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Learning how to live after questions, doubts, and changing beliefs is a journey. We at Recovering From Religion are intimately familiar with this path, and we are here to help you to cross that bridge. Our passion is connecting others with support, resources, community, and most of all, hope.
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100 Must-Read Books About Life in Cults and Oppressive Religious Sects
The following list represents just a small portion of the many religions (past and present) that are destructive psychologically, emotionally, and physically. These are the memoirs and stories about people who escaped oppressive religious sects.
If you feel that a loved one is being abused by a cult or a religious organization, I implore you to reach out to FACT (Families Against Cult Teachings and Abuses). Their Victim Support page contains helpful information, advice and resources.
- The World in Flames: A Black Boyhood in a White Supremacist Doomsday Cult by Jerald Walker – When The World in Flames begins, in 1970, Jerry Walker is six years old. His consciousness revolves around being a member of a church whose beliefs he finds not only confusing but terrifying. Composed of a hodgepodge of requirements and restrictions (including a prohibition against doctors and hospitals), the underpinning tenet of Herbert W. Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God was that its members were divinely chosen and all others would soon perish in rivers of flames.
- Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini– Leah Remini has never been the type to hold her tongue. That willingness to speak her mind, stand her ground, and rattle the occasional cage has enabled this tough-talking girl from Brooklyn to forge an enduring and successful career in Hollywood. But being a troublemaker has come at a cost.
- Massacre at Waco: The Shocking True Story of Cult Leader David Koresh and the Branch Davidians by Clifford L. Linedecker – On 19 April 1993 the world was shocked when a compound in the little-known Texas town of Waco was engulfed in flames. Inside were 87 members of the Branch Davidians, an offshoot cult of the Seventh Day Adventists, and their charismatic and fanatical leader, David Koresh, who had survived a 51-day siege by federal agents. All of them men, women and children – died horribly. This book analyzes this siege, a seige that dominated the headlines for weeks and had the world breathlessly watching and waiting for an outcome.
- Heaven's Gate: America's UFO Religion by Benjamin E. Zeller – In this fascinating overview, Benjamin Zeller not only explores the question of why the members of Heaven's Gate committed ritual suicides, but interrogates the origin and evolution of the religion, its appeal, and its practices.
- Blown for Good: Behind the Iron Curtain of Scientology by Marc Headley – Nominated by Foreword Magazine as 2009 Book of the Year Award Finalist. Marc Headley provides a rare, never before seen insider's look at life inside Scientology. He spent 15 years employed at their secret headquarters, the sprawling 500 acre property located deep in the California desert.
- The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology Tried to Destroy Paulette Cooper by Tony Ortega – In 1971 Paulette Cooper wrote a scathing book about the Church of Scientology. Desperate to shut the book down, Scientology unleashed on her one of the most sinister personal campaigns the free world has ever known. The onslaught, which lasted years, ruined her life, and drove her to the brink of suicide.
- Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me by Ron Miscavige – The only book to examine the origins of Scientology's current leader, RUTHLESS tells the revealing story of David Miscavige's childhood and his path to the head seat of the Church of Scientology told through the eyes of his father. Ron Miscavige's personal, heartfelt story is a riveting insider's look at life within the world of Scientology.
- Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape by Jenna Miscavige Hall – Jenna Miscavige Hill, niece of Church of Scientology leader David Miscavige, was raised as a Scientologist but left the controversial religion in 2005. In Beyond Belief, she shares her true story of life inside the upper ranks of the sect, details her experiences as a member Sea Org—the church's highest ministry, speaks of her "disconnection" from family outside of the organization, and tells the story of her ultimate escape.
- Scientology: Abuse at the Top by Amy Scobee – A former top insider reveals the nightmare world of violence and abuse at the highest levels of the Church of Scientology. One review states: "At home alone, a 14 year old girl takes a phone call from Scientology. This starts a quarter of a century journey of manipulation, betrayal and sexual, physical and mental abuse. This journey leads to the highest management echelon and one woman's courage to break free. A real page-turner."
- Counterfeit Dreams: One Man's Journey Into and Out of the World of Scientology by Jefferson Hawkins – Scientology presents a glittering public façade, with smiling celebrities, polished videos, slick TV ads and impressive buildings. It is an image that Jefferson Hawkins helped to craft in his 35 years as a top marketing executive for the Church of Scientology. Yet behind that façade is a hidden world of physical and mental abuse, sleep deprivation, labor camps, family disconnection and human rights abuses. It is a nightmare world that is carefully hidden from public view. Counterfeit Dreams is a must-read for anyone who wants to know the truth about today's most controversial cult.
- Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing up In a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs by Elissa Wall and Lisa Pulitzer – Stolen Innocence is the gripping New York Times bestselling memoir of Elissa Wall, the courageous former member of Utah's infamous FLDS polygamist sect whose powerful courtroom testimony helped convict controversial sect leader Warren Jeffs in September 2007. At once shocking, heartbreaking, and inspiring, Wall's story of subjugation and survival exposes the darkness at the root of this rebel offshoot of the Mormon faith.
- Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer – This extraordinary work of investigative journalism takes readers inside America's isolated Mormon Fundamentalist communities, where some 40,000 people still practice polygamy. Defying both civil authorities and the Mormon establishment in Salt Lake City, the renegade leaders of these Taliban-like theocracies are zealots who answer only to God.
- The Witness Wore Red: The 19th Wife Who Brought Polygamous Cult Leaders to Justice by Rebecca Musser and M. Bridget Cook – Rebecca Musser grew up in fear, concealing her family's polygamous lifestyle from the "dangerous" outside world. Covered head-to-toe in strict, modest clothing, she received a rigorous education at Alta Academy, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' school headed by Warren Jeffs. Always seeking to be an obedient Priesthood girl, in her teens she became the nineteenth wife of her people's prophet: 85-year-old Rulon Jeffs, Warren's father. Finally sickened by the abuse she suffered and saw around her, she pulled off a daring escape and sought to build a new life and family.
- Escape by Carolyn Jessop and Laura Palmer – The dramatic first-person account of life inside an ultra-fundamentalist American religious sect, and one woman's courageous flight to freedom with her eight children.
- The Sound of Gravel: A Memoir by Ruth Wariner – Ruth Wariner was the thirty-ninth of her father's forty-two children. Growing up on a farm in rural Mexico, where authorities turn a blind eye to the practices of her community, Ruth lives in a ramshackle house without indoor plumbing or electricity. At church, preachers teach that God will punish the wicked by destroying the world and that women can only ascend to Heaven by entering into polygamous marriages and giving birth to as many children as possible. After Ruth's father—the man who had been the founding prophet of the colony—is brutally murdered by his brother in a bid for church power, her mother remarries, becoming the second wife of another faithful congregant.
- Church of Lies by Flora Jessop and Paul T. Brown – "My name is Flora Jessop. I've been called apostate, vigilante, and crazy bitch, and maybe I am. But some people call me a hero, and I'd like to think they're right too. If I am a hero, maybe it's because every time I can play a part in saving a child or a woman from a life of servitude and degradation, I'm saving a little piece of me, too."
- Lost Boy: the True Story of One Man's Exile from a Polygamist Cult and His Brave Journey to Reclaim His Life by Brent W. Jeffs and Maia Szalavitz – In the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS), girls can become valuable property as plural wives, but boys are expendable, even a liability. In this powerful and heartbreaking account, former FLDS member Brent Jeffs reveals both the terror and the love he experienced growing up on his prophet's compound—and the harsh exile existence that so many boys face once they have been expelled by the sect.
- A Journey to Waco by Clive Doyle, Catherine Wessinger and Matthew D. Wittmer – Nearly twenty years after they happened, the ATF and FBI assaults on the Branch Davidian residence near Waco, Texas remain the most deadly law enforcement action on American soil. The raid by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agents on February 28, 1993, which resulted in the deaths of four ATF agents and six Branch Davidians, precipitated a 51-day siege conducted by the FBI. The FBI tank and gas assault on the residence at Mount Carmel Center on April 19 culminated in a fire that killed 53 adults and 23 children, with only nine survivors. In A Journey to Waco, survivor Clive Doyle not only takes readers inside the tragic fire and its aftermath, but he also tells the larger story of how and why he joined the Branch Davidians, how the Branch Davidian community developed, and the status of survivors.
- A Place Called Waco: A Survivor's Story by David Thibodeau and Leon Whiteson – For the first time ever, a survivor of the Waco massacre tells the inside story of the Branch Davidians, David Koresh and what really happened.. When he first met the man who called himself David Koresh, David Thibodeau who had never been religious in the slightest was drumming for a rock band that was going nowhere fast. Intrigued and frustrated with a stalled music career, Thibodeau gradually became a follower and moved to the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. He remained there until April 19, 1993, when the compound was stormed and burnt to the ground.
- In the Shadow of the Moons: My Life in the Reverend Sun Myung Moon's Family by Nansook Hong – The author recounts her fourteen years of abuse at the hands of her husband, the drug-addicted eldest son of Sun Myung Moon, and reveals the corruption behind Moon's organization.
- Born into the Children of God: My Life in a Religious Sex Cult and My Struggle for Survival on the Outside by Natacha Tormey – Natacha Tormey was born into the infamous religious cult known as The Children of God. Abused, exploited, and brainwashed by 'The Family', Natacha's childhood was stolen.
- Seductive Poison: A Jonestown Survivor's Story of Life and Death in the People's Temple by Deborah Layton – A high-level member of Jim Jones's Peoples Temple for seven years, Deborah Layton escaped his infamous commune in the Guyanese jungle, leaving behind her mother, her older brother, and many friends. She returned to the United States with warnings of impending disaster, but her pleas for help fell on skeptical ears, and shortly thereafter, in November 1978, the Jonestown massacre shocked the world.
- Not Without My Sister: The True Story of Three Girls Violated and Betrayed by Those They Trusted by Kristina Jones, Celeste Jones and Juliana Buhring – The bestselling, devastating account of three sisters torn apart, abused and exploited at the hands of a community that robbed them of their childhood. It reveals three lives, separate but entwined, that have experienced unspeakable horror, unrelenting loyalty and unforgettable courage.
- Stories from Jonestown by Leigh Fondakowski – Collectively this is a record of ordinary people, stigmatized as cultists, who after the Jonestown massacre were left to deal with their grief, reassemble their lives, and try to make sense of how a movement born in a gospel of racial and social justice could have gone so horrifically wrong—taking with it the lives of their sons and daughters, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, and brothers and sisters.
- A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Hope, Deception, and Survival at Jonestown by Julia Scheeres – In 1954, a pastor named Jim Jones opened a church in Indianapolis called Peoples Temple Full Gospel Church. He was a charismatic preacher with idealistic beliefs, and he quickly filled his pews with an audience eager to hear his sermons on social justice. As Jones's behavior became erratic and his message more ominous, his followers leaned on each other to recapture the sense of equality that had drawn them to his church. But even as the congregation thrived, Jones made it increasingly difficult for members to leave. By the time Jones moved his congregation to a remote jungle in Guyana and the US government began to investigate allegations of abuse and false imprisonment in Jonestown, it was too late.
- Cartwheels in a Sari: A Memoir of Growing Up Cult by Jayanti Tamm – In this colorful, eye-opening memoir, Jayanti Tamm offers an unforgettable glimpse into the hidden world of growing up "cult" in mainstream America. Through Jayanti's fascinating story–the first book to chronicle Sri Chinmoy–she unmasks a leader who convinces thousands of disciples to follow him, scores of nations to dedicate monuments to him, and throngs of celebrities (Sting, Pope John Paul II, Nelson Mandela) to extol him.
- Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lives to Take it All (or Almost All) of it Back by Frank Schaeffer – By the time he was nineteen, Frank Schaeffer's parents, Francis and Edith Schaeffer, had achieved global fame as bestselling evangelical authors and speakers, and Frank had joined his father on the evangelical circuit. He would go on to speak before thousands in arenas around America, publish his own evangelical bestseller, and work with such figures as Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and Dr. James Dobson. But all the while Schaeffer felt increasingly alienated, precipitating a crisis of faith that would ultimately lead to his departure—even if it meant losing everything.
- Daughter of the Saints: Growing Up in Polygamy by Dorothy Allred Solomon – "I am the daughter of my father's fourth plural wife, twenty-eighth of forty-eight children―a middle kid, you might say." So begins this astonishing and poignant memoir of life in the family of Utah fundamentalist leader and naturopathic physician Rulon C. Allred. Since polygamy was abolished by manifesto in 1890, this is a story of secrecy and lies, of poverty and imprisonment and government raids. When raids threatened, the families were forced to scatter from their pastoral compound in Salt Lake City to the deserts of Mexico or the wilds of Montana. To follow the Lord's plan as dictated by the Principle, the human cost was huge. Eventually murder in its cruelest form entered when members of a rival fundamentalist group assassinated the author's father.
- God's Brothel: The Extortion of Sex for Salvation by Andrea Moore-Emmett – A chilling indictment of contemporary Mormon and Christian fundamentalist polygamy, God's Brothel reveals gruesome facts about Bible-based polygamy through the brave voices of 18 women who escaped from 10 of the 11 main religious groups as well as independent families. Their stories include rape, incest, orgies, and violence, making this form of polygamy more akin to sexual slavery than to any quaint religious or lifestyle choice.
- Blue Windows: A Christian Science Childhood by Barbara Wilson – From Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the Church of Christian Science, to Deepak Chopra, Americans have struggled with the connection between health and happiness. Barbara Wilson was taught by her Christian Scientist family that there was no sickness or evil, and that by maintaining this belief she would be protected. But such beliefs were challenged when Wilson's own mother died of breast cancer after deciding not to seek medical attention, having been driven mad by the contradiction between her religion and her reality. In this perceptive and textured memoir Blue Windows, Wilson surveys the complex history of Christian Science and the role of women in religion and healing.
- Heaven's Harlots: My Fifteen Years as a Sacred Prostitute in the Children of God Cult by Miriam Williams – An explosive first-person account by a young woman who spent fifteen years in a sex cult called the Children of God, which encouraged "sacred prostitution" and taught that "The Lord is our pimp." Miriam Williams was an idealistic child of the sixties who, at seventeen, accepted an invitation from a "Jesus person" to visit a commune in upstate New York. She would soon be prostituting herself for a perverse cult that used sex to lure sinners to the Lord — and this is her shocking, searingly honest account of a fifteen-year spiritual odyssey gone haywire.
- Banished: Surviving my Years in the Westboro Baptist Church by Lauren Drain – Since no organized religion will claim affiliation with the WBC, it's perhaps more accurate to think of them as a cult. Lauren Drain was thrust into that cult at the age of 15, and then spat back out again seven years later. BANISHED is the first look inside the organization, as well as a fascinating story of adaptation and perseverance.
- Radical: My Journey out of Islamic Extremism by Maajid Nawaz – Maajid Nawaz spent his teenage years listening to American hip-hop and learning about the radical Islamist movement spreading throughout Europe and Asia in the 1980s and 90s. At 16, he was already a ranking member in Hizb ut-Tahrir, a London-based Islamist group. He quickly rose through the ranks to become a top recruiter, a charismatic spokesman for the cause of uniting Islam's political power across the world. Nawaz was setting up satellite groups in Pakistan, Denmark, and Egypt when he was rounded up in the aftermath of 9/11 along with many other radical Muslims.
- Girl at the End of the World: My Escape from Fundamentalism in Search of Faith with a Future by Elizabeth Esther – Elizabeth Esther grew up in love with Jesus but in fear of daily spankings (to "break her will"). Trained in her family-run church to confess sins real and imagined, she knew her parents loved her and God probably hated her. Not until she was grown and married did she find the courage to attempt the unthinkable. To leave.
- Crossing Over: One Woman's Escape from Amish Life by Ruth Irene Garrett – Ruth Irene Garrett was the fifth of seven children raised in Kalona, Iowa, as a member of a strict Old Order Amish community. She was brought up in a world filled with rigid rules and intense secrecy, in an environment where the dress, buggies, codes of conduct, and way of life differed even from other Amish societies only 100 miles away. This Old Order community actively avoided all interaction with ೨e Englishߜ'96 everyone who lived on the outside. As a result, Ruth knew only one way of life, and one way of doing things.
- Fifty Years in Polygamy: Big Secrets and Little White Lies by Kristyn Decker – Kristyn Decker's Polygamy, Big Secrets and Little White Lies is now available in this uncensored second edition. The first edition was banned from the Tuacahn Market in St. George, Utah, because of its uncomfortable subject matter, and this second edition goes into even more depth and detail about the neglect and the heartbreaking abuse that the author experienced during both her childhood in the AUB and afterwards in her polygamous marriage. Many women never find the strength to leave. Kristyn Decker did, and her story is important to anyone with a concern for human rights. She
- Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife by Irene Spencer – Irene Spencer did as she felt God commanded in becoming the second wife to her brother-in-law Verlan LeBaron. When the government raided their community-the Mormon village of Short Creek, Arizona-seeking to enforce the penalties for practicing polygamy, Irene and her family fled to Verlan's family ranch in Mexico. Here they lived in squalor and desolate conditions with Verlan's six brothers, one sister, and numerous wives and children. This appalling and astonishing tale has captured the attention of readers around the world. Irene's inspirational story reveals how far religion can be stretched and abused and how one woman and her children found their way out, into truth and redemption.
- Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson by Jeff Guinn – The New York Times bestselling, authoritative account of the life of Charles Manson, filled with surprising new information and previously unpublished photographs: "A riveting, almost Dickensian narrative…four stars" (People).
- A Queer and Pleasant Danger: The True Story of a New Jewish Boy Who Joins the Church of Scientology and Leaves Twelve Years Later to Become the Lovely Lady She is Today by Kate Bornstein – A stunningly original memoir of a nice Jewish boy who joined the Church of Scientology and left twelve years later, ultimately transitioning to a woman. A few years later, she stopped calling herself a woman and became famous as a gender outlaw.
- Tears of the Silenced: A True Crime and an American Tragedy; Severe Child Abuse and Leaving the Amish by Misty Griffin – I had survived a lifetime of severe child abuse but I was still trapped in a world of fear, animal cruelty and sexual abuse. Going to the police was severely frowned upon. Based on the Author's tragic true life story.
- Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry – In the summer of 1969, in Los Angeles, a series of brutal, seemingly random murders captured headlines across America. A famous actress (and her unborn child), an heiress to a coffee fortune, a supermarket owner and his wife were among the seven victims. A thin trail of circumstances eventually tied the Tate-LeBianca murders to Charles Manson, a would-be pop singer of small talent living in the desert with his "family" of devoted young women and men. What was his hold over them? And what was the motivation behind such savagery? In the public imagination, over time, the case assumed the proportions of myth. The murders marked the end of the sixties and became an immediate symbol of the dark underside of that era.
- Prophet's Prey: My Seven-Year Investigation into Warren Jeffs and the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints by Sam Brower – From the private investigator who cracked open the case that led to the conviction of Warren Jeffs, the maniacal prophet of the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), comes the page-turning, horrifying story of how a rogue sect used sex, money, and power disguised under a facade of religion to further criminal activities and a madman's vision.
- Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright – A clear-sighted revelation, a deep penetration into the world of Scientology by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Looming Tower, the now-classic study of al-Qaeda's 9/11 attack. Based on more than two hundred personal interviews with current and former Scientologists—both famous and less well known—and years of archival research, Lawrence Wright uses his extraordinary investigative ability to uncover for us the inner workings of the Church of Scientology.
- Inside Scientology: The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion by Janet Reitman – Now Janet Reitman tells its riveting full story in the first objective modern history of Scientology, at last revealing the astonishing truth about life within the controversial religion for its members and ex-members. Based on five years of research, confidential documents, and extensive interviews with current and former Scientologists, this is an utterly compelling work of nonfiction and the defining work on an elusive faith.
- Raven: The Untold Story of the Rev. Jim Jones and His People by Tim Reiterman – Tim Reiterman's Raven provides the seminal history of the Rev. Jim Jones, the Peoples Temple, and the murderous ordeal at Jonestown in 1978. This PEN Award–winning work explores the ideals-gone-wrong, the intrigue, and the grim realities behind the Peoples Temple and its implosion in the jungle of South America. Reiterman's reportage clarifies enduring misperceptions of the character and motives of Jim Jones, the reasons why people followed him, and the important truth that many of those who perished at Jonestown were victims of mass murder rather than suicide.
- The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple by Jeff Guinn – By the New York Times bestselling author of Manson, the comprehensive, authoritative, and tragic story of preacher Jim Jones, who was responsible for the Jonestown Massacre—the largest murder-suicide in American history.
- My Life in Orange: Growing Up with the Guru by Tim Guest – At the age of six, Tim Guest was taken by his mother to a commune modeled on the teachings of the notorious Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. The Bhagwan preached an eclectic doctrine of Eastern mysticism, chaotic therapy, and sexual freedom, and enjoyed inhaling laughing gas, preaching from a dentist's chair, and collecting Rolls Royces.
- Call Me Evil, Let Me Go: A Mother's Struggle to Save her Children from a Brutal Religious Cult by Sarah Jones – Sarah had lived in fear for over a decade. Humiliated, ostracised and brainwashed, her spirit had been crushed. But as the realisation of what she was subjecting her children to began to sink in, she found new strength and determination – the strength to try to escape the world that had consumed her for so long.
- fathermothergod: My Journey Out of Christian Science by Lucia Greenhouse – Lucia Ewing had what looked like an all-American childhood. She lived with her mother, father, sister, and brother in an affluent suburb of Minneapolis, where they enjoyed private schools, sleep-away camps, a country club membership, and skiing vacations. Surrounded by a tight-knit extended family, and doted upon by her parents, Lucia had no doubt she was loved and cared for. But when it came to accidents and illnesses, Lucia's parents didn't take their kids to the doctor's office–they prayed, and called a Christian Science practitioner.
- His Favorite Wife: Trapped in Polygamy by Susan Ray Schmidt – His Favorite Wife is the heart-stopping, inspirational narrative of a courageous fifteen year-old girl who becomes the sixth wife in a polygamous marriage.
- Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche by Haruki Murakami – In this haunting work of journalistic investigation, Haruki Murakami tells the story of the horrific terrorist attack on Japanese soil that shook the entire world.
- Blown by Lauren Halsted Burroughs – At the tender ages of only three and five, sisters Amory and Riley are abandoned by their mother at the Church of Scientology in Hollywood, California. For sixteen long years Amory does what she's told, following Church rules and regulations about every aspect of her life. Yet, while working in the Sea Org—the Church's administrative organization comprised of the most dedicated members—Amory experiences for the first time a stirring yearning for freedom unlike anything she's ever known.
- When Men Become Gods: Mormon Polygamist Warren Jeffs, His Cult of Fear, and the Woman Who Fought Back by Stephen Singular – In When Men Become Gods, New York Times bestselling author Stephen Singular casts a light on a dark corner of religious extremism. He reveals a group of fundamentalists operating in the present-day United States, where teenage girls are kept in virtual bondage in the name of upholding the "sacred principle" of polygamy.
- I Fired God: My Life Inside – and Escape from – the Secret World of the Independent Fundamental Baptist Cult by Jocelyn Zichterman – Jocelyn Zichterman was born, raised, married into, and finally, with her family, fled the Independent Fundamental Baptist church. Founded by the fiery preacher Bob Jones, with several hundred thousand members, IFB congregants are told they must not associate with members of other Baptist denominations and evangelicals, with an emphasis on secrecy, insular marriages within the church, a subservience for women, and unusual child raising practices.
- Memoirs of a Scientology Warrior by Mark Rathbun and Evie Cook – An insider look at Scientology's infamous war apparatus. This autobiographical history of Scientology is told by one of L. Ron Hubbard's staunchest defenders.
- Jesus Freaks: A True Story of Murder and Madness on the Evangelical Edge by Don Lattin – In the tradition of Jon Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven, Don Lattin's Jesus Freaks is the story of a shocking pilgrimage of revenge that left two people dead and shed new light on The Family International, one of the most controversial religious movements to emerge from the spiritual turmoil of the sixties and seventies.
- A Piece of Blue Sky: Scientology, Dianetics and L. Ron. Hubbard Exposed by Jon Atack – Atack exposes Hubbard's bizarre imagination and behavior, tracing the creation of Scientology in the years following World War II to perhaps its final schism following Hubbard's death in 1986. A shocking book that reveals all: the abuses, falsehoods, paranoia, and greed of Hubbard and his pseudo-military Scientologist henchmen.
- Scientology: A to Xenu: An Insider's Guide to What Scientology is Really All About by Chris Shelton and Jon Atack – Atack exposes Hubbard's bizarre imagination and behavior, tracing the creation of Scientology in the years following World War II to perhaps its final schism following Hubbard's death in 1986. A shocking book that reveals all: the abuses, falsehoods, paranoia, and greed of Hubbard and his pseudo-military Scientologist henchmen.
- The Cult at the End of the World: The Terrifying Story of the Aum Doomsday Cult, from the Subways of Tokyo to Nuclear Arsenals of Russia by David E. Kaplan and Andrew Marshall – The brave new age of postmillennium terror is awakening and its harbinger is Aum Supreme Truth: a Japan-based global web of wired, technically expert New Age zealots armed with biologial weapons, driven by an apocalyptic vision of unprecedented destruction. With compelling immediacy, this book tells the terrifying story the cult reponsible for the Tokyo subway nerve gas attack, offering a revealing profile of its founder and leader, Shoko Asahara.
- Girl on a Wire: Walking the Line Between Faith and Freedom in the Westboro Baptist Church by Libby Phelps and Sara Stewart – It wasn't until Libby Phelps was an adult, a twenty-five year old, that she escaped the Westboro Baptist Church. She is the granddaughter of its founder, Fred Phelps, and when she left, the church and its values were all she'd known. She didn't tell her family she was leaving. It happened in just a few minutes; she ran into her house, grabbed a bag, and fled. No goodbyes.
- Cult Child by Vennie Kocsis – The harrowing first-person account of one child's ordeals inside the isolated commune of an ultra-fundamentalist religious cult.
- Daughters of Zion: My Family's Conversion to Polygamy by Kim Wariner-Taylor – A memoir of misguided faith, unholy violence, and spiritual awakening. An odyssey of mayhem, murder, and tragedy is what Kim's family unknowingly embarks upon in their quest for a peaceful existence in an unorthodox religious society.
- Love Sex Fear Death: The Inside Story of the Process Church of the Final Judgment by Timothy Wyllie – The Process Church of the Final Judgment was the apocalyptic shadow side of the flower-powered '60s and perhaps the most notorious cult of modern times. Hundreds of black-cloaked devotees, often wearing a satanic "Goat of Mendes" and a swastika-like mandala, swept the streets of London, New York, Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, and Toronto, selling magazines and books with titles like Fear and Humanity is the Devil. And within the group's "Chapters," members would participate in "Midnight Meditations" beneath photographs of the Christ-like leader.
- Secrets and Wives: The Hidden World of Mormon Polygamy by Sanjiv Bhattacharya – What do we really know about modern practicing polygamists—not fictional ones like the Henrickson family on HBO's Big Love? We've seen the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the news, the underage brides in pioneer dresses on a Texas ranch. But the FLDS is just one of many groups that have broken with mainstream Mormonism to follow those parts of Joseph Smith's doctrine disavowed by the LDS Church.
- My Billion Year Contract: Memoir of a Former Scientologist by Nancy Many – It is a shocking story of abuse, imprisonment, espionage, lies, mental torture and suicide-vital reading for anyone who wants to know what goes on behind Scientology's curtain.
- Sins of the Father: The Long Shadow of a Religious Cult by Fleur Beale – The disturbing story of the ruthless exercise of power in a New Zealand religious cult.Charismatic, driven and self-righteous, Neville Cooper set up his own brand of Christian utopia on earth: a reclusive community on the West Coast of New Zealand.
- Jonestown Survivor: An Insider's Look by Laura Johnston Kohl – After a brief marriage, a visit to Woodstock, and a stint working with the Black Panthers, she moved to California to join her sister. Soon after that, she was introduced to Peoples Temple and spent the next nine years in California and Guyana. She was away from Jonestown on the day when 913 of her friends and family died. The next twenty years were spent recovering, and rebuilding her life.
- The Church of Fear: Inside the Weird World of Scientology by John Sweeney – In The Church of Fear Sweeney tells the full story of his experiences for the first time and paints a devastating picture of this strange organisation, from former Scientologists who tell heartbreaking stories of families torn apart and lives ruined to its current followers who say it is the solution to many of mankind's problems. This is the real story of the Church by the reporter who was brave enough to take it on.
- Slavery of Faith: The Untold Story of the People's Temple from the Eyes of a Thirteen Year Old, Her Escape from Jonestown at 20 and Life 30 Years Later by Leslie Wagner-Wilson – Slavery Of Faith…the quietly kept story of a young woman's escape through the jungles of Jonestown, Guyana the morning of the massacre November 18, 1978 and her struggles to live in the aftermath.
- Marked for Death: My War with Jim Jones the Devil of Jonestown by Timothy Oliver Stoen – The journey began in Redwood Valley, California, in 1970, when I self-recruited into a utopian movement called Peoples Temple, in order to pursue a Biblical ethic: "And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need." The leader of this utopian movement was James Warren Jones.
- Seventeen Sisters: Tell Their Story by Barbara Barlow and Virginia Webb – Today, the Mormon and polygamous culture has shown itself into the limelight more than ever before. This series of seventeen stories focuses on the Barlow family, a family that epitomized the Mormon, polygamous lifestyle. It was led by Albert Barlow, a father of thirty-four children and a husband to three women for over fifty years. The seventeen living daughters of Albert's family here to tell their story. They have seen it all, they have experienced it all.
- The Onliest One Alive: Surviving Jonestown, Guyana by Catherine H. Thrash and Marian Kleinsasser Towne – The Onliest One Alive: Surviving Jonestown has been a collaborative project of Catherine (Hyacinth) Thrash and Marian Towne since 1982, when Mrs. Thrash returned to Indianapolis from the Los Angeles area, where she had lived following the mass murder-suicide in Jonestown on November 18, 1978.It is the result of 60 hours of interviews and is the only published first-person account of a poor, African-American, elderly, disabled woman survivor of the tragedy.
- In My Father's House by Min. S. Yee – This gives you an intimate look into the workings of the Layton family, and several members of the family who joined the People's Temple. Three members of the family went to Guyana to live in the cult run by the Rev. Jim Jones. The youngest son, Larry was responsible for killing Congressman Leo J. Ryan. The cult was run by fear, intimidation and violence.
- God's Perfect Child: Living and Dying in the Christian Science Church by Caroline Fraser – From a former Christian Scientist, the first unvarnished account of one of America's most controversial and little-understood religious movements.
- It's Not About Sex My Ass: Confessions of a Mormon Ex-Polygamist by Joanne Hanks – With wit, humor and style, Joanne Hanks takes you on a wild ride through the insanity of the Mormon-based polygamist cult that was "It's Not About Sex" My Ass: Confessions of a Mormon Ex-Polygamister life for seven years. Get ready to laugh. Get ready to be outraged. And get ready to see polygamy as no one has ever revealed it before.
- Cult Insanity: A Memoir of Polygamy, Prophets, and Blood Atonement by Irene Spencer – Insanity ran rampant in her husband's family and was the source of inconceivable events that unfolded throughout Irene's adult life. CULT INSANITY takes readers deeper into her story to uncover the outrageous behavior of her brother-in-law Ervil — a self-proclaimed prophet who determined he was called to set the house of God in order — and how he terrorized their colony.
- Why I Left the Amish: A Memoir by Saloma Miller Furlong – Now a mother with grown children of her own, Furlong recalls her painful childhood in a family defined by her father's mental illness, her brother's brutality, her mother's frustration, and the austere traditions of the Amish—traditions Furlong struggled to accept for years before making the difficult decision to leave the community.
- Property: The True Story of a Polygamous Church Wife by Carol Christie and John Christie – The true story of a brave woman's nearly 40 years in a polygamous cult, her eventual escape, and her struggle to integrate into a world she barely knew.
- Fair Game: The Incredible Untold Story of Scientology in Australia by Steve Cannane – Based on years of interviews and meticulous research, Walkley Award-winning journalist Steve Cannane tells for the first time the fascinating story of Australia's vital involvement with this powerful, secretive and punitive cult.
- Ruby Ridge: The Truth and Tragedy of the Randy Waver Family by Jess Walter – This is the story of what happened on Ruby Ridge: the tragic and unlikely series of events that destroyed a family, brought down the number-two man in the FBI, and left in its wake a nation increasingly attuned to the dangers of unchecked federal power.
- Closing the Gate by Deb Simpson – For most of us, the headlines regarding the Mass Suicide of the 39 "Heaven's Gate" cult members in Rancho Santa Fe, Ca. in 1997 was a sad curiosity. For Author Deb Simpson, it became up close and personal when her now adult, baby brother Jimmy, became collateral damage. She writes with great courage and honesty in examining Jimmy's plight: his dream of a place to call home, his tumble into the world of a cult, and the inevitable downward spiral that his lonely life takes.
- The Cult Next Door: A True Story of a Suburban Manhattan New Age Cult by Elizabeth R. Burchard and Judith L. Carlone – During Thanksgiving vacation of her freshman year at Swarthmore College (1977), Elizabeth, at her mother's insistence, attended a stress-reduction session with a biofeedback technician on staff at a Manhattan psychologist's office. During that first visit, this man filled her ears with prophetic visions of a glorious future–the inheritance of those fortunate few who might choose to accompany him. His confidence and charisma entranced her, and she soon recruited two of her college roommates. When the psychologist fired his assistant two years later, Elizabeth and her mother followed. Over the next decade, this man, a malevolent genius and master of manipulating metaphysical concepts to benefit a self-serving agenda, organized a small, dedicated band of followers. The Group evolved into an incestuous family–a cult.
- Holy Candy: Why I Joined a Cult and Married a Stranger by Yolande Brener – What is the purpose of life? Is there a spiritual world? Does true love exist? If there is a God, why does he allow innocents to suffer? The desire to find answers to these questions–passed to her on a business card–led Yolande Brener to enter a bizarre, 15-year odyssey in a cult that would climax in her participation in one of the largest mass marriages in history.
- Undertow: My Escape from the Fundamentalism and Cult Control of the Way International by Charlene L. Edge – Undertow is Charlene Edge's riveting memoir about the power of words to seduce, betray, and, in her case, eventually save.
- The Secret Lives of Saints: Child Brides and Lost Boys in a Polygamous Mormon Sect by Daphne Bramham – The Secret Lives of Saints paints a troubling portrait of an extreme religious sect. These zealous believers impose severe and often violent restrictions on women, deprive children of education and opt instead to school them in the tenets of their faith, defy the law and move freely and secretly over international borders. They punish dissent with violence and even death. No, this sect is not the Taliban, but North America's fundamentalist Mormons.
- Triumph: Life After the Cult – A Survivor's Lessons by Carolyn Jessop and Laura Palmer – In Triumph, Jessop tells the real, and even more harrowing, story behind the raid and sets the public straight on much of the damaging misinformation that flooded the media in its aftermath. She recounts the setbacks (the tragic decision of the Supreme Court of Texas to allow the children in state custody to return to their parents) as well as the successes (the fact that evidence seized in the raid is the basis for the string of criminal trials of FLDS leaders that began in October 2009 and will continue throughout 2010), all while weaving in details of her own life since the publication of her first book.
- Beyond Belief: True Story of Faith, Denial and Betrayal by Margot Tesch – Ever wondered what draws people deep into extreme religions and cults? Come on Megan White's journey as she becomes immersed in an extreme fundamentalist church. Learn how her desire to find meaning and purpose in her life catches her in a trap that snaps shut around her and holds her paralyzed.
- Escape Through the Window: A Cult Survivor's Story by Sarah Rose – Escape is the first book that tells an insider's story of daily life ruled by a psychopathic cult leader. The book shows how easy it is to become brainwashed by a charismatic personality into thinking that torture, starvation, and complete isolation are essential to a spiritual life.
- Locked In: My Imprisoned Years in a Destructive Cult by John Huddle – Locked in pulls back the thick curtain holding many of the secrets inside Word of Faith Fellowship. This small mountain church in Spindale, NC first came to the national stage in 1995 when Inside Edition aired video which included their signature practice of blasting deliverance prayer. As the first published survivor memoir of this group, Locked in follows John's journey of hope to live in "God's ways" by moving his family to Spindale, only to discover the cult's unique doctrines and practices destroy the family he loves and cherishes.
- When They Were Mine: Memories of a Branch Davidian Wife and Mother by Shelia Martin and Catherine Wessinger – When They Were Mine is the autobiography of Sheila Martin, a member of the Branch Davidian Church at the time of its apocalyptic encounter with the FBI in April, 1993. The assault resulted in a fire that killed 76 Branch Davidians, including 23 children. Sheila's husband and four oldest children died in the fire.
- Abode of Love: Growing Up in a Messianic Cult by Kate Barlow – This remarkable memoir is the true story of life inside "The A," the infamous Agapemone, named for the Greek word meaning Abode of Love. It was a religious cult founded in mid-19th century England by a defrocked clergyman who claimed to be guided personally by the Holy Ghost.
- Nowhere Girl: Growing Up Different by Nita Clark – Consider the world of a young girl who never knew what a normal family was like, and didn't experience the traditional love of a mother or father. For her, home meant several families all jumbled up together. After the age of five, her mother worked long hours away from home, and she was often left alone or cared for by mothers of other children. Her chief male authority was not her father, but the group's charismatic, heavy-handed leader. Only later would she come to understand: this community was a cult.
- Keep Sweet: Children of Polygamy by Dr. Dave Perrin and Debbie Palmer – Keep Sweet is non-fiction, but names have been changed to protect the safety and privacy of people mentioned. Based on Palmer's early memories, letters, and diaries, the memoir takes the reader inside the daily lives of children, sister-wives, husbands and leaders and provides an in-depth insight into the teachings of the fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
- Little Brown Girl: A Memoir by Cassidy Elizabeth Arkin and Sandra J. Rogers-Hare – Little Brown Girl is a story of the struggle to re-enter society after living in a cloistered utopian community, Synanon, in Marin County, California. This collaboration by Cassidy Arkin and her mother, Sandra Rogers-Hare is an open child and parent perspective of two very unique lives.
- The Defector: After 20 Years in Scientology by Robert Dam – The Defector is a strong, personal story about the uncanny parallel world of Scientology. The Defector is written by Robert Dam, who himself was a member of the mothership of Scientology in Europe – right in the center of Danish capital, Copenhagen – for 20 years, until he defected in 2004.
- Matches in the Gas Tank: Trial by Fire in the Armstrong Cult by Carla Powers – An empowering story of the survival of the spirit, this heart-wrenching memoir recounts a girl's stifled and abusive childhood in the Radio Church of God-a cult founded by alleged prophet Herbert W. Armstrong in Big Sandy, Texas.
- Destroying the World to Save it: Aum Shinrikyo, Apocalyptic Violence, and the New Global Terrorism by Robert Jay Lifton – Since the earliest moments of recorded history, prophets and gurus have foretold the world's end, but only in the nuclear age has it been possible for a megalomaniac guru with a world-ending vision to bring his prophecy to pass. Now Robert Jay Lifton offers a vivid and disturbing case in point in this chilling exploration of Aum Shinrikyo, the Japanese cult that released sarin nerve gas in the Tokyo subways.
- The Manson Girls by Michael James Duncan – A look back at the many women who become followers of Charles Manson during his Helter Skelter siege in California in the 60s & 70s. All were hippie girls who became loyal to the maniac who told them to kill for him
- Wife No. 19: The Story of a Life in Bondage, Being a Complete Expose of Mormonism and Revealing Sorrows, Sacrifices and Sufferings of Women in Polygamy by Ann Eliza Young – In 1863 24-year old Ann Eliza became the 19th wife of the 67-year old head of the Mormon Church Brigham Young. Ten years later, in a landmark case that would rock the nation and lead to the rewriting of laws, Ann divorced her powerful husband alleging neglect and cruel treatment.
- Waiting for the Apocalypse: A Memoir of Faith and Family by Veronica Chater – It is 1972, and Veronica Chater's parents believe that Vatican II's liberalization has corrupted the Catholic Church, inviting the Holy Chastisement—an apocalypse prophesied by three shepherds in Fatima, Portugal. To spare his family this horror, Veronica's father quits the highway patrol, sells everything, and moves the family of eight from California to an isolated village near Fatima.
- Out of the Cocoon: A Young Woman's Courageous Flight from the Grip of a Religious Cult by Brenda Lee – Out of the Cocoon is a heart-wrenching, yet inspirational tale about the author's escape from a religious cult after enduring decades of dysfunction. Take the incredible journey with her as she survives stifling oppression as a child, physical and emotional abuse as a teenager, and the ultimate tragedy: the loss of her family once she becomes an adult.
- Not My Idea of Heaven by Lindsey Rosa – When she was a child, Lindsey Rosa's every waking moment was governed by the rules of an extreme separatist sect. It controlled what she wore and what she ate; it forbade her to listen to music, to cut her hair, to watch television, to use a computer. The Fellowship said her family was special. Why would she believe otherwise?
- Betrayal of the Spirit: My Life Behind the Headlines of the Hare Krishna Movement by Nori J. Muster – Combining behind-the-scenes coverage of an often besieged religious group with a personal account of one woman's struggle to find meaning in it, Betrayal of the Spirit takes readers to the center of life in the Hare Krishna movement.
- This Dark World: A Memoir of Salvation Found and Lost by Carolyn S. Briggs – A riveting memoir of one woman's immersion into Fundamentalist faith and her decision, twenty years later, to leave it all behind.
- Escape: My Life Long War Against Cults by Paul Morantz – Tells the story of attorney Paul Morantz's nearly 40-year battle with many of this nation's most notorious cults,including the Manson family, the Symbionese Liberation Army, Jim Jones' People's Temple, Synanon, est, the Moonies and Scientology, among others.
- American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst by Jeffrey Toobin – On February 4, 1974, Patty Hearst, a sophomore in college and heiress to the Hearst family fortune, was kidnapped by a ragtag group of self-styled revolutionaries calling itself the Symbionese Liberation Army. The already sensational story took the first of many incredible twists on April 3, when the group released a tape of Patty saying she had joined the SLA and had adopted the nom de guerre "Tania."


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In this installment of Benefit of the Doubt we take a look at the effect of the ball-strike count on the strike zone. This is not a new area or analysis; several sabermetricians before me have done top-notch work on the subject, including Dave Allen and John Walsh. Moreover, both Mr. Allen and I have successfully tested this effect statistically, albeit using slightly different models and methodologies.
Nonetheless, I've uncovered something that I don't believe has been discussed in the past. First, let's review: we know--both intuitively and empirically--that the strike zone changes in response to the count. Take a look at the following heat maps for empty and full counts.
For the unfamiliar, the charts above indicate how likely a pitch is to be called a strike if thrown at a given location. The warmer the color, the more likely a called strike. The strike zone--theoretically the break even boundary between called strikes and balls--is roughly outlined in yellow.As you can see, both the full count and empty count zones (left) differ from the generic zone (right). More specifically, we know that the zone tends to get smaller in pitcher's counts and larger in batter's counts. Observe:
In the ultimate batter's (3-0) count, the zone is white-hot down the middle and significantly wider on the edges. Likewise, the zone for a pitcher's (0-2) count is noticeably smaller and generally cooler. This corresponds with the theory of the compassionate umpire, if I may steal Mr. Walsh's phrase.
So, we should see these results reflected in the Zone Advantage ratings, yes? Well, as it turns out, the answer is more like "yes, but..."
Over the last two seasons, the 0-2 and 3-0 counts were not the most extreme examples of bias. In fact, both the 0-1 and full counts have favored the batter more than the 0-2 count, and pitchers have done somewhat better with the 2-0 count than the 3-0 count.
|Zone Advantage
This does not contradict Mr. Allen's finding that the strike zone is largest at 3-0 and smallest at 0-2. In fact, when it comes to the topology of the zones, our findings are consistent: the expected zone is in fact larger at 0-2 than at 0-1 and smaller at 3-0 than 2-0.
So what gives? Keep in mind that, as the count changes, the zone is not the only thing that changes with it. Perhaps more importantly, pitcher and batter behavior--and thus the distribution of called pitches--changes. Moreover, the distribution of pitches is at all times uneven and, at the micro level, random.
The takeaway: due to the intricacies of player behavior and random variance, the size of the expected strike zone does not always correspond to real-world bias. Both, however, are important in measuring how the umpire's call changes depending on the context of the pitch.
Previous episodes in the Benefit of the Doubt series
- Relievers Who Get the Wide Zone
- Starters Who Get the Wide Zone
- Pitchers Who Were Squeezed
- Batters in the Zone
- Lefty Bats Get the Shaft
- How Pitch Speed and Movement Affect the Zone
Data originate from Darrell Zimmerman's SQL-based PitchFX database.

subset: commoncrawl


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There are many different reasons why a homeowner may need roofing repairs, but the most common reason is a single shingled roof. This roofing material is prone to wearing thin, which can lead to leaks and other problems. A professional roofer will identify the problem and make the necessary changes before it becomes a bigger issue.
The most common roofing repairs occur when rain or snow causes the roof to split. This usually happens in older homes when there are a lot of old shingles. Newer homes have metal roofs that do not wear as well. Roofers use an adhesive to attach the damaged shingles to the roof and then repair the roof. Sometimes, roofers may need to remove portions of the roof to get at the faulty shingles. Sometimes, they will replace the shingles, but this can be expensive since these shingles may not last long.
Another common cause for roofing repairs is when there are visible signs of leaks. These leaks can often be fixed with a little bit of regular maintenance. One thing that homeowners can do is to regularly clean their gutters to prevent water from seeping into the roof. This can also help to avoid leaks.
In some cases, homeowners may need to have a roof replacement. Some roofing repairs cannot be prevented, so having a new roof installation is sometimes needed. Sometimes, the area will need to be leveled before the new roof installation can take place. This can be done by homeowners themselves or by a contractor. In most cases, a new roof installation will be more affordable than having a roof replacement done.
Homeowners who live in areas that experience high rainfall or have long periods of drought should consider repairing leaky roofs. Although these situations do not usually lead to damage, they can cause damage over time. Regular maintenance on leaky roofs can ensure that these homes will stay dry and that they will not suffer water damage in the future. Even if the damage is not always easy to spot, it is still possible to repair it. If you live in an area that experiences heavy rain, you should still ensure that your gutters are clear of debris and that you have no standing water on your roof.
There are many different options when it comes to commercial roofing maintenance programs. One of the best things that you can do for your business is to make sure that you get your building inspected once every year. This is not only highly recommended by the NRC but by most business owners as well. Having a properly maintained and inspected building can save you a lot of money in the future, and it can make you feel good that your company is doing everything that it can to keep its structure in great condition.
Even if you know that your roofing system is safe from most issues, you may still have to make some roof repairs. In this situation, you should contact a roofing contractor to estimate the repairs you may need. Although the roof repairs cost may be higher than what you have budgeted, it will be worth it in the long run. Commercial roofing maintenance programs allow you to make small repairs to the roof of your building that will prevent bigger problems. These small repairs may also save you money if they correct a problem that has already started to show.
Even if your commercial building is currently protected against the elements, there are still certain times when a new roof may need to be installed. In this situation, you should contact a residential roofing contractor to estimate how much it will cost to get a new roof installed. If you are lucky, the contractor that you work with will offer to come out and give you a free estimate. If the contractor does not offer to come out and give you a free estimate, then you should know that he or she likely has many more projects going on and may not have any time to take care of your project. A new roof can be an excellent way to protect your business.


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Earlier on this evening, I told you what I thought of Madonna's Super Bowl Halftime performance. . .it was a much better performance than I had expected, though it wasn't thoroughly amazing or anything like that.
Now, you have the opportunity to judge for yourself, as we have the video of the performance right here for your viewing pleasure. Here it is!
Now, since I'm a bit out of touch with the younger generation's "music" these days, apparently there were cameo appearances during the performance from Nick Minaj (no clue who she is), something called M.I.A. (no idea on that front, either), LMFAO (who I have heard of), and finally Cee-Lo Green (who I'm a fan of).
Again, check out the performance and judge the whole thing for yourself. It will give you something to talk about around the water cooler or coffee pot on Monday morning at work.
Now, with all that said, the game is still on!


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Congress Ends Blanket Ban on HIV Organ Donation
Blog Search
Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed the HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act, a bill that will end the blanket ban on the donation of organs from HIV-positive individuals, clearing the way for transplantation of such organs into people living with HIV to become routine practice in the near future. The Act will phase in this change in two stages, first paving the way for research on such transplants and later, based on the results of that research, allowing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to authorize widespread and routine utilization of this procedure. Overturning a statutory ban in place since 1988, the bill has received strong bipartisan support and is expected to be signed into law by President Obama.
This policy change is an important life-saving step forward for people living with HIV that has long been supported by the medical community but delayed because of the statutory ban, which was rooted in outdated ideas regarding HIV and concerns about the safety of the pool of available organs. The HOPE Act ensures the continuing safety of organ transplants and addresses the need for transplantable organs for people living with HIV as a result of the significant advances in the ability to treat and prolong the lives of people living with this condition. The need for transplantable organs is especially acute for long-term survivors, whose organs—particularly the liver and kidneys—are more susceptible to failure as a result of the powerful medications used to treat HIV.
The organs of HIV-positive donors, which had previously gone to waste, should gradually become more widely available to people living with HIV who need them. When they are, there could be as many as 600 additional organs per year available, resulting in hundreds of lives saved.
Lambda Legal applauds this important step along the path to more sensible policies regarding HIV, but recognizes that much work remains to be done. The next logical step would be to allow research regarding transplantation of organs from HIV-positive individuals into HIV-negative individuals, who should be permitted to make a fully informed choice to accept such an organ in the face of life-threatening organ failure. And as the HOPE Act does with respect to positive-to-positive transplants, Congress should generally allow the appropriate agency to amend policies regarding safe organ transplantation, with the guidance of the scientific experts and medical ethicists best equipped to make such decisions. HIV exceptionalism, untethered to the facts, leads to bad results.
The HOPE Act will save lives, and potentially kick-start a conversation about HIV that will allow us to stop singling out people living with this condition (and those at higher risk) for restrictions that prevent them from participating fully in society. Consonant with the name of this important legislation, we "hope" that incorporating up-to-date scientific evidence about HIV transmission risks in the organ donation guidelines signals that the government is ready to move forward on revising other archaic policies based on misconceptions regarding HIV. Outdated policies on blood donation, military service, and HIV criminalization are incongruent with current testing technologies, our more comprehensive understanding of the actual routes and risks of HIV transmission, and the progress we have made in making HIV a chronic, manageable condition through early discovery, proper care and treatment.
Our government should be leading the charge in combating stigma and discrimination and dismantling the barriers to care and treatment they trigger, and the bipartisan passage of the HOPE Act gives us hope that things are heading in the right direction to accomplish that goal.


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Clean Air – Bodyshop Air Purifier
The new Clean Air is a portable filtering solution capable of removing dust, odors, smoke, voc's, mists, spray powder, bacteria and toxic fumes from the environment.
The clean air is a very small and portable equipment that could be placed just beside the working area to clean VOCs and remove odors
Healthy Environment
Workers will always be protected from VOCs and other unhealthy chemicals coming from paint and derivates.
- Cleaning up the work environment
- Improving workers' health condition
- Balancing the workshop ambient temperature
- Saving valuable floor space
Technical Features
- Double speed motor
- Centrifugal fan
- Pressure sensor with sound to filter change
- Extracted Airflow: 500-1.800 m3/h
- Noise level: 0-65 dB
- Filtration system with activated carbon
- No return gate


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One Live To Live: Haskell's Back!
By Jesse Murray
Good things come in threes, and we've got proof: With the news of
Andrea Evans and Tuc Watkins returning to "One Life to Live," as Tina
Lord and David Vickers , comes official word that Susan Haskell is
coming back to the show as Marty Saybrooke.
Yes, THAT Marty Saybrooke -- Cole's (Brandon Buddy) mother. The woman Todd (Trevor St. John) raped in college. The person who finally started to get John (Michael Easton) to smile. And the one who went over a cliff in a van, which blew up and seemingly killed her.
Clearly, she's not dead. So what's going on? Is this somehow connected to Tina's return? The mysterious person Ramsey has hidden? The arrival of Kevin Spirtas's character? We CAN tell you that Marty's return -- scheduled for early June -- is an important piece of a larger, very exciting story that will help "One Life to Live" celebrate its 40th year in a big way!
A Family Affair
"I cannot be more excited," says "OLTL" head writer Ron Carlivati about Marty's return. He promises Marty will play a big role in Cole and Starr's teen pregnancy drama. "We've made such a point that [his unborn baby with Starr] is important to Cole, because he has no one and feels alone. The idea that ... his mother is alive makes it a much richer story."
Susan played Marty from 1993 to 1997. She won a Daytime Emmy for the role in 1994. The character of Marty returned to the canvas in 2006, played by Christina Chambers, but the actress exited last year with Marty's apparent death.
We're kind of jealous of Susan, because, in real life, she's married to Thorsten Kaye -- aka Zach Slater from "All My Children." They have two young daughters, McKenna and Marlowe.
What do you think is in store for Marty?


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OK, let's do the obligatory post about Robert Alan Stanford and his $8 billion bank fraud and move on. There are a couple links below for those who want to dive into this train wreck and from the New York Times, here is what happened this morning.
Stopping what it called a "massive ongoing fraud," the Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday accused Robert Allen Stanford, the chief of the Stanford Financial Group, of fraud in the sale of about $8 billion of high-yielding certificates of deposit held in the firm's bank in Antigua. Also named in the suit were two other executives and some affiliates of the financial group.In the complaint, filed in Federal District Court in Dallas, the S.E.C. accused Mr. Stanford and two associates — James M. Davis, a director and chief financial officer of Stanford Group and the Antigua-based bank affiliate, and Laura Pendergest-Holt, the chief investment officer of both organizations — with misrepresenting the safety and liquidity of the uninsured CDs.
Recessions do seem to drive these sewer rats out into the light of day, don't they.


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Adjusting To a Bigger Family
In January of last year my sister in law passed away, leaving behind 2 young kids. Their father has been raising them since then, but has had some struggles in his life that have put him in the position that he can not take care of them currently. Last month our nephews who are 1 and 3 moved in with us, and will likely be staying with us for the forseeable future. This has been a big adjustment for our entire family and while being an overall good thing and a lot of fun, is also very stressful and chaotic.
If you think having two boys makes for a rambunctious house, try 4. The two littles are having a hard time adjusting to a fixed schedule, but I think a few more weeks of a daily routine will get them on track. The little one wakes up crying and kicking at least 3 times a night, and the 3 year old is used to being able to generally do whatever he wants. For the most part they are good boys, but average 1 and 3 year olds are quite obnoxious. Having them adds some difficulty with scheduling, especially when it comes to school. Our kids are already in school, so adjusting to having kids at the house all day and adjusting work/life schedules to accommodate that is challenging.
Added Expenses/ Added Income:
The boys receive a small amount from Social Security every month, based on their mother's earnings. This is only a few hundred dollars but will go a long way to offsetting the added costs associated with having them, most noteably daycare expenses. In order for Mrs. C. to maintain her job we are looking into daycare options. There is a local daycare in our area that has rates and spots open for kids on a part time basis, where they can go 2 or 3 days a week. Most likely we will go with this option and Mrs. C. will work a very part time schedule for the near term. We had gotten rid off all our little kid stuff, so we are in the process of re-acquiring the stuff we need. We have their bedroom all set up, I think all we really have left to buy is a dual stroller, and that is optional. The big potential expense is upgrading my car. Our Van can seat everyone, but my car is too small to accommodate all the kids. We may end up getting a truck that seats 6, but that is a large expense and I will try to delay that as long as practical.
Tax Planning:
Part of having two extra little guys is two extra little tax deductions. Because of the tax breaks given for dependent children we need to completely adjust our retirement savings investment strategy. Since it now takes a far lower amount of deductible contributions to reach $0 tax liability, We need to switch a significant portion of our retirement savings to ROTH accounts. It does no good to contribute to traditional IRAs past the point of $0 tax liability. This may also adjust whether or not Obamacare insurance makes sense for us next year.
Setting Myself Up:
I guess you could say all my adult life I have been setting myself up to be able to adjust to this. We don't know what challenges we will face in life, but we do know that there will be challenges. Building a strong financial base to weather these challenges is important. Having an emergency fund, a financial plan, a stable job and residence, are all important factors in being able to weather any changes in life. Even if we were in a less stable financial position we would find a way to take care of the little dudes, but it would be much more challenging.
Lack of postings:
In addition to the added responsibilities and time constraints that come with having two additional young children, I have also been working 6 13 hour shifts per week for the past six weeks, and it looks like the next couple weeks will be the same. My goal is to continue to post at a rate of 1 post per week, which while I am working and trying to juggle the demands of a growing household is a sustainable rate. Perhaps during the summer I will challenge myself to write closer to 6 – 8 posts per month.
Adjusting to a bigger family is a large change for us, but it will be a fun adventure.


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Showing results for tags 'actors'.
Found 2 results
What voice actors do you want for Star Fox Wii U?
ShutUpNavi posted a topic in Star Fox Transformed and GuardedSimple question. What voice actors do you want for Star Fox Wii U? Now while we don't exactly know what characters will be in the game, I think it's a safe bet the core Star Fox team will be there, and perhaps Star Wolf as well. Going off of that who do you want doing the voices of Fox, Falco, Wolf, etc. They can be old returning actors or completely new people if you chose.
Voice Actors Wanted
Cavemonkynick posted a topic in The LoungeOk, so some of you may know I am in the process of writing a fan-fiction. For those of you who don't, it's called Star Fox: Rise From the Ashes and it a rewriting of the story from Star Fox Command. You can find it posted on this site in the fan-fiction forum. Anyways, I showed it to a friend of mine and he asked if I had considered doing a radio play. I figured what the heck. So this is basically an interest post. The way it would most likely work is we'd have a conversation either over Skype or on the phone (numbers will only be exchanged over pm for everyone's privacy) after a conversation or two I will cast rolls, ideally I would like to put voice samples up for everyone to hear and we can decide amongst ourselves. If push comes to shove I will leave it up to my friend who will remain a neutral and have the final say. When it comes time to record, I think the only way we'll be able to do it and keep decent quality is if we work on video conference but everyone directly records their own audio and emails it to me. Also keep in mind this is a personal interest project. I am a full time, unemployed student and can't afford to pay people for their work. I would hope that anyone who shows interest in this would want to do it just because they want to, and I have a feeling that will be the case. Anyways, I'm going to list all of the voiced characters in the story below. There are some I can do but there are also some I'm defiantly going to need help on, female characters for instance. Those that I need help for will be marked with an asterisk like this*. Also keep in mind that just because their not marked dosent mean that you can't try out for that part, it just means i can do it if i have to. Roles in red are sorta filled. If you really have your heart set on one thats filled let me know, but for the most part im trying to get a complete cast before we start having two for a role. Roles in yellow are where the same person has tried out for more than one role so those are still sorta open. While im ok using people twice for most roles, i dont want to do that with the narrator because that part already has a TON of reading to do. Narrator- Still tecinacly open, but i'm gonna try and look localy for this one, as it's alot of lines to manage online. Fox McCloud- Unless someone blows me away, doing this one myself. Just eiser that way. R.O.B. - No you don't have to sound like a robot, although that would save my friend some editing. Krystal- Bailey got to call me today and she has agreed to do Krystal. I still need a younger person for a flashback scene. Falco Lombardi- Starwing_93 Slippy Toad- Star Fox Runner Peppy Hare- While everyone loves classic Peppy, he is getting old (as in age) so I'm looking more towards Assault. Wolf O'Donnell - Jon3Mac James McCloud*- While I can do a decent Fox I can't do James without slipping into Fox. Anna McCloud- myu Bill Grey- mjakob42 Tomas Westwind*-(Krystal's Father) Fedora Sarah Westwind - myu Katt Monroe- Redeemer Beltino Toad- Arashikage Emperor Angler- If you have a deep voice, this one is for you:) Also theirs at least 5 other small rolls, both male and female, right now, but there will be more in the future so I can reuse people or if you want to be a part of it but don't have a lot of time to do it, consider these. Most of them only have 3 or 4 lines, but again i can reuse. They include: Daniels (chapter 8), Glenn (chapter 9), unknown man (chapter 9), Steven (chapter 9) Extra Roles filled. Doctor (Chapter 9) - Psygonis Hannah Park (Chaper 4) - Steph McCloud Doctor (chapter 2-3) & Simmons (chapter 9) - Star Fox Runner So if you're interested post below who you want to be, any experience you have voice acting or and speaking in public (not that this will be a live performance) and any questions you may have. Also, if you have a usb or line-in mic send me a sample. If you have someone spsific sent me your best impression along with somthing in your normal speaking voice. For those without speaking parts in the games either quote somthing from the fanfic or wing it. Just pm the audio files to me. Also if you have a Skype account, add me (username is cavemonkynick) and we can to the readings there. I hope to have a good enough turn-out to go through with this, and I am excited to move forward. There's a link to the story below, you'll probably want to read that first. Please read the poll at the top first, it will explain why you're on page three. If you want a copy you can save and print or whatever pm me and I'll send you the word file. Thanks for your time. http://starfox-onlin..._50#entry322988


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|24 November 2013
|Green Bay, WI
|12:00 PM Central
|Lambeau Field
DirecTV Ch 709
| Vikings Radio Network
XM Ch 231 (GB)
Sirius Ch 137
|TV Announcers:
|Kevin Burkhardt
John Lynch
|Know Thy Foe:
|Acme Packing Company
|Green Bay -4.5, O/U 43.5 (thanks to the SB Nation Odds page)
|Chris' Prediction:
|Packers 24, Vikings 20
|Final Score:
Here are the ground rules for the Game Threads:
-Thou shalt not link illegal feeds of today's game, or I shall kick thy arse to the curb until the game is over. Do not promote then, do not mention them, do not even hint at them. Thou hast been warned.
-Thou shalt make an attempt to keep the swearing to a minimum. Understandable that it will slip occasionally, but do try to limit it. If you really feel the need to curse, use the spoiler tags to keep it covered up. We'll get the sentiment.
-Thou shalt not feed the trolls. Rather, thou shall simply point them out, and they shall be banished to the fires of Mordor. Or Wisconsin. Whichever we feel is more harsh at the time.
-Thou shalt not engage in racist, sexist, or other such insulting rhetoric. Somebody disagreeing with you does not make them racist or sexist. It means they disagree with you. Talk it out like adults.
-Thou shalt not bait the fans of other teams into trolling.
-Basically, thou shalt not be a jackwagon in the game thread.
The Green Bay Packers are fighting for the last spot in the NFC playoff picture. The Minnesota Vikings are fighting for the top overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. What needs to happen on Sunday to throw a wrench into both of those plans?
1) Actually accomplish something in the passing game - In two of the last three meetings between these teams, Christian Ponder. . .who will start at quarterback for the Vikings again today. . .has struggled to get the ball to his wide receivers, and with no Kyle Rudolph in the lineup for this one, making that happen will be even tougher today. But if the Vikings want to open things up at all, they need to get the ball to Greg Jennings, Jerome Simpson, Jarius Wright, and Cordarrelle Patterson. Otherwise, the Packers will be able to crowd the line of scrimmage to slow down the running game and negate any potential play-action opportunities.
2) Take care of the football - In a significant departure from the past few seasons, only four teams in the NFL have created fewer takeaways than the Packers have this season, and they have the lowest interception total in the NFL with 4. As is the case every week, the Vikings can't afford to give their opponents more opportunities with the football, and they need to avoid turnovers in this one as well.
3) Don't make Scott Tolzien a superstar - The Vikings have a long history of making quarterbacks that aren't top-notch signal callers look much better than they actually are. Tolzien hasn't been terrible for the Packers since taking over, but he has had a problem with interceptions, and the Packers' offensive output has been halved with him behind center. The Vikings need to get after Tolzien and force him into mistakes in order to create opportunities and get the defense off the field.
This season has gone poorly for the Minnesota Vikings. We know that. But it would be nice if they could pull out a victory at a place where they haven't won since 2009, regardless of the circumstances.
We're about an hour and fifteen minutes from kickoff here, folks. Enjoy today's game!


text: Lithium battery service Home page/ Emergency response / Lithium battery service Lithium battery service Our lithium emergency response service provides a cost-effective route for transporters of lithium batteries to comply with the requirements of the ICAO Technical Instruction for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air and the 59th Edition (2018) of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR). Our emergency response helpline operates 365 days per year, 24 hours a day, providing callers with immediate access to expert advice relating to lithium battery hazards. Our responders are trained chemists, able to provide assistance on all manner of incidents during storage and transportation. We handle 8,000+ calls per year, and have been the primary source of advice to the UK emergency services for over 40 years. Our customers trust us to provide the critical information they need to reduce risk and respond appropriately in the event of an emergency. Our 24hr helpline service saves you the time and money required to develop your own response service, and enables you to respond quickly and safely, should an incident occur.


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xkcd – Certainty – By Randall Munroe
I like todays xkcd… Well, I like the comics in general, but the one posted today I like in particular!
I had yesterday off (as it is a holiday here in Denmark), I have today off because I don't have any classes on Fridays. Tomorrow and the day after are the weekend. So what have I done and what am I going to do with all this spare time? I did a lot of reading yesterday, hope to keep that up today as well and then maybe go see Big Fat Snake in Tivoli tonight. Who knows. The weather is great so I might take my book with me outside. Time will tell.


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Unused Tagged Vintage Wilendur Dogwood Brown Tablecloth and Napkin Set
The Pink Rose Cottage
Wilendur tablecloths in the "Dogwood" pattern are highly collectible! Especially so in this rich color of brown! The dogwood blossoms are accented in shades of gray. So pretty!
This vintage Wilendur Dogwood tablecloth and napkin set is in EXCELLENT condition. Never used. The tablecloth has the sewn in tag. Two the of six napkins have the original store price tags from Goldblatts.
Tablecloth measures 53 by 51 inches. Has 9 squares of dogwood blossoms. The napkins measure about 16 1/2 inches square.
A wonderful find!


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NHL commissioner Gary Bettman knows how to stay on message, no matter how Baghdad Bobly the message. During his weekly radio show, Bettman insisted Atlanta Thrashers ownership is still taking a look at its options as it seeks to unload the team, despite it being plenty clear to every observer that the Atlanta Spirit Group is shipping the team to Winnipeg, and soon.
Bettman dismissed reports of there being viable local buyers that the ASG overlooked, as have several Atlanta media outlets.
Nothing new from Bettman on the Thrashers front, of course, not that you'd expect to hear anything new. He continues to insist the deal hasn't been completed yet. That much does appear to be accurate, based on reports.
Check back with SB Nation Atlanta's frequently updated Thrashers sale StoryStream for the latest updates. For discussion, join Bird Watchers Anonymous, SB Nation's Atlanta Thrashers community or head to one of our 34 other hockey communities. For more hockey, visit SB Nation's NHL hub.


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Friday, September 16, 2011
Yeti and Sasquatch Monsters!
Ladies and gentlemen, iolm is pleased to present, the match up you've all been waiting for: Tiny Yeti vs. Tiny Big foot! Two handsome abominable buddies from 13 Chestnuts! Standing at a massive 3.5 inches in white, give it up for Tiny Yeti! AND In brown, fight ready, at a sturdy 3.5 inches, Tiny Sasquatch! Let's get ready to rumble!!!
Posted by Unknown at 7:00 AM
Labels: art, art plush, creature, handmade, humor, monster, needle felted, plush, plush monster, plushies, sculpture, stuffed animals, whimsical
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text: Team Associated's 1:14 scale REFLEX 14T 4WD electric truggy comes out of the box already assembled, with a Reedy Power brushless speed control, brushless motor, high-torque digital steering servo, and 2.4GHz radio system. With all that power at your disposal, the truggy's design effortlessly channels it into 4WD fun! The adjustability offered by the turnbuckles, caster blocks, and rear hubs make the REFLEX 14T ready for any terrain you can run on. Additional features include three sealed differentials, aluminum steering rack, and lightweight aluminum center driveshaft. Adding a battery pack of your choice to the REFLEX 14T RTR, you can now have big performance in a small-scale Ready-to-Run package! Think small. Win big.


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Please be advised that the Board of Elections of the Greenlawn Water District shall meet on Wednesday, November 20, 2013, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. at the Greenlawn Water District office, 45 Railroad Street, Greenlawn, NY, for the purpose of preparing the rolls of registered voters of the Greenlawn Water District.
The annual election of the Greenlawn Water District will be held Tuesday, December 10, 2013, between the hours of 3:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m., at the Greenlawn Water District office, 45 Railroad Street, Greenlawn, NY.
Please note that in 2013 and thereafter, only those persons who have registered with the County Board of Elections on or before the 23rd day before the Water District election day shall be eligible to vote. In 2013, such registration must take place on or before Monday, November 18.
John T. McLaughlin, Chairman
Board of Commissioners


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Cute ink blue short prom dress, homecoming dress, and party dress with cap sleeves.
- Year: 2020.
- Shown Color: Ink Blue.
- Silhouette: Sheath.
- Sleeve: Cap Sleeves
- Back Style: Zipper Closure, Closed.
- Fabric: Taffeta.
- Neckline: V-neck.
- Built-In Bra: Yes.
- Hemline/Train: Mini.
- Embellishment: Rhinestone.
- Season: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Most of our dresses are Made-To-Order. Whether you choose a standard size or custom measurements, our tailors craft each dress to order. Shipping Policy.
Total Delivery Time = Tailoring Time+ Shipping Time.Shipping Time:
- Free Shipping Over $150-About 10-20 days.
- Standard Shipping-About 5-12 days.
- Express Shipping-About 2-5 business days.


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Simply put... you break the rules, you deal with the consequences. It doesn't matter if you're a career backup in MLB, or a perennial All Star. Just like if two people commit the same crime, their punishments should be the same, regardless if one person is homeless and the other could be our next President.
So when I read that Pete Rose doesn't think the hits Ichiro Suzuki accumulated in Japan should count towards the hits record, which Ichiro is one hit from tying, I was ready to lash out at Pete again. But after reading his comments, and thinking about them for a minute, it turns out I agree with him.
"I'm not trying to take anything away from Ichiro, he's had a Hall of Fame career, but the next thing you know, they'll be counting his high school hits." - RoseOkay, comparing hits from Nippon Professional Baseball and high school is ridiculous, but he has a point.
- Major League Baseball draws from the best players around the World, while Nippon Professional Baseball has limits to the number of foreign players that are even allowed on any team's active roster (the last I saw it was four).
- Many players that couldn't cut it in MLB went to NPB, such as Tuffy Rhodes. Tuffy hit 67 home runs between the Majors and Minors across 10 seasons (6.7 HR/yr), but hit 464 homers in 13 seasons in Japan (35.69 HR/yr).
- While position players such as Hideki Matsui and Ichiro Suzuki have had excellent MLB careers after coming from Japan, there are many more Japanese hitters that have done little to nothing in the States. Look at the MLB careers of Kenji Johjima, Tadahito Iguchi, Kazuo Matsui, Akinori Iwamura, Kosuki Fukudome, and So Taguchi... to name only a few.
Over the years I've heard from many people that Nippon Professional Baseball is a step above Triple-A, but a step below MLB. Some would say NPB is the equivalent of Quadruple-A baseball.
With all that in mind, and although I'm not a fan of the guy, Pete Rose will continue to be the hit king.


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Terra Verde Resort Photo Gallery
Pictures speak a thousand words. Here are a selection of photographs of Terra Verde Resort, the lake, clubhouse, clubhouse pool and other amenities we have to offer. Remember that one of the great things about renting a villa at Terra Verde is that it is purpose built for vacation rentals so offers the best of both worlds - a private villa in a vacation resort setting.


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del.icio.us/dossy (RSS) links since October 29, 2007 at 09:00 AM:
Basic logo design, 4 concepts, 3 revisions: $199.
Mark Russinovich's excellent 1.5 MB freeware Task Manager supplement. If you use Windows at all, this is a must-have add-on.
Newegg.com – ASUS Eee PC 4G – Pearl White Eee PC Intel processor 7″ Wide VGA 512MB 4GB Integrated Graphics – Retail$399 at Newegg. Once the credit cards are paid down more, I might have to splurge for one of these.
I'm definitely a perfectionist, and I see how my perfectionist behaviors definitely contribute to my unhappiness.


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Fat Brain Klickity
(Fat Brain 29.99)
An interesting toy for young toddlers to explore for early lessons in cause and effect. Push on one of the colorful textured balls and a another ball on the opposite side pops up; push again and it pops up. Push down on another ball and it makes a Klickity sound as it slips into the dome. Push on the opposite ball and it pups up with a Klickity sound. Push it again and it fits back into the dome. Swipe the ball in the middle and it rattles as it rolls. None of the balls come free from the dome, which is solid enough to sit still. Just right for little hands and sensory learning and early motor skills. A fine choice for a first birthday. Marked for 12 months and up.
Ages: Toddlers
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Award Pending
Click here to purchase the product from Amazon.com