business around the world

dear jhon

2012-04-25T16:36:00.003+07:00

An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. "Dear John," the letter read...and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love--and face the hardest decision of his life.

From Publishers Weekly

Hot on the heels of True Believer and sequel At First Sight, Sparks returns with the story of ne'er-do-well-turned-army-enlistee John Tyree, 23, and well-to-do University of North Carolina special education major Savannah Lynn Curtis. John, who narrates, has been raised by a socially backward single postal-worker dad obsessed with coin collecting (he has Asperger's syndrome). John bypasses college for the overseas infantry; Savannah spends her college summers volunteering. When they meet, he's on leave, and she's working with Habitat for Humanity (he rescues her sinking purse at the beach). John has a history of one-night stands; Savannah's a virgin. He's an on-and-off drinker; she's a teetotaler. Attraction and values conflict the rest of the summer, but the deal does not close. Savannah longs for John to come home; her friend Tim longs to have a relationship with her. On the brink of John and Savannah's finally getting together, 9/11 happens, and John re-ups. Savannah's letters come less and less frequently, and before you know it, he receives the expected "Dear John" letter. Sparks's novel brims with longing. (Oct. 30)

meteor shower

2012-04-22T10:52:00.000+07:00

The week ahead promises to be a perfect time to observe meteors. That's great news since the Lyrid meteor shower peaks on Sunday (April 22), but any night this week should be a good night to see meteors.

A meteor occurs when a tiny fragment of interplanetary material, known as a meteoroid, enters the Earth's atmosphere and is heated to incandescence. This usually occurs at an altitude between 47 and 62 miles (75 and 100 kilometers). Most meteoroids are vaporized in the process; only the largest survive to reach the surface of the Earth, where they are called meteorites.

Meteors are visible every night of the year, but some nights are better than others. The best nights are those with no moon in the sky during one of the many meteor showers that take place during the year.

A meteor shower occurs when the Earth passes through a swarm of meteoroids. These are usually debris from a comet, spread out along the orbit of that comet. The Lyrid meteor sky map associated with this guide shows where to look to see the celestial display.

From our location on the surface of the Earth, when we look in the direction of that orbit, we see the meteors in that shower as streaks of light appearing to radiate from the line of that orbit. That point in the sky is called the radiant of that shower, and usually the shower is named for the constellation in which the radiant is located.

charles colson

2012-04-22T10:39:00.001+07:00

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More than 30 years ago, Charles W. Colson was not thinking about reaching out to prison inmates or reforming the U.S. penal system.

Colson was known as the White House "hatchet man," a man feared by even the most powerful politicos during his four years of service to President Nixon.

Colson was known as the White House "hatchet man," a man feared by even the most powerful politicos during his four years of service to President Nixon.

In fact, this aide to President Richard Nixon was "incapable of humanitarian thought," according to the media of the mid-1970s.

Colson would agree. He admits he was guilty of political "dirty tricks" and willing to do almost anything for the cause of his president and his party.

When news of Colson's conversion to Christianity leaked to the press in 1973, the Boston Globe reported, "If Mr. Colson can repent of his sins, there just has to be hope for everybody."

He entered Alabama's Maxwell Prison in 1974 as a new Christian and as the first member of the Nixon administration to be incarcerated for Watergate-related charges. He served seven months of a one-to-three year sentence before being released.

In 1974, Colson entered a plea of guilty to Watergate-related charges; although not implicated in the Watergate burglary, he voluntarily pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in the Daniel Ellsberg case.

Suddenly, the whole room fell silent. All ears were straining to hear the answer. "I'll help in some way," replied Colson. "I'll never forget you guys or this stinking place."

But Colson never really left prison. Haunted by the desperation and hopelessness he saw behind bars, Colson knew he had to do something to help the men he left behind. In fact, he had a promise to keep.

One day, shortly before leaving prison, Colson was going about his business in the prison dorm while some inmates played cards. Suddenly, one of the players, a six-foot-tall prisoner named Archie, bellowed, "Hey, Colson. You'll be out of here soon. What are you going to do for us?"

"Bull!" roared Archie, slamming down the pack of cards on the table. "You all say that. I've seen big shots like you come and go. They all say the same things while they're inside. Then they get out and forget us fast. There ain't nobody cares about us. Nobody!"

Suddenly, the whole room fell silent. All ears were straining to hear the answer. "I'll help in some way," replied Colson. "I'll never forget you guys or this stinking place."

But today, 35 years later, thousands upon thousands of Christian volunteers and churches do care. They care enough to visit prison, mentor prisoners, help their families, and share the Good News of Christ with them.

That's because in 1976, Colson founded Prison Fellowship®, which, together with churches of all confessions and denominations, has become the world's largest outreach to prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families, with ministry taking place in 113 countries around the globe.

While Colson is one of the Christian community's most sought-after speakers, he has resolutely refused to establish a speaking fee. Perhaps anticipating criticism of any appearance of self-enrichment by a former Watergate figure, Colson donates all speaking honoraria and book royalties to Prison Fellowship, and accepts the salary of a mid-range ministry executive.

Today Prison Fellowship has numerous ways for Christians to join in ministry that is not only transforming prisoners and their families, but also transforming the criminal justice system, our communities, and the culture itself: From in-prison Bible studies and mentoring programs to helping the children of prisoners understand how much God loves them, from advocating for biblically based justice reforms to promoting a biblical worldview.

Colson sensed God's calling to comment on the culture through the written and spoken word. He has written more than 30 books, which have collectively sold more than five million copies. His autobiographical book Born Again was one of the nation's best-selling books of all genres in 1976 and was made into a feature-length film.

In 1999, Colson and Nancy Pearcey co-authored the groundbreaking book How Now Shall We Live?, challenging Christians to understand biblical faith as an entire worldview--a perspective on all of life. In this book, Colson and Pearcey argue that the great battle of the twenty-first century is a struggle between the spiritual and the secular worldviews.

In his most recent book, The Faith, Colson issues an urgent call to the Church to recapture its passion for the historical, orthodox truths of Christianity--especially in this age when the Church is besieged on all sides by secularism, radical Islam, and militant atheism.

Despite his work critiquing the culture, Colson's heart is ever with the prisoner. He has clearly never forgotten the promise he made to his fellow inmates during his brief stay in prison: that he would "never forget" those behind bars.

In recognition of his work, Colson received the prestigious Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion in 1993, donating the $1 million prize to Prison Fellowship. And in 2008, Colson was honored by President Bush with the Presidential Citizens Medal for his years of work with prisoners and their families, which Colson accepted on behalf of the volunteers and staff of Prison Fellowship. Colson's other awards have included the Humanitarian Award, Dominos Pizza Corporation (1991); The Others Award, The Salvation Army (1990); several honorary doctorates from various colleges and universities (1982-2000); and the Outstanding Young Man of Boston, Chamber of Commerce (1960).

pittsburgh penguins

2012-04-21T20:26:00.002+07:00

Paradise was a natural athlete. In fact he once turned down a professional contract in the Boston Red Sox organization to complete his schooling. Besides, hockey would be his calling.

Robert Paradise, the son-in-law of notable American hockey player Bob Dill, was a rough and tumble defenseman for nearly 400 NHL games.

After graduating from St. Mary's in 1966, Paradise joined the 1968 United States Olympic Team and later the 1969 National Team before turning pro with the Montreal Canadiens organization.

He starred in Minnesota, and caught the eye of a NHL scout named Fern Flaman. Flaman was a hard hitting star with the Boston Bruins in the day, and he probably saw a little of himself in Paradise.

After two years in the minors and a brief stint with the North Stars, he was drafted by the Atlanta Flames in 1972 and then went on to a six-plus years career with the Flames, Pittsburgh and Washington.