Author: Jon Gauger

Consider the Panama Canal—a modern marvel. It took 75,000 workers 12 years to dig 10 miles to create the Panama Canal, the water gates that join the Atlantic and the Pacific.    Although the locks are a generous 110 feet wide, the largest of the vessels that pass through, called Panamax, have just one foot to spare on either side!  So there are plans for expansion underway.   Good thing, because every year, between 12,000 and 15,000 ships go through the Panama Canal! But here's the stat that blows my mind.  A boat traveling from New York to San Francisco that travels through…

He said, “Ask God to open doors for you to walk through with your unsaved loved ones.” Dr. Jim Coakley had no idea of the adventure his wise counsel was about to help unleash. For years, now, we have been praying for a small list of people who need to come to Christ: neighbors, friends, relatives.  My commitment is to keep praying for these lost people until I die–or they die.   No kidding.  But since we started praying the prayer Jim recommended—that God would open up doors of opportunity–life has revved into high gear. Example A For years, we have…

It's one of those moments that make being a grandparent so grand.  At a community circus, my wife handed two-year old Lucy a wad of cotton candy.  The tot stared at it, then wrapped her pudgy fist around the pink tuft and—of all things–brushed it against her skin!  Back and forth she rubbed the soft pink cottony thing into her cheeks.  Looking down, my wife saw what was going on and urged Lucy to eat the sugary treat.  Popping it into her mouth, Lucy registered an expression that validated her new delight with cotton candy's real purpose—it's supposed to be…

Searching for a living illustration of grace?  I would not normally recommend you climb aboard a Metra passenger train hauling self-absorbed commuters from the suburbs into Chicago.  But my friend, Jack, stumbled upon a refreshing scene on the train. Jack, who has a knack for colliding with the unusual, was comfortably plopped into his seat aboard train #14 as it chugged eastbound toward a 6:44am arrival in the Windy City.  The car was already full, yet there were still more scheduled stops ahead.  “So this guy is sitting there reading his Bible,” Jack tells me (Jack notices because Bible readers…

As the wrangler pried open the 250 pound alligator's mouth, I was creeped out by the sight of so many teeth.  But that sensation paled compared to the visceral sound of its jaws snapping shut. Imagine slamming an empty gallon-sized can as hard as you can on a cement driveway.  That's sort of the sound we heard at the Everglades Holiday Park in South Florida.  Scientists tell us a human being can munch on a steak exerting between 150 and 200 pounds of pressure per square inch.  Animals such as hyenas, lions and tigers bite with a force of around…

The twin props of the air boat screamed as the wind whipped our hair violently.  I cannot say how fast our aluminum hull sliced through the Everglades channel.  I can only tell you it felt fast.  As if adrenaline hadn’t already kicked in, Captain “Swampy Jay” from the Everglades Holiday Park somehow shoved our boat sideways into a dense pile of thick vegetation.  My wife and I half expected a thunderous impact, as the clump of greenery had all the appearance of something no boat could expect to plow through without destruction.  Turns out, it wasn't harmful.  Among other things, we…

The odds say we should never have met him. But we did. My son and I were trying to leave the Chicago Auto Show and find the bus exit that would take us to the train station…and home. But which exit?  We weren’t sure.   So we asked a trio of Chicago Police officers. Ironically, one of them I’d met before.  He was the officer who ticketed me two years previously for a railroad crossing violation.   I recall him being very polite and most respectful.  Yet, the law required him to ticket me. After paying the fine and doing community service,…

One of the cool things about having children around is you're in touch with all the current “hot toys.”  You know, the must-have gifts at birthdays and Christmas. What’s old is apparently new–and very popular in toys these days.  I refer to “Little People,” a toy series introduced by Fisher Price in the 1960s.  These diminutive plastic figures come in a wide variety of characters. Farmers, animals, boys and girls.  You'll find “Little People” versions of these.  But you can also find licensed versions of movie figures, like popular Disney characters. They are all now under the Mattel name, since they…

Do you prefer your coffee black? Do you like the taste of bitter herbs? Then—caution!  You might be a psychopath! A recent study published in the journal, Appetite!, suggests that a fondness for bitter food and drink may well indicate a connection with what psychologists define as “malevolent personality traits.” You heard me correctly. Your enjoyment of a raw endive salad or—for that matter—most any bitter food or drink has been shown to correlate with psychotic behavior. Those who took part in the study were asked to identify how much they liked food ranging from bitter to salty to sweet.  …

In the market for a new home? I saw some interesting listings in the Wall Street Journal. Trump Park Avenue, a 32 story condo development by presidential candidate Donald Trump, is offering a penthouse unit for $35 million.  That's more than twice the price of a 4,200 square foot 27th floor apartment that features oak floors, handcrafted Italian brass doorknobs, and views of Park Avenue.   Perhaps you hanker for a quieter life and a warmer clime.  Then consider another $35 million dollar listing, this one from Christie's International, in Paradise Valley, Arizona.   The five bedroom “main house” offers…