Ham

I tend to think that human beings want and desperately seek equilibrium. They want rest, comfort, often the safety that a larger group will provide. Often they will make a few sacrifices (i.e. the foot in the door, the small "favors") to enjoy the comfort. Maybe that is part of the "sell" you're talking about, Catcup. You give it to them, CHEAP. Love them like there is no tomorrow.. then "ask" for another favor, or two.. or three.. not so bad. Not asking you to sacrifice your firstborn or anything.. yet. Then come the demands. Soon you'll do almost anything to get back to that point of rest you once THOUGHT you owned, or enjoyed. I look at it mathmatically. It is called a "sink", where if you put some "thing" someplace, it will seek rest at the point of equilibrium. I think it does model human behavior at least fairly well..

It just might not be hate you're feeling.. perhaps it is sorrow. In that little photo above.. I feel sadness for somebody who is brought so low, as to have to receive sustenance and have to say "Thank you, *MR* Capone.."

Any one person can be quite a different character, depending on the particular observer's perspective.. From the poor starving people in this picture, Capone was a saint of God.. I would venture to say they didn't give a damn if he murdered, plundered, sold dope.. but that's what paid the bill, in this instance. The heroin addict that depended on Capone's operations to get their fix.. I bet it was a mixed bag. I bet they blessed Capone's name, then cursed it almost in the same breath..

I won't throw that label on any one poster. It is only an observation. I choose to speak generally. I've observed this with some online, but I've met in person some with this same kind of philosophy in real life. If the particular person didn't get taken advantage of, or worse, they refuse to get involved. None of their business. At least they think..

Hmmm. Well, "evil" is subjective, for a lot of people. For even others, if it didn't happen to them, it wasn't really "evil" after all.. What vic did to some people here, to them it was as if he really WERE Hitler, or Atilla, or Milosevec.. if a person can put themselves in the shoes of the truly abused, maybe person could understand the feeling that labelling the mogster with these kind of titles really conveys. I prefer the Capone comparison. I wasn't cornered in a motorcoach, but I was sold a bunch of contraband, i.e. stolen property, from a person who did so on a continual basis. They call this racketeering in modern terms. From my perspective, the comparison fits pretty well..

I think LEAD was an acronym for Leadership Education Adventure Direction

I remember those kind of choices: 1. Get involved in a GOOD career, requires cutting into "twig time" a couple times a week.. 2. College education. Same thing.. 3. Spend the majority of your spare time during adolescence and adulthood going to meetings, running classes, door to door and mall witnessing. Do your best to run devils out of people and communities, whether they are really there or not. Like Mrs. Presky, "I'll take the bag". "hey, this is a bag of ****!!" "but it's really GREAT ****, Mrs. Presky.."

"Death" is often used used as a symbol for change.. ususually irreversible..

Not to side track too much, but Dave, was he rather uneducated and obtuse then, or was it the effect of eleven years more experience in der vey that made him at the least appear that way when I met him in the 1990's? Only thing I can think is loy didnt want anybody around more intelligent than himself.. gave all his men cans of paint and a paper bag and ordered "have at it boys.." sorry, I know, I'm a bad squirrel.. really.. the guy left me with the impression that it was a miracle that he made it through the fifth grade..

But will they do all that, and windows too?

Not AS evil. Society managed to keep him SOMEWHAT in check. He simply did what he could get away with.. as much as he and the inner circle could do, and cover up. Would he have done as much evil as HItler if he lacked constraints? That is a question I can't authoritatively answer. But we know his track record, he did misuse his authority, drug, and sexually assault the flock. I think a reasonable answer is, without restraints, he would be worse than he was. If he could have moved with impunity, I think a lot more people would have gotten hurt.

They tried something like that in the sixties, marijuana was actually legal for a short period of time, and look where it got them.. LSD was legal at the time too, and practically a whole generation of kids that would rather go live like the American Indians.. the alternative certainly can appear rather attractive, compared to the "egg sucking" reality society and government had to offer at the time.. the way things are going, I wonder if we're gonna see it all happen again..

Not to mention, that I'd rather deal with a bunch of glassy-eyed stoners than a bunch of glassy eyed cultists.. I never had the memory problem. But if I did, I probably wouldn't remember it..

Maybe not Joe, but as a squirrel, let me offer you a couple of pecans. Well, I think the hucksters actually BELIEVE they have the finest knowledge before time began, otherwise they would find it a little difficult to sell their product. Welcome to the cafe!

Actually, I don't think it got worse.. they just took what was at the root level, and spread it around a little.. hmm. maybe that is worse.. If you can imagine a couple hundred Geers give or take, hitting the field with a vengeance.. that's pretty close to what happened.

by the time I left in 96.. it got to the place they were trolling for a half a reason to work somebody over and put them on some kind of spiritual "leave", or some kind of "correction" program of sorts. "we know something is wrong here. If you knew what was good for you, you'd spill your guts and tell us. " I think some people made stuff up.. "Yes, yes.. I'm a homo, AND I'm possessed, AND I'm an idolater, AND.." The only thing I ever honestly told this sycophant was that I really couldn't trust him. But I was nice about it. Somehow, the "inquisitor" expected the poor slobs in these "meetings" to provide evidence for their own guilt and lynching..

I use the Dillinger analogy because when he wasn't otherwise robbing, pillaging and doing general mayhem, he could actually be a nice guy to some people. Some thought Dillinger was a modern Robin Hood.. Lets see. vic robbed from Stiles/Bullinger/Leonard/etc., and he gave to us poor blokes.. umm, or maybe he sold it to us poor blokes.. well, it doesn't match, at least on all points.

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Taze_Russell sounds kinda familiar.. I haven't looked very close, but I wonder if CES holds to the claim of knowing da bible like it hasn't been known since the first century..

I dunno.. I think if it is something that I really like, like math.. I'll work my rear off.. I don't know if I'm a people pleaser as such, I'm pretty happy in general with myself and life, even though I'm on the trek toward a different career. But it makes my day if I can make someone other than myself happy.

I wonder if they can issue you a ticket and fine for speed dating.. don't try it through a construction zone. They double the fines here..

Why not? One of my favorite figures of speech does allow for this.. how often does the bible quote itself, giving different meanings and different contexts to not only the words, but sometimes whole passages themselves? "umm, it really wasn't about David, it was about Jesus.." or "umm, it really wasn't about Ahitophel's treachery, it was about Judas's betrayal.." Apparently this is how the divine often communicates with the human..

I remember some "stuff" back in the seventies.. dear brother brought home some kind of cambodian something or another that a friend grew from the seeds.. after not very long, the other two in the room starting speaking like Donald Duck. Thought they were fooling around, until left the room. The whole world was speaking like Donald Duck..

Hmm. I don't know if you can have a "comeback" if you didn't "have it" to begin with.. There are some possibilities though.. Hire a dozen or so of those REAL BIG water tankers, along with high pressure pumps and fire hoses.. wash out the OSC, chalet and auditorium from one end to the other.. including rosie and staff. carefully deposit the "washings" at the nearest toxic land fill in the county.. if they'll accept it.. then maybe we can talk about some kind of "rebuilding".

Oh.. Catcup.. Bumpy is a boy. Thought enquiring minds would want to know..

aint it the truth.. that's why they wouldn't put me in charge of much of anything. I'm ruined, damaged merchandise, as far as corporate america is concerned.. Sometimes I think a person is better off being toast.. :)