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More on the subject of chess, cheating and the Internet
alaf2_ICC-screenshot_jan05.jpg, 63 KB
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Take a look at the graphic in the cell above. (It is slightly muddy ... but you should still be able to read it OK.)
I defeated all but two players ... the two players who defeated me were DEFINITELY cheating!
(I deeply analyzed one of these games - at length - with the assistance of a strong computer program.)
PLEASE NOTE: I drew a 2500+ player ... although I was losing most of the game. {I was moving faster than him, he took the
draw to avoid losing on time.} I also crushed quite a few players rated in the range 1800-2000+.
My statements above are NOT assertions ... but simple facts.
Consider for the moment the following facts:
1.
I am an original (U.S.C.F.) LIFE-Master.
2.
I have worked as a "computer-buster" (someone who tries to detect people who cheat and use computers); on several
different chess servers. (The old, defunct Kasparov server, 'chess-dot-net,' "max-chess," and several others.)
3.
Simple common sense would tell you that is someone has a blitz rating of 1500 or less, and a standard rating of 2200 or
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better, you can just about bet a finger that he/she is an absolute, stone-cold CHEATER!!!!!!!
4.
A FIDE GM - who lives in the U.S. today - told me he believes that 90% of the guests on ICC are cheaters.
(I am quite sure that you could that the number should be 98% ... or better!)
5.
6.
One of the world's best "CrazyHouse" players, (who is an IM in real life); told me that most people on the Internet today
cheat and use a computer program at this form of chess. (Yes, there are engines for both zh and wild5.)
Most "Wild" players - on ANY computer server - cheat at "wild-5" and most other forms of wild chess as well.
(This comes from a Master ... who was once the ICC {World} Champion at wild-5.)
7.
I am one of the world's most respected chess analysts, at least on the Internet.
(I now have won awards from CJA, The National Chess Federation of France, The BCF, and several others.)
8.
I have held a Masters rating on dozens of chess servers.
(Usually I am a master in Bullet, Blitz, and Standard. I also have been a Master at "CrazyHouse," "Wild Chess," etc.)
9.
10.
I am currently a consultant in this area for dozens of servers ... including the world's most popular server.
Probably the most interesting story is the following: One player sent me a PGN file of a game he played in Dos Hermanos.
(He was badly beaten by a lower-rated player.) He had ALL of the information, he paid me thirty bucks to do a detailed
analysis of this game. I came to the conclusion that his opponent HAD cheated, based on the fact that he had played pretty
much perfect chess. An aggravating factor was that this individual had used very little time to play this game. AFTER I had
annotated the game, the player - the one who had asked me to do the analysis - told me that he already knew that his
opponent had cheated. (The ICC admins had tossed him for suspicion of using a computer program.)
The real kicker to this story??? ... ... ... ... It is one of the individuals who defeated me!!
(Given above - go ahead and guess, you have a 50-50 chance of being right.)
How do people cheat?
I get asked this particular question all the time.
Here are some answers:
People simply "task-switch" or use another computer - like a laptop.
This is why most people on Yahoo (chess) play so well. (One of the highest-rated players on the "Play-Chess" server
went to "yahoo" just the other day. He LOST more games than he won at five-minute. And he was openly discussing
this on the public part of the server. He even went so far as to say there were ZERO honest players there.)
People use an interface - like WINBOARD - that allows them to tie a chess engine directly into the chess server.
Some of these cheaters are very sophisticated!! They control randomness, the response time, the playing strength of the program,
etc. They go to great pains to avoid being detected.
Some people use a "take-over" function. What this entails is again having some kind of Interface like a JAVA script program - that allows direct linking with the chess server and their program. Then
all they have to do is hit one "HOT-KEY," that instantly allows any pre-arranged chess program to take
over their chess game ... AS IT IS BEING PLAYED!!!
(If you have ever been playing a game ... and seen a 1000 point "jump" in your opponent's play, then you probably have been
victimized by this insidious tactic.)
Some people use various versions of "ChessMaster" to cheat. This is an EXTREMELY complicated program. With very
little programming skills, you can use this program, (or its chess engine); to cheat on virtually ANY interface. This is
because you can vary just about EVERY aspect of the program. For example, you can take one "personality," (that may only
be rated 1900 or so); vary its aggressiveness, slightly change the piece values, etc. You can then use this modified chess
engine to play blitz and/or bullet chess. You will win 99% of your games ... ON TIME!!!!!!
(Detecting the use of such a program can be very difficult, if not impossible.)
One player was a highly suspected cheater on the old "chess-dot-net" server. <defunct>
We set up the following sting. I would pretend to befriend this guy, play chess with him at every opportunity. I would chat
with him, etc. (One of the head admins promised that any rating points that I lost would be instantly restored.) After about
two weeks, he began to trust me. I casually asked him one day what his secret was. He told me he cheated. I told him I
wanted to be the highest rated player on the server, he said he would help me make it happen, no problem. In return, he
wanted chess lessons at like three bucks an hour. I said "OK." He sent me an EXTREMELY detailed e-mail. What
interfaces to use, a java-script-program that he had personally written, a modified "ZH" engine, a VERY involved package.
Additionally, there were some very detailed instructions as how to use all of this. I deleted all of the attachments, and sent (a
copy of) the e-mail to several of the administrators on this server. He was busted, branded as a cheater, and then I dumped
him as a student. Ha-ha-ha. (And I am VERY PROUD to admit that I have run this particular "STING" more than once. I
LOVE BUSTING CHEATERS!!!)
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A prediction? ICC will die ... unless they institute the kind of "anti-cheater"
protections other servers already have! (Monday; January 10th, 2005.)
**************************************************************
I should also note that the "PlayChess" server now has a TON of cheaters as well! (Did someone crack their code?) May 06th,
2005. (And it is run by a bunch of Nazi pigs as well, they delete your {paid} handle for even the most minor infraction. Its this
type of extreme German arrogance ... trampling English sensibilities, {and American Law!}; underneath iron-shod boots ... that
led to not one, but TWO World Wars!!! Apparently the "Master-Race" fascists have not learned their lesson, they still think
they are a whole lot better than everyone else!)
My first dealings with this server ... pretty much say it all. I had a student - that wanted to do lessons there. So I paid for a serial number and
signed up. After a few uneventful lessons, some kid shows up in the middle of the lesson. (At that time, the "ignore" feature did not yet exist. Either
that, or I had not yet learned how to use it.) Anyway, this kid TELLS me, "From now on, I will be a part of ALL your lessons.!!!" I told this
individual to bug off. At first fairly nicely, then as my patience wore thin ... I began to be less than cordial. Than the kid tells me, "You had
BETTER let me be a part of all your lessons. And you had better be nice to me. My Dad is an administrator on this server. If you don't do what I
say, I will show my Dad all the bad things you have said to me ... and your account will be DELETED!" I thought he was blowing smoke, and I
told the little chump to bug off. Sure enough, the next time I go to log on, I discover my account was gone. Just like that. (I PAID for this account ...
I got to use it for less than a month.) So to me, the Play-Chess server has always been for losers ... and run by a pile of incompetent morons and
idiots.
Tuesday; March 15th, 2005: Many of my students and former Internet students wanted to know if I would play this year. (I had
originally said that I would not play in this year's DH event. I even posted a notice to this effect on my main website.) I also had
many problems associated with this particular event. (One year I started 4-0, and they dropped me out of the tournament with no
explanation. The ONLY reason I could think of was one GM - that I defeated - complained. After I was dropped out of the event,
he went on to tie for first, his only loss was to me. A shabby tactic, to be sure.)
Anyway - to make a long story a little shorter - I decided to play anyway. I was sort of talked into it by one of my {former} Internet
students. He also promised to use his very sophisticated computer to check all my games and tell me which players cheated and
used a program. When I told him about the many problems I had experienced in the past, he suggested that I play anonymously. He
also told me that I could view this "experiment" as a type of under-cover, investigative journalism.
Whether or not this was wise - remains to be seen. I did get to a play some VERY interesting and exciting chess. I defeated several
IM's and at least one GM. (Julian Radulski, from Bulgaria. "Zeratul" on ICC.) I also lost to several players who cheated. (There is
absolutely no doubt about this fact at all.)
Despite assurances from the admins at ICC that they would find and catch all the cheaters, (what a joke!, ha-ha); people continue to
cheat. In fact, when I called one player on his cheating, he responded by telling me anyone who played in this event - and did NOT
use a computer - was either stupid or crazy!!!
Two players - that I played - deserve special mention in my "Hall of Shame." QuezadaY and Psycho-Cowboy. One of these
individuals was tossed - more than once! - last year, but here he is ... plying his evil craft again. One of these individuals cannot
maintain a 2200 OTB (OTB = over the board) rating, but plays nearly infallibly on the Internet. Neither one of these players is
anything special in regular chess, but on the Internet, they play like a machine. (Hint, hint, hint!)
{Lala is probably a dishonest player as well, he used very little time for our game, and played pretty much perfect chess.}
In my opinion, the problem has gotten worse, not better. Unlike the "Play-Chess" server, ICC has no program permanently in place
to automatically detect engine usage. I watched several of the top games on Sunday and Monday ... I feel quite sure that this was
NOT normal blitz chess. (Games that exceed 75 moves should be very rare at this level, here they seem to be the norm! And last
year - I randomly selected 15 games to save as a PGN file to my hard drive. I analyzed these games extensively to determine if one
party used a chess program or not. TWELVE of these games showed clear signs of computer-assisted play!!!!!) Whether or not
these players are caught - eventually - simply does not matter. (More than one player has complained to me - like the events that
occurred many times last year. A player would get tossed for cheating ... but his opponents are still left with a goose-egg. In fact,
your results are damaged even more, in case of a tie, nearly all the tie-breaking systems are based on your opponents overall score.
Having your opponent thrown out of the tournament only greatly worsens your chance of winning a prize - like an ICC membership
- in case of any ties.)
I must give ICC an "F" for their performance in this area.
---> Also an admin told me that ICC is steadfastly opposed to most of my suggestions.
(Like banning the use of Winboard.)
Much more about this topic (and event) later.
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March 15th, 2004: The admins at ICC have already inquired about my identity. This means I won't be playing any more chess this
year in the Dos Hermanas Internet event. However I have discovered what I needed to know ... cheaters are still running
rampant. In fact, I was logged on earlier today, and one GM (Desant), was PUBLICLY exchanging accusations with a bunch of
other people ... including the current U.S. Champion!!! (Smallville) I don't think there is any question that the cheating on this
server - especially when big money prizes are at stake - has gotten completely out of hand.
When I played in my section yesterday I played at least 3-4 sure-fire cheaters ... and probably more. One player - whom I defeated
as Black, might have been using a computer as well. I have some very good reasons for saying this: # 1.) He used close to a minute
on a VERY obvious recapture; # 2.) He outplayed me completely ... but was using an excessive amount of time; # 3.) He fell
apart completely at the end when he had less than 10 seconds on the clock. (I feel that a real master would have drawn that game
without any problem. Although to be fair, I should point out that just about ANY player can panic and play really badly ... when
they are about to run out of time.)
I have decided to place my games ... in their entirety ... in the public forum. (See my downloads page.) I feel I did OK, I defeated
several masters, (IM's ?) and at least one GM. (Click here to see my win over the GM, it is briefly annotated.)
I sent a message to Kiebitz, who is an admin on ICC. I asked for information as to who was busted for cheating amongst the group
of individuals that I played. (I feel - quite strongly - that I am entitled to this information!!) However, based on past responses and
my experiences with this group of individuals, I will predict that NO information will be forthcoming. (These people act like they
are on a burning, sinking ship. They have a bunker mentality, and constantly threaten anyone who asks a lot of questions. I have
{also} been through this process many times.) If - or when - Kiebitz is forthcoming with the required information, I will be sure to
post that information here. If they tell me that no one was busted, then I will tell you simply and plainly: THEY ARE LYING,
AND TRYING TO COVER UP THE FLAWS OF THEIR SERVER. OR - THEY ARE UNABLE OR UNWILLING
{incompetent} TO DISCOVER WHO IS REALLY CHEATING ON THEIR SERVER AND WHO IS NOT!!! {Stay tuned ... I
should have an update for you in about a week.}
I also feel that I have proven what I stated at first.
"A really good player, {an honest one, that is}; no matter what his or her skill level, has ZERO chance of winning this event!"
(Eventually they will lose to someone who is using a computer.)
*******
05:40 PM CST / March 15th, 2005: I just spoke to Kiebitz ... no information - of any kind - will be given!
(You see? These guys are just too predictable!)
***************************************************************************************
Monday; March 21st, 2005: I mentioned earlier that I had a friend who was going to analyze all of my games to see if they
showed any indications that my opponent used a chess program or chess engine in any fashion. Actually, I have three friends who
agreed to do this job. One young(er) fellow is a {former} Internet student of mine. He possesses a Master's degree in computer
science and also owns an extremely advanced computer. (As I understand it, he runs four Intel processors - the same kind that
normally form the heart of any computer - and also has a board that has like 32 RISC chips on it, the chips are similar to those that
power the average MAC computer. He also wrote a program that runs my games by known engines and compares their moves to
the ones actually played in the game.) Anyway, this young fellow feels that at least 6 of my games show clear evidence of my
opponent using some type of chess program or engine assistance ... to a degree that cannot be dismissed or ignored. Further, another
3-4 games show strong indications, but they are not of a sufficient type and kind so as you conclude that the opponent cheated ...
beyond all reasonable doubt. I cannot get too technical here ... fro many reasons. #1.) I don't want to give cheaters too much
information - they may use this in an attempt to avoid detection. # 2.) Some of this young man's technical descriptions are beyond
my ability to fathom them!
I did my own tests as well. I found some VERY curious things. Let's take two of the games that I WON, just so you don't think this
is "sour grapes" or something. In my game in round six, my opponent made nearly 15 moves in a row - AFTER the opening - that
matches a known chess engine. A math teacher at UWF - who is also an occasional student of mine - informs me that the chances
of this being some type of coincidence are about 1 in 750,000 ... or better. (In layman's terms, I should win a major cash prize in the
lottery ... before you could say that this coincidence was some type of a pure cosmic accident.) I don't think that this was accidental,
it is safe to say he used an engine. (This is the same individual that I described above that used an excessive amount of time on an
obvious re-capture, and then fell apart at the end of the game.)
In my win against the GM, (round # 08); my opponent ........ FOR NEARLY THE FIRST 30 MOVES!!!!! ........ played all the
SAME moves as Shredder 9.0. In fact, you could divide this game into three parts: # 1.) In the first 30 moves, my opponent
outplays me, (and won the exchange); but uses over three minutes of his time; # 2.) In the next 20 or so moves, my opponent plays
solidly, but still much more rapidly than in the first phase; # 3.) My opponent, having only around 30 seconds left, tries to "blitz it
out." However, this is the phase of the game where my opponent made just about ALL of his mistakes. You may draw any
conclusion that you like ... my mind is already made up.
By the way ... the odds of anyone playing the exact same moves as Shredder ... for nearly 30 moves ... is astronomical.
It is simply human nature. With no way of monitoring the results, and with major cash prizes on the line - - - the large percentage of
the people involved in this tournament cannot resist the temptation to cheat! There is no way around this fact.
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Despite having a year to fix the problem, ICC has NOT managed to do anything really meaningful about this problem.
Click HERE to read {more} about the Dos Hermanas, (2005) tournament.
*********************************************************
April 17th, 2005: I have received about 25-30 letters and e-mails over the last 2-3 weeks ... about this particular problem. I have
written about five people ... and asked their permission to use excerpts of their e-mails. As soon as I have an answer, I will post a
few of the better ones here.
Two letters from people who have experienced cheating
>From: one person (I have deleted/changed her e-mail address and real name - at her request.)
>To: <[email protected]>
>Subject: Your website on cheating (angelfire)
>Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 18:44:47 -0400
Dear A. J. Goldsby,
"Thank you for your blog-like exposé of cheating on ICC. Here's an interesting anecdote for you. I play chess on ICC."
(She here gives her handles - I have deleted them, as this could help identify her.)
"For years, my rating on ICC has been generally deteriorating. I thought my blitz play, in particular, must be getting worse. Just
about everybody was beating me at blitz, and I'm ranked 10,000 and something out of ICC's players with a (blitz) rating now
between 1400 and 1500."
"Then a couple of weeks ago, I got a chance to play otb chess against a local blitz (otb) champion, and over the course of the
night, I played him to a standstill. I won at least as many as he won from me, and by the end of the night, I was trouncing him."
"I'm at the point where I'm thoroughly disgusted. I even did an experiment with the computers provided on ICC and found out
that they play harder when they have low ratings and easier when they have high ratings -- something that if you know, you can
take advantage of."
"When my membership lapses, I'll sadly be leaving them. I have been a member almost since day one. To make matters worse, I
just finished up my first tournament on net-chess. I like playing the slow games there, but I did miserably in the tournament. Then
I replayed my moves versus Fritz 6 to see where I went wrong. Guess what? In two games against two different opponents, the
moves matched all the way through the game! In another two games, they matched until my position was miserable and just about
any move would suffice."
"At this point, I think the only answer is to have some kind of program that you can run ON YOUR OWN MACHINE that checks
your opponent's moves against the moves that a chess engine would make--so that you will know what's going on."
"I don't need to go online to lose to a computer. I can do that right here in my home!"
>> Regards, ____ F.
>> Any-town, Massachusetts
*******************************************************************************************************
> From: [email protected] (not his real e-mail address)
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: Your website on cheating (angelfire)
> Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 10:05:19 EDT
(I had written him about the topic of cheating ... and even shared a few e-mail letters with him.)
<< Yes, it is SO true. I have been told by ICC Administrators to 'show the proof' that my opponent is
cheating. (!!!!!!) LOL
And that "perhaps online chess is not for you." LOL.
In other words, -------> you'll have to cheat like everyone else. LifeMaster, previously I have suggested
an AWESOME experiment to be performed. ***Have USCF rated players play standard games against
ICC opponents. There must be eye-witnesses observing the USCF player. After a hundred games, let's
see the results .... His online ICC rating will be HUNDREDS of points lower than his USCF rating because
online he is mostly playing against engines... >>
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- 'reallycooldude' on ICC (NOT his real handle!!)
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Other than change (and hide) their identities, and possibly correct spelling and/or grammar, these e-mails have NOT been changed
or altered in any real way. - LM A.J. Goldsby I (Wednesday; April 20th, 2005.)
A possible solution?
So many people have written me about this page ... it will be impossible to acknowledge everyone. (09 May, 2005.)
I have given much thought to this problem. How to make corrections? How to fix it?
Here are some ideas:
1.
Make a new interface, a client program ... that allows NO remote logging. The new interface should NOT allow interfaces
with the WINBOARD program, DGT Board, "Lightning Rulz," Java-Script logging, etc. All of these interfaces are too
easily exploited by the poor, pathetic cheaters; they make it impossible for honest players to get a game that is not tainted by
dishonesty or the use of chess engines. If the server cannot verify the client interface, it should automatically disconnect.
2.
If you task-switch more than 5 times during any one game, you should AUTOMATICALLY forfeit the game!!
3.
The newer video games are talking about using something called, "KEY-STROKE VERIFICATION." In other words, if
the user's computer cannot confirm that a chess move was made by the client program, actually checking the keyboard or
mouse log, the program will refuse to send the move. This would ELIMINATE cheaters completely!!!
Do Titled Player's Cheat?
This is a question I get asked all the time. (Over and over and over again.) Even after they read this page, (and the previous one);
they still ask me the same question, "Do titled players cheat, and why would they have to?" And, "What PROOF do you have that
titled players cheat?"
That is a good question, (I got close to 15 e-mails in the last month or so ... all asking this same basic question.); - and it definitely
deserves an answer.
1.
I asked a {former} student ... to pick FOUR games ... AT RANDOM ... from the files and stored games of the top four
players/finishers from the Internet Chess Club - Dos Hermanos event held earlier this year. I deeply examined all of these
games. One is a nearly perfect match to an older version of Crafty, one is a PERFECT MATCH, (over 20 consecutive
moves - after a weird opening, probably played to throw people off the "computer detection" trail); to the "Chess Tiger"
engine. One game LOOKS very "computery" ... like five moves in a row ... FOR BOTH SIDES!!! ... match Fritz 8.0. (This
is good evidence of the use of a computer - also the time consumed per move was very fishy in this game.) However, I am
willing to admit that this game is not a 100% perfect match to any known chess engine. In the last game that I examined, I
said right away it looked like "Chess-Master." It took a bit of experimenting with several editions of this program. But by
making minor alterations to the "Anand" personality of CM 9000, I was able to get a match for 27 out of 30 moves in a row.
(This is close enough to convince me, although a die-hard skeptic might not be totally certain here.)
2.
I am NOT saying ... for a 100% certainty ... that he cheated. However, I find it very curious that in my own game with a
GM, that from move six or seven, until sometime after move thirty ... ALL the moves, (that Black played); match those of
the popular program, Shredder 9.0. (Which I purchased just before this tournament.)
3.
Within the last two year's, a big-money chess tournament was held. (On the Internet.) It was won by a GM ... but someone
who was NOT in the "Top 100" of the world's best player's, using the FIDE rating lists. He soundly defeated a "Top Ten"
GM in the finals. I sent the defeated player a barrage of e-mails ... I finally got an answer from his "business manager." He
said: "In the last five times that" _____ "has faced <<Player X>> over the board, he has defeated him four times, and
drawn him once." (He also attached the PGN scores of these contests.) He went on, "I personally do not believe that
<<Player X>> is capable of such a result ... without some sort of outside assistance." However, he asked NOT to be named,
so this is not really what you could consider solid proof. (Player X = the lower-rated player ... in this scenario ... who
probably used a computer to defeat his opponent.)
4.
I did recently get an e-mail from a relatively well-known IM. We discussed cheating at length. One of the points that he
made was that "Kastor" on ICC is a big-time cheater. (But this was not new news to me!) However, I do not recall if I even
remembered to ask for his permission to use his name, (the name of the IM); on this web page.
5.
Last month ... a big tournament was held on the "Play-Chess" server. I received DOZENS of e-mails that several titled
players ... "cheated like hell." (As one FM put it.) The admins from the server in question initially DENIED that any
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cheating took place. (Naturally!!!) But then we find the following excerpt:
<< Filed: 22/05/2005. This week the 17-year-old GM Timur Gareev and fellow Uzbek IM Anton
Fillipov were disgraced when they were caught using analysis engines while competing in
tournaments on the popular PlayChess server. The fraud – the equivalent of taking a crowbar to a
cash-dispenser – was detected by the use of sophisticated software programs. >>
Apparently this is a quote ... from GM NIGEL SHORT !!!!!! And it comes directly from the "ChessBase" server!!!
I don't really think there is anything left to say. How much more proof do you need?????? (Sunday; May 29th, 2005.)
A sub-note to this is that I received a very nasty note from one of the main 'admins' for the "Play-Chess" server. Apparently titled
players don't like to be accused of cheating. For my "crimes" ... I have been banned (for life) from this server. Needless to say, this
does not surprise me. ICC has already taken similar action ... they say I have no "proof" that anyone has ever cheated there. (Its
like the blind leading the blind!)
*****
One further note - about three days ago, I got an e-mail from a player in Oklahoma. Apparently a teenager in that (OTB)
tournament had "Pocket-Fritz" on his person, and was attempting to play all of his games using this computer device. He aroused
{serious} suspicion when he defeated players whose ratings were much higher than his own. I do not wish to be too specific - the
details of this one are still sketchy and USCF has yet to make a ruling in this case. Personally I am for a "two-strike" system in
cases like this. (First offense - a 2-3 year suspension. For the second offense - YOU SHOULD BE BANNED FOR LIFE!!! If
these penalties sound too harsh to you, this is VERY similar to the rules - and punishments - that are used for amateur athletes
who test positive for performance-enhancing substances.)
Click HERE to return to my first article/expose on cheating.
*******
Click here to return to my "Downloads" home page.
Click here to return to my Geo-Cities (chess) home page.
Click here to go to my own domain.
(Or simply use the "back" button on your web browser.)
Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby I
Copyright (©) A.J. Goldsby, 2005. (All rights reserved.)
Page created: Saturday; Jan. 08, 2005. Page last updated: 06/15/2005 .
5/8/2008 8:53 PM