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Well, looks like those troublemaking Mayans were wrong after all. Who knew that a calendar made by a civilization that practiced ritual human sacrifice might not be the most reliable when it came to the mathematics of predicting the end of the world? Perhaps not paying bills for the last six months wasn't the wisest idea after all.
With the world firmly in the "not ending yet" category, it is time to look ahead to 2013. No ancient civilizations have called for 2013 to be the end of the world, so it's a good time to look forward to the movies that will not just be among the biggest of the year, but the films that will have a lasting impact on the next year, and the year after.
They are the films that we are rooting for, the ones we hope succeed for one reason or another. But more than anything else, even more than we hope they are great and entertaining films, we just really, really hope that they don't suck.
A Good Day to Die Hard
(February 14)
The Die Hard series has never exactly been grounded in reality. In the first three movies, Bruce Willis' John McClane lived out a first person shooter and killed more people than prostate cancer, and yet even so the last film, Live Free or Die Hard, was over the top even by those standards. This is a series where the main character laughingly flips physics the bird and regularly outruns explosions, and yet the fourth entry was too much. Hacker villains that would make Anonymous members jealous, a formerly down to Earth hero that substituted jokes for punching people in the throat, and at one point McClane even ran over the top of a jet in the air… A jet. A freaking jet. There are no words for this level of ridiculousness.
The fourth film departed from the tradition of the other films by playing down the "everyman hero" angle and ramping up the pretty 'splosions and the superheroic nature of John "the most dangerous hungover cop in the world" McClane. For the fifth film, you can expect the walking explosion to continue his cataclysmic world tour, this time bringing the pain to Russia.
The series is also looking toward the future. Bruce Willis is still looking good, and the magic of Hollywood could have him kicking ass for decades to come (just look at Clint Eastwood, who was born when there were still real Nazis in the world and yet continues to project the image that he could murder you with a toothpick). But the good times can't go on forever, and so the next Die Hard introduces a new McClane. Jai Courtney of Spartacus: Blood and Sand fame takes on the role of Jack McClane, the definition of a son of a gun.
If the series is planning to continue with Courtney as either the star, or even just as a co-star opposite Willis, it will have to be successfully established in this film. The film will probably be a money maker on name recognition alone – and that could probably support even a sixth film – but for the sake of the good name of the Die Hard franchise we hope this film doesn't suck.
Oz: The Great and Powerful
(March 8)
Sam Raimi takes us back to the world of Oz with a prequel to the 1900 book and the beloved 1939 film starring a bunch of flying monkeys, some emotionally crippled halfwits, and a girl with an iffy fashion sense. When the 1939 film was released it painted a wildly imaginative vision of a make believe land, and it did it with a budget that was five times less than Drew Brees' annual salary. But the Wizard of Oz didn't put up 5,416 passing yards in a season either, so maybe it's a wash.
Raimi's look at Oz comes with a hefty $200 million price tag as well as a bevy of A-list stars, including Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz, and James Franco as the Wizard himself. Most importantly though, it stars Bruce Campbell as Gore, the Dark Wizard. A Raimi movie just wouldn't be complete without an appearance from Campbell.
Not to be confused with the HBO prison drama – although it would certainly be ballsy to see the Cowardly Lion get shanked on the Yellow Brick Road by a monkey that just drops the shiv and casually flies away – the film could also reignite interest in one of the best known properties in the world.
Coming earlier in the year than most big budget, effects laden films traditionally appear, Oz could end up shifting the Hollywood landscape if it does well. With so many blockbusters competing with each other in a relatively tight period, expanding the blockbuster season to include March may prove to be a smart move. Oz won't be the first movie to try that, but it could be the one that changes things. Assuming, of course, it doesn't suck.
GI Joe: Retaliation
(March 29)
This film has already had something of a troubled life, all thanks to the unfortunate popularity of Magic Mike, aka Channing Tatum. It's not his fault, of course, but rather that of the filmmakers that wanted to get out of the Channing Tatum business. Instead, Tatum's growing popularity took the bullet and saved his (character's) life.
The film was originally due on June 29, 2012, but the plan was to kill off Tatum's character, Duke, early on. This didn't test well, so the movie went back to the drawing board under the thinly veiled excuse of reworking it for 3D and to increase its international advertising campaign.
Test audiences wanted more Tatum, so reshoots were commissioned and the on screen relationship between Tatum's Duke and Dwayne Johnson's character of Roadblock was strengthened. Following the surprisingly successful male stripper story loosely based on Tatum's life, Magic Mike, the studio also shifted some of the advertising to make sure people knew that Tatum and his magical member were still in the movie and had a significant role.
The first movie was goofy. It inexplicably featured people wearing exoskeletons for what appeared to be no other reason than to beat up Paris, while the amazingly good cast that included Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Christopher Eccelston, Rachel Nichols, and Dennis Quaid managed to breathe an air of respectability into it. All of those names are missing from this film, but they have been replaced by Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis, Adrianne Palicki, and RZA. It is shocking, the level of talent that these films have attracted. The producers must have a staggeringly comprehensive set of blackmail pictures on everyone in Hollywood. But with the childhood of so many invested in the GI Joe brand, and such an impressive cast, we just hope the movie doesn't suck. Plus, we're already looking forward to the next sequel starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Helen Mirren, Al Pacino, and whoever else the filmmakers can convince to jump on board the GI Joe train.
Evil Dead
(April 12)
The original Evil Dead was intended to be a serious horror film, but it just sucked at it. It was laughable, and so Sam Raimi and company decided to roll with it and revel in the notion of a horror comedy. That produced two (three if you count the original that was partially remade as The Evil Dead II) of the biggest cult hits of all time. Ash's dialogue in Army of Darkness has entered into the lexicon in such a way that presidents have even quoted it. There is no direct proof of that, but it is (probably) true (maybe).
The reboot is entirely Raimi's idea, and he pushed ahead even against the wishes of most fans who were more interested in a sequel with Bruce Campbell returning as Ash than a remake. But Raimi insisted that he had a good idea, and asked fans for their support and trust.
The film is apparently going to attempt to do what the first film tried for, and be a legitimately disturbing horror film. There will likely be a good deal of humor, but that may just be color and not the intention as it was in the later films, games, and other properties in the series. That seems like an odd shift for a franchise that was famous for lines like "this is my boomstick" and severed hands giving the finger to its original owner.
But it's Raimi's franchise to do with as he will. It's an important series, and one that has influenced many people for decades now. So we just hope that the film, which has the daunting tag line "The most terrifying film you will ever experience," doesn't suck.
Iron Man 3
(May 3)
With Jon Favreau foolishly asking for a bit more money after directing and producing two of the biggest films ever and helping to launch the Marvel universe on screen, the keys to the franchise fall to Shane Black, one of the men that helped save Robert Downey Jr.'s career after his experimentation with drugs became a full on graduate study course in substance abuse.
Black is an interesting choice, and so far the trailers have presented a shift in tone for the franchise. It looks dark, which certainly isn't a bad thing, but it also marks a stark (see what we did there?) departure for the series that has had a few heavy moments but generally was about a rich, smart guy that built a toy capable of destroying Botswana in an afternoon.
Marvel was quick to rush in and claim the trailer was a bit misleading and the film will be more lighthearted, which in itself causes more concern than a trailer with a slight tonal shift. If Marvel is paranoid about the reaction of a single trailer released more than six months before a film hits theaters, it could mean that the studio intends to interfere with the future offerings in the Marvel universe.
On the other hand, it might mean nothing at all. The Marvel universe is still going strong, and The Avengers justified all the planning that came before it. But now phase two begins with Iron Man 3. Can the studio continue to push out quality films that can connect with each other? There is more of a cushion for this second wave of Marvel movies, but a bad film could lead to problems in the future. Hopefully Iron Man 3 will begin this new era in style, and it won't suck.
Star Trek Into Darkness
(May 17)
JJ Abrams pulled off a minor miracle with his reboot of the Star Trek franchise. He took one of the most sprawling and complex mythologies in fiction, featuring what is one of the (if not the) most passionate fan bases in the world, and made a film that rebooted the entire continuity, attracted new fans, and did so without alienating too many people. The guy should win a Nobel Peace Prize because the alternative would have ended his career and brought a seething anger to bear on Paramount.
The pressure is off in that regard, but the new film needs to live up to the expectations its predecessor set in order to continue building upon what long ago proved itself to be one of the most viable properties in entertainment.
The sequel looks good so far. The identity of the villain played by Benedict Cumberbatch has been kept so quiet that Abrams and the Bad Robot crew could step in for the CIA in a pinch. Is he Khan? Is he Gary Mitchell? Is he just some dude with a really big gun? The odds are that there will be a major twist to it all, but despite our need to dig for answers as fans, hopefully the secret will remain under wraps until the film is fully unveiled. That won't stop us from guessing though.
So until the film is released this May and the fantastically named Benedict Cumberbatch is revealed to be Khan (it has to be Khan, right?), the chatter will continue, which is a good sign. It means the interest is high in both the film and the franchise. If it delivers, that could also lead to more Star Trek content, maybe even a new TV series of some kind. As long, of course, as the movie doesn't suck.
Fast and Furious 6
(May 24)
The name may change to something like Fast Six or Fasterer and the Furiousest or something equally heavy in unnecessary alliteration, but a gasoline covered rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Well, not sweet, per se, but you get the point.
The gear head crew lead by the gruff Vin Diesel and Keanu Reeves' illegitimate brother Paul Walker return, along with Dwayne Johnson. The details of the plot are still murky, except that it will feature the resurrection of the presumed dead character Letty (Michele Rodriguez), as was teased at the end of Fast Five. There is a very good chance that cars will also feature prominently. It does raise the question of where the film fits in the series' continuity though.
Both the fourth and fifth movie take place before the events of the third film set in Tokyo, where the character of Han (played by the actor Sung Kang) – who appeared in the fourth and fifth films – died. Kang is listed as appearing in the sixth film, which may mean that this film will once again technically be a prequel (despite all the discrepancies with makes of the cars). That is just dumb. And in a series where the characters dragged a bank vault weighing several tons down the streets of Rio and used it as a weapon, that is saying a lot.
The Han character was a good one and it was a mistake to let him go, but it is time to move on. The filmmakers could try to explain that he faked his death, despite very clearly exploding, but at least it would get the franchise's time line moving forward. But despite all that, with these films you know what you are going to get and there is an audience happy to dive in. There is even talk of a seventh movie already. So while these movies certainly don't make your soul sore, they are entertaining, and we hope the newest addition to the family doesn't suck. But please just let Han die already.
Man of Steel
(June 14)
There are so many reasons that we hope this film doesn't suck, and so many reasons that it could. Director Zack Snyder has a good instinct for action. His films have some eye popping visuals, and he has a knack for shooting super powered fisticuffs. But when it comes to a deep and compelling story, the jury is still out. Feel free to argue in the comments below.
And then there is the subject matter itself. You have a character that can punch the planet so hard that the Earth weeps, and you need to make him relatable to the average guy. Batman is human. Spider-Man is just a guy with cool powers. Iron Man is a dude in a fancy suit. But Superman is basically a god walking among humans, occasionally coming down from Heaven to beat up a mugger or stop a liquor store robbery. Finding an interesting angle is tougher than it sounds.
So can Snyder show us a story that makes Superman more than just a quantum powered boxer? That is the question. And it isn't just a question of Snyder's directorial talents, it is a tough task for anyone with many pitfalls – but just as many rewards. It also doesn't hurt than in his corner Snyder has Christopher Nolan acting as a producer, but the depth of his involvement is questionable. If it all works, it could be the first step towards DC aping the Marvel plan and combining its properties for a financial smorgasbord culminating with a Justice League movie starring characters established in other films, and it could also help to launch countless other DC properties. Or it could all fall apart.
So if it works there is a pot of gold waiting under DC's rainbow, but a lot depends on Man of Steel. DC's ambitions can survive a bad Superman movie – after all Superman Returns didn't affect Nolan's Batman trilogy – but a good Superman film will change everything and open a whole lot of doors. As long as the film doesn't suck.
Monsters University
(June 21)
There is more on the line with this film than you might think. On one hand it is fairly innocuous. It's a prequel to a film that was liked, but not nearly as well loved as some of Pixar's classics – which begs the question of why did they make it at all? With the notable exception of the Toy Story films, Pixar's strength has lied in creating new properties that continue to surprise and amaze. Making a prequel to a film that was released twelve years prior, a prequel that people weren't exactly clamoring for is perplexing. But it is Pixar.
Following the mediocre Cars 2 and the underwhelming Brave, Pixar has shown that it is fallible. There was a time not long ago when anything Pixar put out was almost a guaranteed classic. Things change though, and while there is certainly still gold to be mined, the current slate isn't as impressive as we might hope.
Monsters Inc. was a good movie, but it wasn't Pixar's best, not even close. The odds are this movie will follow suit and be good – maybe even very good – but not great. At least not great on the level of Wall-E or Up. But maybe we're wrong.
Pixar is an important studio, perhaps one of the most important film studios of the last decade. It excels at storytelling, and it always has the potential for excellence. We need that excellence to show itself again. Monsters University probably won't come close to the heights that Pixar can reach, but a good film can ease a lot of concerns going forward. Unlike the other films on this list, not sucking may not be enough, but it is a start.
World War Z
(June 21)
Beware the wrath of super stacker zombies! They can be anywhere and everywhere, and judging by the trailers, they can even turn themselves into the most fearsome ladders that the world has ever seen! Loosely based on the book of the same name, the current zombie craze sweeping the world continues, and now features Brad Pitt.
The story is about zombies. What more do you really need to know? They are hungry, and humans are the scrumptious morsels that they desire. Zombies are a trend, and a hot one at that. And while the name World War Z certainly isn't as familiar to people as The Walking Dead or Resident Evil, it is just as important to those that read and loved the book.
The zombie craze hasn't burned itself out yet, but there will come a day – and soon – when audiences tire of the over-saturation of the sub-genre within the horror field. That might help to weed out some of the zombie cash grab films that are on the way, but it's bad for the horror genre in general. Whether you love or hate the zombie craze, it has helped to bring attention to the horror genre that was for years dominated by torture porn films like Saw and Hostel. The zombie fad has been mostly good for the horror business, and when it fades the questions of what happens to it next will need to be answered.
World War Z may be great, or it may be silly. Judging by the trailer it could go either way. But as long as it doesn't suck, the zombie genre – and the horror genre with it – will live to see another day.
Click HERE for Part II.
Editors' Recommendations
- Second time around: 13 movie sequels as good, or better, than the originals
- 'Venom' movie: Everything you need to know
- Epic sci-fi novels you should read before they become blockbuster films
- The best new movie trailers: 'Godzilla,' Brightburn,' 'Triple Frontier,' and more
- 'Star Wars: Episode IX': Everything we know so far


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Sarah Wright got into running track and cross country because her old sister Savannah ran, too. And they both were good.
But don't think family tradition is the only reason Sarah has stuck with it.
"I just like the feel of running. It's comfortable and fun," Wright said.
Now Sarah will run with her sister again, this time at Wichita State University. Sarah signed a national letter of intent to join both of the Shockers' teams.
"I like the environment. The coach is nice, and it seems like a good program," Wright said.
Wright is the middle of three sisters who have running in their blood, including Suzie Wright, the youngest of the three. Sarah was instrumental in the Bulldogs' back-to-back cross country state championship in Class 3A.
She also earned two medals at the state track and field meet last year. In fact, all three sisters were a part of Douglass' 4x800-meter relay team that won the state title by a little more than four seconds. Sarah also finished seventh in the 400-meter dash.
Sarah said she will study nursing at WSU.
Sarah's parents are Mark and Gayle Wright.


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Putin 'in state of war with Europe'
Vladimir Putin has been warned that he is "practically in a state of war with Europe" as EU leaders mull tougher sanctions over the Ukraine crisis.
Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaite delivered the dramatic message to Moscow as she arrived in Brussels for a summit.
Meanwhile, David Cameron has insisted there must be "consequences" if an estimated 1,000 Russian troops are not withdrawn from the east of the country.
David Cameron insisted there must be 'consequences' if an estimated 1,000 Russian troops are not withdrawn from eastern Ukraine (AP)
And outgoing European commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said the situation was in danger of reaching "the point of no return".
The comments came after Nato released images apparently showing Russian forces and an array of heavy weaponry in Ukraine.
However, Mr Putin has denied that his forces are in Ukraine - and upped his own rhetoric by reminding critics that Russia has nuclear weapons.
Arriving at the summit in Brussels, Ms Grybauskaite - whose own country used to be part of the Soviet Union - suggested EU states should be supplying Kiev with military equipment.
"It is the fact that Russia is in a war state against Ukraine," she told reporters in English.
"That means it is in a state of war against a country which would like to be closely integrated with the EU. Practically Russia is in a state of war against Europe.
"That means we need to help Ukraine to ... defend its territory and its people and to help militarily, especially with the military materials to help Ukraine to defend itself because today Ukraine is fighting a war on behalf of all Europe."
Mr Cameron, who earlier held talks with Ukraine president Petro Poroshenko at a nearby hotel, said: "We have to address the completely unacceptable situation of having Russian troops on Ukraine soil.
"Consequences must follow if that situation continues and we will be discussing that as well today."
At a joint press conference with President Poroshenko this morning, Mr Barroso insisted it was not too late to find a political solution.
But he added: "We are in a very serious, I would say, dramatic situation... where we can reach the point of no return.
"If the escalation of the conflict continues, this point can come."
He added: "Russia should not underestimate the European Union's will and resolve to stand by its principles and values."
Mr Poroshenko said his presence at the summit was an important demonstration of solidarity with his country.
He said he still hoped tensions could be eased, after meeting Mr Putin in Minsk earlier this week.
"The most important thing now is peace," he said.
"Today we are talking about the fate of Ukraine, tomorrow it could be for all Europe."
EU leaders were originally meeting to decide on a new European Council President and High Representative, but those discussions are likely to be overshadowed by the burgeoning crisis.
The Prime Minister met new Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker - whose appointment he unsuccessfully tried to block - this morning to try to persuade him to hand Britain's nominee, Lord Hill of Oareford, a top economic portfolio.
However, the full 28 commission posts are not expected to be finalised tonight.
Mr Cameron is to suggest closer alignment between EU sanctions and those imposed by the US and Canada - raising the prospect of measures against specific Russian firms in sectors such as banking and energy.
After warning yesterday that extremism in Iraq and Syria poses a greater danger to Britain than al Qaida, the premier will also urge more co-ordinated European action to track jihadists.
The UK wants to revive a directive that would enable police and security services across the EU to share passenger records.
National leaders had signed off the arrangements - but they have stalled in the European Parliament after MEPs expressed concern about civil liberties and privacy.
Mr Cameron said: "Today in Brussels is an opportunity to talk with other EU leaders and make sure we all co-ordinate to stop people travelling Iraq and Syria, to stop radicalisation, to confront extremism."
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk is widely expected to secure the role of European Council President in succession to Herman van Rompuy, while Italian foreign minister Federica Mogherini is set to take over from Baroness Ashton as High Representative.
A UK government source said specific sanctions against Russia are not due to be agreed, as not enough work has been done on the details.
Mr Cameron is hoping that the leaders will lay down a "marker" as to what is necessary to avoid further punitive measures, which would probably focus on individuals close to Mr Putin, and the energy, defence and financial sectors.
It is understood Britain does not support supplying arms to Ukraine, with the source echoing Mr Poroshenko's view that there is "not a military solution" to the crisis.
Alongside restating its support for sharing passenger information to tackle the threat from Islamist extremists, the council is expected to pledge help to improve airport security and design in less developed countries.
Mr van Rompuy confirmed on Twitter that Mr Tusk would be succeeding him, and Ms Mogherini will be High Representative.
Speaking to journalists as he left the summit, Mr Cameron said the EU leaders had taken "some important steps".
"It is totally unacceptable that there are Russian soldiers on Ukrainian soil. We have now set out a timetable for further sanctions that could be, in the text, significant steps.
"It's a deeply serious situation and we have to show real resolve, real resilience in demonstrating to Russia that if she carries on in this way the relationship we have between Europe and Russia, Britain and Russia, America and Russia will be radically different in the future.
"We cannot go on like this. We know from European history the danger of the territory of a nation state being threatened and undermined in this way."
David Cameron meets Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko ahead of an EU summit in Brussels (AP)
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Hi guys
can anyone help me I want to know what do breeders look for in the takla to determine its a good performance bird ?
thank you
tumblers wrote:Hi
unfortunately they don't fly I will update a video of my flying one i have a hen fly really good that why i did asked you about the takla performance most of my takla old birds unable to fly from tumbling some cant even go up one meter
tumblers wrote:i have read in your comment in other topic with hasseian_313 about the iraqi tumbler do you know what the called them in turkey ?
Kurt Gürsu wrote:pigeon8oi wrote:how do i breed out birds form becoming floor tumblers?
I am not sure what you mean by becoming floor tumblers.
If at one point in their training the young bird becomes unable to fly because of constant tumbling I would check couple of things:
Feed: Is the bird too heavy? Adjusting the feed ratio could prevent this problem.
Training: Is the bird getting enough air time. Increasing the flight time will get rid of the problem.
Stuck: Is the bird completely unable to fly because of constant tumbling? I would fix the previous concerns then try to fly this bird in very windy days to force flight.
If that is not working force him to fly by putting him on top of a 4-5 feet of a structure facing the coop and the other birds on the floor and let him work out how to come down.
Once he does this then start throwing him in the air each day while the other birds are about to land and are flying right above the coop. If this works and he is able to fly a few rounds then the following day throw him in to the air at a further location. The following day a little further etc.
If nothing is working out using an office tape tie his tail feathers together and throw him up (preferably on a windy day).
If not successful by pull the middle 4-5 feathers of his tail out then throw him up.
If you see something of a hesitance of tumbling but the problem is still there remove the tail feathers completely and toss him up.
If you still have the same issue you can stop flying him at all for 8 to 12 months and try again.
tumblers wrote:one of my takla was attack not sure how but when she landed her whole wing and under her chest full of blood now she stop to fly and always have fear benign outside the coop and flying very fast and scard is there a way i can do to stop this fear ?
tumblers wrote:one more this i have a cock from an old blood line i did asked you about once neck shaker can you mate him with other takla or does have to be the same bloodline
I have finally flown him but when he start tumbling he losing it and keep tumbling up to 15 times and land or smash on the grand iahev pulled his tail off is it worth pair him with a good flyer ?
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Oleta L. (Brenneman) Schmidt, 74, of Leon, passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013 at her home.
Oleta L. (Brenneman) Schmidt, 74, of Leon, passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013 at her home. Celebration of her life will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at Leon Christian Church. Interment will be private. Visitation with the family present will be held on Sunday afternoon from 2 to 4 p.m. at Carlson Funeral Home.
Oleta was born on April 18, 1938 in Newton, the daughter of Lawrence J. and Estella (Jantz) Brenneman. She graduated from Newton High School and attended Bethany Nazarene College in Bethany, Okla. Oleta was a homemaker and loved flowers, to garden, read and sew.
Oleta was united in marriage to Melvin Schmidt on Dec. 27, 1963 at the Nazarene Church in Newton.
She leaves her husband, Melvin of 49 years; her children, Melody (Bill) Gault, Shelby (Scott) LaClef all of Leon; grandchildren, Josh (Valerie) , Zeb (Candy), Zane, Shannon, Sharrah; great grandchildren, Noah, Jewel and Leah; and one brother, Wayne (Jean) Brenneman of Newton.
Her parents preceded Oleta in death.
The family requests no flowers be sent for the service. A memorial has been established with Eight Oaks Girls Home in Ghana. Condolences for the family can be sent to www.carlsoncolonial.com.


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Reminiscent of a French chateau amid the hills of Burgundy, stone accents and gabled rooflines give a quiet sophistication and inviting warmth to this country manor. Textures are rich and varied – natural timber beams, ledgestone walls, wrought iron railings, and lush green lawns. To the left, a guesthouse creates an oasis of privacy.
Apparently emerging organically from the ground itself, this home takes the traditional log cabin to new highs of style. A circular, stone chimney visually anchors the rest of the house into the hill. Curved timbers, a theme repeated throughout, create a dramatic entryway. And wrapping around the entire structure, a porch allows you to follow the sun throughout every hour of the day.
Refined, elegant, and understated, there's an undeniable sense of arrival here. The driveway sweeps forward in a gentle curve as it guides you effortlessly to the front doorway. Foyer windows soar two-storeys high, their arched shape echoed in clerestory panes on a small turret overlooking the garage. Earth tones and lavish use of rock allow this home to merge with the surrounding natural setting.
back to Front View of House


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Funeral services are 10 a.m. Tuesday at Turpin Funeral Home with burial following in Lone Tree Cemetery in Stuttgart.
Harold Leon Goetz, 90, of Stuttgart died Saturday, March 9, 2013. He was born Nov. 13, 1922, in Stuttgart to Carl and Ena Frey Goetz.
Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Ralph Goetz; and brother-in-law, Lloyd Snotzmeier.
Survivors are his wife of 65 years, Mae Ree Harris Goetz; their son and his wife, Randy and Becky Elslander Goetz of Stuttgart; and two sisters, Ruth Goetz Snotzmeier of Stuttgart and Phyllis Goetz Wittman and husband Max of Hot Springs. He is also survived by sisters-in-law, Becky Harris of Conway and June (Ray) Wilson of Mesa, Ariz.; brothers-in-law, John Joe (Karen) Harris of Sun City, Ariz., and Doug Gardner of Hawaii; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
A graduate of Stuttgart High School, he was a member of Farm Bureau, Arkansas County Farm Bureau Board of Directors and charter member of Lodge Corner United Methodist Church.
Harold farmed for 56 years, retiring in 1996. When he was near retirement age, his son asked him what he was going to do and he said he was going to take up farming as a hobby. He farmed for another 12 years.
After retirement, Harold and Mae Ree enjoyed going to dances and made many new friends. They also enjoyed going to Farm Bureau conventions for many years. Harold was active in Farm Bureau until his death and was always concerned for the well being of the farming industry. He epitomized the tradition of the hard-working rice farmer to the fullest.
Harold was very caring, giving and patient. He didn't miss a day going to Crestpark to be with his wife. He always did the best to take care of his family.
Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Monday, March 11, at Turpin Funeral Home in Stuttgart.
Funeral services are 10 a.m. Tuesday at Turpin Funeral Home with burial following in Lone Tree Cemetery in Stuttgart.
Memorials may be made to Lodge Corner United Methodist Church, % Sue Davis, 2015 Weidner, Stuttgart, AR 72160.
Please go to www.turpinco.com to sign the online guestbook.


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The blade is formed from a VG10 (CMV60) super steel stainless core surrounded by 65 layer damascus. The Cryodur blade undergoes a four step hardening process that maximizes the properties of the steel. First the blade is hardened in a state of the art vacuum furnace. It is rapid quenched to room temperature and cryogenically treated at -321 degrees F. A double temper improves toughness. The result is a blade with outstanding edge retention, maximized corrosion resistance and toughness.
The edge is hand-finished with the traditional 3-step Honbazuke method, meaning each blade is honed by an artisan to an angle of between 9.5 and 12 degrees per side. This acute angle in combination with the Honbazuke method results in scalpel-like sharpness.
The exceptional blade is complemented by an equally stunning and durable handle made from black linen Micarta featuring a mosaic pin, red spacers, and a metal end cap.


text: Our cute Island Girl has something to tell you about the new fashion taste of this little but wonderful island! There are new hairstyles, cosmetics for the new makeover styles and outfits for you all! Wondering how you can discover them? Then follow me to this island... She'll guide us, again!Do not forget dear user, inform your friends about our free games. We have a variety of games with captivating graphics and great sound quality, which makes playing with us online is a great and exciting fun. We guarantee long hours of entertainment and unforgettable moments spent on your favorite games. Our dream was to create a place where entertainment and education will flow seamlessly, so that our guests can have a good time. By playing free browser games you do not need to register. All you need to do is choose the game you are interested in, for example from the category "Girls" and enjoy the game. Do you organize a party and do not know how to provide additional entertainment to your friends? You've come to the right place! Now you can play with us everywhere, on your computer, tablet or phone. Hours of unforgettable fun await you in the stunning game "Island Girl 3 " do you wanna play that game?


text:
Dip Your Ears, No. 132 (Gál's Marionettes)
Hans Gál, Complete Piano Duos
Goldstone and Clemmow Piano Duo
Divine Art 245098
Hans Gál, Complete Piano Duos
Goldstone and Clemmow Piano Duo
Divine Art 245098
Filed under CD Reviews, Dip Your Ears, Hans Gál, jfl
|Grieg, Piano Concerto, Lyric Pieces, Alice Sara Ott, BRSO, Esa-Pekka Salonen (September 9, 2016)
|Roma Æterna (Guerrero, Palestrina, Victoria), New York Polyphony (August 12, 2016)
|Officium Sancti Miniatis, Coro Viri Galilaei (July 8, 2016)
|E. Melartin, Traumgesicht (inter alia), S. Isokoski, Finnish RSO, H. Lintu (June 10, 2016)
|H. W. Henze, Symphony No. 7, Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, M. Stenz (June 10, 2016)
|J. Jones, Eight Setts of Lessons for Harpsichord, M. Meyerson (May 27, 2016)
|J.S. Bach, French Suites, R. Egarr (May 27, 2016)
|Brahms, Lieder und Gesänge, M. Goerne, C. Eschenbach (May 27, 2016)
|Bruckner, Symphony No. 7, Dresden Staatskapelle, C. Thielemann (May 13, 2016)
|Rautavaara, Rubáiyát, G. Finley, Helsinki Philharmonic, J. Storgårds (May 13, 2016)
|Meyerbeer, Dinorah, P. Ciofi, Deutsche Oper Berlin, E. Mazzola (May 13, 2016)
|C. Rouse, Symphonies 3-4, New York Philharmonic, A. Gilbert (May 13, 2016)
|"Schöne Welt...", A. Schwanewilms, C. Spencer (May 13, 2016)
|Scriabin, Symphonies 1/2, London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, V. Gergiev (May 13, 2016)
|J. Tower, String Quartets 3-5, Daedalus Quartet, Miami Quartet (April 8, 2016)
|Bach, Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, R. Barton Pine (April 1, 2016)
|Schmidt, The Book of Seven Seals, K.F. Vogt, Philharmoniker Hamburg, S. Young (March 11, 2016)
|Felix Weingartner, Die Dorfschule, Deutsche Oper Berlin, J. Lacombe (March 11, 2016)
|FolksLied, C. Gerhaher, A. Barachovsky, S. Klinger, G. Huber (March 11, 2016)
|A. Sokolović, Folklore Imaginaire, Ensemble Transmission (March 11, 2016)
|D. Scarlatti, Keyboard Sonatas, Vol. 2, Y. Sudbin (March 11, 2016)
|A. Schnittke, Penitential Psalms, H.-C. Rademann, RIAS Kammerchor (March 4, 2016)
|Honegger/Ibert, L'Aiglon, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, K. Nagano (March 4, 2016)
|J.A. Hasse, Artaserse, Ensemble Barocco dell'OII, C. Rovaris (February 26, 2016)
|J.S. Bach, Sonatas and Partitas, Johanna Martzy (February 12, 2016)
|Orff, Gisei — das Opfer, Berlin Deutsche Oper, J. Lacombe (February 12, 2016)
|Ravel, L'heure espagnole, ON de Lyon, L. Slatkin (February 12, 2016)
|W. Braunfels, Lieder, M. Petersen, K. Jarnot, E. Schneider (February 12, 2016)
|Water, H. Grimaud (January 29, 2016)
|The Last Concert, Berlin Philharmonic, C. Abbado (January 22, 2016)
|Mozart, Keyboard Works, Vols. 8/9, Kristian Bezuidenhout (January 8, 2016)
|Bach, Soprano Cantatas, D. Mields, L'Orfeo Barockorchester, M. Gaigg (January 8, 2016)
|J.S. Mayr, Saffo, A.L. Brown, Concerto de Bassus, F. Hauk (January 8, 2016)
|Lasso, Magnificat Settings, Die Singphoniker (January 8, 2016)
|J. Rosenmüller, Marienvesper, Knabenchor Hannover (January 8, 2016)
|Conversations avec Dieu, Le Concert Étranger, I. Jedlin (December 3, 2015)
|A. Casella, Orchestral Works, Vol. 4, BBC Philharmonic, G. Noseda (November 13, 2015)
|Lars-Erik Larsson, Orchestral Works, Vol. 2, Helsingborg SO, A. Manze (November 13, 2015)
|G. Abos, A Maltese Christmas, Kölner Akademie, M.A. Willens (November 13, 2015)
|J.S. Bach, Birthday Cantatas (BWV 213/214), J. Lunn, Bach Collegium Japan, M. Suzuki (November 13, 2015)
|K. Saariaho, Music for Flute, C. Hoitenga, Da Camera of Houston (November 13, 2015)
|Sibelius, Scaramouche Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, L. Segerstam (November 13, 2015)
|John Luther Adams, Ilimaq, G. Kotche, J. L. Adams (October 30, 2015)
|M. Feldman, For Bunita Marcus, I. Ilić (October 23, 2015)
|Hindemith, Symphonie 'Mathis der Maler', NDR SO, C. Eschenbach (October 9, 2015)
|A Wondrous Mystery (Clemens non Papa, Jacob Handl), Stile Antico (October 9, 2015)
|W.F. Bach, Harpsichord Concertos, Il Convito, M. Gratton (October 9, 2015)
|Gluck, Orfeo e Euridice, Insula, Accentus, L. Equilbey (October 9, 2015)
|Sibelius, Incidental Music, Vol. 5, Turku Philharmonic, L. Segerstam (October 9, 2015)
|A. Honegger, Symphonies 2 and 3, Stuttgart RSO, S. Denève (October 9, 2015)
|J.S. Bach, Organ Works, Vol. 1, M.Suzuki (October 9, 2015)
|Itzhak Perlman, Complete Warner Recordings (September 25, 2015)
|F. David, Herculanum, V. Gens, K. Deshayes, Brussels Philharmonic, H. Niquet (September 25, 2015)
|Arias for Luigi Marchesi, A. Hallenberg, Stile Galante, S. Aresi (September 25, 2015)
|Star Wars: The Force Awakens, directed by J. J. Abrams (April 5, 2016)
|Jafar Panahi's Taxi, directed by Jafar Panahi (March 1, 2016)
|Effie Gray, directed by Richard Laxton, E. Thompson (February 2, 2016)
|The Cut, directed by Fatih Akin (January 19, 2016)


text:
Tolkien Gateway
m (Bot: European Date Format - 11 August)
m (Bot: European Date Format - 14 October)
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* [[1 January|January 1]], 2006 - Foundation of [[Tolkien News]]
* [[1 January|January 1]], 2006 - Foundation of [[Tolkien News]]
* [[2 April|April 2]], 2006 - Opening of the [[Forum:Council|Forums]]<ref name="Forum Create">"[[Forum:Welcome to the Council forum!]]" (accessed [[November 24]], [[2010]])</ref>
* [[2 April|April 2]], 2006 - Opening of the [[Forum:Council|Forums]]<ref name="Forum Create">"[[Forum:Welcome to the Council forum!]]" (accessed [[November 24]], [[2010]])</ref>
* [[October 14]], 2006 - Creation of [[Tolkien Gateway:Projects|Projects]]
* [[October 14]], 2006 - Creation of [[Tolkien Gateway:Projects|Projects]]
* [[October 16]], 2006 - Default skin changed to "Cavendish"<ref name="2006u"/>
* [[October 16]], 2006 - Default skin changed to "Cavendish"<ref name="2006u"/>
* [[14 April|April 14]], 2007 - New [[Main Page]] design<ref name="Old Main Page">"[http://tolkiengateway.net/w/index.php?title=Main_Page&oldid=42029 Main Page oldid=42029]" (accessed [[November 24]], [[2010]])</ref>
* [[14 April|April 14]], 2007 - New [[Main Page]] design<ref name="Old Main Page">"[http://tolkiengateway.net/w/index.php?title=Main_Page&oldid=42029 Main Page oldid=42029]" (accessed [[November 24]], [[2010]])</ref>
Revision as of 19:56, 8 June 2011
- This is the encyclopedic article about Tolkien Gateway, for generic help and information see Help:Contents or Community Portal.
|Alexa rank
|Wiki; collaborative encyclopedia
|Article count
|Required (since June 2010)
|Key people
(see Top Editors)
|Launch date
|June 3, 2005
Inspired by the recent release of The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy, Tolkien Gateway was founded by Hyarion on January 1, 2003 as http://tolkiengateway.cjb.net, then http://tolkiengateway.tk, before eventually opening up as http://tolkiengateway.net on June 3, 2005. Tolkien Gateway uses the same MediaWiki software as Wikia and Wikipedia whilst operating a GNU-FDL licence.
Tolkien Gateway is determined to inform you as much as possible about J.R.R. Tolkien and his masterpieces. Our goal is to have the most complete database about Middle-earth and Tolkien as possible.
Key Dates
- See also: Tolkien Gateway:Updates
- January 1, 2003 - TolkienGateway is created as a PHP-Nuke website[2]
- February 8, 2003 - TolkienGateway migrated from Angelfire Angelfire.com to new server at FuturePoint.com[2]
- By August, 2003 - Switched domain from http://tolkiengateway.cjb.net to http://tolkiengateway.tk[2]
- November 6, 2004 - TolkienGateway.net domain is purchased[2]
- In January 2005 - We launch our own IRC network for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien[2]
- June 3, 2005 - Our wiki project is started[2]
- January 1, 2006 - Foundation of Tolkien News
- April 2, 2006 - Opening of the Forums[3]
- October 14, 2006 - Creation of Projects
- October 16, 2006 - Default skin changed to "Cavendish"[4]
- April 14, 2007 - New Main Page design[5]
- April 15 - 18, 2007 - The Children of Húrin Release Party hosted by Tolkien Gateway
- October 4, 2007 - the ability to add interwiki links was included[6]
- April 30, 2008 - the Map is created[7]
- In July, 2008 - Tolkien Gateway reaches 1,000 registers users[8]
- July 12, 2008 - Tolkien Gateway passes 7,000 articles[9]
- August 17, 2008 - Ederchil is promoted to administrator[10]
- August 26, 2008 - Default skin changed to "Gateway to Ithilien"[11]
- June 23, 2010 - Tolkien Gateway is locked to anonymous editors[12]
- June 27, 2010 - Ederchil promoted to bureaucrat[10]
- July 14, 2010 - Mith promoted to administrator[10]
- October 25, 2010 - Tolkien Gateway reaches 2,000 registered users[8]
History by year
Inspired by the recent release of The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy, Hyarion created TolkienGateway on January 1, 2003 as a community and an encyclopedia at http://tolkiengateway.cjb.net. Sporting a tan-coloured skin, TolkienGateway made use of the free PHP-Nuke software.[13]
In February, Hyarion decide to move the web-hosting of TolkienGateway from Angelfire to FuturePoint. By August, Hyarion migrated to the free, and more aesthetically-pleasing, domain of http://tolkiengateway.tk.[14]
On November 6, Hyarion purchased the domain http://tolkiengateway.net and begins work on creating a proper wiki. By March 2005, the original TolkienGateway has gone offline so Hyarion can focus on the new website.[14]
In January 2005 Tolkien Gateway's IRC chat was opened; this enabled both Tolkien Gateway editors and users from other websites to congregate in a single place for discussion of their respective websites and the works of Tolkien.[15] Tolkien Gateway's IRC, irc://irc.tolkiengateway.net, is still in use today.
After a long hiatus, Tolkien Gateway opened to the public on June 3 with Hyarion as the sole administrator and bureaucrat. In order for Tolkien Gateway to have a sizeable number of articles ready for its released, many were copied from either The Encyclopedia of Arda or Wikipedia; this has since been criticised by later editors who have struggled to identify and update all such articles.[16]
Notable editors during this time include BrightSideoftheDark, Bokkie, Elemmakil, Gandalf, Hyarion and Tik.
On January 1 2006 Hyarion opened a second website, Tolkien News, as a another source of information, in competition with TheOneRing.net, but without the commercial advertising. The website closed in 2008
Technically, 2006 was a very important year for Tolkien Gateway: it saw the introduction of the fresh Cavendish skin, the creation of a forum for editors to discuss important issues, a community portal, and the ability to embed video. Furthermore, 2006 witnessed impressive growth in page views: from less than 200,000 page views at the start of the year to a million by October, by this point Tolkien Gateway was also witnessing 3,000 pages views per day.[4]
2006 also witnessed modest growth in members from about 180 at the start of year to 422 at the end of the end of the year.[8] Important editors during this time include Ardamir, Earendilyon, Ebakunin, Hyarion, Mith, Narfil Palùrfalas, Tar-Telperien and Tik.
20072007 saw attempts by Hyarion to increase Tolkien Gateway's user base and reach. In particular, coinciding with the release of The Children of Húrin Hyarion arranged The Children of Húrin Release Party an online gathering of artists, collectors, scholars and fans to celebrate the publication of this fresh story; a record-breaking 69 new users joined Tolkien Gateway in April 2007 as a result of this.[8] Coinciding with The Children of Húrin Release Party, Hyarion also introduced a brand new Main Page layout which still remains the basis for the current Main Page.
On October 4, Hyarion introduced interwiki links allowing Tolkien Gateway's English articles to be connected to the fellow wikis Ardapedia (German) and Kontu (Finnish).[6] Since then, interwiki links have also been expanded to the French website Tolkiendil and Farsi website Valimar.
Influential editors during this period include Dr Death, Dwarf Lord, Earendilyon, Elemmakil Fleela, Hyarion, Mith, Narfil Palùrfalas, Tar-Telperien, Theoden1 and Tik.
The first major event of 2008 was a server move, "Due to the rapid growth of Tolkien Gateway we will be migrating to a new quad-core server with 8 gigs of RAM."[17] Tolkien Gateway moves server on roughly a year basis every time resulting in considerable downtime and residual problems; this move was no exception![18]
On April 30, 2008 the first major extension to the wiki's content was the creation of a map which seeks to list all the important locations in the world relevant to Tolkien's life, publications and adaptations.[7] The expansion of the wiki continues, reaching 7,000 articles by July 12[9] whilst gaining an extra 366 members over the course of the year, taking the total membership to 788.[8]
In the summer, Hyarion revealed to editors that he had been in discussions with the the administrators of One Wiki to Rule Them All, the Tolkien encyclopedia of Wikia, to merge the two sites together. Although the proposal wasn't fully fleshed-out, members of both communities got so far as registering their intention to vote on the issue before Wikia staff decided they were unwilling to let go of their own site - the merger never took place.[19] A happy side-effect, however, is that many One Wiki editors migrated permanently to Tolkien Gateway, including the One Wiki bureaucrat KingAragorn.[20]
what a shame. It's almost comical that they ignored the wiki until there were any talks of leaving, at which point they realized they'd be losing money so they now have all of their employees pretending to be active contributors. Anyway, we're moving past it, they are not worth the time
—Hyarion on Wikia's staff attitude towards a merger of Tolkien Gateway and One Wiki to Rule Them All[20]
The second seminal event of 2008 was the introduction of Meetings. The first meeting was held on August 17, 2008; following the first meeting, Tolkien Gateway saw its very first promotion of Ederchil to administrator, an expansion of Projects to focus the activities of members, and a more extensive Community Portal.[21] Meetings continued on a weekly basis until October.[22]
Finally, on August 26, the "Gateway to Ithilien" was made the default skin for Tolkien Gateway, and - with minor alterations - still remains the default skin today.[11]
Top contributors during this period include Aule the Smith, Dwarf Lord, Earendilyon, Ederchil, Eldarion Telcontar, KingAragorn, Linathiel, Mith, Narfil Palùrfalas, Quidon88, Sage, Þelma, Theoden1, and Tik as well as KingAragorn Bot
Apart from another difficult server move,[23] 2009 was a relatively uneventful year for Tolkien Gateway and its editors. Despite this, Tolkien Gateway gained the largest number of editors in any year (481),[8] as well as passing the threshold of 8,000 articles.
Frequent editors of 2009 include: Ebakunin, Ederchil, Eldarion Telcontar, Grond, Hyarion, KingAragorn, Mith, Morgan, Mthomas, Pinkkeith, Þelma and Sage, as well as KingAragorn Bot.
2010 started eventfully for Tolkien Gateway as a new editor, Gilgamesh, including Quenya and Sindarin declension templates in the majority of articles - this led to an intense discussion between Gilgamesh on the one hand, and Ederchil, Mith and Sage on the other (arguing that their appearance and canonicity were questionable). Eventually, all the templates were removed.[24]
Despite reaching its fifth birthday (as a wiki) this was left uncelebrated by the editors. Indeed, some editors expressed disquiet about existing technical problems, the paucity of editors and the inactivity of Hyarion with some editors suggesting that the project should be forked. Following this, Tolkien Gateway witness a re-emergence of its meetings,[22] Hyarion became more active (updating the MediaWiki software), Ederchil was promoted to a bureaucrat and Mith was promoted to administrator/sysop.[25] It was also at this time that, with great reluctance,[26] that members of the community decided to lock Tolkien Gateway to anonymous editors; this was in order to prevent the large numbers of spammers who were vandalising articles.[12]
In the summer of 2010, Kris Kowal from 3rin.gs added links to Tolkien Gateway - alongside existing ones to the Encyclopedia of Arda - on his interactive map.[27]
During this time, many key projects were embarked upon by editors: the relatively new editor Morgan working on bibliographical information;[28] Mith working on the Timeline and years; Ederchil and Mith updated and expanded infoboxes; Mith and KingAragorn trying to remove five-years of redirected links (with the aid of their bots);[29][30] KingAragorn re-categorisation all location articles; Sage working on language-related articles; and Amroth and Pinkkeith working on video-games articles. Other high-frequency editors include: Aule the Smith, Gilgamesh, Grond, Mthomas and Theoden1, along with the aforementioned KingAragorn Bot and Mithbot.
- See also: Wiki#Trustworthiness and Criticism of Wikipedia for criticism of wikis in general
Like other wikis, Tolkien Gateway has been criticised for the reliability of its information, its lack of sources and the frequency of its revisions. In particular, in the summer of 2010, Tolkien Gateway was criticised for confusing the two articles for Norman Power and Joseph Power; the prominent scholars Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull said:
The Tolkien Gateway entry for Norman Power makes a terrible hash of it by conjoining Norman and Joseph. How on earth could the writer think that someone said to be born in 1925 (Joseph) could be a student at Oxford in the late 1930s? [..] Well, call us old-fashioned (we do), and we admit to having only a passing knowledge of the ways of wiki-creation, but it would never occur to us to post a work-in-progress, to be cleaned up by someone else, especially since people often take wiki articles, in any state of completion, as gospel truth.
—Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull[31][32]
Despite Morgan launching a defence of Tolkien Gateway on The Lord of the Rings Fanatics Plaza, although accepting that Tolkien Gateway was better than other online encyclopaedias, the members generally complained about the unreliability of Tolkien Gateway - and wikis in general - and the ephemeral nature of the Internet, with an agreement that there was a "distressing lack of sources".[33] The article English and Welsh was paraded as a particularly bad example; once Morgan informed other Gatekeepers of this, KingAragorn posed the question, "If they have a problem with it, then what's stopping them from editing it?", Aule the Smith retorted, "A mix of snootiness and cranky technophobia, it would seem...".[34] In response to the criticisms raised, both the "Joseph Power"/"Norman Power" and "English and Welsh" articles have been amended.
In a review of Tolkien Gateway, Kristine Kastle claimed that it was only appropriate for the younger reader, it suffered from poor navigation, and the design was basic, lacking colour and that the life was sucked out of it; she gave Tolkien Gateway a score of 1.5 out of 4 which translates as, "Well now at least the website is recognizable as a website; style is still not pretty much nonexistant."[35] The skin has been updated twice since the review although the navigation system has changed little.[18]
Commenting on Tolkien Gateway, Troels Forchhammer says that "[i]t suffers from the same problems as any wiki when the subject is one of some fame or notoriety and in particular when the subject lends itself to strongly held opinions". He also marks that Tolkien Gateway is "trying to add thorough references to their articles, but has still a way to go."[36]
See Also
- Tolkien Gateway:Membership Growth, for detailed membership statistics and graphs
External Links
- http://tolkiengateway.cjb.net at Internet Archive: Wayback Machine
- http://tolkiengateway.tk at Internet Archive: Wayback Machine
- Tolkien Gateway at One Wiki to Rule Them All
- Wikipedia articles that link to Tolkien Gateway
- ↑ "List of Tolkien Encyclopedias", based on research by Mith (accessed November 19 2010)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 From "Tolkien Gateway: About" (accessed November 24, 2010)
- ↑ "Forum:Welcome to the Council forum!" (accessed November 24, 2010)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Tolkien Gateway:Updates#2006" (accessed November 21, 2010)
- ↑ "Main Page oldid=42029" (accessed November 24, 2010)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Tolkien Gateway:Updates", entry 10-4-07 (accessed November 20, 2010)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Tolkien Gateway:Updates, entry 4-14-08 (accessed November 21, 2010)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Personal research by Mith
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Tolkien Gateway:Updates, entry 7-12-08 (accessed November 21, 2010)
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "User Rights Log" (accessed November 24, 2010)
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Tolkien Gateway:Updates", entry 8-26-08 (accessed November 21, 2010)
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Forum:Database Lock" (accessed November 24, 2010)
- ↑ Internet Archive: Wayback Machine, "http://tolkiengateway.cjb.net" (accessed November 21, 2010)
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Internet Archive: Wayback Machine, "http://tolkiengateway.tk" (accessed November 21, 2010)
- ↑ "Tolkien Gateway:Chat (accessed November 21, 2010)
- ↑ See "Tolkien Gateway talk:Meetings/5 September 2010#Ideas for Agenda" (accessed November 21, 2010)
- ↑ Tolkien Gateway:Updates, entry 1-29-08 (accessed November 21, 2010)
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Tolkien Gateway:Updates" (accessed November 19, 2010)
- ↑ "User talk:Hyarion#Merge" (accessed November 21, 2010)
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 "User talk:Hyarion/Archive 4#Merge" (accessed November 21, 2010)
- ↑ "Tolkien Gateway:Meetings/17 August 2008" (accessed November 21, 2010)
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Tolkien Gateway:Meetings" (accessed November 21, 2010)
- ↑ "Tolkien Gateway:Updates", entry 9-2-09 (accessed November 24, 2010)
- ↑ "Forum:Quenya declension template appearance" (accessed November 24, 2010)
- ↑ "Tolkien Gateway:Requests for adminship/Archive#Mith (28/06/10)" (accessed November 24, 2010)
- ↑ "User talk:Ederchil#Anti-spam strategies" (accessed November 24, 2010)
- ↑ "References for Middle-earth" (accessed November 24, 2010)
- ↑ "Writings by J.R.R. Tolkien" (accessed November 24, 2010)
- ↑ "Forum:Linking to redirects" (accessed November 24, 2010)
- ↑ See "Redirects" for progress (accessed November 24, 2010)
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings Fanatics Plaza, "Brother Joseph Power's experiences of Tolkien, post #7238261", dated July 26, 2010 (accessed November 19, 2010)
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings Fanatics Plaza, "Brother Joseph Power's experiences of Tolkien, post #7239909", dated July 29, 2010 (accessed November 19, 2010)
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings Fanatics Plaza, "The future of Tolkien knowledge", dated July 30 to August 11 2010 (accessed November 19, 2010)
- ↑ "Talk:English and Welsh" (accessed November 19, 2010)
- ↑ Kristine Kastle on Collaborative Web Review, "Tolkien Gateway Review" (accessed November 19, 2010)
- ↑ The Tolkien Newsgroups' Links Collection, dated 5 August 2008 (accessed 26 April 2011)


text:
Click the Enlarge Button to go Full Screen photo gallery mode
Keystone Park Session Preview With Cioffi, Sweetin, Morgan, Pierce, Paxson
Photos: Darcy Bacha
Words: Joel Muzzey
Keystone was sick! The second stop of TransWorld's new Park Sessions series just wrapped up at Keystone, Colorado. Following the headline-making, kick-off session at Snowmass, Colorado, the action at Keystone proves that this new series is anything but predictable. Riders at Keystone included Johnnie Paxson, Cam Pierce, Ethan Morgan, Niko Cioffi, and Austen Sweetin. These five riders fed off each other and the incredible array of obstacles, hits, and options in Keystone's legendary Area 51 parks. Back-to-back sunny days with a dedicated, hardworking park crew meant that each day of the Park Sessions something new was going down. The Keystone park crew raked trannies and takeoffs with surgical precision while the snowcats adjusted and re-shaped their eye-popping park features. The atmosphere was charged—the riders were amping on these open-park sessions while the bravest of the ticket-buying public could slide right in and hit the features themselves. Check the images and the edit and ask yourself—does this look fun or what?
Here is a Trailer for the Keystone Session went down last week
Video by Mark Wiitanen, Tyler Malay, Justin Gunson
Music: Twin Boys "The Line" check their Facebook


text:
Million Dollar Spaghetti is my family's FAVORITE meal, so I thought I would share it with all of you!!Ingredients
1 lb. of Ground Beef
1 can of Spaghetti Sauce
8 oz of Cream Cheese1/4 cup of Sour Cream
1/2 lb. of Cottage Cheese
Whole Stick of Butter
8 oz. of Noodles
Bag of Sharp Chedder Cheese
First: Go ahead and put your over on 350! Boil those noodles!! While they are boiling go ahead and mix up the cream cheese, sour cream and cottage cheese!!
Make sure that it is mixed up VERY well!
Then.. go ahead and cook that meat!
Make sure its good and brown and drain it!
Then pour your spaghetti sauce over it!
Take a few slices of your butter and put them in the bottom of your casserole dish,
Then layer HALF of the noodles in the bottom of the dish!
and SPREAAAAAD it all over!
Then add the rest of your noodles and put a few slices of butter on top of those noodles.
Now pour the red sauce and meat on top!
and once again SPREEAAAAD
After those 30 minutes take the dish out and pour some chedder cheese on the top and put it back in the oven for 15 minutes!
Then your DONE!
Now I'm awful and didn't take a finished project picture, SORRY!
But the amazing taste will make up for it:)


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I worry about dogs on TV. I'm not talking about the dogs on reality shows like "Dog Whisperer," "Dog Town," or even "Animal Cops," but rather the ones featured in dramas or comedies. There is always that line at the end of the credits that says "no animals were harmed" in the making of the program. Sure, the animal actors are probably fine, but what about all those animals acquired by folks on a whim because of dogs seen on TV?
I am particularly sensitive about this because I live with a rescued Jack Russell Terrier. This is the breed that was made popular on "Frasier," PBS's "Wishbone," and the 2000 movie "A Dog Named Skip." JRTs tend to be very intelligent dogs and no doubt make good little canine actors. The problem is that people see these dogs on TV and assume that they would be perfect pets. They can be great pets, but usually not for sedentary old men or small children. So your TVs lied to you on this one.
Which brings me to the reason I am currently worried about dogs on TV.
Are you watching ABC's new drama "Nashville"? It's a fast-moving weekly soap opera starring Connie Britton, Hayden Panettiere, and Charles Esten. It's a big hit at my house. They recently added a dog to the cast. Juliette (the rich and impetuous rising star played by Panettiere) just gave Deacon (her guitarist and sometime love interest played by Esten) a yellow lab puppy for his birthday. She thought he should have a dog since he loves the movie "Old Yeller" so much.
Is it clear to everyone that this is a terrible idea? Juliette has lots of terrible ideas. She is not a model of how anyone should behave. But she is an attractive human specimen, and it's possible that some people may emulate her. Which makes me worry and feel the need to write.
Please don't give puppies as gifts -- especially surprise gifts! The fact that someone loves to passively watch a movie about a dog from time to time does not necessarily mean that they will also love to actively care for a living being every day for the next fifteen years! Giving an animal as a gift is almost always a bad idea. On the show the puppy is cute, but Deacon doesn't want him and doesn't know what to do with him. He doesn't even name him until the dog's attractive (female) veterinarian urges him to do so.
But let's make this a learning opportunity. Don't do what Deacon does.
Here are the top three mistakes that Deacon makes with his new dog:
1) Don't play for your dog, play with your dog. Deacon is a guitarist so he thinks that his new dog will enjoy hearing him play all the songs he knows. Such music might comfort a human child, but is alien to a canine pup. Deacon needs to put down his guitar and pick up a rope toy! Directing a young dog to an appropriate outlet for his chewing impulse is important. And playing with a dog teaches him that you are fun and someone good to be around. Get down on the floor and play for ten minutes a few times every day. Provide other appropriate chew toys for quieter moments. And by all means remove all shoes, belts, and guitar straps from the reach of your young pup!
2) Don't just sit there talking about how much energy your dog has. Deacon sits on his porch while the puppy stands on the lawn restrained by a retractable leash. Deacon needs to interact with him, move with him, encourage his dog to follow or "chase" him. It's true that puppies (like kids) have energy to burn. Help them burn it off in appropriate ways by going on a walk or playing in an open field. Ten minutes of rowdy outdoor play will likely lead to a nap later on, plus it builds your bond with the animal.
3) Stop complaining about the chaos of living with a puppy; instead establish a routine for him. Deacon observes that his puppy has already peed everywhere in his house. He needs to realize that housebreaking a dog requires vigilance and patience. Ideally take your puppy outside every two hours and praise him to the sky whenever he does his business outside. Be ridiculous about it! Act like it's the best thing that has ever happened! It won't take long for your pup to get the idea. If you can't let your pup outside every two hours, consider using a puppy pads in a designated pee zone in your kitchen or look into crate training. But understand that puppies don't have the bladder control of adults. Don't ask them to do the impossible and then punish them later for it. (In general training with praise and rewards for good behavior is far more effective with dogs than punishments for bad behavior.)
I hope that "Nashville" will feature Deacon's relationship with his dog for many episodes to come. And I hope that Deacon's veterinarian girlfriend teaches him these (and other) good practices for sharing a home with a canine friend. But I'm not betting on it. More likely the dog will disappear after just a couple of episodes. And thus this TV show -- like so many others before it -- will teach people the wrong lesson, namely that dogs are possessions that we can give and return according to our whims.


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TOPEKA � The Newton High School girls� basketball team outplayed top-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas for three quarters. It was the second quarter that proved to be the Railers� undoing in a 42-40 loss to the Saints Friday in the Class 5A state semifinals at the Topeka Expocentre.?Newton was outscored 16-2 in the second quarter.?Aquinas, 23-1, advances to the state finals at 4 p.m. today. It was the Saints� 11th straight win. Newton, 19-5, plays for third place at noon.?�I couldn�t be more proud of the way we played and with the way we fought,� Newton coach Randy Jordan said. �We could have easily folded when we got down nine. We kept battling. They deserve that credit. Like I told them, short-term memory. They�ve got one more. I think we�ll respond.�?Aquinas was led by guard Allie Dierks with 13 points. Haleigh Cindrich added nine points.?Newton was led by Abbie Lehman with 16 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots. Sophomore Taylor Stahly added 16 points, hitting five of eight 3-point shots. Emily Hiebert scored just one point, but had five assists and three steals.?�(Stahly) stepped up big,� Jordan said. �We had to have her. I noticed on film from the Andover game, we put her at the (point guard) too much and took out of the ball out of her hands in terms of the stagger screen to get her open. I felt like we needed three or four threes from her. She had a lot of confidence tonight. That helped her teammates. I had a lot of confidence in her. We tried to get her in the offense, and she stepped up and hit some big shots.?�Abbie played well defensively. We had to take a choice with (Cindrich) because we didn�t want to go out to defend her, but we didn�t want her shooting from the outside. She hit one or two threes (one for three from 3-point range). Hannah (Carlgren) did a great job on Kendra (Weledji, who scored 25 in the Saints� first-round win). She had six points tonight. Logan (Porter) guarded her.�?Down 8-7, the Railers made a 9-0 run. A Claire Ferguson layup with 10 seconds left in the period ended the run and cut the Railer lead to six, 16-10.?The Saints made a 11-0 run to start the second quarter, hitting two 3-pointers and three of four free throws. Lehman broke the run with a layup with 2:03 remaining in the first half. Newton wouldn�t score again in the quarter. An Allie Dierks trey with three seconds left in the half put Aquinas up by eight, 26-18.?Newton hit six of 12 from the field in the first quarter, but fell to one of eight in the second quarter. Aquinas went from five of 17 shooting in the first quarter to five of eight in the second.?Newton made an 8-2 run to start the third quarter. Rhyann Fisher hit a trey to break the run and get Aquinas back out by five, 31-26, at the end of the period. Newton missed numerous chances to draw close in the final two minutes of the period.?Newton turned the ball over twice to open the fourth quarter, setting up an Aquinas layup. Newton replied with a pair of Lehman free throws and a Stahly trey to pull within two. A Kelsi Langley steal set up a pair of Lehman free throws to tie the game with 4:35 remaining in regulation. Newton forced another turnover, but missed a layup chance on the other end.?Ferguson broke the tie with a layup with 3:04 in regulation. Newton lost the ball on the other end when the arrow on a held ball pointed Aquinas� way. Dierks then hit one of two free throws. Dierks put Aquinas back up by six with a three-point play with 57.8 seconds in regulation. After one of two Stahly free throws, Cindrich hit a layup.?Lehman got Newton within four with a trey with 29.3 seconds in regulation.?After one of two Aquinas free throws, Stahly hit a trey with 10 seconds in regulation to get back within two. Aquinas missed a free throw, but a Stahly 35-foot shot at the buzzer missed.?�I�m going to look at the positives tonight � how, when we got down, we responded,� Jordan said. �We fought through some adversity tonight. It didn�t go our way. That�s basketball. Like I told them, �Life hands you adversity. How are you going to respond?� We have one more to play tomorrow. We�ll enjoy the rest of the day and get ready for tomorrow.�?Newton plays Kapaun-Mt. Carmel for third place in a rematch of the third-place game of the Newton Invitational, won by the Railers 48-44. Kapaun fell to Mill Valley 34-32 in the state semifinals.
NEWTON (19-5) � Porter 0-0 0-0 0, Anderson 0-4 0-0 0, Stahly 5-8 1-2 16, Hiebert 0-4 1-2 1, Lehman 5-11 5-6 16, Langley 2-7 1-2 5, Carlgren 1-4 0-0 2, TOTALS 13-38 8-12 40.?ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (23-1) � Fisher 1-3 0-1 3, Dierks 3-6 5-7 13, Loughman 1-1 0-0 2, Sweeney 0-2 0-0 0, Schmidt 0-0 0-0 0, Weledji 3-6 0-0 6, Cindrich 3-8 2-2 9, Ferguson 3-8 1-2 7, Young 1-2 0-0 2, TOTALS 15-36 8-12 42.?Newton 16 2 8 14 �40?St. Th.Aq. 10 16 5 11 �42?Total fouls � New. 15, STA 13. Technical fouls � none. Fouled out � none. 3-point shooting � New. 6-10 (Stahly 5-8, Lehman 1-1, Langley 0-1), STA 4-8 (Fisher 1-1, Dierks 2-2, Weledji 0-2, Cindrich 1-3). Rebounds � New. 21 (Lehman 12), STA 29 (three with 5). Assists � New. 9 (Hiebert 5), STA 12 (Fisher 4). Turnovers � New. 9 (three with 2), STA 11 (three with 3). Blocked shots � New. 6 (Lehman 5), STA 1 (Loughman 1). Steals � New. 5 (Hiebert 3), STA 4 (Fisher 2).


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There was a woman who was called Miss Flo by the man who loved her. Loved her like what? A son, a nephew, yes, but mostly, Cosme McMoon loved Florence Foster Jenkins like a true friend should.
This unlikely "high brow, low brow" story of friendship, based on the lives of the equally unlikely singing career of a deluded New York socialite and her increasingly protective accompanist, is the often funny, always sweet, subject of Flat Rock Playhouse's newest Mainstage production, "Souvenir" by Stephen Temperley.
During the purposefully languid beginning, we are introduced to McMoon, who, decades after Jenkins' death, is playing in a piano bar in New York. He can't stop thinking about the old friend of his youth whose surprise success becomes the highlight of his own career.
Soon, the memories come to life, as Jenkins herself, played impeccably by FRP favorite Linda Edwards, bursts upon the scene. In his director's notes, Vincent Marini informs us that Edwards championed the play for years, having performed it in 2007 at FRP for a short run. It is clear that Edwards is dedicated to the role.
Quickly mincing across the stage in a succession of fantastic period costumes designed by the late, beloved Bridget Bartlett, frantically shuffling musical score sheets, lovingly patting the piano, seriously preparing to sing, and, oh my, actually singing — every movement, facial expression and sound enhances the character of this maddening but lovable woman.
As the show continues, Cosme McMoon leads us, often comically, often poignantly, through the 12 years of his relationship with Jenkins.
McMoon's love and concern for her continues to grow, but there is part of him that can't stand what he is doing to his art, to himself.
Time and time again, it is Jenkins who comes skittering in to smooth the ruffled feathers or wrinkled brow. She exudes the confidence he lacks, exploding with enthusiasm for some new outrageous project that seems doomed to failure, yet inexplicably succeeds, while his own work continues to languish in obscurity.
There are a few rare moments, however, when it is Jenkins who needs comforting, and McMoon is there, like any true friend, assuring her, and often against his better judgment as an artist, encouraging her to pursue her dreams. In the end it is McMoon, and the incredible talent of Edwards, which helps us hear the true voice of Jenkins.
It took an extraordinary man, a talented one, a gentle and humble one, to partner with Jenkins, and it takes an extraordinary actor to take on the role of McMoon. Carl Danielsen is such an actor.
A professional composer as well as actor, Danielsen seems born for the part of McMoon. He must have an innate sense for the emotions the young man must have had as a serious musician whose primary gig was playing for an older woman who was seen by many as a joke. There is a sweetness about his protective concern that is deeply touching.
He also plays and sings beautifully, not only the popular jazz tunes of McMoon's time such as "One for My Baby" and "Crazy Rhythm," but also the classical pieces that Jenkins loved to warble, including, hilariously, Mozart's "Queen of the Night" aria from Die Zauberfloete.
However, Danielsen is also an excellent actor, the perfect Abbott to Edwards' Costello during the comic moments, yet believable in his pain and grief during the bittersweet ones. His is a fitting tribute to a special woman.
Ah, Jenkins, what you may have lacked in talent you made up for in unalloyed, irrepressible enthusiasm. Every audience must have fallen in love with you, as we must now. For you loved music more than anything, and you believed in yourself.
If we all could find our passion and pursue it with all our hearts as you did, the world would be a different, indeed a better, place.
Katie Winkler, a member of the Dramatist Guild of America, teaches English at Blue Ridge Community College, where she is also active in the drama department as an actor, director and playwright.
Edwards, Danielsen bring unlikely pair to life in 'Souvenir'
There was a woman who was called Miss Flo by the man who loved her. Loved her like what? A son, a nephew, yes, but mostly, Cosme McMoon loved Florence Foster Jenkins like a true friend should.


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Pay close attention to three areas of the Department of Labor's reproposed fiduciary rule once it's released in July, says Brad Campbell, former head of the DOL's Employee Benefits Security Administration.
First will be the new prohibited transactions exemptions, "and what they will allow," said Campbell (left), who's now an attorney with the Financial Services ERISA Team at Drinker Biddle & Reath in Washington, on the law firm's Inside the Beltway conference call Tuesday.
Fred Reish, head of Financial Services ERISA team at Drinker Biddle, who was also on the call, said that "the fiduciary aspects" of the DOL's proposal were "manageable" and agreed with Campbell that "the prohibited transactions" in the revised rule would be "where the rubber hits the road." Going forward, he said, "the debate will be in the prohibited transaction issues."
The next area to focus on will be how EBSA applies the rule to the IRA marketplace, which was included in the previous draft. This will "change how providers interact with [IRA] holders," Campbell said.
The revised rule will also include new rules on the rollover solicitation process, Campbell said. "I suspect that [EBSA will say] a conversation about a rollover is a fiduciary conversation," he said. If this is part of the revised rule, "that would present a lot of real difficulties and changes for rollovers."
Campbell told conference call listeners that the "significance" of EBSA's fiduciary rule "is less about the way you make a decision or the quality of the advice, but the business model behind you."
DOL, in changing the definition of fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), has "bitten off such a huge issue that we're going to have to spend a lot of time to get through [the reproposed rule] within the 60 to 90 comment period," Campbell said.
So how do advisors themselves feel about a stronger fiduciary standard for all advisors, and how are they "putting clients first" absent a single standard? We invite you to participate in the third annual fiduciary survey sponsored by AdvisorOne and Fi360.—Ed.


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Raymond James (RJF) said Tuesday it had wrapped up the conversion of Morgan Keegan operations and clients into Raymond James' technology systems, and the Morgan Keegan brand had been retired.
The St. Petersburg, Fla.-based broker-dealer says that over the 10-month integration, more than 500,000 client accounts were transferred from Morgan Keegan to Raymond James. To make this happen, conversion specialists were trained and deployed to about 100 branches.
"It's been really exciting that throughout the integration and combining of our firms, we have kept a critical focus on retaining all financial advisors from Raymond James and Morgan Keegan with very high service levels and Private Client Group leadership, which planned, prepared and executed the conversion extremely well," said Tash Elwyn (left), president of Raymond James & Associates-Private Client Group, the firm's traditional employee channel, in an interview with AdvisorOne. "And at the same time, we've delivered many new IT applications to FAs that continue to enhance our competitive position within the industry."
The broker-dealer field does not always get IT conversions "right." In fact, the merger of Morgan Stanley and Smith Barney attracted a lot of negative press due to the perceived slow, complicated nature of the transition of Smith Barney reps to the Morgan Stanley platform.
Raymond James seems to have learned from the experience of other firms. In November 2011, it hired Vincent Campagnoli to become head of Private Client Group technology strategy and development. Before joining Raymond James, Campagnoli held senior-level positions at UBS Wealth Management-Americas (UBS), Morgan Stanley (UBS) and Prudential/Wachovia Securities (now part of Wells Fargo).
Most important, in each of these three prior roles, Raymond James says, Campagnoli worked closely with Bella Loykhter Allaire. Allaire was hired by Raymond James in June 2011 to become the firm's executive vice president of technology and operations.
"Above and beyond, we built a team within the two firms of 100 conversion trainers who were Raymond James and Morgan Keegan associates and not outside consultants," explained Elwyn. "They know systems and were trained in systems, and perhaps most important, they know the culture and they care."
These 100 "conversion trainers" were put into the Morgan Keegan branches in mid-February, so the integration could take place over the three-day President's Day weekend. By Feb. 19, everything was branded Raymond James, according to the company.
Plans outlined during the first stages of the merger—which was first announced on Jan. 11, 2012—allowed for the Morgan Keegan brand to be preserved in certain business segments for up to two years. "But former Morgan Keegan executives asked for the brand to be retired sooner, embracing the Raymond James brand and signaling a sign of confidence in our collective future," the company said in a press release.
St. Petersburg, Fla.-based Raymond James Financial completed its $1.2 billion cash purchase of Morgan Keegan on April 2 of last year. As part of the merger, Raymond James offered retention letters to about 600 of Morgan Keegan's roughly 1,000 advisors; the seven-year deals went to those averaging $300,000 and up in yearly fees & commissions.
Raymond James says it has retained about 95% of the revenue associated with the Morgan Keegan financial advisors who were offered retention packages, as well as more than a dozen senior executives, including former Morgan Keegan CEO and current Raymond James President John Carson.
Raymond James' advisor headcount in the United States was 5,427 as of Dec. 31, including both independent and employee reps. Morgan Keegan advisors—added in the quarter ending June 30—numbered 869 in the most-recent quarter, as the firm experienced attrition of lower-producing Morgan Keegan reps, it said in its latest earnings release.
While he can't comment on the reasons individual reps have departed, "We are very, very excited that so many Morgan Keegan financial advisors have chosen to be part of the Private Client Group," Elwyn said. "The percentages show that the Morgan Keegan FAs have voted overwhelmingly for what they see is a benefit for their clients and their business as a result of the two groups coming together."
The head of PCG said that the conversion was indeed "a Herculean effort with infinite complexity" and that the firm is "proud of the work its IT, operations and other departments executed."
As for what lies ahead, Raymond James "will focus on great work in training and development that can continue to help advisors meet client needs," Elwyn said. "There's lots of real excitement as Morgan Keegan reps get technology and other access to resources from Raymond James and vice versa for the Raymond James advisors, in terms of the depth of Morgan Keegan in fixed income as a complement to our existing strengths."


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1971 Topps #.50 Willie McCovey (Giants) Baseball cardPrice = $ 12.95
Select a different Sport or Vintage Baseball Cards set Enter words,partial words,partial words with wildcards (*) or a phrase in quotes.
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Below are some tidbits on baseball and sportscard collecting.
Visit our web site for more info on vintage and current
baseball, football, basketball, hockey, sports and
non-sport cards and card collecting.
Like all collectibles, some sports cards increase in value and a few can become very valuable. Determining a card's value is based on a number of factors including the popularity of the player, the card's scarcity, it's condition, and demand among collectors. A card can be scarce but if there's no demand for it, it's value may not be to great.
Q: What are some of the ways to collect cards ? There are several different ways to collect cards. For example, you can try to collect all the cards in a given set. Or you can focus on cards of your favorite team or even just your favorite player.
Some people only collect Rookie cards while others only collect cards of Hall-of-Famers. Because of the high cost of vintage sports cards today a growingly popular way to collect sportscards is "Type Collecting".
"Type Collecting" is collecting just one of each "type" (or different issue) made. To keep costs down, on some of the scarcer more expensive issues you can simply add a less expensive "common" to your collection. While on more common or recent issues you can select your favorite player or a card from your favorite team.
No matter how you collect - the key is to have fun !
1974 Topps StampsTopps released this 240 stamp issue in 1974. These 1 by 1 1/2 stamp are unnumbered and feature a color photo with the player's name, team and position inside a colored oval at the bottom of the stamp. Very similar to their 1969 Topps Stamps issue, the 1974 Topps Stamps were issued in panels of 12 stamps. Alomg with the stamps, Topps also issued a set of 24 stamp albums, one per team, to store the stamps. Due to double prints and different combinations of stamps on panels there are actually 24 different 12-Stamp panels. The stamps were not inserts but a totally separate issue and were sold in packs containing one 12-Stamp panel along with one stamp album.
The 1974 Topps Stamps set is packed with SuperStars including over 23 members of the Baseball Hall-of-Fame with greats such as Nolan Ryan, Hank Aaron, Johnny Bench, Ernie Banks, Pete Rose, Reggie Jackson, Al Kaline, Joe Morgan, Willie Stargell, Tom Seaver and plenty more !!! The set even contains seldom seen ROOKIES of Dave Winfield and Dave Parker.
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1974 Topps Baseball Stamps checklist and prices
1963 Topps StickersAnother of the interesting Topps Issues of the 1960's !
Topps inserted these Stick-Ons (stickers) in several of series of their 1963 Topps baseball cards. Interestingly, the Stick-On inserts were not mentioned or advertised on wax pack wrappers in 1963.
The complete 1963 Topps Stick-Ons set is packed with HALL-OF-FAMERS and contains 46 stickers measuring 1-1/4" x 2-3/4". The Stick-Ons come in 2 distinct variations. They can be found either with instructions printed on the back or the much scarcer blank-back variation.
The Stick-Ons have with an approx. 3/16" "white" band running left to right across the mug shot. This band appears to be lighter than the printing above and below it. Theory is that it is an aging effect caused by the backing strip.
TOP STARS: Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Hank Aaron, Sandy Koufax, Stan Musial, Al Kaline, Carl Yastrzemski, Ernie Banks and tons MORE !!!
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Home » Visit Princes Risborough
Visit Princes Risborough
The small but fascinating old market town of Princes Risborough lies between the Vale of Aylesbury and the western edge of the Chiltern Hills. It is dominated by Whiteleaf Cross, which is the chalk hill carving that can be most readily appreciated by taking a trip on the Railway.
The history of Princes Risborough stretches back to the time of the Doomsday Book, but its Royal name is thought to be from the 14th century Black Prince, who owned land and had a small palace in the vicinity. The town is also where the famous aviator Amy Johnson once lived.
Despite the urban growth experienced during the last century, the actual centre of the town, which is about 15 minutes walk from the station, has fortunately managed to retain much of its old world charm, and it also has a pleasing selection of shops, good pubs, old inns, and a choice of restaurants and cafes.
Nearby the High Street is the parish church of St. Mary, which is a handsome building of flint and stone, originally of the 13th century, but with Tudor additions and alterations, and next to the church is Princes Risborough Manor House, a handsome 17th century mellow brick building owned by the National Trust.
The little streets of 17th and 18th century cottages, many of them half-timbered and displaying herringbone brickwork, open out into the Market Square with its Market House and open arcade, where weekly markets and annual fairs are still held.


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Piazza de' Pitti, set at an unusual angle on a slope at the base of the hill of Boboli, is dominated by the immense façade of Palazzo Pitti, which thrusts forward with two porticoed structures. This Palazzo is the largest one in all Florence and is faced with large stone ashlars.
The original building, begun around 1458 for the merchant and banker Luca Pitti, was designed by Luca Fancelli. One century later the construction was purchased by Cosimo I and Eleonora of Toledo.
It became the new site of the Medici court. In 1558 Bartolomeo Ammannati began working on enlarging the building and replaced the two side portals with massive windows, the 'finestre inginocchiate'.
Despite the fact that the work to enlarge the façade continued for well over two centuries, it is noteworthy that, in all this work, the modular sequence of the original construction was unfailingly respected and reproduced, resulting finally in the great and spectacular creation that we can see today. The palazzo, which for three centuries was the residence4 of the Medici and of the Lorena, housed the court of Savoy in the period when Florence was capital of Italy (1865-71).
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Palazzo Pitti
Piazza de' Pitti.
Open 8.15am-6.50pm.
Closed on Mon.