Franklin MInt's Wizard of Oz Collection

The Franklin Mint puts out a lot of movie memorabilia such as this. I think a lot of people buy this stuff in the hopes that it will be valuable in 10, 20, 30 or 100 years from now, but I don't believe that's possible - they make so much of the stuff that it's all easily available.

My own Franklin Mint Wizard of Oz collection is not pristine, I'm afraid. The Good Witch's hand has broken off...and although I had thought I had saved it to be glued on later...I've never found it again.

Neverthleess, I like it - the Witch of the West and the Winkie are my favorite characters, followed by the Tin Man and then Dorothy.

This set appears to have been discontinued in 1988, and Replacements.com has no replacements..
http://www.replacements.com/webquote/CO_FRMMISFWIOM.htm

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2198
Apparently in 2004 Franklin Mint got hit by the recession - they laid off 200 employees, and their museum, in Franklin Center, PA closed. You can read about it in the attached link.

State's Gift of Christmas Tree to White House

Below are the front and back sides of the 2010 Wyoming Christmas Tree brochure. 2010 was the first year that Wyoming was chosen to "gift" a Christmas tree to the White House. In order to pay for this gift, solicitations from the public were requested.





And the history of the program, from Wikipedia:
The Capitol Christmas Tree (formerly the Capitol Holiday Tree) is the decorated tree that is erected annually on the West Front Lawn of the United States Capitol, in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the Christmas holiday season. The selection, installation, and decoration of the tree are all overseen by the office of the Architect of the Capitol (AOC).

Records of the AOC indicate that a Christmas Tree was purchased in 1919; however, it was not until 1964, one year after the suggestion of John W. McCormack, the 53th Speaker of the House, that a procedure was established for the installation of a yearly tree.

The 1963 tree was a live Douglas-fir, purchased from a Pennsylvania nursery. It was re-decorated each year through 1967 when it was severely damaged in a wind storm and subsequently died as a result of root damage. After the 1963 tree died, white pines from Maryland were cut down and put on display for the 1968 and 1969 seasons. Beginning in 1970, trees have been provided by the U.S. Forest Service from various National Forests.

The Capitol Christmas Tree is traditionally lit during a ceremony at the beginning of December, and remains lit each night though New Year's Day.

Name controversy
In the late 1990's, the Capitol Christmas Tree was renamed to the Capitol Holiday Tree. There was never a clear explanation as to why the name change occurred, but name change raised controversy. On November 29, 2005, the day after the 2005 tree arrived from New Mexico, the tree was renamed the Capitol Christmas Tree at the request of Dennis Hastert, the 59th Speaker of the House.

3.5 Floppy Discs

A little more than 8 years ago, I bought a Dell Dimension 4600. When talking to the order-taker over the phone, he asked me if I wanted a floppy disc drive. I said, "Of course I wanted a floppy disc drive." So I got one. But even then it was pretty much behind the times, as I hadn't realized. Flash drives (or memory sticks, they are called by a variety of names) were coming in and rendered the need for the floppies obsolete. But I hadn't heard of 'em.

I haven't bought floppy discs for more than 10 years - I'd had a lot of them. Just unearthed the ones in the enclosed picture out of a box. Tried to give them to the flea market man who is taking my VHS tapes (after I've copied their contents onto DVD-R) and he wouldn't take them, and suggested the trask. So into the trash they go.

Originally, IMB computers used 5-and-a-half-inch floppies, a floppy disc sealed in black plastic. The Macintosh used the smaller 3-and-a-half inch floppies, which were encased in hard plastic. Then the IBMs and compatibles got rid of the 5-inchers and started using the 3-inchers as well.

The floppy discs evolved. First they were single sided, to handle the needs of the earliest Macintoshes. Then they became double-sided. Then they became HD - high density, and computers were sold that could only use them, so of course the earlier models - and the data on them - became inaccessible.

Asimova

I'm going to be providing, as far as possible, the original jackets of Asimov's first editions. I've already started with Pebble in the Sky and I, Robot. Before I go any further, let me provide a list of Asimov's first 100 books.

He writes about them in Opus 100 (his 100th book) but i got this list from Asimov online: A List of Isaac Asimov's Books

(The formatting might not look too hot, for those on the Kindle. If you want to print out the list (and the link I provide has all of Asimov's books, not just these 100, go to the link via your computer to print it out.)

1 Pebble In The Sky Doubleday 1950
2 I, Robot Gnome Press 1950
3 The Stars, Like Dust-- Doubleday 1951
4 Foundation Gnome Press 1951
5 David Starr, Space Ranger Doubleday 1952
6 Foundation and Empire Gnome Press 1952
7 The Currents of Space Doubleday 1952
8 Biochemistry and Human Metabolism Williams & Wilkins 1952
9 Second Foundation Gnome Press 1953
10 Lucky Starr and the Pirates of the
Asteroids Doubleday 1953
11 The Caves of Steel Doubleday 1954
12 Lucky Starr and the Oceans of Venus Doubleday 1954
13 The Chemicals of Life: Enzymes,
Vitamins, and Hormones Abelard-Schuman 1954
14 The Martian Way and Other Stories Doubleday 1955
15 The End of Eternity Doubleday 1955
16 Races and People Abelard-Schuman 1955
17 Lucky Starr and the Big Sun of
Mercury Doubleday 1956
18 Chemistry and Human Health McGraw-Hill 1956
19 Inside The Atom Abelard-Schuman 1956
20 The Naked Sun Doubleday 1957
21 Lucky Starr and the Moons of Jupiter Doubleday 1957
22 Building Blocks of the Universe Abelard-Schuman 1957
23 Earth Is Room Enough: Science Fiction
Tales of Our Own Planet Doubleday 1957
24 Only a Trillion Abelard-Schuman 1957
25 The World of Carbon Abelard-Schuman 1958
26 Lucky Starr and the Rings of Saturn Doubleday 1958
27 The World of Nitrogen Abelard-Schuman 1958
28 The Death Dealers (A Whiff of Death) Avon 1958
29 Nine Tomorrows: Tales of the Near Future Doubleday 1959
30 The Clock We Live On Abelard-Schuman 1959
31 Words of Science, and the History Behind
Them Houghton Mifflin 1959
32 Realm of Numbers Houghton Mifflin 1959
33 The Living River Abelard-Schuman 1960
34 The Kingdom of the Sun Abelard-Schuman 1960
35 Realm of Measure Houghton Mifflin 1960
36 Breakthroughs in Science Houghton Mifflin 1960
37 Satellites in Outer Space Random House 1960
38 The Wellsprings of Life Abelard-Schuman 1960
39 The Intelligent Man's Guide to Science Basic Books 1960
40 The Double Planet Abelard-Schuman 1960
41 Words from the Myths Houghton Mifflin 1961
42 Realm of Algebra Houghton Mifflin 1961
43 Life and Energy Doubleday 1962
44 Words in Genesis Houghton Mifflin 1962
45 Fact and Fancy Doubleday 1962
46 Words on the Map Houghton Mifflin 1962
47 The Hugo Winners Doubleday 1962
48 The Search For The Elements Basic Books 1962
49 Words from the Exodus Houghton Mifflin 1963
50 The Genetic Code Orion Press 1963
51 The Human Body: Its Structure and
Operation Houghton Mifflin 1963
52 Fifty Short Science Fiction Tales Collier 1963
53 View from a Height Doubleday 1963
54 The Kite That Won the Revolution Houghton Mifflin 1963
55 The Human Brain: Its Capacities and
Functions Houghton Mifflin 1964
56 A Short History of Biology Natural History Press 1964
57 Quick and Easy Math Houghton Mifflin 1964
58 Adding a Dimension Doubleday 1964
59 Planets For Man [9] Random House 1964
60 The Rest of the Robots Doubleday 1964
61 Asimov's Biographical Encyclopedia of
Science and Technology, 1st Ed. Doubleday 1964
62 A Short History of Chemistry Doubleday 1965
63 The Greeks: A Great Adventure Houghton Mifflin 1965
64 Of Time and Space and Other Things Doubleday 1965
65 The New Intelligent Man's Guide to
Science Basic Books 1965
66 An Easy Introduction to the Slide Rule Houghton Mifflin 1965
67 Fantastic Voyage Houghton Mifflin 1966
68 The Noble Gases Basic Books 1966
69 Inside The Atom (3rd revised edition) Abelard-Schuman 1966
70 The Neutrino: Ghost Particle of the Atom Doubleday 1966
71 The Roman Republic Houghton Mifflin 1966
72 Understanding Physics, Volume I Walker 1966
73 Understanding Physics, Volume II Walker 1966
74 Understanding Physics, Volume III Walker 1966
75 The Genetic Effects of Radiation U.S. AEC 1966
76 Tomorrow's Children: Eighteen Tales of
Fantasy and Science Fiction Doubleday 1966
77 The Universe: From Flat Earth to Quasar Walker 1966
78 From Earth to Heaven Doubleday 1966
79 The Moon Follet 1967
80 Environments Out There Scholastic/Abelard-Schuman 1967
81 The Roman Empire Houghton Mifflin 1967
82 Through a Glass, Clearly New English Library 1967
83 Is Anyone There? Doubleday 1967
84 To the Ends of the Universe Walker 1967
85 Mars Follet 1967
86 The Egyptians Houghton Mifflin 1967
87 Asimov's Mysteries Doubleday 1968
88 Science, Numbers, and I Doubleday 1968
89 Stars Follet 1968
90 Galaxies Follet 1968
91 The Near East: 10,000 Years of History Houghton Mifflin 1968
92 The Dark Ages Houghton Mifflin 1968
93 Asimov's Guide To The Bible, Volume I Doubleday 1968
94 Words from History Houghton Mifflin 1968
95 Photosynthesis Basic Books 1969
96 The Shaping of England Houghton Mifflin 1969
97 Twentieth Century Discovery Doubleday 1969
98 Nightfall and Other Stories Doubleday 1969
99 Asimov's Guide To The Bible, Volume II Doubleday 1969
100 Opus 100 Houghton Mifflin 1969

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Transferring VHS to DVD-R

I've got several bookcases full of VHS tapes, and I can put the equivalent on two shelves of a bookcase, in those cases where you have plastic sleeves and can put 4 CDs to a sleeve.

So that's what I've been doing. While I hate seeing the trusty VHS go south - or west, whatever - the space savings is important in my new house!

If you have VHS that you've taped off the TV and want to put them on DVD-R, here's how to do it.

If I may talk about a different kind of technology today...I'm having a lot of fun converting my VHS tapes to DVD-r. And its easier than I thought it would be.

I'd originally thought that I'd need a special machine to make the conversion, but not so. All you need is a VHS player - the one you've got now, if you've got one, is fine, and a DVD player that also records. Those are pretty inexpensive, you should be able to get one considerably less than a hundred dollars.

These days, the backs of these machines are color coded, so you know exactly where to plug in the coaxial cable and the other cables, the names of which I admit escape me, but have red, orange and yellow connectors.

You set the machines up so that the VHS machine plays into the DVD-r, which shows on your TV screen. You then just hit record as you normally would. Of course the tape records to the DVD-r in real time, not in super speed.

Easy.

I'll edit this entry tomorrow to attach photos (I'm typing this at night and my camera flash isn't working, and the light's too dim.)

For now, here's what you need to know.

Coaxial cable
Connect this from Antenna-IN of the VCR to Antenna-In of the DVD-R

Connect the cable with white, orange and yellow connects to the VCR-OUT of your VHS machine, to the DVD- Video IN of your DVDR

Connect another cable with these same collor connects, from the DVD-R OUT to the Video IN of your TV.

And there you go.

Of course when I say I'm having fun... I've got about 300 tapes, most of which I haven't watched since the day I taped them off the TV. Right now I'm going through about 50 Perry Mason tapes starring Raymond Burr. Fun and nostalgic to watch!

Isaac Asimov's Ouvre: 2. I, Robot, 1950

The second book that Isaac Asimov ever had published was I, Robot, by Gnome Press in 1950. It was actually an anthology of short stories, all featuring his positronic robot series.

The edition of I, Robot shown here sold at auction at icollector.com for $1,200.

Isaac Asimov's Ouvre: 1. Pebble in the Sky, 1950

Isaac Asimov's first published novel, by Doublday Science Fiction.

Just How Many Scrabble Games Are There?

I've recently started a Scrabble club in my new home town of Cheyenne, and have bought a few of the cheapest sets to use. And when I say cheap, I mean cheap. Instad of a nice velveteen bag to keep the lettes in, all we're given is an opaque gray plastic thing, hardly classy.

I've looked for velveteen bags on Ebay, but I keep getting outbid...

Anyway, thought I'd put together some photos of various scrabble games on offer.

Gold-Bathed Collector’s Edition Scrabble Costs $599

If that celebrity’ signed $20,000 Swarovski encrusted Scrabble has too much oomph factor attached to it (posing a fear factor to utilize its functionally) and you wish to settle at something costing less but not compromising at appeal front then here is a feast to your eyes. Feel fortunate as the exclusively authorized Scrabble, offering from the Milton Bradley Company is the first ever classic collector’s edition of America’s favorite word game. Hard to believe but truth is all 100 letter tiles are independently imprinted and encrusted with 24 karat gold. The table features a deluxe wood-framed playing board with raised grid and convenient turn-table base. It also offers roomy drawers to protect game pieces when not in use.

ONyx Scrabble


Platinnum Scrabble


Deluxe Scrabble


Deluxe Scrabble with Turntable