Approaching J.R.R. Tolkien

One of the most common questions I encounter from readers approaching J.R.R. Tolkiens writings is Where do I start? The list of books written by J.R.R. Tolkien can be overwhelming and confusing.

Most readers are familiar with The Lord of the Rings and The hobbit, but locate the Tolkien section at your local bookstore and youll likely find a dozen or more title staring back at you. Whats more, many of those will proclaim themselves as prequels to The Lord of the Rings.

Ironically, Tolkien only published four books on Middle-earth (his fictional world) during his lifetime - The hobbit and the three-volume Lord of the Rings series.

The two major posthumous publications are The Silmarillion and the recently published The Children of Hurin. So where should you start? With the prequels? The Lord of the Rings? The hobbit?

Here are my simple ordering suggestions for reading Tolkiens works:

• The hobbit
• The Lord of the Rings (three volumes)
• The Silmarillion
• The Children of Hurin

While the events chronicled in The hobbit and The Lord of the Rings may occur thousands of years after many of the tales in The Silmarillion and The Children of Hurin, these tales stand on their own, without the background necessary for the latter two pieces.

The time to tackle The Silmarillion and The Children of Hurin is after reading The Lord of the Rings, and reaching an understanding of the basic heroic structure of Tolkiens created world.

While browsing Tolkiens books, you may also come across a number of other titles not listed above - for example The book of lost Tales, The return of the Shadow, Morgoths Ring (and many others).

These books are collections of Tolkiens unfinished and abandoned writings on Middle-earth, generally of interest only to those who have read his core writings and are interested in the development and writing process of Tolkiens mythology. They are fascinating snapshots of the creative process at work, but would likely be confusing and nearly unreadable to someone unfamiliar with his earlier works.

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How to Get Rid of The Fat on Your Stomach!

Have you ever seen someone who does not complain about belly fat? Im sure you havent. people complain all the time about losing weight and especially from that specific area. The belly fat, some people even went far by saying that losing belly fat is practically impossible. Even think people suffer from belly fat as well.

Many run to buy the latest abs machines that are widely advertised on TV, even with those machines, its hard to get rid of the fat in your stomach. Some others spend hours doing push ups believing it will help them remove the fat in less than a month.

This technique is called spot targeting and it does not work. Studies proved that if you work on a specific area in your body you will not likely get rid of the fat in that spot. What it will do is strengthen the muscles.

If you have tried creams that promise you losing belly fat in less than a week, then you probably should not believe what they claim. They may give your body a certain shape for short period of time, but then all the effects will disappear as soon as you stop using them. Except ProActol, the ultimate diet pills that can not magically transform your body, but if you follow a healthy diet and exercise along with ProActol, you will certainly ease the pain of having to eat things you don't want to eat.

The real solution to achieving the desired results is to persevere, Perseverance is the only way you can do it, but using pills, exercise and a diet will help you shorten the way to your results.

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The Golf Swing Versus Technology

What David says about clubs and balls is true, however sad that might be. Manufacturers and retailers will have us believe that we CAN buy a better game. We most probably can, within reason.

Technology has allowed manufacturers to produce more forgiving clubs and balls that travel further. The argument can be made that it will make the game more enjoyable, attract more people and all the rest of it.

The effect that distance has on courses and tournaments is a topic we might tackle at a later stage. We all know (and the manufactures do too) that distance sells.

Retailers (and manufactures, for that matter) can contribute with proper club fitting. Gone are the old days when the boys purchased individual clubs from various sources. Matching sets was unheard of. Computerized customization allows for differences in build, swing speed and level of skill.

With hybrid clubs, and sets, the death of the long iron was inevitable. When last did you see anybody swing a 1-iron?

It is noticeable that the professional golfers lean more towards so-called amateur equipment whereas the ammies in the old days yearned for a set of traditional forged blades. (I am still a sucker for those things!)

The bottom line is that if you cannot swing a club half-decently, and, as Mr. Nicklaus puts it, propel the ball in a predominantly forward fashion, it might be a good idea to take up whatever else but golf.

I am a firm believer of proper ball striking. If you cannot make contact with the ball first, particularly with irons and hybrids, you will never control the ball, and that is what this game is about!

As much as technology allows for forgiveness on mishit shots, and compensates for not-so-pure ball striking, the fact remains that a fairly decent swing, based on basic principles, will improve your scores, enjoyment and, yes, all the rest of it. It will also hold up under pressure.

A good, solid swing should not be mistaken for a nice-looking swing. We have different physical attributes and natural abilities. The mere physics of this dictates that swings will differ from person to person.

Gary player said a number of very clever things. one is that if it works, use it. That, to me, means that how my swing looks might be flattering, but it is the score that counts.

If you look at the truly fluent swings out there, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh, and compare that to Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer (with all due respect), whose swing would you rather copy?

Yet at impact they are all the same: head behind the ball, hips out of the way, weight on the left foot. Good, solid fundamentals can never be replaced!

I have to impress on all golfers out there, current and aspiring, the proper use of the driving range. Just a few ideas:

warm up properly Check the basics: grip, stance, posture, alignment, ball position Work on something specific as opposed to getting maximum distance out of your driver You cannot see yourself swing, so get help, a friend, video camera

If you are really serious, get yourself a forged blade 6-iron and an old persimmon driver. If you can hit a golf ball consistently with those two, you can hit anything!

It might take a little more than a simple golf swing to reduce my scores, but I am still a devoted follower of this weird game!

Thank you for bearing with me. This was my first effort I will try again!

Corrie Nel is a golf fanatic and former club captain. Find out how to lengthen your drives and lower your scores at:

http://www.sportatlas.com (Please use ID 1536)

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Know Your Golf Courses - The Variations

golf courses do not come in one shape and form. There are plenty of variations and each offers benefits and negatives. The key is to know them and pick the perfect course for that day.

The Public golf Course is open to everyone. There are no expensive memberships required and they are usually located nearby and have very regular hours of operation. Although they are not famous and, in most cases, as attractive and well maintained as their more glamorous private cousins, the Public Golf course is an inexpensive and easy way to either learn the game or hone your skills. They are usually very crowded on weekends and holidays and you may feel rushed or have to wait awhile for your tee off time.

The Municipal golf Course is thought by many people to represent the best value of all. These courses are owned and maintained by a city or county and they are open primarily to residents. Non-residents may also play here, but are generally charged much high rates. They may also be a bit crowded on the weekends. It really depends more on the course and the popularity of golf in the area.

The Daily Fee golf Course is a semi-private type of course that falls in between the public and private courses. There are also hotel and Resort golf Courses that are often the very best maintained. They are usually expensive and play is generally restricted to guests of the hotel, but usually not guests can arrange to play on them. The private golf Courses can be the very best that can be found anywhere, but they are expensive to play on and membership in the owning organization is required. Only members and guests can play on the private courses.

There are other ways of classifying golf courses. There are some different types of golf courses based on size. The executive course, for example, tends to be a bit shorter than a regulation course. There is a higher percentage of par 3 holes and the overall length of holes is smaller than a regulation course. There are also some Par 3 golf Courses. These have only holes that average at least 100 feet in length.

Some people might have their own classification scale for the different types of golf courses they encounter. Ease of play or difficulty might be one basis for comparison. Some people actually look up from their shots long enough to notice the surroundings. They might classify courses based on the beauty of the surrounding scenery. Whatever method you use or whatever your level of interest or skill in playing, there are enough different types of golf courses available to satisfy anyone.

Aazdak Alisimio writes golf course articles for GolfClubCourse.com.

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Save Money- Restaurant Ordering Controls

Five Tips - Ordering

1. Create Product specs for every item you buy. Sit down with the kitchen team and write out a specification for every item. Example: cantaloupe, 5 1/4 to 6 1/4 inches in diameter.

2. Every spec must be quantifiable and qualitative. Every spec must be measurable. For quantity, either weight, volume or count. For qualitative, name the brand or grade. Example: 1140 ml bottle of Belvedere Vodka or 12 ounce AAA Alberta Beef

3. Provide copies of these specs to all of your suppliers. This will ensure they are all quoting on the same item. If they do not carry your spec, ask them to quote on the next closest, along with their products spec. Use this to measure against yours. Differences will be greater than you think.

4. Get a minimum of THREE produce quotes every week. You dont need to supplier-hop every week, but this will help keep you up to date with current market prices. At least make sure your produce supplier knows that you are aware of how their prices are in relation to others.

5. post the specs near the receiving door. Check each item against its spec as it arrives. try to have the Chef or Manager who placed the order recieve it to ensure it is correct.

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