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The Oddball Card Collector
There is surprisingly little information found on the web today regarding the numerous "oddball" card sets released over the past 40 or so years. Thousands of different sets have been printed during this time, featuring every imaginable sport from bowling to jai alai. We will shine our spotlight on random sets we pull from our shoebox... Who knows which cards will be next? Feel free to email me at policefan71@yahoo.com with any questions or comments!
Collecting Odell Beckham Jr.
I've decided to start collecting Odell Beckham Jr. Cards. We share our hometown of New Orleans, and I've been an LSU fan since I can remember. Some of my earliest football memories include Hall of Fame wide receiver Lynn Swann, and in my opinion both players display exceptional grace and style when a football is lobbed in their direction. Beckham probably has more raw talent than Swann did, if I dare say so, and will probably wind up with numbers much bigger than Swann because of the many changes occurring to the modern-day passing game these past 35 years.
There's a certain excitement associated with collecting current players. Though I've never collected cards for investment purposes, there's an undeniable rush when a player does well on the field and you have several of his cards tucked away in your collection. I'm looking forward to having this feeling for many years to come with the Beckham collection.
Now a few words regarding dollars and sense. Odell's rookie cards were released during the 2014 NFL season, and as of this writing, pretty much all of the 2015 cards have been released. The first thing I noticed when monitoring his rookie cards was the fact that they are very reasonably priced on eBay; his base rookies from sets like Bowman, Topps, Strata and Score can be had for a couple of bucks apiece. Even serial numbered jersey cards start at ten dollars or so. Beckham's autographed rookies start near the $50 range, once again usually selling considerably below "book" value. It's amazing to compare these prices to the 1986 Donruss Jose Canseco rookie card, which was selling for $60 or more back in 1990. My oh my, how this hobby has changed since then.
Beckham's 2015 cards are even cheaper, with his base cards virtually being given away. Inserts from 2015 aren't far behind, with the Panini Clear Vision jersey card pictured below being snagged for less than the price of a cup of Starbuck's coffee. I will admit that I'm concentrating on his 2014 rookie cards, but seem to be obtaining a steady stream of the '15s as they are often included in the large player lots I like to buy.
Collect what you like; that's always the golden rule. I'm liking me some Odell B. these days, and I may even have a slight case of the rookie hoarding syndrome -- but hey, work with me here. When I can buy 25 to 30 Beckham rookies for the same price that one '86 Donruss Canseco cost back in 1990, why wouldn't I?
Click here to find Odell Beckham Cards on eBay
Posted by Anthony Nunez at 4:42 PM 2 comments:
Collecting Andy Pettitte
Of course I collect oddball cards. I love 'em.
Oddball cards have been the focus of my collection for many years now, and will continue to be so. Researching and locating these food, police and SGA issues are a fun challenge... And there are always plenty of cards waiting to be found -- it's just a matter of the direction you wish to take.
In addition to collecting oddball cards of all kinds, I have also collected Andy Pettitte cards for a long time. I went to high school with Andy in Deer Park, Texas, then left for the Army after my graduation in 1989. Andy graduated the following year and was drafted by the Yankees.
I wouldn't describe myself as an Andy Pettitte super collector because I lack most of his high-end cards. His rookie card, found in the 1993 Bowman set, is inexpensive enough. His minor league cards are also cheap; one that is probably undervalued is Andy's 1993 South Atlantic League All-Stars card, of which only 2,000 were printed.
Some of the most expensive Pettitte cards are pack-pulled autographs shared with other players. The 1997 Stadium Club Co-Signers card comes to mind, with Pettitte's signature on one side and Derek Jeter's on the other (these days the card will set you back around $250 or so). Topps released an Andy Pettitte/Paul O'Neill laundry tag/patch folding card in 2012, autographed by both and serial numbered to 10, which also sells in the $250 range. Needless to say, I don't own either of these!
Of the 550-plus different Pettitte cards that I do own, the most unique one probably comes from the infamous 2008 Topps Moments and Milestones set. For those who don't know, this set was a horrible idea. For EACH of Pettitte's 201 wins at the time, cards serial numbered to 150 were printed. In addition, chase cards numbered to 25, 10 and 1 of 1 were also issued -- once again for EACH of the 201 wins! What was Topps thinking? Anyhow, I managed to get the 1 of 1 card commemorating Andy's first victory. I also snagged the 001/150 card commemorating his first victory, for what it's worth.
I still do the occasional search for unique Pettitte cards, and recently acquired one of his game used Astros alternate jerseys from the 2006 season. It was originally purchased from one of the big Minute Maid Park memorabilia sales by a local fan, who later sold it to me for a very fair price. It certainly beats the price of a game used Yankees shirt!
Damn, I'm getting old. Andy retired for good after the 2013 season, with a few additional cards of him being issued in some of the 2014 sets. Now that the Pettitte collecting has inevitably slowed down this past year, it was time to make a hobby-altering personal decision. I have decided to start collecting a young, fresh football player who I believe is destined to become one of the all-time greats. Understand that this decision will be controversial... Discussions will be heated. But it's time to move on and focus on a new single-player collection that I believe will be an interesting one to build. I'll reveal the name of this new collecting subject in my next post, but here's a hint... Know that I was born in New Orleans and have been an LSU fan most of my life.
Click here to find Andy Pettitte Cards on eBay
Posted by Anthony Nunez at 1:14 PM No comments:
1974 Marc's Big Boy Milwaukee Brewers Team Photo
Every now and then, a sharp-eyed collector will find a scarce (or formerly scarce) item that surfaces in quantity on eBay. Often, the item will be quietly absorbed into the collections of hobbyists, with a minimal effect on the value. Other times, the newfound quantities will be large enough to lower the value of the item, as the supply vs. demand ratio has been permanently skewed.
Which of these two situations will occur is yet to be seen for the 1974 Marc's Big Boy Milwaukee Brewers Team Photo, which showed up in quantity this past month or two through the Kruk Cards store on eBay.
From what I can tell, this "card" has never been documented in any of the hobby reference books. FYI, I refer to this oversized 9" x 12 1/4" issue as a card, because it is printed on white, medium-weight cardstock. While this was apparently a premium for the local Big Boy restaurants in the Milwaukee area, little else in known. Restaurants were known to release sports-themed placemats during this era, but they were usually printed on paper versus the cardstock seen here.
What makes this issue important to Brewers and Hall of Fame collectors alike is the fact that a young Robin Yount is pictured during his rookie season with Milwaukee -- a full year before the release of his first Topps card. Though Yount played in only 104 games with the club that year, he was fortunately included in the team photo shoot. And for those geeky collectors who are always on the lookout for scarce photos (I may or may not be one of those geeks), it is worth noting that the pic used on this Big Boy issue varies ever so slightly from the one found most often elsewhere. The biggest difference at a glance is of slugger George Scott, found in the upper left corner, who has his hand on his hip in the Big Boy photo. The more common version of the team photo shows Scott with his hand down at his side. Right below Scott is equipment manager Bob Sullivan, who is wearing a scowl in the Big Boy photo versus a smile in the common photo.
I won't speculate on the value here, but it's safe to say that Kruk Cards is virtually giving these away right now. I've seen Kruk buy large collections in the past, then turn around and unload unique items at very reasonable prices. I'm not sure how many '74 Big Boy Brewers photos were purchased by Kruk, but they seem to have more than a few in stock. Not knowing what they may or may not be worth in the future, I'll say as a collector to just grab 'em while you can at a reasonable price!
Click here to find 1974 Brewers Photos on eBay
Posted by Anthony Nunez at 9:07 AM 1 comment:
Labels: 1974, Baseball Oddball, Brewers Sets, MLB
1981/82 Georgetown Hoyas Basketball Police Set
The Georgetown Hoyas basketball team was the subject of yearly police card sets that were first issued during the 1981/82 season, and continued through the late 1990s (up to the 1996/97 season, I believe). Quick backstory: The modern police card era began with the NBA's 1977/78 Portland Trailblazers set, while with college basketball the first modern examples were released in 1980/81 for both the Arizona Wildcats and Wichita State Shockers; Georgetown followed with their first set a year later.
The 1981/82 Hoyas police set consists of 20 cards, and consists of fourteen players, four coaches, a team photo, and a mascot card. Card fronts feature black and white portraits, flanked by a dark, large blue border with white edges. Each player's name, uniform number, position, height, college year and home town are listed across the bottom fronts. Each card back features a basketball term and safety tip, as well as a Safeway sponsor logo across the bottom. Sets were printed on very thin white cardboard stock, which makes them very condition sensitive to corner wear and "toning" on the backs.
Whether by design or luck, Georgetown's first police set has the distinction of featuring a card of freshman center Patrick Ewing, who would of course go on to make eleven All-Star appearances in the NBA, be a two-time inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame, and be voted to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team (Ewing is also featured in the next three Georgetown police sets). Senior Eric "Sleepy" Floyd, who is also represented, went on to play thirteen productive seasons in the NBA. Another card of note is that of legendary head coach and Hall of Famer John Thompson, who guided the team quite successfully from 1972 through 1999.
These 80/81 cards seem to be pretty scarce. I have been on the police card prowl for many years, and rarely do I see these sets hit the market; even on eBay at the time of this writing, only one incomplete set and two graded Ewing singles are to be found on the entire site. I'm not sure if the production numbers were ever released for any of the Georgetown cards, but later Hoyas issues are certainly much easier to find than this inaugural set.
The next year's 1982/83 set is very similar in appearance, but lacks "GEORGETOWN BASKETBALL" across the top fronts of the cards. On the lower backs of the 1982/83 cards, the "GAMES PRODUCTION, Inc." name is found in the place of Safeway.
At one time, during the glory years of Patrick Ewing as well as the glory years of speculative card collecting, this 1981/82 set was known to sell in the $100 to $120 range. Today's value is more likely in the neighborhood of $75 to $100.
Random Fact: According to the back of the mascot card, collecting a complete set of these cards would have won two free tickets to a Georgetown basketball game.
Click here to find Hoyas Police Sets on eBay
1. Jack the Bulldog
2. Elvado Smith, G, Freshman
3. Eric Smith, F, Senior
4. Pat Ewing, C, Freshman
5. Anthony Jones, F, Freshman
6. Bill Martin, F, Freshman
7. Bill Stein, Asst. Coach
8. Norman Washington, Grad. Asst. Coach
9. Ed Spriggs, C, Senior
10. Eric Floyd, G, Senior
11. Gene Smith, G, Sophomore
12. Fred Brown, G, Sophomore
13. Mike Hancock, F, Senior
14. Kurt Kaull, G, Junior
15. Ed Meyers, Asst. Coach
16. Ron Blaylock, G, Senior
17. David Blue, F, Junior
18. John Thompson, Head Coach
19. Ralph Dalton, C, Freshman
20. Team Photo
Labels: 1981, 1982, Basketball Police Sets, Hoyas Sets
2011 DAV Cedar Rapids Kernels Set
Let's be clear about one thing... This set is ruled by a king boss, and his name is Mike Trout.
The DAV (Disabled American Veterans) organization began sponsoring stadium giveaway sets some time in the early 2000s. While the DAV cards given away at Major League parks typically feature current Major League players, the sets given away at Minor League parks usually feature current MiLB players in their Minors unis. In the case of the 2011 Cedar Rapids set, we are presented with a "hybrid" issue, as this set of fifteen cards showcases Kernels alumni who went on to play at the Major League level. Each player is pictured as a Kernel during their time with the A-level club.
The Kernels have been an Angels affiliate since 1993, the year after the Reds organization left town. Over the past 20 or so years an impressive number of future Major League All-Stars have worn the Kernels uniform, as this set attests. Mike Trout is doubtlessly the greatest Kernel player to date, and might even be the reason that an alumni-style set was chosen (he played for the club briefly in 2009, and in 81 games in 2010). On a side note, Trout was also featured in the 2010 DAV Kernels set as an active player.
Card fronts are colorful and unique, which has been a trademark look for most DAV sets over the years. All card backs in the set are similar, with no specific details relating to the players pictured on the fronts. Each is numbered between 80 and 94, as the cards are sequentially numbered with the other Minor League sets released by the DAV that season.
The Minor League DAV sets always have modest print runs. This 2011 Kernels set was given out on Monday, May 30 (Memorial Day) at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Only 1,000 sets were printed, making this a fairly scarce prize for collectors of Trout, Kendrick, Aybar and company. Sets were originally packaged in sealed, clear plastic cello bags.
The quality controls on this release were pretty high, as the cards tend to be clean and well-centered. One pesky problem is the colored borders, which make gem mint copies of these cards virtually impossible to find even straight out of the factory cello bags (thanks to even the slightest of wear on the corners and edges). A fresh, undisturbed set is probably worth in the neighborhood of $50 or so.
Click here to find 2011 Kernels cards on eBay
80. Mike Trout, OF
81. Casey Kotchman, INF
82. Ervin Santana, P
83. Howie Kendrick, INF
84. Erick Aybar, INF
85. Bengie Molina, C
86. Jeff Mathis, C
87. Mike Napoli, C
88. Alberto Callaspo, INF
89. Alexi Casilla, INF
90. John Lackey, P
91. Jordan Walden, P
92. Bobby Jenks, P
93. Hank Conger, C
94. Mark Trumbo, INF
Labels: 2011, Baseball Oddball, DAV Sets, Kernels Sets, MiLB, Minor League
1985 Sports Design Products Doug West Set (Series II)
Click here to see the blog post detailing the 1984 Doug West Set (Series I).
For the second and final time, another set of 24 retired baseball stars was printed by a company called Sports Design Products. Released in 1985, this set shared virtually the same design as it's predecessor, which was released the year before. As far as I can tell, the only real difference in design between the two sets is that this second series was printed with red and blue backs, as opposed to red or blue backs.
Sets were released in clear plastic boxes that were similar to the year before, complete with the SDP logo on the front. Cards in the newer set are numbered 25 through 48. Artist Doug West once again painted 24 original illustrations for this set. Being just 24 years old at the time this set was released, West remains an active sports artist today.
According to Sports Design Products, 5,000 Series II sets were released, with an additional 250 uncut sheets also being printed. As an active follower of the various uncut oddball sheets that surface on the market, I can't remember the last time I saw an uncut sheet from either of these two series available. Though the production runs for both sets are 5,000 each, it seems like the Series II set is slightly harder to find today. This doesn't translate to more dollars, however, and both sets maintain a current value in the $10 to $15 range. If an uncut sheet were to surface, I'd estimate it's value in the $20 to $30 range.
Random Fact: Five subjects in the set are pictured playing for two different teams (as noted below).
Click here to hunt for Doug West sets on eBay
25. Lou Gehrig, Yankees
26. Hoyt Wilhelm, Angels/White Sox
27. Enos Slaughter, Yankees
28. Lou Brock, Cardinals
29. Mickey Cochrane, Tigers
30. Gil Hodges, Dodgers/Mets
31. Yogi Berra, Yankees
32. Carl Hubbell, Giants
33. Hank Greenberg, Tigers
34. Pee Wee Reese, Dodgers
35. Casey Stengel, Bees/Yankees
36. Ralph Kiner, Pirates/Indians
37. Satchel Paige, Indians
38. Richie Ashburn, Phillies
39. Connie Mack, Athletics
40. Dick Groat, Pirates
41. Tony Oliva, Twins
42. Honus Wagner, Pirates
43. Denny Mclain, Tigers
44. Johnny Mize, Giants/Cardinals
45. Bob Lemon, Indians
46. Ferguson Jenkins, Cubs
47. Babe Ruth, Yankees
48. Ted Kluszewski, Reds
Labels: 1985, Baseball Oddball, MLB
1984 Sports Design Products Doug West Set
Artist Doug West painted 24 beautiful illustrations for this nifty set of retired baseball greats. Released in 1984 by Sports Design Products, the set came in a clear plastic box that featured the SDP logo on the front. According to the company, 5,000 sets were released and another 250 uncut sheets were issued. A second series of another 24 cards would be released the following year, featuring a similar design on both the fronts and backs.
Cards measure the standard 2 1/2" by 3 1/2" size, and are printed on white cardstock. The player's illustrations fill the majority of card fronts, with names and positions in a blue or red box across the bottom. The SDP logo appears at the lower right. Card backs feature short player biographies and career statistic totals, printed in either blue or red.
Only the best of the best are found in this set, with Yankees catcher Thurman Munson being the lone player not enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The artwork is excellent, but seems to be unceremoniously hindered by the ever-present borders found on cards of the day (Mother's Cookies were just releasing their first borderless baseball cards right about this time). I kinda like the 1960s minimalist industrial feel of the cards, but they look like something the Department of Defense could have released during the Vietnam War. These same illustrations, released today on borderless, canvas cards would truly be breathtaking.
Doug West was only 23 years old when this set was released, and is still going strong in the world of sports art. You can learn all about Doug and his art right on his website.
I like these cards and I like Doug West. Having an original release price around $8, a fresh set in the original box is worth around $10 to $15. I can't remember the last time I found one of the 250 uncut sheets for sale, but I imagine it would sell in the $20 to $30 range to the right buyer. Collectors have always given a cool reception to sets featuring retired players, and this set is no exception. With the release being over thirty years old now, these cards should be of interest to baseball fans who are seeking to collect limited editions that were produced before the "junk wax" era of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Random Fact: Joe DiMaggio is the only card in the set with a horizontal layout.
1. Jackie Robinson, Dodgers
2. Luis Aparicio, Orioles
3. Roberto Clemente, Pirates
4. Mickey Mantle, Yankees
5. Joe DiMaggio, Yankees
6. Willie Stargell, Pirates
7. Brooks Robinson, Orioles
8. Ty Cobb, Tigers
9. Don Drysdale, Dodgers
10. Bob Feller, Indians
11. Stan Musial, Cardinals
12. Al Kaline, Tigers
13. Willie Mays, Giants
14. Willie McCovey, Giants
15. Thurman Munson, Yankees
16. Charlie Gehringer, Tigers
17. Eddie Mathews, Braves
18. Carl Yastrzemski, Red Sox
19. Warren Spahn, Braves
20. Ted Williams, Red Sox
21. Ernie Banks, Cubs
22. Roy Campanella, Dodgers
23. Harmon Killebrew, Twins
24. Duke Snider, Dodgers
1981 Pittsburgh Steelers Police Set
When your favorite team played the Steelers in the mid-1970s and early 1980s, the end result probably wasn't a favorable one for the ___________ (insert the name of any team that isn't the Steelers).
Widely considered the greatest dynasty in NFL history, the Steelers of this era showed up on Sundays with the intention of beating all comers. Badly. Just imagine being the defensive coordinator that was tasked with controlling the Steelers offense... Where do you begin? You need to cover a Hall of Fame center (Webster), who's hiking the ball to a Hall of Fame quarterback (Bradshaw), who's handing the ball off to a Hall of Fame running back (Harris), or perhaps throwing the ball to one of his two Hall of Fame wide receivers (Swann and Stallworth).
Whaaaaaat?
Offensive coordinators didn't fare much better against the Steelers defense. Running the ball wasn't easy against a Hall of Fame defensive Tackle (Greene) and a soon-to-be Hall of Fame defensive end (Greenwood). Two Hall of Fame linebackers (Lambert and Ham) provided an unmatched second line of defense. A Hall of Fame cornerback (Blount) and possible Hall of Fame safety (Shell) were willing and able to handle the best opposing wide receivers.
The 1981 set is the first of a long line of yearly Steelers police sets that changed very little for over a decade... And this first set appeared none too soon, as the Steelers dynasty was coming to a close. Consisting of 16 player cards, every player mentioned above is featured in this remarkable issue. Card fronts feature a Steelers helmet and "stenciled" team name across the top. with a large action photo adorning the middle. Below each photo is the player's name, position, height and weight. Backs have a Coca-Cola and Kiwanis logo at the top, with a "Steeler's Tip" occupying the middle. The set sponsors are listed at the bottom (the local Kiwanis Club, Coca-Cola, the local Police Department and the Pittsburgh Steelers). Cards are not numbered except for uniform numbers on the fronts.
Because of the high-profile status of these players, most were well-represented in the yearly Topps football sets. One exception is legendary wide receiver Lynn Swann, who decided not to sign with Topps after the 1977 season (he is found in Topps sets from 1975-1977). He makes a welcome appearance in the Steeler's first police set four years later, and makes his final appearance in the second police set released by the team a year later in 1982.
I would challenge anyone to find a team set containing at least 16 cards where over half of the players are in the Hall of Fame. It's a fool's errand. For this reason alone, you need to own this set (you'll be a huge hit with the ladies at your next party when you whip out this baby.... women love winners!) The cards aren't impossible to find, but these '81s are probably a touch scarcer than the police sets the Steelers would release in the years following. Expect to pay around $15 for a set that's in nice shape.
Random Fact: Larry Brown was converted from tight end to offensive tackle before the 1977 season began, but is mistakenly listed as a tight end in this set.
Click here to find Steelers Police Sets on eBay
(9) Matt Bahr, K
(12) Terry Bradshaw, QB
(31) Donnie Shell, DB
(32) Franco Harris, RB
(47) Mel Blount, CB
(52) Mike Webster, C
(57) Sam Davis, G
(58) Jack Lambert, LB
(59) Jack Ham, LB
(64) Steve Furness, DT
(68) L.C. Greenwood, DE
(75) Joe Greene, DT
(76) John Banaszak, DE
(79) Larry Brown, TE
(82) John Stallworth, WR
(88) Lynn Swann, WR
Posted by Anthony Nunez at 10:33 AM No comments:
Labels: 1981, Football Police Sets, NFL, Steelers Sets
2001 Grandstand Southern League Top Prospects Set
Prospect sets are fun. Lots of fun.
Dozens upon dozens of Minor League Baseball prospects sets have been created over the years, and they always provide years of entertainment, as the players pictured thread their way at varying speeds though the uncertain maze towards the Majors.
The 2001 Southern League Top Prospects set, produced by Grandstand, is one typical example. Consisting of thirty player cards and a header, borderless photos and a glossy surface help to give card fronts a slick new-millennium appeal. Backs are printed in black and give player statistics for the 2000 season, as well as Minor League totals. Surprisingly, the cards are not numbered except for player uniform numbers.
Being an AA league, a large percentage of these prospects saw time in the Majors. As always, some of the players "missed it by that much," while others went on to enjoy All-Star seasons (Josh Hamilton, Adam Dunn, Carl Crawford and Felipe Lopez each received the latter recognition).
The volatile up and down price fluctuations of Minor League cards are very similar to those of the rookie cards released in mainstream major League sets. Fickle collectors and speculators are constantly shifting their focus to the "hot" on-field performers of the moment. In the case of older prospect sets such as this, history has already run it's course and the prices always stabilize -- usually at a very reasonable price if no superstars or Hall of Fame-caliber players are found within.
We'd estimate the current market value of this set in the $10 to $15 range, and think it's a great addition to any baseball fan's collection.
Click here to find 2001 Southern League Cards
(1) Cory Aldridge, Greenville Braves
(2) Luke Allen, Jacksonville Suns
(3) Josh Bard, Carolina Mudcats
(4) Joe Borchard, Birmingham Barons
(5) Mike Bynum, Mobile BayBears
(6) Pasqual Coco, Tennessee Smokies
(7) Carl Crawford, Orlando Rays
(8) Bubba Crosby, Jacksonville Suns
(9) Juan Cruz, West Tenn Diamond Jaxx
(10) Adam Dunn, Chattanooga Lookouts
(11) Cam Esslinger, Carolina Mudcats
(12) Kris Foster, Jacksonville Suns
(13) Jose Garcia, Huntsville Stars
(14) Josh Hamilton, Orlando Rays
(15) Bobby Hill, West Tenn Diamond Jaxx
(16) Tim Hummel, Birmingham Barons
(17) Josh Kalinowski, Carolina Mudcats
(18) Austin Kearns, Chattanooga Lookouts
(19) David Kelton, West Tenn Diamond Jaxx
(20) Joe Kennedy, Orlando Rays
(21) Felipe Lopez, Tennessee Smokies
(22) Aaron McNeal, Mobile BayBears
(23) Jason Middlebrook, Mobile BayBears
(24) Brian Moon, Huntsville Stars
(25) Nick Neugebauer, Huntsville Stars
(26) Josh Phelps, Tennessee Smokies
(27) Brian Reith, Chattanooga Lookouts
(28) Billy Sylvester, Greenville Braves
(29) Dan Wright, Birmingham Barons
(30) A.J. Zapp, Greenville Braves
(31) Header Card/Checklist
Labels: 2001, Baseball Oddball, MiLB, Minor League, Prospect Sets
1994 Smokey Bear 1993 Jeff King Iditarod Champion Card
Here at the Oddball Card Collector blog, our favorite type of oddball set is the "safety" genre. This type of set includes police cards, fire safety cards, and Smokey the Bear cards (we're not sure if cards issued by hospitals and insurance companies fit the safety card bill, but we collect the hell out of those, too).
Smokey the Bear sets are always pretty cool. Often larger than the standard card size of 3 1/2" by 2 1/2", these issues deliver unique, classy designs on the card fronts, while the backs usually have a Smokey cartoon drawing of some kind. The better-known Smokey card releases tend to feature sports personalities from the various major and minor leagues that play in North America. Countless other Smokey cards have been issued over the years featuring non-sports personalities.
I stumbled upon this card a couple of years ago on eBay and quickly added it to the collection. While technically a sports-themed card, this is apparently more obscure than your typical card featuring Smokey the Bear and Tony Gwynn. Printed in 1994, this card commemorates 1993 Iditarod Champion and race record holder Jeff King. Quite the legend in the mushing world, King has won the Iditarod four times (1993, 1996, 1998, 2006), as well as the Yukon Quest in 1989.
Roughly the size of a postcard at 5 3/4" by 3 3/4", the front design features a large, color photo of King posing with Smokey and five cute dogs. A gold-colored border surrounds the card, with the special Smokey the Bear 50th Anniversary logo found at the bottom. The back features a short bio for King, as well as a Smokey cartoon drawn in the classic fire-safety style.
The card is not numbered, and as far as we can tell is not part of a larger set. The sponsors listed on the back are the USDA Forest Service, National Association of State Foresters, McKinley Volunteer Fire Department and Iditarod Trail Committee. The McKinley F.D. clue helps to narrow down the area where the card was originally distributed.
It's difficult to guess a value on this card, thanks to it's scarce and obscure nature. I could see the right Smokey or Iditarod collector paying ten to twenty dollars for a nice example.
Click here to find Smokey Bear Sets on eBay
Posted by Anthony Nunez at 9:29 AM No comments:
Labels: 1994, Mushing Sets, Smokey Sets
1983 Donruss Action All-Stars Set
Donruss released a yearly oddball baseball "All-Star" set from 1983 through 1989. These cards were separate from Donruss' regular yearly baseball sets and were issued in their own packs. The inaugural issue, featured here, consists of 60 oversized cards that measure 3 1/2" by 5". Fifty-nine players and a checklist card comprise this gem of a set, which has a horizontal, two-photo format on the fronts. Backs are printed in black and red, and feature player statistics and biographies. The cards are numbered.
The focus of the set happens to fall upon a host of seasoned veterans, though a young Cal Ripken makes an appearance one year after the release of his rookie card (Donruss didn't choose the most flattering action photo for young Cal... He's pictured hitting the ball about as far as my daughter did when she was five). Johnny Bench and Carl Yastrzemski are represented in their final All-Star Game, with Yaz first suiting up for the Red Sox back in 1961. A good twenty Hall of Fame players have cards in the set, with Pete Rose, Dale Murphy, Dave Concepcion and Keith Hernandez following right behind.
There has been very little collector interest in the set since the day these cards first hit the shelves over 30 years ago; larger-sized cards like these are typically shunned by the average hobbyist. Donruss later went on to produce their 1988 and 1989 All-Star sets in the standard 2 1/2" by 3 1/2" size, but a lack of hot rookies and prospects all but insured the cold reception that those cards also received.
The '83 Donruss Action All-Stars set isn't hard to find today, and an unopened box of packs should only cost around ten bucks or so. A complete set is valued in the $3 to $5 range.
Random Fact: Detroit Tigers left fielder Larry Herndon appears in the set on card number five... And we have no idea why. Herndon enjoyed a solid fourteen-year Major League career with the Cardinals, Giants and Tigers, but was never an All-Star according to Baseball-Reference.com and Baseball-Almanac.com.
Click here to find cheap Donruss All Star Boxes on eBay
1. Eddie Murray, Orioles
2. Dwight Evans, Red Sox
3. Reggie Jackson, Angels
4. Greg Luzinski, White Sox
5. Larry Herndon, Tigers
6. Al Oliver, Expos
7. Bill Buckner, Cubs
8. Jason Thompson, Pirates
9. Andre Dawson, Expos
10. Greg Minton, Giants
11. Terry Kennedy, Padres
12. Phil Niekro, Braves
13. Willie Wilson, Royals
14. Johnny Bench, Reds
15. Ron Guidry, Yankees
16. Hal McRae, Royals
17. Damaso Garcia, Blue Jays
18. Gary Ward, Twins
19. Cecil Cooper, Brewers
20. Keith Hernandez, Cardinals
21. Ron Cey, Dodgers
22. Rickey Henderson, A's
23. Nolan Ryan, Astros
24. Steve Carlton, Phillies
25. John Stearns, Mets
26. Jim Sundberg, Rangers
27. Joaquin Andujar, Cardinals
28. Gaylord Perry, Mariners
29. Jack Clark, Giants
30. Bill Madlock, Pirates
31. Pete Rose, Phillies
32. Mookie Wilson, Mets
33. Rollie Fingers, Brewers
34. Lonnie Smith, Cardinals
35. Tony Pena, Pirates
36. Dave Winfield, Yankees
37. Tim Lollar, Padres
38. Rod Carew, Angels
39. Toby Harrah, Indians
40. Buddy Bell, Rangers
41. Bruce Sutter, Cardinals
42. George Brett, Royals
43. Carlton Fisk, White Sox
45. Dale Murphy, Braves
46. Bob Horner, Braves
47. Dave Concepcion, Reds
48. Dave Stieb, Blue Jays
49. Kent Hrbek, Twins
50. Lance Parrish, Tigers
51. Joe Niekro, Astros
52. Cal Ripken Jr.
53. Fernando Valenzuela, Dodgers
54. Richie Zisk, Mariners
55. Leon Durham, Cubs
56. Robin Yount, Brewers
57. Mike Schmidt, Phillies
58. Gary Carter, Mets
59. Fred Lynn, Angels
60. Checklist
Labels: 1983, Baseball Oddball, Donruss Sets, MLB
1980 Atlanta Falcons Police Set
Click here to find Falcons Police Cards on eBay
The Atlanta Falcons were a pretty good team in the late 1970s and early 1980s... In fact, the 1980 squad won the NFC West with a twelve and four record, easily making it the best season to date for a Falcons franchise that began play in 1966. Atlanta hosted the hated Cowboys in the divisional playoffs on January 4, 1981, where they wound up losing a heartbreaking come from behind thriller to Dallas, 27 to 30.
The timing was perfect for the release of the 1980 Falcons police set, which was sponsored by The Atlanta Police Athletic League, Northside Atlanta Jaycees and Coca-Cola. The set features 30 player cards, and showcases several Falcons who had been ignored by the too-small, yearly Topps football sets. Defensive backs Tom Pridemore and Kenny Johnson wouldn't get Topps cards until the 1982 season, while their backfield compadre, Rick Byas, would never get a Topps card at all (he joined the Falcons back in 1974). Longtime starting linebacker Buddy Curry would have just one Topps card issued, in 1983, even though he played for the Falcons from 1980 through 1987. Legendary offensive tackle Mike Kenn would get lots of Topps cardboard representation from 1981 through his retirement after the 1994 season, but this '80 police issue managed to sneak Kenn in a year earlier than his Topps rookie card.
Each card front contains a large color photo portrait of a player, along with the player's name, uniform number, position, height, weight and college. A one-bar Falcons helmet is found at the top left of each card front. Backs feature "Tips from The Falcons," as well as three red logos for the sponsors (Atlanta PAL, Northside Atlanta Jaycees and Coke). The cards are not numbered except for the player's uniform numbers.
The Falcons issued a second 30-card police set in 1981, but player studio portraits were replaced with game-day field shots. It should also be noted that the 1980 Falcons police set is considerably scarcer than the '81.
A near mint set is valued in the $25 to $35 range today.
Random Thought: Three of the four players with retired Falcons uniform numbers can be found in the set (quarterback Steve Bartkowski, running back William Andrews and center Jeff Van Note). The fourth player, linebacker Tommy Nobis, retired after the 1976 season. Offensive tackle Mike Kenn's number 78, though not officially retired, has not been worn by a Falcons player since Kenn retired over 20 years ago.
(4) Tim Mazzetti, K
(6) John James, P
(10) Steve Bartkowski, QB
(16) Reggie Smith, WR
(21) Lynn Cain, RB
(22) Rolland Lawrence, CB
(27) Tom Pridemore, S
(28) Frank Reed, CB
(31) William Andrews, RB
(37) Kenny Johnson, S
(38) Rick Byas, DB
(44) Bubba Bean, RB
(50) Buddy Curry, LB
(52) Dewey McClain, LB
(54) Fulton Kuykendall, LB
(56) Al Richardson, LB
(57) Jeff Van Note, C
(58) Joel Williams, LB
(65) Don Smith, DE
(66) Warren Bryant, T
(68) R.C. Thielemann, G
(70) Dave Scott, G
(75) Jeff Merrow, DE
(77) Edgar Fields, DT
(78) Mike Kenn, T
(79) Jeff Yeates, DT
(80) Junior Miller, TE
(84) Alfred Jenkins, WR
(85) Alfred Jackson, WR
(89) Wallace Francis, WR
Labels: 1980, Falcons Sets, Football Police Sets, NFL
eBay Topps NOW Deals
Discussing the eTopps Convention Promo Cards
Click here for a brief overview of the eTopps program. This past week I added a couple of cool eTopps cards to my collection. As show...
Artist Doug West painted 24 beautiful illustrations for this nifty set of retired baseball greats. Released in 1984 by Sports Design Pro...
1985 Chicago Renaissance Society White Sox Set
Consider yourself fortunate if you own these. If you've ever seen a set of 1980s baseball cards that were not marketed to 1980s b...
1986 Fleer Baseball's Best Boxed Set
There's a good chance you wound up here on this blog because you found some baseball cards... In the group was a small box titled &q...
Donruss released a yearly oddball baseball "All-Star" set from 1983 through 1989. These cards were separate from Donruss'...
Great Sportscard Blogs!
The Official Panini America Blog
Panini Peek: A Comprehensive First Look at Panini America's 2020-21 Revolution Basketball
Wrigley Wax
1992 Sport Stars Coins
Wax Pack Gods
1957 Topps Football Cards – 10 most Valuable
Bob Lemke's Blog
Ranew survived 1966 bat attack
1994 Smokey Bear 1993 Jeff King Iditarod Champion ...
Anthony Nunez
I grew up in the the 1980s, and I loved collecting baseball and football cards... So why not write a blog about them? These days, I'm also the Historian for the USFL's Houston Gamblers football club. Our website is Houston-Gamblers.com.


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If you have to accomplish repairs for your Chrysler Dodge 3700 then it will always be a good idea to own a Workshop Manual to keep just for a guide in case that you need to know tips to strip off a specific component like the Dashboard and match it again effectively.
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Q: Is this statement correct : "Certificate of Winner/Champion in English Debating Championship 2022"? I'd like to know how to write a statement in a cover letter telling people about a certificate that I got after winning an English debate.
in my application letter where I wrote down like this:

For your further consideration, I herewith attach the following:

*

*A scanned copy of the Certificate of Champion in Shining High School English Debating Championship 2022,

... and the list goes on.
I would like to know how to put some information about the name of the certificate in my application letter.
Which one is the most appropriate?

*

*A scanned copy of the Certificate of Champion in Shining High School English Debating Championship 2022

*A scanned Certificate of the Winner in Shining High School English Debating Championship 2022

If some of my grammar elements are incorrect, I would be so grateful if you correct them. If you would not mind, probably you might share your explanation why you think a certain structure is rather correct than the other.

A: Both are fine.  The form "A scanned copy of the certificate" is technically more correct, but there is no doubt what "A scanned certificate" means.
As for the rest, you just use the words that are on the Certficate.  If the certificate says you are the "winner" then use "winner.  If it says "Champion", then use "Champion".   You can use quote marks:

A scanned copy of my certificate: "Champion of Shining High School English Debate Competition".

Where the words in quotes are copied literally from the certificate.
It might be better not to do this at all.

I won the Shining High School English debate competition.
etc etc...
I attach scans of my certificates and diplomas,

And let the certificates speak for themselves.

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Yosemite Forum • View topic - Where to buy chains?
I will be traveling to Yosemite Dec. 20 from San Francisco. Where can I purchase chains or cables on the way to fit the tires on a 25' rv,if needed? Thanks!
I would determine the model of tire you have and look that up at a local auto part store, and get those before you go. Will probably be cheaper and give you a better chance of getting the correct size, which is important if you don't want to damage the RV.


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Jacoba Atlas
Jacoba Atlas's reviews only count toward the Tomatometer when published at the following Tomatometer-approved publication(s): Los Angeles Free Press
Publications: Los Angeles Free Press
No Score Yet The Gun (1974) Well worth watching; the rifle association has already been down on their necks. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
Read More | Posted Dec 11, 2019
No Score Yet Memory of Us (1974) Unfortunately Memory of Us seems ultimately empty. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
83% Harry and Tonto (1974) Filled with laughs, good times and human truths, it emerges as the best comedy of 74. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
No Score Yet The Seduction of Mimi (1974) A disciple of Fellini, Ms. Wuitmueller is a supreme satirist. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
82% The Longest Yard (1974) Part burlesque, part social commentary, it's a full out entertainment movie, saved from quick money facileness by the extraordinary "bad boy" comedy performance by Burt Reynolds and the quirky, offbeat direction of Robert Aldrich. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
100% The 400 Blows (Les Quatre cents coups) (1959) It would be impossible to screen a more infectious film than The 400 Blows. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
95% Beauty and The Beast (La Belle et la bête) (1946) One of the most beautiful and brooding films ever made. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
No Score Yet Lovin' Molly (1974) Blythe Danner is wonderful as Molly. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
No Score Yet Buster and Billie (1974) It's not a perfect film, but it does make you care. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
25% Airport 1975 (1974) There's nothing wrong with good old-fashioned disaster thrillers. Unfortunately, [Airport 1975] doesn't deliver. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
87% Phantom of the Paradise (1974) Although It has some good moments, it falls by falling headlong off the lofty precipice to which it aspires. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
No Score Yet Truck Stop Women (1974) A great little gem. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
69% Blood for Dracula (1974) Not quite as much fun as Frankenstein, but wonderful to look at, with some great jokes - including the myriad of accents displayed by members of the cast. However, as fun as it is at times, it can't compare with Bela Lugosi. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
25% The Klansman (1974) The film is hysterical to the point of laughter and dangerously misguided to boot. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
67% Il portiere di notte (The Night Porter) (1974) If you go expecting a Rorschach test for your own responses, the experience will be well worth your time. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
89% Scenes from a Marriage (Scener ur ett äktenskap) (1974) Scenes From a Marriage is as powerful and compelling a film as any of us are ever likely to see. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
91% Lenny (1974) Most damaging of all... is that the film lacks a coherent potnt of view. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
43% The Trial of Billy Jack (El Juicio de Billy Jack) (1974) Don't be fooled by the ads which say the film contains the "most exciting karate sequences ever put on film"; it does not. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
No Score Yet The Second Coming of Suzanne (1974) Banal in the extreme. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
No Score Yet That'll Be the Day (1973) That'll Be the Day perfectly captures the England that gave rise to the Stones (and Turner in Performance), the Beatles, Eric Clapton, The Who and the entire British (i.e., World) upheaval of the sixties. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
Read More | Posted Dec 9, 2019
40% Earthquake (1974) Aside from accepting a poorly written script, director Mark Robson has done well with the suspense, building a tension in the first half of the film that can be cut with a knife. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
No Score Yet The Little Theatre of Jean Renoir (Le petit théâtre de Jean Renoir) (1974) It is indeed something to be thankful for. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
93% A Woman Under the Influence (1975) His most devastating film to date, it proves Cassavetes is a master of sensitivity, intimacy and passion on the screen. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
97% The Godfather, Part II (1974) This movie is so gripping, so intricate and so dense (in the best sense of that word) that its inspirations pale by comparison. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
No Score Yet Birds Do It...Bees Do It... (1974) It is a truly fantastic film about the reproductive habits of various living things, from insects to cows. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
94% Young Frankenstein (1974) It would seem that nothing new or noteworthy could still be gleaned from the Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley creation, but Mel Brooks with Young Frankenstein has done just that. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
70% The Towering Inferno (1974) Like Earthquake, the script here is barely competent. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
No Score Yet Steppenwolf (1974) Director [Fred] Haines obviously has talent, and he's cast his film with care, but the overall effect is somewhat limited; it does not do justice to Hesse and it does not really stand on its own. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
89% Murder on the Orient Express (1974) Its aspirations are admirable; unfortunately, the final film is a heavy-handed misadventure that fizzles flat like day-old champagne. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
80% Dark Star (1974) All good fun, without much substance or lasting power. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
No Score Yet Antonia: A Portrait of the Woman (1974) Antonia, a flim made by Judy Collins and Jill Godmillow, is that rarest movie, one with a definite hero, someone who redefines the meaning of the word. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
No Score Yet Report to the Commissioner (1975) As played, Report To The Commissioner has a tightness and bitter reality that should not be overlooked. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
91% Stavisky... (1974) Deceptively beautiful, deceptively linear, Stavisky is a complex and subtle work, a worthy successor to [Alain] Resnais' most controversial films. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
No Score Yet Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins (Rafferty and the Highway Hustlers) (1975) Devoid of conscience, this film meanders along at a boring pace, touching every leftover base from other movies along the way. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
87% Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) Ellen Burstyn, Alfred Lutter (as the 12-year-old), Diane Ladd and Lelia Goldi are all so marvelous that the effect is staggering. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
69% The Stepford Wives (1975) It's a chilling piece of film-making that sets up its own limitations and achieves its goals with almost clinical precision. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
45% Emmanuelle (1974) It's slick and boring and won't offend anyone - unless they care about movies. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
100% Mahler (1974) A panorama of sight and sound rarely encountered in conventional film making. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
No Score Yet Love at the Top (1974) Sadly, it just isn't worth the time. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
95% Vertigo (1958) Hitchcock's finest film. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
No Score Yet Foreplay (1975) Even if Foreplay isn't the whole enchilada, it's at least the cheese. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
33% Funny Lady (1975) The beginning of Funny Lady is fast paced, beautiful and filled with promise: unfortunately the good times evaporate all too quickly. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
67% The Great Waldo Pepper (1975) It has all the elements of a fantastic, touching movie, except one - a script that engages the audience's interest. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
57% The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975) It has one admirable asset in Anne Bancroft, who is quite simply wonderful. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
53% The Yakuza (1975) We are either given too much information or not enough. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
No Score Yet Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York (1975) Nothing is inventive, nothing is clever, and certain attempts at wit are just plain embarrassing. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
No Score Yet The Manchu Eagle Murder Caper Mystery (1975) Oh, how The Manchu Eagle Murder Caper Mystery tries. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
71% Toute Une Vie (And Now My Love) (1974) A marvelous, entertaining, panoramic movie unlike anything we have seen before. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
20% At Long Last Love (1975) Like a high school production, it reeks of amateur dramatics. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT
100% Love and Death (1975) Suffice to say, it is as weird as it is funny. - Los Angeles Free Press EDIT

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Stranger Things Season 5 Release Date, Rumors, Cast and News
Stranger Things has wrapped up its fourth season, with huge implications for Hawkins and the Upside Down.
But the story isn't over yet – this Netflix item returns for a fifth season. But what do we know about the plot? We've gathered all the rumors and news from the internet and analyzed the last few episodes to predict what might happen next.
If you want to know what else is on Netflix, we've rounded up the best TV shows and the best movies on the platform.
When will Netflix release season 5 of Stranger Things?
Stranger Things season 5 hasn't entered production yet, so we have a long wait. Season 3 took two years to develop and Season 4 took more than three years – although admittedly much of that time was due to COVID-related delays.
With all that in mind, two years sounds like a realistic time frame for what could be the show's most ambitious season yet — so we're expecting it to air sometime in 2024.
Will Stranger Things season 5 be the last?
The Duffer Brothers have confirmed that Season 5 will be the final installment of Stranger Things. It will be a slightly shorter season than the last – although we don't know if we'll get those two-hour episodes again.
At the end, they said in an open letter: "Seven years ago, we planned the entire storyline for Stranger Things. At the time, we predicted that the story would last four to five seasons. It turned out to be too big to tell in fours, but – as you will soon see – we are now flying towards our final. Season 4 will be the penultimate season; season 5 will be the last."
If you're sad about the ending, we've got some good news: The Duffer Brothers aren't done with this universe yet. There will be a spin-off based on the world of Stranger Things with a brand new cast and plot, and there will also be a stage show based on the sci-fi series.
Who is in the cast of Stranger Things season 5?
Netflix hasn't officially confirmed the cast for Season 5 yet, but we can guess who will be returning.
We imagine the core cast will be back – so Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Will (Noah Schnapp), Max (Sadie Sink), Steve (Joe Keery), Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), Robin (Maya Hawke), Erica (Priah Ferguson), Hopper (David Harbour), Joyce (Winona Ryder) Murray (Brett Gelman) and Argyle (Eduardo Franco ) should all return.
We'll almost certainly see the return of the big bad Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), as well as other adversaries like Lieutenant Colonel Jack Sullivan (Sherman Augustus).
What Happens in Season 5 of Stranger Things?
Spoilers for Stranger Things season 4 below
The ending of Stranger Things season 4 was more bleak than most of the other season finales, as the Hawkins crew eventually lost. Vecna opened the gates of the Upside Down, and now Hawkins is leaking through parts of this strange world to the real one.
Vecna himself is missing after being injured by Eleven, Nancy, Steve and Robin, but we imagine he's still looking for Eleven, either for revenge or for a full team-up.
The Hawkins group will likely try to find ways to close the gates and return Vecna and his monsters to the Upside Down once and for all.
The Duffer Brothers have confirmed to TVLine that there will be some sort of time jump. This is most likely due to the fact that most of the cast just can't pass for young teens anymore – but the Upside Down could completely overwhelm Hawkins over the years, and the team has to find a way to make it back to revert to how it once was.
But how? We still don't know the origin of One's/Vecna's/Henry's powers. Finding this out could be the key to taking him down and relinquishing his control over the Mind Flayer and other creatures of the Upside Down.
Eleven clearly has the best chance against him, but she still needs some training before she can take him out.
We also know that Lieutenant Colonel Jack Sullivan is still after Eleven, as he sees her as a real supernatural threat. It wouldn't be surprising to see the team go low and hide from the government. This is all the more likely given everyone's connection to Eddie and the Hellfire Club – with many town residents believing them to be a devil-worshipping cult.
In an interview with The Wrap, the Duffer Brothers presented the latest season to a number of Netflix executives and said, "They've responded really well to it. I mean, it was hard. It's the end of the story. I saw executives cry." who I've never seen cry before and it was wild."
Does this mean we will have some significant deaths? Last season, the only two major losses we had were Eddie Munson and Dr. Martin Brenner/Dad. Max is badly injured and in a coma, but survived. Her experience may also mean she still has a psychic connection to Vecna, which could be helpful in the final battle.
Anyway, we can't see everyone in the gang make it out alive. We have a strong suspicion that Elf may have to sacrifice herself, because in the end she was the one who opened the gate to the world all the way back in season one, so maybe she should be the one to close it too.
In addition, according to Collider, Will will play a major role in Season 5. Last season's finale showed that he still has a connection with Vecna, and that he will come into his own in the finale. Will also showed strong hints that he's in love with Mike – another plot we think will be explored in Season 5.
There's also the ongoing love triangle between Jonathan, Nancy, and Steve – another story that may indicate that at least one of these characters won't survive the final season alive and well.
After all, the Russians may still be hunting Hopper and Joyce after escaping from prison. Will they go to America for revenge? Everything will be revealed in season 5.
Buhari recommends using technology to tax digital transactions –
The app removes the filter from social media photos


Download Ancient Greece wallpaper for your desktop completely free. Only here you can find out any picture of Ancient Greece in any size you like. Choose the best variant among the tons of diiferent Ancient Greece images on download it for you desktop.
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The "Blubber" finale! Things take a turn for Jill as she finds herself in Linda's shoes. More dramatic bathroom encounters, bus stop brawls, and Kiddie Justice ensue. Alison and Jody re-enact all the crucial scenes and provide whiskey-fueled analysis on the characters' motivations. They also read a sweet letter from an Ohio Blume Head and bust out some 1974 issues of Teen Star Gossip magazine to bring you all the hottest news on style, slang, and celebrity rumors. Hint: Elvis has packed on the pounds! Pooh-pooh-pe-doo.


Though car windscreens might appear like a simple part of the auto, they engage in a very crucial component in its operation. Just like the motor and the equipment box, cars wouldn't be capable to be pushed usually without auto windscreens. However, not like the other essential characteristic of a automobile, car windscreens are extremely vulnerable to injury. To make items worse, they are uncovered to the factors and they are made of glass – a not so hard materials. Despite this, each and every time ahead of driving off, drivers have to examine that their car windscreens are in idea leading problem.
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The consistent contraction and expansion of the molecules would result in thermal tiredness. This will subsequently guide to cracks showing on them. Cracks can be harmful and will lead to accidents.
The factors can also engage in its element in creating hurt to car windscreens. For case in point, hail may well cause scratches to seem. Also, gravel might just bounce on to them and result in them to crack. There are several other achievable approaches to get them destroyed.
In the function that they get ruined, it is greatest to fix them as quickly as feasible. The explanation for this is that it is much more affordable to mend cracks and scratches fairly than possessing to replace the complete thing. In fact some organizations provide crack repair as a complimentary services.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on November 28, 2018 by Johnni Lambert.


text: function hello(a){alert("Hello, "+a)}hello("New User");

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
CITIZENS' GUIDE TO GM
KEVIN FOLTA: A rogue's gallery
Are gene-editing technologies traditional? Not if they are linked to intellectual rights
By Kathleen Garnett
As we await the report on the UK government's public consultation on "The Regulation of Genetic Technologies", it is a germane moment to address the hitherto under-explored distinction between traditional and technological food, feed and seed.
The consultation sought views on what the UK Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) said were gene-edited organisms "possessing genetic changes which could have been introduced by traditional breeding". Indeed, in an effort to associate genetic engineering technologies with 'traditional' ones, traditional plant breeding technique is mentioned 18 times in Defra's consultation document. The document also alludes to genome-edited organisms that "could have been produced naturally".
The notion that genetic technologies are merely an extension of 'traditional' agricultural breeding forms the core reasoning with which Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government intends to waive through non-traditional, novel plant breeding techniques and justify the free circulation – without risk assessment, with little to no socio-economic impact assessment and without labelling – of gene-edited food in England and indeed the rest of the UK.
The logic of this approach appears to be that if a technology can be classified, interpreted, labelled and defined as either 'traditional' or 'natural' then expensive and overly protective risk assessment can be ditched, consumer confidence will grow and gene-edited technologies can be free to circulate widely into the UK consumer market.
Traditional produce, food and feed has been tried and tested for generations, hence its association with safety. As a result, food, feed and seed labelled 'traditional' and 'natural' elicits a high level of consumer trust. For this reason, the discussion around traditional plant breeding is crucial to understanding how the UK intends to reform agricultural genetic technologies encompassing both plants and animals.
Novel, anthropogenic and industrialised
A useful way to compare and contrast traditional methods with modern methods is to consider whether any seed, food, feed or process is, or has been, linked to an intellectual property rights. Plant (and animal) intellectual property rights act as useful markers with which to determine what can justifiably be described as traditional, natural and what cannot.
Plant breeders can benefit from two intellectual rights – a plant variety right (PVR) or a patent. These rights, however, are conditional on three basic conditions:
* First, the inventor of a technology involving living organisms must prove that their creation is new and/or novel. If the living organism exists or is part of traditional knowledge the application fails.
* Second, the technology involving living organisms must be anthropogenic. It must not be natural. If it exists in nature it fails the first test of novelty. If it exists in nature it cannot be described as innovative, and the application fails.
* Third, it must be capable of commercialisation and or industrialisation. If the innovation is created out of sheer intellectual curiosity and/or is limited to academic research purposes the application fails.
Let us consider each intellectual right in turn.
Plant variety rights
The modern plant breeding industry makes money from its new varieties via payments achieved through plant variety rights (PVR). To qualify for a PVR, modern agricultural breeders are required to make their novel varieties New, Distinctive, Uniform and Stable (NDUS). If the variety seeking property rights already exists or were it commonly found in nature it would not fulfil the PVR criteria and an application for the right would almost certainly fail.
This form of intellectual right began in the 1960's but has been developed considerably over the decades to incentivise more and more anthropogenic plant breeding. As a result, most modern plant breeders are employed by universities or corporations. Very few are farmers, market farmers or hobby gardeners.
The PVR right encourages plant breeders to create new varieties to certain specifications. Wheat or barley can be bred to grow to a uniform 50 cm. Maize can be bred to contain extra fructose. Rapeseed oil can be bred to contain less acids. All are new, distinctive, uniform and stable.
The development of PVR has altered the nature of British farming and the rural landscape. It has encouraged agricultural produce that is a lot less varied and a lot more uniform, standardised and industrialised.
Describing any new or novel agricultural variety which is the beneficiary of a PVRs as 'traditional' or 'natural' is problematic. Two public authorities – the UK Plant Variety Office and Defra – would be offering two contradictory legal definitions. The first would describe a PVR as new, uniform and standardised whilst the second, Defra would be describing this form of breeding as traditional.
For the purposes of the Defra consultation, the logical conclusion is that plant technologies benefitting from a PVR should not be described as traditional.
Patents on living agricultural technologies
Patents are, by far, the most valuable and commercially interesting intellectual right for plant or agricultural breeders.
PVRs offers breeders weaker rights and are harder to enforce, particularly in developing countries. Patents, on the other hand, offer inventors of living agricultural technologies what is referred to as an 'absolute monopoly' valid for 20 years. They are strictly enforced across most developed economies' jurisdictions and public authorities typically come down hard on patent infringers – including those in developing countries.
In return for such a valuable right, public authorities have developed even stricter criteria than PVRs to prevent unsuitable patent protection. To be awarded a patent, the creator of technological plant and animal varieties must go to great lengths to prove they are the true and first inventors of such creations. They must prove that the technology is inventive and manmade. Crucially, the technology cannot be natural.
CRISPR pioneers battle to prove novelty
CRISPR Cas-9 technology was pioneered by academics working out of university research departments – not by farmers, market farmers or hobby gardeners. George Church, Jennifer Doudna, Feng Zhang and Emanuelle Charpentier are senior Professors working at prestigious university research institutes. They are fairly representative of the modern, technologically-driven plant breeder.
The four CRISPR pioneers were once collaborators and colleagues but are now involved in a bitter patent dispute over who owns the right to the core technology:
"The small community of researchers was rent apart by concerns about intellectual property, academic credit, Nobel Prize dreams, geography, media coverage, egos, personal profit, and loyalty. Adding to the divisive forces were the interests of the prestigious and powerful institutions that had a stake in the spoils – which in addition to UC, Broad, and Harvard included the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge and the University of Vienna."
All four CRISPR pioneers are said to have paid a staggering EUR 16 million in legal fees to prove that their gene editing technology is novel, inventive and industrial.
Alongside her many other accolades and achievements, Doudna heads the Innovative Genomics Institute and is responsible for 27 research projects on gene edited agriculture. Caribou Biosciences, co-founded by Doudna, signed a deal in 2015 with DuPont to serve gene-edited maize to the American consumer.
From an interactive diagram published in Science Magazine in 2017 showing how each researcher or licensee is connected to the major CRISPR startup companies and what applications they have in the pipeline. Graphic: G. Grullón/Science
She is not alone. ERG Genomics is a company set up by Charpentier to licence, amongst others, agricultural bio-engineered agricultural and livestock products. Indeed, all four CRISPR pioneers have founded a number of independent companies with which to licence their novel technologies. Some for medical and pharmaceutical purposes – a lot for novel agricultural purposes.
The CRISPR pioneers however are by no means the only researchers working on novel gene editing patents.
A study published by Nature Biotechnology noted that as of 31 May 2017, 352 patents had been filed for CRISPR Cas-9 gene editing of plants and animals – and these did not include patents which have broadly been described as 'technological improvements' but which relate to gene editing agricultural species – predominantly pigs, cows, buffalo, goats, sheep, chicken, birds and fish and rice for plants but also other plant species. The authors of the report note:
"The reason for not grouping these agricultural technical improvements with the above-mentioned 'technological improvement' category is that agricultural biotechnologies may be more controversial than other biotechnologies, and this could translate in differential involvement of countries."
Agricultural and horticultural gene editing technologies are clearly important to and intrinsically linked to the patent process.
So, is gene editing 'traditional'?
Which brings us back to the core question that should be asked before the law on GMO food, feed and seed is reformed to give gene edited plants a free 'pass' into the marketplace: Are gene-editing methods traditional and would Defra be correct to allow gene editing technologies to be defined as such?
To reiterate: suggesting any new or novel patented agricultural technology is 'traditional' or 'natural' as Defra has done in the consultation on gene-editing technologies, is problematic. It clearly contradicts the legal position, which the UK Patent Office would have to take if it is doing its job properly, that a CRISPR Cas-9 agricultural patent means it is novel, inventive and industrial and therefore not, traditional and/or natural.
Consequently, the logical conclusion is that from a health and safety perspective as well as a sustainability perspective they cannot be described as safe and tested. Defra cannot assume gene-edited technology is benign and harmless and should not present it as such.
Acceptance of this brings other issues into the fore.
Precisely because modern, agricultural technologies in life sciences are, per IPR definition, entirely novel, uniform and anthropogenic a proper risk assessment is essential and should be an absolute requirement before such processes or products are authorised for use and given access to the English market.
From an economic point of view, regulators that claim to be working on behalf of rural interests should further be alerted to the monopolistic tendency of agricultural technology linked to intellectual rights. Far from creating a sustainable 'green' economy it may destroy traditional, sustainable, small scale English farmers as it has done in the US and elsewhere where anthropogenic breeding techniques linked to an intellectual right are extensively used.
The regulator acting on behalf of the public good must, in addition, be aware that the industrial and uniform requirements of agricultural intellectual rights (patents as well as plant variety rights) encourages the development of monocrops and agriculture. This in turn results in species loss, a decline in biodiversity and far fewer plant varieties than even our recent ancestors enjoyed. Once again, this is not sustainable.
Finally, English consumers and farmers have a right to know whether their purchases are novel, untested, artificial, synthetic and anthropogenic. As such, any foods derived from genetically engineered or gene editing processes, produce and/or 'technological improvements' that do pass strict risk assessments or essential use requirements should be labelled as such in order to protect this right.
Being given a legally sound basis to claim the right to tradition, heritage, naturalness and/or sustainability is a highly sought-after and commercially valuable right to claim.
If the UK government is prepared to gift this legal right to modern plant breeders engaged in gene editing and novel plant breeding techniques, it is crucial to consider whether the claim to tradition is justified or not before that right is gifted and cannot be returned.
Kathleen Garnett is currently writing a PhD at Wageningen University on the governance of innovation in the EU. Her area of interest includes intellectual property rights, environmental law, the law of technology and innovation. In a self-employed capacity she advises a wide range of clients on strategic thinking, consultancy, and detailed analysis of EU law and policy. Sectors covered include regulation (technical standards in particular) but also food and feed; environmental law and policy.
This article was first published on the website, A Bigger Conversation. It is republished on GMWatch with the permission of A Bigger Conversation.


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Home/World News Today/Latest News Headlines For Today/Security is Key to Survival, Growth of MSME, Says NSA, Fayemi
Security is Key to Survival, Growth of MSME, Says NSA, Fayemi
PATRICK November 26, 2021 Latest News Headlines For Today Leave a comment3 Views
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Major Gen. Babagana Monguno, and the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, have said security of lives and property in Nigeria is central to the survival and growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MSMEs), urging the government to partner in order to end the current security challenges in the country.
They called for partnership and huge investments in the security sector as an attempt by the governments to provide jobs, attract national and foreign investments-to materialise and yield dividends for the country.
Speaking at the commencement of the National Council on Industry, Trade and
Investment in Ado Ekiti yesterday, Monguno said the recurrent cases of terrorism, kidnappings, herder-farmers clashes, and vandalism are issues the governments must deal with to fast-track the growth of MSME and the industrial sector in the country.
He said: "Security is critical to the growth of the economy and development of industry, and that is why the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is working hard to ensure that all these menaces constituting insecurity are tackled.
"Terrorism, vandalism, kidnapping, farmers-herders' clashes and other security threats, are slowing down investments and these are issues we must be collectively fought and resolved.
"The growth of MSME is central to the provision of jobs for the youths. Let me also reveal here that 83.9 percent of the country's workforce is in MSME, this makes it a catalyst to job creation and antidote to insecurity."
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Did you know that removing your hearing protection or lifting up an earmuff to communicate in a noisy environment can be detrimental to your hearing health?
Just 10 minutes exposure to loud noise without protection in a one hour period will reduce a 30 dB protector to an equivalent of an 8dB protector worn all the time.
"The comfort of a hearing protector is equally important," says Russel Klugman, Director at Cotral, a leader in hearing protection equipment.
Cotral's latest generation QEOS customised hearing protector aims to solve both these issues by allowing effective communication without the need to remove the protector.
Thanks to a revolutionary 3D manufacturing process (100 microns precision) the QEOS devices fit like a glove, and their comfort is unparalleled.
New to Australia, and the leader in customised hearing protection in Europe with over 1.3 million customers, Cotral offers a 6-year product warranty, which makes their protectors very cost-effective.


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Medical Air Technology (MAT) has been working as part of the team that delivered the new £25m treatment centre for Queen's Hospital Burton, installing two ultraclean operating theatres as part of the centre's state-of-the-art facilities for orthopaedic surgery
The biggest development the hospital has seen in 15 years, the 4,141m² three-storey treatment centre was built using modular construction.
Linked to the main hospital via a corridor, the self-contained extension means that patients can be treated either in the main hospital or the treatment centre, which between them now contain all the inpatient services that were once spread around the site in smaller, older buildings. Centralising the facilities in this way streamlines services and supports enhanced infection prevention and control.
The treatment centre houses two MAT ECO-flow ultraclean ventilation (UCV) operating theatres, a 28-bedded ward, and an outpatient suite for orthopaedics, urology and breast services. MAT's scope of work in the operating theatres and recovery area encompassed all M&E services and a full fit-out, featuring ECO-flow UCV canopies, operating theatre lights, PACS, theatre panels and IPS/UPS. This total turnkey scheme was one of many projects MAT has carried out at Queen's Hospital Burton. Sister company MAT FM also holds the service and maintenance contract for all the hospital's UCV operating theatres.
Gavin Boyle, chief executive of the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Trust said: "I think our patients will see a massive improvement in this new facility and it will also help us to deliver services in a more effective and safer way, particularly for infection prevention and control."
Ultraclean Ventilation
Delivered via a screened or screenless canopy over the operating theatre clean zone, the MAT ultraclean ventilation system provides a method of diluting air to the level required in HTM 03-01 Specialised Ventilation for Healthcare Premises, which defines ultraclean air as that containing not more than 10 CFU/m3.
Air is discharged above the operating zone, its downward displacement purging the clean zone of any contaminants and particles generated within it. The airflow in and around the clean zone also prevents particles from outside the zone from entering (entrainment).
HTM 03-01 confirms that the link between surgical site infection and theatre air quality is well established: "…ultra-clean ventilation systems (which are designed to provide a zone around the patient that is effectively free of bacteria-carrying airborne particles while the operation is in progress) have been shown to significantly reduce surgical site infection in patients undergoing large joint replacement surgery."
MAT designs, manufactures and installs bespoke critical ventilation systems and turnkey project solutions for new build and refurbishment projects. As a specialist contractor with many years' experience, we are passionately committed to improving patient protection and end-user safety in demanding clinical, research and drug production arenas. We have extensive experience of working in live environments and understand the challenges around delivering a project within an operational scenario.
In addition, MAT FM provides a range of competitively priced and highly effective service and maintenance packages for all core products and turnkey solutions offered by MAT or other suppliers, ensuring that equipment is maintained, serviced and validated correctly for optimum performance.


text:
Q: Sunspot highlights not appearing I've gone through the docs in github: http://github.com/outoftime/sunspot to find solutions for highlighting, but it doesn't seem to work for me.
My Job model has something like this block (omitted some fields on purpose):

  searchable do
    text :name

    string :name, :stored => true
    time :updated_at
    time :created_at
    time :expires_on

I have this, which returns results:

search = Sunspot.search(Job) do
  keywords 'Senior', :fields => "name", :highlight => true
end

=> 0, :fl=>"* score", :"hl.simple.pre"=>"@@@hl@@@", :qf=>"name_text", :rows=>30, :"hl.simple.post"=>"@@@endhl@@@", :hl=>"on", :q=>"senior", :fq=>["type:Job"], :defType=>"dismax"}>

and getting the hits as such:

>> search.hits
=> [#, #, #, #, #, #, #, #, #, #, #, #, #, #, #, #, #]

and here were the results of the query, displaying the name:

>> search.results.collect{|x| x.name}
=> ["Senior Associate, Executive Membership", "Senior International Costing Analyst", "Senior Process Engineer", "Deputy Senior Process Manager", "Senior Engineer (Rotating Equipment)", "Senior Technical Expert, Indonesia", "Senior Combustion Engineer", "Senior Project Engineer/ Engineering Manager", "Senior Substructure Design Specialist, Bangladesh", "Senior Supervision Engineer (Superstructure), Bangladesh", "Senior Program and Strategy Development Advisor- Consultant", "Senior Associate (Natural Resource Management Specialist)", "Senior Manager (Agriculture Market Development, Afghanistan)", "Senior Material Engineer (Main Bridge), Bangladesh", "Senior Resident Engineer (Main Bridge), Bangladesh", "Senior Resident Engineer (Main Bridge), Bangladesh", "Senior Material Engineer (Main Bridge), Bangladesh"]

and here comes my problem.. when I get the highlights, none were returned:

>> search.hits.collect{|x| x.highlight(:name)}
=> [nil, nil, nil, nil, nil, nil, nil, nil, nil, nil, nil, nil, nil, nil, nil, nil, nil]

and even this, doesn't return highlight hits:

>> search.hits.collect{|x| x.highlights}
=> [[], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], []]

Am I missing other flags or arguments?

A: I believe it has to do with whether the text field is stored. Does this make a difference:
searchable do
    text :name, :stored => true
    ...

That's how the :body field is configured in this example:
http://github.com/outoftime/sunspot-rails-example/blob/master/app/models/post.rb
The :body field is one that the highlights are queried for in the controller:
http://github.com/outoftime/sunspot-rails-example/blob/master/app/controllers/searches_controller.rb
Hope that does it!


Service Areas: Rancho Vista, Lancaster, Palmdale, Rosamond, Little Rock, Lake Los Angeles, Acton, Quartz Hills.
With over 10 years of Real Estate experience, I have successfully worked with clients to list and sell homes while ensuring a positive experience for everyone. My mission as an agent is to exceed client expectations by delivering exceptional service. As a result from that service I am the proud recipient of several awards.
I am proud to serve the Antelope Valley, Santa Clarita and San Fernando Valley areas with integrity and initiative.
If you're interested in buying, selling, investing, or refinancing please contact me at 661-810-9086.


text:
package water.bindings.examples.retrofit;

import org.junit.BeforeClass;

import java.util.Random;

import water.H2O;
import water.H2OStarter;

/**
 * Shared support to test examples using Java API.
 */
public class ExampleTestFixture {

  @BeforeClass
  static public void setup() {
    String cloudName = "h2o-bindings-test-" + new Random().nextInt();
    H2OStarter.start(new String[] { "-name", cloudName}, true);
  }

  static String getH2OUrl() {
    return H2O.getURL("http") + "/";
  }
}


text:
Jess Baker
Buy Anheuser-Busch InBev? Craft Beer Wants to 'Take Craft Back'
"Take Craft Back" is a new crowdfunding campaign with the goal of buying beer giant Anheuser-Busch InBev. (Credit: Take Craft Back)
Tired of seeing headlines about Big Beer gobbling up your favorite craft breweries? Then you'll want to be part of the movement to Take Craft Back, a new crowdfunding campaign to buy Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev).
Take Craft Back has a ginormous goal: crowdsource $213 billion (yes, billion) to buy AB InBev, flipping the script on the global company that's purchased 10 small U.S. breweries in the last six years.
The Brewers Association (BA), publishers of CraftBeer.com, announced the campaign Monday on behalf of the independent brewing community. The BA is very clear about the real dangers of beer consolidation, including narrowing access to raw ingredients and a heavy influence on distribution, which squeeze beer from your small, local brewers off store shelves and off draft lines.
(WATCH: Think Consolidation Can't Hurt Beer? Watch John Oliver's Take)
The bottom line is this: The more of the market Big Beer controls, the more of a threat it is to America's small brewers and your freedom of choice as a beer lover.
When you go to TakeCraftBack.com, you'll see a video talking about the threat from Big Beer (check it out below).
"Independent craft brewers refuse to be muscled out by Big Beer," Andy, the Take Craft Back spokesperson says, "And we are uniting on an unprecedented scale to take on Big Beer and their efforts to make it harder for beer drinkers to find their favorite independent craft beers at their favorite bars, liquor stores and restaurants."
The website also prominently features the independent craft brewer seal, a logo the BA launched in June. The seal, which you're beginning to see on beer packaging and brewery windows, is meant to help beer lovers know they're buying beer from an independent brewer.
At TakeCraftBack.com, you can make a pledge toward the crowdfunding campaign. The campaign will only collect your money if (miraculously and against every possible odd) it hits its $213 billion goal — and the chances of that are nearly impossible; your odds of winning Powerball are higher. But you'll get some cool merch simply for pledging your support. You can find out more about the campaign at TakeCraftBack.com, along with Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. We bet the #TakeCraftBack hashtag will be a fun one to watch, too.
(VISIT: Find a U.S. Brewery)
Crowdfunding campaigns have brought oddball ideas, like the Ostrich Pillow and the Menurkey to life. As much as I like the idea of the pillow you can take anywhere and a menorah/turkey sculpture, the idea of buying AB InBev is incredibly more satisfying. Hell, not only could we Take Craft Back, but if we bought AB InBev, we could put an end to the Belgium-based brewery's eye-roll inducing summer campaigns where they rebrand Budweiser as "America."
Buy Anheuser-Busch InBev? Craft Beer Wants to 'Take Craft Back' was last modified: October 27th, 2017 by Jess Baker
Jess Baker is the editor in chief of CraftBeer.com. After 15 years in digital and broadcast journalism, she's now bringing you stories about America's small and independent breweries. She's a runner, a die-hard Springsteen fan, and a new mom who is always scouting family-friendly breweries.
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Community 'Taste of Soul' Creates a Nation Seven years later it's proving to be more than a festival.
The 10th Council District Women's Steering Committee is hosting its 41st Annual Installation Luncheon on Sunday, January 24, with the theme "Inspiring a Vision for Change." Community leaders and elected officials will be on hand to recognize outstanding individuals for their contributions during the 2016 officers installation program.
Honorees for the luncheon include Nolan Rollins, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Urban League; Theresa Price, founder and president of the National College Resources Foundation (aka Black College & Latino Expo); Karla Gordy Bristol, CEO of Bristol Entertainment, Vice President of the Fuller Gordy Foundation and real estate agent; Pamela A. Bakewell, Executive Vice President and COO of the Bakewell Company. The keynote speaker is Deborah Ale Flint, Executive Director of World Way, which includes LAX, Ontario and Van Nuys airports.
Dr. Cecil L. "Chip" Murray, Chair in Christian Ethics Senior Fellow (USC), will deliver the invocation and blessing. He will also be acknowledged for his many accomplishments. The mistress of ceremony will be Cora-Jackson Fossett of the Los Angeles Sentinel.
The organization was founded in 1973 by Councilman David Cunningham and Congresswoman Maxine Waters, along with other women political trailblazers in the city of Los Angeles. The members of the WSC are dedicated women, who have been at the forefront as advocates for family, youth, children and seniors to resolve economic, educational, health and safety issues in the Los Angeles community.
For the last thirty years, through the Johnabel Gentry Scholarship Program, WSC provides scholarships for students graduating from High School in Council District 10. The WSC is still the oldest, largest and most powerful Women's Steering Committee in Los Angeles. WSC is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
The event is open to the public at the Proud Bird Restaurant and Event Center, 11022 Aviation Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90045. Tickets are now available for purchase for $60.00, which includes the luncheon, live entertainment, door prizes and a raffle. For more info and to purchase tickets contact Jackie Nunn at 323-735-0879 or Julie 323-309-7321.


text:
Comic Convention / Events / Los Angeles
"Villains & Faith" Panel at Stan Lee's Comikaze 2014
by Drew Kaplan · Published November 6, 2014 · Updated July 2, 2015
Butch Hartman speaking on "Villains and Faith" panel at Stan Lee's Comikaze on Sunday
Earlier this week, a panel discussion considering the intersections of villains and faith took place at Stan Lee's Comikaze. Moderated by Jordan Gorfinkel, "Villains & Faith" featured David N. Weiss (whom I heard speak at TribeFest this spring), Butch Hartman, David Sacks, and Lisa Klink on Sunday. Gorfinkel did a really excellent job moderating the panel, having prepared a list of relevant questions on the topic with which he peppered the panelists.
Gorfinkel opened with quoting from a piece written by Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin in a recent issue of the Jewish Journal – that there really is evil in this world. This led into a consideration of evil and villainy. Sacks proffered that "evil works for good" and that "there is one power in the world" and that, drawing from kabbalistic sources, when evil comes to you, it wants you to say "No" to it; if one says "Yes", it tears its clothes and cries. The evil inclination (יצר הרע) challenges us to put more good in this world.
Hartman put forth that the villain always thinks they're doing the right thing, although they're doing it for the wrong reasons. And, Weiss added, "the villain is the good guy in their story."
This then led to a tangential discussion of one of the most interesting villains of all time, Darth Vader. Is the villain the most interesting when he's the most trouble or when he is the most mysterious and in-control? Each of the panelists offered their opinions of their favorite Darth Vader, whether of "A New Hope", "The Empire Strikes Back", or "Return of the Jedi". Weiss also considered such villains as Gargamel and Doc Oc, especially certain moments when we see a certain humanity to them and when we almost feel bad for them. On the other hand, one of the nice things about being a villain, as Hartman pointed out, is that they "kind of get to do whatever they want."
David Sacks speaking on "Villains and Faith" panel at Stan Lee's Comikaze on Sunday
In a return to a meta-discussion concerning villains, the question was posed: "Are villains just misunderstood or are there actual evil people in the world?" Gorfinkel then inquired: "What is the distinction between a villain, an antagonist, a bully, and an anti-hero?" Klink submitted that "A villain is someone who knowingly hurts people, consciously and they still do it and a villain is always an antagonist. But, an antagonist is someone who is trying to accomplish something different from the protagonist, but they're not necessarily evil."
Gorfinkel put to the panel: "Is a hero only as good as his villain?" To this, Hartman responded, "When a sequel is bad, it's because they haven't upped the stakes for the hero and a good villain will up the stakes for the hero."
Gorfinkel also asked: "Must a villain be redeemable? Is there such a thing as real evil?" Weiss responded, "There's a teaching I really love", referring to the first two sections of the Shema from Deuteronomy, focussing on tefillin and mezuzot. He then continued and spoke about how the cow's hair on tefillin being exposed reminds us of the sin of the golden calf, that we have to have some evil; otherwise, we have no free choice -"Those little hairs are all the evil that has to be in the world for there to be free choice in the world." Weiss also added, "There are people in this world that are really evil, like the leader of Boko Haram." Every villain, though has to have a chance to repent, there are consequences, though, to their actions. "Evil is allowed to grow and there has to be some room and, every day, we get to choose in different moments. In theory, all villains are redeemable, but, sometimes, they aren't."
Jordan Gorfinkel asking David N. Weiss a question at "Villains and Faith" panel at Stan Lee's Comikaze on Sunday
The panel then moved into a discussion of being afraid to making any portrayals of Muhammad – especially for cartoonists, which they all felt saddened that there was a fear of physical (or other) attacks for doing so. This also included a mention of the South Park episodes in which Muhammad was to be portrayed and the network did not allow it. Sacks mentioned that he had made a minute-long video years ago about 72-year old virgin (the joke being that, instead of there being 72 virgins waiting for martyrs, there was a 72-year old virgin waiting), but that he didn't post it to Internet due to fear of being attacked. Since everybody on the panel agreed that it is a pity that there is a fear of showing Muhammad, I wonder if there had been a Muslim on the panel for their voice to have been heard on this topic and how the conversation could have been enriched.
The next question Gorfinkel asked to the panel was "Do we have a responsibility to not show villainy or should we?" Hartman wisely responded, "You have to know your audience: I think there's a reason some movies are so popular, such as family films."
Towards the end, a very important question was asked: "Why are so many villains drawn from the religious cloth?" "I think that part of the reason that religious extremists are turned into villains is because they believe in something that, if you don't believe in it, it seems like magic," said Klink. "They operate outside of logic; they can't be reasoned with and that seems scary to someone who thinks that villains may be redeemable." Hartman added, "Anyone who is extreme in anything is hard to reason with."
Finally, there was some discussion surrounding the issue of being religious in the entertainment business. "The media isn't Christian," said Hartman, who is. "When you're not accountable to something, it bothers people when you see someone doing that. I feel bad about myself, so I am going to tease someone who is. In Hollywood, very few people are religious, which is an inverse relationship to the country." Weiss added, "I work with Jews who are not religious and, when they see me and think that I'm saying to them that they're not good enough," it's just not true. "Whenever I meet people who are antagonistic about the religious stuff," said Sacks, "is that they haven't been exposed to it, so I just try to be good and loving towards them."
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