Eat your heart out Kate Upton!

With this year's Allen & Ginter release I've seen a lot of people all giddy about the inclusion of Kate Upton.  Whether it be her base card, relic or auto it seems a lot of guys in particular are chasing this card like a young girl chasing Justin Bieber.

Me?  Nope.  My girl was in last year's A&G set.  Most of you will do a double take.  Some of you will laugh.  I don't care.  I'm just happy to have finally added this card to my collection.

Yup, that's Jo Jo...Jo Frost...aka Super Nanny.  Don't ask why, just congratulate me on my newest acquisition!

Oh so close to finishing the 2011 Topps A&G set...

I'm down to just 14 cards needed to complete the 2011 Allen & Ginter set.  Still got some work to do on the various insert sets, but the binder is shaping up nicely!  Anyone out there care to make a trade?  Here is my want list.  You can find my trade lists just underneath the blog's title.

Trade with Democratic Roadkill

After posting my Gint-A-Cuffs III results on my blog a few weeks ago Duane from Democratic Roadkill contacted me about a possible trade.  We shot several e-mails back and forth until finally resolving a trade that would help each of us with our 2011 A&G wants.

Today (wow that was quick Duane!) his part of the trade arrived in the mail box and I couldn't be happier.  Along with a smattering of base cards he was able to help me put a huge dent in the various inserts I'm chasing this year.

Look at all those minis!  I got the last few Portraits of Penultimacy I needed plus a nice bit of the Animals in Peril set.  Uninvited Guests and World's Most Mysterious Men also rounded out the bit.

More minis!  Step Right Up and another Flora of the World.  When I first saw the sell sheets with the Flora of the World insert I thought it was a lame set...then I pulled one and realized you could actually plant the card!  Just for that very reason I thought the card was worth keeping as well as trying to track down the others.  Duane also found me another dino card from last year's set I was lacking.  More Floating Fortresses to boot as well!  There was a handful of the base cards in one of the stacks with inserts and as I was thumbing threw them I ran across one of a woman that looked awfully familiar to me.  The last name of Frost didn't ring any bells, but a quick view of the back...Super Nanny!  Call me weird.  Fill in the blank if you wish...but I think this is a really cool card.  I didn't know she was part of the set let alone know she had a relic and autograph!  Knock 2 more cards off my 2008 UD Masterpieces as well.

Thank you so much Duane for helping me out.  This has to be one of the best trades I've completed this year.

2011 Topps Allen & Ginter Trade Lists & Want Lists posted!

I didn't want to overload my blog with all things Allen & Ginter so I took my time figuring out what I was missing from the base set along with which insert sets I'd chase this year.  I finally got everything posted and uploaded to Google Docs today.

You can find my Want List HERE

Everything I have to offer in trade can be found HERE

If you are too lazy to click on the above link and just want to see what I have to trade then here is a rundown:

4, 5, 5, 6, 8, 13, 16, 27, 27, 30, 32, 43, 47, 48, 50, 55, 56, 57, 60, 62, 66, 67, 68, 73, 74, 75, 77, 79, 79, 82, 83, 84, 88, 94, 98, 108, 112, 121, 122, 122, 129, 132, 133, 135, 136, 139, 141, 146, 146, 148, 153, 160, 160, 168, 168, 168, 182, 182, 184, 189, 190, 197, 199, 202, 205, 211, 211, 212, 212, 221, 225, 226, 227, 237, 237, 239, 246, 255, 256, 257, 257, 260, 266, 267, 267, 272, 275, 278, 278, 282, 294, 284, 286, 292, 293, 294, 331 SP

Ascent of Man
2, 6, 11, 11, 14, 15, 17, 19, 23, 24, 25

Baseball Highlight Sketches
#BHS-04 Roy Halladay
#BHS-07 CC Sabathia
#BHS-07 CC Sabathia
#BHS-09 Edwin Jackson
#BHS-09 Edwin Jackson
#BHS-10 Ryan Howard
#BHS-16 Dallas Braden
#BHS-18 Stephen Strasburg
#BHS-18 Stephen Strasburg
#BHS-22 Ubaldo Jimenez
#BHS-22 Ubaldo Jimenez

Code Cards
#036 Eric Sogard
#097 Zach Britton
#106 Jonathan Broxton
#130 Robinson Cano
#137 Carlos Beltran
#158 Billy Butler

Hometown Heroes

1, 2, 2, 6, 6, 10, 10, 13, 19, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30, 37, 37, 39, 40, 43, 47, 48, 48, 48, 51, 54, 61, 62, 63, 68, 69, 71, 71, 72, 76, 76, 77, 81, 81, 82, 85, 85, 86, 86, 89, 95

Floating Fortresses
#FF13 HMS Warrior

Minds That Made the Future

#MMF19 Bernhard Riemann

Framed Mini Relics

#AGR-CQ Carlos Quentin (bat)
#AGR-JU Justin Upton (bat)
#AGR-KN Kyle Blanks (jersey)
#AGR-MBY Marlon Byrd (bat)
#AGR-MCA Melky Cabrera (jersey)
#AGR-MWA Micky Ward (jersey)
#AGR-NF Neftali Feliz (jersey)

Minis

#004 Jhoulys Chacin
#009 Joe Saunders
#016 Gordon Beckham
#026 Edwin Jackson
#055 Dustin Pedroia
#068 Max Scherzer
#102 Wandy Rodriguez
#142 Michael Young
#191 Matt Guy
#203 Aaron Hill
#239 Brett Myers
#270 Kevin Youkilis
#312 Cody Ross SP
#340 Ryan Zimmerman SP
#342 Mike Pelfrey SP
#347 Josh Thole SP

A&G Back Minis

#019 Daniel Bard
#032 Dirk Hayhurst
#035 Adam Dunn
#060 Brandon Belt
#061 Brian Roberts
#107 L.L. Zamenhof
#175 Jose Bautista
#214 Elvis Andrus
#233 Ben Zobrist
#264 Adam Jones
#272 Wee Man
#279 Brian Wilson

Black Bordered Minis

#035 Adam Dunn
#103 Andres Torres
#105 Ubaldo Jimenez
#142 Michael Young
#249 Carlos Ruiz
#320 Jon Lester SP

No Number Minis

Josh Thole

Step Right Up

#SRU9 Knife Throwing

Uninvited Guests

#UG2 The White House
#UG2 The White House
#UG2 The White House
#UG2 The White House

Gint-A-Cuffs Scoring Results

I'm probably one of the few out there with a computer that doesn't have Excel so I used Google Docs to create my own spreadsheet to catalog and score my hobby box of 2011 Allen & Ginter.

If I understand the rules and my math is correct (!) then I believe I have finally scored each pack and came up with a grand total of 197 points.  I don't know if that is a good score or not since nobody else has posted their score as of yet (7/21/11 at 1:45 pm EST).

For per pack and total score you can view my Google Doc HERE.

Box Break - 2011 Topps Allen & Ginter (Gint-A-Cuffs III)

I decided to throw my name in the hat so to speak and try my hands at this year's Gint-A-Cuffs contest.  Click HERE for a complete pack by pack run down of my box's contents.  If you just want to see the inserts look below.  Most of them are there for your viewing pleasure (as well as proof of what I pulled!).  I didn't pull anything earth shattering, but it was a lot of fun.  Now to collate my cards and come up w/ want and trade lists!

8 points

 

3 points each

   
2 points
3 points


1+1 (Favorite Team) + 2 (Other Favorite Player) = 4 points

   
1 point
3 points

  
2 points
10 points

  
Heyward SP = 2+1 (Favorite Team) + 2 Other Favorite Player = 5 points
3 points
  
2 points
3 points

  
1 point (Favorite Team)
2-1 (Yankees) = 1 point

  
3 points
10 points

  
1 point (favorite team)
2 points


2 points

  
1 point (Favorite Player)
3 points

  
3 points
3-1 = 2 points (-1 Yankees)

  
3-1 = 2 points (-1 Yankees)
3 points

 
3 points each

 
1 point (Favorite Team)

 
3 points
2 points


10 points


2 points


2 points

  
10 points
5 points (Favorite Player + Favorite Team)


2 points

If my math is correct and I understand the rules then I netted a grand total of 197 points!  Not every card that was worth points was scanned here.  If I had known how the Commish wanted the results to be shown I would've followed Night Owl's format from last year.  Oh well...here is hoping the rest of the Gint-A-Cuffs participants choke!

Allen & Ginter Ascent of Man...NOT

EDIT
** This post was not meant to insult, condemn or hurt anyone.  The post and my comments are my beliefs solely.  I'm not judging anyone for their beliefs or comments.  I actually welcome comments.  I just don't want anyone to label me a "religious fanatic" and steer clear of the blog.  We'll be getting back to cardboard posts very soon, I promise!  If anyone was offended by this post or any of my comments then I apologize. **


If you've read my blog for awhile, especially on Sundays then you should know that I'm a Christian.  Yup, proud of it and not ashamed to let others know.  While I do post a Bible verse every Sunday I don't try to cram or force my beliefs onto others.  However I did want to take a moment to comment about the new unannounced set in Allen & Ginter called Ascent of Man.

The card set focuses on the topic of Evolution.  It covers several aspects, but what bothers me the most is the whole notion that you and I evolved from an ape.  Here are a few points that I'd like to mention when it comes to the whole creation vs. evolution topic:

1. Creationism and evolutionism begin from two radically different points. Creation: In the beginning there was God. Evolution: In the beginning there was random chance.
2. Darwinian doctrine insists that the evolution of life is a random process—that we are here by a series of pure accidents (e.g., mutations, and molecules in motion, gene recombinations and duplications). This is in direct conflict with the biblical doctrine of election—that life is not merely a series of accidents. According to the Bible, each believer is in some sense individually foreknown and chosen by God from before the foundations of the world. (1 Samuel 16:7-12; Psalm 139:16; Jeremiah 1:5; Matthew 24:31, 25:34; Romans 8:29-30; 1 Corinthians 2:7; Galatians 1:15; Ephesians 1:4-12; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:1-2, 2:9)
3. The God of the Bible is more than Creator and Savior. He is also Sustainer. With evolution, life is a self-sustaining process ruled by fate, and God plays no role in the universe or in the ongoing lives of men. This contradicts the biblical doctrine of providence—that all things happen under the authority of God, and that God is still at work sustaining (though not re-creating) His creation. (Genesis 45:7-8, Nehemiah 9:6; Esther 4:14; Psalm 104:30, 145:16, 147:9; Proverbs 16:9,33, Isaiah 45:1,7, 46:10; Matthew 6:26, 10:29-31; John 5:17, 14:16-17, 15:26, 16:13-15; Acts 17:26, 18:9-11; Romans 8:9-11; Colossians 1:17, Hebrews 1:3)
4. The Bible says that man was created as a special being—in the image of God, as opposed to the evolutionary view that has man is just another animal in the evolutionary process. (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:7)
5. The Bible indicates that creation was a completed event in the past, and is not continuing as evolution suggests. (Genesis 2:1-3; Ecclesiastes 3:14; Hebrews 4:3-11) As put by the Concordia Study Bible (annotations page 8), "His creative work was completed—and it was totally effective, absolutely perfect, 'very good.' It did not have to be repeated, repaired or revised, and the Creator rested to commemorate it."
6. Given the above, the creation by God of distinct "kinds" as described in Genesis 1 and 1 Corinthians 15:38-39 implies that transmutations between kinds is precluded, or at least superfluous.
7. The Bible indicates that there is clear physical evidence of creation. (Psalm 19:1-6; Acts 17:24-29) Evolution denies the evidence for creation. If Darwinism were a reasonable hypothesis, atheists would have a perfectly good excuse, in contradiction to Romans 1:20. On the other hand, creation is a consistent theme throughout the Bible.
8. There is no hint of evolution in the Bible. While this is an argument from silence and thus does not necessarily preclude evolution, such an important concept as to origins would surely have been suggested in the Bible due to its theological implications. On the other hand, creation is a consistent theme throughout the Bible. It is mentioned approximately 64 times in 18 books of the Bible.
9. Evolution is a philosophy based on naturalism and materialism. Naturalism holds that nature is all there is and that the universe is self-sufficient without a supernatural cause or control of the world. Materialism regards matter as the original cause of all—that matter did its own creating. Materialism denies the existence of the soul. The philosophical assumption of evolution is therefore essentially atheistic or agnostic, thus clearly incompatible with special creation and the other miracles of the Bible. With evolution, if God exists, He is so distant as to be irrelevant.
10. The Bible teaches that God created man by fiat, that is, by supernatural power, not by natural processes. (Genesis 2:7; Psalm 33:6,9; Psalm 148:5; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Hebrews 11:3)
11. Some 75 passages of Scripture including those by Jesus, refer to the creation narrative of Genesis 1-2, confirming it as actual history. (Matthew 19:4; Mark 10:6; Luke 3:38, Revelation 2:7) See In the Beginning elsewhere on our site.
12. There is an important reason to interpret from the Bible that Adam was a real person. Unless the concept of original sin through Adam is true, Jesus' coming makes no sense. That is, Christians believe that Christ's atoning sacrifice for our sins was necessary because of man's sin nature inherited in some sense from Adam. The Bible teaches that Jesus was the "second Adam." So if Adam was not real, thus did not bring sin into the world, Christ's redemptive sacrifice was not necessary. (Genesis 3:15-19; Romans 4:22-25, 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:21-23,45-57; 1 Timothy 2:13-14).

* courtesy of FaithFacts

I didn't mean to jump off on a tangent as such, but when I found out what this card set was based off I couldn't sit idly by and say nothing.  Choose to believe what you may.  Feel free to voice your opinion on the subject.  I just wanted to share my take on what I believe.

All that said, I'll have several cards from this set that I'll gladly trade away! ( :

2011 Topps A&G Checklists - Where have I been?

 

I can't believe 2011 A&G is only a few weeks away from releasing and I'm just now getting a good look at the sell sheet and checklist.  I love the base design and I wouldn't mind attempting to build the set, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.  A quick scan of the inserts and there are a few that I do want to take the time to chase:

#AGA-MM Mike Minor Framed Autograph

#AGR-BM Brian McCann Framed Relic

#AGR-TH Tim Hudson Framed Relic

North Carolina U.S. Relics

This year's assortment of Mini insert sets didn't appeal to me as much until I saw these two.  Uninvited Guests and Floating Fortresses.  The Amityville Haunting...seriously?  How cool is that!  I also love U.S. history so that set is an easy gimme.

Unless I win the lottery or pull an awesome card I can flip on eBay I don't see myself being able to afford as much A&G this year as I could last year...but I want to go after these 2 sets regardless.  That said if you plan on buying a box or two and don't care anything for these two sets let me know!  Hopefully we can work something out.  Otherwise I'll have to keep an eye on COMC.