Twinky

Please don't be one of them, Allan.

I knew them. Wonder where they are now? Do I care? Probably not.

I did not say that, Allan. I said, deaths for any reason within 28 days of a positive covid test. There are other deaths outside 28 days that can be attributed to covid, where someone has been hospitalised / in ICU for a while. And I invited you to look at the correlation between vaccination (rising fast) and deaths (falling fast). It's plain for anyone to see that there's a huge reduction in the number of deaths, hospitalisations etc, in the vaccinated cohort. All medical staff will tell you that the hospitalised ones in the most serious condition are UNvaccinated. ICU is stuffed with naysayers. It's accepted that some vaxed people, those with particular susceptibilities, may get covid but not as severely.

Think I got involved late 1985. Witnessed to by a WOW at a party. The Goldbergs were around at the time, but I don't remember any other names.

Oh, and Allan: do have a listen to the Beeb programme I noted above. I think you'll find it interesting.

Allan, feel free to explore this page: UK Summary | Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the UK (data.gov.uk) Look in particular at the sidebar at left. You will see "Vaccinations" and "Death." Although they do not correlate exactly, you can see that Deaths have declined markedly, as the number of people vaccinated has risen. FYI "Deaths" is deaths for any reason within 28 days of a +ve coronavirus test. So a death would be included even if a person had been run over by a bus, charged by a cow, stabbed by a burglar, or fell off a ladder, and died - if they'd tested positive within 28 days. Bit nuts really, but you can see the trend.

Rather than listen to (haha) "experts" on the internet who know next to nothing and are inarticulate though passionate (raucous?) in their repudiation of the scientific research, you might like to listen to this gentle British scientist who, with a team, has been carefully researching and sequencing covid-19 and its variants. I do hope you can get into this link. Every edition is an interesting programme, and this is very relevant. BBC Radio 4 - The Life Scientific, Sharon Peacock on hunting pandemic variants of concern

Got it done! Pfizer (first two were AstraZeneca). All well - my arm isn't even sore where stabbed!

Going for my booster jab tomorrow. Yes, I believe God to keep me safe - and to keep others safe. I believe I have a great natural immune system, to which loads of fresh fruit and veg, exercise, and a healthy lifestyle contribute. I also believe God gave me the common sense to take reasonable precautions. I continue to wear a mask in shops, etc, and gel my hands wherever possible (even though these actions are no longer legally required) - and (though I'm needle-phobic), I get necessary inoculations. No way am I giving this virus to any of the many very elderly people that I know. (Don't want it myself, either.)

Can't recall anyone of that name. Where did he live? I knew mostly the Birmingham believers.

I think the new technology with mRNA is, as you say, going to open the door to new solutions. Despite some saying it's new and untested, it isn't actually that "new" in that research has been carried out for at least 20 years on just this type of vaccine, and in fact I understand that a SARS vaccine was developed using this technology in around 2003. SARS is a coronavirus, similar to but just a little different from the current version that is so devastating. My vaccines were both AstraZeneca. There have been a few incidents of death caused by blood clotting; not many. Of course that is a sad loss to the families of the deceased, and I don't belittle that. However, those people may well have died anyway, whether covid related or not. And the fact is that millions of people have been vaccinated with AZ and they've had no problems at all. I can certainly speak for the UK, where there has been a mix of AZ (traditional method) and Pfizer (new mRNA method) and both have been extremely effective at preventing serious illness and especially death. Of those hospitalised, somewhat over 80% are unvaccinated; of the less than 20% vaccinated, they are rarely in the most serious condition or die. I will be getting a booster jab next week and that will be Pfizer. In the summer this year, I served as a volunteer vaccination steward in a mass vax centre, and in a couple of months we did 55,000 vaxes, all age groups. Many came in singing and dancing (I jest not; these were older people who got dressed up for this, their first outing in a year!); they were delighted at getting vaxed as a release from the lockdown that we enduring during the previous 12-15 months. We also had many walk-ups (often of younger people not yet eligible) just in case there was a little vaccine still available at the end of the session. I don't know what you have in mind to discuss, Bolshevik, but I really don't understand the vaccine-averse lot, who seem to listen to fantasy theories and not to people who actually know the science, or have seen outcomes in hospitals. I only know one person who refuses to get an anti-covid vaccine of any type, and he's into some weird ideas about other things as well. mRNA vaccines are also being developed to deal with various cancers. One might wonder if the vaccine-hesitant for covid might be equally as hesitant if they had an aggressive cancer and a new mRNA vax was likely to be the most successful way to treat that.

Yes, I encountered this document earlier today; it was linked to something more recent. But what kind of perversion is this? Lyle Jeffs’ estranged wife Charlene Jeffs describes a group of followers called “seed bearers.” “A seed bearer is an elect man of a worthy bloodline chosen by the Priesthood to impregnate the FLDS woman,” according to Charlene Jeffs’ petition. Under a new doctrine, “FLDS men are no longer permitted to have children with their multiple wives. That privilege belongs to the seed bearer alone,” the petition said. “It is the husband’s responsibility to hold the hands of their wives while the seed bearer ‘spreads his seed.’ In layman terms, the husband is required to sit in the room while the chosen seed bearer, or a couple of them, rape his wife or wives,” according to the document. It sounds like something out of "The Handmaid's Tale," with a bit of a twist. What kind of man lets, watches and abets his wife being raped by another man? And not only that, but: Warren Jeffs has withheld any relationships between husbands and wives, Brower said. Any touching between spouses outside rituals like these, even a simple handshake, can now be considered adultery in the church. Unbelievable. Unless one has also been in a cult.

Pretty extreme FLDS cultic abuse. I don't think things were quite this bad in TWI. What is it with some men? How can they (a) convince themselves that this is okay; and (b) convince others that this is okay. Court document: FLDS sect limits sex to 'seed bearers' | CNN

That's a sad story of your first marriage, Oakspear. I fear it may not be the only marriage of its type, though. Glad you've found a new love and life with Mrs O2.

I put some money in. As it started life as ££ it may be some wacky amount in US$.

If not eligible for YARock, how about a "winter wonderland" holiday? No hypocrisy here, celebrating holidays, "decking the halls" and such like. (Cough, cough!) Or does TWI celebrate Christmas now? Enjoy entertainment with the family (could be better than staying home, eating too much, watching too much TV and playing too much Monopoly) (and having a family fight). Anyhow. For any of you who might have been interested, sorry, you've missed the closing date. Note, the "lodging of your choice" costs extra.

"Delicious food." Dragging out that ole chicken frying machine again?

And yet, his granddaughter is/was a Wayfer. Corps, no less. Hahahaha.

VPW being buried at or under a fountain in/by/near a pond made me think of those (worse) cult leaders who got dumped in the ocean. See, VPW even plagiarised a dead cult leader buried at sea - had to have his own little sea to be buried in.

22Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know... 35God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ... 37Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. Now that's "revival." Bold preaching of the message, of Jesus Christ, so convincingly that 3000 people were converted there and then. Do you know what? That sort of thing still happens. In Africa, specifically I know in Burundi (Simon, a missionary from our church goes there a lot and tells great stories of the people there). Simon is passionate, enthusiastic, boundless in energy and vision, an evangelist of some high order. Not only does he do this in Africa - he travels the cities in the UK preaching the gospel in the streets. Okay, we aren't all evangelists. But we do our best. Does R&R even know what a real evangelist is?? Have they any passion for the lord Jesus Christ? Has any of them encountered him, away from the printed page? Does TWI know what a real evangelist is?? Have they any passion for the lord Jesus Christ? Has any of them encountered him, away from the printed page? >> Now you know I'm joking, right? !! << I did know one real "TWI" evangelist, likely some of you here know him too - and they crushed him into nothing, destroyed his family - wife was a petite blonde, "just the type" for certain people. How about TWI "reaching out" to repair some of its horrendous damage to various individuals and families? Starting with paying, no strings attached, for genuine, qualified counsellors and therapists to help heal some of the wounds?

You are bloody joking, aren't you?! How do they propose to get people to come back? Are they sending out invitation letters? Will such letters begin with a humble and heartfelt apology for past treatment of the addressee (and his/her family)? No? Tough, then. Bye.

Absolutely your decision, T-Bone. And absolutely made under duress. If you chose to do something different, likely you'd have been castigated nastily, your supposed sins used as an example, and woe betide you if anything went awry - you'd've been accused of dabbling with DSs, and lucky not to be M&A'd. I don't know if you will be familiar with the expression "coercive control." Used in the UK to define the mental abuse that one partner in a relationship exerts over another. Often, the pattern of behaviour (physical or mind-games, or other) that a male partner will use to belittle and disenfranchise his female partner. You might find this interesting: Coercive control - Womens Aid. Do any of the examples at the beginning of the article sound familiar? I regret many, not all, of my actions on my WoW year. I would really like to apologise for my actions to some of my WoW family. Those actions weren't the real "me" - they were a conditioned and bullied "me." I doubt my WoW family would really understand, but you would, T-Bone, and others who had been in rez. Thank God I am no longer that person - that pretend person.

Hope it goes well for you, Mark. You've put a lot of work in.

Was that your choice, or was it the choice of your coordinator? I know when I was in rez, a couple of people were allowed to go to family funerals - if they took another way believer with them (gotta withstand those DS, and move two by two), and didn't stay overnight unless absolutely unavoidable. Last chance to show respects, etc (even if "under guard" from the other believer). On the other hand, others weren't allowed to go to weddings, not even close family members. Because there would be the opportunity to see them later, after WC training was finished. (As if they'd be missing anything worthwhile from WC training (snark)!).

Lots of us were like that, T-Bone. Nothing like a high-demand cult to make you drop all your "normal" commitments - like to wife and family, other relatives, and to your community at large.