Kenny's opponents did--where even
experts fail.
Oh, and good luck. You'll need a lot of that, too!
**********************
You'll find Kaltica (Colin Ward) doing his FireSide
sessions on Tuesday evenings at 5:30 P.M. OKbridge time.
Colin is available for private/group lessons and/or
supervised play sessions. Email him at (kaltica@mts.net)
for more information.
Rainbow and Spectrum Series Online!
The popular Rainbow (SAYC and play) and Spectrum (2/1-GF)
series have been automated for your convenience. You can take
any of the lessons at your leisure simply by clicking on either
of these links:
http://www.firesides.net/rainbows.htm
http://www.firesides.net/spectrums.htm
Enjoy!
=====================================================
GIGGLE BREAK
Thanks to PamA for this giggle:
TO START YOUR DAY WITH POSITIVE OUTLOOK
1. Open a new file in your PC.
2. Name it "Housework."
3. Send it to the RECYCLE BIN
4. Empty the RECYCLE BIN
5. Your PC will ask you, "Are you sure you want to delete
Housework permanently?"
6. Answer calmly, "Yes," and press the mouse button firmly....
7. Feel better?
=============================================================
Fireside Chat Issues
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F
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D
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Ocbober, 2001
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November, 2001
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December, 2001
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January, 2002
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February, 2002
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March, 2002
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April, 2002
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May, 2002
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June, 2002
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July, 2002
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August, 2002
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September, 2002
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October, 2002
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November, 2002
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December, 2002
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January, 2003
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February, 2003
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March, 2003
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April, 2003
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May, 2003
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June, 2003
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July, 2003
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August, 2003
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September, 2003
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October, 2003
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November, 2003
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December, 2003
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January, 2004
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February, 2004
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March, 2004
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April, 2004
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May, 2004
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June, 2004
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July, 2004
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August, 2004
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September, 2004
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October, 2004
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November, 2004
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December, 2004
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January, 2005
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February, 2005
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March, 2005
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April, 2005
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May, 2005
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June, 2005
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July, 2005
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August, 2005
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September, 2005
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October, 2005
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November, 2005
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December, 2005
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