waysider

He's 8 years old. HERE is what happens when he gets the"Room Cleanin' Blues".

I think ear hair might be caused by a debuhl spurt. Don't tell it to come out, though, 'cause then your ears will be even hairier. (On account of it "comin' out".) :blink:

The Blob!!

For what it's worth, I feel like I have benefited from your input, John. Thanks

Check out the harp player at center stage. HERE :)

Wang Dang Doodle

If you think about it as being a pyramid scheme (because it was), does it make any more sense?

Maybe these excepts from Witnessing and Undershepharding will add some perspective: Page 2 "The basic reason we witness is to help people into the classes on Power for Abundant Living." OR page 4 "You are to witness- now go witnessing to move the Word. Go and tell." OR page 5 "The reason believers won't or don't witness is always because of fear" OR page 6 "We live abundantly and then give Power for Abundant Living." ************************************************* So, when you boil the cabbage down, what you are left with is the reality of what actually took place. TWI and the PFAL series was a cleverly crafted multi-level-marketing scheme. We were, perhaps, the worst paid sales force in the history of mankind. (exaggeration intentional) We actually paid them for the privilege of hawking their product and were made to feel less than adequate if we didn't participate or succeed. And, the the concept of "Well, at least we moved The Word" doesn't fly either. The product we were pushing was a flawed rendering of scripture, tainted by the "private interpretation" of a guy who was quite adept at privately interpreting it to suit his own desires. We weren't "moving the Word". We were selling a class and establishing a base of followers who would willingly and systematically divert a high percentage of their material gains to further "the cause".

"----and you get all this and more for the low, low price of $100 $85 $200 $65." (pssst, Louie------ how much are we charging this week??)

Bullwinkle Eenie, meenie, chili beenie---the spirits are about to speak. Rocky Are they friendly spirits? (Now watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat.)

I'm goin' where the Sun keeps shinin' through the pourin' rain. (*Not the first line*)

When I stumbled into the cafe, I hadn't "fellowshipped" for 15 years! Some of this stuff becomes so ingrained, it seems impervious to time tables.

Koko Taylor--- RIP

Honestly? I don't think it was anything quite as logical as that. It's sort of an exercise in futility to look for a logical explanation for illogical lunacy. It's like when you see some news report of someone doing something particularly heinous and you ask yourself, "Why"? Some things in TWI simply can't be explained other than to say that they were a bunch of wackos who made decisions based on delusion and fantasy.

You could try putting a religious statue out in a conspicuous location. It's my understanding they like to sneak behind them to take a little smoke break from time to time.

I'm not so sure that's the same thing. "Good times" are when somebody gushes over the "swell" time he had hanging out with VPW for a week 30 years ago or how "blessed" they got at those infamous "nite-owls" when all the young ladies sat around in their pj's singing Kumbaya while VP perused the attendees with a lustful eye. Why was this woman in a position to have to drive a car that was in such a state of disrepair, scrape for change and subject her children to less than healthful conditions? I'm not faulting the woman, herself. What I'm doing is bringing into question the type of system that fostered and propagated these kinds of situations. What you are remembering is a good person, not a good time.

It's been reported that some of them are known to chain smoke little menthol cigarettes with fake filters. I hope that helps.

Maybe it's all a matter of perception and definition. When someone makes the focus of their posting activity an avenue to promote a personal agenda, I see that as "speaking from the pulpit". Maybe prosylatizing would be a better word. It could be about anything, really, but typically it's been about an inordinate promotion of such things as: PFAL equaling The Word of God, insisting that every incident be proven, looking for any opportunity to bash Obama, repeated invitations to join a "church" and so forth. Just my opinion but those are things that I would consider to be encompassed in this pulpit idea. I don't let it bother me, though, as long as the "preacher" is open to honest and open discourse regarding whatever their agenda might be.

Gonna miss ya, Short Stuff. Just remember to keep that Swiss Chard weeded.

Where is the puke emoticon when you really need it?

------Melanie

GOOD TIMES/BAD TIMES

"Don't bite the hand that feeds you." A fair share of that was practiced in The Way, as well. If you had something they wanted or needed, you may have gotten different treatment than those who didn't. People who had access to free/nice meeting facilities, people who had ties to periodicals that could possibly wrangle some free advertising, musical or artistic talent that could be exploited, people with potential to offer large sums of money to help the organization, etc., often got the red carpet treatment. I recall a particular time when VPW was planning a trip to our area. We knew about it a month in advance. One of the newbies was a limo driver who had access to company stretch limos. He got the royal treatment up until he picked up VP from the airport and chauffeured him around town all weekend. After that, the squeeze was on to get him wrapped up in "The Class". Suddenly, he was like every other sales prospect who wouldn't commit to closing the sale. He got used and he knew it. He didn't stay long after that. Even those who got special treatment, though, would sometimes express confusion and disappointment over the less than special treatment of the regular believers. There were definitely mixed signals being sent. I guess my point is that the people sitting in the audience may have seen it as a "good" time. The guy who was scammed would probably recall the instance in a much different light.

Whatever happened to the days when the burden of zoning enforcement fell on a government entity?