text:
The Wardenclyffe building in Shoreham, Long Island is Nikola Tesla's last surviving workshop and was recently up for sale. Fearing the historic property would be purchased by those unsympathetic to Tesla and his work, Matthew Inman of the comic web site, The Oatmeal, began an IndieGoGo campaign to raise $850,000 in order to get a matching grant from New York State, which would provide enough money to purchase the 16-acre property. The campaign was hugely successful and through the course of the 45-day fundraising period, the group raised $1.37 million and also received the grant for a total of $2.2 million.
On Friday, the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe, the group behind the movement, sealed the deal with the Agfa Corporation, the owners of the property, who had listed it at $1.6 million. Work will now commence to restore the site, which includes a large brick structure designed by Tesla's friend Standford White. The building, while severely dilapidated, still features the original brick construction, windows and rafters. Back in 1903, Tesla erected a large wooden tower for his experiments, where one night it fired bolts of electricity into the sky. The tower was Tesla's hope to transmit electricity wirelessly, but unfortunately it was dismantled and sold for scrap after Tesla sold the workshop to pay off his debts and his dream was never realized. Extra funds raised by the campaign will go towards the restoration and renovation of the site to turn it into a museum dedicated to the inventor's work and legacy.
+ Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe
Images ©Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe


text:
Man plans to hand out free shotguns in high-crime neighborhoods
Ex-candidate says program will reduce crime in Tucson
A failed mayoral candidate plans to hand out free shotguns in some high-crime Tucson neighborhoods.
The Tucson Weekly reported that Shaun McClusky intends to give away the shotguns, along with cleaning kits and slugs, in three neighborhoods, including one that he says "is becoming rampant with breakins."
McClusky also told the newspaper that recipients would go through background checks and a training class.
The Republican, who ran unsuccessfully for City Council four years ago and failed to make the ballot for the mayor's race two years ago, said he's already raised $12,000 to help pay for the program, which is affiliated with the Armed Citizen Project.
Each package would cost about $350, the paper reported, and McClusky said he had enough money to hand out about three dozen "single-shot, break-action shotguns."
McClusky said he believes the program will reduce crime.
"Think about the impact this is going to have on a neighborhood," he told the newspaper. "If you're a criminal and you go into a neighborhood and we have a yard sign that says, 'This neighborhood is protected by armed citizens,' you're going to go to the next neighborhood, if you're the criminal."
But a councilman who lives in one of the neighborhoods targeted by McClusky's program does not agree.
"For someone to say it makes sense to be giving away loaded shotguns in high-crime areas is absolute lunacy," Councilman Steve Kozachik told the newspaper. "These people have lost their minds."
McClusky said he'll drop off fliers in the targeted neighborhoods over the next month or so, and anyone who's interested will be asked to attend a meeting, go through a background check and, eventually, receive their free shotgun.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
ANNOUNCEMENT - New Project Has Started
The Virtual Crib started out of an interest to create a home automation program to fit certain needs as they came along. It was mostly created as a hobby and not a lot of effort was put into the architecture and design to make it more usable by the masses. This has spawned a new project called Open Source Automation. It is a completely new project that uses some of the great ideas from vCrib along with a completely new architecture. The project is open source, includes an API to allow for easy development and a bunch of new features. The creation of this new project means that support and development for vCrib has ended, but progress on OSA is coming along rapidly. Come check it out at www.opensourceautomation.com


text:
Appeals Court Strikes Health Insurance Requirement
ATLANTA (AP) - A federal appeals court has struck down the requirement in President Barack Obama's health care overhaul package that virtually all Americans must carry health insurance or face penalties.
A divided three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday struck down the so-called individual mandate, siding with 26 states that had sued to block the law.
But the decision didn't go as far as a lower court that had invalidated the entire overhaul as unconstitutional.
The states and other critics say the law violates people's rights. The Justice Department counters that the legislative branch was exercising a "quintessential" power.
An appeals court and three federal judges have upheld the law, and two have invalidated it. Experts say the debate ultimately will be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.


text:
Tagged: Steven Lerud
Gill and Kate's Citizens Bank Park Debut and Some Crazy BP (9/22/2012)
On September 22, 2012, the boys and I went to our fourth and final game of the season at Citizens Bank Park. And it was a special one because we weren't alone. We were joined by Colleen and a bunch of sorta-Phillies-fans, Uncle Kevin, Aunt Kimberly, Gill and Kate.
Kevin was raised in Manayunk and (to the extent he cares about baseball) identifies as a Phillies fan. I've been trying unsuccessfully to get these guys out to a Phillies game the past couple seasons. So we put this game on our calendar at the very beginning of the season.
Colleen decided to skip BP and meet up with her sister and family at their hotel in Center City Philadelphia. There was an interesting parade going on…
…when we dropped Colleen off along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
I should mention that this was one of those odd 4:05 starts.
We reached the LF gate at Citizens Bank Park in plenty of time to play some catch…
…before the gates opened. After the literally opened the gates, but before the ballpark was "opened" to the fans, something bizarre happened…
…an usher appeared from the direction of LF or 3B, walked out to the gate and handed a baseball to Kellan. And then he immediately turned and kept walking toward CF. That is him at the end of the red arrow walking away from us in the middle picture above.
As I mentioned, it was a bizarre start to the day. I threw in the green "1" in the picture above because (with VERY little effort on our part) things were about to get historically ridiculous for us.
Things started off normal enough. We headed to the LF corner when the gates opened. Tim was by my side and Kellan was relaxing on my shoulders when Steven Lerud spotted Kellan. Kellan was wearing his glove. When Lerud fielded a ball on the edge of the warning track, he turned around and asked if Kellan could catch it. "No," I explained, "but I can catch it for him." And that's just what happened:
Thanks, Steven!
Things were quite in LF. Eventually, we headed out to LCF where nothing much happened. But then the rest of the stadium opened up, and we headed over to the pizza wedge.
Pretty much right when we arrived at the pizza wedge, Rod Nichols (September coaching call-up from the Triple-A Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs) tossed us a baseball:
Nichols is the guy hiding behind the other guy next to the green "3." In that picture with the "3," Tim is catching a baseball that Antonio Bestardo tossed up to him from the warning track. A great catch by Tim!
Thanks, Rod and Antonio!
There were very few people out in RF, and even fewer after the Phillies cleared the field but Braves had yet to take the field.
Soon enough, Eddie Perez and Alan Butts sauntered out to the bullpen. I told Tim their first names and he welcomed them to the outfield. Eddie, who seems to be a really nice guy, waved at both of the boys from the outfield. Then, as Perez and Butts made their way up the stairs toward the Braves bullpen (the upper bullpen), Perez veered off to his right into the Phillies bullpen:
Perez saw two baseballs sitting on the ground by the Phillies bullpen bench. He grabbed them both and tossed them both to us!
Thanks and thanks, Eddie!
So, there you go. The Braves hadn't even come out for BP yet, and we already had caught six baseballs. We decided to hit the restroom, get some water, and relax in the shade a bit until the Braves took the field.
While we were hanging out in the shady concourse behind section 102, we made a decision that our next two baseballs (assuming if got two more) would be for Gill and Kate. In the world of MyGameBalls.com, we don't "count" baseballs that we give away and I had already literally recorded the six baseballs we'd already caught in the little notebook we carry with us at games. So we were really hoping we could get at least two more baseballs so we could have one each for Gill and Kate.
And right as BP started, something awesome, and then awkward, and then awesome (again) happened. Tim Hudson (shown here later in BP)…
…ran across LF toward the bullpen entrance. We were right in the tip of the pizza wedge. Until Tim Byrdak tossed Tim a baseball (and then two more) earlier in the season, Tim and I had been on a five year mission to get Tim a baseball from a Major League "Tim." And, right at the tippy-top of our most wanted list sat the ultimate Major League Tims: Tim Lincecum and Tim Hudson. Bot had eluded us. But on this day, as Tim Hudson approached with a baseball in his glove, I called out, "Hey, Tim! How about tossing a baseball to another Tim!" as I pointed down to Tim. As the green "7" above suggests, it worked!
We were super-excited to get a baseball (a beautiful one that appears to be "game rubbed") from one of the best Tims in the business.
Thanks, Tim!
But then my thoughts immediately turned back to the decision we had made just a few minutes earlier – the next two baseballs would be for Gill and Kate. Oh, no!
There was no way we could give up this Tim Hudson baseball.
So, I announced to Tim and Kellan, "Okay, our next two baseballs will be for Gill and Kate!
But then Paul Maholm wandered by and tossed a baseball to Tim…
…, and Tim made a great catch. When I announced, "Okay, there's one for Gill and Kate." Tim replied, "No! Not this one!" He was too proud of his catch, and the really liked the nice grass stain on the baseball.
"Okay, our NEXT two baseaballs will be for Gill and Kate!"
But how many more opportunities would we even have!?
Well, luckily, we had at least two more:
Not too long after Tim caught the ball from Paul Maholm, Kris Medlin tossed a baseball to me. And then Maholm fielded another baseball on the warning track right below us. Tim called out to him, "Paul, can I have another baseball for my cousin?" And Maholm obliged.
Thanks, Paul and Kris…from us and Gill and Kate!
So, those two balls don't appear in our official count on MyGameBalls.com or the Cook & Son Baseball Museum (http://www.cookandsonbats.com/museum/"), but let's put the "official" count aside and focus on what was in our backpack at the time…at the time, they represented numbers 9 and 10 on the day.
And the day wasn't over yet. In fact, it was still early in the Braves portion of BP!
Soon, a Braves lefty hit a homerun that landed in the first row of section 103 and then bounced up into the second row…
…where I scooped it up for our only hit ball of the day.
Okay. Things were officially ridiculous at this point. So, with half an hour left in BP, we decided to call it quits. We headed back to the water fountain for a refill, got some funny pictures of the boys standing inside steel beams…
…, took a cellphone picture (that one above) and sent it to Colleen to show Gill and Kate, watched some crazy German heritage day dancing (with whips!) in the concourse…
…, and then headed to the "Games of Baseball" for some fun:
So at this point, we had about an hour until the game was scheduled to start. We decided to use that time to carry out a "Games of Baseball" mission. When you play each game (of which there are only two this season – a trivia game and a race around the bases), you get stamps in a little booklet that can be traded in for prizes. The top prize is a baseball string backpack that takes 30 stamps – an entire booklet. We wanted it bad.
So we spent the next hour going back-and-forth amongst the BBQ smoke…
…from game-to-game-to-game-to-game…and so on.
At around 3:30, half hour until game time, we took a break to watch Roy Halladay warm up a bit:
I took that picture of the two coaches (above to the right) because that is Rod Nichols sitting on the bench. He had tossed a ball earlier and I had no clue who he was. I took this picture so I would have something to compare against whatever pictures I might later find of him on google while trying to figure out who the heck he is.
As Roy Halladay stretched in the outfield, our old buddy Jesus Tiamo made his way out to the bullpen and guess what?
He tossed Tim a baseball.
Thanks, Jesus! You were truly awesome to us this season!
While that baseball goes down officially as our tenth baseball of the day, it was literally our twelfth, which was one more than our personal record at the time.
And then it was right back to the "Games of Baseball":
It took right up until game time, but we completed that whole stamp booklet and claimed the top prize!
Along the way, Gill, Kate, Kimberly, Kevin and Colleen arrived. After I handed over the Medlin and Maholm baseballs to Gill and Kate, they got in on the gaming action too:
And then it was game time. We reported to our seats, blue tongues and all:
(I should mention that lollipops are also awarded to "Games of Baseball" participants).
Although our seats at this game were in the upper deck, they were pretty awesome:
We were in the first row of section 427. I liked it a lot; a very nice view of the game. (By the way, that picture is out of order, it's from later in the game).
We were late arriving to our seats because it took a long time for us to get all of the "Games of Baseball" stamps that we needed. The game started while we were trudging through the concourse toward section 427.
Roy Halladay started for the Phillies and was not sharp. He walked the leadoff batter Michael Bourn to start the game. Luckily for the Phils, Bourn was caught stealing before Martin Prado hit a single to CF. Prado was erased on a fielder's choice grounder by Jason Heyward. Right as we sat down in our seats, I pulled out my camera and just missed capturing Chipper Jones hitting a first-pitch single to RF. This would be the last time we would ever see Chipper play and I really wished I would have got that picture.
Anyway, with Chipper on 1B and Heyward on 2B, Freddie Freeman stepped to the plate and jacked a 3-run bomb to RF:
That made it 3-0 Braves and, it turns out, it was a game-winning homer for Freeman.
I really wanted to get some good Chipper Jones pictures. Here was my best effort for a defensive picture:
In the bottom of the first, Jimmy Rollins hit a grounder right down the line. Chipper made a nice diving catch, but the ball was just foul.
The Phils would go scoreless in bottom of the first.
The Braves were right back at it in the top of the second. Again, it started with Halladay issuing a walk to the first batter of the inning, this time Brian McCann. After back-to-back strike outs, Hallady then gave up a single to Bourn and walked Prado. That brought the J-Hey Kid to the plate.
And Heyward to this loaded up…
…and took a mighty hack sending the baseball down the RF line into the corner where it was fielded by Domonic Brown…
…, but all three baserunners (McCann, Bourn, and Prado) scored on the play. Heyward ended up at second. Hey wouldn't stay there long.
Six earned runs and 5 outs into the game, Roy Halladay's day was finished:
Jeremy Horst relieved Halladay…
…and, two pitches later, he gave up an RBI double to Chipper Jones (scoring Heyward).
After two innings, the score was 7-0 Braves.
We had lots of nice cousin time while piled in our seats:
We also did some birding. Check out this red-tailed hawk that was perched on the light stand on the 1B side of the stadium:
(Special thanks to my uncle, Ed, for helping us identify that bird. Ed raises falcons and knows a thing or two about birds).
Kellan snuck into this picture of Tim and Kate showing off their missing teeth gaps:
This season, Darin Ruf set a new single-season homerun record (38) for the Reading Phillies. Ruf was called up to the big squad in September, made his MLB debut on 9/14, and pinch hit for Jeremy Horst in the bottom of the third inning of this game:
(Congrats on the great jersey number, Ruf!)
At the time, Ruf was batting .000 for his MLB career with zero RBI. Well, we didn't get to see Ruf's first MLB hit. But he did manage to lift a high fly ball to deep CF that was good enough for a sacrifice fly (scoring Kevin Frandsen who had hit a triple) and Ruf's first MLB RBI.
By the way, in 12 games Ruf would eventually collect 11 hits and 3 HRs by the end of the season.
After three innings, the score stood at 7-1 Braves. And it was time for us to trudge down the stairs …
…head toward home plate in the upper deck concourse…
…circle around home plate…
…, and pose with a pig…
…on our way to the kids' play area:
Colleen and Kimberly caught up on their sisterly chit chat while watching the kids play:
I don't think we have ever seen the play area so packed. It was pandemonium in there! And I was proud to see Tim stepping up his big brother game and helping his little bro navigate the crazy labyrinth of kids:
Oh, yeah, Ryan Howard hit a homerun while the kids were playing. That made the score 7-2 in favor of the Braves.
We couldn't hang out too long in the play area because it was just way too crazy.
Standard Operating Procedure said next it was time to race…
…up the ramps to the upper deck. We stopped to get a red-faced cousin photo in front of the big Citizens Bank Park sign on the back of the upper deck seats:
Before heading back toward our seats, I pulled out my camera, zoomed out across eastern south Philadelphia, and snapped a picture of a cool sight – the S.S. United States:
If you click that link above, you can find out all sorts of cool facts about the S.S. United States. The ship has been docked in south Philadelphia along the Delaware River for years. Back when I lived in Philadelphia, I always thought it was a little eerie when I would ride my bike up Columbus Boulevard past the ship.
We made it back to our seats in time to watch Chipper Jones strike out to end the top of the sixth:
Kellan got quite excited when the Phillie Phanatic made an appearance on top of the Phils' dugout:
In the top of the eighth inning, Michael Bourn lead off with a double and then scored on a Jason Heyward single. Next, we watched our final Chipper Jones…
…at bat that we will ever witness. It looked like this:
It ended with fielder's choice to SS. And here is one of the final pictures I will ever take of Chipper Jones, after he took the field in the bottom of the eighth:
In the bottom of the eighth, Kellan was a little squirmy. He needed to take a walk. On our way back to the seats, we spied on Gill, Tim and Kate from below:
With the Braves leading 8-2, Kevin, Kimberly and the kids decided to take off a bit early to beat the crowd. Before they headed out, I took some random pictures of Kate and Tim…
…and then we all danced liked crazy to our all-time favorite Korean pop song, Psy's Gangnam Style:
Right before they headed out, we had Kimberly snap a great family picture of us – one of the best of the season:
I'm not sure why he was so excited in this picture…
…, maybe it was because I told him that we were going to head down to section 130 for the ninth inning:
After an unprecedentedly crazy BP, we figured we would make an attempt at getting a post-game umpire baseball. Kellan gave home plate umpire Jerry Meals a target while the Phillies were still taking their hacks.
When John Mayberry grounded out to end the game, we sprang into action and this was the result:
Here's what happened. We were sitting in the fourth or fifth row in section 130. There were only two people sitting in section 129 (the closest section you can get to the umpire's tunnel without being in the diamond club). As Mayberry grounded out, Kellan and I slipped past those two people in the second row and then hopped into the last seat in the first row. I thought Tim was following me, but when we got to the first row, he was nowhere in sight. I figured he must have stayed with Colleen. As Meals approached the umpire's tunnel, I called out his first name: "Jerry!" He looked up and locked eyes with me, pulled out a beautiful rubbed up baseball and tossed it right to me.
Just then, out of nowhere, Tim popped up from below. He had run straight down the stairs to the dugouts and then squeeze by everyone in the front row until he made it over to us. He promptly threw up his glove in a "I'll take one, too, Jerry" motion. And Jerry obliged (although he bounced his throw on the dugout and it ended up landing under the seats in a plate of food).
Double thanks, Jerry Meals!
By the way, the 13 and 14 in the last picture count the Paul Maholm and Kris Medlin baseballs that we gave to Gill and Kate. If you check out our entry for this game on MyGameBalls.com, it shows 12 (not 14). Anyway, it was a crazy, crazy day at the ballpark.
After the umps cleared the field, it was the victorious Braves' turn to head into the dugout following their on-field celebration. Pretty much the entire team (except for the relievers) cleared the field by way of the stairs almost right below where we were standing. As Chipper Jones headed reached the top of the stairs, he balled up his batting gloves and tossed them into the first row. They were tossed probably 5-7 feet to our left. I was holding Kellan so I didn't even make a move for them. But the guy right next to Tim dove out to his left and intercepted the gloves before they made it to the people standing in the gloves' direct path. It was a pretty cool pair of souviners for that guy to take home.
Right after Chipper tossed the gloves, a fan maybe five rows back in the diamond club yelled, "Hey, Chipper" and Chipper half looked up and waved with his glove. It was clearly nothing more than a "oh, hey, there fans" gesture by Chipper, but the guy took it (completely unreasonably) as a "Hey, throw me that ball and I'll autograph it for you" gesture. He immediately chucked a baseball at Chipper. It barely missed Chipper as he ducked out of the way. It was sour ending to Chipper's night, I could see him mouth some non-appreciative words to himself as he ducked into the tunnel below us. All-in-all, it was a pretty hilarious scene. The guy's baseball (which was already autographed by several players) hit some other player(s) and then ricocheted onto the field. I thought the guards down there would toss it into the dugout never to be seen again. But they gave it back to the guy while giving him an earful of non-appreciative sentiments.
We took two more pictures on our way out of the ballpark:
Right as we reached the car, the skies opened up and it absolutely poured rain down on us:
Meanwhile, Kimberly, Kevin, Gill and Kate had just exited the subway in Center City and were getting absolutely soaked on the walk to their hotel.
From a historically crazy BP, to all of the "Games of Baseball," to all the family fun, it was a great day at the ballpark. Sadly, we would only have one more day at the ballpark in 2012, and it would be the next weekend in Baltimore.
2012 C&S Fan Stats
|26/24 Games (Tim/Kellan)
|18/17 Teams – Tim – Mariners, Rockies, Phillies, Mets, Marlins, Athletics, Orioles, Nationals, Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Twins, Cubs, Cardinals, Royals, Red Sox, Rays, Pirates, Braves; Kellan – Mariners, Rockies, Marlins, Nationals, Athletics, Orioles, Mets, Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Twins, Cubs, Cardinals, Royals, Red Sox, Rays, Pirates, Braves
|42 Ice Cream Helmet(s) – Mariners 5, Phillies 9, Orioles 5, Mets 2, Twins 2, Cardinals 3, Royals 2, Rockies 3, Red Sox 2, Pirates 3, Nationals 2, Marlins 4
|1 Ice Cream Glove! – Nationals
|151 Baseballs – Mariners 22, Marlins 7, Mets 21, Nationals 8, Phillies 10, Umpires 9, Orioles 13, Athletics 2, Diamondbacks 4, Blue Jays 1, Twins 1, Cubs 7, Cardinals 1, Royals 6, Red Sox 6, Rays 12, Pirates 3, Rockies 4, Braves 6
|24 Commemorative Baseball(s) – Marlins Park 2, Mets 50th Anniversary 2, Camden Yards 11, Dodger Stadium 4, Fenway Park 1, Shea Stadium '08 2, Nationals Park '08 2
|12/12 Stadiums – Tim – Safeco Field, Citizens Bank Park, Nationals Park, Camden Yards, Citi Field, Target Field, Busch Stadium, Kauffman Stadium, Coors Field, Fenway Park, PNC Park, Marlins Park; Kellan – Safeco Field, Nationals Park, Camden Yards, Citi Field, Target Field, Busch Stadium, Kauffman Stadium, Coors Field, Fenway Park, PNC Park, Citizens Bank Park, Marlins Park9/1 Mascots Photos – Tim – Mariners Moose (2), Sluggerrr, Teddy Roosevelt, Abe Lincoln, George Washington, Oriole Bird (3); Kellan – Fredbird
|7/2 Player Photos – Tim – Ricky Bones, Willie Bloomquist, Jeremy Guthrie, Evan Scribner, Stephen Pryor, Shawn Kelley, Scott Cursi; Kellan – Willie Bloomquist, Stephen Pryor
|2 Batting Gloves – Ronnie Deck
|9 Autographs – Willie Bloomquist 2, Tim Byrdak, Brian Roberts, Munenori Kawasaki, Evan Scribner, Felix Hernandez, Shawn Kelley, Steven Pryor, Josh Kinney


text:
my tree Christmas 2008
I'm curious. Do you have a real tree at your house for Christmas or a faux one? I now do a fake tree after many years of only having a real tree because it enables me to put the decorations up earlier. But I must admit nothing takes the place of that fresh-tree smell to put you in the spirit of the holidays.


text:
With filming for the adaptation of Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" set to begin next month, the cast has added some significant muscle in the form of Viggo Mortensen and Amy Adams.
Mortensen will play Old Bull Lee, Kerouac's fictionalization of William S. Burroughs, and Adams will play Jane, aka Burroughs' common-law wife Joan Vollmer. The couple's real-life relationship came to a notorious end in 1951 when Burrough's accidentally fatally shot Vollmer in the head.
"On the Road," which executive producer Francis Ford Coppola has been trying to bring to the silver screen since he bought the film rights in 1980, will star Garrett Hedlund ("Tron: Legacy") as Dean Moriarty (Neal Cassidy) and Sam Riley ("Control") as Sal Paradise (Kerouac), as well as Kirsten Dunst and Kristen Stewart.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
The book, which stands as the definitive work of fiction produced by the Beat Generation, follows Moriarty and Paradise on the epic road trips that meandered across the country between 1947 and 1950. Their travels took them from coast to coast and as far south as Mexico.
"On the Road" will be directed by Brazilian Walter Salles, best known stateside for "The Motorcycle Diaries," who would appear to be drawn to vaguely homoerotic road movie -- not that there's anything wrong with that.
The film should hit theaters some time next year.


text:
Amish fiction? Don't laugh – it's been a hot growth category for some time now. It seems that non-Amish readers are particularly eager to enjoy fiction that offers glimpses of the sect's simplicity, conviction, and stress on forgiveness.
Amish romance stories are perhaps most common, but Paul Gaus, a retired chemistry professor, has been writing Amish murder mysteries since 1997, set in the Amish country of Holmes County, Ohio, where he lives. Originally published by Ohio University Press, Gaus's books are now being republished by Penguin as "The Amish Mystery Series." The first title in the series, "Blood of the Prodigal," which addresses shunning – the Amish practice of exiling disobedient church members into the mainstream society – was released last month. All six of Gaus's books will be released by Penguin, one a month, from now through February. Monitor contributor Brendan Pelsue spoke with Gaus recently.
How did you start writing Amish mystery novels?
I have lived in Wooster, Ohio, for over 33 years. Just south of us, in Holmes County, we have the largest Amish settlement of any location in the world. While I was teaching chemistry, I took an interest in writing about Amish society. And I always enjoyed mystery novels. So I took a trip out to New Mexico to meet with Tony Hillerman, who wrote many novels about Navajo culture. And I thought that I would write mystery novels like Tony Hillerman does, but I would set them among the Amish of Holmes county.
How do you go about choosing your stories?
"Blood of the Prodigal," like all of my stories, it is written to illuminate Scripture. In particular, its written to illuminate one of the Biblical Scriptures on which Amish people base their lifestyle. A key Scripture for "Blood of the Prodigal" is the 139th Psalm. Many of the interactions in "Blood of the Prodigal" are based on transactions of repentance and forgiveness. There's comfort in the 139th Psalm for people who face repentance. That's what an [Amish] bishop tries to do with shunning – restore a person to a community of faith.
So is there a spiritual component for you in writing these books?
There is. I am a Christian. I am a Christian, and I understand Scripture the way Amish people do. I don't practice Amish lifestyles in any way. But I thought it would be greatly important to show with allegories and story lines how Amish people use Scripture to order their lives and guide their lifestyle choices. They live the way they do because they think that's what the Scriptures teach. And my books have always been Scriptural allegories for Amish life.
For instance, in "Broken English," the theme of that story was Amish pacifism and non-resistance. "Broken English" is the story of a man who was tempted to seek vengeance for the death of his daughter. He must decide whether he will live according to his pacifist convictions, or kill the man who murdered his daughter. It, too, was based in Scripture.
I find new understandings of Scripture every time I read them. Writing about them makes that even doubly so.
Who is your readership?
When I first started writing, I thought my readership would be quite broad. And I suspect that will be true once these Penguin editions are advertised and marketed at a national level. But so far, my readers have been for the most part older people who have been interested in readings from the Scripture, and middle-aged to older people who want to read stories that are not particularly salacious, or charged with sexuality, or laced through with vulgarities. My stories are rather calm, and tame, and decent stories, although they are murder mysteries. They are still what I regard as decent literature that any Christian could be comfortable reading.
But what I've found as I travel is that people of all faiths are reading my books. What they appreciate is that I am addressing a serious issue in my fiction. They are not just frivolous mystery novels. They have "redemptive value," as one person said it to me.
Interesting. How do you tailor what you write to the needs of that readership?
I did light editing of all the stories so that Penguin could publish the books in a way that would be agreeable to the Christian Booksellers Associations. This involved a few things. Once in a while the sheriff in my stories would use intemperate speech – a damn or a hell or something like that – and we took that out of the story. And in two of the stories there were mild references to somewhat extravagant sexual practices. And these aspects of the stories were not essential to the novel, so I agreed to edit them out. And so now Penguin is bringing out a whole new set of the novels that are identical to the original, but wouldn't cause a believer to blush in reading them.
I think Americans are ready to read serious literature that is not laced with vulgarity. It's as if thriller-fiction has risen to the point of a grand spectacle. And my books do not go in that direction at all. My books are tempered, reasoned, quiet, thoughtful – all things other than spectacle. And yet they address a very important problem, and they address the Christian lives that Amish people live.
When I first started writing, I thought my murder mysteries needed a little touch of modern criminality. But a few tawdry words here and there are not necessary to put across an exciting story. So I was happy to make the revision.
Why do you think people are interested in the Amish? Why are you?
People consider Amish to be rather mysterious. They live in reclusive locations. They have a separate society. They evidently believe unusual things, because they dress in old ways and they drive buggies. In Holmes County, for instance, where we have so many Amish people, the biggest industry is tourism. Americans flock to Holmes County to find out: What are Amish people like? Why do they live that way? Where do they get their instruction for lifestyle?
Everywhere I go to sign books, I double my appearance time just answering questions people have about Amish. The curiosity is just endless. And since Amish people are starting to move into all parts of America now, we're going to see even more interest in Amish things. When I take family and friends on a driving tour of Holmes County, they are astonished to see how Amish people live on their farms. They cannot seem to get over how different it is from what they know. Once they have seen it, they want to know more. That's what I'm trying to do with my books – show "English" people why the Amish live that way. (The Amish call the rest of Americans English Folk, or Yankee Folk.)
The Amish are pacifists, and very private people. Do you know how they feel about being portrayed in your novels, especially in a way that is connected to violence? Or are they not particularly aware of your work?
Many Amish people will not take an interest in my stories simply because they are murder mysteries. But the drivers of the bookmobiles in Holmes County tell me that my books are always checked out. And the few reviews of my books that have appeared in local newspapers have been very favorable and said my depiction of Amish society was very accurate.
There is one other story I would mention to you. An old Amish fellow borrowed "Blood of the Prodigal" from a neighbor, and he read it and liked it, and passed it around to friends and family. And he asked her if there were any more to read. And she gave him a second book, and he brought it back and said, "These are such wonderful stories, and to think, they're all true." She explained to him that the stories were not true, they were works of fiction. And he started to get very upset and angry and stomped out of the house and she did not see him for several weeks. He came back eventually and apologized to her for his behavior. He said, "I am sorry I was angry with you, but the bishop in my district does not permit us to read fiction. So I was in a lot of trouble."
I was sorry that happened to him, but as a writer, it meant a great deal to me. It meant that a real Old-Order Amish fellow found my stories so realistic that he thought they were true. It means my depiction of Amish lifestyle is very accurate. And I like that very much.
In fact, that's the whole point of my stories. To illuminate Amish culture for English people who want to know more.
Do you ever have doubts about portraying the Amish in such a public way?
Yes, I do. Certainly there are aspects of Amish life that one worries about. Their lives are dangerous. They live on peasant farms. They drive buggies on the highways. Their farms are not always sanitary. They live old-world lifestyles. But Amish people are the most peaceful, generous, and loving groups of people I have ever met in America. And their devotion to Scripture is so complete – they humble themselves so completely, they are submissive to one another in the way the Scriptures teach. And I don't know of any Christian community that is taking the Scripture more to heart than the Amish do.
But, and this is a big but, they do sometimes consider the commands of Scripture more absolute and dictatorial than they do consider them to be a guidance for life. When the Scriptures say, "Be ye separate," meaning, "Be separate from nonbelievers," they take that as a command from God, not a suggestion. And they go off and form separate societies, and maybe that's extreme.
And maybe they take the Scriptures authority to hold too strongly to the absolute authority of a bishop or a husband. As a result, their society is entirely patriarchal. And this might seem a little bit old-fashioned to the rest of us. And sometimes it seems to me that a lot of their rules for life are based more on old European traditions than genuinely on the assumptions of Scripture. So I guess the best thing to say is that they are devoted both to the Scripture and to tradition. And I think that in some ways this holds them back.
They are devout Christian, and wonderfully peaceful people, but maybe they have too many rules based just on the traditions of their ancestors.
Aside from that, Amish people are happy, well adjusted, friendly, fun-loving, industrious, generous, peaceful – they have wonderful lives in their own community. I do admire them. I could never live Amish myself. It would be too hard. There are very few English people, I think, who could make the transition to an Amish lifestyle.
Finally, and this is a question I've always wanted to ask a mystery writer, do you know how the story is going to turn out before you start writing?
Sometimes I do, yes. Sometimes I do not. The one I just finished ["Harmless as Doves"] is about remorse and forgiveness. I wrote that story bringing characters and plots together in order to show people with various degrees of remorse and with differing capacities for forgiveness. And it wasn't until I was maybe two-thirds of the way through the story that I realized how I should end it. And that worked out very nicely, I think.
Brendan Pelsue is a freelance writer based in Cambridge, Mass.


text:
claudia castellano via Crowdrise
March 26, 2012
EVENT: 2012 ING New York City Marathon - $1 Mil a Mile
EVENT DATE: Nov 04, 2012
LIBERTY SCIENCE CENTER INC wrote -
Want to do more to provide experiences that connect schools and society to science and technology? Support the leaders in providing interactive science and technology education, inspiring teachers and students to pursue lifelong learning.
Join Team Liberty Science Center for the 43nd Running of the ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 4, 2012!
Liberty Science Center is proud to be a Bronze Level participant in this year's ING New York City Marathon's Community Charity Program — with 15 slots available for runners! Due to the limited number, slots will be given on a first-come, first-served basis. Each runner must raise a minimum of $3,000.
When you join Team Liberty Science Center, you train for the marathon while raising funds to help the Science Center offer exceptional science experiences onsite, offsite and online.
Team Liberty Science Center provides:
- A Personal Fundraising Webpage to Collect Donations
- Regular Communication with Training and Fundraising Tips
- A Private, Personal Tour of the Science Center
Please note that you must register by Friday, September 28, 2012!
Please support our runners by making a donation online. Regardless of which runner you donate to, all proceeds benefit Liberty Science Center and are tax-deductible.Contact Nancy Schnitzerling at 201.253.1294 or email firstname.lastname@example.com for more information on how to be a part of this amazing event.
Thank you for your support!
The Team: $23,823 TOTAL RAISED SO FAR
Donor Comments
John and Berni Cabral
I am really donating 10.05 since I am going to win 139.95 from your husband. Please teach us how to run a marathon with 3 kids 8 years ago


text:
Apparently the state has suspended payments to a home for registered sex offenders in Hacienda Heights. As a result several Megan's Law registrants will be transient for at least tonight, officials said.
The home in the 14300 block of Ansford Street in Hacienda Heights is near a group home at 14523 Ansford Street officials said. Several of the registrants were recently placed in the home.
All are fitted with GPS tracking devices, officials said.
Here's our story so far:
HACIENDA HEIGHTS – A half-dozen convicted sex offenders may be sleeping on the streets as they are faced with the threat of eviction due to a bounced government check, an attorney said.
Attorney Mike Balmer, who represents one of the registrants living in the home, said a government-issued check bounced, causing the sex registrants living in the home in the 14000 block of Ansford Street to be evicted.
"There's nothing we can do about it," said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Paul Puchalski, of the Industry station. "As long as they don't commit a crime, we can't much help it if they are getting evicted."
California State Department of Corrections spokesman Gordon Hinkle said he could not immediately provide details of the situation, but said in general, "The state and corrections does not have a responsibility to provide housing for any parolee."
"It's something we do an a case by case basis," Hinkle said, "in the best interest of rehabilitation and public safety."
Balmer said the residents of the home were told to vacate by Friday evening.


text:
- Home
- Why WFG
- Business Platform
- The WFG Difference
- Training & Events
- Recognition & Rewards
- Own Your Future
- Presentations
This website notice will be updated from time to time to reflect any material revisions, so please check back often to review the statement.
Protecting your privacy is very important to us. We want you to understand what information we collect and how we use it. We collect and use personally identifiable information in order to provide our customers with a broad range of financial products and services as effectively and conveniently as possible.
This privacy statement applies to this website only and does not apply to any linked site or information received or collected by any other means. To learn about the privacy policy of a linked site, please refer to that site's privacy statement.
What Information We Collect and From Whom We Collect It
We may collect personally identifiable information about you from the following sources:
If you do not want to provide this information to us via the Internet, please contact us at (770) 246-9889 to assist you.
What Information We Disclose and To Whom We Disclose It
We do not disclose any personally identifiable information about you to either "our affiliates" or non-affiliates without your express consent, except as permitted by law. We may disclose the nonpublic personal information we collect to persons or companies that perform services on our behalf, that provide services to you, to financial institutions with which we have joint marketing agreements, and as required by law (for example regulators and law enforcement agencies).
"Our affiliates" are companies with which we share common ownership or control and which offer insurance, pension, savings or investment products.
This site is not directed towards children and we do not intend to market any products or services to children under thirteen (13) years of age. We do not knowingly gather or solicit data from children under thirteen (13) years of age through this site for any reason. By using this site you represent that you are not under thirteen (13) years of age.
Our Security Procedures
We restrict access to your personal information and only allow disclosures to persons and companies as permitted by law to assist in providing products or services to you. We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect your personal information. For more about security for this site, see "Security" section on the Terms and Conditions page .
The AEGON companies to which this Privacy Statement applies:
This statement applies to the following companies:
World Financial Group Inc.
World Financial Group Insurance Agency, Inc.
World Financial Group Insurance Agency of Hawaii, Inc.
World Financial Group Insurance Agency of Wyoming, Inc.
World Financial Group Insurance Agency of Massachusetts, Inc.
WFG Insurance Agency of Puerto Rico, Inc.
World Financial Group Insurance Agency of Canada Inc.
WFG Securities of Canada Inc.
Transamerica Financial Partners.
Privacy Notice available to customers:
Customers receive copies of our Privacy Notice as required by law or upon any material revision in our privacy practices. For a copy of our Privacy Notice you may click below.
California customers click here
All other US customers click here
Transamerica Financial Partners customers click here
Canada customers click here (English) or click here (French)
Please contact us with any questions or comments at (770) 246-9889.
World System Builder, LLC is a financial services marketing company that is associated with World Financial Group, Inc. World Financial Group, Inc. (WFG) is a financial services marketing company whose affiliates offer a broad array of financial products and services. Insurance products offered through World Financial Insurance Agency, Inc. (WFIA), World Financial Group Insurance Agency of Hawaii, Inc., World Financial Group Insurance Agency of Massachusetts, Inc., World Financial Group Insurance Agency of Wyoming, Inc., World Financial Insurance Agency, Inc. and/or WFG Insurance Agency of Puerto Rico, Inc. WFG and WFGIA are affiliated companies. World System Builder, LLC Headquarters: 2099 Gold Street, Suite 100, Alviso, CA 95002-3602. Phone: 408.941.1838. WFG and WFIA Headquarters: 11315 Johns Creek Parkway, Johns Creek, GA 30097-1517. Phone: 770.453.9300. WorldFinancialGroup.com.
Disclaimer | Complaint Handling | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Check the background of this investment professional on FINRA's BrokerCheck.
© 2020 WFG Opportunity


text:
For about 20 minutes, the Skyhawks flapped their wings side by side with the Eagles.
Then, the bigger, healthier bird took flight.
The Fort Lewis College football team scored first and hung with Chadron State on Saturday at Ray Dennison Memorial Field, trailing by just one point as halftime approached before two consecutive fumbles provided the Eagles with a big thermal to ride to a 45-20 victory.
The first quarter and a half, right up to the turnovers, we were playing strong, FLC head coach Cesar Rivas-Sandoval said.
Steven Andrews kicked a 32-yard field goal less than five minutes in to put the Skyhawks up 3-0, capitalizing on a Chadron State turnover. Mike Campbell picked off Chadron State quarterback Jonn McLain on the games first drive.
Chadron State answered with 48-yard touchdown pass from wide receiver Chapman Ham to Nathan Ross on a fake reverse, then punched in an interception of their own with a 4-yard run from McLain.
But freshman quarterback Jason Fitzpatrick wasnt interested in waiting any longer for his first collegiate touchdown: He took the Skyhawks 80 yards, including a fourth down conversion, then scored on a 6-yard touchdown pass to Doyle Bode.
Greatest feeling in the world, said Fitzpatrick, who finished the day 15 of 25 for 99 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in place of the injured Tim Jenkins.
Hes not Tim Jenkins, but hell be Jason Fitzpatrick, Rivas said. His own special kind of guy.
The FLC defense forced a 3-and-out, aided by a personal foul on Chadron State, the likes of which plagued the Eagles throughout day. They racked up 121 yards of negative yardage on 14 penalties.
But more so, the Skyhawks just shut down the run, Rivas said. The Eagles had just 56 yards on the ground in the first half.
FLC pulled within 14-13 on another field goal in the second quarter, and the defense forced a second consecutive punt.
Thats when it kind of went south, Rivas said.
The Skyhawks fumbled on two consecutive possessions deep in their own territory to give the Eagles easy scores a 23-yard run from Glen Clinton and a 36-yard field goal from Alex Ferdinand.
Ball security, man. We preach ball security, Skyhawks senior fullback Zach Moisey said.
The Eagles added one more touchdown before the half on a 43-yard scoring pass, then added two more rushing touchdowns after the half, one of them off of Fitzpatricks second interception the Eagles fourth score off of Skyhawks turnovers.
When you get into a slugfest through attrition, they wear you down, Rivas said of the healthier and more robust Chadron State (8-2, 7-1 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference).
FLC added its final score on a 3-yard Fitzpatrick keeper to cap a 72-yard drive and finish the game with 293 yards of total offense compared to the Eagles 419. FLC freshman Josh Beacham rushed for 111 yards.
Moisey called the loss a moral victory for a team thats struggled through injury after injury in a winless season with one game to go.
They just dont stop, Rivas said of his battered team. They dont know any different.


text:
Thanks to this video preview of a bust revealed at this week's New York Toy Fair, we have our first good look at Harry Osborn's form as the evil Green Goblin in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. The good news: He looks extremely goblin-y. The bad news? He's not wearing a mask.
Seriously, watch the video: He's got pointed ears, a pointy chin, a bulbous nose (certainly bigger than the one actor Dane DeHaan is normally rocking), a haircut I can only describe as "demented woodland fairy." And that's clearly DeHaan's face, not a mask or anything. So what gives? I guess the Goblin formula makes Harry do a bit of transforming himself? Also, why does he appear to be wearing a professional Motocross racer uniform? Most importantly, why does the new Green Goblin have so little green on him?
[Via Comic Book Movie]


text:
Start-to-finish trip planning
Concierge teams coordinate your arrival, departure, and everything in between.
300+ point inspection
Every Luxury Retreats home is personally verified to be in pristine condition.
On-trip care, 24/7
Premium, on-demand assistance for any question, at any time of day.
259 luxury villas and vacation rentals in Spain
1 – 18 of 259 places to stay
Enter dates to see full pricing. Additional fees apply. Taxes may be added.
Planning your vacation in Spain
A relaxed pace
With its relaxed attitude and late-night antics, Spain is the perfect destination for nomads who just want to take things slow, and discover life along the way. Your typical day might start with mouth-watering churros con chocolate and a stroll through a historic neighborhood, followed by a copious lunch and a well-deserved siesta. Once you're well rested, you'll be able to catch a few rays of sun at the beach before you start getting ready for a night out on the town.
Indulge in Iberian delicacies
Sophisticated palates seeking something out of the ordinary will find no shortage of culinary invention and extensive tasting menus here. While contemporary visionaries like Ferran Adrià have put Spain on the culinary world map with their outlandish creations, Spaniards take equal pride in their historical dishes and comida cassera (home-style dishes).
The easiest way to get a sampling of Spain's most common dishes is by diving into the tapas culture. Nibbling on juicy marinated olives, tortillas and Manchego cheese while sipping a vino tinto from Rioja by the bar also happens to be the best way to mingle with locals and practice your Spanish language skills!
If you're heading to the beach, you're in for a treat. Spanish coastal cuisine is among the finest along the Mediterranean coast, with traditional dishes like Paella and Gazpacho as well delicious fried seafood platters (we suggest ordering a glass of Albareño white wine with that). Meat lovers rejoice! Every year Spain produces around 40 million hams, each carefully labelled with the animal's geographic origins and diet. For a taste of Spain's pride and joy, seek out the Iberian Patta Negra ham, a cured delicacy made from acorn-fattened black pigs.
Discover Spain's art, history and culture
History buffs will be in awe of Seville's Alcazár and Granada's Alhambra Palaces, relics of centuries of Moorish rule. After you've hit these tourist hot-spots, a day trip driving through the picturesque Pueblos Blancos will take you to Ronda and other charming whitewashed towns peppered throughout the Andalúz Mountains. There, you'll find hidden gems like pre-historic caves, roman ruins and gothic basilicas.
Spain's rich traditions stem from a love and preservation of the past. From the traditional bullfights, to the Flamenco dances and Spanish guitar, the south of Spain's most beloved art-forms are powerful experiences that will transport you back in time.
From Bilbao's Guggenheim to Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences, Spain also boasts its fair share of more modern wonders. The best of these can undoubtedly be found along the Costa Blanca and the Costa Brava, where Gaudi's otherworldly Neo-Gothic inspired buildings have transformed Barcelona into a living museum. Modern art lovers from all over the world make their way to this vibrant city to visit the Picasso Museum, as well as the Salvador Dalí Theatre-Museum.
Experiencing Luxury Homes in Spain
The Costa del Sol
With their panoramic windows and sprawling terraces, our villas in Marbella and Málaga will give you that picture-perfect mountain and sea view. From Moorish-era inspired palaces to ultra-modern mansions, each one of our Costa del Sol homes offer a glimpse of Spain's eclectic charms. When you're relaxing by your infinity pool or soaking up the sun on the beach, we suggest you go for a stroll in Puerto Banús, a charming marina where you can indulge in some high-end boutique shopping or casual celebrity spotting. The other perk of choosing this sunny European destination? A day-trip to Casablanca and Marrakesh is just a ferry-boat ride away!
The Balearic Islands
The islands of Ibiza and Mallorca might be close to one another, but each one has its very own unique personality. Ibiza is the wild-child, the island that never sleeps. However, you'll have no problem punctuating your Balearic getaway with a few siestas in your private Luxury Retreats rental. Wedged between the Mediterranean Sea and picturesque hills, many of these upscale properties include private pools, outdoor dining areas, indoor gyms and easy access to golf and tennis clubs. With gorgeous beaches and an electrifying nightlife featuring the most talented DJs from around the world, it's no wonder renting a villa in Ibiza is such a trend amongst celebrities.
Mallorca is the uncontested star of the Mediterranean, and has been attracting Europe's elite to its beautiful coastline for decades. From charming mountain estates to modern seafront mansions, our Mallorca villas are some of the most luxurious in our portfolio. From the edge of your infinity pool, you'll be able to admire the island's perilous cliffs rising from azure waters, a chilled glass in hand. Once you've gathered enough energy to venture out onto the island, we suggest trying to find one of Mallorca's famous isolated coves, or visiting Palma's breathtaking cathedral.
The Costa Brava
From hip city-center flats to charming estates near the world-famous beaches in Sitges, our Barcelona vacation rentals are the ideal starting point to the family vacation of your dreams. Perfectly blending vintage elements with state-of-the-art amenities and modern touches, some of these homes are so spacious that they can comfortably accommodate up to 32 guests. When you're not out and about discovering Catalonia's many attractions, your luxury villa will be the perfect place to enjoy the company of your fellow travelers.
Have you chosen luxury accommodations for your trip to Spain yet? One of our Villa Specialists can help you choose the right place today!