Weber's Market has weathered a lot of storms-both figurative and literal- in its 136-year history. Despite flood waters lapping at its second story walls and chain supermarkets forcing many fellow corner groceries out of business, Weber's has remained a fixed constant on the corner of Third and Scammel streets since 1876.

A couple of things have made possible the resilience of the market-adaptation to change and a long standing family, according to current owner Tony Weber.

"I don't know how small businesses like this would operate if you didn't have family," he said.

JASMINE ROGERS The Marietta Times Webers Market owner Tony Weber, left, chats with customer Neil Brown at the store Monday. The corner grocery has been in Webers family for nearly 140 years.

Tony, 56, took over the business from his parents, Dick and Betty Weber in 1988, and is one of many in a long line of relatives who have taken the reigns of the store. The first, Tony's great-grandfather August, founded the August Weber Grocery Company in 1876.

August and brother Adam had recently immigrated to the area from Germany where they had been plasterers. Unable to plaster in the cold winter months, August started operating a market out of his small home, said Tony.

When August eventually decided to give up plastering and make the grocery store a year-round job, he had a lot of help, said Betty, 81.

About Weber's Market

- The August Weber Grocery Company was founded in 1876 by August Weber out of his home at the corner of Third and Scammel streets in Marietta.

- All but one of August's eight children helped with some facet of the grocery business.

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All in the Family: Weber's corner store

Love goes 3D One of the trends that dominated the small-screen was the third angle in a love story. Either two guys were smitten by the same girl or two girls were in love with the same guy. Every other serial from the traditional looking Balika Vadhu, the filmi Madhubala, Punarvivaah Ek Nayi Ummeed to the Muslim social Qubool Hai depicted a love triangle. One show Anamika even gave a paranormal touch to what could otherwise have been a staid love story. The makers got so caught up with the concept that in some serials a third person was introduced much later to add spice to the shows like Bade Acche Laggte Hai and Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kucch Kaha.

Men in drag Since female-centric shows rule the roost, the guys this year decided if you cant beat them, join them and brought out the feminine side in them. Several male actors turned up in drag in different shows. Ali Asgar, Sunil Grover and Kiku Sharada led the pack with their perfect impersonations as Dadi, Gutthi and Palak in Comedy Nights With Kapil. The three got their female avatars bang-on and you would be forgiven if you thought they were women. Then there was an entire show Mrs Pammi Pyarelal revolving around a man dressed as woman Gaurav Chopra. Though Gaurav turned out to be a pretty woman, the show didnt click. Now Karan Goddwani is set to turn a woman in Jeannie Aur Juju, while Mohit Sehgal appeared in drag in Qubool Hai. There have been one-off appearances of men in drag in reality shows too like Karanvir Bohras female avatar in Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa and Omar Farooques in Nach Baliye!

Double trouble The tried and tested Bollywood formula of double roles was played out prominently in serials this year. Even Mahadev of Devon Ke Dev Mahadev played a baddie in his twin avatar as Jalandhar. The highpoint was a face-off between the two! Others who played double roles included Rati Pandey in Hitler Dadi, as the good Indu and the vampish Zara, Abbas Khan as Eeji and Beeji Pandey a la Chulbul Pandey (Dabangg) in Lapatagunj Ek Baar Phir and Adaa Khan as the sophisticated Amrit and rustic Rajjo in Amrit Manthan. While Aditya Redij played a don Ishwar and the positive Prithvi in Junoon Aisi Nafrat Toh Kaise Ishq, Avika Gor got her first double role as a subdued Roli and a bindaas banjaaran Jhumki in Sasural Simar Ka. The trend was so popular that Ankita Lokhande who had threatened to quit Pavitra Rishta post the 18-year leap stayed back when she was promised a double role! She currently essays both the aged Archana and her young granddaughter Ankita.

Crime time The success of Crime Patrol spawned several me-toos Shaitan, Delving Into A Criminal Mind, Savdhan India and Police Dial 100. While some started last year, others went on air early this year. Except for Police Dial 100 which followed the cops even as they are solving a case, the others recreate the crime scenes, while the host narrates the story. Everything from the brutal Delhi gang-rape to chilling cases of honour killing, the shows have reconstructed gruesome crimes but have maintained that their aim is to create awareness and make people alert!

Grandeur on the small-screen A lot of colour and grandeur was added to the small-screen this year with several historicals and mythologicals taking centre stage. Starting with Jodha Akbar, that tells the passionate love story between a Mughal emperor and a Hindu princess, the year ended with the launch of a fantasy drama Hatim. Also, after BR Chopra and Ekta Kapoors televised version of Mahabharat, yet another serial based on the epic went on air. Buddha was brought to life with a serial by the same name. Then theres Bharat Ka Veer Putra Maharana Pratap on the life of the Rajput warrior, . A short mythological serial Katha Mahadevputra Bal Ganesh Ki was aired close to Ganesh Utsav. And last but not the least, Devon Ke Dev Mahadev that brought back the trend of mythologicals, released DVDs of the serial.

Now showing Season 2 Anil Kapoor is talking about a season two of his desi remake of the thriller 24, but the idea was already set in motion by serials like Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha, which began the year with a sequel. Megha and Mohans love story was back after a 16-year leap and was taken over by their offsprings. Lapatagunj came back with a six-year leap and moved from a village to a town though the essence of the satirical show remained intact. Sanskaar Dharohar Apnon Ki that was forced out because of Bigg Boss 7 returned for a second run within a month with a new storyline and additions and exclusion of some characters. Punarvivaah had a unique second season. Within a month of the original going off air, the makers brought a fresh cast and storyline under the same brand! Even the producer of Pratigya had announced another season, but it never took off.

Back after a break From Sangeeta Ghosh, Gautami Kapoor to Kanchi Kaul, the year saw several TV actors, especially women, who had taken a break after marriage or pregnancy, making a comeback. Sangeeta and Gautami returned with Jee Le Zara and Khelti Hai Zindagi Aankh Micholi, respectively. Its a different thing that Gautamis serial is already on its way out. Kanchi came back after two years with Meri Bhabhi while Rajshri Thakur Saloni of Saat Phere who was missing in action for over a couple of years returned with Bharat Ka Veer Putra Maharana Pratap. Jennifer Winget of Dil Mill Gaye fame was back after a two-year hiatus with Saraswatichandra, while Reena Kapoor (Rani of Woh Rehnewali Mehlon Ki) will be seen in Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya after five years. Even, Poonam Dhillon last seen in Bigg Boss 3 is back with a show loosely based on English Vinglish called Ek Nayi Pehchaan. Other prominent personalities who made a comeback include Ashish Chowdhury (Ek Mutthi Aasmaan), Sudesh Berry (Devon Ke Dev Mahadev), Eijaz Khan (Punarvivaah2), Iqbal Khan (Tumhari Paakhi), Ratan Rajput (Mahabharat and Bigg Boss 7). BB 7 saw couple of TV actors like Apurva and Shilpa Agnihotri, who had vanished from the scene also making a comeback.

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Television themes and concepts that were trending in 2013

Albany NY Room Additions - Second Story Additions
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It shows you how many great sports stories we had in 2013 that perfection ranks number 9 on our list. Let's head back to May 17th, when Kellen Bates once again proved no one in Montana could hang with him on the court.

With one final ace, Kellen Bates wrapped up an undefeated high school tennis career, and instantly felt the pressure lift off his shoulders.

"I was just happy the way I played that last match," said the 4-year state champion from Glacier High after he beat Hellgate's Dylan Harvala in the title match 6-2, 6-1. "It will take a while to sink in all the accomplishments I've done here in high school tennis. But I was just glad to get that last match."

Bates domination of the Treasure State high school court started on day one. He cruised through the bracket for a state championship as a freshman. And ended up 61-0 while playing for the Wolfpack, only dropping two total sets in four years. Bates showed improvement every season, but he felt his senior year was by far the toughest.

"I'd go out there and I'd put a little too much pressure on myself and make matches a little too hard on myself. And then I would play tight," said Bates. "And other years, especially my freshman year, I felt like I could just go out there, swing for the fences, and have a good time."

Bates is running out of room to display all of his trophies. But the newest additions might be his favorite. For the first time, he helped bring home two state championships.

"I guess I could put this year as the most special one since I was able to win a state championship singularly, and then capture one as a team," he said. "It will be pretty cool to look back on in a couple years. It's pretty special."

Bates is currently playing at Indiana University. But he wasn't the only 4-time state champ this Spring. Bridger Walczynski of Corvallis claimed a Class A doubles title every year in high school. He teamed up with three different partners, including DJ Pekoc the last two years. On May 25th, he left the court as a winner one last time.

"Started off a little slow. Cold morning. Didn't really wake up very well," said Walczynski after the clinching victory in Polson. "But by the second set we were clicking and everything was just working. Being a senior and knowing that my season and career is done in high school is the hard part. But knowing I went out like this is a great feeling."

Tomorrow we will feature numbers 8 and 7 on our countdown of the top 2013 sports stories in Western Montana. Both involve long-distance runners breaking records.

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Sports Story #9 - Perfection on the Court

From inventing low-cost devices to innovative ways of helping make math and science easy for students, meet three Indian Americans pushing the boundaries.

In the first part of a three-part series beginning today, Suman Guha Mozumder speaks to 18-year old Saumil Bandyopadhyay who was named a recipient of the second annual American Ingenuity Awards by Smithsonian magazine, the flagship publication of Smithsonian Media, for a unique, sensitive infrared radiation detector.

MIT freshman Saumil Bandyopadhyay was named a recipient of the second annual American Ingenuity Awards by Smithsonian magazine, the flagship publication of Smithsonian Media, for a unique, sensitive infrared radiation detector that promises to be inexpensive and has scientific, civilian and military applications.

The device being developed by Saumil, 18, has already attracted the interest of the United States Army, which has taken him to work in one of its engineering laboratories.

Saumil is one of the 10 groundbreaking individuals honoured with the American Ingenuity Awards across categories including technology, performing and visual arts, natural and physical sciences, education, historical scholarship, social progress and youth achievement.

The honourees were recognised at an awards gala at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, November 19; in Smithsonian magazines special Ingenuity Awards December issue; and on Smithsonian.com.

While their work is different in objective, each winner is embracing the Smithsonians mission to increase knowledge and shape the world of tomorrow, Michael Caruso, editor in chief, Smithsonian magazine, was quoted as saying.

As a toddler, Saumil used to be taken to his father Supriyo Bandyopadhyays office in the Virginia Commonwealth University, where the elder Bandyopadhyay has been a professor of electrical engineering and computer engineering.

As a 2-year-old, even before he could speak, Saumil started doing additions and subtractions with apples or tennis balls, his father said.

He skipped developmental stages in the sense he started from sitting to standing and then walking. He never crawled, Bandyopadhyay said, recalling that his sons childhood development was in fits and starts.

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At 18, he helps US Army with unique infrared detector

December 23, 2013 - National Lacrosse League (NLL) Philadelphia Wings The Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) will begin their 28th season of play on the road against divisional rivals the Buffalo Bandits at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, NY on Saturday, December 28 at 7:30 p.m. The Wings look to achieve their record 7th NLL Championship after making the playoffs in 2013, for the second consecutive season.

The Wings made a number of moves this off-season, compiling a 20-man roster containing 10 new members and 10 hold-overs from last year's team. Veteran Forwards Ryan Ward and Tracey Kelusky along with Goalie Evan Kirk highlight the key additions. Ward and Kelusky were acquired as free agents. Kirk was the key return in a trade this Fall that saw Drew Westervelt dealt to the Colorado Mammoth.

Tracey Kelusky will be meeting his former team for the first time when the Wings take on the Buffalo Bandits in the season opener. Ryan Ward returns to the Wings, who originally drafted him third overall in the 2003 NLL Entry Draft.

"By acquiring Tracey [Kelusky] and Ryan [Ward] this offseason, we've brought in players with experience and a high lacrosse IQ," said Head Coach Blane Harrison. "This will only help us by having a strong impact on the rest of the team."

Philadelphia returns Captian Brodie Merrill, 2013 leading scorer Kevin Crowley, key contributors on offense in Forwards Jordan Hall and Kevin Ross and defensive standout Brett Manney.

Rookie additions, Garrett Thul, Don Alton, John Ranagan, Brian Megill and Michael Poppleton will all play in their first professional game during the season opener. Alton was selected in the fourth round of the 2013 NLL Entry draft. Thul, Ranagan, Megill, and Poppleton all signed following the Wings rookie and free agent camp in November.

"We were very happy with how our training camp turned out," said Harrison. "We have been able to incorporate skilled players from our free agent camp and teach them our system. This is a change for me to transition to head coach. There are plenty of expectations for the Wings with such a decorated team history, and we're ready for the challenge."

This game will mark the first of three contests this season between the Wings and their long time divisional foe, the Buffalo Bandits. Following the 2014 season opener at Buffalo, Philadelphia hosts the Bandits for their home opener at Wells Fargo Center on Sunday, January 12 at 4 p.m.

Tickets for all Wings 2014 home games are available by phone at 215-389-WING or online at WingsLAX.com.

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Philadelphia Wings Open 2014 NLL Season on the Road

If you want to know Where the Girls Are, look no further than two of Ace Records latest releases. The eighth installment of the labels Where the Girls Are series is a grab-bag of the best girl-group pop youve never heard, while The Artistry of Brenda Holloway gives a much-deserved spotlight to the underrated Motown vocalist who so often found herself in the shadows of Diana Ross or Martha Reeves.

Where the Girls Are Volume 8, compiled and annotated by Malcolm Baumgart and Mick Patrick, offers 25 girl-pop nuggets that sound as fresh today as when they were first recorded in the 1960s. There arent many familiar artists represented, but one group with top-tier credentials here is certainly The Blossoms. When Lou Adler launched his Ode Records, it was with a 45 of the Darlene Love-led groups rendition of Laura Nyros Stoney End. Here, then, is their follow-up, Nick Ashford, Valarie Simpson and Jo Armsteads Cry Like a Baby, previously recorded by none other than Aretha Franklin. The Blossoms, who got their due as perhaps the preeminent group of background singers in the recent film Twenty Feet from Stardom, are also heard on I Still Like Rock and Roll under the pseudonym The Darlenes. The latter was produced by Lee Hazlewood for the Stacy label, who frequently utilized the girls under a variety of names largely intended to fool his then-rival Phil Spector. Speaking of Spector, his onetime Teddy Bears partner Carol Connors future Academy Award-winning songwriter of Gonna Fly Now from Rocky gets a slot here with the deliciously sassy My Baby Looks, But He Dont Touch.

Another familiar name here is Little Eva. Her post-Dimension Records output is infrequently revisited, so its a treat to hear her 1965 cover of Stand by Me with unusually rocking guitar! Stand by Me is just one of the songs on Volume 8 from the production team of Feldman-Goldstein-Gotteher, recipients of a previous Ace anthology all their own. (Where the Girls Are affords the label the chance to revisit past subjects, and indeed this volume complements many previous titles in the Ace catalogue.) Also from the F-G-G team is The Four Havens Gee, But Hes Fine, Ravita Marcells Thats My Man, and Diane Christians Why Dont the Boy Leave Me Alone. Grammar notwithstanding, this is one of those productions that shouldnt have missed. The angst-ridden teen drama is set to a big, bold, string-laden arrangement, and offers a powerful lead and tight vocal harmony in other words, all of the ingredients for a hit.

Van McCoy, another past Ace subject, wrote Carol Slades I Wanna Know Right Now with strings adding a hint of elegance, and wrote and produced Kendra Spotswoods classy Stickin with My Baby. Though information as to some of these artists has been lost to time, Baumgart and Patrick have done an exceptional job tracking many down. We learn, for instance, that Spotswood was a New Jersey singer once known as Sandi Sheldon and a part-time touring Shirelle!

The Bonnets Ya Gotta Take a Chance, recorded at Los Angeles famed Gold Star studio, would have fit snugly on Aces Phils Spectre series. Its a dead ringer for Spectors bombastic Wall of Sound productions, and writer/producer Al Allen recalls Hal Blaine being the man responsible for the thunderous drums, and Larry Levine or Stan Ross engineering. The music of New York writer-producer Bert Berns was also anthologized by Ace, and here, the Bang Records founder is represented with two quirky tracks from a group alternately dubbed The Pussycats and The Witches (Berns and Farrells My Little Baby arranged by Artie Butler, and Come On and Ska, with a Teacho Wiltshire chart, respectively).

There has yet to be a definitive history of the early recordings of Philadelphias Mighty Three trio of Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff and Thom Bell, but there are a handful of choice titles here that should set the pulse racing of any Philly Soul fan. The Orlons I Aint Comin Back was co-written by Gamble and produced by Gamble and Huff, and is a quintessential slice of uptempo Philly pop-soul circa 1965. Huff co-wrote No, No Baby for The Sherrys, and the Madara/White production on Mercury was a deliciously defiant slab of girl group goodness with a Steve Douglas-esque honking sax solo, a rollicking piano part and potent horns. The third member of the Mighty Three, Thom Bell, co-wrote Nikki Blus (Whoa Whoa) I Love Him So with Chubby Checker who also produced! Theres no sign of Bells future lush style here, but the track is another sassy, danceable and catchy nugget with prominent piano and punchy brass.

In addition, Philly fans will find 1965s rousing Gotta Have Your Love from The Sapphires a Brill Building gem by Tony Powers (early partner of Ellie Greenwich) and Jack Keller, produced by Jerry Ross and arranged by Jimmy Wiz Wisner plus the future Mrs. Gamble Dee Dee Sharp, with a female spin on Mel Tormes cool Comin Home Baby.

Theres more after the jump on both Where the Girls Are and The Artistry of Brenda Holloway! Read the rest of this entry

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The Second Disc | Expanded and Remastered Music News

December 20, 2013 - New York-Penn League (NYPL) Mahoning Valley Scrappers Cleveland, OH - The Cleveland Indians today announced the organizational staff alignment within the Player Development System for the upcoming season.

Three of the Tribe's four full-season affiliates will feature different managers from the previous campaign, with the lone exception CHRIS TREMIE returning for his second season as skipper of the Triple-A Columbus Clippers. Former Tribe farmhands DAVID WALLACE and SCOOTER TUCKER, both of whom managed a Tribe affiliate last season, will keep their respective coaching staffs intact and advance a level within the system. Wallace will shift from Single-A Advanced Carolina to Double-A Akron, while Tucker will take over for Wallace in Zebulon after managing Lake County in 2013. Another former Tribe minor leaguer, MARK BUDZINSKI, will make his professional coaching debut in 2014 as manager of the Lake County Captains.

Budzinski and RIGO BELTRAN highlight new additions within the club's Player Development coaching ranks. Beltran pitched professionally over 15 seasons from 1991-2006, including 78 Major League games from 1997-2004. Also, LUIS ORTIZ has been promoted to Assistant Field Coordinator after joining the Indians organization in 2013 as Cultural Development/Lower-Level Hitting Coordinator. MARK ALLEN will serve as the Pitching Coach for the Rookie Arizona club over the summer while continuing his role as Area Scout in North Texas and Oklahoma prior to the draft. EDWIN RODRIGUEZ shifts to Special Assistant to Baseball Operations. In his new role, Rodriguez will use his experiences as a manger, coach and scout to impact all areas of the Player Development system, with an emphasis on infield play and Latin American player plans and transitions.

Tremie, 44, returns for his second consecutive season at the helm of the Columbus Clippers after leading the Tribe's Triple-A affiliate to a 71-73 (.493) record in 2013. The native of Houston, Texas has managed at every level in the Indians farm system and is set to begin his 9th season in the organization. In 2012, he led the Akron Aeros to the 2012 Eastern League title after guiding the club to a regular season record of 82-59 (.582). TONY ARNOLD will return as the Clippers Pitching Coach as he begins his 22nd season as a coach in the Indians Player Development System, while Hitting Coach JIM RICKON will join Tremie's staff after spending 2013 with the Double-A Akron Aeros.

Wallace, 34, will serve as manager in the inaugural season for the Akron RubberDucks after leading the Single-A Advanced Carolina Mudcats in 2013. Wallace was a staff assistant for the Major League club in 2009-10 and managed the Mahoning Valley Scrappers and the Lake County Captains (2011-12) before joining the Mudcats last season. A native of Nashville, TN, Wallace spent 6 years as a catcher in the Indians organization from 2002-07. The RubberDucks coaching staff will be rounded out by Pitching Coach JEFF HARRIS and Hitting Coach ROUGLAS ODOR.

Tucker, 47, will take the reins in Zebulon, NC and lead the Tribe's Single-A Advanced Carolina Mudcats in his 3rd year in the professional coaching ranks. The former Major League catcher made his coaching debut as a Hitting Coach for the Mudcats in 2012 and served as the Manager of the Lake County Captains last season. Tucker will be joined by his 2012 Lake County coaching staff as TONY MANSOLINO will serve as Hitting Coach, and former Indians reliever

STEVE KARSAYwill act as Pitching Coach.

Budzinski, 40, is set to make his professional coaching debut at the helm of the Lake County Captains in 2014. Budzinski was drafted by the Indians in the 21st round of the 1995 draft and played 7 years in the Indians ranks (1995-2001) before spending time in the Cubs, Brewers, Reds and Phillies organizations before retiring in 2005. The former outfielder was a member of the United States team in the 2001 Baseball World Cup, and made his Major League debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 2003. RIGO BELTRAN will serve as the Pitching Coach for the Captains after spending 7 seasons as a coach in the Reds organization and SHAUN LARKIN will shift from Mahoning Valley to serve as Hitting Coach.

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Kubiak Returns to Mahoning Valley for 2014

FC Zenit started this season's UEFA Champions League with a point to prove after failing to get beyond last term's group stage despite notable additions to their squad. They duly made it through to the round of 16 for only the second time in their history, albeit with a record low tally of six points.

Story so far Despite Zenit showing promise in their 3-1 opening-night defeat at Club Atltico de Madrid, a disappointing goalless draw at home to FK Austria Wien offered evidence that finding the back of the net would be the biggest problem for Luciano Spalletti's side. Conversely, the team had put 14 goals past FC Nordsjlland and Paos Ferreira in qualifying.

However, a 1-0 Group G victory at FC Porto, courtesy of an Aleksandr Kerzhakov strike four minutes from time, should have begun to ease the Sine-Belo-Golubye's nerves. Then, though, came successive 1-1 draws at home against Porto and Atltico which severely dented their chances of progress. They rounded off their campaign with a 4-1 reverse at Austria, but nevertheless sneaked through by a point.

Pivotal moment Zenit's seven-game winning streak in the Russian Premier-Liga had just ended when they hosted Porto on matchday three. The match was poised at 1-1 when Hulk, who had equalised against his former club midway through the first half, had the chance to put his side in front from the penalty spot. However, his effort was saved by Helton and Zenit missed their opportunity to claim three points and all but seal qualification with time to spare. It made for a nervous finale.

Key player: Hulk The Brazilian international is without doubt the focal point of this Zenit outfit the one player who has the ability to create something out of nothing. At times it seems the 27-year-old is burdened by his team's expectations he has a tendency to overplay yet Spalletti will be praying the forward stays fit and on form. Zenit are a much weaker side without their talisman.

Rising star: Yuri Lodygin Finding a successor to the ageing Vyacheslav Malafeev was never going to be easy, but 23-year-old Lodygin has shown he could be Zenit's future between the posts. Brought up in Greece, he has been a commanding presence in the penalty box and an excellent shot-stopper during his first campaign in Russia. Though he can still improve his judgement and positioning, expect him to be a fixture for club and country for years to come.

Number: 23 Hulk managed 23 shots on target, the most by any player in the group phase. However, he converted only two chances, indicative of a Zenit squad who scored just five times throughout.

Luciano Spalletti on matchday six

Quote "It's hard to accept congratulations after a game like this. As I've said many times, I value the display more than the result. It was very important for us to qualify and we achieved this goal. At the same time, we didn't play the football we should have." Spalletti after his side qualified despite defeat by Austria on matchday six

Next challenge: Borussia Dortmund (Home: 25 February, away: 19 March Zenit are a group low on confidence having won a solitary game in nine since the end of October. The Russian winter break could not have come at a better time for Spalletti and it is imperative he uses it to resolve his defensive problems. Things may not get any easier as their first match of 2014 is against Dortmund. The Bundesliga team have experience of playing in the cold of eastern Europe in February, having beaten FC Shakhtar Donetsk over two legs en route to London last term. Zenit will need to improve if they wish to reach the last eight for the first time.

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Story so far: FC Zenit

Enlarge / Peter Jackson's second The Hobbit film is here, giving nerds on the Internet something else to argue about.

Before going forward, an important spoiler warning: this article assumes that you've seen both The Hobbit films and read the book and takes no pains to avoid spoilers for any of it. As such, it will spoil not just the movie and the book, but probably also many elements of the next Hobbit film. If you haven't read the books and want to be surprised by the next movie, do not pass beyond this point.

Let me begin by saying that I didn't dislikeThe Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

This was emphaticallynot the case with last year'sAn Unexpected Journey, which has a whole pile of structural and thematic problems.Peter Jackson and crew took what could have been a reasonably watchable two-hour fantasy film and padded it out to three hours with interminable chase sequences, memorable-for-all-the-wrong-reasons rock monster battles, and pointless Elijah Wood cameos.

The new movie inherits a few of these problems. There are still more than a few chases, and the scenes thataren't chases are often overly talky sequences where ominous figures drone on ominously about an ominously ominous Coming Evil. Most of this is done to set up the third movie, which will wrap up the story ofThe Hobbitbut also bridge the gap between these prequel movies and theLord of the Rings films. These ponderous speeches and jumps away from the main action still drag Desolationdown, but the storyline is more straightforward (and, at a mere two hours and 40 minutes, moves more briskly) than the previous film.

Last year we took a wide-ranging look at many aspects ofAn Unexpected Journey, but this year let's focus on one aspect of the new movie that has some of the Tolkien faithful up in arms: it changes the story. It changes it kind of a lot. And these changes run deeper than the ones made to expand material from Tolkien's other writing and shoehorn Sauron (a present-but-unnamed and largely backgrounded figure in the book) into the main action.

The movie's many changes have been compared to the biggest and most egregious change in theLord of the Rings trilogy (if you don't count the absence of "The Scouring of the Shire"): Faramir's behavior inThe Two Towers. In both the book and the film, Boromir's brother Faramir is presented with the opportunity to capture Frodo and take the Ring from him by force. Book-Faramir chooses to help Frodo along in his quest and give up the Ring, an action that drives home for the reader the fact that Faramir is in many ways wiser and better suited for leadership than his brother Boromir (who failed the same test). Movie-Faramir is so desperate for his father's approval that he captures Frodo and Sam and tries to bring them back to Gondor, letting them go only after a close shave with a Ringwraith.

It was a change made because theTwo Towers film ended earlier in the timeline of events than theTwo Towers book and because Faramir's brief internal struggle probably wouldn't have thrilled a mainstream audience as much as an Orc battle and Ringwraith encounter. But it changed Faramir for the worseit took one of the book's better characters and more important character moments (seriously, being able to reject or let go of the Ring of one's own volition is a big deal) and tossed it out because it wouldn't have looked cool.

The Desolation of Smaug makes changes and additions as large and larger than these, and unlike the first Hobbitfilm, the events of the second one depart from the booksignificantly. Still, I'm more inclined to defend changes toThe Hobbit's story becauseThe Hobbit's story is less complex and less satisfying thanThe Lord of the Rings'. Too much happens by chance or by accident. Too many characters are left undeveloped. To make a story that's satisfying to adults and not just children, you've got to give the source material some help.

An Unexpected Journey was pretty faithful to Tolkien's source material, which meant that it imported some ofThe Hobbit's less-plausible turns of events. The most noticeable of these are the story's manydei ex machina, the times when Bilbo, Gandalf, and the dwarves are saved from certain doom through coincidence and luck rather than their own skill and resourcefulness. Any time an eagle has to fly in from nowhere to save the day, you should realize you've written yourself into a corner.

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On The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and weaknesses in the source material