WordWolf

Nothing like the old-fashioned "bait-and-switch" to bring back memories of twi. This is pretty simple. In the beginning, the corps were TOLD they were to complete their training, then had the OPTION of assignments after that. Whether or not they took on official assignments, they were corps grads (corps vets), and now had training they could use at their discretion. Does that mean I'm saying "they expected to take that training and could then leave and do WHATEVER THEY WANTED with it?" No, that is a distortion based on things nobody said. What corps-grads (most if not all) expected to do was to go in with their lives, now trained by twi and expected to apply what they learned, both in their lives and in twi. What does that mean in a practical sense? It means they could choose to work for twi, or they could choose to have a normal life. If they chose a normal life, they would serve God where they were, and support twi where they were. In other words, a corpse grad who was from Des Moines could return to Des Moine, and do things like run a twig, or run one, then run a branch, or host pfal or other classes, or otherwise support twi in action and teaching. They made an OFFICIAL committment for the length of the program, and from then on, they were at their discretion as to how they applied it. Does that mean they were expecting to leave twi with it? Again, this is a distortion of what's simple to almost everyone. THEY were to choose what capacity they would apply this in, based on what was available for them to do and what they WISHED to do. That's fairly simple. HOWEVER, what the student expected, and what twi later demanded, were 2 different things. A few people here have pointed out they signed up-in writing-for 4 years, where they paid for the training. What they were told several weeks in, was that they were now required to serve twi for life at the discretion of twi, which meant twi could make any sort of demand on them, and they would have to find a way to accomplish it, no matter how difficult. Since they were now manipulated by peer pressure and on grounds and couldn't just say 'this is not what I agreed to in writing" due to a variety of social and psychological stigmas (it was TECHNICALLY possible but PRACTICALLY impossible), twi then had the person right where they wanted them. twi managed-through trickery, psychosocial manipulation, peer pressure, and various forms of outright lying- to get at least a PARTIAL workforce, that PAID for the PRIVILEGE of being "standby slaves" for twi, expected to be told at a moment's notice to follow the whims of twi for the rest of their LIVES. (Unless they left twi completely, which, again, should be obvious that this was declared tantamount to being worthless and fit only to die.) Did vpw actually INTEND for a group of standby slaves? That he DID should be obvious if you look at EVERYTHING he said. He told the corps grads that they were REQUIRED to take time off from work wherever they were, and come to hq to set up the grounds for ROA every year. When some people DID do that, then returned home due to obligations with family, work or others, vpw got ANGRY and insisted they were required to stay a SECOND week and work MORE to PUT ON the ROA. "He reminded everyone of the commitments that they had made regarding a lifetime of Christian service. Every corps person needs to plan ahead one year or more so that they can be a part of these events. They need to be able to be a part of ROA and corps fellowship." So, vpw intended-at least early on-that "a lifetime of Christian service" would NOT mean "serve God the rest of your life as led by The Spirit, in the context of twi", but rather "serve God the rest of your life as defined by whatever vpw and twi tells you God's Will is."

I shall try to explain. You (like me) didn't have a traumatic twi experience, AFAIK. For US, the problems that needed to be addressed were more doctrinal than anything else- as well as learning that some things were were told were outright lies. Some of the "doctrine" was in how to treat people, and how to treat leadership (who, oddly enough, ARE people), and how to treat the Bible and other books. That takes some time to correct. Every once in a while, I STILL find some subject come up, and discover that vpw or someone else made up some gonzo explanation of something, and only the "thou shalt not question vpw" unwritten policy kept it from being corrected soon after it was introduced. After all, if it was from the greatest source of revelation from God in nearly 2 millenia, how could it be downright stupid? So, for you and me, the "so what" includes things that happen years later (decades, now.) For those with tougher stories, they have more fundamental things to fix- dysfunctional, learned patterns of reacting to things and so on, that can take decades to root out. Even when we know, intellectually, some things were wrong, to hear people use them ignorantly (as in ex-twi) or innocently (as in, never-been-way) can trigger hostile or otherwise bad responses. Those are obvious signs that it's more than "so what?" If this never happens to you, congratulations. It happens to lots of other people, and ranges from odd teachings through odd practices down to "Christian leaders who break the law should be allowed to do so if they have a Scriptural excuse....no, wait a minute..."

"Some think that happinness is measured out in years. You don't know what it's like to listen to your fears." "You can talk to me. You can talk to me. If you're lonely you can talk to me"

You are thinking correctly. It's also been suggested that the Borg had already been in Federation space before this, since a colony or something had had all its tech removed before, which fits the MO of the Borg when we meet them in this episode.

"Con permiso, Capitan. The hall has been rented -- the orchestra engaged -- it's time to see if you can dance." "We have analyzed your defensive capabilities as being unable to withstand us. If you defend yourselves, you will be punished." "If you can't take a little bloody nose -- maybe you had better go back home and crawl under your bed. It's not safe out here. It's wondrous -- with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross -- but it is not for the timid."

No, I didn't use the title as a quote. That was neither the title nor artist. ========= "You can talk to me" "If you're lonely you can talk to me"

"Con permiso, Capitan. The hall has been rented -- the orchestra engaged -- it's time to see if you can dance." "We have analyzed your defensive capabilities as being unable to withstand us. If you defend yourselves, you will be punished."

Give me a few more hours to post the next one....

"You can talk to me"

"The lunatic is on the grass"

The "hoodoo" rings a bell. "Born on the Bayou." IIRC, that's Creedence Clearwater Revival, not John Fogerty in his solo career.

I know the song, of course, but I'm blanking on the artist.

That was "the Spirit of Radio", by Rush.

Didn't hit me until now that both episodes had the Feds, Klingons, and powerful being. Ok, this was "Day of the Dove."

"Begin the day with a friendly voice, a companion unobtrusive... Plays that song thats so elusive and the magic music makes your morning mood"

Is this from "Day of the Dove", when the Organians FORCED peace on Klingons and Federation, and a Klingon (Kor???) decided that there's times even Klingons don't fight? The "burning house" comment is familiar.

Ok, you've got the artist, so you can take the round. Maybe I was thinking about this because the other guy called HIMSELF "The Teacher" ======= Well the dawn was coming, heard him ringing on my bell. He said, ``My name's 'The Teacher', that is what I call myself. And I have a lesson that I must impart to you. It's an old expression, but I must insist it's true. Jump up, look around, find yourself some fun, no sense in sitting there hating everyone. No man's an island and his castle isn't home, the nest is for nothing when the bird has flown.'' So I took a journey, threw my world into the sea. With me went the teacher, who found fun instead of me. Hey man, what's the plan, what was that you said? Sun-tanned, drink in hand, lying there in bed. I try to socialize but I can't seem to find what I was looking for, got something on my mind. Then the teacher told me it had been a lot of fun. Thanked me for his ticket and all that I had done. Hey man, what's the plan, what was that you said? Sun-tanned, drink in hand, lying there in bed. I try to socialize but I can't seem to find what I was looking for, got something on my mind. ======== Go, bfh!

"F Troop?"

"Begin the day with a friendly voice, a companion unobtrusive..."

Could this be Aretha Franklin asking for a little Respect?

Perhaps some advice for us twi survivors: "Jump up, look around, find yourself some fun, no sense in sitting there hating everyone. No man's an island and his castle isn't home, the nest is for nothing when the bird has flown.''

Was this "Wild Wild West?"

"BEHIND BLUE EYES", The Who.

There are plenty of soldiers who go on and "man up", but still remember something in war, sometimes having flashbacks. There's Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, which applies to soldiers and civilians, and both can seem fine, then struggle when something triggers a painful memory. When a soldier is doing just that, would you recommend telling him to just buck up and handle it? He already knows he's SUPPOSED to find a way to do that. Of course, telling him that AT THE TIME really doesn't help. That would be as silly as confronting someone for having a racing heartbeat, or because they had some sort of brain attack where they suddenly were disordered and aphasic and all that. Yet, there ARE people who would confront someone under such an attack- right when it's happening, they'd demand to know how the person let his brain get all scrambled. (Of course, it the person's aphasic, it's hard to answer....)

Dear Watered Garden, Thank you for your input on this subject so far. I hope we can prevail upon you to fill us in a little better, so long as we phrase the questions in a civil and respectful manner. I was getting ready to re-read the thread, then ask you to clarify your post. It seemed both like you were saying it WAS an STD, and that it WASN'T. After all, you said the DIAGNOSIS HS2 wasn't around yet-not that he couldn't have GOTTEN it, just that he could not have been DIAGNOSED with it. However, the "OH HO!" part made it sound like you were saying it was definitely NOT HS2. I think it's not unreasonable to see it's possible that many people here-especially those of us who, like myself, lack a medical background. IIRC, when you get a COLD SORE, that's a herpes virus or something, and THAT usually isn't an STD. *glances at something* Hm. A Herpes virus is responsible for chicken pox, and Epstein-Barr/"mono". (And not everything people call a "cold sore" is caused by this virus. I could use some time reading up...) If you could explain to us, in terms that complete duffers can understand, I certainly would appreciate it. I expect others would as well. Here's something I found on wikipedia on Encephalitis.