I've got a bit of a mystery on my hands here. I received a rather curious envelope today, postmarked from Canton, Ohio, and no address on the return address. The handwriting is rather slanty and in blue ink. The address is for Universal Media Syndicate. Enclosed in the envelope is a page cut from a newspaper, shilling for some kind of miracle Amish-built electric heater that looks like a fireplace mantle on wheels, as well as a hand-written post-it note that addresses me by name, tells me that "you gotta see this", and has something else scribbled after that, as well as "Heat Surge" at the bottom, which is the brand of these heaters.

First, I thought it was something from someone on the 'Spark who I traded with, but noticing the address on the envelope matched the one on the paper for Universal Media Syndicate, and no name, but everything is hand-written... I think it's Amish spam mail.

I'm very confused and weirded out.

Well, that doesn't seem right.

Any chance you can scan or take pics?

You have contracted the Amish Virus. Since we don't use electricity or have computers, you are on the honor system. Please delete all of your files.

Also @ Shattered: You've never seen those on TV?

To make things even more weird, they have a website - http://www.amishfireplaces.com/

... Amish... Website... Buh... Wuh... Guh....

Rather well known. The Amish build the wooden "fireplace" around it. Then sell it to a company. And they sell it as amish workmanship given the attractive non-heating parts are indeed amish old world crafted.

The casing is Amish-made, what they call the "mantle." It's ordinary spam.

I actually have one of those, it keeps the dogs warm in the garage.

Works pretty well i'd say, only reason we got it cause it was a little cheaper, and slightly bigger than a regular heater. Plus we once had a problem with the dogs getting oto close to the heater and burning themselves, this thing has a fake fire in the bottom and it seems to be realistic enough for the dogs to not get burnt by it.

Its got my seal of approval.

You do know that the Amish are allowed the use of electricity and technology, right?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amish#Modern_technology

I remember taking a tour in school in Lancaster and yes they are. As long as they are using it for a productive reason. Many Amish Farmers use TV to keep their cows calm.

It certainly keeps several hundred million cattle of the human variety calm.

http://www.instantrimshot.com

I've seen ads for that very thing back home. Quite odd.

Well, building a factory would certainly put an odd twist on the barn-raising, don't you think? Taking cell phones out to the field for emergencies when you're still ploughing said field with an ox doesn't exactly relate to industrial production of electronic equipment.

I thought they were allowed to hire people to use technology but they can't use it themselves? In other words, they could pay another farmer to plow their field with a tractor, but they'd have to use an ox.

Anyway, I see ads for this fireplace in The USA Today all the time (it's either the fireplace or the "gold" coins that come with a free safe). The Amish supposedly hand-craft the wooden mantle that goes around the heater. They must be making money to take out full-page ads all the time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amish#Modern_technology

The rules change based on the leadership, basically.