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I got to thinking again, and another page from the twi playbook is "get everyone else to pay for everything." Twi, as religious groups go, is expensive to continue in. You're shaken down for 10-15% of your income for a "tithe"(it went up to 20% once, and the word means "tenth".). You're shaken down for more than that ("abundant sharing.") They had "plurality giving", which was to hand over ALL of your income that you had left over after your expenses were covered. There's no counterpart in any other group I've ever heard of, and it was a shameless money grab. From the earliest days, vpw made sure all the classes and books were priced at retail prices, while doing all the production in-house-- which funnels extra money to the group. In fact, much of the materials were all bought on the cheap- auctions and so on, and machines were kept and staff had to make old, outdated machines work. It made them work a lot harder than needed, but proper machines cost money, and that means less money in the coffers for the cadre. (Religious groups generally keep prices low on their insiders.) So, in this case... How do we make more profit at the ROA? We either raise prices, or we cut expenses. If we raise prices, then we can't get all the people we want to show up. So, we cut expenses, and find things the innies require- and make them bear the additional expense. Let's see.... Got it! We lower or remove food services! Everybody staying on-grounds has no choice- they have to pay whatever the prices are. People there for the day won't care, they have the choice of buying food there or not. So, stop the expenses of bringing in most or all of the food, and that also works better with so fewer people in the group. We have many fewer people than before, but we require fewer of them to run things with fewer services. So, what do we do for food? We notify food trucks that we're having an event and they are welcome to show up. This means that they can actually charge the food trucks for the spot, and charge the food trucks for any electricity or water they use- if electricity is available, usually the truck provides their own. So, twi gets more money. The food trucks make it up by charging their prices at the event. The twi people pay more money for the food, but twi doesn't care. If the food trucks try to cut the nice Christian people a break, they make a lot less money on the event, and may not even break even- but twi doesn't care, they get paid when the truck arrives. So, this was a new variation on the same old themes. It was indeed something new, but it wasn't nearly as innovative as it might have sounded. All another way to wring money out of their people, and hang onto it themselves.

But it can be saved as a pdf document. I did.

American Mafia -- thorough and enjoyable to hear the history of the Mob. When she was in NY she lived in Astoria... so did I for a year or so...memories...

OK, well then, how about... That was right? Not bad. I'll need to think. I wasn't ready with another question so soon.

If you're having trouble finding 50s, 60s and 70s songs online on streaming stations, message me.

*blink blink* Yeah, your turn, and you earned it. I think the movie is under-rated, but I'm of the impression it's almost unknown. The cast includes Kim Cattrall, Peter Boyle, and Paul Sorvino playing himself. Now that I sat down to watch it again, I think it appeals more to New Yorkers and people who live in big cities. It's a movie that doesn't have a lot of violence or car chases, much swearing, and doesn't have a lot of sex stuff (and obviously no nudity.) For some people, that makes it a boring movie. A review I once read called it "a real yawner". I disagree. It has some action, it's got some laughs, and it is story-driven. If you get into the story, you'll enjoy the movie.

I've been getting good reviews of SNW. Also, their advertising had been slanted to try to pick up more viewers, but in a way that sent me the other way. Since that's not an issue (yet, if ever), I'm interested in sitting down for the show at some point.

Strange New Worlds is off to a great third season. The fourth episode is the first use of a holodeck on a starship. It's a murder mystery, and all of the characters are involved in a Star-Trek-like TV show. Paul Wesley, who plays Jim Kirk on the show (Captain of the Farragut at this time), plays "Maxwell Saint" Captain of the USS Adventure as a wonderful parody of William Shatner (and he throws a little Jonathan Frakes in at the end). Even if you don't watch the show regularly, watch S3E4 "A Space Adventure Hour." You'll get a kick out of it! George

Love the string bass ... played it when I was in high school (HS of Performing Arts, Manhattan)

The murder-suicide of Zack and Addie ... horrible and gruesome... he suffered from PTSD already ... THAT plus the drug abuse was enough to open up the trap door allowing the evil spirit(s) to enter ...

I'll try to watch as much of her stuff as I can... she's got alot there. It may be helpful for someone simply to mention a topic that she believes in and we can discuss it outright rather than watch the video... "Legend of the Bell Witch" -- No problem believing it... evil spirits and related activities etc.

I'm up on a few now, give me a few to catch up.

Dammit!Yes, Turk 182.

I'm glad you guys knew it. I've heard of the movie but haven't seen it. George

This one I know. It's "Turk 182".

Dammit I know this one.

In terms of where this thread goes, I think the original purpose of Questioning Faith is to give unbelievers a place to express unbelief without interrupting genuine discussions about doctrine with predictable arguments that would literally derail every conversation. This is middle ground. If you want to discuss whether her observations are Biblically correct, this is the right forum for that. I agree that the apparently misogynistic elements of the epistles are probably not genuinely from Paul, and as long as "that wasn't in the original -- scratch it out" is fair game within doctrinal, I think it's fair game here.

In the 90s, we considered 60s songs as "oldies." They were as old then as 90s songs are now. Sadly, except for a couple of satellite stations, you just can't hear 50s-70s songs on the radio anymore. George

Yeah, I know. I thought the same thing.

Yes. Nothing short of remarkable. He finished #35, not that it really matters..

OK, this one was on my mind. I'll take a shot and see if anyone can get it. "ZIMMERMAN FLEW. TYLER KNEW." "JUST ONE MORE QUESTION, MISTER MAYOR... ARE YOU READY? THINK HARD! WHO FLEW? ZIMMERMAN FLEW, THAT'S WHO! AND WHO KNEW? TYLER KNEW, THAT'S WHO!" Let's see if anyone can tell us who brought us those messages (not counting me.)

"This show has been brought to you by the letters R and F, and by the number 8." "One of these things is not like the others, one of these things just isn't the same." "These are the people in your neighborhood, the people that you meet each day."

That's the correct title! The word actually means to campaign and make your speech at a stop to audiences, you know, a "stump speech." Oldies, seriously? That was the late 1990s! What happened to the 50s and 60s being oldies?